A/N: Okay, so this is the last chapter! I just want to thank all of you who have stuck with this story, even when it's taken me so long to update! A special mention must go to Aradia la fata and micheska, whose reviews have constantly spurred me on! Anyway, I hope you enjoy and I would love to know your feelings on the whole story :)

I woke up the next morning to unfamiliar surroundings. I sat up quickly and, looking around, I realised that the room I was in was full of weeds and plants. I frowned. Then it came to me. There was only one place I knew that was like that. Camelot.

Suddenly, everything came back to me. King Lot, my punishment, Merlin saving me; everything. I frowned again. Why had he done that? Why hadn't he just let me die out there? Was it really so he could just publicly execute me here? What had I done to deserve this?

I was so busy deliberating in my thoughts that I didn't hear the door open or anyone walk in until they cleared their throat.

"Good morning, Morgan." It was Arthur.

"My lord," I greeted him.

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Arthur? We're family!"

At the word family, I felt my heart crumble inside. I wasn't his family; not really. My family were gone. My lover and my child, both gone. I had to force down the tears that were trying to fall.

"Morgan?" Arthur asked with concern in his eyes. "Are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"

"No… no, it's me, I'm sorry. I–" I couldn't hold it in any longer as my voice broke and a stray tear rolled down my cheek. I tried to turn away, cursing myself for being so weak, but Arthur stopped me, bending down and taking hold of my chin, and lifting it gently.

"Tell me what's bothering you, I may be able to help."

"You can't," I said immediately, my eyes focusing on a crack in the stone on the far wall. "They're gone. I sent them away. I had to."

"Who did you send away? Tell me who it was." I felt his hand rub my shoulder soothingly. I shook it off.

"It was your child, wasn't it, Morgan? Your child and Brant." Merlin's voice smoothly interrupted the conversation. I tore my eyes away from the crack in the wall to look at him, my face void of any emotion.

"Your child? You have a child?" Arthur stood up suddenly, letting his hands drop to his sides.

"A daughter. Ava," I said, my gaze not shifting.

"A daughter whom you loved very much and then there was a man who you equally loved," Merlin continued. "That's why you sent them away. "

"He told me love was strength. But it's not. It's a weakness. I was a fool to believe it could make me happy."

"You're hurting, Morgan, I can understand that," Arthur told me softly. "You've lost all that you love and I'm sorry for that. But Brant was right. Love is strength, and perhaps you can find it again. We have already sent out our best men to get Castle Pendragon back from King Lot, and now that I know you are in good health, I will go and join them. Then we will do all that we can to find Brant and Ava."

"You can't. They have to stay safe. With me, they are not."

"Morgan–"

"No, my word is final. I cannot put their lives at risk for me. They are better off without me." My heart was breaking all over again as I spoke those words. Yet, what else could I do?

"If that is what you truly wish…"

"It is."

"Then I will leave you now. I must go and join my men." He nodded his head at me and then turned to leave.

"Thank you, Arthur. For this," I told him.

He turned back and smiled at me. "You're welcome, Morgan. I would do anything for family."

I gave a small smile back before he disappeared through the door, leaving me alone with Merlin to discuss all that had happened.

Arthur came back a few days later, triumphant. It turns out that his men had taken Lot by surprise, for he had not realised that I had made up any disagreements between myself and Arthur. It had only taken a couple of days for them to fall. However, this was not the part I wanted to know most urgently.

"Did you see Vivien, Arthur?" I asked as soon as he stopped giving me a report. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine," he assured me, to my relief. "He didn't lay a hand on her. She's helping get the castle ready for your arrival. Although…"

"What?" I snapped at him and then hastily apologised when he gave me a look of annoyance at my tone.

"Many of your people fled or… were killed. I'm sorry, but it's going to take a long time to get back to normal."

I sighed. "There was no doubting that really."

"Well, I'll leave you to get some more rest now. Take it while you can, when you get back to Pendragon, it's not going to be easy regaining the trust of your people." He turned to walk away and then stopped, as if remembering something. "Oh yes, just as I was leaving this morning, a messenger arrived with this for you. I assume you will want to reply, so there is some parchment to reply on as well."

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled envelope and gave it to me. My heart skipped a beat. I knew immediately who it was from. Brant.

"Thank you, Arthur," I said, and then waited for him to leave before tearing it open to read the contents inside.

My Dearest Morgan,

It seems so long since I saw you last, and I hope you are well. I pray King Lot didn't cause you too much trouble after I left.

Ava and I have found a wonderful village. I will not enclose our location in fear that this message is intercepted, but I will tell you that the women have taken to Ava beautifully and are all too willing to help me out with the things I cannot give her.

Presently, I have nothing more to say to you, other than I miss you and love you and hope to hear back from you soon.

Much Love

Your Brant

P.S. The messenger will stay in Pendragon until he receives a reply. He is the only one to know our whereabouts.

I smiled and continued to fold the piece of paper up again. It was typical Brant. Short and sweet. Sitting down on at the desk, I got out the quill I had been allowed to borrow and set out to write a reply. It seemed that my future was looking up, however dark my past was.