Chapter Text
Rage was not beginning to describe what I felt as I saw a Dementor in my throne room. The room became silent as the cold settled into the throne room and the doors revealed Dolores again. Everyone watched in anticipation as she strolled into the room like she owned it. The Dementor had other plans though.
The Aurors who were controlling the thing, were quite confused when it became free. Heading straight towards me. Umbridge had shuddered and gasped when it flew over her. Her group had stopped as the Dementor came straight towards me.
In a feat of movement, I rose from my throne and walked towards it. As the Dementor got closer, I was starting to feel Death’s magic slowly worm its way into my being. Voices of those long dead who haunted my nightmares were being picked up in my ears. My body tensed as the shudder wracked down my spine slightly.
Without even thinking, my hand grasped the hilt of Excalibur. The power I felt from close proximity was far greater than I thought. The sword was thrumming with power, practically vibrating. A sense of familiarity from the blade was all it needed for the next step. Pulling the sword out with ease, causing a shing sound to be heard as the blade scraped against stone. Once the sword was out of the stone, I slashed the blade through the air. A massive arc of pure aetheric magic erupted from the blade. A mixture of gold, blue, and white magic flew through the air towards the Dementor. As the magic left the sword, the lights in the room flickered, the effect of one of the features of the sword.
There was a reason this sword was so dangerous. Not only does it absorb magic, but it can disrupt the magic near it. Causing enchantments to falter momentarily. Spells to fail in mid air. Illusions to be dispelled when in close proximity.
Excalibur was made for the intent to be the ultimate anti magic weapon. For a king who was sought after by countless mad mages and magic assassins. All because he was the son of a man who hunted their kind like vermin. The only reason I was hunted like he was, was because I forsook the name of Pendragon in my early years and was a mage myself.
There were other utilities the sword had, but they were minor when compared to this and naturally absorbing magic because of my hair.
The Dementor did not cease in its hunt for me. The wave of magic disrupted Death's magic from affecting me, giving me a momentary peace. When the magical arc hit the Dementor, the most terrifying screech bounced against the walls of the room. Everyone in the room covered their ears, mine included, as the blade's magic ripped the Dementor apart. Blue, gold and white light coursed through the Dementor as the cloak and shadow started to evaporate on the spot. The arc would only continue for a couple of meters after that, not being a threat to those near the entrance.
When the screeching was done, everyone looked at the slowly falling remains of the Dementor’s cloak. The room became deathly silent as everyone in the room became witness to a feat so many thought near impossible. That a Dementor actually died and wasn’t scared off like what the Patronus does.
But that did not calm my rage. With Excalibur in hand, I strode down the stairs and straight towards Umbridge. “You dare bring a Dementor into my throne room? You have some bloody gall.”
She was terrified in place as I walked with purpose towards her, legendary sword in hand. The Aurors were quick to run away, but Amelia was quick to get up and ordered, “Stop! You will move no further!” It was no question who she was referring to and no one made any attempt to clarify it. The Aurors immediately stopped in their place.
Once I was a blade’s length away from Dolores, I lifted the blade and pointed it at her. “You are one of the biggest blights upon magical society. You are an entitled worthless shite who believes everything should be handed upon a bloody silver platter. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t strike you down, right here and now?” I wasn’t actually going to do that. There was no way I was going to bloody this sword, let alone her disgusting blood. That would be a disappointment to Arthur, one I didn’t want to make unless it was absolutely needed.
When she heard my question, she immediately went onto her knees and started to babble incoherently. Tears were streaming down her eyes and snot started to fall from her nose. It was the most pitiful sight I have ever seen.
“Get the hell out of my castle. You will never have a place here, you best be learning a new trade.” Swinging the blade away from her, I turned around and started to walk towards my throne. Before going too far, I stopped and glanced over my shoulder. “Oh, and I will be taking this.” With a wave of my free hand, I lifted the locket out of her clothes and over her head. Her eyes widened as she noticed Salazar’s Locket becoming free of her person. She tried to reach for it.
“No! My legacy!”
“You are no descendant of Slytherin. Even if you were, you don’t deserve to have this. Salazar would not have been nearly as merciful as I am.” When the floating locket got closer, I was extremely glad that Excalibur was shielding me from the death magic.
She quickly got up and ran as fast as she could. It was a remarkable speed from a woman like her. As long as she was gone from my castle, I couldn’t care less where she went. My expectation was her going straight to Voldemort, but she was a sniveling worthless pile of dung. Worse than Peter.
Walking back to my throne with the locket in tow, I surveyed the room for everyone’s reaction. Most of them were still shocked at what they just saw. Some of the Traditionalists, who were unquestioning in their approach before, seemed to be hesitant now. Sure, most of them were still angry from before and with what just happened, but it was nice that more were realizing the truth.
The Grays and the Light families were just shocked. A reaction that was more along my expectations. The Light families would eventually be happy to know that there was a way to kill Dementors. Sadly it was not one reproducible. No way in hell was I going to make another Excalibur. There was technically another way, an extremely overpowered Patronus , but the magic required was not something feasible by most.
Once I got to my throne, I stuck the sword back into the stone. Turning around, I decided to try and ease the tension. “Did you really think I couldn’t pull the blade out?”
Some saw the attempt I was making and gave mirthless laughs at the poor joke.
“Though it is true, no one else can. This is Excalibur and the legend still holds true about who can wield it. As far as I know, my brother never had children. Leaving me the sole wielder of the blade. But I digress.” Gently sitting back into my throne, I let myself relax for a moment as the jarring experience of a Dementor. “Avalon, please take the locket to a safe location. One where only I could acquire it at a later time.”
When I was expecting a response from Avalon, instead the locket disappeared and the noticeable lack of object caused my levitation spell to fail. “Cheeky,” I muttered under my breath.
Staring at the Aurors who were standing, I asked, “Madam Bones, how would you like to handle these three?” My eyes went up to her after the question.
She was a little shocked to be addressed in this manner, but quickly recovered. She got up out of her seat and walked down towards the ground. “I would like to escort them and deal with them appropriately.”
Giving a firm nod, I responded, “very well, go ahead and handle how you wish. Please, do come back. You and I have much to discuss.”
Her eyebrows rose in surprise, but she quickly regained her neutral face and nodded back. She then escorted the Aurors away. The sound of the door closing behind her was all that was left of the Head of the DMLE. Silence ensued in the room again. Since no one has decided to spark up the conversation, I did instead. “Now, was there anyone else who wanted to resume our previous conversation before we were rudely interrupted, or should we move onto another topic. Specifically the one that Lord Malfoy derailed earlier.”
Several murmurs were heard from the seats and when my eyes glanced over to Lucius, he was a bit embarrassed and flustered. Was he really thinking I would forget that he purposefully changed topics away from the Sacred Twenty-Eight? It would be fun to mention that I literally couldn’t forget anything, but that would be giving away too much. Especially in a room where there were several followers of Voldemort.
What was a good sign was that the Light families no longer had fear in their eyes. The Grays had a slight bit of hesitation, probably hoping that only their association could be overlooked and they could be ignored in this war. Something that I found both understanding and infuriating. It was cowardly, but when it comes to protecting family, I could see the reasoning. Adorabella was very much like that, if she didn’t consider Mum and I family, she probably would try to disassociate the Greengrass family from me.
Honestly, it wasn’t far from what I was doing with my friends at Hogwarts. Not wanting to be bothered by this war, I tried to shore up my defenses and wait out the storm. I really could be a hypocrite, couldn’t I? Hopefully whatever cosmic being that was watching over my choices will see that I am changing.
The Light families had someone who was pointing out the discrepancies of the Traditionalists, the fact that I wasn’t actively against them probably helped the matter. Not when so many of my friends were from those families.
As my eyes hovered over that section, I saw several I already knew. Sirius was among them, unsurprisingly. The fact that he was taking his head of houseship seriously was a good sign for a man who dealt with Dementors for far too long while innocent. Another was Mr. Weasley, one who I have heard never really made it to these. Could it be that he wanted to distance his family a little, so they wouldn’t be attacked again? Questions I wouldn’t get answers unless I ask. Seeing Madam Longbottom was also a nice sign. When my eyes landed on hers, she seemed to have sensed it and our eyes met. The seconds passed by before she gave a curt nod.
Knowing that I was on the spot and everyone was looking at me, it seemed that no one wanted to start the conversation. “As I had mentioned, I had a very similar council of mages centuries ago. I never profess to know all, nor do I know everyone’s situation. Everyone has their own life that has shaped who they are. So this council was created, specifically for the mages, to help guide the kingdom forward. Each and every person’s opinion and input was appreciated and taken into account.
“I aim to do the same with you. Possibly expand the demographic, maybe a title change; but I would like to keep you for your council as it currently stands. While there are several laws I will push through that I will not be dissuaded from doing so. Those are ones that are important for the health of magic in general. Whether you partake in them or not, is up to you. But that can be discussed at a later date.”
The room was rather quiet except for those who muttered among their own groups. The Grays were mostly quiet, probably knowing that any sort of show of support would give far too much away. I hope that trust was not misplaced and my overtures please them.
“What was the name of the council you had previously?” A soothing voice said from the Grays portion of seating.
Looking towards the direction of the voice, I saw Lady Zabini looking as beautiful as usual. The glint in her eye made me suspect that she knew the answer, or at the very least wanted to see what the reaction would be to the original name of the council.
“It’s rather interesting you would ask,” I replied. Slowly I asked the room, “do you happen to know the origins of the title so many families love to tout about? The title you covet so much that you feel it makes you better than everyone else?”
A cacophony of voices sprang up from the question. It didn’t matter what group you were a part of, they were affected by it all the same. Many speculations were heard as the heads of houses started to find out what it was that I was referring to.
When the voices finally died down and no one came forward with the answer, I gave it to them. “The Sacred-Twenty Eight.” Several of those who happened to truly know me, had their eyes nearly pop out of their skulls. “That was the name of the council of noble mages from centuries ago. Where I gave many of your ancestors that title. To answer that, yes I knew each and every ancestor of the Sacred-Twenty Eight.”
The cacophony echoed even louder than before. It would have sweetened the experience if they saw the massive grin on my face.
“Lair!”
“That can’t be!”
“The Sacred Twenty-Eight have existed far longer than that!”
So many voices, all so disjointed. This exchange was mainly between the Traditionalists and the Light families. The Grays seemed to be mulling over the new information. Sure there were some who were exhibiting their disgust at the idea, but many seemed to know that I wouldn’t lie like this. Not if Adorabella has been feeding them every little thing I have been doing.
I clapped my hands together, silencing the room all at once. “In the year one thousand and seven, Avalon was formed. Merlin and I had a massive undertaking ahead of us. We needed the magical people to join us on a unified front. Far too many of your families hid among your own castles and manors, for fear of witch hunters. A fear I know all too well.
“But how could we figure out a way to draw them in? How could we show them that we wanted to make a kingdom just for us? The answer came with a title and power. When your families were first contacted, I offered them a place upon my council. Where their words would be heard. Where they could have a semblance of control in a world that hated us. A world where my brother, Arthur, and I sought to change.
“Not all families accepted the offer. But those that did? That day was when your families became known as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. A spotlight upon you for agreeing to take part in something far greater than yourselves.”
After my explanation, the room became quiet again. They mulled over whether the information I told them was true or not. While It was in fact the truth, they didn’t know that. For all they knew, I was just making it up. Though everything I have done so far, has proven to be true. Avalon existed, Excalibur existed. While most believed the truth about Salazar Slytherin, some wouldn’t and I was willing to take that as a partial win. This was but another fact being shown to them.
What was interesting was that no one realized that they couldn’t lie in my throne room. There were so many enchantments placed in this one room, such as the one forcing those inside to speak the truth. I was not affected by it, due to my connection to Avalon and my crown. Maybe pointing that out might have them believe I have spoken the truth the entire time. They didn’t need to know that I could lie. “If some of you are still unsure about the origin of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, then let me inform you of this. My throne room is so heavily enchanted that one must speak the truth. It doesn’t force you to speak, but if you do, you will be more willing to tell the truth. If at any time you don’t want to, you will lean more towards silence.
“There’s also the fact that you can’t cast spells while I am near my throne, but that's a minor detail. The end result is the same, this is a place where one could speak and your voice would be heard in its entirety. Where everyone would know you speak the truth and truly believe what you say.”
Considering the raised eyebrows, open mouths, and near eye bulging appearances; I might have caused a couple of existential crises among them. Oh well, at least they knew now. My hope was to make the rest of this grand entrance end soon. There was still much to get done for the day if I have to control the new hobbled together government.
The door opened and Amelia Bones entered. She tried to be sneaky, but the doors were far too big and loud for that. She stood off to the side of the entrance, looking around and noticing the appearances of many of those inside. Her eyes went to me, curiosity filled them. Shrugging my shoulders, I contemplated how I was going to end this meeting.
Luckily, someone else did it for me. “Well, I believe that we all have a lot to discuss amongst ourselves with these new revelations,” Adorabella said in the silent throne room. As usual when it comes to the Greengrass women, there was a sharpness in her eye when she was being particularly cunning. “Now, I want to put it to a vote for the queen’s ascension. Those of you who approve, raise your hand!” She raised her hand as a sign of her approval.
Curious that she wanted to put that to a vote, my rule was solidified technically. At least in terms of titles. But this could be a good way to gaige who would be a problem in the coming months of planning and changes. That had to be it. My answer came when I looked at Daphne, who had her signature fox-like grin on her face.
One by one among the Grays, their hands were raised. Some were more reluctant, but eventually they all raised their hands. “As head of House Zabini, I approve,” said Lady Zabini with her hand raised. Blaise, who sat next to her, gave the smallest of nods in approval.
“House Davis also agrees with this notion,” said Lord Davis, who sat not too far from Lady Zabini and the Greengrass’s. Tracy seemed a little out of her comfort, but she seemed to approve.
Among the Light families, several surprises came about.
“I, as incumbent of House Longbottom, approve of Queen’s Morgana’s ascension,” the voice of Madam Longbottom was heard throughout the room.
Sirius looked gobsmacked that she spoke for the notion and I wasn’t far behind him. Besides healing her son and daughter-in-law, she generally was against me. Guess her love for those two nos know bounds. Sirius on his part quickly shook away the disbelief and raised his hand. “As Head of House Black, I approve.”
Amelia Bones raised her hand from the entrance of the room. “As incumbent of House Bones, I approve.” Susan, who still sat in the seat next to the Abbots, was smiling at her aunt.
This then signaled house Abbot. “House Abbot approves,” Lord Abbot said. Hannah seemed quite pleased as well.
Mr. Weasley, who I knew did not come to these that often, seemed a tad wary. As if he felt he was going to get ramifications for saying anything. But eventually, he raised his hand and said, “House Weasley approves.”
On the Traditionalist side, they responded with silence. I would have taken that as a bad sign, if it wasn’t for the emotions on some of the members' faces. It looked like several wanted to raise their hand and approve, but being next to their fellow members seemed to stop them. Among those that truly mattered was Lord Parkinson. Even Lucius seemed to want to approve, which made me wonder if he wanted an out from Voldemort. Not that I would give it to him. The man has been a right pain in the arse to me and my friends. Let alone how he treated his son and wife. Maybe a discussion with Lady Malfoy would be in order if she wanted to divorce his arse.
Noticing that most of the hands were up, both happiness and relief filled me. It would make many of the changes I have planned a lot easier if there weren’t a constant backlash from those who sat here. I wasn’t expecting everyone to be on board with my platform, but this was a good measure to have. Clapping my hand, I rose from my throne and said, “well then! I say this meeting is adjourned. We will need to have another one soon, but take this time to cultivate what you really want to see in a new world. Though, keep in mind that there is still a war to be had and that is my priority.” Everyone slowly got up from their seats and made to exit. Before anyone did, I added, “have a good evening everyone!” There were a couple of murmurs of ‘yes my queen’, but the majority stayed silent. Not that I expect them to call me queen right away.
Then I plopped into my throne and watched as many left the throne room and into a newly lit building. Several waited in their seats or down at the bottom as those who were leaving went by. Among those were quite obvious. The Greengrass’s, Sirius, the Bones, the Zabini’s, the Davis’s, Mr. Weasley, and Madam Longbottom all stayed as everyone else left.
When the final person left the room, I released all the tension that was building and slumped in my throne. “Bloody hell, that was something. Avalon, please power down the Truth enchantment.”
“ Yes, my queen. ”
The edges of the room dimmed for a moment as the enchantment was turned off, allowing everyone else to speak freely. Daphne was the first to walk up the steps and towards me. Her eyes landed on Excalibur for a moment, but they quickly went back to me. “I know we planned this, but that went far differently than I was imagining.”
Getting up from my throne, I stood in front of her and wrapped my arms around her, “hello, love. Yes it definitely did.” We leaned into kiss, but it was sadly interrupted just as our lips met.
“You planned this?” The loud question coming from Sirius. Causing everyone to turn on him. This made him shrink slightly as all the attention was on him.
“To a degree, yes,” I responded. “With recent events, Britain needs a leader who can face the Dark Lord. We all damn know I am the best candidate. This way will be the least change to the citizens.”
“But you do plan to do a lot of changes. You said so yourself,” Mr. Weasley said, hesitantly. It seemed like a part of him felt ashamed for supporting me, that the changes I want to make would be detrimental to him and his family. Did the man forget that I was friends with most of his children?
Nodding back to him, I replied, “I do. Among them is the black mark upon your family's name. The title blood traitor has no meaning in my kingdom or government. Hopefully that will help your family in the long run. Not being restricted by that mark would do great wonders, I imagine.”
The fire that I occasionally saw in the Weasley patriarch seemed to ignite. “Now, I won-”
“I’m not handing out anything,” I interrupted him, holding up a hand. “Merely setting a wrong, right.”
That seemed to quell Mr. Weasley. They were so against being handed anything that the mere thought of their mark being removed was a sign of that. “As an aside, I do plan to expand your office, Lord Weasley.” It was odd calling him that, but I had to hold an air of respect for them all. He even cringed at it. “We must have more integration of magic and non magical technology. So expect some changes to your office in the near future.”
His eyes widened in surprise. For far too long, his office has been dwindling as Minister’s fear the repercussions of magic and technology mingling. With the Traditionalists' fear about technology, it made his original office into a sham of what it should be.
“You realize Harry is going to be in a tiff when he finds out,” Sirius mentioned.
A groan escaped my lips. “I know, I have a big feeling that I might be getting a lot of calls on my mirror in the next day or two.”
“ My queen, is your queen consort allowed on your throne? ”
This caused everyone to look at my throne, which Daphne happened to be standing near. Her face bloomed in a massive blush. I felt heat creep up my own face at Avalon mentioning that title. Adorabella apparently found this hilarious and said, “what did you expect, my daughter? You are in a relationship with the queen now. If things continue as they have been..” She trailed off, not letting much to the imagination as everyone thought about it now.
Daphne released a groan. “Mother!”
Clearing my throat, I called out, “Avalon. She’s allowed, but she’s not my consort.” Yet my inner voice said. I tried not to look at Daphne or anyone else for the matter. No matter what I was going to say, could be interpreted poorly.
“ Very well. The yet to be titled queen consort has permission. ”
A round of laughter at the cheekiness of Avalon, left me releasing a loud groan. “Avalon! When in the bloody hell did you gain a personality!”
“ Calculating.. Year one thousand, four hundred and fifty three. Master Merlin sped up the process .”
“Of course he did,” I grumbled as the others laughed at my expense. Finished with my disbelief of Avalon having a personality, I turned towards my throne to see Daphne sitting in it rather comfortably. She looked rather regal in it. Barring the embarrassment, I was always going to allow her to sit in it. Her eyes glanced up at me, causing me to smile. “You look good in my throne.”
She smiled back and we stared at each other for what felt like hours before a clearing of a throat broke our connection. Turning to face the sound, I saw Amelia Bones standing at the ready. Susan was standing next to her, a small smile on her face. “You mentioned you wanted to discuss something with me?” She looked at the others and I could see the question on her face. Whether it could be a private conversation or not.
“Nothing bad, I assure you,” I gave her a smile. “Since you have proven remarkably reliable, loyal, and competent; I wish to offer you a new job.”
That got everyone’s attention. “And what would that be?”
“I would like to offer you as my right hand in all things law enforcement and war related issues. Your exceptional work as the head of the DMLE proves that. Your help in this war will be pivotal.” I paused for a moment before adding, “don’t think this is a temporary position. I would very much like you to remain as an advisor, but the choice is up to you.”
Her and everyone else was flabbergasted at the offer. The offer wasn’t a small one. In the old days of monarchies, to be the right or left hand of a monarch was a big thing. Merlin was mine, along with Marcus.. technically. Somehow I always knew in the back of my mind that if I became queen, I wanted her to be my right hand. She was probably one of the most competent mages from the Ministry and her methodology was not far from mine. Though she leaned more towards the light, I would never consider that a negative aspect.
Noticing the hesitancy in her, I said, “take some time to think-”
“I’ll do it,” She said, interrupting me. Rather surprising considering the lapse of hesitancy a moment ago. “If we want any chance at winning this war, action must be made now. We can’t dawdle while waiting for an answer. I will be your right hand.. what exactly would my title be?”
Daphne had sat up from the throne and spoke before I could, “don’t expect her to give you a good title. She can’t name things well.”
“ Correct. The queen once tried calling the now named Sacred-Twenty Eight as the Utterly Reluctant Group of Cowards. Before that was Castle Go Bye Bye for the- ”
Another groan escaped my lips and the others laughed. “I get it! I can’t name shite! Let’s just keep it as the Queen’s Right Hand for now.” I opened my arms to the group. “Will that suffice?” The question was more geared towards Daphne.
Who promptly responded, “yes. See, was that so hard?”
My grumbling left the group into laughter again. It was good that they were not seeing me as some different entity now that I was queen. That was a fear for both Arthur and I when we became rulers of our kingdoms. That the people, especially those close to us, would see us as some higher being. There was no doubt that many would treat me differently now, but I cared more about the opinions of those close to me than the common civilian.
Everyone settled into silence. Daphne moved closer to me and wormed her hand into mine. My eyes went towards her and I saw a small smile appear on her face. Returning the gesture, that was sadly ruined by Lord Davis speaking. “What is your next plan of action?”
Turning my gaze to him, I responded, “remove the corruption from the Aurors and other departments in the government. Verify everyone with the truth enchantment in the throne room. It’s going to be tedious, but I want to ensure that there are no moles from Voldemort’s side. Then we will need to up their training, especially in non magical warfare.”
“Why non magical?” He asked. A question that had those that weren’t at the meeting nodding as well.
“Because there is a cult that somehow has the practices of an ancient coven that makes them highly resistant. It might be possible, after I schedule a meeting with the Prime Minister and the Queen of muggle Britain, to requisition firearms. They should do fine against them and would be easier to train than swords and axes.” In truth, I had a lot ahead of me. A press conference needed to be scheduled. Probably an interview with The Prophet . Meeting with my various allies and the muggle world leaders.
Countless things that need to be done and very little time to take care of. Not if I wanted to start the assault upon the Dark Lord and the cultist.
While everyone was digesting the new information of the plan going forward, we heard a grunt from the side. Everyone looked in that direction to see Sirius trying to pull Excalibur out of the stone. Watching him try his damndest to pull the blade out was hilarious and caused me to guffaw loudly.
Several others joined in, causing Sirius to realize he was being watched, still holding the hilt and saying, “uhh.. Alright, how could you not try and pull it out yourself?” His goofy face made everyone laugh all that much harder.
Later that night and after having Avalon reveal my bedroom, it became quite obvious that I needed new furniture. Florian was very quick to help in that endeavor. Most of those who had stayed after the meeting and ascension, slowly trickled out to handle their own businesses. Amelia, Adorabella, and Daphne stayed with me as we went about the now labeled castle, reassuring everyone who worked there.
In the end, most of the workers were doubtful about the change in leadership and some were vehement against a monarch becoming the leader of Magical Britain. Those quickly left their post and would probably seek employment elsewhere. Those that stayed didn’t care one way or the other, I wanted to ensure they weren’t moles. A good mole would work their best to blend in, but if my time in the modern magical society has said, most weren’t.
We also scheduled a press conference for the next day, allowing me to address the common people. Hopefully that will put me in contact with The Prophet for an interview. While I didn’t want to deal with Ms. Skeeter, it was the best way to get the public on my side. Allowing them to see and hear about the real me.
From that, I knew that I had piles of paperwork that needed to go over for any discrepancies and balancing the budget around to ensure the war effort would be covered. Especially with my changes, the Aurors were going to need more supplies than before if I wanted any chance to win this war. By the time we had finished, Florian had finished getting new furniture.
My bedroom had the same color as the newly awakened castle. The previous black stone was more of a teal white and the purple outline of the bricks could be changed to create different patterns. A big stained glass was the first thing everyone saw upon entering the room. On either side of the glass were two elegant white doors. Both would lead to the balcony which was probably covered in earth. In the center was the new massive king sized bed. Fresh set of sheets to contrast the color palette of the room. The small sitting area, now furnished with new chairs and seats, along with a new table.
The bathroom still needed massive work, as it was only a pale comparison to modern indoor plumbing. It would do for now, but tomorrow would be the day I get that renovated. The only thing that didn’t need changing was the massive luxury bathtub, ingressed into the stone of the floor. Changing the plumbing shouldn’t be too hard for Avalon once the pipes were supplied.
My study was rather simple. A similar door led to a smaller balcony and smaller glass windows for air, not that there would be any right now. The desk, chair and furniture for the second sitting area was changed with everything else.
My closet was a mess though. Most of the clothes did not survive the centuries, even with Avalon preserving them. Not that I would wear them, they were severely outdated. Luckily it was an easy thing to fix since I had a good portion of my clothes with me.
In the end, the bedroom was mostly completed barring more modern commodities of the non magical world. Something that can be done over time and doesn’t need immediate attention.
It was dinner and we quickly ate and separated. Daphne promised to stop by more often, indicating her closeness to solving the means that she needs to teleport at a whim using her grimoire. She could apparate to the throne room, after approval from Avalon, but the teleportation spell I created was superior. Other than that, we would ensure that we would contact each other regularly on the hand mirrors.
We said our goodbyes and the rest of the night was to myself. Leaving me to pour over Dumbledore's family grimoire. There had to be more information on this cult and other meddling things that Merlin did. When hours passed by and I was reading information that I had already discovered, I almost set it off to the side and prepared myself for whatever was left of the night before one line caught my eye.
Upon setting Avalon into the ground, I quickly made sure that no one could steal Morgana’s crown. Enchanting it so that it would detect those nearby, it would release a backlash of magic along with her other enchantments for those who try to steal it. Far too many have taken from her and Avalon already, I couldn’t allow her crown to be taken as well.
Excalibur was safe in the stone near her crown. While I set up Avalon for a deep slumber, those safety measures would prevent anyone from stealing the crown or somehow the sword. One of those being a temporal labyrinth, masking certain rooms from entrance and altering the existing layout. Making the castle appear more maze-like. The throne, along with the crown and sword, will be hidden among the labyrinth. Making it impossible for anyone but Morgana from access it. Avalon will then be powered down, preserving itself and the important rooms.
The language changes to Welsh.
Morgana - Avalon will have the ability to remove the temporal labyrinth. Ask nicely.
I’m sure if there was someone else in my study, they would have heard my disgruntled curses at Merlin’s note. Then the language shifts back to Old English.
During all this, I found it odd that your apprentice had been missing. Upon tracking him down, I found something that I would regret for the rest of my life. For as much as I tried to alter what fate had in store, it was my own doing that set upon your and Arthur’s death.
Sorry doesn’t begin to describe what I felt. Even though I may never get to see you again Morgana, I want you to know. I am truly and deeply sorry for what I have done.
I was confused by those words. Very similar to those he spoke when he saved me from Veronica and Devon. Was that apology in reference for what was clearly more below? Does that mean whatever I was about to read might be the reason he decided to experiment further in his time magic and end up opening a portal so far into the future?
Was that what might have led him to his death? The insanely complex magical feat of opening a portal that far into the future could have a massive backlash when it was closed.
Steeling myself, I read the rest of the page.
Anger and rage do not even begin to describe the feelings that welled up in my body. The room started to shake as my magic acted based on my magic. Some of the chairs started to levitate and if I wasn’t so focused on the new information, I would have tried to set the new furniture down gently. It became quite clear why Merlin was so apologetic in not only these written words, but in person from his portal. It explains why the last battle that we were so sure of winning, led to our deaths. Betrayal from one I least expected.
Tobias
If you still live; you will pay dearly, my apprentice. For all the pain and suffering you have caused. If not, I make sure your family pays the price of your betrayal. That, you have my promise .