Amelia's POV
Morgana rushes into Amelia's Chambers during the night waking Amelia.
"Amelia! Amelia! Come quickly!" She cries.
"Morgana? Breathe! What is it?" Amelia asks calmly, trying to calm her down.
"Gwen's father has been arrested!" Morgana cries.
"What for?" Amelia asks but Morgana shakes her head, indicating that she does not know. "Let's go to Uther."
The two of them rush to where Uther and Arthur have convened in Uther's Chambers still only in their nightgowns. Both only finding time to grab a shawl to wear over top.
—
"Treason?!" Morgana cries once they are told what Gwen's father had been arrested for.
"Yes, Morgana, treason. The Blacksmith was consorting with a known enemy." Uther says, taking a sip of his drink in his hand.
"Enemy? What enemy?" Amelia questions.
"Tauren," Arthur says from behind her. Amelia and Morgana turn to look at Arthur who is leaning on a table. "The leader of a band of renegade sorcerers sworn to bring down the King."
"And where is this Tauren now?" Morgana asks.
"He escaped," Arthur says looking down.
"Well, then how can you be sure?" Morgana asks, walking over to him. Amelia follows.
"Because Arthur saw him with his own eyes," Uther says, now walking around the table drinking from his goblet.
"Well, even if the man is who you say he is, you can't sentence Tom to death for just being seen with him!" Amelia declares.
"We have reason to believe he was forging weapons for Tauren," Uther says, now standing on the opposite side of the table to her and Morgana.
"Rubbish! He would never do such a thing." Morgana says strongly.
"Every man has a price," Uther says.
Arthur slides the lump of gold across the table. "Found this on the Blacksmith."
"So he was paid! He's a Blacksmith. He could've been paid for shoeing Tauren's horse!" Morgana says.
"In gold?" Uther says doubtfully.
"This is madness! You condemn a man with no proof!" Amelia says.
"I have enough proof," Uther says, walking away.
Morgana turns to Arthur. "Arthur! Have you nothing to say?"
Arthur looks down for a moment before speaking, "Father, the Blacksmith committed a crime, but we don't know for certain he meant treason."
Uther nods as if agreeing. "No. You're right. Nothing's certain. Save one thing. The law stands or this Kingdom falls."
"But the law must give him a fair trial!" Amelia says.
"He'll get a fair trial, and he'll be found guilty, 'cause that's what he is." Well, he's doomed.
"You execute Gwen's father, and I will never forgive you," Morgana says then begins walking out of the room. "Never."
Amelia immediately follows throwing a glare in Uther's direction before leaving.
—
Anne's POV
Anne waits with Merlin and Gaius in the Dungeons while Gwen speaks with her father. After a few minutes, Gwen emerges from her father's Cell.
"What did he say?" Merlin asks.
"He said Tauren came to him at the forge, offered to pay him a fortune for his help, not to make weapons, for an experiment or something," Gwen explains.
"What kind of experiment?" Anne asks.
"Tauren didn't say. But he used some kind of stone...some kind of magic..." Gwen responds. Anne shares a concerned look with Merlin and Gaius.
They take Gwen to Gaius' Chambers and place her in Merlin's Chamber so that she will get some rest.
Once Gwen falls asleep, Gaius leaves the room while Anne stays with Gwen. The door is left open and she can hear Merlin and Gaius' conversation clearly.
"She's sleeping now," Gaius says.
"I don't understand it. What would a sorcerer want with Tom?" Merlin questions.
"His forge, Merlin. It's the finest in the Kingdom."
"You think Tom was lying? You think he really was making weapons?" Merlin asks with surprise and curiosity. Anne chews her lip. She hopes not.
"No, I don't," Gaius says with finality in his voice.
"Then what?" Merlin asks.
"When Tom was arrested, they found gold on him," Gaius says.
"So?" Merlin says. Anne frowns. What does finding gold on Tom mean?
"And from what Gwen was saying, Tauren's experiment bears all the hallmarks of alchemy." Anne turns her gaze from Gwen to glance towards Merlin and Gaius in surprise. That should not be possible.
"But alchemy's impossible, isn't it?" Merlin says, unknowingly saying her thoughts out loud.
"To change the very nature of one thing to another has defeated all who have tried. But if you used magic..." Gaius trails off.
"Do you think that's what woke me?" Merlin asks.
"It is possible, I suppose."
What has Tom gotten involved in?
—
Amelia's POV
Morgana wants to find where Gwen is when it gets to morning. Amelia suggests that they should split up as while Gwen could be at home, there is the chance that she might have gone to Anne's.
Amelia walks to Anne's house while Morgana to Gwen's.
"Gwen? Anne?" She calls as she pokes her head in after no one had answered her knocks. She looks around and sees that no one is there. Maybe Morgana had more luck?
She walks back up through the Lower Town towards the Castle as Anne's house is further away than Gwen's.
When she reaches Gwen's home, she sees Morgana stepping out of Tom's forge and it almost looks like she is hiding something in her pockets. Amelia had suggested that Morgana should also get pockets in her dress for practical purposes.
"Morgana?" Amelia calls.
Morgana looks up startled and looks slightly panicked but it disappears quickly leading Amelia to question whether she had actually seen it.
"She's not there," Morgana says, gesturing behind her. "I checked the house and the forge."
"She's not at Anne's either. Nor is Anne. Perhaps they are at Gaius' Chambers?" Amelia says.
Morgana nods and they walk towards Gaius' Chambers. When they reach the Castle, Morgana briefly deviates to her Chambers saying that she will join Amelia in a moment. Amelia frowns. Something was going on. But she does not say anything, only nodding, hoping that whatever Morgana is hiding, she will eventually tell her. She takes this opportunity to check her notes.
Gwen's father is arrested for working with a sorcerer. Morgana helps him escape. Father gets murdered. Morgana conspires with the sorcerer to kill Uther but does not go through with it.
Amelia drops her notes in surprise. Oh god. Maybe she could get Morgana to not try to help Tom. Even if he survives, escaping would make him look even more guilty. She has to stop her.
—
They both enter Gaius' Chambers and after seeing no one in the main section, Amelia and Morgana enter Merlin's Chamber. Merlin is sitting on the floor leaning against the post.
"Merlin," Morgana says quietly drawing his attention.
"Morgana. Amelia." He says, standing up.
Amelia looks at Gwen sleeping on the bed. "How is she?"
"She's doing OK," Merlins says.
"We should let her rest," Morgana says.
"Yeah," Merlin whispers, following them as they exit.
"Morgana, Amelia," Merlin calls, stopping them at the bottom of the steps that lead to his Chamber, "have you spoken to Uther? He must realise this is a mistake. Whatever Tom was doing, it wasn't plotting against the King."
"We know that. Of course we do. But Uther... Uther only sees enemies." Amelia says.
"But Tom is the most gentle soul I've ever met," Merlin argues.
"But he was seen with Tauren, and that makes him an enemy," Morgana says. They turn to leave but Merlin speaks.
"Then there's little hope?"
"There's no hope, Merlin. None at all." Morgana says then leaves. Amelia smiles sadly at him before following Morgana.
"Morgana!" She calls, catching up with her further along the corridor.
Morgana stops turning to her. "We have got to do something, Amelia! Uther is never going to let Tom go free!"
"Think about this Morgana! Do not do anything rash! Wait till after the trial and if he is found guilty then we'll do something. Doing anything now to help Tom will only make him look guilty." Amelia argues.
Morgana nods then leaves. Amelia stands in the corridor alone. She is even more worried now. She does not know whether she has gotten through to Morgana or not.
—
She gets her answer when she is awoken by the warning bell. She's sure that this is likely to do with Tom. What has Morgana done?
Amelia gets very little sleep for the rest of the night and is once again disturbed by a wail echoing through the Square. She looks out of her window and sees Gwen running down the steps to her father's body, which is being carried off on a cart by a pair of Guards.
"No, Father! No, Father!" She cries.
Despite Morgana being partly to blame, Amelia can't help but feel great anger towards Uther as he is the one that likely gave the kill on sight order. Something he did not need to do but to him, Tom was already guilty. He's had an innocent man killed.
She storms into Uther's Chambers, barely waiting for the Guards to open the doors.
"You have blood on your hands, Uther Pendragon! Blood that will never wash off!" She cries, walking over to Uther, who is sitting on a bench reading a piece of paper.
"May I remind you that you're speaking to your King," Uther says, standing up and walking over to the table by the window.
Amelia follows. "May I remind you that a King is wise and just. You are neither. You rule only with the sword." She angrily accuses.
"You know nothing of what it means to be King. The fate of Camelot rests in my hands. It's my responsibility to protect the people of this land from its enemies." Uther says. Uther brings the goblet up to his mouth.
"Then the Kingdom is doomed!" Uther pauses his hand. "For one by one, you make enemies of us all! Do you not realise that your actions have consequences? You are pushing people away!"
"You speak treason, Amelia," Uther warns, getting over his surprise and taking a sip out of his goblet.
"Only a mad man hears the truth as treason." Amelia continues, not caring about his warning.
"Take care, child, or I'll have you restrained." Uther again warns.
"You just try."
—
Amelia is being dragged to the Dungeons and taken into a large prison Cell by some Guards, who begin chaining her to the wall. She continues to struggle despite knowing it is pointless.
"And you will remain here until you learn your lesson," Uther says from the door.
"Then release me because I've learned it already! That you care not for me, or anyone but yourself! That you're driven mad with power! That you're a tyrant!" Amelia cries.
Uther does not say anything and leaves with the Guards and the door is locked, leaving Amelia on her own. She looks down and tugs her chains with frustration.
She huffs and plonks herself on the floor. She's not in there for more than half an hour before the doors open again and Morgana is dragged in and being chained by the same Guards though this time Uther does not appear.
Once the Guards leave, Amelia turns to Morgana, "You too?" She says sarcastically.
Morgana glances up at her in surprise having not noticed her before. "Mmmm…" she nods.
"I suppose you had some involvement in Tom's escape?" Amelia asks her pointedly.
Morgana looks down shamefully. "Um… maybe." She mumbles, looking shiftily at the door.
"Just so you know I am disappointed with you," Amelia tells her.
"Why?" Morgana asks in surprise.
"If you had not helped him escape. Then Tom would not have been killed."
"Uther was not giving him a chance!" Morgana tries to defend herself.
"Well, he definitely did not thanks to you." Amelia turns and looks at a wall instead.
"Are you going to forgive me?" Morgana asks her quietly.
"Depends." Amelia glances at Morgana, who is looking down ashamed. Amelia's anger slips away slightly. "What will help is if you will be there for Gwen. You do not need to tell her of your involvement but you need to make it up to her." Amelia says. She cannot stay too mad at Morgana considering her actions had not come from a malicious place.
"I can do that." Morgana nods in determination. Amelia cannot help but smile slightly but she keeps her head turned so Morgana doesn't see.
—
Anne's POV
She sits on Merlin's bed with her arm wrapped around Gwen, who sits next to her, rubbing her shoulder. She is not really sure of what else she can do to comfort her as Gwen is not taking much notice of her surroundings and staring off into space.
Merlin then enters. "All right?" He asks. Anne gives him a look that she hopes conveys how stupid she thinks his question is. She believes she has succeeded when Merlin looks down at his feet.
"I just don't understand. Why did he try to escape? His trial was this morning." Gwen murmurs. She seems to have not noticed the silent conversation that has happened right next to her.
Someone knocks gently on the door. Arthur enters and Gwen stands up quickly to face him. Anne does the same.
"Sire." Gwen greets.
"Guinevere, I...want you to know that your job is safe. And that your home is yours for life. I guarantee you that. I know that under the circumstances it's not much but, erm, anything you want, anything you need, all you have to do is ask." Arthur says. Anne and Merlin nod to what he is saying.
Arthur begins to leave but pauses and turns back around. "I'm sorry."
"Thank you, Sire," Gwen says with a degree of surprise.
—
Amelia's POV
The next morning, Amelia and Morgana are still sitting on the floor of the Cell when the door opens and Arthur enters.
"You," Morgana says spitefully. "How proud you must be. Son of the mighty Uther. How you must look up to him. Does the King's little helper bring a message? Or have you just come to gloat?"
Instead of answering, Arthur calls, "Guards!"
Morgana stands up and backs away, pulling Amelia with her though they can't get far as this pulls on their chains. Amelia hisses in pain.
"Get away from us, you cowards!" Morgana says.
"You're free to go," Arthur announces. The Guards remove their manacles and leave. Amelia rubs her wrists, which have bruised during the night. She then walks to the door with Morgana.
"Morgana. Amelia." She pauses just behind Arthur. Morgana does the same.
"Yes?" Amelia says.
"I swore to him that both of you would never challenge his authority again. I swore that both of you had learned your lesson. Tread carefully. Next time, I may not be able to help you." Arthur tells them.
"Thank you. You're a better man than your father. Always were." Morgana says. They continue past him.
—
Amelia decides to go with Morgana to the latter's Chambers. When they enter, Gwen is sitting in the room. Gwen goes to them quickly.
"My Ladies!"
"Gwen. I didn't expect to see you here." Morgana says, trying to hurry around Gwen.
"What happened to the two of you?!" Gwen exclaims.
"Nothing. Well, nothing a hot bath wouldn't fix." Amelia says.
It is then that Amelia sees Gwen noticing the sores on their arms where the manacles rubbed.
"We spent the night in the Dungeon," Morgana explains.
"Uther." Gwen realises.
"He doesn't like to be challenged," Amelia says.
"It wasn't about my father, was it?" Gwen says worriedly.
"You have enough to deal with without worrying about such things," Amelia says, reaching out to her and placing a hand on her arm.
"Neither of you should have done that! Not on my behalf. If anything happened to either of you, I couldn't bear it." Gwen says.
"You need to go home, Gwen. Get some rest. Please." Morgana says.
"I'm fine, My Lady." Amelia sees that Gwen is trying to hide something.
"I insist," Morgana says. Gwen walks past her and Morgana with her head bowed, picking up a hairbrush.
"Gwen?" Gwen stops, her back to them. She is tense as if trying to control her emotions.
"Gwen?" Amelia calls this time.
"I can't go home!" Gwen tells them.
"It's understandable to feel so alone," Morgana says.
"Tauren..." Gwen reveals.
"Tauren?!" Amelia exclaims in surprise.
"He attacked me. He threatened me. He was looking for some kind of stone."
"Stone?" Morgana questions though by the look on her face she seems to know what Gwen is talking about. What is Morgana hiding?
"He said if I didn't bring it to him, he'd kill me. He's waiting for me in the Darkling Woods. I have to do something. If I don't get this stone to him by dawn tomorrow..." Gwen becomes quite upset.
Morgana begins walking off purposefully.
"What are you going to do?" Gwen calls to her.
"I'm going to send the Guards, of course. It won't be you that Tauren meets. It'll be the Knights of Camelot." Morgana says before rushing off.
"Morgana?" Amelia calls.
—
Anne's POV
Anne wakes in the middle of the night and sees a figure walking past the window. As she glances out, she sees that it is Morgana and not long later, she sees Merlin following. She puts on some shoes and a shawl and follows the two of them.
They continue through the Lower Town and into the woods. Morgana walks through the path while Merlin follows along a ridge behind trees and bushes at the side of the path. Morgana stops in the middle of the path and is suddenly surrounded by Tauren's men. Merlin hides behind a tree and to listens in on their conversation. Anne quietly sits next to him. Merlin jumps but relaxes when he sees it is just her.
"Where's your maid?" A man, who Anne can only assume is Tauren, says.
"I've come in her place," Morgana says.
"Kill her." Tauren orders.
"No! Wait! I brought the Stone!" Anne sees Morgana reach into her cloak, likely looking for the stone.
"What else have you brought, My Lady? The Knights of Camelot?" Tauren accuses her.
"I came alone, I promise you," Morgana says.
"Give me the stone." Morgana hands it over. "You were foolish to come here. I had no quarrel with your maid. But you, My Lady Morgana, you are Uther's ward." He draws his sword and puts it to her stomach. Anne is tempted to jump out to protect her but Merlin puts his hand on her arm to stop her.
"If you kill me, you'll regret it." Morgana quickly says.
"Why is that?" Tauren says sarcastically, clearly not believing her.
"Because I want Uther dead, too." Anne's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She can see the shocked look on Merlin's face as well.
"You? An enemy of the King? And I'm to believe that?" Tauren mocks.
"Why else would I be here?" Morgana questions.
"I can only guess at your motives, My Lady. You could be a spy, for all I know." Tauren says.
"And this..." She flips back her sleeves, revealing her sore, bruised wrists. They are similar to what is on Amelia's when she had shown Anne earlier. "Is it usual for Uther to chain his friends to a Dungeon wall? The stone. You took it to the forge. Why?"
"With it a man can alter the very essence of things. He can turn a lump of lead into gold." Tauren is clearly now taking her for her word.
"Gold? A good man died in your quest for riches, Tauren. His daughter is now an orphan." Morgana angrily tells him.
"I'm sorry for that. Truly. But we did not want the gold to line our pockets. The gold was but a means, a means to rid this Kingdom of Uther Pendragon once and for all." Tauren says.
"What are you saying?" Morgana asks.
"Bribery is rife at Camelot. I will use the corruption at the heart of his Kingdom, and such abundance of gold will buy me into the King's Chambers, even to the King himself." Tauren explains.
"The Guards may be fools, Tauren, but the King is not," Morgana tells him.
"Do you have a better plan?"
"To get to Uther, you need someone close to him." Morgana proposes.
"And you know of such a person?" Tauren questions.
"I do. Me."
Anne looks at Merlin gaping in shock. He looks conflicted as he is not sure what to do. Anne understands that. While she will not be sorry to see Uther die, she knows that this will impact Arthur negatively and Morgana will be a murderer.
—
Throughout the day, Anne can see that Amelia is concerned but she does not tell her anything. How is Anne supposed to tell Amelia that the woman she sees as a sister is planning a murder?
She knows that Merlin is conflicted as well. That night he goes to the Dragon for advice but all the Dragon says is to let it happen. He seems to not care for the consequences, who gets hurt, as long as he is free.
Morgana has been simmering with anger all day. She seems ready to explode. Anne wonders if Morgana succeeds in murdering Uther, how will she be after? Will this anger corrupt her forever or once it calms down, will she be full of anguish about what she has done?
—
Amelia's POV
At the current moment, Amelia, along with Morgana and Anne, walk down the palace steps into the Square with Gwen. They had decided they should maybe go to the stalls in town with the hope of cheering Gwen up.
Anne has been acting weird since yesterday morning. Merlin has seemed a bit odd as well. She is not sure what was going on. Morgana still seems angry with Uther but Amelia does not know whether she has begun to conspire with Tauren yet or not. This all makes Amelia feel frustrated as no one is telling her anything.
Amelia gets her answer when Morgana later tells her that she is going to her father's grave with Uther. She is luring him away so that Tauren and his crew can kill him. It must be what Merlin and Anne are agonising over. They have realised what Morgana is up to and do not know what to do. She hopes they will make the right decision.
—
Anne's POV
That night Anne hides behind a wall outside the palace, along with Merlin, watching Morgana meet Tauren.
"So, My Lady, what news?" Tauren asks. Anne does not dare bend around the wall to see in case she be spotted.
"Uther has fallen for the bait. We ride out in the morning for the Old Cairn on the hill." Morgana reports.
"Are you sure you're committed to this?" Tauren asks.
"More than ever I want Uther dead as much as you. As much as anyone in this rotten Kingdom of his." It is chilling to hear Morgana be so cold.
"Then the deed is as good as done." Anne sees Tauren leave and she and Merlin sneak back behind the Castle wall.
What do they do? Anne still feels conflicted.
—
Amelia's POV
As Morgana is going out with Uther today, Amelia had agreed to keep Gwen company.
After saying goodbye to Morgana, she and Gwen are walking past Arthur's Chambers when Amelia notices Merlin and Anne standing at the window, looking out to the Main Square, through the open door.
"Merlin? Anne?" Amelia questions as her and Gwen enter the room walking over to them.
Merlin and Anne both glance at them. "Amelia. Gwen." Merlin says before turning to Gwen. "How are you doing?"
"I was about to ask the two of you the same question," Gwen says.
"We're fine. Fine." Anne mutters, showing that she really isn't.
Gwen then looks out the window at the riding party. "Morgana's been amazing these last few days. So have Anne and Amelia." Gwen smiles at them.
"I think you've been amazing. After all that's happened, getting your life back together..." Merlin says.
"It's better than sitting in an empty house, waiting for my father to walk through the door." Gwen briefly walks away from the window. "The thing I find hardest to bear is that people will always think he was guilty because he tried to escape." Her voice breaks at the last sentence.
"We know he was innocent," Amelia tells her.
"I think he tried to escape because he knew that whatever he said or did he'd be killed. Uther had already made up his mind. That's the kind of man he is." Gwen says.
"I wouldn't blame you if you wanted him dead," Anne says. Amelia looks at her in surprise. She had not imagined Anne saying such a thing.
"If Uther died I'd feel nothing. He means nothing to me." Gwen turns to look at them.
"But if you had... you know... the choice, what would you do? If you had the power of life and death over Uther, would you kill him? For what he did?" Merlin asks. He is clearly looking for an answer on whether he should let Morgana follow through with what she is about to do.
"No!" Gwen says.
"No?" Anne asks in surprise.
"What would that solve? That would make me a murderer. That would make me as bad as him." Gwen says.
"You're right. Of course, you're right." Merlin then runs out of the room with Anne behind him.
"Is anything wrong?!" Gwen asks.
"No, no! See you later!" Anne calls.
"I'll go after them," Amelia tells Gwen before scurrying after them.
Amelia catches up with them in Gaius' Chambers when Merlin and Anne run out with the former carrying Sophia Tír-Mòr's staff. They do not question her when she joins them as they run from the Castle.
—
They run through the woods with the Sidhe staff to Gorlois' grave. They approach horses at the bottom of the hill and find the Camelot Guards dead; they see the renegades pursuing Uther. Merlin approaches the renegades and raises the staff.
"Ácwele!" Merlin whispers. A bolt of energy shoots out and kills one of the renegades, the other one draws his sword and Merlin shoots him, too.
They walk further up the hill. Amelia spots Tauren watching Morgana and Uther from behind a tree, but he hears them sneaking up behind him. He moves and pulls out the Mage Stone.
"Ácwele!" Merlin chants. Merlin raises the staff and shoots, but Tauren absorbs the energy bolt with the Stone and sends it back at Merlin. Merlin is knocked unconscious.
"Merlin!" Anne and Amelia exclaim at the same time.
Tauren continues sneaking up behind Uther.
Amelia turns to Anne. "Can you wield it?" She asks gesturing to the staff.
"I do not believe I have the power to," Anne says shamefully.
"You do not know that," Amelia says, she then hears what sounds like a struggle occurring at the top of the hill.
After a few moments, Merlin wakes up and grabs the staff and continues up the hill, pushing past her and Anne not saying a word. Amelia shrugs at Anne before following.
By the time they all reach the top of the hill, they see Uther hugging Morgana. Tauren lays dead at their feet. It seems Morgana had chosen to not murder Uther.
Amelia turns to Anne and Merlin, "Come on, let's go before they see us."
—
AN: Could it be possible for people to leave more reviews/comments as it is often difficult to judge how people are recieving this story.