Slow Burn
Author: railise
Title: Slow Burn
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Morgana, Merlin; mentions of Uther, Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, and others
Summary: Some poisons act quickly. Others are more insidious. Set nearly at the end of 2x12.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 559
Prompt: poison
Author's Notes: Angst, how I’ve missed thee… :P
Morgana was alone, and she felt it slowly destroying her.
Uther had generally been good to her as she was growing up, practically a second father, and they’d often had long conversations. It was only in recent years when she’d begun to challenge the wrongs he incurred that things had changed between them, though she had no regrets.
Arthur had been a complete pain when she first came to Camelot and sometimes still could be. However, she knew he would never let anything happen to her which he was able to prevent, and they’d long been confidantes- as much as she could take anyone into her confidence.
Gwen had become far more than a servant over the years, and was the closest Morgana had ever come to having a female friend. She was so compassionate and loyal, yet her experiences with magic led Morgana to suspect that loyalty might not survive if she knew the truth.
Gaius had done his best to help Morgana, first with the grief from losing her father and her home, and then with her nightmares as they developed. While she’d always trusted him, lately she felt distanced from him, the one person who should recognize her magic and yet denied it.
Random people had given her glimpses of hope at an end to the loneliness. That bond she felt with Mordred- the acceptance from the Druids- the connection between her and Morgause- the heat when she was with Alvarr. But most of those people were now dead, and she had no way of knowing when or if she would ever see the others again.
Merlin had surprised her. The slightly clumsy servant to Arthur and dogsbody to Gaius had turned out to be staunchly strong of heart. Regardless of his lack of ability in a fight, he would jump into any situation headfirst if trouble came to his friends or those in need. Time and again he risked his neck to help those around him, and Morgana trusted him more than almost anyone else. He’d kept her magic a secret just as he promised, had even tried to help her with the Druids; and he’d made her feel, just a little, that she was no longer by herself. Someone in her daily life knew her secret and remained her ally- he had not rejected her.
Even now, when Camelot was on the verge of destruction and everyone was falling sick around her with no apparent cause or cure in sight, when terror gripped her and Death awaited on the other side of the doors to the Council Chamber, Morgana was grateful that if she had to be stuck here with just one person, at least it was Merlin. With his presence, she could almost believe they stood a chance of escaping on the bedsheet rope they were constructing. He was even being so thoughtful to make sure she had some of the water before it was gone. There truly was no better friend a person could ask for than Merlin.
For just a moment, she thought it was panic disturbing her breathing, but she quickly realized something was wrong. It wasn’t panic, and it wasn’t illness… Her realization was confirmed by Merlin’s nod.
Morgana was alone, and she felt it destroying her almost as thoroughly as the poison he had put into the waterskin.
Title: Slow Burn
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Morgana, Merlin; mentions of Uther, Arthur, Gwen, Gaius, and others
Summary: Some poisons act quickly. Others are more insidious. Set nearly at the end of 2x12.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 559
Prompt: poison
Author's Notes: Angst, how I’ve missed thee… :P
Morgana was alone, and she felt it slowly destroying her.
Uther had generally been good to her as she was growing up, practically a second father, and they’d often had long conversations. It was only in recent years when she’d begun to challenge the wrongs he incurred that things had changed between them, though she had no regrets.
Arthur had been a complete pain when she first came to Camelot and sometimes still could be. However, she knew he would never let anything happen to her which he was able to prevent, and they’d long been confidantes- as much as she could take anyone into her confidence.
Gwen had become far more than a servant over the years, and was the closest Morgana had ever come to having a female friend. She was so compassionate and loyal, yet her experiences with magic led Morgana to suspect that loyalty might not survive if she knew the truth.
Gaius had done his best to help Morgana, first with the grief from losing her father and her home, and then with her nightmares as they developed. While she’d always trusted him, lately she felt distanced from him, the one person who should recognize her magic and yet denied it.
Random people had given her glimpses of hope at an end to the loneliness. That bond she felt with Mordred- the acceptance from the Druids- the connection between her and Morgause- the heat when she was with Alvarr. But most of those people were now dead, and she had no way of knowing when or if she would ever see the others again.
Merlin had surprised her. The slightly clumsy servant to Arthur and dogsbody to Gaius had turned out to be staunchly strong of heart. Regardless of his lack of ability in a fight, he would jump into any situation headfirst if trouble came to his friends or those in need. Time and again he risked his neck to help those around him, and Morgana trusted him more than almost anyone else. He’d kept her magic a secret just as he promised, had even tried to help her with the Druids; and he’d made her feel, just a little, that she was no longer by herself. Someone in her daily life knew her secret and remained her ally- he had not rejected her.
Even now, when Camelot was on the verge of destruction and everyone was falling sick around her with no apparent cause or cure in sight, when terror gripped her and Death awaited on the other side of the doors to the Council Chamber, Morgana was grateful that if she had to be stuck here with just one person, at least it was Merlin. With his presence, she could almost believe they stood a chance of escaping on the bedsheet rope they were constructing. He was even being so thoughtful to make sure she had some of the water before it was gone. There truly was no better friend a person could ask for than Merlin.
For just a moment, she thought it was panic disturbing her breathing, but she quickly realized something was wrong. It wasn’t panic, and it wasn’t illness… Her realization was confirmed by Merlin’s nod.
Morgana was alone, and she felt it destroying her almost as thoroughly as the poison he had put into the waterskin.