HEllo everyone! don't shoot me! I tried my best and here it is, the new chapieeeeee I hope you will like it, I needed HOURS to finish it!
Enjoy...
Chapter Seven – Lost Chance
'How are you doing with the prince, sister?' Morgause's voice was heard around the room, Morgana had just woken up from a rather troubled night, nightmares wouldn't stop for the past days, ever since she had that ride with Arthur her nightmares had gotten worse and worse, other times showing her Avalon falling, her sister dead and other times seeing Arthur dead or dying, close to the corpses of little children with raven curls or blond hair…
'I'm doing my best, Morgause, I'm approaching him.' Morgana said and waited for Morgause to speak.
'Have you touched the matter of his birth yet?' Morgause asked and Morgana sighed and shook her head.
'I'm approaching it,' she lied, rubbing her eyes with her hand, she couldn't believe she was now lying to her own sister.
'…I see,' Morgause was heard and Morgana frowned, knowing her sister wasn't easily lie to… 'Well is he difficult to approach?' Morgause asked after another moment and Morgana felt as smiling.
In the past days Morgana was probably spending the best days in years of her life. Arthur was a brat but their bickering was making her feel alive, he was trying to push her buttons like she did with him but they always ended up laughing about things and surprising each other with things standard for their worlds but so different for each other. They loved riding horses –especially since she had saved his stallion-, they had even decided to have a small sword fighting since she had challenged him, they loved strolling around the castle. Arthur had showed her all the good spots of the castle and the city, they were having great fun with each other and Morgana had to admit, he was nothing like people from Avalon had their propaganda about… Arthur Pendragon was a… sweet man.
'Yes, he's hard to approach, he's closing up really easily and has a lot of guards around him,' Morgana tried to lie again and sighed, the only one guarding Arthur had been his friend who for the past days had been really strange. Morgana's initial impression about Merlin was obviously wrong as he wasn't that sweet man she had thought of at first and Morgana was worried sometimes. He had almost been stalking at Arthur and Morgana, having the Prince many times asking him to leave and the young man would stuck his eyes on Morgana as if judging her for something that she hadn't done…at least not yet.
'Well then you'll be pleased to know that you will have help…' Morgause's voice had a small poisonous edge and Morgana frowned harder at her sister's words.
'What do you mean?' Morgana asked and Morgause took her moments to speak.
'You'll see, trust your blood, little Mor, trust me,' Morgause said, addressing her sister with her old nickname their mother used. Morgana was little Mor and Morgause was the big Mor of the Avalon family, both princesses with similar names. Morgana felt as her heart had sunk in boiling guilt and worry. The magical connection was broken and Morgana was left alone with the throbbing bracelet in her hand and her mind racing.
'Are you alright?' Arthur asked as he saw her emerging from her room, they had decided to compete with each other in sword fighting, for the past days they enjoyed literally playing with each other and since both Uther and Morgause had pushed them close as to get each other's interest, the two royals did exactly that… maybe a bit too willingly from their own parts but… they had to obey the orders given to them, that's what they kept telling themselves.
'Uhm, yes just troubled sleep…' Morgana only half lied as indeed her sleep wasn't good by far and the combination with Morgause's riddles destroyed her mood.
'Your grace-' Arthur started.
'I thought we agreed on Morgana and Arthur, first name bases…' Morgana tried with a smile and Arthur smiled.
'You're right, Morgana…' he said and went on. 'Maybe we should call Gaius or Merlin… they could give you some medicine… excuse my forwardness but in the past days I have heard the screams in your chambers… screams of utter fear and worry, I know it's the nightmares but maybe we could stop it with some medicine? How do you stop them when you're in Avalon?' Arthur asked and Morgana was left speechless to look at him, yes in the past days they had come closer, something that left Morgana utterly confused and worried and bemused but she wouldn't have expected of the royal bratness of his to have noticed her nightmares and her worries, maybe she was way too open to him?
'Usually I use magic…' Morgana said and Arthur gave a small sight, she couldn't do the same here, in Uther's castle, not again, it would be disastrous for their so far great royal guest.
'Well then I'm afraid we'll have to use some medicine?' Arthur offered weakly, in the past days, he had to admit, he felt a great pull towards the young princess, it wasn't easy to admit, he had never felt like this before, she was strong, beautiful, with her own brain to use and not some overly ridiculous young lady who gushed over him, he liked that she provoked him all the time –even if he usually lost the battles with her, another first for him- he had found an equal and even if he was afraid it was all because of her magical powers, he liked to believe that it was something more, something of his own instincts and feelings… he liked to believe that he actually liked her and she liked him back. 'Maybe I can brighten your day by beating you in the sword fighting?' Arthur offered with a grin this time and Morgana answered with one of her own.
'Like you did with the horse races and the archery match between us? Yeah I think beating you once again will help me…' Morgana said as she breezed by his side down the corridor, he gave a smaller grin, knowing she was right about their past.. encounters, yet he couldn't admit such thing, he hadn't lost to a girl!
'That never happened..' he murmured as he approached her. She was wearing casual clothes, a pair of black trousers, boots she could fight with the sword on steady legs and a nice top with a happy little sketch of a girl with a crown and the logo "I'm a fucking little princess" in pink letters.
'You need a children sword, my lady?' Arthur asked as they entered a small chamber in the sword fighting field of the castle. Morgana grinned and approached the case with swords, she picked one or two, balancing them in her hand as to find a good one for her hand, she picked one with small rubies –the gemstones of Camelot- on the handle. 'I see you're going to break your hand with this one, quiet heavy… fitting for a man's hand…' Arthur added when she didn't speak, she smirked as he picked up his own.
'No worries, my lord.. I beaten you with a horse too big for me… I am sure I can beat you with a sword unfitting for a woman…' Morgana said and Arthur rolled his eyes but grinned as she moved away.
They exited the chamber and moved to the field, Arthur was dressed in breeches and a black top, boots as well were on for his steady steps, his hair was messy with the breeze of spring, his eyes vivid like Morgana's as they started by circling each other with smiles on their faces.
'So you're allowed to fight in Avalon?' Arthur asked and Morgana smiled as she balanced her the sword in her hand.
'You'd think I'm just sitting in a mysterious room all day, practicing black magic, Arthur?' Morgana asked and Arthur grinned.
'Well you're to be the future Queen of Mora, I can't imagine people would dare harm you even in practice…' Arthur said and Morgana felt a clutch in her stomach at the mention of her preplanned future… the mission she had… her crown… shared with someone like King Merrick… a man with three times her age….
'Believe me, Arthur, my tutor in sword fighting was quiet cruel with me… sent me to my chambers many times with slices and scratches and bruises… taught me how not to whine but stand strong… once I had even some broken ribs…' Morgana said as she lay the first blow, hard enough for Arthur to block in surprise, she had a strong hand.
'And your tutor was?...' Arthur asked in a gasp as he advanced and they had to circle their swords before meet them again in mid air.
'My sister, queen Morgause…' Morgana said in effort as they started a dance of fighting… blades smashing against each other, wrists twisting and steps carefully placed as not to lose balance…
Arthur didn't have to answer something in this, obviously Morgana had seen the ugly side of a family… like he had, he had his father, she had her sister and no father… and he had no idea about Queen Vivienne and her ways with her daughters…
'What about your mother, Morgana, if I may ask?' he tried as he backed off for a few moments, to give her time and study her face…
'Our mother was… fair, strong, very strong…' Morgana said, in every pause balancing and calculating Arthur's posture. 'She was strict but she loved us equally, she knew we would be the only ones left behind when she would be gone… She knew her islands had to be properly ruled… she trusted us… and that's why she left no place for argument, disobedience or defy… She never laid a finger on us… but her tongue was enough to make you crawl…' Morgana said as they had kept on with their fight, they only stopped for a moment again, they were too strong for each other… Equally strong and Morgana was surprised for opening so easily to Arthur. While taken by surprise, Arthur found the chance to attack, he blocked the sword from her hand, and as she tried to stop him, she lost her balance and fell back on the soft dirt of the field, Arthur moved close and pointed his blade at her left, full breast.
'By the looks of things, I won…' Arthur said, way softer than he would have if he hadn't just heard her confession about her childhood. Morgana smiled and replied as she glanced at the blade on her breast.
'There is always a first time,' she said cheekily and he rolled his eyes as he took away the blade and offered his free hand, she took it with a small smile as he pulled her on her feet. 'What about your mother…? I know you lost her young… but…' Morgana tried, mostly innocently but she knew she had a mission as well, a mission she almost dreaded now… She knew she should be ashamed of admitting that to herself but she had to, she liked Arthur way too much to harm him in any way…
Arthur kept her hand in his, their bodies close; he wondered if he should answer… was she just curious? No, she was asking because he had asked and she had answered, for the past days they had been learning things about each other in general bases, what they liked what they disliked, their educational levels, their experiences from their countries, that morning was about learning things about their past, a past they obviously didn't like…
'She was the royal princess of Caerleon, she married my father when she was very young, for years they were trying to have a child, they made it and she got pregnant with me… she died in the labor, all I know is that my father changed then… Some hoped that the birth of the first male would establish Albion's unity but it only got it divided…' Arthur finally said, his voice not hiding his change of mood. Morgana remained to look at him, her eyes still in his, his taller figure before her, their chests almost touching.
'It wasn't your fault…' she heard herself whispering, she knew the truth, of course it wasn't his fault, he was just born, Uther had used queen Igraine through magic to have a child, and he had changed because he blamed magic and not himself…
'Anyway, I know that she was a very sweet woman, a beautiful woman, and that she craved a child very much… not only because she wanted to make sure the Pendragon Dynasty would carry on but also because she loved children…' Arthur added way softer and Morgana nodded her head, unconsciously squeezing his hand, his eyes locked with hers and remained there, their faces close to each other…
'What's the version of the event in your country? I'm sure the people there weren't very happy with the birth of the male in Camelot…' Arthur whispered his question and Morgana's heart gave a sudden kick, she could do it now, it was the perfect chance, she could seed doubt and pain in his heart, pain that combined with the truth she could prove to him would lead to his turn against Uther, it would result to Uther's fall… and then Arthur's as well, she could make it.
Their faces were a mere inch apart, their breaths puffing against each other's skin, their eyes locked, their hearts racing. Morgana opened and closed her full lips, trying to execute her mission, and Arthur at the same time, she didn't have the time to make a sound as a gasping voice interrupted them.
'Arth-your highness! You're needed in the conference- office immediately!' it was Merlin's voice and the pause in his words had been resulted by him noticing how close Morgana and Arthur had been. The duo broke apart immediately, Morgana looking around her as if she had just done something awful and Arthur looked at Merlin as if he would murder the young man, Merlin however was looking at Morgana almost accusingly…
'What is it, Merlin?' Arthur asked and Morgana finally met the eyes of the prince's friend, piercing in her own, she hated that heated gaze for the past days, for some reason Merlin always made her feel uncomfortable and she tried to blame on him the fact that she froze before her greatest chance to finalize her sister's plan, so she returned the glare equally.
'The king wants to talk to you, it's about a royal visitor from Escetia…' Merlin said as he finally looked at his friend, Arthur with his turn looked at the bemused Morgana.
'I have no idea…' she said, yet a scalding fear and suspicion rose in her heart, she would get help… that's what Morgause had said… someone had been sent from Escetia, the kingdom that was to be united with Avalon through the marriage of Morgause and Cenred's within the next days… what Morgause had done?
'Excuse me, Morgana,' Arthur said as he gave a small bow at her, mostly to show her that they would have time later to talk again, she only nodded and gestured for him.
'I could come with you?' she offered, she needed to know what Morgause had done.
'The king requested only the Heir,' Merlin answered for Arthur and Morgana glared at him again while Arthur looked at him with a confused frown at his friend's cutting tone.
'Allow me to go on my own and see what is going on… we'll talk later, what about afternoon picnic in the roses garden that I showed you the other day?' Arthur offered, romance, that would be good for her, he could get to know more about her… they would have privacy and be on their own… and maybe, just maybe, he could finish what Merlin so abruptly interrupted.
'Very well then…' Morgana finally said, she knew she shouldn't press matters, she could draw too much attention and right that moment, she wasn't sure if she wanted to keep up with her plan or just admit defeat to her sister and run away, back to her golden cage in Avalon… or just run away with Arthur somewhere far from Albion altogether.
'See you in the afternoon them, I hope your pride will be healed until then…' he said with humor, referring to her loss to him in the sword fighting, she gave a smile and a chuckle and at that sight Arthur couldn't stop himself, he leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. A completely intimate and forwarded gesture between two royals, they both knew that yet they both gave gentle smiles at each other, even if Morgana's eyes had widened the moment she felt his lips on her skin…
The young prince moved away, followed by Merlin but not before the younger man could glare at Morgana with hot eyes, she was still confused but the man's eyes on her put her on guard immediately and she glared back at him, not able to ask what was his bloody problem as he was already moving away, trailing the prince like he always did nowadays…
She tried to forget the young man as she touched her skin with her hand, her skin still tingled with the feel of Arthur's lips on it… She sighed, took a deep breath and sighed again… She had been so good at first, determined to do what would be good for Avalon, Mora and Morgause… but in the past days she had lost that determination, that sureness, that power… and today she had missed her biggest chance to create the sparkles of war among the Pendragons. And now she was just touching her cheek like a schoolgirl because no one else but her enemy, Arthur Pendragon, the man she had seen in her dreams fathering her children… had kissed her on the cheek…
For the love of Circe… what was wrong with her?
oooh so much confusion... and Morgana missed a very big chance to reveal what she knows... but Morgause has sent a helping hand... hmm what kind of help you think it is? and Arthur gave her a kiss on the cheek even under Merlin's glares... and they have set a date in the roses garden... what u think guys? i need motivation to keep up so please, be kind ladies and knights and leave me a review please!
CP09