I know, it isn't Friday yet. Tomorrow we have a holiday here in Brazil and I'll be off to my grandmother's house (so anxious to meet my cousins and everybody!). She lives in another city and I think I won't be able to access the internet from there... Then, here it is, so you don't have to wait until Monday! ;)

I'd like to thank you a lot for all your reviews. Special thanks to Maya, Someone from Ireland, Chris, SeverusHermioneForever, Merlinslover and Scar (welcome here! Muito bom encontrar mais alguem de SP por aqui!).

And now... we have a woman screaming here!

Enjoy. =)

Previously...

Merlin was in the courtyard, near of the north tower. Hooping the ruby wouldn't hit him. The night was cold and, apart from him, there was nobody in the courtyard, only some guards who entered the castle in their patrol moments ago.

Finally Merlin saw a blond head in the tower. Arthur. And soon the shinning ruby left its bag, falling and falling in the night.

"Noooo!" He heard a woman screaming in despair behind him.

Chapter 25

And then everything happened so fast! Merlin turned around, the shinning ruby still falling, just to see Morgause pointing her palm to it, about to cast a spell. So he quickly pointed his hand to her and, saying no word, his eyes shone golden. And, at the same time the ruby hit the stone floor, the woman fell over her back, due to Merlin's magic.

"Oh!" Morgause felt all the air leaving her lungs when her back hit heavily the stone floor. Her head ached. But all she could worry about was the ruby. Oh, the ruby and Agravaine.

Merlin, for his turn, rushed to the ruby. He had to take all its pieces before Morgause reached them! When he found it in the dark, a sad surprise...

"Not even a scratch!" Merlin said very surprised.

"Thanks goddess!" Morgause was back to the game, slowly walking to Merlin. "Now, Merlin, I guess you have something which belongs to me." She said softly. Merlin cursed himself for walking backwards, just like a scared kid. "I'm a nice lady, so I'll give you a choice. As you're a smart man, I bet you'll take the right way. Now, would you give me the jewel back?"

"No way." Merlin said promptly.

"Oh." Had she really thought he would agree? "Come on, Merlin..." She approached him, their bodies almost crushing. "We had a nice time together once..."

"You used me for your dirty games, you mean." Merlin teased her bitterly. And Morgana had really believed she was sorry... Oh, but he didn't want a magic fight in the courtyard. Not with the queen's sister... And definitely not being alone and giving her the chance to tell all Camelot her own versions of what happened in the courtyard.

"Don't play the innocent kid!" She smirked. "I know you loved it!"

"Yes, I did." Merlin agreed. "But only until I found out why you've slept with me."

"What?" She mocked. "Was I supposed to love you, Merlin?" She smirked. "Oh, grow up!" She waved her hands. "You know, you were so easy to manipulate!" She said in joy.

Merlin's head was spinning. How far would Morgause go to have her revenge against the king? His mind stopped when he felt her soft lips touching his. Oh, no, he shouldn't let her play with him like that never again...

"As I said, so easy!" She smiled holding the ruby.

Merlin was astonished! Had he really been that silly? God, Arthur would kill him and feed his body to the dragon!

"Mo-Morgause..."

"Oh... Now you don't feel that brave, uh?" She pointed her right palm to him. "A pretty boy... what a shame!"

"Stop it right now!" She listened to the prince's voice behind her, at the same moment she felt something sticking her back. A sword, certainly.

"Wh-what?"

"You'll give Merlin the ruby. Now!" Arthur said slowly.

Morgause smirked and pointed her palm to the prince.

"Arthur!" Merlin warned him.

"Now, Morgause!" Arthur said, pressing a bit more the blade against the lady's back.

She dropped the ruby over the floor and Merlin quickly took it.

"Good girl!" Arthur teased her. "Now tell us, why are you here?"

"The ruby belongs to me, sir!" Morgause said quickly. "Merlin stole it from my chambers and I just wanted it back."

"Morgause, we already know what the ruby is about." Arthur informed her. "And unless you wish my uncle knows about it too, you better tell us the truth!"

"Oh, and you know where your uncle is, after your father kicked him from Camelot like a dog?" She said angrily.

"We don't." Merlin answered. "But we presume you do."

"I-I don't." She lied. "I miss him a lot!" She added, just to make her lie more realistic.

"Well. And why were you here?" Arthur returned to the original topic. "You surely don't spend your nights following Merlin... or you do?"

"Of course not." She said. "I... I was..."

"Yes?" Merlin encouraged.

"I was going to... walk a bit. Couldn't sleep." She would never let them know she was going to visit Agravaine.

"So you should have looked for Merlin." Arthur smirked, remembering what he had heard about Morgause and Merlin spending a night together. "Maybe he had a solution..."

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears!

"I could give you a sleeping potion, milady." Merlin said with too much polity, trying to make her angry. "Oh, or something else, if you wished." Arthur looked surprised at his friend, who had a mischievous smirk.

"Prince Arthur, you surely don't want a scandal!" Morgause said with diplomacy, sounding fake. "Imagine what would the people say if someone hears my screams and find the official warlock and the crowned prince trying to kill me."

"On the truth people are used to the ones accused of treason being executed right here in the courtyard." Arthur said.

"I'm the queen's sister!" She said shocked.

"And I'm the king's son." Arthur said very calmly. "I guess it makes us equals!"

"Oh, come on! You can't arrest me just because I made a love spell, right?"

"Actually we can't." Merlin said to himself. "But we know this is not an ordinary love spell."

"Prove it!" Morgause challenged them. Merlin and Arthur exchanged a surprised look. "Oh, you have no proves!" She smirked confidently and agilely turned around, facing Arthur. "You have no other option apart allowing me to go." She said victoriously, giving a step back and going to the castle.

For a moment, Arthur and Merlin stood in the courtyard, looking astonished at each other.

"She was right, there was nothing we could do without proves."

"Shut up, Merlin!" Arthur put his sword in his belt.

"At least we still have the ruby..."

"Shut up, Merlin!"

A whole week passed. Morgause rode her horse quickly in the woods, going to Agravaine's hovel. The afternoon had been quiet in Camelot, so she decided she would sneak to Agravaine's just after the sunset. She couldn't take the ruby back since the prince's chambers always had a lot of guards around it, while Merlin seemed to have disappeared.

"Morgause!" The man got up and rushed to her. "Thanks god!" He kissed her taking out her cloak.

"I've been busy." She said simply.

"I was so worried!" He confessed. That was really good, it proves the ruby was still intact. Morgause wasn't sure how Agravaine would react once the spell is ended. And she doesn't want to think about it!

"I had some trouble, Agravaine." She confessed into his arms.

"What about?" He asked showing a lot of interest.

"Well, I... I made a spell, Agravaine." He looked at her in surprise. "A spell to... protect you." She smirked. Oh, it wasn't true, but it also wasn't completely a lie!

"Oh, Morgause!" He was flattered. She cares about him that much!

"But... Merlin took the ruby I've used to carry the spell." She told him, Agravaine listening carefully while caressing her cheek. "He wants to destroy it!"

"Merlin!" Agravaine said full of wrath.

"Yes, he and Arthur." She informed him.

"Arthur?" The man was very shocked. "My own nephew!" He sounded so disappointed!

"I'm so sorry, Agravaine... I knew you'd be very disappointed." She was the one caressing his cheeks now.

"How could him?" He continued. "Uther Pendragon spoilt my nephew's mind against me!"

"Don't worry, Agravaine!" She paced around and turned to face him again. "Soon enough Uther Pendragon will be in my hands!" She said self confidently. "I fear he would hurt my little sister."

"You must act quickly, Morgause." He said. "By the way, how is Morgana?"

"Oh, enormous!" She smiled. "The baby will be born in the winter solstice."

"Soon." He smiled.

"I'm sure the king is willing to properly have a woman more than anything else!" Morgause smirked.

"And you will play you role well." Agravaine smirked caressing her body in a lustful way. His hands soon unlaced her gown, he has been so anxious to meet Morgause again!

Agravaine still doesn't like the idea of sharing Morgause with the king of Camelot but... well, it was for a good reason... and the lady was clear when she told him no one could tell her with whom she would or wouldn't have sex. And Agravaine doesn't want to lose her.

"Yes..." She said in a seductive way. "Now come here, Agravaine!" The man couldn't help but walk to her. "Enough of that little talking!" She pressed him against the wall and screamed in excitement when the man flipped them so roughly.

Other two weeks passed. The weather was colder and colder as the winter solstice was nearing.

Merlin and Arthur couldn't break the ruby yet. They were both really worried about that, and Arthur started to share his time between training with the knights and think with Merlin about a way to do it.

Morgana and Uther, for their turn, were getting prepared to give birth to their baby. The king passed almost all his time with Morgana, taking care of her or just calming his wife and saying everything would be fine.

It was a cold December morning when the king left his chambers to look for Arthur. He intended to ask the prince to take care of the paperwork, so he could be even more present during the last days of Morgana's pregnancy.

However, when he arrived at the corridor where there were the guest chambers, a pair of thin, but skilled hands brought him to one of the chambers.

"Oh!" He gasped. "You can't treat your king like that!" He said shocked. But not so shocked like he become when he saw who brought him to that chambers so roughly. "Morgause!"

"Hello, Uther." She smirked, still holding the kings arms and keeping him between the stone wall and her body. "Surprised?"

"What the... Morgause!" He was confused. She giggled. What in hell was happening there?

"Oh, I explain... I brought you here to help you."

"Help me?" Uther couldn't believe. "I don't need any help!"

"Oh, but you do." She caressed his muscled chest, taking off his cloak, her hands going under his shirt. "Oh, Uther... Now I understand why Morgana claims to be in love with you."

"Morgause, are you insane?"

"No, but you clearly will be if you don't have a woman soon..." She smirked and unlaced her gown, so it fell over and poured around her feet.

"God!" The kind was shocked. What the hell was happening to Morgause?

"Tell me, Uther, what you'd like me to do for you?" She took his hands and forced them into her naked body.

"I'm married a man, Morgause." He breathed trying to take his hands out of her soft breasts. "By the way, I'm your brother in law!"

"Oh, Uther, then let's make my little sister a favour... I'm sure, big as she is with that belly, she isn't in the mood for a good sex, is she?" She teased, biting on his neck.

"Oh!" He gasped. No, he couldn't do that to Morgana, she'd be devastated. No, he wouldn't, he must resist... Uther took her arms and flipped them, pressing Morgause against the wall.

"Uther!" She moaned at his unexpected act. She didn't expect the king to be so bold during the sex.

"So that's how you managed to get Merlin to your bed, uh?" He said furiously shaking her body and probably leaving marks on her arms.

"Oh, you're hurting me!" She cried. "I just wanted to help!"

"Oh really?" Uther was possessed. "And then as just as we're finished you'll rush to your sister and tell her how her terrible and cruel husband raped you!" Morgause looked at him in panic. "I already know this game, Morgause." He smirked. "God!" He let her go and covered his face with both his hands in concern. "I should at least banish you, you know?"

"Sir... Morgana... my sister would be very disappointed if you do so!"

"Oh, and you hadn't considered how disappointed Morgana would feel before you take this attitude, had you?" He was so shocked, so furious! He needed Morgana so much to make things right again!

"But... but... she needs me!" Morgause said. "When the baby is born she'll need some help from her older sister." Uther looked at her. "You know, if you banishes me or harm me in any way, Morgana would be so disappointed! I bet it wouldn't make any good... you know, in her condition..."

The king sighed.

"Maybe you're right." Uther looked at her. He knew very well how pregnant women sometimes have confused emotions. He doesn't want anything or anyone to make Morgana's special moment anything less than amazing. "I won't tell her a word. And I won't banish you. But listen to me very carefully, Morgause! As soon as the winter ends and the roads to the north are open again, I want you to leave." He said very seriously. "Did you get it?"

"Y-yes sir. Thank you!" She cursed herself for demonstrating him her surprise.

"Good." He dressed his cloak again and walked to the door. "Meanwhile, I'll keep an eye on you." He said in his most royal voice. "Oh, and get dressed. The weather is chilling today!"

Oh Uther, I love you! Poor Morgause... I had so much fun writing that dialogue! What do you think?

Let me tease you a bit! "Uther... what happened to you?" oO

See you next week. Have a great weekend! =)