chapter fifty-seven
057. morgause

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    FOR ONE AND a half days, Morgause haunted Arthur Pendragon. 

    He saw her in the castle corridors and almost ran into her when he went down to the fields to train. Morgana seemed not to be able to talk of anything else when he had dinner with her last night. Every time he saw Morgause's blonde hair, the glint of her steel or even heard her name, Arthur was not just reminded of how he was humiliated in front of the entire city and his people, but also of the promise he made. 

    Not even Merlin's annoying voice or Ronyn's stupid hypotheticals could distract Arthur from his troubling thoughts over Morgause. And nor has Odette found her way back towards his chambers to help soothe his soul with her smile, but Arthur has not gone searching for her, either. He was yet to return the gift she had given him▬the piece of fabric that he had promised to give to her in person once the battle was won. Except Arthur didn't win this time. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to uphold his end of the deal, whether he could face Odette and have her realise that he wasn't this perfect prince in her fairytales▬and see the look on her face once that realisation finally hit her. 

    When the day that Morgause would be leaving arrived, Arthur felt both a sense of relief and a sense of dread. No longer would she haunt him in the corridors of his own home as a reminder of his failures, but that also meant that on the morrow, he would have to find her yet again and complete whatever task she had set out for him. Some part of Arthur was deeply nervous▬he had no clue what this task entailed, whether he would be heading to his death. But he made a vow, and his duty and his honour not just as a Knight or a Prince, but as he, himself, and his morals would not allow him to break such a vow. 

    The sun had managed to break through the dreary and cold skies once again that morning▬so much so that Arthur had decided the weather fair enough to go for a ride in the winter landscape. Despite its harsh freezes and vicious winds, there was something beautiful about the winter Arthur couldn't describe. Perhaps it was because there was some breath of hope in it. That when the weather was nice enough for him to venture out of his chambers, and he would see the birds and the squirrels in the trees of the forest or the winter flowers, there came with it hope of life even in the harshest of times. 

    (And now he sounded like Odette, heavens above...).

    Though even he could not escape her in this bright winter morning. It was fate that Arthur Pendragon caught sight of the rogue knight, Morgause, before she was to head on her way. 

     In the sunlight, her hair was like woven gold. She packed her saddle bag on a beautiful white mare▬a steed so well nurtured, groomed and looked after it would only ever belong to someone of noble blood, and Arthur was briefly taken aback by the sight. He frowned, noticing the hilt of her sword poking out of the leather scabbard sheathed at the horse's side▬it was encrusted with silver and jewels. 

    Morgause was a mystery. One that Arthur was sure he'd never be able to figure out. 

    Arthur gently pulled his own mare to a stop nearby, continuing to watch the mystery woman run her hand down the mane of her horse. She adjusted the bridle, which was burgundy in colour, and switched with golden-coloured thread▬one again, something that would only belong to someone of high noble birth. 

    She heard the sound of his mare's hooves come to a stop on the stone and glanced over. Arthur awkwardly locked gazes with Morgause and had no choice but to say something. He pursed his lips. "Congratulations on your victory," he begrudgingly praised her. "You're a skilled swordsman▬woman," Arthur quickly corrected himself. "Uh▬swords▬swordswoman..."

    Morgause fixed her deep blue doublet. She wore no riding dress, unlike every other woman▬it was unusual and improper. Morgause cared little, though, as she approached the Prince without even a bow of her head, reaching out to rest her hand on the muzzle of his horse. 

    "You have a beautiful horse," she murmured. "Why have a mare and not a stallion?"

    Arthur glanced at his horse at her question, missing the way the sunlight shifted in Morgause's eyes, turning them gold as she cast a subtle enchantment over his horse. The Prince, none-the-wiser, placed his own hand on his mare's neck with tender affection. 

    He had received such a question many times before. Arthur always scoffed and joked that it was one of Morgana's old horses that he was looking after for her because she had so many. Truth was, Arthur has had his mare for a long time now▬she was getting quite old, and he often would take her out for gentle walks to exercise her instead of pushing her for long trips. He was attached to her, and he has been since he was a young teenager. Ygraine, he had named her after his mother▬as some silly way to try and be closer to a woman who he never knew long enough to remember and never heard anything about from his father. She had been a pesky thing when Arthur first decided he would learn to train her▬wild, skittish, eager to prove herself. In a way, she had been quite like Arthur himself. 

    He could just tell Morgause the same lie he told everyone else, but after she had chosen to spare his life, Arthur believed she deserved a better explanation than that. "I do have stallions and geldings and the like," he murmured, and his horse tilted her head towards his hand. "But this one and I have been through a lot together."

    Morgause met his gaze, and he saw something gentle about her, too, underneath all of her iron armour. She even managed a little smile▬even so small, it didn't go unnoticed by Arthur. "I shall expect to see you three days hence."

    Arthur frowned at her, intrigued. "How will I find you?"

    She gave his mare a final, sweet rub on her muzzle. "When the time comes, you will know your way."

    At the vague response, the Prince grew incredulous. He watched Morgause return to her horse and scoffed. "Er▬If I do not show up, it might be because I do not know where I am going."

    "The path you must follow will become clear to you," said Morgause and she mounted her beautiful steed. Arthur made a face, not sure what he was supposed to do with that information. "I should thank you," then said the mystery woman, "for allowing me to retrieve my sword."

    The Prince continued to frown at her. "I am starting to wish I had not."

    She simply smiled, amused at his answer. "You showed yourself to be a man of honour," Morgause looked down at her reins, fixing her grip before meeting his gaze once more. "You inherited that trait from your mother."

    Suddenly, it was as if the bright winter day had turned rather stormy. An abrupt chill shook Arthur to the bone, freezing his heart in his chest as he hitched his breath and stared at Morgause, not sure if he heard her correctly. "You ... you knew my mother?"

    Morgause sat upright in her saddle. "I knew her very well," she gave him one last smile before nudging her horse's sides with her knees, and they took off before Arthur could ask another question.

    "Wait!" he cried, trying to stop her, but the rogue knight was long gone▬and Arthur Pendragon was left behind with more questions rather than answers, and the ghost of his mother haunting his every step.

    His morning winter ride now forgotten, Arthur was filled with a new sense of determination to find Morgause, complete whatever trial she had set out for him and finally figure out her frustrating mystery. 

    Of all his twenty-two years (nearly twenty-three), Arthur had begged to learn more about his mother, who tragically died of childbirth before the Prince even opened his eyes. Despite his begging and pleading, his father had been too distraught ever to give him the answers he craved▬to tell Arthur what Ygraine Pendragon had been like, whether the smile on her portrait was true to the smile in person, whether her kindness and grace and honour everyone praised her for was just as he imagined, and strived to be like every day. What was the sound of her voice? Her laugh? What hobbies did she enjoy? Would she have loved Arthur the way he has seen mothers do? With the same care and affection he had seen Merlin's mother, Hunith, give those days in Ealdor? With the same devotion and fierce bravery Lady Elayne held when it came to protecting Ronyn and Adelynn? With the same wisdom, love and gentile tenderness Ivette once showered Odette when they were younger? Arthur would give anything and everything to know. 

    He had to find Morgause▬he had no other choice. This was more than his honour and pride. The moment she had mentioned his mother, that was now all Arthur cared about. He didn't even care to wonder how she knew his mother. He just wanted to know what she knew.

    Arthur soon brought his proposal of a new adventure in front of his father. Uther Pendragon was alone in the council chamber, looking over parchments and parchments of grain reports, water reservoirs, taxes, military documents and scrolls of disputes between Lords. Usually, Arthur would be sitting there with him, learning and advising, but his father was well aware of Arthur's fondness for winter mornings such as this. He was surprised to see him return so soon. 

    However, once the Prince explained what he desired to do, the King set his jaw and focused back on the letter he was signing to send off to King Olaf, ruler of Gwynedd, in the far reaches of the northwest. By the furrow of his brow, Arthur could tell these many letters and requests were troubling him. For years now, his father had been planning for a major peace treaty signing between all the Five Kingdoms, and now, his dream was soon close to becoming a reality in a few months. Arthur himself was nervous to see King Olaf of Gwynedd, the ruthless King Alined of Deorham in the south, wise King Godwin of Gawant and the mysterious King Vortiporius of Dyfed on the shores of the Great Seas of Meredoc. If they were to ally together, perhaps they'd manage to create a shared front against the growing Saxon invasion in Kent. 

    "And what is to be the nature of this challenge?" asked King Uther Pendragon, dipping his quill into his ink. 

    Arthur hesitated. He clasped his hands together. "She did not say▬but," he added at the look on his father's face, "I gave her my word that I would accept it no matter what."

     Uther sighed and scribbled a signature on the bottom of his parchment. "You should never have made such a promise," he said, setting it aside to dry and focusing on the next scroll. "You have no idea what she might ask of you."

    Arthur frowned. "She had her sword to my chest," he said, stubborn. "If she wished to kill me, she would have already done so. Besides, I had no choice." Uther scoffed, shaking his head and angrily scratching a few words on his papers. The Prince pursed his lips and considered the words he would say next. In a softer tone, he continued, "Father ... Morgause said that she knew my mother."

    Uther froze. He slowly set his quill back into its holder and glanced up, locking the hesitant stare his son held. For a long time, he was silent. Then, he sat up straighter. "She told you this?"

    Arthur nodded. 

    His reports forgotten, the King stood up and paced around the back of his chair with stiff, anxious shoulders. "Obviously, she is lying," said Uther Pendragon, avoiding Arthur's gaze. "She is ... playing on your affections for your mother to lure you into a trap."

    The Prince scoffed at this. "That makes no sense. She spared my life▬"

    "It confirms my suspicions," Uther turned to face him with his hands on his hips. He nodded, but he couldn't hide the apprehension in his tone and the furrow of his brow. "I believe Morgause is an enchantress. How else could she have defeated you?"

    "I do not believe she was using magic to▬"

    "And you would know for certain if she were?" Arthur went quiet at the way his father raised his voice. "Under no circumstances will you go to meet her, or accept this challenge."

    Arthur's anger, pride and desperation to know anything of his mother trumped any fear he held for his father's iron fist. "I gave her my word!" he argued, rounding the table to storm up to his father's chair.

    "I do not care what was said to her!" shouted the King, taking a seat at the head of the table. "You will remain in Camelot!"

    The Prince's stubbornness only matched his father's. He raised his voice as well, "I want to hear what she knows about my mother!"

    "She knows nothing!" hissed the King, wary of the guards standing at the open doors. He leaned closer to his son, who planted his hands angrily on the table. "She is lying, Arthur; you are simply too blind by your affection for your mother to realise this. You will not go to her. I forbid it."

    Arthur gritted his teeth. "So I am to break my word?"

    Uther had had enough of this. He turned back to his papers. "Escort my son to his chambers," he ordered the guards. "Under no circumstances will he be allowed to leave."

    The Prince couldn't help it. He laughed at this▬at the absurdity of it all. He hadn't been sent to his chambers since he was a young boy. "You are confining me to my chambers?"

    "Damnit, Arthur! I am protecting you from your own foolishness!" bellowed the King, furious at his son's insolence. "Now, go!"

    Arthur scoffed at his father. He shook his head, and when the guards approached him as if to take his arm, he shoved them off. But he did not disobey his father again▬at least, not in front of him right now. Even he was not that foolish, no matter his anger. With angry footsteps, he stormed out of the council chambers, with the guards following closely at his tail.

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    WHEN ODETTE arrived at Morgana's chambers with lunch, she was surprised to see her mistress still asleep and in bed. She was startled, for a moment terrified that she had come down with some grave illness and she would find her unresponsive. Setting down her tray of food on the table, she rushed over to the bed. Behind her, stepping through the door, Guinevere followed. Both maids had been told they weren't needed in the antechamber by Morgana the previous night, and as often as the request was now, both of them stopped questioning it. 

    Morgana was once always eager to have either Odette or Guinevere there when she slept at night▬terrified of the nightmares that terrorised her sleep as soon as the sun would set. Odette used to wake up to screams and cries for help, running out in her night dress to soothe a frantic, hysteric Morgana for as long as she has worked as her second handmaiden. She would console her, listen to her dreams and keep it to herself when she watched them come true before her very eyes a few days later. She did not speak a word of it outside of Gaius's chambers that Morgana likely was a seer, for it was too close to magic from the moment she predicted the dangers of Sophia Tír Mòr. Morgana's dreams had not improved, but she did not want her handmaidens around to console her anymore. Ever since that fire in her chambers.

    "Morgana?" Odette called. Her mistress didn't respond. She frowned and reached over, taking her shoulders and giving her a little shake. "Morgana▬Morgana!"

    Lady Morgana jolted awake. Odette and Guinevere let out soft sighs of relief as the King's Ward frowned and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight through her open curtains▬groggy and disgruntled over being woken up. "What?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "I was fast asleep."

    Guinevere bit back a small, amused smile as she walked over to the windows to open the latch and let some fresh air in. The castle bells indicated how much of a sleep-in Morgana got. "Well, it is nearly midday."

    Morgana frowned. She sat up in her bed, quite startled by this news. Never once in her life had she managed to sleep the entire night through, let alone oversleep. "I cannot remember the last time I slept so well."

    "Sadly, it is time to get up," said Gwen, walking back over. "You have a luncheon with Lady Adelynn very soon." Morgana's eyes closed briefly as she remembered. "I will fetch you some clothes," the blacksmith's daughter squeezed her shoulder briefly before making her way towards Morgana's dresser on the far side of the room.

    "Here," Odette grabbed the breakfast platter of fruit and cheese. "You must be hungry," she moved to set it down on the table at the foot of Morgana's bed, only to notice something strange. "What is this?"

    Setting down the platter, she picked up a peculiar bracelet that sat alone on the wood. Odette had never seen it before in Morgana's jewellery▬and even though she had many pieces, Odette was sure she'd remember something so beautiful. It was made of rich silver, wrapped in precious rubies and ambers, but felt lighter than a feather. A curious little smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she felt the bracelet in her fingers. She showed it to Morgana. "When did you get this? It is beautiful."

    Seeing the bracelet in her handmaiden's hands, Morgana's eyes widened. Her breath hitched, and she lurched forward to snatch the piece out of Odette's fingers. "Do not touch that!"

    Odette jumped, her heart jolting at the sharp tone that came out of Morgana's lips. Even Guinevere glanced over, shocked and not sure how to react. As if only just realising how harsh she sounded, Morgana softened and clutched the bracelet close to her chest. "I mean," she grew apologetic. "Sorry, Odette, I just▬it is very fragile and ... and it belonged to my mother," she lied. "You should be more careful and ask when touching things that are not yours."

    "Sorry," Odette managed through the startled lump in her throat, trying to hide her hurt feelings. Morgana didn't snap▬even when she was angry. At least, she never used to. Recently, Odette felt as though all she ever did was get on Morgana's nerves when she and the King's Ward used to be so close. She had no idea what she had done for things to change between them, and she had no idea how to fix it. 

    No longer did they sit and read poetry to each other, nor did Morgana laugh as they gossiped about the Knights or servants in the halls or simply made fun of Arthur and Ronyn. These days, Odette started to feel simply as nothing more than another servant to Morgana, and that hurt her deeply. Some part of her was terrified that now that she was getting older, Morgana was outgrowing Odette. 

    She swallowed back her tears and grabbed her basket of dirty clothes from last night. "I should tend to your washing, My Lady," she muttered and left without another word.

    Morgana's shoulders slumped. "Odette▬" she tried to call her maid back, but she was already gone. 

   Odette hurried down the steps of the Griffin Staircase, furiously fighting back her tears and almost ran straight into Merlin. Their woven baskets softened the blow as both servants skidded to a stop before they'd hit a severe impact that might send them toppling to the ground. 

    "Odette▬!" Merlin exclaimed softly, taking a few breaths to calm himself down after her sudden appearance. "Are you mad?"

    He was about to say a few more choice words about her until he noticed the look on her face. Merlin stood rigid. "What is it? What happened?"

   Odette crouched down to gather up some of Morgana's dresses that had fallen out of her basket. "Nothing," her voice croaked. 

    Merlin frowned and crouched down in front of her. "No," he knew Odette very well▬better than she might even know herself these days. "It is something."

    "It is nothing," she rebutted.

    "Odette," he was not convinced.

    The young maid sighed and folded the last dress over her arms, kneeling there in the corridor and not meeting the sharp look on her best friend's face▬already prepared to confront whoever made her cry and hex them. She'd rather him not hex the King's Ward, however. And so, she mumbled, "It is fine. Morgana snapped at me, but it is all right. I am just startled by it. I am fine now."

    Merlin tilted his head, his frown deepening at this. Morgana snapping at Odette was something that troubled him because usually, the King's Ward cared for the handmaiden and their friendship deeply▬so much so that she had demanded the King to send a small army to save her from Hengist. "What? Why?"

    Odette shrugged and placed the dress back onto the pile in her basket. "It is my fault," she said, and Merlin shook his head with a soft, no, "this bracelet▬apparently it is her mother's bracelet, if I had known I would not have touched it, but... well, understandably she is rather protective of it. I had never seen it before today. She must have kept it safely packed away."

    "Still no reason to snap at you," muttered Merlin, rather protective▬as they all were of Odette, it would seem. "But Morgana is your friend, she cares for you, I am sure she did not mean anything by it."

    Odette nodded. "I know," she mumbled, standing up again and Merlin followed. "I know," she echoed. "It is just ..." 

    At her hesitation, Merlin shuffled closer and murmured a gentle, "What?"

    She met his gaze and shrugged. "I just ... I feel as though something has happened," said Odette. "But I do not know what▬whether it is me who has done something or Morgana has ... something has happened to Morgana and she will not tell me, which is strange because she used to tell me everything. I am just worried about her, Merlin. She has not been the same since the fire in her chambers."

    Odette didn't see the slight change in Merlin's face. He tried to hide the way. His gentle gaze quickly turned tense and wary▬apprehensive of the secret that weighed down on his shoulders. He wished he could tell Odette of Morgana's magic, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't his secret to tell, and Morgana knew better than to reveal her magic, even to the kindest soul in Camelot who would keep the secret close to her heart to her death. She had done so for Merlin, and she had done so barely knowing him. There was something truly special about Odette. 

    "A lot of things have happened this past year," Merlin decided to say instead. "Things that change us. But that does not mean Morgana does not cherish your friendship any less, Odette. She is just ... having some troubling times at the moment, but she is lucky to have such a wonderful and kind friend like you," Merlin smiled and was happy to see some sadness in Odette's eyes lift. "I know I am."

    The young handmaiden's nose scrunched as she tried to hide her smile. She nudged Merlin and he elbowed her back. She stumbled and gasped, sending him a shocked stare. "What?" he shrugged innocently. 

    Odette narrowed her stare and rushed forward, shoving him, and the guards standing attentive at the foot of the Griffin Staircase shared incredulous looks at the short squabble between the two servants. 

    Despite their heartfelt exchange, nothing stopped Odette from kicking Merlin's shin and running away before he could catch up to her. He gritted his teeth and called out after her, "Menace!"

    Merlin continued his way towards Arthur's chambers, having to walk off his limp first from Odette's shin attack. He was sure to find her again after this, or if not, make her chambers stink for at least a day with a new curse he wanted to practice. After that, he was sure the two of them would then venture out into the cold to find Guinevere a flower▬as it was Merlin's turn to get the handmaiden one in their ongoing game that never seemed to have an end to it, and he wasn't going to face the harsh weather without dragging Odette along with him. If he was to get a fever, he was going to make sure Odette got one as well▬Why? Because he didn't want to sulk in Gaius's chambers alone, and it would be simple payback for the last time Odette got Merlin sick.

    He was surprised, however, to round the corner and find two guards stationed outside of Arthur's chambers. Merlin frowned and awkwardly passed them, having to wait to be allowed through the oak doors. 

    The doors were closed behind him, and Merlin found Arthur grumpily sitting on the window sill inside his chambers, his feet perched up on one of his many chests. He angrily dug his dagger into the wood of the window shutters, scratching his initials and other aimless drawings to bide the time. 

    Ronyn was also present. He seemed to have given up trying to talk to the Prince while he was in a brooding mood (which was never good for anyone) and was now attempting to juggle apples while sitting at one of the dining table chairs.

     Merlin placed the empty basket on the table just as Ronyn missed and got an apple to the face. "Why are there guards outside the door?"

    Ronyn recovered from wallowing in his wounded pride to sit up straighter and grin. He chucked up one of the apples and caught it. "Princess Arthur is in trouble," he teased before taking a bite.

    Arthur looked like he was close to throwing his dagger at Ronyn, which told Merlin this joke had been going on for a good while before he arrived. "My father has confined me to my chambers," he corrected in a grumble, "and has forbidden me from accepting Morgause's challenge."

     Merlin grabbed Arthur's dirty boots off the floor and had to hold his breath in order to not pass out from the smell. "Well," he said as he dropped them into the basket, "maybe he has a point." 

    Arthur stopped carving angry drawings into his wooden shutters and set a steel glare on his manservant. Merlin shrugged, quickly defending his view in hopes of not getting a dagger thrown at him, too. "You▬you do not know what she might have asked you to do."

    Ronyn scoffed under his breath, eyeing his apple. "Try explaining that to Arthur▬common logic seems to have left his brain today."

    The Prince shot his friend another livid scowl. He pointed his dagger at the both of them. "I gave her my word," he stated stubbornly.

    Merlin chucked a few dirty tunics into his basket. He stopped with the last still in his head, soon realising what Arthur meant. He met his gaze and sighed, wishing he could rewind time and never got out of bed this morning. "So, I take it we are going anyway."

    "Why do you think I am here?" muttered Ronyn, not sounding happy about this idea either.

    Arthur lowered his blade. "Look at that," he grinned with a sarcastic compliment, "both of you are smarter than you look. Now," he pushed off the window sill and marched up to them. "Ronyn, you will gather the horses and meet us outside the city walls▬near the creek we used to go hunting for trolls. My father never has guards stationed there. Merlin," he waved his dagger in passing as he paced back and forth. "Gather supplies and find me a way to get out of here. We leave tonight. Oh, and Merlin ..." he stopped pacing and pointed his dagger threateningly at his manservant. "Do not ... and I mean, under any circumstances, do not▬" Merlin stared at the sharp point under his nose, dubious, "▬utter a word of this to Odette, understand?"

    Merlin frowned at him. "Why would I do that?"

    "Because, where one of you is," grumbled Arthur, "the other is not far behind. We are likely to be heading into dangerous territory, and considering you cannot keep your mouth shut for the life of you, I am telling you now that if I see Odette or even hear her voice close by, I will feed you to the dogs," the Prince smiled. "Is that clear?"

    Merlin swallowed audibly. "Crystal," he chuckled anxiously. 

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    IT WAS NIGHT when Merlin finally returned to Arthur's chambers. The Prince had spent most of the afternoon anxiously pacing in his room, marching back and forth as he tried to figure out what challenge awaited him▬how he was going to find the place Morgause wanted him to go, what she possibly knew about his mother and whether he was truly prepared to hear whatever that might be. He stressed about escaping the Camelot fortress under his father's nose. If one thing went amiss, then everything went wrong, and the King would find out, and Arthur would never be able to▬

    The doors opened, and he spun around. "Merlin!" he let out, his voice curt with a mixture of relief and annoyance. "What took you so long?"

    His servant huffed as he took off the satchel thrown over his shoulder. "I had to wait until Gaius was asleep," he dropped the bag down on the foot of Arthur's bed. "I got the supplies."

    The Prince adjusted the straps of his wristguards to hide his nerves, fully dressed in his chainmail. He watched Merlin stop at the foot of the bed and frowned, noticing that something was clearly amiss. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes at Merlin's tunic. He gestured to his belt. "Merlin, is it my imagination, or are you getting fat?"

   Merlin frowned. Then, realising, a mischievous glint shifted in his eyes, and he started to pull up the hem of his tunic. There, wrapped around his torso, was at least a few metres length of rope.

    Arthur scoffed a small laugh, absolutely stunned by his manservant's brilliance. Merlin grinned back at him, and Arthur started to feel like they actually might have a chance at getting out of here.

    It didn't take them long to put together the supplies and figure out a swift plan for what they were going to do. Arthur chucked Merlin his spare riding gloves and one end of the rope and opened the windows of his chambers that dropped down outside the royal stables. From there, they'd be able to sneak their way into the citadel walls and out into the Upper Town, slip back inside the city walls near Ronyn's manor and meet Lord Vecentia at the promised location. 

    That is, of course, Merlin had to successfully lower Arthur out his window down multiple stories first. 

    The Prince glanced down at the muddy terrain below. Slowly, he pulled his head back inside and fixed his gaze on Merlin who was tugging on Arthur's gloves a few paces away. They were a bit big on him. Arthur started to notice just how lanky his servant actually was▬there was no muscle on his arms. The Prince started to feel a little less confident about his plan, now. 

    Incredulous, he asked his servant, "Are you sure you are strong enough to hold me?"

    Merlin looked up from the rope in his hands. "Yeah," he said simply. Arthur narrowed his eyes, sceptical. His manservant looked a little offended. "I am stronger than I look."

    Arthur pursed his lips and glanced back down the side of the castle. He sighed and picked up his end of the rope. Merlin shuffled his feet and tightened his grip, rooting his weight against the stone floor of Arthur's chambers. 

    The Prince eyed his manservant one last time, apprehensive. His gut twisted with a feeling he knew all too well▬that he knew that he might just end up regretting this.

    Arthur took a deep breath and tugged on the rope, checking Merlin's balance. His manservant's legs tensed, but he did not move.

    "Okay," muttered Arthur as he climbed up onto his window sill. He shuffled his legs out the side of the open window and found a ledge. He kicked his toes into the stone crevices and held on to the wooden shutters. The cold winter wind burned at his cheeks and pulled at his trousers, making it hard to keep steady, but he pushed through it. 

    He locked eyes with Merlin. He nodded.

    Arthur took a deep breath and let go of the castle wall. 

    Merlin yelped as he lurched forward. "Agh▬!" he struggled to regain his balance, his feet skidding on the stone and the rope sliding easily through his palms. He desperately gripped it tighter, forcing his body back and using all of his weight to stop himself. Outside, Arthur clung on and felt his stomach leap up into his throat as he flung down the side of the castle▬out of control.

    At the last second, Merlin managed to plant his foot against the wall of the Prince's chambers. He gritted his teeth and heaved until his arms were sore, and the rope finally slowed down to a stop. 

    Below, dangling in the cold winter night, Arthur felt a little queasy.

    He glanced down at the earth that was still at least a few metres below him and then back up to his chamber window. He wasn't moving. Arthur gritted his teeth and shouted as loud as he dared, "What are you doing, Merlin?!" He glanced anxiously at the windows around him. Any curious eye could just peer outside and see him. "Lower the rope!"

    A few stories up, Merlin glanced back over his shoulder, and his stomach dropped. He winced to see that the pile of rope he had so confidently stated would be long enough to lower Arthur down to the stables was at its last thread. Already preparing himself for the Prince's reaction, Merlin hitched his breath and replied. "There is no more rope!"

    Outside, Arthur clenched his eyes shut and let his head fall. He took a few deep breaths through his nose to calm himself down. Of course, he thought to himself. Just his luck. This was what Arthur got for entrusting his bumbling, prating fool of a servant with something like this.

    Meanwhile, Merlin was struggling. Arthur was a lot heavier than he looked. His boots started to skid, and he gritted his teeth, feeling like his arms were about to rip off at the elbows. "Arthur!" he cried out through gritted teeth. "I don't know if I can hold on much longer!"

    Arthur cursed the Lord's name. He took a few more deep breaths and gripped the rope tighter. "Merlin," he warned, glancing back down at the metres still left to go before he could safely jump. "Whatever you do, do not let go of the▬"

    The rope sprung out of Merlin's hands.

    He fell back on his backside and watched the rest of the rope spiral over the window's edge. He heard Arthur's strangled scream get further and further away before▬CRASH! THUD!

   Merlin stared, mouth agape in horror.

    Slowly▬very slowly▬and preparing himself for death, the manservant carefully crept up to the open window and peered down. In the moonlight, he caught a glimpse of flaxen hair, and a pair of very angry blue eyes glared back up at him. Merlin winced. Arthur was alive▬thank the Lord for the pile of dung he landed in. 

    (But perhaps for Merlin's sanity and safety, it would have been better for his life if Arthur had landed on cobblestone instead. Especially when they caught up with Ronyn and Lord Vencentia had frowned, "What is that on your face?" And nothing could save Merlin from the seething glower the Prince fixed on him for the rest of the night). 

    They rode throughout the entire night, following the general path through the Darkling Woods and heading west. Ronyn was quite disgruntled. Arthur was acting stubborn and bull-headed, which was usual. When he set his mind on something, he never saw anything past his long nose. He was like an ox, full-speed ahead and with no ability to slow down until he crashed headfirst into a stone wall. Ronyn was apprehensive. While Arthur might not be considering the dangers▬or did understand, but his pride was making him march onwards despite imminent death▬Ronyn most certainly was. They knew nothing of this Morgause or whatever challenge she had set out for the Prince of Camelot, and any man with a logical conscious would understand that this was a recipe for disaster. But no matter how many times Ronyn might try to get that fact through Arthur's thickheaded skull, the Prince wouldn't listen. And so, here Ronyn was▬as always▬following his Prince to make sure that he wouldn't get himself killed because of his stubborn pride.

    There was no point for a king to have advisors if he was not going to listen to them. Ronyn never doubted Arthur once▬and he will never doubt his dear friend in the future, but there were times when he truly grated him under his skin. Now was one of those times and it made Ronyn grit his teeth because how was he supposed to advise Arthur in the future, and have faith that he would see value in his input if he barely listened and scoffed at every piece of advice Ronyn offered now?

    There was a high chance this adventure for Morgause could get them killed, and Ronyn would be shaking his fist at Arthur with one last dying breath of, "I told you so!"

    Perhaps before, Ronyn was just as bull-headed as Arthur that such a thing like this would never phase him, and he'd be leading the adventure alongside the Prince. But since Ronyn has had his eyes opened and has grown through hardship and some carefully picked sharp words from his dearest wise Guinevere, Ronyn was no longer there to throw himself headfirst into danger without much thought. 

    She knew where they were going, of course. Ronyn wasn't prepared to keep secrets from her▬mostly because he feared her fury if he ever did. He remembered her disbelief and how she urged him to change Arthur's mind. Both of them were anxious about this, and about Morgause▬and rightfully so. 

    He had promised her he'd keep himself and the rest of them safe, but he knew now that Arthur was going to make that incredibly hard. 

    "Where are we actually going?" Ronyn spoke up as Arthur continued to lead them down the winding pathway through the Darkling Woods. There was nothing except the stars and the moon peaking through the tree cover to guide their way. Midnight animals were awake in the shrub▬sounds of beetles rustling their wings together and owls in the branches. At night, the Darkling Woods could easily scare even the strongest and bravest of hearts. Every rustle, every snap of a twig and even the sound of their own horses made Ronyn feel as though bandits would break out through the shrub. 

    Not to mention, it was absolutely freezing. He was grateful for the extra layers he wore underneath his chainmail, but it also meant that his armour▬as light as he dared to make it▬weighed him down more than usual. That and the cold weather made his joints stiff and his reaction time less acute than it was on the regular. It was hard to wield a sword when one was fighting frostbite at the fingers. 

    "This way," was all Arthur answered with.

    Ronyn frowned, incredulous. "And ... which way is that?"

    The Prince shot him a flat stare over his shoulder. "Where the path is heading, Ronyn▬which is one single direction."

    "Yes, but what is the destination?" pushed Lord Vecentia, annoyed at his friend's tone. "Where is Morgause waiting for you?"

    Arthur was silent. Even in the pitch black, Ronyn knew his friend had clenched his jaw▬he could sense Arthur's anger a mile away because it was always as hot as a white hot flame. He knew exactly what the answer to his question was simply by his friend's reaction. "You do not have any clue, do you?"

    Stubborn and prideful, Arthur pulled his mare to a stop at the crossroad at the foot of a very old oak tree. "I know where we are going," he said curtly, unable to admit that Ronyn was right. 

    Merlin glanced between the two old friends, not used to feeling an air so tense between them. His horse shuffled nervously on its hooves as if sensing his uneasiness. 

    Arthur hesitated. He tried to hide his uncertainty as he glanced between the two pathways. He gritted his teeth and sat up straighter in his saddle. He pointed left. "This way," he decided and clicked his tongue, urging his mare onward.

    Instead, his horse simply threw her head and stamped the ground. Arthur stared down at his usually well-tempered mare. "Come on," he ordered, squeezing his knees this time and pulling the reins to the left. His mare huffed and threw her head once again. 

    Arthur's horse pawed the ground and forced her head to the right, ignoring the instructions of her rider and starting down the opposite path. "Hey▬" the Prince tried to stop her, but she threw his hands away. "What is wrong with this horse?" he grumbled. "It is even dumber than you, Merlin!"

    Merlin blinked, not expecting the insult. He watched the Prince continue down the right path. "Where are you going?" he called after him. "I thought you said it was left?"

    "It is not me! It is the horse!"

    Ronyn and Merlin shared a sceptical look. "Right..." muttered Ronyn at last, disbelieving.

    A thought seemed to occur to Arthur, and his anger subsided for a moment. He glanced back at them and shrugged, a wistful breath of understanding washing over him. "Morgause told me. When the time comes, you will know your way."

    Ronyn huffed in his saddle. "So," he muttered sarcastically under his breath, "the horse knows where we are going. Wonderful!"

    With a sigh, he clicked his tongue and urged his gelding after the Prince.

    Arthur (or the horse, Ronyn was still unsure which had full control here) continued to lead them west. Over the treetops, Lord Vecentia could see the white snowcapped ranges of the White Mountains begin to reveal themselves in the distance. Without stopping, they pushed through the cold wind all through the night and well into the next day until the afternoon sun started to glare down through the grey clouds in front of Ronyn. He squinted and ruffled his hair, messing it up so the ends of his brown strands would hover over his eyes, giving him some relief.

    They stopped briefly by a stream to refill their water skins but soon returned to their saddles to continue their trek through the thick woodland. They followed a pathway that strayed off the main roads, and Ronyn's horse kicked at the dirt▬annoyed at the uneven terrain as he stepped over twisted, upturned roots and avoided wayward branches. Ronyn ducked over one that hung low over their heads, watching a bird take flight and disappear into the thicket. 

    He glanced back over his shoulder, wishing he was back in Camelot right now▬maybe having a nice warm bath, being out of the cold ... Then he thought of Uther's wrath now that he was sure to figure out Arthur had snuck out against his orders with their help, and Ronyn suddenly preferred having fingers so cold he was sure they were about to fall off.

    As he let go of his reins to clench and unclench his fingers to bring back warmth to them, Merlin was unnaturally talkative for the dreary weather. "What if Morgause challenges you to do something you do not want to do?"

    He had been asking Arthur question after question for at least an hour now. Ronyn was sure Arthur was close to bursting into flames. 

    "I am not expecting it to be easy, Merlin," grumbled the Prince. "That is why it is called a challenge."

    "So ... you would do anything she asks of you?"

    Arthur closed his eyes briefly. He took a few sharp breaths through his nose. "I have her my word. It is a question of honour."

    Merlin pursed his lips, considering his words. Then▬

    "What if she challenges you to do something even less honourable than breaking your word?"

    Arthur clenched his jaw. "Would you stop rabbiting on?" he snapped over his shoulder, and Merlin clamped his mouth shut. "These parts of the woods are notorious for bandits. We could be attacked at any second."

    Ronyn frowned when he heard a sound, like a twig snapping underfoot behind him. He narrowed his eyes over his shoulder, trying to see through the thick shrub. His hand reached for his sword. 

    "I just think it is strange," then went on Merlin, oblivious to the danger surrounding them. "You know, to agree to something when you do not know what it is▬"

    "Merlin, I swear to God," let out Arthur, boiling over, "if I hear one more word out of you, you will be taking the challenge in my place▬"

    Something fast and sharp broke through the leaves▬splitting through the air and embedding itself into the tree trunk inches from Ronyn's nose. His horse balked and reared back, throwing him off. 

    Ronyn grunted painfully when his back hit the forest floor. The world spun around him briefly, and he groaned, trying to see in the blurred chaos. From the underbrush burst forth at least ten men▬all of them armed and scarfs covering the bottom half of their faces. "Bandits▬Arthur!"

    He managed to get to his feet and grope for his sword hilt. He pulled it out of the scabbard on his saddle and flung it in a wide arc as he spun on his feet, warding off the bandit closest to him. Ronyn tried to see where the others were, his heart racing. Arthur had leapt off his saddle and now wielded his blade expertly against two bandits at once. He disarmed one and kicked him back before meeting the sword of the second midswing. With mighty strength, he forced the bandit's blade to the earth and knocked him back before running him straight through. 

    Merlin wasn't so lucky. Ronyn caught sight of his blue tunic on the ground and hitched his breath. Merlin yelled out and scrambled away from the bandit who towered over him. He quickly pushed the bandit in front of him back. He swiped his blade through the man's chainmail and moved on as he collapsed at his feet. Ronyn grabbed his dagger from his saddle and threw it overhead. Just as Merlin's attacker lifted his heavy mallet to bring it down, Lord Vecentia's dagger lodged itself square into his back. 

    Merlin flung up his arms and hid his head as the man's knees collapsed, and he fell to the ground, hard, next to him. His body rolled down the side of the slope and disappeared in the brush. Ronyn ran towards Arthur's manservant and pulled him up to his feet. "You all right?" he asked. Merlin nodded, and Ronyn clasped his shoulder, relieved. 

    Lord Vecentia ran back into battle, shoving a rather large bandit off balance as the brute of a man tried to win a coward's fight by attacking Arthur at the rear. He caught his axe as it swung downwards with the edge of his blade and pushed against it. Gritting his teeth, Ronyn heaved a new surge of strength and forced them towards the slope. He then lifted his foot and slammed it down on the man's ankle. He cried out, and Ronyn quickly disarmed him. He spun his sword and pierced the bandit through the chest. He held him there before pushing him backwards, watching him fall in a heap at the base of a tree. 

    Ronyn spun around, trying to check on Arthur and Merlin. His chest caved in when he saw a shadow in the trees. He took a deep breath, ready to shout a warning to Arthur when all of a sudden, the man hidden in the tree tops let out a strangled scream. The spear in his hand abruptly, out of nowhere, lit up in flames. Ronyn stopped and stared, shocked and horrified as the flames spread up the length of the spear and the man's arm as he fell. His screams were soon cut off as his body struck the ground. 

    Arthur felled the final bandit with a vicious upward slash of his blade. He took a few deep breaths, eyes wild as the adrenaline slowly faded away. Ronyn continued to frown at the tree where the man had been, an uneasy feeling churning in the pit of his stomach. 

    Flames did not just burst into light out of nowhere. Not like that. 

    That had been magic. 

But how? Where? Who?

    Realising there were no more bandits, Arthur let out a long, breathless sigh and doubled over for a moment to catch his breath. There, he noticed Merlin at the edge of the road. His manservant glanced around from where he sat back on the foilage▬unarmed and looking very clueless. 

    The Prince rolled his eyes and stood back up. "Worry not, Merlin," he gestured to him, annoyed. "Ronyn and I will deal with this. You lie there; make yourself comfortable."

    He stormed back to his horse, and Merlin's shoulders slumped, exasperated. Ronyn rolled his eyes, too and wandered over, helping Merlin up to his feet again. "Did you see that?" he asked the servant. 

    Merlin frowned. "See what?"

    "The man in the tree?" he pointed upwards to the tall oak. "With the spear? His weapon suddenly burst into flames▬" he dropped his voice with a wary glance over his shoulder at Arthur. "It was magic."

    He missed the frantic hitch of Merlin's breath and how his eyes widened. The young warlock quickly forced himself to remain nonchalant. "Magic?" he chuckled nervously. "Here? That makes no sense."

    "I know that," muttered Ronyn, finding the body of the bandit that attacked Merlin, whom he had killed. He pulled out his dagger and wiped it clean on his tunic. "But I also know what I saw. You are telling me you did not see it?"

    Merlin simply shrugged. Ronyn narrowed his stare at him, that uneasy feeling returning. Something nagged at him, though he didn't know what, and he never got the chance to consider what it could mean before Arthur's irritated voice split through the silence.

    "If you two would stop gossiping, we have places to be," grumbled the Prince and Ronyn spun back to him. He clenched his hands, his annoyance growing.

    He scoffed at him and marched towards where the Prince was fixing his saddle. "Arthur, we were just attacked by bandits▬it is obvious Morgause is leading you on a dangerous path. We should head back to Camelot," Ronyn tried to reason with the Prince.

    At his silence, Lord Vecentia threw up his hands in frustration. "Arthur! These woods could be full of bandits."

    Arthur angrily tugged at one of the straps of his saddle. "You can go back if you wish, Ronyn, I will not stop you."

    Ronyn couldn't believe this. Yes, Arthur was pigheaded, and stubborn, but despite all of that, he was smart▬smarter than this, for sure! He was heading blindly into danger, and he knew this and yet here he was still, risking his life and the future of the Kingdom for what? His pride?

    Arthur's closest and oldest friend lost it. "For the love of▬You are acting like a fool, Arthur! You do not know anything about Morgause!" Ronyn snapped, and Merlin hunched up, watching the two of them with a startled, wide stare. Not once had he seen the two men, who were as close as brothers, fight like this. "You do not know what challenge she has prepared for you! We do not even know where we are going▬we are following a bloody horse to what could possibly be yours, and our▬" he gestured wildly at himself and Merlin, "▬deaths! How does that not get through to your stubborn head?!"

    Arthur spun on his heel, his eyes flashing with an unleashed fury. Ronyn expected him to shout at him, perhaps throw a punch▬it wouldn't be the first fist fight between them. But instead, all of that fury and stubborn pride suddenly dissolved like a snuffled candle flame. Arthur slumped and set his jaw, a somber exhaustion settling over him the moment he finally admitted the truth. "Morgause said she knew my mother."

    And just like that, Ronyn's anger washed away like the outgoing tide, too. He stammered, a sudden feeling of guilt rising up in his chest.

    Arthur pursed his lips and adverted his gaze, and the two friends had reached a tense stalemate that teetered on the edge. 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    a/n: i feel like the next chapter is gonna be a huge one cos there's still so much content to work through. 

    i feel like ronyn and arthur fight kinda came out of nowhere, so sorry about that, but like there's tension building. it hasn't been building the entire act, just like this episode really and only really since arthur has been like refusing to listen to ronyn's logic on this whole adventure so yeah, i guess it does kinda come out of nowhere cos it is only focused purely on this episode's plot. 

    i'm back home! uni is over for the year thank god. i can focus on writing and hobbies now and i loveeee it! i miss writing this fic so much is such comfort, and i wanna get back onto the flow of writing chapters without huge breaks because then it doesn't feel as jarring for me to write and as jarring for you to read between chapters.

    also, i switched some things up. in the episode, merlin and arthur are attacked by odin's men because they're travelling through odin's territory. but like that doesn't make sense - mostly because no thought by the writers went into the geography of albion in this show, its just whatever, but its frustrating when you try to write everything and figure out where everything is. i've made a few concrete decisions on where certain kingdoms etc are and i will be just making the tv show work with my own world building etc. 

    Odin's kingdom, in my head, which is kinda based of this wonderful fanmade map by someone on ao3, is practically Cornwall. Which means to get to Morgause's Fortress, if it were in Cornwall, they would have to go all the way South to Gedref at the corner of Camelot's borders, through Alined's Kindgom, and further southwest(ish) to Cornwall which would not be a 3 days ride lol. so morgause's fortress is near the base of the White Mountains which is in the western parts of Camelot.

    here's a link to the fic that kinda goes through locations, logisitcs etc for merlin which is actually super cool. they worked on these detailed maps and its a life savour:

    https://archiveofourown.org/works/1037453?view_full_work=true

   the only thing that i'd change is that Gwynedd isn't Caerleon because that's Olaf's Kingdom (at least in my mind because if there were five kingdoms etc that were drawn up to make peace during the war with Bruta Pendragon etc blah blah blah, then it would make sense that they were in close proximity to Camelot so yah). But the Castle of Fyrien which is in Caerleon's Kingdom should also be on the sea's edge, which means Caerleon is on the shoreline of the Great Seas of Meredoc. Which makes no sense because why would they mention Caerleon but then don't place it where Caerleon actually is but anyway. Olaf can't be usurped by a Caerleon King because Uther fought the Caerleons at the Castle of Fyrien before Arthur was born so which means I'm making Caerleon a small kingdom in the bottom corner of Gwynedd and the top of Dyfed. 

    i'm also switching it up and having Godwin be one of the Kings of the Five Kingdoms because once again, it makes sense geographically instead of some theorised King from Strathclyde because that is up north near/in Scotland. 

    i mean, this is also a fanfic so maybe i shouldn't be putting so much effort into geography and lore but ... oh well! it's fun to try and make sense of the mess that is the merlin bbc lore lol. 

    (minimal editing)