The Great Dragon: I'M SO HONORED! *takes deep breath* Sorry, writing this chapter has got me in this weird state of mind... *Sort of laughs* I'm so glad though! This is the PERFECT review, EXACTLY what I needed, if I do say so... VanillaJ and I were just talking about how it would be really great to get a review JUST like that one. Thank. You. So. Much. Okay, I suggest... Emachinescat, for actual fics, Hannah Lynn McDonald for poetry (And she actually has a One!Shot up, with a pretty angsty Merlin...) And I don't know if I've favorited any other Merlin fics that are chapter-fics, but I might have, so, you might wanna check my favorites. (I feel bad, I don't even remember if I've favorited any good ones other than the writers I suggested...)
Hannah Lynn McDonald: That is both a gift, and a curse. And thank you! Here's some darker-side Morgana, just a warning... But she's still not a 'bad guy' in this story.
MerlinMorgana1579: Yeah, he actually said that to Merlin's face in the show, so... "You are a trusted ally in the fight against magic." Ha. Ha. Ha. Funny Uther, that's where Arthur gets his oblivious-ness... And, I'm not going to spoil anything, you'll see what happens, ;) HAHAHHAHAhahaha... Mordred Uther works just as well though, no worries. Could also say "Pull a Mordred on Uther", meaning, kill him... ;)
CHARLES CHUKU: Yes! Thank you for reviewing.
Alaia Skyhawk: Yeah, the guards know about everything, *Laughs* I'm surprised they don't know about Merlin's magic, I mean... Watch, they do, and they secretly know about The Once and Future King, and are rooting for Emrys all this time ;) *Laughs* Sorry, I do that, go off on AU ideas...
Mersan123: Ain't that the truth. Thank you!
Morgana let the afternoon sunlight shine against her face. She stood outside of the stables, waiting for the others. She'd already untacked and fed her horse - even though a servant had insisted to take over for her. She pulled her hair out of the braid, flicking out hay sticks to the ground. She breathed out a soft sigh, letting her now-wavy hair fall down over her back. Through emerald eyes she watched the two pyres being put up in the court yard. As soon as the others came, she would ask Frey if they could stay with her and her Guardian, then she would speak with the king.
Gwen, Kalian, and Flynn all left the stable and walked toward Morgana, halting beside her. Gwen's gaze shifted to the pyres. She swallowed convulsively and brought a hand to her face. She ran the other through her hair worriedly. "I'm glad we're not too late," she whispered as though someone would overhear her. "How do we mean to free them?" Gwen asked, looking to Morgana for an answer.
Morgana looked at her maidservant - and friend. "I'm going to talk to the king - then, when he so blatantly refuses, I can only see one option; breaking them out of the cells." She turned back around, looking at Kalian, "You know where Frey lives? I need you to wait for me." Her voice darkened, "I need to speak with Uther," she spat the name venomously, like poison on her tongue.
Gwen and Kalian nodded. Gwen, for one, was glad that someone had a plan. Flynn looked at Morgana, seeming to be silently deciding something.
"If Uther does refuse-violently so-as we both know he will, then breaking Merlin and the prince out of the dungeon will not be enough." He gave the Lady Morgana a meaningfull look-he knew she understood. Of everyone here, she WOULD understand.
Morgana returned his gaze. She smirked. Actually smirked. She raised her eyebrows, "You're right - which is why there is only one true course of action that will be left," she replied. They both knew what. She'd never hated someone as much as she hated Uther Pendragon. There would hardly be something in her that would mourn.
Flynn nodded in agreement and understanding. He'd actually found someone who finally understood his hatred of the king of Camelot-What made it better yet, was that Morgana was Uther's own family, and STILL hated him. The man was clueless, and foolish, and doomed to end in blood, and alone-having driven everyone away-hated by all. Flynn was certain, he'd seen it-the future-he knew.
"I suppose we ought to hurry..." Flynn stated, nodding toward the pyres and then looking back at the others.
Morgana turned around, and started walking towards the castle. She was sore from the ride, annoyed by it, and now her emotions weren't restrained by anything but a sliver of lady-like elegance. She had a feeling this conversation would not be a pleasant one.
She quickly walked through the corridors once inside, and lost in her thoughts, found herself at the throne room from subconscious habit. Well, that's where he would be at this time of day, anyway. She pushed open the doors, walking inside the room, her heels hitting the floor and echoing to sound louder than they truly were. "You, Uther Pendragon, are a fool."
Uther looked up from the meeting. His eyes widened slightly and he looked around at his advisors. "You are all dismissed." They nodded, leaving, passing Morgana on their way out. The king looked at his ward. "Morgana, you shall not address me in such a way, and certainly not when I'm in the midst of a meeting."
Morgana barked a high laugh, smiling a condescending smile. "I'll address you as I wish when your son's - my brother's - execution is set for sundown. On. Your. Order. Do you really think it will stand? Do you think the people will sit back and watch as the prince burns? The people adore Arthur. They'll never let it happen, and, in fact, nor will I."
Uther slammed a fist down on the arm of his throne and stood. "Morgana, he has committed treason, and the punishment stands." Uther's face paled as his mind recalled what she'd said, 'my brother.' Did she know? Did she know that she was in fact his daughter. He swallowed harshly. She wasn't meant to know. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"The punishment st-" Morgana stopped to huff a humorless laugh. "What do I mean?!" her voice raised without raising, as it sometimes did. "What do you think I mean?" she asked incredulously, angry.
Uther's hands shook. "Who told you?" he gaped. He didn't know who would have told her. All who knew were dead, or sworn to silence. He looked at his ward-his daughter-and took a halting step toward her.
From just outside the room, Flynn listened-waiting-backi ng up Morgana. If her life where to be threatened, he would ensure that she lived-beyond that, she was about to discover who she was... as it seemed.
"Who told me?" Morgana asked, keeping the confusion out of her voice. Whatever it was that Uther thought she was talking about - she was going to find out. And that meant playing her part, in, whatever this was. "You truly think I'm that blind? That you could manipulate me?"
Uther swallowed dryly and looked around. "It was a lie. Whoever told you-they lied. Did Merlin tell you? Was it him? He's a sorcerer-Morgana, all those with magic are evil, and liars."
"You are the one that lied! Don't try and blame it on Merlin, because he's the easy way out of this. No. Merlin's not at fault for anything but saving a life - surely you can't put him to death for that? Oh, but don't even answer, because you will come up with something, some reason that he needs to die. Don't make up excuses," her voice turned into a sound less than human, "Tell me! Say it! Tell me the truth - say it! Say your secret, say it aloud - I want to hear it from you!"
"IT's not true-the lie that I am your father is just that! A LIE!" he exclaimed, not once thinking that he'd been tricked into answering her.
Flynn continued to listen from just outside. His eyes smoldered with fire and he smiled slightly. Morgana knew now. Uther was truly hated.
Silence filled the room. The look that gleamed in Morgana's eye was perhaps even stronger than Uther's hatred for magic. "I hope..." she had to take a deep breathe and try again, "When you die, that the devil takes it upon himself to show you the true meaning of pain; Uther." Her voice was void of anything. Void of emotion and lacking in everything that makes up humanity.
She realized it was the sound of every single feeling held in one voice. And it made her sound less than alive.
She walked towards the door, eyes swimming, but no tears fell.
Uther watched her leave. He shuddered in anger. His face was red, and he let out an angry sputtering curse. He would speak to her. She would apologize for her outburst. "Morgana!" But she didn't turn around. He'd simply follow her later. She would listen to reason.
Morgana pulled the black handle with one hand, her other gripped the door when it creaked open. She slipped outside, eyes meeting Flynn's. She was sure that she should have been surprised by seeing him there, but she felt nothing more than what she'd felt before. She tried to hold back screaming comments of hate - the guards inside and the knights walking through close-by hallways making her chose holding it in over being arrested herself.
Flynn nodded slowly and waited for the woman to move-she could take all the time she needed. For an instant, Flynn looked back at the room Morgana had come from.
"Uther will pay with his life."
That was all he said. It was a promise, and it would be fulfilled, of that, he was certain.