Disclaimer: Merlin and its characters are not mine. No money is made from this. A lot of fun is had, though.

A/N: I almost didn't get this posted for the weekend! I had to start over three times to get it right. Thanks again to all who have followed/favorited/commented It really does brighten my day.

The black stone was rough under Morgause's fingers as she traced the balcony railing overlooking Tintagel's great hall. Two strains of laughter echoed from below, one feminine and musical, the other rough and male. Morgana and her betrothed- Accolon, the second son of Rheged. 'There are worse princes Morgana could have promised herself to,' she mused, a crooked smile gracing her battered face, 'But few could have made her so happy.' He stood tall, enough for Morgana to nestle comfortably under his chin, his green and black leathers revealing a trim, well-muscled figure. It was rumored that there was no better fighter in all of Rheged, and perhaps the best in the Five Kingdoms, though he had never tested his mettle against Arthur Pendragon. 'Someday, perhaps. Or it may be the necessity never comes. It will be a duel for the ages if it does, though.' Morgause stifled a cough and moved away from the balcony, leaving the young lovers to their sweet nothings.

Like as not, she would not live to see such a battle. These days, her breath grew shorter and her hands trembled with a weakness that came and went. She felt her ending settling into her bones. It was not unexpected, but it was infuriating. There was so much left to do yet, and so much that would go unfinished.

"My lady?"

Morgause looked up to find her maidservant waiting at the end of the hall- Sefa, the daughter of the leader of their little sorcerer-warrior army. Though how such a mouse could be sired by such a lion as Ruadan was beyond Morgause's knowing. "Are my whisperers away, then?"

Sefa shifted uneasily, her eyes rising for the barest moment before dropping to the floor again. "Yes, My Lady. Just an hour past. And the ravens with them. To Amata, Nemeth, Rheged, and a dozen to Camelot."

"And the books I asked for? You have found them?"

"Yes, My Lady. M-my father brought them this morning. He said he would have them sent to your chambers."

"Very good," Morgause straightened as much as her aching back would allow and pulled in a deep breath. "Lend me your arm, then. Come now, I'm not going to tear it off. I am neither as young or as healthy as I once was." Sefa shook only a little when she took the priestess's arm. "There is only one thing I must find before we leave for our journey. I know it exists, but I must have the spells to find it. If I do not make it back, then you must ensure that Morgana knows what needs to be done. Or if you fear her too much," Morgause read the girl's startled look correctly, "Then tell your father, and he will inform her."

"What is it for, My Lady, this thing you're looking for?"

"A key to destroying our enemy- Merlin, and with him the Pendragons. It is hidden in a place he could not hope to find it, for only a High Priestess may reach it." Sefa's eyes flicked to meet Morgause's for a moment. "Do not feel sorry for Uther and his kin, child. They are the reason we live in the shadows, why our kind are scorned and hated and burned. And do not feel pity for Merlin, either. He chose his fate, to stand with Arthur against his own. His end will be no less than he deserves."

The girl shrank in on herself and nodded. "Yes, my lady. I just- I. . . " The poor thing hardly had a tongue in her mouth when she addressed anyone higher than the chambermaids, let alone the two High Priestesses she served. "I wish we had peace."

"There will be peace. When our enemies are defeated." Morgause brushed the door to her chambers open with a whisper of power, lowering herself into a cushioned chair once inside. "Now go find some shadow to hide yourself in, or some bit of gossip to fill your mind. I need time to study." When the girl had left, Morgause looked at the closed door, a book half-open in her hands. Peace. Someday, they would have peace, but not until Uther and his son lay dead. And Merlin? He would learn to fear a woman's fury.