BBC Merlin Fanfic Book 2 - Fearless (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 14

"Lady Rosa of Whiteridge I assume?" turning around I noticed a cloaked figure with the hood up leaning against the doorway. "Of course, you are, you look just like your parents." The cloaked figure confidently walked forward. "I never thought this day would come. The day I'd finally get to see you myself."

They were now in the centre of the hall before their hood was tugged down to reveal a woman. A woman with hair like the black of night. Her eyes as green as the forest. My heart was beating faster by the minute as I held on to the wooden throne for dear life. That infamous smirk appeared, and she chuckled revealing a wide smile. "I take it you recognised me then? Of course you have poppet, you couldn't forget me even if you tried."

Is it really you? I'm not dreaming?" if it was possible her smile grew. "Argona Lamia, at your service" she mockingly curtsied. "Now dear don't be so scared, come down and let me see you!" But I refused to move leading her to shake her head in disapproval. "Now girl one thing you should know about me is I have no patience. So, when I say you do something..." I felt a forceful push from behind me causing me to be within a foots distance of her, but nothing was there? "You do it."

Her long black dress slid across the floor as she paced like a serpent. "Why do you appear in my dreams? I see you surrounded by flames with screams echoing around." My hands shook even thinking about it. "You see that is because I put it there for you... it was my only way of getting you to come along with that Prince downstairs."

"You plant them in my head but that's impossible?" she laughed. "Clearly not you poor, innocent naive little thing. I was brought up in the ways of the old religion but specialised in the dark magic... curses... spells... nightmares" she laughed. She was crazy. "Go on ask me the question!" she bounced on her toes full of excitement. "Why those images? Why not something else? I'm sure there are much worse things you could do?"

She nodded. "Oh, my dear you certainly are right I could do far worse." She now began to walk behind me. "But it has no relevance to your story. The fire... the man and woman you see are part of your past. And your Princes screams of terror... well that will be your future." She was making no sense but before I could question more it was all unveiled. "The couple were your mother and father. Sir William Whiteridge and his wife Titania." No... that can't be?

"But that-" I ran a hand through my loose hair trying to take everything in. "Oh, I knew this would be good, but I didn't realise it would be this perfect! Let me give you a further revelation. No one knows what happened to them apart from those there that night and luckily for you... I was. They perished in the fire together. Guess they kept their marriage vows to one another... till death do us part!" she laughed once again.

"No! they couldn't have my father would have fought his way out of there he would have found a way out... your-your lying". A tear escaped my eye and the sorceress wiped it away puckering her lip. "Your father certainly would have done that had I not enchanted the house..."

"You killed them?" she hummed, and I took as many steps back as I could before reaching the wall. "Now, now dear don't be like that! Your father sided with Uther. Your estate was on the borderline of Cenrid' kingdom near many of his outlying villages. He was a kind and generous man to everyone... except those who had magic. Uther had corrupted your father and many other noble families... so I set out to show them the side of magic they feared rather than hiding out. Your father's death was my greatest triumph of the decade. It is of course clear to you that your family trained the best soldiers in the kingdoms. By defeating him I weakened Uther' defences greatly. I, ended all succession lines, every family I visited suffered the greatest loss apart from one...you. You Lady Rosa of Whiteridge somehow managed to escape without me knowing. Many years passed until the day you revealed yourself to the public eye. It would seem no matter what I try to do I cannot change your destiny... which sadly is to not die at my hands."

My heart rate was awfully quick and my breaths loud. My hand was on my heart as I thought of my mother... my father... my people! "You made a choice Argona and it was the wrong one... so many lives lost in order to prove their fears right? You could have shown them different. Shown them that magic is a wonderful thing. You reinforced in Uther mind that magic is evil. Your kind is in hiding partially because of you!"

"I don't need a lecture from you. A naive little girl too big to fit into her noble shoes. You have no idea of the blessing and curse magic is. You don't even know your full past! Let me warn you now Row, as he likes to call you, the written 'prophecy' that lies within that dusty drawer of yours back in Camelot, it's real."

How do you kno-" Now I was stuttering. She smirked one last time. "Because I'm the one who cursed you!" with her final words said a dark cloud appeared in the room as she spoke in an ancient language and with a sharp wind she was gone.

"No..." I dropped to my knees, not caring for the cold stone flooring my head fell in my hands as I began to cry. Who knows how long I was there on the floor but I didn't even bother looking up at the sound of the creaking door.

"Row!" the voice startled me slightly before I looked up with my bloodshot eyes. Merlin was running across the hall and slid on his knees quickly embracing me in a hug. "I knew I shouldn't have left you..." my shaking hand clenched on to the brown jacket he wore. "What happened?" I shook my head. "Please... don't shut me out. Tell me so I can see what I can do".

"She was here." My voice was muffled as I spoke into his shirt. "Who was?"

"The woman from my nightmares... Argona Lamia". His hand brushed down my hair in hope of calming me down. "She told me the answers I was seeking... about what the dream is about. The couple I see were my parents."

"How does she know about them Row?" I sniffled. "Because she was the one who- she-... she was the one responsible for their deaths". I parted from our embrace leaning my head back against the wall feeling drained of emotion. "She told you that?" I hummed. "She's lying- you can't possibly believe her?"

"But I do..." I turned to face him with burning eyes. "I believe her because she confirmed something that nobody knows of." Sighing I took in the concern and curiosity written right across his face. "Do you remember the day that Arthur fought Valiant in the tournament where you used your magic to draw the snakes from his shield?" he nodded. "Well as you know he corned me for a few minutes until Arthur arrived... during that time I learnt of a 'prophecy' he claimed was written about me. I don't even know how he came to get it but..."

"What did it say Row?" his eyes were narrowed from intrigue. "A girl with a true heart shall be the downfall of evil, she will unite the lands of old with Arthur Pendragon, but will meet her end on fields of red". He shook his head once again "that doesn't mean anything!"

"But it does Merlin... it was never meant to directly state my name, its aim was to leave me thinking and torture my mind with fear. She knew about it. Well she not only knew of it, she's the one to have created it."

"It's just some words on paper Row..."

"She was brought up in the ways of the old religion... but she uses her magic for evil. She's studied and become specialised in the arts of spells, nightmares and... curses." Realisation hit his face and I nodded. "She cursed me..."