Hey there! Thanks for those amazing reviews! I appreciate it very much. Especially my first reader, MiVarFan93, this one is for your favour to update... heh. Sorry if this one was getting too long for you guys to wait, somehow, I ran out of ideas, I'm not a great flirt... or romance, (sounded like somebody I know). Anyhow, here goes the other chapter. And to make it up, I'm proud to say this was my longest piece so far... and I inserted a suggestion I got from the review... thanks a lot! And I dedicated this chapter to those who just love Merlin, especially if he was with Morgana. I hope you'll enjoy it. Lots of you...

CHAPTER THREE: GUISE AND MASQUERADED

DISCLAIMER: I for one and all eternity do not own anything from this TV show. But I really wish Colin Morgan is. In a way or another.

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Previously on Take Me Away on A Night Mare...

"Do you think, by any chances that Arthur might be... well, in love?"

"He might as well is,"

'Best hope he wasn't in love in Morgana.'

'Now, why would I be jealous?'

"It's time to make move, Merlin."

---

She was at the same place again, this time; she was sitting near the windowsill of the chamber. The room and the rest of the castle seemed to be out of light. Of course, it should be, it's like in the middle of the night. Yet, the elegant lady just sat there on her bed, imagining herself being Rapunzel. Waiting for the prince to call for her and take her loneliness away. She had been missing him. Banal, yes, but that was what the folks said about falling in love. At least, that was what she thought she was feeling. It was divine, if not love. She knew this was called immature and being silly, but still, something inside her soul told her she should wait a little bit longer. So, she decided to give it a whirl and follow the voice within her. So she sat there and continued waiting. Humming what appeared to her like a prayer.

Then she heard an unlikely familiar sound of neighing mare. She rose from her current position as motioned towards her windowsill. She saw a mare, not a royally steed or mighty looking stallion, it was just an ordinary dark mare. On the mare, a masculine figure sat, seeming to be searching for somebody. So the lady narrowed her eyes to get herself a clearer view, only to find she was delighted herself. "Emrys!" she whispered.

As if the masked rider could hear her whisper, he turned around and welcomed her with a smile. He did not have to say anything such like, 'Bring your hair down,' to get to her. The lady herself made her way to the exit of her bedchamber, dressed in her nightdress and ran through the castle to get to him. He may not be a prince, but to her, he is princely enough.

After what had seemed to her as hours of running and rushing to get over to him, she finally could face the same face she waited so long. Not it was long, but pretty long that she had to wait the whole living day, and to bear a night without dreaming about him again. 'Stop this absurdity, Morgana!' she thought to herself. When she finally met his eyes, she was only breathing a little too heavily. Not being able to say anything wise at the moment, she smiled as she was trying to keep her breathing steady. "Emrys," she smiled again, breathing out her heavy breath before drowning herself in a kiss she wished she could live in.

***

Merlin shot his eyes opened at once upon hearing the voice. It was the girl again. If his previous hearing had sounded desperate, this time, he felt something different about her tone. She had called him as if they had known each other for quite some long time. As if they know each other very well. Merlin rose up and sat on his bed in slow motion. He got up and went to retrieve the blue handkerchief he 'mysteriously' got from under the sheets. 'As if the girl and the handkerchief were related,' he thought. Now, Merlin was at lost, he did not know what to do, or where to head to. If it wasn't for the Great Dragon selfishness to let Merlin watch someone to die for the sake of his 'destiny', Merlin would've gone to him for help. Now, he had absolutely nowhere to head to. Nobody was around to give him a thought for it. Arthur? No, he did not want the prince to get uneasy all over than he already is. Gwen? No, Gwen has enough from Morgana, he did not want to add any more to it. Morgana? Definite no, they were close, but nowhere close enough to trade dreams or anything. There is just one person left. 'Gaius,' he thought. 'Yes, he would understand... or at least will try to,' he assured himself of his decision. 'Yes, that was it... yes, perhaps I should go back to sleep,' he told himself mentally.

Merlin got ready the next morning finding Gaius was 'playing' with his chemistry set. Now would be the perfect moment, before he chided Merlin off to his chores. Merlin thought he could do Arthur a favour by letting him dream a little more before he came along. He motioned towards Gaius, getting a clearer view of what he was actually doing. Apparently, he was doing his reading and research. What are the odds?

"If you have a question to be asked, you better not to waste any more of your time, and mine, too." Gaius snapped him out of his thought. Gaius received a dubious look from the younger boy in front of him. He then got the idea that Merlin would be thinking he is a telepathic, when the reality is that Gaius knew Merlin all too well.

"If I didn't know you better, I would say that you had been reading my mind," Merlin joked, only to be returned with a glare. "Uh- I don't know how to start on this," he stuttered. "I've been hearing voices lately. A female voice. At night time, you see. Almost reminded me of someone," he told the physician.

Gaius stopped for a while and looked at Merlin. He had seen those looks he was seeing now before. Either it was Merlin's destiny, or his feeling, Gaius couldn't tell. Perhaps this was one of the disadvantages of being a warlock, and being one of who does not really know his own potential. "Not the Great Dragon you've been seeing behind my back all this while?" he quizzed, and he did those weird expressions with his eyebrows.

Merlin was caught in his blank state now. He did not know how to cover himself now. He did not even sure if he should tell Gaius about this. The Great Dragon was selfish, yes, he is. He would not help anyone but himself. That was what he care for all Camelot. 'Why all of the mighty beings have to end up being pathetically self-centred and arrogant?' Merlin whined to himself. "I hadn't been seeing him anymore." He said, actually, half stuttering.

"So I noticed." Gaius said. He saw the look in Merlin eyes. There was anger and disappointment. Of what, that Gaius could not tell. Perhaps there was a problem between the young warlock and the great beast down the castle. That was the result of Merlin's refusing to seek for the Great Dragon. Merlin would not be opening up to Gaius about this kind of things if he still has the Great Dragon consult. "And you've come to seek my consultant?" Gaius asked, only to receive himself a nod. "I'm honoured." He said.

Merlin shifted his position uneasily. This is might get a little while to be used to. Don't misunderstand him; he had never received an honour from someone he looked upon. Even if it was merely for a joke. Poor boy. "So, do you have any idea about it?" he asked the physician.

"Hmm. It would be tough. I might as well recall those old magic books I once read to you now, mightn't I?" he stated. Gaius stopped from his experiment with lord knows what and began to search for his bookshelf. "Just to set the things straight, you're not having the same situation as Morgana, are you?" he asked.

"Uh- did I suppose to answer that? No, I don't think so. I was just hearing voices, not having raving dreams or nightmares that would make me waking up and screaming for anyone." He explained his situation like his life was depending on it. Then, it hit him. "Like the druid boy." He said.

Gaius examined Merlin with one of his looks. "Are you trying to say that whoever that had been calling you has somewhat a magical bond to you?" he asked. "And how do you supposed this female called you?" he inquired, without waiting for an answer to the previous question.

"Well, she didn't actually call my name—" he explained just when he got himself a glare, he added, "She called me Emrys. Just like the druid boy did."

"Magical beings have somewhat magical connection amongst them. They could feel each other's presence. And in this case, hear each other." Gaius stated.

"Like me and the Great Dragon," Merlin said. Still, to Merlin, that does not give away much of what had been bothering him for a few nights. And that did not exactly explain the presence of the handkerchief that had magically appeared at his bedside. "You are saying whoever had been calling me is a sorcerer as well," he said.

Gaius nodded in grimace. "I'm afraid so, and it would not be her lucky days that lay in front of her." He agreed.

"One more thing, before I step out of this chamber and being bullied and protecting Arthur from lord knows what, I found a handkerchief at my bedside the very first time I heard the female voice calling for me," he told Gaius. "What do you think it means?" he asked then.

"Probably nothing that has to do with your destiny just yet," Gaius answered. "But since you said you were hearing female voice in the middle of the night, I thought you could've figured something out already." He continued, trying to put two with two. "And to add the fact that Morgana had been acting quite oddly, I thought she could do a very fine suspect, don't you think so?" he asked Merlin as if it was the simplest math.

Merlin was gobsmacked. He did not think of that before. No, he did not dare to think of that before. The idea of putting Morgana into the picture, it was far too vague. But now that Gaius had mentioned it, Merlin might as well want to consider the possibilities of Morgana was the one who has been calling him. The only question left was; how did she learn his other name? Perhaps it was time to get closer to her. Not to abide by his feelings towards her, of course, if he can manage that. "I think I know what I'm supposed to do." He said.

"Well, that was a nice thing to hear from you. Just be careful, won't you? You may never know what strikes Morgana next." Gaius commented. Or at least that was what Merlin thought it was; a comment.

Merlin made no regard to the old physician and again, as usual, went for the exit, remembering the crown prince has to be ready for his practice. He could not understand why the prince would need any more practises. Arthur's body size alone could crush a fair few enemies, not to mention those armours he will be wearing; he is simply invincible in it. "Oh, about Morgana's birthday... have you heard? She's hosting a masked ball. All those masqueraded and disguised faces." He informed Gaius, although he bet Gaius had known about it.

"Are you trying to tell me you are going?" Gaius cast him an incredulous look. Be as much as Merlin wanted to go to the ball, Gaius could not help but to imagine a ludicrous scene if Merlin was actually going to attend the ball.

"Well, what's wrong with me going to a ball? For once, couldn't I pause from hurrying here and there after my destiny, a bunch of works Arthur had put me into, not to mention helping you with the chores." He retorted. Well, he did not mean it to sound that way, but that was what came out from him.

Gaius paused into a silent for a while before grinning. "Not at all. It's just that, it occur to me that attending the ball is like volunteering to be her suitor. Don't you think so?" he quizzed. "I know she had invited all of Uther's subjects, no matter who they are. And even if Uther can't see anything strange about it, can you? She is expecting someone. At least, I think she is. Who else could it be than her suitor?" Gaius added.

Merlin could do nothing than one of the stupidest things he had ever done. He just stood there and blushed a little too deeply. Well, if he did not get the picture before, he did now. Perhaps that was what bothering Arthur all this while. It turned out that Arthur figured it out faster than he did. 'Of course, he has the charm, you don't.' He reminded himself. Somehow he felt what Gaius had said just now was pretty true too. The idea of him getting out there and asking for Morgana's hand for even a dance is too ludicrous. It was all just because he had never tried that before. He had never been given the chance to, even. 'Well, that was going to end pretty soon,' he said again to himself.

"It could be an old friend..." Merlin joked as he finally exited the room, leaving Gaius with his chemistry set again.

He made his way to Arthur's bedchamber only to find him sitting on his chair (of course his chair, what else could he be sitting on?) and it looked like he was lost in his own thoughts. 'What are the odds?' he said as he shut the door behind him.

"You are late, as always." Arthur greeted him.

"Well, I was early yesterday." Merlin defended himself from the outright injustice, as true as the fact might be.

"Only to leave a couple of minutes to stumble all over my pile of tunics." Arthur corrected. "You're as good as being late." He vindicated. The crown prince was all ready for his practice. Seemed to already taken his breakfast, maybe Gwen had brought his breakfast for him.

"Is there anything I could do for you?" Merlin asked, ignoring Arthur's comment. He was not late, and that was that.

"Well, it seemed like somebody else had done almost everything you're supposed to already. So, go and make yourself useful somewhere. I am off for my practise." Arthur said, taunting his manservant a bit.

Merlin was heading to the exit, as always, being dismissed by his own master. That was not the odds. He had always being dismissed. He went straight on to find Gwen. Not that there was much he could do with her, well, first of all, she was his friend, second, perhaps there would be a chance for him to set his eyes on a certain royal ward with turquoise eyes and breathtaking smile. Three, the most essential above all, he would like to ask Gwen's opinion if he was to attend Morgana's ball. Maybe he could even talk Gwen of helping him dressing up for the ball, as well.

"How was Morgana?" he asked Gwen as they were exchanging moments of relief back at the kitchen. That was a pretty weird question to be asked, even to him. But he has to do what had to be done. 'Or the question to your mystery won't be answered,' he told himself mentally.

"Ecstatic." Gwen replied with a smirk, arranging the golden dinner plates onto the right place. "She was... as if miracle, been having a pretty sweet dreams lately." She informed Merlin. If Gwen did not know Merlin better, she could swear him having intention of prying. There was something about Merlin she thought she did not know yet. Almost like the other side of him. She had seen him happy, yes, there was countless times of it. She had seen him sad, panic, goodness, Merlin looked downright stupid when he panicked. There was also times where she could see jealousy flashed in his eyes. And that jealousy was rare. Merlin has not been jealous for nothing. And it was funny to see Merlin was pissed in the name of jealousy. In certain things, Gwen was proud to say she knew Merlin better than Gaius does. Like his love life, for example. He may be good at hiding his feelings (or thought he is good at hiding his feelings), Gwen could see right through him (like Morgana could see right through her). In easier term, female was better than male in this sort, romances. "What was her current statement would do to you, anyway?" Gwen asked him back.

"Nothing." He hasted. "Just curious, you know. It's been quite a while since what had happened. You know what I meant." He said.

"You didn't mean to pry, did you?" she quizzed him.

Merlin was slightly gobsmacked at the comment. "Uh- no, absolutely no." He answered.

Then Gwen casted him a look which always worked to pry any lies from him. Merlin replied the look with the same gesture he always used when Gaius or Arthur looked at him that way, he smiled. It was foolish enough for Arthur to see his manservant turned into a smiling slave, but Merlin did hope it will work the same to Gwen.

"Don't you have anything better to do, anyways?" she continued quizzing him. "Instead of standing around here and being... well, in Arthur's term, useless." She commented. "Sorry," she added.

"I've been told off," he replied curtly.

"Again?"

"Not the unusual... besides, there is something I would like to talk to you about." He said.

"Well, is this going to be a serious and useful discussion or a juicy and unlikely gossip?" Gwen quizzed again.

"Are you going to attend Morgana's ball?" Merlin ignored her question.

Gwen casted him a dubious look. "I am the maidservant of the Lady Morgana. Could I?" she replied with a question.

"Well... why not? You heard her yourself, didn't you? She invited everyone to the ball. This will be just like the previous one, except that this one is masqueraded." He pointed out.

"And you're asking me this because..." Gwen asked rhetorically.

"I would like to know what one would where to a party like this one."

"Dress like you dressed to the other party. But don't forget your mask." Gwen said. "I supposed." She added.

***

"Emrys..." she whispered in front of the masqueraded figure. Although there were only the two of them in the garden, she felt as if what she was about to say was only for his ears to hear and nothing else.

"I love you too, milady," he took her words right before she could say it.

Morgana could not believe her luck. Well, not totally for somebody loving her, but to actually found someone that could... really understand her. 'So this is bliss, this is divine,' she let her heart whispered silently. She could not let go off the sight of the blue-gold pools in front of her. The captivating eyes behind the mask. Had she wished for she could see the face that was hiding behind it. After what it felt for countless while, she felt the same sensation of touch on her lips. She was just about to blend herself into the embrace of her love when she heard an unlikely familiar masculine voice.

"Merlin?"

The kiss broke and Morgana's lips were parted immediately from Emrys'. She turned her heels around and found Arthur standing right in the hallway. She felt her head's temperature was growing. Of anger or embarrassment, she could not decide as she could not even think straight right now. Somehow, surprisingly, there was no Merlin like there would always was. Merlin was nowhere to be seen around Arthur. Morgana found she had too many questions to ask. 'Why in the world the royal prat is here?' was among the question she intended to ask. If she had not been cut by Arthur.

"What in the world do you two think you were doing?" Arthur asked, unsure how to sound himself. Either bemused or furious, he was confused.

Morgana was confused herself. She caught Arthur's glare towards the person behind her, so she turned around again. There, she was shocked to find not Emrys, but Merlin standing there. At the very same spot they were kissing just a few moments ago. Morgana refused to believe she was in this situation, she did all she can to prove what she knew impossible. Then she found her world went pitch black when she spotted the very same mask Emrys was wearing in the hands of Merlin. This is weird... Merlin is Emrys??

***

"Are you okay, Morgana? You seemed to have a bad night yesterday." Uther asked the royal ward when Morgana was about to go for a walk in the afternoon.

"I had a... well, disturbing dreams." She told him, somewhat honestly.

The king's smile turned upside down at the statement. "Had you not taken your potion last night?" he asked out of concern.

"It wasn't like the previous nightmare, my lord. This one was just a weird dream. A rather odd one, that's all. I don't think it means anything." She told him calmly so not to be misinterpreted.

"So, why do you think it's disturbing?"

"I am rather shocked to find your heir intruding my good night dream." A lazy tone came out from her with rolled eyes.

"It was odd." He simply commented as he walked away.

Morgana took a deep breath in for a while to free her from the bemusing thoughts.

"You dreamt of Arthur?" she heard Gwen chirped in.

"I did not dream of him, Gwen. He came uninvited." She corrected.

"I was just wondering... you know. Who's to say you wouldn't be falling for him?"

"Gwen, erase the thought!" Morgana wore an amused look. She swatted Gwen's arm playfully as they shared the laughter for the thought. Little did she know the laughter that came out of Gwen hinted the sense of relief.

Gwen and Morgana walked side-by-side towards the castle exit. Just as they were walking, they passed before the very two individuals Morgana tried to avoid for quite the moment. They traded greetings and bids, but they both did not miss the change of expression when passing the individuals. Gwen noticed Morgana's cheeks formed blushes when Merlin greeted her, which she thought rather odd, for Morgana had never yet blushed around Merlin. While Morgana could not help noticing how hard Gwen was trying to steady her want to laugh until Arthur greeted her. Well, for Morgana, that was not the odd. She knows Gwen has a thing for Arthur.

Gwen, being herself, could not help wondering why in the world Morgana would blush around Merlin. There must have something that happened between them. Or it might be the dream Morgana told her Arthur intruded. Merlin wanted to attend the ball badly that Gwen thought he could die not doing so. 'Well, Guinevere, you're a genius... You're witnessing a rather conflicted love sparks.' She told herself.

***

"Did you notice that?" Arthur asked his manservant right after they passed the two girls at the courtyard.

"Notice what?" Merlin asked back. Unlike free-handed Arthur, Merlin was trying hard not to let any part of the prince's armour to fall down on earth or he would have to clean it up all over again, which was not a pleasant thing to do.

"I'd always thought you were more observant than I am." Arthur commented with a sarcastic smirk.

Merlin did not answer the statement. Well, he would be a fool if he did answer the pointless invitation of a bickering.

"They had just blushed." Arthur told him. His tone was dry and unreadable by Merlin.

"Who blushed?"

"The girls, you fool." He rolled his eyes as if his statement was the simplest math.

"Well, what are the odds? There are many other girls blushed at your presence in this kingdom." Merlin commented.

"Gwen and Morgana don't usually blushed around me," he pointed out.

"Then, they must've been blushed around me," Merlin suggested, which he received a free smack on the head from the prince.

"Wake up from your sappy dream and get back to world," Arthur said in a commanding tone.

'It would be my dream come true if Morgana did blush around me.' Merlin thought, although knowing it was wrong to have such intention. Right then he remembered the handkerchief he kept in his pocket. It has been a while since he promised himself to find the owner and return the handkerchief. Perhaps it was time to put aside other business of misery and figure out the piece of puzzle. 'It couldn't be taking that long anyways... I'm a genius,' so he thought.

There, what 'dya think? I'm so sorry... late again... I'm always the latecomer.. well, perhaps I should change my penname to lt3c0mer... I thought Gwen got nargles in her head there... with those interrogations going on between her and Merlin... What do you think will happen next? I just love it when I get reviews concerned your P.O.V... anyways... Oh, hey... thanks for the grammatical reviews... you guys were so helpful... and observant. I missed the stupid mistakes.