The Exile

Part II

Chapter XXVII- Fate's Reaction

BREAK

Previously in The Exile

"Sir Elyan will you sit in on this council? You've crossed the border recently and if we would send men across Camelot's borders they would do better in the charge of one of Camelot's own."

...He considered his words to Annis just a moment ago. Perhaps she was right.

"What will you do Sir Elyan? You could take the advanced party into Camelot. It could make all the difference?" Lord Constans looked at him waiting.

Elyan stared back at the other man feeling as if he had somehow stumbled into a trap...Chapter XX

"Ha, mom, five against one, what kind of chance do you think I have?" He still talked to his mother when he was alone. "But it's a good thing right, protecting the little ones, keeping the enemy from Castle Gogwyn?"

...He looked round a moment at the grass rippling and shimmering in the summer breeze, took in the sparse trees and sighed. Gwaine took a deep breath, loosed his sword in its sheath, settled his hand on the hilt, and waited, nothing more than a dot in the valley...Chapter XXIII

"I said they cannot be trusted," Lord Troy's face was red with frustration and anger and his words escaped in a heated rush, "just as Lancelot and the blacksmith's daughter could not be trusted! They are common for a reason and everything that we have seen indicates that no matter what good a commoner may accomplish sooner or later they must give into weakness and vile behavior."

A hush fell over the council room, the only thing to be heard was Lord Troy's labored breathing...Chapter VIII

Sir Elyan

Elyan traced the runes on the round table in front of him. He had not called them to anyone's attention as they had given Arthur their pledges of loyalty or assistance, but there was magic in this table. He had made no study of magic himself, but in his years of travel he had seen runes that meant both well and ill and learnt to pay heed to things that many people ignored. He did not know what this magic was, only that it was good, peaceable. He was happy to benefit from it now, as he and the knights from Mercia discussed their next moves.

Along the route from Mercia to Camelot he'd sent men to the great houses to carry the warning of Morgana's army of foreigners. One or two of those noblemen had come to challenge him, and question his company of Mercian knights. He'd taken some pride in explaining that they were under his command, sworn to serve him until Camelot was liberated and its rightful king restored. Along the northern border at least the countryside would not be caught unawares, and though it took time they were coming.

Only a few days after their arrival here Lord Enfys had arrived with a thousand men under his command and responded that more would be coming.

Thus far they were blessed. Morgana did not know that the northern countryside was mobilized or that an army was gathering within a day's march of the citadel. They could not keep that information secret for long. They had found and dispatched twenty of Morgana's men at the castle, sooner or later she would be expecting a report from those men, and when that report did not come...

Elyan heard a clatter in the hall and childish shouts.

"We have to tell you about Sir Gwaine!"

In the next moments a Mercian knight entered with three children. Elyan recognized the eldest right two youngsters looked as if they might be his siblings.

"The first refugees from Camelot-"

"Sir Elyan," the girl darted to him. "You have to help Sir Gwaine!"

"Sir Gwaine?"

"Sir Gwaine is back in the pass sir," The eldest boy said. "Morgana's patrol was following us... he didn't want to bring them here."

"I see," Elyan said, tone grim. It was time. "Do you know how many men?"

"Five sir," the girl said. "You're going to help him aren't you?"

"Of course." Elyan turned to the knight that brought in the children. "I need yourself and nine others ready to ride now."

"Yes, sir." The knight hurried off.

Elyan felt the quirk of a smile. It seemed his reunion with his friends was coming sooner than expected.

Rain fell fast and cool from the sky. Neither man could see more than a few feet outside the mouth of the cave that sheltered. There were, thankfully, no animal smells and Merlin decided to settle himself on the hard, cave floor.

"Don't hold out on me, Merlin," Lord Troy said over the sound of the rainfall. "Make us a fire and whatever spell you've done to dry yourself, how about me? I'd prefer not to catch my death of pneumonia."

"Pardon?"

"The spell may be working slowly Merlin, but it is working, I can see that with my own eyes."

There was annoyance in Lord Troy's tone and Merlin frowned. He didn't particularly care for Lord Troy. It was the combination of the storm and the strange bear pushing him toward the other man that had made him decide to accompany Troy here.

"Cyra said I should—"

"Pardon? Whose Cyra?"

"Oh," Lord Troy smiled. "The bear, she gave us the name Cyra to call her by. I imagine she has a bear name, but I wouldn't know what that is. She thinks I should trust you. So I will, Cyra has ways of knowing things. I'll tell you what I know, you tell me what you know, and how about we be comfortable when we do it? So just a little magic hmmm… Merlin?"

"What makes you think I have magic?" Merlin found himself asking. He'd told himself he was done hiding, but now in the moment, he could not, would not, admit it.

"I've known about your magic for a very long time, Merlin," Lord Troy said.

"I would have to have magic for you to know about it."

The nobleman chuckled.

"I'm sensitive to magic. And you may be careful, but there is no magic user careful enough to hide from me. For a while I wasn't certain, but after that disaster with the troll disguising herself as Lady Katrina, I was certain, but don't worry, Merlin, I haven't outted you in all this time, I shan't out you now. So," Lord Troy thrust the bundle of damp firewood at him, "get us a fire going, it won't catch otherwise. And, then if you please, use the drying spell on my clothes."

Merlin considered for a moment. Lord Troy's discomfort didn't mean much to him. While the nobleman had never made problems for him during council meetings or when he was waiting on Arthur, Lord Troy had, along with Lord Payton, tried to have Elyan and Gwaine's knighthood revoked.

"Where is Lord Payton?" He did not fully understand the emphasis between the two nobleman, but it was clear to the entire court that Payton was the leader and Troy the follower.

Lord Troy coughed, sputtered and finally growled.

"Lord Payton, did not survive the attack on Camelot."

There was no sorrow in Lord Troy's voice as he said that.

"Merlin I had no desire to have the knighthood of either Sir Elyan or Sir Gwaine revoked. That was Lord Payton's game and I could not say him nay."

It was too dark in the cave to see Troy's features, to try and gauge by expression if the other was lying. Of course a practiced liar could lie very easily to your face and it never be detected in their expression, Merlin knew all about that.

"And Gwen?" He asked, he had not forgotten the nobleman's words to Arthur during the council session about Gwen.

For a long time the other man was silent.

"Of course I doubted her ability to queen, she was a maid and well we see the result of the king's attempt to elevate her station. I never wished her dead she was a sweet enough girl, but well she should never have been in that position in the first place."

The nobleman fell silent and Merlin stared down at his feet.

"I am sorry about your friend's death Merlin. I certainly did not wish her any harm and truthfully I had no desire to see the king suffering over it as well."

Merlin snorted. For some reason that bear had followed him and caused him to come to be at the bridge at the exact moment Lord Troy would be there. The sooner he got to any reason that might be in it, the sooner he could be quit of the other man's company. Arthur already knew his secret, he was leaving Camelot. Troy was one man, if he did plan some treachery Merlin felt confident he would manage the nobleman just fine.

Merlin turned his attention toward the wood and muttered the spell, he knew it wasn't right immediately. The power stirred, but did not click into place. The wood steamed, but there was no fire. He did it again concentrating, pronouncing each word with care.

The wood caught fire with a hiss. Lord Troy smiled and held out his hands to the flame.

"Thank you, Merlin."

"You're welcome." Merlin grumbled still thinking of Gwen, Elyan and Gwaine. It took him three tries to dry Lord Troy's clothing, but the nobleman looked pleased afterward.

"And I shall keep my promise. Under the circumstances, Merlin, you look rather guilty. You and the king disappear on a mysterious quest, two days later Morgana invades—"

"—What?"

"You leave with the king, Morgana invades, you reappear without him, claiming that he has returned to Camelot. It looks very suspicious. The king has never abandoned you before, and for that matter, you have never abandoned him, so why now all of a sudden?"

"Morgana invaded?" Merlin got to his feet and started toward the cave mouth, forgetting for just a moment why they were in a cave in the first place. Light, brilliant and near blinding ripped open the darkness that covered the afternoon, and a moment later the earth shook as a deafening thunder rattled them. Merlin swallowed and went back to the fire. He wasn't going anywhere.

"When did Morgana invade?" Again he paced toward the cave mouth and back. "What happened? How—Is that why—What happened?"

He had said he was done with Camelot, hadn't he?

"Sit down, Merlin, and I'll tell you."

He did as Lord Troy said.

"It was round suppertime. There was nothing happening to give anyone an alarm. I don't actually know what happened. The warning bells tolled, there was fire and smoke. I heard they came through the siege tunnels and I suppose they must have because they filled the city unchecked. I only escaped because I was making a visit to a family near the wall. The house was taken over by the guards near the wall. We tried to resist of course, but they set the place afire. I think I was the only one to escape. We were near enough to the wall that I fled. Since I did escape, I decided to make for Castle Gogwyn. She hasn't burnt or looted the city; I think she means to hold it."

"The siege tunnels?"

"Yes, Merlin. So you can see why it looks suspicious." Lord Troy looked at him pointedly.

"But Agravaine was the traitor. We know this."

"Do we?"

Merlin licked his lips.

"The king learnt it very recently. That is why the new codes went out, but there wasn't time to adjust everything."

Lord Troy stared into the flames and Merlin watched hope die in his eyes.

"Castles Gogwyn and Ogmore are compromised then." It was not a question.

"I should think so. There wasn't time to move the supplies or pick new sites."

The nobleman frowned and rubbed his brow.

"I don't know the new codes," Lord Troy said.

"I don't either. I think only the knights had time to commit them to memory." Merlin's lips thinned into a long line and he shifted, trying to get comfortable on the hard stone ground.

The rain continued to fall, the sound drumming the earth. Merlin stared into the fire, watched the dance of orange and red. Morgana had invaded Camelot. Morgana was holding Camelot. But he was quit of Camelot. But what about Gaius? Morgana would not treat him well.

"Do you know where the king is?"

"No," Merlin said.

"But you understand why you look suspicious."

Merlin nodded. "You said you had decided to trust me and I am still not certain I should trust you."

Both men were silent, the fire crackled and hissed

"What really happened with the king's quest?"

Merlin sighed.

"I cannot share the nature of our quest, by order of the king. What I can tell you is that when we became separated, the king was alive, well, and unharmed. I thought to meet him at our campsite, but when I made it to where we'd left the horses, they and all of our supplied were gone. So I started back to Camelot."

"But the king has never left you before, Merlin. "

"No, he hasn't," Merlin said that with a soft voice. "He was displeased with me."

Lord Troy leaned forward. "Did he learn of your magic?"

Merlin froze and swallowed. How could he have guessed such a thing?

"That wasn't it. It is related to our quest."

The nobleman sat back frowning.

Arthur had never abandoned him. For the first time since starting toward Camelot yesterday Merlin felt some inkling of doubt. What if something else had happened? No, things were different than before. Arthur had never been angered with him in this way, had never threatened his execution.

"If his majesty left any trail, the storm will wash it away."

"Yeah," Merlin acknowledged in a soft voice.

Morgana had invaded and Arthur was lost somewhere. What if he'd been outnumbered by a group of Morgana's soldiers? What if he had started back toward Camelot and been taken? None of that mattered. He was quit of Camelot, there was nothing there for him now.

"Merlin?"

He started at the sound of his name.

"Huh?"

"Did you hit your head or anything when you fell into the river?"

"No, why?"

"Cyra is a bit heavy-handed and you look tired."He looked into the fire for a moment. "If we're going to be traveling together we should tell each other about our injuries."

"I see. I'm fine."

The nobleman nodded and Merlin continued to stare into the flames, thinking. At one point he heard Lord Troy move away from the fire and return a few moments later to stand looking down at him with a frown.

"What is it?" He looked up at the other man, feeling some disquiet at the way Troy stood over him.

"You look unwell. Are you sure you're not ill? Perhaps you've missed a few meals or have been sleeping poorly?"

Merlin felt the vaguest stirrings of annoyance and frowned.

"No, I told you I am well. I slept perfectly and ate well last night and I've not been missing meals." Merlin let some of his annoyance with Lord Troy's questions creep into his voice.

"Of course not, sorry. It's just—" The nobleman shook his head. "Nevermind."

"Just what?" Merlin asked.

"Just—Well have you been having any nightmares recently? Any friends turn against you?"

"What!? Why would you ask something like that?"

Lord Troy sat down and Merlin could see in his face he was gathering his thoughts.

"Well—" The nobleman stopped, clearly still thinking. "You see when—" Again the nobleman stopped mid-sentence.

"Well, what?" Merlin demanded.

"I'll just say it. Your magic is sputtering. And there are only so many things that cause magic to sputter."

"Sputtering?"

"Yes, Merlin. I told you I am sensitive to magic. You are one of the most powerful wizards I've ever been around, but it took you three tries to do something as simple as a fire starting spell." Lord Troy's voice gained confidence as he spoke. "Then two tries to do this spell to dry my clothes, and three times when you did for yourself. Your magic is sputtering."

"I'm tired. I know I said I was well rested, but I've come a long way on foot over the past two days and have been chased by a bear. I'm tired. Magic is harder when you're tired. Anyone who knows anything about magic knows that," Merlin said, testiness in his voice.

"So now you are tired?" The nobleman probed.

"I just said that," Merlin insisted.

Lord Troy snorted, but said nothing. Merlin thought about Arthur threatening to kill him. What had the other man meant by "friends turn against you...?"

The nobleman got up and moved to the other side of the fire.

"You said the king was displeased with you?" Lord Troy's face was in shadows as he spoke and Merlin could not read his expression.

"Yes," Merlin confirmed, wishing now that he had not shared that bit of information with Lord Troy.

"There are only so many things that can cause magic to fail, Merlin, ill-health and old age, counter-magic, or the guilty conscious that comes just before a Fate's Reaction, and I don't think someone is countering your fire spells."

"And what is a Fate's Reaction?" Merlin scoffed.

"You don't know?" The nobleman seemed genuinely surprised.

"Would I have asked if I knew?"

Lord Troy shook his head. "A sorcerer who has been abusing his power eventually incurs a reaction of fate."

"And you think I've incurred a reaction of fate."

"Oh, I don't know." Yet his tone indicated that he was certain. "Only you know that, but you said you felt perfectly well and if it's not counter-magic, then that only leaves one other option." Lord Troy dipped his head on the last words so that the light fell across his face. There was challenge in the noblemen's eyes and Merlin bit back a groan.

"But I'd have to be abusing my power and you said yourself I've been helping."

"Well that's as far as I can tell." Lord Troy shrugged and opened his hands. "I know nothing of your actions outside of my presence, but if you are on the verge of a Fate Reaction, your magic may stop altogether eventually."

"I don't believe you." If such a thing were possible, surely Gaius or Kilgarrah would have told him. He hadn't been abusing his magic, had he? But Arthur had turned against him.

"Don't believe me," Lord Troy snorted and stretched his face into a smug grin. "Merlin, I know more about magic than that old fool Gaius. I may not be a sorcerer myself, but I come from a long magical tradition going back over a thousand years. I know more about magic than that grasping, social climber Gaius could ever study. It was Fate's Reaction that brought down the old government ultimately, and has been the end of many of the most powerful practitioners, the fools who believe that their magic sets them outside of the laws of man and nature. The ones who believe that their power gives them the right to decide for the people around them, for the lessors, for the people who don't have magic, but they always err and then rather than relinquishing control, rather than accepting the morals that we all know and allowing all their free will, they use more and more magic until their lives and the lives of those around them are ruined and their friends and families turn against them."

Merlin fought to control his expression, but inside he was shaking. Had he ruined Arthur and Gwen's lives? Guinevere was dead, and Arthur was surely against him. But he wasn't trying to control their lives. He'd just been protecting Arthur. Surely Gaius and Kilgarrah would have told him, surely.

"I don't try to control my friend's lives," Merlin said at last. "I just help."

"Lots of people think that they are helping. Do you think the high priest and priestess of old set out to be a government of tyranny and control? Do you think they started out with the goal of implanting snakes into people's necks to take away their will, or did they think what they were doing was for the good, was to help?"

Merlin looked down at his feet. He had never considered the old religion at all, just accepted the things that Gaius and Uther told him.

"I'm not like those people. I don't do those kinds of horrible things. Those are the kinds of things that Morgana and Morgause do."

"Well then, Merlin, you've nothing to worry about." Lord Troy grinned at him with malicious delight as he said those words. "Of course, you could push past the guilt, just as a healer or a seer may push past the cost of abusing their magic. The guilt is actually the protective response from a soul that is worried about doing the right thing. The guilt chokes the magic and circumvents the reaction. If you push past the guilt you will bring about a reaction that is equal to the weight of the magic you've used and the damage you've caused."

"Well I've nothing to feel guilty over, because I've done nothing wrong." Merlin lied even as panic rose in him. Allowing Gwen to be banished was wrong. And Morgana, she had turned against them long ago, was that the beginning of this so-called Fate's Reaction?

"Well I suppose that's settled then, isn't it?" Lord Troy grinned in such a way that told him they both knew that wasn't true. "You should probably take this time to rest up, if you're going to keep helping, hmm?"

Merlin glared and looked toward the cave mouth; the rain was lessening. Gwen was dead, Arthur and Morgana had turned against him, Elyan was gone, Lancelot was dead because of Morgana, and the guilt sat on his shoulders like an iron weight. Was this all his fault? Had he somehow misued his magic with Morgana, and the result was the destruction of everyone around him?

Morgana suffering from hemlock sprung to mind as it so often did, and now along with that memory was the vision of Gwen with a bandit's finger's round her throat. And here was another person telling him he was wrong, morally corrupt from only a five minute's acquaintance. Merlin felt his stomach twist with a dreadful certainty. Merlin got to his feet and started toward the cave entrance.

"Where are you going?" Lord Troy called as he stepped out into the rain.

"To talk to my own advisors." Merlin said, he did not look back.

"A foolish, desperate young man that has put all of his eggs in one basket," Grigor said.

Was he a desperate fool? Merlin clutched the ridge at the base of Kilgarrah's head and pressed himself against the dragon's long neck in an effort to shield himself from as much of the cold wind as possible.

Clouds, thick and gray, roiling like a boiling stew pot beneath them speed by. Here on dragonback, miles above earth, above the storm, the sun shone bright and golden, it's light dancing here and there over the puff of the clouds. The idea that one could rise above a storm...It was almost enough to make him forget the reason he'd called Kilgarrah, forget Lord Troy's dread-inspiring words.

"Merlin, the Fate's Reaction is a myth," Kilgarrah said.

"A myth?" He shifted his grip on the dragon's neck ridge and leaned into his hard scaly body for warmth.

"Yes, and even if it were true, do you really believe that the choices you have made are evil ones?"

"No I don't," he answered with greater certainty than he felt considering the outcomes. "But there is something wrong with my had to do the breathing spell for me."

"You said yourself Merlin you're exhausted, stressed." Kilgharrah reminded him. "That is why your magic is sputtering, as this Lord Troy put it. Now if your choices aren't evil why would you be incurring a reaction?"

"Because its not about good or evil, its about, about taking away other people's choices and controlling their lives."

"Merlin," the dragon's tone dripped disgust."If there were such a thing as Fate's Reaction, Merlin, how could Uther have persecuted so many people, how could he have hunted my people into near extinction? No, such a thing would have caught up with Uther long ago."

"Arthur's turned against me."

"Arthur is angry, as he has been before. When he is calm, you'll tell him of all the times you've saved his life and he'll see what a good friend you've been to him."

Merlin didn't say anything, didn't tell Kilgarrah that he'd given up on Arthur and Camelot.

"We're nearly to your mother's home Merlin, get some rest you'll see differently in the morning."

"Merlin I wasn't expecting you." His mother smiled upon seeing him on her doorstep. "I've had no letter. I hope nothing has happened."

"I wanted to see you and with the dragon free I can reach quickly and easily."

"Oh yes the dragon." The last word came out a bit cool and flat, but then she smiled again."It is always good to see my only child."

For a moment he stared into her warm and friendly blue eyes brimming with welcome and love and let some of his worry creep into his eyes. She pulled him into a hug upon seeing it and Merlin let himself sink into his mother's arms. He took in the scent of lye soap she used on her clothes, and the clean scent of sage she burned to keep her house smelling pleasant and fresh.

"Merlin, son, what is it?" He could hear bafflement in her tone. Instead of answering, he pressed her closer with a sigh.

"Merlin, is something wrong?"

He straightened up and looked down at her face, open and kind.

She placed her hands on either side of his face so that she might study him a moment. Surely she could read all the trouble in his eyes.

"What has happened?"

"I've left Arthur's service."

Her eyes widened.

"What!? Tell me what's happened! Tell me everything."

Merlin stared at the top of the green linen cap that covered his mother's head. She'd looked down as he'd finished and now she sat clasped hands fidgeting as she took a second and then third deep breath.

"Mom, say something." His stomach twisted as he waited for her to break her silence and the tension growing between them.

"You have to go back."

They were sitting on padded wooden stools, the early evening light shone warm and golden through the cottage as the sun made its way west. The storm had not extended as far as Ealdor. His mother had warmed him some porridge and given him a mug of home brewed beer to eat and drink as he told his story.

"Go back?"

"Yes, go back." Hunith lifted her head and Merlin flinched back. He had not expected the mixture of anger and disappointment that he saw there.

"Go back? Arthur threatened to kill me!"

"Yet here you sit." His mother's voice was cool, dispassionate as he'd never heard it. "You used your magic to escape of course."

"Mom!?" Was she condemning him for having fled?

"Arthur yelled at you after you made a wreck of his life. Letting his betrothed, your supposed friend, a good woman who saved my life, who risked herself for you many a time, be killed. Arthur—"

"—But mom—"

"You are still my son, don't interrupt when I am talking to you. " Hunith glared at him.

Merlin snapped his mouth shut.

"Arthur yelled at you after you as good as colluded with his enemies, and when you're not praised for wrecking his life, when it gets hard, you run away." Hunith tightened her shawl around her arms. "I'm so disappointed in you and Gaius. He must have greatly changed while living under the ban, but I didn't send you to Camelot to become this—" she paused and Merlin could see her searching for words, "—this, whatever it is, you've become. You have to go back and you have to make amends."

She held his gaze until he looked away, unwilling to accept the truth of her words.

After a moment he heard movement and looked up to her standing, shawl pulled tight around her arms.

"I'm going to Mary's house, I promised I'd check in on her."

"But, mom, are you-are you turning against me?"

"Merlin," for a moment her eyes softened, "if you think that your decisions have been on the side of right then I don't have to turn against you, we were never on the same side."

Merlin felt his stomach bottom out and his throat tightened. He looked down, no longer able to face her. After a moment he heard her steps moving away from him and the thud of the door shutting.

When he looked up, it was to see the setting sun out the window; it painted the sky and clouds brilliant hues of fire before dropping below the horizon. The stars came out; the moon rose. He thought about lighting the lantern and tried and failed. He concentrated, reciting the simple spell perfectly and nothing happened. He did it again. No power stirred, there was nothing. He did it a fourth time, a fifth time and still nothing. He tried the first magic he had learned; moving objects with his mind. He couldn't so much as lift a pin. Sitting alone in the dark Merlin realized Lord Troy was right. His magic was dead, the next step was Fate's Reaction. He thought again of Arthur threatening to kill him, Morgana and Gwen dead, perhaps it had already begun.

Morgana

Morgana Pendragon's right arm ached, sweat ran down along her forehead and soaked her hairline, the edges of her vision blurred and still the crystal pendant swung. She had come to the opposite edge of the map, again.

She dropped the dowsing crystal in disgust before collapsing into her chair. She had been dowsing for hours, trying to determine her brother's location. Just two days before their arrival Arthur and Merlin had ridden off on some mysterious quest known only to themselves and a few others. Their destination, their expected return, their route all of these things were a mystery.

Dowsing was a simple enough task, usually it was used to find water, gemstones, things of that nature. A natural seer such as herself could use dowsing to determine the location of people, objects or anything she desired as long as she had some connection to the persons she wanted to locate or something that connected to that person's spirit. She should have been able to find Arthur with ease.

But instead she'd spent hours standing over a map, swinging her crystal back and forth and back and forth until she'd crossed all of Camelot ten times and time again, all the while holding a picture of Arthur in her mind. The crystal should have dropped the first time she crossed his location.

She glared at the map again. "You are a natural seer Morgana, hone your gift and nothing shall be hidden from you."

Morgause had said those words to her the day they had begun her training.

The failure was not her magic. Morgana stood again, held the crystal over the map, closed her eyes and thought of Helios. She swung the pendant and it pulled immediately as if another hand reached out to guide hers. It landed with a solid thunk on the map. Morgana opened her eyes and looked down. That was where she had sent Helios' patrol.

She sat back down thinking.

Did the enmity between them keep her from finding him? No she'd found enemies before, hate was just as strong of a tie as love. No something else was happening. Could he be dead? The crystal would have pointed to his body. Something else was happening. For a long time she staring at the map eyes traveling over the miniature forests and mountains turning the problem over and over in her mind. It came to her then something she had not expected. Her magic was not failing her, magic was protecting him!

Morgana ground her teeth. How could a magic user protect Arthur Pendragon, of all people? They would find this traitor eventually, but in the meanwhile...She remembered the bracelet she'd used to enscroll Guinevere and started to smile. In the meanwhile if she could not find Arthur, she would find Guinevere.

A/N- So hey after just two short weeks I'm bringing another chapter (Yay!). I hope you all liked it. I'm a bit excited about this chapter because all of our principal characters have reached their nadir (low) point now and they may not know it yet, but there is only one way for their story to go from here. Thank you all for continuing to read and I hope you'll tell me what you think in the comments. Have a good week everybody.

Also the Scandal reference in chapter 27 was "wine is not a food group." Gwen said this to Adras, but Jake said it to Olivia first. :)

Special thanks to Babykay47 and my best friend shanel for all their hard work as betas for The Exile. I couldn't have donbe it without them.