Emerald and Sapphire

 

Emerald and Sapphire

Chapter Eight – Life for Life

 

‘My Lord! We have to leave the soonest! There is no time to waste!’ Sir Leon was saying as he was talking in a loud voice to the King, who for many, had already become the High King of Britain.

York Essex, Mercia, Kent, Elmet, Rheged, Anglia, Offa, Wales, Cornwall and Lothian had already made pacts with Camelot and Arthur was the king of the kings, Cenred however still stood against them and even if a few months back, in May, after the battle, Arthur had hoped for Cerdic’s surrender, the young nephew of the late Cenred had opened his country’s doors –and ports- to the Saxons that moved through the country and spread like the plague.

Ever since the great battle of the Forest of Ascetir, where Morgana had helped a lot, many fights had taken place between the Saxons and the races of Britain. Only three months after that battle, Celts, Britons, Romans and the rest of the races were uniting under the flag of Arthur’s dragon against the Saxons as Uther -in his pointless fight against magic within the kingdom- had allowed the Sea Wolves to get strong both in numbers and power.

Many people had moved from Cenred to Britain and Camelot, Merlin’s mother included, in her desperate try to save herself from the raging battles in the borders of the two countries. In the three months from the Ascetir battle, the Army had gotten stronger, as many magical people had joined it but still, the Saxons were so many and eager to take over.

Arthur was sat on the main chair of the table in his red jacket, silent, listening to Sir Leon, by Arthur’s right, Merlin was sat in formal clothes, having gained his old position by his side again. Even if the two men had lost forever the friendship they once had. And on Arthur’s left, there was Morgana, in her blue dress and teal tunic, her three month pregnant belly showing through the delicate fabrics but currently hidden by her own palms who stroked the area with affection, even if her pregnancy had been affected by all this raging tension with the war, she had insisted to be in ever council, she was a part of the government as the rest were, and even if some members from the council didn’t agree for a woman to be there, Morgana was the Queen of all that was Magical for everyone in Camelot, and the people wouldn’t be pleased if they head their queen was excluded from the councils...

‘What do you think, my lords?’ Arthur asked the rest of the kings that had gathered in the council, he had taken his decision but he knew to play the game of diplomacy very well.

‘We have to go at war, our armies and your army will smash them in a matter of weeks,’

‘Aye! We cannot let that brat Cerdic threaten Britain!’

‘He’s to be taught a lesson!’

‘He opened the country to the Wolves!’

There were many voices heard, all angry and vicious, Arthur glanced at Morgana’s worried emerald eyes, she knew of his decision, ever since the previous night, when he told her after they had made love. Ever since she was quiet and the gloom of her expecting their child was shadowed by his decision.

‘I agree my Lords, we’re at this untypical war ever since May, we need to strike for good, we need to push the Wolves out of Britain, we’re at war!’ Arthur finally announced and the kings cheered for his decision as the council was over, Morgana and Merlin were the first to almost run out of the room, from different doors and to different directions.

~*~

Merlin moved fast through the forest, out of the city’s gates, his eyes burned with unshed tears.

He was scared, so scared of Arthur’s life, what if the plan backfired and instead of Morgana’s life taken, it was Arthur’s? In this war against the Saxons, what if he doomed the king he wanted so much alive, along with the great destiny they shared and currently was frozen because of Morgana’s existence in their lives.

The last Dragonlord summoned the last Dragon, the beast obeyed once more and landed its heavy feet before the young warlock.

‘What is it this time, Merlin?’ the beast asked with its deep voice and the warlock took a deep breath and spoke.

‘Arthur is to leave for the borders with Cenred, in war against the Saxons, what if the plan doesn’t work and he dies instead of Morgana or the child? What if I doom him like that…?’ Merlin asked desperately, he had struggled to accept that if Morgana was the dead, he would have to kill the infant if it wasn’t a stillborn and if it was to be the only dead, he would kill the powerless Morgana, but what if the dead ended up being Arthur?

‘Do you have second thoughts on the plan, Merlin?’ the Dragon asked and Merlin lowered his head, his heart ached, he wished he didn’t have to do this, all of this, it was eating him inside, every day for the past three months, ever since it was known that Morgana expected, he was living a nightmare he had created. Seeing her smiling, hugging Arthur while their child grew inside her, seeing her smiling even if sometimes, when she glanced at Merlin, her eyes were full of fear.

‘Even if you do, there is no turning back now, the life has been created and it’s protected by magic until it’s out of the witch’s womb, one life will be taken the moment the child is born.’ The Dragon started. ‘As I had told you, Arthur will be away the time the witch will be to give birth, obviously he will be at the battlefield, far away from you and her, giving you the perfect opportunity to kill her and the abomination the Pendragons created through incest.’ The Dragon went on and his words cut like knife. ‘The only thing you can do for Arthur, since you’re so afraid of yourself failing at the last moment, is to give him the Sword again. But Merlin, even if he is protected by the magical Sword, if you fail to execute the plan, the consequences might be awful. Keep an eye on the witch.’ The Dragon added and Merlin looked up at the beast, for a moment wondering if the murder of Morgana and her child’s would be all worth it.

~*~

Back in the castle, in Morgana’s old bedroom, she and her maids were gathered, the coven of the Moon had helped Morgana a lot during her times after her dethroning, they were there as true sisters who recognized the future priestess of Avalon.

Currently, Morgana and Olwyn were in the middle of the center the rest created by holding hands, the redhead Olwyn was holding a token Morgana would give to her husband and a necklace Morgana was to wear until Arthur’s return. Both jewels held a black bloodstone on each, ready to be charmed by the cycle and Morgana’s blood as this was the only way for the Queen to summon her husband in time of need with her magic idle. In the time of need, that Morgana knew would arise, she would have to spill some of her blood on her necklace and Arthur would know to return. Her magic might was idle for her to use but still ran in her veins.

‘Now, my Queen,’ Olwyn said and Morgana took the dagger Arthur once had given her as a birthday gift and cut her palm, she hissed in pain but remained calmed and closed her hand into a fist for the blood to drop on the token and the necklace. The two bloodstones flashed red for a moment and then they were ready.

The women sat on the wooden floor and Olwyn took out her tarot cards, she mixed them seven times and then set them on the floor, since Morgana’s sight was idle as well, the ancient way of the cards could show them what was in store for the future.

Morgana cut three times with her left hand and Olwyn took the cards back. She set the first card for the past.

The Lovers

The new relationship Arthur and Morgana had, like Lancelot and Gwen, the art of loving someone, the new beginning for Camelot, and among them, the angel who was both a blessing and a curse. Olwyn set the second card for the present.

Crisis

The time of crisis they were in now, the lies, the tension, the war, the pain they were all under. Olwyn set the final card for the future.

Death

Morgana gasped, she didn’t need to think too much of it, ends and beginnings, Death and Life. The churning fear of how soon she conceived returned at full force and knocked the breath out of her lugs, she took the card with trebling hand close to her face, seeing the black clothed skeleton on the white horse, wondering if this was the prince in armor that would take her away…

~*~

‘I love you,’ Morgana whispered as Arthur towered her slightly and smiled at her tenderly. Her eyes were full of tears as he stood in the armor she had just helped him put on, the Sword Merlin had given him was now in its case around Arthur’s waist, they were in their bedroom, the bedroom that once was only his and it felt like they were almost five years back, when she had helped him with his armor. Back then, as the girl he wanted, now as the mother of his child, his queen.

‘I love you too,’ Arthur whispered and Morgana’s tears finally fell and he hugged her. ‘Sshh, I’ll be alright, do not excite yourself, think of our baby,’ Arthur whispered and Morgana tried to relax and take a deep breath. It was the end of August, three weeks after the council all the armies were finally gathered in Camelot, ready to move towards Cenred, where all the Saxons had gathered.

‘Take this,’ Morgana said and gave him the token, it looked like the Eye of the Phoenix but its stone was black. ‘I am wearing the same,  in case I need you, since my magic is idle, I will call you with this, it’s a bloodstone and wakens when my-- our blood will be spilt on it. Promise me to always wear it, Arthur, give me this relief, I beg you.’ Morgana said and Arthur took the token and put it around his wrist. She didn’t want to tell him about the cards, she didn’t want to affect him, she just wanted him to return victorious.

‘It gives me great relief and happiness to have something that will help me know you’re alright. I know how much you want to come with me.’ Arthur said and Morgana sighed, she hadn’t even tell him, she knew the answer herself, it was impossible for her to go at war in her delicate condition of course, but Arthur knew without her telling him. ‘But I need you here, my Queen and co-regent, to keep everyone in their place, the priests, the ambassadors, the druids, everyone, I know you will be the Queen they all want, my love,’ Arthur said and Morgana sighed and nodded her head as Arthur leaned and kissed her lips with passion and love, maybe for the last time…

~*~

The End of December had brought Camelot to be the actual capital of the High Kingship while the High King was away. Morgana who was now at the end of her seventh month of pregnancy had made a splendid job to keep the government on its feet and defy anyone who tried to question Arthur’s power. The war in Cenred was still on, with Arthur away but Morgana had managed, everyone accepted that the Pendragons were the High Monarchs of Britain.

The celebrations of Yule and Christmas would last five days for the people of both religions to be able to celebrate the birth of their respective God and Morgana wished on her own for the war to be over soon, she was missing Arthur so much.

Her pregnancy wasn’t the easiest due to her stress and responsibilities but she did her best to keep her baby safe. She hadn’t been in great need as to use the necklace she was wearing, massagers were informing her of Arthur’s news and she did the same, keeping the few times she had constructions and the two times she had small bleedings, she didn’t have to worry him over things that could be encountered with some relaxing and the use of herbs.

What Morgana truly scared her however was the fact of the tarot cards. She knew such crafts as the card reading could become addictive but Morgana was reading the cards once a month and the result was always the same: Death. It made her stomach ache and her blood run faster in her veins, she couldn’t even imagine something happening to Arthur or her child.

‘My Queen, do you hear me?’ Olwyn was asking urgently as Morgana was sat on on her throne during the rehearsal of a new band of musicians for the Yule celebration. Morgana snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Olwyn. ‘Do you feel well, my Queen? Should we dismiss them and have them playing for you another time?’ Olwyn asked but Morgana smiled and shook her head with a smile that was forced.

‘They played admirably; they should be the musicians for the Yule celebration.’ Morgana finally said and looked at Merlin as she felt his eyes on her, for the past months, he had been looking at her strangely, she couldn’t place her finger on what emotions she saw in his eyes, all she knew was that she was worried she was missing something.

She was done with the duties soon after the last rehearsals, the celebration was in two days’ time and everything was now ready so she breathed in relief and decided to have a walk in the grounds, something she hadn’t done ever since she was a young girl.

She moved through the garden of the roses, the garden Igraine had made before her death, the garden remained alive as if on its own, Morgana always remembered the roses, even in the middle of winter like now, Uther never cut them down, even if it was magic in his own grounds.

She kept moving around the grounds, seeing the differences she usually looked at from her window, the training field was now deserted as all men were at war and Morgana sighed and rubbed her round belly at the thought of her own man away from her and their child that now kicked inside her womb.

She gasped when she turned around a corner and saw the small area before her. Uther’s grave, his last resting place. For a moment, that little, scared girl with the nightmares awoke inside her, she remembered his angry gaze, how he had gripped her from the neck and hissed in her face, putting her in her place. She remembered the nights in the dungeon, every time she defied him and Arthur’s struggle to help her. She remembered the Witch hunter and the screams of the people at the stake, the way the mothers screamed and begged while their daughters and sons were burnt alive…

She felt her child kicking uneasily and Morgana rubbed her belly as she approached, despite her fears, she knew, he was dead and she was alive, he was burnt and his ashes were here while she was alive and with child, the next of their royal bloodline.

‘It was all because of you,’ Morgana whispered. ‘Because of how you treated my mother and Arthur’s, of how you sent Nimueh away, how you tried to kill Morgause. How you focused on your war against magic and let the Saxons stand on their legs. It was because you were a hypocrite and a liar, I gave you chances to tell me the truth, I gave you chances to win me back and you only pushed me away. I wasn’t enough for you, an illegitimate daughter, yet I was a child, but no, you wanted a son, and you sacrificed first your wife and then the rest of the magical people for that son.’ Morgana kept saying, she didn’t care if it was in vain, she needed to vent, she needed to take out all that she felt for so long, her voice was trembling.

‘But you weren’t satisfied with Arthur either. I still remember the nights he sneaked into my room, crying, because you had slapped him and sent him to bed with no dinner because he had disappointed you, when he was just a poor boy with no mother. You always made him feel mediocre, and look where he is now, out there, fighting against the mediocre status your actions created.’ Morgana went on and sniffed as her eyes were full of tears of pain and anger, she was seething in furry.

‘I will always cherish the memory of your face when you saw me crowned, the terror you had in your eyes, the disbelief, the same feelings I had for years, along the blame, the self-pitty and the fear. But look where are we now, Father, I am crowned queen, carrying the son and nephew of your son, my brother, the only man I loved, the only man that loved me, because even that, you allowed.

‘You drowned us in incest, an incest we couldn’t avoid, an incest that shouldn’t be there because you couldn’t be loyal to the woman you killed. You betrayed everyone, killed my father, tried to kill my sister, betrayed and killed my mother, killed your queen, destroyed me and your son…’ Morgana kept talking, she knew she wasn’t saying all this to herself, she could feel a presence, someone being close. Her tears now were falling freely as she stood with the snow around her in her scarlet clothes, from afar, she looked like a spot of pure blood in the snow.

For a moment, she tried to composure herself but then a sharp pain in her middle section made her gasp and curl in two as the pain came straight from her womb. Relax yourself, this is not what you need. Calm down. She commanded herself and tried to breathe but she found herself unable to do so as her breath was caught in her throat because of the sharp pain. She whimpered in pain and tried to remain standing before the grave of her father. This wasn’t good.

She took some air in her lugs with effort and then another sharp pain hit her body and a gush of fluid ran down her legs beneath her dress and made her heart freeze. It was too soon for her waters to break, she wasn’t due until February.

She cried out again as the pain magnified and soon the ground on her feet was turning red with her blood. She was about to collapse but two arms wrapped around her and held her steady. She tried to take another breath, her hands frantically holding at Merlin who had followed her curiously around the grounds, obviously this was the presence she was feeling close to her.

‘Don’t touch me!’ Morgana called out in blind fear and panic. Merlin ignored her and struggled to take her closer to the palace.

They didn’t speak to each other but Merlin helped her close to the castle, he commanded a guard to summon her maids and with the help of other court women and guards they led the queen inside. His heart was aching hard as he heard her moans and whimpers of torture. One life had been created, months ago, tonight was time for another to be taken.

The maids rushed close to Morgana and helped her on the bed that was soon turning red with her blood, they checked her dilation, totally forgetting Merlin who was almost curled in a corner of the room, away from the action around the bed. They looked worriedly at each other and then at Morgana who was gasping for air between sobs and moans of pain.

‘It’s time my Queen, it’s close,’ Olwyn said and Morgana looked at her in horror.

The room was full of women as they rushed around the place in panic, the woman on the bed was screaming out in pain, blood was pooling where her legs were widely open and the midwife was sat on, not carrying for her dress as Morgana screamed in pain while her maidservants held her hands and comforted her.

 ‘My Queen, you need to wait a bit more, when you feel the pain again, only then you will push,’ the midwife was saying but Morgana’s face was full of tears of pain and sorrow.

‘It’s too soon for the child to come, it’s too soon!’ she called out between whimpers and sobs. Arthur was nowhere to be seen but Merlin was close to the door, far away from the chaos that surrounded the bed.

‘We’re here my Queen, you have your companions, since you can’t use magic, they will do their best for the child, for now I need you to focus,’ the midwife said again and Morgana cried out louder as another wave of pain washed over her body.

‘Where is Arthur? He shouldn’t have left!’ Morgana called out and for a moment she glanced at Merlin who stood away from her, his sorrowful and guilty expression scared her more than anything.

Her worst nightmare was becoming reality, she looked at Merlin once again, and she didn’t need to know anything else, he had taken advantage of Arthur’s absence. He returned the look, his eyes steady yet tearful, his mouth set yet quivering, the same expression of both guilt and regret with the one when he had when he poisoned her, she could never forget that face. She then looked at Olwyn and with a trebling hand, she outstretched her palm for the maid to do what she had to do.

Olwyn’s eyes turned amber for a moment and then, with a knife, she cut open Morgana’s palm, the queen didn’t even hiss in pain as what she was being through was greater. All the while looking at Merlin, wanting to show him that things wouldn’t turn out as he wanted, she whispered to the necklace as she clutched at it with her bleeding hand.

‘My blood, your blood, our blood, come back Arthur, I am in labor, come back to me, it’s too soon for the child.’ she whispered to the necklace, her face full of tears, her eyes full of pain, desperation, furry and hatred. Merlin had tricked her to death once again.

The hours passed by. The blood kept running, as the tears did, as the screams escaped her mouth, as the spells to keep her conscious fell upon her, as the hot water tried to keep her sterilized as to save at least the Queen. The clutched sheets were torn by now, the force of her hands enormous every time pain racked her body. The maids were exhausted, still trying to keep her in check, the child could be dead as far as they could know, however, Morgana had to take it out of her body if she wanted to save herself.

‘Tell me it’ll be alive,’ Morgana grunted, her face soaked in sweat and tears. Olwyn nodded frantically and wiped her mistress’ forehead.

‘The child will be fine, my Lady, just stay with us and we’re going to achieve it, the future of Camelot is close,’ Olwyn tried to reassure her.

‘Where is Arthur?’ she panted and Olwyn smiled at her mistress’ tearful face as they clutched hands.

‘On his way, I’m sure my lady, on his way, focus here now.’ Olwyn tried and Morgana screamed in pain again, her voice unrecognizable by now.

~*~

Arthur had galloped all the way from Cenred in amazing speed, his horse could even die the moment it would stop running but Arthur had no other choice. The moment the bracelet had activated itself, he had felt as if the blood in his entire body had been awoken by Morgana’s presence, her own blood, the blood of their child. He had heard her words in a whisper as he was alone in the leader’s tent in the camp, waiting for another bloody day of war to begin. He had let Sir Leon to keep up and had left for Camelot the soonest, Morgana was giving birth, just like in her dream, sooner than normal. Arthur’s heart hurt at the idea of the child being stillborn.

He abandoned the horse out of the palace’s doors and rushed in, talked to none and ran to his bedroom. There were many people outside and only when he saw them in normal clothes he realized he was still in his armor, Merlin was outside as well, his face a mask of pain. He gripped Merlin from the collar of his clothes and brought him roughly close to himself.

‘What have you done? Where is she?’ Arthur asked but Merlin hadn’t had the time to answer as a heart-wrenching scream was heard from behind the closed door. Arthur completely forgot about Merlin and opened the door, entered the room and lost the ability to breath.

The scene could indeed being taken by a book of scary tales, the bed full of blood, Morgana pale as a ghost, screaming and pushing with all her strength with women around her whose dresses were drenched with the blood of the Queen, his blood.

Merlin had followed quietly inside, behind Arthur as the maids had sent him out before. As he saw the scene before him, and saw Arthur’s devastated face, he realized the wrongdoing once again, he had made Arthur lose it all, no high kingship and no kingdom mattered as long as Morgana and their child were gone. Arthur had once said so himself, he would give up his throne for Morgana to see another sunrise, and then he was even enchanted to love Gwen. Merlin saw Morgana screaming with all her strength, pushing and crying in desperation, he had no right to punish her like this, to doom her like this, yet for some reason he had done so, was he better than her and Morgause?

Arthur rushed close to his wife, the maid moved away the moment he approached and he hugged Morgana’s shoulders as she leaned against him in a break of seconds from the pain.

‘I’m here, I’m right here with you,’ Arthur murmured close to his wife’s ear, her long hair a mess of sweat and blood, just like Arthur’s were from the battle he had given earlier, obviously the sword had saved him so far.

‘It hurts so much,’ Morgana whispered delirium, her voice changed after all the screams.

‘It will be over soon, I promise,’ Arthur tried to reassure her as the maid asked of the queen to push again. Morgana did so, with all her power.

‘The head is out, a little more my queen,’ the maid said and Merlin, from the corner of the room held his breath, soon an innocent life would be taken, even if that was Morgana’s, because if he wanted to believe himself and Gaius innocent, so Morgana deserved to be the same.

Morgana pushed with all her strength once more, raising her body in effort. The moment the room was filled with a baby’s cry Morgana fell back in Arthur’s arms.

‘You have a baby girl, she looks tired,’ the maid said as the tiny baby started crying, Arthur made to take the child but the maid shook her head. ‘Let the maids take care of her, she’s too little, my Lord.’ the maid said as she was cutting the cord, Arthur had only the time to glimpse at his own blond hair and his daughter’s emerald eyes, inherited by her mother. Arthur’s eyes were lost on his baby daughter, a little girl, a little princess, he didn’t mind the sex of his firstborn, he had suspected it would be an Heiress when Morgana had told him that night of the non-blooded way of their child and Mordred building a relationship that would stop the doom.

He snapped out of his thoughts as the maids rushed around him and he looked down at Morgana, to smile at her and kiss her but his face turned white as he saw her own pale face completely emotionless as she was unconscious, the blood on her bed was obviously running faster now, if this was even possible.

‘Help her!’ Arthur commanded in vain at the maids, he had no idea what to do as he held his dying wife in his arms. No, this wasn’t fair, he had lost his mother in labor, his daughter shouldn’t be through the same things he had been!

‘We’re trying, Sire, we’re trying, we do not know the enchantment involved.’ Olwyn tried to explain as she put her hands above Morgana’s belly, cast a spell but nothing seemed to work for the better.

Merlin from the corner of the room knew very well the plan was doomed, Morgana was dying but her daughter was alive and Arthur wasn’t away as the Dragon had –once again- fallibly predicted. Morgana had found a way to summon him back. Merlin wiped away his tears in furry, his heart hurt physically before the scene he had created.

This was pointless, this was insane, in the war between him, the Warlock of Camelot and her, the sorceress and Queen of Camelot, there was no winner.

He didn’t care of the outcome as he rushed close to the bed of the dying queen and broke the spell, healed Morgana and stopped the bleeding in a try to save her, he achieved it and now he had only to expect to die for his life to be the one taken, maybe that would stop the torture.

~*~

The room was silent, dark, the smell of blood still lingered in the air of the royal chamber even if it had been two days from the birth of Morwena Igraine Pendragon.

The bed was occupied, the mattress completely changed to a new one, like the pillows and the curtains of it, Arthur was asleep on it, fast asleep after months in the war’s camp. He was to leave again the next day, the messengers had given good news for the battlefield but Arthur was needed against the Saxons. As it seemed the battle wouldn’t last more than a week more. Still the king was needed so Arthur enjoyed his last night at Camelot, asleep on his stomach, his head off the pillow, one hand on the mattress while the other held protectively the basket by the bed. Even if it was Morgana who breastfed, he had insisted for the baby to be at his side of the bed.

Morgana was by the window, on a chair, not able to sleep or to stand because of the pain. She would need days if not weeks to recover, the maids had said, but what had been lost for her was priceless, and a few days of recovery wouldn’t help. She wasn’t able to bear more children; the damage inside her from the torturous labor had been great. And the fear of the possibility of something happening to Morwena and leaving Camelot without a future monarch had crept in and wouldn’t leave for the rest of her life.

She looked at the bed and basket, where her husband and daughter slept. And she sighed as tears ran down her face, she had neared death once again and she had made it, her soul still trembled at the idea of how close she was. And of the reason why…

Her little child had been saved by the maids and their spells, like she had been saved by Merlin, she was grateful to the coven but not to the young warlock who had tried to kill her once again. She had no proof and for now Arthur wasn’t sure of what had happened but Morgana knew, Merlin had tried to kill her. She was certain as the young man had been away for the past two days, grieving somewhere in the palace.

 The door of the chambers opened and Morgana’s head shot at the direction, the guards were supposed to guard the place. The moment Morgana realized whose the figure was she raised to her feet with a silent moan of pain and moved close to where her family was asleep like a shadow.

Merlin’s head was heavy after all the tears, all the mourning of his mother’s loss. One life created, one taken, he had stopped the process at the last moment and as the Dragon had said, the consequences were awful. One Mother had been saved by him, another mother had died because of him, his own mother. He was responsible for his mother’s death, he had killed her when she had only arrived in Camelot as to save herself from war and death, death had found her because of her own son.

After two days of mourning, he had decided to collect his pieces and check on Morgana and the child, he hadn’t seen them as moments after he had healed Morgana, he had been summoned for his mother whose heart had failed her. Now in his try not to lose his mind he wanted to make sure that at least Morgana and Morwena were alive. He moved in the shadows like a cat, not wanting to encounter either Arthur or Morgana, just to glimpse at them and leave but a knife pressed on his back the moment he reached the space close to the bed, stopped him.

‘One more step and you’re dead.’ Morgana’s whisper made the blood in his veins freeze.  ‘Step away from my daughter, now,’ Morgana added and Merlin raised his arms and turned around so he could look at her as they moved away from the bed and the small chamber. Merlin moved away and Morgana, even if with difficulty she closed the doors that sealed the bed from the rest of the suite and looked at Merlin.

‘I know what you’ve done,’ Morgana started and Merlin looked at her, her old, vicious glare was back on him but he knew this time it was no spell and enchantment; it was pure rage and pain. ‘But I cannot prove it,’ she added in a whisper and Merlin remained silent.

‘I know that you only saved me because Arthur came in time. I know it was you from the beginning so I pity you for the death of your mother, because it was your doing.’ Morgana went on, she would make sure this conversation would never have to be repeated again.

‘You have been listening to a beast that at first chance tried to destroy Camelot, and every time you do, something awful happens. You think you’re to have a great destiny with Arthur just because the beast told you so, but you’re not even considering what will happen if Arthur dies childless. You’re not thinking of Arthur as a person, you’re not considering his feelings for me, his love for me. You don’t care, all you care about is to have that great destiny that is already drowned in the blood of innocent.’ Morgana had surprised even herself at how calmed she sounded, even if the furry ran in her veins and her body quivered in pain.

‘Thanks to what you’ve done to me, I cannot bear more children, and if it is for Morwena to die, the only one able to stop Mordred, he will kill Arthur, me and you. The Pendragons along with Camelot will be doomed to get destroyed. A Camelot who finally sees the High King and Queen ruling, the Camelot with the Queen who took her rightful place instead of the servant who ran away with the knight, but you’re not accepting that I am a better queen, a better wife and certainly, a better person, Merlin.

‘You killed my sister, you lied to me, you poisoned me, you kept silent while our kind was being depleted and ever since I returned, you’ve been trying to kill me.’ Morgana said, Merlin was still silent and she preferred it that way, one objection and she would explode.

‘If you want us to live in the fear of our tries to kill each other for the rest of our lives, so it will be. I don’t care anymore, I had threatened you back then, after my official return and I know it will always be you against me, but this is between the two of us, so I am warning you Merlin, if you touch one hair from Morwena’s head, I will tear you apart limb for limb, am I understood?’ Morgana finally said and Merlin only bowed his head and nodded.

‘Yes, my Queen,’ Merlin finally said, looked at Morgana for one more time and exited the room, leaving the queen to collapse and vent all her fear and pain in tears.