And now, the conclusion. :)

Morgana's feet were killing her. She'd stood there all afternoon while Arthur was in a council meeting. At first she thought it might be interesting to listen in, but she quickly realized that these men could make even the most interesting topics stale. Then it was a battle to stay awake, which she only just won. And now she was exhausted from doing nothing.

Arthur appeared to be getting into his stride though. He sat at his desk and started reading parchment scrolls laid there. He told Morgana to fold his laundry, put it away then get his dinner. Morgana stifled a yawn and made to comply.

After dinner, Arthur dismissed her but told her to come back in a couple hours to dress him for bed. Oh no, she thought, I have to undress him? She just nodded at the Prince and indicated she'd be back. Then she fled to Gaius's chambers again.

When she got there, she found Merlin and Gaius at the table. A towering stack of books sat next to them and they were reading through two more. "Well that answers that question," she commented.

Both men looked up at her then. "Have a seat," Merlin invited.

"I was actually hoping for dinner," she replied.

"Is it that time already?" Gaius mused.

"Yes," Morgana replied. Her stomach rumbled for emphasis.

"Good thing I have the makings of stew ready." Gaius stood and got to work on the fire. "You two keep searching."

"I hope we can find the spell before bedtime, otherwise I'll have to undress Arthur!"

"Oh, don't worry too much. He doesn't strip down all the way," Merlin commented.

"Good. Let's get to work."

Merlin and Morgana pulled books toward them and began reading again. They had no luck before dinner was ready. As they ate, they discussed Morgana's day. Merlin told her it had been fairly typical.

Soon Gaius had to leave for his nightly rounds. He left Merlin and Morgana there, researching. After several minutes though, Merlin slammed his book shut. "This is so frustrating!"

"Merlin?"

"I've been sitting here all day with nothing to show for it."

"So let's take a break." She got up and slipped around the table to sit next to Merlin. She took his hands in hers. "I'm sorry you've been stuck here all day. That must be even more frustrating than spending all day with Arthur."

"I don't know why this is bothering me so much." It sort of felt weird to feel his hands holding his hands. But knowing it was just Morgana made him feel a little better. Her presence used to cause quite a different action in him, but now that he wasn't in his body, things felt different. Kind of.

"Maybe my 'girlness' is getting to you."

"Maybe." He put a hand on her face. His face. "You've had to put up with quite a bit yourself."

"Yeah, I see why you complain about him so much." She smiled. "Thanks for being so understanding about all of this."

"One of the advantages of living with the physician is he can educate you about female anatomy when you need to know certain things."

She blushed. "No fair, I've had to, um, figure out all that on my own."

He flushed then, his hand falling from her face. "Well, I guess we don't have any secrets between us anymore."

"Nope. Especially since I've felt your magic. Why didn't you tell me before?"

He looked surprised. "I'm so sorry. I've been warned all my life to keep it a secret. It's a hard habit to break."

"I forgive you." She cleared he throat. "You seem to have better control than I do. Will you help me learn to control it?"

"Morgana, that's a dangerous idea."

She bowed her head. "I know, but I've got to learn something before I start another fire or something."

"Okay, okay. After we get out of this mess I'll look through my magic book for ideas . . . oh, I really am an idiot."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because not once have I looked in my magic book for a solution to this! Argh!" He got up and hurried back to his room where he knelt by the bed and pulled up the loose floorboard. He pulled his book from the hidden space then slid the floorboard back and walked to Morgana. After he sat again, he put the book on the table and began leafing through it with magic. When he got to it, he slammed his hand down on the page and said, "There it is!"

Morgana moved his hand and read the page. "It looks like we have to make a potion, brew it for twelve hours then chant this spell and drink it."

She pointed at the page and Merlin read the words written there. "'Change back the minds of those who have been confused.'"

"You can read that?"

"I've sort of been forced to learn, what with saving Arthur's life every other week."

"I knew he had someone watching over him!"

"Thankless job that it is."

"One day, Merlin, he'll thank you."

"I know. That's what keeps me going."

"So we found the way—this is great!" Morgana threw her arms around Merlin.

At that moment, the door opened and Gwen stepped inside. She stopped short when she saw the scene in front of her. "Merlin! What on earth?"

"Oh, Gwen," Morgana replied. "I was just . . ."

"He was just comforting me after I told him about my bad dream last night," Merlin added.

"Aw, Merlin, you're so sweet," Gwen said. She stepped down into the room and said, "I've come to fetch you for bed, Morgana. It's getting late."

"Oh," Merlin said. "Time flies and all that." He stood. "Goodnight, Merlin."

"Goodnight, my lady, Gwen. Sweet dreams."

"And to you. Be sure you tell Gaius about what we found."

"Of course."

And with that, Merlin and Gwen left the room. Morgana blew out a sigh then stood and started pacing. For the first time all day, she felt relaxed. They'd found the solution and would be themselves by midmorning. It would be a huge relief to be back in her own body, where thoughts about Merlin wouldn't be so awkward.

The hug she'd given him had been spontaneous, but the truth was her feelings for him had increased over the past year or so. He'd nearly given his life for Gwen's, for Arthur and for his home. He'd acted nobler than many of the actual nobles she knew. They had never faced a situation where their lives would be at risk, and if they had they'd run screaming in the other direction. She'd first admired him for that quality and now it had become something more.

Gaius came in a few minutes later and Merlin rushed up to him with relief. "Gaius! We found the solution! It's here in Merlin's magic book." She rushed over to the table to pick up the book and bring it over to the physician.

He just stood there gaping at her for a moment. "Merlin told you about his magic?"

"Not exactly. I know what it feels like, remember? I can feel it running through his body—it's stronger than mine."

"Oh. Indeed."

"Here." She handed the book over to him and he read the page over.

"It looks pretty straightforward. I have all the ingredients for the potion here. Do you feel up to helping me with it?"

"I guess so. I don't have anything else to do."

"What about readying Arthur for bed?"

She smacked her head. "I forgot!"

"Don't worry. It's only about that time now. As long as you show up soon he won't complain."

"Thanks, Gaius."

"I'll get started while you're gone."

Morgana hurried up the steps and out the door. Arthur was still working at his desk when she walked in, but when he saw her, he got up and stretched. She swallowed her nervousness and helped him disrobe. After he was dressed, she turned down the bed. He dismissed her and bid her goodnight. After she'd gotten the last of the candles, she left and went back to the lab.

By the time she got back, Gaius had laid out all the ingredients and gotten out his burner. He was just getting out his measuring tools when she walked in. The scene reminded her of the days she had had science lessons from Gaius. They were fond memories and she told him so as she walked over to stand next to him.

Gaius laughed a bit and they got to work. Every time he asked for an ingredient, she measured it and hand it over to him. He then double-checked the measurement and added it to his pot. Soon everything was steeping in the pot. Gaius gave it one last look and suggested they go to bed.

Morgana yawned and agreed. It had been a long day even without the stress of being in a different body. She went back to Merlin's room, closed the door and changed back into the sleep clothes she'd woken up in. Then she climbed into bed, rolled over and went to sleep.

o0O0o

While Morgana slept, Merlin didn't. He thought about the hug she had given him when Gwen walked in. He hadn't expected her to do something like that—she'd never touched him much before. It's not as if he hadn't wanted her to touch him, because he definitely had. He'd liked her since the first time he'd seen her at Camelot, watching from the window as Thomas Collins was executed. She'd made her disgust for such things known, and he admired her for it. Over the course of his first year there, she'd proven that her beauty wasn't only on the outside and that had only made his admiration grow.

And though he wouldn't have wished for the situation they were now in, it had given him an insight into Morgana that he probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise. He'd learned that it was just as difficult to be a woman as it was to be a man, maybe even more so.

With a sigh he rolled over again, trying to get comfortable in the too-soft bed. After a few more minutes, he was able to empty his mind and fall asleep.

o0O0o

Morgana woke to the sound of Gaius's voice calling her name. He reminded her that they still had a couple hours before the potion was ready and she had to go help Arthur. She got up and searched in the cupboard for a different tunic than she wore yesterday. There was a blue one so she took it out and shrugged it on. She then went out to breakfast with Gaius before leaving to head to the kitchen for Arthur's breakfast.

The Prince was still in bed when she got to his chambers. Morgana sighed and put her hands on her hips. How was she supposed to get him out of bed? How would Merlin do it? He hadn't given her any advice and she hadn't asked, which, now that she thought about it, was pretty stupid.

She finally decided that the room needed light so she opened all the drapes in the room. After she'd opened the ones next to Arthur's bed, the Prince groaned and rolled to face away from the window. It looked like she'd have to use some force to get him going, so she reached down to yank on his arm. He yanked it back and grumbled something incoherent at her.

This wouldn't do. She reached over him with both arms and put one on each of his shoulders. Then she pulled hard and managed to get his head over the edge of his bed while he yelled, "What the—?!"

Morgana peered down at him. "If you don't want to be dropped on your head, I suggest you get out of bed."

"Jeez, Merlin, you didn't have to do that," Arthur complained.

Okay, maybe that wasn't how Merlin got him up in the morning. Oh well. She turned and walked to Arthur's wardrobe where she chose a tunic and trousers for him. These she hung on the changing screen and turned to arrange breakfast on the table. Arthur got out of bed and crossed over to the changing screen. A few minutes later, he emerged, dressed for the day, and settled down to eat.

Morgana tidied a few things around the room before going over to stand in front of Arthur. He opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. "Do you think you can get through training by yourself this morning? I've promised Gaius I'd pick some herbs for him and it won't take very long."

Arthur mused over that for a minute before replying. "I suppose I can let you go. But make sure my lunch is on time today."

"Of course. Thank you, Arthur."

He waved her off. "Oh go on. I'll see you at lunchtime."

"See you later, Arthur." And with that, she left Arthur's chambers and headed to her own.

Once there, she knocked on the door and waited for Gwen to open it. "Merlin! Can I help you?"

"I have a message for Morgana, from Gaius," Morgana said.

Merlin must have heard her, because he came walking up to them. "You have a message from Gaius? What is it?"

"He has a new remedy for you and he'd like to know what you think of it," Morgana replied.

"Now?" Merlin asked.

"As soon as you can. No hurry, but it should be ready soon."

"Gwen, let's finish getting me ready for the day," Merlin said to Gwen, who nodded. To Morgana he said, "I'll be down soon. Bye, Merlin."

"My lady," Morgana said, bowing her head. She turned and left while the door closed behind her. She knew Merlin had gotten the message and would be down to Gaius's rooms as soon as he could.

She walked back to Gaius's and sat down to watch the physician stir the potion with a glass rod. "You can't be too careful with these types of potions," he commented.

"Merlin will be down soon," Morgana replied.

"Good. This will probably be ready by the time he gets here." He then directed Morgana to put away a few things and tidy the room in general. She didn't mind—it was a way to pass the time and it wasn't as if Merlin was here to it for Gaius.

After about thirty minutes, Merlin came through the door. "Finally," Morgana said.

Merlin gave her a mock glare. "It's not my fault you take so long to get ready in the morning."

"All right you two," Gaius interrupted, "let's get this over with. I want you both to practice the incantation before you say it over the potion. Here." He held the book out toward Merlin, who took it.

"Áwendaþ þӕt gebӕre þam hwán wӕre geondmengedon," Merlin tried. He said it over and over, especially the last word. When he got it to Gaius's satisfaction, he made sure Morgana had it.

When they both felt like they could say it fairly well, Gaius poured the potion into two silver cups. "Now, hold these with one hand and put your other over the top. Good. Now say the spell together, 1, 2, 3 . . ."

"Áwendaþ þӕt gebӕre þam hwán wӕre geondmengedon," the two younger magicians said together. The potion bubbled in the cup then turned a deep purple.

"Good," Gaius said. "Now drink."

Merlin and Morgana lifted their cups to their lips and drank. They grimaced at each other before their eyes rolled back into their heads. Gaius rushed over but he couldn't prevent them from falling backwards to the floor. They both shook a little before breathing deeply and stilling.

The book had mentioned the unconsciousness, but no one had thought to provide for it. Gaius felt the back of both their heads for bumps but found none. They may have headaches when they woke, but they wouldn't be concussed.

After about five minutes, Merlin woke. He opened his eyes to see Gaius kneeling beside him. "Did it work?" He heard in his own voice. "Yes it did, woohoo!" He punched the air and flinched at the pain in his head. "We fell, huh?"

Gaius nodded. "We forgot to account for that, but you two should be fine." Morgana stirred. Merlin sat up slowly and knelt next to Gaius and Morgana.

She looked up to see Gaius and Merlin next to her. "It worked!" She winced when she tried to sit up too quickly. Merlin helped her to slowly lay down again.

"Yeah, Morgana, we did it. We have our bodies back."

"What a relief!" Merlin's face fell a bit so she amended her words. "Not that I didn't like your body, it just wasn't mine."

Merlin grinned again. "I knew what you meant." He helped her sit then stand slowly. She wobbled a bit, so he kept his arm around her. "So now what Gaius?"

"Well, you both should probably rest for the remainder of the day, but you're both going to ignore that so I won't even suggest it. So please do try to go to bed early to get plenty of rest tonight. That was some powerful magic you both wrought and it's bound to have an effect on you physically."

"Yes, Gaius," Merlin and Morgana said together. They grinned then Merlin asked her, "Shall I walk you back to your chambers, my lady?"

She took his offered arm. "Why yes, Merlin, that would be lovely." Giggling, the two young people left the room, leaving Gaius to roll his eyes at their antics.

o0O0o

The next time Merlin and Morgana saw each other was at dinner with the King and Arthur. They didn't get a chance to talk there, so Merlin decided to visit Morgana after he'd helped Arthur for the night. He knocked on her door and waited for her to answer.

She opened the door, a smile lighting her face when her eyes found him. "Merlin! Come in." She widened the door opening so he could come through then shut it. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were feeling all right after earlier."

She sat down on her bed. "I feel fine, just a little more tired than normal."

"I know how that feels. We've both been through a lot, haven't we?" He walked over to sit down next to her.

"Yes." She took his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for putting up with all of this." She gestured around the room.

He squeezed back. "All part of the service, my lady."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek, but he turned his head at the last second and her kiss landed on his lips. She pulled back in shock and they stared at each other for a moment before he leaned down to press their lips together again.

Warmth flowed through her as she reached up to hold his face to hers. His hands found her waist and held there for a long, sweet moment until they broke apart. He rested his forehead on hers and said, "Wow."

"Yeah," she breathed. "I hadn't planned that, but I'm not sorry."

"Me either." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before coming together again. One of his hands traveled to her hair and threaded through it. They enjoy the sweetness of the other's lips for a very long moment before breaking apart again.

One of her hands took one of his and she held tightly to it. "So, what now?"

"Good question. Do we pursue this or not?"

"I'm willing to take the risk if you are."

He smiled. "I definitely am."

"Good." She yawned. "Oh goodness, we'd better get to bed." A panicked looked crossed his face. "Oh no, not that."

"Not that I wouldn't, but I don't think I'm ready . . ."

"Me either."

He grinned. "So do you want a quick control lesson?"

"Why not?"

"Right when you think you're losing it, take a deep breath and hold it for a count of ten. Then breathe out. You should be instantly calmer."

"Thank you, Merlin." They both stood.

He folded her into his arms and said, "Good night, Morgana."

She pulled back a little and leaned up to give him a quick kiss. "Good night, Merlin."

He slowly left the room, waving a final goodbye before closing the door. She watched him go then drifted to her bed where she fell dreamily back on it. She didn't know what lay in store for them, but she felt it would be wonderful. Now if she could only dream about that.

Thanks again for reading! More stories coming soon- I'd love to hear what you thought of this one. :)