Chapter Text
The weeks following the Siege of Camelot and the following coronation passed in a haze for every citizen. From lowly peasant to King Regent himself. Peasants were occupied rebuilding homes destroyed in the siege, recovering what goods they could, and when necessary, petitioning the Regent for additional aid. The Regent himself spent most days funneling money and men into rebuilding efforts, reordering guard and knight patrols, and spending countless hours in council sessions as he slowly learned all his new responsibilities as Regent.
The king’s manservant was given the option of continuing on with his appointment, which would now be primarily playing nurse for the mad king, or be transferred to a different position within the palace. The servant chose to remain. It was still good pay, and making sure the king didn’t die in his sleep or set something on fire was far less perilous than reporting everytime his son disobeyed his direct orders once again.
The Physician’s chambers were constantly busy as soldiers slowly recovered and returned to their posts and unfortunate injuries caused during the rebuilding efforts were treated. Merlin discovered being manservant to the Regent was far more taxing than being one to the Crown Prince. He was often seen running through the palace corridors ensuring that Arthur hadn’t forgotten his latest meeting or hurrying to catch the latest correspondence from whichever advisor couldn’t make the council sessions.
As for Morgana and Guinevere, the latter was brought up to speed on the puppet situation and kept a close eye on her mistress to ensure no repeats. The cursed bracelet was kept in a locked drawer in the connected antechamber and Morgana appeared to go about her days perfectly normal. Gwen returned to sleeping in the antechamber in hopes of preventing any relapses. And so she was the only one aware of the Lady’s nightly terrors.
For the third time in as many nights, Morgana fell to sleep in the wee hours of the morning only through sheer exhaustion. Immediately nightmares flashed before her eyes. A Vision of a woman walking through a dark fortress. A silent crowd watched in fear as this woman made her way down an aisle towards the man with darkness in his eyes. The woman’s knowing smirk as all the power of the kingdom was practically handed to her with a single vow.
Morgana was falling, falling into the dark. The woman stood before her, praising her efforts in tearing Uther’s mind apart. She watched silently, helplessly as the same woman bound Merlin and left him to the Serket’s attack.
Screaming, she was screaming as the Knights of Camelot watched in horror as she ascended the throne, Morgause watching behind her with a proud gleam in her eyes. Rebellious knights stood in front of a row of archers. Morgana lowered her hand and they fired on the crowd. Merlin watched her with grief and guilt, Arthur with devastation, and Gwen with a simmering fury. NO!
Morgana shot upright, cracks spreading along her headboard. Morgana took shuddering breaths, that seething fear and fury running hot through her veins. No more. No more. She threw off her bedding and ran barefoot across the room. Guinevere’s door banged open as the woman followed her single thought mission. The maidservant shot up and watched in horror as the seer ripped open the top drawer with but a thought.
A pale hand gripped the glittering bracelet tight enough for the jewels to cut into her skin. Ruby droplets fell to the floor as a furious scream was ripped from the seer’s throat. All at once, a white-blue flame erupted from her hand and the next moment ash fell to mix with the blood on the floor. Gwen watched with wide eyes as Morgana slowly opened her hand and let the rest of the ash fall. The bracelet was no more.
The seer stood, staring blankly at her hand as Gwen slowly stood up. Moving so Morgana could see her at all times, she steadily made her way towards her oldest friend. She gently wrapped her hand around those trembling fingers.
“Morgana?” A shuddering gasp and the Lady of Camelot fell into her maidservant’s arms. Gwen wrapped her arms tightly and held the lady as she fell apart.
“I don’t - I couldn’t do it anymore… the visions-the nightmares they were all the same and-and they wouldn’t stop and I can’t see that again…”
Gwen whispered nonsense murmurings until the Lady calmed. The sun was just breaching the horizon by the time Guenevere coaxed her mistress back into her own bed. The lady was tucked into her bed and bracelet ash swept out the nearest window. Lastly, Gwen delivered a message to the posted guards that no one was to disturb her lady unless it was the Regent himself.
With responsibilities taken care of, Guenevere tucked herself in for a long vigil over her exhausted lady.
Sometime during the early hours of the morning, Gwen must have drifted into sleep. The next she was aware, the guards were announcing the Regent King’s appearance. A quick look to Morgana showed she was still fast asleep, and yet the bags that had been under her eyes for days were slowly disappearing. Gwen quickly patted down her skirt and hair in the time it took for Arthur and Merlin to breach the threshold. Arthur came to a stop at the sight of Morgana pale and quiet in her bed.
“Is she-is she alright?” Arthur lifted his hand in a half-aborted gesture and Guenevere smiled tightly.
“She’s been having nightly terrors, but I think something broke last night. She came dashing into the antechamber in the middle of the night and incinerated the bracelet with half a thought. After that it was easy to put her to bed, and I thought it best to let her catch up on what sleep she has missed this past week.”
Arthur nodded and traded a glance with Merlin.
“Is it alright if we wake her? There’s been some important news that we should share.”
“Merlin’s the former healer’s apprentice here, not me. I think she already looks better now than she did a day ago and she’d be furious with you for not sharing pertinent information when you had it.” Arthur smiled briefly.
“You’re right.” With a nod from Arthur, Gwen moved to wake her mistress up. A light shake of her shoulders and call of her name was all it took for Morgana to quickly open her eyes and survey her surroundings.
“Gwen? Is it midday?!”
“My Lady, in case you forgot you had a frightful morning. I thought it best to let you rest and move all pertinent business to tomorrow.” Morgana huffed until she spotted Arthur.
“I suppose the stubborn regent gets an exception?” Arthur matched her stare.
“I would have left you to rest if the news I bare wasn’t of the utmost importance. I’m sure you’d strangle me yourself if you found out I’d waited out of some respect to let you rest.” Morgana crossed her arms and raised her brow.
“So what is this information?” Arthur looked around to ensure the door was shut and Merlin nodded. The room was secure.
“It is more two matters, rather than one. The first is news we received today from a spy in Cenred’s court. It seems he has found himself a bride… his wedding to Morgause was officiated 3 days ago.” Morgana paled. The exact number of days she’d been having those dreams. Arthur waited, but when no response came he continued.
“The other bit of news is of the utmost secrecy. I-” He traded looks with Merlin, “we have some suspicion that Gorlois wasn’t your real father-”
“What?!” Morgana’s outraged cry disrupted Arthur’s planned speech. He raised a hand pleadingly and Morgana subsided. For the moment. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts.
“Just before ‘the Siege’ began and after Merlin escaped a trap set by Morgause, Merlin went to check on Uther. As you know, the king has been indisposed for days. When-when Merlin found him the only thing he kept repeating was ‘not my daughter, not Morgana.’” Morgana stared blankly at him.
“Are you saying…”
“I’m not saying anything. However, if my suspicion is even slightly correct, I think it’s worth looking into.” Morgana, who had been gripping her bedspread tightly and refused to make eye contact, slowly lifted her gaze.
“You think Uther is my biological father.” It was not a question. Arthur nodded his head anyway.
“I have no proof. But-”
“But what?! What does it change anyways?”
“It changes everything! You are technically the firstborn. Your right to the throne would be the same as mine, even-”
“I don’t want the throne!” That threw everyone for a loop.
“You don’t?” Arthur questioned softly. Morgana scoffed.
“Haven’t we been over this? Ruling is far too arduous. I’m perfectly happy pulling strings from the sidelines and the only ruling I have any personal interest in is the removal of the ban on magic, which something tells me isn’t a long way off.” A sly glance towards Merlin showed exactly what she thought of that. He blushed darkly but Arthur had other things on his mind.
“Even if you don’t want the throne. If we could prove you were his child biologically, then you could be legitimized.” Morgana suddenly felt very old.
“Why would I care about that? I’m already the highest-ranking lady of the court with a legitimate background with Vivienne and Gorlois.” Arthur paused for a moment, before continuing softly.
“If I legitimize you, then I could name you my heir. Any child that came from your partnerships would be next in line to the throne, after you.” Morgana almost made a scathing remark before she caught where her maybe-brother’s gaze had been this whole time. His eyes had never left Merlin’s since he began to talk of legitimization. Morgana sighed softly. Her brother was hopeless.
“Alright, say I consider this, what are our next steps?” Arthur studied her pensively.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. If father and your mother had an affair then I’m sure it would’ve been kept as one of the highest secrets. My… my mother would have still been queen at the time and Gorlois was father’s oldest friend. If any records exist of your official birth, I’m sure they are hidden within the very bowels of this castle.”
“So what? We confront the man himself?” Morgana scoffed and Arthur nearly along with her.
“Not likely. Father has been driven mad by the events before the siege. Even if he was inclined to bare his secrets, I doubt he could answer our questions.”
“So then what are our next steps?” Arthur pondered this, but it was Merlin’s suggestion which was next considered.
“The old library. I’ve… been through there when I was trying to find information which Gaius couldn’t keep in his quarters. There are lots of old texts hidden throughout that nobody has bothered to sift through. Perhaps there could be an old record of her official birth?”
They all considered that. There really were two possibilities. Either Viviane and Uther were too ashamed by their transgressions that they refused to ever acknowledge the truth behind her latest conception, or Uther was more concerned over the lack of an heir after so long that he recorded a secret account of their child so that upon his death there would at least be someone of his blood to inherit the throne, even if it was a woman. Their only hope for the truth was to dig deep into the archives. Arthur nodded resolutely.
“So we scour the archives. We keep this between the four of us. Whenever one of us has time, we search the archives, including any forbidden areas. I’ll ensure Geoffrey knows that you three are allowed unequivocal access. Hopefully, there’s something to be found.” The glances passed between the quartet did not bolster that feeling.