Merlin/Doctor Who: A world with no magic (1/2)
Title: A world with no magic [Doctor Who/Merlin crossover] (1/2)
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Merlin/Morgana, Arthur/Gwen
Spoilers:
Doctor Who ~ After “Blink” but before “Utopia”
Merlin ~ Future - during King Arthur’s reign (AU - 2.12 never happened)
Disclaimer: The show “Merlin” is property of the BBC. Doctor Who is property of the BBC. No money being made.
Summary: The Doctor and Martha visit Camelot. Like always, the Doctor doesn’t have the best timing and they find themselves knee-deep in a mystery. Martha sincerely doubts that she’ll ever have a peaceful Valentine’s Day while traveling with the Doctor.
Author's Notes: This was written for the dreambythefire ficathon for the prompt of the Doctor and Martha visiting Camelot. Right now, I believe this will be a two-part story. I haven't written Ten and Martha in a while, so I'm a bit rusty there. Their relationship here is about the same as during the latter half of S3 - especially since this fic occurs after their more trying adventures (Human Nature/Family of Blood particularly...and close quarters in Blink...); I would think they would've settled into a comfortable friendship after all of that. I hope that I did them justice here after so long not writing them. :) I had some fun writing the "Merlin" bits...*whistles*
You stayed in my head where I saw you all the time
I didn’t think you care, I didn’t think you care
I found you one day with a mouth full of attitude
And you stole me away, you stole me away
*
One journey for you but it’s worth it
One life here with me and it’s magic
One journey for you but it’s worth it
One life here with me and it’s magic
Song: Magic by Ladyhawke
~ * ~
Future:
“Is something troubling you, Merlin?” She asked.
“No, well…I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure how to explain it,” he informed her frankly, shaking his head in consternation. He didn’t know what to think.
“Oh, you shouldn’t worry so,” she implored of him. She waved her hand at the nymphs, fauns, dryads, and other magical entities congregating in joyful celebration around the campfire. “This is a world of magic. You should be cheerful. Look, everyone is in good spirits. You can be too,” she told him.
But Merlin couldn't bring himself to join the festivities. He was haunted by an image that worried him.
He didn’t know the man who he saw in the vision, or whatever it was. Merlin felt like he should have though. He wondered if he had forgotten somehow. It was all very strange… He could scarcely recall how he ended up here in this place either. Quite often, recently, he felt off-center and a feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ pervaded his mind. But he didn’t know what to do with the knowledge. If he didn’t belong in this place, then where did he belong after all?
But again and again, he saw the blonde man sitting upon his throne - a king surely - and looking rather listless and inattentive. He seemed sad, in a sort of melancholy. It pained Merlin to see the blonde in such a state.
Then the woman who had spoken to him and who was ever present by his side insisted that he dance with her. He let himself be pulled up to join the others, and any thoughts of the man or his musings on his situation were swept away for the moment.
~ * ~
Now:
“What do you think, Doctor?” Martha asked him as she spun around once to show off the purple dress she had found in the Wardrobe Room.
The dress was of a fine, silk material of a cut and style that Martha thought would fit nicely with where they were going. She couldn’t help but be excited about their next destination. Seeing the medieval era in person was an experience that she wouldn’t be able to recount to anyone back home. She recalled her words about getting sectioned when the Doctor had suggested she could tell everyone back home that she’d seen Shakespeare.
But after these past few months traveling with the Doctor, Martha found that she didn’t quite worry about that anymore. True, it put a damper on things that no one would believe her when she talked of meeting the William Shakespeare, battling aliens from other planets, and spending time on a spaceship in the far future; but it was a small price to pay to see the wonders of the universe.
And, most notably, it marked the earliest point in time that Martha had ever visited.
“You look beautiful,” he uttered, eyeing her appreciatively. “Everyone will believe that you’re a noblewoman even without the psychic paper,” He gave her a cheeky grin, waving about the aforementioned psychic paper to emphasize his point.
Martha smirked at him in slight disbelief. “Let’s not push our luck. But thank you for the compliment all the same.”
“So where are we going exactly? You said to medieval times, but not much else.”
The Doctor fiddled with some buttons, adjusting his monitor a bit before he gave her a winning smile and said, “I’m surprised you haven’t guessed, Miss Martha Jones. We’re going to Camelot.”
Martha stared at him. “What?” she answered in complete disbelief. “Are you telling me that Camelot is a real place? I thought it was just a legend, a myth.”
“Oh, it’s real. Trust me.”
His companion still looked uncertain, but then she shook her head. “Well, far be it from me to question a Time Lord. Have you been there before, Doctor?”
The Doctor rubbed the back of his head. Turning to her, he said brightly, “Oh yes, though it was some time ago. Got into an argument with Merlin. I can’t remember why, but it was all good fun, I’m sure.”
Martha laughed. “If this is going to be like Queen Elizabeth coming after you during our Shakespeare trip, then a fair warning would be nice. And I expect it would be far worse if Merlin has magic…”
“I didn’t make him mad… at least, I don’t think I did. Really, Martha, you know I’m better than that.”
She just gave him a look.
“It was a minor altercation, an unfortunate misunderstanding!”
“You said you didn’t remember what the row was about. How did you know it was minor?” Martha pointed out to him.
The Doctor paused, looked thoughtful, and then he appeared quite defeated. “Well you know me. Can’t resist a good, vigorous run,” he flashed her a quick grin while Martha fought to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.
Then the Doctor waved his hand dismissively. He reassured Martha wryly. “And there’s no need to worry because the Camelot we’re going to, the Merlin there doesn’t know me.”
Martha raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘the Camelot’? There’s more than one?”
The Doctor nodded. “It’s one of the reasons why the story of Camelot, of King Arthur and the Arthurian tales overall are considered legends. People see them as fantastic stories, but fictional nevertheless. There are quite a few alternate realities where Camelot exists, but each reality has its own differences. With all these variations, the humans of your time have come to the conclusion that Arthurian legend couldn’t possibly be true. After all, they can’t figure out which version of the legend is pure truth. And well, the fact that magic existed in the time of Camelot further supports their opinion that the legend is, truly, a legend.”
“But I thought you said that magic didn’t exist? With the Carrionites -- you said it just looked like witchcraft, but that it was really a sort of science. Like how we chose mathematics…”
“-the right string of numbers, the right equation, and you can split the atom,” the Doctor finished with a nod. “But the Carrionites chose to imbue power behind words instead. Yes, I remember, Martha. Camelot is the exception.”
“So Merlin and all the others -- if I can remember -- there was Morgana le Fay, Mordred, of course, who killed King Arthur, Morgause…”
“And there were the magical creatures too.”
“So you’re sure, without a question, that it really and truly is magic? That at least in Camelot, it’s not all smoke and mirrors?”
“Martha, of course I’m sure. When have I ever steered you wrong?” the Doctor paused when he saw his companion’s teasing smile. “Well, I can tell you that not all magic users, sorcerers, wizards, enchantresses, what have you - are born with magic. Some are trained and it may take many years to master the craft of magic. But for those born with magic, so that it is as natural to them as breathing, using magic is almost second nature to them.”
“And Merlin is one of those born with magic, right? All the legends make him out to be remarkably powerful, so it would make the most sense.”
“Right you are, Miss Jones. Sharp as always,” he grinned at her.
“So alternate realities - can we travel to them?” Martha wondered, curious.
“The alternate realities are sealed off now,” the Doctor explained. “When the Time Lords were still around, they kept an eye on everything. We were able to travel between realities, to parallel worlds. But with their demise, the way to the different worlds were closed forever. So now, there is only one reality, one Camelot we can go to see. The Camelot of our reality.”
Martha shrugged, smiling. “Just seeing one of them is more than enough for me. You won’t see me complaining.”
Then she recalled what he had said before about meeting Merlin. “If access to other realities is closed now, then that means you met a Merlin from a parallel world…back when the Time Lords still existed?”
The Doctor nodded solemnly. “Yes, it was truly a long time ago. This will be new to me, too, then like it will be for you. I haven’t seen the Camelot of this world no matter all the opportunities I had to do so. All I know is that it most certainly isn’t the same one I’ve visited before. Like you, I can only guess the differences in this Camelot.”
Martha smiled knowingly at him. “You love it, don’t you? After living so long, to still be able to experience new things, to go to new places…you can’t resist the unknown.”
He grinned at her. “What better way to live?”
And soon after, the Doctor took the TARDIS out of the vortex and navigated them to their next destination.
Camelot.
~ * ~
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone upon the four people who were enjoying a midday picnic in a peaceful forest clearing. Though King Arthur was not without his enemies, bent upon gaining the riches and splendour of Camelot for themselves, he did not travel with knights for protection as was customary for royalty. With the ban on magic lifted, Camelot had prospered as magic flourished once again. And so, with the Court Sorcerer, Lord Merlin, and the Court Seer, the Lady Morgana accompanying him most times, it would have been wrong to suggest that the king was without protection. Though Arthur, he would fervently add, was quite skilled with a sword or any other manmade weapon and no matter his lack of magic, he could hold his own.
The people of Camelot also knew of how the king’s wife, Queen Guinevere, was a blacksmith’s daughter who held an admirable knowledge of weaponry and the like. And she, too, was not without her talents at sword fighting.
And it had caused quite a stir when the Lady Morgana’s maidservant, for she was a part of the royal household as well as being daughter of a blacksmith, the soft-spoken, kind-hearted Guinevere was who the king chose and courted to be his queen, his wife. While this was previously unheard of - for one of royalty to marry a servant, Camelot was no stranger to such peculiar differences. After all, the Court Sorcerer was once Prince Arthur’s manservant. As gratitude for his unfailing loyalty and friendship to the prince, Merlin was given not just a revered position at court, but also land and a title - Lord Merlin, though he never liked to be called Lord anything, everyone knew. It was Merlin, just Merlin.
While most fantasized the story of Arthur and Gwen’s courtship and marriage as a wonderful fairytale - of a prince marrying a handmaiden, common in birth, but of exceptional character --, the tale of how Merlin and the Lady Morgana came together was a more mysterious affair. When King Arthur was officially crowned, soon talk began to surface of the close relations between the sorcerer and Seer. And a majority of people in Camelot simply accepted it. It was almost poetic to them…that of course, the two prominent magical figures at the court of Camelot would gravitate toward each other.
Merlin interrupted tiredly, trying not to let his frustration show too much. “All right, that’s enough. She’s harmless, Morgana. There’s honestly no need--”
Morgana only shook her head and she pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss. She smiled at him and then turned to face the queen who was seated across from her. “Oh, Gwen, you should have seen what she did the other day!”
Much to Merlin’s chagrin, Gwen looked quite interested in finding out. “I’d love to hear it,” she said.
“It appears that you’re a wanted man, Merlin,” Arthur contributed, a laugh escaping him.
Merlin gave him a pointed glare. “Rowan is simply being nice,” he said firmly. Then he turned back to his wife. “Morgana, you know nothing would come of it.”
“Oh, of course not,” Morgana said, waving her hand dismissively. “But it makes for a riveting story.”
Merlin was about to reply when he felt a strange sensation come over him.
“Merlin? What is it?” Arthur asked, noticing the odd look on his friend’s face.
Merlin shook his head, puzzled. He placed his hand on the ground, feeling the earth beneath his fingers. Something felt different.
Morgana grasped his shoulder. “Merlin, is anything wrong?”
He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t explain it - it felt like magic, like magic that had come loose and was leaving… A fear gripped him suddenly, though he couldn’t quite understand what he was afraid of.
But then as suddenly as the sensation had come, the moment had passed. He felt a calm sweep over him and Merlin wondered what he had been so worried about in the first place.
Feeling uneasy at all the worried looks directed toward him, Merlin tried to smile reassuringly at them. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. I thought it was something…but it’s gone now.”
“Are you sure?” Arthur pressed him. Meanwhile Morgana and Gwen still looked at him, concern and disbelief at his reassurances written all over their faces.
“Yes, I am. Please let’s just forget about it. Talk about something else - preferably not Rowan, if you could.” Merlin gave Morgana a half-smile.
Morgana hummed at him, though she seemed to accept his words for the moment. She kissed him and then forced him to lie down as she shifted position to straddle him. Merlin let her and he reached out his hand to tangle it in her dark hair. He lifted his head a bit to return the kiss, his lips locking with hers. Arthur rolled his eyes and grabbed a piece of fruit from the basket to eat. Gwen smiled at the sight, happy for her friends.
This time, none of them noticed the change beginning to occur.
~ * ~
Martha was about to head down the ramp to exit the TARDIS, when the Doctor’s voice stopped her.
“Wait, Martha, before we go - I have something to complete your outfit.”
She turned around to find the Doctor holding a diamond necklace on a golden chain. The necklace was decorated with alternating amethyst gemstones and white diamonds at the front of it, a delicate golden chain showing where the precious stones did not appear.
Martha smiled widely, surprised, but not displeased by the gesture. She walked to him to garner a closer look at the beautiful necklace.
The Doctor smiled back at her. “I take it that you like it?”
She nodded, still smiling. The Doctor moved to place the jewelry around her neck, clasping it at the back.
“Where did you get this, Doctor? It’s gorgeous.”
“Oh Martha, after all the places I’ve traveled to, I have collected a lot of things.”
“Is it all right if I keep this then?”
He shrugged, seeming rather nonchalant. “Of course you can. It’s my gift to you, Martha Jones. I believe it’s Valentine’s Day after all. I thought it was fitting for the occasion.”
“Really? It’s Valentine’s Day? Traveling in this box makes you lose track of what day it is.”
The Doctor grinned at her mischievously. “It’s Valentine’s Day if you want it to be. It’s my treat. And what better place to spend Valentine’s than at Camelot?”
“Paris, France?” Martha ventured cheekily.
“You humans - no imagination. Honestly, Martha.”
“Did they even have Valentine’s Day back then? It’s a commercialized holiday, isn’t it? What are we going to do? Bring up Cupid in the middle of a conversation?”
“Valentine’s Day did exist in those days, actually. It was established by Pope Gelasius the First in the year 500 AD, and the name ‘Valentine’ was after an early Christian martyr. Though as you say, it wasn’t as commercialized and widespread as in your time.”
Martha appeared thoughtful for a moment and then she mused, “I suppose that makes sense with love not being a novel concept. I imagine that they would have had dedicated one day to celebrate love. Aside from weddings, of course.”
“See, it’s a good thing I’m here to get your history straight,” he grinned at her, teeth showing brightly.
She sighed, shaking her head, somewhat amused by his cheery behavior.
The Doctor offered her his arm, which she took, and the two of them made their way out of the TARDIS. A forest lay before them.
~ * ~
“Quiet, would you? I’m trying to concentrate,” Arthur admonished to Morgana and Gwen.
The two women shook their heads, sharing amused looks between them at Arthur’s determination.
A moment later, the king had halted his movement, and directed his sword, Excalibur, at the empty space before him.
“There,” he said, smirking.
Merlin rematerialized quickly then from his previously invisible state. “All right. You found me. Would you please stop poking me with your sword?”
Arthur did not pull back fast enough and he cried in outrage when Excalibur flew out of his grasp. It stayed suspended in midair.
“Merlin,” he warned. He reached out to grasp the hilt, but his sword, deceivingly, moved away from him and then began waving about. The sword seemed to have come to life.
Merlin clasped his hands behind his back, rocking his feet back and forth, a smug expression upon his face.
Morgana and Gwen made an admirable effort not to succumb to laughter.
“I need my sword, Merlin! Give it back to me,” Arthur demanded. He attempted once again to snatch the sword, but it continued to elude him.
“I might consider it,” Merlin mused, though he clearly appeared to be enjoying himself.
The blond nearly growled and then without Merlin expecting it, Arthur knocked him to the ground.
“Play nicely, boys,” Morgana said, her lips twitching as she watched Arthur restrain Merlin, who seemed not in the least bit concerned. Instead, he was grinning while the sword started moving in circles in the air.
“Sometimes I wonder if you forget who you are, Arthur,” Gwen remarked lightly, shaking her head.
“Oh, I know who I am,” Arthur said, turning to look at her. “I’m a king who has had the gravest misfortune of having an idiot for a sorcerer.”
“Don’t forget brilliant advisor, too,” Merlin added in smartly.
“Don’t push your luck, Merlin,” Arthur shot back at him.
Gwen yawned then. She put her hand over her mouth to cover her yawn. “Oh dear. Is anyone else feeling tired?” She rubbed at her eyes.
The king’s sword fell to the ground.
~ * ~
“That’s odd,” Martha remarked upon seeing the three people asleep nearby. From what she could deduce, the small group had been having a picnic. A blanket lay on the ground and a variety of food and drink were displayed atop the blanket.
“Something strange is going on here,” she voiced, concerned. “They can’t all just be resting without someone at least keeping watch. Isn’t that how it goes in medieval times? It’s dangerous with bandits about, rival kingdoms, and the like…” Now Martha didn’t consider herself an expert on the medieval era, but she did read a few texts on the matter. She understood enough.
“Yes, Martha. Not all is well,” the Doctor agreed with her. He held out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted it before scanning the area. “I’m getting strange readings in the area. Not right at all,” he murmured, looking thoughtful as he tried to figure out what they were up against.
Martha sighed and she left him to it. She decided to get a closer look at the people they had stumbled upon. One of the women - whose long, dark hair and pale features reminded Martha of Snow White -- was resting alone on one side of the blanket while the other two were on the other side. She had an elegant air about her even in sleep - her deep blue silken dress only accentuated the regality of her looks. The sight of the eerie Snow White look-a-like almost left Martha wondering if they had stumbled upon a fairy tale world instead of Camelot.
The other two appeared to be a couple - of high standing, quite possibly royalty, judging by their rich clothing and the jewelry gracing the woman’s neck. The man was blond with chiseled good looks - a heroic aura about him she could say. He was just the sort of man who Martha fantasized being with, but then her delusion was always shattered by their personality not living up to their outward appearance. The pleasantly pretty woman had a darker complexion than the other woman, though it was lighter than Martha’s. She seemed like a warm person, but then again, Martha had little to go on, so these were all guesses on her part. She could be completely wrong.
But, regardless, she had a bad feeling about why they were asleep. It didn’t look like they had simply taken a nap in the midst of having a picnic. The whole thing did not feel right to her, and Martha trusted her instincts on this matter.
And it wouldn’t be a typical day traveling with the Doctor if something weird didn’t happen. She was certain that the Doctor would be rather disappointed if they had an uneventful trip somewhere or somewhen as the case was here. After all, what’s the fun of a trip if you didn’t run for your life at least once or get pulled into a mystery that needed solving?
The people began waking up. Hidden from view by a thick bush, the Doctor and Martha watched as the dark-haired woman grew increasingly distressed while the other two tried to calm her. Martha exchanged worried looks with the Doctor when the pale woman talked of a man, Merlin, disappearing and that magic had to have been the cause of it. But for some reason, her two companions were baffled as to who she was talking about as well as denying magic even existed.
The Doctor and Martha soon learned that the people they were eavesdropping on were exactly who they were looking to meet. But Martha hadn’t expected to see Camelot under these circumstances - for King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, or Gwen as Morgana had called her, to have some bizarre form of memory loss.
And Morgana, who was always made out to be an evil, manipulative sorceress in the legends Martha recalled, was the only one who remembered. Martha deduced that maybe in this Camelot, Morgana wasn’t working against King Arthur - judging by the king and queen’s apparent friendship with her. Still, she knew it would take her some time to readjust the image of the notorious witch with the woman before her.
Soon, Morgana appeared to relent in her insistence that something was wrong. She apologized for worrying the other two. Still Martha was certain she had stopped pursuing the matter when she found that she had no confidante to support her. Without another person to side with her, there was little she could do without being propositioned to seek medical assistance.
Martha turned to the Doctor and she spoke urgently to him, “We have to help her somehow, Doctor. We could be the only other people who aren’t under this memory loss spell…or whatever it is.”
The Doctor rubbed his chin, appearing quite frustrated with his findings. “Oh, this is not good. Not good, not good…”
“Doctor?”
“The king and queen were right about one matter - magic doesn’t exist here, not anymore at least. And I would guess that whoever has taken Merlin had a role to play in the magic sapping.”
“How do you know that? Did you find out through the sonic?”
He nodded and then he patted his hand on the ground. “Magic comes from the earth, Martha,” the Doctor explained. “Nature breathes magic in and out here. If this reciprocity does not exist, then any magic user will lose their magic because their source of magic - the very earth they walk upon and live on - will not supply them with the magic they need.”
“The spell could have removed magic from magic wielders as well, right?” Martha wondered. “So maybe Morgana doesn’t have magic inside of her now? If she is meant to be a sorceress in this Camelot, that is…”
He nodded. “Well, we should find out then, shall we?”
Before Martha could do anything, the Doctor took her by the hand and pulled her along with him - out from behind the bush.
Upon seeing them, Morgana’s green eyes widened and then they flashed gold - freezing the king and queen in place.
“You still have magic?” Martha uttered in shock.
“That answers one question,” the Doctor mused.
Morgana looked at them oddly, but she didn’t comment. Under an untrusting gaze, she directed them away from the king and queen.
The Doctor and Martha followed after her and once they stopped a few feet away, Morgana turned around on them, a questioning look clear in her darkened eyes.
“Who are you two? What do you want?” Morgana demanded of them, though there was a slight tremble in her voice.
The Doctor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m the Doctor, this is my companion, Martha Jones,” he nodded at Martha. “We saw you were having some trouble… We only want to help. We know who Merlin is and we believe something has gone wrong. If you would let us help you, we can figure out what happened. We can get Merlin back.”
She narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious. “How do I know that you two aren’t to blame for Arthur and Gwen forgetting? And for Merlin disappearing too?”
“We can’t give you much reason to trust us, I know, but if we did cause this, then--” Martha reasoned to her, “-why would we be so willing to help you?”
“You could just be doing it to make the situation even worse. What if I trust you and the minute my back is turned--” she gestured with her finger slashing across her throat.
Her green eyes glittered, giving Martha pause and making her wonder if this Morgana wasn’t exactly without her dark side as well. Still, Martha thought, no one was purely good…everyone had their flaws, their faults. And she saw the worry clear as a day in Morgana’s face.
The Doctor looked to be pondering something before he took out his psychic paper. He opened it and waved the paper at Morgana. “What do you see here?”
Morgana peered at it in confusion. “It’s blank. What is the purpose of that?”
“Ah, right. Well, that’s what I thought would happen.”
“Shakespeare all over again…” Martha said under her breath.
“We’re time travelers - what’s your name?” the Doctor asked. Though he already knew, he decided it would be polite to ask.
“I’m the Lady Morgana. I’m the Court Seer at Camelot,” she introduced herself tiredly.
“Right, well, Lady Morgana, Martha and I don’t belong to this time. We’re just as puzzled as you are as to what has transpired here. It’s my job to fix this sort of your problem. You need my help…because it might not just be the king and queen who have lost their memories. This very world has been altered.”
Morgana raised her eyebrow. “Altered how?”
The Doctor hesitated. He wasn’t sure how she would take the knowledge that magic was truly gone from her world…barring her magic inside of her, but the Doctor feared that soon - without the magic of the earth to replenish her - Morgana’s magic would go away as well. “The magic in this world…” he began.
Morgana interrupted him. “Arthur and Gwen denied its very existence. Surely they must be wrong?”
“I wish they were,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “Back in Camelot, is there anyone else who wields magic? You could ask them if they could do magic…or even if they believe in magic. Otherwise, Lady Morgana, you may be the only one now who has magic.”
“What? No, that can’t be…that’s ridiculous. What sort of spell made me immune to its effects? Why would someone even do a spell such as this? What was the purpose of it? I don’t understand…and now, my husband is gone. What a wretched day!” She finished with a frustrated cry and then she collapsed to the ground.
Martha moved to sit beside her, trying to comfort her in some way by gripping her shoulder gently.
“Merlin is your husband? Really?” The Doctor asked her, sounding quite interested in learning this.
Morgana nodded, wiping at her eyes. “Yes, he is. Lord Merlin, actually, but he has never been fond of that title,” she told them, a small smile coming upon her lips as she spoke about him.
“Have you had any children yet?” Martha asked lightly.
“No, I haven’t. With what has happened now, I’m grateful for it. I don’t know how I would explain to my child that their father is missing…” she drifted off, not wanting to dwell on the matter.
The Doctor attempted to reassure her. “Well, with our help, Merlin will be back before long.”
Morgana looked at him curiously. “How do you know Merlin anyway?” She questioned him.
“I told you - we’re time travelers. We come from the future, and believe me, Martha and I both understand how important Merlin is. We think it’s only right to aid you in solving this troubling mystery.”
Morgana shook her head, taking a deep breath afterwards. She replaced a strand of hair behind her ear before she nodded. “All right. I’ll trust the both of you for now. I could use some help in figuring this out. And for someone who won’t look at me like I’ve gone mad.”
The Doctor clapped his hands a little over enthusiastically. “Very good! Well, why don’t we go back to the king and queen then?”
Morgana and Martha both stood up.
“I’ll convince Arthur and Gwen that you’re simply in need of a place to stay for a short while. That you’re not enemies in disguise,” Morgana told them, though her smile toward them was uneasy. She still appeared uncertain about granting the pair her trust.
Martha couldn’t fault her for that. What was happening now was an extraordinary circumstance, which made it that much more difficult to trust anyone when your world seemed to be falling apart before your eyes.
~ * ~
Author: dk323
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Ten/Martha, Merlin/Morgana, Arthur/Gwen
Spoilers:
Doctor Who ~ After “Blink” but before “Utopia”
Merlin ~ Future - during King Arthur’s reign (AU - 2.12 never happened)
Disclaimer: The show “Merlin” is property of the BBC. Doctor Who is property of the BBC. No money being made.
Summary: The Doctor and Martha visit Camelot. Like always, the Doctor doesn’t have the best timing and they find themselves knee-deep in a mystery. Martha sincerely doubts that she’ll ever have a peaceful Valentine’s Day while traveling with the Doctor.
Author's Notes: This was written for the dreambythefire ficathon for the prompt of the Doctor and Martha visiting Camelot. Right now, I believe this will be a two-part story. I haven't written Ten and Martha in a while, so I'm a bit rusty there. Their relationship here is about the same as during the latter half of S3 - especially since this fic occurs after their more trying adventures (Human Nature/Family of Blood particularly...and close quarters in Blink...); I would think they would've settled into a comfortable friendship after all of that. I hope that I did them justice here after so long not writing them. :) I had some fun writing the "Merlin" bits...*whistles*
You stayed in my head where I saw you all the time
I didn’t think you care, I didn’t think you care
I found you one day with a mouth full of attitude
And you stole me away, you stole me away
*
One journey for you but it’s worth it
One life here with me and it’s magic
One journey for you but it’s worth it
One life here with me and it’s magic
Song: Magic by Ladyhawke
~ * ~
Future:
“Is something troubling you, Merlin?” She asked.
“No, well…I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right. I’m not sure how to explain it,” he informed her frankly, shaking his head in consternation. He didn’t know what to think.
“Oh, you shouldn’t worry so,” she implored of him. She waved her hand at the nymphs, fauns, dryads, and other magical entities congregating in joyful celebration around the campfire. “This is a world of magic. You should be cheerful. Look, everyone is in good spirits. You can be too,” she told him.
But Merlin couldn't bring himself to join the festivities. He was haunted by an image that worried him.
He didn’t know the man who he saw in the vision, or whatever it was. Merlin felt like he should have though. He wondered if he had forgotten somehow. It was all very strange… He could scarcely recall how he ended up here in this place either. Quite often, recently, he felt off-center and a feeling of ‘I don’t belong here’ pervaded his mind. But he didn’t know what to do with the knowledge. If he didn’t belong in this place, then where did he belong after all?
But again and again, he saw the blonde man sitting upon his throne - a king surely - and looking rather listless and inattentive. He seemed sad, in a sort of melancholy. It pained Merlin to see the blonde in such a state.
Then the woman who had spoken to him and who was ever present by his side insisted that he dance with her. He let himself be pulled up to join the others, and any thoughts of the man or his musings on his situation were swept away for the moment.
~ * ~
Now:
“What do you think, Doctor?” Martha asked him as she spun around once to show off the purple dress she had found in the Wardrobe Room.
The dress was of a fine, silk material of a cut and style that Martha thought would fit nicely with where they were going. She couldn’t help but be excited about their next destination. Seeing the medieval era in person was an experience that she wouldn’t be able to recount to anyone back home. She recalled her words about getting sectioned when the Doctor had suggested she could tell everyone back home that she’d seen Shakespeare.
But after these past few months traveling with the Doctor, Martha found that she didn’t quite worry about that anymore. True, it put a damper on things that no one would believe her when she talked of meeting the William Shakespeare, battling aliens from other planets, and spending time on a spaceship in the far future; but it was a small price to pay to see the wonders of the universe.
And, most notably, it marked the earliest point in time that Martha had ever visited.
“You look beautiful,” he uttered, eyeing her appreciatively. “Everyone will believe that you’re a noblewoman even without the psychic paper,” He gave her a cheeky grin, waving about the aforementioned psychic paper to emphasize his point.
Martha smirked at him in slight disbelief. “Let’s not push our luck. But thank you for the compliment all the same.”
“So where are we going exactly? You said to medieval times, but not much else.”
The Doctor fiddled with some buttons, adjusting his monitor a bit before he gave her a winning smile and said, “I’m surprised you haven’t guessed, Miss Martha Jones. We’re going to Camelot.”
Martha stared at him. “What?” she answered in complete disbelief. “Are you telling me that Camelot is a real place? I thought it was just a legend, a myth.”
“Oh, it’s real. Trust me.”
His companion still looked uncertain, but then she shook her head. “Well, far be it from me to question a Time Lord. Have you been there before, Doctor?”
The Doctor rubbed the back of his head. Turning to her, he said brightly, “Oh yes, though it was some time ago. Got into an argument with Merlin. I can’t remember why, but it was all good fun, I’m sure.”
Martha laughed. “If this is going to be like Queen Elizabeth coming after you during our Shakespeare trip, then a fair warning would be nice. And I expect it would be far worse if Merlin has magic…”
“I didn’t make him mad… at least, I don’t think I did. Really, Martha, you know I’m better than that.”
She just gave him a look.
“It was a minor altercation, an unfortunate misunderstanding!”
“You said you didn’t remember what the row was about. How did you know it was minor?” Martha pointed out to him.
The Doctor paused, looked thoughtful, and then he appeared quite defeated. “Well you know me. Can’t resist a good, vigorous run,” he flashed her a quick grin while Martha fought to restrain herself from rolling her eyes.
Then the Doctor waved his hand dismissively. He reassured Martha wryly. “And there’s no need to worry because the Camelot we’re going to, the Merlin there doesn’t know me.”
Martha raised her eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘the Camelot’? There’s more than one?”
The Doctor nodded. “It’s one of the reasons why the story of Camelot, of King Arthur and the Arthurian tales overall are considered legends. People see them as fantastic stories, but fictional nevertheless. There are quite a few alternate realities where Camelot exists, but each reality has its own differences. With all these variations, the humans of your time have come to the conclusion that Arthurian legend couldn’t possibly be true. After all, they can’t figure out which version of the legend is pure truth. And well, the fact that magic existed in the time of Camelot further supports their opinion that the legend is, truly, a legend.”
“But I thought you said that magic didn’t exist? With the Carrionites -- you said it just looked like witchcraft, but that it was really a sort of science. Like how we chose mathematics…”
“-the right string of numbers, the right equation, and you can split the atom,” the Doctor finished with a nod. “But the Carrionites chose to imbue power behind words instead. Yes, I remember, Martha. Camelot is the exception.”
“So Merlin and all the others -- if I can remember -- there was Morgana le Fay, Mordred, of course, who killed King Arthur, Morgause…”
“And there were the magical creatures too.”
“So you’re sure, without a question, that it really and truly is magic? That at least in Camelot, it’s not all smoke and mirrors?”
“Martha, of course I’m sure. When have I ever steered you wrong?” the Doctor paused when he saw his companion’s teasing smile. “Well, I can tell you that not all magic users, sorcerers, wizards, enchantresses, what have you - are born with magic. Some are trained and it may take many years to master the craft of magic. But for those born with magic, so that it is as natural to them as breathing, using magic is almost second nature to them.”
“And Merlin is one of those born with magic, right? All the legends make him out to be remarkably powerful, so it would make the most sense.”
“Right you are, Miss Jones. Sharp as always,” he grinned at her.
“So alternate realities - can we travel to them?” Martha wondered, curious.
“The alternate realities are sealed off now,” the Doctor explained. “When the Time Lords were still around, they kept an eye on everything. We were able to travel between realities, to parallel worlds. But with their demise, the way to the different worlds were closed forever. So now, there is only one reality, one Camelot we can go to see. The Camelot of our reality.”
Martha shrugged, smiling. “Just seeing one of them is more than enough for me. You won’t see me complaining.”
Then she recalled what he had said before about meeting Merlin. “If access to other realities is closed now, then that means you met a Merlin from a parallel world…back when the Time Lords still existed?”
The Doctor nodded solemnly. “Yes, it was truly a long time ago. This will be new to me, too, then like it will be for you. I haven’t seen the Camelot of this world no matter all the opportunities I had to do so. All I know is that it most certainly isn’t the same one I’ve visited before. Like you, I can only guess the differences in this Camelot.”
Martha smiled knowingly at him. “You love it, don’t you? After living so long, to still be able to experience new things, to go to new places…you can’t resist the unknown.”
He grinned at her. “What better way to live?”
And soon after, the Doctor took the TARDIS out of the vortex and navigated them to their next destination.
Camelot.
~ * ~
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone upon the four people who were enjoying a midday picnic in a peaceful forest clearing. Though King Arthur was not without his enemies, bent upon gaining the riches and splendour of Camelot for themselves, he did not travel with knights for protection as was customary for royalty. With the ban on magic lifted, Camelot had prospered as magic flourished once again. And so, with the Court Sorcerer, Lord Merlin, and the Court Seer, the Lady Morgana accompanying him most times, it would have been wrong to suggest that the king was without protection. Though Arthur, he would fervently add, was quite skilled with a sword or any other manmade weapon and no matter his lack of magic, he could hold his own.
The people of Camelot also knew of how the king’s wife, Queen Guinevere, was a blacksmith’s daughter who held an admirable knowledge of weaponry and the like. And she, too, was not without her talents at sword fighting.
And it had caused quite a stir when the Lady Morgana’s maidservant, for she was a part of the royal household as well as being daughter of a blacksmith, the soft-spoken, kind-hearted Guinevere was who the king chose and courted to be his queen, his wife. While this was previously unheard of - for one of royalty to marry a servant, Camelot was no stranger to such peculiar differences. After all, the Court Sorcerer was once Prince Arthur’s manservant. As gratitude for his unfailing loyalty and friendship to the prince, Merlin was given not just a revered position at court, but also land and a title - Lord Merlin, though he never liked to be called Lord anything, everyone knew. It was Merlin, just Merlin.
While most fantasized the story of Arthur and Gwen’s courtship and marriage as a wonderful fairytale - of a prince marrying a handmaiden, common in birth, but of exceptional character --, the tale of how Merlin and the Lady Morgana came together was a more mysterious affair. When King Arthur was officially crowned, soon talk began to surface of the close relations between the sorcerer and Seer. And a majority of people in Camelot simply accepted it. It was almost poetic to them…that of course, the two prominent magical figures at the court of Camelot would gravitate toward each other.
Merlin interrupted tiredly, trying not to let his frustration show too much. “All right, that’s enough. She’s harmless, Morgana. There’s honestly no need--”
Morgana only shook her head and she pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss. She smiled at him and then turned to face the queen who was seated across from her. “Oh, Gwen, you should have seen what she did the other day!”
Much to Merlin’s chagrin, Gwen looked quite interested in finding out. “I’d love to hear it,” she said.
“It appears that you’re a wanted man, Merlin,” Arthur contributed, a laugh escaping him.
Merlin gave him a pointed glare. “Rowan is simply being nice,” he said firmly. Then he turned back to his wife. “Morgana, you know nothing would come of it.”
“Oh, of course not,” Morgana said, waving her hand dismissively. “But it makes for a riveting story.”
Merlin was about to reply when he felt a strange sensation come over him.
“Merlin? What is it?” Arthur asked, noticing the odd look on his friend’s face.
Merlin shook his head, puzzled. He placed his hand on the ground, feeling the earth beneath his fingers. Something felt different.
Morgana grasped his shoulder. “Merlin, is anything wrong?”
He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t explain it - it felt like magic, like magic that had come loose and was leaving… A fear gripped him suddenly, though he couldn’t quite understand what he was afraid of.
But then as suddenly as the sensation had come, the moment had passed. He felt a calm sweep over him and Merlin wondered what he had been so worried about in the first place.
Feeling uneasy at all the worried looks directed toward him, Merlin tried to smile reassuringly at them. “I’m sorry. It’s nothing. I thought it was something…but it’s gone now.”
“Are you sure?” Arthur pressed him. Meanwhile Morgana and Gwen still looked at him, concern and disbelief at his reassurances written all over their faces.
“Yes, I am. Please let’s just forget about it. Talk about something else - preferably not Rowan, if you could.” Merlin gave Morgana a half-smile.
Morgana hummed at him, though she seemed to accept his words for the moment. She kissed him and then forced him to lie down as she shifted position to straddle him. Merlin let her and he reached out his hand to tangle it in her dark hair. He lifted his head a bit to return the kiss, his lips locking with hers. Arthur rolled his eyes and grabbed a piece of fruit from the basket to eat. Gwen smiled at the sight, happy for her friends.
This time, none of them noticed the change beginning to occur.
~ * ~
Martha was about to head down the ramp to exit the TARDIS, when the Doctor’s voice stopped her.
“Wait, Martha, before we go - I have something to complete your outfit.”
She turned around to find the Doctor holding a diamond necklace on a golden chain. The necklace was decorated with alternating amethyst gemstones and white diamonds at the front of it, a delicate golden chain showing where the precious stones did not appear.
Martha smiled widely, surprised, but not displeased by the gesture. She walked to him to garner a closer look at the beautiful necklace.
The Doctor smiled back at her. “I take it that you like it?”
She nodded, still smiling. The Doctor moved to place the jewelry around her neck, clasping it at the back.
“Where did you get this, Doctor? It’s gorgeous.”
“Oh Martha, after all the places I’ve traveled to, I have collected a lot of things.”
“Is it all right if I keep this then?”
He shrugged, seeming rather nonchalant. “Of course you can. It’s my gift to you, Martha Jones. I believe it’s Valentine’s Day after all. I thought it was fitting for the occasion.”
“Really? It’s Valentine’s Day? Traveling in this box makes you lose track of what day it is.”
The Doctor grinned at her mischievously. “It’s Valentine’s Day if you want it to be. It’s my treat. And what better place to spend Valentine’s than at Camelot?”
“Paris, France?” Martha ventured cheekily.
“You humans - no imagination. Honestly, Martha.”
“Did they even have Valentine’s Day back then? It’s a commercialized holiday, isn’t it? What are we going to do? Bring up Cupid in the middle of a conversation?”
“Valentine’s Day did exist in those days, actually. It was established by Pope Gelasius the First in the year 500 AD, and the name ‘Valentine’ was after an early Christian martyr. Though as you say, it wasn’t as commercialized and widespread as in your time.”
Martha appeared thoughtful for a moment and then she mused, “I suppose that makes sense with love not being a novel concept. I imagine that they would have had dedicated one day to celebrate love. Aside from weddings, of course.”
“See, it’s a good thing I’m here to get your history straight,” he grinned at her, teeth showing brightly.
She sighed, shaking her head, somewhat amused by his cheery behavior.
The Doctor offered her his arm, which she took, and the two of them made their way out of the TARDIS. A forest lay before them.
~ * ~
“Quiet, would you? I’m trying to concentrate,” Arthur admonished to Morgana and Gwen.
The two women shook their heads, sharing amused looks between them at Arthur’s determination.
A moment later, the king had halted his movement, and directed his sword, Excalibur, at the empty space before him.
“There,” he said, smirking.
Merlin rematerialized quickly then from his previously invisible state. “All right. You found me. Would you please stop poking me with your sword?”
Arthur did not pull back fast enough and he cried in outrage when Excalibur flew out of his grasp. It stayed suspended in midair.
“Merlin,” he warned. He reached out to grasp the hilt, but his sword, deceivingly, moved away from him and then began waving about. The sword seemed to have come to life.
Merlin clasped his hands behind his back, rocking his feet back and forth, a smug expression upon his face.
Morgana and Gwen made an admirable effort not to succumb to laughter.
“I need my sword, Merlin! Give it back to me,” Arthur demanded. He attempted once again to snatch the sword, but it continued to elude him.
“I might consider it,” Merlin mused, though he clearly appeared to be enjoying himself.
The blond nearly growled and then without Merlin expecting it, Arthur knocked him to the ground.
“Play nicely, boys,” Morgana said, her lips twitching as she watched Arthur restrain Merlin, who seemed not in the least bit concerned. Instead, he was grinning while the sword started moving in circles in the air.
“Sometimes I wonder if you forget who you are, Arthur,” Gwen remarked lightly, shaking her head.
“Oh, I know who I am,” Arthur said, turning to look at her. “I’m a king who has had the gravest misfortune of having an idiot for a sorcerer.”
“Don’t forget brilliant advisor, too,” Merlin added in smartly.
“Don’t push your luck, Merlin,” Arthur shot back at him.
Gwen yawned then. She put her hand over her mouth to cover her yawn. “Oh dear. Is anyone else feeling tired?” She rubbed at her eyes.
The king’s sword fell to the ground.
~ * ~
“That’s odd,” Martha remarked upon seeing the three people asleep nearby. From what she could deduce, the small group had been having a picnic. A blanket lay on the ground and a variety of food and drink were displayed atop the blanket.
“Something strange is going on here,” she voiced, concerned. “They can’t all just be resting without someone at least keeping watch. Isn’t that how it goes in medieval times? It’s dangerous with bandits about, rival kingdoms, and the like…” Now Martha didn’t consider herself an expert on the medieval era, but she did read a few texts on the matter. She understood enough.
“Yes, Martha. Not all is well,” the Doctor agreed with her. He held out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted it before scanning the area. “I’m getting strange readings in the area. Not right at all,” he murmured, looking thoughtful as he tried to figure out what they were up against.
Martha sighed and she left him to it. She decided to get a closer look at the people they had stumbled upon. One of the women - whose long, dark hair and pale features reminded Martha of Snow White -- was resting alone on one side of the blanket while the other two were on the other side. She had an elegant air about her even in sleep - her deep blue silken dress only accentuated the regality of her looks. The sight of the eerie Snow White look-a-like almost left Martha wondering if they had stumbled upon a fairy tale world instead of Camelot.
The other two appeared to be a couple - of high standing, quite possibly royalty, judging by their rich clothing and the jewelry gracing the woman’s neck. The man was blond with chiseled good looks - a heroic aura about him she could say. He was just the sort of man who Martha fantasized being with, but then her delusion was always shattered by their personality not living up to their outward appearance. The pleasantly pretty woman had a darker complexion than the other woman, though it was lighter than Martha’s. She seemed like a warm person, but then again, Martha had little to go on, so these were all guesses on her part. She could be completely wrong.
But, regardless, she had a bad feeling about why they were asleep. It didn’t look like they had simply taken a nap in the midst of having a picnic. The whole thing did not feel right to her, and Martha trusted her instincts on this matter.
And it wouldn’t be a typical day traveling with the Doctor if something weird didn’t happen. She was certain that the Doctor would be rather disappointed if they had an uneventful trip somewhere or somewhen as the case was here. After all, what’s the fun of a trip if you didn’t run for your life at least once or get pulled into a mystery that needed solving?
The people began waking up. Hidden from view by a thick bush, the Doctor and Martha watched as the dark-haired woman grew increasingly distressed while the other two tried to calm her. Martha exchanged worried looks with the Doctor when the pale woman talked of a man, Merlin, disappearing and that magic had to have been the cause of it. But for some reason, her two companions were baffled as to who she was talking about as well as denying magic even existed.
The Doctor and Martha soon learned that the people they were eavesdropping on were exactly who they were looking to meet. But Martha hadn’t expected to see Camelot under these circumstances - for King Arthur and Queen Guinevere, or Gwen as Morgana had called her, to have some bizarre form of memory loss.
And Morgana, who was always made out to be an evil, manipulative sorceress in the legends Martha recalled, was the only one who remembered. Martha deduced that maybe in this Camelot, Morgana wasn’t working against King Arthur - judging by the king and queen’s apparent friendship with her. Still, she knew it would take her some time to readjust the image of the notorious witch with the woman before her.
Soon, Morgana appeared to relent in her insistence that something was wrong. She apologized for worrying the other two. Still Martha was certain she had stopped pursuing the matter when she found that she had no confidante to support her. Without another person to side with her, there was little she could do without being propositioned to seek medical assistance.
Martha turned to the Doctor and she spoke urgently to him, “We have to help her somehow, Doctor. We could be the only other people who aren’t under this memory loss spell…or whatever it is.”
The Doctor rubbed his chin, appearing quite frustrated with his findings. “Oh, this is not good. Not good, not good…”
“Doctor?”
“The king and queen were right about one matter - magic doesn’t exist here, not anymore at least. And I would guess that whoever has taken Merlin had a role to play in the magic sapping.”
“How do you know that? Did you find out through the sonic?”
He nodded and then he patted his hand on the ground. “Magic comes from the earth, Martha,” the Doctor explained. “Nature breathes magic in and out here. If this reciprocity does not exist, then any magic user will lose their magic because their source of magic - the very earth they walk upon and live on - will not supply them with the magic they need.”
“The spell could have removed magic from magic wielders as well, right?” Martha wondered. “So maybe Morgana doesn’t have magic inside of her now? If she is meant to be a sorceress in this Camelot, that is…”
He nodded. “Well, we should find out then, shall we?”
Before Martha could do anything, the Doctor took her by the hand and pulled her along with him - out from behind the bush.
Upon seeing them, Morgana’s green eyes widened and then they flashed gold - freezing the king and queen in place.
“You still have magic?” Martha uttered in shock.
“That answers one question,” the Doctor mused.
Morgana looked at them oddly, but she didn’t comment. Under an untrusting gaze, she directed them away from the king and queen.
The Doctor and Martha followed after her and once they stopped a few feet away, Morgana turned around on them, a questioning look clear in her darkened eyes.
“Who are you two? What do you want?” Morgana demanded of them, though there was a slight tremble in her voice.
The Doctor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’m the Doctor, this is my companion, Martha Jones,” he nodded at Martha. “We saw you were having some trouble… We only want to help. We know who Merlin is and we believe something has gone wrong. If you would let us help you, we can figure out what happened. We can get Merlin back.”
She narrowed her eyes, looking suspicious. “How do I know that you two aren’t to blame for Arthur and Gwen forgetting? And for Merlin disappearing too?”
“We can’t give you much reason to trust us, I know, but if we did cause this, then--” Martha reasoned to her, “-why would we be so willing to help you?”
“You could just be doing it to make the situation even worse. What if I trust you and the minute my back is turned--” she gestured with her finger slashing across her throat.
Her green eyes glittered, giving Martha pause and making her wonder if this Morgana wasn’t exactly without her dark side as well. Still, Martha thought, no one was purely good…everyone had their flaws, their faults. And she saw the worry clear as a day in Morgana’s face.
The Doctor looked to be pondering something before he took out his psychic paper. He opened it and waved the paper at Morgana. “What do you see here?”
Morgana peered at it in confusion. “It’s blank. What is the purpose of that?”
“Ah, right. Well, that’s what I thought would happen.”
“Shakespeare all over again…” Martha said under her breath.
“We’re time travelers - what’s your name?” the Doctor asked. Though he already knew, he decided it would be polite to ask.
“I’m the Lady Morgana. I’m the Court Seer at Camelot,” she introduced herself tiredly.
“Right, well, Lady Morgana, Martha and I don’t belong to this time. We’re just as puzzled as you are as to what has transpired here. It’s my job to fix this sort of your problem. You need my help…because it might not just be the king and queen who have lost their memories. This very world has been altered.”
Morgana raised her eyebrow. “Altered how?”
The Doctor hesitated. He wasn’t sure how she would take the knowledge that magic was truly gone from her world…barring her magic inside of her, but the Doctor feared that soon - without the magic of the earth to replenish her - Morgana’s magic would go away as well. “The magic in this world…” he began.
Morgana interrupted him. “Arthur and Gwen denied its very existence. Surely they must be wrong?”
“I wish they were,” the Doctor said with a sigh. “Back in Camelot, is there anyone else who wields magic? You could ask them if they could do magic…or even if they believe in magic. Otherwise, Lady Morgana, you may be the only one now who has magic.”
“What? No, that can’t be…that’s ridiculous. What sort of spell made me immune to its effects? Why would someone even do a spell such as this? What was the purpose of it? I don’t understand…and now, my husband is gone. What a wretched day!” She finished with a frustrated cry and then she collapsed to the ground.
Martha moved to sit beside her, trying to comfort her in some way by gripping her shoulder gently.
“Merlin is your husband? Really?” The Doctor asked her, sounding quite interested in learning this.
Morgana nodded, wiping at her eyes. “Yes, he is. Lord Merlin, actually, but he has never been fond of that title,” she told them, a small smile coming upon her lips as she spoke about him.
“Have you had any children yet?” Martha asked lightly.
“No, I haven’t. With what has happened now, I’m grateful for it. I don’t know how I would explain to my child that their father is missing…” she drifted off, not wanting to dwell on the matter.
The Doctor attempted to reassure her. “Well, with our help, Merlin will be back before long.”
Morgana looked at him curiously. “How do you know Merlin anyway?” She questioned him.
“I told you - we’re time travelers. We come from the future, and believe me, Martha and I both understand how important Merlin is. We think it’s only right to aid you in solving this troubling mystery.”
Morgana shook her head, taking a deep breath afterwards. She replaced a strand of hair behind her ear before she nodded. “All right. I’ll trust the both of you for now. I could use some help in figuring this out. And for someone who won’t look at me like I’ve gone mad.”
The Doctor clapped his hands a little over enthusiastically. “Very good! Well, why don’t we go back to the king and queen then?”
Morgana and Martha both stood up.
“I’ll convince Arthur and Gwen that you’re simply in need of a place to stay for a short while. That you’re not enemies in disguise,” Morgana told them, though her smile toward them was uneasy. She still appeared uncertain about granting the pair her trust.
Martha couldn’t fault her for that. What was happening now was an extraordinary circumstance, which made it that much more difficult to trust anyone when your world seemed to be falling apart before your eyes.
~ * ~