It was the day of the ball and preparations were beginning bright and early. Igraine sat on the edge of Moira's bed watching her sleep. She was an unloved child from her mother, she could see that. She was curled in a small ball beneath the furs. Igraine was not oblivious to the fresh white flower on the pillow. She had seen Merlin walking with the woman the past weeks, an odd couple, but interesting at the same time. "Moira, wake up."

"I don't want to mum," the Irish woman rolled over and away. Igraine smiled and tugged at the fur. "All right all right." Moira sat up rubbing her eyes. "Lady Igraine." She began to rise but Igraine shook her head.

"I'm going to ask you something Moira…"

"Anything my lady."

She brushed a hank of hair off Moira's forehead. "Will you be my daughter today?" Igraine smiled softly. "It's the ball and I know all you have here are your brothers and that sister…"

"I'd love to." Moira grinned. "I can't tell you the last time—" She broke off, brow furrowed. Igraine patted her hand. "I don't even have a dress," she admitted sheepishly.

"Yes you do," Igraine nodded to the corner of her room. "I thought you'd look good in midnight blue and I'm certain I'm right."

"My lady…thank you so much."

"Now who is escorting you?" Igraine left the bed to set out clothes for the girl. Moira washed her face and brushed her hair. "No one?" She got a shake of the head.

"That's hard to believe." Igraine misread the shake as she laced up the back of Moira's dress, and patted her shoulders. "We'll get someone."

Moira looked at the small pile of white elder blossoms that had been collecting on her table since the last tie she saw Merlin. "Actually someone has asked…"

He smelt the light floral scent before he felt her within his chambers. He set aside the book he had been looking at as Moira crossed the floor. "Good morning," she greeted him setting down a plate of fresh fruit. "You haven't eaten for a few days." Her eyes surveyed the sheets of paper hanging around.

"How do you know?"

"I haven't seen you at dinner," She replied softly. "You've got shadows under your eyes." she traced a finger below the circles, concern on her face. Merlin's stomach tightened and he felt a stirring in his loins.

"You've gotten braver in the week I haven't seen you." Merlin glanced up at her face and saw that she or someone else had added rouge. He leaned back mildly amused. "What's the occasion?"

"The ball."

"That's tonight?" Merlin cursed, ran his hands over his head, scrubbed his face. "Hell."

"I take it I'm going alone?"

"The hell you are," Merlin rose from his seat with a scowl. She smiled sweetly at him. With a small smile in return he put an arm around her shoulders and walked her out of his room. "I'm sure they need your help."

"I'm sure yer wrong." Moira stopped in her tracks. Merlin laughed. "T'isn't funny!" She stamped her foot, pouting.

"Off with you." He patted her lightly on the bottom and earned himself a sharp punch to the shoulder before she scowled and marched off. He sighed softly his eyes watching her leave. In a few weeks time he would be the one leaving.

"And one and two and three and four and your hands should be light like a birdie on a branch," Owen sang, bounding the hilt of his sword on a barrel keeping time. Larkin and Mal danced together. " And one and two and three and four and Larkin doesn't lead he follows like a girl." Owen cursed clutching his nose as Larkin withdrew his fist.

Moira walked into the courtyard and observed her brothers; Owen with a wad of cloth up his nose was keeping time still. "And one and two and twirlie twirlie twirlie! And one and two and you're still getting it wrong! And one and two and three and four, and Larkin can hit me all day cause he hits like a... what?

"A girl!" Gawain sang out grinning.

"Why you little!" Larkin launched at Owen, Mal in the middle shouting to stop. They glanced at Moira as she let out a low wshitle and walked past.

"And ye can do better?" Mal called after her.

She smirked at him over her shoulder. "Of course I can."

"Good, so why don't you show us then?" Gawain chimed in.

She thought about for a moment. "No."

"Ask her nicely." Owen muttered, checking his nose for more blood.

"Moira, will you please teach us to dance so we don't make ourselves look like fools tonight?" Gawain muttered darkly.

"Ah." Larkin glowered.

"Please." The men chorused.

"Fine."

Merlin smiled from his window as he watched Moira coach each brother through a dance, then Gawain and then Kay. He shook his head amused that none of them knew a simple dance. Even he knew it. His eyes dropped to the papers on his worktable. His work could wait. She entranced him, he decided as he walked along the rampart to watch more of the dancing, she bewitched him. It couldn't—wouldn't last long. He had seen it, dreamt it, and known it. Gray eyes lifted up to meet hazel; a warm smile bowed her mouth upward. Malcolm turned to see who and lifted his chin in response.

"Balin," Merlin called down. "Will you play tonight?"

"Do the faeries come out at night?" The Irishman shot back with a grin. As good an answer as any, Merlin decided. He walked into the courtyard as the men finally dispersed. Moira stood in the center of the group cheeks flushed, brown locks at the winds hands. "Teaching the barbarians manners?" Joked Merlin.

"Someone has to," Moira lifted a shrug with a smirk. "Are you a barbarian Merlin?"

"You'll have tonight to figure that out." He replied. He held out a hand. "Walk with me?" She nodded, laying her hand in his.

"Lady Moira," Ian exited the doors of Camelot with a hand lifted in greeting. "Ah, Merlin…" He dropped his hand noting that Moira had her hand in Merlin's. "Moira may I speak with you?" He flicked his green eyes over to hazel. "Alone."

Her hand tightened around Merlin's. "What for?" She asked, gray eyes dark as storm clouds. "We've already had one discussion." She observed the light shadow beneath his left eye. "I think we both know how that went." Merlin looked down at her, even with her hand in his she stood alone. And it seemed she always would. Her hand withdrew from his as Ian stepped closer. He eyes flickered once more to Merlin and held. "He won't be movin' boy-o," Moira said softly. "Get used to that."

"Just for a moment." Ian insisted. "Or we can talk tonight."

"Let's do that then," Moira replied, brows lifted as if waiting for him to deny it. He walked away from them; she waited until he was far from hearing range. "I swear I am going to maim, murder, castrate, strangle, hang and poison him."

A smile spread across Merlin's face. "That's a lot of revival spells, one could die from it."

"It'd be worth it." She grinned innocently at him, he laughed and hugged her.

She heard Malcolm on the bagpipes even before she entered the great hall, it was a rousing jig joined by Larkin on the Hurdy-Gurdy and Calder on the Lute. Moira grinned as she entered the hall, Merlin all in black joined her side with a murmured approval. She was a vision in midnight blue; her polished oak locks in tumbles, elder blossoms weaved throughout. The song ended and other musicians took their places. Mal walked over to them. "Moira," He hugged her tightly. "Ye look beautiful."

"Thank ye," She brushed at imaginary dust on his forest green tunic. "Ye'll be fetchin' a wife in no time." She tried hard not to imagine it, but it still brought a little tear to her eye.

"Well, before then I'm entitled to dance with a beautiful woman," Mal grabbed her hand. "She'll be a moment Merlin."

"Take your time!" Merlin called after him with a laugh. He watched as the joined the others on the floor, but when it came time for a jig, all eyes were on the brother and sister. They moved as they had from the time they could walk, with the music in their blood and heaven in their eyes. They twirled, dipped, kicked and leaped through the jig, laughing the entire time. Merlin leaned against a pillar, his hand on the worn wood, nothing but Moira in his eyes. Ian watched him, uneasily. The look in his eyes frightened the Irishman. If Merlin had his way Moira would forever be out of his grasp. The jig ended, and was followed by a slower dance.

Ian, plotting his path out, cut Merlin off and became Moira's partner. She cast a look behind her at Merlin, brows furrowed. He glowered at the Irishman, but made no move. Fine then, Moira thought darkly. I'll take care of this. She flicked her eyes up onto the face of the man she had once loved more than anything in the world. "Where's Shannon?"

"Oh, talking with Guinevere, female discussion and the like."

"Ye'd fit right in then," She said with a sickly sweet smile.

He tossed his head back with a laugh that drew Shannon's eyes, and had fear niggling at the back of her mind. "Oh Moira, I have missed your humor."

"And my bed, from what I've been gathering." She held off further remarks as they changed partners. Kay glanced past her at Ian and then down into her face. "It's fine Kay."

"I don't like him," the King's brother said gently. "I don't like him touching you, or looking at you the way he is."

"Kay, ye looked at me the same way when I came here."

"But that, my dear Moira, was suspicious not blood lust." Kay brushed a kiss of her knuckles as he bowed. "And you've proven your worth. Merlin's a lucky man."

"And Bridget's a lucky woman." She curtsied away from him and back into Ian's arms. "As you were saying."

"I've a proposition for ye," Ian drew her from the dance to a lonely corner. Seeing this Merlin moved from his spot.

"For the second, possibly third time I am not going ta give ye a child."

"Help Shannon then," Ian clutched her forearms tightly. "I know what you are." She scowled at him. "If you don't help I will have you exiled."

"From my own country?" She snapped. "T'isn't how it works laddy, you'd have to have more power than a lord."

"I have my ways. All I ask of you is to help her bear me a son," Ian laid his forehead against hers. "Please."

"Ye lost yer chance for favors a long time ago," she whispered, and stepped back. "Or have ye forgotten?"

"How could I Moira? I was your first."

"And my last. But as I recall ye didn't care." Moira lifted her bared shoulders in a shrug. "I was nothing to you. I was a pawn, a single pawn to get into the McCreedy household." She felt Merlin behind her and with it his voice in her mind. Give him what for Moira, he needs to be knocked down a peg. With a wolfish smile she laid into him. "Ye never loved me, ye never cared. All ye ever wanted was Shannon, is it any wonder she's not pregnant when ye didn't even have the gall to tell my own sister that ye had bedded me!" Merlin smiled, oh she was a sight to behold, anger flushed her cheeks a rosy red hue and the temper merely played with her power, just slightly, enough to stir the air. "And now, now ye come crawling on yer hands and knees to me begging for help. What have ye ever done to help me, eh?"

"I gave you love!"

"Ye gave me sorrow!" Her voice cracked. "There was no love from you. I was a fool." She turned away from him, she grabbed Merlin by the hand and dragged him with her, moving into the dance as smooth as a river rock.

"You, my dear, are a hellion."

"I rather enjoy it," she replied softly. "That hurt a little more than I had thought it would." She admitted. He frowned at her words, and pulled her closer to him. His eyes landed on Ian and for his own amusement watched as the flower garland fell from the ceiling on top of him.