Chapter 15

It was 1:15. She wasn't coming.

Merlin had called himself a fool more times in the past hour than he had during the entire three days of this bloody holiday. Ladies of the castle didn't sneak into servants' rooms late at night. The whole notion was campaigning for village idiot for holding any type of hope.

Yet he couldn't get her sweetly pleading eyes out of his mind. Her soft lips nearly whispering words of love. Her body taut with pleasure, pleasure only he had brought her.

But worst of all was the gut wrenching pain in the pit of his stomach. Not matter how much he had tried to fight his burgeoning feelings over the past few days; he had still fallen irrevocably and deeply in love with Morgana.

Stupid. Pathetic. And downright sad.

And just like he had predicted, the spell over her had broken at midnight. And he was here alone.

Last night after he left her chambers, all he wanted to do was go to his room and relieve some of the insane tension that she had wrought on his already overexerted body. But when he entered the physician's chambers, he had found a rather agitated Gaius.

"You told her, didn't you?" Gaius said.

Knowing there was no use in hiding it anymore, Merlin replied, "Yes."

"She knows about you too, doesn't she?"

"Yes"

"Merlin, your magic is a secret-"

Merlin interrupted, "Yes, I know, I know, alright? My magic is a secret to be guarded with my life, but I won't regret. She needed to know. And I needed her to know about me."

Gaius had been silent for long enough that Merlin had started towards his room, "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

An exasperated sigh, "Yes."

"And she's in love with you," Gaius said without question.

"She doesn't know what she wants. And after tonight things will go back to the way they were. Or at least the way they should be. She knows about my magic and her own. That's all that matters."

"I seriously doubt that for you or for her."

Merlin didn't have a response for that and had gone to his room.

But Morgana had kept her word and avoided him all day. He still felt the same intense pull towards her but it was almost as if acknowledging his feelings made things slightly more tolerable. Until he saw her as she left the great hall after dinner.

Her eyes had burned into his; her lips had parted in surprise and arousal. And for one moment he thought his control might get the better of him. He ached to kiss her, to claim her in front of the guards, in front of the King for all to see. Damn the consequences.

But she had turned away quickly, sparing only a promising glance back.

And now here he was, alone in his room, pacing in the dark at almost 1:30 in the bloody morning. And for what?

He should be in bed. God only knew how often dreams and fantasies of her had kept him awake over the past three days. He needed rest that was all. Rest and then things could return to normal. Maybe this Morgana Mania was just exhaustion. He'd had enough stress over the past few days to put most men in the grave. It was time he rested, rejuvenated, that was all he needed. A good night's sleep. A night that didn't involve secret meetings or wanton longings. Then he could return to normal.

Mumbling to himself, he tugged his shirt over his head, preparing for bed. He strode over to the wardrobe in search of a nightshirt. As his fingers reached for the shelf, a small sound startled him-a soft gasp.

With his heart beating wildly, he turned to the right and faced the door.

She had come.

He had imagined her here so many times. And here she was, like a dark angel come to tempt him. If it weren't for soft scent of her perfume, he might've thought it was merely his imagination.

She was wearing cream and gold robe, wrapping her body up like a delicious package. And like a child at Christmas, he desperately wanted to unwrap her.

Neither had spoken. Her eyes were accessing his chest and he was conscious of the weight of her heavy gaze on his white flesh. He felt hot and cold all over.

Some thing needed to be said. One last protest. One last caution. Just because she was here didn't make things right. He had made a promise to her. But he hadn't thought she would come through. Hoped, sure. But now that the moment was here it seemed he must dissuade her. Even if it killed him.

"My lady—" he began but was duly interrupted.

She moved closer. Anger, passion,…and love in her eyes, "Shut up, Merlin. Just shut up." Her hands moved to the belt of her robe and she slowly loosened it.

"Resistance is futile. We both want this. And I mean to see your promise fulfilled," she said softly. And with those words, she pushed the robe off her shoulders.

She was as naked.

FINIS

I know, I know, another cliffhanger. I'm such a tease and likely to give you literary "blue balls" with this chapter. But I had to write something and I didn't want to rush the final scene. So yes, there will be more.

Come now, I wouldn't leave these two un-sexed! The scandal! My reputation!

Please review! Pretty please?

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