Absolute Surrender

Merlin was not surprised to find Morgana pacing around her chambers when he managed to get back to the castle. He hadn't knocked, with all the commotion, it would be better if he was behind closed doors as soon as possible – the guards were asking too many questions and he didn't have a good reason to be outside Gaius' chambers, especially since Arthur was supposed to be out.

Her green eyes travelled straight to him, wide and waiting and he could feel her anxiety from afar. He couldn't speak, he was still short of breath after running back in, he just smiled at her, knowing it would be enough for her to understand.

"Oh" she muttered, falling on the nearest stool. "Thank god. I was so worried – for all of you!"

"It went smoothly" Merlin reassured, standing straight. "They were already outside when I met them – the boy was able to open the gate. He's very gifted."

Morgana rose again, serving a glass of wine, but instead of taking it, she offered it to Merlin. He couldn't deny he was thirsty – his lips felt dry. It felt a bit weird that someone was serving on him, but soon she fetched another glass and poured some to herself as well.

"I should get going" he said as he finished up. "Gaius…"

"I need to ask you something first" she interrupted, looking inside his eyes. Somehow, he felt as if he knew what she was going to say even before she said it. "Tell me – when that girl Sophia was over, I had a nightmare… Well, a few nightmares, really, about her."

Merlin could only nod slightly as she went on – he should have known.

"I dreamed she was trying to kill Arthur" Morgana continued, her voice trembling a little. "I was… At first, Gaius told me it was just a dream and… Then, afterwards, I managed to convince him that something was wrong, that she was up to something, and he said I should come to my chambers and wait, for neither of us could do anything about it, but that he'd find someone who could. It – it was you, wasn't it? He went for you, not because you could talk Arthur into coming back, but because there was magic at work."

"Yes" he said. There was no point in denying it.

"She bewitched him" the woman gasped. "Tell me the truth of what happened".

Morgana's voice left little space for arguing, and Merlin saw no reason to lie – she knew his biggest secret, it was only natural that he'd share more with her. Slowly, unsure of how to explain it all, he explained to her in detail how he had followed the three of them and found Sophia offering Arthur as a sacrifice in the Avalon Lake; how he had defeated her father first and then attacked the girl. His heart felt a bit heavy – he had never expected to become a murdered, but he knew he'd do it all over again if it meant keeping Arthur safe. In the end, there was a mix of relief and fear in her features.

"She tried to drown him" Morgana repeated, looking at Merlin. "Just as I saw in my dream."

There was very little he could say about that, so he stood still.

"How is it possible?" she asked, standing up again and walking around fretfully. "How can I have dreamed of something yet to happen?"

"I thought it had happened before" Merlin said, confused. He was sure that Gaius had said so.

"It has" she agreed, but it was clear that she was still nervous. "More times than I can count, but never – never like this." Morgana looked at him, and it was clear now that she feared for herself.

"I think you have a …" he started, but she shook her head.

"That's not all – when the boy was sick, I was sure I had heard him calling my name – but Gwen said she heard nothing. It was like – like—as if he had been inside my head." Her eyes were wide open, and she looked confused a more than a bit terrified. "Am I losing my mind?"

"I heard it too" Merlin said, trying to calm him down. "Gaius told me that the druids seek children with those abilities to train – to help them. This was how I found him – he heard him crying for help in my mind."

"But you are…" she didn't dare to say it, and Merlin felt hurt against his better judgment.

"A sorcerer?" he asked, wondering if he had taken a risk too big when he told her the truth about himself. "Yes."

"I'm not… I never…" Morgana seemed at loss for words, and it wasn't the kind of think Merlin was used to seeing. "No one ever believed when I spoke about my dreams, they said they were just nightmares!

"You are a seer" he said, pretending to be much more relaxed than he really was. "It is a gift, as is my magic, and you didn't choose it any more than I chose it – or the boy."

"Is that… magic?" she asked, confused and at loss. "Does this mean… That I'll develop powers?"

"We'll have to wait and see" he said, looking at her and seeing himself, exactly as he had been when Will had refused to talk to him for a week after finding out, when his mother had sent him packing to Camelot in a hurry, or when Gaius had insisted for him that he should forsake magic: alone and scared. He mustered a smile for her sake. "But one way or the other, I will be here for you."

Merlin may have expected many reactions – maybe a watery smile, for she seemed ready to break down, but soon her arms were around him, pulling him closely when he hadn't even seen her approaching, her lips were against his forehead and he could feel her tears in his hair, and as they parted, they saw she was smiling in relief and gratefulness.

For the first time since he had met the old druid seer in the edge of the forest, Merlin knew everything would be fine.