There Is Another Way, Morgana

Chapter 1

Set in Season 3 between the episodes ‘Gwaine’ and ‘The Crystal Cave’

She sat on her chair and sighed to herself. The King’s Ward didn’t want to sit listening to Uther going on about the latest affairs in Camelot. She didn’t care. Not any more.

    While a few of them were talking, Uther turned to look at Morgana, and he smiled at her. Automatically, she smiled back and tried to make it reach her eyes. As the discussion continued, Morgana dropped the smile and stared out the window, rolling her eyes as she did so.

    Uther Pendragon was so easy to fool.

    So was Arthur. Morgana felt a small twinge in her heart thinking of him. She still cared about Arthur for they had grown up together, of course. If only he wasn’t Uther’s son, the future King of Camelot...it would be easier.

    “Maybe one day I can explain everything to him.” Morgana thought to herself, knowing it wasn’t likely, but still. While there was the possibility, anything could happen.

    It was while she was looking out of the window that Morgana saw him. Merlin. He was ruining everything because he knew she wasn’t a friend of Camelot anymore. Still, he wouldn’t tell anyone- Morgana smirked slightly at the thought- because he’d tried to poison her. And he was only Arthur’s servant, and she the King’s Ward.

    Some days, Morgana loved the power her position brought her.

    Yet despite this, there was still something going round and round in her mind. The conversation she and Merlin had had two weeks ago.

“It doesn’t have to be like this.” Merlin said desperately. “We can find another way.”

Morgana looked at him for a second and slightly shook her head. “There is no other way.”

Why had Merlin said that? What other way could he possibly have been talking about- or was it all just a plan to get her to leave Morgause? It wasn’t like she could trust Merlin! It all came back to her then, unbidden.

    The memory of the poison, the way she’d felt it running through her system knowing she was going to die...then waking up to see her sister stood watching over her, feeling well again, realising she could only trust Morgause. Her sister would never let her down.

    Morgana stood up and walked out of the council chambers through the back way, taking the corridor that led to her chambers quicker. She wanted to be by herself for a few minutes. The charade of pretending got to Morgana at times and it was then she felt trapped and wished she didn’t have magic, wished she could go back to the old times.

    “No.” She whispered to herself. “I can’t change who I am. I wouldn’t want to. Not now.”

    Entering her chambers, Morgana was happy to see Gwen wasn’t there. She needed to be alone. Her magic was a comfort to her then. Morgana closed her eyes and could feel it. It calmed her. Yes, magic was part of her now and it would stay with her forever.

    Morgana relaxed and let everything fade away for the moment- Uther, Camelot- and Merlin’s words.