You might have noticed the delay, I'm experiencing writers block. My muses keep changing. My friends are introducing me to new shows, and I'm revisiting old movies, and old fanfics But without further ado, chapter 36- it's a short one.

"So…" Morgause circled the unruly boy, giving him a once over, he half expected her to pinch his buttocks, or measure his pecks. "You reek of a working man, you look like a serving boy, but you… still are." She definitely had a reason to sneer.

Merlin struggled not to do a double take, he hadn't expected that. But considering he didn't dress in the splendour of a sorcerer, with robes that go on for miles, and a finely groomed beard, he certainly lacked the style to be an obvious one.

"How it is a sorcerer can go so undetected and serve a complete tyrant so graciously when he has condemned so many of your kind."

"I'll say the same thing I've said to all who have asked this of me; I don't serve Uther."

Morgause gave a nasal huff of a laugh. "You probably haven't cast as much as a spark- that's probably how you've been undetected, afraid of you own prowess, and afraid of the man in which you serve."

"Uther has his own prowess that could intimidate any man." Merlin injected indignantly.

Her ladyship's eyes rolled. "So far he hasn't pleaded a good case, he's Arthur's lap dog, don't trust him."

Merlin took a sneaky step to the side. "Morgana, a word?!" He commanded across the clearing. Both witches looked across taken aback.

Well that was dumb. Morgana was scrutinising him like hell- didn't he know she was a member of the other party? She couldn't be called out just like that so casually.

When the silent deathly gazes had been held long enough, the sorcerer realized the witch wasn't budging- he scattily gestured in his direction, and Morgana finally made her way over with a sigh of resignation. "What?" She whispered harshly at his face when she got to him.

"If you want me to live, just be a little less…"

"Excuse me, when have I insisted on you living?" She said as quietly as possible.

"Well you whispered that for a start, and you didn't come down on me for calling you over. You would have gone all uppity and demand I was killed for insubordination."

Morgana's arms folded defensively. "A lady doesn't bark like a dog."

"She can if she wants to be Queen." His voice lilted, so much so his volume increased- this was deliberate.

Morgause swaggered into the discussion. "So the boy thinks he knows what it is to be a Queen."

Merlin smiled, Morgana stared at it- no, that was definitely a smirk. "I know a Queen when I see one, and I see two." Flattery could get you anywhere.

"So you wish to help us to the throne, what gave you the idea we want the throne?" Her talons flicked outwards then retracted so she could fold her arms.

"You are very obvious with your intentions." The sorcerer mirrored her smirk, it was the most unnatural thing he would ever do.

Morgause brow quirked. "Yours aren't very clear. What do you hope to get out of this, safety?" She toyed with her cape. "For your prince?"

"Myself actually, isn't that just selfish?" His voice full of mirth. "Arthur's safety would be a bit of a stretch."

"And you'd be right." Her voice had lost its impatience, she had an amused lilt. "What can I do with you?"

It was a rhetorical question, he hoped.

Gwen sat anxiously at her table, biting her thumbnails.

Some quiet feet fell onto the boards outside her home and she stood with so much gusto the chair she was on tipped. She had left her door unlocked, the person was careful not to let it squeak as they steered it open. Merlin made an appearance and she scowled at him. "How dare you…" Her voice shaking.

Merlin remained poised at the door. "Gwen." He countered with little to no emotion.

The maidservant rapidly approached him and flung her arms around him. "How dare you not let me go with you? That was dangerous, how did you make it out alive?"

"Simple, leaving you here. They wouldn't have taken both of us. They know you are enamoured with Arthur."

Gwen drew back, but not enough to be released from the hug. "What about your dedication to Arthur, they know how you have protected him all this time, how did they buy into that?"

The sorcerer smiled knowingly. "You didn't deny 'you being enamoured to Arthur'." That wasn't answering to her question.

Gwen thumped him. "Oh hush, I can dispute that anytime, you on the other hand need to tell me how you convinced them."

"I'm not sure I have, they think it's all talk, Morgana knows it's a dastardly deed. And yet she said nothing in front of her sister." He hitched his voice toward the end to imply something. "Well she does like to shoot me down, but she didn't order my death warrant."

Gwen was nearly hysterical."What about the whole… putting her aside in order to fulfil your destiny with Arthur."

"There's plenty of time to fulfil my destiny, Arthur's got to prove himself up against the storm that's coming, and Morgana's got to find out how far she is willing to go, maybe she'll realise it was her sister's ambition all along." But he did realise that he was running out of time, Arthur was in as much danger as ever, and Merlin was near the front row- he was going to be tested by Morgause, and he will be testing Morgana.

Gwen took a much needed breath, or gasp as if she was about to exclaim."What if there is nothing left of Morgana to work that out?- We've seen how far she is willing to go, what more proof do you need?!"

He knew Morgana, very well now. "I can feel Morgana's heart, I think it has thawed out."

"Spare me the poetry." She sounded contemptible. "You think she fancies you, you think you are safe!"

"No really, I feel it, her warmth in her bosom, her accelerated heartbeat." You can't fake something like that surely? Merlin clutched at the cheap callous fabric of Gwen's dress, a far cry from Morgana smooth glossy silk. "There is something there." Gwen was shaking her head, she needed a little more convincing. "She kissed me."