Morgana can hardly believe her eyes when the boy walks up to her shyly, a hand outstretched and a smile on his face. She takes the offered hand, trying to contain the grin spreading across her own face. Gwen is bouncing with joy beside her, not bothering to stop herself from running up to the boy and tackling him with a welcoming hug.

Morgana sends Arthur a mocking smirk, "He has better manners than you," she says teasingly, making the prince sneer at her as she giggles.

Arthur tugs the boy away from the two ladies, wrapping an arm around the lad rather possessively as he eyes the two. "I think this was a bad idea," he says, "you're in more danger here."

"Now, now," Morgana chides, pulling the warlock towards her, "don't be selfish. You can't keep him all to yourself. After all he's our friend too." She can hear the low growl from the prince and the sound makes her want to tease him even more. After all there's nothing more amusing than riling up the selfish royal. "Aren't you supposed to be heading back to your cell soon? We don't want Uther finding out that you've gotten out now do we?" She says with a smirk.

Arthur growls again, sending Merlin a worried glance. "Fine, but first I need to write a letter."

Morgana raises an eyebrow, but doesn't ask any questions as she gestures towards her desk. He sends her a glare as he passes, still muttering something under his breath as he sits down and starts to write. 

As they wait for Arthur to finish, Morgana turns to look at Merlin, watching him with sadness as he wanders about the room, curious about every little thing from a comb to the partition to the mirror. His eyes sparkle at every little thing, amazed with everything that most people wouldn't spare a second glance at. He pokes and prods the items strewn across her room, analyzing everything with a look of wonder like a child in a toy shop. Yet, by far the one thing he's most interested in, is the window, or to be more precise what's past it. He had stopped by the window a few minutes ago and now still he stands there, staring out into the distance. His eyes remain fixated on the trees, the sky, the stars, and the moon. The smile had dropped from his face and instead there's a look of want, of desire that can't be quenched. 

Gwen walks up behind him, setting a hand on his shoulder to shake him from his dream. "You'll get to go out soon," she says, giving him a reassuring smile, "Arthur will bring you out as soon as he finds a safe place for you to go."

Merlin looks to her then back to the window. "When will that be?" he asks.

Gwen turns to Morgana for help.

"A few days. Maybe a week. I don't know," Morgana replies, walking up beside him with a small smile. 

The warlock turns away from the window, looking to her now with a feigned smile of his own as he walks back towards the room to examine some more peculiar things. Morgana watches him go, knowing that there was nothing more that he wanted to do than to go outside. Maybe she can distract him. Take his mind off of it.

"Merlin," she calls, walking over to him before leaning in close to whisper in his ear "can you teach me some magic later? When Gwen and Arthur have left?"

At the word 'magic' the boy's eyes light up. He bounces on his feet, giddy in the idea of being able to teach someone else one of the few joys he has in his life. "So, you've gotten over your fear?" he whispers back with a grin.

She smiles back at him, happy to see him smile again. "Yes, and it's all thanks to you." 

Merlin blushes a little, flattered at the compliment. "I didn't do much," he glances towards Arthur before lowering his voice further,  "Have you managed to tell Arthur yet?"

Her smile drops. That was the one thing she wanted to avoid talking about. "No," she looks to the prince, "not yet. I... I haven't found the right time. There's been so much going on and..."

"You have to tell him soon," Merlin interrupts, "it would only hurt him more if you tell him later."

"But I'm scared! It's not as easy as you make it sound. What if he doesn't accept me?"

"He will. I trust in him."

Morgana looks away, chewing on her lower lip as she continues to doubt the prince. She's known him for a long time and she knows his stance on Uther's policies. But still, there's a chance. There's a chance he could hate her and it was something that she didn't want to risk. Even if she never wants to admit it, she considers the prince a dear friend. A dear friend that she doesn't want to lose. 

"Morgana," she looks up at the sound of her name, meeting Merlin's eyes as he leans in towards her, "you need to tell him. If you need me I'll be there with you. But this is something you have to tell him yourself."

"What are you two whispering about?" Arthur asks, leaning against the chair as he glares in their direction.

Morgana looks to Merlin, seeing him nod his head with encouragement as he ushers her closer to the prince. She can see him mouth the words 'trust him'. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat she takes a step closer to him, averting her gaze. "I..." she says, now looking to Gwen who also stares in curiosity, "I have magic."

Gwen gives a quiet gasp, her hands cupping her mouth as she looks between her and the prince. Arthur remains silent. His eyes have softened, the earlier annoyance in his stare having disappeared, but he doesn't say a word and that might have been worse then if he had said something. 

Morgana waits for his response, feeling a bit more confident in his reaction after his slight change in demeanour, but as time goes on and still the prince says nothing she begins to worry again. She looks to Merlin, needing him to reassure her that everything will be alright but all he does is shake his head in confusion. 

She looks back to Arthur, only to find that he's turned back to the parchment on the table and is continuing to scribble across the page. In another minute he gets up from his seat, handing the folded letter to Gwen. "Take this to Gaius. He'll know where to send it," he says.

The maid nods and rushes from the room, looking a little relieved to leave for the time being. 

"Um... Arthur?" Merlin calls, walking up to the prince, "What-"

The prince brushes past him, his eyes trained down on the floor. "I need you both to pack. Be prepared to leave Camelot before the end of the week."

With those final words he walks out the door, slamming it shut behind him as he heads back to his cell. 

-----

Arthur shuts the door of his cell, stretching his arm through the bars to lock the gate before turning back to lean against the wall. Morgana has magic. She's a sorceress. A witch. Just like Merlin.

The words sound foreign in his head. Morgana, Uther's ward, has magic? He doesn't want to believe what she had said. Wants to think that it was all a joke. But why would she pull a prank like that? Especially at such a time. Morgana may be evil, but even she has her limits. He regrets not having said more. Not having told her that he was alright with it. That he understands and won't turn her away because of it. It had just been too much of a shock to him. The words had caught him off guard. Had broken down his defences all too easily. He'll tell her the next time he sees her. He'll tell her then.

He sighs, looking up at the little grate above him that leads out into the courtyard. Hopefully, the letters will reach the druids soon. The faster he can get the two of them out of Camelot the better. And as for himself... he looks over to the bars, finding his father standing in front of him with his arms behind his back. 

Maybe he can still change his father's heart. 

"I hope this time you will give me a better answer," the king says in his usual commanding voice. 

Arthur scowls, "I've already given the best answer."

The king sighs, pacing back and forth along the hall as he regards his son with eyes of steel. "What can I do to make you see sense?"

"And what can I do to make you see sense?" Arthur retorts.

Uther stops in his tracks, turning to glare at his son. "Need I remind you that magic is what killed your mother? What almost killed you?"

"It wasn't magic that killed mother. It was the evildoings of a person like you or I."

"And it was magic that corrupted them," Uther snaps, "had they not dabbled in the dark arts perhaps they would have grown to be a sensible farmer. Power had driven them mad. It encouraged their selfish tendencies and look what was lost because of it."

"I think power has driven you mad, father. All this... the purge, the hatred, didn't it all come from your own selfishness? You didn't want to take the blame so you pushed it on someone else."

Uther takes a step closer to the bars, "Are you saying that I was to blame for your mother's death?"

"I never said that. But you have used magic as a convenient excuse for everything that goes wrong in this kingdom, for everything that doesn't go your way. You've blamed bad harvests on magic. Attacks on merchant carts. My disobedience. Everything. You never consider the sorcerers who have to suffer because of what you say. You only think of yourself." 

The king's lips curl up into a snarl, but no words come out of his mouth. He doesn't know what to say. Can't find the words that would disapprove his son's claims. Arthur stares back at him with his chin held high, a look of superiority that seems to tell the king that he has lost.

Uther is only saved from further humiliation by the appearance of one of the guards. "Your highness," the guard says, rushing over. 

The king turns away from the cell, "what?" he demands in a cold tone, sending shivers up the guards spine as he backs away slightly. 

"The sorcerer has escaped, sire. He's-he's not in his cell."

Uther turns to Arthur, eyes narrowed in anger as the prince stares back with a look of equal intensity. "Search the castle. I want every room searched! Go!" the king shouts in a rage, ushering the guard away with a hand. He turns back to the prince, knowing that his son must have helped in the escape in one way or another. "I suggest you tell me now where that boy is if you value your life."

Arthur says nothing, just turns his head away and picks at the rocks on the ground as though they deserved more attention than the king that stands before him. The king growls, turning away and stalks down the hall like a predator hunting its prey.

-----

Morgana focuses on the pitcher in front of her, trying to will the energy inside to grasp onto the handle. She feels the tendrils of magic around her, can feel the power at her fingertips as she concentrates on the pitcher. With one final tug she sees it shift on the table. A subtle movement. Yet a movement nonetheless. 

She looks towards Merlin, now cleaned and dressed in a new set of clothes, with a smile, proud at her achievement even if it is only shifting the pitcher. The warlock returns the smile with one of his own, patting her on the back as he gets to his feet to pour himself another cup of water. "You're getting better," he says, "I'm sure if you practice some more you'll do it. You have talent."

Morgana blushes a little at the compliment. "Thank you, though I'm sure I would learn faster if you were able to give me some more tips."

Merlin downs his drink before answering. "I'm sorry. Moving objects with magic has always come naturally to me. I don't know how to help."

Morgana giggles, "Don't worry. I'm only teasing you."

The warlock smiles while popping a few grapes in his mouth. "I'm sorry," he suddenly says, swallowing the food, "I know it's rude to eat when we're talking. My mother used to always tell me that."

She pushes the plate closer to him, "It's alright. I know you haven't eaten much. Take as much as you want."

Merlin grins, eating a few more before there's a knock on the chamber door. "My lady? Are you in?"

Immediately, the warlock stumbles over to the wardrobe. Morgana ushers him in quickly, shoving the boy inside and shutting the door without a second to waste. She smoothes down her dress, making sure she looked presentable before strolling over to the door with a calm expression. "Yes?" she calls, opening the door, "Oh, Sir Leon, is something the matter?"

"I'm afraid we have to search your chambers, my lady," the knight says with a bow.

"Why? What's happened?" She asks, feigning innocence. 

"There's a rogue sorcerer. We know you've done nothing wrong but the king ordered us to check every room."

She sighs, pushing aside the door for the guards to enter, afraid that if she refuses that would only arose more suspicion. "Then please, be quick. I have some personal matters I still need to attend to."

Leon bows, "Of course, my lady." 

The knights file in, starting to pick their way through her room without much effort. They give it a quick scan, looking behind the partition, behind the curtains, under the bed. Nothing too thorough. Just as the men are about to leave she catches Sir Leon walking up to the wardrobe, inspecting it for a moment before reaching for the handle. She starts to sweat, knowing that if he opens those doors that there is no doubt he would see Merlin inside. "Now, now, Sir Leon," she says with a teasing lilt in her voice, "trying to search through a woman's wardrobe are we? Can't you give a lady some privacy?"

Leon blushes slightly and a few of the other knights chuckle behind him before returning to their own inspection of the room. "I-I'm sorry for invading your privacy, my lady, but I just need to make a quick check." 

Morgana says nothing more, knowing that saying any other words would arose further suspicion. Yet, if she doesn't say anything, Merlin will be found anyway. "Wait, Sir Leon-"

"It's protocol. I'll be quick." He says before opening the doors to the wardrobe.