Star-Crossed Lovers
Chapter 2
Gwen is helping Morgana with the dress she is wearing to the feast. They are standing near the changing screen from which Morgana had just emerged. Gwen secures the chain in the maroon dress, attaching it around Morgana's neck. Morgana smooths out her hair, making sure the ruby headband is secure.
"You look beautiful, my Lady," Gwen says. "Who are you hoping to enchant?"
"Maybe a tall dark handsome stranger?" Morgana laughs.
"Anyone in particular?"
Morgana is quiet a moment before she answers. "Uther has told me of a suit for my hand from King Urien of Rheged. The feast tonight is in his honor. I've not met him before, but I promised Uther that I would look to like." She pauses again. "Who knows what may unfold tonight?"
xXx
Later that evening, the two young men from Montague, dressed in the purloined capes to disguise themselves, walk through the Citadel gateway into the courtyard to reach the banquet hall.
"Give me the torch," Romulo says to Mercutio. "I will bear the light." He slows his steps as they approach the portico. "I dreamt a dream this day," he confesses.
"And so did I," Mercutio retorts.
"Well, what was yours?"
"That dreamers often lie," Mercutio snorts with laughter.
"Yes, in bed asleep while they do dream things true," Romulo starts to laugh, but stops himself in surprise at what he said, remembering his dream of a beautiful dark haired young woman.
Mercutio laughs again, and says, "Oh, ho! I see Queen Mab has been with you."
"What do you mean?"
"She is the fairies' midwife. She gallops night by night through lover's brains, and then they dream of love. Do you dream of love, Romulo?"
"Of the woman I saw today. Yet, my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars." He shakes his head. "Let's go, Mercutio. To the feast."
They reach the entrance to the banquet hall. Romulo, puts out the torch, and opens the door to the noise and light. The room is crowded, the seats at the banquet tables full of revelers. Musicians are seated on the dais behind the king and his family, playing robustly, though mostly unheard by the crowd. Morgana, seated to Uther's left, looks up from her meal and sees Romulo and Mercutio enter the room. She catches her breath as she sees the dark haired man gaze at her.
She turns to Prince Urien, who is seated next to her on her other side, and excuses herself with a quiet word. She stands and walks slowly down the length of the room in the shadows, her eyes fixed on the tall dark stranger. She stops Gwen as she passes by holding a platter of bread. "Who is that dark haired man?" she asks her, nodding in Romulo's direction.
Gwen looks over to the entrance of the banquet hall where Mercutio and Romulo are standing. "I don't know, my Lady. He's a stranger to me."
Romulo watches Morgana she walks down the length of the room. His breath catches in his throat. Mercutio glances at him sharply at the sound. "Watch yourself, Romulo. We need to focus on the mission, not go after a girl. Remember who she is."
"I don't care," Romulo says. "Did my heart love till now?"
"Yes, you fool. Many times," Mercutio elbows him.
"Ah, no, Mercutio. For I never saw true beauty till this night." Romulo watches, transfixed, as Morgana stops to speak to a serving maid, appearing to look in his direction as they speak.
Mercutio huffs in frustration. "Be careful, Romulo."
Romulo moves into the shadows on the side, and steps forward to intercept Morgana as she makes her way along the banquet hall. He reaches out, and gently puts his hand on her arm. She gasps aloud, but recovers quickly, looking into his eyes. "Who are you?" she whispers.
"I am a but pilgrim here, my Lady," he smiles. He takes her hand and brings it to his lips. "My name is Romulo."
xXx
Merlin is standing along the opposite wall, holding a pitcher of wine, when he sees Romulo take Morgana's hand. He watches as they talk. Recognizing the other dark haired man as one of the two strangers from earlier in the day who had observed the knights' practice, he starts to go over to them, but is interrupted on his way by Mercutio. "I'd like some more wine, please, if you don't mind."
"Yes, of course, sir. Be right back." He casts another glance over to Morgana and the stranger, and reluctantly moves away.
Merlin fetches a cup and pours some wine for Mercutio, who thanks him and saunters down the length of the hall. Merlin looks after him speculatively. Then he looks back to where the dark haired man and Morgana had been standing and sees that they have gone. He looks around and sees Morgana return to her seat at the head table, gently touching her lips with her hand, her eyes alight with wonder.
xXx
Later that night, Mercutio and Romulo steal back in to the Citadel, so Romulo can meet Morgana. Romulo asks a passing servant where Morgana's quarters are. He is directed up the broad staircase. Romulo climbs the stairs as Mercutio goes back outside to the stairs leading down to the courtyard to wait for Romulo. Romulo stands in the shadows behind the griffon statue in the hall with the circular stairs leading to a small balcony.
He is unsure whether to climb the last few stairs to go to Morgana's chambers when she appears on the balcony. He sees her turn back to address someone behind her and hears her say, "Just getting some air, Gwen. Back in a moment." Morgana leans on the balcony, sighs, and bows her head. "Oh, Romulo," she murmurs to herself. She shakes her head as if to clear it, and descends the short circular staircase, crossing the hall to the window. Opening the window, she leans her head out and takes a deep breath of air.
"Morgana," Romulo says quietly. She jumps at the sound of a voice from the shadows and looks around.
"I've heard you speak but a few words, yet I know that voice. Are you not Romulo, and a Montague?"
"I will be neither, fair maid, if you so wish it," he says, bowing, as he steps into the light to join her at the window.
"Why did you come back here? The King will kill you if he finds you here."
"The dark of the night will hide me."
Morgana turns to face him, and he takes both of her hands in his, his deep brown eyes smiling into hers. He raises her hand to his mouth for a kiss, then lowering it again, he bends down to touch his lips to hers gently, sweetly. She trembles with the sensation, closes her eyes and offers her lips to him in welcome.
xXx
Merlin is on his way to meet up with Arthur, when he pauses for a moment, just above and behind King Bruta's statue at the base of the steps, to lift his eyes to the starry night. He takes in a deep breath of the spring air, and rolls his tired shoulders to relieve their tightness.
Mercutio appears at the top of the stairs, coming out through the double doors. "Where's your friend?" Merlin calls out, startling Mercutio, who slowly walks down the steps toward Merlin.
"Inside," Mercutio answers when he reaches Merlin on the stairway, and stands on the step next to him, facing him.
"You know, she's the king's ward." Merlin says to Mercutio. "He won't take it well if he were to see her talking to a stranger. You're not Urien's men. Who are you?"
"No one you need concern yourself with. I'll warn my friend."
"I want to talk to him. He needs to understand."
"Ha! I'll conjure him for you, shall I? 'Romulo! Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh.'" Mercutio laughs as he waves his hand in the air above his head.
"You have magic," Merlin says quietly.
"What? No, I didn't mean I could literally conjure him," Mercutio stammers out.
"Maybe, maybe not," answers Merlin. "But I saw you use magic earlier today, when you summoned the cloaks to you." He gestures to Mercutio's shoulders, and pauses, "I won't tell anyone. Not that they'd believe me anyway. They never do."
Mercutio retorts, "That's not surprising around here, from what I've seen."
"What do you mean?"
"The royals and nobles live in a different world, don't they?" Mercutio asks. "They don't even see the servants who make their lives possible. How do you stand it?"
"It's my job," Merlin answers simply. "But be careful. Seriously. If you are caught using magic here, you will be executed."
"So, how have you avoided it all these years, Emrys?" Mercutio asks. Merlin gasps.
"Merlin!" Arthur's voice rings out in the courtyard. Merlin jumps at the sound, caught off guard by Mercutio's question, and aware that he needs to respond quickly to Arthur, especially since Arthur was inexplicably angry with him earlier today. "MERLIN!" He comes out from behind the statue and runs down the last few steps into the courtyard to reach Arthur, glancing back at Mercutio.