𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑥 - 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑠𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒

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━━━━━━ ✧◦☉◦✧ ━━━━━━

The screams began. Millicent didn't even think Gaius could scream. She couldn't imagine him being angry. But now, at this very moment, he was. Angry.

If she had expected Gaius to give them a lecture, she had not expected Merlin to retaliate and turn the lecture into an argument.

Gaius asked Merlin how he could have been so foolish ? Merlin replied that Arthur needed to be taught a lesson. On this point, Millicent would not argue with her brother; she agreed with him one hundred percent. Then Gaius replied that magic was to be studied, mastered and used for good, not for idiotic pranks. Merlin had asked what there was to master. That he, like his sister, could move objects before he could even talk. Gaius replied that then Merlin should know how to control himself by now.

And then Merlin's answer surprised everyone. "I don't want to," he exclaimed in a sudden outburst. Millicent looked up at him. "If I can't use magic, what have I got ? I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die." Millicent's heart sank as she heard this. She watched as Merlin walked into her room and slammed the door, too speechless to react.

She wanted to punch him just for saying those words. I might as well die. The fact that Merlin thought he was nothing without magic broke her heart. She knew what an exceptional boy he was. But it was true that she had forgotten how important magic was to him. And that was why it was so hard for him to get used to the idea that Millicent had resigned herself to never using it again.

Millicent finally made her way to the bedroom. She entered the room and closed the door gently behind her. She came and sat on the edge of the bed, not far from Merlin, who glanced briefly in her direction.

"Leave me alone."

"I'm sorry."

Merlin turned his head in surprise, expecting to hear anything but an apology. He frowned as he straightened slightly. "For what ?"

"For pushing you to fight Arthur."

She had been very hypocritical about that. She knew it. Giving him such a hard time the day before, only to have him do it again the very next day. And she wasn't really proud of it.

"I would have done it anyway," Merlin breathed, not just to reassure her, but because it was the truth. And he couldn't let her take all the responsibility for what he had done.

"I'm sorry I spoke to you like that, giving you orders in front of everyone. He took the opportunity to provoke you even more."

"He would have found another way."

The room fell silent again. Millicent watched his brother closely, trying not to grimace at the slightest movement. "You've hurt yourself, haven't you ?" she asked, her voice soft. With a tenderness she hadn't shown her brother for several days.

He just looked at her. Millicent sighed and stood up. "I'll go and get Gaius."

🎕

Millicent stirred in her sleep. Her forehead was beaded with sweat, her features tense. She was having a nightmare. A voice was calling her over and over. Deep, old, insistent. She tried with all her might to ignore it, but even in her dreams she couldn't shut it out. Then, suddenly, silence. A respite.

She regained a semblance of calm and seemed to fall back into a deeper sleep. But the moment was short-lived. A discreet rustle woke her from her half-sleep : the rustling of sheets, muffled footsteps on the stone floor.

It was Merlin.

She heard her brother get up and saw him over her shoulder, eyelids half open. He was hastily pulling on a jacket, his movements discreet, almost furtive. When he turned to see if she was still asleep, Millicent immediately closed her eyes again. She didn't know why she was pretending. She had nothing to hide from him, nothing to blame herself for. But she sensed that Merlin did not want to be seen, and that was why she followed him.

As soon as Merlin had passed through the bedroom door, Millicent stood up straight. She grabbed a long cloak, pulled it over her nightgown and waited for the door to Gaius' quarters to close behind him before leaving the room herself, without a sound.

She followed him discreetly, blending into the shadows of the corridor and watching as he descended the stairs to the dungeon. She frowned, intrigued. What was he doing there in the middle of the night ? She hoped for a moment that he hadn't gotten mixed up with some dodgy prisoner during his short stay in the cell. But she soon found out.

As Merlin distracted the guards with a little magic trick, an intuition came to her : he was going to see the dragon. The one Gaius had spoken of. The one whose voice she had heard.

Everything clicked in her mind. The voice in her sleep. The call she tried to ignore. The feeling that she wasn't the only one hearing it. Merlin was being called as well.

She followed him again, her heart pounding, her breath short. He went down into the underground passageways. The air grew more humid, heavier. The stone walls seemed to absorb the slightest sound. When they reached the end of the corridor, Merlin stopped. Millicent, who had stayed behind, crouched behind a ledge, her breath caught.

What she was about to hear would change many things.

Merlin stepped into the large underground cavern. Millicent, still hidden behind a rock face, watched the scene, holding her breath. It was cold and the air smelled of dust and antiquity. Opposite her, Merlin walked to the end of the path, bending down to look into the emptiness of the vast cavern, searching for the dragon. At last he called it.

A low roar echoed through the stone. Millicent felt a vibration beneath her feet. Something was approaching.

A searing breath passed close to Merlin, lifting the strands of his hair. Suddenly, with a great roar, a creature emerged from the darkness. Majestic and terrifying, the dragon spread its wings with a flapping sound that shook the cave. Its golden eyes rested on Merlin, glowing with unfathomable wisdom.

"How small you are, for such a great destiny."

Merlin took a step back, hesitant. "Why ? What do you mean ? What destiny ?"

"Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason," replied the dragon, almost prophetically.

"So there is a reason." A flicker of hope appeared in Merlin's voice, as if he were about to receive all the answers to the questions that had always gnawed at him.

The dragon, perched on its stone promontory, bowed its head slightly. "Arthur is the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion." Millicent couldn't help but roll her eyes at the name Arthur. Of course, everything had to come back to him.

"Right." Merlin was more than confused, Millicent could hear him and she knew he was wondering why the dragon was telling them all this. Why was he telling him about Arthur, and Millicent wondered the same thing.

"But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike."

"I don't see what that has to do with me."

"Everything. Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, they'll be no Albion."

Millicent's eyes widened. Well, that... That was the one. Merlin shook his head, shaken. "No. No, you've got this wrong." Oh no, Merlin wanted nothing more to do with that prince.

"My sister has powers too, you know ! She can help him. Let her do it. I want nothing to do with Arthur," Merlin hastened to say.

Behind the wall, Millicent opened her mouth, indignant that her brother was taking advantage of her absence to give her a thankless task. She frowned, then couldn't help but whisper in a voice so low she doubted she'd said it herself : "Neither do I..."

The dragon stepped back slightly, its eyes seeming to glow with a new light. It looked at Merlin, then tilted its head to one side. "Another destiny awaits Millicent. Intertwined with yours, in ways even I cannot fully see. But be warned."

Merlin raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Warned ? About my sister ?"

"She may keep you from fulfilling your own."

Millicent gasped. This was not what she had expected to hear. A chasm of incomprehension and confusion opened up inside her. She held her breath. A strange feeling, somewhere between fear and anger, grew inside her. She sat up slightly from her hiding place, her gaze piercing.

"Stopping me from helping Arthur ?" Merlin exclaimed in disbelief. "I don't see how that's a bad thing. It sounds more like a blessing to me," he couldn't help adding with a hint of bitterness.

Millicent, for her part, frowned. She had grown pale. A shadow of pain crossed her face. She would never do this to her brother. Prevent her brother from fulfilling his destiny ? She would never do that. It was absurd.

"Beware, Merlin. You are both bound by fate, but not always on the same path."

"No ! I don't want to hear more. Enough," Merlin cut in abruptly. His voice cracked against the walls of the cave, shaking more than he would have liked. "Whatever you think, my sister..." He stopped, his throat tightening with a mixture of incomprehension and anger. "It's wrong"

"There is no right or wrong. Only what is and what isn't," replied the dragon, his deep voice sounding like an echo from the depths of time.

Merlin looked away, his jaw clenched. "But I'm serious. If anyone wants to go and kill him they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand."

Kilgharrah did not flinch. His massive form remained motionless, like a living mountain. His eyes, golden and unfathomable, stared at the young sorcerer with a strange patience. "None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin. And none of us can escape it."

There was a moment of silence, thick as fog. Merlin, tense, ran a hand through his hair, at the end of his rope. "No, no way, no. There must be another Arthur, because this one's an idiot."

A guttural growl escaped from the dragon's flanks, halfway between amusement and weariness. "Perhaps it's your destiny to change that."

Kilgharrah fixed his gaze on the boy, measuring him one last time. Then he retreated slowly into the shadows, his body slipping between the rock pillars like a giant snake returning to silence. He said nothing more, as if he knew that words would be useless from now on. As if he had sown all he had to sow.

Then, with silent majesty, it spread its wings. A searing breath filled the cave.

"Wait ! Wait ! Stop ! I need to know more !" cried Merlin, his voice cracking with fear.

But already Kilgharrah was flying away, its flapping wings echoing throughout the cave, raising a cloud of dust and burning air.

Merlin, frustrated and confused, froze for a moment before turning and disappearing back into the underground world. Millicent pressed herself against the stone, holding her breath until she was sure he was gone. Silence gradually returned.

Then a voice echoed from the depths, strong and calm : "Come out of hiding."

Millicent felt her heart miss a beat. He knew she was there.

After hesitating for a moment, Millicent waited until the echoes of the dragon's wings had died away before emerging from the shadows. Her heart beating fast, she slowly advanced towards the centre of the cave where her brother had stood a few minutes earlier. The ground was still warm underfoot.

Above her, the dragon returned to its rocky promontory with a muffled rustle. Its amber gaze, vast and piercing, rested on her.

"I called you," he said in a deep voice that seemed to come from the depths of time.

Millicent folded her arms and looked up at him defiantly. "And I ignored you. If you ever believed it was an accident."

A silence settled, heavy. "Yet here you are," replied Kilgharrah simply. "You cannot ignore your destiny, Millicent."

She raised an eyebrow sceptically. "Because I have one ?"

"You have more than one," he replied. "Like your brother. Like Arthur. Like everyone in this land."

She sighed in exasperation. "I don't have Merlin's patience. Speak clearly."

But the dragon did not answer his question. Instead, he continued as if reciting ancient wisdom : "You and your brother are bound. Two sides of the same coin. You evolve in relation to each other." Millicent lowered her eyes for a moment, looking troubled, but then pulled herself together. "Everyone has a piece of shadow and light within them."

She could not help but stretch into a half-mocking smile, feeling a surprising cynicism at her understanding of these words. But the dragon didn't seem to have finished speaking in his gibberish, which was seriously starting to get on Millicent's nerves.

"Yes... But there is always a part that dominates."

She sighed sarcastically. "For Merlin, it is undoubtedly the light."

The dragon nodded slowly. "And as light grows, it generates shadow."

Millicent remained frozen. The implication was clear, too clear. He was talking about her. About the shadows. The one that grows in silence as Merlin's light rises.

Kilgharrah replied in a low, almost painful voice : "They evolve in parallel. The more light shines, the more shadow extends. Your brother's light will only grow."

Millicent furrowed her brows. She understood. She was the opposite. The counterweight. Worse still, she was the obstacle. The enemy ? But she refused to accept this fate. "Do you think I'll just let myself be consumed ?" She sighed.

The dragon stared at her for a long time. "Nothing is written, only foreshadowed. Another destiny awaits you, Millicent. One intertwined with that of your brother. And with someone else's."

Millicent straightened up, wary. "Who else ?"

"An heir to the throne. A Pendragon.."

Millicent's blood boiled. She showed no sign of it. Not right away, at least. "My destiny will shape that of a king ?" she exclaimed.

The only Pendragon and heir to the throne she knew was Arthur, and there was no way she could be bound to him. Her mind was racing. Her fate was supposed to be opposed to Merlin's, but Merlin was destined to protect Arthur. So, her... helping Arthur to ascend to the throne ? It made no sense.

"Or to break it."

Kilgharrah's voice trailed off. Heavy. Inevitably.

Suddenly, everything lit up.

Millicent felt her blood freeze. While the dragon had promised Merlin greatness, to her he had offered only darkness. She didn't understand. Why should her destiny be to ruin that of the others ?

She stood still for a moment, clenching her fists. "And Merlin ?" she asked more softly. "What will become of him if I am the shadow ?"

Kilgharrah closed his eyes. "He will grow. And he will fall. Just like you. Light and shadow will dance together until one consumes the other, or until they find balance."

Millicent gritted her teeth. She had never wanted a war. Even less so against her brother, but the dragon hardly cared about the witch's inner state. He slowly turned his head. She could feel the threat and prophecy mingling in the cold air of the cave.

Kilgharrah opened his eyes, and his gaze shone with a strange light. "You cannot escape what you are, Millicent. You can turn away from it for a while, you can deny it and make excuses, but the shadow you carry within you will find a way out. Because it knows you better than you know yourself."

This time, Millicent took a step back. Something tensed within her. Her throat knotted and her hands trembled with rage. She could feel this invisible gulf opening up beneath her feet.

"Enough," she said. Her voice was little more than a whisper. "That's enough."

But Kilgharrah continued, unperturbed. "Your brother's light is rising. He will become more than a man. And you will become more than a counterweight. You can choose to be a force of destruction... or a force of balance."

"Shut up !" she screamed suddenly. Her voice echoed sharply through the cave. "I am not your puppet, dragon ! I'm not a character in an old, dusty story ! I won't let a dragon trapped here with nothing to do but sow discord dictate my decisions !"

Kilgharrah tilted his head, a dull rumble vibrating in his chest. "You're not listening."

"No, and I won't listen !"

Without waiting for a response, Millicent turned around. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the stone as she walked quickly and tensely away. She didn't want to hear another word. As she reached the cave entrance, a powerful roar erupted behind her. It was a primal, ancient roar that made the walls tremble.

She did not turn around. She let him roar alone in the darkness. Then she went away.

Millicent found it difficult to breathe as she ran back to the castle. A deep anguish gripped her chest. She just wanted to get away. From the dragon. From this cave. From everything. She wanted to find Merlin, take his hand, and leave Camelot. This place had brought them nothing but trouble, and it was clear that nothing better awaited them here.

She looked around nervously, watching for every shadow and silhouette. It was no longer prudence. It was paranoia.

The dragon's words were spinning in her head. She wanted to chase them away, drown them, choke them — but they clung on.

When she finally reached their room, she closed the door behind her with a sigh of relief. She sat down, closed her eyes for a moment and tried to calm her breathing. But when she opened them again, she jumped.

Merlin was standing in the middle of the room. He looked upset, almost worried, and, most importantly, angry. "Where were you?" he asked.

"You, where were you?" she replied immediately, as if she did not know the answer.

"I asked first."

"I woke up and you were gone. So I went looking for you. And you ?"

"I couldn't sleep... I thought a walk would do me good."

They looked at each other in heavy silence. Straight into the eyes. Millicent felt her heart flutter. He had lied to her. She knew it. And it hurt more than she thought it would. But why ? She had been lying to him, too. She had been lying to him for much longer. The trust was already fragile and unstable, like a floor that was too slippery under their feet. But could she really be angry with him ? She had betrayed the first. And her secret weighed much more.

The silence settled again, awkward and strange. It was as if there were too many people present. They finally fell back together. Without a word. Each facing the other. Even when sharing the same room, they were worlds apart.

🎕🎕

The sun barely shone into the room, casting a faint light on the wrinkled sheets. Millicent stared at the ceiling, her eyes wide open. She had hardly closed an eye all night. She relived the words of the dragon, the look of Merlin and the silence between them. They all came back to her in a loop.

Finally, growing tired of lying still, she stood up and got dressed in silence. This time, she carefully stepped over Merlin. He was sleeping so deeply that she doubted he would wake up even if she made noise on purpose.

But the truth was that she preferred not to see him. Not now. As after the tension of the day before.

She stepped out of the chamber and went down to Gaius.

"Well, you're up early this morning," he remarked, barely lifting his eyes from the flasks.

"I had a rough night."

"Nightmares ?"

"Like everyone else."

"Let me know if they continue. I have something that might help." She shook her head without commenting further. "By the way, I need you to deliver this potion to Morgana," he said, handing her a small bottle. "The poor girl's suffering from nightmares."

"Nightmares ? I didn't know."

"Since childhood. Nothing really works, but this should calm them down a bit."

Millicent took the bottle. She still had time. Merlin still hadn't got up. She ate a piece of bread slowly and without much appetite. The calm of the room contrasted too starkly with the chaos of the previous day. As she stood up to leave, Gaius called out in a teasing tone, "Well, we can see which one of you is the laziest !"

Millicent gave a faint but sincere smile before leaving the room.

When Millicent arrived at Lady Morgana's apartment, Lady Morgana had her back to her. Without saying a word, Morgana disappeared behind a screen. The screen was made up of finely chiselled iron panels with openwork revealing floral arabesques. It was tall and graceful, and was tinted a dull gold.

"You know I've been thinking about Arthur."

Millicent rolled her eyes at the mere mention of his name. Was it too much to ask for a moment's respite without the prince being mentioned ? If she had to endure tales of a crush on the prince, she would rather go and get lost in the forest in the middle of the night.

But Morgana said dryly : "I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole."

Millicent couldn't help but smile. "On that, I can only agree."

Morgana paused behind the screen and turned around in surprise. "Oh, I thought it was Gwen."

"I hope you're not too disappointed that it's me."

Morgane laughed softly. "No, on the contrary. I'm very happy about it." She continued, curiously, "So you agree with me about Arthur ?"

Millicent shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed by her own frankness. "Sorry. Perhaps I shouldn't have spoken so bluntly."

"Don't worry about it. I like people who speak frankly. And to me, Arthur is just an arrogant cad."

Still concealed by the screen, she began to change, sliding a cloth against her skin. "Pass me that dress, will you, Milli ?"

Millicent froze for a moment. Milli ? She hadn't heard her nickname uttered by anyone other than Merlin, Gaius, or Gwen. But she didn't protest. Instead, she picked up the silk dress, which was folded on an armchair, and handed it to Morgana.

As she grasped it with her fingertips, Morgana continued : "I mean, the man is a total jouster. Just 'cause I'm the king's ward, I have to accompany him to the feast, does it ?"

Millicent let her thoughts wander, half-watching her. She wondered if Morgana thought the prince had more qualities than she was willing to admit. Or if she was trying to convince herself ? She had such a detached way of talking about the prince, however, something about it sounded almost too detached.

Remaining silent, she passed her the dress. However, Morgana, who had a keen ear, immediately asked again : "Well, does it ?"

Millicent replied cautiously. "I suppose you know the answer better than I do."

Morgana sighed and rolled her eyes. "If he wants me to go, then he should invite me. And he hasn't. So do you know what that means ?"

Millicent crossed her arms and looked perfectly serious as she quite naturally replied, "That he's arrogant, conceited, and too proud to ask anyone for anything; that he's convinced everything is rightfully his, and that people should run after him ?"

Morgana laughed out loud. "Well, you really don't like him. But after what he did to your brother, it's completely understandable."

"If that's all it was..." murmured Millicent in a low voice, more to herself than to Morgana.

Morgana froze slightly and looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

Millicent immediately pulled herself together and looked away. "It doesn't matter."

"If you say so," replied Morgane, somewhat reluctantly. Then, as if to change the subject, she continued : "So, I was saying... What was I saying again ?"

"That he hadn't invited you."

"Ah yes. It means I'm going by myself."

Millicent smiled, this time genuinely. "I think that's a good thing. Lots of men would love to be your date, but I doubt any of them deserve the honour. The fact that you're going alone just goes to show that you're worth far more than all of them put together."

Morgana turned back to her with an almost fond smile. "I like you a little more every time you open your mouth, Millicent."

Millicent lowered her eyes slightly, flattered. "I need some help with this fastening."

Millicent came over and helped her fasten the dress. Morgana then grabbed a deep red dress and went to stand in front of her mirror. She held it up in front of her and observed her reflection with a pensive pout. "So, it's whether I wear this little tease, or give them a night they'll really remember."

Millicent squinted, amused. "I always thought we should do things properly."

"So no little tease."

"I don't think little and tease go together." She glanced knowingly at Morgana, a smirk stretching her lips. "And, honestly, I think red really suits you."

Morgana turned her head slightly towards her, a twinkle in her eye. She wasn't used to having maids with so much spirit.

🎕🎕🎕

Millicent hated her life.

(She was in Lady Morgana's room, helping her get ready as best she could. In reality, this mainly involved standing next to Morgana, ready to hand over a brush, a pin, or a piece of cloth the moment she asked for it. Gwen, on the other hand, had already left to serve at the reception.

When Morgana was almost ready, she said with a mischievous little smile, "Go and join Gwen."

"And you ?" asked Millicent, slightly surprised.

"I'm waiting for the right moment to make my entrance.")

That's how Millicent had ended up there. In the throne room — or whatever it was called — the throne itself had disappeared for the occasion and been replaced by long tables set up with refined dishes, golden goblets and colourful fabrics, and nobles who were obviously delighted to be there.

She hated being there.

"I'm convinced this is a bad idea," she finally whispered, breaking the silence that had been weighing on her since she arrived.

"Don't worry, I'll be there to guide you," replied Gwen softly, who had stood by her side from the start.

Unfortunately, Millicent wasn't just there to watch. She was going to have to work. Serve. And everything that entailed. She had never done anything like that in her life. Starting in such a role at an event of this magnitude was torture. The trays seemed too heavy, the glasses too fragile and the stares far too curious.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on Arthur in the corner of the room, surrounded by friends. He was laughing loudly and clearly bragging—about what exactly she couldn't hear, but she would have bet it was a story about swords or tournaments. Millicent rolled her eyes without even realising it.

"You don't like him very much, do you ?" asked Gwen softly beside her.

Millicent turned her head towards her, caught in the act. "I have no reason to. I don't care about him enough to hate him. Or anything else."

Little by little, she began to imitate Gwen's movements. She poured discreetly, smiled politely, never rushed and, above all, never dropped anything. She caught the gaze of some noblemen, which was often condescending and sometimes wandering. Too wandering. Others were simply indifferent. She was just another new servant in their gilded world.

At one point, she spotted Merlin standing nearby with Gaius. He was working, too. They exchanged a sidelong glance as they passed between two tables. Neither of them said a word, content to let their unspoken thoughts convey the ordeal they were both going through. Despite their silence, however, they exchanged small nods here and there in silent complicity.

Then everything changed when Morgana finally made her entrance.

A light, almost suspended silence preceded her entrance into the room. All eyes turned to her. Her sumptuous red dress seemed to float behind her. Her hair was pulled back into an elegant bun and her make-up was applied with great finesse. She walked with confidence, almost regal.

Millicent found herself smiling as she watched everyone's reactions. Even Arthur, who had been laughing just moments before, froze, his mouth opening slightly in silent astonishment. He immediately approached her. Millicent suppressed a mocking laugh. She turned away, amused, just in time to notice that Merlin was looking at Morgana with admiration, too.

"Careful, Merlin, your jaw is about to drop," she said mockingly.

Gwen appeared between them, a radiant smile on her lips. "She looks great, doesn't she ?"

"Yeah," whispered Merlin, his eyes still fixed on Morgana.

Gwen added softly, almost dreamily : "Some people are just born to be queen."

At these words, Millicent and Merlin turned their heads towards her in unison. "No !" Merlin exclaimed indignantly.

Millicent rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Don't tell me Morgana is destined to be stuck with..." She trailed off, contenting herself with turning to glare at Arthur.

"I hope so. One day." Gwen replied gently. "Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur ?"

Millicent forced herself not to grimace. And yet... maybe Morgana would. It would be just like her, with her strange and ambivalent behaviour towards Arthur.

She shook her head as if to chase away the thought, horrified by the mental image that had just crossed her mind.

Merlin leaned towards Gwen with a teasing smile. "Oh, come on, Gwen, I thought you liked those real rough, tough, save-the-world kind of men."

"No, I like much more ordinary men like you."

Merlin sneered, amused. "Gwen, believe me, I am not ordinary."

Millicent opened her mouth slightly, stunned at how blind her brother was. Gwen had almost confessed that Merlin was her type, yet he was laughing like an idiot.

"I didn't mean you." Gwen said, feeling a little embarrassed. "Obviously, not you. But just... you know, I like much more ordinary men," she said, pausing, then adding emphatically, "Like you."

"Thanks..." replied Merlin, bewildered, unable to tell whether he had just received a compliment or a slap in the face.

They stood there, staring at each other for a few seconds too long.

Millicent grimaced, her face showing equal parts dismay and amusement. An unwitting spectator of this delightfully awkward scene, she looked away, sighed and walked off to serve other guests, leaving the two idiots to their embarrassing moment.

🎕🎕🎕🎕

The clear sound of horns echoed through the throne room. Conversations died down immediately and the guests turned towards the entrance. Amid the rustling of luxurious fabrics and chairs scraping across the stone floor, everyone took their places. King Uther Pendragon made his solemn entrance, draped in a long blue cape.

He stopped in front of the table of honour, raised his arms in a ceremonial gesture, and began his speech. His deep voice resonated powerfully between the castle's stone columns as he proclaimed the values of peace, tradition and honour of Camelot.

Millicent, standing alongside Gwen along the wall beneath the large windows, glanced sideways at the king. Leaning slightly towards her friend, she whispered through clenched teeth with a smirk on her lips : "Who would have thought he could smile so much ?"

Gwen said nothing, but her smile widened slightly at the cruelly accurate remark.

Uther concluded his speech by cheerfully announcing the introduction of Lady Helen of Mora. Applause erupted. The king sat down.

Millicent looked around the room. Across from her, she saw Merlin standing on the first step of a turret staircase. He looked as if he were ready to flee at any moment. Millicent couldn't help but feel jealous. She was trapped here.

When Lady Helen entered, Millicent felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Something was wrong. She couldn't say what, but she had an instinctive feeling of alarm. An instinctive alarm. And when the woman began to sing, this feeling intensified, enveloping Millicent in an overwhelming sense of unease.

Millicent saw Gwen stagger out of the corner of her eye. Alarmed, she turned to her. "Are you okay ?" she whispered. But Gwen collapsed limply. "Hey !" whispered Millicent, catching her just in time.

She gently helped Gwen to the ground, then quickly stood up and covered her ears. Her eyes searched the crowd for her brother. She found him immediately.

Merlin had also covered his ears. Their eyes met, conveying a sense of mutual understanding and concern. They knew they were thinking the same thing. Witchcraft. There was no doubt about it.

Millicent looked at Lady Helen. She didn't know her intentions for certain, nor whether it was really her, but she knew one thing : she had to be stopped.

She considered tackling her to the ground, but charging in recklessly would be dangerous. If this woman was using magic, Millicent would be taking a huge risk and would be lucky to escape with just a few bruises.

Millicent's mind began to race. She tried to consider all the possibilities. All the options, without the use of magic. Of all the solutions that did not involve using her own powers, only her initial idea seemed right.

Lady Helen was now staring at Arthur. She moved forward slowly, concealing a dagger in the sleeve of her dress. Urgency flooded Millicent's mind. She didn't have time. She had to act.

She glanced at Merlin. He shook his head, trying to dissuade her. But Millicent ignored him.

As the witch pulled the dagger from her sleeve and reached out to throw it, Millicent lunged behind her and grabbed her wrist. Surprised, Lady Helen stopped her incantation and met Millicent's gaze.

"Get out of my way ! Let go of me, you fool !" she hissed.

Merlin watched Lady Helen struggle under his sister's grip. The two women were in the midst of a fight. But something was wrong. Merlin could feel it; he knew it. The woman was going to use magic on Millicent.

"Milli !" cried Merlin.

Millicent quickly turned her head towards her brother. That was all she needed to know. She heard the clanking of chains, followed by a creaking sound above her.

Millicent had barely had time to throw herself to one side when the heavy wrought-iron chandelier crashed to the floor with a deafening bang, burying Lady Helen beneath it.

Millicent quickly got to her feet under Merlin's worried gaze. "Are you completely insane or something ? You almost killed me !" she shouted.

But Merlin didn't have time to answer. Around them, the guests were regaining consciousness, their confused faces rising.

Millicent looked down at the buried body. It was no longer the same woman. Her skin had withered and paled, and was dotted with spots and deep wrinkles. Her black hair had turned grey and was dull and stringy.

Millicent frowned and moved in front of the old woman. That face... She recognised her. It was the woman from the execution. The one who had cursed Arthur on the day they arrived : Thomas James Collins's mother.

Everyone stood up and stared at the old witch. At that moment, Millicent found herself almost feeling sorry for her.

A question broke the tense silence. "Was it you who stopped her ?"

Millicent turned slowly. King Uther was standing in front of her, staring at her. "Well..."

She did not have time to answer. The witch stood up in a final burst of energy. Millicent spun around abruptly. She saw the dagger glint and understood. But she did not have time to react.

With a gesture and a breath of magic, Millicent was thrown across the room. She hit the steps of the royal dais with a thud, her back slamming against the stone and the back of her head hitting the table.

"Merlin !" she screamed in panic.

And everything changed.

He slowed down time — the world stretched out. He dived towards Arthur and pulled him violently to one side. They both rolled to the ground as the dagger whistled through the air. It missed everyone and stuck into the seat where Arthur had been sitting a second earlier. Faced with this latest failure, the witch collapsed once and for all.

Millicent saw the two boys stand up straight. Uther rushed to his son, his heart pounding. After making sure Arthur was safe, Morgana walked around the table to join Millicent. Eager to run to her new maid, she lifted her skirt slightly and held the soft fabric of her dress in her hands.

She knelt beside Millicent and grabbed her waist to help her up. "Are you okay ?"

Millicent, with one hand on her forehead and the other held by Morgana, nodded slowly. "Yes, I just hit my head and probably sprained my wrist."

They exchanged an intense look, which was interrupted by the king's booming voice. "You have saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid."

The two women looked at Merlin, who stammered, embarrassed. "Well..."

"Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded."

"Honestly, you don't have to, your highness."

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special."

"Well..." Millicent rolled her eyes. Merlin was trying to play it humble, but she knew him — he was already puffing himself up with pride. There he was, standing tall in front of the King, feeling proud as a peacock, already imagining himself receiving a fortune.

"You shall be awarded with a position in the Royal Household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

"Father !" Arthur protested.

Millicent opened her mouth, then closed it again and pressed a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. Seeing the expressions on her brother's and the prince's faces made it difficult for her to contain herself.

Suddenly, she felt much better.

The applause resumed. The king turned away from his son and moved towards Millicent and Morgana, leaving him and Merlin behind. She would never have imagined that he was coming to speak to her, so she straightened up immediately and let go of Morgana, moving aside to let him address his ward.

But the king turned to her and looked her straight in the eye. "Just like your brother, you shall be rewarded. I owe you a favour."

Millicent raised her eyebrows in surprise, before realising that the king was serious. No words came to her at first. After hesitating and smoothing her dress, she ventured, "I do have something to ask of you."

"Come and see me tomorrow and I will grant you an audience. If your request is reasonable... I will grant it."

Millicent bowed her head respectfully. She watched the king leave, then her gaze drifted to the empty space he had left behind. Gradually, the tension evaporated and the room emptied. Millicent remained frozen to the spot, her gaze fixed on the lifeless body of the witch as the guards gathered around it, trying to lift the chandelier.

The chaos had dissipated, but something inside her remained shaken. It wasn't so much the magic or the fall of the chandelier itself, but rather the weight of the stares and expectations, and what she had unwittingly achieved. She had stood in the centre of the room, facing the witch, the prince and the king. She hadn't run away. But she couldn't see it as a victory. Rather, she saw it as a sinister omen of what might await her and Merlin if they remained in Camelot.

Then a reality dawned on her : Camelot would be their undoing.

🎕🎕🎕🎕

Merlin and Millicent were sitting cross-legged on the bed facing each other in the soft evening light. The commotion of the feast had long since died down, as had the excitement of the applause, flattery and drama. Now, only the two of them remained in the relative calm of their quarters. The silence was comfortable and familiar, but also tense; each of them had things to say, but neither knew where to begin.

"You gave me quite a fright today," Merlin finally said with a half-smile, more to lighten the mood than anything else.

"I scared you ? You nearly killed me with that damn chandelier," Millicent retorted, giving him a sly look. Even though she knew he had probably saved her life, she couldn't help but tease him.

Merlin grimaced, feeling guilty. They looked at each other for a moment without speaking — a moment suspended between awkwardness and tenderness. Then Merlin seemed to stiffen slightly, as if about to talk about something more serious. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then changed his mind. He had wanted to tell her about the dragon, about their encounter in the depths of Camelot. But Kilgharrah's words came back to him : The words were heavy with meaning. 'She could prevent you from fulfilling your destiny...'

He looked away. No, not tonight.

He couldn't imagine its words being true. There was no point in sharing them and unnecessarily worrying his sister, who would lock herself away in a cave if she thought she might ever harm him.

Instead, he frowned slightly and asked : "Why didn't you use magic against the witch ?"

Millicent didn't seem surprised by the question; she seemed annoyed. She looked down at her hands, which were resting on her lap. "I didn't have that instinct," she lied. She had had it. But she had chosen not to listen to it. That instinct. She had deliberately sought out options that didn't involve witchcraft.

"You had it before," Merlin murmured. "Before you started seeing magic as a bad thing."

"Merlin..." he whispered, not finishing her sentence.

They were interrupted by the arrival of Gaius, who appeared at just the right moment. He entered the room holding a heavy book. It was an old grimoire, bound in leather and worn by time. He handed it to Merlin with a certain solemnity.

The grimoire was actually intended for his two nephews and niece, but the court physician knew Millicent would not appreciate it. She contented herself with listening silently to their conversation. She listened as Gaius told Merlin that he had finally found a noble reason to use magic. To do good. And to protect Arthur.

Almost immediately, there was a knock at the door. A guard had come to fetch Merlin. Arthur was asking for him.

Merlin stood up, took one last look at his sister and hesitated once more before turning away to follow the guard. Gaius's gaze shifted briefly to Millicent, who remained silent. She didn't even attempt to approach the book. She had neither the strength nor the desire to do so. It was a world she had begun to push away from herself.

Gaius finally left, too. The door closed behind him with a soft click. Millicent was left alone.

She stared at the door for a moment, her heart heavy. Doubt crept into her like a slow poison. The dragon had not lied about Merlin's destiny — she could see it unfolding before her now, line by line. He would protect Arthur. It was his path, his role. His burden. And if he had been right about Merlin, then perhaps he had been right about her, too.

She shuddered at the thought. She didn't want it. The idea terrified her.

Her gaze slid to the grimoire, which was still lying on the bed. But she didn't touch it. She didn't want to know what would happen next.

She wasn't sure she had the strength.

She lowered her gaze and curled up in the centre of the bed, her arms around her knees. Only the flickering glow of a candle danced against the stone walls in the silence. It seemed as if fate had already chosen her brother. But what about her ? She still didn't know whether she had the right to choose, or only the right to endure it.

━━━━━━ ✧◦☉◦✧ ━━━━━━

Hey, it took me a very long time to write this chapter. Please let me know what you think of it. It's the final chapter covering the events of episode one. I will start writing the chapters for episode two soon!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter ! Have a good night/day !