Morgana slipped with ease from light trance into deep. Her breath and functions so slight that to anyone observing, she would appear dead. And thus her body became so light a weight upon her spirit that she stepped out of it as one might a dress….Chapter 33: The Queen's Time

"As were many good people, but you're one of us, and you don't belong in this foul cell. Agree to serve me loyally, and I shall teach you to use your magic so you need never fear again."

For a moment she considered pulling her invisible knife and plunging it into the other woman's throat. She could do it before anyone could stop her, but then all of Camelot would be at the mercy of the foreigners.

"I swear, your majesty," she said thinking of her friends Sarah, Rolfe, and Gwen. Nobles never paid attention to servants. She doubted it would ever occur to Morgana that Janet might have reason to bear her a grudge.…Chapter 33: The Queen's Time

The room was dark, completely dark. She felt Kitty's warm weight settled in the crook of her knee and then the sound of a muffled sob. It took a moment to realize that it was Gerry in bed beside her- crying?

Another sob and Haf didn't say anything. She just rolled over and put her arms around her brother pressing his long lean frame against her own. At first he cried harder, but after a time he stopped and clutched at one of her hands.

"I'm glad you're here,sis," he said, voice a hoarse whisper.…Chapter 33: The Queen's Time

It was impossible really to look for a campsite in the dark. The waning moon was less than half full now, its light did not penetrate the forest and her little lantern only gave her a view of a few feet. What if she accidentally selected a game trail or some such? What if she fell and broke her neck?

"Guinevere." A woman's voice called to her from the darkness, "You don't know me, but I want to help you."

She looked in the speaker's direction.

"They're wrong, you know. I mean, to turn you out like this. If the King had wanted you dead he'd have ordered your execution and he didn't. So who are we to turn death into exile?"

A dark-haired woman came into view and Gwen stared in surprise.

"You-"

She recognized the woman that had called her names and slammed the door in her face.

"-I'm sorry. My name is Tilda and I have my own reputation to consider."...Chapter 2: On The Road

The Exile

-Part II: Guinevere Called Jenafere-

Chapter 36: The Road to Castle Gogwyn

Morgana

Morgana stared up at Janet.

"Where did you come from?"

"I came because I heard you scream, your majesty."

"You recalled me?"

"Yes, I was too young to begin any serious study, but I attended my father and brother at times."

"Oh," Morgana said thoughtfully.

For a moment she saw -not her room- but the hall at Gogwyn castle, crowded with flickering shades. The spirit of a blonde woman she'd never seen before, twisted distorted as if all of her bones had been broken and then she'd felt that pain in her own flesh. Morgana hugged herself.

"Your majesty, here," the maid put a glass of watered wine in her hand.

"I've ordered a tray from the kitchens for you. My father always wanted to eat after he walked."

"I see, thank you," Morgana said.

She sipped the watered wine and took a moment to look around. Helios and Agravaine both hovered, uncertain along with the rest of her guard.

"Leave me; only Janet may remain."

The two men shared an uncertain glance, but bowed and left.

"I have been too often in the company of men. It is good to have one of my own sex about me."

"Yes," Janet smiled and for a moment Morgana thought she saw something flash in the other woman's eyes.

There was a knock just then and the maid hurried to the door. Morgana considered the thousands that must now be at Castle Gogwyn.

"We give to you what is yours-" and then the phantom pain like all of her bones breaking at once, her guts being split open.

The wine glass slipped out of her hand and she cried out at the memory.

"Your majesty," Janet hurried across the room, setting the tray on the little table and crouched in front of her.

"You're here, your majesty. It is only a memory, a phantom."

"A phantom?" She nodded. "You're right, spirits with no power in this world."

"Yes, majesty, spirits- shades- are powerless, unless you give power to them," Janet smiled. "Here is your tray."

Morgana looked at the tray, nuts and dried fruit. She frowned.

"I know it looks like simple peasant stuff, but Father always said this was the best after a great work of magic. Easy on the stomach and restorative."

Morgana nodded after a moment.

"Very well."

"How about I order you a bath, your majesty. I think that will help you feel more yourself."

"Mhmmm, yes, I think you're right." Morgana bit into one of the dried apricots. It was tough, but its sweetness spread over her tongue in a delightful coating that brought a smile to her lips. She ate another along with a few of the shelled nuts that Janet had presented.

Chewing, the taste of the food, helped her to focus. Morgause had coached her to this.

"When you return to yourself, keep your mind on simple things. Food, warm clothes, a bath if you like. If you need to go and stand barefoot on the solid earth."

Janet, it seemed, understood these things as well.

"They'll bring your bath shortly, your majesty." Janet returned with those words.

" Thank you."

"You've eaten most of your food." The other woman smiled.

Morgana looked at the near empty bowls.

"I suppose I have. Thank you for that as well."

"You're welcome, your majesty."

"Were you successful, Majesty? Did you find what you were looking for?"

In that moment, the blonde woman broke, her bones snapping before Morgana's eyes, and some unexpected force slammed her into the ground, and she shared the agony of snapping bones. Morgana screamed, as that same force compelled her to lift her head with her broken neck and see a man, a guardsman of Camelot. He was young, handsome. His stomach split before her eyes, and his guts spilled forth a foul, stinking mess. Morgana screamed again as the burning fire of a knife sliced through her gullet spilling her guts foul and stinking through her hands.

Battered with the agony of two deaths, Morgana curled onto her side, tears pouring down her face as the wails of a thousand agonized spirits battered her. Lightning and thunder fell in the world of both the living and the dead.

She took a deep breath.

"Yes, yes I did."

The footmen arrived with her wide wooden tub and departed for water. Janet ordered her a more substantial tray.

It didn't take long to fill the bath, and once she was settled in hot water up to her neck, Morgana dismissed even Janet. She wanted this time to herself.

Hafreen

For the next few nights, at Gerry's suggestion, Haf continued to sleep in his room. Though she had come away from the confrontation with Leofren unscathed, Haf did not want to consider what would happen if he slipped into her room during the dark of night.

There was also some change in Gerry. Her brother had grown surly and distracted since Morgana made herself queen. Just as suddenly as it had gone, her brother's sunny disposition resurfaced.

He suddenly seemed as intent on avoiding the soldiers as he had been in befriending them. However his time with Morgana's men had not been without benefit. He'd learned the times of the shift changes and even a few holes in the security.

For the first time since the invasion, Gerry and Haf were able to escape the city walls. Freed from their confinement one cool summer afternoon, the two children wandered down to the woods. They went to a field know for wildflowers and found it abloom in red, yellow, pink and blue. They picked bouquets, gorged on black berries before settling down at a stream to fish.

The confinement of Camelot's population to the city meant that the stream was thick with fish and before long the two children had two spits and were cooking four fish over an open flame. Gerry tended them while Haf stared up at the clouds, lulled by birdsong, barefeet resting on the soft summer grass.

"I miss the fields and the trees, Gerry."

"I know," her brother looked up from the fish with a smile.

"You are greatly cheered these last few days."

The wind ruffled his curly hair and after a moment Gerry nodded.

"Remember those tales Enfys used to tell us?" Haf asked.

"I remember the one about the poor woodsman who ate the demon's tale, scratch, scratchhhhh," Gerry elongated the word while flexing imaginary claws. "Enfys' stories always scared me."

"Me too, I like you stories better."

He stared at her a moment.

"Truly?"

"Your stories are funny and you paint such beautiful pictures with words. I don't like being scared. Tell one now."

Her brother was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

"I-i don't - I don't think I can. I don't see much humor or beauty anymore."

Haf rolled over and settled on her knees.

"It's that soldier Leofren. Stop being friends with him. He's not teaching you anything."

Now Gerry laughed, and Haf felt gooseflesh rise on her arms; there was no humor in his laugh.

"Eat your fish." Gerry handed her one of the spits.

"He's not that scary." She waved the fish around to cool it before eating. "You just have to stand up to him."

"Do I now?"

"I didn't tell you what happened when he came into my room the other day."

Gerry tensed all over and stared at her.

Just a little unnerved, Haf swallowed.

"I was scared at first, because he's-" the girl shook her head. "I'm certain he is the one that broke Kitty's leg. He was pleasant enough at first, but then he started to mock me. I made to leave and he grabbed my arm. I was frightened, but then I thought about the way Dad had confronted the mob that wanted to hang Janet. I stared him down just like Dad and told him to let me go and he did. So I left."

"Damn Haf!" Gerry was staring at her with a mixture of awe and disbelief in his face.

The girl smiled back, but it faded as she remembered her thoughts in that moment. There was a fear in Gerry that neither she nor Enfys had. He could be brave for others, but she knew somehow that he could never do what she'd done with Leofren. He lacked her father's ironheart.

"I was still frightened though. Let us both just stay away from him."

"On that, dear sister, we are in accord."

Merlin

The water shimmered in the afternoon sun, a warm blue that scattered sunlight into glittering scales and that rippled from time to time giving some hint to the mystery below the surface.

All the repairs that could be completed had been, with the exception of the most seriously injured, all the Bayberry villagers' wounds were on the mend. Everyone had now turned toward gathering food to last the long winter. Probably- he should move on, probably. But Merlin still had not yet figured out what he might do about the present situation.

-"you have to make amends-"

And how was he to do that?

He had no magic to deal with Morgana. No magic to return Gwen to life.

A fish tugged on his line and Merlin focused, trying to remember the instructions Tilda had given him. Bigger fish go down; little fish jump. The line went down, or tried to, and Merlin felt his eyes widen. He'd gone to this shallower pond to try to get more experience with smaller fish than larger. Still this was the first bite he'd had all day. He'd pointed the rod up like she'd said and the fish reacted pulling it down and putting a deep bend in the rod, so curved down like a crescent.

Uncertain what to do next, Merlin tugged on the rod. The fish pulled back and just like that, the rod snapped. He stared a stunned moment as all trace of his rod sank into the lake, leaving him with only a snapped pole. Before he'd thought about it, Merlin attempted a spell and as had been the case for the past three weeks, nothing happened. He peered into the water, willing the dark shapes below the surface to take the bait.

He couldn't even catch a fish.

His mother didn't know what she was talking about. He had nothing without magic. Much less anything to help Arthur. Frustrated, Merlin threw his ruined fishing pole to the ground and went in search of the others. Perhaps they were having better luck. He did not find them fishing, but gathered into a crowd, everyone talking all at once, until Tilda's high and piercing voice cut the argument.

"Of course we are going," she said and a feral grin overtook her face. "We are going to get our children back."

"What? What has happened?"

"Message came for the head woman from Celig and the others that followed the mercs and the children right off. They found the regiment that has our little ones. We can meet him at Cerowin's Rock, it's near Castle Gogwyn. Some think it's too dangerous, but those who want to are going to try to get them back."

Merlin felt his eyes widen and he stared at them.

"B-but what can you all do against trained mercenaries?" He blurted out the question without a moment's thought. "You'll be killed."

Tilda met his eyes then and Merlin felt a chill despite the warmth of late summer sun.

"This village is already dead."

He spent the rest of the afternoon trying to talk them out of it. Trying to make them see how dangerous and stupid it was. But he was met only with hostility. Finally when he was helping Tilda clear up after supper, she turned to him with a thoughtful look on her face.

"We know full well what these men are capable of Merlin; we were here. They-" she shook her head. "I wish I could forget the things they did, but it is for that reason that I cannot abandon my little ones. I take it you are not a father?"

Merlin shook his head.

"Perhaps it is that. Perhaps you've never yet cared about anything enough, but I cannot leave my children with those men and live with myself. I abandoned someone I cared about once. I won't do it again."

Merlin looked at her questioningly and she shook her head.

"It is a long story and I won't tell it again. But I was a coward once. I betrayed my heart and I've had to live with myself and the consequences ever since. But I've learnt my lesson and I've learnt myself. I'll not make that mistake again. I'll surely make other mistakes. Perhaps this is one and it will be the mistake that gets me killed. But we all die sooner or later from innocent babes in arms to ancient Methuselahs asleep in their beds. I'd prefer to die trying to save my children."

"You sound like Arthur," Merlin mumbled.

"What?"

"It's not important," he said.

"We don't expect that you'll come with us, Merlin. In truth, you have done so much for us already. We could not even think of doing this were it not for your aid to this village." She smiled now, and inwardly Merlin groaned.

"think of the best people in your life and do what they would do."

"Thank you for everything, Merlin. Not everyone is going, you're welcome to stay as long as you like."

She surprised him them with a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight."

And even as he lay on the floor waiting for sleep, Merlin found himself wishing that he was indeed a coward. He may have been a fool, he may have been selfish, and he may have been stupid, but it would be so much easier if he were coward.

In the morning, he was dressed and ready to go. Surely it was what the best people in his life would do.

Morgana and the War Council

A shriek rent the silence, loud and piercing. Morgana clutched at her abdomen as pain, searing hot ripped through her. She could smell the mix of blood, and shit, a foul cloud in the air even as her fingers found whole, firm flesh.

"Your majesty, Morgana!"

A new sensation, fingers on her shoulders, squeezing.

She could feel her bones crack. Morgana shrieked again and writhed with this new pain.

"My Lady, it's not real; it happened in the spirit world."

"We give to you what is yours."

Flickering shades in sickly, leached yellows and greens, with hooded eyes.

"Feel the water, my lady, the cool, hard brass of your bathtub. The pain, the wounds, they aren't real. The water is real, the brass is real, my hands on your shoulders they are real."

She could feel the embrace of bathwater grown tepid, the metal surface pressing against her skin and Janet-"

"Please listen, your majesty."

She focused on the other woman's voice, reached for and found one of her dark hands.

"Janet?"

She could see the other woman now, dark skin, worried gray eyes, a few stray blond curls escaping her linen cap.

"You're all right."

She took a deep breath.

"Yes, I am; thank you, Janet."

"Spirit journeys can at times be an ordeal. That is what my father said."

Morgana nodded.

"Particularly if there are recently dead spirits that hold a grudge against you."

She said nothing, only studied her bath water and her white unmarked abdomen. She wondered at those begrudging spirits. After a moment she swallowed and looked up at the other woman.

"Your father was a knowledgeable man."

Janet nodded her head.

"He died before he could teach me much of anything."

Morgana felt her jaw clench.

"So much lost."

"Indeed."

There was a hard look in Janet's pale eyes and for a moment she recoiled.

"The water has grown cold."

"Shall I have it refreshed for you, majesty?"

"No, no, I am done."

Janet called for two maids. They helped her from the bath, draping a soft green wrapper over her shoulders.

"What will you do now, majesty?"

"My war council must meet in an hour." Morgana smiled as she recalled the force growing at Gogwyn. She could, at long last, lay the perfect trap for her brother.

"Her majesty will need a clean dress and send a page for Lord Agravaine and the war council."

Janet instructed the other servants as if she been giving such orders her enter life. Pleased, Morgana's smile broadened; she'd been right to save her.

"So, my lords, there is indeed a force growing in Gogwyn." Morgana sat at the head of the same council table used by by King Arthur before her and King Uther before him. "It seems that Sir Elyan arrived before we did with some five thousand men loaned to Camelot by Queen Annis and there have been rebels pouring in from the north for the past month."

The warlords exchanged worried glances.

"Gogwyn is a day away, perhaps two at the most." The worry in Lord Agravaine's tone was evident. "Could you tell how many?"

"20,000," Morgana shrugged and Helios kept silent watching the interaction between Morgana and the worried Agravaine.

"And you are not worried?"

"No, I am not," Morgana's lips twisted themselves up into a smirk. "Caer is perhaps seven days from Gogwyn, and that is where King Arthur shall go if he follows his own plan."

"But, your majesty, he surely expects that I have told you of this plan."

"Of course he does, but that won't matter. Rumor and gossip will carry news of the force to him if it hasn't already done so. We need only wait for him to arrive."

"Her majesty is, of course, correct. Twenty thousand of his own loyal men and strong castle walls will be too great a lure for the hunted king." Helios grinned a devil's smile. "He or a proxy must come to Gogwyn, and when they do we shall have him."

Morgana smiled and nodded in his direction.

"Commander Helios understands my mind perfectly."

Agravaine sighed. "But, majesty, they- your men- are scattered across the countryside, while their 20,000 are, but a stone's throw away."

"Yes, they surely are, but fear not, Lord Agravaine, I have a plan for that as well. You see, when the time comes, not a one shall make it out of Castle Gogwyn alive."

A/N- hey everyone. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know there is a lot going on and its been a long time since I updated. I hope these little plots haven't been forgotten too much and you all enjoyed this chapter. Next Chapter is Gwen and we finally see the outcome of her going after Synove for wearing the barrette that was a replica of the one Arthur gave her. Then after that Arthur is headed for Gogwyn. Will he walk into Morgana's trap and what happens when he and Merlin finally meet again?

As always I love to hear from you please leave a review even if its just a question because you forgot something. Also I have recently started writing fic for The Flash, its mainly WestAllen,Praise the Speedforce you can read it right here at if you like. I'm also going to be writing some Michaela/Asher fic for HTGAWM. I really like the idea of Asher and Michaela together a lot, so keep an eye out for that if you're a fan. Finally don't forget to check out my tumblr:

Have a great week everyone!