Chase (Divides Crossed Part 4)

DJ Dubois

October 2017

Rating: T (Teen: some language, violence)

Notes Part 1: Pairings: Merthian, Arwen, Percival/Blancheflor, Gawain/Britomart (friendship at this point), others?

Notes Part 2: This is the fourth part of the series following "Keepsakes Lost," "Trial" and "Mutual Understandings". This edition of Merlin belongs to the BBC and Scyfy Channel. Britomart is from the Faerie Queene. Sir Ywain and Malodius are from Chretien de Troyes' Ywain: Knight of the Lion. Please send comments to dante0220 .

Chapter 1 [Camelot—A Few Hours Following the Events in "Mutual Understandings"]

The sun pushed valiantly at the dark overcast. Summer struggled against unseasonably icy gusts. Rain drizzled over the thatched rooftops. Ravens cawed their gloating overhead. Activity seemed constrained by the Southrons' occupation.

That and the usurping presence on the throne…..

[Royal Council Chamber]

Morgana brooded in the Seat of State. Much as during her last tenure in this position, Opposition dampened her aspirations. She couldn't comprehend the subjects' resistance to her goals. After all, she only wanted to restore the Old Religion. She wanted things to proceed as they had before Uther's bastard rule. She desired a natural flow to things.

Was it her fault that like children, the ingrates had become self-entitled and lazy for Progress' sake? Should she be blamed for their straying from Faith's path?

More aptly, if one wanted an omelet, certain prized eggs needed to be broken after all…..

She pursed her lips and tapped on the throne's arm rest. Her eyes blazed at the councilors sitting anxiously around the rectangular table brought upstairs from the cellars below. If for nothing else, she'd not tolerate her stepbrother's circular abomination. She quickly dispensed with Arthur's anarchy and put the underlings back in their place.

An elderly slender man cleared his throat. "The wall repairs have dragged down our finances, Milady. We will have to find additional resources."

She chuckled. Her spell used to tap the walls' weakness had revealed Nemeth's involvement in the breach. Ironically Mithian had granted her a key to unlock Opportunity's vault. The action, while intended to free Merlin and set things right, had led to so much more. "Yes we will, Lord Cuthbert. And I believe we can do so without setting further burdens on our subjects."

Cuthbert glanced at the other advisors not getting her gist.

"I'm sitting here. Look at me not them." Storm flared in her eyes beating down quickly on Cuthbert's sensibilities. "Yes. I do have an idea." She turned to the Southron soldier standing just to her left. "Bring Sir Leon, will you? I have need for him."

The crimson cowled man bowed to her. Then he hustled from the area.

"There now. You see? Someone who actually understands his place! You all might learn from his example." She took a draught from her goblet. "I will hand it to you all. You've made progress with taxation over the past few years."

"The people love Arthur, Queen Morgana," a heavy set brown haired man pointed out. The words stumbled across his tongue and from his mouth. He almost pursed his lips as if he'd sucked on a sour apple.

"And they will learn to love me as she should." She shrugged. "They will love me or be swept aside. And trust me, if they force me to do so, I will shove them aside."

"With due respect, might I make a suggestion?" Cuthbert asked. Fear and Intimidation paled his features.

"You can. I'll decide if it has merit or not." She cleared her throat. "Go on. Regale me with your insight, Lord Cuthbert."

Cuthbert stiffened. He restrained Indignation's reaction to her bile. "Yes…well…perhaps you might consider their needs? We've all…well…progressed…in our views. Perhaps compromise might grant you some good will? Perhaps we can all adjustto each other?"

She sniffed at his proposal. "Adjust to each other?" She coughed. "And what about magic users? What about the Old Religion, Sir Cuthbert? How much have we suffered?" She brought her hands down firmly onto the table spilling goblets and jarring others' sensibilities. "WHAT ABOUT THEM?"

The outburst drained the blood from the counselors' faces. Uncertainty shook them. They averted their eyes. Silence muffled any potential responses.

She shook her head. Satisfaction savored their reactions. "No responses? Really? You all seemed so sure during the Purge. You all supported Arthur's assault on the old order. Now you know how we feel!"

At that moment, the Southron soldier cleared his throat. "Queen Morgana?"

She saw the underling dragging a manacled Leon into the chamber. She nodded. "I would hope for more gratitude, Sir Leon."

Leon summoned up his resolve. He frowned. "Your care leaves little to be desired, Morgana." He dropped his shoulder and knocked the Southron back. "We will never serve you willingly!"

She frowned. "Unwilling or no, I am sure I will find a way. To think that I had help in breaching the wall. The Nemethians were so eager to stop Agravaine. They helped you to save Merlin from the hangman's noose. Pity. I would've liked to have seen Arthur's loyal lap dog hanging in the square. What a pity that the wall didn't have time to completely dry. Isn't it?" A special gleam sparked in her eye.

Leon narrowed his eyes. "Both Princess Mithian and the guards did their duty! King Arthur wanted justice for Merlin and the rest of us! You know nothing of this!"

The Southron backhanded Leon knocking him backward.

She smirked coldly. Her eyes glinted canary at the impudent knight. "Perhaps you might be of service to me after all, Sir Leon. Suffocate!"

Leon gasped. His lungs burned as the air fled them. His legs wavered. He collapsed to his knees. He grabbed at his throat.

"Queen Morgana, please!" the brown haired counsellor implored.

She shook her head. "Not yet…" She considered the choking prisoner. She saw the red streaking his cheeks.

"Go…spit!" Leon gasped. His lips started to turn blue.

"This isn't the way!" Cuthbert intervened.

"I'll tell you what the way is." She glared at the suffering Leon and then at the others. "No matter. You'll soon see things my way." She opened her fist.

Leon rolled over. His lungs filled once more with sweet air. His eyes narrowed.

She stood and strutted over to the fallen knight. "Such resolve! You never disappoint unlike that clown, Gawain. Just know, I have hundreds of men searching for Arthur and the others. They will be found. I will deal with him. Then I will deal with you and the knights."

Leon sucked in burning gasps of air. His eyes bore back into hers. Defiance twisted into a smirk. "Do your worst, Morgana. We can take it."

"We will see." She motioned to her underling. "Tell the others I have ways to force you all."

As he was dragged away, Leon's eyes never left Morgana's. His eyes blazed away at hers pulling them both into a battle of the wills…one that only ceased with him leaving the area.

"Milady…." Cuthbert started to implore.

She exhaled a sharp breath. "Nay! I don't want excuses! I want loyalty! I am the Queen by right! Arthur usurped my authority! Know that! Now GO! All of you!" She dismissed him and the other counselors with a shooing motion of her hand. She seethed with unspoken fury. Indignation shuddered her form. "Curse them! Why can't they see? Their friends can harm them and it's all right? I am only doing what was right! Arthur brought this on them! He and they denied me!"

At that moment, the raven flew through the window. It alighted on a chair nearby. It cawed at her.

She struggled to comprehend the bird's presence. Anger swamped her sensibilities. She gulped down several cooling gulps of water. She inhaled calming breaths. She looked toward the bird. Her eyes glinted once again. "Speak"

Enhanced by her spell, the bird's tone transformed into a guttural undertone. Its sharp notes formed into words. Great Priestess….

Yes, Loyal One. What have you seen? You'd best be here for a reason! she retorted fiercely.

Aye. Strangers crossed into these lands from the west. They bore standards of emerald. The magical lion accompanied them. You needed to know, the raven reported.

Morgana rubbed her chin. She recognized the reference to Malodius. The emerald standard marked Nemeth's renewed presence in Camelot. And if the lion was in there, that meant Mithian led the party. She sniffed. Sarcasm accented the tone. Aye. I needed to know. It seems the brat never gets the message, does she? Where did you see them, my Messenger?

The raven screeched before its call coalesced back into words. By the river. They came from the tall trees beyond the waters. They crossed the waters. They pressed on south.

Morgana considered the report. She recalled Mithian's rash nature from their meetings as children. She knew how loyal the Princess was toward her friends. She also knew that Rodor would have taken precautions. Knights would accompany the Princess to advise her. Malodius would cost more soldiers than he was worth. She plotted the Nemeth party's possible courses.

Mithian, if nothing else, was a hunter. She understood the relationship between hunter and prey. She wouldn't blunder into a trap…or at least she might not have seemed to do so.

The not-so-repaired breach in Camelot's walls spoke differently….

Even after my idiot half-brother rejected her, the brat still risked war to save him from himself! Why? He rejected her! Why should she care like that? Arthur loves Guinevere. Agravaine used her to achieve our ends. Morgana rolled her eyes. What is she? The Princess? The Hunter? Or The Lovesick Girl? She shook her head. Even when he's running, he attracts attention! HOW? "ARGH! DAMN HIM!"

"Something troubles you, Lady?" Helios supposed. He leaned against the far wall. He observed her holding the bird close. He could not understand what her purpose was.

She breathed deeply. She put her hand up to signal him to wait. Then she turned back to the raven. Go! Find them!

Aye, Priestess. The raven flapped its wings. It took off into the air and headed out the open window beyond.

She huffed a breath. She turned back to face Helios. "We need more eyes out there! We have intruders!" She paced about the stones about the table.

"Intruders? Morgana, our men search the woods for Arthur and the others. We will find them," he vowed.

"Not just my brother and the knights! No, Mithian leads a group from Nemeth! We have to find them before she can reinforce Arthur!" she insisted.

"Nemeth? Their army is no threat to us." Helios sighed. "We will soon deal with them. If they shelter Arthur or his supporters, they will pay for their interference."

She shook her head and stalked from the chamber.

Now she listens to birds? Really? Helios followed her out of the area. He hoped to calm her and get her thinking in the right direction once again….

.