Home Again

[breezy]

Morgana sat within her chamber laden with thoughts, memories of the recent occurrences flooding her mind. Placing a slender finger to her temple she sighed from her seated position near the open window, and gazed out across Camelot. A tender breeze billowed through the opening and picked up the ends of her obsidian curls, the gusts of air playing lightly with the tips of dark hair. Despite the relieved gratitude she had previously displayed upon returning to the castle and embracing Uther, her eyes gleamed with apprehension over the situation. The Druids were a people she could relate to, they were the few who would understand her. And now here she was, just as she had been days before, frightened that Uther would discover her magical abilities and have her executed.

Folding her arms across her chest hunched over in her seat, it appeared as though Morgana was chilled and clutching at any remaining heat within her body. Truthfully she wasn’t the least bit cold, temperature wise, yet something about the past events sent shivers down her spine. If Druids were killed for their magic then surely she would be as well. With a sharp shake of her head, to free herself from her upsetting reverie, Morgana focused upon the people that adorned the street until a soft knocking upon her door caused her to pivot in her seat. She faced the door, an expression of false contentment mixed with a genuine trace of curiosity painted clearly upon her features. “Come in,” she called staring towards the door.

Setting: Morgana’s chambers after the episode The Nightmare Begins

Tags: Prince Arthur Pendragon

[Arthur Pendragon]

Despite the fact that Morgana and Arthur had ridden back the city on horseback together, Arthur had not had the chance to make sure she was alright. His concern for her well being was over whelming and all he could do was abide by his father's demands to search the entire city, arresting those who were even suspected of aiding the kidnappers. But none of that mattered now. All that mattered was that she was safe, and that the druids would hopefully stay away this time. He just felt horrible for her; first she had to suffer a terrible fire in her chambers and then deal with the aftermath of a kidnapping. He needed to make sure she was alright.

Lightly knocking on the door, Arthur did not have to wait long before a soft voice granted him entrance. He opened the door, slowly walking inside and giving a bit of a smile. She still looked worried, upset even. Arthur wanted to hear about what had happened when she was gone. While there had not seemed to be any apparent wounds on her, she still looked weak. He just wanted to make sure she was not hiding any injuries or anything. If the druids had hurt her in any way -- more so than they had already done -- Arthur would not let it go.

They had once been known to be peaceful people, but all that seemed to be drastically changing. Yes, he had helped Mordred that one time, but now . . . they had kidnapped someone he cared a great deal about and he was not so forgiving over that. "I came to see how you were doing," he told her, asking her without phrasing it in so much of a question. She had not deserved any of it, and he felt he should have done more to protect her. He still could not understand, how someone managed to break into the castle, and just take her, from right under their noses! Then again, wherever magic was involved, nothing should come as a great surprise.

[breezy]

“Arthur,” exclaimed Morgana forcing a grin upon her face. Placing her palms onto the arm rests; she pushed herself upwards and faced Arthur. His concern sparked a flame of guilt within her stomach, through choosing to run off she had caused others to worry, yet her reasons for her abrupt departure were logical. If Arthur knew then surely he would understand. Or, at least, she prayed he would. “I am well, thank you,” Morgana reaffirmed nodding her head politely in his direction, her lips meshed together in comforting smile yet a sparkle of sorrow within her eyes betrayed her emotions.

“I do not believe I’ve thanked you properly yet, for risking your life to save me.” She took a step closer, the bottom of her emerald gown skimming the stone floor creating a soft swish; her head tilted a degree forward with black curls framing her face. It was comforting to know that she could rely upon certain individuals within the castle, but it did little to calm the unease that had begun to fester within her mind. Lifting her gaze from the ground she peered upwards toward Arthur, studying his expression. She knew he wanted answers.

Inhaling deeply, Morgana turned her head from him and chose to instead focus her gaze on the wall; she counted the numerous blocks of stone that procured the castle. For a moment she stood there wordlessly, recollecting her thoughts before stating, “The Druids…” She wanted so desperately to explain the truth yet the possible consequences frightened her too much, so she found it best to somewhat defend The Druids. “They…” Morgana stammered, “did not treat me poorly.”

[Arthur Pendragon]

Seeing her was such a relief. He knew his father felt the same way, but for Arthur . . . well, he just would never be able to forgive himself if something had happened to her. She was very dear to him, and every time she was in danger, was a constantly failure on his part. As the King's ward, she was a target for enemies . . . and apparently in this case, druids. When she thanked him, Arthur gave a faint smile. While they often joked and teased each other to no end, this was not a time where he wanted to do that. Contrary to popular belief, Arthur was capable of having a serious conversation with Morgana.

He slightly shook his head. "No Morgana, you have nothing to thank me for." He actually felt guilty that she was even thanking him for she should never have been put in that position to begin with. "You don't ever need to thank me for something like that," he added in a lower voice, though equally sincere. "I'm just glad you are back safe. I, feared the worst and could not bare the thought of any harm coming to you." While Arthur was not the overly emotional type, there were certain situations, certain circumstances, that forced these sort of emotions out of him. It was also easier to speak them, when they were in private. Ordinarily, he would suppress his feelings, being raised that way. But not when the thought of losing Morgana had been such a recent fear of his. Why bother minimizing her value to him?

She had read his mind, his intentions for being here. And he didn't want to force her to talk about it if she was not yet comfortable, which was the impression he was getting. Of course, he did not know that he was misinterpreting the reason for her discomfort; only that it was there. He took a few steps towards her, gently placing his hand on her back as he sort of led her over to her bed. He sat at the edge of it, waiting for her to do the same, before he would begin to ask what happened when she was with the druids. He wanted her to be comfortable; at ease; relaxed. Well, as much as a person possibly could after the trauma of being taken out of their home and held by force in the middle of the woods.

[breezy]

Feeling as though the guilt of lying to Arthur would suffocate her, Morgana could feel her chin begin to vaguely tremble. Her jaw tightened as she bit down onto her tongue in an effort to stop the flow of words that would confess the truth, it was best for her to keep her newfound discovery of herself secret. Though she trusted Arthur, Uther was his father and he might just let it slip of her powers. She watched, her eyes widening as Arthur spoke, and hastily she once more turned her head from him. Morgana was a strong woman, yet her protective barrier was beginning to crumble. And it was all because of Uther. Despite that she cared for the King, as he had cared for her after the death of her father, but the mere thought of his name burned the tip of her tongue. In a sense she blamed him for the death of her father.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips as Arthur placed a hand on her back and led her to the bed, urging to sit and calm herself. How she could ever accomplish such a feat was beyond her imagination as Morgana felt liked some sort of caged animal. Expelling the air that was trapped within her lungs Morgana gazed down at the floor, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Unconsciously she began to fiddle with a ring on her right hand, the jewel glittering as the rays of light hit the precious gem. “That is very chivalrous of you,” she chuckled softly brushing an obsidian curl from her face, “not that I’m least bit surprised. But I doubt the Druids would have inflicted any serious harm upon me.”

She swallowed and peered over at Arthur, doing her best to smile and reassure him that she was fully okay. Knowing that he wanted to continue with her description Morgana bluntly inquired, “What exactly is it that you wish to know? Shall I explain in depth of their treatment of me?” Her statement held a bitter tone yet upon realizing her mistake she shook her head and stared apologetically towards Arthur, giving a slightly shake of her shoulders. He had been concerned for her well-fare. She was fortunate to have a friend such as him.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur watched her very carefully, trying to see any sign of severe trauma. He was easily mistaken her detachment to be caused by whatever heinous acts they committed against her. He gave her a faint smile when she commented about how chivalrious he was. For once, he was not fishing for compliments . . . his genuine concern for that over shadowed any mocking he would make towards her. Of course this would soon pass, but for the time being, he had set his priorities; and his priority was still -- and forever be -- her well being and complete safety. "That's what I thought," he agreed when she commented about the unlikelihood of the druids inflicting any sort of harm.

"I tried to explain that to the king, but then once I saw you . . . being forced away by that man, I knew that we had underestimated the druids." All he had seen was a man, forcing Morgana away from the knights, and he recalled how enraged he had been at that moment, to see such hostility against her. Of course, little did he know how quickly he had judged and misinterpreted the situation, but in Arthur's mind, it was enough to make him realize that everything his father said had been true. Someone used magic to break into the kingdom, take her, and then hold her captive, against her will. For what purpose, they did not know.

However, the fact that this doubt still remained in her, provided him with some hope that she was not treated too badly by them. Her next question sounded . . bitter? Almost sarcastic. He knew Morgana well; he knew her tones of voice, he could recognize her emotions. And something had not been right about the way she asked him that. And the expression that followed eliminated any skepticism, for he realized, that he may be pushing her. Perhaps she was not ready to talk about it. Maybe it was still too fresh in her mind, and she did not want to go back to those horrifying moments. He looked down to the ground, almost feeling ashamed for having misread her tone of voice. He then slowly looked back at her while he spoke his next words.

"What did they do to you?" He asked in a soft, overly concerned voice and this same apprehension was evident in his expression when he looked at her. "If you prefer not to talk about it right now, I understand. I just . . . I need to know if you are alright." He really hoped she would speak about what happened, but at the same time, knew he had no right to push her if she truly was not ready to open up to him about it. It all was related to the intense over protectiveness that he felt towards her, and a painful reminder that he had not succeeded in playing this role.