Defying Destiny - A Merlin Fanfic

Chapter 54

A guard walked forward with a box and Ari's eyes widened at the symbol on the lid. The guard placed the box in front of Morgana who stood from her throne with an evil smirk.

Ari attempted to back away but two guards restrained him. Morgana took the lid off the box and began chanting.

"Not this" Ari whimpered.

Ari desperately tried to break free but the guards pushed him onto his knees in front of Morgana.

"Morgana, My lady, I beg of you" Ari pleaded

Morgana ignored him and continued chanting.

"I'm begging you!"

Morgana's eyes glowed gold and a hissing noise rose from the box. A creature that looked like a giant slug, slithered out of the box and flung itself at Ari, attaching itself to his face as he clawed and pulled trying to get it off.
Ari fell to the floor struggling with the creature and Mordred watched him with a confused expression. Morgana just smirked and walked back to her thone.

She sat down just as the creature had slithered off of Ari's face and back into the box, leaving the man on the floor breathing heavily and whimpering.

"No..." he sobbed softly before going still.

"Is he dead?" Mordred asked

"If I wanted him dead I would've put a sword in his gut" Morgana replied.

Ari then gave a huge intake of breath and two guards hauled him to his feet.

"Don't despair, Ari," Morgana smirked maliciously as Ari kept whimpering " We're nearly done"

"If you would do me the favour of relighting those fires "

"You know... I cannot." Ari gasped.

"For the benefit of my friends. "

Ari shoved the guards off of him before looking at Morgana. "I will not humiliate myself before you"

"You will if you want to see your family alive " Morgana threatened

"And you would know all about having family alive, wouldn't you, Morgana?" Ari smirked "I've heard all about your dear sister's awful demise. "

"ENOUGH!" Morgana screamed "Do not test my patience, Ari. Relight those fires."

Mordred looked down at his feet at the mention of Aria. He still believed that she died and that it was his fault.

Ari turned to look at the fire pits before incanting a spell, but unlike last time, it didn't work and the fire pits remained unlit.

"AGAIN!" Morgana screamed once more. "If you please "

Ari started crying as he incanted the spell again an just like before the fire pits remained unlit.

Morgana gestured for the guards to take him away and Ari was dragged out of the room sobbing.

"He was a loyal soldier. In robbing him of his magic, you've lost yourself a powerful ally " Mordred said to Morgana

"Perhaps. But now we know the war can be won... For Arthur is nothing without his Emrys and Emrys is nothing without magic" Morgana smirked

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Back in Camelot, it was if a dark gloomy cloud had enclosed the entire city. The town and castle had depressing auroras hovering over them and it was if all the happiness had been snatched from the land.

When Aria had 'died' the entire kindome fell into misery at the loss of the young princess. But not as hard as those who personally knew her and considered her a friend.