the stars are crying (for what we could have had) (9/13)
Title: the stars are crying (for what we could have had) (8/13)
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 10,796
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 3
Summary: (The sequel to "you and i are a story that never gets told") This is season 3, the way it should've been. Arthur has lost Morgana, and he is struggling to move on without her. Morgana is learning to master her powers with the help of her sister, but she can't stay away from Camelot forever... Once you set things into motion, everything can change.
Author's Notes: Let's just not talk about how this took almost 3 months to write, okay?
Previous Installment: you and i are a story that never gets told
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 part 1, Chapter 7 part 2
---
After Morgause’s attempt on Arthur’s life, Morgana cut ties with her sister, even if only in her mind. She mentally swore not to trust her sister anymore; she too often found herself disappointed or led astray by Morgause’s decisions.
Thankfully Arthur hadn’t mentioned the bracelet again. Morgana knew that Morgause had left it in his room, and the blonde witch had admitted to leaving a forged note as well. As far as Arthur knew, the bracelet was a gift from Morgana, and he had lost it on his quest.
Morgana hoped he wouldn’t find out that it had nearly taken his life; he had forgiven her transgressions before, but she didn’t want him to have any more reason to not trust her. The whole affair had left Morgana drained, and she kept to herself for several days, ignoring Arthur’s late night visits and Merlin’s casual attempts to spend time with her.
It was nearing a week when Morgana went out into the woods neighboring the city to spend her day. She took a book with her to pass the time, tucking it under her arm as she walked. Once in the safety of the tall trees, she found a spot to sit and lowered herself down, resting her back against an old oak tree. She cracked open the book but found herself staring aimlessly at the pages, unable to focus. Several minutes went by like that, with the sounds of the forest lulling her into a state where time lost all meaning.
An unfamiliar sound broke through the muffled silence, several twigs lightly cracking as though underfoot. Morgana turned her head, finding that she was no longer alone. The sunlight glinted off a golden halo of blonde hair as Arthur stepped into the small clearing in front of her. Morgana sighed, shutting her book and letting it rest in her lap. “How’d you find me?”
Arthur shrugged. “You’ve been distant. Whenever something bothered you as a child, you’d come out here. It seemed the likely choice.”
Morgana shook her head. “I should’ve known. You always found me then, too.”
Arthur came and sat next to her, sharing the large expanse of the tree’s trunk to rest against. “Any chance if I ask what’s wrong you’ll tell me?”
Morgana looked over at him, a somber tint to her smile. The message in her eyes was clear; she never told him before, and she wouldn’t now.
Nodding, Arthur reached over and grabbed her hand, lightly gripping her fingers against his palm.
The warmth of his touch spread through her skin, and she felt another rush of guilt for everything he didn’t know; everything she wouldn’t tell him. She let out a long breath and leaned to the side, resting her head on Arthur’s shoulder.
“Should I guess, then?” Arthur asked. It was what the twelve year old version of himself would’ve done-ask her questions for hours until he would finally figure it out.
Morgana shrugged, the movement limited by her position against his body. He wouldn’t guess this one, but there was no harm in him trying.
Arthur tilted his head down, staring at what parts of her he could see from his angle. “Have you-” he started. His eyes landed on the book of spells in her lap and he asked, “Are you the one who’s been healing people in the lower town?”
Halfway sitting up, Morgana twisted so she could see his face. “What?” she choked out, trying not to laugh.
Arthur shrugged. “I heard about it from my father. People have been miraculously recovering from illnesses, and I know you can heal people, so I thought, maybe…”
Morgana shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Arthur. I’m not foolish enough to do anything that risky.”
“You did it for me.”
Without taking a beat, Morgana replied, “And I’d do it again.” She shifted and sat up all the way so they were face to face. “But you’re different, you know that.”
He did, but it still made him smile to hear her say it.
“Uther already doesn’t trust me,” Morgana continued, “I can see it. I’m not about to give him incentive to kill me.”
Arthur wanted to contest her point, to reassure her that his father wouldn’t do that, but he knew it would be a lie. Images of Morgana burning on a pyre entered his mind, and it made his stomach churn. He squeezed her hand harder, using his grip on it to pull her closer. His guessing game was long forgotten, his only impulse now to keep her in his arms.
Morgana tucked herself into Arthur’s chest, nuzzling her nose along his collarbone. As if reading his thoughts, she murmured, “Don’t worry about me, Arthur. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded, placing kisses in her hair, but no matter what she said, he would always have that worry to carry with him, as long as his father was alive. They nestled down, staying like that for a long while, their backs pressed against an old tree as the forest buzzed around them.
---
Arthur gladly would’ve stayed under the tree with Morgana forever, but he had duties and had to return to Camelot. There was a tournament coming up in a few days, a joust to be exact, and he had to train. Not that he wouldn’t normally train every day anyways, but he’d be more than willing to blow off his regular training to be with Morgana. He was unable to pull himself away from her lately, with what little time she spent with him. He was drawn to her, it was bordering on an obsession that was nearly unexplainable; he just wanted to be with her every second. It killed him when she avoided him; it was like a piece of him was missing without her around. It had gotten worse lately, to the point where he rarely went more than a few minutes without thinking about her. He’d spend hours picturing her face and her wicked little smile, imagining the feel of her smooth skin and her soft hair against his fingertips.
Stuck in one such moment, he missed Merlin calling his name until the servant started nudging his arm with a large shield.
“You know, Arthur, if you didn’t feel up to training, I would’ve been just fine taking the day off,” Merlin commented.
Arthur’s eyes lost their unfocused glaze and he turned his head and leveled Merlin with a fierce glare. “Sorry to disappoint, but we’re still training.”
“Doesn’t look like we’re-”
“Merlin!” Arthur cut him off sharply.
Merlin shrugged and went to get into position. As he looked up at Arthur’s face, he knew he was in for a more brutal attack than usual, and he braced himself.
Arthur flew at him, as expected, and Merlin went sprawling. They went on like that for a while, with Arthur attacking, and Merlin ending up on the ground.
The training went on for several hours, but even though Arthur put Merlin through quite a fierce beating, the servant seemed quiet after his initial teasing. He wasn’t making his usual snide comments, and it was clear from the bags under his eyes that he was tired.
Arthur grew bored of training with his unenthusiastic servant, and he sent Merlin home for the day. To be honest, his head was still somewhere else as well, and he could do with some down time to hopefully get Morgana off his mind.
---
When Morgana returned to the castle, she was surprised to find that Uther had left word that he wished to dine with her. It was a rare occasion for her to spend time with Uther Pendragon these days. Despite his being her guardian, he did not seek out her company, nor her counsel, not like he had in the past. Things had changed for him, perhaps as long ago as the incident with the Witchfinder. He no longer seemed to treat her as a child, or even as a friend. She was a stranger in his house, someone he merely coexisted with on principle.
Of course, none of this had bothered Morgana much. She may have given up her mission of bringing an end to Uther’s life, but she still loathed the man and all he believed. Uther was as ruthless as ever, and Morgana knew perfectly well that he suspected that there was more to her story of coming back from the dead.
Morgana brushed her skirts down and sat at her dressing table, allowing Gwen to redo her hair so that it was presentable.
Gwen twisted Morgana’s hair up into a bun, smoothing down the curls with a brush. In a soft voice, she asked, “Do you know what he wants?”
Morgana looked up at Gwen’s reflection in the mirror, recognizing the hints of fear in Gwen’s eyes. While Gwen still didn’t know all about Morgana’s powers, she was a very intuitive person, and she knew better than most the things in Morgana’s heart and mind. Gwen had known for a long while that Uther was a man that everyone should be wary of, and Morgana was not an exception to this rule.
Morgana lowered her eyes, staring instead at the reflection of the necklace around her neck, watching where it dipped beneath the fabric of her dress. “I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing, just a simple meal with his ward.”
Gwen nodded, swallowing down her doubts. She added a hair pin in the shape of a flower to finish off Morgana’s hair. “You’re all ready.”
Morgana quirked up one side of her mouth in a sarcastic movement. “As I’ll ever be.”
The path to the dining hall seemed longer than usual, dragging on as Morgana walked. She finally reached the doors and pushed them open, hoping that by some chance Arthur was attending the meal as well. However, as she stepped inside, she found only Uther, sitting in his usual place at the head of the table.
“Morgana,” he greeted. “Come sit down.”
Morgana hesitantly took the spot at the end of the table. “Will Arthur be joining us?” she asked, the words spilling out unwittingly.
Uther’s eyes narrowed a fraction, and he shook his head. “He’s busy with his training.”
Morgana nodded; she knew that. She had only been hoping for someone to act as a buffer in case things got uncomfortable.
“I thought it would be nice to have dinner, just the two of us,” Uther explained.
Morgana pushed out a tight lipped smile. She wasn’t scared of Uther, but she could barely tolerate his presence in a crowded room, let alone in an empty one. “Of course, sire.”
Thankfully, a servant entered the room soon after, interrupting the awkward silence that had settled between guardian and ward. It wasn’t Merlin or Gwen, but Morgana smiled at them all the same, happy to have them there. The servant blushed and stumbled over his feet as he carried their plates of food. Uther shot the servant a glare, but to the servant’s good fortune, he didn’t drop anything.
Once their food was delivered, they sat in silence for a while, simply eating their meals. Morgana kept glancing at Uther, her nerves on edge. There had been a time when she had felt something akin to love for this man, but no more. He had warped and twisted her love into something darker, and it seemed that no matter what he did, it only made things worse. Being near him brought out the anger and pain held deep in her heart, and she constantly felt like screaming. It reminded her of why she had ran, and why she had stayed away for so long. Without Arthur around to reassure her, the hatred crept in, leaving her bitter.
Uther must have noticed the tense set of her shoulders, for his lips quirked up knowingly. He looked almost pleased at having bothered her, which only served to make Morgana grip her fork tighter in her fist as her muscles clenched.
Morgana slowly pushed food past her lips, breathing slowly through her nose to keep calm.
After several agonizing minutes of silence, Uther finally spoke. “I assume Arthur has told you about the disturbances in the lower town.”
Morgana cocked her head, her lips pursed tight as she took another calming breath through her nose. “Disturbances, sire?”
Sipping at this wine, he mumbled offhandedly, “There have been instances of people who have miraculously healed of incurable illnesses; didn’t he tell you?”
The way his lips curled over the words and his voice rose in pitch as he finished his sentence made Morgana uncomfortable. He wielded the mention of Arthur like a weapon, and it made her skin crawl. Nevertheless, she nodded tersely at him. “I would’ve thought the good health of your people would be cause for celebration.”
Uther chuckled darkly. “Not if it is the result of sorcery.”
Morgana bit down on the inside of her cheek. The words were unsurprising, but they bothered her all the same.
“Gaius believes that it could possibly have been done through the use of medicine, though he is still uncertain.”
“I hope he is right, for the sake of the people,” Morgana commented. The side of her mouth hurt as she talked, the wound stinging from where she had bitten the soft tissue.
Uther set down his goblet, his head tilting in a questioning movement. “What do you make of the situation, Morgana?”
She faltered, nearly dropping her fork. The metal tines clinked lightly on the edge of her plate as it slipped down through her fingers. “I-I don’t-”
“I only thought, seeing as what you went through, perhaps you would have an opinion on the matter.” He smiled at her. “You rarely lack an opinion on most things, if I recall.”
Morgana faked a smile in return. “I’m not sure what opinion I could offer on this matter, sire.”
“But you were healed in a similar way, were you not? You were pronounced dead; I saw your body. Coming back from that, I’d say that’s nothing short of miraculous.”
Morgana shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t remember how I was healed. Whatever methods used, all I know is that I am grateful for what was done. I’m sure the villagers feel the same.”
“Of course,” Uther replied, still smiling.
They ate the rest of the meal in uncomfortable silence, the air heavy around them.
---
The next day, Arthur dragged Merlin out to train, yet again. Merlin was useless as a sparring partner, but Arthur still forced him to help him prepare for the tournament.
As the boys practiced on the training grounds, Morgana and Gwen came down from the castle to watch, Morgana’s long skirts dragging through the grass as she walked. Gwen took Morgana’s arm, looping hers through it as they moved.
Morgana was in much brighter spirits than she had been the night before. She had barely spoken to Gwen after she returned from her dinner with Uther, choosing instead to turn in for an early night’s sleep. Gwen had come the next morning, however, and immediately pulled Morgana up with a plan to go out and enjoy the day. She had refused to let Morgana be unhappy, and just that thought was enough to make Morgana feel better.
Merlin saw the girls coming and waved at them, which only served to get him a mace to the stomach.
As Merlin doubled over in pain, Morgana turned to Gwen and rolled her eyes before yelling, “Really, Arthur, must you be so hard on Merlin?”
At the sound of Morgana’s voice, Arthur’s head immediately whipped around, seeking out the source of the sound. His eyes landed on her and a smile immediately broke out on his lips. Registering her words, he shrugged. “I’m toughening him up, it’s good for him.”
With a smirk, Morgana retorted, “I think he’s tougher than you give him credit for.”
Arthur looked down at where Merlin lay moaning on the ground and lifted his eyebrows, making an unimpressed face. “I doubt that.”
Morgana shook her head, a playful smile on her lips. “Fine, I guess we’ll let you boys go back to beating each other senseless then.”
Arthur gave her a goofy grin in response, causing both of the girls to giggle. Morgana pulled Gwen over to a low wall, where they both jumped up to sit on the edge. They watched Arthur pummel Merlin until finally Merlin seemed to have had enough and Arthur dismissed him.
Merlin limped over to the girls, an obvious frown on his face.
“Oh, poor Merlin!” Gwen exclaimed, with only the slightest hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Merlin mumbled something unintelligible, followed by, “I’m sore all over.”
Gwen made a soft noise of sympathy and leaned over to kiss his cheek lightly.
As Gwen pulled away, Morgana gave Merlin a small smile, commenting, “Arthur is a big brute.”
Merlin scoffed, “You’re the one who’s in love with him.”
Morgana lifted an eyebrow and shrugged, not bothering to contest his point. “Well, he has his good aspects, I suppose.”
Merlin looked to Gwen for support, but she pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. Merlin rolled his eyes. “Thanks. Should’ve known you two would side with Arthur,” he grumbled.
“I’m sure Gaius will side with you,” Morgana chirped.
Huffing, Merlin shook his head. “He’s part of the problem. His new lady friend is staying with us, and I’ve barely gotten any sleep.”
Both Morgana and Gwen’s eyes went wide at his statement.
Merlin looked back and forth between them, realizing what he must have implied. “Oh, gross! I’ve had to sleep on the floor, since Gaius gave her my bed.”
Looking to Gwen, Morgana smirked. “Whatever you say, Merlin.”
Gwen giggled, “Good for Gaius.”
“You’re disgusting, the both of you.”
The girls continued to giggle to themselves as Merlin stalked off to his chambers, limping the whole way.
After Merlin left, a group of knights joined Arthur to practice their jousting. Morgana and Gwen moved over to the stands to watch properly, still arm in arm as they walked. They smiled and flirted with the knights as they moved past, flustering them all for fun.
Arthur was used to Morgana’s tricks by now, and he wasn’t affected. Well, not much. He had one foot in the stirrups and nearly slipped as he tried to mount his horse, but luckily he caught himself before anyone noticed.
Arthur and his knights did several runs for practice, each time switching partners. Arthur managed to thoroughly beat each of his opponents, though the knights usually got in a few hits of their own before being de-horsed.
By the time they were done, the sun was sinking low beneath the sky, and Gwen had to leave Morgana’s side to get started on her chores. Morgana let her friend go, seeking out Arthur to keep her company instead.
Arthur was removing the saddle from his horse as Morgana walked over to him. It wasn’t his job to untack his horse, the stable boys were supposed to do that, but he enjoyed it. It let him bond with his horse, building up a sense of trust, which was especially important for him when he rode the animal out into dangerous situations, like he was oft to do.
Morgana sidled up next to him, patting the horse to let it know she was there. “If you really wanted a challenge, I could’ve ridden against you. I’m quite good, you know.”
Arthur set the saddle down over the edge of a fence and turned to her, grinning. “That you are. Though, as I recall, I still managed to beat you.”
Morgana narrowed her eyes. “And crack one of my ribs.” She tossed him a brush, her eyes twinkling despite the glare.
Arthur deftly caught the brush and started smoothing it over the horse’s side. “I never properly apologized for that, did I?”
He seemed genuinely sincere, and it tugged on her heart. The glare vanished, and Morgana shook her head, smiling at him. “All is forgiven.” She grabbed a second brush from the tack box and helped to clean the horse. “I still maintain that I’m better than you, though.”
“Oh, really?” he scoffed.
She hummed, “Mm-hmm.”
Dropping his brush, he tugged her in to his side with one arm. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his, murmuring, “Try me, Pendragon.”
A soft cough sounded from behind them, causing Arthur’s head to snap around in the direction of the noise.
A small stable boy stood a few feet away from them, holding a lead rope loosely in hands that were shaking, his eyes blown wide. “Sorry to interrupt, sire, but I thought, since you were finished…” He gestured towards the horse, his hands still trembling.
Morgana stepped away from Arthur, smiling at the boy. “It’s fine.” Arthur still looked annoyed at being interrupted, so Morgana elbowed him.
Arthur looked at Morgana out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat and stepping to the side, holding out the reins for the boy to take. “Here. Take good care of him.”
The boy stumbled forward, taking the reins from Arthur. “Certainly, my lord.” He bowed awkwardly before stepping away.
Once the stable boy left, Morgana laughed quietly, amused at how they had flustered the poor child. She turned to Arthur and took his hand, tugging him towards the castle. “Come on, let’s get you out of all that armor.”
Arthur fell in step with her, willingly doing whatever she asked.
---
In Arthur chambers, Morgana sat Arthur down on a bench and started undoing his armor for him.
“That’s Merlin’s job,” he mumbled.
“I think Merlin’s had enough for one day,” Morgana replied, her fingers deftly working at the straps connecting the pieces of metal. She removed each piece carefully, setting them on the table in front of Arthur.
As Morgana pulled off the last chunk of armor, Arthur let out a low hiss, the muscles in his shoulder aching from the movement. He bit back the normal snarky remark he would’ve used on Merlin, as he knew it wasn’t Morgana’s fault.
“Sorry,” she whispered. Once the armor was out of the way, Morgana ran her fingers along the curve of Arthur’s neck, lightly pressing against the knotted muscles under his skin. “You’re too tense.”
“Price of being a prince,” he breathed, the pain still evident in his voice.
Dipping her head down, Morgana left a slow trail of soft kisses along his shoulder. “Weight of the world,” she murmured.
Arthur let his head fall forward, his eyes closing, enjoying the feeling.
Morgana lifted her head and placed both of her hands on either side of his neck, digging her fingers in and rubbing at the sore muscles. She moved her thumbs in small circles, pressing into his skin. Occasionally Arthur would stiffen from the jolts of pain, but eventually all the tension started to dissipate and he relaxed. After she worked for a while on his shoulders, Morgana prompted him to raise his arms so she could remove his shirt.
Arthur complied, though he smirked at her as the material went over his head.
She ran her fingers along the ridges of his spine, briefly mesmerized by the motion. As she started working at the tight spots in his back, she could feel him humming with satisfaction, the vibrations running through her fingers. “You’re enjoying this far too much,” she chastised.
He shrugged, the grin on his face hidden from view.
“I don’t know why I put up with you,” she quipped, but she quickly lost her playful air. With his back bare, it revealed an assortment of purpling bruises, which made her frown. She knew that he had been training hard, but it still upset her to see the results.
Her fingers stilled, and Arthur noticed the change. “You’re thinking too hard back there,” Arthur commented, turning his head to try and get a look at her.
Morgana ignored him, bending over to drop kisses on each one of his bruises. She started at the base of his spine and worked her way back up to his shoulders, peppering his skin with the feather light touch of her lips. As she reached his neck, she felt his arm snake up around her back, pulling her forward.
Arthur yanked her off her feet, pulling her over the edge of the bench until she landed firmly in his lap, her legs spilling off the side. “You don’t need to worry so much,” he announced, the words fanning over the skin of her cheek.
Morgana adjusted herself in his hold, maneuvering so she could see his face. “Could say the same thing to you.”
“Well,” he tilted his head as he spoke, “It’s my job to look after you.”
Morgana’s eyes widened, her eyebrows raised. “You do realize that I could throw you across this room without even touching you.”
Arthur shook his head at her, a grin breaking through on his lips. “Whatever you say.”
Morgana awkwardly crossed her arms across her chest, huffing at him. “If anyone needs protecting, I think it’s you. I had to come save you on your quest, remember?”
He quickly replied, “That never happened.”
Morgana rolled her eyes at him. “Fine, but I still think I’m justified in worrying about you.”
Arthur smirked at her, knowing he wasn’t going to convince her. However, he did know how to push her buttons. Lifting a shoulder casually, he commented, “You just love me too much, I get it.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Morgana scoffed, “I think you’re overestimating your likeability, Arthur. I simply don’t enjoy seeing you hurt, that’s all.”
“That’s all?” he questioned, his nose pressing against hers as he pulled her closer.
Morgana hummed her positive answer against his lips.
“Well that’s a shame,” he retorted.
She cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling despite herself.
His hands slid up her back, holding her tighter. “Because I am madly in love with you,” he finished, whispering it into her mouth.
Morgana greedily sucked down his words, swallowing them whole as she moved in to capture his lips roughly with her own.
Arthur returned the kiss eagerly, burying his hand deep in her hair to keep her with him, his fingers getting caught in the elaborate braiding. He kissed her so fiercely that it made him lose his breath, but he didn’t care.
Morgana slanted her mouth across his, tilting her head to get better access. She felt one of his hands drop to her waist, and she arched back into his touch, moving ever closer to the warmth of his body as if she were frozen solid. Her arms wound up around his shoulders and behind his neck as she pressed her tongue along the line of his lips.
Arthur’s lungs started to burn and he could see stars behind his eyes, but he couldn’t stop. He opened his mouth to her willingly, the sweet taste of her filling his senses. He kissed her long and slow, moving his tongue along the hard edges of her teeth. He could feel her lightly biting down on the flesh, but the twinge of pain only made him kiss her harder.
Eventually, Morgana, having a bit more of her brain still functioning, noticed the lack of air and broke to let them both breathe. She exhaled heavily against his cheek as she started to kiss along his jawline.
Arthur’s chest heaved as he took deep gulps of air, his hands still clasped desperately onto whatever part of her he could grab. Using his hold on her hair, he attempted to turn her mouth back towards his own, but before he could successfully manage it, a disgusted noise broke through the quiet of the room.
Morgana jumped at the sound, pulling her lips away from Arthur’s skin and clutching at his shoulders with her hands.
Arthur groaned loudly in annoyance at having been interrupted for the second time in one day.
“I think I might be sick,” Merlin moaned from his spot in the doorway.
“You could’ve knocked,” Arthur grumbled.
“I did,” Merlin retorted. “You two lovebirds were clearly too busy to hear me.”
“Lovebirds?” Morgana chimed, feigning disbelief. Tilting her head back, she looked at Arthur and pulled a face. “I barely even like Arthur. I was just telling him so, actually.”
Arthur nodded. “It’s true.”
Merlin rolled his eyes dramatically. “Right.”
Morgana shrugged, her arms still looped around Arthur’s neck.
“Is there something you wanted, Merlin?” Arthur asked, his voice still tinged with frustration.
“I had just wanted to-” He stopped himself, distracted by the blissful happiness gleaming in Morgana’s eyes. Truthfully he had wanted to talk to her, to ask her for her opinion on Alice, but it could wait. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Arthur looked extremely annoyed; though Morgana was slightly curious, knowing Merlin well enough to guess that there was something more he wanted to say.
Merlin smiled awkwardly at them, trying not to let on anything further. When he had returned to his room, he had stumbled upon Alice talking to some strange creature, and he thought perhaps Morgana would know what it was, but he couldn’t talk about that in front of Arthur. He decided to allow them their moment and ask Sir Geoffrey for his assistance in determining the identity of the creature instead. “I’ll just… be going then.”
"Good idea," Arthur growled, his arms winding tighter around Morgana’s waist as he glared at his manservant.
Merlin backed away, slipping out of the door.
Morgana poked Arthur in his side as punishment for his rudeness, but she didn’t say anything to berate him for it.
Arthur smirked at her, ignoring her poke and leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Now where were we?”
“I think I was demonstrating my severe dislike of you.”
He cocked his head, raising his eyebrows at her. “And how was that going?”
“You tell me,” she murmured, before once again losing herself in his kiss.
---
It had taken several hours to finally get Arthur to let her go the night before, but Morgana had eventually made it back to her own bed. Gwen had given her a knowing look, a plethora of teasing remarks waiting on the tip of her tongue. Morgana had preempted her maid, however, telling her quite plainly that there was nothing to share.
Gwen had nodded politely, but the grin never left her lips.
The next morning, Morgana had slept late, waking to the sun pouring into her chambers. It took her a while to remove herself from the warmth of the bedcovers, her limbs feeling heavy and her brain sluggish. However, she eventually forced herself up due to the growling in her stomach that wouldn’t abate.
Gwen must have gone to do her other morning chores, because Morgana found her room empty. She was sufficient enough on her own, though, and she pulled on a simple dress and brushed her hair before heading down to get some food from the kitchens.
She knew how to get what she needed, smiling sweetly at the cooks and batting her eyes to get warm bread and some fruit preserves to spread on it. They even gave her a bundle of grapes for good measure. She thanked them and ducked out of the kitchen, balancing her plates in her arms. It was a decent walk back to her room, and she found herself popping grapes into mouth to sate her ever-growing hunger.
Morgana’s focus was so wholly on the plates she was carrying that she completely missed the older lady walking towards her until they had nearly collided. Morgana let out a squeal and jumped back, startled.
The plate with the grapes crashed to the floor, clattering on the tiles. Morgana stared at it as it fell, unable to stop it.
“I’m sorry,” the lady apologized as she bent down to retrieve the fruit. She was at least twice Morgana’s age, with her long gray hair tied in a braid that hung over her shoulder. Despite her age, she was still quite beautiful, and her smile was warm as she held out the plate to Morgana.
Morgana shook her head profusely, “No, it was my fault.” She took the plate, her hand brushing against the woman’s as she did. She felt a slight shock from the touch, and she looked questioningly up to the woman’s face.
“What a burden it must be, having all that power,” the woman commented, her voice a bit too loud for Morgana’s liking.
“I, I don’t-” Morgana quickly pulled her hand back, readjusting her plates. “Who are you?” she snapped, changing the subject.
“My name is Alice,” she answered with a smile. “And you don’t have to fear me, child, I understand what it’s like. I, too, have magic.”
Morgana looked over the woman, recognizing something innately familiar about her. “You…” she trailed off, the pieces slowly coming together. “You’re the one who’s been healing the townspeople, aren’t you?”
Alice dipped her head in a slow nod. “They needed help, who am I to ignore someone in need?”
Morgana’s forehead creased with worry. “You should be more careful, the king would see you put to death for that. It won’t matter that you’re doing something good, not to him.”
“Uther Pendragon does not scare me.”
Pursing her lips, Morgana processed the information. With a slow exhale of breath, she replied, “He should.”
Alice tipped her head in a show of respect, but there was something behind her eyes that unnerved Morgana.
“It was nice meeting you,” Morgana mumbled, before quickly heading back to her chambers, her skin still tingling.
---
Arthur had another long day of training, though as usual Merlin proved useless at helping him. It took some prodding, but finally he discovered that Merlin had had a fight with Gaius, and it was dampening his mood considerably.
Arthur tried his best to cheer Merlin up, but his attempts fell flat. He wished that Gwen or Morgana were there, they’d know just the right thing to say. As it was, he couldn’t think of anything more than punching Merlin on the arm, which definitely didn’t help.
After letting Merlin go home for the day, Arthur spent the rest of the day relaxing in his room, halfway hoping that Morgana would come and visit. He forced himself not to seek her out, though, refusing to look too desperate for her company. It was bad enough that he could barely let her leave once she visited.
Once the sun began to set, Arthur gave up hope of seeing her, and ate his dinner alone. While he ate, it occurred to him that he hadn’t talked to his father in several days, which rarely ever happened. He knew that his father had summoned Morgana to dinner a few days prior, a fact that bothered him for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, but Uther had neglected to speak to his son as of late.
The realization was enough for Arthur to get up and make the trek through the castle to his father’s chambers. He may have conflicting thoughts about his father and his decisions, but despite all that, deep down he was still occasionally that small boy tugging on his father’s robes, craving approval.
Arthur knocked softly on the door to the king’s chambers. He received no answer, and after knocking several more times, opened the door, checking to see if everything was alright. “Father?” he called, but no one answered. He stepped quietly into the room, padding across the floor.
As he rounded the corner of the four-poster bed, he found his father sprawled across the floor, unmoving. Uther’s eyes were closed and his chest still, and Arthur immediately dropped to his knees, checking for signs of life.
“Guards!” Arthur yelled, trying to alert someone. Something cold crept through his veins, the feeling akin to fear. He wasn’t ready for this; he didn’t know how to do this. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, hearing distantly the warning bells ringing as the guards alerted the castle.
Soon after, Gaius arrived, and ushered Arthur out of the room so he could inspect the king. Arthur rested against the stone wall of the corridor, taking shallow breaths, his mind reeling as he waited impatiently. Merlin rushed by, but Arthur was too far inside his own head to say anything to him.
Gaius came back out a few minutes later, with inconclusive results.
“He’s been poisoned, hasn’t he?” Arthur asked.
“I cannot say for sure,” Gaius answered. Before Arthur could protest, Gaius continued, “I don’t want you jumping to conclusions, sire. I will let you know when I find out something further.”
Arthur nodded and went back to his father’s side, still trying to sort out the mixed feelings in his head.
---
The warning bells had sounded as Morgana was finishing her meal, and she had sent Gwen to find out what had happened.
The door to Morgana’s chambers creaked open, and Morgana’s hair spun around her shoulders as she turned around. “Gwen,” she breathed, happy that it was only her maid and not an intruder. “What’s happened?”
Gwen’s face was solemn. “It’s the king.” She took a breath. “He’s been poisoned.”
The news was shocking, especially considering Morgana herself had once tried to end the king’s life in a similar way. “Poisoned,” she mused.
“I know he has done horrible things, but to die like this…”
“Yes,” Morgana agreed. “Quite a harsh fate. Peaceful, at least, I suppose.” She wasn’t opposed to him dying by any means, but it was surprising that someone had accomplished such a feat. Her attempts had nearly cost her own life as well.
Gwen sat next to Morgana on the edge of her bed. “I wonder who’s responsible. To try and take the king’s life, that’s quite a risk. I can only imagine the person must be very foolish.”
“Or very brave,” Morgana commented. She thought back to the strange old lady she met in the hall earlier. Alice had seemed unafraid of Uther; but perhaps she had known that he would soon no longer be something to fear.
Gwen gave Morgana a look, turning her head to better see the other girl. She chose to ignore the comment, focusing instead on something else. “I can only imagine how Arthur is feeling about all this.”
“Arthur.” The word came out as a harsh whisper, and it grated on Morgana’s vocal chords. It was easy at times to forget that Arthur was Uther’s son; it made things so much simpler to just imagine Arthur on the throne, without any obstacles. Without Uther Pendragon and his hate blocking the way. Yet Uther and Arthur were undeniably linked, and she knew all too well the pain of losing a father.
“He probably could use someone right now,” Gwen suggested.
Her bottom lip throbbed, and she released it from teeth that she hadn’t realized were biting it. “He’ll be alright.”
“Morgana…” Gwen started.
“I don’t think I’m the right one to help him with this, Gwen.”
Gwen gave her a sad smile. “I doubt he’d see it that way.”
Morgana leaned to the side and rest her head on her friend’s shoulder. She sighed heavily. “Just give me some time.”
---
Arthur sat with his father for a long time, with Merlin at his side. He kept trying to figure out who could’ve harmed the king, but he came up with nothing.
After Arthur had exhausted all of his options, Merlin quietly admitted, “Arthur, I think-no, I know, who did this.”
Arthur’s eyes widened, and for a brief second his heart stuttered, icy terror running through his veins at the thought of the one name that would destroy him to hear.
However, Merlin accused a close friend of Gaius’s, and Arthur felt his whole body unclench at the relief.
Arthur trusted Merlin’s word, and he immediately went to arrest the woman that Merlin said was to blame. As the guards took Alice away, Arthur looked over to Gaius, finding him looking utterly broken. Arthur felt sympathy for the older man, thoughts of Morgana in chains echoing in his mind, but he didn’t have a choice. He left the room, following the guards and leaving Gaius behind.
---
Morgana heard about the arrest and immediately went to see Arthur, her previous reservations abandoned. She slipped into his room, finding him angrily pacing around his table.
He heard the sound of the door and stopped his movements, his head snapping around to look at who had entered. “Morgana.” The word came out as a raspy noise, the sounds of his grief clouding his voice.
“I heard what happened,” she explained.
The look of relief at her presence quickly vanished and he shook his head angrily. “That woman knows the cure, I’m sure of it.”
“Arthur…”
His eyes blazed with anger as he turned on her. “Don’t tell me you support her, Morgana; I couldn’t bear it.”
Morgana bit down on her tongue, trying not to let herself be upset by him. She knew he was hurting, and her issues with Uther were not something to be discussed now. “This isn’t about me. I only meant that you should handle this rationally. It’s possible that she does not know of a cure; perhaps one does not even exist.”
Arthur let out a heavy exhale of breath. “There has to be something.” He was floundering; this was too much for him to deal with, there had to be a way to fix it. He knew deep down that people had reason to kill his father, but when faced with the impending death of his parent, he lost all sense of reason.
“Yes, perhaps there is, but harassing Alice won’t necessarily get it for you.” She knew of his outburst down in the dungeons, people had been whispering of it. It wasn’t unexpected, but he had to hold it together; she wouldn’t let him fall apart because of this.
“Alice,” he laughed harshly. “I suppose that is her name, isn’t it?” He had been so consumed with stopping his father’s death that he had failed to even ask the name of his attempted murderer.
Morgana moved closer to him, standing off to his side. Her hand hovered over his arm as she debated whether or not to touch him.
“Morgana,” he started, looking down at her.
She pulled her hand back, dropping it to rest by her thigh.
He searched her face for something, his mind working too fast for him to fully piece together his thoughts. Yet, amongst the chatter, there was one thing that stood out; one thing he was trying to find a way to put into words.
Morgana swallowed, hoping against reason that Arthur wouldn’t ask her what she knew he was thinking.
“Could you-” He stopped, taking a breath. “Could you heal him?”
Her eyes fell shut, her fears realized. “Arthur, don’t ask this of me.”
“Please, Morgana,” he begged.
She opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly meeting his gaze. Jutting her chin out, she forcefully replied, “I can’t.”
He could read her too well, and his eyes darkened. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
She glared at him in response. He knew the risks, yet he somehow seemed to have forgotten them in favor of his father’s life. “How dare you,” she ground out through gritted teeth.
“You have the power to do it,” he retorted.
She shook her head. “I can’t, Arthur.” She couldn’t, and she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter really which it was.
Arthur’s jaw clenched and he turned his back on her, unable to say anything further.
Morgana huffed, frustrated with his inability to see the bigger picture. Her heels clicked loudly on the floor as she stomped out of his room, leaving him to sulk alone.
---
Morgana burst into her chambers after her fight with Arthur, still slightly fuming. She stopped short as she entered however, finding that she was not alone. Merlin was awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, and it looked as if he’d been there a while.
“Gwen told me it was alright if I waited for you here,” Merlin explained, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he talked.
Morgana nodded, showing that she didn’t mind. “Is there something the matter?”
“I need your help.”
Morgana shut the door behind her, walking further into the room. “As long as you don’t expect me to heal Uther, I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Merlin’s brows furrowed, his head tilting questioningly. He could tell there was more fueling that statement by the hostility in her voice.
Morgana waved at him to show it wasn’t important.
Merlin shrugged, but still commented, “I doubt you could heal Uther even if I wanted you to. The poison is from a creature of the old religion, and I fear it has magic far more powerful than yours or mine.”
“You know what caused his illness, then?” Morgana asked.
He nodded. “That’s why I need your help.”
She started, “Merlin, you just said-”
He cut her off, elaborating, “It’s about Alice. She’s being controlled, and perhaps if we can stop the creature, we can save her.”
“As well as Uther,” Morgana added, her voice tinged with disapproval.
Merlin had the sense to look guilty, but he dipped his head in a nod. “Please, Morgana. Gaius really cares about Alice; think of what this will do to him. I know you hate Uther, but Alice is a good person. I can’t let her die for something that isn’t her fault.”
“Alright,” Morgana agreed. “What do you want me to do?”
Smiling, he asked, “What do you know about manticores?”
---
Morgana reluctantly joined Merlin and Gaius down in the physician’s chambers to come up with a plan of action. Between her knowledge of the old religion and Gaius’s books, they were able to discover enough about the manticore to figure out a way to stop it.
“We can summon it,” Morgana explained. “If we get it here, we’ll have a chance of killing it.”
“It’s extremely powerful,” Gaius warned them. “A creature of the old religion is not something to be trifled with.”
Morgana shared a look with Merlin. They were both of the old religion; magic ran deep within their bones, and they knew all too well of the dangers of their kind. “What choice do we have?”
Merlin chimed in, stating, “Morgana’s right. If we can kill this thing, then Alice will be free. Gaius, I have to try.”
“The manticore is connected to the spirit world; it takes a great deal to sever that link.” Gaius paused, shaking his head. “You can’t call on that kind of magic, Merlin.”
Merlin looked over to Morgana. “But maybe we can.”
Morgana’s lips quirked up into a slow, close-lipped smile; her eyes sparkling. She reached over and took Merlin’s hand, squeezing his fingers.
Gaius acquiesced, turning to his workbench and opening the manticore’s box. He stepped back out of the way, allowing Merlin to move closer.
Morgana’s arm stretched as Merlin moved, but she didn’t let go of his hand. Merlin held out his free hand and uttered a summoning spell. Nothing happened at first, so he repeated the spell again, louder this time. His eyes glowed bright gold and he took a step back to stand by Morgana’s side.
The three waited with bated breath, all of their eyes glued to the open box.
Suddenly, a rasping sound came from within the container, and a clawed appendage reached over the side. With a screech, the manticore pushed itself out of the box, flying at Merlin.
Morgana threw her hand out, screaming the words to a spell that would deflect the manticore’s attack. She felt a surge of power rush up from her fingertips, coming from Merlin, and as it came out through her other hand, the manticore was knocked out of the air.
The creature was only stunned for a brief moment, and it quickly attacked again.
Merlin tried to use a killing curse on the creature, but before he could speak the words, the manticore collided with his chest, knocking him off his feet.
As Merlin fell, Morgana lost her grip on his hand. Without the contact, the link between them was severed, and both were left feeling weak because of it.
“Morgana!” Merlin yelled out. The creature was fervently trying to scratch at his face and stab him with its poisonous quills, but Merlin was holding it at a distance, trying his best to keep it away.
Morgana tried to use a spell, but she wasn’t strong enough and the manticore barely flinched.
Merlin continued to struggle on the floor, the manticore relentlessly continuing to attack.
Morgana spun towards Gaius, desperately seeking his advice. Her hair whipped wildly around her face, and eyes were wide and filled with fear. “It’s too strong!”
Gaius looked from Morgana to Merlin, and then back to the box on the table. “The box!” he exclaimed. “It’s what connects it to the spirit world, we have to break it!”
Morgana looked over to the box questioningly.
Merlin was still thrashing around, but he had heard them talking. “Morgana,” he gasped, “Smash the box!”
Morgana held up a shaking hand, the sounds of the manticore hissing throwing off her concentration. The magic inside of her was slowly building, and she could feel it thrumming through her veins. She closed her eyes tightly, shutting out the rest of the world. Everything else fell away, and she focused only on completing the spell.
The manticore’s hissing stopped, and Merlin felt the weight lift from his chest as the creature moved.
With a final word, Morgana’s eyes glowed, and the box started to crack, the seams filling with a brilliant white light. The cracks expanded, until soon the whole room exploded with light. The box burst into pieces, and Morgana shielded her face until it was finished.
The manticore let out a loud roar and charged at Morgana, but before it could reach her, the effects of losing its tether to the spirit world caught up to it. The manticore made a noise that sounded vaguely like it was choking, and after a minute of struggling to move, it exploded just as the box had done.
Morgana let out a triumphant yell, grinning widely at their success.
“We did it,” Merlin breathed as he stood from the floor.
Gaius smiled at the two young sorcerers, feeling a sense of pride. “That you did.”
---
With the manticore dead, Uther quickly recovered from his brush with death. Arthur was relieved, but Morgana’s main concern was saving Alice. Morgana ran up from Gaius’s chambers and found Arthur in his room, wasting no time in explaining everything that had happened. Despite his disapproval at her fighting an ancient monster without telling him, Arthur understood. He agreed that Alice was innocent and immediately regretted the way he had treated her.
Once Uther was awake, Arthur told him of the situation, and suggested that they drop the charges against Alice, since she was merely a pawn in the manticore’s plot.
“Absolutely not,” Uther snapped. “That woman poisoned me; she will be executed at dawn for her crimes against the kingdom.”
“Father,” Arthur implored, “She was being controlled; her intent was never to harm you. She didn’t have a choice.”
“She practiced magic, Arthur,” Uther stated, as if that explained everything.
“Because she was forced to do so! I understand that what she did was wrong, but you must consider the circumstances. Please, I do not believe her to be an enemy of Camelot.”
Uther shook his head. “It does not matter why she did it. She broke the law, and her use of magic nearly cost this kingdom their king.”
“Killing this woman is a mistake. Father, please, see reason,” Arthur begged.
“Do not question me, Arthur,” Uther barked. “She used magic. There is no circumstance under which that is acceptable.”
Arthur stared at his father in disbelief, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he struggled to contain his anger.
Uther waved his hand at the guards in the room, ignoring Arthur. “Prepare the pyre for the execution.”
“This is wrong,” Arthur growled under his breath.
Uther continued to ignore his son, and Arthur eventually stormed off, disgusted with his father’s decision.
---
Arthur went to break the news to Morgana, entering her chambers with a heavy heart.
Morgana turned from the window as Arthur shut the door behind him. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was upset. “He’s not going to free Alice, is he?” she asked, knowing the answer.
Arthur shook his head angrily. “You were right all along, Morgana. He hasn’t changed; he never will.”
Morgana closed the distance between them, gathering up his hands and taking them into hers. “I’m sorry, Arthur.”
“I had lost sight of who he really was. I just, I had so hoped-”
“I know,” Morgana stopped him, squeezing his hands. “You don’t have to explain it to me.”
Arthur’s head fell forward, his forehead resting heavily against the crown of her head. “I was wrong to ask you to heal him. If you had used magic on him, there’s no telling what he would’ve done.”
“He would’ve killed me,” Morgana murmured.
Arthur shook his head, rubbing against her hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing out her name, “Morgana…”
She knew it hurt him, but he had to understand the reality of their situation. “He would, Arthur, and he will, if he has reason.”
Arthur lifted his head and looked down into her bright green eyes. “I realize now just how vicious he truly is. I won’t forget that again.”
Morgana rose up on her toes, leaning in to gently kiss his lips. As she broke the kiss, she tucked her head under his chin, snuggling into his chest.
Arthur wrapped his arm around her, stroking her hair softly as he held her.
---
The next day was the day of the jousting tournament, and though it was a small affair for once, the citizens of Camelot were still excited. Though while there was sport to be enjoyed, there was another event to take place that day that was less celebrated. The joust was to be held in the afternoon, but Alice’s execution was to be in morning.
Morgana had tried to comfort Merlin, but she knew that he felt partly responsible, and that his guilt wouldn’t be easily assuaged. Arthur had basically forbidden Morgana to free Alice, and Gaius had given Merlin a similar talk. There was too much at stake, and while they wanted Alice to live, they both agreed to listen this time.
However, despite their promises to remain uninvolved, by late morning, they both heard the warning bells and the news of Alice’s surprising escape. No one seemed to know how it had been done, but it was clear, Alice was long gone.
Morgana was thrilled, as was Merlin. Merlin shared the news with Gaius, who simply smiled knowingly in reply.
Feeling much lighter, Morgana went to visit Arthur before the tournament. She brought with her a deep purple colored strip of material to bestow on him as her favor. As she reached his door, she opened it a crack, peering in around it. She saw Merlin helping Arthur dress, and she bit her lip to hold in her smile. “May I come in?” she asked.
Both boys turned to face her, Merlin still gripping Arthur’s chainmail in his hands. Merlin was slightly startled by her presence, though the prince didn’t seem the least bit surprised. Instead of looking uncomfortable, Arthur’s face simply split into a huge grin.
“Of course,” Arthur answered, beckoning her inside.
Morgana returned his smile, stepping all the way into the room. Her eyes scanned over the array of armor laid out on the table, and as she walked by she lightly dragged her fingers over the pieces of metal.
Arthur was content to stand and watch her, the small movements of her wrist as she flicked her fingers over the buckles on his gorget suddenly fascinating to him.
Merlin cleared his throat to get their attention, asking quietly, “Is there something you needed, Lady Morgana?”
Morgana lifted her head, tilting it in a delicate move as she met Merlin’s gaze. A smirk bloomed on her lips and she stated, “I came to wish my champion good luck.”
Arthur’s grin grew impossibly wider, and he chuckled softly at her. “I’m not champion yet, Morgana.”
She hummed thoughtfully. “But you will be, of course.”
“Of course,” Arthur echoed, his usual cocky attitude bleeding through.
Merlin rolled his eyes and started to yank Arthur’s hauberk over his head.
Arthur grumbled angrily through the metal, but as his head emerged through the top, his smile was back in place once more.
Morgana laughed brightly, picking up a piece of armor from the table. “I think I can handle the rest, Merlin.”
Merlin looked at her questioningly, reluctant to leave his duties.
Morgana shooed him along, letting out another laugh. “Don’t worry, Merlin, I’ll take good care of him,” she promised.
Merlin took another look at Arthur’s ridiculous happy expression and shook his head, leaving Morgana to deal with the idiot on her own.
Picking up the nearest plate of metal, Morgana set to work covering Arthur in his armor. She placed the gorget around his neck and tightened the straps around his back, carefully layering each chunk of armor until everything was in place.
Her fingers were quick and nimble, and he barely felt her movements as she worked. “You’re quite good at this,” Arthur commented. “I might have to fire Merlin and give his job to you instead.”
She giggled, smirking at the thought. “You’d be miserable without Merlin and you know it. Besides, you’d never get me to do all your washing.”
Arthur chuckled at her. “No, I don’t think I would.”
Morgana finished assembling his armor and stepped back to assess her work.
“Not bad,” Arthur quipped, stretching his arms to test that everything was comfortable.
“Just one more thing,” Morgana noted. She pulled out the strip of fabric she had brought and tied it around his upper arm. Smiling at her finished work, she told him, “Now you’re sure to win.”
Arthur shook his head, still grinning like his face might split. “Because you’ll be with me?” he asked.
“Because I don’t give my favor to just anyone,” she murmured.
Arthur nodded. “So I have no choice but to win, I suppose. Wouldn’t want to insult your honor.”
“No, we wouldn’t want that,” Morgana agreed sarcastically. She leaned up and placed a kiss on underside of his jaw. As she pulled back, she whispered, “I’ll see you at the feast.”
Arthur watched her go, his hand reflexively reaching over to touch the ends of the purple fabric on his arm.
---
As the sun rose up to its highest point in the sky, the people of Camelot started to pour into the stadium for the joust. Since Arthur was participating in the tournament, Morgana was left to sit with only the King, which she knew wouldn’t make for an enjoyable afternoon. Uther was angrier than ever now that Alice had escaped, and for some reason, his ire seemed to be directed at Morgana.
Choosing to ignore him the best she could, Morgana focused on the knights as they entered. She could feel the heated glare on her back every once in a while, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of acting as though it bothered her. She had done nothing wrong, in truth, and she wouldn’t let his rage cause her any discomfort.
As Arthur rode in, Morgana stood up and cheered wildly with the rest of the crowd. She knew it wasn’t exactly ladylike, but she didn’t care. She spotted Gwen and Merlin down in the stands, seeing that they were cheering as well. She smiled over at them, catching Gwen’s eye. Gwen waved happily at her, poking Merlin to get him to wave as well.
Morgana laughed at her friends as she sat back down to watch the matches. The joust went on for several hours, all of the knights performing admirably.
Arthur of course was doing extremely well, outshining all of his opponents. As he finished one of his rounds, he looked over to Morgana, touching the fabric on his arm meaningfully as he tipped his head at her.
Morgana smiled coyly down at him, silently wishing him luck- not that he needed it.
After a few more rounds, Arthur faced off with his last opponent. As the horses rode at full speed towards each other, Arthur lifted his lance, positioning it at his rival’s heart. He went by for the pass, and with expert precision, hit his target dead center. The opposing knight went flying off his horse, hitting the ground in a cloud of dust.
The crowd flew to their feet, everyone cheering wildly. The prince was once again victorious, making his people proud.
Arthur did a lap around the stadium to celebrate his victory, playing it up for his adoring fans. As he finished his lap, he pulled up by the stands, dismounting from his horse.
Morgana stood from her seat and moved to the edge of the stands to greet Arthur, leaning over the wooden barrier. “My champion,” she called, smiling happily at him.
Arthur grinned that ridiculous grin of his as he met her, the one that seemed to be a permanent fixture these days. Adrenaline was singing in his blood, and he as he looked at her beautiful face smiling down at him, he lost all self-control. He reached up and slipped his hand behind her neck, pulling her in to meet him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he swept her lips up into a searing embrace, kissing her deeply.
The crowd cheered twice as loud at the sight, the sounds ringing like a dull roar in Arthur and Morgana’s ears.
Morgana immediately sunk into the kiss, forgetting about all the people around them. There was nothing but her and Arthur, the rest of the world be damned.
Distantly they could hear Uther clearing his throat, but they ignored him, enjoying the moment while it lasted.
---
At the feast that night, everyone was in bright spirits. Half the court could barely contain themselves after the show Arthur and Morgana had put on earlier.
Arthur and Morgana were coming down from their blissful high, but they kept exchanging amused glances throughout the meal, and quite often Arthur’s hand would find Morgana’s under the table. Normally they would sit on opposite sides of the king, but Arthur had situated himself next to Morgana tonight, finding it amusing to further the gossip.
Just as Morgana was prepared to kick Arthur to get him to wipe that goofy love struck look off his face, she heard a voice calling out her name.
“Morgana.” The voice seemed far away, but it sounded so familiar.
She whipped her head around, scanning the banquet hall for the source. Everyone was immersed in their meals, and no one else seemed to have noticed.
“Morgana, please!” the voice screamed.
The words felt like they were exploding inside her skull, and Morgana clutched at her ears, pain suddenly shooting through her head. She shut her eyes, and as she did, she felt her whole body rock with a jolt as images bombarded her mind. She saw a camp deep in the woods, the trees around it all on fire, and people inside screaming. The fire was consuming everything, but through it all, she saw a boy with dark hair and piercing blue eyes staring back at her. He was screaming her name, begging for her help as the flames swallowed him whole.
Morgana’s eyes flew open, the images still fresh in her mind. She gasped for air, her entire body shaking. As her vision cleared, she realized that all she could see was Arthur’s arms around her, shielding her from prying eyes.
Arthur was whispering soothing words into her hair, holding her as she calmed. Morgana took a deep breath and pulled away, smiling like nothing had happened.
Though Arthur had hidden her from the court, one person had seen everything. Uther sipped his wine, eyeing Morgana carefully, with a dark and strangely pleased expression on his face.
Fandom: Merlin
Characters/Pairings: Arthur/Morgana, any and all other characters
Word Count: 10,796
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 3
Summary: (The sequel to "you and i are a story that never gets told") This is season 3, the way it should've been. Arthur has lost Morgana, and he is struggling to move on without her. Morgana is learning to master her powers with the help of her sister, but she can't stay away from Camelot forever... Once you set things into motion, everything can change.
Author's Notes: Let's just not talk about how this took almost 3 months to write, okay?
Previous Installment: you and i are a story that never gets told
Previous Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7 part 1, Chapter 7 part 2
---
After Morgause’s attempt on Arthur’s life, Morgana cut ties with her sister, even if only in her mind. She mentally swore not to trust her sister anymore; she too often found herself disappointed or led astray by Morgause’s decisions.
Thankfully Arthur hadn’t mentioned the bracelet again. Morgana knew that Morgause had left it in his room, and the blonde witch had admitted to leaving a forged note as well. As far as Arthur knew, the bracelet was a gift from Morgana, and he had lost it on his quest.
Morgana hoped he wouldn’t find out that it had nearly taken his life; he had forgiven her transgressions before, but she didn’t want him to have any more reason to not trust her. The whole affair had left Morgana drained, and she kept to herself for several days, ignoring Arthur’s late night visits and Merlin’s casual attempts to spend time with her.
It was nearing a week when Morgana went out into the woods neighboring the city to spend her day. She took a book with her to pass the time, tucking it under her arm as she walked. Once in the safety of the tall trees, she found a spot to sit and lowered herself down, resting her back against an old oak tree. She cracked open the book but found herself staring aimlessly at the pages, unable to focus. Several minutes went by like that, with the sounds of the forest lulling her into a state where time lost all meaning.
An unfamiliar sound broke through the muffled silence, several twigs lightly cracking as though underfoot. Morgana turned her head, finding that she was no longer alone. The sunlight glinted off a golden halo of blonde hair as Arthur stepped into the small clearing in front of her. Morgana sighed, shutting her book and letting it rest in her lap. “How’d you find me?”
Arthur shrugged. “You’ve been distant. Whenever something bothered you as a child, you’d come out here. It seemed the likely choice.”
Morgana shook her head. “I should’ve known. You always found me then, too.”
Arthur came and sat next to her, sharing the large expanse of the tree’s trunk to rest against. “Any chance if I ask what’s wrong you’ll tell me?”
Morgana looked over at him, a somber tint to her smile. The message in her eyes was clear; she never told him before, and she wouldn’t now.
Nodding, Arthur reached over and grabbed her hand, lightly gripping her fingers against his palm.
The warmth of his touch spread through her skin, and she felt another rush of guilt for everything he didn’t know; everything she wouldn’t tell him. She let out a long breath and leaned to the side, resting her head on Arthur’s shoulder.
“Should I guess, then?” Arthur asked. It was what the twelve year old version of himself would’ve done-ask her questions for hours until he would finally figure it out.
Morgana shrugged, the movement limited by her position against his body. He wouldn’t guess this one, but there was no harm in him trying.
Arthur tilted his head down, staring at what parts of her he could see from his angle. “Have you-” he started. His eyes landed on the book of spells in her lap and he asked, “Are you the one who’s been healing people in the lower town?”
Halfway sitting up, Morgana twisted so she could see his face. “What?” she choked out, trying not to laugh.
Arthur shrugged. “I heard about it from my father. People have been miraculously recovering from illnesses, and I know you can heal people, so I thought, maybe…”
Morgana shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Arthur. I’m not foolish enough to do anything that risky.”
“You did it for me.”
Without taking a beat, Morgana replied, “And I’d do it again.” She shifted and sat up all the way so they were face to face. “But you’re different, you know that.”
He did, but it still made him smile to hear her say it.
“Uther already doesn’t trust me,” Morgana continued, “I can see it. I’m not about to give him incentive to kill me.”
Arthur wanted to contest her point, to reassure her that his father wouldn’t do that, but he knew it would be a lie. Images of Morgana burning on a pyre entered his mind, and it made his stomach churn. He squeezed her hand harder, using his grip on it to pull her closer. His guessing game was long forgotten, his only impulse now to keep her in his arms.
Morgana tucked herself into Arthur’s chest, nuzzling her nose along his collarbone. As if reading his thoughts, she murmured, “Don’t worry about me, Arthur. I’ll be fine.”
He nodded, placing kisses in her hair, but no matter what she said, he would always have that worry to carry with him, as long as his father was alive. They nestled down, staying like that for a long while, their backs pressed against an old tree as the forest buzzed around them.
---
Arthur gladly would’ve stayed under the tree with Morgana forever, but he had duties and had to return to Camelot. There was a tournament coming up in a few days, a joust to be exact, and he had to train. Not that he wouldn’t normally train every day anyways, but he’d be more than willing to blow off his regular training to be with Morgana. He was unable to pull himself away from her lately, with what little time she spent with him. He was drawn to her, it was bordering on an obsession that was nearly unexplainable; he just wanted to be with her every second. It killed him when she avoided him; it was like a piece of him was missing without her around. It had gotten worse lately, to the point where he rarely went more than a few minutes without thinking about her. He’d spend hours picturing her face and her wicked little smile, imagining the feel of her smooth skin and her soft hair against his fingertips.
Stuck in one such moment, he missed Merlin calling his name until the servant started nudging his arm with a large shield.
“You know, Arthur, if you didn’t feel up to training, I would’ve been just fine taking the day off,” Merlin commented.
Arthur’s eyes lost their unfocused glaze and he turned his head and leveled Merlin with a fierce glare. “Sorry to disappoint, but we’re still training.”
“Doesn’t look like we’re-”
“Merlin!” Arthur cut him off sharply.
Merlin shrugged and went to get into position. As he looked up at Arthur’s face, he knew he was in for a more brutal attack than usual, and he braced himself.
Arthur flew at him, as expected, and Merlin went sprawling. They went on like that for a while, with Arthur attacking, and Merlin ending up on the ground.
The training went on for several hours, but even though Arthur put Merlin through quite a fierce beating, the servant seemed quiet after his initial teasing. He wasn’t making his usual snide comments, and it was clear from the bags under his eyes that he was tired.
Arthur grew bored of training with his unenthusiastic servant, and he sent Merlin home for the day. To be honest, his head was still somewhere else as well, and he could do with some down time to hopefully get Morgana off his mind.
---
When Morgana returned to the castle, she was surprised to find that Uther had left word that he wished to dine with her. It was a rare occasion for her to spend time with Uther Pendragon these days. Despite his being her guardian, he did not seek out her company, nor her counsel, not like he had in the past. Things had changed for him, perhaps as long ago as the incident with the Witchfinder. He no longer seemed to treat her as a child, or even as a friend. She was a stranger in his house, someone he merely coexisted with on principle.
Of course, none of this had bothered Morgana much. She may have given up her mission of bringing an end to Uther’s life, but she still loathed the man and all he believed. Uther was as ruthless as ever, and Morgana knew perfectly well that he suspected that there was more to her story of coming back from the dead.
Morgana brushed her skirts down and sat at her dressing table, allowing Gwen to redo her hair so that it was presentable.
Gwen twisted Morgana’s hair up into a bun, smoothing down the curls with a brush. In a soft voice, she asked, “Do you know what he wants?”
Morgana looked up at Gwen’s reflection in the mirror, recognizing the hints of fear in Gwen’s eyes. While Gwen still didn’t know all about Morgana’s powers, she was a very intuitive person, and she knew better than most the things in Morgana’s heart and mind. Gwen had known for a long while that Uther was a man that everyone should be wary of, and Morgana was not an exception to this rule.
Morgana lowered her eyes, staring instead at the reflection of the necklace around her neck, watching where it dipped beneath the fabric of her dress. “I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing, just a simple meal with his ward.”
Gwen nodded, swallowing down her doubts. She added a hair pin in the shape of a flower to finish off Morgana’s hair. “You’re all ready.”
Morgana quirked up one side of her mouth in a sarcastic movement. “As I’ll ever be.”
The path to the dining hall seemed longer than usual, dragging on as Morgana walked. She finally reached the doors and pushed them open, hoping that by some chance Arthur was attending the meal as well. However, as she stepped inside, she found only Uther, sitting in his usual place at the head of the table.
“Morgana,” he greeted. “Come sit down.”
Morgana hesitantly took the spot at the end of the table. “Will Arthur be joining us?” she asked, the words spilling out unwittingly.
Uther’s eyes narrowed a fraction, and he shook his head. “He’s busy with his training.”
Morgana nodded; she knew that. She had only been hoping for someone to act as a buffer in case things got uncomfortable.
“I thought it would be nice to have dinner, just the two of us,” Uther explained.
Morgana pushed out a tight lipped smile. She wasn’t scared of Uther, but she could barely tolerate his presence in a crowded room, let alone in an empty one. “Of course, sire.”
Thankfully, a servant entered the room soon after, interrupting the awkward silence that had settled between guardian and ward. It wasn’t Merlin or Gwen, but Morgana smiled at them all the same, happy to have them there. The servant blushed and stumbled over his feet as he carried their plates of food. Uther shot the servant a glare, but to the servant’s good fortune, he didn’t drop anything.
Once their food was delivered, they sat in silence for a while, simply eating their meals. Morgana kept glancing at Uther, her nerves on edge. There had been a time when she had felt something akin to love for this man, but no more. He had warped and twisted her love into something darker, and it seemed that no matter what he did, it only made things worse. Being near him brought out the anger and pain held deep in her heart, and she constantly felt like screaming. It reminded her of why she had ran, and why she had stayed away for so long. Without Arthur around to reassure her, the hatred crept in, leaving her bitter.
Uther must have noticed the tense set of her shoulders, for his lips quirked up knowingly. He looked almost pleased at having bothered her, which only served to make Morgana grip her fork tighter in her fist as her muscles clenched.
Morgana slowly pushed food past her lips, breathing slowly through her nose to keep calm.
After several agonizing minutes of silence, Uther finally spoke. “I assume Arthur has told you about the disturbances in the lower town.”
Morgana cocked her head, her lips pursed tight as she took another calming breath through her nose. “Disturbances, sire?”
Sipping at this wine, he mumbled offhandedly, “There have been instances of people who have miraculously healed of incurable illnesses; didn’t he tell you?”
The way his lips curled over the words and his voice rose in pitch as he finished his sentence made Morgana uncomfortable. He wielded the mention of Arthur like a weapon, and it made her skin crawl. Nevertheless, she nodded tersely at him. “I would’ve thought the good health of your people would be cause for celebration.”
Uther chuckled darkly. “Not if it is the result of sorcery.”
Morgana bit down on the inside of her cheek. The words were unsurprising, but they bothered her all the same.
“Gaius believes that it could possibly have been done through the use of medicine, though he is still uncertain.”
“I hope he is right, for the sake of the people,” Morgana commented. The side of her mouth hurt as she talked, the wound stinging from where she had bitten the soft tissue.
Uther set down his goblet, his head tilting in a questioning movement. “What do you make of the situation, Morgana?”
She faltered, nearly dropping her fork. The metal tines clinked lightly on the edge of her plate as it slipped down through her fingers. “I-I don’t-”
“I only thought, seeing as what you went through, perhaps you would have an opinion on the matter.” He smiled at her. “You rarely lack an opinion on most things, if I recall.”
Morgana faked a smile in return. “I’m not sure what opinion I could offer on this matter, sire.”
“But you were healed in a similar way, were you not? You were pronounced dead; I saw your body. Coming back from that, I’d say that’s nothing short of miraculous.”
Morgana shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t remember how I was healed. Whatever methods used, all I know is that I am grateful for what was done. I’m sure the villagers feel the same.”
“Of course,” Uther replied, still smiling.
They ate the rest of the meal in uncomfortable silence, the air heavy around them.
---
The next day, Arthur dragged Merlin out to train, yet again. Merlin was useless as a sparring partner, but Arthur still forced him to help him prepare for the tournament.
As the boys practiced on the training grounds, Morgana and Gwen came down from the castle to watch, Morgana’s long skirts dragging through the grass as she walked. Gwen took Morgana’s arm, looping hers through it as they moved.
Morgana was in much brighter spirits than she had been the night before. She had barely spoken to Gwen after she returned from her dinner with Uther, choosing instead to turn in for an early night’s sleep. Gwen had come the next morning, however, and immediately pulled Morgana up with a plan to go out and enjoy the day. She had refused to let Morgana be unhappy, and just that thought was enough to make Morgana feel better.
Merlin saw the girls coming and waved at them, which only served to get him a mace to the stomach.
As Merlin doubled over in pain, Morgana turned to Gwen and rolled her eyes before yelling, “Really, Arthur, must you be so hard on Merlin?”
At the sound of Morgana’s voice, Arthur’s head immediately whipped around, seeking out the source of the sound. His eyes landed on her and a smile immediately broke out on his lips. Registering her words, he shrugged. “I’m toughening him up, it’s good for him.”
With a smirk, Morgana retorted, “I think he’s tougher than you give him credit for.”
Arthur looked down at where Merlin lay moaning on the ground and lifted his eyebrows, making an unimpressed face. “I doubt that.”
Morgana shook her head, a playful smile on her lips. “Fine, I guess we’ll let you boys go back to beating each other senseless then.”
Arthur gave her a goofy grin in response, causing both of the girls to giggle. Morgana pulled Gwen over to a low wall, where they both jumped up to sit on the edge. They watched Arthur pummel Merlin until finally Merlin seemed to have had enough and Arthur dismissed him.
Merlin limped over to the girls, an obvious frown on his face.
“Oh, poor Merlin!” Gwen exclaimed, with only the slightest hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Merlin mumbled something unintelligible, followed by, “I’m sore all over.”
Gwen made a soft noise of sympathy and leaned over to kiss his cheek lightly.
As Gwen pulled away, Morgana gave Merlin a small smile, commenting, “Arthur is a big brute.”
Merlin scoffed, “You’re the one who’s in love with him.”
Morgana lifted an eyebrow and shrugged, not bothering to contest his point. “Well, he has his good aspects, I suppose.”
Merlin looked to Gwen for support, but she pursed her lips and nodded in agreement. Merlin rolled his eyes. “Thanks. Should’ve known you two would side with Arthur,” he grumbled.
“I’m sure Gaius will side with you,” Morgana chirped.
Huffing, Merlin shook his head. “He’s part of the problem. His new lady friend is staying with us, and I’ve barely gotten any sleep.”
Both Morgana and Gwen’s eyes went wide at his statement.
Merlin looked back and forth between them, realizing what he must have implied. “Oh, gross! I’ve had to sleep on the floor, since Gaius gave her my bed.”
Looking to Gwen, Morgana smirked. “Whatever you say, Merlin.”
Gwen giggled, “Good for Gaius.”
“You’re disgusting, the both of you.”
The girls continued to giggle to themselves as Merlin stalked off to his chambers, limping the whole way.
After Merlin left, a group of knights joined Arthur to practice their jousting. Morgana and Gwen moved over to the stands to watch properly, still arm in arm as they walked. They smiled and flirted with the knights as they moved past, flustering them all for fun.
Arthur was used to Morgana’s tricks by now, and he wasn’t affected. Well, not much. He had one foot in the stirrups and nearly slipped as he tried to mount his horse, but luckily he caught himself before anyone noticed.
Arthur and his knights did several runs for practice, each time switching partners. Arthur managed to thoroughly beat each of his opponents, though the knights usually got in a few hits of their own before being de-horsed.
By the time they were done, the sun was sinking low beneath the sky, and Gwen had to leave Morgana’s side to get started on her chores. Morgana let her friend go, seeking out Arthur to keep her company instead.
Arthur was removing the saddle from his horse as Morgana walked over to him. It wasn’t his job to untack his horse, the stable boys were supposed to do that, but he enjoyed it. It let him bond with his horse, building up a sense of trust, which was especially important for him when he rode the animal out into dangerous situations, like he was oft to do.
Morgana sidled up next to him, patting the horse to let it know she was there. “If you really wanted a challenge, I could’ve ridden against you. I’m quite good, you know.”
Arthur set the saddle down over the edge of a fence and turned to her, grinning. “That you are. Though, as I recall, I still managed to beat you.”
Morgana narrowed her eyes. “And crack one of my ribs.” She tossed him a brush, her eyes twinkling despite the glare.
Arthur deftly caught the brush and started smoothing it over the horse’s side. “I never properly apologized for that, did I?”
He seemed genuinely sincere, and it tugged on her heart. The glare vanished, and Morgana shook her head, smiling at him. “All is forgiven.” She grabbed a second brush from the tack box and helped to clean the horse. “I still maintain that I’m better than you, though.”
“Oh, really?” he scoffed.
She hummed, “Mm-hmm.”
Dropping his brush, he tugged her in to his side with one arm. “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
Leaning in, she pressed her lips against his, murmuring, “Try me, Pendragon.”
A soft cough sounded from behind them, causing Arthur’s head to snap around in the direction of the noise.
A small stable boy stood a few feet away from them, holding a lead rope loosely in hands that were shaking, his eyes blown wide. “Sorry to interrupt, sire, but I thought, since you were finished…” He gestured towards the horse, his hands still trembling.
Morgana stepped away from Arthur, smiling at the boy. “It’s fine.” Arthur still looked annoyed at being interrupted, so Morgana elbowed him.
Arthur looked at Morgana out of the corner of his eye before clearing his throat and stepping to the side, holding out the reins for the boy to take. “Here. Take good care of him.”
The boy stumbled forward, taking the reins from Arthur. “Certainly, my lord.” He bowed awkwardly before stepping away.
Once the stable boy left, Morgana laughed quietly, amused at how they had flustered the poor child. She turned to Arthur and took his hand, tugging him towards the castle. “Come on, let’s get you out of all that armor.”
Arthur fell in step with her, willingly doing whatever she asked.
---
In Arthur chambers, Morgana sat Arthur down on a bench and started undoing his armor for him.
“That’s Merlin’s job,” he mumbled.
“I think Merlin’s had enough for one day,” Morgana replied, her fingers deftly working at the straps connecting the pieces of metal. She removed each piece carefully, setting them on the table in front of Arthur.
As Morgana pulled off the last chunk of armor, Arthur let out a low hiss, the muscles in his shoulder aching from the movement. He bit back the normal snarky remark he would’ve used on Merlin, as he knew it wasn’t Morgana’s fault.
“Sorry,” she whispered. Once the armor was out of the way, Morgana ran her fingers along the curve of Arthur’s neck, lightly pressing against the knotted muscles under his skin. “You’re too tense.”
“Price of being a prince,” he breathed, the pain still evident in his voice.
Dipping her head down, Morgana left a slow trail of soft kisses along his shoulder. “Weight of the world,” she murmured.
Arthur let his head fall forward, his eyes closing, enjoying the feeling.
Morgana lifted her head and placed both of her hands on either side of his neck, digging her fingers in and rubbing at the sore muscles. She moved her thumbs in small circles, pressing into his skin. Occasionally Arthur would stiffen from the jolts of pain, but eventually all the tension started to dissipate and he relaxed. After she worked for a while on his shoulders, Morgana prompted him to raise his arms so she could remove his shirt.
Arthur complied, though he smirked at her as the material went over his head.
She ran her fingers along the ridges of his spine, briefly mesmerized by the motion. As she started working at the tight spots in his back, she could feel him humming with satisfaction, the vibrations running through her fingers. “You’re enjoying this far too much,” she chastised.
He shrugged, the grin on his face hidden from view.
“I don’t know why I put up with you,” she quipped, but she quickly lost her playful air. With his back bare, it revealed an assortment of purpling bruises, which made her frown. She knew that he had been training hard, but it still upset her to see the results.
Her fingers stilled, and Arthur noticed the change. “You’re thinking too hard back there,” Arthur commented, turning his head to try and get a look at her.
Morgana ignored him, bending over to drop kisses on each one of his bruises. She started at the base of his spine and worked her way back up to his shoulders, peppering his skin with the feather light touch of her lips. As she reached his neck, she felt his arm snake up around her back, pulling her forward.
Arthur yanked her off her feet, pulling her over the edge of the bench until she landed firmly in his lap, her legs spilling off the side. “You don’t need to worry so much,” he announced, the words fanning over the skin of her cheek.
Morgana adjusted herself in his hold, maneuvering so she could see his face. “Could say the same thing to you.”
“Well,” he tilted his head as he spoke, “It’s my job to look after you.”
Morgana’s eyes widened, her eyebrows raised. “You do realize that I could throw you across this room without even touching you.”
Arthur shook his head at her, a grin breaking through on his lips. “Whatever you say.”
Morgana awkwardly crossed her arms across her chest, huffing at him. “If anyone needs protecting, I think it’s you. I had to come save you on your quest, remember?”
He quickly replied, “That never happened.”
Morgana rolled her eyes at him. “Fine, but I still think I’m justified in worrying about you.”
Arthur smirked at her, knowing he wasn’t going to convince her. However, he did know how to push her buttons. Lifting a shoulder casually, he commented, “You just love me too much, I get it.”
Never one to back down from a challenge, Morgana scoffed, “I think you’re overestimating your likeability, Arthur. I simply don’t enjoy seeing you hurt, that’s all.”
“That’s all?” he questioned, his nose pressing against hers as he pulled her closer.
Morgana hummed her positive answer against his lips.
“Well that’s a shame,” he retorted.
She cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling despite herself.
His hands slid up her back, holding her tighter. “Because I am madly in love with you,” he finished, whispering it into her mouth.
Morgana greedily sucked down his words, swallowing them whole as she moved in to capture his lips roughly with her own.
Arthur returned the kiss eagerly, burying his hand deep in her hair to keep her with him, his fingers getting caught in the elaborate braiding. He kissed her so fiercely that it made him lose his breath, but he didn’t care.
Morgana slanted her mouth across his, tilting her head to get better access. She felt one of his hands drop to her waist, and she arched back into his touch, moving ever closer to the warmth of his body as if she were frozen solid. Her arms wound up around his shoulders and behind his neck as she pressed her tongue along the line of his lips.
Arthur’s lungs started to burn and he could see stars behind his eyes, but he couldn’t stop. He opened his mouth to her willingly, the sweet taste of her filling his senses. He kissed her long and slow, moving his tongue along the hard edges of her teeth. He could feel her lightly biting down on the flesh, but the twinge of pain only made him kiss her harder.
Eventually, Morgana, having a bit more of her brain still functioning, noticed the lack of air and broke to let them both breathe. She exhaled heavily against his cheek as she started to kiss along his jawline.
Arthur’s chest heaved as he took deep gulps of air, his hands still clasped desperately onto whatever part of her he could grab. Using his hold on her hair, he attempted to turn her mouth back towards his own, but before he could successfully manage it, a disgusted noise broke through the quiet of the room.
Morgana jumped at the sound, pulling her lips away from Arthur’s skin and clutching at his shoulders with her hands.
Arthur groaned loudly in annoyance at having been interrupted for the second time in one day.
“I think I might be sick,” Merlin moaned from his spot in the doorway.
“You could’ve knocked,” Arthur grumbled.
“I did,” Merlin retorted. “You two lovebirds were clearly too busy to hear me.”
“Lovebirds?” Morgana chimed, feigning disbelief. Tilting her head back, she looked at Arthur and pulled a face. “I barely even like Arthur. I was just telling him so, actually.”
Arthur nodded. “It’s true.”
Merlin rolled his eyes dramatically. “Right.”
Morgana shrugged, her arms still looped around Arthur’s neck.
“Is there something you wanted, Merlin?” Arthur asked, his voice still tinged with frustration.
“I had just wanted to-” He stopped himself, distracted by the blissful happiness gleaming in Morgana’s eyes. Truthfully he had wanted to talk to her, to ask her for her opinion on Alice, but it could wait. “Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Arthur looked extremely annoyed; though Morgana was slightly curious, knowing Merlin well enough to guess that there was something more he wanted to say.
Merlin smiled awkwardly at them, trying not to let on anything further. When he had returned to his room, he had stumbled upon Alice talking to some strange creature, and he thought perhaps Morgana would know what it was, but he couldn’t talk about that in front of Arthur. He decided to allow them their moment and ask Sir Geoffrey for his assistance in determining the identity of the creature instead. “I’ll just… be going then.”
"Good idea," Arthur growled, his arms winding tighter around Morgana’s waist as he glared at his manservant.
Merlin backed away, slipping out of the door.
Morgana poked Arthur in his side as punishment for his rudeness, but she didn’t say anything to berate him for it.
Arthur smirked at her, ignoring her poke and leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Now where were we?”
“I think I was demonstrating my severe dislike of you.”
He cocked his head, raising his eyebrows at her. “And how was that going?”
“You tell me,” she murmured, before once again losing herself in his kiss.
---
It had taken several hours to finally get Arthur to let her go the night before, but Morgana had eventually made it back to her own bed. Gwen had given her a knowing look, a plethora of teasing remarks waiting on the tip of her tongue. Morgana had preempted her maid, however, telling her quite plainly that there was nothing to share.
Gwen had nodded politely, but the grin never left her lips.
The next morning, Morgana had slept late, waking to the sun pouring into her chambers. It took her a while to remove herself from the warmth of the bedcovers, her limbs feeling heavy and her brain sluggish. However, she eventually forced herself up due to the growling in her stomach that wouldn’t abate.
Gwen must have gone to do her other morning chores, because Morgana found her room empty. She was sufficient enough on her own, though, and she pulled on a simple dress and brushed her hair before heading down to get some food from the kitchens.
She knew how to get what she needed, smiling sweetly at the cooks and batting her eyes to get warm bread and some fruit preserves to spread on it. They even gave her a bundle of grapes for good measure. She thanked them and ducked out of the kitchen, balancing her plates in her arms. It was a decent walk back to her room, and she found herself popping grapes into mouth to sate her ever-growing hunger.
Morgana’s focus was so wholly on the plates she was carrying that she completely missed the older lady walking towards her until they had nearly collided. Morgana let out a squeal and jumped back, startled.
The plate with the grapes crashed to the floor, clattering on the tiles. Morgana stared at it as it fell, unable to stop it.
“I’m sorry,” the lady apologized as she bent down to retrieve the fruit. She was at least twice Morgana’s age, with her long gray hair tied in a braid that hung over her shoulder. Despite her age, she was still quite beautiful, and her smile was warm as she held out the plate to Morgana.
Morgana shook her head profusely, “No, it was my fault.” She took the plate, her hand brushing against the woman’s as she did. She felt a slight shock from the touch, and she looked questioningly up to the woman’s face.
“What a burden it must be, having all that power,” the woman commented, her voice a bit too loud for Morgana’s liking.
“I, I don’t-” Morgana quickly pulled her hand back, readjusting her plates. “Who are you?” she snapped, changing the subject.
“My name is Alice,” she answered with a smile. “And you don’t have to fear me, child, I understand what it’s like. I, too, have magic.”
Morgana looked over the woman, recognizing something innately familiar about her. “You…” she trailed off, the pieces slowly coming together. “You’re the one who’s been healing the townspeople, aren’t you?”
Alice dipped her head in a slow nod. “They needed help, who am I to ignore someone in need?”
Morgana’s forehead creased with worry. “You should be more careful, the king would see you put to death for that. It won’t matter that you’re doing something good, not to him.”
“Uther Pendragon does not scare me.”
Pursing her lips, Morgana processed the information. With a slow exhale of breath, she replied, “He should.”
Alice tipped her head in a show of respect, but there was something behind her eyes that unnerved Morgana.
“It was nice meeting you,” Morgana mumbled, before quickly heading back to her chambers, her skin still tingling.
---
Arthur had another long day of training, though as usual Merlin proved useless at helping him. It took some prodding, but finally he discovered that Merlin had had a fight with Gaius, and it was dampening his mood considerably.
Arthur tried his best to cheer Merlin up, but his attempts fell flat. He wished that Gwen or Morgana were there, they’d know just the right thing to say. As it was, he couldn’t think of anything more than punching Merlin on the arm, which definitely didn’t help.
After letting Merlin go home for the day, Arthur spent the rest of the day relaxing in his room, halfway hoping that Morgana would come and visit. He forced himself not to seek her out, though, refusing to look too desperate for her company. It was bad enough that he could barely let her leave once she visited.
Once the sun began to set, Arthur gave up hope of seeing her, and ate his dinner alone. While he ate, it occurred to him that he hadn’t talked to his father in several days, which rarely ever happened. He knew that his father had summoned Morgana to dinner a few days prior, a fact that bothered him for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, but Uther had neglected to speak to his son as of late.
The realization was enough for Arthur to get up and make the trek through the castle to his father’s chambers. He may have conflicting thoughts about his father and his decisions, but despite all that, deep down he was still occasionally that small boy tugging on his father’s robes, craving approval.
Arthur knocked softly on the door to the king’s chambers. He received no answer, and after knocking several more times, opened the door, checking to see if everything was alright. “Father?” he called, but no one answered. He stepped quietly into the room, padding across the floor.
As he rounded the corner of the four-poster bed, he found his father sprawled across the floor, unmoving. Uther’s eyes were closed and his chest still, and Arthur immediately dropped to his knees, checking for signs of life.
“Guards!” Arthur yelled, trying to alert someone. Something cold crept through his veins, the feeling akin to fear. He wasn’t ready for this; he didn’t know how to do this. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, hearing distantly the warning bells ringing as the guards alerted the castle.
Soon after, Gaius arrived, and ushered Arthur out of the room so he could inspect the king. Arthur rested against the stone wall of the corridor, taking shallow breaths, his mind reeling as he waited impatiently. Merlin rushed by, but Arthur was too far inside his own head to say anything to him.
Gaius came back out a few minutes later, with inconclusive results.
“He’s been poisoned, hasn’t he?” Arthur asked.
“I cannot say for sure,” Gaius answered. Before Arthur could protest, Gaius continued, “I don’t want you jumping to conclusions, sire. I will let you know when I find out something further.”
Arthur nodded and went back to his father’s side, still trying to sort out the mixed feelings in his head.
---
The warning bells had sounded as Morgana was finishing her meal, and she had sent Gwen to find out what had happened.
The door to Morgana’s chambers creaked open, and Morgana’s hair spun around her shoulders as she turned around. “Gwen,” she breathed, happy that it was only her maid and not an intruder. “What’s happened?”
Gwen’s face was solemn. “It’s the king.” She took a breath. “He’s been poisoned.”
The news was shocking, especially considering Morgana herself had once tried to end the king’s life in a similar way. “Poisoned,” she mused.
“I know he has done horrible things, but to die like this…”
“Yes,” Morgana agreed. “Quite a harsh fate. Peaceful, at least, I suppose.” She wasn’t opposed to him dying by any means, but it was surprising that someone had accomplished such a feat. Her attempts had nearly cost her own life as well.
Gwen sat next to Morgana on the edge of her bed. “I wonder who’s responsible. To try and take the king’s life, that’s quite a risk. I can only imagine the person must be very foolish.”
“Or very brave,” Morgana commented. She thought back to the strange old lady she met in the hall earlier. Alice had seemed unafraid of Uther; but perhaps she had known that he would soon no longer be something to fear.
Gwen gave Morgana a look, turning her head to better see the other girl. She chose to ignore the comment, focusing instead on something else. “I can only imagine how Arthur is feeling about all this.”
“Arthur.” The word came out as a harsh whisper, and it grated on Morgana’s vocal chords. It was easy at times to forget that Arthur was Uther’s son; it made things so much simpler to just imagine Arthur on the throne, without any obstacles. Without Uther Pendragon and his hate blocking the way. Yet Uther and Arthur were undeniably linked, and she knew all too well the pain of losing a father.
“He probably could use someone right now,” Gwen suggested.
Her bottom lip throbbed, and she released it from teeth that she hadn’t realized were biting it. “He’ll be alright.”
“Morgana…” Gwen started.
“I don’t think I’m the right one to help him with this, Gwen.”
Gwen gave her a sad smile. “I doubt he’d see it that way.”
Morgana leaned to the side and rest her head on her friend’s shoulder. She sighed heavily. “Just give me some time.”
---
Arthur sat with his father for a long time, with Merlin at his side. He kept trying to figure out who could’ve harmed the king, but he came up with nothing.
After Arthur had exhausted all of his options, Merlin quietly admitted, “Arthur, I think-no, I know, who did this.”
Arthur’s eyes widened, and for a brief second his heart stuttered, icy terror running through his veins at the thought of the one name that would destroy him to hear.
However, Merlin accused a close friend of Gaius’s, and Arthur felt his whole body unclench at the relief.
Arthur trusted Merlin’s word, and he immediately went to arrest the woman that Merlin said was to blame. As the guards took Alice away, Arthur looked over to Gaius, finding him looking utterly broken. Arthur felt sympathy for the older man, thoughts of Morgana in chains echoing in his mind, but he didn’t have a choice. He left the room, following the guards and leaving Gaius behind.
---
Morgana heard about the arrest and immediately went to see Arthur, her previous reservations abandoned. She slipped into his room, finding him angrily pacing around his table.
He heard the sound of the door and stopped his movements, his head snapping around to look at who had entered. “Morgana.” The word came out as a raspy noise, the sounds of his grief clouding his voice.
“I heard what happened,” she explained.
The look of relief at her presence quickly vanished and he shook his head angrily. “That woman knows the cure, I’m sure of it.”
“Arthur…”
His eyes blazed with anger as he turned on her. “Don’t tell me you support her, Morgana; I couldn’t bear it.”
Morgana bit down on her tongue, trying not to let herself be upset by him. She knew he was hurting, and her issues with Uther were not something to be discussed now. “This isn’t about me. I only meant that you should handle this rationally. It’s possible that she does not know of a cure; perhaps one does not even exist.”
Arthur let out a heavy exhale of breath. “There has to be something.” He was floundering; this was too much for him to deal with, there had to be a way to fix it. He knew deep down that people had reason to kill his father, but when faced with the impending death of his parent, he lost all sense of reason.
“Yes, perhaps there is, but harassing Alice won’t necessarily get it for you.” She knew of his outburst down in the dungeons, people had been whispering of it. It wasn’t unexpected, but he had to hold it together; she wouldn’t let him fall apart because of this.
“Alice,” he laughed harshly. “I suppose that is her name, isn’t it?” He had been so consumed with stopping his father’s death that he had failed to even ask the name of his attempted murderer.
Morgana moved closer to him, standing off to his side. Her hand hovered over his arm as she debated whether or not to touch him.
“Morgana,” he started, looking down at her.
She pulled her hand back, dropping it to rest by her thigh.
He searched her face for something, his mind working too fast for him to fully piece together his thoughts. Yet, amongst the chatter, there was one thing that stood out; one thing he was trying to find a way to put into words.
Morgana swallowed, hoping against reason that Arthur wouldn’t ask her what she knew he was thinking.
“Could you-” He stopped, taking a breath. “Could you heal him?”
Her eyes fell shut, her fears realized. “Arthur, don’t ask this of me.”
“Please, Morgana,” he begged.
She opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly meeting his gaze. Jutting her chin out, she forcefully replied, “I can’t.”
He could read her too well, and his eyes darkened. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
She glared at him in response. He knew the risks, yet he somehow seemed to have forgotten them in favor of his father’s life. “How dare you,” she ground out through gritted teeth.
“You have the power to do it,” he retorted.
She shook her head. “I can’t, Arthur.” She couldn’t, and she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter really which it was.
Arthur’s jaw clenched and he turned his back on her, unable to say anything further.
Morgana huffed, frustrated with his inability to see the bigger picture. Her heels clicked loudly on the floor as she stomped out of his room, leaving him to sulk alone.
---
Morgana burst into her chambers after her fight with Arthur, still slightly fuming. She stopped short as she entered however, finding that she was not alone. Merlin was awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, and it looked as if he’d been there a while.
“Gwen told me it was alright if I waited for you here,” Merlin explained, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he talked.
Morgana nodded, showing that she didn’t mind. “Is there something the matter?”
“I need your help.”
Morgana shut the door behind her, walking further into the room. “As long as you don’t expect me to heal Uther, I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Merlin’s brows furrowed, his head tilting questioningly. He could tell there was more fueling that statement by the hostility in her voice.
Morgana waved at him to show it wasn’t important.
Merlin shrugged, but still commented, “I doubt you could heal Uther even if I wanted you to. The poison is from a creature of the old religion, and I fear it has magic far more powerful than yours or mine.”
“You know what caused his illness, then?” Morgana asked.
He nodded. “That’s why I need your help.”
She started, “Merlin, you just said-”
He cut her off, elaborating, “It’s about Alice. She’s being controlled, and perhaps if we can stop the creature, we can save her.”
“As well as Uther,” Morgana added, her voice tinged with disapproval.
Merlin had the sense to look guilty, but he dipped his head in a nod. “Please, Morgana. Gaius really cares about Alice; think of what this will do to him. I know you hate Uther, but Alice is a good person. I can’t let her die for something that isn’t her fault.”
“Alright,” Morgana agreed. “What do you want me to do?”
Smiling, he asked, “What do you know about manticores?”
---
Morgana reluctantly joined Merlin and Gaius down in the physician’s chambers to come up with a plan of action. Between her knowledge of the old religion and Gaius’s books, they were able to discover enough about the manticore to figure out a way to stop it.
“We can summon it,” Morgana explained. “If we get it here, we’ll have a chance of killing it.”
“It’s extremely powerful,” Gaius warned them. “A creature of the old religion is not something to be trifled with.”
Morgana shared a look with Merlin. They were both of the old religion; magic ran deep within their bones, and they knew all too well of the dangers of their kind. “What choice do we have?”
Merlin chimed in, stating, “Morgana’s right. If we can kill this thing, then Alice will be free. Gaius, I have to try.”
“The manticore is connected to the spirit world; it takes a great deal to sever that link.” Gaius paused, shaking his head. “You can’t call on that kind of magic, Merlin.”
Merlin looked over to Morgana. “But maybe we can.”
Morgana’s lips quirked up into a slow, close-lipped smile; her eyes sparkling. She reached over and took Merlin’s hand, squeezing his fingers.
Gaius acquiesced, turning to his workbench and opening the manticore’s box. He stepped back out of the way, allowing Merlin to move closer.
Morgana’s arm stretched as Merlin moved, but she didn’t let go of his hand. Merlin held out his free hand and uttered a summoning spell. Nothing happened at first, so he repeated the spell again, louder this time. His eyes glowed bright gold and he took a step back to stand by Morgana’s side.
The three waited with bated breath, all of their eyes glued to the open box.
Suddenly, a rasping sound came from within the container, and a clawed appendage reached over the side. With a screech, the manticore pushed itself out of the box, flying at Merlin.
Morgana threw her hand out, screaming the words to a spell that would deflect the manticore’s attack. She felt a surge of power rush up from her fingertips, coming from Merlin, and as it came out through her other hand, the manticore was knocked out of the air.
The creature was only stunned for a brief moment, and it quickly attacked again.
Merlin tried to use a killing curse on the creature, but before he could speak the words, the manticore collided with his chest, knocking him off his feet.
As Merlin fell, Morgana lost her grip on his hand. Without the contact, the link between them was severed, and both were left feeling weak because of it.
“Morgana!” Merlin yelled out. The creature was fervently trying to scratch at his face and stab him with its poisonous quills, but Merlin was holding it at a distance, trying his best to keep it away.
Morgana tried to use a spell, but she wasn’t strong enough and the manticore barely flinched.
Merlin continued to struggle on the floor, the manticore relentlessly continuing to attack.
Morgana spun towards Gaius, desperately seeking his advice. Her hair whipped wildly around her face, and eyes were wide and filled with fear. “It’s too strong!”
Gaius looked from Morgana to Merlin, and then back to the box on the table. “The box!” he exclaimed. “It’s what connects it to the spirit world, we have to break it!”
Morgana looked over to the box questioningly.
Merlin was still thrashing around, but he had heard them talking. “Morgana,” he gasped, “Smash the box!”
Morgana held up a shaking hand, the sounds of the manticore hissing throwing off her concentration. The magic inside of her was slowly building, and she could feel it thrumming through her veins. She closed her eyes tightly, shutting out the rest of the world. Everything else fell away, and she focused only on completing the spell.
The manticore’s hissing stopped, and Merlin felt the weight lift from his chest as the creature moved.
With a final word, Morgana’s eyes glowed, and the box started to crack, the seams filling with a brilliant white light. The cracks expanded, until soon the whole room exploded with light. The box burst into pieces, and Morgana shielded her face until it was finished.
The manticore let out a loud roar and charged at Morgana, but before it could reach her, the effects of losing its tether to the spirit world caught up to it. The manticore made a noise that sounded vaguely like it was choking, and after a minute of struggling to move, it exploded just as the box had done.
Morgana let out a triumphant yell, grinning widely at their success.
“We did it,” Merlin breathed as he stood from the floor.
Gaius smiled at the two young sorcerers, feeling a sense of pride. “That you did.”
---
With the manticore dead, Uther quickly recovered from his brush with death. Arthur was relieved, but Morgana’s main concern was saving Alice. Morgana ran up from Gaius’s chambers and found Arthur in his room, wasting no time in explaining everything that had happened. Despite his disapproval at her fighting an ancient monster without telling him, Arthur understood. He agreed that Alice was innocent and immediately regretted the way he had treated her.
Once Uther was awake, Arthur told him of the situation, and suggested that they drop the charges against Alice, since she was merely a pawn in the manticore’s plot.
“Absolutely not,” Uther snapped. “That woman poisoned me; she will be executed at dawn for her crimes against the kingdom.”
“Father,” Arthur implored, “She was being controlled; her intent was never to harm you. She didn’t have a choice.”
“She practiced magic, Arthur,” Uther stated, as if that explained everything.
“Because she was forced to do so! I understand that what she did was wrong, but you must consider the circumstances. Please, I do not believe her to be an enemy of Camelot.”
Uther shook his head. “It does not matter why she did it. She broke the law, and her use of magic nearly cost this kingdom their king.”
“Killing this woman is a mistake. Father, please, see reason,” Arthur begged.
“Do not question me, Arthur,” Uther barked. “She used magic. There is no circumstance under which that is acceptable.”
Arthur stared at his father in disbelief, the muscles in his jaw twitching as he struggled to contain his anger.
Uther waved his hand at the guards in the room, ignoring Arthur. “Prepare the pyre for the execution.”
“This is wrong,” Arthur growled under his breath.
Uther continued to ignore his son, and Arthur eventually stormed off, disgusted with his father’s decision.
---
Arthur went to break the news to Morgana, entering her chambers with a heavy heart.
Morgana turned from the window as Arthur shut the door behind him. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was upset. “He’s not going to free Alice, is he?” she asked, knowing the answer.
Arthur shook his head angrily. “You were right all along, Morgana. He hasn’t changed; he never will.”
Morgana closed the distance between them, gathering up his hands and taking them into hers. “I’m sorry, Arthur.”
“I had lost sight of who he really was. I just, I had so hoped-”
“I know,” Morgana stopped him, squeezing his hands. “You don’t have to explain it to me.”
Arthur’s head fell forward, his forehead resting heavily against the crown of her head. “I was wrong to ask you to heal him. If you had used magic on him, there’s no telling what he would’ve done.”
“He would’ve killed me,” Morgana murmured.
Arthur shook his head, rubbing against her hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing out her name, “Morgana…”
She knew it hurt him, but he had to understand the reality of their situation. “He would, Arthur, and he will, if he has reason.”
Arthur lifted his head and looked down into her bright green eyes. “I realize now just how vicious he truly is. I won’t forget that again.”
Morgana rose up on her toes, leaning in to gently kiss his lips. As she broke the kiss, she tucked her head under his chin, snuggling into his chest.
Arthur wrapped his arm around her, stroking her hair softly as he held her.
---
The next day was the day of the jousting tournament, and though it was a small affair for once, the citizens of Camelot were still excited. Though while there was sport to be enjoyed, there was another event to take place that day that was less celebrated. The joust was to be held in the afternoon, but Alice’s execution was to be in morning.
Morgana had tried to comfort Merlin, but she knew that he felt partly responsible, and that his guilt wouldn’t be easily assuaged. Arthur had basically forbidden Morgana to free Alice, and Gaius had given Merlin a similar talk. There was too much at stake, and while they wanted Alice to live, they both agreed to listen this time.
However, despite their promises to remain uninvolved, by late morning, they both heard the warning bells and the news of Alice’s surprising escape. No one seemed to know how it had been done, but it was clear, Alice was long gone.
Morgana was thrilled, as was Merlin. Merlin shared the news with Gaius, who simply smiled knowingly in reply.
Feeling much lighter, Morgana went to visit Arthur before the tournament. She brought with her a deep purple colored strip of material to bestow on him as her favor. As she reached his door, she opened it a crack, peering in around it. She saw Merlin helping Arthur dress, and she bit her lip to hold in her smile. “May I come in?” she asked.
Both boys turned to face her, Merlin still gripping Arthur’s chainmail in his hands. Merlin was slightly startled by her presence, though the prince didn’t seem the least bit surprised. Instead of looking uncomfortable, Arthur’s face simply split into a huge grin.
“Of course,” Arthur answered, beckoning her inside.
Morgana returned his smile, stepping all the way into the room. Her eyes scanned over the array of armor laid out on the table, and as she walked by she lightly dragged her fingers over the pieces of metal.
Arthur was content to stand and watch her, the small movements of her wrist as she flicked her fingers over the buckles on his gorget suddenly fascinating to him.
Merlin cleared his throat to get their attention, asking quietly, “Is there something you needed, Lady Morgana?”
Morgana lifted her head, tilting it in a delicate move as she met Merlin’s gaze. A smirk bloomed on her lips and she stated, “I came to wish my champion good luck.”
Arthur’s grin grew impossibly wider, and he chuckled softly at her. “I’m not champion yet, Morgana.”
She hummed thoughtfully. “But you will be, of course.”
“Of course,” Arthur echoed, his usual cocky attitude bleeding through.
Merlin rolled his eyes and started to yank Arthur’s hauberk over his head.
Arthur grumbled angrily through the metal, but as his head emerged through the top, his smile was back in place once more.
Morgana laughed brightly, picking up a piece of armor from the table. “I think I can handle the rest, Merlin.”
Merlin looked at her questioningly, reluctant to leave his duties.
Morgana shooed him along, letting out another laugh. “Don’t worry, Merlin, I’ll take good care of him,” she promised.
Merlin took another look at Arthur’s ridiculous happy expression and shook his head, leaving Morgana to deal with the idiot on her own.
Picking up the nearest plate of metal, Morgana set to work covering Arthur in his armor. She placed the gorget around his neck and tightened the straps around his back, carefully layering each chunk of armor until everything was in place.
Her fingers were quick and nimble, and he barely felt her movements as she worked. “You’re quite good at this,” Arthur commented. “I might have to fire Merlin and give his job to you instead.”
She giggled, smirking at the thought. “You’d be miserable without Merlin and you know it. Besides, you’d never get me to do all your washing.”
Arthur chuckled at her. “No, I don’t think I would.”
Morgana finished assembling his armor and stepped back to assess her work.
“Not bad,” Arthur quipped, stretching his arms to test that everything was comfortable.
“Just one more thing,” Morgana noted. She pulled out the strip of fabric she had brought and tied it around his upper arm. Smiling at her finished work, she told him, “Now you’re sure to win.”
Arthur shook his head, still grinning like his face might split. “Because you’ll be with me?” he asked.
“Because I don’t give my favor to just anyone,” she murmured.
Arthur nodded. “So I have no choice but to win, I suppose. Wouldn’t want to insult your honor.”
“No, we wouldn’t want that,” Morgana agreed sarcastically. She leaned up and placed a kiss on underside of his jaw. As she pulled back, she whispered, “I’ll see you at the feast.”
Arthur watched her go, his hand reflexively reaching over to touch the ends of the purple fabric on his arm.
---
As the sun rose up to its highest point in the sky, the people of Camelot started to pour into the stadium for the joust. Since Arthur was participating in the tournament, Morgana was left to sit with only the King, which she knew wouldn’t make for an enjoyable afternoon. Uther was angrier than ever now that Alice had escaped, and for some reason, his ire seemed to be directed at Morgana.
Choosing to ignore him the best she could, Morgana focused on the knights as they entered. She could feel the heated glare on her back every once in a while, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of acting as though it bothered her. She had done nothing wrong, in truth, and she wouldn’t let his rage cause her any discomfort.
As Arthur rode in, Morgana stood up and cheered wildly with the rest of the crowd. She knew it wasn’t exactly ladylike, but she didn’t care. She spotted Gwen and Merlin down in the stands, seeing that they were cheering as well. She smiled over at them, catching Gwen’s eye. Gwen waved happily at her, poking Merlin to get him to wave as well.
Morgana laughed at her friends as she sat back down to watch the matches. The joust went on for several hours, all of the knights performing admirably.
Arthur of course was doing extremely well, outshining all of his opponents. As he finished one of his rounds, he looked over to Morgana, touching the fabric on his arm meaningfully as he tipped his head at her.
Morgana smiled coyly down at him, silently wishing him luck- not that he needed it.
After a few more rounds, Arthur faced off with his last opponent. As the horses rode at full speed towards each other, Arthur lifted his lance, positioning it at his rival’s heart. He went by for the pass, and with expert precision, hit his target dead center. The opposing knight went flying off his horse, hitting the ground in a cloud of dust.
The crowd flew to their feet, everyone cheering wildly. The prince was once again victorious, making his people proud.
Arthur did a lap around the stadium to celebrate his victory, playing it up for his adoring fans. As he finished his lap, he pulled up by the stands, dismounting from his horse.
Morgana stood from her seat and moved to the edge of the stands to greet Arthur, leaning over the wooden barrier. “My champion,” she called, smiling happily at him.
Arthur grinned that ridiculous grin of his as he met her, the one that seemed to be a permanent fixture these days. Adrenaline was singing in his blood, and he as he looked at her beautiful face smiling down at him, he lost all self-control. He reached up and slipped his hand behind her neck, pulling her in to meet him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he swept her lips up into a searing embrace, kissing her deeply.
The crowd cheered twice as loud at the sight, the sounds ringing like a dull roar in Arthur and Morgana’s ears.
Morgana immediately sunk into the kiss, forgetting about all the people around them. There was nothing but her and Arthur, the rest of the world be damned.
Distantly they could hear Uther clearing his throat, but they ignored him, enjoying the moment while it lasted.
---
At the feast that night, everyone was in bright spirits. Half the court could barely contain themselves after the show Arthur and Morgana had put on earlier.
Arthur and Morgana were coming down from their blissful high, but they kept exchanging amused glances throughout the meal, and quite often Arthur’s hand would find Morgana’s under the table. Normally they would sit on opposite sides of the king, but Arthur had situated himself next to Morgana tonight, finding it amusing to further the gossip.
Just as Morgana was prepared to kick Arthur to get him to wipe that goofy love struck look off his face, she heard a voice calling out her name.
“Morgana.” The voice seemed far away, but it sounded so familiar.
She whipped her head around, scanning the banquet hall for the source. Everyone was immersed in their meals, and no one else seemed to have noticed.
“Morgana, please!” the voice screamed.
The words felt like they were exploding inside her skull, and Morgana clutched at her ears, pain suddenly shooting through her head. She shut her eyes, and as she did, she felt her whole body rock with a jolt as images bombarded her mind. She saw a camp deep in the woods, the trees around it all on fire, and people inside screaming. The fire was consuming everything, but through it all, she saw a boy with dark hair and piercing blue eyes staring back at her. He was screaming her name, begging for her help as the flames swallowed him whole.
Morgana’s eyes flew open, the images still fresh in her mind. She gasped for air, her entire body shaking. As her vision cleared, she realized that all she could see was Arthur’s arms around her, shielding her from prying eyes.
Arthur was whispering soothing words into her hair, holding her as she calmed. Morgana took a deep breath and pulled away, smiling like nothing had happened.
Though Arthur had hidden her from the court, one person had seen everything. Uther sipped his wine, eyeing Morgana carefully, with a dark and strangely pleased expression on his face.