Chapter 7: A/N This might not be my best chapter, dialogue isn't my forte, but I hope you all like it! As always I do not own Merlin. The whole chapter dialogue is in Latin, except for a few exchanges between Gwen and 'll finally see Gwen, Morgana and Cassie. In my story Gwen looks more like Michelle Langstone when she acted in McLeod's Daughters as Alex's wife. I recommend watching it, I loved it when I did years ago made me cry like a baby sometimes. I'm planning on theirs being a friendship that rivals that of Jodi and Kate's but I'm not nearly as good a writer as them, so...
"Here we are! Guinevere, this is Casiopea. Gaius' new apprentice. Cassie, this is Gwen." Morgana introduced them.
"It's nice to meet you, Guinevere." The blonde said, with a slight curtsy.
"Oh, no, you don't have to curtsy. And please, call me Gwen." she replied with a small smile.
"Okay, Gwen. Morgana said you've known each other for a long time?"
"The longest! My mother had a job at Sir Leon's household. When she passed away, my father moved us to the city and Sir Morien, Leon's dad, got me a job in the castle. Morgana and I became friends rather quick after I helped her pull a prank on Prince Arthur." She reminisced.
"Oh that was a glorious prank! Arthur was understandably furious, but it was well worth it! Just to see his and Uther's faces! Priceless." Morgana snickered.
"For the next month he had someone test his bath water, he trusted no one!"
"He had Avery test the water for a year, she told me so herself." Gwen corrected. "Did he ever figure out it was us, Morgana?"
"No," Morgana replied gleefully, "We should do it again! It's been long enough. Certainly he doesn't have other's testing his bath water still."
"What did you two do? It sounds like tomfoolery! Although, with six brothers and four sisters, there were a lot of pranks afoot in my home!"
"Oh, you'll see." Mogana said with a devilish grin. "We'll have lunch first, then we'll plan!"
"You'd really have me wait to hear what this is about?! You're certainly evil, Morgana!" Cassie told her teasingly.
"It's well worth the wait! Beside, there's the small matter of you and Owain to be discussed. It seems Sir Owain's eye has finally been caught by the alluring Casiopea, Gwen. And the attraction seems to be mutual if what I saw with my own two eyes wasn't a mirage!" Morgana bantered, making Cassie blush a deep red.
"Morgana!" Cassie exclaimed scandalized
"No, let her speak, Cassie, I want to hear what it was that happened. So, Morgana, was she drooling?!" Gwen teased.
"I was not drooling! I may have been daydreaming, but not drooling. I would never drool!" Cassie proclaimed, chafed. Morgana and Gwen just looked on in amusement.
"She is just like Arthur, it's almost no fun to taunt! It's just too easy, Gwen."
"I don't think she's anything like Arthur, He would have fallen much sooner in the trap."
"What are you saying?" Cassie demanded.
"We were just saying how much you're like Arthur. Did you not see how quickly he excused himself earlier? I barely grazed the teasing and he ran away. It's just too funny, I can never resist teasing him. And I wanted to see how hard you were to tease. Apparently, not that hard. I don't mean anything by it, I'm sorry if it seemed mean." Morgana replied.
"I don't mind teasing that much, Morgana. Actually, with such a big family there was never a lack of teasing among us. Stable hands and villagers liked it as much and joked around with us. It was just catching me off guard. More than anything, you'll see I can keep up with you, might even be able to beat you." Cassie said cockily.
"That a challenge?" Moragana asked with an eyebrow cocked
"No, never! It's a fact." Cassie sang tauntingly as Morgana just spluttered in outrage.
Gwen was just laughing at the other end of the table at how easily Cassie could rile Morgana up, thinking 'Morgana hasn't even realized, has she?'
"Gwen, whatever are you laughing at?" Morgana turned to her, wanting to change the topic.
"We have to give her props, you look exactly like Arthur whenever you two banter, and it's the first time you two have talked." Gwen answered, taking a sip from her goblet.
"Like I said, big family, I know just how to find the right buttons to push." Cassie said with a smirk.
"Oh. Moving on then, to Cassie. I heard you're from Hispania?" Morgana changed the topic
"Yes, Reccopolis. It used to be my favorite place, but Camelot has captivated my heart in such a short time." Cassie said wistfully.
"Camelot, your choice for favorite place is Camelot?" Gwen asked incredulously. "Of all the places you've ever been, which you'll have to tell us about by the way, you choose Camelot?"
"I think it has more to do with the people of Camelot, than the place itself. Especially a certain knight of the realm with blue eyes." Morgana said, eyes twinkling knowingly.
"No, the citadel is quite amazing. Its awe-some. Reccopolis had a palace and chapel at the center and a lower town and markets, but the palace is nothing compared to the citadel here! With its sprawling facade and rising towers and its sheer vastness! It truly is a sight to behold. I've yet to see how the night sky compares, unfortunately the view from Gaius' rooms is spectacular when looking down at the town, but to look at the sky I have to lay down or crane my neck, and there's no breeze." Cassie clarified. "Back in Reccopolis, I would sneak up to the battlements to look up at the stars and feel the wind on my face. It made me feel like I could conquer the world over. Like I could stand atop the Pharos of Alexandria and relish the power that seeing all gives. I remember going once with my family to the Farum Brigantium in Lusitania. It was quite a sight to behold, being at the top! Though, it's not even close to the height of Alexandria." Cassie relayed, a nostalgic glint in her eye, her necklace clutched tightly in her right hand..
"That sounds amazing. Honestly, i've never thought about it like that. I go up when I can't sleep for the wind to calm me down a bit, but I've never felt powerful up there. Just calm." Morgana responded in a small voice. "It's a beautiful necklace you're holding. Is it a chest?" Morgana asked when she noticed the younger blonde clutching it.
"It is, Morgana. It holds all I value and hold dear of my family's. Almost a treasure chest." Cassie replied with a small chuckle at her inside joke.
"I like to stargaze from the gardens, when nobody's there." Gwen said going back to the stars. "It's intoxicating, seeing the expanse of the stars in the night sky and the perfume of flowers. It's also where I had my first kiss." Gwen said with a dreamy look out the window.
"You've managed to change the subject and have me forget the real reason I asked you to lunch, Cassie. You really must teach me how to." Morgana approved.
"Pardon me, my lady, but I'm afraid I can only do that through experience. And I don't think your Guardian is too keen on me. He's got Lord Cador prying into my life. Or trying to, at least."
"You leave Uther to me, Cassie. But what experience do you have in mind?"
"Oh, using the knights and Prince Arthur as teaching dummies. Simple things really, convincing them of one thing or another, tricking them into doing what we want. I've seen you do just as much with Prince Arthur. Although, with men it's much easier, flash a brilliant smile, bat your eyelashes, and their heads have been left in the dust!" Cassie tittered, seeing Gwen and Morgana's mirthful eyes.
"So right you are! Sometimes it seems as if men have two brains, and the dominant one isn't necessarily above their shoulders!" Morgana joked wickedly.
"Morgana!", Gwen cried, "That's hardly any way for a lady to speak!"
"Certainly not with people I don't trust or consider friends, Gwen."
"You two are too similar to each other! This is gonna be a nightmare for everyone else!"
"Be glad you won't be on the receiving end of our pranks, I have a feeling Morgana is going to supplement my list of pranks, and vice versa." Cassie said, with a devilish gleam in her eyes.
"Now that we've finished our lunch, will you please tell me what you did to Prince Arthur when you were children and what we're going to do now!" Cassie begged.
"Of course! After you answer a few of our own questions." Morgana said.
"I will try and answer as many as I can truthfully, but there are some things that I just cannot talk about right now, please don't push those." Cassie pleaded, a haunted look in her eye that made Gwen's eyes tear up and Morgana think 'what could be so bad she doesn't want to speak about?'