Queen of Camelot ~~~ON HIATUS~~~

Chapter Eleven (III)

Morgana didn't eat up his words like Arthur would he pushed against him. "I've seen the way the girl works. Her fingers are worn, her nails are broken. If she was a sorceress, why would she do this? Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers? Like an idle king!" Morgana's face was red and tears the water to fall down her beautiful loving face.

Uther jumped up his face equally red from anger. "You have no right!"

This didn't break down Morgana's wall it only encouraged her to build them high she stronger. "You have no right to cast a judgement on that girl!" Morgana shot back.

"I have a responsibility to take care of this kingdom! I take no pleasure in this!" Uther informed his eyes wide. Arthur stood away from the two watching but not engaging.

'Coward' Morgana thought for a split second before her thoughts returned back to a man that had done so much wrong. "But you're sentencing the wrong person!"

Almost as if Arthur had heard Morgana called him a coward he step in. "She's right, Father. You hear the word magic, you no longer listen."

Morgana looked over at him silently thinking him, but also promising not to do it aloud.

Arthur jumping in only seemed to piss him off even more. "You saw it for yourself. She used enchantments."

Arthur pinched his nose sighing. "Yes, maybe. But to save her dying father, that doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart." (I don't actually know who says this line it could've been Morgana but it was said, so...)

He seemed to be making up for his obedience at that moment yet he stood far away from the two almost afraid to be any closer to his father.

Uther's face hardened as he looked at the boy. " I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish." Uther tried to persuade.

Arthur's seemed to have shrunk as he responded. "I understand that."

Uther walked over towards him, Arthur didn't move a muscle as he got closer. Arthur's eyes were wide with completely fear and yet he didn't back away. "One day you may become King. Then you will understand. Such decisions must be made. There are dark forces that threaten this kingdom." Morgana wanted to protect him from the monster Uther secretly was, but she too was frozen fading into the background.

"I know. Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of king I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in. It would be where the punishment fits the crime." Arthur concluded his teeth and fist clenched.

Uther smiled menacingly at the boy nodding. "I fear you're right. She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire." However there was a hint of sadness in his voice.

Uther left Arthur to think about his words. Morgana stood there for a second watching her brothers internal battle. She hoped the side against Uther won in the end, until then she would give him space.

She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze to let him know she was there before leaving him to his own mind.
                 ~~~~~~~~~~
Merlin returned to Gaius's chambers to rethink his plan and to get a few things off his chest. Information he couldn't tell others because they wouldn't understand.