The great doors to Cenred's castle opened of their own accord.

"That's always a good sign," Merlin said, keeping at the ready to bind Sigrid again if she turned on them.

Morgause was waiting in the entrance hall. When Merlin last saw her, she was nearly dead; now she looked as healthy as ever. He half-hoped Eir would kill her, because he wasn't sure anyone else could.

"Here is your glorious battle, Eir," said Uther.

Eir drew a two-handed axe from the sheath on her back and faced Morgause. "You have something that does not belong to you."

"I have no time for this," Morgause hissed, drawing her sword and making to follow Uther. Eir hooked the head of her axe around Morgause's ankle and pulled her to the ground in one neat movement. She followed that up with an overhead strike, but Morgause was too fast - she was on her feet while the axe was still swinging, and Eir barely had time to block her sword.

The women moved so fast Merlin had a hard time following what was happening. He had been instructed to stay behind and help Eir, but she wasn't giving Morgause any opportunity to cast a spell. They were so close together, locked in combat, that Merlin could not hit one without hitting the other.

Finally, Morgause got in a good hit on Eir, sending her sprawling into the great staircase. In the short time Eir was helpless, Morgause didn't move to attack, but Sigrid stirred.

That mistake will be your last, thought Merlin, ignoring Sigrid and continuing to watch Morgause. The sorceress was cupping her hand around something - Sigrid's phylactery, surely. That was all he needed to know, anything else was just a -

THUNK.

Sigrid crashed to the ground at Merlin's feet, courtesy of Eir's axe.

"Idiot," said Eir helpfully. "Any mummer can keep two balls in the air."

"I thought she was going to attack you," Merlin said blankly. But Eir had already drawn Sigrid away from him and couldn't hear over the clash of blades on armor.

With the valkyries out of the way, Merlin could see that Morgause had to focus to control Sigrid. She probably could have beaten him back if he attacked her with a sword, but that was precisely why he never bothered carrying one.

Merlin turned to Morgause, drawing his own power to him. "Let's see how well you juggle."

Uther and Gwen found Morgana waiting in the throne room, sitting on Cenred's throne.

"You requested my presence," said Uther.

"You finally made it. A few knights shy, but still," said Morgana. She was smiling, eyes shining, clearly enjoying herself.

"I have sacrificed many men for your sake. Please, Morgana, no more."

Morgana abruptly stopped smiling. "Wrong. One more." She drew a sword and held it at the ready.

"At least see what I've brought you." He held out the seal.

Cautiously, she moved closer until it was within arms' reach. "What is this?"

"The proof of your heritage."

Morgana snatched it out of his hand and moved away to take a closer look. "That…that's impossible."

"It is done. There is a record in the royal library. I recognize you and claim you as my daughter."

"Your image -"

"- be damned. I am only sorry that I didn't do it long ago."

"This means nothing. It changes nothing," said Morgana, but she held the seal tightly.

Uther moved closer slowly, until she was near enough to touch. He embraced her gently, and she did not resist. His fresh wounds protested, but he ignored the pain and held her tighter.

"Come back with me," he said, stroking her hair. "Let the past rest."

"I can't come back after what I've done."

"That was my fault. My mistakes led you down that path. Come home, and I swear to you things will be different."

She pulled away and looked into his eyes, searching. "Then you are willing to lift the ban on magic in Camelot?"

Was she honestly asking that, of all the things she could request? He was caught off guard and took a moment to answer. "No…that can never happen."

"Then how can I come with you, when I don't have a home waiting?"

"Of course you will have a home - "

"Where those like me are forced to hide like rats fleeing the sun! You still don't understand." Tears were welling up in her eyes. She closed them and let the tears go. When she opened her eyes again, there was nothing left but bitterness and rage. "You will never understand. Morgause told me so, and she was right."

She set down the seal carefully and readied her sword again.

Uther drew his sword as well. "You are the one who does not understand. Your Morgause wouldn't have told you the truth about how things were before the Great Purge. It's true, I made Camelot a dangerous place for some. But I made it far safer for most. To what other oppressed classes shall I grant amnesty? Highwaymen? Murderers?"

"We aren't murderers!"

With that, Morgana flew at her father. He parried her blows, but her skills had only improved where his had deteriorated. Blood began to seep through his shirt where his patched flesh tore.

Holding up a hand, Uther dropped to one knee, breathing hard. "If…if Arthur were king, would you still seek to destroy Camelot?"

"That would depend on Arthur, now wouldn't it?"

"Then kill me, if you think it will bring you peace. And let that be the end of your revenge." He threw down his sword.

Morgana picked up the seal again and felt its heft in her hand. With seal in one hand and sword in the other, she approached Uther.

"You made me do this," she said, and plunged the sword into her father's chest.

For a moment, all was silent.

Then Morgause ran into the throne room, slamming the door shut behind her and binding it magically.

"We don't have much time, sister, Merlin was able to free the valkyrie and -" she looked down at her feet, which had gotten into the pool of blood, and saw Uther's body. "You defeated him! Well done, sister!"

"He didn't fight," said Morgana numbly. "It wasn't a defeat, it was an execution." She turned her eyes up to Morgause, silently pleading with her to understand. They had assumed this would be a happy occasion, but she found herself wanting comfort more than anything.

But Morgause just laughed. "However it happened, you have slain the tyrant that oppressed us these many years. Let us return to our people and feast!"

Morgana tried to smile. She had her revenge on Uther, as she wanted. She even had proof of her bloodline, a legitimate claim to the throne of Camelot. Yet she felt as if her insides had been torn out. In spite of everything she'd experienced, everything she had done and was done to her, she still felt that a man's death was not cause for celebration.

Morgause had not noticed the seal. Morgana quietly tucked it into her purse and out of sight, as her sister readied the spell that would carry them to the Druids.

When Merlin burst into the throne room, the sisters were gone and Gwen was kneeling next to Uther. She had closed his eyes and taken the sword out of his chest.

Merlin ran a hand through his hair. Uther dead. Morgana and Morgause escaped. He did not look forward to explaining this to Arthur.

The valkyries followed him in and examined the body impassively.

Sigrid knelt on Uther's other side and took the crystal pendant from around his neck. As she held it up to the light, Merlin could see it was now filled with something misty and blood-colored.

"Merlin, I must thank you for freeing me from Morgause," said Sigrid. "When you wish the debt repaid, you may use this to summon me." She handed him a polished stone with a rune carved in it. "Do give Arthur my regards."

Eir and Sigrid left, and Gwen and Merlin were alone.

Merlin rubbed the rune stone with his thumb. "We may need this sooner rather than later. When Arthur sees what's happened, he's going to want revenge."

"No," said Gwen. "Uther wanted the bad blood between Arthur and Morgana to end here. He gave his life for that to happen. Arthur may not like it, but he will respect it."

"Any chance Morgana will, too?"

Gwen nodded. "There's always hope. Maybe this is the beginning of your golden age, Merlin."

"Maybe. The king is dead…long live the king."

Author's Notes: I love Uther lots, but he does have to die to make way for Arthur's Camelot. This fic was intended to be a noble sendoff for him - something he may or may not get on the show. So I never considered letting him live…until I got to the duel scene and Morgana really wanted to stay her hand. Even fictional people can surprise you sometimes. :)

The title comes from the Robert Laurence Binyon poem Penthesilea, based on a particular episode in the Trojan War. Amazon queen Penthesilea joins the Trojan War on the losing side, offering King Priam "one silver summons - hope." She later reveals that her intent is to die honorably in battle, as penance for accidentally killing her sister while hunting. When I started writing, I thought Uther's plan from the beginning was to let Morgana kill him. After finishing the whole thing I have a different idea of when that decision came, but it's up to the reader to decide!