AN:
At "FMAlover555 i really like that": Saying 'please' did help.
Sorry for the long wait. I'm moving out of my parent's while studying for exams. I hope posting another chapter will deal with my guilt for making you wait.

Ellander

As they walked through Ellander, the capital of Nemeth, Merlin saw people were staring at them. The Princess was bound to get people's attention but the warlock noticed they seemed to be more interested in Morgana. The throne room was more exotic than that of Camelot and in the centre of the room stood the throne. The King rose from the throne at the sight of his daughter. As Rodor hugged his daughter, Merlin noticed Morgana averting her gaze. The warlock could only guess Morgana either compared Rodor to Uther or missed Gorlois.
"Are you well?" Rodor asked his daughter.
"Yes, father. I'm fine. These are Merlin of Ealdor and Morgana Pendragon."
The King did not seem capable of understanding that these infamous sorcerers had saved his daughter.
"These are the people who saved you?"
Mithian nodded and the King continued.
"Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me."
"It's not without reason that we did so." Morgana replied.
Rodor raised an eyebrow and turned to Mithian.
"I struck a truce with them. When Morgana becomes Queen, we shall withhold support from Arthur and remain neutral. In exchange we will receive the lands of Gedref."
Merlin noticed that Mithian's explanation of the truce sounded a lot stronger than when he explained it. He had said 'do nothing' and Mithian changed it to 'withhold support'. There was a difference between the two but that didn't change the truce they had made.

With Camelot's recent hostility and its 'state of war' Rodor decided that they could only benefit from this truce.
"It's a truce we will uphold." Said Rodor. "But you must be tired. I'll have a room prepared for you."
"One room, separate beds." Morgana replied.
Rodor beckoned one of the servant which led Merlin and Morgana to their room. Once they were alone Merlin spoke his mind.
"Something wrong?" Asked Merlin. He didn't understand why she wanted to share a room. He sooner thought she'd want the opposite.
"I trust you, not them."
Morgana saw separation as a threat as it was the oldest strategy of all.
"Divide and conquer." Merlin mumbled.

There was someone knocking at the door.
"Yes?" Morgana replied unsure.
Mithian entered the room with a small smile on her face.
"Is everything to your satisfaction?" Asked the princess.
The seer nodded and Mithian continued.
"Would you like to visit the market with me? Let me buy you a dress, it's the least I can do for you." Said Mithian.
It had been a long while since Morgana last went to a market without having to wear some sort of disguise. A new dress would be lovely considering the black rags she still wore.
"I'd like that."

Several hours later, the Princess' shopping with Morgana had ended abruptly when a man of the city watch approached her about a prisoner. Mithian initially refused but their stroll down the markter had been nearing its end and Morgana insisted she tend to her people. Mithian never went to the prisons; mainly because she had no reason to. Times had changed and most of her recent actions were out of her comfort zone and so was this one. The prisoner that had asked for her was no stranger.
"You!" Mithian exclaimed.
"Hello, Princess." Gwaine said with a broad smile.
"What are you doing here?"
"Aggravated assault but, in my defence-" Gwaine was about to explain when Mithian interrupted him to clarify her question a bit.
"I mean Nemeth. You're one of Arthur's Knights."
Gwaine bit his lip and replied, "Not really."
There it was again, a flash of pain and regret as she had seen when she was his prisoner. She wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been biting her lip.
"He didn't have his priorities straight and we got in argument when I tried to convince him otherwise. It ended with him firing me."
"So you come here?" Asked a bewildered Mithian.
"I know where his armies are, their numbers and their orders. You haven't an army to invade them but it's enough to defend your county."
She already knew Gwaine would want more than his freedom in return. Did he want money, lands or titles? There was a slight problem with his offer but that could easily be fixed.
"It doesn't matter that I owe you a favour. It matters whether or not I can trust you. You are selling information concerning a King you once swore to protect."
"As he swore to protect his people but he too seems to be doing the exact opposite."
"Two wrongs don't make a right." Mithian replied. "I'll be back shortly."

Gwaine lay down on his bed and waited for about fifteen minutes before he heard anything human in the silent prison. Footsteps made their way towards him and Gwaine pretended to be taking things easy with his eyes closed.
"I shouldn't be surprised." Gwaine shot up at the sound of the familiar voice and was surprised by the face he saw. "And I'm referring to the prison." Merlin finished.
"Merlin! It's good to see you." The former Knight spoke as he got up from his bed.
The warlock smiled. Gwaine had been imprisoned for aggravated assault along with another man who was caught for stealing. Gwaine claimed he had been robbed and that's what started the bar brawl.
"Mithian said Arthur fired you."
"He did."
"How does that make you feel?" Merlin was testing him. Anger existed only in the moment of betrayel and if Gwaine replied with 'anger', then he would be lying.
"Tired." Tired of doing what you were told, fighting their wars and saving their asses without any recognition.
"Seems you were right to despise nobles after all." Merlin recalled their first encounter.
Gwaine smiled at the irony he felt. "Not completely. Out of all the nobles I've met, the only one who isn't a cunt is a woman."
Merlin took it with a pinch of salt as he always did have a way with women but that wasn't all. Gwaine usually only admired the beauty of women but Mithian was nobility and not a simple-minded tavern wench.
"What makes her different?" Merlin asked in wonder.
"She... cares." Gwaine had a bit of trouble putting into words what he was thinking.
"I'll fetch one of the guards to have you released."

Merlin being who he was, he wanted Gwaine's stolen property returned. They went through the thief's affects when something stood out. A gold, metallic spiral, inscribed with words from Old Religion caught his attention. Merlin picked it up and examined it more closely. The inscription was only on one side and it ended unnaturally with a split character. A piece was missing.
"What is that?" Asked Gwaine.
The warlock put it in his pocket and raised his eyebrows.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
The rogue smirked and the two made their way to the entrance of the prison. Just before opening the door, Merlin walked over to the jailor.
"Tell that man he is to be executed for possessing a magical artefact. Tomorrow you will tell him he is to be released due to lack of evidence. Understood? Good."
It was an unnecessary precaution but it made theft seem like the action of a good Samaritan.

The two old friends left the city and were at the town square when one of them finally broke the silence.
"I heard Morgana is in Nemeth." The disapproval in Gwaine's voice was clear. "Arthur being wrong doesn't make Morgana right."
"They're both wrong." Was Merlin's surprising reply. "They will wage war forever until one of them finally wins. Blood would paint the streets red but it doesn't have to."
The implication of a war without blood made Gwaine raise an eyebrow at his friend.
"I can help Morgana win whilst sparing as many innocent lives as possible." Merlin explained.
"I'm not sure I want to know what you're planning." He replied unsure.
It saddened Merlin to hear that. Gwaine did not share his views on Morgana and their goal but at least they could talk without being enemies. He hadn't expected Gwaine to leave Camelot like this and he didn't include him in his plans either. Nonetheless, a Knight would have come in handy.
"Any plans of your own?" Asked Merlin.
"Not going back to Camelot." Gwaine wryly replied.
A thought in Merlin's mind made him giggle internally but on the outside he was merely smiling.
"There's one thing I'd like you to do for me."
"Such as?" Gwaine asked with a worrying undertone.
"Keep Mithian safe. I have a feeling Arthur might retaliate still."
Gwaine almost sighed in relief.
"I'll keep an eye out."

After saying goodbye to Gwaine, Merlin went back to his room in the castle. He told one of the servants to bring him some wine and sat down by the window with an old book. Two glasses of wine had passed his lips when the door opened to reveal Morgana. Merlin's jaw dropped at the sight of her. The witch with the tangled hair and black dress seemed ancient history when compared to the well-defined Lady before him. Black, slightly curled hair draped itself on her shoulders. The burgundy dress Morgana wore was of fine making but not as extravagant as she would have liked. It showed off her hourglass figure which had only become more prominent due to being underfed.
"How do I look?" She asked as her hands went to her sides and made said figure even more attractive.
"Wow, You look wonderful."
"Thank you." She cooed. "The Princess and I went to the market together."
Eying the glass in his hand, Morgana walked past him to pour a glass of her own.
"You've bought more than just clothes." Merlin noted.
"What gave that away?" She asked with as she poured herself a glass of wine.
"You smell nice." He said in a husky voice.
Merlin caught on to his enamoured voice and looked away to hide his blush. Morgana also noticed his voice and saw him being very much off his game all of a sudden. She still had it. She almost smiled to herself but wondered how much of it she still had. She walked over to him and he turned his head to look at her. Morgana raised her hand and let it brush against his stubble.
"You need to shave." She purred.
Then she felt the palm of his hand rest against her cheek and his thumb moved across the bags under her eyes.
"And you need to sleep more."
She retracted her hand nearly out of shock. He caught on to what she was doing and mirrored it. He was smirking at the sight of her slight shock. They were playing the same game they had when she was spying for Morgause only the terms were different and so was he. Merlin was far more bold than he used to be. If this was a side-effect from the runes, she liked it.

Merlin poured himself another glass as Morgana sat down at the table.
"It's still hard to believe." Morgana mused.
"What is?"
"That you're on my side and helping me take back Camelot."
He smiled. A few months ago, none of this would have seemed possible. He wouldn't have thought Arthur to be capable of being so carless towards others, to make such rash decisions and hateful actions.
"This is how it should have been from the start." Morgana sighed softly.
Merlin's stomach leapt. She was being open and honest like she had done before all the madness. It wasn't something he attributed to 'the sorceress' but it had remained.
"I thought you hated me." He spoke with wonder.
"Because you chose Arthur's side when I wanted you to be on mine." Morgana replied with a bit more conviction than she had intended.
Despite the wheel of time, bits and pieces of her former self were still very much there. She was kind when he was ill and this was her usual stubbornness.
"I don't hate you anymore but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."
They weren't the words he was looking for. "I need more wine." Merlin muttered as he poured himself another glass.
There was an odd smile on her face when he turned back to her.
"Of all the times Gaius said you were at the tavern, how many of them were true?"
The memory seemed rather distant but it didn't take him too long to recall.
"Most Saturday evenings and, during spring, Friday evenings as well."
"How did he describe you drinking habits again? 'One whiff of a barmaid's apron'?"
"'and you're singing like a sailor'." Merlin finished.
"Yet I've never heard whispers of you chasing barmaids."
"Never had the time."
That seemed unlikely to Morgana. At some moments he was caring and charming but on a rare few occasions, she saw a fierce hero. He had saved Arthur quite a few times and risked his life. Serving girls did gossip about him at the time but none of them had been his girlfriend. If he had known he could pick any one of them, he would not have passed it up.
"Did he really give you that many chores?" Asked Morgana.
"No. I risked my life to protect Arthur and anyone involved with me would be at risk as well."
"I was at risk already, why not come to me?"

He knew how to read between the lines. She was telling him she would have reciprocated but the wine inside him made him decide not to approach the subject and stick to the question instead.
"The Lady of Camelot and a servant? You were the unattainable dream."
"We were friends." She replied adamantly.
This was where they usually began bickering.
"Can we please change the subject?" Asked Merlin in an attempt to prevent another fight.
Morgana immediately relaxed but didn't let it rest.
"I enjoyed our friendship then and I hope it can be like that again." With that said, she gave him a peck on the cheek.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." Said Morgana.
Sparks were flying inside his head. Was she going to ask if he still had feelings for her? Was she going to propose moving beyond friendship? Maybe she wanted to do something new together like a date.
"What do you know about Emrys?" Asked Morgana.
All the joy was washed away from his face.
"I don't want to talk about it. At least not now." He tried to push it away. He knew Morgana might argue with him, expected her to do so, but he knew things might be even worse if she did know.
Morgana, on the other hand, didn't get angry. She did something else entirely.
"I'm sorry for what he did to you." She was sympathising with him. She saw them as two different people and that made it so much worse.

His mouth was dry. You couldn't outright tell someone your destiny used to involve killing them.
"Emrys believed that, with proper guidance, Arthur would one day allow magic."
"Far chance." Morgana muttered.
"Please don't make this any harder than it already is." Merlin pleaded. Morgana still had no idea what the relationship between him and Emrys was. Clear was that it hurt him. "Emrys' belief were the words of the Kilgharrah, the last living dragon."
"How long was this ago?" Morgana inquired.
"Four years or so." She looked at him in disbelief. Emrys' quest had only begun four years ago? At the time she was still Uther's faithful ward but apparently his destiny had not always been her doom. That changed when she tore the veil and the Cailleach prophesised it. "He isn't the old man you believe him to be." Merlin finished.
"A glamour." Morgana reasoned but that was not the end of it. Merlin knew a lot about Emrys, about his past and the glamour. "But then you know what he really looks like?"
"Emrys is not his real name. It is what the druids call him, what the druids call... me."
All of her assumptions had been proven wrong. Emrys did not lead Merlin astray as she though he had. They were one and the same. Questions, once thought answered, climbed from their graves but there was one more pressing than the rest.
"I thought Emrys made you poison me. I thought he led you astray-"
"Morgana." Merlin wanted to calm her before things would take a turn for the worse.
Her next words were not in anger but in despair as it seemed her whole world came tumbling down. "WHY DID YOU POISON ME?!" She cried out as tears silently began to fall.
The trust between them had come undone. He should never have told her but now it was too late. The damage was done and all he could do now was to tell her the truth. He owed her as much.
"Because I was scared. Gaius and Kilgharrah kept telling me to keep my magic from you and they kept saying that you were not to be trusted."
"And?" She demanded.
''I told them they were wrong but then you persuaded Tauren to kill Uther."
"You knew?"
"And in the end, you did prove them wrong. You changed your mind and saved his life."
"It doesn't answer my question." She reminded him
"The sleeping spell did not affect the dragon and I asked him how I could lift the spell. He told me to destroy the source, to kill you."
"And you did it like a good little soldier." She said it with as much venom as she could but her tears made it obviously clear the anger was part of her mask.
"And never again." He added.
Morgana pondered what he meant by that. Did he never again listen to the dragon or never again try to kill her? Being Emrys, he certainly had the opportunity to do it.
Merlin was not done talking. "On the day of my execution, the dragon let slip that my destiny could have been on either side. For years he preached that it was my destiny to be at Arthur's side. He withheld the choice only he knew existed."
Everything he said boiled down to her original thought. He had been led astray. There was point in time which the dragon had no hold over. Merlin didn't intervene when she tried to have Uther killed for the first time and he never retaliated.
Merlin had come to the end of his story. He had to make clear that he was doing this for her.
"I'm telling you this because you needn't fear him anymore. Please understand that Emrys' destiny is dead now."
"You are Emrys." Part of her was still connecting the dots, she needed more time.
"Not anymore. Arthur will never trust magic, nor will he ever trust me. Emrys is gone."
That was true. His bond with Arthur could never be mended. Breaking destiny was bound to have consequences and Morgana was trying to figure out what had become of it. He had helped her for a while now. What he said about their destiny was something she both liked and wanted to hear. Besides falling for each other in the past, there was a connection between them and she never pushed it. Maybe it was because of their love that they were too carefull with each other. So many possibilities...
"Please. You are all I've got."
He was getting desperate.
"What if I say no?" Asked Morgana.
She saw him recoil and it struck a nerve inside her. As much as Emrys was the enemy, as much was Merlin her friend. Although she wasn't going to say 'no', she wanted to know what he would do without her. Would he carry on fighting or let go to live out his days elsewhere? Merlin could lie to her but thought that if she even suspected a lie, she'd push him away again.
"I would see if my mother would remember me." He said with his eyes averted. "She's safe but I couldn't save all of her. She doesn't remember me. I still lost her. After that, I'd plan Arthur's demise."
As unlikely as it may have sounded, she believed him.
"Tell me your plan and I'll reconsider." Said Morgana.
He nodded, knowing that this changed the balance. She had cornered him and, knowing his plan, she would take charge. He spilled and it gave Morgana both time to process what he had told her about Emrys and appreciate his cunning plan.
"It's brilliant." She replied afterwards.
"What about me?" Merlin demanded to know whether or not she'd have him stay.

Morgana now knew Merlin was Emrys and why he had always protected Arthur. According to Merlin, Emrys no longer existed because too much had happened for Arthur to ever allow magic. Merlin was powerful, resourceful, cunning, kind, caring, honest and loyal. She didn't intend to let him go so easily.
"You could have lied and said only you can protect me from Emrys but you didn't. You were honest with me and I'm not going to punish you for it. As I said before, I trust you."

AN:

Pffff...