Just a random little alternative to what could have happened in the firewood scene of The Castle of Fryien.

I don't own anything.

"What do you want merlin?" Morgana spat as she saw Merlin come around the corner.

"Arthur sent me to get firewood." He said simply, looking at her in a way he rarely looked at her. He felt anger.

She didn't say anything, but continued to gather the firewood. She focused hard on ignoring his presence.

"I don't know why anyone would want to do this." he said, coming off as nonchalant.

"Do what, Merlin?" She said innocently.

"Hurt their friends."

She looked up at him now.

"No, you just poison them." She said, trying not to raise her voice.

He lowered his head. He had been angry at her for doing this, but she was right.

"That was my mistake Morgana. I thought it was the only way. I should have tried harder to help you."

She laughed, but there was no joy in it.

"You think you can help me Merlin? You're even more naive than I thought."

He took a few steps forward, confident. The awkward boy was gone.

"Once upon a time, maybe. Not anymore. I may have given you the potion, but you were already poisoned."

She gave him a sly smile.

"I've always been this way Merlin. This is who I am, and I haven't realised it until now."

"I don't believe that." Merlin said, shaking his head.

"I don't much care what you believe Merlin." she said, focusing her attention back to picking up firewood.

"I watched you, you know." He said as she ignored him. He continued. "I watched you that day by your fathers grave. I saw you show Uther the mercy that so many wouldn't."

Her back was turned to Merlin now, her eyes wide open at the revelation her actions had been seen. She turned around, a false confidence marking her features.

"My my." she said. "Someone is quiet the spy."

"That's who you are Morgana. You were kind and brave and nobel. Maybe Uther deserves..." He stopped, banishing the thought from his head. "Not Arthur and Gwen. Gwen is your closest friend, and Arthur is..."

"Arthur is what?" she said, walking closer to him until only a metre or so seperated them.

He spoke now, only a whisper. "Arthur is your brother."

Her face whitened. "What... I don't know what you-"

"Stop. We both know the truth, don't we?"

She had let the servant boy fluster her. She hated that. She hated that so much.

"Then surely you understand why I must do this."

The look on her face had prompted him to feel sorry for her. He thought this had been about her taking the throne, but it was anger- anger she was denied the love of a family, something she had longed for her whole life. She had been a shameful secret instead of a loved daughter. He spoke up, more softly this time.

"I met my father last year. He hadn't known about me. Had he... had he chose willingly to ignore me..." It pained him to think about. He walked closer and extended an arm, but Morgana pulled hers away.

"Don't you dare feel sorry for me!" She said angrily, her eyes welling up. She turned around and walked away a few paces, staring up at the trees.

Merlin thought, looking at her while her back was turned.

"Uther has done some awful things. Awful things to good people. Even before you knew of your powers, you recognized how wrong it was. I always admired that about you."

She stood, her back still turned to him. She didn't say anything.

"Uther has persecuted those with magic for far too long. He has regarded the innocent as evil, because of a personal vendetta. And now..." he paused.

She turned her head slightly but didn't look at him.

"And now what?" she asked.

"And now you would seek to do the same. You would kill innocents to take down Uther."

A tear rolled down her face now, but she laughed. She turned around.

"And what would you know, Merlin?" Her voice was cold as ice. "You're only the servant boy. You know nothing of destiny."

He looked down, pondering how wrong she was.

"I know this isn't your destiny. I know you're better than this."

She turned around.

"How wrong you are."

Before Merlin could do anything, the witch grabbed a dagger from her belt and threw it directly at Merlin. He had no time to come up with a plan or jump out of it's path. All he could do was stop it. With a quickly raised hand and a flash of golden eyes, the dagger stopped it's journey in mid air, pointing still in front of him.

For a moment he dare not take his eyes off the weapon, afraid to meet hers. Eventually he did. Her eyes were wide. She looked shocked and almost saddened.

"Merlin." She said simply in disbelief. The dagger dropped to the ground.

"Morgana..." He said, shaking his head in uncertainty.

"You were right before. You really could have helped me, couldn't you?"

He didn't say anything.

"You could have told me what was happening to me. You could have let me know I wasn't alone..."

Her eyes were crying out know. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"If anyone had found out about me-"

"So you sacrificed me for yourself?" She asked.

He didn't say anything. He knew it was true.

"You're a hypocrite!" She yelled. "You condemn me, but you're no better. You look down on me now, but you offered me no hand. I sought someone who understood me, and I found her. It could have been you though, Merlin. You could have saved me."

"I can still save you Morgana." He pleaded.

"It's too late Merlin."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"You have a right to be angry with Uther. You see now that I can understand that better than most."

She remaided silent.

"You have a right to be angry with me. Everything you said is true. I regret that more than anything."

They looked at each other for another moment. She again declined to speak.

"But don't take it out on Arthur and Gwen. The two people that have nothing to do with what Uther has done. What I have done. The two people that love you no matter what."

She opened her mouth to speak, but they were interupted but a voice.

"Are you two finished? We could really use that firewood!" Arthur yelled from affair.

Morgana turned around to pick up the firewood she had dropped. She looked at Merlin.

"Pick that up for me, will you?" She said, looking at the dagger on the ground. She walked back, leaving Merlin standing there alone.