by GR Griffin
Its radiance fluttered down to grace Iaonem with promised light. However, it was still far too early for anybody to open their eyes and appreciate it. Or so Arthur thought. He heard the crunching of leaves as somebody attempted to quietly stalk through the settlement. Blinking one eye open absently, he inhaled a breath of fresh air. There was still a streak of purple in the sky, gesturing it could be no earlier than four am. He was ready to shut his eye once more, and fall back to sleep until he discovered that this early-bird was someone he recognised. In fact, it was somebody who he hardly expected to be awake at this hour.
Opening both eyes with less reluctance, he watched silently from his sleeping position on the blanket beside Merlin as the figure crept through the clearing. She was wearing the emerald cloak Gwen and Merlin had made for her; it draped down hypnotically to the ground, illuminating her eyes and complementing her pale skin. Arthur felt a smile tickle his lips. Even as a child she had been awful at trying to go unseen. He often had been startled that she’d made it across the corridor to his room at night with those fairy-tale books she’d harboured. It was surely proof that his father was a heavy sleeper. Briskly, he dismissed the thought of Uther Pendragon, his smile dwindling into an echo. As he gazed back over to where Morgana had been standing, he found that she was now gone.
He cast a cautious glance over his shoulder to a bare-chested, glorious Merlin. His dark curls were dishevelled and splashed messily over his forehead. His mouth was hung open ungracefully as he gently breathed to the rhythm of his peaceful dreams. Ensured that the Druid was asleep, Arthur pressed a kiss absently to the shoulder closest to him. Then he clambered out of the blankets and fastened the navy blue cloak around his neck.
Hastily he stalked into the Iaonem forest. It was a magical sight. The orange rays of the sun were streaked over the ground allowing an ethereal glow to resonance throughout the wood. Each tree was a dark silhouette, and Arthur gazed down to watch his feet dance enchantingly around the many shadows they made. Through the slits of the trees, a lighter golden hue lined the sky on the horizon.
The whole scene almost reminded Arthur of the entrancing Ĺäneìt forest of the Princess Faerie Lucinda. A few steps later he realised he was not completely wrong. As he walked, he could hear the gentle whispers of woodland faeries. It was odd to think this soothing sound was once so unfamiliar to him, yet now it was so natural and welcoming. He heard a few of the conspicuous creatures hiding in the trees utter his name in their elusive tongue. Arthur smiled politely at the source of the tiny voices, offering them a slight incline of his head before continuing on his path.
He trailed through the forest, alarmed by the stillness of it all. Now everything was truly at peace. Arthur was a little hesitant to bask in the beauty and glory of Albion, irrationally afraid the moment he did so it would all be stripped away like it had been many months ago. This slight resolve dissolved the moment he caught sight of a particular stone. A single ray of sunlight dramatically rained down upon it, giving the ancient stone a mystical aura.
As he walked down the small hill towards the stone, his eyes softened. One hand reached out to touch the stone, to caress its uneven wrinkled face. The other hand clasped the hilt of Excalibur. He could still see the scar in the rock, where this mighty sword had once been plunged into. To think, he had pulled it out! The tips of his lips twitched, his fingers delicately splayed over the warm stone. Part of him was so moved by its very nature that he was compelled to whisper his gratitude in the Druid tongue. The other part of him remembered that Morgana was here somewhere and if she spotted him talking to a stone of all things he’d never hear the end of it. So after one final fleeting look, Arthur progressed forwards past the ancient stone. He didn’t have to walk much further before he came across who he was looking for.
She was standing at the edge of this terrain, halfway between the decayed remnants of a majestic tree that bleed out into the sky and halfway between the forest floor. Merlin had told Arthur of this strange phenomenon, and to see it for his own eyes he had to admit it was far more staggering than Merlin had let on. This whole platform of the forest ended mere feet from Morgana, aside from the fallen trunk of a humungous tree. If one were to look down at the edge of this platform, they would see nothing but a beautiful forest at a drastically lower altitude. Arthur still hadn’t quite gotten over the sheer geographical brilliance of this world; it truly was overwhelming. With the sun’s light sprouting across this landscape, it simply accentuated the splendour of this forest.
Arthur was a little surprised that Morgana hadn’t yet noticed him. He was after all, in her field of vision for she was no longer looking outwards at the distance ahead. Her eyes were a little distant themselves, almost as far away as the ancient mountains that were mere dots from here. It concerned him of course. She had been too detached recently from everything. Since developing her skills, she had drifted quite often away from reality, sitting in solitude and drinking in the future. He had already discussed this with her, to no success. So, he figured the only way to communicate was via their renowned sibling banter. He took another step forwards, a fondness germinating within his eyes.
“Where do you think you’re sneaking off to at this hour?” he asked, smile broadening as he watched the raven-haired woman fidget in surprise. Immediately she dismissed her shock and her wide eyes narrowed. There was that playful resilience on her face as she strode towards him.
“What do you think you’re doing sneaking up on me at this hour?”
Collating the evidence together in delight, Arthur’s smile shifted into a smug grin. So, he had outwitted his sister and her powers of foresight. Ha! Morgana gritted her teeth, allowing him to gloat for a moment at his victory. As she expected, he made a verbal announcement rather proudly, not failing to savour the moment.
“You,” he took a step towards her, his eyes twinkled with something more than just the sunlight. “Didn’t see me coming.”
She rolled her eyes at his remark before titling her head. A tight smile spread across her lips, clearly forced and far from genuine. But her eyes were sparkling with the same sentiment his were, so Arthur was certain she was simply stumbling back into their usual exchange. Her flippant response confirmed this.
“My magic doesn’t warn me every time you’re going to appear you know,” she pouted playfully for a second, feigning an innocent look. Arthur didn’t buy it; instead he folded his arms across his chest knowingly and pondered on why she had chosen the word ‘warn’. It became clear as she delivered her punch-line.
“It has more important things to do than keep tabs on my nosy brother.”
Warmth and contentment bubbled in his chest; he’d missed this. Not that he’d ever confess this to her of all people. Morgana was an important person in his life, his sister. He couldn’t help but allow the affection to sweep over his face and cover his skin. Raising his eyebrows, he gestured to the forest vaguely.
“So, where…are you going?” pursing his lips together, he blinked slowly as he waited for her response.
“Can’t I just want to go for a morning walk?” she stalled, clearly avoiding his question.
He scoffed at the proposal, shooting down the excuse incredulously.
“You.” He emphasised the word, gesturing towards her with one hand. “You are not a morning person.”
“And how would you know?” she asked impishly with a grin, twirling around his words with elegance. “You sleep like a wild bear who’s just gone into hibernation-”
Arthur gaped at the insult, though amusement remained prevalent in his expression.
“-I do not!” he huffed indignantly, earning a small bubble of laughter from his sister.
The pair met eyes briefly. Ever since children, they’d teased each other. Such silly things they’d done; Arthur had once told a seven-year-old Morgana that it was opposite day and she’d believed him and told everyone nasty (but really kind) things. Morgana had once turned everything (apart from his bed and drawers) ups
ide down when he was out and feign shock whilst letting him believe a ghost was haunting him. Arthur remembered the times he’d stolen her hairbrush before she’d styled her hair for a date.
She had stormed into his room, eyes wild and truly resembling a monster from a horror film. She had chased him around the entire Pendragon manor (only residing in during the school holidays) with a menacing shoe with a heel far too sharp for his liking. She’d got him back a few months later, waiting for the opportune time of course. When he had brought a girl over for dinner, Morgana decided to tell a fictitious anecdote of how Arthur had once given the whole family severe food poisoning.
Dwelling on the memories, Arthur rested a hand on her shoulder gently. He felt so relaxed, so happy that his lazy eyelids drooped a little. At ease, Morgana fastened the strap on her satchel. It was odd how one small action changed everything radically. She didn’t realise her mistake until Arthur’s grip tightened on her shoulder. By the time that happened she knew that he’d figured it out and it was too late. Cautiously, she glanced up to him with sad eyes. Arthur felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest again, and this time he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to repair the damage. Unable to release her from his intense grasp, Arthur chased her eyes imploringly. No matter how hard he tried, she kept escaping his gaze. The game lingered on for a few more seconds until Arthur became frustrated by it and propelled himself away from her.
This time, she did meet his eyes. But not for long, because she couldn’t bear the anguish on his face, the pure melancholy cast over him. Arthur attempted to organise his cluttered mind. She hadn’t confirmed anything yet, and neither had he. He could be wrong; he might have misinterpreted all of this. A wretched groan left his lips. This was Morgana. As much as she liked to think she had the ability to be mysterious, he knew her better than anyone. Swallowing-hard, he sighed heavily. This silence stretching out between them, it was the admission of what he feared. They remained this way for a few more moments. Rather abruptly, Arthur cleared his aching throat and spoke.
“You’re leaving.”
No response. Eyes darkening, Arthur rushed back towards her. There was a fierce look on his face that didn’t wither the closer he got to her. Morgana held her ground sternly, blinking rapidly to avoid the tears from falling.
“You were just going to leave without saying anything weren’t you?!” he hissed, voice cracking as a wave of upset crashed over him. Studying the ground pensively, Morgana remained quiet. Another confirmation. This truly broke his heart. She was going to go, without saying goodbye to anyone, to him. The anger thawed into blind panic and urgency he couldn’t control. He and Morgana, they were closer now than ever. He couldn’t lose her. Reaching out to her once more, he pulled her towards him frantically.
“Morg your place is here-”
“-Arthur.” Her voice was just as desperate and pleading as his. “As much as I want this to be my home, in my heart I feel that it never could be-”
Not believing what he was hearing, Arthur shook his head fiercely.
“No.” leaning closer, he caught her striking eyes. This couldn’t be how it all ended. It wasn’t fair. “NO. You’re wrong! I…I…you…can’t just leave!” he managed to stammer breathlessly.
“I never belonged here Arthur-” funny, she sounded as if she hardly believed her own words. It was enough to animate the resistance inside of Arthur.
“-No stop being…stupid.” He avidly protested, gritting his teeth to try and suppress the hurt inside. She took a step back and he fell into the gap subconsciously. “No- that’s not true.”
“Arthur, Camelot Enterprise is in total disarray,” Her words brought his outburst to a standstill.
Confusion and curiosity etched onto his face. What on earth had possessed her to think of the company after all of this? Her words sunk in. No doubt it was now clear the Albion Project was a failure. The absence of Uther and his son would most likely throw the business into shambles. People might even think he was…dead. He wondered if he should feel guilty about not caring if people did think he was dead. She continued, breaking him from his thoughts.
“The world we grew up in still needs to be saved.” Pause. She laughed bitterly, holding a hand to her head for a second. “I can see it in my mind. How can I possibly ignore it?” pressing a hand softly against his arm, she smiled weakly. “That world needs me, just as this one needs you.”
There it was, that desire to do good and serve justice no matter what. Arthur stared into her eyes languidly as the orange sun enhanced her complexion. They’d been together for years. The longest they’d ever been apart for a few weeks at max; their apartments were even less than a minute walk from the other. They’d always been so close. Despair swept over him. Camelot was…another world away. It was too far, too fucking far and he wasn’t sure if he could just watch her fly away back to their old home whilst he stayed here. There was nothing left in the city of Camelot but corruption, injustice and greed. But here – in Albion. Albion was a fresh start, a chance to begin living again, to truly live.
“You don’t have to go.” He eventually said, ignoring the fact that his implications were quite selfish.
Her lips twitched, threatening to harbour a smile. It faded as she replied.
“I know.”
“Then…” baffled, he outstretched his arms in a vague gesture and began pacing as if that would enlighten him. It didn’t, to say the least. Turning back to her for a moment, he frowned. He didn’t understand, he honestly couldn’t fathom her reasoning for just leaving.
“Why? Why all of this, why would you?”
Why would you break your brother’s heart this way – he silently pleaded.
“Because,” she began boldly. “I want to go.” Arthur hitched a breath; she…wanted to leave? All a sudden the situation became far more delicate and heart breaking. Her eyes scintillated with newfound vibrancy and passion. Arthur’s on the other hand were dismal and dark. “I can rebuild Camelot Enterprise on fair and just foundations, I can bring magic back to that world. I can-”
“-Do something that I never could.” Arthur mused solemnly; a grimace dusted his face at the honesty of his statement. He may have saved Albion, but he’d started fighting back for what was right far too late. His mind reeled back to the conversation he and Morgana had had many months ago, before they’d even set foot in Albion. Gaius had been taken to the labs. He’d done nothing. She’d berated his actions. She told him he could change things. He refused to listen. Uther had told him of the real intentions for the Albion Project weeks before they left. He had said nothing. He’d still done nothing about Gaius too. In fact, he hadn’t done anything until it directly concerned him – or more accurately Merlin. That guilt he’d tried to harness consumed him. Morgana dashed forwards shrewdly.
“Arthur,” her smooth voice gradually broke him from his despair. “You have done far more for the Druids than you ever could have done for them at Camelot.”
“As have you.” He replied grimly, startling her. Reaching for one of her hands, he bit his lip to avoid the misery spilling out. It took him a moment to compose himself. “You are strong and resilient Morgana. You could help us rebuild the People of Ealdor.”
“You don’t need my help for that,” she said rather dismissively with another insightful smile. “You and Merlin have each other. There are others that need saving,” she gazed up into the sky dismally. “Out there. The Druids are still afraid. I can…I can continue your work.”
Arthur knew exactly what she meant by those words.
“The Druid Appeasement Act.” He murmured reflectively.
“I’ll ensure no matter where a Druid goes, that they can be safe.”
Her stubborn words evoked a peculiar pride within him. As he looked at her, his heart swelled, his body thrummed with something deep and unnamed. Morgana was strong-willed, brave-hearted. He was certain she could convince the moon itself to change the tides if she had the chance to converse with it, or ev
en make the sun shrink and expand in the sky. She was persuasive, daring and invigorating. Now he thought about it, she was perfect for Camelot Enterprise. She would not be afraid to go back and change things despite creating controversy. Morgana would fight for the freedom of others; she would not rest until she was satisfied with her establishment. Fondly, he offered her tender smile that spewed not just from his lips but also from his now luminous eyes.
“I don’t doubt that sister.”
She drew him into her arms abruptly.
“Albion will remain safe and untouched, I promise.” She whispered against his ear. Arthur heard the unspoken words: you will remain safe and untouched. One of his hands pacifyingly stroked her hair behind her head as she spoke. “It’s…it’s going to be alright now.”
Arthur narrowed his eyes at the unusual choice of lulling words. He felt her body stiffen in his arms. He said nothing, stirring the words over intriguingly as he held his sister. Morgana was glad he couldn’t see the tears in her eyes; the fear that radiating from them and the sheer upset as her lips trembled violently. By the time he’d released her from his grasp, her expression gave no reason for suspicion or interrogation.
It had all been meticulously brushed aside and replaced with a poignant smile that ricocheted onto his face as they admired the final moments of the sunrise.
♦☼♦
Leon had teleported back to Camelot Base with Lancelot and Gwaine once the sun had risen. Almost everybody had left, departed straight back home after the battle. The Base resembled an abandoned, haunted building. It was full of dark memories and scars, and cryptically silent. Those who were left scurried towards the remaining helicopters and left at the mere sight of them. Leon had spotted one neglected helicopter outside the base. He was sat in that helicopter right now, the gentle thrumming of its engine echoing through the clearing in the Iaonem forest. Arthur hadn’t been surprised to hear that Leon was going back with Morgana. It did make sense, and it comforted him to know that she’d have someone out there to look after her. They had bid their goodbyes, some of the Druids offering him gifts and tokens of gratitude. Now he was waiting patiently for Morgana to bid her own. A sad smile dusted his face as he watched the raven-haired woman depart from the helicopter and towards the Druids.