Hi everyone! I'm back with the final instalment of The Tallest Tower trilogy, it's great that it's become a trilogy, I had always hoped it would be but didn't know if people would be interested in it. This one will be shorter than the other two, but I hope you enjoy reading it. It takes place one year after the end of The Bravest Bond.

Next few updates might take a while as I need to plan out the rest of the story and there is the joy that is exam season, but after that it's the summer so hopefully updates will come much quicker!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this first chapter, let me know what you think! :)

Chapter 1

The Anniversary of a Heartbreak, Part One

Morgana gazed out a window of the castle, watching fog drift over the sea. There was a chill in the air. Before she had come to this place she had never even seen the sea before, but it was a restless tempest, the waves captured her imagination but they were a dirty grey colour. The young witch focused on the constantly churning waves and tried to put to the back of her head what had happened one year ago on this day.

One year ago, Morgana had discovered that Merlin had abandoned her, and she was all alone in the world again. Her heart had cracked and then smashed like glass dropped onto a stone floor.

Her whole world changed that day, and she feared it was irreversible.

But she didn't have to drown in despair, because Morgause and Mordred were there for her. Morgana realised she was not alone in the world, in fact she never would be again, because her sister was with her, and the boy she saw as her son.

These people loved her, that she was sure of. They would never abandon her.

Yet for some reason their presence didn't solve everything. A year had passed, and the pain was still there. Morgana felt as if she had been badly wounded, and the wound would never heal.

And she hated Merlin for making her feel that way.

But there were more important things to think about now. The day after Morgause had told Morgana that Merlin had abandoned her, but she also had a great destiny to fulfil, she decided they should leave the wood.

Morgana was surprised that, after so long of living within those trees, her sister had suddenly decided they should leave. But she supposed it made sense, she couldn't go anywhere in the wood without being reminded of what she had now lost, and it made the pain in her heart even worse. Morgause also said she knew someone who could help Morgana fulfil her destiny, and the place they were going to was safe from Uther's men, and she would be able to prepare herself for her destiny.

Morgana had agreed, even though the truth of her destiny was still in the dark, and within the hour she, Morgause and Mordred had left the wood.

After that there was several days of travelling. Morgana wasn't sure for how far or how long, the whole world had become a blur to her. Morgause was worried that her sister had fallen ill, she could see how pale her face was and how she stumbled along dirt roads as if she couldn't put one foot in front of the other. But afterwards Morgana had a feeling she probably acted that way because it was so soon after her heartbreak, and if she had any sickness it was sickness of the heart.

Still she wouldn't let Merlin slow her down, he had put her through enough, so she kept on going. Until they reached the Kingdom of a man called Cenred, and went to stay in his castle.

Morgana had quickly decided she didn't like Cenred, though she couldn't quite tell what it was exactly about him that made her skin crawl. He seemed very welcoming when they stepped into his castle, and he was willing to share his home and food with people he barely knew, but there was a cruel smile on his face and his castle was dark and cold. But he claimed he wanted to help their cause and Morgause trusted him, that was enough for Morgana.

At first Morgana didn't like being in the castle that sat on the cliff by the sea, despite its remote location it reminded her too much of the days she was locked up in the tower at Camelot, but Morgause could see this and reminded her this was not Camelot, and she could roam freely about this castle as much as she wanted. She could even go outside if she wanted, and soon Morgause would get her a horse so she could go riding.

From that moment Morgana decided to go exploring the castle with Mordred. They hunted through every room they went in as if looking for treasure, they raced down corridors and found secret passages that led to the outside world. It lifted Morgana's heart to see the silent Mordred enjoying himself, even laughing sometimes when they went exploring. It reminded her that, despite all he had been through, he was still a child who wanted to play and look for adventures. He deserved to have some fun, and Morgana felt that so did she, her father had stolen away her childhood and made her live in fear, she deserved to have it back. Cenred mocked her childish behaviour, but Morgana didn't care, she hadn't had so much fun in a long time, and Morgause was happy to see her sister smiling.

So Morgana found, despite everything, her heart lightening from the weight of sorrow, and she could smile and laugh again with Mordred and Morgause by her side.

And now she had another goal set firmly in her mind, for it wasn't long after she and Mordred had decided they had discovered everything this castle had to offer, that Morgause decided she was ead to learn the real purpose of her destiny.

"You are to kill Uther Pendragon."

Morgana stared at Morgause across the table. They had just finished eating and Morgause said she wanted to have a private word with her sister. She couldn't quite believe her words. She had no idea what her destiny might be, but she certainly wasn't expecting this. "Why?" Morgana suddenly found herself asking.

"Because our people deserve justice." Morgause explained as if it was obvious. "You deserve justice. And you have been chosen to serve Uther his punishment. You know what he's capable of, he locked up his own daughter for years because of something she was born with. He executes hundreds of innocent people, he is a tyrant and he deserves to die. And once he does our people will have freedom again."

"But...but he's my father." Morgana stuttered. She knew he was a bad man, but could she really kill him? Her own flesh and blood.

Morgause sighed, and looked terribly disappointed. "I understand this must be difficult news for you Morgana, but it's your destiny, you deserve to fulfil it and bring justice to all the people Uther has wronged. Just think about it." She got up and left the room, leaving Morgana alone.

That night Morgana lay awake, thinking over what she had been told.

She tried to think of what a father was meant to be like, she knew Uther was not the ideal father, but still, he was her father. She tried to think of the times he was there for her, when he spoke softly to her and put a comforting arm around her.

But she couldn't. In fact she couldn't even remember him smiling. When had he last smiled at her? When had he spoken softly to her and put his arm around her? She didn't remember him doing anything that she thought would make him a caring father, instead she remembered fear. Fear of the man who didn't care about her, who never told her she was his daughter, who let her live in fear of what she was, and then locked her up like a criminal and told the rest of the world she was dead. He had left her to rot, only checking in on her every now and then to make sure she hadn't decayed into dust and gone insane in the darkness, and every time denying her the freedom she longed for, the freedom everyone deserved.

Father or not, he was not worthy of her mercy.

Then she remembered what he had done to other people like her, the innocent people who lived in fear just like she did, because of him. The number of people just like her who he had killed, no reason other than to fulfil his selfish paranoia about magic. These people had done nothing wrong, he was meant to protect the people of his Kingdom, but he betrayed them, he did not care about them. How many more people had he killed during the time she had been away from Camelot? Mothers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters and loving fathers Uther would never be like?

Then Morgana remembered the Druid camp too. How many times had Uther done that? Destroyed a whole village, killing dozens of people just to get his own way? Just because he didn't understand that people with magic were not monsters, he was the monster.

Mordred's cry of pain filling the air, the day he felt his friend die. Morgause told her he had hidden amongst dead bodies to avoid being killed, and he was nothing but an innocent child.

Who was going to make Uther pay for what he had done to her precious Mordred? Serve his punishment for the torment he had put his own daughter through and countless other people?

Morgana suddenly found herself sitting up in bed, wide awake. She pulled off the covers and got out of bed, hurrying out her chamber and entering the dark chamber.

The night was cold and a chilly wind bit into the back of her neck and Morgana walked silently down the corridor and reached Morgause's chamber. She knocked.

"Yes?" Said a voice from within.

The door opened with a creek as Morgana entered the room. Morgause was still awake, she was sitting up in bed reading a book by candlelight. She looked concerned to see her sister standing at her doorstep in the middle of the night. But Morgana only wanted to say one thing.

"I'll do it."

And Morgause smiled.

From that day onwards Morgana's training began. She learnt more magic spells, she practiced fighting with her dagger and then with a sword, she learnt how to defend herself and how to attack. Morgause also taught her the history of her people, and how for twenty years Uther had been persecuting their people, but soon they would stop his cruelty for good.

Over the weeks and months Morgana became more knowledgeable and more powerful while Mordred and sometimes Cenred watched. She became someone who could fulfil a destiny, and soon she and Morgause were thinking of a plan of how they could finally strike the tyrant down.

But over these weeks and months Morgana never forgot about Merlin. She never told anyone, she pretended she had moved on, that she didn't care, that she had more important things on her mind and the people around her right now were who truly mattered. But still every day she thought of him, he was the last thing on her mind when she went to bed at night and the first thing she thought of when she woke up in the morning. She hated him, she missed him and she loved him.

One year on, her heart was still broken.