-49-

The knights split off in different directions, fanning out along the different corridors of the castle. Ryll kept her eyes on the blonde sorceress, using every bit of stealth she could muster. Her brain was so sleepy, but she forced herself to stay awake, holding onto her sword so tightly that it hurt. She wasn't sure where the sorceress was going, but she seemed to know her way around the castle. She strode through the halls like she owned them, metal clad feet hitting the floor with some force. She wasn't bothering to be quiet. She commanded the castle now. She stepped over a sleeping body on the floor, not even bothering to look down. Ryll snuck after her like a cat stalking its prey. The sorceress stopped at the end of the corridor.

"We haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet," she said.

Ryll froze where she was standing. Morgause turned around and looked straight at her. Perhaps she hadn't been as quiet as she thought. She did not shy from the sorceress's gaze however. Her blue eyes were piercing, circled with kohl. Her curls lay in perfect spirals around her shoulders, a sharp contrast to chainmail and armor.

"Why are you doing this?" Ryll asked.

"Because the king of this land will not stop until my people are dead," Morgause answered.

"So you're going to kill him first?"

"Is it such a crime when he's taken so many lives? Would you not do the same thing if you had a chance?"

"I would not murder him, no."

"You are close with the Lady Morgana, no?"

"I am."

"And you know who she is? What she is?"

"Yes, I do."

"And yet you will do nothing against the man who would see her dead if he knew of her power."

"I would never let him hurt her," Ryll said fiercely. "But murdering him is not the answer."

"Then I'm afraid you and I have nothing more to discuss. Your energy is leaving you. You cannot fight me."

"I can try," Ryll said. She took a step forward and stumbled, catching herself against the wall.

Morgause laughed softly. "You are growing weaker. Soon you will be fast asleep like the rest of them. Why not admit defeat?"

Ryll struggled to stay awake. She could not fall asleep now. Not when the fate of Camelot was standing right in front of her. She lunged forward, sword ready. Morgause deflected the blow easily, however. Ryll fought on, each blow growing weaker. Morgause seemed to be playing with her like a cat with a mouse, letting her fight with every last bit of energy she had. Finally, she disarmed Ryll, bringing her to her knees. Ryll looked up at her, her eyes blinking shut, vision blurring.

"I will not kill you," Morgause told her. "You mean a great deal to Morgana. I would not do that to her." She sheathed her sword, and Ryll felt herself lose consciousness. She fell to the floor, sword clattering down next to her. Her last thought was that she had failed.

…

Arthur and Merlin dragged the brace up and over the metal prongs on the door, keeping it firmly locked. Morgana could hear the knights of Medhir clash against it on the outside. Arthur and Merlin both looked exhausted, barely standing. Morgana hovered by Uther's prone body. She wished that it would just be over. This was the perfect opportunity for Uther to die, and yet Arthur would do anything to protect him. Morgana remembered her meeting with Morgause the night before – she was in the castle, Merlin and Arthur had seen her – it must be Morgause who had cast the spell. Morgana remembered nothing past their conversation. She must have blacked out. She wasn't sure how the spell worked, but somehow she was immune. When one of the knights of Medhir had come at her, he'd stopped and walked away without striking her. It was as if they'd been instructed not to hurt her.

Arthur struggled over to her, instructing her to start tearing the litter into strips so that they could lower Uther down through the window and onto the cart down below. Arthur himself would bring the cart below the window. If he got that far.

"Arthur, you'll die if you go out there," Merlin told him.

"I have no choice. Everyone will die if I don't," Arthur said in return. He and Merlin lifted the bar off the door. Arthur took a deep breath and then slipped out, sword swinging. Merlin barred the door again and came to Morgana's side to help her with Uther. As she tore up strips of the fabric, he fumbled with the water sack.

"Here, have some," he said, offering it to her.

"I'm not thirsty," she said, focused on her task. She couldn't tell if Arthur was still alive outside. All she could hear was the ringing of swords.

"When we get out of here, you might not have another chance to drink," he insisted.

"If we get out of here." She ignored the water, tearing up another part of the sheet. She wasn't sure what would happen to her if the knights broke in. Maybe they would ignore her and kill Merlin and Uther. Maybe they would kill her too. She didn't know.

Merlin turned away for a moment and then turned back, holding out the water skin yet again. "Here."

"I'm fine," she said.

"No, you have some before I finish it."

Morgana sighed. If it would please him. She took the water sack from him. "Thank you." She took a sip and then corked it again, setting it down. Merlin watched her and suddenly something was wrong with her throat. A fire burned down it and she couldn't breathe. She began to wheeze for air, holding her throat as if she could rub away the fire. It grew until she felt as if someone was squeezing her throat closed with a blacksmith's heated tongs. She looked up at Merlin who hastily wiped a tear from his eye. Had he done this? Why would he do this? She struggled to back away from him and he grasped her shoulders, holding her to him as she struggled. The fire was spreading and she couldn't breathe. Was she going to die? Was this how it was going to end?

…

Ryll awakened suddenly. She was still so sleepy, but she had dreamed again in her slumber. She struggled to her feet, falling twice before she managed it. She had to get to Morgana. Something was terribly wrong. She had recognized the place from her dreams now. It was the throne room. She struggled down the hallway. She could hear swords clanging by the front doors and so she made her way slowly to the side entrance. She found the door unlocked and entered, hoping she wasn't too late.

When she entered the room, she found Merlin holding Morgana as her friend gasped for breath. She ran over as quickly as she could.

"Ryll," Merlin said her name, but she hardly heard.

"What's happened?" she asked. "What's wrong with her?" She took her friend's hand. Morgana looked up at her helplessly, and Ryll could see the pain in her eyes. She grasped her throat with her free hand as if something was paining her. Ryll's eyes slid to a bottle that lay next to Merlin. It was empty except for a few drops of green liquid. The label read 'Hemlock' below a skull and crossbones. Ryll's eyes moved up to Merlin's. His eyes were wet and red-rimmed as if he'd been crying. Ryll couldn't speak, couldn't think.

"Why?" she finally asked. Her voice was weak. Merlin shook his head.

"I had to, Ryll. I'm sorry."

Ryll shook her head. "You did this to her. You killed her." She stood, stumbling back from Merlin.

"I had to. She is the source of the spell."

"She didn't do this!"

"No, Morgause did. She anchored the spell to Morgana. If Morgana dies, the spell dies with her. It's the only way."

"It's not the only way." Ryll was crying now, and her tears blinded her. She was feeling so sleepy, but her anger kept her awake. "Kill Morgause! She's the sorceress."

"And she's surrounded by seven knights who cannot die!" Merlin argued. "What could we do?"

"Anything but this!" Ryll shouted.

Suddenly the door burst open, one side blasted off its hinges. Morgause entered the room. She saw Morgana and went over to her, pulling her from Merlin's arms. "What has he done to you?" she asked.

Ryll stood by and watched. She didn't know what to do. She could hardly hear what Morgause and Merlin were saying. Her ears buzzed as she watched her friend die.

"Tell me the poison or you'll die!" Morgause shouted.

"Then she'll die with me. I don't want this any more than you, but you give me no choice. Stop the knights and you can save her," Merlin countered.

Ryll slid to the ground. She felt like she was about to lose control. A tremor vibrated the ground beneath her as her emotions gave way to her powers. Morgause began chanting in another language and the sound of fighting outside the doors ceased. Ryll felt fully awake suddenly and struggled to her feet. The spell had lifted.

Merlin held the bottle of hemlock out to Morgause just before Arthur burst into the room with some of the other Camelot knights, freshly awoken. Uther stirred from his spot on the floor.

"Morgana!" Arthur cried out, seeing her lying in Morgause's arms.

"Keep away from her!" Morgause shouted at him, crouching protectively over her. She began to chant again and a strong wind surged up. Then they were gone.

Ryll stared at the place her friend had just been. "She's gone." How could she just be gone? She didn't even know if she was alive. She felt a hand touch her arm and looked up to see Merlin watching her cautiously as if afraid she was going to strike him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

Ryll just stood there. She didn't know what to do. How to feel. She couldn't decide if she wanted to accept his comfort and sink into his arms or strike out at him demanding that he bring her back. Instead she just stood there without moving. She felt drained and empty.

Arthur was telling his father what had happened, and Uther looked as if he was in shock. The knights milled around, not knowing what to do.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked.

Ryll looked up at him. As soon as she opened her mouth she knew she was going to regret her words. "Alright?" she asked. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "How could I possibly be alright? I just watched my best friend possibly die and then disappear. And you poisoned her. So no, I'm not alright."

"Ryll, I'm so sorry. I didn't know what else to do. Everyone else was going to die."

"Not everyone. Just one," Ryll said bitterly.

"You don't know that. Do you really think Morgause would have spared Arthur? Or me?"

"Right now all I know is that there was another way, but you chose to kill Morgana. I don't know if I can forgive you," Merlin." Her heart was breaking as she spoke.

He dropped the hand he'd placed on her arm, his eyes tortured. "I was doing the only thing I could do to save everyone," he said. She could hear the hurt in his voice.

"Maybe one day I can see it that way but right now all I keep seeing is Morgana dying." She took a shuddering breath. "I need some time," she said. "I just need to be alone."

He nodded. "I understand. I am so sorry, Ryll."

"I know you are." Ryll walked away from him, past the broken door and into the hall where the lifeless bodies of the seven knights still lay. She could feel Merlin's eyes watching her as she went. Part of her wanted to rush back into his arms and forgive him but the other part of her kept seeing Morgana die over and over. Now she let her tears flow freely as she raced out of the castle and toward the stables. She paused long enough to retrieve Owl and rode bareback out of the city's gates. She rode into the forest. Right now it was the only place she could breathe. She found a rock to sit on in a secluded clearing and let herself mourn for her best friend.

…

What had he done? Merlin sat contemplating this later that night. Gaius had told him that he had done the only thing he could do. He had saved everyone. Morgana might not even be dead but they had no way of knowing that. And Ryll…

He would never forget the look on her face when she had registered what he'd done. She might not ever forgive him. He couldn't blame her. He might never forgive himself. Morgana had been his friend too – was his friend. What he'd had to do… He was sure she didn't even know she was the anchor for the spell. The shock in her eyes when she'd realized what he'd done… That was going to haunt him the rest of his life. What must she have been thinking? He'd practically forced her to drink the water laced with hemlock.

He shut his eyes. He hadn't gone after Ryll. He respected her need to be alone. He just hoped that one day she'd find it in her to forgive him.

…

The burning sensation that had choked the breath out of her had finally died down. She could breathe again. Morgana opened her eyes, wondering if she was dead. The last thing she remembered was being held by Merlin as he watched her suffer. Why had he done that? Merlin was her friend. Why would he try to kill her? Up above her stars speckled the night sky and the air was cool against her skin. Perhaps she was not dead after all. She sat up and found that she lay on a stone table.

"You're awake." She turned to see Morgause standing a few paces away. "What happened?" she asked.

"That servant boy poisoned you."

"But why? What did I ever to do him?" Morgana asked, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.

"Because I anchored the spell to you, Morgana. While you were alive, the knights of Medhir could take our revenge. Somehow he figured this out. He's much more clever than he looks."

"But you saved me."

"Yes. You're free now. I did not succeed in killing Uther, but you are free of his oppression."

Morgana let this thought fill her mind. It felt wonderful. "I don't have to hide who I am," she said, smiling for the first time in a long time.

"You can use your powers without fear," Morgause told her. "I'll help you learn to use them. You will be powerful."

"I would like that – to learn how to use my powers," Morgana said. "I've always feared them because I don't know how to control them. And I was afraid of someone finding out what I could do. Now I have nothing to fear."

"We will find a way to take our revenge against Uther Pendragon. It will take time though. Are you willing to work with me? Then at the right time we will strike again."

"I will do anything to bring about the downfall of Uther," Morgana said coldly. "I want to see him dead."

"Good. We have work to do. First I must tell you of something he has long kept hidden from you. Morgana, you are my half-sister. We share the same mother though we were separated at birth. I was smuggled out of Camelot and raised by the high priestesses. We share the same blood and the same magic. Uther did not want you to know this. He thought you would change allegiance if you knew."

Morgana let this thought fill her mind. Sister. She had a sister. Half or whole didn't matter. They shared the same blood and the same magic. She smiled. "That's wonderful," she said.

"Together we will grow strong, sister. We will be unstoppable, and next time we will not fail."

"Then let us begin," Morgana said. "I'm ready to accept such a challenge."