When Merlin finally awoke, he was being bound in silver chains that were tight enough that he wouldn't be able to escape out of them without using magic, however, he thinks that if he lets her believe that she is in control, at least for a while, Morgause might be more agreeable to a conversation without any hostile reactions.
Initially his thought process is focused on a few things. First is estimating his surroundings, from which he deduces that they haven't moved him far, they'd just restrained him and were waiting for him to awake so the Blonde Witch can interrogate him.
The second thing is for how long he was knocked out because the thought of the situation in Camelot getting even worse than it already is making him nervous and uneasy.
And he knows that he can't let them see those emotions because it would be very bad for him if Morgause finds out that he knows what is happening with Uther and that she is working with Cenred.
So he forces himself to be brave on the outside and, for now, those worrying thoughts will have to be pushed aside as this talk will in all likelihood be a bumpy ride in more ways than one.
He is here for a very important reason that could change the course of the future for the better.
The Blood Guard dragged him to his knees and he looked up at the High Priestess, dressed in her armor, who was gazing at him thoughtfully.
The Young Warlock inwardly noted that this was it, the crucial moment, she will either believe him, or he is probably good as dead.
"You intrigue me Merlin. Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot? " She asked him with a slight curiosity showing on her face.
Before he could respond she continued with her questions "You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why?"
"Come on. Time and again you put your life on the line. There must be a reason." The Blonde Witch repeated her question while she circled around him and then bent down in a squatting position on his right side.
He knew it was now or never. Inwardly deeply in contemplation, he tried to decide what the best reply to her series of questions would be so she wouldn't think he was lying about it or omitting even the tiniest bit of the truth in any way.
Finally Merlin decided to be direct with her so, even if this were to be his last moment, at least he would die with the knowledge that he had honored their father.
Yes before Balinor died, in the short time they were engaged in any conversation, he had told his son that he has or had had, since he wasn't sure if she was still alive, a sister called Morgause and, if by any chance she was still out there somewhere that he should find her and tell her that despite the fact that the last time Balinor had seen her was when she was just an infant he had never forgotten her and had kept her always in his heart.
Naturally, the Young Warlock was totally flabbergasted when he heard those words flying out of Balinor's mouth.
The only thing Merlin knew about Morgause was that she was a powerful witch who hated Uther Pendragon with an enormous passion and most likely Arthur too, although not as much as his despicable father.
But in spite of not having a very good opinion of his newly found sister so far, he was firmly determined to tell her what their father had told him in the brief time they had interacted with each other.
He finally chose to take the opportunity and proposed his compromise to the Blonde Priestess "I will answer all your questions with honesty, if you answer one of mine."
Noting no protest from her but only a facial expression that urged him to continue, he telepathically questioned her, in a rhetorical sense from his perspective since he already knew the answer, "Would I be lying if I said your father's name is Balinor?"
Morgause's eyes widened at his question, and she stood up and straightened herself while gazing deeply into his eyes looking for any hidden intention behind his question but surprisingly she found none.
In that moment he knew that he had ignited curiosity and interest inside the Witch's mind.
Whether it was due to the fact that him using telepathy was a dead giveaway that he had magic or that she clearly recognized what was indeed the name of her father, was hard to say. It was probably a combination of both.
The High Priestess's facial expression, for a moment, seemed to show that she was nonplussed at this revelation but then a tiny smirk gradually started to show itself "Now it all makes much more sense. All this time it's been you protecting Camelot from the shadows. My sister told me she had a hunch on numerous occasions that someone with magic was covertly saving Camelot and its people."
Curiosity was slowly creeping over Morgause's face, and now, her eyes drilling into his even deeper than before, she posed the question to which his answer would be pivotal, "Who are you really? How do you know my father's name?"
It took everything in Merlin to not show to her how much it pained him to talk about Balinor and, before he allowed himself to speak any further on the matter, he frowned pointedly at the Blood Guards, giving them covert and subtle glares to say that they were not invited to participate in this conversation.
"If you want me to answer your last question, first take the chains off and tell the Blood Guards to back off! This just became a private conversation," the Young Warlock stated imperiously.
"You're in no position to make such demands." the Blonde Witch sneered, clearly not willing to comply.
"Then you won't have the answers you're looking for." Merlin sighed, inwardly feeling happy that the tables had turned and now she would have to obey his stipulations.
He knew those answers were essential to her, it was obvious that family meant a lot to her.
For the first time since he'd awoken, Merlin had a chance to observe Morgause's demeanor.
She didn't look like she was dominating the situation. She was reminding him of when he gave her the condition to stop the Knights of Medhir if she wanted to know the identity of the poison he used on Morgana.
But the difference is that this time he isn't feeling guilty for coercing her into accepting his request. The Young Warlock knew, or at least he hoped, that once all the cards were on the table they would no longer be on opposite sides in this war.
The High Priestess was staring at him while a strange feeling invaded her thoughts. Something about his facial expression and his tone of voice, while he was giving her his demands as to how this conversation will proceed, was screaming to her that the boy was ready to give her the answers she had desperately wanted for quite some time.
So, after giving it some consideration and weighing her options, she decides that giving into these small demands will reward her with finally having more insight into how this boy could possibly know something that she has never discussed with anyone except the High Priestesses who were her mentors and, in some way, the only family, albeit an adoptive one but still a family, she ever knew until she met Morgana.
One of the first rules of being a High Priestess of the Old Religion was that a duty comes first and everything else, including family, comes in second place.
Morgause used magic to slowly let the chains around Merlin slip to the ground, before she ordered her men to move to a more distant location.
She now turned her attention back to Young Warlock in front of her, who was stretching his body freely now that he wasn't in the chains anymore.
"I gave into your ultimatum Merlin, now tell me, how do you know about Balinor and that he is my father?" she questioned with such fierceness lacing her tone that it was quite obvious she wouldn't accept anything but the complete truth.
The Young Warlock admitted his truth quietly, in a tone laced with pure honesty while inwardly fighting with all his might the sorrow that was gradually creeping into his heart and reopening a somewhat fresh wound. "He is... he is my father too."
Such revelation, of course, wasn't taken lightly. She was shocked, and then this initial feeling was rapidly replaced with bitterness.
The Young Serving Boy in front of her was claiming not only to have the knowledge of her father's name but to also sharing the same father and thus being her half-brother.
Despite not believing his declaration, she felt a rather strange but strong pull to not simply accuse him of spewing lies but to ascertain the meaning of his words, to challenge him to give her incontrovertible evidence.
"What makes you think I'll believe you?" Morgause hissed, not in an unfriendly or hostile way but a rather demanding one, with a purpose to get to the bottom of this matter.
She had a brother once... That particular information had been disclosed to her by the very group of High Priestesses who had raised her and taught her everything she knows about magic.
When she wished to seek him, however, they had revealed to her that he was dead, killed like so many other magic users, by a tyrant king, Uther Pendragon.
This information had fueled her hatred towards the aforementioned king in epic proportions feeding her desire and resolve to utterly destroy him.
How could she trust the words of this servant, albeit one with magic, but still a common underling? And not to forget that he served no other than Arthur Pendragon, prince of Camelot, who in her eyes wasn't too much different from his father.
Merlin cocked his head in her direction and insistently spoke the next words, that he hoped might just be the milestone in this conversation that finally made the Blonde Witch see some truth in his tale, "Morgause, I beg you to listen to me..." He gulped, his mind racing in search of the right words, the ones that would finally crack the ice in her obstinacy so she will see that he's not trying to deceive her.
But it seems that the only way she'll believe him is if someone else confirms his words. Thankfully, the Young Warlock knows the perfect candidate for such a task.
But before he would resort to summoning that aforesaid candidate, which would be his last viable option, he needed to give her the message that Balinor had had for her. "He wanted you to know there wasn't a day when he didn't think about you. One of the last words that we exchanged was his wish that I find you and tell you that you were always in his heart and he always hoped you survived Uther's attempt to exterminate magic users and that you were all right."
Those words clearly struck a chord with her, now evident by her facial expression, which was a mix of a few emotions, including slight bewilderment, as to how such a thing could be possible.
Then there was curiosity that was spreading and rising inside her like a forest fire, and a will to see this important matter to its end. And lastly, a small inkling that the Young Warlock is not her enemy, as Merlin's words finally start taking root inside her.
But she needed to, because better to be safe than sorry, test Merlin one last time.
Morgause had always had a hard time trusting most people, but she was not adamant that, with sufficient proof, she wouldn't change her opinion of someone or something "Can you prove it?"
Merlin inhaled, getting ready to call for the dragon. He had promised a speech, which would hopefully be irrefutable proof for the Witch, since she doesn't yet believe him, or at least not fully.
However, she is unlikely to disbelieve the words of a dragon, and the next words leaving his mouth were exclaimed as loud as they could be "O drakon, e male softengometta tesd'hup'anakes!"
Morgause backed away a few steps as the sound of flapping wings could be heard rather loudly and the dragon descended from the sky, landing between her and the Young Warlock. She has never seen a dragon so close.
Unfortunately they'd all been killed during the Great Purge, every single one, or so she thought before today. For it was now plain to see that this one had survived.
Kilgharrah instantly engaged in a defensive stance towards the High Priestess, which made Merlin roll his eyes in no small amount of annoyance since he was no longer her prisoner and it was quite obvious the interest in pursuing the answers about Balinor overtook any other emotion inside herself, plus having no small amount of magical knowledge she knew only the dragonlords had the ability to summon the dragons on-demand, and not to mention that Young Warlock was no longer perturbed for being in her company.
"Young Warlock." The Great Dragon addressed the boy before continuing to glare at the Witch with a slightly threatening expression. "And I suppose you must be Morgause, the High Priestess of the Old Religion." he greeted her with a small growl escaping his mouth.
The dragonlord smiled at his winged friend and mentor "After what happened last time we saw each other, a minuscule part of me was afraid you would ignore my calling."
"I could not resist a dragonlord's powers, even if I wanted to, Merlin. You, above everyone else, should know this." Kilgharrah replied in a serious tone while stealing a glance that was still filled with distrust towards the Blonde.
"Wait!" Merlin, catching on to the way the dragon was observing her, calmed the winged creature "I want her to know the truth, she is not a threat."
Morgause gazed with reverence at the magnificent creature in front of her before returning her focus on Merlin, whom she was now watching in a whole new light, definitely no longer being aloof in his presence "You're a dragonlord." She stated almost rhetorically, like she was stating something that was now clearly irrefragable.
Just as she uttered those words the importance of what that meant for both her and Merlin hit her like a pile of bricks.
She had come into the ability to practice magic from her mother Vivienne. But when she was no longer a child, the High Priestesses by whom she was raised, revealed to her that the blood of generations and generations of dragonlords flew through her veins, due to the abilities of her father.
She had been informed, sadly, that such a gift was only inherited by a firstborn male. But that could only mean... The Young Warlock was telling the truth all this time. But still, could she trust him?
Kilgharrah chuckled to himself in mild amusement, though he still wouldn't lower his guard, at least not completely, around her "You're standing in before the last dragonlord."
She now knew that she couldn't dispute the truth anymore, everything had now been laid so clear that it was almost palpable. There was a pregnant pause before she requested the confirmation from the dragon that would finally put her mind to rest and erase any small trace of doubt that might be still lingering somewhere in her mind. If she was being fully honest with herself she knew deep down that she now suddenly wanted it to be true with all of her being. "Merlin is my brother?"
"Indeed" The Great Dragon nodded.
The truth, and nothing but the truth about them sharing the same father was out, the dragon's confirmation was unequivocal. Morgause's whole being was slowly becoming exalted. Her brother is alive... her little brother, who has secretly been in her heart this whole time.
The little brother whom she sadly thought she would never have the chance to meet, and yet thank the Goddess, he is here right in front of her, alive and well.
This great revelation came with a huge relief but also with a not so small amount of guilt for how she had treated him, since the day he came into her room in Camelot to relay the message from Arthur Pendragon, giving her a chance to withdraw her challenge and leave the kingdom without any bloodshed, both with words or deeds. She knew she would have to make amends to him, sooner or later.
There was also a rising curiosity inside her about her little brother's childhood and all the hardships he had no doubt endured in Camelot, because she knew for certain that life in the aforementioned kingdom wasn't a picnic for anyone who had magic.
But she decided to tackle that matter for later. Now that she knows that her baby brother is not dead, she will have all the time in the world to talk with him about his past.
Merlin walked toward his sister, who was giving him a fond smile full of warmth, and stood next to her so that Kilgharrah wasn't in-between them anymore. The look on her face was enough proof for the aforesaid dragon to stop treating the Blonde Witch in such an antagonistic manner.
"Tell her who I really am and about my destiny" Merlin urged the Great Dragon.
"Merlin is Emrys himself, the one destined to aid the Once and Future King, Arthur, to unite the land of Albion and bring magic back." Kilgharrah announced solemnly.
The shock inside the High Priestess started to rise at a rather quick pace and in large proportions. Her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.
She had heard that name and title before, written in the prophecies she'd been taught by her magical tutors, and once upon a time she had believed firmly in them but as she grew older she lost faith that they could ever come true. That was one of the reasons why she was willing to do almost anything to bring magic back to this land.
But in the light of the recent revelation of her brother being alive, she settled upon investigating the matter further and again questioned the dragon "Our kind is being killed and downtrodden by Uther Pendragon. How can you be so sure that his son is the Once and Future King?"
The Young Warlock shook his head vigorously with the intention of disputing her opinion that Uther and his son should be treated as though they were no different. But, Kilgharrah stepped in and assured her of the veracity of Arthur being the Once and Future King "I too share your hatred towards Uther, he also mercilessly slaughtered my kind. But without Merlin and Arthur, the two sides of the same coin, Albion cannot be united. Without them or even you, High Priestess, your destinies cannot be fulfilled. The young Prince shares far more qualities with Ygraine than his father."
Morgause's mind was racing at high speed, processing these words spoken by the Great Dragon. She inspected her brother's facial expression and saw conflict in his eyes, as his loyalties became divided. His friend and his destiny, wrapped in one, or his sister.
Her eyes mirrored a very similar conflict, being a High Priestess meant to never waver from her sacred duty of freeing magic and propagating the ways of the Old Religion. But there is also another part of her, the part that was an older sister to this little brother, whom, until now, she had thought dead.
And, probably, the greatest miracle of her life had just happened, and her brother is alive, and she finally has a chance to get to know him and be an older sister to him. So, her decision is made, like how she chose Morgana over her revenge on Uther. Although, granted she was pressured into it by her sister dying from poison, this time she will also choose her family over duty.
Morgause knew it was on her to make the first move, so she turned towards him, studying his blue eyes along with his visage to see if he felt the same as herself. What she saw told her undeniably that he was feeling pretty much the same, and she placed a hand around his shoulders, embracing him softly.
Merlin was startled and surprised, but also very glad and happy, that she had clearly decided to accept him as her little brother.
It took him a moment to regain his composure before he reciprocated in kind and returned her hug.
When their bodies connected they felt a very strong but rare feeling. Morgause had only ever experienced it with Morgana and, for Merlin, it was a complete novelty, until meeting their father he had lived with the knowledge that he was an only child. Morgause, more experienced in the field of magic, was able to feel their magical cores and the similarities in their nature.
They were undoubtedly siblings. But there was something in his magic that was different from hers. It was so instinctual, so raw and pure. Powerful would be an understatement. Someone worthy of the name Emrys, she was sure without any shred of doubt about it.
After maybe a minute or two of being embraced in their hug, they both finally pulled away and were now sitting on the ground next to each other with crossed legs.
Kilgharrah was observing their hug and was inwardly very happy that they had accepted each other as siblings and possibly allies as well.