Distorted Pictures (Morgana)

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

There was this nagging feeling in Yassia’s guts that something was afoot. Something highly unpleasant. Ever since Lady – Queen Morgana had taken up the crown of Camelot such unpleasant things occurred on a daily basis. Yassia didn’t belong in Camelot, it shouldn’t be her concern. But since Sir Kaye was her uncle, everything that was about the Knights of Camelot WAS her concern! Sir Kaye might be old and more an adviser than a real fighting knight, but he, too, had not returned home to his estate where she had been waiting for him. Where was he? Of course no one would tell her anything, not where he was now that the foreign soldiers had taken over the citadel, nor how he fared, if he even was still alive. The lot of a mere woman, she presumed. And then again, another woman had caused all this, where was the justice in that?!And now she had been summoned before the new queen, two grim guards with the crest of the new regime on their gambesons accompanying her. The tree… not the red dragon anymore. It was not right. She felt more like a prisoner than a guest all of a sudden. All this reminded her too strongly about the time after her father’s sudden death. When Guifré had acted like the crown was all for him, or his son. Outwardly, he had been showing kindness towards his grieving niece, but she had seen it in his eyes, he wanted her either gone or safely married off to Stépahne. Would Ailantha, now that she had been gone for almost a year, bear his coat of arms instead of the old king’s? Why had this all found a way of sneaking up on her again? It was a horrid distorted picture of her own life: Now a woman SAT on the throne, but it didn’t look like this would benefit Camelot in any way…

What did Morgana want with her? They had reached the throne room now, a familiar place for Yassia, where she had watched King Uther reside, framed by Arthur and Morgana many times. Now Morgana was sitting on the main throne, looking down at her nose at the approaching figure, her face a mask of regal arrogance. What had happened to the kind face Yassia had come to know? Now the contrast of the black lined eyes, her pale skin and the lurid red mouth made her look more like a puppet then a human being. One of the guards ushered her to kneel, and Yassia obliged after an irked glare. She didn’t like this. A few days ago, the two of them had been all but equals, Yassia maybe even a bit above her! Yassia was the daughter of a king, Morgana was only a ward… or not. The revellation that had shaken the court to the bone was still to new to grasp: Morgana was Uther’s daughter.

But for now, with being crowned queen, however injustly in Yassia’s eyes, Morgana had the upper hand and she had to play along. So she waited, inwardly fuming, for the new queen to speak.

---

Tag: MorganaTimeline: Between Coming of Arthur I and II
Time of Day: Afternoon

[mpend]

The resistance of so many people was not something Morgana had expected. In her heart she lamented the steps she was being forced to take of such utter cruelty, but what else could she do? How else could she show them that she was serious? How else could she obtain the people's loyalty? One hand gripped the left arm of the Throne as she sat upon it, and although Morgana's features were serene, her thougths were anything but. She waited quietly for the Lady to appear before her, and when eventually the doors opened to reveal Yassia, Morgana bestowed her with a small smile.

She did not miss the girl's irked glare toward one of her guards, but she ignored it, clearing her throat. "Yassia," she greeted. "I hope you are enjoying the first day of a bright new world for Camelot." The Queen smiled, a little bitterly. "The Knights of Camelot are under guard and imprisoned - Arthur has fled Camelot and Uther is locked in my cells. My reign is absolute. Will you swear allegance to me, Yassia? I will make it worth your while." She wasn't above bribing, oh no. And if she could get this girl on her side... Morgana pushed the thought aside, watching Yassia carefully for her response.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Kneeling on the ground before someone was certainly not what Yassia had been born to, and it reminded her painfully of an incident at the beginning of her journey, where she had thought it almost to end already. Prince Vortigern had humiliated and hurt her in every possible way, and while the wounds caused by him on her soul might have healed some time ago, they still had left some nasty scars. Kneeling now brought back all those horrible memories, and even worse: the fear, the helplessness. Morgana might not even have such bad intentions at all, but in Yassia’s eyes this was a bad start already. For her, not for Morgana of course. Morgana must feel so grand now indeed, taking Camelot, the impregnable citadel practically over night, leading an army of undead soldiers, at least that was what everyone said. To Yassia, the men who had brought her here seemed very alive. Alive enough to be quite brutish at least.
Bright nrw world for Camelot?! Yassia thought she could not believe her ears! Was Morgana mocking her? Where was her legitimation to take the throne from Uther? She might be his daughter by blood, but she could have simple waited for Uther to die, and then challenge Arthur openly, claiming her birth right. Why had she resorted to cruelty? Yes, Yassia might not have liked some things about Uther, particularly his brutal outlawing of magic, but that still didn’t give Morgana the right to act in such a way. She was getting down on his level, nay, even below him!
And yet… if one day Yassia returned to find her uncle Guifré having taken over the throne that belonged to her? What would she do? She would not stand back and let him rule with an iron fist, that was for sure. Hadn’t Morgana simply done what she thought was best? But then… were her intentions really that pure?

And now she talked of allegiance, and listed her deeds like she was proud of them. The Knights of Camelot imprisoned… did that apply to Kaye as well? Was he down there? With his rheumatic limbs that now more often than not prevented him from fighting? It wouldn’t do him any good being down there! Could she bear to side with such a wrong way of things? On the other hand… could she dare not to?
Looking Morgana in the eye to show she was not afraid, Yassia demanded: “Before we talk about anything concerning allegiance. Where is my uncle?! Where is Sir Kaye?! Is he down there in the dungeons?”
Half Yassia did hope he was, despite his old bones and his fragile health, because then he would at least be still alive.

[mpend]

Forcing people to swear loyalty to her was becoming toilsom for the Queen. She had in truth expected less resistance, but it seemed people were more faithful to Arthur and the King than she had previously realised. With a frown Morgana raised an eyebrow as the lady asked about her Uncle, a small smile coming to her lips. She had barely given the man a thought, though it seemed Yassia certianly had. This was good. This she could use to her advantage.

"Why should I tell you what you wish to know?" she asked in a silky-smooth voice. "Why should I, when you have not told me what I want to know? That is how the world works, Yassia. We each do things for the other - no one person does anything without gaining something in return. If you truly wish to know whether your Uncle is safe, or even alive, then you must give me something in return."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

As soon as the defiant words about her uncle left Yassia’s lips, she wished she had not voiced them at all. Would she never learn?! Hadn’t her previous experience with people like Morgana shown her enough that you should never show any weakness before the enemy? Because right now Morgana could be seen as nothing else in Yassia’s eye: an ill-meaning enemy, and she had the upper hand. The smile told he before even words were spoken that she had made a big mistake. She had offered Morgana the leverage she needed to get her to cower. Yassia knew she would never forgive herself if anything happened to Kaye. He was the only relative she had left from her mother’s side,the last link to her and her Camelotian roots. And he was also the only well-meaning relative she might have left. But then, Morgana didn’t know that. She only knew that she had an uncle and that she had asked about his whereabouts. Nothing about her special relationship to him. Maybe she could fool Morgana… make him seem less worthy of leverage in her eyes.

Unbidden, Yassia rose to her feet, tired of kneeling in front of someone she had no respect for. If Morgana wanted her to cower again, well she had means to make her, but Yassia would never bow her head before her voluntarily. That was giving her far too much credit. The self-proclaimed Queen was powerful and she was cunning, but Yassia was of royal blood as well and she had grown up at a court that could be the dearest viper’s nest at times. She knew how to stand her ground, and she had grown up to GIVE orders, not accept them.
”Even if you wanted it, Morgana, I could not pledge allegiance to you. I am no subject of Camelot. I am a guest, and as such I deserve to be honored, not threatened. Have you lost your good manners entirely in these last few days? Has power made you so weak?”

Yassia knew she was playing a dangerous game, but she could not stop herself. She was playing on a superiority she didn’t possess, but she needed to stand her ground. She had no idea how Morgana would react to her resistance, but she hoped it would not be too desastrous for those she held dear.
”So, if it is not allegiance you can have from me, what would you want anyway?” she asked, fixating Morgana with a dim light of interest in her eyes. If you played this game, you better knew about the cards in your adversaries hands…

[mpend]

The girl had a point. Morgana's lips turned into an annoyed frown, and she had to admit the girl had a point. But then... a thought came to the Queen, and she smirked. "But your Uncle is of Camalotean rule," she stated silkily. "You would be wise not to cross me, Yassia. You would be wiser still not to insult someone higher - even when she was not Queen - than you will ever be. You have much to lose, and I have nothing to lose." she shrugged. "You are right, you have the rights of a visitor of Camelot protecting you... but yet you easily switched your allegance to Uther during his rule. Can you not do the same for me?" Her voice turned serious. "I would make it worth your while, Yassia. I know you became friends with Arthur.... I wonder how you would feel to have the Prince hung, drawn and quartered?"

She raised an eyebrow at the lady's question, smirking. "You think it is going to be so easy, Yassia? I am no fool. I will not give you the answers you seek without the answers I ask of you. Do you truly want to be in this cell for another night, week, or even month?"

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Yassia could scarcely believe her ears. What was Morgana implying?! That a princess of Ailantha was of lesser worth than one of Camelot? The whole of Camelot hadn’t even known that Uther was her true father and not just her guardian, until she announced it and took the throne. She already felt her dangerous temper starting to simmer inside her, but she knew she could not let it out. Not this time.There was too much at stake. Not only her own life, that had been in peril by her loose tongue often enough, but now she was nor only speaking for herself. How cruel it was that she now seemed to have the fate of her uncle in her hands as well.
Taking a deep, calming breath, Yassia forced herself to count to three inwardly before she replied:
”You are toying with status, Morgana and rather badly if I may say so. I am like you the daughter of a king, though my kingdom is far from here. I am destined to be its new ruler, so one day I will be queen as well. You might lose this kingdom sooner than you expect.” Her tone had been forced calm, but her countenance was razor-blade thin.

And now Morgana was openly threatening Arthur, her own brother! Yassia suddenly felt quite sick at the mental images she was getting by Morgana’s vivid words. Hung, drawn and quartered?! Oh sweet stars no!
”You coulcn’t do that!” she sadly sounded far less sure than she wanted to come across. “Only traitors get this kind of punishment, and Camelot would not stand for such a ghastly thing being done to their prince. You would dig your own grave! Besides… don’t tell me I could possibly have Arthur’s fate in my hands. You would do as you see fit concerning him anyway!”

How she hated rhetorical questions! Of course Yassia had no desires to end up in a cell at all,and certainly not for days or weeks. She still had the hope Morgana’s reign wouldn’t last that long anywa,y but you never knew. Arthur was the stars knew where right now… even though she firmly held onto the belief that he was still alive.He simply had to be!
”Then ask a question if you want an answer!” she snapped rather exasperatedly. Only a few minutes in this room and she was already fighting for her last nerve.

[mpend]

Morgana's eyes narrowed at first the insult, and then the threat that followed it. "Do not think you can scare me, Yassia," she warned. "You may be a daughter of a King, but you are foolish - especially so if you think that insulting me will help your cause. I hold the reigns here, and you are at my mercy. Be careful what words you speak, and hold your tongue."

She laughed softly as Yassia pleaded Arthur's case, smirking a little. "He is no Prince now, for I am Queen," she stated firmly. "And he would be a traitor if he denied my rule. As I say, he has no need to fear if he swears allegance to me." She smiled a little. "And do not think yourself so worthless - you can do a great deal to ensure Arthur's safety. With your word to your allegance, you can then do me the honour of convincing my brother to do the same." Morgana shrugged lightly "Of course, this is all on the premises that he returns to Camelot."

"Hold your tongue unless you want to be rid of it," Morgana snapped. "You speak words of arrogance, young Princess. You would be wise not to."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Well, at least she had made the Ice Queen angry. That might a small and a stale victory, and a dangerous one as well, but Yassia couldn’t help the quick wave of satisfaction washing through her as she watched Morgana’s facial expression twitch and change. She was losing her touch at least a little bit, and had to realized not everyone would be eating out of her palm. A quick smirk crossed Yassia’s face as she thought that the new queen probably had thought this to be so much easier and was already sick of the continuous defiance. Yassia did not care so much about Uther, but she always cared about Arthur and would stay loyal to him. Morgana might be able to help her in her cause just as well as Uther would have had, but that did not mean Yassia would lean back and let things unfold, if she could help it.”I have been threatened before, by a man as vile and low as you are, and yet here I stand”, she replied, faking indifference.

She and ensure Arthur’s safety? What kind of crazy tale was that? Yassia highly doubted her influence on the young prince was that high, if anything.
”He would not listen to me, he listens to no one”, she shrugged. “Besides, as you say, WHEN he returns to Camelot, he might return not to talk, but to fight. I might have little time for a convincing chit-chat.” It was high hopes to envisiom Arthur returning with anything near a force able to recapture Camelot. Morgana truly had a few aces up her sleeve and a promising hand as well. Only a miracle could help Arthur now, once Morgana had established herself in Camelot like a spider in her net. But then Yassia had been in Camelot long enough to know that miracles DID happen. If anywhere, then it was here.

That didn’t help her in the slightest right now, however. Yassia knew Morgana’s threats might not be all that empty. She could be very well losing her tongue, if she carried on like this, and yet, it was so difficult to shut up when she was faced with such blatant injustice and folly.
She would have liked to say: ‘Once I don’t have a tongue I won’t be able to convince anyone’, but she stopped herself at the last minute. Morgana was like an angry lioness, you better not aggravated her too much. Instead, she relieved her anger by murmuring a few low insults in her mother tongue Morgana would not understand, then she looked up again.
”If you want my support, you would have to show me something that is worth of my support, Morgana.All I see here is threats and no promises you would keep given half the chance. I don’t desire much, it would be truly ‘queenly’ to grant it first.”

[mpend]

The brunette arched an eyebrow at the words Yassia dared to say, and laughed coldly at the bravado in the woman's voice. "I am no man," she stated simply. "You are playing a different game here, Yassia. I fear you are out of your depth." She smirked at the mention of her brother, rolling her eyes. "You are right in that he will probably not listen to you," she acknoweledged. "But you are wrong in that he will come. He is a coward. I have some of my men already looking out for him and those with him. They will all come to my justice in time, believe me. It would be wise for you, very wise, to be seen on the right side, Yassia, when that judgement comes."

Morgana's eyes narrowed as Yassia murmured things she did not understand, and she was just about to snap at the other girl when Yassia spoke, showing more brains than Morgana would have given her credit for. For a moment the Queen growled angrily, silently fuming as she stared at the woman, wanting nothing but to throttle her. Who on earth was she to ask such a thing of Morgana? But then, the brunette's eyes smiled, and her expression receeded into one of sweet innocence and calm. "What is it that you would ask of me, Yassia? What price would you ask me to pay?"

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Out of her depth?! Why couldn’t Yassia shake off the feeling that Morgana was right? This was truly annoying, but she might have a point there. Never before had Yassia been faced by a hostile female counterpart. Men might be more brutal in the physical way, but they were also slightly predictable. She had learnt to handle men with her own amount of female slyness and will to compromise. Women however knew the rules of this game too well, as it was their own. They might be called the weaker sex physically, but they knew how another woman would work. The element of surprise was definitely lost here. That didn’t mean though, Yassia was in any way willing to give up. Not yet. It might be check, but not check mate!”Different game maybe, but I still know how to play it!” she replied rather confidently. “You like to see yourself as the puppeteer, Morgana, but are you really? Maybe someone else is holding YOUR strings?”

Yassia could not, simply WOULD not believe that Morgana was right about Arthur. He was not as weak as she made him out to be! Arthur might be rash sometimes, but he had never been a coward. If anything, being to LITTLE of a coward might be his undoing. He might just try to win back Camelot single-handed, if that was what it took.
”Justice? That’s a big word you’re using there. Morgana”, Yassia spat to hide the worm of unease that started to coil inside her stomach. “Be careful you don’t choke on it. I’d like to judge for myself was the ‘right side’ is, and for now it doesn’t look like yours.”

But in one thing, Morgana was definitely right: If they were playing a game, there was a wager on both sides. Yassia might be brave when it came to her own person, but she knew she would never forgive herself if someone else was to suffer because of her. That was why she needed to get her uncle out of the picture. Once he was gone, she could hold more firmly against the new queen, or she could bide her time without having such an obvious collateral.
”I will be certainly more cooperative if I know my uncle is where he wants to be. On his estate, not in the dungeons”, she stated, knowing she was gambling high. But it needed to be done. “He’s an old man and the dungeons are cold and wet. Get him out of there, and I will show my gratitude.”

[mpend]

The woman's high spirit made the Queen smile. It was a pity Yassia was the way she was, otherwise Morgana would have greatly enjoyed a friendship with her. But still, sacrifices had to be made. She chuckled lightly. "Fate is my puppeteer, Yassia. I much prefer it to someone on this plane holding my strings, as I do yours now." As Yassia teased her, the Queen's eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, placing a firm hand against the woman's cheek. "Be careful, Yassia," she warned. "Be very, very careful. You are on a thin line. And should it break, not even the dogs of the streets will help you."

She was about to turn and leave the cells when the lady spoke again. Morgana paused, a smile coming to her lips that Yassia couldn't see thanks to the Queen being turned away from her. Quickly the smile was controlled, though, as Morgana turned to face the lady once more, her expression calm. "You care a great deal about your uncle," she stated. "And if you care so for his health, then you should come up with a better proposition."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

What would a woman like Morgana know about fate, really? Yassia and her people believed it was the stars that were guiding people’s ways and held their fates in their figurative hands, The stars never changed… only sometimes they did, and then you could make a wish for something to happen. Had Morgana taking over Camelot set the stars in motion? Would now really everything change? Or was it not meant to be? Nothing but an intermezzo? Sadly, Yassia hadn’t had the time to check the night sky for any falling stars yet. Though she surely liked to think this was NOT meant to be, and that Morgana’s luck was already waning.She didn’t need the stars though to know Morgana was right when she said Yassia needed to be careful now. She couldn’t even quite suppress a wince as she felt the woman’s cold hand against her cheek. There was much strength in her grip, strength and determination. Yassia felt safer with not saying anything at all for the moment.

Curse the stars indeed! Morgana had caught on quicker to the opportunities Yassia had presented her with, than Yassia had hoped for. She was putting her finger right on the sore spot! Demanding more! But what more could she give? What would be a better proposition in Morgana’s eyes? Damn her, she shouldn’t even have brought up the subject, it might be that one mistake she wouldn’t even be able to regret.
”Like what?” she asked, acting oblivious, but fearing the sharade would not hold for much longer. “Didn’t I say I would show my gratitude? What more would you want?”

[mpend]

The smile she showed Yassia was patronising at best, as she considered the best way to answer her question. "What more could I want....?" she mused, openly teasing the girl. "What could someone like you give to someone like me to secure your beloved Uncle's safety?"

Morgana chuckled, shrugging. "I shall think on it," she paused. "Meanwhile, you might like to know that I have a... I believe she is a friend of yours... a Caitrin? She is my guest here also. I thought it might please you to know she has also shared my company." she smirked. "She has shown herself to be the weakling I always believed her to be, of course." This wasn't exactly true; Caitrin had taken a lot of wearing down to get her to agree to anything at all, but Morgana was not about to tell Yassia that. With interest she watched the lady, wondering how she would react to such news, wondering whether it would make her more anxious.

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Teasing. If there was something Yassia could only take badly, then it was that. Especially in such circumstances. The gloating of those who thought they had won… seriously why couldn’t they just shut up?! She wanted to hurl into the woman’s sneering face: Alright, I get it! You have the upper hand for now, so STOP. GLOATING. I might be scum for you, but I know what I am worth.’But if she had learned anything since leaving Ailantha, it was when to shut her mouth, though that worked only sometimes truly succesfully. She usually couldn’t shut her mouth for long though, not when she was as agitated as she was now. It felt like she had one of those fire breathing mountains inside and if she didn’t give it a true outlet, she would just explode.
”Well, inform me when you have made up your mind”, she growled. “You might not know it, but there are people having other things to do.”


But every other thought was immediately wiped from her mind, when she heard Morgana speaking these dreaded words. She sounded them so casually, and yet Yassia knew there must be full calculation behind each and every single one of them. No doubt, Morgana knew exactly how and when to spill her poison.
“Caitrin?! Caitrin de Archer?!” she exclaimed, rising to her feet in her agitation. “What have you done to her?! Where is she?!” No, no that could not be. Caitrin was farthest away from a wealking as you could possibly get. In Yassia’s eyes she was a firm, forever unpertubed and lovingly stubborn rock. “Caitrin would never bow to you! Not in a thousand years!” she claimed defiantly, shooting figurative daggers at Morgana with her eyes.

[mpend]

An eyebrow raised on the otherwise calm features at the snap, and Morgana narrowed her eyes at Yassia. "You would do well not to irk me, my Lady." She stated, her voice calm. "There is more than just your fate at stake here. You may find yourself responsible for the fates of others if you continue down this path of distruction. I would place your words and thoughts carefully, and treat me with the respect we both know I deserve."

She chuckled at the panic that suddenly appeared on the girl's face at the mention of her friend, watching Yassia rise to her feet without fear, knowing the girl could do her no harm - after all, Morgana had the upper hand, and she would make sure it stayed that way for as long as she could. "Ah, I thought you might know that name." The Queen smiled, though it was not a smile of friendship but of victory. "Are you not friends? I would have thought you would know her better, but sadly it seems you do not! For less than a few weeks has passed, and yet she has become my ally! She has signed a treaty, with a willing heart." The Queen paused, enjoying the moment. "I have to admit, I was rather disappointed at her willingness to betray her friends. I am sure Arthur himself will be devistated when eventually I find him."

The brunette's eyes met with those of Yassia's, cold and calculating. "I would warn you to be cautious with your anger, for her fate, as well as yours, is in my hands. I think you would not like her a head shorter."

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Why was it that every outburst of hers was always followed by a threat? That seemed to become a well-used pattern in her life, and it didn’t help that it was mostly the threats that got her blood boiling again and again. Yassia had lost all hope long ago that she would ever be truly master of her quick emotions, but now it seemed like she just had been lacking the right incentive. Morgana with her recurrent threats to everything she held dear was on a good way to become her very successful teacher in this subject. If she ever learned to keep her temper at check, it would probably be now. Hopefully. Because Morgana was not one for altogether empty threats, and this time Yassia had to worry about more than just herself. This could become very nasty indeed. The problem was that Yassia also couldn’t quite be brought to believe that anything, even kissing the new queen’s feet, would really change her situation at all. That was the worst thing about being at someone’s mercy, and it made her cling to her pride.

“You make it very hard for me to trust this statement of yours”, she stated as calmly as she could. “No matter what I do, you could always hold my loved ones against me. And power-hungry people like you are hard to satisfy. Bowing once to you would make you only ask for a second time.”

It shocked Yassia dearly to hear of Caitrin’s would-be betrayal, and she still was reluctant to believe it. “Show me that treaty then!” she challenged Morgana, raising her chin defiantly. “And even if she signed it, I doubt it would have been with a WILLING heart. Did you threaten her like you threatened me? Or what else did you do to break her will?” Again the cold fist of fear reached for her heart and her guts alike. Where was Caitrin now? She was already so devastated after her big argument with Griff, a shadow of the spirited girl she once had been. It would be so much easier to break her in that state.

“Don’t you dare harm her!” it was still more a demand than a plea. “This is between me and you, so let’s keep it that way! I have told you before that I can’t pledge allegiance to you as I am not your subject. What else do you want from me then?”

[mpend]

Damn! This woman was tougher than any prisoner yet. And smarter, too, by the sounds of it. Morgana schooled her features into a smile - though some might call it a smirk - and nodded. "You are well versed in politics, Yassia," she complimented. "You are right, of course. No matter the promises you make, there is a possibility I could hurt those you care for. But you are mistaken in my needs. I am not power hungry, but I yearn for this kingdom to know that I am a stronger ruler than those before me." She shrugged a little. "It is no large thing to ask, I think."

"It is not your privalage to see such a thing!" Morgana's mind worked quickly and she stepped forward, then stopped; to strike this woman would only prove that Yassia had some power over her. She was not threatened by a simple remark! She would not allow this girl to see how much she had irked her! She was stronger than that. "Whether she signed it willingly or not is no concern of yours! She has signed it and I hold her to my pleasure."

"You are no subject of mine but you are within the walls of my Castle! YOU WILL pledge yourself against Arthur and for me, or more will suffer. Do you not understand, foolish girl?" Oh, she was royally riled now. Morgana's words broke through before she could stop herself, and she almost regretted them once she'd said them. "Perhaps you wish to see Arthur begging before me. Perhaps you are no true friend of Camelot, and your decline to accept me is simply your way of saying that you do not care for the rule of Camelot as a whole?" Morgana forced a breath, before she lost her nerves completely. "If you wish to see Arthur before me, begging for mercy, then you shall have your wish."

[Note: Congrats on being the first character to manage to rile Morgana up!!!]

[Yassia Dyfrène de Ailantha]

Why was it a compliment by Morgana sounded more like an insult? It might be the tone she used, but somehiw Yassia didn’t feel too smug about having outwitted the wannabe queen for now. She claimed not to be powerhungry, or that was a laugh indeed! Since when did strength have to be established by fear and threats?”Only the weak need to resort to violence to appear strong!” she scoffed, shrugging as if she hadn’t expected anything less coming from Morgana. “Those who are really strong know that respect is not acquired through fear. THAT is why they are respected. Because they respect others. I have yet to find this vital quality in you.”
The way she was talking to Morgana had something of the air an elder sister would show towards the younger one, even though Yassia wasn’t even sure who was the elder one of them. Good-natured, yet patronising. It was risky, but the calmer one in a conversation was always the winner, and Morgana was getting more riled up by the second.

The quick step she took forward and the following hesitation just further proved Yassia right. She had fought against the instinctive wince that followed the near-slap at least halfway succesfully, and now felt a little more smug. She was starting to get the upper hand on this conversation, and that was something not to be underestimated in her current circumstances. How long it would last though, was an entirely different matter.
”A paper signed under duress is not worth the parchment it is made of!” she pointed out, her eyes gleaming. “And I am sure Caitrin very well knows that as well. We’ll just bide our time, you won’t stay on this throne for long.”
That was the plan of course. By now Yassia had made it too clear that she would not side with Morgana willingly, so she could only hope her reign wouldn’t last long. For if it did, Yassia knew she would have to leave Camelot unaccomplished. That would be bitter indeed, and yet better than getting help from such a person as Morgana.

There they did go again. Threats. This time not for her wellbeing, but for that of others. In a way that was far worse, and much more complicated to shrug off.
”I can hardly believe my word of allegiance is so important to you, so that you risk the wellbeing of your hostages”, she brought out between clenched teeth, forcing herself to stay calm when all she wanted to do was leaping at Morgana, trying to engage her in a very unladylike punchfight. She had reached that stage of not caring. The mentioning of Arthur being tortured brought a heap of most unwelcome pictures to the forfront of her mind, and she couldn’t suppress a shiver. The body language clearly gave away her unease, even though her words were fake confident. “For that you’d have to capture him first, and I doubt that will happen. He’ll rather catch YOU by surprise!”

[mpend]

The Queen laughed softly at Yassia's obvious attempt to anger her with her foolish and contradictory words, rolling her eyes as though the words themselvs meant nothing to her. "You know nothing of how a Queen must act," she taunted softly. "I would keep your mouth closed, Yassia, or I may have chance to cut it out! And then where would you be?"

She smirked as the woman spoke of the paper she had made Caitrin sign, and rolled her eyes. It was becoming obvious that Yassia knew nothing of how the Prince, Arthur, thought or acted. Perhaps it was time Morgana made things clearer to her! Perhaps it was time she made things clearer to both of them. But for now.... she pasted a smile on her features, a patronising and pitying smile. "You know nothing of Arthur. I have grown up with him, and I know how he thinks. To see Caitrin has signed such a paper will break his will. They once were firm friends. It matters not whether Caitrin made it under duress or in her own will. She made it, and now she will hold to it." She smirked. "You will both see Arthur bow down before me, and pronounce me as Queen."

Stalking forward, Morgana grabbed Yassia by the cloth of the woman's dress, glaring into her eyes. "You know nothing of my plans," she hissed in her face. "If i were you, I would speak carefully to your Queen. For she may yet decide to grant peace to you and yours. I only ask for what is rightfully mine; what Arthur threatens to take without promise." She let go of the woman, returning to stand near the door. "Perhaps sometime in the darkness will have you changing your mind,"

NRP: I am SO SORRY this has taken me so long to respond to!!!!