This one's 'hot off the press' after some emergency writing yesterday.

... previously ...

Kiss and Tell

"You …?" He shrugged. "Impossible."

"Why does everyone always say that?" He couldn't help but show his frustration.

"But for this to happen … even if your magic had mixed with mine …?" He snorted at the thought of her limited skill. The drop of it had been tiny compared with his but … explosive all the same. "That is how you've always defeated me?" She continued. Again he didn't answer, but found that he was enjoyed watching the play of emotions run across her face, enjoyed seeing her relive all those incidents, all their conversations; finally understanding.

"You threatened those I loved, Morgana. From the moment you chose to ally yourself with Morgause you became my enemy."

"So, this is all about Arthur?" The knowing smirk had returned but this time he just shrugged.

"There are many types of love, Morgana. I even loved you once, but I think that we both know that kiss had nothing to do with that emotion." For a moment he saw something in her expression. Regret perhaps? Just as quickly it was gone.

"Will you give my message to Arthur?"

"No. He and Camelot are under my protection, Morgana; and now you fully understand what that means."

4. Two Roads To Destiny

"You really have magic?" It was still so difficult to believe. Morgana looked around them at the flattened circle of grass and summer flowers and shook her head, as if trying to convince herself that it wasn't true.

"Yes," Merlin replied, still sounding a little defensive.

"Then, why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why have you betrayed your kin? Why did you betray me?"

"You are not my kin, Morgana."

"We both have magic. You knew that ... years ago and didn't say a thing, you didn't help me ... you turned against me."

"That's not true. I kept your secret and I did help you. I was your friend when no-one else could hope to understand."

"Yet you did not tell me your secret."

"No. I could not take that risk. You had protection, I did not."

"Protection?" she spat. "What protection do you believe I had?"

"The protection of your House and of your family. I was just a servant."

"Morgause is my only family now. My kin in more ways than one."

"Well, I'm sure Uther and Arthur now feel the same way but, if you had not run to her, they would have protected you."

"You know nothing about what I have been through, Merlin. If you truly understood what it is to have magic then you would not have allied yourself with the enemy."

"Arthur is not the enemy."

"He does not have magic – that is enough."

"He ... what?" Merlin seemed genuinely stunned by that comment. "Is that why you've suddenly turned on Arthur and Gwen? Not because of some hurt they had caused you, or some imagined sense of betrayal, but because they do not have magic?"

"Why are you surprised? It's not as if I started this war, Uther initiated it twenty-five years ago. Why should we just sit back whilst he commits genecide? All those with magic should rise up against him and fight those without. How can you stay there and condone what he does to our people?"

"Morgana, that all happened before you and I were even born. Yes, Uther initiated the Purge and yes, he was and is wrong but ... Arthur will be different. He is different. He will accept magic, I know that you have seen this too."

"I once thought so." She shook her head, refusing to be lost to the memories. "I had no idea how much I had been brainwashed by Uther whilst I was growing up. I was taught to hate his enemies. Taught to hate my kin." She suddenly looked up at Merlin, her expression suddenly brighter. "It's that place - Camelot, it does things to us – confuses us. You should leave too, Merlin. You should come and join us and help us to return magic to Albion." To her total surprise, Merlin started to laugh and, for a moment, seemed quite unable to stop, even when he saw Morgana glare at him.

"That is your purpose? All of this?" he said eventually.

"Of course, why is that so funny?" The smile was quickly wiped from his face.

"Oh, it's not. Not at all – because, bringing magic back to Albion is also my purpose, Morgana. You're not the only one who's getting directions to this great magical future that's been prophesied, but it seems that we've each been sent along very different roads.

"You are just one little man, Merlin. What makes you think that your route is best?" He looked directly at her then, his expression hard with just a tiny hint of amusement hidden within it. Her eyes widened as she briefly glimpsed another part of him. A part of Merlin that she'd only recently, occasionally seen.

"Morgause is taking the wrong road, Morgana. Arthur will be the one to bring magic back to the land, with Gwen and me by his side. That is the task appointed to me and I will do ... anything it takes to fulfil that destiny."

"You do not have the power to beat us," she scoffed. "We will recruit all the sorcerers we can find and they will come to us - not follow you or Arthur. Why would anyone think that someone like you could lead the way to such a great future?"

"You have no idea who you're dealing with here, Morgana," he threatened.

"Please! A scrawny servant who can knock down a few blades of grass. I've only just started to learn and Morgause said she's never taught anyone as powerful before." Merlin looked at her as if he was having trouble keeping a straight face, but she could see no reason why he'd think her words were amusing. He started to move towards her then, his steps slow but firm, his blue eyes never leaving hers. There was that look again – the one she had only started to see recently. Those times when he dared to challenge her, question her, stop her from doing what was right. It was surprisingly scary – showing a hint of something that was so very far from the young boy she once thought of as a friend. Morgana swallowed nervously as he continued forward and started to slowly back away.

Suddenly she gritted her teeth, and stood to face him, annoyed that she felt threatened by him.

"Is that a challenge I see in your eyes, serving boy? Haven't our previous magical encounters proved anything to you?" Merlin continued forward, a slow, confident smile now starting to form on his pale face. "Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you." Morgana held up a hand, chanted a few words and threw a spell at him – determined to throw him backwards as she'd once done before. Merlin's eyes glowed gold as he continued his slow pace forwards unabated.

"H-how did you do that? You didn't even say anything." Still he said nothing, moving even closer and so Morgana tried again, this time screaming the spell at him. Merlin waved a hand casually as his eyes glowed, but still did not appear to need to enchant any audible spell in order to counter hers. "You cannot be that strong ..." He was much closer now and Morgana started to back away again. She threw another couple of spells at him but still nothing happened and then, finally, he did start to chant.

Merlin's words, like Morgause's, flowed and rolled of his tongue, as if he'd been born knowing them. He did not touch her, although he was now close enough to be able to, but it felt as if his magic was somehow holding her wrists, pushing her back faster than she had planned to walk. She felt her back hit a tree – one of the larger ones that had been stripped of it's leaves but had remained otherwise undamaged, and it was then she felt his magic fully for the first time. She could feel it swirling around her, not causing any pain or harm but just holding, exploring even ... caressing her. She shuddered, despite herself, somehow knowing that she was now sensing what he hid from everyone else. That his power was so great that he had the ability to fool everyone – even her sister – into thinking that he had no magic at all. Was his role as a bumbling servant all an act? Was this skinny, insignificant idiot she saw before her just a disguise – a mask – hiding the powerful sorcerer inside?

"Who are you?" He was so close now. So close that she could see the gold sparkling deep within his blue eyes, feel his warm breath on her face. Her heart was racing with nerves and ... more than that. The memory of that kiss surfaced again and she fought with the inexplicable desire to repeat the experience. He smiled then and ... it wasn't Merlin. It wasn't the boy she had once known, anyway. Had she ever know him? Did anyone?

"What are you?" she whispered.

"I am magic. I am destiny. Never forget that, Morgana."

A/N I was initially stuck on these various Morgana/Morgause reactions and debated a cheat for this one – an old poem. Then I realised that I'd end up with four or five short poems or drabbles in a row so worked quickly to do something more substantial.

I'm now set up until chapter 7 - have 8, 9 & 10 planned, and have written 11 as it was a gift! Feel free to visit my profile page to see what I've got so far and let me know if you have any thoughts about the later chapters. Prompts and ideas are very much welcomed at this point.