TSitS - Val Sans Retour
Title: The Sword in the Stone Series
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Morgause and Morgana know Merlin's secret. Morgana uses her powers to capture Arthur and Merlin and send them to a magical realm of her own making: The Vale of No Return. While trapped there, Arthur and Merlin uncover the secrets that began it all, and what might be the end of everything. Can they escape the Vale, and will it be in time to stop Morgause? And what will Arthur say when he discovers Merlin's dark secret?
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Part XI - Val Sans Retour
…
…
"Merlin's powers pose a problem," Morgause said as she walked through the forest in a slow, calm sway.
Morgana was at her side, watching the trees as they moved onward. "I never would have suspected him," she admitted softly. "He always seemed like such a fool…"
Morgause pursed her lips for a moment before frowning and stopping their walk. Morgana turned to look at her curiously. "I have a new plan, one to rid us of Uther Pendragon once and for all. We have tried many times in the past and I believe the only reason for our failure was Merlin and his magic. Morgana….," she said almost lovingly, caressing her sister's face. "You must find a way to keep Merlin out of the way until Uther is dead."
Morgana nodded, but frowned. "I'll have to capture Arthur then, too. Merlin almost never leaves his side these days."
"Do what you must….or Uther will likely live forever."
…
…
Arthur stalked through the underbrush of the forest, sneaking along, following the trail of a mighty buck. He paused, spotting his prey two hundred feet away, grazing without a care in the world. He lifted his crossbow, took aim, and fired.
"Arthur?"
The buck was startled and moved. The arrow missed its target, instead imbedding itself in the deer's hindquarters as it ran off. Arthur growled and turned to look behind him, where Merlin's voice had come from. It took several seconds, but then Merin's head popped out from behind a tree and he stumbled over to where Arthur stood. Around his shoulders were the five rabbits, two hawks, and two fox that Arthur had already managed to kill. He looked exhausted.
"Arthur…," he gasped out, slipping but not falling in the leaves on the ground. "I thought I'd lost you."
Arthur's frown deepened. "And I just lost my buck, Merlin," he complained.
Merlin frowned, eyes scrunched in confusion, and looked around the area in search of the elusive deer. "That buck?" he asked, pointing.
Arthur turned back around and stopped. There. Standing a little over three hundred feet away, was the most amazing buck Arthur had ever seen. It was tall and built and meaty, with large horns protruding a great distance from its head.
"Be quiet, Merlin," Arthur ordered in a whisper. "I swear if you scare it away….you'll wish you were never born."
Merlin went still as a statue as Arthur slunk forward toward the creature, his crossbow at the ready. Arthur stopped, lifted his crossbow, took aim…..The buck's ears pricked, it turned its head, and bounded off further into the forest. Arthur growled and turned to Merlin with a heavy glare.
"It wasn't me," Merlin whispered loudly, raising his hands in surrender. "I didn't move."
Arthur shook his head, waved for Merlin to follow, and took chase after the deer. Merlin was surprisingly quiet behind him, managing to follow Arthur's footsteps precisely enough that he didn't hit too many bushes or fall in any holes. The only real difference was his feet hit the ground harder and the kills around his neck ran into the bushes sometimes. They ran in the direction the deer had gone, Arthur keeping track of the marks on the ground that said they were going the right direction. Typically he would give up on a deer that got away, but this one was perfect and he had to have it.
He stopped suddenly and Merlin ran smack dab into him, bouncing back with an 'oof' and holding his nose where it had collided with Arthur. Arthur held out a hand to keep Merlin quiet and then pointed. The buck was standing by a tree, its head turned toward them, staring with wide eyes. Arthur's hand tightened on his crossbow and the buck bolted around the tree and out of sight.
"No," Arthur cursed under his breath before he hurried quietly to the tree and around it after the deer. Merlin didn't move, afraid he'd be too loud.
After several long moments of silence, Merlin crept forward toward the tree. Two steps forward and he tripped, falling into the bushes loudly with a yelp. He jumped up as fast as he could but his apologies died in his throat when he realized Arthur wasn't yelling at him. Narrowing his eyes, Merlin finished his walk up to the large tree where Arthur had vanished and looked around it. His eyebrows came together in confusion. Where'd he go? The buck, Arthur, they were both gone. Endless forest spread out before him, but Merlin didn't see a single sign of life other than the trees.
"Arthur?" he called out softly, stepping around the tree. Two steps in and suddenly Merlin felt a tingle through his whole body and rubbed his arms to get rid of it. "Arthur?" he called louder.
"Merlin?" Arthur's voice responded from behind him.
Merlin flipped around but saw nothing but open forest behind him. "Arthur?" he asked, stepping back the way he'd come. He felt the tingle again and then suddenly he was standing in a completely different set of forest with Arthur standing not a foot in front of him. "Ah!"
Merlin jumped back from Arthur and Arthur vanished, leaving Merlin back where he'd started. He narrowed his eyes at the air in front of him. Taking a step to the left, Merlin moved forward. He appeared just to Arthur's right and then stumbled forward from whatever it was that was causing this.
"What's going on?" Merlin asked shakily.
Arthur shook his head. "I was hoping you had an idea. I was chasing the deer and then suddenly it was gone and here we are," he motioned to the forest around him uselessly.
Looking around, Merlin found he didn't recognize anything around them. "I don't think this is the same forest, Arthur."
"Really?" Arthur asked sarcastically. "Look, we'll go back the way we came and figure out what happened. Come on." He grabbed Merlin by the upper left arm and pulled him forward. This time, Merlin saw Arthur vanish a moment before he went through whatever it was himself. "Alright. This looks right."
Merlin looked around. "Actually…the trees over there are wrong," he said, motioning around the other side of the tree next to them. Arthur gave him a disbelieving look. "I fell earlier, and those aren't the trees I fell into," Merlin explained, cheeks pink in embarrassment.
Arthur let out a breath. "So you're clumsiness is useful." He looked around them. "If this isn't the forest near Camelot, then where are we and how did we get here?" Without waiting for an answer, Arthur began walking.
"W-where are you going?" Merlin asked, jumping to catch up.
"We're getting out of here," Arthur announced boldly. "Just standing there won't get us anywhere, so we're going to keep walking until we find something."
Merlin frowned but didn't say anything. He readjusted the dead animals across his shoulders and kept walking at Arthur's side.
…
…
"The Vale of No Return," Morgause half-hummed. "Good choice, sister. Now, hold them until I return…Uther's life is in our hands now."
She turned and walked away from the seeing crystals. The image in the bowl was of Morgana, laying in bed as if in sleep. Through the bowl could be seen a faint glow of blue all around her body.
…
…
The trees ended and all at once a great, beautiful valley spread out before them. Green grass stretched as far as the eye could see with wildflowers interspersed throughout. A sparkling river ran through the middle, disappearing in the trees on one side of the valley, where Arthur and Merlin had come from, and into the mountains on the horizon.
"Whoa," Merlin breathed out. "Amazing."
"Don't be stupid, Merlin," Arthur said moments later, shaking himself. "It's just a river." With that, he began to walk down the slight hill to the riverside. "We need to find out where we are."
"But what if whoever sent us here is still around," Merlin called out without following. "Shouldn't we stay in the trees where there's some cover?"
"It's a giant field, Merlin," Arthur called back. "I know of no weapon that can fire that far away that's smaller than a large catapult….and we'd see that attack a mile away."
Merlin looked around the area once before rushing to catch up, Arthur was halfway to the river now. Once they'd arrived, Arthur dropped down next to the flowing water and inspected it. He seemed to deem it safe because in the next moments, he was splashing his face with it and taking a drink.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Merlin asked as he set the hunting gear and prizes down on the ground just behind where Arthur sat, before seating himself next to Arthur at the riverside. "I mean….what if there's a spell on the water?"
"There's a spell on this whole place, Merlin," Arthur rationalized. "I don't think drinking the water is going to be a problem."
Merlin sat quietly for several long moments, and Arthur watched the water flow by, following it with his eyes until it went beyond his line of sight. Maybe if they followed the river they would find some way out?
"Arthur?"
"Hm?" Arthur asked, turning his head from the view of the mountains to look at Merlin curiously. The dismal expression on Merlin's face took him by surprise. "What?"
"This…thing….the magic that brought us here….," he began jerkily, unsure of how to phrase this best. "This….It isn't going to change how you feel about magic….is it?" His voice was quiet and Arthur did his best to ignore why that might be.
Instead, he turned to look at the water as it rushed gently over the rocks of the river bed and left trails in the dirt. He shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it, truly," he admitted. "Ever since the seer Tethella told me a sorcerer would one day stand by my side, I've begun noticing the magic around me. And not just the beasts and the evil sorcerers trying to destroy the kingdom. I've noticed other things, like the rain that put out the fires in the northern cities, and the Fisher King. The magic that put out those fires was not evil, and the Fisher King was just a weird old man. And I realized…that magic has been around me for a long time now." Merlin looked at him with shock in his eyes and Arthur shrugged again. "Nothing big; just the random coincidences that help me out in a tough spot…like all those huge tree branches," he half-breathed, like he felt stupid for not thinking it weird before.
Merlin snorted and then covered his mouth and nose with his hands. Arthur shot him a look for the laugh but quickly dropped it and let out a little sigh.
"So no," he stated simply. "This isn't really going to affect how I feel about magic." He gave Merlin a contemplative look. "I'm still conflicted though. All of my life, I've been taught magic is evil, but I'm realizing that magic was sometimes the only reason why I'm alive today. So I'm leaning more toward magic being neutral, rather than good or evil."
Merlin smiled. "I'd say that's a pretty good standpoint," he agreed. "Magic doesn't necessarily make the person evil. It's the person who chooses how to use the magic….just like a man with a sword."
Arthur turned his head to nod to Merlin in agreement, but his eyes landed on something behind Merlin and widened. He stood up, his mouth dropping open. "Morgana?" Arthur let out in shock as his sister walked closer to them. He took a step forward but Merlin stood up quickly and shot out a hand to stop him. "Merlin, what-?"
Merlin shook his head. "Don't." Dont't go near her. Don't trust her. Just don't.
"Merlin, what are you talking about? Let go of me," Arthur demanded almost gently. He turned to Morgana with a relieved look as she got closer. "You have no idea how good it is to see a familiar face, Morgana. How did you wind up here?"
Morgana gave an innocent smile. "I just woke up here." Her expression turned confused and worried. "I went to sleep last night and now I'm here. Where is here?"
Arthur shrugged. "I'm not sure." He pushed Merlin's arm away forcefully since he hadn't lowered it himself. "I can understand why someone would kidnap me, but why you, Morgana? Because you're the King's ward?" His eyes widened. "It's an attack on my father."
Morgana's eyes widened. "Someone's after Uther? Then we have to get out of here. We have to help him!" she said as if she believed they were the ones keeping them all here.
"If it was an attack on Uther, why would they kidnap his kids?" Merlin asked, eyes locked on Morgana, so he saw when she frowned darkly at him after Arthur turned to face his manservant.
"What are you saying, Merlin?" he asked.
Merlin shrugged. "I don't know. It might be an attack on your father. It probably is. But I don't think that explains why we're the ones that were captured. I mean, why capture us?"
"Maybe because they know that we would stop them," Morgana suggested, her tone missing all of the innocence of a moment ago. And the way she was staring at Merlin….She was telling Merlin why they were here: because Merlin would stop any attack on Uther.
Arthur rounded on Morgana and she adopted that perfectly innocent and terrified for 'daddy' look she'd grown accustomed to wearing. Merlin frowned over Arthur's shoulder.
"But that's obvious," Arthur was saying. "Uther is the King. Of course we'd protect him. Any idiot would know that," he debunked the idea.
"Well then maybe the attacker isn't an idiot," Merlin suggested. "Maybe they know the castle better than that."
"Are you suggesting an attack from within?" Arthur asked, turning sideways so he could see both his companions without constantly having to turn around.
"Maybe," Merlin said shortly.
"If that's the way it is," Morgana pitched in helpfully, "then no one will ever see it coming. We've got to get out of here before it's too late."
"Right," Arthur agreed. "But Merlin and I tried going out the way we came in. It just sends you to another part of the forest, not out. So unless one of you has a brilliant idea, I'm afraid we're stuck until our captor comes for us or lets us go."
"Right," Merlin said, again shortly. "Morgana should know how to get out." Arthur turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "She's the one who fell asleep and ended up here. She must've been near the person who cast the spell for that to happen, right? So she should know who's behind the attack."
Arthur raised both eyebrows. "That's pretty good, Merlin. Morgana, did you see anyone suspicious in the castle? In your rooms?"
Morgana waited a moment, her eyes shifting back and forth like she was trying to remember. "No," she breathed out, sounding tormented. "No, I don't remember anyone. There was just Gwen and me, that was it. I didn't see who it was. I'm sorry," she gushed, beginning to tear up.
Merlin scoffed from next to him and Arthur turned to tell him off, but stopped upon seeing the barely held in rage on Merlin's face. "Just admit it," Merlin said quietly, staring straight at Morgana. "You're the reason we're here. You brought us here."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin-"
"Why would I do that?" Morgana asked tearfully, sniffling. "Why would I want to hurt the man who's been so kind to me?"
"Because you don't feel that way at all," Merlin accused. "You told me that yourself. You didn't feel safe in Camelot. And I know for a fact that you tried to have him killed before, back when Gwen's father died."
"What?" Arthur gasped, looking to Morgana for answers. "Did you really?"
Morgana looked cornered. "I…I…I was angry with him. I blamed him for her father's death. I thought the world would be better without him," she admitted. Arthur looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Morgana panicked. "But I stopped it!" she tried. "I forgave him for it. Really. I saved him from the bandits!"
She was really convincing, to the point where if Merlin hadn't known the truth even he would've believed her.
"And the mandrake?" Merlin asked. "The one you hung under his bed to make him hallucinate?" Morgana stopped her pleading abruptly and Arthur looked at Merlin like he'd lost his mind. Merlin laid it all out on the line. If she was going to give away any of his secrets, she already had enough kindling to light a bonfire. "Or the time you tried to stab him in his sleep? Or the Knights of Medhir?" he asked. "What about those times?"
"I had nothing to do with the Knights!" Morgana shouted angrily, and then covered her mouth. Arthur raised an eyebrow at her and Merlin smirked.
"Ok, not the Knights then. Maybe that was a coincidence. But the others? I bet you've tried to kill Uther a dozen times by now. Did you hire the assassin on his birthday? I bet you weren't happy I saved him, were you? Why don't you just admit it?"
Arthur opened his mouth to refute what Merlin was saying, but Morgana beat him to it. She chuckled. "Why not?" Morgana asked, seeming almost innocent in her query. "It's not like it will matter soon anyway."
"Morgana?" Arthur let out in surprise, his eyes widening as he took in her smirk and suddenly dry eyes.
Morgana's eyes turned from Merlin to Arthur. "Don't look at me like that, Arthur. Uther is a self-righteous pig; a hypocrite that deserves to die," she spat like venom. "You thought so too, once. You know I'm right."
Arthur looked baffled. Morgana? "He may have made mistakes, Morgana, but I've lived during a time when he wasn't there and I realized...I'm not ready for him to die yet. So regardless of what he's done, Morgana-"
"He killed your mother, Arthur." Arthur's mouth shut tight, his eyes hardening. Morgana smirked. "No, it wasn't a lie."
Merlin almost growled. "It may not have been a lie," he began, drawing their attentions, "but the way Morgause told him was. She used his mother, someone dear to his heart, to twist the truth so Arthur would kill his father." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter if he was born from magic. It doesn't matter that Uther used magic. Both his mother and his father agreed. Neither knew what would happen."
Morgana scoffed. "And how exactly does a mere servant know that, Merlin? Dabbled a bit yourself?" she prodded knowingly. Merlin's jaw tightened.
"I asked," Merlin said dismissively. "I asked Gaius and he told me the truth." Turning his eyes to Arthur, he said, "Your father loved your mother. He wasn't lying when he said he would never hurt her. You have to believe that."
"Because you say so, Merlin?" Morgana sneered. "What makes you any different than me?"
"I've never plotted to kill the King or bring down the kingdom." Arthur looked between Merlin and Morgana cautiously. It was like a verbal battle!
"I'm making the world a better place," Morgana asserted.
Arthur's jaw dropped. "Morgana! Father loves you like his own daughter. How-"
Morgana glared, her face scrunched up in anger. 'Like his own.' Ha. "He wouldn't if he knew about me. I have magic, Arthur, and I always have and I always will. Uther would have me killed if he knew." She looked to Merlin with a smirk. "Which makes you like me, Merlin. You knew and you never told anyone. You want Uther dead just as much as me."
"What?" Merlin practically shouted.
Arthur stepped in front of Merlin, shielding him from Morgana, and stared his sister directly in the eyes. "Morgana...Father loves you, maybe more than he loves even me. He would overlook practically anything for you. Even if I had obvious proof of your treason, the attempts on his life, he still would never believe you would hurt him. So why would you, when you have that sort of trust?"
Morgana stared, eyes glazed over, for a few moments, looking conflicted. Merlin's chest tightened: there was hope for her yet. Mere seconds later, she glared again. "Why should I protect Uther and his precious kingdom when no one protected me?" she demanded.
What could he do to make her change her mind? What? Was there anything he-Could that…?
"Trust me, Arthur, when I say that if Tethella had not foretold your future, I'd burn Camelot to the ground!"
"I'm sorry!"
Arthur looked behind himself at Merlin and Morgana stopped talking. Merlin stepped to Arthur's left so he could face his darker half.
"It's my fault, right?" he half-asked, looking forlorn. "If it wasn't for me...you wouldn't be this way. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been gone for a year, going through who knows what. If it wasn't for me. You hate me, so just say it." He waited a beat, and then took a deep breath, bracing himself. "I'm so sorry that I tried to kill you; that I poisoned you." Arthur stiffened next to him and Merlin purposefully kept his eyes on Morgana. "Morgause…I don't know….she did something to you, and it caused the spell. I had to kill you to stop it. If I hadn't done it, everyone would have died. It's not a good excuse, I know, but it's the truth. I would never have done it if I'd been given another choice, I swear," he breathed out. "I'm sorry I was so angry at you. I'm sorry I fought you and hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't die," he half breathed out the last one.
Morgana physically recoiled on the last one. "What makes you think a simple apology is enough to make me forsake my sister?" she asked angrily.
Merlin shrugged, flopping his arms uselessly. "It isn't. It shouldn't be. But I just...I just...," he trailed off. He had nothing left. If that didn't do it, he didn't know what to do. She had lost her leverage against him, but he was sure she could find something else to have him killed for if she wanted to. Heck, she could probably kill him right here and now.
"Morgana," Arthur began, his gaze steady on Merlin even as he spoke to his sister. "What is this place?"
"The Valley of No Return," she stated clearly. "It is my realm and I control it. No one can leave without my permission and no one can enter without my help. You two are stuck here."
"I take it there's an attack going on right now then?" he asked. Morgana didn't answer and Arthur nodded. "We're here until my father is dead," he murmured. Suddenly, without warning, Arthur turned to Morgana, took the two steps that separated them, and wrapped her in an embrace.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Morgana stuttered out, completely out of her element. "Arthur?"
Arthur held her tighter. "I'm sorry for all the pain you've been through, Morgana, really I am...but he is my father...and I cannot just sit here while he is murdered. I cannot simply wait as my father's city - my city - and its people are destroyed." He pulled back from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were kind and forgiving. "Please...let us go so I can save him."
Morgana stared at him for three seconds. "What, so you can turn me in once the danger's over? I'm not keen to lose my head, Arthur," she said angrily.
Arthur shook his head. "I won't tell him. Morgana, if you help me save him, I won't tell him. You can use your magic to save the kingdom, to do good...Isn't that what you want? Isn't that what magic is for?"
Morgana's widened. That sounded like what Merlin had said to her before... "I..."
"We can be allies," Merlin's voice spoke up from somewhere behind Arthur that neither royal could see. "We can all protect the kingdom together."
He was asking from a magic user's standpoint. He was willing to forgive her for everything she'd done: they both were. All she had to do was give up Morgause.
"She's my sister," Morgana challenged weakly.
Arthur's grip tightened on her shoulders minutely. "A sister full of darkness and hate," he murmured. "How about a brother willing to love and forgive? A brother who promises to protect you with all that he is?"
Morgana's lips quivered upwards momentarily. "Never knew you to be quite so emotional," she half-teased. Her smile dropped. "If I side with you, I betray my sister. If I do that, she will not be so forgiving."
"We've beaten her before," Arthur said confidently.
Morgana lifted an eyebrow. She knew now that most of those times were probably because of Merlin, but she would let Arthur have his fun. "You so sure about that?" she asked, teasing back in her voice even as she was completely serious.
"We can take her," Merlin ascertained.
Morgana took a step back from Arthur, and then two more steps. She looked from her brother to Merlin and back. "I'm putting all my trust in you," she told them. "I hate Uther; he is a cold hearted and evil man….But I will….allow him a chance….for you, Arthur. Be swift."
And just like that, Morgana faded away. With her went the flowing river, the tall mountains, and the endless forests. Suddenly, Arthur and Merlin found themselves back in the forest where they'd started, just past the tree the deer had led them around. Merlin looked to the side and saw the broken bushes where he'd fallen just before he walked into the Vale.
They were back. Really back.
"Let's go," Arthur commanded in a quiet rush, and Merlin nodded. They both ran for their horses, saddling up as quickly as possible - Arthur faster than Merlin, obviously - and racing back to the castle at near break neck speeds.
…
…
Morgause slipped into the castle at Camelot without a sound, walked calmly to the throne room without alerting a single guard, and entered the room through an unguarded side door without issue. Uther was seated in his throne with a frown on his face, a poorly dressed peasant before him on his knees with his head bowed and the royal court surrounding them both.
Uther sighed. "The claim brought against you is that you stole all your neighbor's swine and then ran off with his daughter, taking both his livelihood and his family. This is a very serious accusation," he said evenly. If it was up to him, the man would be thrown in jail for the rest of his life, but there were the rights of the people to consider. Besides, this man was probably the only one with any clues as to where the daughter was right now. "What do you have to say in your defense?"
The peasant shrugged unevenly. "I did take his swine, I admit to that. And I'm sorry for it, but last winter saw all my livestock died from the cold and I needed some way to feed my family." He looked up at Uther and then back down at the floor. "But I did nothing to his daughter. I swear it!"
"Liar!" Another peasant shouted, bursting from the crowd.
Before it could go any further (Morgause had no patience for peasants), Morgause stepped forward from behind the throne and into plain view. "Slǽpgelíce and déaþ," she said clearly, waving her hand out to the multitude gathered. At once, they all fell where they stood and did not move.
"You!" Uther shot out like acid, standing from his throne. He looked to the doors and opened his mouth.
Morgause lifted her hand with a quiet "Sálnes," and then quickly shut it into a loose fist. Uther stopped and put a hand to his throat, eyes wide. "Do not bother with words, Uther Pendragon. There are none in Camelot who can protect you now." She took a step closer to him and Uther fell back into his throne trying to step away from her. She smirked. "ætniman ǽðm; áberan lif," she murmured out quickly, her eyes flashing golden.
Uther's eyes widened a bit further at the sight, remembering Merlin's eyes doing the same only a few short months ago. And then he felt all the air leave his lungs and no matter how he tried, he couldn't take a breath to save his life. He grasped at his throat, his chest, the air, his eyes bulging with the effort to breathe and failing. In the end, he was clutching the wooden arms of his throne, pleading in his mind: stop, please, air, someone….
And then the doors burst open and in ran Arthur and Merlin, gasping for the air Uther craved like they'd run a long distance. They quickly caught their breath upon seeing Morgause standing before the king and Uther himself turning purple in the face.
"Let him go!" Arthur shouted, running forward and pulling his sword from its sheath.
Morgause grinned, drawing her own sword and meeting him head on while Merlin snuck around them both to reach Uther, still suffocating on his throne. "You forget quickly, young prince, how easily I bested you before."
"Not this time, Morgause," Arthur hissed out before pushing her back with everything he had.
Merlin leant over Uther, who stared back at him with wild eyes. "What did she do?" he asked in a quiet rush. Uther grabbed at his throat and Merlin understood immediately. He racked his brain for a spell, but couldn't think of one. He'd have to make one up, he supposed. He took a deep breath, wished for the best, placed his hands on Uther's chest, and breathed out, "Ic giefan ǽðm." Uther showed no sign of breathing and Merlin took another breath to calm his racing heart as Morgause pushed Arthur back toward the far wall with her attacks. "Ic giefan ǽðm," he repeated, clearer but no louder. His eyes flashed gold and he felt the rush of magic flow through him and into Uther.
The sound of Uther gasping suddenly overtook the room and Morgause stopped fighting, turning around to see Merlin patting Uther on the shoulder while he took in deep, rasping breaths, the color of his face returning to normal.
"No!" she shouted angrily. Arthur took this opportunity to attack. He lunged forward and Morgause didn't notice until it was almost too late. She jumped back but Arthur's slash caught her in the right arm. "Ah!" she yelled out, grasping her arm in pain as blood began to drip through the cracks in her fingers. She glared at Arthur, then behind her at Merlin before quickly returning her gaze to Arthur. "You will not always be able to save him," she declared loudly, to both Arthur and Merlin.
She began muttering under her breath and Merlin noticed too late that it was effectively the same spell she'd used when vanishing with Morgana. Before he could even open his mouth, the wind picked up and swirled around the room and then suddenly Morgause was gone, only a few drops of blood on the ground showing she was ever there. Merlin almost walked away toward where she'd been, but Uther clamped a hand down on his arm near the elbow and forced him to stay where he was. He was worried that if Merlin were to walk away, his ability to breathe would go with it. Merlin gave Uther a look a shock, but didn't try to walk away again.
The rest of the room began to stir, every noble and peasant slowly waking from their death like slumber now that the caster of the spell was gone. Just as Arthur was beginning to catch his breath, Morgana rushed into the room looking half-panicked. Merlin and Arthur's eyes shot to her, wide and wondering what she would do now. She cast her gaze between her wheezing father, her fellow sorcerer, and her half-brother before she rushed forward and threw her arms around Arthur in a nearly bone crushing hug.
"Morgana," Arthur rasped out, shocked. She only held him, if possible, tighter, without a word. After a moment of awkwardness, Arthur dropped his sword and held her in return, if not much gentler.
…
…
"Magic tried to end my life today," Uther stated simply, a hint of bitterness in his tone, that night at dinner.
Arthur looked up from where he'd been staring at his food pointedly hoping his father did not bring this up. He had to protect Morgana now. The only problem was that now that he knew, he was more likely to accidentally say something stupid that would incriminate her, and he really really really didn't want to do that. She was his sister, after all, and she'd promised to do good for his father and this country for his sake, if nothing else. And he'd promised her, and he didn't break promises.
Besides: she'd cried into his chest when she saw they'd saved Uther. She couldn't hate him too much….right?
Across from him, Morgana kept her eyes on her food and set her fork down.
"The sorceress Morgause tried to kill me," Uther pressed. Arthur took a sip from his goblet to cover his nerves. "This is just another example of the evil of magic and it further justifies my actions. I must-" he stopped abruptly as Merlin stepped over from somewhere off to the side and refilled Arthur's nearly empty glass. Uther watched him until he'd walked away again and then shook his head and focused back on his children. "Camelot must be more vigilant against such atrocities," he continued. "We must stamp out evil with a firm hand and a sharp sword. Arthur," he addressed his son directly. Arthur sat up straighter. "You must work extra hard at learning how to be a better ruler. Do not get soft."
"Yes, father," he agreed stonily.
"Morgana," Uther said, turning to face his daughter. Morgana stiffed and lifted her head with a perfect smile in place.
"Hm?" she asked, her voice not betraying anything she felt. Arthur was reminded of how long she'd hidden her treachery from them and how easily. She was an amazing actress.
Uther gave her a stern look. "You must be on alert. A magical attack could come at any time from anywhere. Be cautious of anyone you do not know, and more so to those you do. Anyone could be a sorcerer." He pointedly did not look in Merlin's direction.
Morgana frowned. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think?" she asked bitterly. "That's like saying I should be most afraid of Gwen, and she's been a faithful friend of mine for years!" she objected.
Arthur grinned. Perfect. "Yea. That's like saying Merlin is a sorcerer."
Morgana and Uther both paused and looked at Merlin, who smiled uneasily and gave a shy wave from his spot in the corner. Morgana gave a broken laugh. "Ah ha. Ha. Yea. That's it. It's like saying Merlin is a sorcerer." She tore her eyes from Merlin and back to Uther, who did the same and looked to Morgana. "It's…completely ridiculous. I'll keep an eye out for anyone who seems to be out to get me and anyone who I get a bad feeling about, but just because I know them doesn't mean I'm going to suspect them of using enchantments and spells, Uther," she ended convincingly.
Uther regarded her calmly for a few moments and then nodded with a smile. "You always have had a knack for feeling people out, Morgana." Morgana gave an easy smile and Arthur a half-grin. Uther frowned and they both dropped their smiles instantly. "But please….be careful."
Morgana smiled again and placed her hand on his. For the first time, Arthur noticed how tense her shoulders were at having physical contact with his father. "Of course," she placated gently. "Now. We should enjoy the rest of our meal without such dark themes as death and treason." She flit her eyes across Arthur's face nervously, but he just smiled encouragingly and so she gave a little smile in return and picked up her fork again.
…
…
Morgause stared at the image of Morgana smiling in the crystals and her frown deepened. "Sister…," she breathed out. "Why?" The image switched to Merlin standing to the side, watching, and she frowned even deeper. "Merlin."
…
…
Next Time: Emrys and Vortigern - Part One
Lord Vortigern of Cymry has come to Camelot for one reason: to find Merlin. Why? Now Merlin is far from Camelot, far from his destiny, and anything can happen. What causes the quakes of Vortigern's fortress? What will Arthur do when he learns his servant is missing?
…
…
Translations:
slǽpgelíce and déaþ = Sleep like as to death
sálnes = silence
ætniman ǽðm; áberan lif = deprive air; remove life
Ic giefan ǽðm = I give breath (air)
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Morgause and Morgana know Merlin's secret. Morgana uses her powers to capture Arthur and Merlin and send them to a magical realm of her own making: The Vale of No Return. While trapped there, Arthur and Merlin uncover the secrets that began it all, and what might be the end of everything. Can they escape the Vale, and will it be in time to stop Morgause? And what will Arthur say when he discovers Merlin's dark secret?
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Part XI - Val Sans Retour
…
…
"Merlin's powers pose a problem," Morgause said as she walked through the forest in a slow, calm sway.
Morgana was at her side, watching the trees as they moved onward. "I never would have suspected him," she admitted softly. "He always seemed like such a fool…"
Morgause pursed her lips for a moment before frowning and stopping their walk. Morgana turned to look at her curiously. "I have a new plan, one to rid us of Uther Pendragon once and for all. We have tried many times in the past and I believe the only reason for our failure was Merlin and his magic. Morgana….," she said almost lovingly, caressing her sister's face. "You must find a way to keep Merlin out of the way until Uther is dead."
Morgana nodded, but frowned. "I'll have to capture Arthur then, too. Merlin almost never leaves his side these days."
"Do what you must….or Uther will likely live forever."
…
…
Arthur stalked through the underbrush of the forest, sneaking along, following the trail of a mighty buck. He paused, spotting his prey two hundred feet away, grazing without a care in the world. He lifted his crossbow, took aim, and fired.
"Arthur?"
The buck was startled and moved. The arrow missed its target, instead imbedding itself in the deer's hindquarters as it ran off. Arthur growled and turned to look behind him, where Merlin's voice had come from. It took several seconds, but then Merin's head popped out from behind a tree and he stumbled over to where Arthur stood. Around his shoulders were the five rabbits, two hawks, and two fox that Arthur had already managed to kill. He looked exhausted.
"Arthur…," he gasped out, slipping but not falling in the leaves on the ground. "I thought I'd lost you."
Arthur's frown deepened. "And I just lost my buck, Merlin," he complained.
Merlin frowned, eyes scrunched in confusion, and looked around the area in search of the elusive deer. "That buck?" he asked, pointing.
Arthur turned back around and stopped. There. Standing a little over three hundred feet away, was the most amazing buck Arthur had ever seen. It was tall and built and meaty, with large horns protruding a great distance from its head.
"Be quiet, Merlin," Arthur ordered in a whisper. "I swear if you scare it away….you'll wish you were never born."
Merlin went still as a statue as Arthur slunk forward toward the creature, his crossbow at the ready. Arthur stopped, lifted his crossbow, took aim…..The buck's ears pricked, it turned its head, and bounded off further into the forest. Arthur growled and turned to Merlin with a heavy glare.
"It wasn't me," Merlin whispered loudly, raising his hands in surrender. "I didn't move."
Arthur shook his head, waved for Merlin to follow, and took chase after the deer. Merlin was surprisingly quiet behind him, managing to follow Arthur's footsteps precisely enough that he didn't hit too many bushes or fall in any holes. The only real difference was his feet hit the ground harder and the kills around his neck ran into the bushes sometimes. They ran in the direction the deer had gone, Arthur keeping track of the marks on the ground that said they were going the right direction. Typically he would give up on a deer that got away, but this one was perfect and he had to have it.
He stopped suddenly and Merlin ran smack dab into him, bouncing back with an 'oof' and holding his nose where it had collided with Arthur. Arthur held out a hand to keep Merlin quiet and then pointed. The buck was standing by a tree, its head turned toward them, staring with wide eyes. Arthur's hand tightened on his crossbow and the buck bolted around the tree and out of sight.
"No," Arthur cursed under his breath before he hurried quietly to the tree and around it after the deer. Merlin didn't move, afraid he'd be too loud.
After several long moments of silence, Merlin crept forward toward the tree. Two steps forward and he tripped, falling into the bushes loudly with a yelp. He jumped up as fast as he could but his apologies died in his throat when he realized Arthur wasn't yelling at him. Narrowing his eyes, Merlin finished his walk up to the large tree where Arthur had vanished and looked around it. His eyebrows came together in confusion. Where'd he go? The buck, Arthur, they were both gone. Endless forest spread out before him, but Merlin didn't see a single sign of life other than the trees.
"Arthur?" he called out softly, stepping around the tree. Two steps in and suddenly Merlin felt a tingle through his whole body and rubbed his arms to get rid of it. "Arthur?" he called louder.
"Merlin?" Arthur's voice responded from behind him.
Merlin flipped around but saw nothing but open forest behind him. "Arthur?" he asked, stepping back the way he'd come. He felt the tingle again and then suddenly he was standing in a completely different set of forest with Arthur standing not a foot in front of him. "Ah!"
Merlin jumped back from Arthur and Arthur vanished, leaving Merlin back where he'd started. He narrowed his eyes at the air in front of him. Taking a step to the left, Merlin moved forward. He appeared just to Arthur's right and then stumbled forward from whatever it was that was causing this.
"What's going on?" Merlin asked shakily.
Arthur shook his head. "I was hoping you had an idea. I was chasing the deer and then suddenly it was gone and here we are," he motioned to the forest around him uselessly.
Looking around, Merlin found he didn't recognize anything around them. "I don't think this is the same forest, Arthur."
"Really?" Arthur asked sarcastically. "Look, we'll go back the way we came and figure out what happened. Come on." He grabbed Merlin by the upper left arm and pulled him forward. This time, Merlin saw Arthur vanish a moment before he went through whatever it was himself. "Alright. This looks right."
Merlin looked around. "Actually…the trees over there are wrong," he said, motioning around the other side of the tree next to them. Arthur gave him a disbelieving look. "I fell earlier, and those aren't the trees I fell into," Merlin explained, cheeks pink in embarrassment.
Arthur let out a breath. "So you're clumsiness is useful." He looked around them. "If this isn't the forest near Camelot, then where are we and how did we get here?" Without waiting for an answer, Arthur began walking.
"W-where are you going?" Merlin asked, jumping to catch up.
"We're getting out of here," Arthur announced boldly. "Just standing there won't get us anywhere, so we're going to keep walking until we find something."
Merlin frowned but didn't say anything. He readjusted the dead animals across his shoulders and kept walking at Arthur's side.
…
…
"The Vale of No Return," Morgause half-hummed. "Good choice, sister. Now, hold them until I return…Uther's life is in our hands now."
She turned and walked away from the seeing crystals. The image in the bowl was of Morgana, laying in bed as if in sleep. Through the bowl could be seen a faint glow of blue all around her body.
…
…
The trees ended and all at once a great, beautiful valley spread out before them. Green grass stretched as far as the eye could see with wildflowers interspersed throughout. A sparkling river ran through the middle, disappearing in the trees on one side of the valley, where Arthur and Merlin had come from, and into the mountains on the horizon.
"Whoa," Merlin breathed out. "Amazing."
"Don't be stupid, Merlin," Arthur said moments later, shaking himself. "It's just a river." With that, he began to walk down the slight hill to the riverside. "We need to find out where we are."
"But what if whoever sent us here is still around," Merlin called out without following. "Shouldn't we stay in the trees where there's some cover?"
"It's a giant field, Merlin," Arthur called back. "I know of no weapon that can fire that far away that's smaller than a large catapult….and we'd see that attack a mile away."
Merlin looked around the area once before rushing to catch up, Arthur was halfway to the river now. Once they'd arrived, Arthur dropped down next to the flowing water and inspected it. He seemed to deem it safe because in the next moments, he was splashing his face with it and taking a drink.
"Are you sure you should be doing that?" Merlin asked as he set the hunting gear and prizes down on the ground just behind where Arthur sat, before seating himself next to Arthur at the riverside. "I mean….what if there's a spell on the water?"
"There's a spell on this whole place, Merlin," Arthur rationalized. "I don't think drinking the water is going to be a problem."
Merlin sat quietly for several long moments, and Arthur watched the water flow by, following it with his eyes until it went beyond his line of sight. Maybe if they followed the river they would find some way out?
"Arthur?"
"Hm?" Arthur asked, turning his head from the view of the mountains to look at Merlin curiously. The dismal expression on Merlin's face took him by surprise. "What?"
"This…thing….the magic that brought us here….," he began jerkily, unsure of how to phrase this best. "This….It isn't going to change how you feel about magic….is it?" His voice was quiet and Arthur did his best to ignore why that might be.
Instead, he turned to look at the water as it rushed gently over the rocks of the river bed and left trails in the dirt. He shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it, truly," he admitted. "Ever since the seer Tethella told me a sorcerer would one day stand by my side, I've begun noticing the magic around me. And not just the beasts and the evil sorcerers trying to destroy the kingdom. I've noticed other things, like the rain that put out the fires in the northern cities, and the Fisher King. The magic that put out those fires was not evil, and the Fisher King was just a weird old man. And I realized…that magic has been around me for a long time now." Merlin looked at him with shock in his eyes and Arthur shrugged again. "Nothing big; just the random coincidences that help me out in a tough spot…like all those huge tree branches," he half-breathed, like he felt stupid for not thinking it weird before.
Merlin snorted and then covered his mouth and nose with his hands. Arthur shot him a look for the laugh but quickly dropped it and let out a little sigh.
"So no," he stated simply. "This isn't really going to affect how I feel about magic." He gave Merlin a contemplative look. "I'm still conflicted though. All of my life, I've been taught magic is evil, but I'm realizing that magic was sometimes the only reason why I'm alive today. So I'm leaning more toward magic being neutral, rather than good or evil."
Merlin smiled. "I'd say that's a pretty good standpoint," he agreed. "Magic doesn't necessarily make the person evil. It's the person who chooses how to use the magic….just like a man with a sword."
Arthur turned his head to nod to Merlin in agreement, but his eyes landed on something behind Merlin and widened. He stood up, his mouth dropping open. "Morgana?" Arthur let out in shock as his sister walked closer to them. He took a step forward but Merlin stood up quickly and shot out a hand to stop him. "Merlin, what-?"
Merlin shook his head. "Don't." Dont't go near her. Don't trust her. Just don't.
"Merlin, what are you talking about? Let go of me," Arthur demanded almost gently. He turned to Morgana with a relieved look as she got closer. "You have no idea how good it is to see a familiar face, Morgana. How did you wind up here?"
Morgana gave an innocent smile. "I just woke up here." Her expression turned confused and worried. "I went to sleep last night and now I'm here. Where is here?"
Arthur shrugged. "I'm not sure." He pushed Merlin's arm away forcefully since he hadn't lowered it himself. "I can understand why someone would kidnap me, but why you, Morgana? Because you're the King's ward?" His eyes widened. "It's an attack on my father."
Morgana's eyes widened. "Someone's after Uther? Then we have to get out of here. We have to help him!" she said as if she believed they were the ones keeping them all here.
"If it was an attack on Uther, why would they kidnap his kids?" Merlin asked, eyes locked on Morgana, so he saw when she frowned darkly at him after Arthur turned to face his manservant.
"What are you saying, Merlin?" he asked.
Merlin shrugged. "I don't know. It might be an attack on your father. It probably is. But I don't think that explains why we're the ones that were captured. I mean, why capture us?"
"Maybe because they know that we would stop them," Morgana suggested, her tone missing all of the innocence of a moment ago. And the way she was staring at Merlin….She was telling Merlin why they were here: because Merlin would stop any attack on Uther.
Arthur rounded on Morgana and she adopted that perfectly innocent and terrified for 'daddy' look she'd grown accustomed to wearing. Merlin frowned over Arthur's shoulder.
"But that's obvious," Arthur was saying. "Uther is the King. Of course we'd protect him. Any idiot would know that," he debunked the idea.
"Well then maybe the attacker isn't an idiot," Merlin suggested. "Maybe they know the castle better than that."
"Are you suggesting an attack from within?" Arthur asked, turning sideways so he could see both his companions without constantly having to turn around.
"Maybe," Merlin said shortly.
"If that's the way it is," Morgana pitched in helpfully, "then no one will ever see it coming. We've got to get out of here before it's too late."
"Right," Arthur agreed. "But Merlin and I tried going out the way we came in. It just sends you to another part of the forest, not out. So unless one of you has a brilliant idea, I'm afraid we're stuck until our captor comes for us or lets us go."
"Right," Merlin said, again shortly. "Morgana should know how to get out." Arthur turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "She's the one who fell asleep and ended up here. She must've been near the person who cast the spell for that to happen, right? So she should know who's behind the attack."
Arthur raised both eyebrows. "That's pretty good, Merlin. Morgana, did you see anyone suspicious in the castle? In your rooms?"
Morgana waited a moment, her eyes shifting back and forth like she was trying to remember. "No," she breathed out, sounding tormented. "No, I don't remember anyone. There was just Gwen and me, that was it. I didn't see who it was. I'm sorry," she gushed, beginning to tear up.
Merlin scoffed from next to him and Arthur turned to tell him off, but stopped upon seeing the barely held in rage on Merlin's face. "Just admit it," Merlin said quietly, staring straight at Morgana. "You're the reason we're here. You brought us here."
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Merlin-"
"Why would I do that?" Morgana asked tearfully, sniffling. "Why would I want to hurt the man who's been so kind to me?"
"Because you don't feel that way at all," Merlin accused. "You told me that yourself. You didn't feel safe in Camelot. And I know for a fact that you tried to have him killed before, back when Gwen's father died."
"What?" Arthur gasped, looking to Morgana for answers. "Did you really?"
Morgana looked cornered. "I…I…I was angry with him. I blamed him for her father's death. I thought the world would be better without him," she admitted. Arthur looked like he'd been punched in the gut. Morgana panicked. "But I stopped it!" she tried. "I forgave him for it. Really. I saved him from the bandits!"
She was really convincing, to the point where if Merlin hadn't known the truth even he would've believed her.
"And the mandrake?" Merlin asked. "The one you hung under his bed to make him hallucinate?" Morgana stopped her pleading abruptly and Arthur looked at Merlin like he'd lost his mind. Merlin laid it all out on the line. If she was going to give away any of his secrets, she already had enough kindling to light a bonfire. "Or the time you tried to stab him in his sleep? Or the Knights of Medhir?" he asked. "What about those times?"
"I had nothing to do with the Knights!" Morgana shouted angrily, and then covered her mouth. Arthur raised an eyebrow at her and Merlin smirked.
"Ok, not the Knights then. Maybe that was a coincidence. But the others? I bet you've tried to kill Uther a dozen times by now. Did you hire the assassin on his birthday? I bet you weren't happy I saved him, were you? Why don't you just admit it?"
Arthur opened his mouth to refute what Merlin was saying, but Morgana beat him to it. She chuckled. "Why not?" Morgana asked, seeming almost innocent in her query. "It's not like it will matter soon anyway."
"Morgana?" Arthur let out in surprise, his eyes widening as he took in her smirk and suddenly dry eyes.
Morgana's eyes turned from Merlin to Arthur. "Don't look at me like that, Arthur. Uther is a self-righteous pig; a hypocrite that deserves to die," she spat like venom. "You thought so too, once. You know I'm right."
Arthur looked baffled. Morgana? "He may have made mistakes, Morgana, but I've lived during a time when he wasn't there and I realized...I'm not ready for him to die yet. So regardless of what he's done, Morgana-"
"He killed your mother, Arthur." Arthur's mouth shut tight, his eyes hardening. Morgana smirked. "No, it wasn't a lie."
Merlin almost growled. "It may not have been a lie," he began, drawing their attentions, "but the way Morgause told him was. She used his mother, someone dear to his heart, to twist the truth so Arthur would kill his father." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter if he was born from magic. It doesn't matter that Uther used magic. Both his mother and his father agreed. Neither knew what would happen."
Morgana scoffed. "And how exactly does a mere servant know that, Merlin? Dabbled a bit yourself?" she prodded knowingly. Merlin's jaw tightened.
"I asked," Merlin said dismissively. "I asked Gaius and he told me the truth." Turning his eyes to Arthur, he said, "Your father loved your mother. He wasn't lying when he said he would never hurt her. You have to believe that."
"Because you say so, Merlin?" Morgana sneered. "What makes you any different than me?"
"I've never plotted to kill the King or bring down the kingdom." Arthur looked between Merlin and Morgana cautiously. It was like a verbal battle!
"I'm making the world a better place," Morgana asserted.
Arthur's jaw dropped. "Morgana! Father loves you like his own daughter. How-"
Morgana glared, her face scrunched up in anger. 'Like his own.' Ha. "He wouldn't if he knew about me. I have magic, Arthur, and I always have and I always will. Uther would have me killed if he knew." She looked to Merlin with a smirk. "Which makes you like me, Merlin. You knew and you never told anyone. You want Uther dead just as much as me."
"What?" Merlin practically shouted.
Arthur stepped in front of Merlin, shielding him from Morgana, and stared his sister directly in the eyes. "Morgana...Father loves you, maybe more than he loves even me. He would overlook practically anything for you. Even if I had obvious proof of your treason, the attempts on his life, he still would never believe you would hurt him. So why would you, when you have that sort of trust?"
Morgana stared, eyes glazed over, for a few moments, looking conflicted. Merlin's chest tightened: there was hope for her yet. Mere seconds later, she glared again. "Why should I protect Uther and his precious kingdom when no one protected me?" she demanded.
What could he do to make her change her mind? What? Was there anything he-Could that…?
"Trust me, Arthur, when I say that if Tethella had not foretold your future, I'd burn Camelot to the ground!"
"I'm sorry!"
Arthur looked behind himself at Merlin and Morgana stopped talking. Merlin stepped to Arthur's left so he could face his darker half.
"It's my fault, right?" he half-asked, looking forlorn. "If it wasn't for me...you wouldn't be this way. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been gone for a year, going through who knows what. If it wasn't for me. You hate me, so just say it." He waited a beat, and then took a deep breath, bracing himself. "I'm so sorry that I tried to kill you; that I poisoned you." Arthur stiffened next to him and Merlin purposefully kept his eyes on Morgana. "Morgause…I don't know….she did something to you, and it caused the spell. I had to kill you to stop it. If I hadn't done it, everyone would have died. It's not a good excuse, I know, but it's the truth. I would never have done it if I'd been given another choice, I swear," he breathed out. "I'm sorry I was so angry at you. I'm sorry I fought you and hurt you. I'm sorry I didn't die," he half breathed out the last one.
Morgana physically recoiled on the last one. "What makes you think a simple apology is enough to make me forsake my sister?" she asked angrily.
Merlin shrugged, flopping his arms uselessly. "It isn't. It shouldn't be. But I just...I just...," he trailed off. He had nothing left. If that didn't do it, he didn't know what to do. She had lost her leverage against him, but he was sure she could find something else to have him killed for if she wanted to. Heck, she could probably kill him right here and now.
"Morgana," Arthur began, his gaze steady on Merlin even as he spoke to his sister. "What is this place?"
"The Valley of No Return," she stated clearly. "It is my realm and I control it. No one can leave without my permission and no one can enter without my help. You two are stuck here."
"I take it there's an attack going on right now then?" he asked. Morgana didn't answer and Arthur nodded. "We're here until my father is dead," he murmured. Suddenly, without warning, Arthur turned to Morgana, took the two steps that separated them, and wrapped her in an embrace.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Morgana stuttered out, completely out of her element. "Arthur?"
Arthur held her tighter. "I'm sorry for all the pain you've been through, Morgana, really I am...but he is my father...and I cannot just sit here while he is murdered. I cannot simply wait as my father's city - my city - and its people are destroyed." He pulled back from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were kind and forgiving. "Please...let us go so I can save him."
Morgana stared at him for three seconds. "What, so you can turn me in once the danger's over? I'm not keen to lose my head, Arthur," she said angrily.
Arthur shook his head. "I won't tell him. Morgana, if you help me save him, I won't tell him. You can use your magic to save the kingdom, to do good...Isn't that what you want? Isn't that what magic is for?"
Morgana's widened. That sounded like what Merlin had said to her before... "I..."
"We can be allies," Merlin's voice spoke up from somewhere behind Arthur that neither royal could see. "We can all protect the kingdom together."
He was asking from a magic user's standpoint. He was willing to forgive her for everything she'd done: they both were. All she had to do was give up Morgause.
"She's my sister," Morgana challenged weakly.
Arthur's grip tightened on her shoulders minutely. "A sister full of darkness and hate," he murmured. "How about a brother willing to love and forgive? A brother who promises to protect you with all that he is?"
Morgana's lips quivered upwards momentarily. "Never knew you to be quite so emotional," she half-teased. Her smile dropped. "If I side with you, I betray my sister. If I do that, she will not be so forgiving."
"We've beaten her before," Arthur said confidently.
Morgana lifted an eyebrow. She knew now that most of those times were probably because of Merlin, but she would let Arthur have his fun. "You so sure about that?" she asked, teasing back in her voice even as she was completely serious.
"We can take her," Merlin ascertained.
Morgana took a step back from Arthur, and then two more steps. She looked from her brother to Merlin and back. "I'm putting all my trust in you," she told them. "I hate Uther; he is a cold hearted and evil man….But I will….allow him a chance….for you, Arthur. Be swift."
And just like that, Morgana faded away. With her went the flowing river, the tall mountains, and the endless forests. Suddenly, Arthur and Merlin found themselves back in the forest where they'd started, just past the tree the deer had led them around. Merlin looked to the side and saw the broken bushes where he'd fallen just before he walked into the Vale.
They were back. Really back.
"Let's go," Arthur commanded in a quiet rush, and Merlin nodded. They both ran for their horses, saddling up as quickly as possible - Arthur faster than Merlin, obviously - and racing back to the castle at near break neck speeds.
…
…
Morgause slipped into the castle at Camelot without a sound, walked calmly to the throne room without alerting a single guard, and entered the room through an unguarded side door without issue. Uther was seated in his throne with a frown on his face, a poorly dressed peasant before him on his knees with his head bowed and the royal court surrounding them both.
Uther sighed. "The claim brought against you is that you stole all your neighbor's swine and then ran off with his daughter, taking both his livelihood and his family. This is a very serious accusation," he said evenly. If it was up to him, the man would be thrown in jail for the rest of his life, but there were the rights of the people to consider. Besides, this man was probably the only one with any clues as to where the daughter was right now. "What do you have to say in your defense?"
The peasant shrugged unevenly. "I did take his swine, I admit to that. And I'm sorry for it, but last winter saw all my livestock died from the cold and I needed some way to feed my family." He looked up at Uther and then back down at the floor. "But I did nothing to his daughter. I swear it!"
"Liar!" Another peasant shouted, bursting from the crowd.
Before it could go any further (Morgause had no patience for peasants), Morgause stepped forward from behind the throne and into plain view. "Slǽpgelíce and déaþ," she said clearly, waving her hand out to the multitude gathered. At once, they all fell where they stood and did not move.
"You!" Uther shot out like acid, standing from his throne. He looked to the doors and opened his mouth.
Morgause lifted her hand with a quiet "Sálnes," and then quickly shut it into a loose fist. Uther stopped and put a hand to his throat, eyes wide. "Do not bother with words, Uther Pendragon. There are none in Camelot who can protect you now." She took a step closer to him and Uther fell back into his throne trying to step away from her. She smirked. "ætniman ǽðm; áberan lif," she murmured out quickly, her eyes flashing golden.
Uther's eyes widened a bit further at the sight, remembering Merlin's eyes doing the same only a few short months ago. And then he felt all the air leave his lungs and no matter how he tried, he couldn't take a breath to save his life. He grasped at his throat, his chest, the air, his eyes bulging with the effort to breathe and failing. In the end, he was clutching the wooden arms of his throne, pleading in his mind: stop, please, air, someone….
And then the doors burst open and in ran Arthur and Merlin, gasping for the air Uther craved like they'd run a long distance. They quickly caught their breath upon seeing Morgause standing before the king and Uther himself turning purple in the face.
"Let him go!" Arthur shouted, running forward and pulling his sword from its sheath.
Morgause grinned, drawing her own sword and meeting him head on while Merlin snuck around them both to reach Uther, still suffocating on his throne. "You forget quickly, young prince, how easily I bested you before."
"Not this time, Morgause," Arthur hissed out before pushing her back with everything he had.
Merlin leant over Uther, who stared back at him with wild eyes. "What did she do?" he asked in a quiet rush. Uther grabbed at his throat and Merlin understood immediately. He racked his brain for a spell, but couldn't think of one. He'd have to make one up, he supposed. He took a deep breath, wished for the best, placed his hands on Uther's chest, and breathed out, "Ic giefan ǽðm." Uther showed no sign of breathing and Merlin took another breath to calm his racing heart as Morgause pushed Arthur back toward the far wall with her attacks. "Ic giefan ǽðm," he repeated, clearer but no louder. His eyes flashed gold and he felt the rush of magic flow through him and into Uther.
The sound of Uther gasping suddenly overtook the room and Morgause stopped fighting, turning around to see Merlin patting Uther on the shoulder while he took in deep, rasping breaths, the color of his face returning to normal.
"No!" she shouted angrily. Arthur took this opportunity to attack. He lunged forward and Morgause didn't notice until it was almost too late. She jumped back but Arthur's slash caught her in the right arm. "Ah!" she yelled out, grasping her arm in pain as blood began to drip through the cracks in her fingers. She glared at Arthur, then behind her at Merlin before quickly returning her gaze to Arthur. "You will not always be able to save him," she declared loudly, to both Arthur and Merlin.
She began muttering under her breath and Merlin noticed too late that it was effectively the same spell she'd used when vanishing with Morgana. Before he could even open his mouth, the wind picked up and swirled around the room and then suddenly Morgause was gone, only a few drops of blood on the ground showing she was ever there. Merlin almost walked away toward where she'd been, but Uther clamped a hand down on his arm near the elbow and forced him to stay where he was. He was worried that if Merlin were to walk away, his ability to breathe would go with it. Merlin gave Uther a look a shock, but didn't try to walk away again.
The rest of the room began to stir, every noble and peasant slowly waking from their death like slumber now that the caster of the spell was gone. Just as Arthur was beginning to catch his breath, Morgana rushed into the room looking half-panicked. Merlin and Arthur's eyes shot to her, wide and wondering what she would do now. She cast her gaze between her wheezing father, her fellow sorcerer, and her half-brother before she rushed forward and threw her arms around Arthur in a nearly bone crushing hug.
"Morgana," Arthur rasped out, shocked. She only held him, if possible, tighter, without a word. After a moment of awkwardness, Arthur dropped his sword and held her in return, if not much gentler.
…
…
"Magic tried to end my life today," Uther stated simply, a hint of bitterness in his tone, that night at dinner.
Arthur looked up from where he'd been staring at his food pointedly hoping his father did not bring this up. He had to protect Morgana now. The only problem was that now that he knew, he was more likely to accidentally say something stupid that would incriminate her, and he really really really didn't want to do that. She was his sister, after all, and she'd promised to do good for his father and this country for his sake, if nothing else. And he'd promised her, and he didn't break promises.
Besides: she'd cried into his chest when she saw they'd saved Uther. She couldn't hate him too much….right?
Across from him, Morgana kept her eyes on her food and set her fork down.
"The sorceress Morgause tried to kill me," Uther pressed. Arthur took a sip from his goblet to cover his nerves. "This is just another example of the evil of magic and it further justifies my actions. I must-" he stopped abruptly as Merlin stepped over from somewhere off to the side and refilled Arthur's nearly empty glass. Uther watched him until he'd walked away again and then shook his head and focused back on his children. "Camelot must be more vigilant against such atrocities," he continued. "We must stamp out evil with a firm hand and a sharp sword. Arthur," he addressed his son directly. Arthur sat up straighter. "You must work extra hard at learning how to be a better ruler. Do not get soft."
"Yes, father," he agreed stonily.
"Morgana," Uther said, turning to face his daughter. Morgana stiffed and lifted her head with a perfect smile in place.
"Hm?" she asked, her voice not betraying anything she felt. Arthur was reminded of how long she'd hidden her treachery from them and how easily. She was an amazing actress.
Uther gave her a stern look. "You must be on alert. A magical attack could come at any time from anywhere. Be cautious of anyone you do not know, and more so to those you do. Anyone could be a sorcerer." He pointedly did not look in Merlin's direction.
Morgana frowned. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think?" she asked bitterly. "That's like saying I should be most afraid of Gwen, and she's been a faithful friend of mine for years!" she objected.
Arthur grinned. Perfect. "Yea. That's like saying Merlin is a sorcerer."
Morgana and Uther both paused and looked at Merlin, who smiled uneasily and gave a shy wave from his spot in the corner. Morgana gave a broken laugh. "Ah ha. Ha. Yea. That's it. It's like saying Merlin is a sorcerer." She tore her eyes from Merlin and back to Uther, who did the same and looked to Morgana. "It's…completely ridiculous. I'll keep an eye out for anyone who seems to be out to get me and anyone who I get a bad feeling about, but just because I know them doesn't mean I'm going to suspect them of using enchantments and spells, Uther," she ended convincingly.
Uther regarded her calmly for a few moments and then nodded with a smile. "You always have had a knack for feeling people out, Morgana." Morgana gave an easy smile and Arthur a half-grin. Uther frowned and they both dropped their smiles instantly. "But please….be careful."
Morgana smiled again and placed her hand on his. For the first time, Arthur noticed how tense her shoulders were at having physical contact with his father. "Of course," she placated gently. "Now. We should enjoy the rest of our meal without such dark themes as death and treason." She flit her eyes across Arthur's face nervously, but he just smiled encouragingly and so she gave a little smile in return and picked up her fork again.
…
…
Morgause stared at the image of Morgana smiling in the crystals and her frown deepened. "Sister…," she breathed out. "Why?" The image switched to Merlin standing to the side, watching, and she frowned even deeper. "Merlin."
…
…
Next Time: Emrys and Vortigern - Part One
Lord Vortigern of Cymry has come to Camelot for one reason: to find Merlin. Why? Now Merlin is far from Camelot, far from his destiny, and anything can happen. What causes the quakes of Vortigern's fortress? What will Arthur do when he learns his servant is missing?
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Translations:
slǽpgelíce and déaþ = Sleep like as to death
sálnes = silence
ætniman ǽðm; áberan lif = deprive air; remove life
Ic giefan ǽðm = I give breath (air)