Chapter 2: The Nightmare Begins

It had been weeks since Gwen's death, but Morgana still felt distraught. She didn't leave her room unless absolutely necessary. Even Arthur was recovering, but she wasn't. On top of that, she was still having nightmares. But one thunderous night, things got worse. She woke up in the middle of the night and looked at a blown-out candle, and suddenly flames grew out of it. She was terrified and screamed, and the window in her room shattered outward. She was already afraid that her nightmares, which sometimes actually happened, were caused by magic, but this all but confirmed it in her mind.

The next morning, the king, the prince, and his servant came to her chambers. Both Uther and Arthur were convinced that it was the result of magic. Arthur even told her that he would hunt down the "evil sorcerer" and kill him, and by doing so, he would further the mission of avenging Gwen. He thought that this would comfort Morgana, but it only made her more terrified. This shocked Arthur, as he started to grow increasingly paranoid. He was already suspicious of his own servant, but now Morgana also seemed sympathetic to sorcery. Who could he trust in the fight against sorcery anymore? Only his father, Arthur, finally decided.

Morgana decided to tell Gaius about her magic. But like always, Gaius treated her like a child and denied what was obvious reality. She thought there was nothing else she could do. She went back to her chambers, hoping that Gwen would comfort her to sleep. And when she entered her chambers, she remembered what had happened. The new servant, whose name she couldn't recall, did not care about her at all and had already left. She took the candle in her room out and then went to bed. But then the flower vase in her room exploded. She was sure that it was magic. It couldn't be anything else.

She went to the physician's chambers, where there was only Merlin, and asked him, "Is Gaius here?" He replied, "No, he's not here at the moment; he should be back soon though." Morgana quickly said, "I need to speak with him! Where is he?" to which Merlin replied, "He's gone to see the king." He then asked, "What's wrong?" Morgana seemed to wish not to answer, so Merlin reassured her by saying, "You can trust me, Morgana; you know you can." She then finally said, "I'm scared, Merlin. I don't understand anything anymore. I need to know what's happening." Merlin was conflicted. He wanted to tell her everything. If he did, she would finally understand her gift and could use it for good. But he remembered the dragon's words, that she would become his enemy and turn to evil. Just as he was about to dismiss her concerns due to this, she added, "Please." That broke him. The dragon had already been wrong once, and how could this innocent girl, whose only "crime" was her gift, turn evil? No, he decided; she needed to know. "You have magic, Morgana," he said solemnly.

She looked both relieved and terrified and said, "Thank you, Merlin. I needed to hear that from someone." He stared at her for a moment and then finally went to reassure her, "Your magic is a gift. You don't have to fear it." She asked, "How do you know that? Arthur keeps saying that magic killed Gwen." Merlin had to decide once more. Should he tell her about his magic? If he did, he could actually help her. But if she knew but still turned evil, he would be in a very disadvantageous position. But he had already told her about her magic. No, the great dragon was completely wrong. She should know. So, he finally said, "Arthur is wrong. Magic is a tool. It can be used for both good and evil. I know this because," he paused to whisper a spell, 'Blóstma' and then continued, "I have magic." He then gave her the red rose he had created with the spell.

Morgana was shocked. Merlin had magic. That changed everything. She took the flower in her hand and asked him, "So you also get nightmares like me?" He realized he would have to do a bit more explaining. He told her, "You're a seeress, Morgana, on top of being a witch. Your dreams are prophecies of the future. I'm just a warlock, meaning I was born with magic and am powerful with it." She asked, "Why did you come to Camelot? Ealdor would've been safer." He said, "I thought I had a pre-defined destiny to protect Arthur. It's all part of some weird ancient prophecy, the details of which even I do not know. At this point, I'm not really sure." Morgana just said, "Ok," and then realized she had to ask a much more pressing question, "What do I do to stop accidentally using magic?" Merlin said, "The only way to do that is by learning magic, I'm afraid. Your natural abilities are powerful. You have to learn how to control them, or they will manifest by themselves." She realized what he was implying. She said, "And can you teach me to do that?" Merlin performed a light bow and said, "Of course, my lady." She quickly said, "Meet me in my chambers tomorrow night," and then left the physician's chambers.

Gaius then entered the chambers and said, "I just saw Morgana leaving. Why was she here, Merlin?" Merlin decided it would be best if Gaius knew he told her, even if he wouldn't be happy about it. So he said, "I told her, Gaius. I told her everything, about her powers and about mine." Gaius was furious and said, "Why did you do that, Merlin? Your secret is something to be protected with your life." He retorted, "Maybe, but Morgana needed my help, so I gave it. She's my friend, and she won't betray me. To help her control her magic, I'll teach her." Gaius immediately said, "No, Merlin, it's too dangerous. If you are caught ..." Merlin interrupted him, "It's already a risk even being in Camelot, Gaius. If I can't help people with my powers, what's the point in even having them?" Gaius said, "To protect Arthur." Merlin said, "I don't know if I'm meant to do that anymore. I'm afraid Gwen's death has hardened his heart against magic forever." Gaius was concerned about what Merlin was saying but didn't want to argue, so he simply said, "Don't be reckless, Merlin," to which Merlin didn't respond. He went to his room, knowing he had made the right decision.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review if you have any thoughts, positive or negative.