"i don't care about some prophecy. i trust her and will be there for her when she needs me, the same way that i am for you."
[2.11 — The Witch's Quickening]
"Take the north door straight ahead. Keep going."
Merlin woke with a start when he heard the familiar voice in his head. He sat up quickly in his bed and focused on the telepathic message that was not meant for him. He needed to be sure he was hearing who he thought he was.
"Keep going. Hurry!"
He bolted out of bed and threw on a shirt and pair of shoes. Lia then stirred, hearing him frantically moving around the room. She sat up and peered at him through the dark.
"What's wrong, Lin?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "Let me get my shoes—"
"Lia, stay here," he ordered.
"But—"
"No," he said sharply. He didn't have time to mind his tone. "Lia, you need to stay in the room. I mean it."
Merlin was out the door before she could protest anymore. Perhaps he came off as rude, but he didn't care. He knew that it was Mordred he was hearing in his head, leading someone through the castle. Lia had a soft spot for the boy, meaning that he would not let her get involved with whatever was happening. Merlin rushed through the castle as he intercepted more of Mordred's directions.
"Keep going. It's not much further now. Be careful. At the end of the corridor. Morgana's chamber is next."
Merlin immediately stopped when he learned where they were heading. Quickly, he changed his direction and ran towards the ward's room, hoping that she was not in danger. The warning bells sounded, meaning that the guards finally figured out that someone was trespassing. Merlin heard Arthur shouting in the distance and headed to meet him so that he could send the guards to Morgana's chambers.
"What do you mean you lost them? They could be dangerous!" he yelled. Then Merlin came around the corner, startling Arthur. He immediately grabbed him by the throat and shoved him against the wall, thinking he was a threat. He frowned when he saw it was his servant. "Merlin?"
"Morgana's chamber—" Merlin tried to sputter out a response, but Arthur was still choking him.
"Oh, sorry," he muttered, finally letting go.
"Morgana's—" He knelt over to catch his breath. "They're in Morgana's chambers."
| | |
Mordred stood over Morgana's bed, where she was sleeping soundly. He whispered her name once, which was enough to wake her. Morgana spotted him right away and sat up.
"Mordred," she said in disbelief. And then she was hugging him tightly, smiling happily. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"I found the boy wandering in the woods, lost and alone, hunted by Uther's men," the man who accompanied Mordred said. He was standing near the door and watching Morgana carefully.
"Who are you?" she asked warily.
"My name is Alvarr," he introduced. "I, too, have been hunted by Uther since I was a child."
"You have magic?" she asked.
"Yes, My Lady. As did my parents, and their parents before them. They were fortunate to live in a time of peace before your king declared war on sorcery," Alvarr said in an accusing tone.
Morgana looked down at her lap sadly. "I, too, have known Uther's cruelty."
"Magic is not a crime. It is a gift. I wish to walk free and without fear," he told her. Morgana nodded in agreement. "The boy said you would understand."
"What are you doing in Camelot?" Morgana asked, looking down at Mordred. "You take a great risk in coming here."
"We came to see you," Alvarr said. Morgana didn't quite understand what he meant by that and asked for him to explain. "I will not stand by and watch innocent people destroyed, and I am not alone. Many have already joined me. Many more join every day."
Morgana walked over to him with an arm still around Mordred. "Alvarr, this is a war you cannot win. Uther has an army at his disposal," she warned.
"It does not matter how many you are if you wield a weapon powerful enough. When I was a child, my parents told me of a crystal. It was taken from the sorcerers in the last days of the Great Purge."
"Taken? By Uther?"
Alvarr nodded. "It is here in Camelot. Locked within the vaults beneath us."
"The vaults are impregnable. You could never get it out," she told him.
"No, I could not," he said, giving her a pointed look. "But you could."
"Me?" Morgana asked in disbelief.
As Alvarr stepped closer to her, Mordred moved from her side and closer to the door. "You are the King's ward. No one will suspect you. Morgana, you are our only hope."
Before Morgana could respond, Mordred spoke up. "Someone's coming!"
Morgana quickly hid Mordred and Alvarr in the alcove on the back wall, pulling the curtain closed over it. Then she raced to her bed and laid down. Only a few seconds passed before Arthur was kicking her door in. Morgana gasped and sat up as if she had just been asleep.
"What on earth do you think you're doing?" she asked angrily.
"I—" Arthur cut himself off and looked around the seemingly empty room. "I had reason to believe that there was an intruder in here."
"Right now, Arthur, the only intruder is you," she said sharply.
"Camelot has been infiltrated. Did you not hear the warning bell?" he asked, frustrated with her attitude.
"Of course I did!" she snapped. "I was hoping I'd be safe in my chambers."
"Well, if you'd just permit me to search your room—"
"You'll do no such thing! Arthur, do you think that if there was someone in my room I wouldn't know about it?" she asked, glaring at him.
Arthur paused for a moment before giving in. "Please accept my apologies."
Morgana sighed in relief as soon as Arthur, Merlin, and the guards left her room. Alvarr and Mordred came out of their hiding spot, and Mordred moved to the door, carefully listening. Once he was sure that Arthur and Merlin were gone, he nodded to signal that the coast was clear. Morgana quickly climbed out of bed.
"We owe you our lives, My Lady," Alvarr told her.
"You're safe for now, but Uther will not rest till he's found and killed you both," she warned.
"You will help us, then?" Alvarr asked eagerly.
"Please, Morgana, we need you," Mordred begged.
She looked down at him and smiled. "Yes. I will. Of course, I will. In the morning, I will go to Lia and—"
"No," Alvarr said sharply. "You cannot tell anyone about this."
Morgana's smile faltered. "You don't understand. Lia is an ally to those that have magic. She will want to help you and Mordred just as I do."
Alvarr crossed his arms. "Mordred has already told me about her. Just as I told him, you cannot make the mistake of trusting those without magic of their own. She does not understand you, and one day, she shall turn her back on you just as Uther turned his back on all of us."
"Lia would never turn her back on me," Morgana said, her voice unwavering.
Alvarr saw that her thoughts about Lia would not be changed. "Nevertheless, this mission is only for you. As I said, you are the King's ward and will not be a suspect. If you seek aid from Lia, then you risk being caught, and we will all fail."
"That means I cannot tell her that I saw you," she said, sadly looking at Mordred. "I know she misses you."
"I miss her too," Mordred said softly. "We shall meet again one day when it is safe."
| | |
Lia had fallen asleep before Merlin returned that night, meaning she could not ask him any questions. Though once she woke, Gaius explained to her that there had been an intruder in the castle that managed to escape. The intruder had likely woken Merlin up with some form of magic, which worried Lia.
Merlin woke up a bit later than normal and he was holding his head when he came into the physician chambers. He looked exhausted, so Lia got to work on a potion that would give him more energy for the day.
"Late night?" Gaius asked him.
"You could say that," he muttered.
"So the disturbance last night was an intruder in the city," Lia said.
"Yeah, I heard talking," Merlin said, sitting at the table. "In my head."
"They had magic?" Gaius asked.
Merlin sighed while nodding. "And I recognized the voice." He cast a nervous glance at Lia. "It was Mordred."
She froze and looked at him with wide eyes. "Mordred? What's he doing here? It's not safe for him."
"He was guiding someone to Morgana's Chamber."
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked. Merlin simply nodded. "Morgana has a bond with him, same as Lia. Perhaps he just felt the need to visit her."
"No, this is about more than that," Merlin said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean?" Lia asked.
"What if they'd been caught?" he asked. "It certainly would've been safer to sneak into the physician chambers and see you rather than go to the King's ward. Whatever they were doing, they were prepared to die for it."
"Perhaps I could go to Morgana and ask about why he was there."
"You can't," Merlin told her. "How would you explain that you knew that Mordred was the intruder? If Morgana does tell you about him, you'll have to act as if it's the first you're hearing of it."
Lia pouted a bit because she didn't like lying to Morgana but she also understood. They couldn't risk anyone finding out about Merlin's magic.
| | |
Lia didn't have to worry about lying because Morgana never approached her the next day. Merlin was the only one to have seen her when he caught her poking around in Arthur's chambers. Even though Morgana never told Lia what had happened and why Mordred came to meet her, it wasn't long until they learned why. Morgana had stolen Arthur's key to the vaults under the castle and stolen some sort of magical crystal. No one was sure what the Crystal of Neahtid did, but it had been locked in the vaults for a reason, meaning it was likely dangerous.
Arthur, of course, had blamed Merlin for the key being stolen, but he at least did not tell Uther, who would no doubt have him killed. Though it was made clear that he'd be in a lot of trouble if the crystal wasn't recovered. Merlin was the only one that knew of Morgana's betrayal, and the only ones he could tell about it were Gaius and Lia.
"Morgana stole the crystal?" Gaius asked, still having a hard time believing it.
"I'm certain of it. I caught her in Arthur's chambers. She must have taken his keys," he explained.
"Can you prove any of this?" Gaius questioned.
"Not exactly, but—"
"Merlin," Lia said in a warning tone.
"She did it. I'd bet my life on it," he told them.
"Merlin, you go accusing the King's ward without proof and that's exactly what you'd be doing," Lia said, frowning.
"I know," he said, sighing. "You're right."
"This doesn't make sense. Why would Morgana steal such a thing? What's it got to do with Mordred?" she asked. She was torn because stealing from the vaults was dangerous and wrong, but she cared deeply about Mordred and Morgana. It must have been for a very important reason.
"Uther said it was an instrument of magic," Merlin stated.
"There are many legends about the crystal," Gaius told them.
"Is it some kind of weapon?" Merlin asked, leaning eagerly on the table.
"That I don't know."
"But you've heard of it?" Lia asked.
"Indeed," he said, nodding. "The sorcerers of the past believed it held the secret of time itself."
"What do they mean by that?" Merlin questioned.
"I'm not sure," Gaius admitted. "The crystal's an artifact of the Old Religion. There is only one who could tell you more."
"To the cave," Lia muttered.
Merlin sighed before getting up and offering Lia his hand. Gaius wished them luck before they left the physician chambers and snuck through the palace. Once they reached the Dragon's Cave, Lia called out for Kilgharrah, who soon flew down landing on the rock in front of them.
"I need your help," Merlin told him.
"I'm sure you do, young warlock, but first you must honor your promise," the dragon said.
"I said I would set you free, and I will," Merlin insisted.
"When?"
"He's got a point," Lia whispered. Merlin elbowed her in the side so that she'd keep quiet. He didn't need another lecture from her about how it was cruel to keep Kilgharrah locked up.
"When I know that Camelot is safe," Merlin replied. "Will you please trust me?"
"Why should I?" Kilgharrah asked, frustratedly.
"Because you don't have a choice," Merlin snapped.
"Merlin!" Lia said, hitting his shoulder. Then she turned to Kilgharrah. "I may not have the magic to help free you, but know that I will not let Merlin forget his promise."
Kilgharrah nodded respectfully and gave in. "What is it that you wish to know?"
"What is the Crystal of Neahtid?" Merlin asked.
"To those who know how to use it, the crystal holds great knowledge," he replied.
"What kind of knowledge?" he asked.
"The knowledge of what is, what has been, and what is yet to come."
"Do you mean it can show you the future?" Lia asked, her eyes wide.
"Amongst other things, yes," Kilgharrah said.
Merlin shared a worried look with Lia. "The crystal has been stolen."
"By who?" the dragon asked.
"The Lady Morgana," Merlin told him almost hesitantly.
Kilgharrah threw his head back and laughed. "That witch does not have the power to wield the crystal."
Merlin cast a nervous glance at Lia, knowing she wouldn't like the turn that the conversation was likely to take. "Does the Druid boy?"
The dragon's laughter quickly ceased. "Mordred? It is possible. Why do you ask?"
"I believe that they're involved in this together," Merlin said.
"Once before I warned you of the Druid boy. It is his destiny to bring about Arthur's doom! It may be that time is upon you."
Lia's jaw dropped and she looked between Merlin and Kilgharrah in disbelief. This was the first she was hearing about Mordred and his apparent evil destiny.
"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. He avoided the look that Lia was giving him.
"The ancient prophecies speak of an alliance of Mordred and Morgana united in evil, but this union must be stopped, whatever the cost," Kilgharrah warned.
"Now hold on," Lia said, crossing her arms. "Morgana and Mordred are not evil!"
"Not yet," Kilgharrah said ominously.
"No," Lia said, shaking her head. "I don't care about your prophecies. Mordred is just a boy. Arthur saved his life! And Morgana isn't evil. She is kind and understanding. Maybe she just needs someone to guide her and listen to her."
"Illyria," Kilgharrah said in a firm tone, "I know that you have bonded with the both of them, but you cannot let your emotions blind you. Just as Merlin is destined to protect Arthur, and you to become Queen and return Lórien to its glory, Morgana and Mordred are destined to be united in evil and bring about Arthur's doom."
"You wouldn't be advising Merlin to keep them apart if that meant the prophecy was set in stone. I do not believe that Morgana will turn to darkness. And so long as Mordred remains with the Druids, they will raise him to be a kind and gentle person, as all the Druids are."
Merlin sighed. "Lia, you should not trust her—"
"Well, I do!" she said, scoffing. "She's our friend, Merlin. You should not abandon her just because of some prophecy. Have you considered the circumstances that might lead to her turning evil? Uther, who is basically her father, would have her executed if he found out about who she really was. I'm sure she thinks that Arthur would abandon her. She's terrified all the time of people finding out, Merlin. So, I don't care about some prophecy. I trust her and will be there for her when she needs me, the same way that I am for you."
Then Lia snatched the torch out of Merlin's hand and marched out of the Dragon's Cave. Kilgharrah and Merlin watched her go, both disappointed but not surprised by her unwavering faith in those she cared about. Merlin turned to the dragon and frowned.
"I told you once that the bonds that Illyria has formed with the Druid boy and the witch are too strong," Kilgharrah said, sighing. "She will take their betrayal hard."
"But she won't—" Merlin paused, unable to even imagine it. "—Lia will not... join them, will she?"
"There are many things you must worry about, young warlock, but that is not one," he told him. Merlin sighed in relief at the answer. "Illyria Lytar is pure of heart, but that heart makes her vulnerable. Unthinkable horrors will come for her, and she will need you at her side."
"I shall always be there when she needs me."
| | |
As Morgana snuck out of Camelot, she was unaware of Merlin, who was silently following her. The crystal was tucked safely in her bag. She rode all through the night until she made it to the camp where Alvarr told her to meet him. It was daylight by the time she reached them. As soon as she walked into the camp, Mordred ran out with a big smile on his face and hugged her tightly.
Merlin hadn't even suggested that Lia accompany him to spy on Morgana. She wouldn't hear another word about her becoming an evil sorceress. Merlin watched as they embraced and thought of Kilgharrah's warning. He so wanted to be as optimistic as Lia but the sinking feeling in his stomach told him that the prophecy was already coming true. Merlin took notice of the evil glint in Alvarr's eyes when Morgana revealed the Crystal of Neahtid, knowing that something sinister was planned.
Morgana did not leave the camp right away. She stayed behind to rest near the campfire before the long journey back. She loved seeing Mordred again but wished that she could've brought Lia along. It was easy to picture the loving smile that would've taken over her face as she hugged the Druid boy. Her thoughts of Lia were interrupted by Alvarr bringing her some water and taking a seat next to her.
"It's my hope that with time Mordred will master the crystal. And when he does, we will strike Uther down," he told her. "Uther and all who serve him."
Morgana frowned at what he was suggesting. "All who serve him?"
"If we are to win this war, there can be no half-measures. I see this troubles you," he noted.
"Yes. Yes, it does," she told him. All of Camelot did not deserve to suffer just because of Uther's actions. Gwen, Gaius, Leon, Arthur. Lia. Morgana had no wish to see them harmed.
"My Lady, we fight for our very survival, as do you. The boy, he told me you have magic." Morgana turned away, and Alvarr placed a hand on her knee. "You need not be afraid."
"I know," she said, eying his hand. Then she smiled wistfully. "I'm sorry. I've become so used to concealing the truth."
"Believe me, I understand what that feels like."
"Every day I must look Uther in the eye knowing that if he were to discover who I really am, he'd have me killed," she told him.
Alvarr shifted closer to her. "You have been very brave."
"I don't want to be brave," she said in a quiet tone. "I just want to be myself. I don't want to be so alone anymore."
"You are not alone—"
"I know," she interrupted, shaking her head. Her wistful smile turned to a soft one. "I have Lia."
"And you're here with us," Alvarr said. He did his best not to look annoyed as she once again brought up Lia. She was not a part of his plan. "You need never be alone again."
Morgana noticed the way that his eyes glanced down at her lips, and soon they were both leaning in. But then she stopped herself. Yes, Alvarr was handsome and he was like her, living in fear of Uther's terror. He understood what she was going through. But his hand felt wrong on her knee, and the closer he got, the more she realized that she wanted him to stop his advances. She liked Alvarr, but not in that way.
Morgana quickly leaned back and smiled politely at him. "I must be heading back. The castle will be waking soon."
He watched her carefully as she stood. "Farewell then, My Lady Morgana."
She nodded politely before leaving to get her horse. Alvarr remained seated with a smirk on his face. Sure, there were setbacks from the girl without magic that Morgana and Mordred were so attached to. But he was manipulating Morgana easily enough. He had the crystal and no longer needed her.
His thoughts were interrupted by Mordred coming up to him. "Where's Morgana?" he asked.
"She could not stay," Alvarr told him.
"Will we be seeing her again?" he asked hopefully. "And Lia too?"
"Yes, Mordred. You can be sure that you'll see Morgana again," he told him.
He left out Lia's name, but it was enough to comfort Mordred. As he walked away, another woman approached Alvarr.
"Nicely done," Enmyria said. Alvarr roughly pulled her down onto his lap. "You played her well."
"She is hesitant, but it was not hard. She is very beautiful, after all," he said, smirking. Then he leaned up to kiss her passionately. Everything was going according to plan for him. It would not be long before they could strike at Uther and Camelot.
| | |
Merlin had rushed back to Camelot as soon as he could. It had been difficult to coax Lia out of their room, but eventually, she agreed to hear about what he had learned. She leaned against the wall frowning as he recounted everything to her and Gaius.
"Alvarr has a fearsome reputation," Gaius told them.
"You know of him?" Lia asked, surprised.
"I know he's a sorcerer, and that he and his band of renegades have threatened to overthrow the King," he explained.
"He sounded pretty determined," Merlin said, nodding.
"He's a fanatic, and his supporters follow him unthinkingly, blinded by his charisma," Gaius added.
"Well, it worked on Morgana," he muttered.
"So it would seem," Gaius said, sighing.
"And the Druid boy," Merlin added. "Alvarr's using him too. He seems to think the boy can harness the power of the Crystal."
"You have to stop him, Merlin," Lia said. "Morgana and Mordred are both being manipulated."
"But if we can't go to Uther, what can we do?" he asked, looking to Merlin.
Gaius thought for a moment. "We can bend the truth a little."
| | |
Gaius had called a meeting with Uther in the council chambers. He sat on his throne with Morgana sitting at one side and Arthur leaning against the back of his chair. Gaius and Lia managed to come up with a lie that didn't involve Merlin's identity being revealed and would hopefully not make Morgana suspicious.
"You know the whereabouts of the crystal?" Uther asked.
"I believe so, Sire," Gaius said.
Merlin and Lia took note of how Morgana's eyes widened at the news. "I see. How did you come by this information?" Uther questioned, getting up from his chair.
"In my capacity as physician, I have dealings with many people. They hear things, Sire, and they see things. Last night I was confronted by one such man who told me that the crystal had been stolen by a band of renegades led by a man called Alvarr," Gaius explained vaguely.
"Who exactly was this informant?"
"I think it would only be fair to protect their identity, Sire," Gaius told him. "If news of the betrayal were to reach the renegades, it could indeed endanger their life."
Uther nodded in understanding, though he was disappointed that he didn't have a name. "Very well."
"Where is this Alvarr hiding?" Arthur asked him.
"He was last seen in the Valley of Chemray, Sire."
"Summon the guards, Arthur. I want this matter investigated without delay," Uther ordered.
"Yes, Father," he said before leaving. No one really seemed to notice how Morgana got up and quickly followed him.
Uther turned back to Gaius. "Thank you, Gaius. Once again I am in your debt."
Once the council meeting adjourned, Merlin went off to help Arthur prepare for the journey. Lia had tried to find Morgana, but she hadn't returned to her chambers. Fearing that she might have already been on the way to Alvarr's camp, Lia rushed to tell Merlin before they could ride off. She found him outside the stables, preparing Arthur's horse, who hadn't arrived yet.
"Lia, what is it?" Merlin asked, frowning. She had plenty of work she needed to be doing back in the physician chambers.
"I think that Morgana may have left to warn Alvarr," she said, keeping her voice low so that none of the passing guards overheard.
Merlin sighed heavily, expecting that she'd have tried something like that. "She won't have much of a head start on us. Hopefully, we will be able to retrieve the crystal."
Lia nodded before grabbing his hand. "Merlin... I know what you think about her and Mordred, but please promise me you won't hurt him. He's just a boy."
He nodded, though a bit reluctantly. "I'm sure everything will work out fine. It always does."
"Well that's just not true," Lia muttered, earning a laugh from Merlin. "But make sure to be safe. Alvarr sounds very dangerous. And make sure—"
"Ah, I see you've come to wish me good luck on my journey." They were interrupted by Arthur arriving and his playfully cocky tone. Lia and Merlin turned to watch as he approached them, grinning down at her with Leon at his side. "I always knew you cared."
"Well, I was wishing just Merlin good luck, but I suppose if you're nervous," Lia said with a teasing smile.
"Nervous?" he said, scoffing. "I don't get nervous."
"Ah, of course, you are so brave, My Prince." Then Lia sighed before turning to Merlin and smiling. "Good luck, Merlin." And then she leaned over to press a quick kiss to her cheek. Then she looked at Sir Leon, ignoring the way that Arthur's eyes had narrowed. "Sir Leon, are you nervous?"
Leon didn't even try to hide his amused smirk. "Absolutely terrified."
"Very well. Good luck, Sir Leon." Lia had to stand on her toes a bit to reach his cheek as she kissed it.
Arthur wasn't amused but he couldn't do anything about it as Lia smiled sweetly up at him. "I shall see you all when you return."
"Wait, Lia, I'm nervous too!" Sir Theodore called from a few feet away.
"Oh, as am I, Lia," Sir Malcome said.
As soon as the knights found out that Lia was giving out good-luck cheek kisses, a frenzy started. Arthur's face was red with anger as Lia began pecking them each on the cheek. By the time she had kissed the fifth one, he had had enough.
"Alright!" he said loudly. "It's time to ride out. Stop fawning over the physician and get on your horses. Now!"
The little mischievous grin on Lia's face both infuriated him and made his heart melt. He subtly shook his head, letting her know that he was unimpressed with the teasing. Lia headed back to the castle but not before looking back at him over her shoulder and mouthing the words good luck.
| | |
Lia had been correct in assuming that Morgana ran off to warn Alvarr. She made her way to the camp as quickly as she could, her nerves getting worse the closer she got. She knew that Arthur and his men were not too far behind her. As she got off her horse and walked towards the camp, Alvarr and his men jumped out of hiding, ready to attack. They had thought she was an intruder.
"Morgana?" Alvarr said, confused. He didn't understand why she had returned. "What brings you here?"
"Arthur's been sent to capture the crystal. The Knights of Camelot are almost upon us," she warned.
Alvarr nodded to his men who quickly rushed back to their camp to prepare for the attack. He stayed by Morgana's side and walked with her. "How has this happened?"
"I don't know," she said, sighing. "I only know that we've been betrayed."
"How much time do we have?" he asked.
"An hour, maybe two. I cannot say for sure," Morgana said. Arthur and his men would travel slower than she had because there were so many of them, but it would not delay them long.
"Then we must be prepared for them," he said, knowing there wouldn't be time to move the whole camp.
"What can I do to help?" she asked.
"You can flee while you still have the chance," Alvarr said, making Morgana scoff. She was not one to flee from a fight. "Morgana, I am grateful for all that you have done, but a battlefield is no place for you."
Morgana had no time to argue as he kissed her cheek and rushed back to the camp. She debated staying but knew that she needed to head back to the castle. If Arthur or any of the knights saw her, Uther would have her thrown in the dungeons immediately. It was safer for her to leave, even if she did not want to abandon Mordred and the other renegades.
| | |
The camp looked abandoned as Arthur and his men snuck into it. Though it was not as empty as it had appeared. Alvarr and the others had planned an ambush, effectively taking out many of the knights and guards. Morgana was not among them, but Mordred was.
Merlin then found himself specifically going against his promise to Lia. He had used his magic to try and stop him from escaping the guards. Merlin then had to watch as Mordred used his magic to kill them both with their own weapons. He could not shake the menacing smirk that Mordred shot him while speaking in his head.
"I shall never forgive this, Emrys, and I shall never forget."
Though Mordred escaped with a new hatred for Merlin, Alvarr was not so lucky. The last of the renegades were killed off except for the sorcerer. He had tried to attack Arthur, but the Prince easily disarmed him and held his sword at his throat. Once Alvarr was apprehended, Arthur searched him and found the Crystal of Neahtid, making it a successful mission.
The only problem was that Merlin found himself drawn to the magical object and the power it held. He was almost transfixed by it after only glimpsing it once, and he continued to be as the party settled for the night. Each time he thought too hard about the crystal, his head began to hurt. He sat by the campfire wishing he had a remedy from Lia for it.
"Merlin, check that the horses are fed and watered," Arthur ordered, putting his sword down and laying next to the fire. When Merlin did not immediately respond, he looked up at him, confused. "Merlin?"
"Sorry," he muttered, still not moving.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Not the right answer."
"What?" Merlin asked, finally looking at him.
"Something on your mind, is there?" Arthur asked.
"It's just—" He paused to sigh. "—when we entered the camp, it was a trap, wasn't it? They knew we were coming."
"Yeah, so?"
"How did they know?" Like with Mordred, he was once again going against what Lia specifically asked him not to do. Though he knew that Arthur's mind wouldn't go straight to Morgana, he still tried to suggest that someone had betrayed them.
"Well, they're sorcerer's aren't they? Probably used magic or something," he said, not giving it too much thought. "Now, I need you to guard this with your life."
Arthur held out the bag containing the crystal. "Why me?" Merlin asked, not particularly wanting to.
"I can hardly very well guard it when I'm asleep, can I?"
"Neither can I," he muttered.
"Who said anything about you sleeping?" he asked. Arthur tossed Merlin the bag before laying his head on the ground.
Merlin narrowed his eyes at him. "Is this just because you're jealous that Lia kissed me."
"On the cheek," Arthur specified, scoffing. "And shut up, Merlin."
As Arthur shut his eyes, Merlin stared down at the bag in his hand, though he dropped it after a moment. He found himself staring at the crystal far into the night, well after the fire had gone out and everyone had gone to bed. And finally, he could not resist the temptation any longer. He grabbed the bag and pulled the crystal from it, staring deeply at it as visions began to appear in the crystal.
The Great Dragon flying freely. Himself surrounded by fire. Camelot smoking in destruction. The dragon breathing fire. Himself crying though he knew not for what.
He saw Lia — a man was circling her like a beast circles its prey. Arthur chained to a metal grate, desperately struggling with all his might to free himself. Himself speaking with a different man, this one with a Druid symbol on his collar bone. Lia screaming, tears streaming down her face.
Merlin gasped and finally had the willpower to drop the crystal. With shaking hands, he held his head once more, which had a splitting headache. He shouldn't have touched the stone. The only thing he could think of were the horrors that were yet to come.
| | |
Alvarr was chained and forced on his knees before Uther.
"So, you admit to stealing the Crystal of Neahtid?" Uther asked him.
"I do."
"You admit to plotting against your King?"
"I do."
"And you acted alone? You were not aided or abetted by any citizen of Camelot?"
Lia and Merlin glanced at Morgana, who had tensed up nervously. Though she hid her worry well. Then they looked at Alvarr, wondering if he would name her as an accomplice.
"I acted... alone," Alvarr said. Morgana quietly sighed in relief but kept her eyes glued to the ground.
"Then I find you guilty of treason. You are an enemy of Camelot, Alvarr. You are sentenced to death," Uther told him.
"Then I die with honor. To be an enemy of Camelot is no crime," Alvarr said in a calm tone.
Uther had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "Take him away," he ordered.
"You, Uther, you are the criminal!" Alvarr said. Two guards harshly grabbed him and forced him out of the room.
The court was quickly dismissed, though Morgana remained. She waved to the guards for them to leave, who shut the doors. She turned to glare at Uther's back.
"How many more must you kill before you're satisfied?"
Uther looked at her and sighed. "He was guilty. He confessed his crimes. You heard him as well as I."
"His only crime was to defy you," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Why are you defending this man?" he asked, scoffing. "He was a sworn foe of Camelot. You know this."
"Is it any wonder he wanted you dead? You, who have persecuted his kind day after day, year after year?"
Uther couldn't believe the words that left her mouth. Had any other said it to him, he would've had them thrown in the dungeons immediately. "I will hear no more of this, Morgana!" he said sharply.
She stalked towards him. "Because you're an arrogant fool. You were deaf and blind to the very needs of the people you profess to serve and protect! The people will tolerate it no longer!"
"I said enough!" he shouted.
"They are rising up against you!" she yelled angrily. "From this day forward, I do not know you. From this day forward, I disown you."
"You will go to your chambers!" he ordered as she moved to the door.
She paused for a moment before glaring at him over her shoulder. "And you, Uther, you will go to hell."
| | |
Gaius and Merlin sat in the physician chambers eating dinner. It wasn't hard to notice how distracted Merlin had been since returning from the renegade camp. He stared blankly down at his soup, not paying Gaius any attention. Had Lia been there, she likely would've kicked him under the table until he started acting more like himself.
"Merlin? Is there something interesting in there?" Gaius asked him.
"Sorry?" Merlin asked, still not really listening.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"It's the crystal. It harbors a terrible power, Gaius," Merlin told him.
"It's locked away now. It can do no harm," Gaius assured him. Then he noticed the worried expression on Merlin's face. "Unless the damage has already been done."
"I held it," he admitted. "I knew I shouldn't. I knew no good would come of it, but it compelled me to look. I couldn't resist it. I saw things, terrible things."
"Then you've already paid the price."
"But what I saw has not yet come to pass, and I am scared, Gaius. I am really scared of what the future may hold," he said. As he once again pictured the things he saw, he began to shake.
"There is nothing on this earth that can know all possible futures, even the crystal—"
"But what I saw, it was so real. I mean, and Lia—"
"Merlin," Gaius interrupted quickly. "You must keep what you saw to yourself or there could be consequences. And it was real, but it was just one reality. The future is as yet unshaped. It is we that shape it. It is you, Merlin. The decisions you make. The actions you take. Remember that." Merlin nodded in understanding, finding comfort in Gaius' words. Perhaps Lia had been right about Morgana's future not being set in stone. "Now, eat your soup before it gets cold."
Merlin took a bite of soup before looking around the room. "Where's Lia? Out with Gwen again?"
"I believe she's still making rounds," Gaius said. "Many of the guards and knights were injured in the raid."
Lia was off visiting all those injured, but she quickly finished all her work. Sir Theodore had been the last knight she had to see, who only had a few cuts and bruises to tend to. Most of the castle was settling in for the night as she made her way through the corridors. She only passed a few guards on patrol as she made the walk back to the physician chambers undisturbed.
Which was why it was so shocking to be suddenly pulled into an alcove. Lia struggled in the person's hold for a moment before a familiar voice was gently shushing her to calm her down.
"It's only me," Arthur whispered. His lips brushed her ear and turned her in his arms. It was a bit difficult to see him as a curtain hid them from view and the candles in the corridor, though she could make out a pouty expression.
"Do not scare me like that," Lia said, lightly hitting his chest. "And what are you doing? Someone could have seen."
"Well then we will just have to be quiet," he said with a mischievous smirk. He playfully narrowed his eyes. "It seems you need a reminder of who your lips belong to."
"My apologies, My Prince," Lia said, smiling softly. "Let me make it even."
Lia stood on her toes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, her lips lingering. He squeezed her waist and pulled her closer, her hands landing on his chest.
"That's not where you're meant to kiss me."
Arthur grabbed her chin and moved her lips away from his cheek and towards his own. She began to giggle but was cut off by him kissing her. Lia hummed happily against his lips and leaned into his hold. She savored the feeling she got from the way his warm hands slid down her body. As Arthur pulled away, Lia found herself trying to chase after him, not quite ready for the kiss to be over. All signs of his pouting had disappeared as he grinned cockily down at her.
Lia bit her lip and toyed with the hair at the top of his neck. "Perhaps I should go around kissing the knights more often if that's what I get for it."
A low sound that resembled a growl left his throat. "Perhaps not," he said in a low tone.
He leaned down to kiss her once more, her back hitting the wall. That low groan left his throat again as he deepened the kiss. Just as his tongue slipped in her mouth, the warning bells sounded. They pulled away quickly and rushed out from the alcove and back into the corridor.
"It's likely Alvarr," he said, putting his hand on his sword. "Get back to your chambers. Go!"
"Be careful," she said as he rushed down the hall. Lia frowned, wondering if Morgana had anything to do with the warning bell. If so, she only hoped that she was not caught.
| | |
Lia wasn't the only one that suspected Morgana's involvement in Alvarr's escape. After searching all through the night, Arthur and the guards were unable to find him. He had to go to Uther and tell him as much.
"We've searched the citadel, the town, and every corner of Camelot," Arthur explained as they entered the council chambers.
"But he's gone?" Uther asked, frustrated.
"Yes, Father."
"How? How has he escaped?" he asked angrily.
"It appears that the guards were drugged," Arthur stated. They had all been asleep.
"That means he had help. Someone—" Uther's eyes fell on Morgana, who had just walked into the room, keeping her eyes to the ground. "—here in Camelot."
Arthur seemed to not pick up on his father's suspicions. "Afraid it looks that way."
What Uther said next was to the whole room, but the words were meant only for one woman. "Let this be understood, whoever has done this, they have betrayed me. They have betrayed the kingdom. If I ever discover who it was, they will rue the day they were born."
| | |
Morgana had never told Lia the truth about her involvement with Alvarr. And though Lia was bothered by it, she did not let it alter their friendship. She knew that Merlin did not approve, but she did not care. The next night, after some of the tension around Alvarr had disappeared, she met Morgana in her chambers after dinner. They ended up on her bed, just catching up.
As Lia went on about Gwen's progress with combat training, Morgana simply smiled. Lia was her reminder that not everyone in Camelot was bad. That had been the only thing about Alvarr that bothered her. Morgana hated Uther more than anyone, but she would not see Lia hurt because of that hatred. Lia may not have had any magic but she was always there for Morgana and she did not think she was a monster just because she had magic.
"She already has good muscle definition from working around the castle for all these years, so she's coming along quite well," Lia continued. "It'll be no time at all before she's as good as the newer knights in training."
"I like knowing that she can protect herself," Morgana told her. "You're so kind for teaching her."
"I'd do anything for Gwen. You too, though you already know how to fight," Lia said, looking up at the canopy over the bed. "Are you doing alright, Gana? I've been quite busy lately and know I haven't been around. I'm sorry about that."
"You have no need to apologize," she said, shaking her head. "You have such an important job. And I have been alright. Still sleeping through the night."
"I'm glad," she said, smiling. "You face so many hardships, and I worry for you, so it is comforting to know that at least the nightmares are gone."
"You help me with my hardships," Morgana told her. "Do you want to see something I learned?"
"What?"
"It's not really a spell — more something I found out on instinct," Morgana explained. She smiled excitedly at Lia before motioning for her to look back up at the canopy. She raised a hand and her eyes flashed golden for a moment.
Lia's eyes widened in amazement at what she saw. It was as if the night sky was shining above them in the room. Sparkling stars and wispy clouds floated across the ceiling, lighting up the room. Her eyes shined as she took in the breathtaking display of magic.
"Gana, it's beautiful," Lia breathed out, not taking her eyes off the stars that looked close enough to touch.
A warmth filled Morgana — one that was absent in Alvarr's presence — as she stared at Lia. She hardly paid any attention to the bright sky above. Morgana was too captivated by the soft smile on Lia's face.
"Yes. Beautiful."