DAD

It was the most awakward silence Morgana had ever endured. Nothing, not even the suppers with Uther could compare to the minutes they spent waiting for Lady Dindrane. Suppers with Uther... Silent, worldess and full of cold hatred... After he began to suspect my defiance could imply more than words, when he began to fear it was me who could have freed Alvarr, he would invite guests to join us at dinners, and make me behave in their presence, trade courtesies when in fact I was ready to stab his eyes with my fork. Oh, Uther, you were lucky to die without my help.

Watching Alvarr and Morgause share a hall after the scene when the priestess had nearly made Alvarr choke to death while he was hanged in the air outdid all the embarassment she'd suffered at the castle of Camelot. It felt like an ungainly walk along thin eyes; Alvarr chose to stand close to her and kept clearing his throat. Morgause was back to the throne of dragonlords, a peculiar scene of its own. A priestess from the Isle of the Blessed sitting the throne of dragonlords. Iseldir would have gone mad the instant.

"Why, if I had been Ashkanar, I would have abandoned this grim crypt for good, too," a soft honey-mint voice broke the silence in the hall. "It's not that hard to understand why he chose to go south. This place can make my bones freeze."

Morgana turned around to behold the most wrinkled woman she had ever seen and remembered so well from the court. She was so short that she could be mistaken for a girl had she not worn the old-fashioned dress and a number of shawls to help her hide her white hair, bluish at the ends, from sun. She walks without guards.

"Lady Dindrane," Morgana couldn't help but smile at the first person to remind her of the castle life "I confess it’s... odd meeting you under new circumstances."

"Lady Morgana," Anna replied with a toothless smile. "I confess I didn’t believe it when I heard it. I hope you bear no ill will towards me, child? I never liked to bother you at court."

"Indeed. You behaved as though I didn’t exist, which was very kind."

"You were overburdened enough with all the attention Uther was putting on you. He’d show you off like a pretty caged bird. I thought an old hen like me would be too much, was I wrong?"

"I am sure we shall all discover great fondness betwen us if we explore tidings of the past," Morgause's words descended the throne. "However, it is the future we need to discuss."

"Nicely said, Priestess," Anna nodded. "Oh, what a dark hall you've chosen, I'm as good as blind here. But Goddess, is it Alvarr that I’m seeing or am I indeed going blind?

"My lady," Alvarr bowed down.

"Oh, stop kneeling, you naughty naughty boy. You've known me long enough," Anna came to put a motherly kiss on Alvarr's cheeks. "You’ve been working your gold off, I give you that. The castle of Idirsholas! The ancient seat of my ancestors, where Ashkanar would... And banners of green dragon, they did please me."

Alvarr put on a shiny content expression. Morgana's eyes were agleam with the strongest sense of disbelief. Working her gold off? Her gold? Goddess, this woman had guts to be a part of Uther's court and to fund renegades that cause some troubles for the crown... Did she fear for her head? Morgause's cough was that of annoyance.

"I assume King Ryence hasn’t sent you just to be pleased with green dragon banners?"

"Oh, he didn’t. I confess, when he invited me to the king's lodge at the tourney, I thought the old bear was looking forward to seduce me. A disappointment he only asked me to find the Druid leaders that chose to rebel against the crown and hold talks with them."

"Hold talks? You mean, threaten us?" Morgana smirked.

"She’s smart," Anna pointed at Morgana and walked closer to Morgause's throne. "Well, yes child he does intend to threaten the Druids in the end. Does it shock you? Your rebellion, after all, may cause his crown a lot of troubles. But first, he wants to learn how far you can go to threaten him.

"Five thousand swords will be here in a fortnight," Morgause was quick to present her understanding of far.

She said the same thing nearly a week ago. Cenred's army ought to arrive in a week, but she sais fortnight again. Has something gone amiss with the King of Essetir?

"Five thousand sworsd?" Anna's eyelashed were flapping like wings of a scared bird. "You really want to go all the way this time, don’t you?

"We shall lift the ban on magic and recognize Druids and sorcerers all over the kingdom. Or die trying," Morgause's tone left no space for doubts.

Anna chuckled.

"Vyda Gaheris would love it. The second part. About dying in attempt. She has amassed great army, they say. Two thousand swords at least. My useless cousin was meant to put them at the king’s command but he never returned from behind the White Mountains. Vyda will never stomach the lift of magic ban."

"She will not live long enough to witness it," Morgause said dismissively. "I mean to remove her and her army from the face of the earth."

"Oh, how awkwardly do your views complement each other in this matter!" Anna laughed, even though the matters they discussed belonged with no humour. "I think she would want to do the same with the druids. You know, when Uther's first raids failed because the druids went into hiding, so deep into the woods that even Uther's brave knights would suffer pools of piss in their breeches when they'd try and find camps, Vyda arrived at the castle and demanded burning all the forests and the druids with them. She would tell Uther that he needed to trap them and kill them while he could. Otherwise druids would spread through this land like a disease, she insisted. She is mad. Was mad many years ago, and is as mad as a hunting hound now. What fears me is that if Vyda and Ryence join forces..."

"They will not. I will see to it," Morgause's promise made Morgana mourn Vyda Gaheris alive.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a guard, who looked as though he had just been to dragon caves of the castle and seen the doom of Idirsholas.

"My lady!"

"Speak," Morgause said, eying him curiously.

She knows guards are more than reluctant to disturb her. Something must have happened.

"There is a rider! Of House Dindrane, from the castle of Camelot! He carries peace banner! He needs to see Anna Dindrane, he says. Claims the king is dead!!!"

Morgause sprang to her feet; Alvarr's hand clutched the hilt of his sword, and Morgana gaze was jumping from Anna Dindrane to the priestess back and forth. Her cheeks were burning. What is happening?

"Morgause?"Anna uttered. "Is this your doing?"

"I have nothing to do with it. Nothing. I swear. I swear on the tombstones of the Isle of the Blessed. Bring him in!"

The king is dead. The main question is: how?

"If this is Vyda’s work..." Anna looked like she was about to break her own fingers. "But this can’t be! The castle is infested with Gingawaine’s bannermen and guards. Removing the king would change nothing!.. It would only make matters worse, for his sister will assume regency!"

When a dark-haired man entered the room, Anna recognized him at once.

"Oldof!"

"My lady," he bowed down, serving a hateful look to Morgause and Alvarr. "I was sent to find you by your son, the good sir Tawton. He urges you to return as soon as possible. I left Camelot yesterday at dawn to find you."

"What happened?"

"The king is dead."

"When?"

"The day before yesterday, or should I say... On the night between yesterday and the day before yesterday."

"And who rules in his stead?"

"Lady Yrien," Oldof replied.

"Goddess save us all. The kingdom is doomed," Anna said in a voice that made it hard to distinguish humour from fear. "What happened to the king?"

"I can’t know, your grace. They rang the belles and lady Yrien was to address the court... But I left before that."

"Good. Now wait for me outside," Anna commanded. "We are to leave for Camelot soon. I imagine Yrien thinks I'm here plotting with you."

"Are you not?" Morgause smiled. "If Ryence is dead, his pup of a nephew is to inherit the kingdom. This is our chance."

"Why do you priestesses always see chances where blood is shed? Whatever. Speak. I must bring the Queen some terms. Else I will follow Ryence and Uther."

"Our terms are simple," Morgause started counting fingers. "Lift the magic ban. Marry prince Rion to Morgana. In return we shall pledge 5,000 swords to the crown and become loyal servants of the throne. Speaking of servants... Morgana, the boy. Merlin. He is here. In the cells."

Morgause's sudden announcement of Merlin upset Morgana's verbal attack of the suggestion of marrying her to prince Rion. Merlin?! In the cells?! No, no, no! Why, why does he keep stalking me? Why does he keep following me? Why, why, why can't he let me be?! It appeared that his name had an air of magic about it, for Morgana couldn't think of a different reason to explain the seizures of uttermost horror whenever she heard someone say "Merlin." She could not understand why a simple servant seemed to radiate more threat and malice than Jarl, Uther and all the other people who inspired horror. I defied them and defeated them, and I shall defeat Merlin as well.

"Merlin?" Anna Dindrane sounded puzzled. "Isn't that a name of prince Arthur’s serving boy? Or beating boy, from what I saw Arthur would do to him in the training field..."

"That’s him," Morgause nodded. "Morgana, we’ve captured him. He is serving some other mercenary now and..." 

"That’s impossible," Anna shook her head. "The boy died in the patrol with the prince." 

"Arthur would have never taken him to patrol mission, Merlin's too unqualified," Morgana whispered, ashamed of the weakness of her voice. She felt Alvarr take her hand, and she felt braver. His silent presence by her side was enough to lift her spirits. I must not fear. He can't threaten me from the cells. 

"The whole castle was seeing them off. My lady, Arthur led the noblest of the patrols into Brechfa. Five boys, four of them heirs to the great lords and ladies. Merlin was with them, I swear," Anna repeated stubbornly.

"That is odd," Morgause eyes shone malignly. "Alvarr, please, go bring him here. My lady, will you wait for me outside? I require some privacy to speak to my sister. After than, I shall go to the castle of Camelot with you."

Anna winked at Morgana on her way out of the hall; Alvarr, too, hurried to the cells to escort Merlin to the hall. 

"What am I to do with him?" Morgana asked fearfully. "With Merlin?" 

"Teach him a lesson. Make him regret poisoning you," Morgause shrugged. "He doesn't deserve to die easily, if you ask me."

"I... I don’t think I want to see him at all..." 

"Morgana, listen. You fear him. You must overcome your fear," Morgause took her by the hadn. "You must learn to deal with your enemies." 

"Morgause, what you said about Rion. I can't marry prince Rion."

"King Rion," Morgause corrected her. "A green boy he may be, but he is now King of Camelot. You can become Queen and..."

"I love Alvarr. I can't marry Rion," Morgana repeated with dogged determination.

"Sister, marriage is not about love! This union is political. It is our safest way to legitimise magic, how can you not understand?! Marrying Rion doesn't mean you'll have to bed him. You can give him a potion that would make his manhood never work again, if you like. There are many other potions to keep him out of your bed and..."

"Morgause, I can't, I can't, I simply can't!" Morgana nearly screamed. "I am a warrior, not a politician. I was meant to fight. I've stormed Jarl's fortress!"

"What!?!" Morgause flared with shock. "Morgana, how could be so irresponsible?!"

"That's what I do, that's what I am good at. I can storm fortresses and inspect old castles and prepare them for the garrisons of soldiers, and... a lot more, but please, don't ask me to wear a marriage ring and a beautiful gown and serve as some... I just can't do it. I will bleed for freedom, for magic's return to the realm, but I will not marry Rion. Please."

"On your head be it," the blow was terrible, but Morgause masked it well. "Anna Dindrane has granddaughters. We can marry one of them to Rion... They belong with the last druid dynasty, after all."

Yes, please, please, marry one of Anna's granddaughters to Rion. Please.

"Speaking of druid dynasties. Sister, when I was in Essetir, I took your bracelet off, for I needed to see... dream. Vision. Prediction."

"And what is it you saw?" Morgause asked mistifyingly.

"Morgause, what if I told you that dragonlords may not be dead? That there can still be one last dragonlord?"

"Morgana, your visit to Essetir hasn't passed unnoticed," the priestess snorted. "Look at you, preaching the legend of Emrys. What next?"

"Balinor died last month. He was a dragonlord."

"Indeed he was. But as you've accurately mentioned, he died. He is dead."

"Everybody thought he died a long time ago! What if he... He could have had children, right?"

Suddenly, a shadow of fear crossed the priestess's face.

"What have you seen?"

"The boy. The boy Merlin once brought into my chambers. Mordred. He is just a boy, a druid boy. He could talk to me in my head, he was powerful. More powerful than some sorcerers. What if Mordred is... son of Balinor?"

"What makes you think so?"

"Iseldir told me he met the last dragonlord. He told me I met him, too. In the castle of Camelot. He told me this dragonlord didn't know of his powers. Morgause, I met Mordred in the castle. He is not an ordinary boy, he helped Alvarr steal the crystal of Neahtid. He's..."

"This Mordred must be found," Morgause said nervously. "If there is truth in your guesses... Then we must seize him, we must have the last dragonlord under our control. We..."

Alvarr ran into the hall, breathless.

"Morgause, I don't know whom you've captured... but there is nobody in the cells. They are empty!"