enchanted | a. pendragon [on hold]

i | the tears of uther pendragon pt. i

| it seems to be a pattern for me that i usually prefer the second episode in two part episodes. that is the case with these, so sorry that this chapter isn't super exciting |

"i'm just so glad she's alive. i wish i could've been there when she arrived."

[3.1 — The Tears of Uther Pendragon pt. 1]

Camelot had changed in the year since Morgana's disappearance. There was no joy to be found as the city continued to mourn her loss. Yet through it all, Uther never gave up hope that she could be found. He was sending out armies every single day, scouring the land for any sign of her. Many men were lost, and the knights were exhausted, but no one complained. Finding Morgana would be worth their efforts.

Lia could do nothing but anxiously wait for their return each time that Arthur and Merlin left with a new search party. They left for weeks at a time, meaning that she spent more time than she would've liked alone. And it didn't help that she spent most nights waking from horrible nightmares, and Merlin wasn't there to comfort her while off searching for Morgana. But Lia would never complain, knowing that Morgana's safety was more important than her lack of sleep.

It seemed Gaius was the only one with the nerves to say out loud that the continuing search for the ward seemed fruitless. He saw the toll it was taking on everyone's health, mental and physical — Lia, Merlin, Arthur, the knights, and even Uther himself. The King was driving himself mad trying to get Morgana back, and Gaius worried he'd bring Camelot down with him.

As Gaius went to speak with Uther in the Throne Room, Lia silently trailed behind him. The King had his eyes glued to the horizon outside the window, waiting for Arthur and his men to return, hopefully with Morgana.

"Sire, how many more men are you going to lose in this quest?" Gaius asked him.

"As many as it takes," Uther muttered.

Gaius sighed heavily before moving to his side. "I need to speak to you as a friend."

"I have no time for friends," he said bitterly.

"Then I'll speak to you as your physician," Gaius said, not giving up. "This is madness. She has been missing for more than a year now. When are you going to stop?"

Uther finally tore his eyes away from the horizon and sharply looked at Gaius. "When Morgana is found."

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At the same moment that Gaius was trying to convince Uther to give up, Arthur and Merlin were riding through the woods with a group of knights. They were tracking down the men that had attacked and killed a patrol on the outskirts of Camelot's territory.

"Ow," Merlin muttered, shifting around on his horse.

"Is there something wrong with you?" Arthur asked, annoyed.