Hi people! I'm back! Thank you for all the previous comments and I hope you readers continue to enjoy my story. Now without further ado...

Disclaimer: The show doesn't belong to me, neither do the characters of the show. I don't Merlin...sighs

Chapter 8

Morgana sat up from the bed slowly as Gaius turned around to face King Uther.

"Milord, I can see nothing wrong with the Lady Morgana. She seems to be in a fine and healthy state." Gaius said to the king.

Upon hearing this, a small frown appeared on Uther's features.

"Then please explain why it was, she almost collapsed just now all of a sudden. Morgana seems to be so tired lately. Surely, there must be something going on. Can you not do anything about it?" he barked out toward the physician.

Gaius lapsed into silence for a few minutes, his mind deep in thought. He then cleared his throat and began to speak slowly.

"I could make her a draught to help with her tiredness but I'm afraid there is nothing else I can do for her. She probably just need more rest. Her body may not have fully recovered from the time when she was poisoned? It could be a possible reason. The poison was a rather strong one milord. This… well… this could be one of the side effects sire."

At this, King Uther gave Gaius a rather formable glare.

"Morgana, you shall return to your chambers and rest yourself for the remainder of the day. Gaius, do prepare that draught for her as quickly as possible. See to it that she gets better." spoke the king.

Morgana bit back a snarky reply and nodded her head silently towards the king instead. She knew that it wouldn't be wise to argue with Uther. She had to be careful. He had been even more protective of his ward ever since the day she had woken up from being poisoned.

If she wasn't co-operative enough, he would most likely keep her shut away in her room with guards stationed outside her chambers so that she wouldn't be able to escape. If that happened then Merlin wouldn't be able to come over at night and they couldn't continue with their magic lessons that she absolutely looked forward to. Indeed, she had to be careful.

*Time Skip*

Darkness fell quickly upon the kingdom. Only the sound of crickets in the fields could be heard in the silent night. In the castle, everyone lay fast asleep in their chambers.

In the King's chambers

The door creaked open slowly. A cloaked figure slipped into the room silently. The figure carefully approached the bed where King Uther lay asleep. Halting in front of the bed, the figure raised a hand over the sleeping king and whispered out a spell.

"Swefe nu!"

Having uttered the spell, the figure reached into its cloak, pulling out a silver dagger. Grabbing Uther's hand, the figure made a small nick to Uther's hand.

As blood began to ooze out from the cut, the figure quickly kept the knife. Taking out a small vial, the figure then brought it under the bleeding hand and watched as Uther's blood dripped into the vial.

The vial began to fill up with the red liquid. When it was almost full, the figure muttered another incantation and the wound on Uther's hand slowly closed up and healed until it completely disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.

The cloaked figure then corked the vial and kept it, letting out a contented sigh. With a soft swish, the figure turned around and made its way out of the King's chambers.

Under the light of a full moon, the cloaked figure leaves the castle. The figure silently sweeps through the courtyard and rides off into the forest on top of a grey mare, finally stopping at the base of a rocky slope where a light is shining from a cave halfway up the hill. The figure then makes her way up and passes the guards stationed at the entrance of the cave.

Once inside, the figure halts in the middle of the cave and remains unmoving as if expecting someone. Then, in the most silent manner, Morgause steps out of the shadows.

The figure reaches into darkness of the cloak around it and takes out the vial containing Uther's blood. The figure holds out one hand, handing the vial over to Morgause while the other hand reaches to the hood of the cloak, withdrawing it back.

"Milady, I have done as you asked. Here is what you wished for." Imogen says.

Hearing this, Morgause walks up towards her with a dark smirk. She takes the vile from Imogen and walks over to a bubbling cauldron filled with a thick black gooey substance.

"You've done well. The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall."

She then uncorks the vial and pours the contents into the cauldron, followed by a strange looking white root that bears a vague resemblance to a man. It sinks into the sludge and a high-pitched scream cuts through the night. Imogen covers her ears in pain.

"The mandrake root is very special. Only those with magic can hear its cries. But for those without magic, the mandrake pierces the very recesses of the soul, twisting the unconscious into the very image of fear and dread. Uther Pendragon will find that his great kingdom counts for nothing when he has lost his mind."

Morgause stirs the brew and chants an incantation as Imogen watches on in adoration. Her eyes glow gold and she retrieves the mandrake root from the cauldron, giving it to Imogen.

"You know what you must do. Go." says Morgause.

Imogen nods her head and takes the mandrake root from Morgause.

*Time skip a few days ahead*

From under Uther's bed, the mandrake root can be seen dripping its muck onto the floor, Imogen having hung it there at some point on her return to Camelot. Uther is dressing and getting an update on Morgana's condition from Gaius, who tells him that she seems to have made a rather remarkable recovery.

"She was always like that as a child, very brave. She inherited much from her father."

"Gorlois was a great man."

"Indeed. I trust she will be well enough to attend the feast that is for her tonight."

Outside, Arthur is training with his men as Merlin watches. Arthur is blindfolded and yet still able to fend off his opponent's attacks. On exchanging his weapons he takes the opportunity to tease Merlin about his personal fighting style Arthur clings to a sword and moans out, "Don't hurt me!"

Merlin just remains indifferent to the mocking and silently takes his revenge by magically flinging Arthur's sword out of his hand. One of the knights hits a defenceless Arthur in the stomach with a mace, sending him face-first into a mud puddle.

That night the Pendragon family and the court are enjoying a feast in the banquet hall.

"Standing here, seeing so many happy faces ... it seems almost like a dream. I can tell you, I have not felt like this in a long time." Uther says.

"What, drunk?" Arthur retorts in a tipsy manner.

"Drunk… with happiness… I am so glad that my dear ward has recovered and that she is back to her normal self. Morgana, there are no words. You mean more to me than you will ever know. I will do anything to see that you are safe and healthy." Uther says, gesturing to Morgana.

A toast is raised to the Lady Morgana and she stands up to embrace Uther. Uther seems a bit unsteady on his feet and so announces that he's going outside to fetch some air.

From the corner of the room, holding a wine jug and standing at attention to serve out the drink, Imogen watches him go with a satisfied look on her face.

Uther stumbles out into the central courtyard. He hears someone softly calling his name.

"Who's there?" he asks.

Uther's eyes move across the courtyard and fall upon the well. He moves closer and leans on its side, staring down into its depths. He smiles to himself, finding that there's nothing there. Just as he is about to move away, a white arm shoots out of the depths of the well and grabs Uther's wrist.

He stares down in horror as the white, gaunt face of Queen Igraine looks up at him, screaming shrilly.

"PLEASE!"

Uther pulls himself loose and falls back on the cobblestones, screaming and then panting in horror. The noise brings the guards who gather around him, shaking on the ground.

In the King's chambers

Arthur and Morgana help Uther into bed as Gaius and Merlin watch. As Morgana tucks him in, she tenderly takes Uther's hand and kisses it. Beneath the bed, the mandrake root continues to drip.

Arthur approaches Gaius and asks to know what's going on. Gaius reluctantly tells him that Uther was mumbling incoherently, but that there was one word in particular that was very clear, Igraine's name. Uther claimed that he saw her in the well and Arthur is instantly worried that news of this will spread.

Having returned to Morgause's cave, Imogen tells her lady that rumours of the king's condition are spreading. This means that Camelot is vulnerable and ready for an invasion. Morgause then tells Imogen that she plans to go to King Cenred tomorrow. Morgause adds another mandrake root to the cauldron.

Upon her return to Camelot, Imogen finds it difficult to evade the guards. Up on the battlements she runs into one who spots the dripping of the mandrake root beneath her cloak.

Thinking that she is bleeding, he tries to help her, only for Imogen to stab him in the stomach and throw him over the castle parapets. She returns to her room and hides the root in a chest.

The following day, Morgause and her bodyguards ride towards Cenred's citadel. Morgause rides under the portcullis and marches up the front steps, finding Cenred in his throne room.

When Morgause insults him for not meeting her at the border, one of his men draws his sword. Morgause's eyes glow gold and the man is thrown across the room onto a table that breaks beneath him. More men draw their weapons, but Cenred halts them.

"You are very beautiful when you're angry." he speaks.

"Is that why you continue to defy me?" Morgause retorts back at him.

"You wouldn't like it if I made it easy for you." he replies.

The two of them share a laugh. Later on, over some wine, Morgause tells him her plan. Cenred has heard that Uther is losing his mind and Morgause reminds him that this means Camelot is vulnerable, as she promised.

He reminds her that the citadel is still impregnable. Morgause tells him that she has a mole planted within the castle. Cenred doesn't trust in traitors, but Morgause assures him that she's reliable. Cenred sits back, considering.

Back in Camelot

The court is gathered in the council chambers. Imogen is secretly listening in on the conversation, hiding away where no one will find her. Arthur informs everyone that mercenaries are streaming into Cenred's Kingdom. Uther is concerned at this.

Arthur suggests that they send out a patrol to find out what exactly their neighbour is doing but Uther's eyes have drifted somewhere behind Arthur. He sits back in his throne, looking horrified.

Arthur looks behind him, but there's nothing there. The court shifts uncomfortably, unsure what's going on. Uther still looks appalled, staring right at the vision standing in the room before him. It's a little boy with blue eyes and bare feet, dripping wet. Uther stands, his eyes fixed on the boy.

"Leave me alone." whispers Uther.

He points and once again the court looks around in confusion. Water drips onto the floor from the boy's clothing and Uther loses it. Arthur reaches for his father, but Uther pushes him aside, shouting in a craze manner.

"Get out! I'll have you hanged!"

Arthur and Sir Leon grab him by the arms and drag him from the room, Gaius follows in hot pursuit. Imogen smiles quietly to herself. In a corridor, Gaius fills Merlin in on what happened.

It seems that during the time of the Great Purge, Uther drowned many people who were suspected of sorcery. Some of them were children. Now Gaius thinks that his conscience has come back to haunt him, but either way, the king's condition isn't a secret anymore. The warning bells start to toll.

Outside, the man that Imogen stabbed has been found. Gaius orders Sir Leon to take the man to his chambers while he speaks to Arthur. In the council chamber, Gaius informs Arthur about the discovery and hands over the murder weapon; it is a small dagger with the Sigel of the Blood Guard on it.

The Blood Guard were warrior priests sworn to protect the High Priestesses of the Old Religion. Gaius then breaks the news that the sentry is still alive. It is only a matter of time before the man awakens and tells them who the traitor is. Hearing this, Imogen tries to contain her panic.

She hurries down the corridor and enters the physician's quarters. Finding no one there except the injured sentry, sleeping restlessly on a cot, she looks around and spots a bottle of poison on a shelf. She takes it.

Merlin and Gaius return to their quarters as Imogen slips away down the corridor. Inside, Merlin goes to check on their patient, only to find him dead.

"You said he was recovering." Merlin says.

"I thought he was." Gaius replies.

"Then what happened? You don't think it's strange?"

"Very." Gaius murmurs.

That night Merlin takes a tonic to Uther and leaves it on his bedside table, noticing how badly the king is sleeping. He adjusts one of the blankets, only to hear the sound of dripping. He leans over to investigate, spotting drops of black gunk on the floor.

Hearing footsteps approach, he slides under the bed and gets a fright when he bangs his face against the mandrake root. He leans away as Imogen's hand reaches under the bed and yanks out the mandrake root. He waits silently as she leaves the room with it, beginning to understand what's happening.

He follows Imogen as she strides through the palace and the lower town, ducking out of sight every time she turns around. Deep in the forest Merlin watches her cloaked figure as she glides through the trees.

He is completely stunned when she is joined by Morgause and her Blood Guards on horseback. Merlin inches closer to listen to their conversation.

"Sorry for the wait. There was much to discuss." says Morgause.

"But your visit was successful?" Imogen inquires.

"Cenred's army ride for Camelot on my command."

"There's nothing you cannot do." Imogen says in an awe-struck tone.

"It is the thought of conquering Camelot, freeing magic and being reunited with my sister back in that kingdom that keeps me going. How goes the battle for Uther's mind?"

"When Cenred marches on Camelot, he will find a kingdom without a leader." Imogen replies darkly.

Merlin creeps even closer, concealing himself behind a moss-covered rock. Imogen tells Morgause that Merlin suspects her ... and that she knows because he's followed her here.

Hearing her say this, Merlin leaps up in fright. Imogen smiles as he makes a run for it. Morgause's Blood Guards chase him through the forest, eventually capturing him.

Back in Camelot

Gaius enters Arthur's chamber in order to see how he's doing. Arthur confesses that he has always seen his father as strong and in control, but Gaius gently tells him that the kingdom needs him to now assume control. Arthur is angry at the thought of people talking behind his back and giving up on his father.

The next morning

Merlin wakes and finds that he is staring up at the trees. The Blood Guard drag him to his knees and he looks up at Morgause who looks over him thoughtfully.

"You intrigue me, Merlin. Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot? You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why? Come on, time and again you've put your life on the line. There must be a reason."

"I believe in a fair and just land."

"And you think Arthur will give you that?" asks Morgause.

"I know it."

"And then what? You think you'll be recognised, Merlin? Is that it? All this so one day you can be a serving boy to the king? No...There's something more, isn't there?"

"I've told you."

"Well, you can keep your secrets then. I know enough myself. Do remember that there are just some things that cannot be hidden from everyone." Morgause says somewhat mysteriously.

Morgause begins chanting a few magic words and the silver chains that Merlin has been bound with tighten. He looks up in fear as she and the Blood Guards abandon him.

Back in Camelot in the physician's quarters

Gaius calls for Merlin and finds that his bed hasn't been slept in. He goes searching for him and finds Gwen arranging some flowers. As Gwen comments that she hasn't seen Merlin since yesterday, Morgana enters and remarks how strange it is that he's missing.

Merlin begins uttering a few spells of his own on the chains hoping to set himself free, however the chains only seem to tighten more around his body. All of a sudden, he hears the sound of something approaching. Leaves rustle on the trees and a few pebbles slide down a bank. Eventually a group of gigantic scorpions, Serkets appear. Merlin tries desperately to free himself as the Serkets grow in number.

In the King's chambers

Arthur sits by his father's bedside, looking teary-eyed. Morgana puts her hands on his shoulders, trying to comfort him. She gives Arthur a small, sad smile and promises that she'll make sure that Uther is looked after.

Morgana remains quiet and composed as she watches Arthur sitting by the king however, behind the calm facade Morgana is having an inner turmoil. Merlin did not come for their magic lessons the previous night.

She had gone to the physician's chambers to look for him earlier on in the morning, only to be told by a worried Gaius that Merlin has not been seen since last night and is nowhere to be found. She hopes that nothing bad has happened to him. Unbeknownst to the both of them, the mandrake root is still dripping beneath Uther's bed.

As evening falls, the Serkets finally close in on Merlin. His power pushes them away, but they continue to circle in. Finally one manages to sting him from behind.

Merlin lets out a tormented roar of distress which sends them flying. He bends over as immense pain sweeps through his entire being. With the last of his strength, he yells into the sky in dragon-speech before collapsing to the ground.

Up on the hills surrounding Camelot

Cenred and his army approach the kingdom. He gives a smug smile as he looks on from atop the hills. From the cave, Morgause watches the scene gleefully from her scrying crystal.

Night has fallen and Merlin is lying on the ground helpless. The Serkets have returned and are closing in. Then suddenly from the night sky, Kilgharrah majestically swoops in, breathing fire on the Serkets and almost on Merlin as well.

Merlin's vision goes bleary before fading out into darkness as the dragon gracefully descends, coming closer to him. Kilgharrah's talons close over Merlin as he lifts him into the night.

Aaaand CUT! End of chapter! Ok then! It's time to stop for now!

*Dodges the flying stuff being thrown at me by the readers*

Yes I have end off now, I hope you forgive me if there are a lot of grammatical errors or if this chapter seems rushed. I have not really had much rest these days as I've been busy with my life outside of Fanfiction (Yes, I have a life other than this one people!).

Anyways, life has been pretty tiring and it's night time here right now so, yea I'm sleepy. By the way, just so you all know, the next chapter may not be coming out for a while as I've got a very little free time this upcoming weeks. I'm so very sorry.

*dodges more flying objects from the angry crowd*

Please do continue reading and enjoying the story though! Oh, one last thing, it's national day in my country so HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY SINGAPORE! Wohoo! Well, that's all for now. Signing out.

~Feyfa