A Thunder In Our Hearts - Part 3, Chapter 2

[nightfox]

Part 3, Chapter 2


Staring out one of the enormous windows in the council chamber, Merlin reflected that it was becoming clear to just about everyone that Uther was growing ever more restless and angry as each day passed. He still had goals to accomplish and he was making no progress with any of them. The Kingdom of Cait still perched at the very Northern tip of Albion, untouched and seemingly inviolate without Merlin’s power to subdue the small but significant irritant. No one had been able to locate his renegade son, his missing ward or even Merlin’s mother.

He wanted another son but had, so far, been unsuccessful at planting one in Merlin’s belly despite an alarming increase in his attempts to do so. He was on Merlin night and day. Any hint of frustration saw him dragging his consort off to his chambers, shoving him into disused rooms and even on several, hideously memorable occasions, simply ordering everyone out of the Throne Room or Council Chamber before taking his on or against whatever surface best pleased his mood.

The more frustrated he was, the rougher his treatment of Merlin became. It became a relatively common sight to see the royal consort sporting obvious bruises and bite marks. Merlin didn’t even bother to cover them, continuing to wear his usual clothing. They weren’t marks of his shame, they were the proof of Uther’s. The one thing he could be grateful for was that he’d at least send Cynhafar from the room before he performed the actual violations of Merlin’s body. He had no compunction about manhandling him in front of their son but he at least had the decency to not actually fuck him when they boy was there, or at least not when the boy was awake. Cynhafar slept on an ornate little cot in the royal chambers and was present for many of his father’s attempts to create a little brother for him, However, to Merlin’s eternal gratitude, Cynhafar was usually a very heavy sleeper. The few times he’d awakened before Uther was finished with him, Merlin would instantly will the child back to sleep.

Oddly enough, despite Merlin’s open contempt for him, Uther had begun to keep the Dragonlord with him more and more. Merlin made no secret of what he thought of this behavior but Uther almost seemed to relish his snarky attitude and the verbal potshots that Merlin was always careful to word in such a way that they could also be taken to mean the most innocuous things. It was the malicious sparkle that Merlin allowed to shine from his eyes that gave his words bite. He knew how far he could push Uther and open disrespect or defiance would result in serious unpleasantness for Merlin. However, he was becoming less and less frightened of his captor.

He supposed it was because of Cynhafar. He didn’t ever want his son to live in fear so he couldn’t. He also refused to show his son what it was to cower before any man simply because he had a title and wielded a stolen temporal power. It came down to what sort of father he wanted to be to his son. He would not be a pathetic, battered partner whose children inevitably looked upon him with a mixture of contempt and sympathy. He’d be a figure of pity for no man, let alone his own child.

Gaius’s contraception device seemed to be working a treat, either that or his magic was working against the King’s attempts to force another pregnancy on him. Whatever the cause, Merlin was grateful. Cynhafar was more than a handful and he couldn’t imagine attempting to run after the child whilst carrying another babe in his belly, let alone what he’d do with two powerful children to keep under control. Uther was mad for even contemplating getting another son on Merlin at this stage but it was clear to just about anyone who had dealings with the King these days that Uther wasn’t in anything like his right mind.

His moods were erratic and his orders often irrational, unrealistic and contradictory, leaving those unfortunate enough to be the recipient of these commands in the worst possible positions. Merlin did revel in such situations when they involved Uther’s personal guards. He would never forgive and never forget the role they’d played in Arthur’s downfall and any time one of them suffered, he crowed inside.

Sadly, it wasn’t just Uther who was frustrated these days. Merlin himself was becoming more and more irritated by the confines of his current position. He no longer had the quiet hours of the day to himself. He used to at least be able to enjoy his magical and scientific studies, often working alongside Gaius on mutual projects and experiments. Now however, Uther was requiring him to sit through the boring and irritating council meetings and public audiences, insisting that as his consort, it was Merlin’s duty to do so.

He despised Uther’s council and it bothered him terribly that despite his title and all the power at his command, there wasn’t a damn thing he could think of to either slow or stop Uther’s cruel madness in any way. He was sick of being a toy, a weapon, a brood-mare. His instincts screamed for him to act but whilst Uther still lived, he controlled all of Merlin’s actions and there was nothing he could do to change anything.

He knew it was making things dangerous for him because the more he chafed at his bonds, the more careless he became in word and deed when it came to Uther. No doubt one of these days he was going to push the King a bit too far and the gods only knew what the consequences of such a blow-out would be. Merlin sighed and turned his attention back to the argument currently flying back and forth between several of the courtiers. He didn’t know why they bothered anymore. It must be clear to anyone with eyes to see that the King no longer took advice. He made decisions and he forced everyone around them to enforce them. Nothing was going to change until Arthur returned and took the throne from Uther




It was after sunset by the time their party arrived at the small, fortified manor house perched on the edge of a short cliff overlooking a rocky shore. Well, it was small by Camelot’s standards, the locals called it “the Castle”. Arthur swung down from his horse with a tired sigh and waited for the others to dismount. Leon was at his side almost instantly, while Kai and Gareth weren’t far behind. Allasair and Sulwen, never in a rush for any reason, dismounted sedately and joined the three knights managing to look utterly regal while wearing humble garments of the basest homespun variety.

One of the pair of heavy oak doors opened before they’d taken half a dozen steps towards the moss covered walls of the house. A young girl, black of hair and brown of eye with skin nearly as pale as Merlin’s stood framed in the doorway. She smiled at their approach but the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes, the wariness in them clear to Arthur immediately. He stifled a sigh, knowing the expression for what it was. He was a Pendragon and as such, not to be trusted, no matter whom he was accompanied by. He’d learned that not all magic users had the same faith as the Druids. He had to prove himself over and over at every village, every encampment, and every private home be it as small as the huts in Ealdor or as large as this Northern lord’s mansion.

The girl was dressed in a simple, modest gown but the dress was made of costly fabric. It was likely this was the Lord’s daughter as she appeared far too young to be his wife. Although, Allasair had only the sketchiest knowledge of who the master of this house was. For all Arthur knew, the Lord of the Redthorn Estate might be a lad scarcely older than this adolescent girl. He prayed against that eventuality.

Pasting on his own smile, Arthur made sure his made it all the way to his eyes as he allowed Allasair to lead the group forward. He saw the child relax slightly when Arthur didn’t attempt to approach her directly. Much as it was his natural inclination to lead, he’d found on this journey that people responded much more positively to him if he allowed the Druids to take point on the initial approach. Once discussions and negotiations began, Arthur slid smoothly back into his position as Arthur Pendragon, heir to the throne of Camelot and his father’s deadliest enemy.

Two years of living with Merlin followed by longer years without him had worn all of Arthur’s youthful arrogance away. He’d never be a meek or mild man but he had learned multiple lessons in humility the hard way. Diplomacy was something he’d applied himself to and had been surprised when it seemed to come naturally to him. He assumed it must be a trait he inherited from his mother or perhaps learned at Gaius’s knee for he certainly hadn’t gotten it from his father. Uther’s idea of diplomacy was the sharp end of a sword or, more recently, the threat of incineration by his pet sorcerer.

As they drew closer to the entrance, the girl’s eyes sharpened and there was no attempt at subtlety as she eyed each of the knights from boot tip to hooded head. Her gaze assessed and quickly dismissed Gareth and Leon but lingered consideringly upon Kai before latching on to Arthur. As soon as her sharp brown eyes met his something seemed to snap into place for the girl and her wariness turned to a visible excitement. She stepped forward and thrust her hand out at him.

“You! You are Arthur, are you not? Arthur Pendragon? The King’s son?”

Slightly startled he took the girl’s hand in his own and nodded in assent as he bent politely over her sturdy little fingers.

“Hah! I knew it! I told her I’d be able to spot you out first off!”

Arthur allowed his confusion to show on his face.

“Told who?”

“You’ll see!” She chirped merrily at him. “You’ve been expected, although, we did think you’d get here a lot sooner than you have. I haven’t stopped teasing her for weeks! I told her that her visions weren’t infallible and you proved me right!”

She was grinning openly now as she tugged Arthur by the hand she still held. She blew past the rest of the group without a word and they simply followed as she pulled him through the wide open door.

“I’m Mairead, by the way. My father is Lord Redthorn and this is his house.”

Bemused, Arthur allowed himself to be led into the warmth of a reception room and settled into a high-backed bench beside a roaring fire. Mairead beckoned the others forward to join them and they all settled in on the cluster of benches and chairs that surrounded the enormous fireplace.

“Alright then, all of you just wait here til I get back. Oh, yer gonna be so surprised!”

Before any of them could blink, the slip of a girl had disappeared through a partially concealed door, set deep into the wall only steps from where they all sat.

Arthur looked at Kai, seated on the bench beside him and let out a loud woosh of air.

“Well, that girl certainly didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the name!”

“What on earth was that? A girl or a force of nature?” Leon said only half-jokingly.

“She certainly was a bold lass and no mistake. She surely seemed thrilled to meet you, my lord. Perhaps she fancies herself a future Queen?” Kai teased with a smile.

The others just shook their heads and settled back onto warm cushions in the even warmer air. The fire was welcome after the biting chill of the night wind that had whipped off the sea and seeped through even their warmest clothing. Conversation was muted and mostly consisted of speculation about what aid they could hope for from Lord Redthorn. They couldn’t have been waiting for more than ten minutes when the formal doors to the reception room were thrown wide and a black and red streak flew through them heading straight for Arthur. He barely had time to stand and catch the young woman who hurled herself into his arms.

“Arthur! Oh, gods, Arthur, it’s you!”

She had a death-grip on his neck but he’d recognize that voice and that long fall of black hair anywhere.

“Morgana?”

She looked up with watery green eyes from where she'd actually buried her face against his chest, and smiled.

“I’ve missed you,” was all she said.

He hugged her back, holding on tightly, relishing the solidity of her form. They may have sniped and poked at each other but Morgana was the only family he’d ever known apart from Uther. As far as he was concerned, she was his sister, even if they didn’t share the same blood. He fought back the unmanly burst of moisture that welled in his eyes.

“I’ve missed you too. I’ve been searching for you, I never stopped looking, I swear!”

He felt some of that damned moisture well over the corner of one eye and spill down his cheek. She reached up and gently wiped it away. It was an odd gesture coming from her for they’d always had more of a shove-you-I-love-you sort of relationship in the past. But if seeing her could make him cry then perhaps seeing him could make her tender.

“I know, Arthur, I know you didn’t, but I couldn’t be found. You know Uther, how do you think he’d have responded to this?”

She stepped back, muttered a few incomprehensible words and her green eyes flared with a light similar to Merlin’s when he performed magic. She held out her hand to him with a tiny ball of icy mist swirling in the air above her palm. She turned and hurled it at the bronze mirror hanging above the fireplace and Arthur watched as the metal’s surface iced over in an instant.

She seemed surprised when he wasn’t surprised. He reached out and took the hand that she still held stretched out before her.

“I wouldn’t have made you come back once I’d known and I’d never have let- well, after what father…after, oh gods Morgana, you can’t even imagine what he did to Merlin! After that I’d never let anyone with so much as a drop of magic in them near that monster!”

Morgana’s face went cold and she stepped back as if remembering something vastly unpleasant. Suddenly there was suspicion in her eyes.

“Why are you here, Arthur?”

“I thought you’d know. Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you Seen?”

She looked taken aback at the way he emphasized the word “seen”. He nodded his head, acknowledging that she’d heard him correctly.

“Yes, I know about the Sight. So, like I said, haven’t you seen what’s been going on in Camelot? Uther’s got a new heir now. I’m not only expendable, I’m an outright liability. At least he wants you back because he thinks you were kidnapped by a big bad witch. Me? He just wants me dead.”

She looked hesitant for a moment before falling back on her traditionally defensive scorn.

“Poor little Prince, still no love from your Daddy?”

“That foul stain on creation loves no one but himself. If you aren’t an asset, you’re disposable. “

“Yet he’s got your little little pet working for him now, doesn’t he? That traitorous little prick has wiped out more than half the magic users in Albion single handedly!”

“Morgana, Merlin isn’t doing any of that willingly. He’s a Dragonlord and Uther owns his soul. Do you know how one acquires control of a Dragonlord?”

Morgana looked openly unsure of herself for a moment before letting the sneer slip back over her face.

“I heard Merlin got in bed with the bastard.”

Arthur looked her dead in the eye and allowed all his fury and disgust show in his bald choice of words.

“Uther raped him. He brutalized Merlin so badly that if Gaius hadn’t used magic to save him, he’d have bled to death the same night. Then he raped him again and again and again, has been doing so for years! He’s made Merlin his slave, forced him to use his powers against his own kind, raped a babe into his belly and then forced him to marry him to make the child legitimate so he could get rid of me. Apparently, somewhere along the line, Uther realized that I’d started thinking for myself and the King wasn’t about to tolerate that. You, of all people, should remember how well he responds to those who challenge his authority.”

“And you think I should feel sorry for him, for you?”

“He was your friend once, Morgana.”

“Yes, he was such a good friend that he tried to kill me. Did he tell you that?”

Arthur’s brow furrowed.

“Merlin tried to kill you. Merlin?”

“He slipped hemlock into a water-skin and tricked me into drinking it.”

He looked at her steadily and saw the flickering shadow of guilt in the back of her eyes.

“I know Merlin. If he did that, there must have been a reason. What did you do, Morgana?”

She broke eye contact, flushed and remained silent, all actions so out of character for the girl he’d once known that he instantly kenned that there had been a reason and knowing Merlin as he did, the need must have been dire indeed.

“Tell me, Morgana. Tell me why Merlin would poison a friend. Tell me why one of the gentlest souls I’ve ever known would supposedly stoop to murder. What. Did. You. Do?”

Morgana still kept her eyes averted but this time she answered, cheeks still flushed a miserable red.

“It was only supposed to be about Uther. I swear, I only wanted him dead and to see you take the throne, Arthur but…well, I guess Morgause didn’t trust you as I did. She doesn’t know you like I do, assumed you’d be just like your father.” She took a deep breath and shuddered. “I didn’t truly understand what I’d agreed to when I said I would help her kill the King. I don’t even know what she did to me, well, I didn’t then, I do now. She put me to sleep and then anchored a spell in the magic I was just beginning to develop. She made me the source of the spell that put everyone in Camelot to sleep. That’s why I was the only one left awake. Gaius never made any kind of potion for me. Merlin was just…trying to…protect me…”

Morgana trailed off then, as if the importance of the words she had just spoken were sinking into her brain for the very first time though the incident in question had occurred years before.

There was nothing but silence in the room. Their companions remained as silent as the grave, not a one daring to interrupt such an intense conversation. Arthur felt his jaw tighten and his next words gritted through clenched teeth.

“What was he protecting you from?”

She finally looked up at him then and her jade greed eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

“He knew I had magic and he was trying to protect my secret. He thought it was my magic that was making me impervious to the curse. He hadn’t yet figured out that I was the curse. I don’t think it occurred to him until later, when we were dragging Uther…you weren’t there. One of the black knights approached and raised his sword to me but then he stopped. He looked me over very carefully and then walked away, heading for Merlin and Uther. I guess that’s what tipped him off because he questioned me after that, about why one of the mindless, magical knights would spare my life when all they seemed to know to do was kill and destroy.”

There were tears running down her face now. Her lips were trembling and when Arthur glanced down he could see that her hands were shaking just as badly.

“He left me then, just for a few minutes. When he came back he had some supplies. Among them was a water-skin. He insisted I drink because he said we might not get another chance for a long while. I wasn’t thirsty though, I was too confused by what was happening around me. So he took a drink and turned away, when he turned back he forced the water into my hands and insisted I drink.”

She paused and hung her head, she was sobbing now, little hiccups interrupting her speech every few words. Arthur ached for her but he also ached for Merlin. He knew what that must have cost the gentle warlock. He’d done what was necessary for the good of Camelot, to save Arthur and Uther and everyone else but, he knew it must have nearly killed Merlin to have to destroy such a close friend.

“He started to tear up as soon as I took a sip. When I’d finished the water, he was crying outright. I started to choke, I couldn’t breathe and I looked up and when I met his eyes, I knew. He nodded at me, he nodded! He was crying but he still looked me in the eye and acknowledged what he’d done. Gods, Arthur, he held me while I was choking! He wrapped his arms around me and held me while I struggled to breathe. The last thing I remember were his eyes, they were so sad and sorry but he still held me in his arms and let me slip away.”

Arthur took her by the shoulders and waited until she looked up and met his gaze.

“And yet you’re still alive. How is that?”

“My sister saved me, Morgause. She agreed to lift the spell and leave if Merlin would tell her what poison he used. She lifted the spell and Merlin gave her the bottle of hemlock. She said as soon as she had the bottle you came bursting back into the room so she took me away first and then purged the poison from my system. I’ve been with her ever since.”

“Morgause is your sister? How? What…why…how is that possible? You were an only child, like me?”

“It’s a long story but she’s my mother’s child, born long before I was.”

The knowledge that Morgana had family of her own came as something of a hammer blow to Arthur. Somehow it felt like he’d finally found her only to lose her again. He let out a shaky breath.

“So you never were abducted then.”

Morgana smiled and shook her head. Her expression was a strange one, rueful, sly and happy all at once.

“No, I was unconscious when she took me away but had I been awake, I’d still have gone with her in an instant. She’s family, she’s magic, she’s like me. I don’t feel alone anymore.”

Heart growing heavier with each word from her lips, the spark of joy that had lit up his chest when he saw her slowly fizzled and died. She was his “sister” no more. Worse than that, she despised Merlin. How on earth could he convince her to use her powers to help him?

While his thoughts were ticking over, a familiar figure entered the room. Long blond hair tumbled round slender shoulders and piercing brown eyes examined him as if he was a specimen in a jar. It was Morgause and suddenly, he knew how to appeal to both sorceresses. They all shared a common enemy; surely both women would want to see the murderer of their kind dead and magic return to the land. Before he could speak, Morgause preempted him.

“I’ve been watching you, Arthur Pendragon. You’ve done much to aid our people since your father began to use the Dragonlord’s powers against us. It’s clear that you saw what he was doing was wrong. I’ve often wondered why it took you so long to act. I will admit, I was bitterly disappointed in you after I reunited you with your mother. I was certain she’d shown you the need to eliminate your father but you did not. You left me with a strong intent to do so. Why didn’t you kill him then?”

In all the ways he’d ever envisioned meeting this woman again, he’d never once expected that would be her first line of inquiry. He hesitated, feeling caught out. If he told the truth, it would simply harden their hearts even further against Merlin. However, he could deliver enough of the truth without revealing Merlin’s role in his decision.

“I was angry when I left you. You know that. I was enraged by what my mother’s shade told me. I rode back to Camelot with every intention of killing my father. One of the deepest regrets of my life is that I did not follow through on that impulse.”

“Why didn’t you?”

It was Morgana who asked this time. He wondered if she’d been in on her sister’s plans even as far back as that.

“He convinced me that what I’d seen wasn’t real, that he’d loved my mother, that he would never have willingly sacrificed her life for mine.”

He turned to his foster sister and looked into her frosty green eyes.

“You of all people know how persuasive he can be when he needs to be. With my sword at his throat, he needed to be. And…I still loved him then, thought that he cared for me even if I was a constant source of disappointment for him. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was still desperate for his approval.”

Arthur returned his gaze to Morgause.

“After a life-time of being taught not to trust sorcerers, it wasn’t difficult for him to convince me that what I’d seen was an illusion, that you hadn’t truly conjured up the real spirit of my mother.”

He paused a moment, considered the woman standing before him. He’d seen her attempt to conquer Camelot by the use of sorcery and at the time, it had only served to further harden his heart toward magic. Would she still have tried to take Camelot if he’d gone through with his plan to kill his father after what she’d shown him?

“It makes little difference at this point, since I now know the nature of the magic my father employed to engineer my birth, but tell me something , Morgause. The day I came to answer your challenge, was anything you said to me the the truth? Did you know my mother? Was it really her spirit I saw in that ruined castle of yours?”

He thought he detected a slight softening of her eyes though her expression remained impassive.

“I was a child when she died, but yes, I did know your mother, as well as any child could. You see, I was apprenticed to Nimueh. She often took me with her to Camelot when she went to visit your parents. She rarely saw them both together once you had been conceived. Ygraine was a good woman. Her death grieved me as it did Nimueh. Uther will deny it to his dying day but they were once close friends. Your father knew full well that a life would be asked in exchange for yours but he just couldn’t comprehend that it would be an important life. The price paid for such a precious gift must always be a high one. Though he was cautioned, he paid no heed to the true meaning of the warning.”

Arthur nodded then asked again.

“And the vision you showed me? Was that my mother Ygraine or was it a vision meant to manipulate me into killing my father?”

“That was your mother. Had it been an illusion, I’d have been able to maintain it longer, control what she said. I admit I was gambling on whether or not she would tell you of your father’s actions but it was truly your mother you spoke with, those truly were her arms that embraced you, her hand that you felt upon your cheek. I wished I could have held her there longer but though I am a powerful priestess of the Old Religion, my strength isn’t boundless.”

Her face pinched as she spoke the last words, as if it pained her to admit to any limitations. However, in the wake of everything that happened since the vast scope of Merlin’s powers had been revealed, many a powerful sorcerer had been forced to reevaluate his or her standing in the magical rankings. No one had been able to stand before the mighty Emrys.

“Even Merlin’s power, great as it is, isn’t infinite. No one’s is.”

The two women eyed each other for a moment in some kind of silent communication. Arthur watched the expressions that flitted across their lovely faces with curiosity. Eventually it was Morgana who flicked her eyes back to Arthur and took a deep breath.

“Actually, Emrys’s power may actually be infinite. It’s Merlin’s knowledge that has yet to catch up. Thankfully, he no longer has the Great Dragon to guide him or I fear the entire world would have fallen to Uther by now. He possesses the potential to destroy anything and everything he comes into contact with. That’s why it’s imperative that he dies, Arthur.”

“No! It’s Uther who has to die! Once Merlin is free, he will undo all the damage that Father has forced him to do. He is the only one who can heal the wounds he’s been made to inflict on the land.”

“Arthur, no one should possess that much power. It isn’t natural and it isn’t right. He’s been corrupted beyond redemption, surely you must see that? He can’t simply be freed. Who knows what he’ll do with all that power at his disposal and no one to challenge him? Look what he’s done so far.”

Morgana’s voice was strangely gentle but implacably firm. He realized that she knew of his feelings for Merlin, had probably known of them before he had. Morgana knew he loved Merlin but was warning him that it didn’t matter. As far as she was concerned, there was only one acceptable fate for her former friend.

“You’re wrong Morgana. You don’t know him like I do. He is pure goodness. If there were only a single incorruptible soul in this world, it would be his. Think about it…he could have taken the throne for himself the moment he walked into Camelot as a boy. Instead, he used his powers sparingly and always for the greater good. Despite all that Uther has done to him, all that he’s forced him to do, Merlin’s spirit remains inviolate. His soul is pure and bright and true.”

Turning to Allasair and Sulwen, his expression implored them to agree. Allasair spoke first.

“It is as the young Pendragon says. Emrys is a creature of the Old Religion and he was forged for a specific purpose. He will restore balance to the world. He was made to be an instrument of peace, and, no matter what the Twisted Chief has tried to make of him, he cannot break Emrys. He hasn’t the strength to overcome what forms the young warlock. Fate made Emrys for a special purpose and despite all the damage the warped one has caused, he cannot overcome the Old Religion itself. All Uther has done is to usurp what was to be Arthur’s place in Emrys’s life and bend the destiny that they were to share. He has taken Arthur’s destiny upon himself and as he has twisted it. It will remain twisted until it is fulfilled. He will meet the fate that Emrys failed to prevent as a child when he ignored a dire warning from the Great Dragon. This failure on his part would have brought great tragedy into all your lives, now, it very well may be the saving of us all.”

Looking to Arthur, he continued, “Your father has taken the destiny that was to be yours, Chief Dragon. However, in doing so, he has given you a new one, a better one. For he will now meet the ill-fate that was to be yours and in its stead, you will be given a chance to right the wrongs he has done and help Emrys restore balance to the world. If Uther succeeds in fulfilling what was to be your destiny, then he will allow a new future to take its place and it will be a far better one than any of us have ever dared hope for.”

To say that Arthur was confused by the Druid’s words would be a gross understatement. If he understood Allasair, it sounded as if his father’s unforeseen intervention into his destiny was a good thing. How was that possible? After all the suffering Uther had brought down, on Merlin, on Arthur, and upon all of Albion, how could any of his actions be seen in a positive light?

His confusion was no doubt writ large across his face. The Druid smiled and nodded.

“You did not mishear my words. These dark years are but the hours before a glorious new dawn. The coming of Emrys has been looked for since the birth of man. He has always been known to those of us who have the Sight but while the general shape of the future can be known, its exact form is ever in flux. We have known that Emrys and the Once and Future King would bring balance, peace and prosperity to the lands of Albion but to what degree could not be known. The Druid’s have long known that a period of terror and tyranny would precede this golden age but again, we could not foresee just how bleak, how very dire things would become. However, the darker the night, the brighter the day; you and your Merlin have it within you to bring to all of us, a very bright future indeed.”

Sulwen chimed in,

“Yes, if we succeed, more good will come from Uther’s actions than bad. When all is done, Emrys can probably tell you why.”

She then turned to Morgana and spoke her piece directly to the young witch.

“I know you feel Emrys has wronged you personally and has wronged the world at large but if you look inside yourself you will find that you already know the truth. The harm he did you was for the greater good and you saw yourself how much it hurt him to do it. You know that he is a creature of the light. You feel he betrayed you but it was you and your sister who were the betrayers. You are a powerful Seer, Morgana, but did you never wonder why you never Saw Emrys for what he was in all the time you knew him?”

A deep crease appeared in the pale skin between Morgana’s shimmering green eyes and her mouth pinched. Skin flushed and fists clenched to hide their shaking, she nodded.

“Yes. When it became clear to the world what he was, I still could not See him. I never have.” He tone became wondering. “I have never Seen him...why is this? I have Seen everyone else I know, have Seen countless people I don’t know. How is it that Merlin has never once been within the scope of my Vision?”

“Your dreams are warnings, Morgana. You have never needed to be warned about Emrys for he is the vessel chosen and formed by the Old Religion to bring magic, peace and prosperity back to the whole of Albion. Arthur was made to compliment his ethereal power by wielding the temporal. When Uther’s hold over Emrys is broken, together they will sow love where there is hatred, help the injured to pardon their abusers, make the doubters believe, transform despair into hope, sadness to joy and bring light to all that now dwell in darkness. This time approaches but they are but two and cannot accomplish this task unaided.”

Joining Sulwen, Allasair spoke to Morgana and Morgause. The sisters now stood side by side, long pale fingers entwined as if to give each other the strength to stand before the persuasive words of the powerful Druids.

“You both have a part to play in this. As well as the young warlock you’ve bonded so closely with Morgana. His aid is needed as well if we are to bring Uther’s terrible reign to an end and bring magic, balance and peace back to our world.”

Morgause expression turned speculative but Morgana tensed defensively.

“Mordred? He’s just a child, he shouldn’t be exposed to this kind of war.”

“Lady Morgana, do you realize that Emrys is but a few years older than that so-called child? That he was the same age Mordred is now when Uther seized him from his guardian and enslaved him so heinously? You would protect Mordred, pardon him for the wrongs he has committed of his own volition while holding young Emrys’s actions against him? If you think the boy nothing more than an innocent child then you are deceiving yourself and doing him a grave disservice at the same time. He has the right to choose whether or not he wishes to join in this fight. Indeed, his aid is vital if we are to succeed!”

“The Druid is right, Sister. Mordred is young but you know as well as I do that he was forced to grow up early. Life hasn’t coddled him, you mustn’t try to do so either.”

Morgana’s gaze was imploring when she met her sister’s but Morgause didn’t flinch or soften.

“He has great power, as great as you or I, possibly greater. We will need his help if we are to face Emrys while he is still under Uther’s control. Not to mention that all magic aside, he is a wonder with a sword.”

She looked at Arthur and curled her lips in that cat-like smile he’d come to associate with her.

“Indeed, it seems you made quite an impression on Mordred as a child. He has taken to sword-craft as readily as the magical arts.”

She then looked to the Druids flanking Arthur.

“We will need all the magical strength we can gather and that includes your people. Will you put aside your pacifistic beliefs and join this battle?”

Sulwen smiled and Allasair merely raised an eyebrow.

“You still know so little of our people, Priestess. We aren’t truly pacifists. We merely know what is and what isn’t worth sacrificing life for. There is a time for every action. It is past time for the Once and Future King to take his place upon the throne and for Emrys to unite the old world and the new.”

He nodded to Arthur, giving him a meaningful glance. Nodding in return, Arthur shrugged off his long leather coat, loosened his belt and stripped off his tunic. The tattoos marking his skin shimmered with the magic that had formed them and both women gasped in shock.

Sulwen smiled broadly while Allasair contented himself with a small, serene smile. The two spoke in turn, as if they shared the words between them.

“As you can see, Arthur has been Marked. He has accepted his fate as a vessel of the Old Religion and his pledge of service has been accepted in return. The Powers came to him with the voice of Emrys so there can be no doubt. They are two halves of one whole. The world will remain broken whilst they remain torn asunder.”

“We will fight the Twisted Chief so that the Chief Dragon may take his place beside his Dragonlord. We will fight, not just for the future of this land, but for the future of the world itself.”

“Will you accept that Emrys must survive the coming battle? Can you release your hatred of him? Forgive him his trespasses against you? I assure you, if you do so, he will pardon your own misguided actions in turn.”

Morgause’s face pinched, as if they had asked her to swallow a bitter tonic while Morgana’s eyes filled with tears. Arthur knew her as well as he knew anyone. He could see that not only had she forgiven Merlin for poisoning her but that she was also feeling remorse for the part she had played in the act that had shattered their friendship.

He spoke softly to her.

“You were the one who once told me Morgana, Merlin is a lover. You know him, you weren’t mistaken, he was your friend and he loved you. You saw that in him even as he was forced to act against you. He tried to comfort you as best he could even as his heart was breaking. “

Arthur looked to Morgause.

“And you, of any of us, have the least right to hate him. You used Morgana against her own friends, her own people. You forced Merlin to poison a dear friend to save every other person he loved. You forced his hand. You haven’t any right to resent him for what he did. Did it ever occur to you how Morgana would have felt if you had succeeded?”

He looked to Morgana.

“Did it ever occur to you?”

From the sick look on her face, he doubted it. He rather suspected Morgause would have kept Morgana focused only on the “wrongs” committed against her, distracting her from the crimes they had attempted to commit themselves.

“He killed my mentor, Arthur Pendragon. I could hate him for all eternity for that act alone. She was the only mother I ever knew.”

Icy anger frosted over his need to coax at this accusation.

“Yes, he did. After she tried to kill everyone in Camelot, after she tried to murder him, after she tried to kill me, after she tried to kill his mother and after she came within a hair’s breadth of murdering his own mentor, Gaius. She may have been a mentor to you, Morgause but that woman deserved the death she brought upon herself. Do you know how she died?”

Her chin lifted but her there was a shadow of doubt in her eyes as she looked at him.

“Only that he came to the Isle of the Blessed, the sacred home to the Priestesses of the Old Religion and that he murdered her!”

“Then you have only a fraction of the story. He came to her to offer his own life in return for mine when I was bitten by the Questing Beast. He made the bargain without guile, his life for mine. It was your mentor who decided to change the covenant to suit her own twisted purposes. She attempted to take his mother’s life instead. He returned to the Isle to confront her only to find that Gaius had arrived before him. Knowing that Merlin was going to again attempt to sacrifice his life for hers, Gaius offered his life in exchange for Hunith’s in order to keep Merlin safe. When he demanded she take his life and restore Gaius, she refused. Knowing nothing of his nature, only his power, she attempted to win him to her side. When he refused she attacked him, he still has the scars to prove it. He struck back and she died. The Old Religion was satisfied that the balance of the world was restored and so Gaius recovered. Had your loving guardian accepted Merlin’s self-sacrifice, the world would be a very different place now. So you think about that before you accuse him of murdering her.”

Finally, Morgause’s icy calm façade cracked and she staggered though she’d not taken a single step. Morgana guided her to a chair and she sank into its support, all the colour drained from her face. The brown of her eyes was obscured by the shimmering well of tears that filled them.

“I’m sorry, Morgause, I truly am. I know you must have loved her but she brought about her own downfall. Much like you forced Merlin to poison Morgana, Nimueh forced him to kill her to protect the people he loved most. He would rather have died himself but she took that choice from him and sowed the seeds of her own destruction.”

She looked at them where they stood, Sulwen and Allasair with Arthur between them, shirtless with the blessings of the Old Religion shimmering clearly on his skin. Her face crumpled and she attempted to speak. It took several tries before she managed to gasp out,

“I can’t…I can’t do this right now. Please, I need time. I need time to think.”

Morgana gathered up her sister and held her protectively in the circle of her arms.

“Later, Arthur. You’ve given us a lot to think about and we need time to sort through all of it. Lord Redthorn will be along presently. He’ll look after you.”

The walked slowly from the room but no one had the heart to say a word to stop them. It was clear that many dearly held beliefs had been shattered that night for both women. They would need to process their changed circumstances. Having had his own world destroyed and rebuilt several times over the past few years, he could empathize. Looking back at the men who’d accompanied him on his long journey he gave them a tight smile.

“I have a feeling we may be here for a few days, men. At least we’ll be able to enjoy the pleasures of real beds and secure walls for the time being.”





Chapter 3

• Current Mood: accomplished