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"What exactly is the Old Religion?"

Layla blinked her eyes underneath her hood in confusion, "You don't know what the Old Religion is?"

"No, could you please tell me? I've tried asking Gaius to explain once but my father forbid him to. He said such knowledge is of no use to me."

Layla snorted, unimpressed before focusing her attention back to Arthur, "Alright. The Old Religion describes the customs and way of life belonging to the magic users of the world. It is based on the beliefs of a sacred balance between all people, creatures, and elements of the universe which must be eternally preserved. At the heart of the religion is the balance between life and death itself as well. Understand so far?"

Arthur nodded slowly causing Layla to frown.

"Are you sure?"

The blonde man deadpanned at her accusing look, "I understood."

"Really? Okay then explain what the Old Religion is your own words" she challenged in reply.

"The Old Religion is a way of life and the beliefs that all the beings in the world can live in peace." Arthur says, answering her carefully and as honestly as he could.

"Hmm, that's a pretty simple and watered down explanation but good enough."

Arthur's deadpan deepened but Layla just smiled.

"So what other questions do you have?"

"What is the Old Religion to you?"

Layla tilted her head curiously at him, "Why you ask?"

"I just want to know what the Old Religion is to you, someone born of magic."

Layla eyed his facial features carefully but all she could find was genuine curiosity so she answered him truthfully.

"My husband heard this from a brethren once. 'The Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men.'"

She smiled softly thinking about her husband before continuing, "I live, breathe and love magic with every fibre of my being. I was raised to practice the Old Religion and believe in it and I do so, very much in fact. Magic if not practiced by people, will always occur either in the form of miracles or fate or destiny or otherwise so no matter how much anyone wants to kill off magic, it will always exist because it is what binds us all to the Earth. If my magic was ever taken from me or if I could never use it, I would really rather die."

Arthur couldn't help but feel something stir inside him at the sight of her smile and the tone she spoke. It was genuine love and utter conviction in her voice that told him she truly meant the words she said.

"What about the Triple Goddess?"

"Our deity. The High Priestesses of the Old Religion are the main servants of the Triple Goddess. The jobs of the priestesses are to provide everyone with aid for those who ask and spread the wisdom of the Old Religion that was bestowed upon us by the Triple Goddess."

Arthur looked thoughtful as he asked his next question, "Are the Disir High Priestesses?"

"Oh no of course not, they are much more special. Those three women were born with special gifts and have been trained ever since to interpret the will of the gods, they are the very mouthpiece of the Triple Goddess."

The king frowned at what she said and Layla knew he was thinking about the Disir encounter that he had a couple of months back, "The Disir said if I don't bring magic to the land once more, Camelot will be destroyed. Do you think that is true?"

"As I said, the Disir speaks for the Triple Goddess, therefore it will happen."

"But I don't want that!"

The woman in front him was startled by his exclamation but maintained her composure, "But you told the Disir no didn't you?"
Arthur blinked his eyes in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Word travels in the magic community despite living in hiding or on the run when we're being hunted down and killed."

The blonde Pendragon flinched at her words and does the smart thing by saying nothing, feeling awkward. It took him a while to work up the nerve to speak again. He was cautious as he spoke, wary of her mood.

"If I bring back magic now, would it appease the Triple Goddess? Will Camelot be safe? Even though I said no to the Disir the last time?"

The brunette witch sighed, "To be honest, I think it would appease the Triple Goddess greatly if you return magic to the land of your own free will. Do you feel burdened with the Disir incident?"

"Yes" he says, answering her truthfully.

"But you made your decision. Why do you feel burdened?"

Irritation began to seep in and it showed in his voice as he spoke, "Either choice would have burdened me regardless! I-"

"Arthur"

The man stopped and looked at her, annoyed that he was cut off.

"Breath in and out. Keep doing it till you feel calmer."

He was about to ask why but Layla interrupted him again, giving him no room to oppose her "Just do it"

Arthur was annoyed at being told what to do but the hooded woman was crossing her arms again and her lips were set in a tight frown telling him that she wasn't in the mood for an argument so he did what she said. After a while, she asked him how he was feeling.

"A little better actually..."

"Good, now I'm only going to say this once. Past is past. What's done is done. No point crying over spilt milk."

"I was not crying!" Arthur spluttered out.

"Oh yes yes, the misty eyes I saw weren't real...whatever you say.."

"Lies!"

Layla laughed, deciding to save him from further embarrassment, she asked "So what other questions do you have?"

"Could anyone ever be able to tell the difference between a sorceress and a witch without being told of their origins?"

The hooded woman smiled, an idea coming to her, "Watch me for a while and then I'll explain okay?"

Intrigued, Arthur nodded and looked on as her eyes glowed gold underneath her hood, finally allowing him to see another facial feature of hers besides her nose and lips.

Layla's eyes glowed a beautiful shine of gold that he had never seen before so bright and luminous; her brown eyebrows knitted together in concentration as she focused on moving the fruits she had dropped earlier back to her basket. She had lifted her hand, bending her elbow slightly as she moved her finger; guiding the fruits into the basket. When she finally finished, he spoke, awed by the colour in her eyes.

"I thought you need to speak words in order to do magic?"

Layla's eyes stopped glowing and she smiled at Arthur.

"That's the first difference. Witches and warlocks do not need to use words to move things with our mind or using nature's elements or even to kill someone. If our will and focus is strong enough, we can do anything with our minds alone."

Arthur froze, slightly alarmed, "So you can just kill someone with a thought if you just think about it?"

"Exactly"

The king of Camelot felt sick suddenly, the idea of people out there that could just kill him on sight scared him.

"People born with magic will not resort to such dark thoughts Arthur."

The sound of his name from her lips for the first time, made him feel calm for some reason.

"Why do you say so?"

"Because as believers of the Old Religion, we are pacifists by nature. It is unlikely for us to ever have such dark thoughts."

"But Morgana is dark..."

"That is true which is a shame but that's what happens when you let yourself be controlled by fear and naivety."

Arthur frowned, "How is Morgana fearful?"

"The reason she turned to the dark side was only because of her half sister Morgause. She was scared of what she was, that things were changing and the secrets she had to keep. With Morgause now gone, she only has herself to look out for. She is alone."

"But she has followers...an army how is she alone?"

"She does but being a leader can be taxing and lonely no?"

Arthur closed his mouth, sympathy clearly shown on his features.

"But then how is she naive?"

Layla smiled then before answering, "She is naive to believe that Camelot would ever be taken so easily."

Arthur smirked then but kept quiet, just relishing in her smile and the serene atmosphere.

She does remind me of Merlin. The two of them are open-minded, insightful, perceptive and honest...

Plus the two of them just give off this likable nature you can't just ignore...

Suddenly, Arthur remembered something.

"Morgause is Morgana's half sister?!"

"From the mother's side yes. You did not know this?"

Arthur shook his head, "How did you know?"

"I grew up with Morgause that's how I know but that wretch is dead now unfortunately. I would have liked some revenge against that despicable brat" Layla answers truthfully, letting the scorn and bitterness from their last encounter evident in her words.

The blonde king was confused by her tone but more so by the information she just gave him, "Wait Morgause is dead?"

"I have mentioned this before...you didn't know that either?"

"No...how did she die?"

"It was her soul that was sacrificed to open the Veil and unleashed the Dorocha."

The blonde man shivered, the horrific events of that time flashing in his mind. Layla watched on quietly, as she thought to herself. It took her a while to break him out of it.

"Arthur, are you with me?"

He slowly nodded in response until he realized something.

"You've called me by name."

The witch blinked, "I did...I-"

"Don't apologize. It feels right...I don't know why but it just does."

Layla bit her lip, wishing and hoping she could tell him the truth.

Oh Arthur...

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