Dum Spiro, Spero

[mpend]

The air was cool, clear and crisp as one Morgana Pendragon moved through the courtyard, ignoring the hush that fell over the few people that still walked about. Her head was held high, her smile bright and her eyes shining. The Queen was dressed in Royal robes of purple, ignoring the whispers as she moved with determination toward the Hall, ignoring the way her heart felt as though it were about to burst. For behind her, in chains, shackled and naked down to the loincloth covering his manhood and backside, was dragged the proud Prince Arthur, now not so proud, and definately not a Prince, by any means of the word. Morgana's men had done well. They had found the coward attempting to gather, from all accounts, a few men together, with foolish thoughts of storming the citidale. As if that would ever work! Morgana almost laughed at the thought. But now Arthur was disgraced and diminished, being dragged by the most brutal thugs she could find.

Nothing yet had been done to the Pendragon, for which Arthur should be grateful. But then, Morgana did not wish to marr his skin, not just yet. That pleasure was to be saved for when it was needed, to create the correct impact. For who would flinch at the sight of flesh that was about to be ripped to shreds when it was already marred? And Arthur was blessed with good looks - his deep blue eyes and strong body would withold a certain amount of her plans, but not all. The very walk itself to the Hall had been a mark of point - Morgana had wanted to make a procession of Arthur's capture, and it had worked. She heard whispers here and there, gasps and soft moans of fear and disappointment that the Prince - the Hope of Camelot, as she'd heard him be called - dragged like some animal through the streets that he had once called home.

As they entered the Castle, Morgana nodded to a guard, who looked startled to see Arthur behind her, kneeling on the floor like a peasent, bundled in chains and almost naked. The doors to the Great Hall opened, and Morgana stepped through, ignoring a few shocked intakes of breath, mentally taking note of those who were to blame for them. They would pay, later. As she reached the Throne, she turned, for the first time since his capture laying her eyes upon the Prince, with a small smirk upon her face. "You should smile, Arthur, for you are home." she teased, not exactly expecting an answer from the Pendragon.

Stepping toward him, Morgana knelt, clasping her hand upon her brother's cheek, reminiscent of the way she would once do such a thing when they had been the best of friends. "It is such a shame," she whispered. "Such a shame to do to you what I must, but politics must be abided by, mustn't it?" The Witch smiled. "I have made promises, Arthur, and I must fuful them," she lowered her voice, so only he could hear her. "And believe me, you will be begging me for relief before the day's end." Straightening to her full height, Morgana moved to the Throne, and sat down upon it, crossing her legs, smirking down at her brother before moving her eyes to a couple of guards. "Bring in Caitrin de Archer and Yassia Dyfrene de Ailantha," she commanded. "It is time they knew how the power of Morgana reigns over Camelot."

Tags: Yassia, Caitrin, and Arthur
Timeline: During "The Coming of Arthur"
Location: The Great Hall.

[Arthur Pendragon]

The plan had failed. Arthur had been caught and the only relief he could find in this was that the others had managed to escape. That was enough to give him a bit of solace, however not quite enough. For his father was still here, somewhere. Even in his current imprisoned state, Arthur was not going to give up. He would not give up until he drew his last breath and he didn't doubt that Morgana would prolong it for as much as she liked. She once accused him of gloating when she had been locked in the dungeons and he had convinced his father to let her go. But now, she was the one who was gloating. For she seemed to enjoy her dominance over him. Arthur had felt so many things upon seeing her again after his disappearance from the city. The strongest emotion . . . was hurt. Pain for her betrayal. The question of How could she do this? had not stopped ringing in his head. He was so confused as to what her motives were.

Should the discovery of their blood relation not have brought them closer? It only seemed to tear them apart. Leaving a bitter wound in Morgana's heart that had only seemed to intensify as the days progressed and consumed her soul. Corrupting her beyond belief. He wanted to desperately hold on to the hope that she was not too far gone . . . but with all the cruel things she had done, he wasn't sure it was something even worth hoping for. She was lost to him, and it devastated him. All those years of growing up together, helping each other, supporting each other, even willing to sacrifice their lives for one another . . . was essentially meaningless now. For all she could focus on, was his destruction. Since when had she been so obsessed with getting the throne? And in this manner too: through fear and intimidation. All the reasons she despised his -- their -- father for, she was practicing those very actions.

Releasing fire on innocent civilians, where she had condemned Uther for killing innocents as well. She had accused him of being a tyrant, and what was she? Far from a compassionate queen. Arthur had not stopped dwelling over the emotional loss of his sister. Not when she was stripped down to be humiliated and put in chains to show his inferiority. Not even when he was thrown to his knees before her to show submission, as she sat in a throne that she had no right to. Because . . . she did not know the first thing about ruling a kingdom. She had no love for the people and it only took her a week for the entirety of Camelot to know this. He looked at her, his eyes remaining strong. He would not beg for his life, even if his pride had been wounded in his current state of undress and imprisonment. He would not beg her for anything. Her bitter words only reinforced how far she was from the wonderful and caring person that he'd known most of his life.

To a cruel and angry queen. What had he done to make her hate him so? A failure on his part . . . one that he knew no amount of questions would ever explain. He pitied her. Pitied who she had become: someone who had once been so strong now so weak. And she did not have to be in chains and shackles to show such weakness. Her heart was corrupted with darkness . . . and that was a great weakness on its own. "What has happened to you?" He asked in a strong, unwavering voice that demonstrated some of that pity he held for her. He was not afraid of her; he was devastated by her choices. "How has it come to this?" He did not fear death if that was what it should come to. He just wanted to know how he had wronged her so much to bring her to this: wishing to torture and kill a man that she had so many times before called her brother. Had it all been lies? Was there a single sincere moment that they shared? Or was their entire relationship a farce?

It broke Arthur's heart, to know that he had lost someone so close to him . . . or well, perhaps he never had her in the first place. He had held her so dear to his heart, and she only held him in the place that sought for vengeance. Her next words however ceased his questioning, and he slightly raised his head though used all his strength to conceal his surprise at the words. Surprise, and the fear he felt in his heart. What did Caitrin and Yassia have to do with anything?! Was she going to continue to target innocent women now? How utterly revolting! "They have nothing to do with this," he said in a strong tone, making sure it did not tremble with any ounce of emotion other that confidence and strength. What did she have up her sleeve with these two innocent women? He would not beg for his life, but he refused to see any sort of harm come to either of them. No matter what it cost to prevent it.

[Caitrin de Archer]

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since Caitrin had been dragged down to the dungeons for daring to defy the false Queen’s rule. Of course Caitrin had been in the minority, in her family at least. Her Uncle had, in writing at least, declared for Morgana, if only to save his lands and his head. Caitrin hadn’t been that wise, and instead she was down in the dungeons, with the rest of those who had dared to stand up and declare they would never submit themselves to Morgana’s reign. Caitrin was lying on her back rather idly, her chained hands to her side, trying to find a more comfortable position. There wasn’t a more comfortable position of course, but at least she’d tried. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she would be able to take; the lonliness was starting to get to her.

For the first time ever in her life, Caitrin felt utterly alone, like she had been abandoned by everyone. Her Uncle had not stepped in to help her, or even advise her, no he had seen fit to leave her to her own devices. As for her fiancé, well, Caitrin hadn’t seen him for weeks, so he certainly wasn’t going to be of any help. It hurt knowing that she was so alone, and she drew her knees up to her body, and held them there for a few moments, as if she was trying to protect herself. There was nothing she could do to protect herself, not while she was in here and at Morgana’s mercy. She lived with that fact every waking moment, and it even haunted her sleep. The bags under her eyes showed that she had not been sleeping well since her ordeal began, and it was likely it would not be drawn to an end anytime soon.

The door to her cell flew open, and Caitrin sat up, and blinked at the guard who was advancing on her. He went for her chain in the wall, and undid it, holding the end in his hands. He said nothing, but began to tug at the chain, so hesitantly Caitrin rose to her feet and looked on at the man, “Where are you taking me?” She asked him, with a dry mouth. The man smirked at her, and didn’t answer, instead he unhooked the chain from her bound hands, and grabbed her shoulder and began to lead her out of the cell. She didn’t struggle against him, as there was little point. After all, her hands were still bound, what sort of a struggle could she put up? It quickly became clear that she was being directed towards the Great Hall, and Caitrin’s heart began to thud in her ears, Jesu, what did Morgana want now?

The doors opened, and it wasn’t the false Queen sat upon the throne that first caught her eye, but the man who was in front of her. She stopped straight away, though the guard forced her to walk on. For a moment Caitrin’s mind went blank, she knew exactly who it was, though she hoped to God that she was mistaken. Caitrin was forced to her knees beside the man, and she let out a sharp yelp as the guard held her shoulder down, making sure she stayed down in front of the Queen. After a few moments he released her grasp on her shoulder, and Caitrin finally looked to the blonde man on her left, just to confirm her worst fears. “Arthur?” She chocked, not wanting to believe it was him, and not wanting to believe Morgana had won. His state of undress was the last thing on her mind, she felt nothing but fear for him, or more fear for what Morgana was going to do to him now she had finally captured him.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Out of all places to be on earth, dungeons had to be Yassia’s least favourite. Then again it was probably everyone’s least favourite. The real shame about this fact though was that she really was able to tell the difference, as this was by no means her first time being imprisoned. It might also not be the worst, as for now she had at least not been overly mistreated, though the threat had been always hovering in the air. It certainly though was the longest. But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as every single hour down here meant nothing had changed. Morgana still didn’t feel safe enough, wasn’t as firm in the saddle (or throne) as she’d like to be. That could only mean she still hadn’t found Arthur. That was something, wasn’t it?

Gallows humor… you really had time to develop that down here. Something to pass the time, apart from counting the drops of water that splashed on the floor somewhere in the corner. Yassia knew Caitrin must be somewhere here too, but apart from a glimpse when dragged by her friend’s cell, she had not seen or heard anything from her, and could only hope she was still in good health. Hope. Apart from the gallows humor that must be one of the few things left down here. With your wrists chafed raw by iron shackles, your muscles cramping by too little opportunity to move and your stomach rumbling with craving for food, hope for better times might be the only thing to keep you going. Yassia didn’t like being held in the position of helplessness, just biding her time until others decided for her. She had even lost count of the days that had passed, even though she could define night and day by a high up hole in the wall and by the time she was given food.

But then, something was breaking the pattern all of a sudden. She could hear heavy footsteps coming towards her cell, some already stopping a bit earlier down the corridor. She heard the rattling of keys first dimly, further away and a muffled voice, then her own cell door was opened and Yassia had to shield her eyes against the bright torchlight suddenly assaulting the dim room. Without a word, two of Morgana’s undead soldiers approached and unhooked her chains, while not removing her shackles. As she didn’t react right away, feeling too weak in her legs for them to bear her weight just yet, they roughly dragged her on her feet and out of the room. “What is this about?” she demanded to know, finally finding her voice again, though it was rather hoarse and sounded far less confident than she would have liked. No answer. Of course not. These men had never been a talkative lot in any way.

The worm of unease coiled inside her guts again and made her dread the person that would undoubtedly await her behind the door of the Great Hall that was just swinging close again as they rounded the corner. Who had been brought from the dungeons with her? And what could Morgana possibly want with them?
The door was opened for her, and Yassia tried to hold her head up high, reclaiming at least a little bit of the dignity that had been taken from her, but that was probably moot, being dragged inside like a lamb to the slaughter. There were two other people on the floor in front of her, and one of them Yassia immediately recognized with a somewhat relieved exclamation. “Caitrin!! Thank the stars, you’re alright!” Well, ‘alright’ might be a bit euphemistic concerning the circumstances they both were in, but then at least Caitrin was still alive. She didn’t seem injured or ill, as far as Yassia’s first examination concluded.

Then her eyes fell on the figure that was in front of them both, almost naked… he looked like a common peasant to her, showing only his back, and yet there was an air of dignity about him, an air of strength and unyielding willpower. And he had blond hair… “No…” the realization struck her like a vicious kick in the guts, but now she looked close there was no mistaking him. The hope she had harboured before caved in like a house of cards. “Oh please… no…”

[mpend]

To have Arthur Pendragon at her mercy was an incredible feeling. And yet... and yet... Morgana could not silence the lament that whispered in the darkest corners of her heart at the sight of the proud blonde kneeling thus before her. Though she had once truly loved him as a sister would love a brother, now she only felt anger. Anger and betrayal. Morgause's words to her this past year echoed in her mind, giving her no rest, and she could not deny the truth of them. Arthur's question was rightly put, but Morgana simply narrowed her eyes at him. "I have become who I should have been so long ago," she hissed quietly at the Prince. "Finally I can step from the shadow of the great Arthur Pendragon, and show my superiority over your weakness."

The Queen rose from her throne, and stepped down to once again kneel next to Arthur, watching his eyes. "So long I have dreamed of this moment, Arthur. Once I had hoped we would take it together, you and I. We would have been unstoppable. But that can never be." She stood, turning to the Throne once more as the Pendragon asked his question regarding the prisoners. A soft chuckle let loose from Morgana's throat. "You will come to see, Arthur," she promised quietly. "You will come to see. All things in time."

As Caitrin was forced to enter, and eventually recognised Arthur, Morgana gave a cruel smile. "You see before you a broken man, Caitrin," she spat. "You thought I would never capture him, and yet here he is! The great Arthur!" she laughed, loud and strong. "brought to nothing in my Halls." Her words were cut off by the entry of Yassia, and she watched with amusment at the girl's relief that first her friend was safe, and then her disbelief at Arthur's capture. "I suppose you will not recognise my brother without all his finery," she teased Yassia. She turned her gaze briefly to Arthur. "You see before you two women, Arthur Pendragon. Two women who once would have swore allegance to you. Did you know that Caitrin has, without any preamble, sworn herself to me? She has utterly renounced you, Arthur!! She signed away her friendship to you without a second thought for anything but her own safety - what does that reveal about her trust?" Oh, this was glorious! To tease Arthur so when he had been so firm and strong with his friends, whilst Morgana had had none!

The Queen's voice turned to silk, as she moved to the Throne, and sat, her eyes moving between the three people bowed before her. "You all have a choice," she stated firmly. "Now that I have Arthur, there is much that has been accomplished. However, a statement will have to be made. To show the people my power." She smiled, cruelly. "You two," she glanced first at Yassia and then at Caitrin. "Will be witnesses." With a click of her fingers, Morgana was on her feet again. The doors opened, and in stepped one of Cenred's men, a man trained to torture. He moved forward, and even Morgana almost shivered in fear at the expression on his face. She quickly composed herself, though, and nodded to him. "This is an old friend of mine," she stated. "And he is going to help me send a message. Guards!" she commanded. "Force Arthur to his feet, and hold him fast."

[Arthur Pendragon]

"I have become who I should have been so long ago." The words pierced his heart like a dagger. Did she truly believe that? That all the years they spend together were . . . a mistake? She must have believed so, if this was what it resulted in. He tried to show no reaction to this, aware that whatever he felt for her, was not mutual. She felt she was in his shadow . . . where he had only meant to keep her behind him to protect her. Never would he have thought she desired the throne. Was this always her ambition, even before she discovered her true blood line? What had her plan been there? He had so many questions but all seemed irrelevant right now. What was he even hoping for in the answers? There was no justification for her actions right now. There was no reason for her to be killing innocent civilians.At least she was right about one thing: he would never join her . . . it could never be. Seeing Caitrin and Yassia dragged into the room and thrown to their knees made him inwardly cringe as he closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them.

Fine. Morgana despised him . . . but what did she hope to achieve by bringing other nobles into the room? What game was she playing at? He said nothing as she mocked him in front of her; speaking of how he was practically unrecognizable without his . . . well, his clothes. But he was not broken. Far from it. For a broken man would bow in front of her and kiss her feet. Arthur wanted to turn to them and tell them not to worry. That somehow, everything would be fine. But . . . what good would that do? It was what Morgana wanted, wasn't it? For him to show fear at their presence here. Or . . . hurt that they renounced him. That they gave her their loyalty. Arthur was not upset at them for this. He only feared for what methods and threats Morgana used to to persuade them. For he knew, that both Caitrin and Yassia were stubborn women and would not so readily give another their loyalty. So what the hell had Morgana said and done to them.

Given whatever the circumstances must have been, he did not blame them. Under fear and intimidation, and the right kind of threats . . . well, he was glad they found a way to save themselves. Where he was unable to free the kingdom from Morgana's wrath. "You know nothing of trust Morgana," he countered. She was going to stand here and tell him that Caitrin and Yassia betrayed his trust? He cared for both women as very dear and close friends . . . but Morgana had been his sister in heart and now blood. "You know nothing of loyalty." He was not trying to provoke her, which was why his words were spoken with calmness and strength. Though the fear of what she could potentially do to either women . . . was unsettling and unnerving him. "You are making a mistake. In this room you hold the heir to Ailantha and a Mercian noblewoman." Of course he was not trying to be dismissive of their positions in Camelot, but he was trying to make Morgana see reason.

Then again, she seemed so very beyond that by now."Causing any harm to either of them, will gain you more enemies that you already have." The political repercussions could start a war. For neither women were of Camelotian blood. And Morgana was treating them as her prisoners. She then continued to say how the women would be witnesses to . . . Arthur didn't need to ask anything else, for the doors opened again and one of Cenred's man stepped in. Morgana explained his significance and that nagging fear intensified in Arthur. Not for fear of torture -- though anyone would be afraid of such a thing. But it was the fear of her doing it in front of these two women. Torture sessions often took place in the darkest corner of a castle, the lowest level where screams could not be heard. And now, she was going to make two of his dear friends watch?! He was pulled to his feet as he stared at Morgana.

She spoke of having to make a statement to display her power to the people? "Does this make you feel powerful? Bringing a man to his knees and bullying two women?" That made her feel powerful?! That was not power! It was cowardice! "Resent me all you wish Morgana." For reasons still uknown to him. "But if you want to be queen, then heed my word. You will never win the people's allegiance like this. They will resent you as much as you resent my father." She became everything that she hated in Uther. A hypocrite in the extreme. "Have some self respect; some dignity! If you wish to torture me, have enough sense to do it out of their presence. You tell me that they already gave you allegiance, what more could you possibly want from them?" It was more of a rhetorical question, though he suspected Morgana would give him an answer regardless.

[Caitrin de Archer]

There weren’t many times in Caitrin’s life that she would admit to being scared, but this was one of them. She had already signed her loyalty to Morgana; she had already suffered that humiliation, so what more could Morgana want from her? Was this just to flaunt her loyalties in front of Arthur? She supposed so, but that didn’t make the prospect of it any easier. Her heart was thudding in her ears, and she looked up at Arthur as a nervous tremor ran through her back. Morgana had spoken of what she would do to Arthur when she captured him, but in her naivety Caitrin had never suspected that day would arrive. Morgana’s words didn’t even register with her at first, her eyes were just transfixed on Arthur, she wanted it to be anyone, just anyone who wasn’t him. Here was Camelot’s hopes of ever escaping Morgana, sat in front of her in his state of undress. Caitrin was almost in denial, it couldn’t end here, it just couldn’t.

Caitrin looked round as Yassia entered the hall, and her features softened almost instantly. Her friends relief was matched, and Caitrin, for a few moments, forgot their position. “Yassia? Jesu, are you alright?” She directed at her friend, though she looked alright, well compared to Arthur anyway. They both looked the picture of health compared to Arthur. Caitrin knew it was not so though, one could always look fine on the outside, but be utterly broken on the inside, as was the case with her. She couldn’t tell her friend she was fine, Yassia would know she was lying, so she gave a small, bleak smile and just looked at the floor. She was getting good at that after all, pretending that she was alright on the outside, but nothing was alright anymore, she doubted anything would be in the near future. She had thought that at least signing her loyalty to Morgana would mean she was safe, of course it wasn’t the case, her chains hadn’t even been removed yet.

She couldn’t look at Arthur as Morgana told him she had pledged her loyalty to her, rather than him. Bitter tears of regret pierced her eyes, and she bit her lip, trying not to fall apart, not here. Weakness wasn’t a thing Caitrin enjoyed showing, especially to a woman like Morgana, so for now she tried to hold it all in, and tried to stop everything from falling apart. “Arthur I’m so sorry.” She said in a small voice, but loud enough for him to hear her. She was sorry, he had been so good to her throughout the years, and he had been such a good friend to her. She shouldn’t have been so weak, she should have stood up to Morgana, she should have done something, anything other than what she had actually done.

Now Arthur had said it, she wondered if the fact she was Mercian would make any difference. After all, she knew one of the Mercian royals very well, and if he knew of her treatment here he would probably seek to intercede. Oliver was after all a close friend. She would never presume on his friendship of course, which was why she had not mentioned it of course. So she just stayed silently, seeing if Morgana would react to her status. Of course Yassia’s blood was more important than her own, and a Royal heir would always make more of an impact in such a speech, but perhaps then one of them would be saved.

As Morgana said that she and Yassia would bear witness to Arthur’s torture, her eyes widened and she went to stand up to protest, shouting, “Don’t touch him!” As she did. She had been less than a few moments on her feet before a guard had forced her back to her knees painfully. She didn’t wince that time, the fear on her face said everything it needed to, she couldn’t sit here and watch one of her closest friends be subjected to torture.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

It was certainly hard to wrap her head around, even though she had seen these scenes in front of her countless times before: in her nightmares. That must be the end of it all, yes? Arthur was in Morgana’s hands, all the hopes they had had of him returning and recapturing Camelot on his own were now ground to dust. Of course, he could still try, but the chances that he might succeed, tied up and simply… defenseless were now more than slim. It was nearly hopeless. All the pictures Yassia had always succeeded in forcing back now sneaked to the forefront of her mind, vivid, detailed pictures of the threats Morgana had sounded against her brother. Tied up… hanged, gutted, quartered… it didn’t seem so far off now, as he was already on the floor before her.

And then there was Caitrin. For a moment, life had returned into her eyes as she saw Yassia, and her concern for her friend had been genuine, Yassia knew that. But her smile had been stale, without the usual spirit that lit up Caitrin’s very being. The spirit Yassia had always admired. It seemed gone now, or at least dimmed beyond recognition. That shocked Yassia more than anything, more even than Arthur’s captivity. What on earth had Morgana done to her?! What had she found to blackmail the strong noblewoman so? For a moment a cold fist seemed to reach for her heart, squeezing it tight. Where was Griff? Had Morgana in any way laid hands on him? She really needed to ask Cait, but then maybe Caitrin had managed to keep Griff’s existence a secret from the evil queen? They may have had an argument, but she knew Caitrin still cared about him dearly. She could not risk to destroy that with a thoughtless remark!
“I am fine, Cait, don’t you worry!” she promised her friend and tried a reassuring smile. And she WAS fine, really. She might be one of those in the best condition outward an inward in this room.

With a mix of desperation and pride, Yassia listened first to what Morgana claimed of Caitrin’s betrayal, and then to Arthur’s monishing words. YES, you show her! She thought and fought hard to suppress a grin. It was a relief to know Arthur was not broken yet. Even without his clothes and in chains, he still held himself with more dignity than Morgana ever would. He was a true prince, destined to be king.
“You should always remember Arthur”, she felt the need to point out as Caitrin didn’t seem to be in the right state to do so, “a pledge of allegiance made under duress doesn’t mean anything. Caitrin’s still loyal to you!” Maybe this wasn’t lost yet. If they all stuck together, Morgana had nothing against them!

But her confidence was washed away at once, when Morgana now brought her threats to life. All her previous remarks, made to instill fear, suddenly seemed so very real. Yassia had no doubt that Morgana would let deeds follow her words. She seemed entirely without scruples. Her eyes grew wide and she felt her heart missing a beat. Would it happen, like now?! Would they start to drag them somewhere and then they would have to… her stomach twisted and nearly turned itself upside down at the prospect.
Her own protest came only a second later than Caitrin’s, and it was as fierce. “How dare you, you can’t do this!” This could only be another nightmare. Had she escaped from her uncle’s grasp only to witness another kingdom sinking into chaos? Why wouldn’t the stars do anything?! This could not be Arthur’s true fate, there had to be some big mistake! “This is even below YOU, Morgana. Come to your senses!” Like a rabbit before a snake, Yassia’s gaze was fixed on the man that now entered. There had to be something she and Caitrin could do to prevent this! They simply had to!

[mpend]

The Queen had not expected Arthur to bow before her for long. So when he countered her, and began to talk back, she barely flinched, but gave a small smile, as though she did not care for him, or his words. "I know who it is I hold, Arthur," she spat. "It is because of whom they are that they were chosen. Of course, they are not just a Princess and a Noblewoman, are they, Arthur? They are two women, one of whom was once very close to you." She smiled again. "There are reasons for my plans, Arthur."

His next words had her to her feet once again and she stalked toward him. "It is not their capture and holding here that is power, Arthur!" she hissed. "It is knowing I have you at my feet. It is knowing that through you I can control Camelot, and your father. It is knowing that finally, finally I no longer have to hide, and people like me no longer have to hide!" The Queen narrowed her eyes. "But you would not understand such a thing, for you have never had to hide nor pretend. You have been able to be yourself throughout your whole life!" She stopped in her tracks, and glared at him. "And believe me, Arthur, when I say that torturing you will be the least of my pleasures this day. Although it will be high, very high, on my list. And you will soon see what I want from these women."

She ignored Caitrin as the girl shouted out for her to not touch the Prince, for of course what she actually intended for him was much, much worse. As the two women would soon see. It was only when the other girl, Yassia, spoke, that Morgana turned to face her, a scowl on her face. "Do not speak in the presence of Royals, Yassia! You know nothing, and you should remember that!" She stalked forward, hitting the lady hard around the face. "Learn to respect your betters, or die where you stand," she spat coolly, before turning to the guards. "hold them fast," she commanded. "They must witness this."

Turning away and moving back to the Throne, Morgana sat down, narrowing her eyes at Arthur even as the man paid to torture the Prince came forward. "You see before you a proud man, my friend," she spoke to the torturer. "We must break him. At all costs, you must break him." She watched with satisfaction as the man nodded, bowed to her, then turned to Arthur, taking from his belt a long, cruel whip.

"Prepare yourself, Arthur," Commanded the brunette, staring down at her brother as the man unleashed his strength, bringing the whip down on the Prince's back in a rain of long, hard strokes.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur listened to Caitrin's apology and protest, and then Yassia's defense and protest as well. They were unneeded. For he was not angry at either of them, nor did he want to see them harmed at his expense. Whatever game Morgana was playing at right now, she was doing so with nothing but cruel vengeance in mind. For non of this suited any purpose. "You need not apologize Caitrin," he said in a low voice, and then slightly turned his head to Yassia. "And you need not defend her actions." Because he was not angry nor hurt that she had sworn allegiance to another. He feared to think what methods of persuasion Morgana used to gain such false loyalty. "I apologize. To both of you. For my failures that has led you to this position." Not just standing before a tyrannical self appointed queen, but also anything from before. Anything that she said or threatened them with. He wished he could apologize to all the people of Camelot. To his father. To the knights. To everyone. Yet he wasn't even sure if he would live long enough to see any others.

So all he could do was express his sincere apologize to these two women, who were being punished just because Arthur considered them dear friends. He slowly raised his gaze back to Morgana, as he listened to her words, preparing to respond to them. "You are a coward Morgana," he stated bluntly. As if it was indisputable fact. "You hide behind innocent civilians and threaten them when you do not get your way. This is not an act of power. Nor is bringing a man to his knees." He knew that there was no getting through to her. He knew that no matter what he said, her heart and soul was so corrupted that she would not consider mercy nor lenience. He said this not to save himself, but to save Camelot. The future of the kingdom. "I have never been more ashamed to call someone my family." She had been a sister of heart for so long and now, he was ashamed to admit that he shared blood with her. He was ashamed to call her a Pendragon. She spoke of the difficulty she faced in having to hide and pretend she was someone else. "When did I ever treat you as anything less than my sister," he demanded to know, hurt that she had thought so little of their relationship.

How many times had he defied his father for her? How many times had he risked his life for her? How many times had he told her loved her and trusted her? What had happened to her that made her doubt their entire life together?! All this resentment just because she could not be honest with him? Who's fault was that? Had she really thought that he would have betrayed her if she told him she had magic? He had not realized until her reveal how little faith she held in him. Making all her words in the past meaningless. And that pained him more than any sort of torture or violence she could inflict on him. She heard the man tell him to hold him and Arthur was forced in place. He looked at her with pity, rather than defeat or fear or any semblance of submission. He braced himself taking a deep breath and feeling the instant surge of pain that coursed through his entire body upon the first strike. He did not cry out though. He refused to give her that satisfaction. With each strike on him, he felt his breath growing heavier and heavier, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he felt the sting of tears. He was biting his cheek so hard to stop from making any cry of pain, that he could taste blood in his mouth.

Each lash caused him to cringe with immense pain as he felt the scars of the whip slicing open his skin. And yet the only thing that he could think of, was how others were being forced to witness this. He had to let his mind enter a trance, trying to detach himself from the pain as he just bit the inner wall of his cheek harder, and felt his knees weaken under the sting of the man's whip. The man paused for a moment, as if awaiting further instructions from Morgana, or an in dictation to continue. Arthur took his opportunity to catch his breath. To calm his heaving chest though it felt impossible to do so. He slowly opened his eyes, as they were moist with unfallen tears of pain. Looking directly at Morgana he held that same strength even if he physically looked weak. "You. Will. Not. Break. Me." His voice was hoarse, a harsh whisper as he could barley talk under all the pains he had inflicted upon him. Though he knew his words were audible enough to her. And he wanted her to know right now, that she had no control over him. Physically, she could do whatever she wanted to him. But she had no control or power over his heart and soul. And that was why she would never truly win.

[Caitrin de Archer]

Though Arthur had told her that she need not apologise, the guilt she felt from signing the treaty Morgana had presented her with still burned up within her. She had thought she was doing the right thing at the time, she had wanted to protect her friends through her loyalty, but it had been part of Morgana’s empty promises. All of her words had been empty and hollow, and Caitrin had been naïve, and weak enough to believe them. “You are the one who need not apologise.” She looked up at her friend, sniffing back the tears at her glossy eyes. How could she ever be angry with him for such things, she knew he had not meant for any of this to happen. If she and Yassia had not defied Morgana’s rule from the off then they would not be in this situation. Arthur didn’t have himself to blame for that. Caitrin had owed him her loyalty, as a close friend, and she had thrown it away after a few days in the dungeon because she had been too weak to continue. If anyone should be apologising, it should be her; over and over again for what she had done.

For a few moments, as Arthur spoke to Morgana, Caitrin found her eyes looking back at Yassia; her dear friend. She had been strong enough not to break yet, she could see it in her friends eyes. She had not signed any such document which Caitrin had been forced to sign. Yassia was so much stronger than Caitrin in many ways, though if they were to converse about it, the woman would insist quite the opposite. Caitrin couldn’t smile again at her friend, she didn’t have the will to do anything but nod at her, to let her know she was alright, and that everything was going to be alright. It would have been easier to try and convince Yassia of those things if Caitrin truly believed them as well.

Caitrin tried to look away as the man stepped forward and started lashing at Arthur’s back. The guard who had forced her to kneel before the new Queen held her face in place, so she was forced to watch. She winced with every stroke that Arthur was dealt and found tears lining her eyes. She couldn’t watch this for much longer; she couldn’t witness one of her friends undergoing such torture. She felt rather faint, and her stomach began to feel queasy. How could anyone subject another human being to such torment, and force others to watch. The man had released her face, but she still found herself just staring on at her friend, but not wanting to at the same time. She just felt useless, she was just sitting here in her own guilt and emotions and hoping for the best. That was what she always did, she always just ran away from her emotions, or supressed them so she didn’t have to consider them. This was completely different though. There was no mistaking that she was distressed by what she was witnessing.

Even as Arthur spoke, Caitrin felt like all hope was wavering from the hall. Though she knew Arthur would never break, or at least he would try every last resort before he did. Caitrin didn’t want her friend to reach that point, he was important to those who still defied Morgana; he was still hope even in this state to so many people; her included. She couldn’t just sit here and watch that hope dwindle away into nothing. She stood up again, but this time with more force and with a feistier step. The guard tried to roughly throw her down again but she shook him off for a few moments. He still had his hand on her shoulder, but he wasn’t trying to push her down again. He just held her, making sure she didn’t run off to try and harm the Queen. “Please, leave him be.” She didn’t care she was begging, she didn’t care she’d been reduced to this level, she just wanted Arthur to be safe, “Please, let me take his place.” The words were raw in her mouth, but what else did she have to offer Morgana? The woman already had a signed document of her loyalty, there wasn’t much else Caitrin had to bargain with, “Do what you want to me, just leave him alone.” She was shaking she was that nervous, but for the first time in days she felt like she had a fraction of courage burning up within her, and she wasn’t about to let that dwindle away into nothing. She would fan these flames, and try and help her friends, no matter what cost she paid.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Even though Yassia should have probably expected some kind of repercussion for her boldness, the slap she was given took her completely by surprise. It was simply too out of question for her to be laid hand on in such a way. The only other person that had struck her in her whole life had been Vortigern. Vortigern and Morgana, oh what a lovely pair they would make, Yassia thought numbly, as the impact of the strike made her topple to the side. If not for the brutish hands of the guard holding her and dragging her back into a the kneeling position, she would have landed on the floor. For a moment, Morgana had surely achieved her goal, as Yassia was not saying another word, but was glaring daggers at the wannabe queen. In the presence of royalty, indeed! SHE was more of royal blood than Morgana ever would be, and she would not bow to her!
Yassia knew very well that her continuous rejection of Morgana’s threats and other means to sway her was not born so much out of mental strength than more of stubbornness. It was a dangerous trait to have, and yet it had gotten her very far until now. The streak of good luck that had followed her seemed to be at an end though, as there seemed to be nowhere to move forward from this point. She would have to watch Arthur being tortured, and only a miracle could save them all. Stubborness could only get you so far after all. There was nothing worse than feeling helpless, and her wrists already started to burn as she chafed them raw in her futile attempts to wriggle free of her bonds. But she kept on trying, stubborn as a mule. Doing anything at all, however futile,seemed so much better than doing nothing.

She could only admire Arthur’s strength. Even though all seemed lost he had lost nothing of his dignity, and he also didn’t even so much as moan when the first whip lashes came.
Morgana knew very well what she was doing, as having to watch this was as bad as receiving these strokes for yourself. Yassia’s head was kept in place so she could not turn it away, but even if she had been able to, she would not have. Wincing with every crack of the whip as if it was striking her own body, she bit her lip until she tasted blood, while her eyes filled with unbidden tears. Sweet stars… give him strength… she prayed with all her might. It is not his destiny to be treated like this, it is not our destiny to end like this… do something! If you ever needed to do something, do it now! I forgo all my wishes for you for all time to come, let them be moot and ground to dust… just, help him!

And just when she thought she couldn’t bear it any longer, she heard Caitrin’s voice pierce the horrible silence. Caitrin, sweet passionate Caitrin seemed to have awoken from whatever state she had been in, and offered herself in his place. This was too much. Yassia knew she would not be able to bear this sight. She admired Arthur, and she would have given her life for him if that would change anything, but Caitrin… Caitrin was like a sister to her soul. This could not happen.
”NO!” her voice quivered with desperation and yet she had never voiced anything with more conviction. “Caitrin, don’t do this! Not you as well, please!” She turned her face to Morgana while tears now ran down her cheeks. “What does it take for you to stop this madness? What do you want?”

[mpend]

To hear Arthur proclaim that she would not break him, with such strength in his voice even as the whip lashed upon his back made Morgana furious. Who was he to act so pompous?! Of royal blood maybe, but how could he be so arrogant when faced with such a trial as this?! No - she would break him at all costs. And then she would have him walk through Camelot, to show the peopple that even Arthur was not unbreakable. Lash upon lash fell upon the Prince's back, but still he did not beg for mercy. The brunette's lips pursed together; perhaps some different punishment was required? She had not expected him to stand so firmly against her - even in his pitiful position, he was being defiant. Defiant, proud and... well, the perfect Prince. Acknowledging such a fact was hard for her, but she had no other choice. For who else would endure so much for their people?

It was then that a dusting of chance came upon her, as Caitrin broke free from her guards, and pleaded for Morgana to unleash the whip upon her, instead of the blonde. The brunette's lips curled into an ugly smile; there! There it was, the way in which to break Arthur! For the foolish Pendragon cared nothing for his own health when there was much at risk - hadn't he proven that so many times before? - but for his friends and those he held dear, no risk was too great. The Queen chuckled softly, raising a hand to stop the torturer as he moved to lash Arthur again. "Why would you be so willing to take this... street rat's place?" She asked, referring of course to the Prince. "Why would you offer yourself?" She smirked, shrugging. "Very well. If that is your wish - guards!!" She called out, waiting for two to come forward.

It was the Princess's desperate denial of her friend's offer that paused Morgana, for the second time in those minutes they had been here. She turned to her, her eyes flickering between the three - Caitrin trembling where she stood, Arthur on the ground trying desperately to catch his breath... and this girl, this Yassia, asking what it was that Morgana wanted from them all. She raised an eyebrow, humming softly, thoughtfully. "You three are curious to me." she stated. "Arthur would give up his life for any of you, and despite the sins his father - my father - has commited, you would both protect him. But you, Yassia... to what do you owe the Pendragon? Why do you ask justice of me?" She asked, not sure if she expected an answer. "Or is it simply for the safety of your friend, Caitrin, that you ask such things?"

She moved toward the throne, resting a hand upon the head of it, watching the three still, her eyes flickering from one to the other. "There is a way that this can stop," she stated softly. "There is a way to end the pain - not only for Arthur, but for all of you, and for Camelot. If Arthur were to bow to me, and call me Queen, and sign his admittance, then all this would be over. No one else would have to endure pain or torment." The brunette's eyes fell upon Arthur. "I only wish for peace for these people, Arthur. The choice is yours."