AN: Heres the latest chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter Three.
"How goes the repairs?" Uther asked Arthur the next day at the end of the court meeting.
"Well father. The lower town is rebuilt, there are only a few damaged buildings that are in need of repair, but I do not forsee the repairs taking longer than another week." Arthur reported.
"And the search for Morgana?"
"So far, fruitless. It is difficult to trace their departure because of the way the left, and there is very little we know of Morgause" Arthur replied frustrated.
Merlin saw Uther twitch and look at Gaius before turning away, Merlin frowned.
"Keep trying, she was kidnapped under our very nose." Uther said harshly.
Arthur nodded.
"What was all that about?" Merlin asked Gaius when they entered their rooms after leaving the court summons.
"What was what?" Gaius said with an air of confusion.
"What is it about Morgause that makes Uther look at you? What is it you know about her?" Merlin accused.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Gaius replied dryly.
"No, this is serious, what is going on, what you do you know about Morgause that you aren't telling me?" Merlin asked insistently.
"I cannot say, it is not important." Gaius impressed on him.
Merlin rolled his eyes and turned away, "I'm not going to tell everyone what it is, but I'm trying to find Morgana, and everything is important."
"Do not concern yourself with it Merlin" Gaius said quietly.
Merlin huffed and left the room.
"Do you really think that she will still be here?" Merlin asked Arthur the next day as they left for Arthur's personal quest for Morgana.
Arthur was quiet for a few moments. "It is the only real lead we have Merlin. This is the only place I have seen Morgause outside of Camelot." He was clearly not expecting much.
"We'll find her." Merlin said, echoing his promise in his head 'no matter what'
Merlin and Arthur reached the abandoned castle where Morgause had lured Arthur here before to tell him the truth of his birth.
Merlin looked around the space where Morgause showed Arthur his mother and saw that there probably had not been other visitors since they were last there, he spied a few abandoned candles that had a light coating of dust on them. He frowned and decided to search the larger parts of the building that was still standing, in case Morgause ever stayed here for any length of time.
He saw Arthur poke around the clearing as Merlin stepped inside the building. Merlin climbed a staircase but soon dismissed the idea as he realised that the rooms in the buildings were too draughtly, with many windows or doors missing, even a few not covered with ceilings, instead he headed down to where the basements should be, those should still be weather proof.
As he stepped down from the winding staircase leading to the basement Merlin looked around for a torch, resorting to lighting one with magic to see his way.
He frowned as he disturbed the air it seemed no one had been down here for a while either. Hoping for some sort of clue he pressed on, finally he hit some luck.
"Arthur!" He called in the off chance the Prince could hear him.
Merlin looked at the small items that were left behind by Morgause, he saw something that gave him pause for thought and picked it up carefully. It was a small crested piece of jewellery, but the more puzzling thing was the crest that Merlin recognised. It was the crest of Morgana's father, he recognised it from the framed crest that was in her chambers.
"Merlin where are you?" Arthur called out.
Something in Merlin made him tuck the jewellery away, knowing it was a vital clue to find Morgana, he called out so Arthur could find him.
"What did you find?" Arthur asked as he entered the small room Merlin was in.
"It looks like some things were left behind, definitely belonging to a womans." Merlin reported. "Maybe Morgause stops here often?"
Arthur looked through the pile of items. "There's nothing here to suggest Morgause though." Or that she had been back here since he had met her here Arthur thought.
"The place is abandoned, and she was the last person we saw here. Chances are it was her." Merlin said.
"But where does that lead us? There's no clue to where she has gone."
Merlin thought to himself quietly as he watched Arthur pace out his frustration.
"At least there is a suggestion to the area she prefers. She might be in this area rather than the other side of Camelot." Merlin suggested.
Arthur looked thoughtful. "I suppose, but this might have just been a base."
"True, this place looks like is a source of great magical power." Merlin said absentmindedly.
"How do you know that?" Arthur asked.
"Oh, Gaius. Long story. Plus all the magical artifacts around." Merlin said quickly his arm waving towards the scattered objects in the room they were in. "But, it would make sense that she would return here again."
"We should set up a scout in the area in case she comes back then." Arthur said decidedly.
"The village on the hill to the East would have a great vantage point."
"Yes, and less likely to be discovered." Arthur agreed quickly and happily. "Good work Merlin." He added slightly surprised.
"My Lady Morgana." A silky voice called to Morgana,
Morgana turned to the voice and saw one of her sister's guests. "Yes."
"When your sister invited me here I was not hoping for such a pleasant visit" he told her moving closer to her.
Morgana internally rolled her eyes. "I was not expecting so many guests myself either." She said instead, ignoring her internal gratefulness for Uther's political lessons.
"And for your sister to have such a beautiful sibling like yourself is all the more pleasing." He added.
"You flatter me My Lord." She said flatly.
"I would like to know more of you Morgana, to have suffered under Uther for so long and to be so resilient." He said silkily.
Morgana tensed slightly. "You do me a great compliment My Lord, alas I find myself quite busy this day. Perhaps another time?" She suggested diplomatically before retreating as soon as possible.
As Morgana reached her room she wondered the sense of having these guests here, they all looked at her strangely and spoke in hushed whispers with her sister when they thought she would not notice, it made her uneasy. None of them she had observed performing magic, her sister coveted one of the guests more than the others, which Morgana had already deduced was the most powerful and rich of them all. The Lord that had spoken with her earlier gave her the creeps, much like the older Lords that Uther often visited, each time Morgana feared that she would be bartered off as a bride for Uther's political gain. She often wondered what she hated more, Uthers treatment of those with magic or his treatment of her and those around her like pawns in a giant game, one which he was the player.
"I do not like that you have displeased our guest Morgana." Morgause announced as she stepped into the room again unannounced.
Morgana turned calmly to her sister. "I was planning on studying the texts you obtained me sister on magics, I cannot do that if I am pandering to the whims of a guest with small talk."
"Do not speak like that sister. He is an important man, one of which can aid us in our goal, he does you great compliment to wish to know you more. I suggest you take that advantage." Morgause said harshly.
Morgause turned and left the room leaving Morgana feeling as if her father had just chasited her. She frowned and considered her sister's recent behaviour, she must be under a great deal of stress Morgana deduced to act so coldly.
Please review.