Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. It belongs to BBC.

Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows, : )

Please, if you like it, leave a review, : )

Chapter 17

The days have passed since Nimueh contacted Merlin and Morgana. Sometimes the couple would answer to the High Priestess call and meet her at the woods, where she'd lecture them about magic, its history and the events of the Purge.

They still didn't fully trust her, so whatever she'd say they would immediately report to Gaius, which would lead to many unpleasant conversations about the horrors of that period. Arthur's magical conception was a particularly shocking revelation and Gaius' confirmation of the truth enraged Morgana deeply. How could Uther abuse magic and later on, without caring for the consequences, blame it and persecute everyone that had it even if none of them had any direct relation with his grief.

One of those lecture days with Nimueh, Morgana asked her:

"Why didn't you turn yourself over?"

"Excuse me?" The High Priestess inquired, thinking that the girl was spouting an absurd.

"When Uther began the Purge, why didn't you turn yourself over? It could have saved the life of many innocents! He wouldn't have a reason to keep killing our kin!" Morgana exclaimed and Merlin nodded.

"Sweet naïve child, you know nothing of the heart of men. Do you actually believe that my death would sate his lust for magical blood?" Nimueh smirked at her ingenuity and Morgana gulped before answering:

"He might be a ruthless man, but he still upholds his honor. I'm sure that once he had achieved his revenge – "

"He would still burn everyone else or drawn, in case it was a child. No one can reason with a mad man, young fay, maybe only someone that is also mad." Nimueh interrupted her and Merlin and Morgana could notice a hint of sadness when she spoke, that was soon erased by another of her smirks. Shortly, she added:

"Nothing good would come of it. Uther had already destroyed the Isle of the Blessed when I thought of turning myself in if only for a minimal chance of sparing the rest of the magical community. It has always been the High Priestess duty to sacrifice herself to keep magic's strength in the land, but it was already too late, I had to preserve the knowledge of the Goddess, that became my duty." The woman smiled while speaking, but her eyes acquired a distant look, and the two young lovers wondered about the tragedies she had witnessed in her lifetime, that certainly didn't match her young appearance.

"The Goddess gives and the Goddesss takes. A good servant of Her learns that sacrifices are necessary for the world's balance and true glory." Nimueh added, readying herself to leave the woods and end their lesson.

"It seems rather cruel." Merlin said, deep in thought.

"For simple or ignorant minds it may seem like that, but for those that understand the deeper meaning of those words, everything makes sense." The brunette woman retorted.

"That's rather vague." Morgana objected, Nimueh smirked and walked deeper into the woods instead of replying, leaving Merlin and Morgana alone.

"Arthur, what would you do if you knew a very important secret that could affect someone that you know deeply?" Morgana asked the Prince, still unsure if it was her place to tell him or not about how he was conceived with magic.

"What is this about? Oh, if you found out that Merlin likes men instead of women and thinks that's a secret to me, do not bother. I've known the truth for a long while now, even though he did try to avert my suspicions saying improper things about y- a certain woman that we both know." He griped her arms in reassurance.

"What?!" She asked confused and he explained more:

"Look, Morgana, I know you are concerned that he might try something with me – as you're aware that I am … irresistible – but don't worry, I can defend myself with ease, Merlin isn't a problem."

"That's not what I was talking about" And the last time I checked he certainly he proved just how much he likes women, more precisely me, Morgana thought to herself.

"Oh, it's another thing. Then, let me ask you, Morgana, is this secret yours to tell?"

"Why are you asking this?" She inquired, frowning.

"Well, I'm helping you here. You are not sure if you should tell it or not, correct?" The blond man asked, furrowing his brows.

"Yes, there-" She was about to say more when he interrupted her:

"And you came here for my help, my help! You're finally admitting, Morgana, what I had the certainty for a long, long time. You think that I'm wise." Arthur's grin almost stretched from ear to ear.

Morgana rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation, not completely believing how he turned the conversation into a shabby attempt of a bragging festival in his name.

"Oh, no, my true purpose was discovered! I came here to worship his Excellency, Prince Arthur Pendragon, with his undeniable wisdom and his halo of golden knowledge, emitted directly from his mop of blonde hair – the only thing that his head contains."

"Are you mocking me?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Are you only suspecting that? Oh, Arthur, I'm not exactly sure if that makes you more or less stupid than what I expected." She snickered.

"That's not funny, Morgana! I was truly trying to help you here!" He exclaimed, crossed his arms and pouted.

"You have helped, I needed a good laugh." She said, momentarily distracted of her initial thoughts that didn't take long to reclaim their place in her troubled mind.

"Humph, glad I could be of some assistance." He grumbled, still slightly irritated that about her remarks, yet already forgetting as it was a common place in their daily banter.

After a while, Arthur spoke:

"You haven't changed much, I mean, with the whole thing of having magic and everything. You're still you, insufferable and everything." The lady chuckled, reading her come back:

"What did you expect? That I grew horns in my head and that I spat fire from my mouth?" She asked sarcastically. Arthur narrowed his eyes and replied:

"You do know that actually has been happening before this whole fairy situation, huh? Haven't you been around you since you began having a special time of the month?"

She punched his arm lightly and said: "Shut up!"

"Oh, no, the silver tongued Lady Morgana of Cornwall was left speechless by the humble Prince Arthur Pendragon! Why aren't the scribes here to register this historical moment?"

"Since when you're humble?" She inquired, crossing her arms and he replied:

"I did and that's the word of a Prince."

She laughed at his silly explanation and came to a conclusion: he was actually right. It wasn't her secret to tell, it was Uther and Gaius's, the ones that recurred to magic in the first place to conceive Arthur. He had the right to listen the truth from their mouths, not hers, like it wasn't her place to tell him about the Once and Future King Prophecy, it was Merlin's.

So, for now, she would oblige to Gaius and Merlin's request and not tell Arthur what Nimueh has revealed to them, instead she would do her best to open Arthur's mind to magic and support him whenever the truth comes out.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months while the magical duel rebuffed the dangers to Arthur and Camelot. Gwen took Morgana's place during the annual journey to visit Gorlois' grave due to Morgana's advanced pregnancy and that time Uther had to send his soldier, not for the peasant, but for the blood crystal she wore to pass as her mistress. Arthur lead the attack and returned home with the fake Lady – whose nobility lied in her good heart.

A little bit before the arrival of Lady Katrina of Tregor – or the one disguised as such – to the kingdom, the day Morgana would give birth was drawing closer.

Uther was throwing a feast due to a tournament held in his Ward's honor – that was the closest he could do to celebrate the incoming birth of his grandchildren, there were three according to Gaius. To Morgana and Arthur, the king said that a feast was always celebrated for the impending birth of the royal family members and as he would adopt Morgana's children they would be a part of Camelot's royal family and thus deserved a tournament and feast to celebrate them. Using his ward (daughter) as the excuse for such celebrations, no one would suspect the true parentage of the children, while they wouldn't be deprived of the proper honors.

Although in the corners of the king's mind, his grandchildren had grown in his heart. Watching the progression of Morgana's pregnancy simultaneously filled Uther with hope and fear.

Hope that he would gain more three children and strengthen Camelot's royal bloodline, that he would truly enjoy their childhood and every step of their growth, something that he hadn't truly done with neither Arthur nor Morgana, the first because he was too struck by grief during his initial years (only looking at his son saddened him, he was the spitting image of his mother) and the second had only began living with him after she had already ten years of age.

Fear that would never leave him, the fear of losing his daughter during childbirth. Of his children, Morgana was always the more similar to him, both in appearance and temperament, he knew he would be completely devastated in case she die.

Also, there was the irritating subject: magic. Gaius had no success in his researches of how to get Morgana rid of it, but there was another person that could help – as long as he was kept many miles away from his daughter – Aredian. The witch hunter had aided Uther deeply during the purge, as well as other witch hunters, though Aredian was the most competent one and precisely because of that he would only inquire the man through correspondence. He couldn't risk him spreading to the whole kingdom that the King's ward was a practitioner of magic – he would either be seen as an easily fooled man or a weak king that would choose who should follow the Law and who had the luxury of ignoring it.

Moreover, as his daughter still had that unpredictable "curse" that still reacted when she was submitted to any strong emotions, even though she was being taught by Gaius on how to control it, his persecution to sorcery had decreased. Uther hoped that after Morgana had given birth she would be freed of magic, as his physician assumed that might happen.

The King sit at the end of the big table that ornated the main hall, by his right side sat Arthur and by his left side Morgana, his two children and that thought always swelled him with pride. They were strong, determined young adults, sometimes not very obedient, especially Morgana, but they were good children and he loved them deeply, even if he wouldn't frequently say so or be harsh to them. The world was cruel and tough decisions were made in order to ensure their position of power, that lesson was one that they hadn't truly internalized well.

Suddenly the music stopped, the murmur of conversation ceased and Uther heard his knights unsheathing their swords, which took him out of his thoughts.

His gaze shifted to the center of the hall where the same Sidhe that enchanted his daughter stood. Taken by a sudden eruption of rage, Uther abruptly stood up and yelled:

"YOU! Guards! Kill him!" The king commanded, fuming in anger.

The fairy merely stopped the men with a single hand, tossing them around the room, and said:

"You thought yourself so clever, hiding your daughter's shame with magic! Heed my words, Uther Pendragon, no mortal can ever hope to outwit one of the Sidhe! You will hide your child's tainted honor no more!" The fae's eyes glowed red and the chain of the Blood Crystal necklace broke in many pieces, revealing the Morgana's true shape – of an eight months pregnant woman.