wrisomifu ficlet
Guys, I have the best f-list in the world! Look at these prompts! Anyway, this is for such_heights prompt: Morgana starts practising magic, aided and abetted by Gwen.
Five Times Morgana's Magic Went A Bit Wrong
Merlin; Gwen, Morgana; 1044 words
i.
“I'm a witch.” Morgana's chambers were lit only by candlelight, shadows flickered around the edges of the room. Morgana herself stood tall and regal in the middle of the floor. “My dreams show me the future.”
“We, uh, we expected as much. About your dreams, I mean.”
“It's not just the dreams, I can control fire.”
Morgana stared intensely at the candle she'd placed on the table next to Gwen, nothing happened. She glared, still nothing happened.
“It doesn't always work, I'm still getting the hang of it. But I can do it,” Morgana said, a little defensively. “I started that fire in my chambers.”
“I'm sure you did,” said Gwen. “So, um, have you been practising that speech for long?”
“No!” Morgana's bearing sagged a little. “A few days, perhaps.”
“Right, well. Do you mind if I open these curtains and let some daylight in?”
ii.
Scrying, Morgana assumed, would be easy. After all, if she could see the future while unconscious, then observing the present while awake should be simplicity itself.
She spent a week staring at length at any shiny surface she came across. Eventually, Gwen got irritated with all the castle gossip about how the King's Ward was more enamoured with her own good looks than ever. She gave a little cough, and said, “I believe, my lady, that water is traditionally used when scrying.”
She even went to fetch a bowl of water, which was nice of her and gave Morgana a chance to be mortified in peace.
*
“My eyes! My eyes!”
Gwen had been keeping watch outside Morgana's door. But she hurried inside when she heard the sound of a bowl breaking, followed by Morgana's scream.
“What is it? What did you see?” Gwen caught hold of Morgana's wrists to stop her making, what Gwen would characterise as, overly-dramatic attempts to claw her own eyes out.
“It worked. I could see outside this room, the kitchens, the stables, Arthur's chambers...”
“And?”
“You know those rumours about Arthur and Merlin?”
“That Arthur's bedding him?”
Morgana nodded miserably. “And not necessarily on the bed.”
“Oh. Oh.”
iii.
“I hope you get eaten by a bear.”
All in all, it wasn't the wittiest retort Morgana had ever come up with. But things between her and Arthur had been strained ever since the incident with the questing beast, when Morgana had rushed from the castle in her nightdress to try to prevent him leaving. So much so, that she was actually relived when Arthur called her a 'vapid, useless tart,' because it meant things were getting back to normal.
So instead of beating him around the head with the nearest blunt object, she picked up the train of her dress and swept away to a distant part of the castle.
Where she didn't hear any of the ensuing commotion, and knew nothing about it until Gwen told her later that night.
*
“It wasn't necessarily me, you know.” Morgana was in bed, blankets wrapped around her, knees drawn up to her chest.
“I see,” said Gwen, raising an eyebrow. “A bear, wandering through forest, minding its own business, just happened across a magical portal that deposited it in Prince Arthur's chambers?”
When it was put like that. “I'm sorry. But it wasn't deliberate, and no one was hurt. And I know you'd like me to be more careful, and I will be--”
Gwen held up her hands to forestall Morgana. “Just,” she smiled fondly, “just don't go threatening anyone else with carnivorous mammals, okay?”
“Omnivores. I think bears are omnivorous.”
Gwen wasn't like Merlin, she would never say 'shut up, you royal idiot' to Morgana's face. But she had a facial expression, a raised eyebrow and slightly down-turned lips, that said it for her.
iv.
Gwen.
Gwen ignored the voice in her head. She'd told Morgana she didn't want any part of her insane magical experiments, not after Morgana's attempt to conjure a small amount of drizzle inside her chambers had resulted in a thunderstorm that had drenched the whole of Camelot for three days.
Gwen. Gweeeeen.
Gwen ignored the wheedling voice and made her way around the edges of the feast, deliberately not so much as looking in Morgana's direction. Of course, Morgana was her mistress, and if she wanted to come over and address Gwen like a normal person she'd have to respond; but Gwen felt perfectly within her rights to ignore this telepathic nonsense.
Gwen. Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen. Guinevere. Gwen.
Gwen stopped next to Merlin. “What's Morgana doing?” she asked him.
Morgana must have been standing in the general vicinity of Arthur because Merlin answered straight away. “Talking to Sir Lionel. He's talking to her, at least. She looks bored.”
Gwen.
Despite herself, Gwen turned and thought, I can hear you, you know.
Morgana smiled, and it was like the first day of spring. Gwen understood why she was always going to go along with whatever magical hi-jinks Morgana thought up.
Sir Lionel smiled like a fool, thinking he was the one who had made Morgana smile like that. Then he just looked like an fool when Morgana brushed absent-mindedly past him and walked over to take Gwen's arm.
v.
Uther was blinkered when it came to Morgana. So when he could no longer ignore the fact that Morgana and Gwen were always present when sorcery was used, it was Gwen that he had arrested.
Arthur was arguing passionately with Uther when Morgana arrived.
“Father, I--”
“I will have no more arguments, Arthur. Arrange for the witch's execution.”
“Guinevere is not a witch. Morgana, say something!”
“It's me.” There was a moment like time had stopped, Morgana was almost sure she wasn't doing it. “I'm the witch.”
“You--”
“Be quiet,” she said simply, and Uther did. His mouth moved soundlessly.
Morgana knew that she should be afraid, but she thought about the dreams, the fire, the storm and the fact that she'd just stolen words from the mouth of the king of Camelot - and wasn't.
“Now, I'm going to take Gwen and leave Camelot. Neither of you are going to stop us.”
Five Times Morgana's Magic Went A Bit Wrong
Merlin; Gwen, Morgana; 1044 words
i.
“I'm a witch.” Morgana's chambers were lit only by candlelight, shadows flickered around the edges of the room. Morgana herself stood tall and regal in the middle of the floor. “My dreams show me the future.”
“We, uh, we expected as much. About your dreams, I mean.”
“It's not just the dreams, I can control fire.”
Morgana stared intensely at the candle she'd placed on the table next to Gwen, nothing happened. She glared, still nothing happened.
“It doesn't always work, I'm still getting the hang of it. But I can do it,” Morgana said, a little defensively. “I started that fire in my chambers.”
“I'm sure you did,” said Gwen. “So, um, have you been practising that speech for long?”
“No!” Morgana's bearing sagged a little. “A few days, perhaps.”
“Right, well. Do you mind if I open these curtains and let some daylight in?”
ii.
Scrying, Morgana assumed, would be easy. After all, if she could see the future while unconscious, then observing the present while awake should be simplicity itself.
She spent a week staring at length at any shiny surface she came across. Eventually, Gwen got irritated with all the castle gossip about how the King's Ward was more enamoured with her own good looks than ever. She gave a little cough, and said, “I believe, my lady, that water is traditionally used when scrying.”
She even went to fetch a bowl of water, which was nice of her and gave Morgana a chance to be mortified in peace.
*
“My eyes! My eyes!”
Gwen had been keeping watch outside Morgana's door. But she hurried inside when she heard the sound of a bowl breaking, followed by Morgana's scream.
“What is it? What did you see?” Gwen caught hold of Morgana's wrists to stop her making, what Gwen would characterise as, overly-dramatic attempts to claw her own eyes out.
“It worked. I could see outside this room, the kitchens, the stables, Arthur's chambers...”
“And?”
“You know those rumours about Arthur and Merlin?”
“That Arthur's bedding him?”
Morgana nodded miserably. “And not necessarily on the bed.”
“Oh. Oh.”
iii.
“I hope you get eaten by a bear.”
All in all, it wasn't the wittiest retort Morgana had ever come up with. But things between her and Arthur had been strained ever since the incident with the questing beast, when Morgana had rushed from the castle in her nightdress to try to prevent him leaving. So much so, that she was actually relived when Arthur called her a 'vapid, useless tart,' because it meant things were getting back to normal.
So instead of beating him around the head with the nearest blunt object, she picked up the train of her dress and swept away to a distant part of the castle.
Where she didn't hear any of the ensuing commotion, and knew nothing about it until Gwen told her later that night.
*
“It wasn't necessarily me, you know.” Morgana was in bed, blankets wrapped around her, knees drawn up to her chest.
“I see,” said Gwen, raising an eyebrow. “A bear, wandering through forest, minding its own business, just happened across a magical portal that deposited it in Prince Arthur's chambers?”
When it was put like that. “I'm sorry. But it wasn't deliberate, and no one was hurt. And I know you'd like me to be more careful, and I will be--”
Gwen held up her hands to forestall Morgana. “Just,” she smiled fondly, “just don't go threatening anyone else with carnivorous mammals, okay?”
“Omnivores. I think bears are omnivorous.”
Gwen wasn't like Merlin, she would never say 'shut up, you royal idiot' to Morgana's face. But she had a facial expression, a raised eyebrow and slightly down-turned lips, that said it for her.
iv.
Gwen.
Gwen ignored the voice in her head. She'd told Morgana she didn't want any part of her insane magical experiments, not after Morgana's attempt to conjure a small amount of drizzle inside her chambers had resulted in a thunderstorm that had drenched the whole of Camelot for three days.
Gwen. Gweeeeen.
Gwen ignored the wheedling voice and made her way around the edges of the feast, deliberately not so much as looking in Morgana's direction. Of course, Morgana was her mistress, and if she wanted to come over and address Gwen like a normal person she'd have to respond; but Gwen felt perfectly within her rights to ignore this telepathic nonsense.
Gwen. Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen, Gwen. Guinevere. Gwen.
Gwen stopped next to Merlin. “What's Morgana doing?” she asked him.
Morgana must have been standing in the general vicinity of Arthur because Merlin answered straight away. “Talking to Sir Lionel. He's talking to her, at least. She looks bored.”
Gwen.
Despite herself, Gwen turned and thought, I can hear you, you know.
Morgana smiled, and it was like the first day of spring. Gwen understood why she was always going to go along with whatever magical hi-jinks Morgana thought up.
Sir Lionel smiled like a fool, thinking he was the one who had made Morgana smile like that. Then he just looked like an fool when Morgana brushed absent-mindedly past him and walked over to take Gwen's arm.
v.
Uther was blinkered when it came to Morgana. So when he could no longer ignore the fact that Morgana and Gwen were always present when sorcery was used, it was Gwen that he had arrested.
Arthur was arguing passionately with Uther when Morgana arrived.
“Father, I--”
“I will have no more arguments, Arthur. Arrange for the witch's execution.”
“Guinevere is not a witch. Morgana, say something!”
“It's me.” There was a moment like time had stopped, Morgana was almost sure she wasn't doing it. “I'm the witch.”
“You--”
“Be quiet,” she said simply, and Uther did. His mouth moved soundlessly.
Morgana knew that she should be afraid, but she thought about the dreams, the fire, the storm and the fact that she'd just stolen words from the mouth of the king of Camelot - and wasn't.
“Now, I'm going to take Gwen and leave Camelot. Neither of you are going to stop us.”