Thank you very much for reading this new chapter. I really hope that you are enjoying the story and where its going. I also just realised that if I am able to keep updating once a week, then the last chapter will be posted on the last day of the year. That wasn't planned at all just another happy coincidence.

There was only one place Morgana could think to take Mordred to keep him safe while things hopefully calmed down. The small, dark hovel she had spent many long lonely days and nights. As the cloud of smoke that signaled their arrival dissipated she helped Mordred try and stand, but his legs gave out and he sunk back to the ground. Morgana held him tightly as she used her magic to ease him into a deep sleep. Which she quickly realised had not been the best idea, as she was then forced to drag him towards the small bed and onto it. It was not the first hasty choice that she had made that day that she came to regret.

Now that she had time to stop and think she couldn't understand how far things had spiraled out of control so quickly. Today was meant to be her and Merlin's public wedding day and yet she was back here. Back in one of the palaces where she had felt the most alone and helpless she had ever felt in her life. Even when she had been the one in the cell. She of course was not alone this time. That was the ironically the problem. It had been so stupid to run away like they did. It was just going to drag things out further and make it harder to argue for lenience.

A sudden urge run, to leave, to go back and deal with this now before it got worse came over her. Still Morgana remained standing very still in the centre of the hovel, that had never felt so small. Her chest began to get tight as her head rushed with all the possibilities of how badly things could play out. Taking in a few deep calming breaths, she was able to steady her nerves. She couldn't understand why she felt so panicked and frightened right now. Arthur had said himself he had no plan to have Kara executed for killing Uther. Her own life had been in danger any number of times, but she didn't think she had ever felt so frightened before. A voice in the back of her mind was telling her to be afraid and she couldn't shake it.

So Morgana tried to rationalise, it was of course because it was now other people's lives that were in danger, people that she cared for deeply, not her own, that was the difference. She felt very protective of Mordred and Kara. They had both lost and suffered so much because of Uther and his fear, she could not allow them to suffer further still because of him. She felt that she had let them both down in the past, that she should have done more to help them, shield them from the influence of Uther's unjust law and hate. That was why it scared her so much. The witch tried to make herself believe this as she stood in the cold dark hovel.

She could do nothing to help either of them if she stayed here. She had to return to Camelot right now. She had to speak to Merlin.

With a pang of guilty she looked to Mordred Who was still sleeping deeply and would continue to do so for hours still. Morgana closed her eyes, gathered her strength and focus as she again used her magic to carry her back to her room in Camelot.

When she opened her eyes she was back in the room that she had spent the majority of her life. A room that no matter how long she was away for it never seemed to change. But now there was a very big difference, that she saw the second she opened her eyes.

"Morgana-"

Was all that Merlin got out before Morgana flew towards him wrapping her arms around him as she placed her head on his chest. He held her back as steadied herself to tell him what had happened.

Kara took in one deep breath after another as she watched the stairs at the end of the corridor as the sound of heavy footsteps got louder as they drew nearer to her and the wounded knight. When the feet, then legs and then the rest of the person coming finally came into view she was not sure if she felt relived or not. The king's face looked annoyed at first at not finding Pericaval at his post. The when he saw the knight slumped against the wall, a pool of blood growing under him, his face whitened as he picked up speed to the reach the injured knight. Who was quickly telling him what had just happened.

As Arthur sat down next to Percival, Kara raised her hands in a show of acquiescence. Arthur didn't seem to notice he was to busy helping Percival to stand up. Once they were both standing he gestured for Kara to do so as well while he took the keys from Percival and unlocked another cell. With no protest Kara entered the new cell. Keeping her back towards the door as it closed behind her.

It was only then, when she was along in the dark did she allow herself to let her fear overtake her. She sank to her knees her heart racing, her breath shallow. to calm her she kept reminding herself that Mordred was safe.

It was not a easy to quick task getting Percival to Gaius's chambers. Which was made only slightly easier because it was so close. Pushing the door open with his Foot Arthur dragged Percival through inside.

Gaius had been about to go in search of Merlin to find out what was going on, when the king barged in with the wounded knight. He knew Arthur had lied when he said the wedding was being postponed to wait for Hunith to be able to attend. Something was wrong and the old man was worried. That worry only got worse when the door just feet before him was kicked open.

He quickly feel into action doing what he had done for decades. He cleaned the wound and wrapped it tightly to stop the bleeding. The bleeding had lessened but it was still flowing. He told the tall knight, while trying not to sound to worried, not to move, to keep his leg elevated and straight out before him. He than gave him a large tankard of water. Telling him now to drink slowly but to drink it all. He need to replenish the fluids he had lost. Through out all of this Percival sat up, his eye set on the spot next to the door where Gaius's keys hung on a hook. Only looking to Gaius when he was spoken to directly.

Arthur stood a little to the side, out of the way. His eyes too were set at a specific spot, the floor in his case, as he was deep in thought. He had planned to be as lenience with Kara and Mordred as he possibly could, without seeming weak. He did understand, though he didn't want to, why Kara held such deep animosity towards his father. He could not say it was not warranted. This new development changed things, it made it harder for him to be magnanimous with the young couple. It was one thing to harm someone that had done you a great harm. It was another thing altogether to harm someone that was meant to be your brother in all but blood. Arthur believed he knew Mordred well enough to know that he must be feeling a oppressive guilt at harming Pericaval, even when it was due to an accident. Which Arthur was inclined to believe was what happened like Pericaval said. There was the possibility that the older knight was trying to cover a little for the other, but Arthur thought he would be able to tell if there was a underlining hostility toward Mordred in what Pericaval said. This did not change the fact that Mordred had taken up arms against a fellow knight.

No, Arthur was sure, it was an accident. Unfortunately that didn't make it any easier to know how to deal with it all.

Merlin in shock pulled back from Morgana so he could see her face as she finished telling him what had happened.

"Is he alright." He asked.

"Yes, He won't wake for hours." She said quickly sounding like she was trying to reassure herself of what she said.

Merlin seemed confused by her answer at first, then they realised they had been talking about different people.

"I was asking about Percival." Merlin clarified, though there was little reason to now.

"He'll live it was a small cut-"

"How do you know, you left with the man that stabbed him without even checking he was alright." Merlin accused quickly not letting her finish.

Raised voice and heated, angry works that cut deeper than any blade ever could, were not a uncommon exchange between the couple. But this time it felt like a cold dagger through Morgana's heart.

Merlin watched his wife as he felt his frustration fall back like the tide washing away. She looked so hurt. Swiftly he pulled her back into his chest as he told her he was sorry. He was just able to make out her telling him that if Percival had been badly hurt she would have stayed and healed him. Of course he knew deep down that if that was the case then Morgana would have done exactly that. He felt sure that Mordred himself or Kara would have done what they could to heal the knight if he was badly hurt. He was just frustrated and felt helpless to do anything at all to quell the complex and potentially volatile situation. It was his job now after all. To be able to navigate a solution to such fraught affairs.

Morgana accepted his apology with a tiny nod of the head, but he could still see the hurt in her eyes. See too her begin to built up the walls she used to protect herself for being hurt the same way again. The walls that had been very slowly over the years begun to crumble. Merlin was convinced that he could physically see her bright green eyes cloud over. It had taken so long for him to break through her defenses, to win her trust back. Against the odds he had found some way to do what he thought was impossible and here was was sabotaging himself when they had only been married a little over a week, just ten days to be specific.

"I'm sorry." He said again. Hoping she might believe him more if she heard it a second time. "I know you care for them, but-"

"Don't."

"Morgana what they had done can't be brushed away." He said as gently as he could.

"I know that." Morgana snapped. "What Uther's done cant be brushed away either. Nothing that Arthur dose is going to remove the scars those like us." She enthused the word us, so there was way that Merlin could continue to act like this didn't effect him personally "Are forced to live with because of other peoples fear."

As she spoke of scars she lifted her arms and held them out between them. She turned them round so he could clearly see her wrists. Wrists that were scared with deep scars gained from years of imprisonment by a man more ruthless than her father. The scars on her left wrist were deep, darker than on her right. A reminder of the bracelet that Uther had forced her to wear in a bid to repress her magic.

Cautiously Merlin lifted his hands and wrapped them gently over her wrists. He could use his magic to heal the scars so she never had to look at them, feel them every again. Morgana could do the same thing, but she choose not to. For whatever reason, he was not very sure she choose to live with them. Most likely so that she never allowed herself to be complacent. His rough thumb ran over the rough, raised skin wishing he could not just erase the marks, but the deeper ones too.

"It has to begin somewhere." He said in a low voice.

Morgana choose not to respond to that. She admired her husbands optimism and didn't want to try and dent it. But she could not make herself feel that same optimum.

"You've never fully trusted Mordred." She said, not as an accusation or a insult, but as a fact.

"I have never wished him ill."

"I know, but that's not the same thing." Morgana didn't push the point any further. "I won't deny that I'm biased, but I would do the same for anyone else of our kind that committed the crime."

Merlin nodded. "You can't protect everyone."

"No, but the ones I can." She didn't finish, she didn't need to.

The door suddenly burst open as Arthur entered.

"Good, You've returned." He greeted Morgana as he met them in the centre of the room. "I suppose it's to much to ask that Mordred has returned with you."

"It would be." Morgana said, all of her fear and insecurity pushed aside.

"Where is he Morgana." Arthur asked.

Morgana met his eyes and answered. "You know I can't tell you that."

"Not can't Morgana, wont."

"Semantics. It doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to tell you."

Arthur sighed and turned from Morgana to Merlin. Asking him to tell him what he knew.

"I don't know." Merlin answered truthfully, but it was not as simple as that and they all knew it.

Merlin was very sure that he knew where Mordred was. There was no way that he was going to tell Arthur that. At least not if he didn't have to. He hoped that they would be able to find a solution before things escalated further.

Morgana then step forward drawing Arthur's attention back to her. "Please Arthur let Kara go. Then we'll leave, and you will never have to see them again or my if you don't want."

"Even if I wanted to I can't allow the person, whoever they are that killed the king to-"

"Don't. Hasn't he taken enough, damaged enough lives." She asked, but Arthur didn't answer.

It was clear that neither of them was willing to back down. They were both far to stubborn for that. They were also both motivated mainly by a need to protect those under their rule. So Merlin had to try and calm things as best as he could.

"We are going around in circles. I understand this is important to both of you, to all of us. But arguing like this is getting no one anywhere." He looked back and forth between them both as he spoke. "I think we should but this behind us-"

"Merlin." Arthur snapped.

"For now, for tonight. We still have the feast. Everyone is expecting a celebration." Though one in the room felt much like celebrating right now. "It's what the people need right now after everything that's happened recently."

Arthur and Morgana stayed silent. Both knew that what Merlin said made sense. They just didn't want to be the first to be seem to give in.

The silence dragged on for a while, Neither giving in. Just as it seemed like they were both about to agree to a truce for now at about the same time. Signaled by a meeting of the eyes and the smallest of nods, the door once again opened, without a knock to first announce the new arrival. Though it was a less violent opening this time it was no less urgent.

Gaius quickly entered the room. He had been in two minds about where Arthur would go first. To Gwen to tell her of the new developments or to Merlin to see if he knew where Morgana and Mordred may have gone. In the end he believed that Arthur would want to find out what Merlin might know first. So the old man made his way to Morgana's chambers. Hoping he was right. When he saw the king he felt relieved, then when he saw Morgana had returned he did not know how to feel. He couldn't tell if it was for the best or not that she was here. In the end he thought that at least it would allow things to be dealt with more swiftly. None of this however made what he had to say next any easier.

"I'm afraid that sir Percival has died." He said quietly. In a voice worn down by age and experience.

It never got any easier to deliver such news. No matter how many times he had to do it. In fact it seemed to grew harder over time. As he grew older, but those that died remained young. With so much life left to live ahead of them. So much lost potential. He had long ago lost count of the number of young men like Percival and Eylan that he had been unable to do anything for, unable to save. But it hit just as hard, harder still when he knew them well.

"How, I just left him five minuets ago. He was fine." Arthur asked. Sounding both shocked and weary by the news. He too was beginning to notice that the loses he suffered grew harder rather than easier to move on from and he to was unable to do anything to stop it.

"He lost to much blood." Gaius answered.

"No." Morgana said as she stepped forward. "It was a small cut, a nick." She said trying to sound certain.

Arthur looked at her coldly, Merlin looked conflicted. He believed that she believed or wanted to believe that it was a small cut. Her priority at the time had clearly been Mordred and Kara's wellbeing. He did not discount that she might have misjudged things in her haste and panic. Whatever had happed she was clearly pained by it now. She had had little dealings with Percival but she would not wish him ill, yet alone dead. That was all that Merlin needed to know. Arthur was a different story.

Fortunately Gaius responded to the witch before Arthur could say anything. Something that he would quickly come to regret and could not easily take back and move on from.

"It was a small cut. A Puncture more accurately, it was deeper that it looked." Gaius clarified. "By the time I noticed it was to late. He had already lost too much blood."

"You missed something." Arthur accused the old man now.

"Arthur." Merlin cautioned the king.

"It was impossible to know sire." Gaius half heartedly defended himself. "It was a single small wound. There was no evidence that it was as deep as it was. We all took it at face value, because we wanted it to be a flesh wound. We all missed it." He carried on sounding more confident as he went on.

Arthur's anger towards the old physician now seemingly passed, he turned his attention and anger back to Morgana. "Where is he." He asked Morgana again in a voice as cold as steel.

Her mind was clearly racing with many thoughts, but she maintained a blank face. Merlin had to admit he was impressed, though he knew well enough to know that his wife had nerves of steel. As strong as Arthur's words were cutting. She clenched her hands as she shook her head.

"Someone is died, Percival is died." Arthur's voice rose as he spoke. "That can't be pushed aside. There has to be consequences, repercussions for that."

"You know its not that simple." Morgana finally spoke in a low voice.

"No, you just want it to be." Arthur bit back.

"I will not give him up." Morgana made clear in a firm voice.

Merlin took a step closer to his wife. "Please Morgana. This can't go on any longer." He pleaded.

She looked him in the eye and he could see how much it was paining her to be in this situation, but she would not back down. She could not back down. She was pleading with him to stand by her, support her, but he couldn't bring himself to give her the reassurance that she was asking for, that she needed. Turning away from him Morgana looked back at her brother.

"What is killing either of them going to do. What possible good can come from that."

"No good, but justice." Arthur cut her off quickly.

"Oh, an eye for an eye. Right." She mocked. Arthur didn't answer but they all knew she was right. That was exactly what Arthur was thinking. "Because if that's what you what then we both know which side has the biggest debt to pay." Her heart was racing, but not from fear as she stepped closer to Arthur. "If that is what you want, then you would be willing to offer up the lives of men, women and children. Hundreds, thousands to make up for the ones your father and the role that you carry on."

Arthur flinched first and took a step back.

"I didn't thinks so." She mocked with a cruel smile. "So we can forget about pretending this is about justice. Because we can go down the road reparations if you really want, but we both know your not willing to pay that debt."

Everyone would think that it was a simple matter. Black and white, right and wrong. Mordred and Kara were both responsible for the death of another person. Therefore they had to face the consequences. The difficulty was that they had both been persecuted their whole lives for simply being who they were. they had long ago learned to live in fear. Always on guard, on the defensive. The people that they had killed were the man responsibility for their percussion and a man that was a part of the organisation that was a tool for that percussion. Making it a mess. There was really only one villain and he was dead, the other three were victims.

In what was becoming very common in the castle now the door was once again opened suddenly without a knock or a voice announcing itself. Carrying news that they deemed to important for politeness.

That you very much again for reading. I really do hope that you are enjoying the ending arch of the story. Also again if there is anything that I haven't addressed that you feel needs to be dealt with before the end of the story then please let me know so I can work it in. Also please let me know if anything doesn't make sense. If any characters action don't make sense. This chapter had a number of characters making major choices and I really hope that I have been able to explain their thought process clearly so that it makes sense and no one feels out of character or like they are making choices that don't make any sense at all.

Five more to go. Still can not believe it is almost over. Like I said before there is a very likely chance that there will be a short last chapter. A kind of end credit scene more than an epilog. But there is still only five fall length chapter to go.

As always any comments, feedback or ideas that you may have are very welcome.