Arthur, Merlin and the knights were almost to the dark tower. They were walking across the blazing hot sandy plain surrounding the tower.
Tired, Percival sat down on the sand. Arthur and the others turned to look at him.
" We can't afford to rest," Arthur told him
" I'm alright" Percival replied.
The others started walking again and Percival eventually catches up.
They were walking along the top of a steep hill when Merlin suddenly slipped and fell down the sandy hill.
" Merlin!" Leon yelled as he and the others tried to catch him.
Merlin fell into the ditch and was almost impaled by a sword sticking out of the sand. There were skeletons of past knights scattered around everywhere.
Merlin got up and climbed back up the hill and Percival held his hand out to help Merlin out.
" We must keep moving" Arthur commands and they set off again.
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In the tower, Aria was sat on the floor with her knees brought to her chest, crying. She just wanted to go home.
Aria's head shot up from her knees when she heard the faint sound of Gwen screaming from her room.
" Gwen! Gwen!" Aria continually yelled in worry as she quickly got up and ran to the door, desperately trying to open it but it was no use. The door remained closed. Aria sank to her knees in despair and began sobbing.
" Aria..." A voice called out
Aria shook her head, she recognised the voice but knew it wasn't really him.
" Aria, look at me" The voice called again.
Aria continued to shake her head and closed her eyes as more tears ran down her cheeks.
" Aria, please. It's me" Aria opened her eyes and saw a ghostly figure of Mordred stood in front of her with his usual kind smile on his face.
" Mordred..." Aria breathed but then quickly shook her head again " No, its not you. It's not you"
" I'm right here, Arianna. How stupid are you?" Mordred sneered " You really are worthless. Always needing people to do things for you. You're so helpless and weak. Arthur only knighted you because he felt sorry for you. You the worst knight in the kindome, I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself killed yet"
Aria just continued to cry. This wasn't her Mordred. Mordred never calls her Arianna. Would never be this cruel.
" No wonder your mother left you right after you were born. Because you are a mistake. A disappointment, a weakling. You're useless "
Mordred's words hit Aria like a red hot knife. She knew it wasn't real but the words still hurt.
Mordred started laughing maniacally at her and disappeared. His laughter and hurtful words still echoing throughout the room.
" Useless"
" Disappointment"
" Weakling"
" Stupid"
" A mistake"
Aria couldn't take it any more and she just screamed and cried.
Eventually, Morgana burst into the room and knelt down in front of Aria.
" Hey, it's alright. I'm here." She whispered soothingly as she gently stroked Aria's messy hair.
Aria hugged Morgana and cried into her shoulder. Morgana cherished the fact that she once again got to hold her sister close" I'm here. I've got you, Little Dove. Your alright"
" I shouldn't have let you stay in here, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Little Dove" Morgana continued to say quietly as Aria began to calm down.
Morgana reluctantly pulled out of the hug and smiled at her sister.
" Come, you need rest. Proper rest" Morgana held out her hand and Aria took it getting up off the floor.
" No" Aria croaked and backed away further into the room.
" You always were a stubborn one" Morgana sighed " Very well. Stay here if you wish. You'll change your mind eventually"
Morgana was about to leave the room when she turned to look at her sister again.
" Everything will be alright in the end, Little Dove. You'll see."
Morgana then left, closing the door behind her and went to see how Gwen was doing.
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Arthur, Merlin and the knights finally reached the entrance to the tower. Arthur looked up at the looming walls before unsheathing his sword and entered the tower. Merlin and the knights closely following.
Inside the entrance tunnel, it was dark, dusty, with cobwebs handing everywhere and skeletons were littering the ground.
Arthur and the knights cautiously walked through the tunnel with their swords raised.
They started to walk up the long, dark stone stairwell.
" Somethings wrong" Merlin stated making Arthur look at him. "It's too easy"
" Are you ever happy?" Arthur asked annoyed and continued up the stairs
Arthur moved a bunch of cobwebs out of his way and jumped when a skeleton suddenly fell forward in front of him.
Elyan took the lead and reached the top of the stairs. " Arthur!" He called out.
Arthur and the others rushed after him. They burst into a room and Elyan imminently told them to stop.
Unfortunately, an arrow fired from one of the gargoyles and hit Percival in the leg.
Then another fired straight at the back of Arthur's head but Merlin used his magic to divert it somewhere else.
" No one move!" Arthur ordered
" Stay exactly where you are"
" What triggered it?" Leon asked
Percival grunted as he removed the arrow from his leg.
" The Flagstones. They must react to pressure" Arthur realised
" Here," Elyan said and held up his sword. " I'll use this"
He threw his sword down on one of the stones and imminently arrows went flying everywhere that he thankfully dodged. Elyan then jumped onto the flagstone that his sword was on knowing that is was safe.
"I'll go first" Merlin offered
" Let me. Please" Mordred insisted
Merlin just nodded.
Mordred used his sword like Elyan had to set off one of the traps. The others followed suit. Arrows flew left and right but thankfully no one was hit.
" I'll push on" Elyan declared as he reached the other side.
" No! Elyan!" Arthur disagreed
" None of us would even be here if it wasn't for me" Elyan snapped. He turned towards the door on the other side of the room and held up his sword.
" I have to do this"
" Elyan!" Arthur shouted as Elyan ran off.
From in her room, Aria heard her brother's voice somewhere else in the tower and she smiled through her tears in relief. She was finally getting out of there.
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When Arthur, the other knights and Merlin caught up with Elyan, they found him and a crying Gwen on the floor. Elyan's eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing. He had fought a sword enchanted to protect Gwen and it wounded him.
Arthur rushed to his wife while the others just stood in the doorway shocked. Merlin suddenly remembered Mab's words. One of them wouldn't return to Camelot. Elyan was that one.
Arthur hugged Gwen close as she cried into his shoulder.
" Gwen, where is Aria?" Arthur asked pulling back from the hug slightly.
"M-Morgana put her in, a-another room" Gwen hiccuped " S-Somewhere further up the t-tower"
Hearing those words, Mordred was off like a rocket out of the room and up the stairs. The others watching him go.
" Aria?!" Mordred called out as he climbed the stairs
A muffled voice cried back from further up the stairs." Mordred?!"
Mordred quickly ran towards the voice calling out to Aria. He eventually found the room Aria was locked in and used his magic to open the door.
Mordred didn't even step into the room when Aria launched herself into his arms crying tears of happiness and relief.
"Aria!" Mordred sighed in relief happy to be holding her again. Mordred then kissed her passionately. Aria returned the kiss and held Mordred close, in fear that this was just a trick and that Mordred wasn't really there.
Pulling back Mordred got a good look at Aria. She was a mess. Her hair was messy and tangled even though she had tried countless times to tidy it up. She was still in her chainmail and cloak from the day she was taken but she didn't have her sword or bow and arrows with her as she had left them on her horse.
"Let's get you out of here" Mordred smiled. Aria smiled back and she began crying tears of joy. Mordred held out his hand to Aria who happily took it and the young couple ran back down the stairs to meet up with everyone else.
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" Aria!"Gwaine yelled as he caught sight of Aria and Mordred coming down the stairs
The knights and Merlin turned to look and they all smiled. Happy and relieved to see the young princess safe. They all took turns given her a hug before Aria noticed that two people were missing.
" Where's Arthur and Elyan?" She asked
Everyone's smiles dropped and Aria noticed.
" Where are they?" Aria asked again worried.
They knights parted to leave a path to the door and Aria ran into the room to see Gwen on the floor crying into Arthur's arms as Elyan lay beside them. Dead.
Aria imminently burst into tears at the loss of her friend and she rushed to her brother on the floor as he turned to face her.
Arthur let go of Gwen for a moment to hug his sister tightly. Sighing in relief. " Aria. Thank God you're alright"
Aria was still crying tears of both happiness to see her brother again but also sadness for Elyan's death.
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Back in Camelot, Elyan's funeral was being held. He was being set out on the lake of Avalon on a boat.
One of the knights lit an arrow tip and fired it into the air. The arrow soared through the air and landed in the little boat holding Elyan, setting it alight.
The other knights were all dressed in their chainmail and red cloaks, watching sadly as one of their friends, one of their brothers sailed away.
Arthur and Aria were standing a little bit behind Gwen who stood closer to the river's edge. Gwen and Aria were wearing black dresses to mourn the loss of Elyan.
And Aria's hair had been cleaned up and pulled back into a beautiful hairdo.
Arthur walked forward and placed a confirming arm around his wife who was staring blankly into the flames on the boat.
" I was warned one of us would not return" Merlin quietly whispered from where he stood next to Gaius.
" It's not your fault, Merlin" Gaius whispered back
" Elyan is dead"
" The sword that Elyan fell prey to was surely intended for Arthur. Now he's safe. So are Gwen and Aria"
Merlin glanced at the young princess who had tears threatening to fall from her blue eyes before looking at the flaming boat once again.
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That night, Aria couldn't sleep. Her nightmare had gotten worse now that she'd been in that terrifying tower.
She was sitting on her windowsill, in her nightgown, with her hair flowing down her back, watching the twinkling stars in the night sky. Ruby was currently fast asleep on Aria's bed.
Aria was about to go and try to get some sleep when she heard footsteps outside her door. They didn't sound as heavy as the footsteps of a knight or guard. So Aria quietly picked up her hooded cloak, placed it over her shoulders and slipped on her shoes before opening her door a tiny bit to see Gwen's retreating figure walking down the corridor.
Curious about where she was going Aria quietly slipped out her door and shut it gently. She put her cloak hood up before scurrying after Gwen.
Aria silently followed Gwen out of the castle, though the town and into the forest. Aria hid behind a tree as Gwen approached a hooded figure.
Aria gasped slightly as the figure turned around to revile, Morgana.
Aria was even more confused when Gwen hugged Morgana like an old friend.
" How is it?" Morgana asked Gwen as they pulled out of their hug.
" Arthur thinks he's won. He has no idea." Gwen answered
" Do you understand now who you can trust?"
Gwen nodded" It's you, Morgana. It's only ever been you"
" You're not one of them, and you never will be"
" You don't know how much I hate them. All of them." Gwen admitted and Aria frowned sadly after hearing that.
"You've done well to see past the lies to the real truth. If only Aria had seen it as you have?. You have an important part to play in the future. Together we will ensure the destruction of everything Arthur holds dear" Morgana declared
" Oh, no," Aria whispered as she turned and leaned her back against the tree. Quickly, without being seen by the Queen or sorceress, Aria ran the whole way back through the forest, though the town and safely to her chambers in the castle.
This wasn't Gwen. Morgana had done something to her. And Aria was not going to stop until she found a way to bring back the Gwen she knew.