Elizabeth and the Goddess of Death

Chapter Three

"The king. Where is he?" Morgana's cold voice awoke the princess. Her heart sunk when she saw her lover tied in front of her half sister.

"Morgana, we don't know. Please just let us go, it won't happen again. We're sorry!" Elizabeth pleads, struggling against the chains that held her.

"I doubt that sister, and I care not for your pointless apologies. Oh, and good luck getting out of that. It's magic warded, so you can do nothing but watch as I break your beloved." Morgana says with a smirk, turning back to face Elizabeth before back again to Gwaine to repeat her question. "Where. Is. Arthur?"

"I'd rather die." Gwaine says smugly. Fears already began racing through her mind as someone she held so dear was bound to face unbearable pain soon.

"Oh you will. Not even you, Sir Knight, can resist the charms of the Nathair." Morgana says coolly, opening the box.

Elizabeth's blood ran cold at the familiar snake, remembering all the pain it had caused Merlin so many years ago.

"Morgana, please. Your only problem was with father and he's dead. You have no issues with Gwaine or I. Don't do this, please!" Elizabeth's begs seemed to fall on deaf ears as Morgana began the enchantment.

Her pleas got louder and louder, as if volume would change the cruel, unbudging mind of the enchantress she once considered family. Tears blurred her vision, which made her predicament just slightly better. She didn't have to see Gwaine get tortured. But she still heard, she still thought of it.

Her mind simply would not shut up on which loved one she should betray. Reveal Arthur's destination to save Gwaine? Or let Gwaine suffer and allow Arthur to get to the Lake of Avalon safely? Wait...Arthur is with Merlin, he can fight her off easily. Most powerful sorcerer, destined to kill her.

"Avalon!" Gwaine yells out just a fraction of a second before the princess could, voice hoarse and broken. Morgana smirks and removes the Nathair from the drained man.

Elizabeth's world broke even more than it already was at the sight.

"No. No, no, no, no. No!" Elizabeth says, mumbling until the last no which she had screamed. That scream, so hopeless, so anguished, sent back Morgana and the remainder of her men. The men were killed on impact but, of course Morgana just had to get away.

The magic was just enough to break the warding on her cuffs, so she broke them and ran to Gwaine.

"Hey...Gwaine darling, stay with me, ok?" Elizabeth pleads, tear drops already falling on his face.

"I...I failed." Gwaine mumbles.

"No, no you didn't. Arthur is in the safest hands imaginable. Merlin can fight her off." Elizabeth says, trying to erase guilt from his already pained mind.

"Mer...Merlin?" He groans, life obviously leaving him and doing so quickly.

"Yes. Yes he has magic. So it's ok, you didn't fail. And you're gonna stay and come home with me, right?" Elizabeth chokes out.

"I'm sorry...I...I love you." Gwaine says weakly, head already falling from exhaustion and pain.

"I love you too. Gwaine?" Elizabeth says, gently shaking his face. No response.

"Elizabeth?" Percival's voice says from behind her. Something to focus on. Something other than her dead lover.

"Percival. He's...he..." Elizabeth couldn't finish the sentence without sobbing.

"No." Percival whimpers, his own voice weak from tears.

Desperate, the poor girl tries any healing spells, anything to bring him back. But she already knew he was gone. After the fifth one didn't work, she let out a scream once more, trees shattering at the beginning of the stump and falling to the ground.

"You have magic?" Percival inquires after a few moments.

"I do." Elizabeth confirms, voice numb and hoarse.

"Who knows?" Percival asks, mostly trying to keep Liz' mind off what happened.

"Gaius, Merlin and....and Gw..." Elizabeth couldn't even finish her sentence, looking back at her dead lover.

"Your secret is safe with me. I know it's not much, all things considered, but I do want you to feel safe in entrusting me with this." Percival says, offering a hand to help her up.

"I don't care if Arthur knows...if he accepts me then maybe life is still worth living. But if not..." She trails off, another tear falling from her eye. "We can't leave him here. He deserves a proper funeral. Help me get him on my horse." She adds after a quiet moment.

Percival silently nods, helping Liz get him up there. She got on shortly after, seated behind the body. Sure most people would consider it odd, being this close to a deceased human. But what choice did she have? She couldn't leave him to the crows, and it felt wrong to just drag him behind a horse.

And so, onward the broken pair went, already feeling off without their third companion.