you and i are a story that never gets told (9/13)
Title: you and i are a story that never gets told (9/~13)
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 6,058
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: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! Thank you to everyone who put up with my bitching throughout the whole process. Here have some fluff as a reward. (Enjoy it while it lasts!)
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7
---
As the rulers of the five kingdoms and their men rode down the road to Camelot, Arthur and Morgana watched with Uther up on the turrets. Morgana sighed as she gazed out over the newcomers. She enjoyed visitors, really, but the last time one of the kings had visited, she had been harassed hopelessly by several of the knights, and frankly she wasn’t in the mood to entertain their egos at present.
Arthur noticed her melancholy expression and nudged her shoulder with his own. He whispered, “Praying that Sir Julian isn’t in attendance?”
Glaring over at him, she retorted, “I can handle him and his arrogant friends just fine, Arthur.”
He sarcastically hummed in agreement. “Yes, of course, which is why I had to lock him in the stables for a whole day.”
Morgana huffed, “I never asked you to do that.”
Defending his decision, he blurted, “He made you cry!”
“I was thirteen and he had torn my favorite dress, of course I cried, Arthur.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, frustrated with Morgana’s stubborn desire to be independent. He noticed King Olaf riding along the path, his beautiful daughter in tow. “Well, you needn’t be too worried, Morgana. I’m sure Lady Vivian will be more than enough to keep the attention of all the knights.”
Despite her best efforts, it was clear that the statement made her slightly jealous. Clenching her jaw, she snapped, “You know perfectly well that Olaf would have their heads before they could so much as breathe on her.”
Enjoying Morgana’s jealousy, he continued, “I’m not afraid of Olaf.” As the Kings neared the main square, Uther beckoned for Arthur to come and greet them. Arthur turned to Morgana and grinned. “I think I’ll go welcome Lady Vivian now.”
As he left her up on the turrets, she called out, “Enjoy your last moments, Arthur!” Frustrated by his constant ability to annoy her, she stormed off to find Gwen and vent.
---
By the time Arthur had shown Lady Vivian to her chambers, he already was tired of being in her presence. She was rude and callous, and never seemed to stop talking. They had seen Morgana walking from across the courtyard and Vivian had made a snide comment about her, which made Arthur’s blood boil.
Morgana and Guinevere met Arthur in Lady Vivian’s chambers, since Gwen would be in the Lady Vivian’s service for the duration of her stay. Morgana quietly wished Gwen good luck and ducked out into the hall.
Arthur set down Lady Vivian’s belongings and explained, “Guinevere will be attending to you during your stay. She is the Lady Morgana’s personal maid, and one of our finest servants.”
Lady Vivian scoffed. “From the looks of Lady Morgana’s hair I think I would rather be left to my own devices.”
“I really don’t see anything wrong with-” His angry tirade was cut off by a quick stamp to the top of his foot, courtesy of Gwen’s heel.
Guinevere gave him a look that clearly said to be quiet, and Arthur obliged.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he quickly added, “I think you’ll be quite comfortable here.”
Lady Vivian laughed to herself, “Oh, I highly doubt that.”
In order to prevent further problems, Guinevere curtseyed respectfully and dragged Arthur out of the chambers and away from Lady Vivian.
After the door had been closed, Arthur turned to Gwen, frustration marring his features. “Could she be any ruder?”
Gwen did her best not to laugh, but she found herself grinning.
Arthur was still bordering on irate over Lady Vivian’s comments. “I mean, did you hear how she insulted Morgana?” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Lady Vivian should only wish to be half the woman Morgana is.”
“You care a lot about her, don’t you?” Guinevere asked.
Arthur’s eyes went wide. “Lady Vivian? Honestly, Guinevere-”
Laughing, she amended, “Lady Morgana.”
His slack jaw snapped shut, and his cheeks pinkened slightly. “Well, I should I suppose, I mean-of course, it’s Morgana, I… I’ve always-” He trailed off, coughing uncomfortably.
Gwen smiled knowingly, impressed that even the mention of Morgana was enough to make the prince babble. “If it’s not too bold, Arthur, I think you should tell her.”
He shrugged his shoulders slightly, brushing it off. “I’m sure she knows.”
“Still. It wouldn’t hurt to remind her, would it?”
Arthur smiled at Gwen with all her good intentions. He shook his head, laughing lightly. “I’ll think about it.” As he watched Gwen start to beam, he pointed towards Lady Vivian’s chambers as a reminder. “Have fun with that one.”
Gwen’s smile all but vanished and she frowned playfully at him before leaving him to attend to her new temporary mistress.
---
At the feast that night, Arthur planned on telling Morgana how he felt. Possibly. He really wasn’t too sure of exactly what his feelings were, or how to express them in any way. Merlin was being unusually quiet when it came to the subject of Morgana lately, so any hope of getting advice was gone.
Morgana seemed to be in a melancholy mood for most of the meal, probably due to the fact that she had been seated next to the Lady Vivian.
Vivian would occasionally chirp some vapid statement about the other guests into Morgana’s ear, to which Morgana would just smile and nod. Thankfully the Trickler’s display seemed to thoroughly distract everyone, including Vivian, so Morgana had a brief period of peace.
Vivian did smirk over at Morgana in satisfaction after the butterfly chose to land on her, but Morgana was unfazed. She caught Arthur’s eyes from across the room and found him grinning in amusement at her predicament. Morgana discreetly glared at him, suddenly wishing that Sir Julian had come on this trip, if only to annoy Arthur.
The feast seemed to stretch on for hours, but finally it came to a close and Morgana politely excused herself. Arthur immediately followed in pursuit, calling out to her as she reached the hallway. “Morgana!”
She stopped and waited for him, leaning back on the stone wall. “I suppose you’re here to laugh about my miserable evening?”
He grinned despite himself, but shook his head. “No. I wanted to speak with you about something.”
Realizing that he was being serious, Morgana stood up from the wall and moved closer to him. “What is it?”
His throat seemed ridiculously dry all of a sudden, and he cursed his nerves. Deciding on a course of action before he lost his will, he asked, “I was wondering, would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow?”
Her face was unreadable as she took in his request. Hesitantly, she began to answer, “Arthur, I-”
Before Morgana could finish, Lady Vivian appeared practically out of thin air and looped her arm through Morgana’s. “Oh, Arthur, she can’t! She’s promised to spend the day with me.”
Arthur was shocked, knowing that spending the day with Vivian would be the last thing she would ever want to do. He met Morgana’s gaze, hoping for an explanation.
Vivian continued, “My father and King Uther suggested it. They thought we could use an escape from all the boring peace talks.”
Morgana faked a grin, her eyes silently screaming at Arthur. She hummed to express her support of the story. Through gritted teeth, she spoke, “Yes, we get to have some girl time.”
Surprisingly, Arthur didn’t look as humored as Morgana had expected. He seemed genuinely disappointed that he would not get to spend the day with her. Accepting that his plan was ruined, he replied, “Well, I hope you two have fun.”
Morgana reached over to carefully squeeze two of his fingers as they dangled loosely at his side. “Soon,” she promised. She pulled her fingers back quickly before Vivian could notice and forced another smile.
Vivian bid Arthur goodnight and pulled Morgana away, chattering on about something. As she left, Morgana looked back at Arthur, feeling suspiciously like she had just missed out on something important.
---
Arthur woke up with a strange sensation taking hold of him, one he couldn’t seem to shake. He got up and dressed himself without Merlin’s assistance and went to stare out of the window. He noticed Lady Vivian and Morgana in the courtyard, readying for their day together. For some inexplicable reason, Arthur’s gaze was drawn to Lady Vivian as he stared. Somewhere deep down he felt that it was wrong; he had a nagging feeling that he should be looking at the brunette girl instead, but he couldn’t stop himself. A giddy feeling washed over him and he sighed happily.
Merlin entered the prince’s chambers, shocked to find him awake and dressed. “Good morning, sire.”
Sighing, Arthur dreamily responded, “Yes it is. The most beautiful morning I’ve ever seen.”
Merlin cocked his head in confusion. “You’re dressed,” he stated incredulously.
Arthur never took his eyes off the window. “Yes, I am the future King of Camelot; I do have some skills you know.”
Peering over Arthur’s shoulder, Merlin noticed the girls in the courtyard and suddenly understood Arthur’s fascination. “Ah, yes. Well, I doubt very much that the future King of Camelot should be caught staring at women through his window.”
Arthur turned to glare at Merlin, before conceding his point. “I suppose you’re right. I should be doing more than staring, shouldn’t I?”
“Sire?” Merlin questioned.
“I need to make a proclamation of love.” He moved from the window, giving up on staring at his love for a while.
Merlin started to chew on the inside of his cheek, trying to understand Arthur’s sudden change. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Arthur had feelings for the Lady Morgana, but there was no way he would admit it. “Are you sure?”
Arthur laughed at his question. “Why not? Why should I keep my feelings secret? I want to shout it from the rooftops!”
Merlin nodded slowly, taking in this new information. Normally he would be in support of Arthur and Morgana finally admitting their feelings, but lately he was struggling with anything Morgana related. They hadn’t spent any time alone together in weeks, and even when they saw each other they didn’t speak. He had tried to forgive her for killing Freya, but ever since it had happened, he was starting to worry that perhaps the dragon had been right when he had warned him against trusting Morgana.
Arthur continued to babble on, finally jolting Merlin out his thoughts by asking, “How do I express my feelings?”
“Feelings,” Merlin mused. “Girls.”
Arthur echoed the words, equally confused.
“Flowers?” Merlin suggested.
“Excellent!” Arthur exclaimed.
Nodding, Merlin asked, “So, what are the Lady Morgana’s favorite flowers?”
Arthur’s brow creased, not understanding the question. “Morgana? Why should that matter?”
“Well, aren’t the flowers for her?”
The laughter that ensued almost hurt Merlin’s ears. “Morgana? Merlin, wherever would you get an idea like that?”
While Merlin was slightly relieved, he was more than a little lost. “Who are they for then?”
Grinning like an idiot, Arthur replied, “The Lady Vivian.”
Merlin nodded, still having difficulty comprehending Arthur’s request. In the end, he decided that it wasn’t worth analyzing. If Arthur wanted to court the Lady Vivian, it was his decision. Perhaps Arthur wasn’t as in love with Morgana as he had previously thought. Agreeing to get the flowers, Merlin excused himself from Arthur’s chambers.
---
Morgana had been put through the ringer following Lady Vivian around the whole day. They had gone shopping in the market, riding through the grounds, and had spent a considerable amount of time in the gardens. All the while, Vivian found something to complain about, no doubt due to her ridiculously spoiled upbringing. Morgana almost felt sorry for the girl. If Uther kept as tight of a leash on her as Olaf did on Vivian, Morgana would have run away years ago.
Finally, they made their way back to Camelot and Morgana accompanied Vivian to her chambers. When they got there, they found Merlin inside with a vase of flowers in his hands.
“Merlin?” Morgana asked. The boy looked shocked to see both of the girls standing there.
“What are you doing in my chambers?” Vivian fumed.
Merlin held out the flowers. “Sorry, these are from Prince Arthur. He wanted me to bring them to you.”
Vivian looked over at Morgana expectantly, assuming the flowers were for her. “Well, go ahead and take them. I don’t know why he’d send them here, of all places-”
Merlin coughed to interrupt. “Lady Vivian, the flowers are for you.”
The blonde whipped her head around to face the boy. “Me? Why on earth would he be sending flowers to me?”
Merlin shrugged and quickly set the flowers down on a table. “I just do as I’m told, my lady.” He smiled awkwardly at Morgana and rushed out of the room before he could be subjected to further questioning.
Morgana’s face fell slightly at the realization that Arthur sent Vivian flowers and not her, but she refused to let her feelings show. “I suppose he’s trying to make you feel welcome, Vivian.”
Lady Vivian dramatically rolled her eyes. “He’s lucky I don’t throw them in the trash. I mean, really, sending me flowers. My father has killed men for less.”
Morgana laughed despite the pain in her chest. “He’s not the brightest, our Arthur.”
Vivian laughed along with her. “Yes, well, I suppose I should bid you goodnight, Morgana.”
Morgana nodded and turned to leave the room, but stopped when she heard Vivian’s voice.
“Thank you for today, Morgana. It was… fun.” It seemed difficult for the girl to admit it, but clearly she was lonely.
Smiling, Morgana replied, “It was my pleasure.” She slipped out into the hall, finally allowing her emotions to crash down on her. Eventually she decided that it was yet another attempt by Arthur to bother her, so she held her chin up and walked back to her chambers, refusing to be affected.
---
Later that night, Arthur found himself outside of Lady Vivian’s door with a tray of food. She hadn’t responded about the flowers, so he decided to try another tactic. He knocked on the door.
Lady Vivian called out from inside, “Who is it?”
Arthur replied, “It is destiny, my love.” He paused for a moment and assessed the plate before continuing, “Destiny and chicken!”
Lady Vivian opened the door to see Arthur standing there.
“What a beautiful combination, eh?”
She promptly shut the door in his face.
Arthur opened the door on his own and went on, “The beans are a little cold, but the meat is very good.”
“Go away!” Lady Vivian cried. She put her hand on the door, hoping to shut it on him again.
Upset, Arthur remarked, “My love, I do not know what I’ve done to offend you.”
“Your love?” Vivian exclaimed. “Not now, nor ever!”
“Come now,” Arthur begged.
Vivian rolled her eyes dramatically and slammed the door again.
Arthur started to knock again, calling out, “Just five minutes!”
Merlin rounded the corridor and quickly pulled Arthur away from the door. “My lord, I don’t think your advances are welcome.”
Vivian yelled once more. “Go away! And take your chicken with you!”
Arthur grumbled sarcastically, “Don’t know what gives you that impression.” He shoved the plate of food at Merlin and stalked back to his room in a huff.
On his way, he nearly crashed into Morgana as she walked in the opposite direction.
“Arthur!” She squealed as she stumbled.
Arthur shook his head in frustration and continued on without so much as an apology.
Morgana brushed herself off and watched as Arthur walked away. She made a disapproving noise under her breath and spun on her heel to continue on her way, thoroughly disgusted.
When he reached his chambers, Arthur collapsed on his bed, face down, wallowing in his failure.
Merlin was still trying to understand Arthur’s complete disregard for Morgana earlier, since it was completely unlike him, whether he loved the girl or not. “Perhaps you should give up on Lady Vivian, Arthur.”
Arthur groaned loudly, the sound muffled by the bed cover his face was pressed against.
“She is very beautiful, but you barely know her. Maybe you should consider returning to, you know, your old love. Though I have reservations about that as well.”
Arthur mumbled into the bed, “I don’t have an old love.” He rolled over and landed on his pillow. As he hit it, a lock of hair became visible on his sheets. Picking it up, he muttered, “What on earth?” He held out the hair to show Merlin. “You really need to start paying attention to the details.”
Merlin took the hair from him, suddenly putting all the pieces together. He stuck the hair in his pocket to show it to Gaius later, almost certain now that this was some sort of spell.
---
Morgana was in a bad mood for the rest of the night due to Arthur’s actions in the hall. He had only just asked her to spend the day with him the night before, yet now he was treating her worse than a servant.
As Gwen brushed out Morgana’s hair, she could sense something was troubling her. “Is there something on your mind, Morgana?”
Sighing, Morgana explained, “It’s Arthur.”
Gwen nodded; she had assumed as much.
“I think he’s upset with me.” She pouted at her reflection, wondering what she could’ve done wrong.
Gwen couldn’t believe it, only yesterday Arthur had been happy at the mere thought of Morgana. “Why would you think that?”
“He nearly trampled me in the hall earlier and didn’t say a word. He seemed almost annoyed that I had been in his way,” she complained.
“Maybe he was in a hurry, I’m sure he didn’t mean to--”
Morgana ignored Gwen’s attempt to write off the incident, continuing, “And did you know he sent the Lady Vivian flowers? Of all people.”
That was a shock to Gwen, and she yanked the brush sharply through Morgana’s hair.
“Ouch! Gwen!” Morgana cried.
“Sorry, my lady.” Smiling apologetically at her through the mirror, Gwen continued to brush her hair, contemplating what could have happened to Arthur to change his mind.
---
Merlin had spent all night trying to find a way to break the love spell on Arthur, but he hadn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t possibly turn Arthur into a frog. As he cleaned Arthur’s chambers, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it and found Lady Vivian standing there only in her nightgown.
She grinned at him. “I wish to see Arthur. Your master. My lord.”
“Your what?” Merlin asked.
“My heart’s delight,” she giggled.
As she pushed past him into the room, Merlin muttered, “Oh no.”
“Where is he?” Vivian asked.
“He’s not here, which is a very good thing.”
Vivian threw herself onto Arthur’s bed, burying herself into his pillows. “I want to see him now! I need to see my love.”
As Merlin struggled to figure out what to do, he heard another knock, followed by the door opening slowly.
“Arthur?” Morgana called.
Merlin groaned. “Morgana, you really shouldn’t-”
Morgana noticed Vivian rolled up in Arthur’s bed and cried, “What is she doing in here?”
Vivian laughed giddily. “Waiting for my love to return.”
“Your what?” Morgana spluttered. She turned to Merlin. “What is going on?”
Lady Vivian got up from the bed and skipped over to Morgana. “Oh, Morgana, it’s wonderful. I’m in love with Arthur!”
A yell could be heard from out in the hall and Merlin ran over and peered out of the door to see Arthur coming, as well as Olaf and several knights. He shut the door and turned to Vivian, shouting, “Okay, you need to go!”
Lady Vivian frowned. “You cannot keep us apart. It’s written in the stars. Vivian and Arthur, a love for all time. A love stronger than time.”
Morgana rolled her eyes. “Oh, please!”
Hearing the footsteps grow closer, Merlin blurted out a spell, causing Vivian to fall asleep.
Morgana looked over at him incredulously. “Merlin!”
“King Olaf is coming, and if he finds her here, he’ll kill Arthur.”
She briefly contemplated letting Arthur die, but eventually she gave in, sighing as she went over to help. The two of them lifted Vivian up, shutting her inside Arthur’s closet. She mumbled, “If the girl falls in love this easily, no wonder Olaf has to kill all her suitors.”
As soon as they managed to get Vivian locked away, Arthur came into his room. “Morgana!” he announced, surprised at her presence.
Before Arthur could say anything else, Olaf stormed in, followed by the Trickler and several knights. “Where is she? I know she’s in here, Arthur! Hand her over, or feel my wrath.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and Morgana. “What’s he talking about?”
Olaf pointed at the Trickler. “Trickler here has told me that the Lady Vivian is in your chambers.”
Arthur chuckled to himself. “If only that were true.”
Olaf grabbed Arthur by his shirt, his face flush with fury.
“Arthur!” Morgana barked.
Merlin added, “If only that were true, you would not look so foolish!”
Olaf seemed to accept Merlin’s editing of Arthur’s statement and released his hold on the prince.
Morgana quickly stepped in, putting herself between Arthur and Olaf. “I assure you, sire, the only woman in here is me. Perhaps the Trickler was mistaken.”
Olaf looked as though he was still on the fence about the whole thing.
Pushing on, Morgana added, “I’m sure Lady Vivian is only having a bit of a lie-in, we did have a long day yesterday.” She smiled beatifically. “Would I lie? If Vivian were here, I would tell you, truly.”
The King believed Morgana and angrily turned on the Trickler. “You made an idiot out of me!” He continued to yell as the party was ushered out of Arthur’s chambers.
Once everyone had left, Morgana turned to Arthur with a scowl on her face. “You’re welcome.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, confused about Morgana’s blatant annoyance.
Morgana huffed dramatically. She gave Merlin a look that conveyed that she wished him luck. Without further discussion, she waltzed out of Arthur’s chambers, unable to stand the sight of him anymore.
---
Thankfully, Morgana was excused from having to attend the peace talks. The last thing she wanted to endure was a night of sitting with Arthur and Vivian while the kings all signed a treaty.
She was making her way to her chambers when she heard a commotion coming from the Great Hall. Suddenly Uther and several other kings burst out of the hall, seemingly on a mission. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she followed them as they made their way through the castle.
They arrived at Lady Vivian’s chambers, and Morgana considered leaving, since she cared little for what went on in Vivian’s room. However, she saw Merlin through the slightly open door and became more interested. She politely maneuvered past the kings and slipped in through the open door before them.
As soon as she entered she wished she hadn’t. The sight in front of her caused physical pain in her chest. Arthur and Vivian were wantonly kissing on Vivian’s bed. Arthur was holding her, practically worshipping her as they kissed. The pained gasp that escaped Morgana’s lips was inevitable.
The sound of Morgana’s cry shook something in Arthur, and he broke off the kiss. He stared hazily at Morgana for a brief moment, and murmured, “Morgana?” Something in him seemed to register her pain as if it was his own, and he started to release Vivian.
Merlin saw Arthur’s eyes shine at Morgana for a second, and thought that he had possibly broken the spell. However, as soon as the kings poured into the room, Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around Vivian again and Merlin lost his hope.
Olaf was shouting at Arthur, and Vivian was pleading with her father, but Morgana couldn’t hear anything. She kept staring at Arthur, finding it difficult to breathe properly. She watched as he proclaimed his love for Vivian and she felt as though she’d be sick. No longer able to stand it, she pushed Uther out of her way and fled from the room.
Morgana absolutely refused to cry as she ran to her chambers. She would not let this upset her. Arthur was an idiot, what should she care about who he kisses? Unless it was her. Her mind betrayed her, reminding her that Arthur had said that kissing her had meant something. She kicked at a stray table in the hall, causing a vase to fall and shatter. He lied, of course he had lied. She finally reached her door and threw it open, thankful to be surrounded by the darkness of her room. She stood in the center of her room for what felt like hours, staring blankly at nothingness.
When Guinevere came to collect Morgana’s laundry, she found her mistress standing there, frozen. “Morgana?”
Morgana didn’t reply; she looked up at Gwen, her green eyes shining in the dark.
Gwen immediately recognized that something was wrong and dropped her laundry basket. She walked over to Morgana and gingerly wrapped her arms around the woman’s rigid frame.
For a few moments, Morgana didn’t move or speak, but slowly she sunk into Gwen’s embrace, allowing a sob to escape her lips.
Gwen caressed Morgana’s hair, quietly shushing her. “It’s alright.”
Morgana swallowed down the ensuing sob, forcing herself to stop crying. Angrily, she murmured, “I hate him.”
Gwen didn’t bother to ask, she just continued to smooth her hand over Morgana’s hair.
---
The next day, Morgana refused to leave her chambers. She didn’t want to watch Arthur fighting to the death over Lady Vivian. Whether or not he died, it was still the most unpleasant way she could imagine spending her day.
Guinevere had figured out the reason for Morgana’s desolation the night before, and had offered to stay and keep her company during the tourney.
Morgana had dismissed her offer, claiming that she would rather be alone. Since she wasn’t planning on leaving, she didn’t bother to get Gwen to pin up her hair, leaving it down over her shoulders. She spent most the morning staring out of her window, torturing herself with what bits of preparation for the tournament she could see. When she caught sight of Arthur, she abruptly pulled the curtains shut and laid down on her bed, ignoring the fact that she was wrinkling her dress. She curled up, bringing her knees to her chest, secretly praying that Arthur would survive.
---
After seeing Arthur react to Morgana, Merlin was more determined than before to find a way to un-enchant him. Arthur’s brain was too filled with Vivian, and he undoubtedly was going to lose the tournament. Merlin decided to visit the Great Dragon to ask for help, as usual, before it was too late.
The dragon told him that no magic could break the spell, but Merlin refused to give up and let Arthur die.
“From what you tell me, the spell has captured his heart,” the dragon commented. “The solution lies in a force greater than magic.”
“What is it?” Merlin implored.
The dragon chuckled. “Love.”
“Love?”
Kilgharrah explained, “You must find the person Arthur truly loves. One kiss from her will break the enchantment, and he will desire Vivian no more.”
Merlin realized what it was he had to do, and he immediately left to go seek out the only person who could fix this.
---
From Morgana’s room, she could hear the noises from the tournament and could tell that Arthur was losing. She grabbed a pillow and tugged it firmly over her head, trying to block out the sounds. She knew that she should stop wallowing, but she couldn’t find the will to go down and watch.
Suddenly the pillow was yanked away from her face, revealing Merlin standing above her.
“Merlin!” She whined. “What do you want?”
Merlin sighed, knowing this wouldn’t be easy. “I need your help. Arthur needs your help.”
Morgana laughed quite loudly. “Merlin, I know I’m good with a sword, but I can’t help Arthur. Besides, I doubt he wants anything from me.”
“Morgana…” he started. “I know I haven’t been very fair to you lately, but you can still trust me. So believe me when I say, Arthur needs you.”
She slowly stood from the bed to stand in front of Merlin, intrigued by his plea.
“He loves you, Morgana,” he admitted. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he knew that it was true. If he was to protect Arthur, he was going to have to accept that Morgana would always be an important part of his life, and nothing was changing that.
She shook her head vehemently. “No, that’s not true.”
“It is! I’ve seen it ever since I first came here. There’s no one else for him but you.”
She laughed again, harsher this time. “Tell that to the Lady Vivian.”
Frustrated, Merlin yelled, “Morgana can’t you see it? He’s enchanted! The way he’s been acting, the way he treated you, that’s not normal. It’s magic.”
It seemed so obvious when Merlin explained it, but part of her was still hesitant. “Spell or not, I don’t see what this has to do with me, Merlin. Surely you can break it on your own. You’re more powerful than I am.”
He shook his head. “It can’t be broken by magic.”
Worry slowly crept up on her. “Then what?” she asked.
“You,” he replied. “His love for you.”
Morgana wasn’t completely convinced, but she knew that Merlin wouldn’t ask unless he truly believed she could help, so she agreed. “What do I have to do?”
---
Arthur had lost the first two rounds, since his mind was too focused on Vivian. He seemed unfazed by it all, despite Gaius explaining that he had broken some ribs in the fights.
Morgana snuck down to the tents, both hoping for a miracle and wishing that she was anywhere else. She saw Gaius exiting Arthur’s tent and smiled at him before entering. She found Arthur there, adjusting his shirt.
He looked up upon hearing her enter. “Morgana. Come to wish me luck?”
Smiling at his ignorance, she shook her head. “Not quite.”
Arthur cocked his head, confused by her admission.
She whispered to herself, “You’re lucky I love you, Arthur.” She strode across the tent until she was a breaths space away from him.
He looked down at her, appearing puzzled. “Morgana, what-”
Morgana murmured forcefully, “Oh, shut up, Arthur.” To emphasize her point, she covered his mouth with her own in a desperate kiss.
For a moment, she held steady, listening to his heavy breathing as he stood stolid against her lips. Just as she was about to concede defeat, she felt his lips give way under hers, and she moved her mouth against his, kissing him more deeply.
The kiss was completely different from their last, with something slow and sweet driving it, instead of distress.
Morgana grasped him tightly to her, dragging her fingers leisurely through his blonde hair as she clutched his body. He seemed to almost melt into the kiss, tipping her backwards in a low dip. One of his arms wound around her waist, and the other cradled her neck, holding her in place as he brought her back up to her feet.
Morgana tilted her head, moving her lips over his in an intricate motion. Eagerly, Arthur responded by pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it gently before releasing it. Morgana giggled low in her throat, and the vibration passed through Arthur’s lips. The sound of her laughter echoed through his foggy mind and he kissed her more fiercely, never wanting to let her go.
Both of them refused to pull away, enjoying their small moment of peace. However, Morgana knew that there were still important things to deal with, so she released his mouth from hers, allowing them both a chance to breathe.
As they pulled away, Arthur brushed his nose against Morgana’s in a playful move that made her smile.
He stared into her eyes, mesmerized for a few moments. As he gazed at her, Arthur gradually became aware of the pain in his chest, and he let out a noise of pain. He nearly collapsed against Morgana, resting his head against her shoulder. Murmuring his words into her skin, he asked, “What’s happening?”
Morgana tilted her head to lightly place a kiss on his temple, solemnly replying, “You’re in a fight to the death, Arthur.”
---
Thankfully, Arthur was able to win the fight, but he didn’t kill Olaf. Morgana watched from the stands with pride as Arthur successfully managed to keep the peace by sparing his opponent. Even Uther seemed pleased by his son’s actions. Arthur was safe, and Camelot would not be going to war, so all was well.
Morgana pleaded with Merlin to help her break the spell on Vivian as well, since she believed that it was too cruel a fate for anyone to forever love someone without a chance of being together. Since Vivian had no true love of her own, Morgana deduced that they must have the person who cast the spell remove it for them.
She and Merlin found a way to entrap the Trickler and threatened to expose his magic to Uther if he didn’t cooperate. Morgana explained that use of magic in Camelot, especially when used on the crown prince, would most certainly cause him to lose his head. Eventually the Trickler gave in, wanting to protect his pretty head, and removed the spell he had cast on Vivian.
Vivian was not as grateful as Morgana had hoped, but she still was glad that Vivian was free now. She laughed with Merlin about it, “I mean, who would want to be stuck loving Arthur forever?”
Merlin gave her a very pointed look, which Morgana pretended to ignore, but they both knew there was no denying it now.
---
Arthur came to see Morgana that night. He was still struggling to remember the events of the last few days, but he knew one thing for certain, that he needed Morgana.
Morgana smiled at him as he came in her chambers. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll mend,” he answered. He pulled a small white lily out from behind his back and set it on Morgana’s table.
It was one of her favorite flowers. She picked it up and smelled it. “Thank you.”
“I wanted to apologize, for how I treated you.”
Morgana waved it off, setting the flower back down gently. “I understand, Arthur.”
His guilt was pressing down on him, so he added, “You must know, my feelings for Vivian, they weren’t real.”
The pain was fresh, but she smiled through it. “I know.”
“When I told you before, that our kiss meant something… Morgana you know that I…” He shook his head, deciding to come out with it. “I’ve never loved anyone else.”
She picked up on his subtle admission and grinned. She moved towards him and set her arms over his shoulders, clasping her hands behind his neck. “Does that mean you love me, Arthur?”
He smirked down at her. “I suppose it does.”
Humming in satisfaction, she whispered, “Well then, I suppose I might just love you as well.”
His hands splayed across her hips as he tugged her closer. “Really now?”
She grinned. “I’ll have to think about it.”
Laughing, Arthur bent down and kissed her, nipping at her lips as a punishment. A spark lit in her eyes and she kissed him back, getting in her own nips where she could, refusing to lose the battle. Arthur laughed harder at her antics and picked her up off the ground so that her feet dangled and she was at his eye-level.
He felt her whisper something against his lips as she kissed him and he spun her around in a circle, unable to contain the happiness he felt.
Morgana pressed her forehead against Arthur’s and smiled. At least for now, she wasn’t alone.
Next Chapter
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 6,058
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: I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! Thank you to everyone who put up with my bitching throughout the whole process. Here have some fluff as a reward. (Enjoy it while it lasts!)
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7
---
As the rulers of the five kingdoms and their men rode down the road to Camelot, Arthur and Morgana watched with Uther up on the turrets. Morgana sighed as she gazed out over the newcomers. She enjoyed visitors, really, but the last time one of the kings had visited, she had been harassed hopelessly by several of the knights, and frankly she wasn’t in the mood to entertain their egos at present.
Arthur noticed her melancholy expression and nudged her shoulder with his own. He whispered, “Praying that Sir Julian isn’t in attendance?”
Glaring over at him, she retorted, “I can handle him and his arrogant friends just fine, Arthur.”
He sarcastically hummed in agreement. “Yes, of course, which is why I had to lock him in the stables for a whole day.”
Morgana huffed, “I never asked you to do that.”
Defending his decision, he blurted, “He made you cry!”
“I was thirteen and he had torn my favorite dress, of course I cried, Arthur.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, frustrated with Morgana’s stubborn desire to be independent. He noticed King Olaf riding along the path, his beautiful daughter in tow. “Well, you needn’t be too worried, Morgana. I’m sure Lady Vivian will be more than enough to keep the attention of all the knights.”
Despite her best efforts, it was clear that the statement made her slightly jealous. Clenching her jaw, she snapped, “You know perfectly well that Olaf would have their heads before they could so much as breathe on her.”
Enjoying Morgana’s jealousy, he continued, “I’m not afraid of Olaf.” As the Kings neared the main square, Uther beckoned for Arthur to come and greet them. Arthur turned to Morgana and grinned. “I think I’ll go welcome Lady Vivian now.”
As he left her up on the turrets, she called out, “Enjoy your last moments, Arthur!” Frustrated by his constant ability to annoy her, she stormed off to find Gwen and vent.
---
By the time Arthur had shown Lady Vivian to her chambers, he already was tired of being in her presence. She was rude and callous, and never seemed to stop talking. They had seen Morgana walking from across the courtyard and Vivian had made a snide comment about her, which made Arthur’s blood boil.
Morgana and Guinevere met Arthur in Lady Vivian’s chambers, since Gwen would be in the Lady Vivian’s service for the duration of her stay. Morgana quietly wished Gwen good luck and ducked out into the hall.
Arthur set down Lady Vivian’s belongings and explained, “Guinevere will be attending to you during your stay. She is the Lady Morgana’s personal maid, and one of our finest servants.”
Lady Vivian scoffed. “From the looks of Lady Morgana’s hair I think I would rather be left to my own devices.”
“I really don’t see anything wrong with-” His angry tirade was cut off by a quick stamp to the top of his foot, courtesy of Gwen’s heel.
Guinevere gave him a look that clearly said to be quiet, and Arthur obliged.
Clearing his throat awkwardly, he quickly added, “I think you’ll be quite comfortable here.”
Lady Vivian laughed to herself, “Oh, I highly doubt that.”
In order to prevent further problems, Guinevere curtseyed respectfully and dragged Arthur out of the chambers and away from Lady Vivian.
After the door had been closed, Arthur turned to Gwen, frustration marring his features. “Could she be any ruder?”
Gwen did her best not to laugh, but she found herself grinning.
Arthur was still bordering on irate over Lady Vivian’s comments. “I mean, did you hear how she insulted Morgana?” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Lady Vivian should only wish to be half the woman Morgana is.”
“You care a lot about her, don’t you?” Guinevere asked.
Arthur’s eyes went wide. “Lady Vivian? Honestly, Guinevere-”
Laughing, she amended, “Lady Morgana.”
His slack jaw snapped shut, and his cheeks pinkened slightly. “Well, I should I suppose, I mean-of course, it’s Morgana, I… I’ve always-” He trailed off, coughing uncomfortably.
Gwen smiled knowingly, impressed that even the mention of Morgana was enough to make the prince babble. “If it’s not too bold, Arthur, I think you should tell her.”
He shrugged his shoulders slightly, brushing it off. “I’m sure she knows.”
“Still. It wouldn’t hurt to remind her, would it?”
Arthur smiled at Gwen with all her good intentions. He shook his head, laughing lightly. “I’ll think about it.” As he watched Gwen start to beam, he pointed towards Lady Vivian’s chambers as a reminder. “Have fun with that one.”
Gwen’s smile all but vanished and she frowned playfully at him before leaving him to attend to her new temporary mistress.
---
At the feast that night, Arthur planned on telling Morgana how he felt. Possibly. He really wasn’t too sure of exactly what his feelings were, or how to express them in any way. Merlin was being unusually quiet when it came to the subject of Morgana lately, so any hope of getting advice was gone.
Morgana seemed to be in a melancholy mood for most of the meal, probably due to the fact that she had been seated next to the Lady Vivian.
Vivian would occasionally chirp some vapid statement about the other guests into Morgana’s ear, to which Morgana would just smile and nod. Thankfully the Trickler’s display seemed to thoroughly distract everyone, including Vivian, so Morgana had a brief period of peace.
Vivian did smirk over at Morgana in satisfaction after the butterfly chose to land on her, but Morgana was unfazed. She caught Arthur’s eyes from across the room and found him grinning in amusement at her predicament. Morgana discreetly glared at him, suddenly wishing that Sir Julian had come on this trip, if only to annoy Arthur.
The feast seemed to stretch on for hours, but finally it came to a close and Morgana politely excused herself. Arthur immediately followed in pursuit, calling out to her as she reached the hallway. “Morgana!”
She stopped and waited for him, leaning back on the stone wall. “I suppose you’re here to laugh about my miserable evening?”
He grinned despite himself, but shook his head. “No. I wanted to speak with you about something.”
Realizing that he was being serious, Morgana stood up from the wall and moved closer to him. “What is it?”
His throat seemed ridiculously dry all of a sudden, and he cursed his nerves. Deciding on a course of action before he lost his will, he asked, “I was wondering, would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow?”
Her face was unreadable as she took in his request. Hesitantly, she began to answer, “Arthur, I-”
Before Morgana could finish, Lady Vivian appeared practically out of thin air and looped her arm through Morgana’s. “Oh, Arthur, she can’t! She’s promised to spend the day with me.”
Arthur was shocked, knowing that spending the day with Vivian would be the last thing she would ever want to do. He met Morgana’s gaze, hoping for an explanation.
Vivian continued, “My father and King Uther suggested it. They thought we could use an escape from all the boring peace talks.”
Morgana faked a grin, her eyes silently screaming at Arthur. She hummed to express her support of the story. Through gritted teeth, she spoke, “Yes, we get to have some girl time.”
Surprisingly, Arthur didn’t look as humored as Morgana had expected. He seemed genuinely disappointed that he would not get to spend the day with her. Accepting that his plan was ruined, he replied, “Well, I hope you two have fun.”
Morgana reached over to carefully squeeze two of his fingers as they dangled loosely at his side. “Soon,” she promised. She pulled her fingers back quickly before Vivian could notice and forced another smile.
Vivian bid Arthur goodnight and pulled Morgana away, chattering on about something. As she left, Morgana looked back at Arthur, feeling suspiciously like she had just missed out on something important.
---
Arthur woke up with a strange sensation taking hold of him, one he couldn’t seem to shake. He got up and dressed himself without Merlin’s assistance and went to stare out of the window. He noticed Lady Vivian and Morgana in the courtyard, readying for their day together. For some inexplicable reason, Arthur’s gaze was drawn to Lady Vivian as he stared. Somewhere deep down he felt that it was wrong; he had a nagging feeling that he should be looking at the brunette girl instead, but he couldn’t stop himself. A giddy feeling washed over him and he sighed happily.
Merlin entered the prince’s chambers, shocked to find him awake and dressed. “Good morning, sire.”
Sighing, Arthur dreamily responded, “Yes it is. The most beautiful morning I’ve ever seen.”
Merlin cocked his head in confusion. “You’re dressed,” he stated incredulously.
Arthur never took his eyes off the window. “Yes, I am the future King of Camelot; I do have some skills you know.”
Peering over Arthur’s shoulder, Merlin noticed the girls in the courtyard and suddenly understood Arthur’s fascination. “Ah, yes. Well, I doubt very much that the future King of Camelot should be caught staring at women through his window.”
Arthur turned to glare at Merlin, before conceding his point. “I suppose you’re right. I should be doing more than staring, shouldn’t I?”
“Sire?” Merlin questioned.
“I need to make a proclamation of love.” He moved from the window, giving up on staring at his love for a while.
Merlin started to chew on the inside of his cheek, trying to understand Arthur’s sudden change. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Arthur had feelings for the Lady Morgana, but there was no way he would admit it. “Are you sure?”
Arthur laughed at his question. “Why not? Why should I keep my feelings secret? I want to shout it from the rooftops!”
Merlin nodded slowly, taking in this new information. Normally he would be in support of Arthur and Morgana finally admitting their feelings, but lately he was struggling with anything Morgana related. They hadn’t spent any time alone together in weeks, and even when they saw each other they didn’t speak. He had tried to forgive her for killing Freya, but ever since it had happened, he was starting to worry that perhaps the dragon had been right when he had warned him against trusting Morgana.
Arthur continued to babble on, finally jolting Merlin out his thoughts by asking, “How do I express my feelings?”
“Feelings,” Merlin mused. “Girls.”
Arthur echoed the words, equally confused.
“Flowers?” Merlin suggested.
“Excellent!” Arthur exclaimed.
Nodding, Merlin asked, “So, what are the Lady Morgana’s favorite flowers?”
Arthur’s brow creased, not understanding the question. “Morgana? Why should that matter?”
“Well, aren’t the flowers for her?”
The laughter that ensued almost hurt Merlin’s ears. “Morgana? Merlin, wherever would you get an idea like that?”
While Merlin was slightly relieved, he was more than a little lost. “Who are they for then?”
Grinning like an idiot, Arthur replied, “The Lady Vivian.”
Merlin nodded, still having difficulty comprehending Arthur’s request. In the end, he decided that it wasn’t worth analyzing. If Arthur wanted to court the Lady Vivian, it was his decision. Perhaps Arthur wasn’t as in love with Morgana as he had previously thought. Agreeing to get the flowers, Merlin excused himself from Arthur’s chambers.
---
Morgana had been put through the ringer following Lady Vivian around the whole day. They had gone shopping in the market, riding through the grounds, and had spent a considerable amount of time in the gardens. All the while, Vivian found something to complain about, no doubt due to her ridiculously spoiled upbringing. Morgana almost felt sorry for the girl. If Uther kept as tight of a leash on her as Olaf did on Vivian, Morgana would have run away years ago.
Finally, they made their way back to Camelot and Morgana accompanied Vivian to her chambers. When they got there, they found Merlin inside with a vase of flowers in his hands.
“Merlin?” Morgana asked. The boy looked shocked to see both of the girls standing there.
“What are you doing in my chambers?” Vivian fumed.
Merlin held out the flowers. “Sorry, these are from Prince Arthur. He wanted me to bring them to you.”
Vivian looked over at Morgana expectantly, assuming the flowers were for her. “Well, go ahead and take them. I don’t know why he’d send them here, of all places-”
Merlin coughed to interrupt. “Lady Vivian, the flowers are for you.”
The blonde whipped her head around to face the boy. “Me? Why on earth would he be sending flowers to me?”
Merlin shrugged and quickly set the flowers down on a table. “I just do as I’m told, my lady.” He smiled awkwardly at Morgana and rushed out of the room before he could be subjected to further questioning.
Morgana’s face fell slightly at the realization that Arthur sent Vivian flowers and not her, but she refused to let her feelings show. “I suppose he’s trying to make you feel welcome, Vivian.”
Lady Vivian dramatically rolled her eyes. “He’s lucky I don’t throw them in the trash. I mean, really, sending me flowers. My father has killed men for less.”
Morgana laughed despite the pain in her chest. “He’s not the brightest, our Arthur.”
Vivian laughed along with her. “Yes, well, I suppose I should bid you goodnight, Morgana.”
Morgana nodded and turned to leave the room, but stopped when she heard Vivian’s voice.
“Thank you for today, Morgana. It was… fun.” It seemed difficult for the girl to admit it, but clearly she was lonely.
Smiling, Morgana replied, “It was my pleasure.” She slipped out into the hall, finally allowing her emotions to crash down on her. Eventually she decided that it was yet another attempt by Arthur to bother her, so she held her chin up and walked back to her chambers, refusing to be affected.
---
Later that night, Arthur found himself outside of Lady Vivian’s door with a tray of food. She hadn’t responded about the flowers, so he decided to try another tactic. He knocked on the door.
Lady Vivian called out from inside, “Who is it?”
Arthur replied, “It is destiny, my love.” He paused for a moment and assessed the plate before continuing, “Destiny and chicken!”
Lady Vivian opened the door to see Arthur standing there.
“What a beautiful combination, eh?”
She promptly shut the door in his face.
Arthur opened the door on his own and went on, “The beans are a little cold, but the meat is very good.”
“Go away!” Lady Vivian cried. She put her hand on the door, hoping to shut it on him again.
Upset, Arthur remarked, “My love, I do not know what I’ve done to offend you.”
“Your love?” Vivian exclaimed. “Not now, nor ever!”
“Come now,” Arthur begged.
Vivian rolled her eyes dramatically and slammed the door again.
Arthur started to knock again, calling out, “Just five minutes!”
Merlin rounded the corridor and quickly pulled Arthur away from the door. “My lord, I don’t think your advances are welcome.”
Vivian yelled once more. “Go away! And take your chicken with you!”
Arthur grumbled sarcastically, “Don’t know what gives you that impression.” He shoved the plate of food at Merlin and stalked back to his room in a huff.
On his way, he nearly crashed into Morgana as she walked in the opposite direction.
“Arthur!” She squealed as she stumbled.
Arthur shook his head in frustration and continued on without so much as an apology.
Morgana brushed herself off and watched as Arthur walked away. She made a disapproving noise under her breath and spun on her heel to continue on her way, thoroughly disgusted.
When he reached his chambers, Arthur collapsed on his bed, face down, wallowing in his failure.
Merlin was still trying to understand Arthur’s complete disregard for Morgana earlier, since it was completely unlike him, whether he loved the girl or not. “Perhaps you should give up on Lady Vivian, Arthur.”
Arthur groaned loudly, the sound muffled by the bed cover his face was pressed against.
“She is very beautiful, but you barely know her. Maybe you should consider returning to, you know, your old love. Though I have reservations about that as well.”
Arthur mumbled into the bed, “I don’t have an old love.” He rolled over and landed on his pillow. As he hit it, a lock of hair became visible on his sheets. Picking it up, he muttered, “What on earth?” He held out the hair to show Merlin. “You really need to start paying attention to the details.”
Merlin took the hair from him, suddenly putting all the pieces together. He stuck the hair in his pocket to show it to Gaius later, almost certain now that this was some sort of spell.
---
Morgana was in a bad mood for the rest of the night due to Arthur’s actions in the hall. He had only just asked her to spend the day with him the night before, yet now he was treating her worse than a servant.
As Gwen brushed out Morgana’s hair, she could sense something was troubling her. “Is there something on your mind, Morgana?”
Sighing, Morgana explained, “It’s Arthur.”
Gwen nodded; she had assumed as much.
“I think he’s upset with me.” She pouted at her reflection, wondering what she could’ve done wrong.
Gwen couldn’t believe it, only yesterday Arthur had been happy at the mere thought of Morgana. “Why would you think that?”
“He nearly trampled me in the hall earlier and didn’t say a word. He seemed almost annoyed that I had been in his way,” she complained.
“Maybe he was in a hurry, I’m sure he didn’t mean to--”
Morgana ignored Gwen’s attempt to write off the incident, continuing, “And did you know he sent the Lady Vivian flowers? Of all people.”
That was a shock to Gwen, and she yanked the brush sharply through Morgana’s hair.
“Ouch! Gwen!” Morgana cried.
“Sorry, my lady.” Smiling apologetically at her through the mirror, Gwen continued to brush her hair, contemplating what could have happened to Arthur to change his mind.
---
Merlin had spent all night trying to find a way to break the love spell on Arthur, but he hadn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t possibly turn Arthur into a frog. As he cleaned Arthur’s chambers, he heard a knock on the door. He opened it and found Lady Vivian standing there only in her nightgown.
She grinned at him. “I wish to see Arthur. Your master. My lord.”
“Your what?” Merlin asked.
“My heart’s delight,” she giggled.
As she pushed past him into the room, Merlin muttered, “Oh no.”
“Where is he?” Vivian asked.
“He’s not here, which is a very good thing.”
Vivian threw herself onto Arthur’s bed, burying herself into his pillows. “I want to see him now! I need to see my love.”
As Merlin struggled to figure out what to do, he heard another knock, followed by the door opening slowly.
“Arthur?” Morgana called.
Merlin groaned. “Morgana, you really shouldn’t-”
Morgana noticed Vivian rolled up in Arthur’s bed and cried, “What is she doing in here?”
Vivian laughed giddily. “Waiting for my love to return.”
“Your what?” Morgana spluttered. She turned to Merlin. “What is going on?”
Lady Vivian got up from the bed and skipped over to Morgana. “Oh, Morgana, it’s wonderful. I’m in love with Arthur!”
A yell could be heard from out in the hall and Merlin ran over and peered out of the door to see Arthur coming, as well as Olaf and several knights. He shut the door and turned to Vivian, shouting, “Okay, you need to go!”
Lady Vivian frowned. “You cannot keep us apart. It’s written in the stars. Vivian and Arthur, a love for all time. A love stronger than time.”
Morgana rolled her eyes. “Oh, please!”
Hearing the footsteps grow closer, Merlin blurted out a spell, causing Vivian to fall asleep.
Morgana looked over at him incredulously. “Merlin!”
“King Olaf is coming, and if he finds her here, he’ll kill Arthur.”
She briefly contemplated letting Arthur die, but eventually she gave in, sighing as she went over to help. The two of them lifted Vivian up, shutting her inside Arthur’s closet. She mumbled, “If the girl falls in love this easily, no wonder Olaf has to kill all her suitors.”
As soon as they managed to get Vivian locked away, Arthur came into his room. “Morgana!” he announced, surprised at her presence.
Before Arthur could say anything else, Olaf stormed in, followed by the Trickler and several knights. “Where is she? I know she’s in here, Arthur! Hand her over, or feel my wrath.”
Arthur turned to Merlin and Morgana. “What’s he talking about?”
Olaf pointed at the Trickler. “Trickler here has told me that the Lady Vivian is in your chambers.”
Arthur chuckled to himself. “If only that were true.”
Olaf grabbed Arthur by his shirt, his face flush with fury.
“Arthur!” Morgana barked.
Merlin added, “If only that were true, you would not look so foolish!”
Olaf seemed to accept Merlin’s editing of Arthur’s statement and released his hold on the prince.
Morgana quickly stepped in, putting herself between Arthur and Olaf. “I assure you, sire, the only woman in here is me. Perhaps the Trickler was mistaken.”
Olaf looked as though he was still on the fence about the whole thing.
Pushing on, Morgana added, “I’m sure Lady Vivian is only having a bit of a lie-in, we did have a long day yesterday.” She smiled beatifically. “Would I lie? If Vivian were here, I would tell you, truly.”
The King believed Morgana and angrily turned on the Trickler. “You made an idiot out of me!” He continued to yell as the party was ushered out of Arthur’s chambers.
Once everyone had left, Morgana turned to Arthur with a scowl on her face. “You’re welcome.”
Arthur raised an eyebrow, confused about Morgana’s blatant annoyance.
Morgana huffed dramatically. She gave Merlin a look that conveyed that she wished him luck. Without further discussion, she waltzed out of Arthur’s chambers, unable to stand the sight of him anymore.
---
Thankfully, Morgana was excused from having to attend the peace talks. The last thing she wanted to endure was a night of sitting with Arthur and Vivian while the kings all signed a treaty.
She was making her way to her chambers when she heard a commotion coming from the Great Hall. Suddenly Uther and several other kings burst out of the hall, seemingly on a mission. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she followed them as they made their way through the castle.
They arrived at Lady Vivian’s chambers, and Morgana considered leaving, since she cared little for what went on in Vivian’s room. However, she saw Merlin through the slightly open door and became more interested. She politely maneuvered past the kings and slipped in through the open door before them.
As soon as she entered she wished she hadn’t. The sight in front of her caused physical pain in her chest. Arthur and Vivian were wantonly kissing on Vivian’s bed. Arthur was holding her, practically worshipping her as they kissed. The pained gasp that escaped Morgana’s lips was inevitable.
The sound of Morgana’s cry shook something in Arthur, and he broke off the kiss. He stared hazily at Morgana for a brief moment, and murmured, “Morgana?” Something in him seemed to register her pain as if it was his own, and he started to release Vivian.
Merlin saw Arthur’s eyes shine at Morgana for a second, and thought that he had possibly broken the spell. However, as soon as the kings poured into the room, Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around Vivian again and Merlin lost his hope.
Olaf was shouting at Arthur, and Vivian was pleading with her father, but Morgana couldn’t hear anything. She kept staring at Arthur, finding it difficult to breathe properly. She watched as he proclaimed his love for Vivian and she felt as though she’d be sick. No longer able to stand it, she pushed Uther out of her way and fled from the room.
Morgana absolutely refused to cry as she ran to her chambers. She would not let this upset her. Arthur was an idiot, what should she care about who he kisses? Unless it was her. Her mind betrayed her, reminding her that Arthur had said that kissing her had meant something. She kicked at a stray table in the hall, causing a vase to fall and shatter. He lied, of course he had lied. She finally reached her door and threw it open, thankful to be surrounded by the darkness of her room. She stood in the center of her room for what felt like hours, staring blankly at nothingness.
When Guinevere came to collect Morgana’s laundry, she found her mistress standing there, frozen. “Morgana?”
Morgana didn’t reply; she looked up at Gwen, her green eyes shining in the dark.
Gwen immediately recognized that something was wrong and dropped her laundry basket. She walked over to Morgana and gingerly wrapped her arms around the woman’s rigid frame.
For a few moments, Morgana didn’t move or speak, but slowly she sunk into Gwen’s embrace, allowing a sob to escape her lips.
Gwen caressed Morgana’s hair, quietly shushing her. “It’s alright.”
Morgana swallowed down the ensuing sob, forcing herself to stop crying. Angrily, she murmured, “I hate him.”
Gwen didn’t bother to ask, she just continued to smooth her hand over Morgana’s hair.
---
The next day, Morgana refused to leave her chambers. She didn’t want to watch Arthur fighting to the death over Lady Vivian. Whether or not he died, it was still the most unpleasant way she could imagine spending her day.
Guinevere had figured out the reason for Morgana’s desolation the night before, and had offered to stay and keep her company during the tourney.
Morgana had dismissed her offer, claiming that she would rather be alone. Since she wasn’t planning on leaving, she didn’t bother to get Gwen to pin up her hair, leaving it down over her shoulders. She spent most the morning staring out of her window, torturing herself with what bits of preparation for the tournament she could see. When she caught sight of Arthur, she abruptly pulled the curtains shut and laid down on her bed, ignoring the fact that she was wrinkling her dress. She curled up, bringing her knees to her chest, secretly praying that Arthur would survive.
---
After seeing Arthur react to Morgana, Merlin was more determined than before to find a way to un-enchant him. Arthur’s brain was too filled with Vivian, and he undoubtedly was going to lose the tournament. Merlin decided to visit the Great Dragon to ask for help, as usual, before it was too late.
The dragon told him that no magic could break the spell, but Merlin refused to give up and let Arthur die.
“From what you tell me, the spell has captured his heart,” the dragon commented. “The solution lies in a force greater than magic.”
“What is it?” Merlin implored.
The dragon chuckled. “Love.”
“Love?”
Kilgharrah explained, “You must find the person Arthur truly loves. One kiss from her will break the enchantment, and he will desire Vivian no more.”
Merlin realized what it was he had to do, and he immediately left to go seek out the only person who could fix this.
---
From Morgana’s room, she could hear the noises from the tournament and could tell that Arthur was losing. She grabbed a pillow and tugged it firmly over her head, trying to block out the sounds. She knew that she should stop wallowing, but she couldn’t find the will to go down and watch.
Suddenly the pillow was yanked away from her face, revealing Merlin standing above her.
“Merlin!” She whined. “What do you want?”
Merlin sighed, knowing this wouldn’t be easy. “I need your help. Arthur needs your help.”
Morgana laughed quite loudly. “Merlin, I know I’m good with a sword, but I can’t help Arthur. Besides, I doubt he wants anything from me.”
“Morgana…” he started. “I know I haven’t been very fair to you lately, but you can still trust me. So believe me when I say, Arthur needs you.”
She slowly stood from the bed to stand in front of Merlin, intrigued by his plea.
“He loves you, Morgana,” he admitted. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he knew that it was true. If he was to protect Arthur, he was going to have to accept that Morgana would always be an important part of his life, and nothing was changing that.
She shook her head vehemently. “No, that’s not true.”
“It is! I’ve seen it ever since I first came here. There’s no one else for him but you.”
She laughed again, harsher this time. “Tell that to the Lady Vivian.”
Frustrated, Merlin yelled, “Morgana can’t you see it? He’s enchanted! The way he’s been acting, the way he treated you, that’s not normal. It’s magic.”
It seemed so obvious when Merlin explained it, but part of her was still hesitant. “Spell or not, I don’t see what this has to do with me, Merlin. Surely you can break it on your own. You’re more powerful than I am.”
He shook his head. “It can’t be broken by magic.”
Worry slowly crept up on her. “Then what?” she asked.
“You,” he replied. “His love for you.”
Morgana wasn’t completely convinced, but she knew that Merlin wouldn’t ask unless he truly believed she could help, so she agreed. “What do I have to do?”
---
Arthur had lost the first two rounds, since his mind was too focused on Vivian. He seemed unfazed by it all, despite Gaius explaining that he had broken some ribs in the fights.
Morgana snuck down to the tents, both hoping for a miracle and wishing that she was anywhere else. She saw Gaius exiting Arthur’s tent and smiled at him before entering. She found Arthur there, adjusting his shirt.
He looked up upon hearing her enter. “Morgana. Come to wish me luck?”
Smiling at his ignorance, she shook her head. “Not quite.”
Arthur cocked his head, confused by her admission.
She whispered to herself, “You’re lucky I love you, Arthur.” She strode across the tent until she was a breaths space away from him.
He looked down at her, appearing puzzled. “Morgana, what-”
Morgana murmured forcefully, “Oh, shut up, Arthur.” To emphasize her point, she covered his mouth with her own in a desperate kiss.
For a moment, she held steady, listening to his heavy breathing as he stood stolid against her lips. Just as she was about to concede defeat, she felt his lips give way under hers, and she moved her mouth against his, kissing him more deeply.
The kiss was completely different from their last, with something slow and sweet driving it, instead of distress.
Morgana grasped him tightly to her, dragging her fingers leisurely through his blonde hair as she clutched his body. He seemed to almost melt into the kiss, tipping her backwards in a low dip. One of his arms wound around her waist, and the other cradled her neck, holding her in place as he brought her back up to her feet.
Morgana tilted her head, moving her lips over his in an intricate motion. Eagerly, Arthur responded by pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking on it gently before releasing it. Morgana giggled low in her throat, and the vibration passed through Arthur’s lips. The sound of her laughter echoed through his foggy mind and he kissed her more fiercely, never wanting to let her go.
Both of them refused to pull away, enjoying their small moment of peace. However, Morgana knew that there were still important things to deal with, so she released his mouth from hers, allowing them both a chance to breathe.
As they pulled away, Arthur brushed his nose against Morgana’s in a playful move that made her smile.
He stared into her eyes, mesmerized for a few moments. As he gazed at her, Arthur gradually became aware of the pain in his chest, and he let out a noise of pain. He nearly collapsed against Morgana, resting his head against her shoulder. Murmuring his words into her skin, he asked, “What’s happening?”
Morgana tilted her head to lightly place a kiss on his temple, solemnly replying, “You’re in a fight to the death, Arthur.”
---
Thankfully, Arthur was able to win the fight, but he didn’t kill Olaf. Morgana watched from the stands with pride as Arthur successfully managed to keep the peace by sparing his opponent. Even Uther seemed pleased by his son’s actions. Arthur was safe, and Camelot would not be going to war, so all was well.
Morgana pleaded with Merlin to help her break the spell on Vivian as well, since she believed that it was too cruel a fate for anyone to forever love someone without a chance of being together. Since Vivian had no true love of her own, Morgana deduced that they must have the person who cast the spell remove it for them.
She and Merlin found a way to entrap the Trickler and threatened to expose his magic to Uther if he didn’t cooperate. Morgana explained that use of magic in Camelot, especially when used on the crown prince, would most certainly cause him to lose his head. Eventually the Trickler gave in, wanting to protect his pretty head, and removed the spell he had cast on Vivian.
Vivian was not as grateful as Morgana had hoped, but she still was glad that Vivian was free now. She laughed with Merlin about it, “I mean, who would want to be stuck loving Arthur forever?”
Merlin gave her a very pointed look, which Morgana pretended to ignore, but they both knew there was no denying it now.
---
Arthur came to see Morgana that night. He was still struggling to remember the events of the last few days, but he knew one thing for certain, that he needed Morgana.
Morgana smiled at him as he came in her chambers. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ll mend,” he answered. He pulled a small white lily out from behind his back and set it on Morgana’s table.
It was one of her favorite flowers. She picked it up and smelled it. “Thank you.”
“I wanted to apologize, for how I treated you.”
Morgana waved it off, setting the flower back down gently. “I understand, Arthur.”
His guilt was pressing down on him, so he added, “You must know, my feelings for Vivian, they weren’t real.”
The pain was fresh, but she smiled through it. “I know.”
“When I told you before, that our kiss meant something… Morgana you know that I…” He shook his head, deciding to come out with it. “I’ve never loved anyone else.”
She picked up on his subtle admission and grinned. She moved towards him and set her arms over his shoulders, clasping her hands behind his neck. “Does that mean you love me, Arthur?”
He smirked down at her. “I suppose it does.”
Humming in satisfaction, she whispered, “Well then, I suppose I might just love you as well.”
His hands splayed across her hips as he tugged her closer. “Really now?”
She grinned. “I’ll have to think about it.”
Laughing, Arthur bent down and kissed her, nipping at her lips as a punishment. A spark lit in her eyes and she kissed him back, getting in her own nips where she could, refusing to lose the battle. Arthur laughed harder at her antics and picked her up off the ground so that her feet dangled and she was at his eye-level.
He felt her whisper something against his lips as she kissed him and he spun her around in a circle, unable to contain the happiness he felt.
Morgana pressed her forehead against Arthur’s and smiled. At least for now, she wasn’t alone.
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