Elizabeth

The Crystal Caves

I sat in the library with Morgana reading the thick books in front of us about all the spells she'd learned and had yet to learn. She'd cloaked the spell books so only she and I could find them. She was going back to being the Morgana I'd known when I'd first arrived in Camelot. I suddenly laughed lightly and she gave me a curious look.

"What is it?" she asked me.

"Just thinking about when Merlin and I first came here. That feels like a lifetime ago." I said.

"It almost was." She told me and I smiled at her.

"Yes," I agreed, placing my hand on my pregnant belly.

"I can't believe I almost missed spending time with you like this. Thank you." She told me.

"For what?" I asked her.

"For reminding me who I truly was." She told me.

"You never forgot." I told her. "Everyone has a destiny, Morgana. Some are set in stone others are like water."

"And what book did you get that one from?" she asked and we both laughed.

"I'm serious though." I told her placing my hand on hers. "I don't know where we'd be without you."

"How have I helped you?" she asked me.

"You were my friend the moment we met." I reminded her. "That is the greatest thing anyone could have done for me. Not to mention saving my life while I was dying after drinking water, of all things." We laughed once more.

"I suppose we have helped each other then." She said and I nodded before holding up a chalice of water.

"To our friendship." I said, making a toast.

"To family." She corrected before our glasses met and we took a small drink.

"Speaking of which," I said putting my glass down. "Arthur and I were wondering if you would be our child's godmother." She looked at me shocked before hugging me tightly.

"Yes! Of course! I could think of no higher honor." She told me. I was about to speak again when a sharp searing pain hit me in my back causing me to cry out. "Liz! Are you alright?" she asked me panicked.

"I don't know." I said gripping my hurting shoulder with the opposite hand.

"You're bleeding." She gasped before pulling me to my feet. "We must get you to Gaius." She helped me through the castle hiding my bleeding back under the shawl I'd had on me until we got to Gaius' chambers.

"What happened?" he asked us as he maneuvered the top of my dress to see what was causing me to bleed so much.

"We were in the library reading when she just started bleeding." Morgana told him.

"It looks as though something small stabbed you." He told me.

"Well, they didn't." I told him wincing in pain as he applied something to the injury. He stayed silent as he continued his work. "Gaius? Have you heard or seen something like this before?"

"When the Old Religion ruled this land some would use magic to link two people together. To protect one or kill both the magic could be used both ways." He told us.

"Who would they link me to?" I asked him.

"I don't know, Elizabeth. Wait here while I get a bandage." He said before moving to another part of the room.

"Would Morgause do something like this?" I asked Morgana in a low voice.

"No." she insisted. "She speaks highly of you and your family. They were friends of the witches who watched over Morgause. That's how she knew you on sight."