PROLOGUE

"What a joy it is to see you Arthur." She said as she watched Emrys' body laying still on the ground. Walking the few steps towards her goal, she watched the feeble struggles of the wounded king with unconcealed eagerness. "Look at you, not so tall and mighty now."

He said nothing in return, meeting her gaze with blue vacant eyes, growing oh so faint.

"You may have won the battle, but you lost the war. You're going to die by Mordred's hand." It was only fair. He took away another piece of her heart, one more to join the emptiness, it was still far from enough though, it was far from just. "Don't worry dear brother, I won't let you die alone. I'll stay and watch over you, till the wolves gorge in your carcass and bathe in your blood."

"No, the time for all this bloodshed is over." Startled, she spun around following the voice, to find Emrys again on his feet. His hands gripping Arthur's blade pathetically and she wondered why the almighty sorcerer would go for a sword. He could barely hold it right as he spoke. "I blame myself for what you've become..."

"Merlin"

"...But this has to end."

You blame yourself? She wanted laugh, she wanted to rage against those but instead she hesitated. It didn't even register to her that her brother had tried to speak. She was wearily watching Emrys' approach, her heart drumming against her rib cage. His eyes, there was something familiar and yet menacing there, but she wouldn't allow herself to be afraid. "I'm a high priestess, no mortal blade can kill me."

...Here, have some water.

Then the hard steel pierced her skin, and she felt the pain burst through her body, turning her breathing into agony.

...He will be your destiny and your doom.

"This is no mortal blade. Like yours, it was forged in a dragon's breath." Emrys said, his eyes blue, blue like lightning, the blue of an unforgiving ocean. No! No! She wanted to scream, but each gasp for air seemed to bring her closer to the night, her vision growing dark as his voice carried on. "Goodbye Morgana."

Who did he think he was to say that to her, him the betrayer, the secret keeper, the monster who dared cast blame and take it away?

"You've brought peace at last." Her brother mumbled and after so long the wish to cry hit her with full force.

Peace? PEACE? She had wanted peace! Now they were saying that her death brought peace!

No… She cried out, even as her magic deserted her. No, she sobbed in her mind, as her conscience drifted away.

Barely aware that she was alone, overcome by the darkness at the doors of death, Morgana heard the gentle flap of wings and next she knew, soft, warm sheets greeted her back to the world, gasping for life as she laid there in a shivering sweaty mess. With her heart pounding against her chest, Morgana blinked at the canopy, taking the furs closer to her body as if they could protect her from the pain of countless wounds, and yet they did nothing against the gash she felt tearing her heart apart in a thousand pieces.

Tasting salt on her lips, she brought a shivering hand up to clear the hair from her eyes, the mundane sensation hitting her with a new realization.

I'm alive.

The thought was oddly devoid of any comfort. Instinctively she covered her guts, but there was no wound there, no sword of dragon breath stabbing her, nothing… Instead a whole life vanished from her sight to show her what could be a dream and yet she knew to be real. An old room, that belonged to someone else, warmer than anything in her recent memory. Close to the bed, the sight of a sleeping blonde woman invited tears to her eyes.

Shooting away from the furs, Morgana made an effort to leave her bed, her bare feet feeling the assurance from the cold stone.

I'm alive… Then what...

The moments before opening her eyes returned ferociously to the front of her mind, burning a desire to scream and trash as the horror met her halfway. Her feet staggered as the first sob racked through her body. Traitors… she thought vengefully, the word felt as sharp and menacing as Excalibur's blade… traitors, traitors, traitors all of them...

"Morgana?"

The name should mean something to her, but instead it only brought a bitter laugh from the depths of her being, something old and unused in between sobs.

"Morgana, thank the Goddess you're all right." Strong arms took hold of her shaking form, and Morgana allowed the embrace to continue. It felt very real. Her sister. Alive. Was it a vision then? She had been close to seeing her visions as a gift once, and her perhaps this was finally her answer. She saw her failure and her end… The end of everything, the deaths of so many and now she was in her room, under the soft glow of moonlight with knowledge beyond her wildest dreams. Yet, she could only feel the pain, crushing, tearing, pulling her down, until she was sitting in the dark by the foot of her bed. Morgause's voice seeming muffled and distant.

I should feel triumphant. She thought. I should be happy, I can change all that, kill Merlin now, and Arthur, Gwen, and Uther, take the throne and rule Camelot for all eternity. I can do it. But her mind brought her only Merlin's tearful eyes and the horror of the poison taking root, her brother's anguish as she died, Gwen's noble defiance… The blood, the blood, so much blood… The Dark Tower, looming over dead lands, Morgause's last words, Aithusa's screams and the Sarrum's laughter…

Usually her visions would happen and she would feel the backlash, but still know in her gut that it was a vision. This felt different. The years, the tears, the pains, it was all there, as if she had merely reverted back to a far away past.

It can't be a vision then, not exactly.

And why does it matter?

Slowly, unflinching before the cold, Morgana rose from her place on the ground, walking towards the window. Her sister was calling her name again, but she dared not disturb this sweet dream. Her shift moved around her body, a body free from the scars she felt in her soul. The Moon was high and the stars were countless, and Camelot unfurled before her like a heartfelt wish.

Maybe my death was real and this is the dream.

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