Hello! This is the 21 chapter, redone. I realized I had done some mistakes in the plot, as well as forgotten important things, so I have added about 500 words with explanations, plus some Arthur (just a little)
For those who have read the first version of it, I suggest you re-read it as I have changed some parts.
That's all.
NN2405
"Morgause" Merlin started. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything" she replied with a smile. She was obviously glad to have them on her side.
"You just said that Gorlois and Vivienne replaced you with Morgana."
"I know that Gorlois didn't really want this." Morgana stepped into the conversation.
"I have searched enough for my origins to know that. Of course Gorlois and Vivienne were not ok to leave me go to that orphanage. Any parents would, even the least loved ones like they were."
"But they did" Morgana said skeptically.
"Who do you think was behind all that? You have met Gorlois I assume. You can't think him to be so smart to be able to think of a plan like what I am going to tell you. No, Uther Pendragon was behind all this. Gorlois Le Fay has always been his puppet. The little harmless doggy that admires his best friend and would kill to do their favour. Uther asked him to cover for your appearance. He adopted you and presented you like his rightful daughter. As for me, you know how the story continues. "
"I have started believing that it's better that you are Uther's daughter, Morgana." Merlin grinned at her "you have his brains after all."
Morgana smiled at that.
"So, now we've dealt with all of this, maybe we should get on with our plan. I can guess Morgause can come too."
They both nodded. Draco went to the bookcase and took of a folder. In it was a large paper which he unwrapped on the living room table.
It proved to be the floor plan of the Malfoy Manor.
"Draco, you are amazing." Morgana exclaimed and winked at her sister.
"So. This is the main entrance. We won't go from there because it I open to the road and anyone would be curious if he saw a bunch of strangers stepping into a house like this. We can always jump over the fence though. In the back yard. Though, I have just remembered. The caretaker, Tom is in Scotland with his family for the week so no one will be able to notice we have broken in. We won't have to make Gwen persuade him. He won't be there at all."
"So, we enter the yard, enter the Malfoy Manor, and then?"
"We will not enter the Malfoy Manor. We will break into Tom's house and take Uther's key. We will then go to a shop and have it duplicated, return it and then go to the Pendragon House and do what we have to. " they repeated what they had been planning the previous days so that Morgause would understand everything too.
"I don't understand something" Morgause said. "What is Uther's key doing in Tom's house? Isn't he your gardener, Draco?"
"Yes, he is. That's the lucky part" Draco explained. "Tom attends both the Malfoy and the Pendragon Manor. He has the key for both of them."
Morgause stopped to think about it. It made sense.
"We don't have to go, all of us. It will raise more suspicions." Morgause said. "I can go, as nobody there knows me." She offered.
"No" Morgana replied quickly. "I have put enough people in danger so far, I'm not involving you as well"
"You have forgotten something, dear sister" Morgause said with a smile. "I am involved in all this just as much as you are."
"Oh" Morgana didn't have something to counter with Morgause's argument. She was
Right, she had a right to participate in this mission just as Morgana and Merlin had.
"Okay. So, I will give you a ride there and you can get the key from Tom's house. It's usually unlocked so you won't have any difficulty. Just be as fast as you can be" Merlin said.
"So, should we be off at once?" Morgause suggested.
"Right" Merlin kissed Morgana goodbye and left for the exit. Morgause followed suit.
Morgana and Draco were left alone.
"Should I make some tea?" Draco offered.
"I can help too. You have done enough for the two of us, Draco. You don't have to be so kind"
"It's only fair" he objected. "After the way I treated you before"
Morgana gave him a sad smile.
"Forget all about it. It's not been you; there is not the slightest of your previous self in you now"
They were silent for a while, just watching the water boiling.
"Merlin" Draco started and Morgana turned to look at him. "He does make you happy, doesn't he?"
"God yes" she replied. "He's… great"
"I see that, in the way you look at each other. That's something I could never give you Morgana" Draco said. "You did a wise thing the day you left me"
Morgana said nothing. Since she had moved in with Draco, she was plagued by immense guilt for that day. She should have given him some time, she thought.
"What about Morgause?" she changed the subject. "I can see she's right for you, in ways I wasn't."
"She is…" Draco agreed.
"Weird, isn't it? Being first with you, then with your sister, and you two not knowing each other?"
Morgana giggled. "I suppose that's fate, dear"
They drank their tea in silence when Morgana heard her phone cling and saw a text
message on the screen.
New Message: Arthur Pendragon
Hi sis, where are you? Could we arrange something for tonight? It's been long.
Morgana stared blankly at the text. She had literally forgotten everything about her stepbrother. He was now asking her to join him that night, while she was here, plotting against his father. He didn't have a clue about this whole thing. At some time she would have to tell him, she was sure of that. She dreaded the moment. She had refused to think about it so far, comfortably forgetting everything about Arthur and her previous world before Merlin and the whole scandal.
"What is it?" Draco asked her.
"It's Arthur." She said. "Do you think I should tell him?"
"What?"
"Everything. He has a right to know" Morgana said.
"Ask Merlin first. Perhaps it's not the right time. Perhaps it is."
"I will. I will go see him tonight with Merlin. Do you want to come?" Morgana suggested. "I can tell him about you."
"No, thank you." Draco politely refused. "I'd love some alone time with Morgause."
"Oh" Morgana nodded.
Merlin, now with Morgause had just found the road to the Malfoy Manor. It was a prestigious two floor building, with white endings on the walls and a huge garden.
The gardener's house was in the left corner of the estate, a stone hut, much different from the rest of the house.
Morgause left the car, winked at Merlin who smiled back and headed for the hut. She easily jumped over the fence and went close to the caretaker's home. She pushed the door. It was obvious it was unlocked but nevertheless it was difficult for her to push it open. She aimed all her strength for the cause, and she failed.
"Merlin" she asked "Come give me some help"
Merlin was checking the messages on his phone at the moment, when he heard Morgause's voice.
He hastily left it inside the car and went to help her. He pushed the door and in the third push the door came open.
"You are muscled" Morgause complimented. "Lucky Morgana"
Merlin chuckled and entered the small house. She followed behind him.
"So, where could the keys be?" she asked.
"If I were him, I would place them behind the door." Merlin said cheerfully.
Morgause went to look and…, they were there. A wooden board with all sorts of keys hanged on it. There was a back door, a Malfoy Roof Garden, a Malfoy entrance and finally they reached the Pendragon section. Merlin had a quick look at them and decided that the Pendragon basement was what they needed.
He grabbed it and they both headed for the exit.
"How on earth did you know where the keys would be?" Morgause asked curiously.
"I am a seer, didn't you know?" he joked.
"Wow" she teased.
"Alright, I cheated. I used to come here when I was younger" he smiled cheekily.
"What?"
"Yes. I think we forgot to tell you that part. My father, Balinor, was a friend of Uther's before he betrayed him. I have come here once or twice. They wouldn't let me in as I was usually covered in mud so I stayed with Mr. Tom. I doubted that nothing would have changed in the house. "
They closed the door behind them and saw the car waiting for them.
"Let's go" Morgause said.
"After you" Merlin offered happily. Mission completed, he thought.
"Morgause, could you hand me my phone. I have to tell Morgana we are fine. She will be mad anxious"
"Okay, where is it?"
"It's on the back seat"
"No it isn't"
Merlin stopped the car and turned to look. The phone wasn't there. And the window was open.
There was no doubt what had happened.
He changed the direction of the car and returned. He got out and started looking frantically for the phone. He didn't think there was any chance in finding it there, but he did search anyway.
"Merlin" Morgause interrupted him. He turned to see her holding his cell phone on her hand.
"Where…what?" he took it, confused.
"Next to the pavement, it must have fallen off the car"
Merlin frowned, but still, he took it, grateful it hadn't been lost.
He called Morgana right away and ensured her that they were fine and on their way back.
It still seemed curious how the phone had survived the fall. Apart from the fact that he couldn't understand how it had fallen off the car in the first place. An idea flashed into his mind, or better, a fear. He opened the records folder and sought for the precious file with all the evidence on Uther's guilt.
"Damn" he cursed. It was not there. The recycle bin had been emptied five minutes ago.
They had fallen victims of another ingenious scheme of Uther's.