Morgana 6.
Welcome, Welcome. Once more I'd like to thank you for the reviews. Secondly, I watched Merlin episode 1 of season 3. Sorry if you don't want to read me talking about it, but if your here, surely you like Merlin? I'm extremely upset they made Morgana evil. I think she's brave, beautiful, clever and independent, and I think its weird how in the first series Arthur TOTALLY fancied her, then went all lovey dovey on Gwen – who, by the way, I think is totally boring and has no personality. So yeah, I think Morgana's justified to be evil, she was mistreated by Uther (he grabbed her by the throat and rammed her into a chair!) and Arthur just stood there! Then, she's getting mixed messages from Arthur, and he cares about Gwen all the time, when he found her in the forest (season 2) and was like "Where's Gwen?" not, oh Morgana I'm so glad you're safe! Then, Merlin's all like, "I understand Morgana" then when he finds out she would turn evil he's cold and distant toward her- when she held his hand and he gave her a dirty look and pulled away my heart broke :'( Um, Merlin, maybe she went bad because you were a bastard to her! And finally, he poisoned her! I don't care if it was for fricking Camelot, he was more worried about him not getting caught than the fact Morgana was dying!
Ps, the camera is now invented in Arthurian times.
Bloody hell. Well, rant over, I'll continue with the story. And if you have or haven't reviewed, please do! Even if it's just small, do some good in the world! I picked some rubbish up today! It was mine, but I still did it! As soon as you read this chapter, Review! GO! GO! GO! And during the end scene, you'll know when, try and get YouTube up, type in X ray dog The vision and listen to that, as I wrote the scene to fit with the music.
They gasped. Every person in the aisles, sitting or standing, was unconscious. Eyes closed, breathing lightly, like they were all asleep. And standing at the front was Leon, with Uther in a headlock, a knife to his throat. "Ah, welcome to my show!" Leon announced, mocking ruffling Uther's hair, who, in his sleep, was still frowning.
"Leon..." Arthur began, in a warning tone.
"Oh come now Arthur. I'll tell you what would happen- you say let my father go and nobody gets hurt, and I say but what if what I want is for you to get hurt?"
Morgana looked around, for signs of life in any of the people.
"Arthur, there are three ways of me hurting you. One would be to kill you, but even the most painful death won't satisfy me just yet. I want to bring you on your knees, crying and begging for mercy. Number two, is that I kill Uther, and you're set as king. But then, ruining your peace and happiness, there I'll be with n army, ready to take it from you. Thirdly, I kill My darling Morgana here, as after hearing those sickening words of how you love one another, it doesn't take a genius to figure out you'd rather die than her. Plus, I should imagine I can make it painful for her, which is good, because the little bitch deserves it after what trouble she's put me through with this wedding. The only kind thing I've done is make these people forget everything, so they do not have to see their king, king's ward and prince slaughtered. Oh! That gives me an idea! I'll kill you all!" and he started laughing manically, the laughter echoing off the walls. Suddenly, Morgana felt weightless, as she soared into the air. It was like hooks carrying her to the heavens. They set her off upon the beam, where he grabbed and held on tight like a monkey. She looked down. The floor was too far away for her to jump. If she fell- she didn't want to think about it. What she had just noticed, however, was that Arthur and Leon, fighting, with Uther lying across the throne haphazardly. "Hold on Morgana!" Arthur yelled, and she looked down at his angel blonde hair, his face set I concentrated fury, his moves familiar all her life, parrying, blocking, lunging. In her head she was commenting 'No, go back! That's it, now lunge!' but was soon distracted by the fact she was getting extremely tired. Her arms were burning, from the fingers down to the top of her shoulders. Her body was swaying slightly, and she tried to swing her body up onto the beam, but she was only using more energy. She couldn't help wondering how long she would be able to stand it- stand the pain, now coursing through her body. She gritted her teeth, and sweat beaded her bow as she clung on, her knuckles white. "Morgana!" A voice yelled. Her first reaction was to look at Arthur, but he and Leon were still fighting. The she looked at the doors. Her heart leaped. There, standing in the doorway, was Alvarr. His hair was longer, still the same bronze colour as before. His nose was dead straight, his eyes were hazel brown and fixated on her. He ran to her, and held his arms to the sky, to her. She was shaking, knowing she was close to dropping. What was Alvarr doing here? She was so scared she didn't know if her feelings for him were still there. He was her first... well, love she guessed. Some small part of her knew he was using her a bit, but she knew he had feelings for her. She had saved his life, and in return he taught her how magic was good. She thought of her moments with him, him and Mordred breaking into her chambers, his dark eyes on her, not trusting her, and his surprise at her hatred of Uther. Then, when she gave him the crystal, and Mordred came running up to her, she had felt like a family, as if Mordred was her child, warm in her arms, Alvarr smiling down at her. But now things had changed. She had kissed Arthur not 20 minutes ago, and now she had two men on the line. She didn't not count Leon anymore.
All she knew was that One wants her, one needs her and one loves her.
Leon needed her, for his revenge on Uther, Arthur and Morgana.
But as for Alvarr and Arthur, she did not know.
"Morgana! Let go! I'll catch you!" Alvarr called. Now both Arthur and Leon were looking, and their faces were so bewildered and confused it was almost comical. But she couldn't laugh. She slowly prised her fingers up- they didn't want to seem to let go- and she dropped.
For a moment her stomach flipped over and her heart skipped a beat, as she fell into Alvarr's arms. She expected him to fall from the force of her plunging into his arms, but instead he just chuckled and whispered in her ear "You're lighter than I expected"
"Alvarr, what are you doing here? If you're seen..." She said, and he placed a finger over her lips.
"Shhh, don't worry Morgana. I'm more worried about what you were doing about to fall to your death. Anyway, I don't think we can worry about me being spotted. Almost everyone between here and the market is asleep, I was surprised" And they looked around the room. That's when they caught the other men's eyes. Leon was looking between them like a tennis match; half furious Morgana had been saved, and half bemused by the whole situation. All in all, Morgana supposed it could almost be funny. But her bubble burst when she saw Arthur. He was watching as they exchanged whispered, Morgana close in Alvarr's arms. His eyes were torn, in pain, his face in desperation and agony. His sword clattered to the ground as Morgana scrambled down from Alvarr's arms. "Well, well, well" Leon began, and he chuckled. Then, he started laughing, it booming around the hall, bouncing off the wall into Morgana's ears. For a second, she was frightened, but then began laughing too. It was a strange reaction to the devastation around them, and Morgana was coping the only way she did- looking on the bright side of life. She and Leon laughed, until he was clutching his sides, and she was wiping tears from her eyes. She stopped when she saw Arthur's face. The laughter died slowly, and the smile left her lips. Confusion at her and Leons outburst was on his face, yet plainly there was the raw agony, making her want to claw her eyes out. She felt her face burning, as if she was at the pyre, his gaze, and Leons, and Alvarr's on her. It was the one time in her life she hated the attention. "This... Well, this is better than I could have expected!" Leon said, gasping as he drew in breath from laughing so much. "Right, so we are in a pickle my darlings. Tell you what; I'll make you a deal. One of you three has to die tonight" Morgana looked at the sky, which was began steadily darker. For second everyone's was silent. "Me" Arthur said, his voice almost cracking. "No, let it be me" Alvarr strode forward, bowing to Morgana "I'd die a thousand times for my lady; my life is indebted to her" Leon looked at Morgana.
"I guess you know what I'm going to say. Leon, kill me. I'd die for both of them, it makes sense this way" She hung her head.
"NO!" Arthur and Alvarr shouted.
"Morgana, you have so much more to live for. You risked your life to help me once, now it's my turn" Alvarr said.
Arthur just looked at Morgana. "No. I won't let you do this. It would hurt me more if you died than if I did. Please let me have this last bit of peace Morgana, and spare me any more pain you seem intent on smothering me with" Morgana flinched. "Arthur, please" She said, sincerity in her voice.
"Morgana, it's the least you can do. Then you can be with him" he jerked his head to Alvarr "and live happily ever after, like you deserve" his voice was cold and distant.
"Arthur, stop!" she cried.
"I'll give you all 30 seconds" Leon said. "Ands that's being generous. 30"
"Kill me" Arthur said, staring Leon in the eye.
"No, I've said already" Alvarr interjected.
"29"
"Who are you exactly?" Arthur said rudely.
"A good friend of Morgana's. I'm surprised you don't recognise me actually" Alvarr stated.
"28"
"oh... YOU! The sorcerer, all along?" Arthur said
"27"
"but what do you have to do with Morgana?" Arthur asked.
"She was the one that helped me escape the dungeons. She also warned me that you were coming to attack. That's how we knew you were on your way. She was the one that helped us get the crystal, and she would've run away with us if it wasn't for our plan was ruined. But yes, she saved my life"
"Morgana, how could you?" Arthur said, his eyes filled with betrayal.
"I had to Arthur! Uther was becoming worse with magic, he's wrong, magic is good! I've seen it. And you seem to forget the time he grabbed me by the throat and rammed me into the back of a chair! And do you know what you did, Arthur? You stood there and watched his treat me like that! I felt alone, betrayed by everyone!"
"15. This is getting good" Leon smirked.
"I regret that Morgana, I truly do, but that was against the law! And... It wasn't just to defy Uther, was it? You obviously feel something for him" He was bitter, jealous.
"He made me feel safe for once! Happy, like I belonged somewhere!"
"You belong here!"
"No I don't! No one understands!"
"Understands what?"
I HAVE MAGIC!" Morgana screamed, her cheeks flushed scarlet, eyes filled with moisture.
"1. Sorry, Morgana, but this is too good" And Leon lunged at Morgana. Alvarr went for the sword, trying to grab it but missed, and Arthur stepped in front her Morgana.
In front of the blade.
With a piercing scream, Morgana sank to the floor with Arthur in her arms. Turning his pale face towards her, she held it in her hands. As Alvarr fought off Leon, she saw the blade sticking out of his chest, near to his heart. "Arthur! NO!" She cried, shaking him. "Please, please, open your eyes" And he did, looking at her, like an angel.
"Morgana... I'm so sorry" he croaked, gripping her elbow.
"Shhh, Arthur, you're going to be fine, we just have to stop your bleeding, you'll be okay, don't worry. You saved me, Arthur, why? Why did you save me?" she said, fighting back tears.
"Because I love you Morgana"
"I love you Arthur. Please, don't leave me alone. Stay alive"
"I can't, Morgana. I'm dying" At his words she shrieked, and he gripped her tighter. "But we shall meet again, in the afterlife, my love"
"I'm so sorry that we didn't have enough time on earth, not near enough time" She held him closer, and allowed herself to cry, one tear slipping down, as she stroked his golden hair. He brushed it away. "Tears later, love. For now, I'm at peace, just knowing you love me"
"I do, Arthur. I love you" And she began to sing softly-
"White grows the Lily, red grows the rose,
Here lies my laddie, look how he grows,
One day he'll leave me, to cross shadowed sea,
may God protect him, keep him with me"
And suddenly, Arthur's hand slipped away, his eyes growing distant, and Morgana notices she couldn't feel his pulse, or any heat. Closing his eyes, she screamed with agony. Sobbing, she clutched at his body, rocking back and forwards on the floor, gasping for air, not thinking, or breathing, apart from '..' Like a pulse. She wanted for him to wake up, just to see his smile, to hear his voice and booming laugh, to feel his soft touch upon her cheek. It seemed as though the many, many memories of them were running away, like a river, disappearing with Arthur's life.
She kissed him once- his lips were still warm and soft, as if they had been waiting for her kiss.
She pulled the sword, still stained with blood, from his chest, and stood up, feeling strong and invincible. Alvarr and Leon were circling, Alvarr with a cut lip and Leon with a broken nose, looking as though they had resulted in street fighting rather than sword fighting. Morgana pushed Alvarr out the way, and he protested. Circling, Morgana glared at him through narrowed eyes, as though she were contaminating him with her disgust and hatred. He just smirked, his face smug, his job of causing pain done. He ducked as she swung her sword in an arc where his head would've been, and in return he jabbed Alvarr's sword- which he had retrieved from earlier. Morgana saw her chance when his foot slipped, and he looked down, and she slid his sword into his heart, driving it home. Smiling as she watched him shrivel up on the floor, and then she turned to Alvarr, who was muttering spells across the room. She didn't want to look at Arthur for fear of it being too painful.
"What are you doing?" She asked Alvarr in a hoarse voice.
"Casting a spell. Everyone should wake up in about ten minutes. By that time we'll be gone"
"We? As in me and you? I can't go, not now Alvarr"
"Morgana, we're not planning on bringing Uther down anymore. We're creating a little village, away from Camelot, and those with and a few without magic can live freely. It'll be great Morgana, you'd love it. Mordred is waiting for us. What is left for you here? I heard you before; you've been mistreated, abandoned, well not anymore. I realise you must stay for your brothers funeral, no wonder your devastated- the losing of a sibling is painful, but think Morgana, we could have a home- a proper home- together"
"Brother... Is that what you think" Morgana murmured to herself. She then realised no one but Leon, who was dead, realized her and Arthur were anything more than brother and sister, which she reminded herself that they were not. "Yes, Alvarr, I think I will come with you. I will return for Arthur's funeral, and then come back to you" She said. "I'll go upstairs, pack my things and then we can be gone before they wake up" Alvarr looked delighted. He picked her up and whirled her in his arms. She didn't respond. Some small part of her felt for Alvarr, truly, because he was her first love, or so she'd thought, but the greater part, her love for Arthur shone out like a beacon through her, and it hit her how he had left her to wander the world, lost and alone. But she didn't have to be alone. She ran to her chambers, the bed made neatly, and reached into the top drawer, pulling out a bag. She filled it with some of her dresses, cloaks and shoes filled the pockets with her money, and silver hairbrush and a few other possessions she couldn't bear to live without. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the flowers Arthur has given her, and she curled on the bed. Her heavy bag rolled off, and she reached under the bed to get it, only to touch something leather. She pulled it out. It was a big, red leather book. In the front in curly golden script it said 'Morgana and Arthur' Inside where photo's- so many photo's of them, playing, talking, laughing and even sword fighting. She remembered Uther with a big, black object that shot out paper, catching their portraits. There was even a photo of Morgana and her father, just before her died, and Igraine, pregnant with Arthur, a title saying 'Lost loved ones'
There was the nurse that sang their song, and poems that Arthur and Morgana had written, letters before and after they met, there was even a rose and Lily, entwined even after they had died. Morgana had forgotten all about it. Then she remembered Arthur had a blue one, and slinging her bag over her back, and clutching the book in her hand, she ran to Arthurs chambers, with Alvarr calling down "Morgana, you've been ten minutes, you okay?"
"Yes Alvarr, I'm fine, just saying goodbye" She yelled, and then reaching under Arthur bed- Merlin had thankfully cleaned it well- saw the blue leather book. They were two parts to one story- hers were of them as children, he had photo's of them growing up, getting told off for talking in the library, scolded in the cooks for eating the chocolate cake under the kitchen table, photo's of Arthur training and there was two whole pages dedicated to Morgana's outfits, when she went to the market, went to balls, beautiful dresses, some she had lost, only worn once or simply grown out of. There was a photo of Gwen and Merlin, and Arthur and Morgana, and she couldn't even remember it being taken. Then she gasped, in the corner of one photo was Mordred, smiling at Morgana. Another dark figure beside him- she figured it was Alvarr or the man who had taken him to Camelot and was executed.
She shoved the books in her bag, and ran downstairs. Alvarr had prepared two horses and was packing bags of food into the saddles sides. "Surely Camelot have enough to spare?" He asked, and she nodded.
"yes, no one will even notice. Come on, lets go" and they rode away, the night enclosing around them. They rode fast, the moonlight leading the way. Sometimes they rode in silence; sometimes they made a little conversation. It wasn't long before they got into the subject of Arthur. "So I take it you were very closer to your brother?" Alvarr asked. Morgana nodded. "At first I hated him. He thought I was taking all of Uther's attention. Maybe I was. I was annoyed that I had to leave home and come to Camelot. But we grew up together, every step of the way, he was there. I found It hard not to tell him I had magic. I felt so alone"
"You won't be alone any more, Morgana, not if you don't want to. But remember, we're working to create a peaceful place, where people feel at home, and are safe"
Morgana could imagine it. "Alvarr, I was wondering if I could help design the village with you?" She asked. He nodded.
"So far there's me, you, Mordred, Morgause, and about 5 other people with magic we've found, and we've selected a place. It's beautiful, Morgana, you'll love it. There's mountains and a lake a flowers in the meadow. It's like heaven. We've decided to build just off the meadow, on the mud, so we don't destroy any of the flowers. But yes, we'll need help deciding where to put the huts' were making, build the huts, make them feel a bit like home, then start recruiting- I mean, helping people"
It sounded like heaven, Morgana thought. But she couldn't help but think of how great it would've been if Arthur was with her. He could teach sword fighting, and help build the huts, and kiss her every day.
"Yes. I should think I'd like it there" she said dreamily, staring into space.
Just as dawn came, and the sun rose, they came to an opening in the trees. Morgana gasped. The sun was coming up, the mountains topped with pink and golden, and a river flowed down, sparkling clean. A few people were laughing and talking in a circle round a fire. To the left a meadow began; the grass artificially green, dotted with specks of yellow, pink and blue flowers. "Do you like it?" Alvarr asked, leaning over to wind his arm round hers. She squeezed his arm as she slid off her horse, and just looked around, stunned. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life" she said.
They joined to group, and everyone welcomed her with open arms. Literally, as everyone gave her a hug. They sat round a fire, making plans about the villages, singing and telling stories. The girl next to Morgana, Arianna, was only 16. She had flowing red hair. It was like the fire, and Morgana was memorized. Arianna noticed her staring, and raised her eyebrows. "Your hair is beautiful!" Morgana said. Arianna rolled her eyes.
"As if I wasn't a freak enough already" She said "I hate it. I was going to cast a spell, to change colour, but my mother told me not to. She died, in the great purge" She said, and Morgana ducked her head.
"Does everyone know I'm Uther's ward?" She whispered, and Arianna nodded.
"Morgana, nothing changes. You're a different person to him. Everyone loves you, and no one blames you for Uther mistakes. Alvarr and Mordred speak highly of you"
"Mordred!" Morgana said "Where is he? Alvarr said he'd be here" For a moment she was disappointed, thinking he wouldn't turn up, but then Arianna smiled. "Him and Morgause are hunting for rabbit s and berries for our dinner" She smiled. "Mordred... He's amazing. His extremely clever, and yet speaks so little. But if anyone mentions your name, he'll get all excited and tell us about how you saved him and got the crystal. We've all been anticipating your arrival" Morgana blushed "And we're not disappointed" Arianna said kindly.
"Morgana!" a voice called. Morgana whipped her head round. Running towards her was Morgause, with Mordred running. She stood up and he ran into her arms, and she picked him up, swinging him round. After he hugged her tightly, she set him down, and, stroking his hair, smiled down at him. "Mordred" she said quietly. "It's good to see you!" He hugged her waist again. "You've grown!" She exclaimed. He beamed up at her.
"'I've missed you so much!" he said. Morgause finally caught up with them, and she swiftly took Morgana into her arms. She was cool to the touch. "Sister. It's good to see you here. What happened?" and as Mordred started preparing the food, Morgana told Morgause everything. "Sister... I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you. Now we can build a better life for all of us"
That night, after a lot of laughing and feasting, Morgana sat with Mordred's head in her lap. Alvarr carried him to the little makeshift huts just to the side of the forest. Then, he bent down to kiss Morgana on the cheek. The death of Arthur was still raw, and she didn't feel the fireworks as both kiss before. She smiled politely, before excusing herself. The night was worse, because she had nothing to distract her. She ended up looking through the pictures of her and Arthur in the book, and cried herself to sleep.
The next day was even better, and she couldn't help but feel guilty that she was laughing as Arthur was dead. But surely, she thought, Arthur would want me to be happy?
Alvarr and a few other men set out to cut some tree's down for the huts. Morgana taught Arianna how to sew, and knit, and they began to make rugs, curtains with some of the materials the other women had gathered from villages that could spare it. Every few hours in the hot day Morgana would get fresh water from the stream and offer the jug around to everyone. Slowly, over the next few weeks and hard work, slowly their paradise was becoming more and more like home. Alvarr was fitting in some windows- Morgana wondered where he got the glass, when he dropped it. Morgana was too far away to catch it, and it broke. Alvarr sighed. "I had to give away two of our horses for that" Morgana held her hand over the broken glass, and concentrated an image of it in one piece, in the windows and the bits flew up into one shape, fitting into the window. Alvarr beamed. "Well done Morgana! Already your powers are growing. See, now are you sure magic can be used for good?"
"I was sure of that anyway" Morgana lied, but now she was more reassured. Morgana, Arianna, Morgause and Mordred shared a hut, each with their own little section of room, a shared kitchen and bathroom. It smelt of sweet sawdust, and fresh raining, and it didn't compare to the palace that Morgana lived in, but it was perfect because she'd helped create it. In her bedroom was the window she'd fix- Alvarr made sure she had that particular hut, so she could be proud of her efforts. Yawning, she rolled off the bed and got dressed in her 'work outfit' – a plain lavender dress that she didn't mind getting dirty. She wouldn't need a cloak, by the look of the sunlight from outside. She went into their kitchen, and started a fire in the oven, which Alvarr had got for them, in return for helping a village harvest their crops. Theirs was one of the only kitchen, so as she started cooking some porridge, and Arianna used her power to multiply it, mostly all the 'family' were in their kitchen. Morgana ladled out the porridge in the bowls. "Where's Alvarr?" she asked, passing a bowl to Bernlak, who said
"Not sure exactly. He said he's making a day trip around all the villages, to get some more supplies for us"
"But what does he tell them?" She said.
"That we're starting a village. I don't think he's telling them we have magic, not yet"
Morgana was glad. She didn't want her paradise to be ruined with protesters. "Morgana, I was wondering could I borrow your red cloak please?" Lynette asked. Lynette was about 28 years old, with short brown hair and warm brown eyes. She had a kind face, although it was wrinkled with laughter lines. Morgana nodded. "Of course Lynette. It suits you well. You can have it, if you wish. I have no use for my fancy dresses and cloaks now. I'm happy" In a way, she was.
One Year Later.
"I heard that it was a highwayman" Lynette whispered.
"No, a highwayman couldn't do all that, surely?" Arianna whispered. There had been rumours from several villages that a mysterious highwayman, or group of bandits, depending on which rumours, was travelling all round the South, ruining villages, stealing food, and livestock. There little village, which they had called Utopia, had been lucky, and over the year had been harvesting crops and their own livestock were having offspring. But it was turning to winter, so everyone was out working. As much as Alvarr tried, he couldn't stop all of them gossiping about the mysterious bandits. "What if they come here?" Arianne whispered in Morgana's ear worriedly.
"Then we'll fight. I'm sure most of the men will be trained well, and I can teach you how to use a sword, if you like"
"Morgan, that would be wonderful!" Arianna had started using a nickname, Morgan. Personally, Morgana felt it was a little more masculine, but she didn't complain. She never complained. Every day, Morgana and Arianna would do their chores, rising early so they could finish quicker. They then practised moves with sticks until Morgana felt they were ready to use swords. They had about 15 swords in the little huts, and extracted two. Every day, they practised. It was exhausting, but Morgana patiently showed Arianna again, and again, until finally
"I think your finally ready" Morgana said, and blocking a particularly clever move against Morgana. That night, as she was stirring the food for their hut- over the years, they had more kitchens in other huts, and more people joined the clan, including a girl called Clarine, who had taken a particular liking to Bernlak. As she stirred the stew, Mordred slid up the bench next to her. His little face was whiter than usual, and he had bags under his eyes. He hugged Morgana tightly. "Mordred, are you alright?" Morgana asked, concerned. He nodded wearily.
"I have to tell you something" he said "It's very important. It's about the bandits"
"MORDRED!" Alvarr called, cheerily. He too, had bags under his eyes, and then Morgana saw a small stain of blood on his face. "Mordred, come help me and Hellekin, Clarine and Bernlak get some more wood for the fires. Now" And Mordred jumped up, taking Clarine's hand, and Morgana couldn't help but feel a little jealous. What if the boy preferred Clarine. Surely he thought of Morgana as a mother figure? And what was he so desperate to tell her about the highwayman. Morgause sidled up to her on the bench. "I wouldn't worry about the highwayman, sister" She said, smirking.
"What do you mean?" Morgana asked, puzzled. Morgause sipped at the stew, looking smug.
"Let's just say a lion doesn't eat his own cubs" and she walked away, leaving Morgana utterly confused. The next day, Morgana woke to shouting voices. "What's going on?" she asked Arianna
"The villagers are worried about the bandits. They attacked again last night, to the village next to us. They even managed to take down Ealdor, who other villages say are fierce because they had been trained by Arthur himself" he looked sideways at Morgana "Is that true?"
"Yes" Morgana whispered. It had been a long time since she had thought of when they helped Ealdor, and that brought back memories of- she wouldn't say, or think, his name. She wouldn't. "I even helped"
"Then we are doomed" Arianna whispered. Morgana felt a tugging on the bottom of her blue dress. It was Mordred. He placed a finger to his lips, and then gestured outside. Morgana grabbed a light blue wrap, and headed outside, winding it around her shoulders and arms. "Mordred, what were you going to say yesterday? About the bandits?" She encouraged, and he glanced around worriedly, like a wild rabbit.
"I know who it is" He whispered, and Morgan felt a stone sink in her stomach. "It's not a person from another village, its-"
"Mordred, Morgana?" Alvarr called. Something lit up in Morgana's head, and she stepped protectively in front of Mordred.
It was Alvarr. It all made sense now.
"How could you?" She whispered, as he came closer, and as he leant in to hear, and slapped him. He growled, and raised a hand- but then put it down. "What are you talking about Morgana?" he asked, wearily.
"I know. You're the bandit. It makes sense now. We start from scratch, with nothing, and you go to other villages, claiming that they gave their things to you. Why didn't I realise. Then it turned to nights, and you went out with a gang, and I was oblivious, blinded by the thoughts of our perfect life" She spat, tears of frustration and anger welling up.
"Morgana, listen, who cares about other villages? They're not important! We have magic, we need the food more than them!" Morgana couldn't fathom how she didn't see this evil, twisted man she had thought of as a friend.
"I spent my life hating people like you, that destroy life and all good things, claiming because your better, when really, you're the bottom of the pile. Did you kill some of the villagers too?" She asked, and Alvarr nodded. "Murderer" She spat, and Mordred hugged her waist tightly.
"Morgana, why are you so blind? How can you not see how important, how special we are? I- I'm really disappointed Morgana. I hoped we could be husband and wife, and be the most powerful couple the world has ever seen" he brought out a ring, holding it to Morgana. "It's not too late, Morgana"
"Did you steal that off a dead woman's body?" She snarled, and he rolled his eyes.
"Please, Morgana, I have some class. I had Bernlak forge it for me, with my mother's diamond. Look, Morgana, if you want, I'll stop raiding villages. I'll tell Bernlak and Clarine to stop as well- they've been helping me. But if you refuse, we're going to have a sticky situation" he said, smiling nastily, and Morgana feared for her life. She couldn't marry him, with his views on them being inferior to everyone else. He was evil, she realised, and she wouldn't turn evil. She couldn't.
"Morgana" Whispered Mordred in her ear. "Don't listen to him. Agree to marry him, but ask it for winter. Get us as much time as possible. Then we can run away. He's planning to lead an army to Camelot, to bring down Uther" At the words 'Camelot' and 'Uther' something snapped in Morgana. She was about to attack Alvarr, claw his eyes out, when she realised that was not sensible, and decided to take the sneaky approach. "Agreed. I'll marry you, on the conditions that you will not raid another village, and tell me all your plans for Utopia, and leave the wedding until Boxing day" No way was she having a Christmas wedding. That brought back ugly memories. Alvarr beamed; his charismatic side out again, and the twisted, evil man with the poisonous black heart had disappeared. Alvarr was one of the people Morgana thought she could trust. As Alvarr went inside to tell the others the news, Morgana picked up Mordred, and held him tightly. "Don't worry Mordred, I'll get us out of here" She whispered fiercely. The boy, Arianna and Morgause were the only people she could trust.
"Wait- did Morgause know?" She asked. Mordred nodded, and Morgana's heart took another blow.
"She didn't realise they were killing them as well. She said it would upset you. She knows their planning to overthrow Camelot, and wants no part of it. She said Uther had enough pain, for the time being. Morgana, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise what they were doing at first. Alvarr said it wasn't wrong, that these villagers were bad people. Clarine only went because she's in love with Bernlak, and Bernlak only went because he's scared of Alvarr" Morgana hugged him tightly.
Two weeks later.
December approached, and finally, on the 20th, Morgana woke Mordred up, and they ran back to her hut. They packed bags, and woke Arianna, who insisted on coming after Morgana told her about Alvarr. Morgana hastily shoved clothes, food and her two photo books inside her bag. It turned out Bernlak had a camera, but never knew how to use it, and once they had taken many photo's around the village, Morgana put them in her book. As Arianna and Mordred got the food ready, and notes to tell everyone they had gone, Morgana got the horses ready from the stables. She chose the two fastest, guessing Mordred would ride with one of them. After saddling them up, she turned in the stables to come face to face with Alvarr, a twisted smile on his lips. "I've been expecting this for days" he said coldly "You never were a good liar Morgana, and you seem to forget I can sense your emotions. This morning, I woke up, and felt you feeling very nervous, hectic, frightened, and relief from getting away from me. I didn't realises life was so bad Morgana" He chuckled, and walked in front of the doorway. "Now, I'll tell you what's going to happen. In five minutes your friends will wonder where you are. They'll immediately come here, and I'll have to kill them, and then you. Or, we can go into the woods; I can kill you and leave your beloved friends alone. Which choice Morgana?"
Choices, choices. Did she love Alvarr or hate him? Did she love magic or despise it? Did she want to kill Uther or return to Camelot? Did she want to marry Alvarr? Did she want her friends to die? And the most important of all:
Did she want to die?
Yes. She was tired of fighting, tired of staying alive; jumping over the obstacles in life, tired of the pain and anguish, and betrayal she'd been put through. Everyone turns their back on you, in the end. Her friends could be enemies.
Every man has a price, Uther had once said to her.
"Let's go the woods" Morgana agreed, and they walked down. "But, before you kill me, we need to talk"
Alvarr laughed. "You're hardly in a position of gamble" he said, pointing his sword at her "yet, as I respect you, I will do as you wish. One question though- did you ever have feelings for me?" Morgana guessed e wanted some kind of closure.
"Feelings? Yes. When I first met you, I desperately wanted to show you that I was not a daughter of Uther, but an enemy. Then, you used Mordred against me to get what you wanted, yet you still continued to charm me. I felt a kind of crush on you, thought about what it would be like- life, together. Then, I had to make a decisions. Uther sent the knights out, and you didn't know, and I had to choose between my home, which has held years of my life- or you, a man that I'd only met a few times but treated me kindly, respected me and helped me realise magic can be good, and that I wasn't alone. So I came to warn you. Then you kissed me, and I was sure I was in love with you. But I don't think I was, really. More of an infatuation. Uther kept me locked away so tight I only knew the knights of Camelot and Arthur, and all of them treated me like a sister, so when you kissed me... Well, now I know that it wasn't love"
Alvarr's face showed emotions, flickering fast.
"You loved him, didn't you?" he asked, quietly. Morgana froze, before continuing walking.
"I don't know what you're talking about" she lied, smoothly, forgetting Alvarr could sense her emotions whenever he wanted to.
"ARTHUR!" Alvarr yelled, making Morgana cringe, and jump at the same time, backing away from him. She could see the forest, and tried to slow her pace, slow her death.
"You're not just sad over his death, are you?" Alvarr said, and she could feel the tension in the atmosphere, like shaking up a corked bottle until it bursts.
"What d you mean? Of course I was sad!" she exclaimed, outraged. How dare he! Plus, he was totally wrong.
"Yes, maybe you are sad, but admit it Morgana, your angry at him. Angry at Arthur"
Morgana had made it a vow not to speak his name. Yet she had the feeling it would be broken soon. "Why on earth would I be angry with him?" she said, trying to laugh, as if the subject didn't matter. As if.
"I don't know, you tell me Morgana. Don't try to hide your feelings"
I'm not hiding my feelings! I just don't know what they are. Of course I was upset, he was my brother" inside was like a tangled mess, her entire being ripping and shredding at the words. Alvarr gave her a look that could kill.
"Don't. Just don't Morgana. Don't pretend like I'm an idiot and that you're completely innocent and I'm jumping to conclusions. I see it in your eyes when you think of him. When someone talks about him it shows in your face. When someone speaks his name you whip you're head around, and I see it. It's love Morgana. But not brotherly love. It's- love. But that's wrong Morgana. He's your brother" the word felt like a spike into her heart.
"Alvarr... please don't" She whispered.
"Don't what? Tell the truth? I thought that was what you wanted Morgana? No lies? Well let me tell you something, the world is made up of lies. And what I meant earlier, you were not just sad at his death, were you? Your angry at him"
"WHAT? No, never!" Morgana cried. "Why would I be angry?"
"Because he left you! He left you alone in the world, with no love, no kindness or plan, to face Uther and all you enemies. You knew you would be trapped without him. He was the windows in your room, letting you taste the air as Uther kept you locked in."
"NO! I wasn't angry with him, I wasn't..."
"Yes! Don't deny it, I can see it now. Your angry at him for not holding on, for not being brave and clinging at life but letting go of it, letting go of you!"
"I was angry! I was! I admit it. Sometimes I hate him! I HATE HIM! He left me, knowing that I couldn't live without him! How dare he! How could he die and leave me here all alone!" she broke down, screaming. "I loved- I loved him so much" She sobbed. Alvarr grabbed her arms. "That's just wrong! HE was your brother!"
"No, he wasn't! My father if Gondorlais, not Uther. Not Uther!"
They were a few feet from the opening of the woods. "I'll be kind, Morgana. I'll tell them you drowned in the river-" he paused, and then his face lit up. "I'll drown you instead! Why didn't I think of that before?" And they headed to the river. The water was so clean and pure, and on the other side, was the meadow. No one had stepped in it; Morgana forbad it, in case they ruined it. It looked like heaven, paradise. The grass was still green, even in winter, and there were still flowers, and the sun shone on it. The air was bitter and cold. Morgana wrapped her arms around her, glad she had put a cloak on. They must be searching for me, Morgana thought. They must've known Alvarr got to me, unless they thought I went without them. Had they been gone 20 minutes, or hours? Then she realised something. Alvarr was going to kill them anyway. Alvarr forced her onto her knees. She wouldn't cry.
"Such a shame, Morgana. You have so much potential and talent. You shouldn't have rejected me. You should have shut your damn mouth, and be an obedient woman!" Morgana managed to smile. She was well known for her spirit, not obedience. Never, would she become and obedient woman, or in other words- a slave.
"But that's enough talking Morgana. Words- they do nothing, whereas actions... Well, never mind. Goodbye Morgana, I do hope we meet in another life where you're not as stubborn" Morgana smiled.
"Not likely. I'll still reject you, you slimy git" and cast her eyes upon the heaven ahead. The meadow looks peaceful, and something shining caught her eye. It was walking towards her, all silver and gold. Alvarr grabbed Morgana's head and pushed it down, into the icy water. Morgana held her breath for as long as she possible good, for a second Alvarr's hands relaxed, as if he was going to let go, but then they tightened. Morgana breathed out through her mouth, she saw the bubbles rise in a blur as they got the surface. She remembered the angel, across in the meadow. Her lungs started burning, her brains sending messages to get oxygen, get it now. Something Arthur told her rung in her head.
"- If you ever give up, Morgana, you are lost. Fight with every breath. With the last, if you must, but don't give up. Not ever. Don't hand them victory. Fight with what you have to the last breath"
I won't give up, Arthur, my love. She thought, as she allowed herself to think of his perfect face, his eyes bluer than the sea, his golden hair, his face so angelic. Angelic. She realised, with renewed hope and peace, that it wasn't the angel she had seen in the meadow. It was Arthur.
ARTHUR.
Wow, major cliff-hanger! Don't ya just love them? No? Oh well...
Disclaimers n all, I wrote all of that, EXCEPT the bit about Arthur said about fighting with your last breath, the bit all in italics. It's from The Sword of Truth series by terry Goodkind, in the book Stone of tears. I apologise from using his quote, but it seemed to fit, and as I am a devoted seeker fan, I think he will be okay with it.
Sorry about the long wait, but I've given you a huge chapter. It's really action packed, and my only worry Is that because *spoiler* Arthur died in the beginning, you'd stop reading.
HOWEVER- is Arthur alive? Was it really him, ghost or perhaps Morgana's imagination running wild? Maybe he is an angel. Will he save Morgana, or will she reunite with him in heaven? Will we have a Romeo/Juliet situation where he dies (comes back) she dies, he dies? Or maybe she is already in heaven, Alvarr killed her before. I realise I'm giving too much away! Never mind! Thank you for the reviews, they all made me smile and laugh.
Just to let you know, don't stop reading because Arthur is gone. You WILL be rewarded ;)
The death scene was the hardest :'( I didn't want to drag it out, yet I wanted it to be sentimental with lots of I love you's.
I had to listen to a LOT of sad songs.
They included (and don't judge me)
Coldplay- Yellow
Cyndi Lauper- Time after time
Kate Bush- woman's work & running up that hill.
Troy soundtrack- hector& Achilles death scenes.
Lykee Lye (don't ask me how to spell that one.)- Until we bleed.
Muse- Symphony 1,2, 3
Temper trap- Sweet disposition.
Lights will guide you home
Run- Snow patrol, NOT Leona Lewis.
Conor Oberst- Padraic my prince.
X-ray dog- The vision.
And more. I kept rewriting lines, some were too corny, some weren't emotional enough, and some were irrelevant, but I'm pleased with the result.
I'm sorry for getting Morgana with Alvarr a bit, but she has to realise how much she loves Arthur- even if it means using Alvarr. I loved Alvarr in the series, and although he played Morgana like a pack of cards and was a womaniser, he was kind to her, respected her, helped her, didn't leave her feeling alone, and he kissed her. But I think even if Gwen kissed Morgana I would be ecstatic, Morgana needs love in her life. Not exactly Gwen... but you know.
I took quite a while to update this time; this was for three reasons,
1. I wanted to perfect some certain scenes.
2. I was waiting for more reviews 3
3. I wanted to make sure it was a long chapter, and Arthur was at the end so everyone kept reading, because what's the point of a story if Arthurs not in it? I lie; I can read books without Arthur
And yes, if you were wondering, the book Morgana read was a medieval version of twilight.
I've been asked my opinions on this. I read it before it became famous, and started from 2nd book up, then back to one.
I liked it. It became famous, I liked it even more. It became TOO famous, I didn't like it. Now I hate it. I have valid reasons.
1. Bella is too miserable. Pessimistic people die earlier than optimistic people.
2. Edward is way too protective- he BROKE her truck to stop her seeing her best friend.
3. Twilight is so overrated- teenagers love it, most of the world hates it.
4. It got too much attention. Seriously, there are some AMAZING books out there no one has heard of.
5. People compare it to Harry potter. Let's get this straight. Harry potter is an original idea, the characters are original and so deep we find ourselves wondering what happens to them and caring, there are amazing settings that are well described, the grammar is perfect, the emotions are well written, especially for a boy, no offense. And finally, because she can actually write. Not take a idea, screw with it until you get what's in your mind 'the next star crossed lovers' and then get some poor sod to publish it, and for some reason because there's a fit boy playing it everyone goes crazy. Pfft. Romeo and Juliet could take them. Or Tristan and Isolde. Or Achilles and what's-her-name-Brieseis. Or, even better, Morgana and Arthur. Rant over; please don't take my opinions to heart. If you like twilight, good. Read the books in peace. My friends love it, and we're still friends. So no judging. Again, review please, not on how mean I am for killing Arthur and then dissing a book.
I'm currently thinking of new plots for other stories, some Merlin, some harry Potter, some legend of the seeker. Unless you're a writer, you have no idea the joy of seeing Inbox (1) on my hotmail. It's amazing. So keep writing reviews, and I'll write the story. I might even throw a few more kissing scenes, and more... !
Reviews=Love+MoreChapters. That's become my new motto. Seriously, tell your friends, internet friends, anyone really. And by anyone, just ask that girl next to you at the bus stop to read. I joke, I joke. And if you're worried about reviewing more than once, never mind I like to see friendly faces. Even though it's not face to face, but rather screen to screen
P.s does anyone know how to download videos from YouTube? I used to make fanvids, and I was thinking of making one for this, and show you all, but I can't get the videos on my laptop?