[Team 1] change of fate

[green-eggs101.livejournal.com]

~approx 1500 words of mostly gen BBC Merlin fic of a canon divergence in season 1 episode 7 where Morgana (and Gwen) end up at the lake at the end of the episode to help Merlin pull Arthur from the lake. 

“... be there to judge.”

Gwen’s laugh echoed around the chamber, startling Morgana out of her thoughts. She turned to stare at Gwen for a second before returning to stare out the window.

“My lady?” Gwen’s words were soft, “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine, Gwen,” Morgan tried to smile, though she knew Gwen saw right through it. “I just—”

Just what? Arthur had already brushed off her warning. Gwen might just think she’s going mad.

“You can tell me anything, Morgana,” Gwen promised.

Morgana nodded. “I know, Gwen.”

But this secret might be too big, too dangerous. Even for her closest friend.

She turned back to the window, staring at the people below in mild interest until one blond head stood out.

“Arthur?”

He wasn’t supposed to be on patrol today, so why was he wearing armor?

“Is that… Lady Sofia?” Gwen pointed to the young blond woman lacing her arm through Arthur’s.

Morgana’s eyes hardened, her thoughts clearing as she watched the scene play out. Arthur and Lady Sofia, followed by Sofia’s father, headed down to the less closely guarded south gate.

“I wonder where they’re going?” Gwen surmised. “I mean, I’m sure it’s nothing… her father’s going with them.” Morgana could practically hear Gwen’s thoughts as her maid began to stutter. “Not that Arthur would ever—!”

“Of course not, Gwen,” Morgana reassured her. Though the scene still bothered her. The dream haunted her waking hours, seeing Sofia long before she made her appearance atthe citadel— her face distorted but recognizable in the water.

And Arthur in full armor, save for his helmet. Falling, drowning, the lake water surrounding him,at the and—

“Oh, Merlin’s going with them!” Gwen’s relief shook Morgana from her frightful memory.

Indeed, the raven-haired manservant was sprinting through the market. Though it looked like he was searching for Arthur more than following him. Finally, he darted towards the south gate, dodging out of sight.

“Well, if Merlin’s going, it’ll be fine,” Gwen smiled. “It seems like you can’t have one without the other these days, right?”

Morgana nodded absently. Still—

“Gwen? I think we should go for a ride as well.”

—

The water was dark, and Merlin could barely make out the glint of sunlight off of Arthur’s armor. He dove deeper, his lungs burning for air.

His hand grasped Arthur’s breastplate, and from there he was able to maneuver behind the prince, grasping under his arms. He kicked off the bottom of the lakebed, trying to drag himself and Arthur back to the surface.

The surface seemed so far away.

He held on tight. Either both of them would get out of this lake, or no one would.

He kicked and struggled, though the surface remained just out of reach.

Then thin, narrow hands grasped his own, and Merlin kicked out wildly. He jerked around, seeing a figure with hair, though the lake was too dark to make out anything else.

Sofia?

But the hair was too dark and the hands too helpful as he also grasped Arthur’s armor, pushing him towards the surface.

With the extra help, they broke the surface. Merlin heaved in deep gasps of air, moving Arthur so his head rested on Merlin’s chest.

There was another gasp beside him. He turned to look.

Morgana, hair askew and her lip color smudging, treaded water beside him, her green eyes wide with relief even as she struggled, the water making her skirts damp.

“Morgana!”

There was splashing, then another person— Gwen!-- reached them, helping Morgana as Merlin pulled Arthur to shore.

He laid Arthur down, far enough from the water to not get dragged back in.

“Is he breathing?!” Morgana leaned over him.

Merlin shook his head, leaning down to listen. “I don’t—”

He floundered, thinking a spell he could do quickly and quietly— maybe the girls wouldn’t notice and—

“Merlin!” Morgana’s voice cut through his panic. “Do what you need to do. Please.”

Merlin looked up at her. “What—”

Morgana shook her head. “I won’t tell, I swear. Just please save him.”

Merlin only stared for a moment longer before turning back to Arthur. He whispered a word, keeping his eyes averted so Morgana didn’t see the flash of gold.

Though it seemed she knew about it anyway.

Water expelled from Arthur’s lungs, and he coughed, though his eyes did not open. But now his lungs were clear, and he was breathing on his own.

Merlin let out a sigh, leaning back. His heart raced in his chest, and it did not let up when he caught Morgana’s eye, then Gwen’s.

Morgana gave her word, but Gwen did not. Her brown eyes were wide.

“You have—” Gwen waved her hand, too scared to say the word.

“Magic.” Morgana finished for her.

Merlin’s heart caught in his throat, his eyes glancing down at Arthur once. The prince seemed to have fallen asleep, free from both the lake and Sofia’s attachment. Meeting Morgana’s eyes once more, he nodded.

“But it’s—”

“Outlawed?” Merlin raised an eyebrow at Gwen’s incredulity. “I was born with it. To not use it is like… not breathing.”

He couldn't imagine trying to suppress it. He thinks he tried once. When he was very, very young. He ended up being sick for weeks afterward.

“Oh, Merlin,” Gwen gave a little sound that must have been a laugh or a sob. Then she sank to her knees next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

It wasn’t until that moment that he realized how stiff they were. And not just from pulling Arthur out of the water, but from fear of how they would reach, of how Gwen would react. His first real friend in Camelot.

“You must have been so scared,” Gwen murmured.

Merlin leaned on her for a moment before shrugging. “You get used to it.”

“Does Arthur—” Morgana started, but trailed off at Merlin’s fierce denial.

“No,” he shook his head. “Not— He’ll hate me!”

Everyone in town knew Morgana always thought Uther’s laws against magic were unjust, and Gwen hadn’t grown up near Uther’s hatred and scrutiny.

But Arthur—

“He won’t,” Morgana’s voice was sure. “He might yell a bit, threaten to banish you, but he won’t hate you—”

Merlin‘s smile was small as he watched Arthur’s chest heave in sleep.

“Maybe. But he’ll have to choose between letting me go and upholding his vow to Camelot, to his father. I can’t make him choose.”

Morgana scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned away. Merlin thought he heard her mutter, “He’s chosen you before.”

Merlin signed deeply, unable to stop his hand from carding through Arthur’s wet hair. “Just… not yet.”

Maybe not ever.

Then he turned to the young women. “How did you even find us?”

“We saw Arthur leaving with the girl, Sofia,” Gwen explained. “And then you follow. Morgana was worried.”

“Worried Arthur was making a fool of himself,” Morgana stated, though Merlin remembered Giaus’s words from earlier. Morgana was a seer— she may have seen this exact scenario before.

Gwen smiled at Morgana’s words. “In any case, we followed you out here and we saw— what were they? They couldn’t have been human with the way they… exploded.”

“Sidhe,” Merlin enunciated the word carefully, but quietly. Though Sofia and Aulfric were gone, there had definitely been others around the lake. He didn’t want to call their attention. “There might be more. We should leave.”

“How are we gonna carry Arthur back?” Gwen wondered. “Morgana and I have horses. But—” She gestured at Arthur’s soaked armor.

“Not to mention how we’re gonna explain Morgana’s wet clothes.” Merlin hummed. He regretted leaving the spellbook behind now. There had to be a drying spell in there. Or a spell to make Arthur lighter to carry.

“He’s right,” Morgana wrung out her hair. “I can say i fell in the lake and Arthur came after me, but I’m afraid Uther will just get… protective.”

The last word was grumbled, and Merlin smiled. Morgana sounded so much like Arthur in that moment that they could have been blood siblings.

“Don’t worry about that part,” Gwen said. “I have some of Morgana’s mending back at my house. We can find something for her and me to change into. And I’m sure once we get back to town, you can get Arthur back to his rooms through the servants’ stairs?”

Merlin nodded. It was what he had planned anyway.

“Excellent!” Morgana was clearly eager to be off. Though judging by the look in her eye this was not the last time Merlin would be explaining himself in the future.

In fact, it wasn’t that far in the future at all. As they were struggling to load Arthur onto one of the horses, Morgana turned to Merlin.

“So what do you know about seeing the future in your dreams?”

Merlin sighed. When did he become the magic expert?

Next up is Mousi I think? I'll tag on discord. last line "When did he become the magic expert?"