Pulchra Arcanum

Part I - Megara

They always say that magic comes with a price, but they never tell you what it is; and like a fool, like a mere human, you will think that you can pay it.

Megara opened her eyes with the sunrise as it peaked through the crack in the wall next to her head. She heard as Camelot began to wake. The birds were calling out to each other, the people waking their children to begin the day's work.

The morning thud on the cellar door told Megara that Merlin was already up and ready for the day. He pounded on the door once more and hissed through the crack, "Meggy! Are you awake?" He dared not to speak too loud; if anyone were walking past the small hut they might believe he'd finally gone mad, now that he was talking to himself! That would not be good.

Megara smiled and sat up, streching her arms above her head. "Yes, father, I'm awake."

"Not too loud, Meggy!" Merlin looked a little grumpy, as always, as he opened the door and handed Megara several apples and a new book. "I'll be back a little late tonight, don't wait up."

"Are we not going to discuss what I've learned?" Megara was surprised. They never missed an evening together.

Merlin sighed. "Alright, fine, I'll be home late still, though. Make those apples last all day because dinner will be late."

The cellar door closed softly and she heard the bags being moved back to cover it. That was key, no one could know there was any significance to the cellar. If they knew, they might come looking. And if they came looking, they might find Megara.

Megara laid back in the dirt with her apples, reaching up and laying two on her bed. She watched as the ants moved through the shadows, pulling pieces of hay or grain with them as they went. She smiled as they worked. They worked hard to eat, just like she did. If she could find something in her reading which stumped Merlin, he'd bring her some sweets from Camelot. She hadn't done it often, but she made it a goal every day.

For as long as she could remember, she and her father Merlin had lived in Camelot, under the same rules. Megara was never allowed outside, it was too dangerous for Merlin if she were discovered! The people of Camelot did not know she existed - they did not know about the experiments Merlin was performing right under their noses. Megara smiled at this, her whole life she had played her part well, and though Merlin never really said it, she knew he appreciated her efforts.

Megara rolled onto her back and looked at the roof of the cellar, thinking about her short life. Megara's earliest memory was sitting on Merlin's knee by the fire. She couldn't remember how long ago it was, but she'd outgrown his knee ages ago. It was before she learned to read, because he'd been reading to her and he hadn't done that since she had learned for herself. But in her memory, Merlin told her so many stories. Knights and dragons, saviors and villains. "Now, Meggy," he used to say. "Sometimes the people don't know they need saving. Just like the people of Camelot. You're going to save them, though, Meggy." He'd always say this before bed. "You're going to show them a higher way of living."

A higher way of living.

Megara smirked now as she watched the ants be interrupted by the mouse climbing through the crack. The mouse smelled at the ants before taking their pieces of grain away from them and eating it himself. A higher way of living.

Megara lost herself in her thoughts again. Once upon a time, Megara had slept with Merlin at night because the noises were scary outside the cellar. He'd chuckle and hold her close and whisper, "Don't worry, my Meggy, when you're big and strong those people will be scared of you! They won't have any need to frighten you anymore."

Megara couldn't wait for that day, whenever it was. She hoped it was soon. She hoped, with all her heart, some day soon Merlin would think she was ready to go about the world with him; to heal the sick and offer fantastic insight to the mere mortals.