"I am telling you Merlin, I can't do it." Morgana looked up from where she had been intently staring at her hands that were cupping a rose bud, to meet Merlin's gaze.

It was late afternoon, and the shadows had started lengthening by the time Morgana had woken up. She had barely taken a few minutes to freshen up, tying her hair in a high pony tail, and had started harassing Merlin to start teaching her how to do magic, which led them here. They were both sitting on sofa, slightly turned so they were facing each other, and Merlin had plucked a half opened rose bud from the flower vase on the table and had placed it in Morgana's hand with the instruction of make it bloom.

"Of course you can Morgana. Just give it a try." Merlin insisted.

"I don't even know what to do! You are forgetting that I have never used magic before."

"You have! You just don't remember doing it."

"It's the same thing." Morgana snapped, and then turned her face to look accusingly at Arthur, as if blaming him for Merlin's hopelessness. With herculean effort, Arthur stopped himself from laughing and gave Morgana a sympathetic look.

"Why can't we do something like lightening a candle or something? That would make more sense."

"Fire takes more energy, external energy." Merlin explained, "It's very easy to bring it out when you are angry or emotional, but when deliberately attempting it, it takes a lot more effort and power, and not to mention control- fire is a dangerous element to play around with. Furthermore the candle is not going to light itself unless someone shows it flame, but a bud is going to bloom no matter what... all you are doing is coaxing it a little bit more, giving it an extra push."

When he put it like that, it made a lot of sense to Arthur. Morgana seemed to agree because she straightened her shoulders and nodded.

"Also," Merlin added conspiratorially, "Our magic is green. It's automatically inclined to do stuff related to earth and nature more than anything else."

This sounded like horseshit to Arthur, but made Morgana smile, so he must have said something right.

"Alright. Tell me what to do." Morgana said at length.

"Okay first, you need to learn this word. Words have power, and maybe someday you would be able to do magic without words directing it, but for starting out, the words make magic more docile and controllable."

"Yeah, I got it. What word?"

" Kósmima"

"Kósmima," Morgana repeated, and then asked, "What does that mean?"

"It means blossom or flourish, in Greek."

"Uh- so why can't I just say bloom? It's my magic... won't it understand my own language better?"

Merlin opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then shook his head. "I have no idea."

Morgana laughed, and then took mercy on Merlin and repeated the word a few times, giving Merlin a go ahead look.

"Close your eyes," when she complied, "now, reach for the magic core inside you. You have rarely touched it before so it might be shy, but it would be eager for coming out and playing anyway. Nod when you find it." After a while Morgana nodded, which made Merlin grin.

"Okay now, treat it like a really young child, and gently coax it to spread through you, reach your finger tips and your palm, and when it does, and say the word."

Morgana pinched her face and concentrated, until Arthur could see slight green glow beginning on her palm. Even Arthur could tell it was too soon when Morgana opened her face and quickly muttered,

"Kósmima"

The glow on Morgana's hand died, and the rose bud lay in her hand in exactly the same state it had been before she had started. She slumped. Nothing had happened.

"I told you. I can't do it." Morgana complained to Merlin.

"You can't rush this Morgana. You need to feel for the life thread of the flower, and then nudge it."

Morgana just made a defeated face. Merlin asked her if she wanted to try again, and she shook her head, putting the stem back in the vase.

"I am barely recognizing my own magic right now Merlin. I am definitely not ready to try to find life threads of other things. I don't even know what that means for fucks sake." She sighed.

Merlin, who had been so energetic till now, slumped as well, dropping his shoulders. He stared forlornly at the vase for a few minutes, and then suddenly his eyes sparkled.

"I have an idea."

"It's going to be another terrible one." Arthur commented. They both turned and gave him a sharp look but he was unapologetic. They had all but forgotten he existed, and Arthur couldn't have that now, could he?

Merlin shook his head at him, his smile fond, and then reached forward and took a fully blossomed rose from the vase, and turned towards Morgana excitedly.

"So, it's hard to make your magic do something for the first time, and you are right. I may have been wrong," Arthur snorted at that, but Merlin ignored him, "I should never have started you out with something complicated. So here is the new plan. Let's do something you have already done."

"But... I have never done magic before." Morgana asked in confusion.

"Yes you have. Didn't you tell Arthur just a while back that you made everything on your bedside table float in air?"

Morgana's eyes shone with hope at that, but she was still unsure. "I didn't do it consciously Merlin. I have no idea how."

"You don't. But your magic does. It has done it before so it would be more compliant if asked to do it again. I am telling you, this is going to work. Hold out your hands."

Morgana extended her hands, palm up, and Merlin plucked out half a dozen petals from the flower he was holding in his hand and dumped them on her palms.

"Good." Merlin said smugly, and then stared at Morgana expectantly.

Arthur, realizing what was happening, took a few steps forward and smacked Merlin on his head.

"She doesn't know what to do, you idiot." He scolded, and then went and sat beside Morgana on the arm rest of the sofa.

"Oh," Merlin absently rubbed his head, not even complaining, "Sorry. I forgot."

"Typical."

Merlin glared at him, which made Morgana snap, "stop flirting with my brother and tell me what to do."

Flushing, he said, "Okay. So the word, spell, or whatever else you want to call it, is fueris."

"Fueris! Okay, I got it."

"Okay now. Close your eyes again and reach for your magic. This time when you find it, don't be hasty. Let it settle down in your fingers, until it's bubbling and antsy to be let out. Then... feel the petals, not with like your skin, but magic, and then say the words thinking about the leaves rising in air and floating. Understood?"

Morgana gave a hesitant nod, and Merlin extended both of his hand and placed them under Morgana's, which carried the petals, lightly supporting them. "You can do it. I know you can. Just believe in yourself." Merlin reassured her.

Taking a deep breath, Morgana closed her eyes. From where he was sitting Arthur could not see his sister's face, but he noticed when Morgana's hand started to glow again. This time, she did not rush, and soon her hands had light green, flimsy wisps of green light dancing on her palms, a lot like Merlin had the first time he did magic, except these were more delicate and much less bright. They were just as beautiful though.

"Now Morgana." Merlin whispered.

" Fueris."

The glow on her hand got brighter and Arthur's breath caught as he saw the petals moving on her palms, restless. Very slowly, one of them rose a few centimeters in the air, and then, one by one, the rest of them followed.

Morgana opened her eyes and started at them in wonder. "Wow." She breathed out.

"Yeah. Wow." Merlin agreed, pleasure evident on his face.

Suddenly Morgana started laughing lightly, letting the petals fall back on her palm, and then dropping her hands. She slumped back, and in the process her back came to rest lightly against Arthur's side. Her chest kept heaving with small bursts of laughter, and she turned around a bit and buried her face against Arthur's waist. Arthur started running his hands through her hair feeling incredibly happy for her. He smiled brightly at Merlin, showing all of his gratitude in the look. Merlin returned the smile, with a hint of pride in it.

A sob startled him. Somewhere in the last minute Morgana had stopped laughing and now was crying softly, a hiccup leaving her mouth sometimes.

"Hey, hey." He held her head with the hand that he had been running through her hair, slowly pushing her until he could see her face. "Why the tears darling? Everything is great."

"I did it Arthur." She smiled, even though her face was wet with tears. "It's real. I wasn't crazy. I did it." She hiccupped again, and Arthur slid down from the arm rest, squeezing himself on the sofa along with Merlin and Morgana, and hugged her tightly.

"You aren't crazy at all sweetheart. You are amazing."

"I did it." She repeated again, awed.

He kept rubbing her back, trying to soothe her. He gave Merlin a bewildered look, who was looking awkwardly back at him. They had never had to comfort a crying girl and were out of their depth.

After a while, Morgana extricated herself from Arthur's embrace, grabbed a couple of tissue papers from the side table to wipe her face, and turned towards Merlin.

"Again?" Merlin asked cautiously.

"Again." She smiled.

She performed the same spell four more times, scared she would fail before starting each time, and laughing in delight when it came to her easier and easier. Her eyes were glinting, and Arthur noticed they went golden the same way Merlin's did when she whispered the spell.

"I want to try the rose bud blooming thing again." Morgana said.

"No you don't." Arthur intervened.

"Wha- you don't get to boss me around Arthur." Morgana looked at him, annoyed.

"Yes I do."

"But why not?" She whined petulantly.

"Many reasons. One, look at you. You are tired, there are bags under your eyes, and every time you make those petals float you exhaust yourself even more. Magic takes energy right?" He looked at Merlin who nodded apologetically. "You have had an emotionally and physically draining day. You need rest. Secondly, I cooked dinner, and the sun has set. So, let's leave some magic for next time yeah?" Arthur insisted.

Morgana seemed to consider that, and then reluctantly agreed.

"Tomorrow?" She asked.

"Tomorrow." Arthur agreed.

"So it's done. I will come over after work, and we will try something new." Morgana looked at Merlin, only relaxing when he promised her that yes, they will.

Work! Tomorrow was Monday. Arthur's forced leave was going to be over and Arthur had never thought he would be so upset about going to office. The time had flown, and now he was going to be stuck in the old routine again.

He groaned. Both Morgana and Merlin looked at him questioningly, but he shook his head.

"I didn't realize it's Sunday already."

"Brother! Sunday is over. It's almost Monday already." Morgana teased.

"Don't blame him Morgana." Merlin joined her in the teasing, "I have that tendency. Of making people lose track of time. It's the charisma."

"No. It's probably because you spend centuries droning on and on, lulling other's into sleep."

"Admit it Arthur. You love my company, and are going to miss me."

"I miss the calm place that used to be my house before you came bumbling in."

"You bought me!" Merlin shouted indignantly.

"I bought the lamp! For an insane price too, if I may say so." Arthur insisted for what felt like the tenth time.

"Same thing. And I am so worth the price." Merlin preened.

"You two are so adorable." Morgana commented in a voice filled with mirth, and she pulled Arthur's cheek with one hand and Merlin's with other.

"Ow." They said in unison, batting away her hand.

Her tinkling laugh made Arthur's heart fill with so much contentment and joy that he felt it brimming up, until his eyes filled with water. He quickly got up, and started setting up food on the little four-chaired dining table in the kitchen that was barely ever used. He had cooked homely pasta with chicken and white sauce. He started to set up three plates, but realized that Merlin couldn't eat. It was kind of a painful realization, but he soldiered on, calling his sister and the genie when he was done.

Morgana took a chair, and Merlin pulled out the other one to sit down.

"Two plates Arthur? You aren't going to eat? I know I tease you about getting fat, but you need not diet today. I am sure the right person will find you attractive anyway." Morgana teased, glancing at Merlin meaningfully. Merlin's ears turned dark green.

"Actually..." Merlin interrupted before Arthur could speak, "I don't eat. I have no digestive track."

"That's a pretty decent explanation compared to what I got, so count your blessings Morgs." Arthur said, and settled down in his chair as well.

"Oh sweetie." Morgana exclaimed, suddenly concerned. "You haven't eaten in centuries?"

"I don't really need it." Merlin shrugged, carefree.

"But don't you miss the taste?" Morgana fussed.

"I don't remember what to miss." Merlin laughed, a little sadly. "And I honestly don't miss what comes after the food is digested and has to come out."

"And there he goes again. You could only be spared for so long." Arthur sighed. "House rules for you Merlin: never mention bowl habits when other people are eating." He lectured.

"Yes boss!" Merlin saluted, lightening up the gloominess that had permeated the environment.

Even then, halfway through the dinner, Arthur caught Morgana's eye. She gave him a stern look, and because they were siblings and had been communicating through eyes since they were children, Arthur could read, clear as day, what she was trying to say.

Fix it, her eyes were imploring. She quickly glanced towards Merlin, and then back to him, making sure he understood what she was implying.

Arthur gave a barely there nod, but he knew his sister would have no problem in reading the gesture as what it was. I plan on it! He promised, through his eyes and in his heart. Merlin deserved that and more.