Between the Storms

Chapter Twenty-Eight

28. Show Me

Magdelena put Gilthunder in the stables, the stablemaster greeting her with a large smile, one which she tried to return. She quickly made her way toward the chambers she shared, sighing as she entered the well-lit chambers to find no one was there. She sat on her bed putting her head in her hands as she thought of what was now trying to take over her. She wasn't able to stop the tears from rolling down her face, "Maggie?" the sound of Merlin's joyous voice which caused more tears to flow down her cheeks, "Maggie your back!" he cries out running to her and pulling her into one of the largest hugs she had ever received which made it worse.

"Merlin," she sighs as she holds on to her brother tightly, "I need to tell yo-"

"Arthur went on this quest and we ran into Gwaine who said he had run into you," Merlin says smiling as he still held onto his sister not yet ready to let her go yet, "He said that you had been whipped. Is this true?" 

"Yes Merlin, but I ran into Kilgharrah who helped me heal," she explains pulling from his grip showing her red eyes from crying, "I can explain it later and I would like to hear more about yours as well but Merlin I need to tell you something." 

"Maggie?" the voice of Gaius in the doorway made them snap their heads toward him, he quickly dropped his things on to the table before rushing to her pulling her into another tight embrace, "Maggie I am so glad you are back."

"Oh Gaius how I have missed you, both of you," she says, "I have thought of nothing but you two since I left, I need to tell you guys something."

"First Merlin said that you had been whipped and I want to look at these injuries," he says she looks at him but sighs as she takes off the red cloak and removed her corset allowing Gaius to move the back of her shirt to see the scars. She looked down at the red cloak and thought of the Prince who had given it to her two months ago,  "These are terrible but very well healed. Though this bottom one looks more like a stab than a whip.  Who did this to you?" 

"I can explain later but I have to tell you something," she says they both nod their heads as she pulls the chain from under her shirt and shows the black eye and tear, surrounded by gold and diamond, "The Eye of Ardon cracked on my way to the sorcerer. Since I was closest it went into me and is now slowly growing and taking over me, this necklace will slow it down more but it will take me over. The sorcerer is trying their best to find a way to undo it, but I fear how long it will take for that to happen."

"Maggie?" Merlin asks looking at his sister who was close to tears once more.

"I need you to help keep me in check, I don't want to hurt anyone but this thing inside me does," she says biting her lip as she goes to says what she wanted to next, "I also need you to keep your distance. I don't know how this will react, or how I will act out and I don't want you hurt." 

"I can't do that Maggie," Merlin says, "I am your brother, younger or not, and am I staying by your side no matter what is happening. You will not be pushing me away like that." 

"Merlin."

"No!" he snaps at her, "You can't say anything that will push me away I am by your side no matter what happens."

Magdelena smiled at her brother, "I can see there is no talking you out of this," she says hugging him  before turning to Gaius, "If you would-"

"Don't even go there Maggie, I am with you just like Merlin," he says smiling at her as she hugs him as well. 

"I have to go do something real quick, but when I get back I want to know all about what I missed while I was gone," she says dropping the two swords and the leather pouch on her bed, before grabbing the red cloak and makes her way out of the chambers, down the stairs through the halls. 

She paused at a set of doors before knocking, when there was no reply she entered looking around the Prince's chambers seeing he wasn't in there. She let out a small breath of release, as much as she wanted to see him it was better at the moment for her to stay away. She folded the cloak and placed it on the table and was heading toward his desk when she froze.

"Mags?" his voice was just like she remembered and she smiled while her back was toward him before turning to him with a different smile one of a servant as she bowed a bit, "You're back?"

"Yes, Sire," she says seeing Leon smiling at her as well behind him, as well as another guard she wasn't familiar with.

"Leon could we finish this later?" the Prince asks Magdelena shakes her head.

"No I was just going to leave," she says but Leon was already out the door with the other guard following after him, "I hope that wasn't-" Arthur barrelled into her arms, holding onto her tight, tighter than Gaius and in a way tighter than Merlin. 

"I feared the worse when Merlin always said that you never sent word to him," he says sounding almost out of breath, "Then with Gwaine who said that you were whipped. We refused to believe it." 

He looks at her waiting for her to say that it wasn't real and it was Gwaine pulled a joke, "Arthur."

"Let me see," Magdelena goes to refuse but he gives her a stern look, "I want to see them." 

She walks to the door and locks it before walking back to him removing her corset than turns allowing him to move her shirt around showing the many thin scars some large ones and a dark red one from when she was stabbed by the man. She goes to say something but the words die in her mouth as his calloused fingers ran over her scars. 

"Why would someone do this?" he asks he grew angrier as he stared and touched the scarred skin, "I will find this person and kill him I swear." 

"Your Highness," Magdelena steps away from him turning as she puts back on her corset, "While the gesture is meaningful it is misplaced. Not only is he already dead, but you have no reason to seek revenge for me." 

"Have you seen your back?" he asks as she unlocks the door looking out to make sure there was no one trying to get into the room and get the wrong idea, "Mags. I have every right to seek vengeance on those who have hurt you."

"I came here to just return your cloak," she says motioning to the red folded fabric on the table, "I tried to keep it in the best of shape." 

"This is for your to keep Mags," he says grabbing it and handing it to her, "Please keep it." She smiles as she grabs before seeing a black cloak wrapped up into the bedsheets she looks over at it and can't help but smile at the meaning. She averts to her eyes to the floor blushing as she holds the red fabric which already smelt like Arthur again.

"Thank you," she says quickly leaving the chambers hiding the cloak to find Uther and inform him that she was back but wanted to stay away from people and keep away from them for fear of the darkness in her.