Maxim/Morgana Stories

Not Alone (T)

I finally wrote something! (Though I feel like I forgot how to write) This was a request made by Aurorasilverthorne and I hope it's actually good. It's a bit longer than what I normally write but there's a lot of exposition. Enjoy!

"Why should I trust you?"

Maxim stood up after kneeling before the leader of the Morganians and the Prime Morganian herself, Morgana Le Fay. She stared down at him as if he was nothing more than dirt of the bottom of her boot. You should've never left, a voice said in the back of his mind.

"I'm sorry, Maxim, but..."

Maxim clenched his teeth at the familiar voice echoing in his head. He couldn't go back. Not after embarrassing himself like that. Not after all the suffering he's had to endure as Merlin's apprentice.

"M'lady, I promise you—"

"Your promises mean nothing here," she interrupted. "You're still bound to that old man and I have no patience for nonsense." She narrowed her eyes, "...or spies."

"I assure you, Lady Le Fay," Maxim began again, "I have no further associations with Merlin, or any other merlineans." Especially his apprentices, he thought. "I am yours to do as you please."

Morgana eyed him for a moment. "And if it pleases me to kill you?"

"Then... in a way my life have been useful to the Morganian cause."

"Coward," She hissed. "You wouldn't fight back?"

"I have no need to. I've already told you that I'm now devoted to your cause so if it pleases you to kill me, then I have no qualms."

Morgana eyed him again, as if offering a chance to change his mind. Or possibly calculating the different ways she could kill him. Maxim stood his ground, however. He did not want to go back to Merlin's castle. He couldn't. After foolishly revealing his feelings to Veronica, even though he knew somewhere in his heart that she'll never return the sentiment, he also knew that there is no point in wallowing in his pain and staying there any longer.

"Fine," she finally conceded, "I suppose you could join my cause. But consider yourself dead if you even think about betraying me."

"Of course, m'lady."

That was a month ago and not soon after, he had decided to break himself from the Merlinean circle and bound with the Morganian pentacle. It was freeing to say the least, though he still thought about the others. Did they even care that he's gone? Do they care that he's now their enemy?

"Horvath!"

Maxim looked across the training to a slim young man of about thirty stalking towards him.

"You're out here lallygagging," he huffed as he drew near, "when the stables need to cleaned."

"I'm not a stablehand, Mordred," Maxim replied. "That isn't my job."

The king's bastard son glared at him. "Then you better be prepared to lick droppings off the bottom of my aunt's shoe. Now get to the stables or you're in for another round of whipping, mongrel."

Maxim wished for nothing more but to snapped the man's neck, but unfortunately, Mordred is both the kin and the right-hand man to Lady Le Fay, and he would like to remain on her good side.

He reluctantly made his way to the stables and did what he was told. He gathered the hay, cleaned after the horses, and did any other menial task that was given to him.

"This should be easy for you, mongrel," Mordred jeered. "You grew up doing this." Maxim tried to ignore him, focusing solely on the task at hand, when a horse rode into the stables.