The Safest Place to Hide

9. Toast, Interrupted

The raven had been sitting on the window sill for hours before Morgana finally opened her eyes. Her men were out patrolling the area, on her orders, and she woke up all alone. Since Morgause was gone, that pleased her more than waking up with a bunch of people around. It took her a minute to notice the bird at the window, but once she spotted it, she ran over immediately.

"I hope this is the news I seek," Morgana cooed. "I'd hate to have to make you carry an angry message back to Camelot."

She petted it on the head as she removed the message. Anxiously, she unrolled it. Her eyes moved over the words quickly. The note mentioned a girl named Anna, who had been made Guinevere's lady maid, and a promise to report more if he found anything out. She sneered as she crumpled the paper up angrily and tossed it aside.

Gathering information could take ages, and time was something she didn't feel she had. The sooner Arthur was de­-throned and buried under a pile of rock, the better. She wasn't going to send another message, so she sent the bird away.

Morgana went and got a dark cloak, that would help her blend in with the shadows, and she put it on. She went outside and got one of the horses left, and saddled it. She was heading to Camelot, and with any luck at all, she would be there by nightfall. She had to know more about Anna. The girl was powerful. Of that, she was certain. Only great power could have healed that poison.

Morgana planned on testing just how power she was. First Emrys was foiling all of her plans, now this girl. It didn't matter. She could find out who the girl was easily enough, what she looked like. It was Emrys that still worried her, still eluded her.

She rode off, planning just how she was going to find this girl, who had ruined all of her plans, and just how to deal with her when she did.

~ * ~

Anna was starting to get the hang of things, by the time dinner rolled around. Arthur and Gwen were going to eat dinner together, along with the knights and Gaius. She and Merlin were going to be serving all of them.

"How has your first day been?" Merlin asked, as they were preparing to take out the second course. They both had trays in their hands.

"Okay," Anna answered. Strangely, her throat was really dry. "I think that every bone and muscle is going to ache after today though. Forever."

He chuckled. "If they hurt too badly we'll get Gaius to ice you up."

She smiled. "That's okay. I'll let Cora tend to me. She's good with that sort of thing." She side-glanced out the window. "I can't believe its already dark outside. This day has gone by so fast."

"Well, do you like serving the queen?"

"Love it There couldn't be a nicer woman in the world. She told me who Morgana was."

A serious look came across Merlin's face. "She used to live in this very castle, in the room Gwen's in now."

"Why did she turn evil?"

"Uther, I think. I'm not really sure. His betrayal and her magic corrupted her. She fell apart after that."

"What did he do?"

"He kept her parentage a secret. She was his daughter, a possible heir to the throne, and he treated her as if she was just his ward. He didn't want the kingdom to know of his transgressions."

"Ah, I see."

They fell silent as the second course was delivered. they gathered the empty plates from the previous one and took them into the kitchen.