Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the characters.
In a small house, a history teacher named Morgana Emrys abruptly stood up. She stormed into the room next door, where her husband slept on a couch.
It was only recently that societal expectations of her changed. Though obviously she had no intention of settling down to live as women were expected to do in the medieval era, Morgana would have appreciated if she could have a day job as a blacksmith or carpenter like Merlin. In the 1800s she became a schoolteacher without raising any eyebrows, and found that she liked it, even now that she could take any job she wanted.
"Merlin! Look at this garbage they want me to teach. What kind of a dollophead wrote this?"
"Mmmph. Five more minutes, please, Gaius." Merlin rolled over, landing on the floor, which woke him up. "Ow."
"The vast majority of historians agree that King Arthur was not an actual historical figure. The many retellings of this legend serve as a lesson to be cautious about accepting historical writings as truth," Morgana read. "Merlin, they're so stupid."
"Well, Morgana, I can tell you he was real. His stables were real, too, and so was the horse dung in them."
"I know you know that, Merlin. But we're the only two people in this world who know, and… ugh! I have to make a lesson plan for this. Wait. I have an idea." She smirked.
"You're smirking. Tell me, who should be absolutely terrified right now?"
Morgana's class slowly filled the room.
"Good morning, everyone."
Some students still thumbed away on their cell phones. She could see why some of her colleagues grumbled about students using their cell phones during class, including one lady who swore she was too old to get this "new technology" and never used even a flip phone. Morgana had rolled her eyes at that. After all, she was more than a thousand years old and had no problem understanding cell phones.
"As some of you may know, we will be covering King Arthur next. What do you all know about King Arthur?"
A short girl with brown hair raised her hand.
"Yes, Adrielle?"
"King Arthur was most likely not a real person."
"I can assure you King Arthur was as real as you or I."
"How do you know that?" Adrielle raised her eyebrow, eyeing Morgana skeptically.
"Because I am his sister."
That got some of the class's attention. Some of them snapped to attention, thinking they had definitely heard wrong.
"Well then, that would make you one thousand five hundred years old. And a witch," Adrielle replied sarcastically.
"Indeed it would," Morgana said with a smirk. She lit a fire in her palm.
In the next five seconds, one student fell out of her chair, another sprayed out the water in his mouth, two girls wrapped their arms around each other while screaming, and a boy grabbed the fire extinguisher. The teacher counted four students who fainted. Much of the class froze in their seats with shocked expressions on their faces.
"Really? Is this what it takes to get you to pay attention in my class?"
Adrielle shivered in her chair. "Just so you all know, according to the legends, King Arthur's sister happens to be an evil witch."
Several more screams could be heard even from where Rob the hall monitor stood halfway across the school. Morgana winced. This wasn't turning out as well as she had hoped. Maybe she should have asked Merlin, so he could tell her it was a horrible idea. Then again, she wouldn't have listened to him and would have done it anyway.
"Let me tell you about that."
Morgana glared at Merlin, who gripped Excalibur firmly. "Now you're the only one standing between me and my throne. Arthur's about to die. Do you know how happy that makes me feel?"
"You loved him once, as a brother." He glanced over at a wounded Arthur.
Morgana looked as well. She tried to fight tears streaming down her face as she remembered how she used to tease Arthur about her being the better swordfighter, or when she won a bet and he had to walk around in a dress all day.
"What have I done?"
She ran over to Merlin and snatched Excalibur out of his hands. Merlin prepared to summon it back to himself if Morgana tried to use it against him. Instead, she plunged its hilt into the ground.
Morgana attempted to fall on the enchanted blade, but she stopped in midair.
"Merlin. It's too late for me. Let me die. Then you can help Gwen rule Camelot."
"Or we can help Arthur rule Camelot."
Arthur! She had forgotten. Morgana rushed over and placed her hands on her brother's chest. "Arthur." She sobbed. "I can save you. I will save you."
Within seconds Arthur could walk again. "Morgana?"
Morgana said nothing. She could only smile. A genuine smile this time, not a cruel one.
Merlin found her smile was contagious. "Shall we go back, then? All of us. Morgana, I'm truly grateful," he said with mock seriousness. "Camelot might not have survived without its resident boastful, arrogant prat."
"I can't go back. No one will want me back."
Perhaps Merlin needed to remain serious for a little while longer. "I want you back, Morgana. You have no idea how long I've wanted you back. In more ways than one."
"Merlin. First I find out you have magic. Then you stop Morgana from dying, and, surprisingly enough, I'm not mad at you for it."
Morgana froze.
"You have magic?"
"Tell me, what else do you think you know?"
Adrielle relaxed slightly. "King Arthur led his army to victory against the Saxons."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Only my sister would ask for the opportunity to face an entire invading army alone, as a birthday present, might I add." He did his best Uther voice. "I will not be having my ward fight a whole army by herself. That is unacceptable behavior for a lady of the court. Tell me, what man would want you after you do such a thing?"
Morgana squeezed Merlin's hand. "This man better still want me. Otherwise, when I'm done with the Saxons, he's next."
"Morgana, please reconsider what you are about to do," Arthur said.
"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!"
Arthur sighed. "Morgana, I know you would win. But I wouldn't like for the opposing army's swords to fly around and impale them while you stand in front of them with a terrifying smile on your face."
Morgana glowered at Merlin. "Clotpole. Why did you have to tell him?"
"Hey! That's my word. Think about it, Morgana. A single encounter with you and they probably will ban all magic. I know not being evil is depriving you of opportunities to use fun offensive spells, but not now, okay?"
He does have a point. "I'm married to you. Can't I use your words whenever I want?"
"Can't you come up with some original insults?"
"Merlin suggested you simply disarm all the soldiers. The reason I don't hold diplomatic meetings here is that the visiting party glances over at you and suddenly I feel like I'm wringing concessions from them. If you had your way I'd never feel right negotiating a treaty again."
"Disarming them? Maybe I'll have to drag Merlin along so I won't be bored out of my mind. They'll stop being afraid once they realize I'm not killing them."
"It'll be mostly me, then. I can disarm far more soldiers than Morgana. Look, I can brag, just like Arthur, but I'll actually be doing the work."
"Shut up, idiot."
Morgana could count on Merlin to use her competitive spirit to ease her disappointment at not massacring an army of Saxons.
"Oh, no. I'll do the work and you'll take the credit. Then you'll really be like Arthur."
Arthur sighed. "I probably only keep you two around because I'd rather lose my pride than my soldiers, but I'm King here. At least let me have some dignity. Besides, I'm about to have the great fun of telling my council that my plan for dealing with the invasion is to send my sister and the most powerful idiot in the world."
"Merlin's pile did have more weapons than mine. But don't remind him. Then he won't shut up about it for the next hundred years." She pointed to a boy munching on an apple. "Yes, Daniel?"
"You were married to him? But he was an old man at that time, right?"
"Oh. That." Morgana snickered. "And are, not were. We're still married."
"Merlin, we need a painting of you for the castle wall," Arthur declared. "Get there early so the artist can get a good look at you. He's never seen you before."
"That might be awkward later, Sire, when a hundred years later I'm trying to assume a new identity, and I still look like the painting."
"Oh, come on, Merlin, you can take it down in a hundred years, right?"
"I still don't think it's a good idea."
"Show up tomorrow, Merlin. That's an order."
And so Dragoon the Great arrived bright and early the next day to be painted.
"How about the knights?" a boy from the front asked. "Were they as brave as the legends say?"
Morgana snickered. "Sometimes. Let's go back a bit."
Leon and Percival watched Gwaine and Arthur spar.
"So," Leon began. "How crazy is Merlin, anyway?"
"How crazy does a man have to be to court Morgana?"
Leon shrugged. "Gwaine will flirt with anything in a dress and even he's not crazy enough to try."
"Crazier than Gwaine, then." They both turned their heads slightly. If Gwaine was offended, he didn't show it.
"Arthur and Merlin are the only two of us who don't have to worry about her throwing us against the wall whenever she gets angry. She is absolutely terrifying."
"We should thank Merlin for taking the job. Someone needs to do it, so she doesn't spend every waking hour tormenting us because she's bored. That poor boy." Percival raised the pitch of his voice. "Merlin, what do you mean you don't want to spend the evening watching me torture prisoners in the dungeons?"
Arthur sighed. "Aren't you exaggerating?"
Leon matched Percival's pitch. "Oh, Merlin, I can't believe you stood me up last night. I'll have to burn you alive now."
Morgana crossed her arms. "Oh, if he stood me up without a good reason, such as saving knights of Camelot because they're too busy doing Morgana impressions to be training properly, believe me, I'd do much worse to him." She suspended both the knights in midair in front of her, shooting them that glare that would send them scurrying if they could move.
"When did she get here?" Percival paled.
"She heard everything, didn't she?" Leon turned as white as his friend.
"Arthur! Help! Save us!"
"You deserve whatever happens to you, you know," Arthur said as he blocked Gwaine's strike with his shield.
"Who else tried to court you?"
"Everyone knew I was taken. Though that reminds me of a funny story." She looked around the room. Most of the class seemed too entertained to remember that she was a witch.
Arthur eyed the visitors suspiciously. Camelot was now large enough that he had visitors from places he had never heard of.
One man from near the front of the procession spoke. "What a beauty," he remarked. "Tell me, my lord, is she married?"
How bold. "No, she's not, but I wouldn't if I were you," Arthur warned.
As it turned out, courting Morgana was merely an excuse to get her alone so she could be kidnapped and held for ransom. Gwaine had been at the tavern when a conspirator let slip the plot, so he passed the information on to Arthur and the knights training with him at the time. They all had a good laugh over the kidnappers' terrible luck in choosing targets. Then, like any good brother would, Arthur informed his sister before telling everyone else to watch the show.
Later that evening, the man approached Morgana near her chambers. He bowed.
"I am Earl Reuben." He heard a crash as Leon fell over Percival trying to get a better look from around the corner. Luckily, Reuben mistook it for his fellow kidnappers bungling the job. Morgana rolled her eyes.
Leon heard Morgana's voice in his head. I know you're there.
"Aren't the stars beautiful this evening?" The witch grinned maliciously.
"Oh, they are just lovely." Reuben glanced around nervously, wondering when his backup would come. Seeing no one, he charged at Morgana.
"Are you looking for these men?" She levitated four men out of her chambers, then threw them at Reuben. "Arthur, what are you doing here?"
Arthur stepped out. "I brought the knights, for protection, of course."
"Mine or theirs?"
"Good question."
"I suppose the servants are also there for protection? Funny, they're not even armed."
Gwaine spotted a few servants' heads poking out from the opposite corner.
"This is insulting. You thought five people could capture me?" She sent a sharp pain shooting through the kidnappers' legs.
Arthur struggled to be heard over the screaming that followed. "You have the option of going to the dungeons, if you would like. Or I can leave you here with her."
Never did any of them expect to beg to be sent to a dungeon, but all of them did so anyway. Arthur ordered four of them to be hauled off, leaving only Reuben.
Arthur grinned. "For someone who wanted to court my sister, you don't seem pleased that I've given you the perfect opportunity to spend time with her. It must be because I haven't given you my permission! They're a good match, wouldn't you say, Gwaine? I give you my permission to court the Lady Morgana."
Gwaine chuckled. "Congratulations! I'd watch out if she gets mad, though, she might slip a couple snakes into you."
"S-she's already mad! Hurry up and take me to the dungeon!"
"No, she's just annoyed. Trust me, you don't want to see her mad."
Adrielle spoke up again. "Who else attacked, besides the Saxons?"
"Given that Merlin and I fought for Camelot, we had mostly non-magical enemies. I know Odin was planning an invasion, but I managed to change his mind about it by flipping his castle upside-down. Some others did attack us."
Just then, the bell rang.
"I'll have to save that story for later. Your homework is to choose a character from Arthurian legend, do some research, and write a biography for him or her, so I can tell you why it's completely wrong."
"Well, time for all my stuff to get completely soaked," Daniel said with mock cheerfulness, noting the heavy downpour outside.
Morgana muttered a few words, parting the clouds. "Is that better?" she asked, smirking.
Her class left the room, staring at her in awe as they left.
Please review, so I know whether or not I should write more :)