Fic - Uther/Morgana
Title: A Castle Never Felt So Small
Author: nikkidarling
Pairing: Uther/Morgana
Rating: G
Word count: 1360 words.
Summary: Set in the days following 1x08. Uther and Morgana are still at odds after her attempts to manipulate him.
Notes: I've posted fic a grand total of three times in my life. Always when no one has written what I so desperately want to read. Sadly unbeta'd. Dedicated to the ohsowrong minds at kingandward
The castle was not a happy place to be. Tensions were running high and emotions were in overdrive. The King was becoming increasingly more volatile and had not spoken to his ward in days. He was firing servants left and right while Morgana had been snapping at her maidservant. Anyone that could avoid them both had been doing so with newfound skill. Arthur had taken off on a weeklong hunting trip in his haste to escape the animosity.
The only person in the castle still dealing directly with both of them was Gaius. Morgana hadn't been able to sleep at all which was a nice respite from her dreams but not healthy in the slightest. He worried that this stronger draught wouldn't help. Was sure that the only thing that would was sitting in his court stewing over her apparent betrayal.
The King was indeed sitting stern-faced and lost in thought when Gaius entered the court. The Physician cleared his throat loudly and Uther snapped out of his reverie with a growl. "Sire the Lady Mor-"
"Don't say that name!" Uther barked, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne. Gaius balked but carried on stony-faced.
"Sire she is ill!"
"Ill?" Gaius breathed a sigh of relief that The King wasn't calling for him to be thrown from the room.
"Yes Sire. She hasn't been sleeping."
"Well that's nothing new. The dreams have been disrupting her nights for months."
"This isn't the dreams Sire. She is unable to sleep at all. She is restless and anxious and growing steadily weaker. I fear for her" Gaius finished, his voice a scant whisper.
"Is she taking the tonic each night?" The King enquired.
"As prescribed Sire. A stronger dosage too." Gaius revealed gravely, as he watched the worry flicker over Uther's features for barely a second. "I am not sure I can cure what ails her. Her pain is not physical." Casting a glance at The King, he pressed on, "I feel that she will only sleep when her tension is confronted and consoled." Uther turned a frosty eye upon his physician and with a short nod, watched Gaius hurriedly left his presence. With only himself for company, Uther leaned on an arm of his throne, rested his head in his hand and returned to the maiden that had plagued his thoughts for three days.
Long after a lonely dinner Uther found himself outside Morgana's rooms, waiting for a sign that this was the right thing to do. He had been furious with her when the Druid boy had escaped but with no way of proving her guilt (with no desire to prove her guilt) he had been left helpless. The King was not used to feeling helpless. The King quite loathed the feeling and it only fuelled his anger.
Then Gaius had told him of Morgana's ill health and he could no longer be angry. The girl was punishing herself and it made him ache inside. Trust was no longer an issue. Not while she was unable to rest and steadily becoming weaker. Not while she was so distressed over the entire incident. Uther liked to think she was sorry for breaking his laws and betraying him but deep down he knew she was only sorry that they couldn't have worked it out the way she wanted. That she had to go against him for her beliefs. He didn't approve of her actions but he accepted her strong will.
Shaking his head to clear it he finally knocked on her door. One solid knock. His knock. She'd either ignore him and he'd be forced to open the door anyway or she'd answer reluctantly.
"Enter." He opened the door and searched for her. Found her standing at the window looking down onto the courtyard.
"Morgana." he kept his tone as neutral as he could muster and waited for her to face him. When she didn't turn around he cursed her petulance and tried again. "Morgana you haven't left your rooms in three days. Why must you act so childish? Morgana will you look at me!" The last few words a barked command. He saw her visibly flinch at the sudden noise but nevertheless she turned around and what he saw shocked him.
She hadn't wanted him to see her like this. See her so tired and jumpy. All she had wanted was a good night's sleep so that she could go to him rejuvenated and make amends. Instead he had come to her and she'd been forced to reveal how the anger and tension had taken it's toll. Her face was ashen and gaunt (had she eaten since the boy had escaped?) but her eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks staining her cheeks. It horrified her to let him see her like this. She was so strong and stubborn. She'd suffered through atrocities in her childhood and yet this simple disagreement had thrown her completely off-kilter. In truth she hadn't shed a tear for the first two days. She'd been so angry and full of contempt to do much more than storm around her quarters and snap at Gwen. On the third day, today, she was so tired that her resolve had crumbled and she'd wept for the relationship she'd lost. She wept for the trust she'd broken and the betrayal she'd dealt her king without a moment's thought. She'd wept for the danger she'd put both Arthur and Merlin in. She'd wept for everyone in the castle that had to work through this grudge. She'd even wept when she'd dropped a hairclip. Now she faced him and refused to look up from the point on the wall that had her so transfixed.
Uther felt sick with worry. The girl in front of him was not the Morgana he knew. She was a shell, a ghost of the feisty and stubborn young woman that graced his court. She was everything he hoped never to see in her and it made him ache. She wouldn't speak, couldn't even look at him. Striding over to the window and this shadow of a maiden he cared deeply for, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back to look at him. She closed her eyes, unable to even do that much. "Morgana, what is the matter?" he whispered gently, "Morgana please look at me."
After a long moment she opened her eyes and looked at him. Only then did she see the deeper lines in his face and the bags under his eyes. He'd been kept awake long nights over this too. "I, I..." she paused, unable to voice the words and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." was all she could muster and more than enough for Uther.
He pulled her to him and held her close, relief flooding through him. He could feel her trembling and, soon enough, moisture soaking through his shirts to his chest. She was crying because he'd forgiven her. Crying because he'd ended this torture. Crying because she was too tired to do anything else. He kissed the top of her head and whispered into her hair, "I'm sorry too." He felt her stiffen as she realised what he'd done. That he'd just admitted his wrongful actions. That he'd just shown a glimpse of the humanity he'd long kept hidden. Pulling back ever so slightly she looked him in the eyes.
"Are you? Are you really?" Morgana asked between sniffles. Looking into his eyes she saw her answer amidst his love for her. Then something snapped in her and she stretched up and pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Pulling back to see his reaction she noticed a small upturn of his lips and stretched again to kiss him, and this time he returned the short kiss. When they pulled away from each other she was smiling and some colour had returned to her face. Looking intently at each other for long moments, Morgana broke the silence as a yawn escaped.
"I think it's time you rested." Uther told her with a small laugh as he escorted her over to her bed. Slipping underneath the blankets Morgana turned to him and held out her hand.
"Lie with me."
And so he did.
Author: nikkidarling
Pairing: Uther/Morgana
Rating: G
Word count: 1360 words.
Summary: Set in the days following 1x08. Uther and Morgana are still at odds after her attempts to manipulate him.
Notes: I've posted fic a grand total of three times in my life. Always when no one has written what I so desperately want to read. Sadly unbeta'd. Dedicated to the ohsowrong minds at kingandward
The castle was not a happy place to be. Tensions were running high and emotions were in overdrive. The King was becoming increasingly more volatile and had not spoken to his ward in days. He was firing servants left and right while Morgana had been snapping at her maidservant. Anyone that could avoid them both had been doing so with newfound skill. Arthur had taken off on a weeklong hunting trip in his haste to escape the animosity.
The only person in the castle still dealing directly with both of them was Gaius. Morgana hadn't been able to sleep at all which was a nice respite from her dreams but not healthy in the slightest. He worried that this stronger draught wouldn't help. Was sure that the only thing that would was sitting in his court stewing over her apparent betrayal.
The King was indeed sitting stern-faced and lost in thought when Gaius entered the court. The Physician cleared his throat loudly and Uther snapped out of his reverie with a growl. "Sire the Lady Mor-"
"Don't say that name!" Uther barked, slamming his fist down on the arm of his throne. Gaius balked but carried on stony-faced.
"Sire she is ill!"
"Ill?" Gaius breathed a sigh of relief that The King wasn't calling for him to be thrown from the room.
"Yes Sire. She hasn't been sleeping."
"Well that's nothing new. The dreams have been disrupting her nights for months."
"This isn't the dreams Sire. She is unable to sleep at all. She is restless and anxious and growing steadily weaker. I fear for her" Gaius finished, his voice a scant whisper.
"Is she taking the tonic each night?" The King enquired.
"As prescribed Sire. A stronger dosage too." Gaius revealed gravely, as he watched the worry flicker over Uther's features for barely a second. "I am not sure I can cure what ails her. Her pain is not physical." Casting a glance at The King, he pressed on, "I feel that she will only sleep when her tension is confronted and consoled." Uther turned a frosty eye upon his physician and with a short nod, watched Gaius hurriedly left his presence. With only himself for company, Uther leaned on an arm of his throne, rested his head in his hand and returned to the maiden that had plagued his thoughts for three days.
Long after a lonely dinner Uther found himself outside Morgana's rooms, waiting for a sign that this was the right thing to do. He had been furious with her when the Druid boy had escaped but with no way of proving her guilt (with no desire to prove her guilt) he had been left helpless. The King was not used to feeling helpless. The King quite loathed the feeling and it only fuelled his anger.
Then Gaius had told him of Morgana's ill health and he could no longer be angry. The girl was punishing herself and it made him ache inside. Trust was no longer an issue. Not while she was unable to rest and steadily becoming weaker. Not while she was so distressed over the entire incident. Uther liked to think she was sorry for breaking his laws and betraying him but deep down he knew she was only sorry that they couldn't have worked it out the way she wanted. That she had to go against him for her beliefs. He didn't approve of her actions but he accepted her strong will.
Shaking his head to clear it he finally knocked on her door. One solid knock. His knock. She'd either ignore him and he'd be forced to open the door anyway or she'd answer reluctantly.
"Enter." He opened the door and searched for her. Found her standing at the window looking down onto the courtyard.
"Morgana." he kept his tone as neutral as he could muster and waited for her to face him. When she didn't turn around he cursed her petulance and tried again. "Morgana you haven't left your rooms in three days. Why must you act so childish? Morgana will you look at me!" The last few words a barked command. He saw her visibly flinch at the sudden noise but nevertheless she turned around and what he saw shocked him.
She hadn't wanted him to see her like this. See her so tired and jumpy. All she had wanted was a good night's sleep so that she could go to him rejuvenated and make amends. Instead he had come to her and she'd been forced to reveal how the anger and tension had taken it's toll. Her face was ashen and gaunt (had she eaten since the boy had escaped?) but her eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks staining her cheeks. It horrified her to let him see her like this. She was so strong and stubborn. She'd suffered through atrocities in her childhood and yet this simple disagreement had thrown her completely off-kilter. In truth she hadn't shed a tear for the first two days. She'd been so angry and full of contempt to do much more than storm around her quarters and snap at Gwen. On the third day, today, she was so tired that her resolve had crumbled and she'd wept for the relationship she'd lost. She wept for the trust she'd broken and the betrayal she'd dealt her king without a moment's thought. She'd wept for the danger she'd put both Arthur and Merlin in. She'd wept for everyone in the castle that had to work through this grudge. She'd even wept when she'd dropped a hairclip. Now she faced him and refused to look up from the point on the wall that had her so transfixed.
Uther felt sick with worry. The girl in front of him was not the Morgana he knew. She was a shell, a ghost of the feisty and stubborn young woman that graced his court. She was everything he hoped never to see in her and it made him ache. She wouldn't speak, couldn't even look at him. Striding over to the window and this shadow of a maiden he cared deeply for, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back to look at him. She closed her eyes, unable to even do that much. "Morgana, what is the matter?" he whispered gently, "Morgana please look at me."
After a long moment she opened her eyes and looked at him. Only then did she see the deeper lines in his face and the bags under his eyes. He'd been kept awake long nights over this too. "I, I..." she paused, unable to voice the words and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." was all she could muster and more than enough for Uther.
He pulled her to him and held her close, relief flooding through him. He could feel her trembling and, soon enough, moisture soaking through his shirts to his chest. She was crying because he'd forgiven her. Crying because he'd ended this torture. Crying because she was too tired to do anything else. He kissed the top of her head and whispered into her hair, "I'm sorry too." He felt her stiffen as she realised what he'd done. That he'd just admitted his wrongful actions. That he'd just shown a glimpse of the humanity he'd long kept hidden. Pulling back ever so slightly she looked him in the eyes.
"Are you? Are you really?" Morgana asked between sniffles. Looking into his eyes she saw her answer amidst his love for her. Then something snapped in her and she stretched up and pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. Pulling back to see his reaction she noticed a small upturn of his lips and stretched again to kiss him, and this time he returned the short kiss. When they pulled away from each other she was smiling and some colour had returned to her face. Looking intently at each other for long moments, Morgana broke the silence as a yawn escaped.
"I think it's time you rested." Uther told her with a small laugh as he escorted her over to her bed. Slipping underneath the blankets Morgana turned to him and held out her hand.
"Lie with me."
And so he did.