When the night falls

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Morgana found out, that Uther had began looking closer to her. It seemed now that it wasn't her pretending to be his loving ward, but him portraying a caring guardian. And although, she must have thought it up, tensed threads of her nerves were about to break up.

- He must have guessed about something for sure! He invited a witch hunter to Camelot! - she informed Merlin excitedly when the other day he came to her rooms with some plausible excuse. - I can't stay here longer!

Merlin held the girl tight and caressed her hair.

- Calm down, my darling, - he said. - He won't find out your secret, I promise!

- How can you be so sure? - nervously looking around, she asked. - If you don't run away with me, I'll do it alone! I swear, Merlin, I'll do it!

- Alright, we'll run together, - he responded. - If you want it so much... I'll do anything for you to be happy.

Not believing her ears, Morgana looked at Merlin's face and seeing his warm smile, she smiled joyfully too.

- Are you really going to go away with me? - she asked, still afraid to believe it. - And leave Arthur?

- He is a big boy, - Merlin marked. - But I still need two more weeks. Arthur will go to the Perilous lands to bring the Fish ling's trident. This is his feat to prove Uther, that his son is worth the Camelot's throne. And we'll wait for him to return.

- Alright, - Morgana agreed. - Now that I know that you're coming with me, it'll be easier to wait.

Merlin pulled her closer for a kiss and his fingers, sliding the girl's hand, touched her silver bracelet.

- What is it? - unwillingly distracted, he asked.

Morgana felt again the same strange desire not to tell Merlin the details of a meeting with a fair-haired woman, that had given her this bracelet.

- It helps me to sleep without nightmares, - she replied reluctantly.

- Did they came back again? - he was anxious at once, though he had to admit that this anxiety was more connected to this bracelet, but not to Morgana's bad dreams.

The girl nodded and Merlin excitedly took the ornament off her hand and looked closer, as if trying to penetrate into the power the bracelet held. It seemed to Morgana that the gem stones flared with a bright fire.

- Where did you get it from? - Merlin asked thoughtfully. - It has a very strong ancient magic, I feel it.

Morgana looked with doubts.

- A woman gave it to me, - she said. - I've never seen her before and she disappeared very weirdly...

Merlin looked at the bracelet wary, as if it were a poisonous snake and then he put it on the table carefully.

- I don't think you should wear it, - he marked. - Even if it helps you not to see nightmares, it can turn out to be harmful. I don't know who gave it to you and why, but this can be a trap for you, Morgana.

He kissed the girl's cheek and left her rooms, and Morgana fascinatedly couldn't take her eyes off the bracelet on the table. Then she, as if collected herself, grabbed it and locked it in her drawer.

***

Morgana was prepared to wait impatiently for these two weeks to be over, but time flew surprisingly quick.