you and i are a story that never gets told (3/13)
Title: you and i are a story that never gets told (3/~13)
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 3,867
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff, because if I did ArMor would be canon.
Spoilers: Vague spoilers for all of Merlin series 2
Summary: Perhaps there was another way, if only it had gone a little different at the start. How it should've been, aka Series 2 the proper way.
Author's Notes: So we all know I have issues with this episode, and I decided to rectify a certain warlock's decisions...
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1
---
Arthur woke to the sounds of screaming. Strangely, they seemed to dissipate upon waking, as if they were only inside his head. He was fully prepared to ignore the incident and go back to sleep, but Merlin came bursting into his room, looking frantic.
Arthur barely had time to open his mouth to speak before Merlin answered the unspoken question. “It’s Morgana.”
The boys both ran through the halls to get to Morgana’s chambers as quickly as possible. Once they reached the scene, they saw several guards standing around the door and a huddled Morgana resting against the wall, wrapped in a blanket.
The guards were clearing out the room when Arthur got to them, and even though he desperately wanted to talk to Morgana, he stopped short and turned to the guards instead. Morgana hadn’t talked to him in two weeks, ever since the incident after the joust. “What happened here?”
One of the guards explained that there was a fire, and that they had to put it out before it spread throughout the room. No one was hurt, but the window was broken and the curtains were devoured by the flames. Arthur bit down on his lip and nodded curtly to dismiss the guards. He was torn between being furious that this could’ve happened, and terrified that Morgana could’ve been hurt.
Hushed voices behind him caught his attention, and Arthur turned to find Merlin comforting Morgana. Merlin must have made some joke or something, because Morgana smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around Merlin’s neck in a loose hug. Merlin hesitated, but embraced her eventually, the blanket engulfing them both and shielding them from Arthur’s prying eyes. After waiting long enough, Arthur cleared his throat to get their attention.
Morgana’s watery smile disappeared immediately, a frown marring her features. Her arms dropped from Merlin’s neck to rest by her sides. “Arthur.” She was still terrified, unable to explain what had happened, and unwilling to admit what she feared to be true. Therefore, Arthur was the last person she needed to see now; her feelings were clouded enough without him around.
He seemed ignorant to her inner turmoil, however. “Are you alright?” Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Merlin inching slowly away from Morgana.
“I’m fine.” She wrapped her arms around herself in a contradiction to her words.
Arthur knew it was far from true, but they weren’t back to the point where he could call her out on it. He simply nodded and let her have her way for once. “Well, it’s still early. Merlin, could you escort Morgana to my chambers? She can sleep there while I take care of things here.”
As expected, she protested, “Arthur, no, I don’t need-”
“It’s only until we can clean your room properly. Don’t worry, no one will disturb you.” Underneath his words, the message was clear-he wouldn’t be bothering her.
She bowed her head in acceptance, giving in to the exhaustion she felt. She turned and followed Merlin, only stopping once to glance back at Arthur. The fear that was creeping through her veins was almost paralyzing. Maybe if she told Arthur, maybe he’d understand, maybe… She spun away, tearing her eyes off of him and hurrying to keep pace with Merlin.
Merlin opened the door to Arthur’s room for her, eyeing her questioningly. She was being eerily quiet, and it unnerved him.
Morgana traced her fingers along the comforter on Arthur’s bed, debating if she should say anything to Merlin. He was only a servant, he wasn’t Uther’s son; perhaps his bias wasn’t as strong. She turned to him, admitting quietly, “Merlin, the fire wasn’t an accident.”
He cocked his head, confused by her statement. “Did someone set the fire? Morgana, if someone did this, we have to tell Arthur-”
“I think I did it.” She felt the words rush out her mouth before she could stop them.
“Morgana, why would you- I mean, I’m sure you didn’t…”
Suddenly regretting the decision, she backtracked, “I just meant, I lit the candle. I shouldn’t have been so careless.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek, suppressing the scream building up in her chest at her cowardice.
Merlin looked skeptical, but let it pass. “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, Morgana.”
She made a noise of agreement despite her inner turmoil and slowly peeled back the covers on Arthur’s bed.
“I’ll let you get some rest, my lady.” He slipped out of the room silently and shut the door behind him.
Morgana climbed into the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the covers. She lifted the blankets to her chin and laid her head on the pillow. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt compelled to inhale deeply, smelling the faint aroma of sweat and dirt and the trees, and something that she knew was purely Arthur. It was oddly comforting to be wrapped in Arthur’s scent; it bore down on her like a protective covering. Nestling down further into the bed, she allowed herself to be slowly consumed by sleep.
---
When Arthur finally returned to his chambers after quite a grueling conversation with his father about who might have tried to kill Morgana this time, he was quite surprised to find Morgana sprawled out across his bed. The sun had been up for hours, and he had been certain that she would have cleared out long ago, if only to avoid talking to him. Yet there she was.
Her hair was spilling across his pillows in an intricate pattern, her legs all askew and hanging out of the covers, and her mouth was slightly open. The sight made him smile; it was so rare to catch Morgana looking this peaceful. He hated to wake her, but if he let her sleep the day away she would possibly be furious.
Arthur crept over to the bed and cautiously laid one hand on Morgana’s shoulder. Her nightgown had ridden down, so his fingers danced across her bare flesh. “Morgana.” He shook her lightly, trying to wake her from her slumber.
She made a grumbling noise and rolled over towards him. “G’way, Gwen.”
He let out a low laugh. “It’s not Gwen.”
One eye popped open, scanning him in her sleepy state. “Arthur?” She opened both eyes to better assess him. “What are you doing here, why are you-”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “You’re in my room, Morgana.”
Reality dawned on her and she shot straight up, scrambling to get out of the covers. Her legs were becoming hopelessly tangled at this rate, however. “I’m sorry, I’ll just get out…” She finally freed her legs and swung them over the side of the bed. Mumbling more to herself than him, “I can’t believe I slept this long.”
Arthur chuckled at her struggle. “It’s fine, really.” A sly smile broke out across his face. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day where you’d be in my bed. I mean, sure, I imagined it, but it was quite different than this.”
His words sunk in and her face turned three shades redder. “Arthur!” She smacked at him playfully, the weeks of ignoring him quickly forgotten.
“Ah, you calling out my name-that part’s familiar.” His smirk grew; he knew full well how to push her buttons.
She shoved him harder this time, trying to move him out of her path so she could stand. “Arthur Pendragon, I could have you thrown in the stocks for talk like that.”
He made room and allowed her to get to her feet. “Well, you are in my bed, arguments could be made that you were here to seduce me, you know.”
Morgana rolled her eyes and moved past him. “You are intolerable.”
He laughed, pleased that he had finally broken the icy silence between them. “You love it.”
She shook her head, unable to stop the grin on her lips. She headed towards the door, stopping with her fingers on the handle for a brief second.
Arthur remembered why Morgana was there in the first place and grew serious, the fun over. Warily, he asked, “Are you sure that everything’s alright, Morgana?”
Her throat tightened and a chill passed over her skin. Trying her best not to shiver, she nodded stiffly. “I’m fine, Arthur.”
Her eyes never met his, and he could tell that she was lying. He desperately wanted her to let him in, but he just nodded in return and watched her leave.
---
Morgana was unable to get to sleep the next night. Her eyes were drawn to the vase of flowers that Merlin had so graciously brought her. Suddenly, something overtook her and filled her up with a burning sensation. The next thing she knew, the vase had shattered into a million pieces. She screamed, certain now that something was happening to her. Jumping out of her bed, she slipped on shoes and a cover and rushed out of her room.
Her first thought was to find Arthur; the warmth of his bed had quelled her fears the day before. She changed her mind before she reached his door though, knowing that it would lead to far too many questions. She would go to Gaius; hopefully he’d have a potion that she could take that would fix all of this.
Bursting into Gaius’s chambers, she called out for him, but received no answer. A noise caught her attention and she turned to see Merlin emerging from his room.
“Morgana? Is something wrong?” He scrubbed at his eyes with his hand, clearly having just woken up.
She cleared her throat, suddenly feel terribly awkward standing in front of Merlin in her nightgown for the second time in two days. “I just needed to see Gaius. I was hoping he could get something for my dreams.”
“Are they getting worse?” He was quite alert now and looking concerned for her.
Morgana thought back to yesterday. She had almost told him then… She just needed someone to confirm it, someone to say that it would be fine. “Merlin…” The terror inside her chest was choking off all the oxygen in her lungs.
“You know you can tell me anything, Morgana. I’m your friend.” There was pure sincerity in his voice; he genuinely cared.
Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, she whispered, “I’m scared, Merlin. I don’t understand anything anymore.”
“It’s okay, Morgana-”
She cut off his statement, “No, it’s not!” Courage was slowly taking over her fear and she knew she had to say it out loud. “It’s magic.”
He paled at that. “What?”
“The candle, the window, the vase in my room-I did that! Something’s happening to me, Merlin. I can’t explain it, or control it. It’s magic, it has to be.” She was determined to get him to believe her, to let her know she wasn’t going crazy.
“Morgana…” he warned. This was dangerous territory, he knew.
“Please, Merlin. You have to believe me.”
Merlin reached out and took her hand gently in his. “I do.”
She smiled brightly for the first time in days. “You think it’s magic too?”
He bit down on the inside of his cheek, slightly regretting his words. He couldn’t lie to her though, not now. She needed a friend, and he understood so clearly the desperation she was feeling. “It might be, Morgana.” He felt her tense up under his grasp. “I don’t know. But I believe you if that’s what you say it is.”
Her smile had dimmed slightly, but she seemed satisfied for now. “Thank you, Merlin.” She was prepared to leave before a thought hit her. “Merlin? Just… don’t tell Arthur about this.”
Merlin was surprised that Morgana would hide anything as important as this from Arthur, but he couldn’t exactly judge. “I won’t. I promise.”
---
After several days, Morgana was looking downright ragged. She was exhausted and scared, despite the fact that she had voiced her fears to Merlin. He was there for her to talk to, but he seemed distant.
Arthur was growing concerned, and only slightly jealous. He had noticed Morgana spending more time around Merlin, yet she was back to avoiding Arthur like the plague. Her scent was fading from his sheets and he was back to missing her as fiercely as before. She clearly was having trouble sleeping, but on the few occasions he saw her, if he tried to ask her about it, she would change the subject. He finally gave in and asked Merlin if he knew what was wrong.
Merlin looked like he had choked on his tongue when Arthur asked him. “No, I don’t know anything. Maybe you should ask Gwen.”
Arthur felt defeated, but he didn’t give up. “You’ve been around her a lot lately.”
“We’re… friends. I’m worried about her as well.”
The prince let out a long sigh. “Merlin, I’ve known her my whole life. I’ve never seen her like this. If you know anything…”
The guilt was creeping up on him, but he knew the seriousness of the situation. It was too risky, and he had made a promise. “I don’t. I’m sorry.” He watched as Arthur’s face fell and decided that if he couldn’t help in this way, he would find another way to save Morgana on his own.
---
Merlin knocked on Morgana’s door after several minutes of pacing outside in the hallway.
A haggard looking Morgana opened the door. Her eyes had lost their usual sparkle and looked ready to vanish in the darkness of the circles underneath them. “Merlin?”
He gathered his courage. “I need to speak with you. Can I come in?”
She stepped aside to let him in the room, shutting the door behind him. Before she could ask what this was about, Merlin started speaking again.
“Morgana, what’s been happening to you… you were right. It is magic.”
She looked shocked at the conviction in his voice. “How can you be sure?”
He took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew that this was possibly a terrible decision, and he knew Gaius wouldn’t approve, but he had to do something. She was his friend, and it was killing both her and Arthur to go on this way; he couldn’t leave her like this.
Closing his eyes, he clasped his hands together and mumbled something low under his breath. When he opened his eyes, they flashed gold for a brief moment. He held out his cupped palms toward Morgana and opened them to reveal a small flame flickering in his hands.
Morgana’s expression changed from horrified to amazed all in one fluid moment. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth from the flame in his hands to his face. Finally, she found her voice again. “You?”
He nodded slowly, letting the flame die out in his hands.
“How long?”
“Always,” he answered. “Morgana, I know what you’re going through. I know it seems bad now, but magic isn’t something to be scared of.”
She shook her head, as if to clear out her troubled thoughts. “I have always been told that magic was evil.”
He understood her reservations, but he continued on. “Magic isn’t evil, Morgana, people are. Magic can be used for good as well. You can’t help who you are, and magic chose you for a reason. You were the one who told me that, remember?”
A small smile quirked up at the corners of her lips as she recalled the memory, but it quickly vanished. “Uther would still have me killed for this.”
“Perhaps.” Merlin couldn’t lie, but he knew they could get through it together. “Look, I know this is hard, and that you will have to keep it secret, but now you have me. And I’m going to help you.”
“You risked a lot by telling me this.”
He nodded. “I trust you, Morgana.”
Her smile widened. “Thank you, Merlin.” She walked up to him and gently brushed a light kiss across his cheek.
Merlin blushed so deeply his skin grew hot. He found himself smiling in return. “I’ll let you rest now. We can start working on things soon.”
She cocked her head slightly. “Working?”
“Like I said, I’m going to help you.” He grinned at her adorably confused look and turned towards the door. “Goodnight, Morgana.”
As he left, Morgana could feel the weight on her shoulders lift exponentially. Maybe things would be alright.
---
Morgana and Merlin met up often over the next few weeks to work on their magic. It was helping Morgana a lot; she was happier and seemed to be back to her normal self. They tried their best to keep the meetings a secret, but Arthur was starting to notice. He had even confronted Merlin about it and told him quite plainly that it had to stop. Of course, Arthur’s idea of what was occurring was far from the reality.
Merlin came to Morgana one day to discuss the situation. “Arthur is growing suspicious.”
Her mind immediately went to the worst. “What?”
“He thinks that something is going on between us.” He smirked, seeming quite pleased with the idea.
Morgana rolled her eyes. “That idiot. Doesn’t he know-” She stopped abruptly, realizing she had said too much. “Well, I’ll talk to him about it. I am allowed to have friends after all, it’s not like Arthur owns me or anything.”
Merlin grinned. “Right, of course not.”
---
“Arthur Pendragon, how dare you dictate who I can and cannot see.” She came bursting into his chambers like a rainstorm, her skirts swirling wildly around her ankles.
Arthur got up from his chair and walked to meet her. “So you admit to seeing him?”
Morgana huffed, “Oh, please, are you honestly jealous about this?” She moved closer, invading his space.
“Jealous?” He scoffed at the idea. “I’m only worried about what father would think.”
Morgana rolled her eyes at his childishness. “He’s my friend, Arthur. You’re friends with him, aren’t you?”
He barely contained a laugh. “I would hardly consider Merlin a friend.”
She grit her teeth, trying to get past how stubborn this man was. “What about Gwen then? You two spend time together don’t you?”
“That’s different.”
“How is it different? You two talk, spend time alone together, yet when I do it with Merlin it’s unacceptable?”
His anger was bubbling to the surface. “It is if you are courting him!”
A noise of frustration rumbled through her chest and she had the urge to shake Arthur. “I am not courting him! Or anyone! I am trapped in this castle for hours on end, sorry if I occasionally spend time with the few people I encounter!”
His rage wasn’t quelled by her admission, if anything it added to the flames. “Yet you don’t spend your time with me! You’ve been avoiding me, again.”
“God, Arthur, could you be more conceited? Am I only allowed to spend my days with you now?”
He shook his head. “No, no. I just…” He suddenly lost all words and recognized the stupidity of his argument. He turned to move past her, suddenly unable to look at her.
Morgana grabbed him by the arm, her delicate fingers enclosing around his bicep. “Arthur, you have no reason to worry. Trust me, if I decide to court someone, you’ll know.” She smiled up at him, catching his eyes as he brought his gaze back to her. “But even then, you are not allowed to meddle.”
He grinned impishly. “Like you didn’t meddle when I fell for Sophia?”
“Completely different.”
Arthur chuckled at her. “Right.”
She relaxed her fingers and used the flat of her palm to push at his arm. “I still maintain that she brainwashed you.”
Arthur full on laughed now as he swayed from her shove, the vibrations racking through his whole body to the point where Morgana could feel it under her fingertips.
Morgana slowly pulled back her hand, letting her fingers trail across his skin with the movement. “I appreciate the gesture, Arthur. But really, I can take care of myself.”
At the sound of her voice, he was jarred out the haze that the movement of her fingers had created. “So you keep telling me. Won’t stop me from trying to rescue you, though.”
Warmth spread through her body at his words, despite the chauvinistic nature of his statement. “Always my champion, aren’t you?”
He smiled at that. Feeling emboldened, he reached out and pinched a stray curl between his fingers before pushing it back behind her shoulder. “You seem happier now. It’s good to see you this way.”
“I am happy. Or at least, I’m getting there.”
“Because of Merlin?” He seemed almost worried about her response.
“Yes, in part.” She could tell it bothered him for reasons beyond her seeing Merlin so frequently, but she wasn’t sure why. Although if she was being truly honest with herself, she did know, deep down.
Arthur bit down on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to scream, to ask why she couldn’t let him be the one to help her. He could make her happy, he was sure of it. But he just bowed his head and scuffed his foot on the floor, trying to think of something else to say.
Morgana could tell he was struggling with all this; she had been unfair to him lately. “I know I’ve been distant, Arthur. I just didn’t want you to see me so… weak.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was selfish, I know that.”
He nodded, his eyes still trained on the ground. “I understand.”
She lifted her hand and placed two of her fingers under his chin, tipping his head up to face her. “It won’t happen again.” What she didn’t say was how much she needed him, how he made her the happiest out of anyone in her life. She figured actions were better than words with him anyways, so she rose on her toes and leaned forward to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Arthur froze as he felt her kiss, his skin electrified by the slight touch. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an effort to maintain control.
Her lips brushed across his skin slowly as she savored the moment. She had intended to simply show her appreciation for his understanding, but she suddenly wanted more. It was so different from the kiss she had bestowed on Merlin weeks before. She could feel the stubble on his chin under her lips and the warmth of his breath radiating across her cheek. Forcing herself to break the spell, she pulled back, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she did.
Arthur cleared his throat, finding himself struggling to breathe properly.
Morgana smiled and held back the giddy laughter that was on her tongue. She took a step back from him and tipped her head as a gesture to show that she would take her leave. “Goodbye, Arthur.”
He watched her practically run from his chambers and couldn’t help but wonder what on earth had just happened. He found himself smiling for hours after she had left, however.
Next Chapter
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 3,867
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff, because if I did ArMor would be canon.
Spoilers: Vague spoilers for all of Merlin series 2
Summary: Perhaps there was another way, if only it had gone a little different at the start. How it should've been, aka Series 2 the proper way.
Author's Notes: So we all know I have issues with this episode, and I decided to rectify a certain warlock's decisions...
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1
---
Arthur woke to the sounds of screaming. Strangely, they seemed to dissipate upon waking, as if they were only inside his head. He was fully prepared to ignore the incident and go back to sleep, but Merlin came bursting into his room, looking frantic.
Arthur barely had time to open his mouth to speak before Merlin answered the unspoken question. “It’s Morgana.”
The boys both ran through the halls to get to Morgana’s chambers as quickly as possible. Once they reached the scene, they saw several guards standing around the door and a huddled Morgana resting against the wall, wrapped in a blanket.
The guards were clearing out the room when Arthur got to them, and even though he desperately wanted to talk to Morgana, he stopped short and turned to the guards instead. Morgana hadn’t talked to him in two weeks, ever since the incident after the joust. “What happened here?”
One of the guards explained that there was a fire, and that they had to put it out before it spread throughout the room. No one was hurt, but the window was broken and the curtains were devoured by the flames. Arthur bit down on his lip and nodded curtly to dismiss the guards. He was torn between being furious that this could’ve happened, and terrified that Morgana could’ve been hurt.
Hushed voices behind him caught his attention, and Arthur turned to find Merlin comforting Morgana. Merlin must have made some joke or something, because Morgana smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around Merlin’s neck in a loose hug. Merlin hesitated, but embraced her eventually, the blanket engulfing them both and shielding them from Arthur’s prying eyes. After waiting long enough, Arthur cleared his throat to get their attention.
Morgana’s watery smile disappeared immediately, a frown marring her features. Her arms dropped from Merlin’s neck to rest by her sides. “Arthur.” She was still terrified, unable to explain what had happened, and unwilling to admit what she feared to be true. Therefore, Arthur was the last person she needed to see now; her feelings were clouded enough without him around.
He seemed ignorant to her inner turmoil, however. “Are you alright?” Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Merlin inching slowly away from Morgana.
“I’m fine.” She wrapped her arms around herself in a contradiction to her words.
Arthur knew it was far from true, but they weren’t back to the point where he could call her out on it. He simply nodded and let her have her way for once. “Well, it’s still early. Merlin, could you escort Morgana to my chambers? She can sleep there while I take care of things here.”
As expected, she protested, “Arthur, no, I don’t need-”
“It’s only until we can clean your room properly. Don’t worry, no one will disturb you.” Underneath his words, the message was clear-he wouldn’t be bothering her.
She bowed her head in acceptance, giving in to the exhaustion she felt. She turned and followed Merlin, only stopping once to glance back at Arthur. The fear that was creeping through her veins was almost paralyzing. Maybe if she told Arthur, maybe he’d understand, maybe… She spun away, tearing her eyes off of him and hurrying to keep pace with Merlin.
Merlin opened the door to Arthur’s room for her, eyeing her questioningly. She was being eerily quiet, and it unnerved him.
Morgana traced her fingers along the comforter on Arthur’s bed, debating if she should say anything to Merlin. He was only a servant, he wasn’t Uther’s son; perhaps his bias wasn’t as strong. She turned to him, admitting quietly, “Merlin, the fire wasn’t an accident.”
He cocked his head, confused by her statement. “Did someone set the fire? Morgana, if someone did this, we have to tell Arthur-”
“I think I did it.” She felt the words rush out her mouth before she could stop them.
“Morgana, why would you- I mean, I’m sure you didn’t…”
Suddenly regretting the decision, she backtracked, “I just meant, I lit the candle. I shouldn’t have been so careless.” She bit down on the inside of her cheek, suppressing the scream building up in her chest at her cowardice.
Merlin looked skeptical, but let it pass. “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, Morgana.”
She made a noise of agreement despite her inner turmoil and slowly peeled back the covers on Arthur’s bed.
“I’ll let you get some rest, my lady.” He slipped out of the room silently and shut the door behind him.
Morgana climbed into the bed, wrapping herself tightly in the covers. She lifted the blankets to her chin and laid her head on the pillow. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt compelled to inhale deeply, smelling the faint aroma of sweat and dirt and the trees, and something that she knew was purely Arthur. It was oddly comforting to be wrapped in Arthur’s scent; it bore down on her like a protective covering. Nestling down further into the bed, she allowed herself to be slowly consumed by sleep.
---
When Arthur finally returned to his chambers after quite a grueling conversation with his father about who might have tried to kill Morgana this time, he was quite surprised to find Morgana sprawled out across his bed. The sun had been up for hours, and he had been certain that she would have cleared out long ago, if only to avoid talking to him. Yet there she was.
Her hair was spilling across his pillows in an intricate pattern, her legs all askew and hanging out of the covers, and her mouth was slightly open. The sight made him smile; it was so rare to catch Morgana looking this peaceful. He hated to wake her, but if he let her sleep the day away she would possibly be furious.
Arthur crept over to the bed and cautiously laid one hand on Morgana’s shoulder. Her nightgown had ridden down, so his fingers danced across her bare flesh. “Morgana.” He shook her lightly, trying to wake her from her slumber.
She made a grumbling noise and rolled over towards him. “G’way, Gwen.”
He let out a low laugh. “It’s not Gwen.”
One eye popped open, scanning him in her sleepy state. “Arthur?” She opened both eyes to better assess him. “What are you doing here, why are you-”
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “You’re in my room, Morgana.”
Reality dawned on her and she shot straight up, scrambling to get out of the covers. Her legs were becoming hopelessly tangled at this rate, however. “I’m sorry, I’ll just get out…” She finally freed her legs and swung them over the side of the bed. Mumbling more to herself than him, “I can’t believe I slept this long.”
Arthur chuckled at her struggle. “It’s fine, really.” A sly smile broke out across his face. “You know, I never thought I’d see the day where you’d be in my bed. I mean, sure, I imagined it, but it was quite different than this.”
His words sunk in and her face turned three shades redder. “Arthur!” She smacked at him playfully, the weeks of ignoring him quickly forgotten.
“Ah, you calling out my name-that part’s familiar.” His smirk grew; he knew full well how to push her buttons.
She shoved him harder this time, trying to move him out of her path so she could stand. “Arthur Pendragon, I could have you thrown in the stocks for talk like that.”
He made room and allowed her to get to her feet. “Well, you are in my bed, arguments could be made that you were here to seduce me, you know.”
Morgana rolled her eyes and moved past him. “You are intolerable.”
He laughed, pleased that he had finally broken the icy silence between them. “You love it.”
She shook her head, unable to stop the grin on her lips. She headed towards the door, stopping with her fingers on the handle for a brief second.
Arthur remembered why Morgana was there in the first place and grew serious, the fun over. Warily, he asked, “Are you sure that everything’s alright, Morgana?”
Her throat tightened and a chill passed over her skin. Trying her best not to shiver, she nodded stiffly. “I’m fine, Arthur.”
Her eyes never met his, and he could tell that she was lying. He desperately wanted her to let him in, but he just nodded in return and watched her leave.
---
Morgana was unable to get to sleep the next night. Her eyes were drawn to the vase of flowers that Merlin had so graciously brought her. Suddenly, something overtook her and filled her up with a burning sensation. The next thing she knew, the vase had shattered into a million pieces. She screamed, certain now that something was happening to her. Jumping out of her bed, she slipped on shoes and a cover and rushed out of her room.
Her first thought was to find Arthur; the warmth of his bed had quelled her fears the day before. She changed her mind before she reached his door though, knowing that it would lead to far too many questions. She would go to Gaius; hopefully he’d have a potion that she could take that would fix all of this.
Bursting into Gaius’s chambers, she called out for him, but received no answer. A noise caught her attention and she turned to see Merlin emerging from his room.
“Morgana? Is something wrong?” He scrubbed at his eyes with his hand, clearly having just woken up.
She cleared her throat, suddenly feel terribly awkward standing in front of Merlin in her nightgown for the second time in two days. “I just needed to see Gaius. I was hoping he could get something for my dreams.”
“Are they getting worse?” He was quite alert now and looking concerned for her.
Morgana thought back to yesterday. She had almost told him then… She just needed someone to confirm it, someone to say that it would be fine. “Merlin…” The terror inside her chest was choking off all the oxygen in her lungs.
“You know you can tell me anything, Morgana. I’m your friend.” There was pure sincerity in his voice; he genuinely cared.
Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat, she whispered, “I’m scared, Merlin. I don’t understand anything anymore.”
“It’s okay, Morgana-”
She cut off his statement, “No, it’s not!” Courage was slowly taking over her fear and she knew she had to say it out loud. “It’s magic.”
He paled at that. “What?”
“The candle, the window, the vase in my room-I did that! Something’s happening to me, Merlin. I can’t explain it, or control it. It’s magic, it has to be.” She was determined to get him to believe her, to let her know she wasn’t going crazy.
“Morgana…” he warned. This was dangerous territory, he knew.
“Please, Merlin. You have to believe me.”
Merlin reached out and took her hand gently in his. “I do.”
She smiled brightly for the first time in days. “You think it’s magic too?”
He bit down on the inside of his cheek, slightly regretting his words. He couldn’t lie to her though, not now. She needed a friend, and he understood so clearly the desperation she was feeling. “It might be, Morgana.” He felt her tense up under his grasp. “I don’t know. But I believe you if that’s what you say it is.”
Her smile had dimmed slightly, but she seemed satisfied for now. “Thank you, Merlin.” She was prepared to leave before a thought hit her. “Merlin? Just… don’t tell Arthur about this.”
Merlin was surprised that Morgana would hide anything as important as this from Arthur, but he couldn’t exactly judge. “I won’t. I promise.”
---
After several days, Morgana was looking downright ragged. She was exhausted and scared, despite the fact that she had voiced her fears to Merlin. He was there for her to talk to, but he seemed distant.
Arthur was growing concerned, and only slightly jealous. He had noticed Morgana spending more time around Merlin, yet she was back to avoiding Arthur like the plague. Her scent was fading from his sheets and he was back to missing her as fiercely as before. She clearly was having trouble sleeping, but on the few occasions he saw her, if he tried to ask her about it, she would change the subject. He finally gave in and asked Merlin if he knew what was wrong.
Merlin looked like he had choked on his tongue when Arthur asked him. “No, I don’t know anything. Maybe you should ask Gwen.”
Arthur felt defeated, but he didn’t give up. “You’ve been around her a lot lately.”
“We’re… friends. I’m worried about her as well.”
The prince let out a long sigh. “Merlin, I’ve known her my whole life. I’ve never seen her like this. If you know anything…”
The guilt was creeping up on him, but he knew the seriousness of the situation. It was too risky, and he had made a promise. “I don’t. I’m sorry.” He watched as Arthur’s face fell and decided that if he couldn’t help in this way, he would find another way to save Morgana on his own.
---
Merlin knocked on Morgana’s door after several minutes of pacing outside in the hallway.
A haggard looking Morgana opened the door. Her eyes had lost their usual sparkle and looked ready to vanish in the darkness of the circles underneath them. “Merlin?”
He gathered his courage. “I need to speak with you. Can I come in?”
She stepped aside to let him in the room, shutting the door behind him. Before she could ask what this was about, Merlin started speaking again.
“Morgana, what’s been happening to you… you were right. It is magic.”
She looked shocked at the conviction in his voice. “How can you be sure?”
He took a deep breath to steady himself. He knew that this was possibly a terrible decision, and he knew Gaius wouldn’t approve, but he had to do something. She was his friend, and it was killing both her and Arthur to go on this way; he couldn’t leave her like this.
Closing his eyes, he clasped his hands together and mumbled something low under his breath. When he opened his eyes, they flashed gold for a brief moment. He held out his cupped palms toward Morgana and opened them to reveal a small flame flickering in his hands.
Morgana’s expression changed from horrified to amazed all in one fluid moment. Her eyes kept flicking back and forth from the flame in his hands to his face. Finally, she found her voice again. “You?”
He nodded slowly, letting the flame die out in his hands.
“How long?”
“Always,” he answered. “Morgana, I know what you’re going through. I know it seems bad now, but magic isn’t something to be scared of.”
She shook her head, as if to clear out her troubled thoughts. “I have always been told that magic was evil.”
He understood her reservations, but he continued on. “Magic isn’t evil, Morgana, people are. Magic can be used for good as well. You can’t help who you are, and magic chose you for a reason. You were the one who told me that, remember?”
A small smile quirked up at the corners of her lips as she recalled the memory, but it quickly vanished. “Uther would still have me killed for this.”
“Perhaps.” Merlin couldn’t lie, but he knew they could get through it together. “Look, I know this is hard, and that you will have to keep it secret, but now you have me. And I’m going to help you.”
“You risked a lot by telling me this.”
He nodded. “I trust you, Morgana.”
Her smile widened. “Thank you, Merlin.” She walked up to him and gently brushed a light kiss across his cheek.
Merlin blushed so deeply his skin grew hot. He found himself smiling in return. “I’ll let you rest now. We can start working on things soon.”
She cocked her head slightly. “Working?”
“Like I said, I’m going to help you.” He grinned at her adorably confused look and turned towards the door. “Goodnight, Morgana.”
As he left, Morgana could feel the weight on her shoulders lift exponentially. Maybe things would be alright.
---
Morgana and Merlin met up often over the next few weeks to work on their magic. It was helping Morgana a lot; she was happier and seemed to be back to her normal self. They tried their best to keep the meetings a secret, but Arthur was starting to notice. He had even confronted Merlin about it and told him quite plainly that it had to stop. Of course, Arthur’s idea of what was occurring was far from the reality.
Merlin came to Morgana one day to discuss the situation. “Arthur is growing suspicious.”
Her mind immediately went to the worst. “What?”
“He thinks that something is going on between us.” He smirked, seeming quite pleased with the idea.
Morgana rolled her eyes. “That idiot. Doesn’t he know-” She stopped abruptly, realizing she had said too much. “Well, I’ll talk to him about it. I am allowed to have friends after all, it’s not like Arthur owns me or anything.”
Merlin grinned. “Right, of course not.”
---
“Arthur Pendragon, how dare you dictate who I can and cannot see.” She came bursting into his chambers like a rainstorm, her skirts swirling wildly around her ankles.
Arthur got up from his chair and walked to meet her. “So you admit to seeing him?”
Morgana huffed, “Oh, please, are you honestly jealous about this?” She moved closer, invading his space.
“Jealous?” He scoffed at the idea. “I’m only worried about what father would think.”
Morgana rolled her eyes at his childishness. “He’s my friend, Arthur. You’re friends with him, aren’t you?”
He barely contained a laugh. “I would hardly consider Merlin a friend.”
She grit her teeth, trying to get past how stubborn this man was. “What about Gwen then? You two spend time together don’t you?”
“That’s different.”
“How is it different? You two talk, spend time alone together, yet when I do it with Merlin it’s unacceptable?”
His anger was bubbling to the surface. “It is if you are courting him!”
A noise of frustration rumbled through her chest and she had the urge to shake Arthur. “I am not courting him! Or anyone! I am trapped in this castle for hours on end, sorry if I occasionally spend time with the few people I encounter!”
His rage wasn’t quelled by her admission, if anything it added to the flames. “Yet you don’t spend your time with me! You’ve been avoiding me, again.”
“God, Arthur, could you be more conceited? Am I only allowed to spend my days with you now?”
He shook his head. “No, no. I just…” He suddenly lost all words and recognized the stupidity of his argument. He turned to move past her, suddenly unable to look at her.
Morgana grabbed him by the arm, her delicate fingers enclosing around his bicep. “Arthur, you have no reason to worry. Trust me, if I decide to court someone, you’ll know.” She smiled up at him, catching his eyes as he brought his gaze back to her. “But even then, you are not allowed to meddle.”
He grinned impishly. “Like you didn’t meddle when I fell for Sophia?”
“Completely different.”
Arthur chuckled at her. “Right.”
She relaxed her fingers and used the flat of her palm to push at his arm. “I still maintain that she brainwashed you.”
Arthur full on laughed now as he swayed from her shove, the vibrations racking through his whole body to the point where Morgana could feel it under her fingertips.
Morgana slowly pulled back her hand, letting her fingers trail across his skin with the movement. “I appreciate the gesture, Arthur. But really, I can take care of myself.”
At the sound of her voice, he was jarred out the haze that the movement of her fingers had created. “So you keep telling me. Won’t stop me from trying to rescue you, though.”
Warmth spread through her body at his words, despite the chauvinistic nature of his statement. “Always my champion, aren’t you?”
He smiled at that. Feeling emboldened, he reached out and pinched a stray curl between his fingers before pushing it back behind her shoulder. “You seem happier now. It’s good to see you this way.”
“I am happy. Or at least, I’m getting there.”
“Because of Merlin?” He seemed almost worried about her response.
“Yes, in part.” She could tell it bothered him for reasons beyond her seeing Merlin so frequently, but she wasn’t sure why. Although if she was being truly honest with herself, she did know, deep down.
Arthur bit down on the inside of his cheek. He wanted to scream, to ask why she couldn’t let him be the one to help her. He could make her happy, he was sure of it. But he just bowed his head and scuffed his foot on the floor, trying to think of something else to say.
Morgana could tell he was struggling with all this; she had been unfair to him lately. “I know I’ve been distant, Arthur. I just didn’t want you to see me so… weak.” She shrugged her shoulders. “It was selfish, I know that.”
He nodded, his eyes still trained on the ground. “I understand.”
She lifted her hand and placed two of her fingers under his chin, tipping his head up to face her. “It won’t happen again.” What she didn’t say was how much she needed him, how he made her the happiest out of anyone in her life. She figured actions were better than words with him anyways, so she rose on her toes and leaned forward to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Arthur froze as he felt her kiss, his skin electrified by the slight touch. He clenched and unclenched his fists in an effort to maintain control.
Her lips brushed across his skin slowly as she savored the moment. She had intended to simply show her appreciation for his understanding, but she suddenly wanted more. It was so different from the kiss she had bestowed on Merlin weeks before. She could feel the stubble on his chin under her lips and the warmth of his breath radiating across her cheek. Forcing herself to break the spell, she pulled back, nearly stumbling over her own feet as she did.
Arthur cleared his throat, finding himself struggling to breathe properly.
Morgana smiled and held back the giddy laughter that was on her tongue. She took a step back from him and tipped her head as a gesture to show that she would take her leave. “Goodbye, Arthur.”
He watched her practically run from his chambers and couldn’t help but wonder what on earth had just happened. He found himself smiling for hours after she had left, however.
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