Dragon Twins

A/N: Everyone seemed to enjoy the last chapter which makes me very happy. This one will not go the same as the show for a number of reasons, but hopefully my version is good too…I'm combining two episodes into one for this one.

Thank you all for being so very patient with me during the long wait. I passed my State Test and am now officially a Certified Nursing Assistant! Yay! I also have a job now with 8 hour shifts 6 days a week and I'm often tired and sore but it's very rewarding. Thanks to my schedule updating will be hectic and not even remotely on a schedule but I am getting back to my stories so it will happen.

Chapter 12 – The Labyrinth of Gedref and To Kill the King

Arthur had decided to take Marlena out for a ride and maybe convince her to let him hunt some small game while they were out, Merlin privately thought he'd have better luck convincing his father that the sky was pink but he kept that to himself. Marlena hated hunting unless it was by necessity of survival…hunting for sport was horrifying to her. They had stopped for a little break when they heard rustling nearby and Merlin groaned when Arthur reached for his crossbow and Marlena's face turned into a deep frown.

"Arthur, no. What if it's a lost child…or a little bunny rabbit?"

"Are you ever going to let me hunt anything?"

"Not while I'm with you, no."

Arthur gave her a decidedly pouty look that she completely ignored, earning a number of snickers from the men around her. Marlena stood up and headed through the brush to find the source of the noise, avoiding both Merlin and Arthur's attempts to stop her while a couple of knights sniggered nearby until Arthur glared at them…this did nothing to stop Leon, however, who merely chuckled at his friend's expressions. Merlin and Arthur soon caught up to her, with the few knights they had brought along right behind them, and all of them went silent and nearly slack-jawed at the sight before them. Marlena was sitting on the ground with her legs folded up under her while a unicorn had its head lying in her lap. She was petting it softly and humming to it and Arthur felt as though he'd never seen anything more beautiful in that moment. When she looked up at him and beamed a smile he could have sworn he felt his heart stop for a moment, not that he'd ever tell anyone such a thing.

"Isn't he beautiful, Arthur? A real Unicorn…I didn't think there were any left in the world."

"There are a few left, My Lady…precious few though they are."

"Who are you?"

Arthur had turned, aiming his crossbow at the man who appeared in the clearing next to Marlena. The man held up his hands in a sign of peace.

"I am Anorha, Keeper of the Unicorns."

"Right…why are you here?"

"They are drawn to her…and her brother. The two of you are pure light, pure magic…and unicorns are drawn to purity in all forms."

"I thought they were drawn to virgins?"

Arthur snorted softly at the young knight's innocent question, watching as both Merlin and Marlena turned spectacular shades of red. He gave Marlena a long look that was filled with heat as his brain caught up to his ears and processed the meaning behind that blush.

"Marlena…"

"Not…one…word."

Marlena refused to even look at Arthur while Merlin had decided his boots were very interesting at that point. Arthur stalked towards Marlena only to be yanked back by Leon's hand grabbing his chainmail shirt and jerking him back, ignoring his Prince's little growl of frustration.

"Arthur…No."

"Leon…"

"No…bad idea…especially in a bloody forest."

Arthur blinked and looked around before clearing his throat and looking anywhere other than at Marlena. Anhora seemed highly amused by the entire thing and he gave a nod of respect to Merlin and Marlena before speaking again.

"I am also the keeper of a place known as the Labyrinth of Gedref. If one kills a unicorn they must go through it and face a test to prove their worth, however, those that spare a unicorn may also enter the Labyrinth."

"What happens if they do?"

"They are shown visions of the past, and the future, that will help them understand whatever destiny lies before them."

"Can more than one person enter together?"

"They may, young Prince, and the Labyrinth will show visions that relate to all of them together as well as individually."

"Interesting…what do you two think about this?"

The twins exchanged a look that Arthur had come to know very well and he knew their innate curiosity was taking over at this point.

"I am very interested in exploring this Labyrinth, Arthur…but only if we go together, the three of us."

"If that is what My Lady wishes…then that is what we shall do…right Merlin?"

"Of course…I always do what my sister wants."

Everyone snorted softly at the sarcastic sass and Marlena flicked his nose with her finger in retaliation, laughing when he yelped and pouted at her. Leon just shook his head with a quiet chuckle at their antics and motioned for the other knights to follow. Marlena noticed how Anhora kept staring at Shimmer and laughed softly, earning a few curious looks from her companions.

"Her name is Shimmer. She was a gift from my King."

"The King has certainly taken quite a liking to you, my Lady. It gives us all hope of a better future. Ah, we are here."

They all stopped and looked up at the massive stone wall in front of them and Marlena felt her nerves flare up, until Arthur stepped up behind her and she felt his warm strength at her back. One of his hands came to rest at the base of her spine and she leaned back against him ever so slightly.

"Alright then…let's do this. Merlin…?"

"Are we sure this is a good idea?"

"Merlin…follow…now."

"Yes Arthur…"

As the three stepped through the massive entrance the knights took up positions to guard the passageway. Leon turned to Anhora and asked him several questions.

"Is there any other way in or out of this thing?"

"No, when the Labyrinth has shown them what it wants them to see they will be returned to this doorway and come out here."

"Good. No one can ambush them then. Will they come to any harm in there?"

"No. The Labyrinth will merely show them glimpses of their pasts, and their futures…possibly what their futures may have been had things gone differently."

"Last question…how long will this take?"

"There is no way of knowing. Time passes differently inside. It could be hours out here, but days in there."

"Wonderful."

"I will provide you all with food and drink should the need arise. Worry not for your friends…the Labyrinth will take very good care of them. They are all so very important to the future of this land and all who dwell within it."

Inside the Labyrinth the trio stepped into a memory from long ago. It showed a conversation between Uther and his wife, and Nimueh. They were talking about Uther's desperate longing for a son, and he was clearly not listening to Nimueh's warnings about how magic always demanded a price, a life for a life. They could see the moment the Queen realized what Nimueh was trying to say and Arthur felt a moment of horror as he watched her face settle into a calm acceptance before telling her husband and friend that she would do it…no matter the cost.

"She knew…"

"Arthur…"

"She knew it would kill her…Why? Why would she do it?"

"She wanted to make her husband happy…and she wanted a son. Arthur…you can't blame yourself for this."

"At least I know what she looked like."

"You definitely got your hair from her…your eyes too I think."

A new memory flared up around them, this time of Merlin and Marlena's mother with a man they didn't recognize. She was crying softly as he left her, looking as heartbroken as she did. The memory swirled again to show her stomach growing with her twins and her face looking worried. She said a name that neither twin recognized but Arthur gasped softly as he seemed to.

"Balinor?"

"You know the name?"

"Yes, my father used to speak of him. He was my father's closest friend before the purge. He was a Dragonlord…the highest ranking at that. He was basically the leader of them. My father hunted them all down and killed them, and the dragons…all save Balinor and the Great Dragon. I don't know what happened between them, my father won't talk about it."

"I can probably get the story out of him."

"You probably could my love. He does adore you…as do I. You seem to have an effect on Pendragon men."

Marlena gave him a sweet smile as the images changed again. They were looking at Arthur as a child, playing in the courtyard with Morgana. The two were probably around 6 or 7 and fighting each other with wooden swords. Merlin laughed as Morgana won the fight and Arthur sulked at her. Uther was watching from above with an amused smile.

"Aww…you two were adorable."

"Am I not still?"

"Maybe a little…"

Arthur chuckled at Marlena's little smirk before they were distracted by new images. Little Merlin and Marlena were in their home and Marlena was clearly upset as their mother was arguing with the town leader. Merlin's little eyes flashed gold and their toys started to float around the twins and Marlena stopped crying almost immediately. Hunith came back in and looked horrified and concerned all at once.

"She was afraid of us?"

"I don't think so my love. I think she was afraid of what might happen to you if someone found out. I've met her and seen how she is with you two…she adores you both."

"Thank you Arthur."

Marlena hugged him and he held her close a moment. The Labyrinth seemed to wait until they were done before showing a new scene. This time it was Arthur and Morgana as teenagers, probably a short time after her father's death. Arthur was trying to cheer her up and failing miserably, until he tripped into her closet and got tangled in one of her pink gowns and she burst into peals of laughter. He grinned sheepishly as she helped him get untangled and the two fell over in a laughing fit.

"That was sweet of you to help her."

"I couldn't let the girl I saw as my sister keep hurting like that."

"Now you know she really IS your sister."

"Yes, and I'm really quite happy about that. She's grown into quite a formidable woman."

"I pity the man that tries to ask for her hand in marriage."

The next scene was Merlin as a teenager in Ealdor's forest with Will. The image soon had them all laughing as they watched Will goad Merlin into felling a tree with his magic, nearly flattening a cranky old man in the process.

"So that's why the man hated you?"

"Umm…yes…a bit…"

"That and the fact that Merlin and Will constantly played tricks on him."

"You helped!"

"Only when he threatened you."

The Labyrinth then switched to a new scene. This time it was Marlena inside a tavern as some dark-haired rogue flirted shamelessly with her and had her laughing until she cried. He soon left her side to flirt with another woman, a rather busty blonde, but when a nasty looking man grabbed Marlena and tried to drag her away the rogue came to her aid and ended up starting a fight. The two used the distraction and slipped out the back.

"He and I spent a good year or so travelling together. He kept me safe and I led him into one adventure after another."

"Did you…umm…"

"No. I never slept with him. He came to view me as a little sister that needed to be protected. He has several of them…sisters I mean. He's an interesting man."

"I hope I get to meet him someday."

"I'm sure you will, Arthur."

The next image was when the twins first arrived in Camelot to see a young man executed for using magic.

"Oh that was a wonderful first impression…gods, what you two must have thought of us…"

"It wasn't pleasant…"

They watched Merlin lead an extremely pale Marlena to Gaius' tower and Arthur felt guilty for how badly shaken she looked. The real Marlena slipped her hand into his and smiled softly at him.

"I'm alright now Arthur…things got better after that."

"I know…still…you shouldn't have had to witness that."

The Labyrinth showed them a new image, of Arthur and Marlena exchanging wedding vows as their combined families beamed with pride. They could only see their faces and Arthur grumbled about not seeing the dress.

"Even the Labyrinth knows its bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the ceremony."

The next images were similar to the last only this time it was Merlin and Morgana. Arthur felt his jaw pop open and Marlena started snickering at the shocked look on her brother's face.

"Oh I knew it!"

"Oh no…she'll eat him alive…You have to be joking…"

"We've been…growing closer…but not…that close…I don't think…"

The next images showed four glided thrones, two of them clearly feminine in design. Four figures in royal capes and different, yet intricate, crowns atop their heads sat on the thrones.

"That's us…all four of us…but how…?"

"I believe the Labyrinth is trying to tell us that we should all rule together…as equals."

"It's not a bad idea…we can balance each other out."

A group of red-caped knights knelt before them and the view shifted to show their faces, some of them familiar, other not so much.

"There's Sir Leon."

"That's Gawaine!"

"Gwen's brother is there too…and Lance."

"Oh…I think…yes…that's Mordred…oh look how adorable he is…so grown up."

They heard their other selves refer to the men as the Knights of the Round Table and Marlena thought it was wonderful…Arthur and Merlin agreed. The Labyrinth showed them ruling over Camelot into their older years with several children whose faces they couldn't see standing around them.

"That's not bad…a good positive future."

"This is the future you will have if you continue on your current path. Had your path gone a different way…it would all have ended a great deal darker."

"Did…did the Labyrinth just talk to us?"

"Yes, Arthur…magical places can sometimes do that."

"Oh…wonderful."

The next things the Labyrinth showed them had Marlena curling into Arthur in fright and horror while Merlin held her hand tightly in his own. Arthur was stiff but he kept his arms around Marlena to comfort her. They watched as Marlena was killed by Uther after her magic was revealed, and then Morgana slowly descended into madness, Gwen lost her father, Arthur lost his father, and they all nearly died many times over. They watched Morgana wage war on Camelot, Mordred turn on them after Arthur killed the woman he loved. They watched Merlin fall in love and lose the woman he loved at Arthur's hand. The last image was Mordred and Arthur killing each other on a battle field and Marlena collapsed against Arthur in tears.

"That won't happen Marlena…we won't let it. Right Merlin?"

"Of course. The Labyrinth said we're on the right path…if we just keep doing what we have been we'll all be ok."

When they finally came back outside they looked shaken and Leon immediately worried. He rushed to their sides and wrapped a blanket around Marlena's shoulders as she was still shaking in Arthur's arms.

"What the hell happened in there?"

"Everything it showed was all good, and positive…but at the end it showed us what could have happened had my father made a different decision after Marlena's magic was revealed."

"Was it really that bad Arthur?"

"Worse. In that future my father killed her…Morgana went mad and eventually waged war on us all…and I was killed rather young. It was…it was bad Leon."

"Explains why our little Lady is so shaken."

A soft white light alerted them to the appearance of one of the Unicorns and Marlena almost immediately ran to it, throwing her arms around its neck and burying her face in its mane. The unicorn gently pressed its nose against her back as if trying to give her a hug. She eventually calmed down thanks to the radiant creature's influence and it left as silently as it had come.

"Thank you, Anhora, for bringing us here. We know now what needs to be done to give this land the best possible future."

"If you ever have need of me, Lady Aria, you need only call and I will hear you."

"Thank you."

"That goes for you as well, Lord Emrys. Farewell to you both, and to you…future King Arthur."

Anhora vanished and Marlena shared a look with her twin before they both burst into a little fit of laughter.

"Come on you two…let's head home before my father sends a search party after us all."

After arriving back at Camelot they told Uther and Morgana of all they had seen and he looked absolutely horrified at the idea that he might have killed Marlena. She curled up in his lap and let him hold her for a moment to reassure him that all was well between them. Morgana looked deeply disturbed by the idea of her going mad and attacking those she loved most.

"So…Merlin and Morgana?"

"Oh gods…not you too Sire…"

They all laughed a bit at Merlin's mortified look until Morgana moved to press herself into his side, his arms surrounding her instinctively. She curled into him and they could all see how badly she was shaking.

"I would never…I couldn't…I swear I would never…oh gods…"

"Shh…hush my Lady. None of us will allow that to happen to you. I give you my word Morgana. We will not allow you to fall like that."

Merlin's words seemed to calm her and Uther motioned for him to get her out of the throne room, Arthur and Marlena following close behind.

"Gana? Are you alright?"

"Yes Lena…I'm alright now. I trust all of you to keep me safe and sane…just as I will keep all of you safe."

"Of course…that's what friends and family are for."

It took a few weeks for everyone to settle down and for life to return to relative normalcy. Marlena and Arthur grew even closer, as did Merlin and Morgana. The people of the kingdom watched with growing excitement and some of the older and wiser ones could see hints of the future in the interactions of the four. Then Uther received a tip that an enemy of his was within the walls of Camelot so he sent Arthur to hunt the man down. When he found the man he was in the blacksmith's shop with Gwen's father and Arthur felt his heart drop to his feet. The scene looked very bad but Arthur hoped his father would retain a level head and give the man a fair trial. Arthur had no choice but to arrest Tom and when Morgana found out she was livid. Marlena stormed in right behind her and Arthur winced at the look on her face.

"Marlena…I had no choice…"

"I know Arthur…I don't blame you. Majesty…please…"

"Tom would never do what you are accusing him of. He loves Camelot…"

"Morgana…he was found in the company of a known enemy of Camelot and I have reason to believe he was forging weapons for the sorcerer."

Arthur slid a lump of gold across the table and Marlena's eyes flashed golden and she swayed as if she would collapse. Arthur wrapped his arms around her and held her close while Morgana covered the lump of gold with her shawl.

"Marlena…what happened?"

"Something is very wrong here…that gold should not exist…I need to speak with Tom…and Gaius…Majesty please?"

"Very well…you and Arthur may investigate the matter and report your findings to me…I will make the final decision."

"Thank you Majesty."

Marlena hugged Uther and dragged Arthur out of the room, Morgana following on their heels as Uther allowed himself a small smile at the group. Marlena had Arthur take her to see Tom first and he told them of his interactions with the man. Arthur took the lead in asking questions.

"I had no idea he was a sorcerer…or an enemy of Camelot…he seemed decent enough."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted me to melt a bunch of lead for him…that was all…he pulled out some sort of strange stone and it glowed while he chanted something and then the lead became gold. I've never heard of anything like that before."

"Because it goes against the very laws of nature…"

Marlena's tone had become a bit darker than Arthur was used to hearing and she sounded very angry. He placed a hand on her shoulder and was a bit startled at how angry she truly looked.

"No one is supposed to try and change the very nature of anything. Nature creates things to be as they are and to change that is not only unnatural but extremely dangerous. The magic could lash out and kill those nearby as payment for doing such a thing. You are extremely lucky he was only changing a small amount Tom."

"I will go and tell my father of this while you go and speak with Gaius."

"There is no need…I know what we're dealing with. Summon Gaius and Merlin to Uther's Council Chamber. Gaius will back me up on this."

When they arrived Uther was waiting with Gaius, Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen. Gwen was a nervous wreck and Marlena took a moment to hug her and tell her everything would be fine.

"Majesty."

"Marlena, my dear, what have you found?"

"Tom is innocent of the charges. He knew not that the man was an enemy of Camelot, and he was not making weapons. The man is using an ancient stone to change the vary nature of one thing into another. He had Tom melt down some lead and then he used the stone to turn that lead into gold."

"Am I to assume from your tone of voice that this is not a good thing?"

"It goes against the very laws of nature and magic! By doing such a thing he could have caused many people nearby to lose their lives had the amount of metal been greater than it was. Magic always demands a price for something like that and the stone is…essentially…cheating magic. Thus magic will demand a far greater price."

"Gaius?"

"The stone she speaks of must be the Mage Stone, an ancient stone that was thought to have been lost to time."

"I see…we must find out what this sorcerer is planning."

"I found the stone in the forge, Father."

"Morgana?"

"He threatened Gwen last night, said he'd kill her if she didn't bring him the stone. I know where he plans to meet her. If we try to attack he'll just vanish again…but perhaps I can convince him I'm against the King…"

"No, he'd never believe that Morgana…he might believe that a magic user he's never seen before might be against the King…"

"Merlin…are you referring to me or yourself?"

"Myself…obviously…"

"He'd kill you on sight you moron…a woman would be far less likely to be killed. I will go and meet with this man and find out what he wants."

"Marlena no!"

"Arthur…I will be fine. You forget how powerful my brother and I are. If it comes to it I will use my magic to defend myself, but I believe it will not come to that. Have some faith in me my love."

"I do…it's him I don't trust."

"Marlena is, unfortunately, quite correct in this matter. You may go my dear, but please promise me you will be careful?"

"I will…Merlin can follow from a distance in case there is trouble."

"Very well, go, and come back to us safe and sound."

"I will, Majesty…I promise."

In the early morning hours Marlena and Merlin left Camelot and made their way into the Darkling Woods, Merlin staying close enough to see her but far enough that no one who might be watching her would see him. She stopped in a clearing as a group of men surrounded her with their swords.

"Kill her."

"Wait…I have the stone!"

"Hold. Show me."

Marlene let the stone fall into her hand where it began to glow brightly. Tauren appeared shocked by this and Marlena's brows furrowed.

"Why do you seem surprised?"

"The stone is not supposed to glow unless the magic words are spoken…yet it merely touches your skin and glows like the sun. Who are you?"

"My name is Marlena…and I am a sorceress. I was born with magic."

"That is…unheard of…you are truly special then my Lady…you must be one of the prophesied twins of magic."

"I am…and I want to know what it is you think to use this stone for."

"To turn lead into gold in order to buy my way into Uther's court."

"He's too smart to fall for that…and a good man may die because of what you have done. His daughter is a very close friend of mine."

"I am sorry for that, truly my lady. I did not intend for any innocents to be harmed in this venture."

"What is your end goal? Why go through all of this? Why take the risk of magic itself lashing out at you?"

"To Kill the King. Wait…lashing out? What do you mean by that?"

"Using that stone goes against the very laws of nature and magic…and the more you use it the angrier magic will become until it lashes out and kills you…and everyone nearby as well."

"I had no idea…"

"So I see…"

"My lady…I have heard that the King has a sorceress close to him, one that he uses to hunt others with magic…is that you?"

"Yes…but I do not enjoy what he makes me do. I do not enjoy helping him hunt my own kind…but it is either that or face death myself."

"That is a truly difficult choice for anyone to make, my Lady. Perhaps you might be able to lure him out of the castle…and lead him to us?"

"I can try…I might be able to convince him to accompany me back home to visit my mother…we would pass by the old Cairn on the hill and he will want to stop to visit his old friend's grave."

"It will be done my Lady."

Tauren allowed Marlena to leave and she made her way back to Camelot, Merlin right on her heels. She burst into Uther's chambers where the rest were waiting for them and threw herself into Arthur's waiting arms.

"He means to kill the King."

Marlena told them all of the conversation she'd had with Tauren and they agreed that Uther, Marlena, and Morgana would go while Arthur and Merlin trailed farther behind with more men in case they were needed. Morgana wanted to visit her father's grave and Uther found he could not deny her that small request. When they reached the Cairn they had the guards stay with the horses while they went to the grave. Marlena stood back while the father and daughter discussed the man that had raised her as his own. She saw Tauren's men knock the guards unconscious before moving towards where they were, but she did not see Arthur or Merlin and that made her nervous.

"You did not honor our bargain…my Lady?"

Marlena whirled around to face an enraged Tauren who held a dagger to her throat. Uther stood up behind her and moved Morgana behind him, despite her protest.

"How so?"

"You promised to deliever King Uther here so I could kill him."

"And here he is."

"With guards trying to sneak up behind me!"

"You did not think the King of Camelot would venture out unguarded did you? If you did then you are a fool."

"I will gut you for betraying me."

"I did not betray you…I was never with you. Now Morgana!"

Tauren froze before falling to side and pulling Marlena down with him. Morgana had stabbed him in the back but he wasn't dead yet and his dagger came up into Marlena's side and she screamed from the pain. Tauren died and Uther swept Marlena into his arms, carrying her back to the horses as Morgana hurried along beside him. Arthur and the rest were just waking from the spell Tauren had used on them but the sight of Marlena, bleeding and pale, in the King's arms shot a bolt of fear into them all. Arthur mounted up and took her into his arms as Uther passed her over. They all took off at a full gallop, Merlin hanging onto the saddle for dear life, and Arthur leapt from his still-moving horse before running to Gaius' chambers.

"Gaius?!"

"I am here, Sire…no need to shout. Marlena! What happened to her?"

"Tauren stabbed her…you have to save her."

"I will Sire…I need you to make a list of what I will need. I will need towels, washing cloths, several buckets of water, and her favorite blanket from her bed."

"The one I gave her?"

"Yes, that one. Morgana, I need you to fetch my stitching kit, wound ointment, and numbing solution."

They all fanned out to gather what was needed while Uther and Merlin stayed by Marlena's side. Merlin was in tears from fear and worry while Uther winced every time she let out a pained whimper. Gaius cleaned the wound out before applying the numbing solution so it would not hurt her as badly while he stitched the skin back together. Gaius turned to Merlin when he was finished.

"Merlin…do you remember the healing spell she taught you?"

"Yes…"

"Then use it now."

"I haven't practiced it yet…what if I cause more harm than good?"

"I have faith in you Merlin, and I know she does as well."

Merlin sucked in a deep, shaky breath and Uther gave him an encouraging nod. The King watched in amazement as Merlin chanted the healing spell and a warm blue light settled around Marlena's wound. When Merlin pulled back Gaius inspected the wound and smiled in satisfaction.

"Excellent work, Merlin. It's not quite up to Marlena's level but you've healed the worst of the injury. She should be fully healed by the end of the week."

"Thank the gods."

As they all breathed a sigh of relief Leon came into the room with a low bow. Uther waved for him to speak.

"Sire, the men who were with the sorcerer Tauren are chained in the dungeon awaiting your justice."

"Excellent work, Sir Leon. We will wait until Marlena is awake and have her use her ability to see what truly lies in their hearts."

"I'm awake, Majesty."

"Marlena!"

"Oh Gods, Lena we thought we were going to lose you."

"Are you alright, my love?"

"Lena…?"

Marlena smiled softly at her strange little family and they all relaxed a bit. She reached out to Arthur and Merlin, chuckling softly as the two rushed to her side.

"I'm alright now, I promise. Merlin's magic healed a great deal of the damage done by Tauren's blade. I should be fine in a few days."

"Gaius predicts about a week, my dear."

"Gaius forgot to account for my magic speeding up the healing process."

"Ah, so I did."

"We're all just thankful you're alright. Arthur, carry her to her room so she can rest properly."

"Of course, father."

"Gwen and I will go with them so we can help her get ready for bed."

"That is an excellent idea Morgana. I will see you in the morning, sleep well Marlena."

"Thank you Majesty, you as well."

Uther left the room while Arthur lifted Marlena into his arms and carried her to her own chambers, Morgana and Gwen following close behind. Arthur gently laid her in bed and pressed a soft kiss on her lips before leaving her with the other two women.

"Morgana…thank you…you saved my life."

"You're one of my dearest friends Lena…how could I not?"

The two women hugged for a moment and between the three of them they managed to get Marlena changed into a silk nightgown before Morgana and Gwen left for bed as well. Merlin ended up in Marlena's room a short time later after a nightmare woke him from his sleep.

"Marlena?"

"Merlin? What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare…about you…"

"Come here, Merlin."

Merlin joined his twin in her bed and the two curled up together, taking comfort from one another's presence as they both managed to sleep soundly for the remainder of the night.

A/N: So there is the next installment of this story. There were several key details I changed from what happened in the series and those will also come back into play later on in the story.