The Future of Camelot

Trust

"I'll come back," Morgana had said to her sister. She had meant it, but she also felt terrible leaving Morgause. Although the former High Priestess had no magic yet, she still had a treacherous mind which could manipulate and deceive even the most steadfast. Merlin had agreed, but Morgana knew he had his doubts as well.

The car drive to the Lake of Avalon was much faster than a journey on horse would be, but the time already elapsed seemed longer than the trip to Glastonbury should have taken.

"Where are we going?" Morgana asked with a bit of alarm. Merlin grinned mysteriously, but didn't answer. Morgana felt anger stir her magic, but she suppressed it. Merlin seemed to sense her discomfort.

"You'll like it, I promise," he said.

"Why do I not trust you?" she growled, but most of her anger had faded.

"Because I poisoned you and defeated you many times and then I killed you," said Merlin frankly. Morgana raised her eyebrows and looked sideways at him. A noise came out of her mouth that Merlin couldn't interpret.

"What?" he asked, worried that he had gone too far. The noise happened again. "What!" he repeated, taking his eyes off the road for a moment. She forced his head back and made the noise again, this time louder. If he wasn't mistaken,

"It was a laugh, you deceitful, spinebacked simpleton!" Merlin looked at Morgana in surprise. She noticed. "What, you think because I'm evil, I can't have a sense of humor?"

"You're not evil," he said quietly. He caught a glimpse of a relieved smile on her face. "I'm not saying you're an angel," he ratified quickly. "But you had your reasons."

"Yes, I did," affirmed Morgana. "I am sorry, though. Not for all of it. That may make me sound like the evil witch the stories Morgan read in school about me portrayed me as, but it's true. Some deserved what I gave them."

"Surely not all," Merlin said, not for the first time questioning his decision to not kill Morgana on the spot.

"No. Not the innocents who were caught in the crossfire. Nor Gwaine," said Morgana. "Or Arthur."

"Arthur?" asked Merlin, genuinely surprised. "He stood against everything you fought for. Don't you remember, 'I will stay by your side until the wolves gouge on your carcass and bathe in your blood'?"

"Of course I remember," Morgana snapped. "But you didn't know us as children. We were good friends, if you can believe that."

"I remember you two fancying each other," Merlin admitted honestly. Morgana kept staring straight ahead, but punched Merlin in the arm. He was lucky it wasn't worse, and knew it. Her face flushed red.

"Where are we going, anyway?" she demanded. Merlin grinned to himself, but didn't respond.

For almost four hours they drove in relative silence. When the car finally stopped, they were in a large cluster of rocks and caves. Morgana recognized it, but couldn't exactly place it.

"Outskirts of the White Mountains," Merlin told her.

"Took long enough, I hope it's worth it," muttered Morgana under her breath. This rather upset Merlin.

"Do you know how long this journey would have taken if we were riding?" he snapped. Morgana looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry," he said more quietly.

"That's alright," said Morgana, but warily. She followed him through an unused path for several miles. If his feet ached as much as hers did, he didn't show it. She had been caught off guard by his temper earlier, so she didn't want to anger him further by complaining.

"Here," he said, after another hour of silent walking. He pulled aside a bush and revealed a large entrance to what appeared to be a cave. Morgana was sure she'd have missed it if Merlin hadn't pointed it out.