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Merlin had had a choice, whether or not to trust his friend.
The dragon told him not to trust her.
Gaius told him not to trust her.
His heart told him to trust her.
And so he did.
"You have magic, Morgana."
Morgana's eyes widened, fear and terror, but Merlin cupped his hands, letting the magic pass through her body and partially manifest as a blue butterfly.
"But you're not alone."
Morgana's grateful look told him he'd made the right choice.
~~~~
"What do you mean, that bracelet is magical?"
Merlin looked at Morgana, sighing and saying. "I mean this bracelet," Merlin waved the bracelet in front of the princess's eyes. "It's full of magic!"
Morgana snorted. "And why would Morgause have given me a magic bracelet?"
"Did you miss the note that she tried to have Arthur kill Uther? Using the memory of his long-dead mother?"
Morgana snorted. "It would have kept the dreams away."
"And it would have made you Morgause’s perfect puppet." Merlin replied. Then he held out the bracelet. “But feel free to wear it. I won't judge you.”
Morgana grimaced, before tossing the bracelet into the fire and watching it burn.
Merlin added helpfully. "A normal bracelet doesn't burn like that."
"I get the point, thanks."
~~~
Morgana crossed her arms. "You're telling me that you and Gaius saw a witch hunter."
"Yes, Heilig. Not very pleasant for the eyes."
"And he had a druid girl in the cage."
"Precisely, yes. Freya."
Morgana looked at the girl lying by the fire, before sighing and saying. "Can you stop bringing druids into my chambers? She's becoming an annoying habit."
"My apologies." Merlin smiled, "Will you help me?"
"What's the plan?"
~~~
"How did you do?!" Morgana was waving her arms nervously, pacing in front of Merlin.
"It's pretty simple." Merlin replied, pointing to Aithusa and then to his bloodied arm. "She wanted to play."
Morgana felt her eyes narrow. "So what? Why don't you heal it?"
Merlin shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't really thought about it."
Morgana sighed. "You are a lost cause."
"Yes." Merlin shrugged, before nodding towards the little dragon. "Do you think she can stay here?"
Morgana blinked. "You can't bring a dragon into my chambers!"
"You said that I can’t bring any more druids!" Merlin spread his arms. "Clearly, she's not a druid."
Morgana sighed. "I hate you."
"You're just mad that I'm right." Merlin smiled. "You should be used to it."
Morgana hissed. "When Arthur magically burns you, I won't save you."
"Nice of you to assume you wouldn't be with me."
Morgana narrowed her eyes at Merlin, who smiled and raised his hands in surrender.
"Stop moving that arm, you moron!" Morgana exclaimed. "Don't move, I'll fix it."
"No thanks, I'm keeping the scratch. I'm keeping my arm."
~~~
"So, you found an attractive guy who saved your life and offered him your bed?"
"He passed out, nothing was offered."
Morgan raised an eyebrow. "You have a bad habit of inviting attractive young men into your bed."
"Lancelot and Gwaine are friends." Merlin said, before pointing to Gwaine and Gwen nearby. "And by the way, your servant steals them all from me."
Morgana nodded. Then, quietly, she said. "You just admitted that you offer them your bed because you are attracted to them."
"I offer my bed because they are wounded." Merlin corrected. "I spend my time with them because they are attractive."
"And is it different?" Morgan asked.
"Do you think I should be here now?" Merlin asked, raising an eyebrow at Morgana.
The princess nodded, "Should I expect my angry brother?"
"A moment now, by now."
"Marvelous."
~~~~
"So when you called Freya, she told you to get the sword you threw in the lake."
Merlin looked up at Morgana. "Freya said so. I don't know how she thinks I can get a sword from the bottom of a lake."
Morgana shrugged. "With difficulty."
"Seems legit."
In front of the lake of Avalon, Morgana and Merlin remained still.
"And now?" Merlin asked and Morgana shrugged. "Freya says the sword will come to us."
"What is it, a dog?" Merlin shook his head. "It can't be that easy..."
Merlin reached out a hand anyway and jumped as the sword rushed at him.
"What?" Merlin looked betrayed. "If anyone had come here with an outstretched hand, would you have jumped like this? But does it seem normal to you?" Merlin turned to Morgana, pointing to the sword. "It almost killed me!"
"I saw it, I was right here."
Merlin blinked. "And you're not going to say anything?"
Morgana nodded. "I have something to say."
Merlin looked at her expectantly, and Morgana said. "I was right."
~~~
Morgana looked up as Merlin entered her room. "What happened?"
"Oh, no big deal," Merlin shrugged. “You know the visiting nobles?”
Morgana frowned. “Yes, they have always been great allies of Uther. What?"
"Well, they are not anymore," Merlin smiled. “They sadly had to leave earlier.”
“Merlin, could you stop killing Arthur's allies, please?”
"I don't know," Merlin shrugged, shaking his head thoughtfully. “I would if they stopped trying to kill Arthur.”
Morgana sighed. "Everything went well, at least?"
"Excellently," Merlin smiled. “Sure, I was slightly stabbed, but…”
“Were you stabbed?!” Morgana leapt to her feet, moving closer to Merlin to look for his wound.
“Slightly stabbed.” Merlin clarified, before smiling and saying. “But don't worry, I've been stabbed before. I have immunity."
Morgana blinked, before blurting out. “Idiot, there is no stab immunity!”
~~~
Merlin entered Morgana's room with a huge smile. “Look who came to visit us!”
Morgana watched the boy enter after Merlin, feeling vaguely familiar. "Is this Arthur's new recruit?" she asked, curious.
"Oh, what?, no, not at all." Merlin shook his head, vaguely disgusted by Morgana's suggestion, "It's Mordred! Arthur doesn't know he's here!"
Mordred nodded cautiously. “Uh, I shouldn't be here, I think?”
“Only if they recognize you.” Merlin shrugged, stroking Mordred's hair.
Morgana looked unimpressed at Merlin. "I thought you stopped bringing druids here."
"I've never said such a thing." Merlin replied, before saying. "And Mordred is no longer wanted!"
Morgana sighed. "I hate how this is actually an improvement."
Merlin shrugged. "Oh well, what are you going to do with it?"
~~~~
Merlin grimaced in disgust. “Why don't they ever summon butterflies? They are always snakes, serkets or wildren!”
Morgana blinked as she set fire to five overgrown scorpions next to her. “Why would anyone summon butterflies?”
"I did it!"
"Sorry, why would anyone in their right state of mind summon butterflies?"
Merlin pouted as the snakes near him were killed by his magic.
“Where did Morgause go, anyway? It's just rude to leave us here to fight her creatures and run away!"
“Is that rude? Don't try to kill us?”
“There is something called courtesy, Morgana! Sigan tried to kill me and stood there talking to me in the process!” Merlin shook his head. “I miss the evil one with good manners! Morgause? There is nothing polite about her!"
"Are you joking? Would you rather Morgause be here?” Morgana looked at him as if he were crazy.
“I'm just saying the least she could do was stay here! Do you think Nimueh went away?”
Meanwhile, the knights had joined them, blinking at the havoc that the magic of the two powerful sorcerers had done, leaving just the two of them standing on a torn land.
Arthur blinked. “You two have magic!”
Morgana and Merlin turned to see the knights behind them.
"Uh, I can't believe it!" Merlin pointed to them. "The boldness! The lack of trust!"
Morgana nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "I am very disappointed in you. I expected better behavior. From all of you."
Merlin shook his head. “Who gave you permission to spy on us!” Merlin waved his arms, starting to speak in bursts. “Never in these ten years have I spied on anyone!”
"This is a lie." Morgana pointed out to him. “We spied on the witch hunter, Aridian.”
"True, Morgana, thank you." Merlin smiled at her, before turning and continuing. "Never in these ten years have I escaped without being seen,..."
“Uh, didn't we technically go to the Crystal Cave together when no one was looking at us?” Morgana asked, cocking her head.
Merlin paused for a moment before nodding and saying. "Yes, I think yes. And also to save Gwen without warning Uther about it.”
"True, I forgot about that." Morgana nodded thoughtfully.
"I was saying!" Merlin turned to the knights, waving his hands. “Never in all these ten years have I done anything unholy with my magic…”
“Technically….” Morgana intervened, but Merlin shook his head. “Political assassinations don't count.”
"True you are right." Morgana nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
“And, never, in these ten years, have I ever broken my word!”
Arthur pointed beside him. "Isn't that the dragon egg you assured me was dead?"
Merlin looked at Aithusa. "This is not an egg."
“Merlin.”
Merlin turned to look at Morgana, who was laughing. “Morgana had saved the druid girl from Helieg. She kept her in her rooms."
“Merlin!” Morgana exclaimed, hurt.
“Morgana!” Arthur called her tiredly.
“Morgana!” Merlin said, trying to make the insult towards him less aggressive.
“Gwaine!” Gwaine exclaimed, for whatever reason.
Everyone looked at him and he shrugged. “Are we going to say anything about the kid behind them?”
Everyone looked at Mordred, who had hidden behind Merlin when the knights arrived.
“What is that?” Arthur asked and Merlin shrugged. "A child."
Morgana nodded, "Definitely a kid."
Arthur sighed. “Let's go to Camelot. And then we'll talk."
"I just want to say something," Merlin said, solemnly. "That it's Morgana's fault."
“Hey!”