The Future of Camelot

Sisterly Love

Morgause stumbled back from Morgana. She stared at her sister beseechingly.

"Morgause? Do you know me?" The blonde woman had her back to them and was huddled into herself. "Sister?" Morgana repeated. Morgause whirled around.

"Hello, sister mine," she said with genuine love. She noticed Merlin, and cocked her head. "The servant," she hissed. "You poisoned her."

Merlin didn't move. He clenched his fists, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Merlin, I would like to talk to my sister alone, please," said Morgana tightly. He looked at her, but stepped outside the doorframe and turned away. He heard the door click behind him.

0O0O0O0

"Where - " started Morgause, then stopped. She seemed very confused.

"We have been dead for a thousand years," Morgana told her. Morgause stared. "Or, almost a thousand," stammered Morgana. She rarely stammered. What was wrong with her?

"What happened after my death?" Morgause asked. "Did we win?"

Morgana shook her head. She couldn't find words. It was strange; her sister had been the person closest to her. Why did she have such trouble talking to her now?

"What is it, sister?" Morgause seemed very concerned.

"I don't know," Morgana replied honestly. "This world is so new, and yet I've been here for 26 years. So much happened after you died, and - " And I needed you, she finished in her head. I needed my sister. I need the one person that understood me, that I loved. But all she said was, "Life was hard."

"I expect," Morgause said sympathetically. "I'm sorry I left you."

"I killed you!" Morgana burst out. "You asked me to kill you! Do you know what that did to me? Do you know how much that hurt?" Morgause frowned at Morgana.

"I was going to die, anyway. You made my death worth something."

"No, I didn't!" Morgana shouted. "Merlin and Arthur and the knights defeated the army of the dead, and it achieved nothing."

"Merlin," scoffed Morgause. "What does the servant have to do with anything?"

"Don't you know?" Morgana asked, momentarily forgetting her anger. Morgause's face revealed that she didn't. Of course not, how could she? "Merlin is Emrys." No recognition was registered on her sister's face. "The most powerful sorcerer on the Earth?"

"Merlin?" Morgause repeated. Morgana nodded. "The servant," clarified Morgause. "Messy hair, strange scarves, am I forgetting anything?"

"That's the one," Morgana confirmed.

"Honestly though, Merlin! A sorcerer?" Morgause laughed and relaxed against the wall.

"He killed me," Morgana said quietly.

"I know," said Morgause hesitantly. "He poisoned you."

Morgana avoided her sisters eyes. She was keenly aware of Merlin's presence just outside. "No. I mean long after that. He stabbed me with a blade forged in a dragon's breath."

"Why would he need such a blade?" asked Morgause. How much she had missed.

"I am a high priestess," Morgana admitted with some pride. "And Aithusa - a dragon - healed me. Combined, it seemed to make me invulnerable." Morgause's face was full of admiration for her younger sister.

"I'm proud of you, Morgana," she said. Although years of feelings had built up for and against Morgause, her respect was still incredibly important to Morgana. "But why did you come here with Merlin if he killed you? Tell me what happened after my death," she ordered.

Morgana submitted. She revealed everything as concisely as she could, excepting how she got her magic back. When she was done, she couldn't read Morgause's face.

"What is it? Sister?" The woman in question bowed her head. Finally, she looked Morgana in the eye.

"You have been brave," she said. "You worked hard to achieve what we strived for." This filled Morgana with warmth. "But why associate with your enemies now?"

"What other choice do I have?" asked Morgana defensively. She remembered suddenly the reasons for the bad dreams over the years concerning Morgause.

"Annihilate them!" the older woman exclaimed. "You are far more powerful than I was; I could sense it even before you had done any spells. These people hate you," she said charismatically. Morgana felt her barrier break a little, then brought herself back.

"They might," she conceded. "But I don't want them to. They used to be my friends," she said firmly. "There must be some way to - "

"There isn't!" shouted Morgause. "I don't see why you are fighting this truth. They hate you! They can never trust you again." Morgana back away from her sister.

"Why are you saying this?" she asked.

"Because it's the truth!" was the response. "Sister, you are everything to me. I have no reason to lie to you. I only wish to protect you."

"I know," Morgana said sadly. "But I don't want protection. Not from you, not from anyone. I'm sick of being protected. I can take care of myself."

"Morgana - "

"No! I want this! I want them to trust me again, and running away with you and living as a recluse again won't achieve that. Please, Morgause."

"Why did you bring me back if you didn't want me?" her sister asked. The truth was that Morgana couldn't decide. She loved her sister dearly, but she would only bring solitude and loneliness to Morgana. She wanted, more than anything, to be accepted by the world again. Not as the innocent girl who grew up to be the perfect princess of Camelot, but as her whole self, magic and regret and all.

Morgana had backed into the door. She felt the handle dig into the small of her back.

"I love you," she said, feeling tears come to her eyes.

"I know," Morgause laughed. For some reason, this angered Morgana. After everything Morgause did to her, Morgana had no obligation to love her. How dare her feelings be taken for granted! "What is it?"

"Nothing," lied Morgana. She felt for the door handle and grasped it. Morgause narrowed her eyes at the movement.

"There is something, I know it."

"Do you have magic?" asked Morgana out of the blue. Morgause frowned at this change of conversation, but indeed tried to cast a charm. Morgana didn't know what is was, for nothing happened. She disguised her feeling of relief by turning the door handle and opening the door.

Merlin was outside, reading a book on a bench nearby. He looked up when the door opened. Seeing Morgana, he closed the book and ran up to her.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, glancing between the sisters. "Everything sorted out?"

"So, this is the boy who killed us both," Morgause grinned cynically. "Such power, for one so young and foolish."

"I am not young," Merlin said dangerously. "I am so much more powerful than you could ever imagine, Morgause."

Morgana was torn between these two who represented all the pain and all the love in her life. Both were leaders of sorts of the two sides, both which had, at some point, had a hold on her. Merlin was Camelot; opposed to magic, Morgana's childhood, and the enemy. Morgause was magic; everything about Morgana, and yet the cause of most of the loneliness and suffering of her life. Magic had given her friends, but it also tore them away.

"Morgana?" asked Merlin with genuine concern. What was she thinking? Merlin wasn't Camelot, he was Merlin! So much more. He had been a wonderful friend, and then he tried to kill her. He had poisoned her, and then he killed her sister, and then tore Gwen away, and then he killed her. But he was the first person in this world to be kind to her.

"Yes, Morgana," Morgause mocked, "are you ready to return to the people who would have you dead in a second if they could?"

Was she?