This is a tiny chapter compared to what I normally give you, but it's rather important! I can't believe it's here, but this is the second to last chapter of Raven's Darling and I'm in the process of writing the conclusion. And so, from now, I'd like to thank you! 152 and 70 followers! You guys are brilliant and I hope I get to hear from you now that we can taste the end!
Impossible: James Arthur
ENJOY (I hope you like it)
Arthur's face paled as the wretched scream reached his ears.
Standing in front of the physician's room, the king was pacing back and forth, features whitening with every cry from within. A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder.
"She's going to be alright—"
"But she's screaming—"
"And that is normal during childbirth. I've seen Gaius deliver many babes, and what is happening sounds normal."
"But—"
"Breathe, Arthur."
The king's shoulders sagged before he turned to look at his friend.
"I'm glad you're here, Merlin."
His friend gave him a crooked smile in response. "Where else would I be?"
"Come on," Arthur shook the man's shoulders. "Stay with me, old friend…"
With a soft smile on his lips, Merlin closed his eyes.
"Nowhere," Arthur replied softly, stiffening at a long scream from inside accompanied by several shouts, and then, the sound of a baby's wailing. The sound was deafeningly loud and beautiful, the crying followed by breathless laughter from within the room.
Merlin could have sworn he saw tears in Arthur's eyes.
The door opened to a smiling Gaius. "Come on in, Arthur."
Walking slowly into the room, the king's eyes wandered before finally landing on Gwenivere on the bed, hair wet with sweat, holding to her breast a tiny white bundle. Her eyes lit up when she saw him.
"A girl," she told him gently.
Arthur's mouth opened, dumbstruck, before Merlin pushed him forward towards his wife. Taking a seat at the edge of the bed, he peered past the swath of blankets and saw the largest blue eyes he had ever set eyes upon.
"She's beautiful," Arthur whispered as he looked down at his daughter, breaking his gaze only to lean over and kiss Gwen lightly on the brow.
"What shall we name her?" the queen asked.
"How about Aurora, a symbol of a new dawn on our lives," Arthur replied, and Gwen nodded.
"It's perfect."
Arthur looked up at Merlin questioningly, and the warlock nodded. The king smiled, turning to his queen and fixing her with a gaze, and Gwen's eyes twinkled.
"Merlin, Gwenivere and I would like to ask a favor of you."
"Anything."
The blonde-haired man paused for a moment, as though searching his mind for the right words, finally speaking with a barely contained smile. "We would like to name you Aurora's godfather, if that is fine by you."
Looking at them agape, Merlin's eyes widened. "I…I can…I'd be honored," the warlock finally managed to stutter, and Gwenivere laughed. She beckoned him to come closer, and Merlin sat next to Arthur on the bed, taking in the sight of his godchild with a mixture of shock and awe.
"Welcome to the family, magical farmboy," Gwenivere whispered.
Later that night, Merlin slipped away to give the new family some privacy. It seemed fitting that the princess's name day was the two year anniversary of the Siege on Camelot, and that night when Merlin visited Morgana's room as refuge from the nightmares. In a week would be the celebration of Aurora's birth, and the warlock fell asleep thinking of what gift he would bestow upon her.
The court was always so cold. So bitter. So desolate. No matter how many colorful garments filled the room, no matter the strength of the perfume that floated off impeccably dressed ladies, the hall lacked warmth. But it wasn't always like this. Not when the baby princess was first born, when nothing could be heard but laughter within the walls of the citadel. Aurora Pendragon was adored from the moment she took her first breath, and the kingdom celebrated the birth of the heir to the throne of Camelot with their sovereigns.
Arthur and Gwenivere Pendragon were never happier.
In celebration of her birth, the king and queen threw a great party, and as the court warlock, Emrys, stood by the cradle, preparing to bestow on the child a blessing, the room grew suddenly frigid. The great doors flew open and from the darkness walked in the high priestess Morgana. Before anyone could retaliate, she cast a terrible spell on the girl, and Aurora was cursed to an eternal slumber. But Emrys was clever and quick, retaliating with another, so that true love's first kiss could break the terrible curse.
The screams were loud and shrill, the banished sorceress disappearing into smoke before anyone could do anything, shock written plainly on their faces. Gwenivere cried out as she tried to wake her daughter, yet the babe remained still and motionless, utterly ignorant of the world beyond her cursed sleep.
That night there was only darkness.
Merlin looked down sadly at the young child below him, fast asleep, chest rising and falling softly. His godchild looked as though nothing was wrong in her tiny world, as though in two minutes time she would wake, her blue eyes blinking sleepily up at him.
But she would not wake, not until her true love came to kiss her.
But a babe had not the chance to fall in love.
But Merlin knew that.
The warlock gently placed the scroll next to the sleeping child, leaning down and kissing her tenderly on the forehead.
"You will be with your parent's soon, Aurora, I promise you that. But, though you won't remember me, I want you to do me a favor. Perhaps your sleeping mind could retain this message in some way. Fall in love for me, Aurora, and whoever he is, make sure you hold on to him, and him to you. Life is so much simpler that way. Goodbye, princess."
Emrys looked around the nursery, taking in the moonlight that seeped in through the sheer curtains, the candles outside the window that were lit by the people as a sign of their solidarity. He and Arthur had been determined in making the furniture themselves, the crib that the child slept in the toil of many sleepless nights. Merlin had enchanted the roof of the room to look like the sky out the window, that way the princess could sleep always under the stars.
He took a deep breath, slipping away quickly before Gwen returned to spend the night with her child. Returning to the empty throne room, where only hours ago they had stood in celebration, Merlin closed his eyes. Below his feet were the cracked stems and petals of flowers, left by the screaming visitors, the banners and ribbons decorating the columns and ceiling torn and blown away by the strength of the curse.
Merlin's magic reached out into the room, catching the feel of Morgana's familiar abilities. It had been two years, but still her brand of magic was more distinctive to him than his own. Eyes glowing gold, the warlock disappeared into white smoke, following the trail his former lover had left behind.
My dear Gwenivere,
By the time you read this I will be gone, and I know you will send Arthur to find me. It will be of no use. I will have your daughter returned to you, I promise you that. I know were you here you would beg me not to throw my life away, that I am as dear to you as Aurora. But as always, I would contradict you. Aurora is your daughter, an innocent child who doesn't deserve to be a victim of our long feud, a feud that is of my doing. She should not have to suffer for our past, and so I go to find Morgana to speak sense into her. Chances are I won't return. However, my life is forfeit. Both Morgana and I were born and raised creatures of war, it is unsurprising that we cannot existtogether,in peace. But this is better. Without us, you can live your lives free of power and corruption and darkness. I know you will long for me to be with you, as I long to be amongst you too, but know this, my dear Gwenivere, that I have loved you and I have believed in you from the start. I know you will be a wonderful mother, better even than the queen that you are. I would only ask you to not steel your heart against magic, to never forget that it is not magic that is corrupt, but those who wield it. Help my people flourish, and build the world that we dreamt of. And above all else, cherish her. Cherish your family and hold on to them, protect them, and value every moment with those you love.
Goodbye, princess,
Merlin
Gwenivere looked up from the paper in her hands, finger shaking and tears flowing down her face.
"ARTHUR!"
The warlock walked up slowly to the tall grey castle, deep within the darkest tangles of the woods. He realized that they were not too far from Camelot, and Merlin wondered how Morgana had managed to escape his notice being so close to home. He could feel the wards dampening his magic, but Merlin knew he would not need it. Black-clad knights raced towards him, spears leveled at his chest, and the warlock almost laughed at the fear so clearly evident in their eyes. It seemed that his reputation preceded him. He raised his arms above his head, allowing them to chain his hands and feet, a musty burlap bag thrown over his head before finally dragging him into the cold tower.
They pushed him hard to his knees, the frigid, uneven flagstones biting into the thin cloth of his pants. The hood was torn off his head, leaving him disorientated and dizzy for a moment before his eyes focused.
And then he saw her.
Despite knowing that she was the enemy, Merlin couldn't help but feel relief upon seeing her well. When she had interrupted their gathering, he hadn't the chance to see how the years had fared her. Morgana was still as beautiful as always, yet there was no denying that the time away from the warm halls of citadels had worn her down. Her once silky hair was now in tangles, resting around her like a halo of ebony, stark against her terribly pale face. Like ivory, her face was chiseled from stone, her features somewhat gaunt. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, her lips chapped and pale, like the sole surviving rose deep in winter, the jade of her gaze like blades as she assessed him. Yet, despite it all, she was Morgana, and she was living and breathing only feet away from him.
The silence in the room was deafening as they studied each other. Finally it was Merlin who spoke, voice echoing in the cold, empty hall.
"I've missed you."
Standing up, Morgana walked slowly towards him, a slight sway in her hips, boots click-clacking on the stone floor.
She slapped him hard across the face.
His cheek stung as his head reeled back from the blow, Merlin tasting blood at the strength of it. Morgana returned to her stone throne, draping her body across it with ease.
"You shouldn't have come here, Emrys."
"Why, Morgana?"
"Why, what?"
"Why did you cast the curse? She's an innocent child, barely a week old, and you fell just short of killing her. Have you fallen so deep into darkness and desperation that you would hurt a babe to reach your ends?"
"Two long years I've spent alone, in gloom, in the shadows of Albion's glory. I nearly died, and many times I wanted to, but somehow I survived. Did you honestly think that I would give up so easily? I've been planning this since I heard that dear Gwenivere was pregnant, and now, finally, I have triumphed. My brother and his queen will be heartbroken, open to attack. Now I only have to wait while Albion is weakened from outside, since now inside it is poisoned."
Merlin shook his head. "What has become of you? What happened to the caring girl who used to spend hours in druid tents trying to heal the wounded?"
"She grew up."
The warlock closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Remove the curse from her, please."
"Have the years dulled your mind, lover? You know that I cannot break a curse as powerful as a sleeping spell."
"I know, I do not ask that you break it, but I know that sleeping curses can be transferred upon another victim."
Morgana's eyes widened slightly as she looked down at him in shock. "You would take her burden?"
"Yes."
"And why should I allow you?"
"Because she has never wronged you, and while she may be the daughter of your enemy, she is still an innocent babe that deserves a chance to live. I, on the other hand, am soaked red with guilt, black with sin. I have wronged you, and many others, and so I should face the consequences of our long feud."
"You know you will never wake."
"Perhaps, but there was a loophole in your spell. I cast a change upon it, altering the curse ever so slightly, allowing it to break at true love's kiss."
"Then for sure you will never wake."
Merlin smiled softly, looking down at the ground before her feet. "So be it."
Morgana stood and walked stiffly towards him, reaching out and taking his chin, pulling it up so her eyes met his. They were bottomless cobalt, and the priestess found herself lost in his familiar gaze. The years had done him well, his features more adult and chiseled, muscles clearly defined through his simple cloth shirt. He wore a soft blue scarf as he always did, but he was not as clean shaven as he had been so many years ago. Somehow over the course of two years, they had grown, and Morgana steeled her heart.
"So be it," she echoed.
Nodding to her guards, Morgana led him up the stairs and into a room high in the tower, her soldiers roughly dragging him the whole way up, but the warlock didn't utter a sound.
When finally they reached their destination, Morgana had them release him from his chains, and Merlin massaged his hands where the iron links had chaffed them. A bruise was already forming on his cheekbone from where she had struck him.
"Lie down." Morgana gestured to a stone table in the middle of the room, runes etched along its sides.
After appraising it for a moment, the warlock obliged, slowly pulling himself onto the hard stone and leaning his head back, looking up at the old ceiling above him. The priestess circled him, approaching him after a moment and considering his still form.
Suddenly, Merlin pulled himself up and wrenched her down towards him, their lips meeting in a vicious kiss. He bruised her lips as he brought her closer to him, Morgana frozen in shock before moving at the familiar touch. Merlin forced his way into her mouth and tasted her, body humming at how tightly her body was pressed against his. Heat rippled down their bodies, and Morgana could feel the desperation in his kiss.
She finally pushed him away, slapping him hard across the face and conjuring chains to secure him to the table.
He was breathing hard as he looked up at her, face flushed and eyes fevered, and Merlin took special pleasure in seeing that Morgana was in the same state.
So it would seem that she had missed him too.
But before he could think any further, the sorceress began to chant foreign words, eyes glowing gold.
Then there was a sharp pain in his chest, and the warlock cried out, back arching off the hard stone as he pushed against his iron bonds. When finally Morgana was finished with her spell, he fell back upon the cold surface, eyes glazed.
Morgana gently stroked Merlin's face as she watched his eyes droop.
"So it seems, Emrys, that you will not be my doom after all."
Those bright blue eyes closed and his breathing slowed, and the warlock fell into a cursed sleep before he could utter a reply.
The silence was terrible as she looked down upon his prone body, reaching out and feeling for his heart, its rhythmic thudding somehow comforting, and Morgana's hand involuntarily spread over his chest at the warmth. Asleep and looking so peaceful, the priestess could almost forget the hell they had been through. She was surprised at how fast she had defeated him, her greatest foe, her destined bane, and then she remembered that he had not fought back.
Except for the kiss.
Morgana could still taste him on her lips, feel his bruising warmth against her body. It made her feel weak to know that she could be so easily swayed by his touch, by the love he had that never seemed to run out. Gingerly, she reached out and took the scarf from around his neck and brought it to her face, breathing in the familiar scent. Even after all this time, it was soothing. She dismissed the feeling. He was her enemy and she'd just ended him. Morgana should be celebrating. But yet, she still held the worn fabric tightly in her hand. She remembered hearing once that Gwen had given it to him, once very long ago, when they had first met.
The priestess walked out of the room and down the stairs, and then a sudden scream startled her.
Arthur, with him Percival, Gwaine, and a druid that must have led them here, were down in the throne room. The king had seen her, or more importantly, what she held in her hand.
"YOU MONSTER! EVEN AFTER ALL YOU'VE DONE HE STILL LOVED YOU, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY HIM?"
"I suggest you leave, Arthur," Morgana replied coldly. "You know you cannot fight against me now, not while I have him. Go, spend some time with your daughter. Merlin may have sacrificed himself for her but his is the only one I'll accept, and you can be sure I'll be seeing her again."
The king leapt forward, Gwaine and Percival holding him back. "No, Arthur—"
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Arthur struggled against the hands pulling him away from her. "HURT HIM AND I SWEAR I WON'T REST UNTIL I KILL YOU!"
"Go, Arthur. Your lionheart made his choice, leave before his sacrifice is in vain."
A soft gurgling returned Gwen to reality, having lost herself in her dim thoughts. Looking down, the queen watched as her daughter's eyes opened, a small hand reaching for her face.
Gwenivere couldn't breathe.
She let out a choked sob, looking up at the transfigured roof, body shaking as tears fell down upon the baby in her arms.
Aurora began to cry.
what did you think my lovely readers? We have finally merged with the beginning! WOO HOO!
One final question: Who is the Raven's Darling?
YOU'LL FIND OUT NEXT TIME! Feel free to take a guess and post it in a review and I'll give a cyber sundae to whoever manages to figure it out!
-ladywarlock