Why is it when I don't have any work to do I have writers block but when my exams come I can write massives like this chapter?
Anyway, this is the penultimate chapter.
Reply to reviews:
ProcrastinationIsMyCrime: thanks for the reviews. Don't think i have had anybody review every chapter just before the end. I am glad you have liked my take on it. Jealous Agravaine was an important aspect of my story as it led to the break down of their alliance. I like to put translations in when i have 'made up' the spell. Most of the spells are usually from Merlin wiki as they have been used in the show. Gaius may have lost his foster son but maybe that view will change next chapter. As for Freya, she is seen as one of the good guys so wouldn't like Morgana. Also she could believe she was losing Merlin's love. I am glad you liked the fighting. its how i would imagine the magic to have been like.
Dead
Merlin smiles as he pours Arthur's drink.
Tonight was the night that everything was going to change.
All the planning had come down to one moment.
Merlin had earlier knocked out the guards by the siege tunnels and sent a signal to the troops.
It seemed like everyone was in position.
Merlin just needed to wait for the signal from Morgana.
Morgana waited patiently.
Merlin told her that he would give the signal that the siege tunnels were clear then wait for an hour, plenty of time for the feast to get underway.
Morgana could see that Merlin's talents were being wasted and made a pact to herself to always make use of Merlin. Even for a servant he was very observant and being his status and character, he can get the people's views.
A few soldiers had been sent a while ago, reaching the city after that hour. Just to make sure that they can get through the gates no problem.
Morgana watched as flames lit up part of the wall.
She turned to Helios. "It's time."
Merlin saw the flames.
It's time. He thought.
It took a few moments for one of the knights on patrol to enter from when Merlin saw the flames.
"Sire! We're under attack! They're within the city walls!" Gwaine shouted.
Arthur stood and took his cloak off.
"Merlin, get everyone to the inner chamber."
Merlin nodded and shouted "Everyone follow me!"
Merlin watched as Arthur jumps over the table.
"Gwaine, secure the armory! Percival, with me!"
Merlin watched as the wounded came in.
He sighed. "There I something I must do." He said leaving Gaius.
Gaius watched him. "This is your doing."
Merlin turned and smiled but said nothing and left.
Gaius was left confused by his attitude.
Merlin found Arthur and the knights in one of the corridors on the other side of the castle.
"Are you alright?" He asks as he sees Arthur clutching his side.
Arthur puts on a fake smile. "Never better."
Arthur leads them out on the courtyard but stops before they reach it.
Arthur watched as Morgana leads the army towards the hall.
Morgana turned and looked their way.
Merlin caught her eye and nodded.
She turned back and smiles.
"She just looked at us." Arthur said. "But she did nothing."
Merlin grabs Arthur's arm.
"Well let's go now before she does do something."
Merlin led them down into the dungeon.
He turned a corner and was surprised to see Gwen there.
Arthur is gobsmacked.
"Gwen?" He said in disbelief walking towards her.
Gwen grabbed Arthur pulling him towards her. "Arthur, Merlin is helping Morgana."
Everyone else had moved when Arthur moved except for Merlin. They all turned to see him smiling.
"If you take the same way Gwen came in, you can save yourselves. I don't want to be responsible for your death but she will kill you if you are still in Camelot. Arthur, I ask you this once, please just run away and forget about Camelot."
Arthur couldn't take everything in at the moment.
"IS this true Merlin?" He asked.
Merlin looked at each of them except for Arthur. Out of them, he knew that his betrayal would hit Arthur the hardest.
"Yes."
Arthur's face fell. "Why?"
"I didn't want to." Merlin replied.
"TELL ME WHY? Tell me why you would choose my sister over me?!" Arthur shouted.
Gwen held onto his arm so that he wouldn't move.
"Because of the fomorroh."
Arthur stopped. "The what?"
"The fomorroh. She put it in me to try and kill you. Someone who is with you all the time could make the perfect assassin, yet you know me, I cannot do anything properly. It released some poison which has reacted with my magic to make me her personal slave."
"You tried to kill me." Arthur said.
Merlin dragged his and over his face. "Out of all of that you picked up that I tried to kill you."
"No, I also picked out that you are her personal slave."
"Magic." Gwaine coughed.
Arthur turned to him.
"He said it reacted with his magic."
Arthur looked at him with disgust. "Merlin doesn't have magic. Do you Merlin?"
He turned to see Merlin's eyes gold and a fire dancing on his palm.
"But you can't."
Merlin closed his palm and his eyes when back to blue. "I was born with it Arthur. I know the fears that Morgana faced. I know the fears that the druids have."
Arthur looked throughtful. "Courage, magic and strength." He whispered.
Merlin smiled. "Is it finally clicking?"
"Arthur?" Gwen said.
He turned to her. "While on my quest for the Fisher King's Trident, I met Grettir. He called me courage and said I would need magic and strength to complete my quest. It's no question that Gwaine is strength but magic … well I never really questioned it."
Merlin smiles and nods. "I have done many things to try and keep you alive. I have lost friends and family in doing so. I was told that you would bring around the golden age of Camelot and that magic would return to the land." Merlin shook his head. "That was never going to happen due to your father's teachings. Now someone who has a claim to the throne and has magic will be more inclined to change the law. I didn't want to choose her side but why are you the only one who can have love? Go and find your farm Arthur, this is Morgana's kingdom now."
Nobody said a word as nobody could believe what Merlin had just said.
"Arthur, what we going to do?" Gwaine said as shouting from the halls got closer.
"We run." Arthur said.
The knights started to move.
"Also Arthur, we enchanted Gwen. You should have some happiness."
Arthur turned to Gwen and smiled.
Merlin watched as all his friends left.
He sighed.
He was just going to leave when a soldier hit Merlin in the back of the head causing him to blackout.
Merlin woke up at Morgana's feet.
"I thought you were going to bring me Arthur, not be knocked out by my own men."
Merlin looked up at her and smiled. "I like being knocked out. I do it very well."
Morgana smiled and signaled to the guards to release Merlin.
Helios enters while Merlin gets up and rubs the back of his head.
"The city has fallen. Camelot is ours."
"Good." Morgana said getting up to look out the window. "But where is Arthur?"
Helios looked over at Merlin. "I thought he was dealing with him."
Morgana looked at Merlin.
"You let him go didn't you?" Helios said.
"I had him but the next time I went for him, he was gone."
Helios advanced on Merlin. "You didn't have him then. I was stupid to believe a servant could do a job like that."
Merlin could feel some familiarity with the situation he was in now.
Merlin moved so he could see Morgana.
"Let him run. If he tries to take back Camelot then let him try. We will be ready for him."
The doors of the hall opened up to show Agravaine being dragged in by two guards.
"Ah Agravaine, how good it is to see you again." Morgan said mocking him.
Agravaine was forced to his knees.
"Arthur won't give up easily. He will be back."
Morgana smiled at him. "Of course he will. But when he does, we will be ready for him." She said turning to Merlin.
Morgan stood by the window of her old room.
She sighed.
She had to make this reign different from her last and more importantly Uther's.
She may have taken Camelot by force but she didn't want to make it another reign of terror.
Morgana felt two hands rest on her shoulders.
"What are you thinking my queen?"
Morgana couldn't help but relax back into Merlin's embrace.
"This reign has to be different from my last."
Merlin wrapped his arms around her and lent his chin on her shoulder.
"Let's tell the people that. Say you wanted to be different from Uther, yet your last reign showed you were no different. You have learnt from your mistakes and everything will slowly change."
"I am glad you choose me in the end. Your talents will not be wasted. At one point I thought you were going to run off with Arthur and Gwen."
Merlin lifted his head up.
"You were there." He stated.
Morgana turned around in his arms. "I was going to make my presence known but you were doing such a brilliant job that it would have done little to help."
Merlin nodded.
"Merlin I am glad you let Arthur go. Yes I want him dead but I don't think I could do or even watch it. He is still my brother."
Merlin leant his forehead on hers.
"What now?"
Morgana thought it over for a while. "I think I need to speak with Camelot's people."
Merlin watched as the courtyard filled up with people. He couldn't believe the number of people that have come voluntarily.
His eyes moved to Morgana. For someone so confident, she seemed nervous.
"It will be okay." Merlin sent to her.
She turned around and smiled.
She sighed before taking a step forward, holding out her hands to silence the crowd.
"People of Camelot, once again I have used force to take over this kingdom, your home. I know that you will have fears that this reign will be a repeat of the last. Well I hope it won't. I won't keep you here but I will give you the change you have all been waiting for. As a person with magic, I, myself, have felt the fears that Uther's law brought. I was terrified that he would find out and that made me fear myself. I will lead to a new life, one were the magically community will not have to look over their shoulders anymore. It will be a time were magic can run through the lands again but be able to live with those without the gift. Because that is all that magic is, a gift. The goddess has chosen you and we must embrace it, not fear it. My council and I will put the law on magic to the top but this is me saying that once more, you are free."
Cheers came from the crowd.
"Yet if you are not happy hen you can leave. I will not keep you here as I was forced to when I was younger. Any other kingdom will accept you but I am sure your presence will be missed."
Morgana paused.
"Arthur, Gwen and any of his knights are banished unless they agree that I am queen and the rightful heir to the throne and accept my laws. This message should be spread among the people of this land. Any radical behavior will led to banishment as well."
Merlin nodded behind her. She needed to act soft towards the people but still show that she wasn't too soft.
Merlin knew that Arthur would never give up his place on the throne easily.
"I introduce my adviser Merlin. He will be my eyes and ears. Please tell him if you have any concerns."
Merlin turned to Morgana. He was not expecting that at all.
The crowd began to mumble.
"I believe that is all." Morgana said to Merlin.
Merlin just nodded and followed.
It didn't take long for Helios to catch up with them and say something.
"A servant for an adviser. I have never heard anything so stupid before." Helios said, storming down the corridor. "It's like making a commoner, a knight."
Merlin raised his eyebrows but remained silent.
"He has good advice. If anybody listened to him, I don't think we would be in the situation we are now."
It was Helios' turn to raise his eyebrows.
"Why?"
"Because I would be dead." Merlin said.
Morgana turned to Merlin.
"When the Afanc came, I healed Gwen's father. I told the whole council I had magic."
She turned back to Helios.
"Everything would be different without Merlin."
She turned and carried on walking.
"I still believe that you are making a mistake." Helios said, catching up with her and grabbing her arm.
Morgana had to turn which left her no more than an inch away from him.
"Let me go." Morgana said.
Helios started to increase the pressure of his grip when his hand was forcefully pulled away from hers.
Merlin stood in front of Morgana.
"Would you like to try that again?" He said.
Helios glared at them both.
"This is not over." He said storming off.
Merlin turned around and looked at Morgana's arm.
"No really damage. Just a couple of bruises, maybe."
Morgana looked up at him.
"I don't know why but I love how protective you are of me."
Merlin smiled at her. "I have protected Arthur, now it is my time to protect you."
Morgana kissed him on the cheek.
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
