Well, it's a short chapter today I'm afraid. It just ended at just the right moment, and you know how I love to taunt all you lovely people *Evil Grin*
Thanks for all the reviews. No records broken today, so yesterday's prize remains unclaimed. The number to beat is 17, people. Remember, the prize if you can beat that is a golden wisp for anyone who reviews :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin
Chapter 12
Morgana was fuming. The search for Arthur had been going on for almost an hour now, and there was still no sign of the spoiled Prince. But she had learnt from one of her people that the Prince had been on the training grounds earlier that day. In short, there was only one possibility which would explain his absence.
The dark-haired beauty waltzed over to her vanity table and picked up a small, hand-carved mirror. She drew up an image of her sister in her mind, concentrating hard to ensure that every detail of the older woman's face was perfect. A few seconds later, Morgause herself appeared as an image on the mirror's surface.
"Sister. What is wrong?"
Morgana fought hard to contain her frustration. For so long they had planned this- everything should have been perfect. She took a second to swallow her emotions. Morgause had taught her that she must remain calm and logical at all times.
"It's Arthur. He's gone."
Morgause's brow furrowed, her expression quizzical. "Gone? What do you mean? The spell's final stage began once you set foot in Camelot. He should have headed directly to the throne room."
"I know. But he wasn't there. I've had the whole city searched- there's no sign of him."
There was silence for a few moments, both women trying to digest the meaning of this information. Morgause was the first to speak, her expression sour.
"It is possible that the Prince may have a resistance to this form of magic."
"How is that possible?"
"The ability to resist a mental attack is rare- I have only heard of a handful of cases where such an event occurred, and those people were always either powerful sorcerers or people with an inbuilt mental block. We must assume that Arthur is one of the few who have some form of resistance. He must have sensed that something was wrong and concealed himself."
"But we need to find him- he could ruin everything. The spell is not entirely complete yet. If he finds a way to break it-"
"He won't."
"But-"
"Sister, the Prince is an idiot. Besides, he has little to no knowledge of the intricacies of enchantments. It is impossible for him." Morgause paused for a moment, thinking. "Has Uther made you the heir yet?"
"No- the ceremony is set for tomorrow."
"We'll have to push the plan forward. With Arthur missing, even if he can't undo the enchantment, there is a good chance that he will escape and search for someone who can. He has some measure of sympathy from some members of the magical community. The druids may decide to step in."
Morgana nodded, determined to make her sister proud. "What would you have me do?"
"I will ensure the spell's process is speeded up. It is almost complete now anyway- there will be no problems with doing so at this stage. Besides, nobody is even going to notice anything strange- not with them so deeply under our control. You must convince Uther to bypass the ceremony and go straight to the next phase. It should not be hard."
"Very well. I shall return to his side immediately."
The two sisters smirked, revelling in what they were sure was a certain victory. Then Morgause's image faded from the mirror, but not before she uttered one final line.
"Farewell sister, and good luck. By this time tomorrow, you will be the Queen of Camelot."
*Goes to stock up on protective gear*