Morgana Le Fay

A few heavy moments drew out when Morgana had finished, before Arthur snapped himself back into reality and realized he should say something, or better yet back his way out of her room and hide away from this thing - Arthur didn’t even know what to call it.

“Is this really what it’s about, Morgana?” No, they’d spent the last 3 months backing away from the problem, pretending it didn’t exist - masking it instead with simple banter and general avoidance. Arthur couldn’t believe he actually thought things might be alright between them ever since that god damned scavenger hunt. He almost felt like laughing. Infact, he did, a small note of laughter escaped him.

“I mean really? I mean god knows you’re shallow, you love nothing more than waisting away Uther’s money on dresses and shoes and whatever your heart desires, and I’m not saying I’m any different, christ I don’t know if I’d last a day without his money but all of this…” Arthur made a wide-eyed, verging on hysterical hand gesture.

“… this hatred and resentment and plotting is because of his money?” Arthur tried to reign himself in again, felt his blood boiling as it had before as he took a step towards his sister - it was different to before, he didn’t mean to threaten or scare or hurt her now, it was more controlled.

“It’s not about that, is it? It’s about you. It’s always about you, Morgana. It always has been. It’s about you, and how you somehow feel cheated. You feel like you can buy back those years spent without a father, and punish the man that treated you just like one, who treated you as his own daughter, simply for protecting you from a truth that we both know you couldn’t bare.” Arthur spat out his words in a way that Morgana herself would probably be rather proud of. These were the words he’d been dying to say to her ever since this all happened. Ever since that night, the night where Arthur had awoken to hear them screaming at each other, glass breaking, Morgana running to her room and not coming out for close to 3 days. He’d never been able to, of course. 

"It's not about his money!" She snapped at him, sure he thought her shallow and naive to fight such a battle over money. Money could not make all of this go away, it could not fix the things Uther had broken or wipe away this tragedy, money could do nothing for her. "It's the fact that he's lied to me, all my life he's lied to me because he doesn't want me having his money!" She snarled at him, because she didn't have it, she wanted it more. "And he thinks- he thinks he can get away with everything!"

"He's more bothered about his pride than his blood!" And surely that was wrong in every sense, Uther was a hateful man and Arthur was blinded by it. "But what would you know? He's never lied to you like he has me, he's never denied you anything!" Not even her money which he was so freely giving to Arthur. "And tell me what he was protecting me from?" She walked closer to him again, anger flared upon her face.

"His own lies? His own regrets? Because if I hadn't found out myself he would have taken that secret to the grave. Just to save his own skin." Uther Pendragon was a pathetic excuse for a man, and Arthur wasn't far behind him.

"I can't believe you're even defending him!" She shouted in disbelief. "The only reason you're all for him is because the moment you turn your back, you'll be disinherited- you wouldn't even have the guts to turn away, you're too afraid of him!"

"And no, I'm sorry if I haven't sat back and thought about you- because everything has to be about you, doesn't it?" She hissed, finding it hard to believe that Arthur had any right to be in her room shouting at her. "You're always so selfish, you always have been! Like father like son!" She was furious at him, she wanted to grab him by the scruff of the neck and throw him out the door, and claw at him, thumping him until he begged her to stop, but they weren't children and those games were over.

"I have every right to fight for that money, to show you and Uther that I won't just lay down and take it- did you really think a hug and cup of tea would make up for everything? All his lies, the fact that he denied his own daughter?" She snapped, her temper growing, but she turned away from him just as quickly as she had looked at him, her hands balled into fists as she tried to calm herself.

He didn’t want to be like her, loud and shrill and snappy over something unintentional. Maybe she was having a bad day - honestly that was the only reason he could think of for why Morgana could be acting so horribly over something so small - but still, he refused to back down. He had done that so many times before in the past, for loads of different reasons, and maybe now it was time for a chance. He wasn’t to be a push over any longer.

“I offered you the chance to leave, you would have been wise to take it!”

“Wise to take it?” Percy repeated disbelievingly, “Did you honestly just say that? Do you enjoy throwing your weight around is that it? You think that people should just give in and cower from you because you’re you and more powerful than them,” he stalked forward, and made a point of standing over her, arms folded across his chest, and eyes narrowed darkly, “Go ahead, ruin me. I don’t care. Honestly, I don’t. Do your worst little Pendragon, because let me tell you, it’s really not worth the fight. You’re really not worth the fight. But I’m tired of people just stepping back from people like you, letting them take advantage and gain power.”

"I am not little." She hissed at him, and she wasn't talking about height She had a very influential presence, people feared her and for good reason, she liked it that way. "There is a reason people step away from me." She hissed, suddenly more serious and her voice a lot calmer but a hate lingered.

"Now is not the time to make yourself out to be some champion just because you've spoken back to me in an Art Studio." She made the idea of him speaking at all look rather pathetic, she smirked. "I don't really care what kind of person you want to be, if it has escaped your notice I don't care." Her voice was a lot calmer but she was being patronizing, one of he many gifts. "Do tell me..." She went on, smirk still apparent on her lips. "What is it you intend to do?" She raised her brow at him, waIting for an answer.

“Well a load of help you are” Mordred replied rolling his eyes, clenching his his fist tighter around the earring. He knew she would never help him even if he was bleeding on her bedroom floor. Such was life, and as much as he wanted to try to be everyone’s friend, she was probably just going to be a lost cause. 

“Though you know, if you were smart you would realize that you wouldn’t have had to show me exactly where the building is, you could have just told me where it’s located because unlike some people whom shall remain nameless I can actually take advice and direction from strangers.”

"Excuse me." She found her face growing stern as she glared at him hate, thinking of what to do. She was so close to slapping him, she wanted to so desperately but decided against it, this would not go down well with Morgause if she was to hear. Then she remembered what Morgause had said, her voice echoing in the back of her mind and she somewhat despised it, it went against everything she thought. That Morgana had promised to be civil with the boy, yet this was far from it.

"It's in the front building, the large white building- located left from the car-park- you'd be blind to miss it." She couldn't believe she was actually helping him, in fact she had a right mind to send him in the direction of the girls shower rooms and just see how he liked it then, getting dragged out by the ear by a Professor who would then question his motives.

Takes one to know one, Morgause mused, but didn’t say aloud. 

“I know no one can force you to do anything,” said Morgause, with a fond smile, “And I’m not asking you that, but…” she paused for a moment to choose her words. She really couldn’t understand why Morgana didn’t like Mordred. Well, obviously she was biased, but it seemed to her that Mordred had only rubbed Morgana the wrong way and her friend just couldn’t get over it, which, in her own opinion, was immature. But there was no way she could tell Morgana that. 

“I’m not saying we go on double dates or anything of the sort, but could you at least try to give him another chance? You are both incredibly important to me, and it would make me really happy if you try to get along with him,” she said. Then she added, “I mean, it’s not like we’re all going to go out together or anything of the sort, I don’t know… I just mean, if you ever come across him in the future, could you just try to forget about what happened before and just… try to get to know him?” she added, with a smile. 

She wanted to tell Morgana about everything Mordred had done for her on her birthday, in spite of being the only person, besides Morgana, to know the date, and in spite of being warned beforehand that Morgause’s birthdays were all about getting depressed, hiding under seven locks and not emerging back to the world until she was over feeling sorry for herself and angry with life. And yet, he disregarded Morgause’s excuses and planned something amazing for her.

"What?" Morgana asked when Morgause asked her to give him another chance, she didn't give people another opportunity to redeem themselves. "Morgause, he practically made fun of me for not knowing how to wash clothes." She snapped at her, as though she hadn't caught that part up in the first place.

"I never asked him to help me and then he comes along and tries to act as though I'm some preppy spoilt Princess!" She found herself growing angry, thinking back on the situation so she decided to try and swallow her temper. "If anything he should hope not to meet me again." Because she wasn't going to hold back next time, she was relatively nice to him in that washroom, she had given him back his underwear and promised not to tell a soul that she'd found his batman briefs in the dryer (all bar Morgause).

"And I will most certainly not be going on double dates with him!" She said finally, realising Morgause was joking only afterwards. However she wouldn't get angry over Mordred, he obviously meant something to Morgause and she had to respect that, the same way Morgause wasn't fond of Gwaine but was civil to him, until of course he helped her beat up those no good criminals.

"Look... I'm not going to fight with you over Mordred." She said after a while, feeling she'd let her temper get the better of her again. "I can- I can try to be civil with him." It was the least she could do. "I can see he means a lot to you... But if he gives me one good reason to snap, I won't hold back." Perhaps that was harsh, but this was Morgana and reason wasn't something she saw.

“A doormat?! Me and my father have bent over backwards to please you all these years, treated you as part of the family! And now that you really are part of the family you repay us by trying to tear away everything my father has worked for.” Arthur’s voice was raised well loud enough for the surrounding rooms to hear, apparently he didn’t care. He took a few involuntary steps towards her, feeling his voice rising with every syllable  his tone growing more and more frantic.

“And you don’t even have the human decency to talk to me face to face, Morgana. We’re supposed to be siblings for crying out loud- no, actually, maybe you are a Le Fay after all, a Pendragon would never stoop so low as to do something like this.” And Arthur was pleading with himself to calm down, to stop shouting and to walk away - leave this battle for another day because whilst Morgana looked angry, furious even, Arthur couldn’t help but see the very faintest glint of fear in her eyes as he filled her space, backing her up against the wall of her room. It was subconscious of course, Arthur didn’t mean to threaten her, of frighten her if that was what he was doing.

Morgana always felt as though herself and Arthur were like a ticking time bomb, after the discovery of her parentage she noticed their drift from both him and Uther, and it was only a matter of time before either of them blew up at each other, she guessed this was it.

"Of course, a Pendragon would only deny their own daughter!" She shouted at him with bared teeth, how dare he try and make out she was the villain  the monster in all this; Uther was robbing her of the fortune she deserved and handing it over to his son, her brother- how was that fair? Did Arthur really believe she was going to let him have it?

However then he practically had her pinned up against her own bedroom wall, and she didn't like it. Never in all their arguments (which consisted of typical things such things stolen out of bedrooms or in Morgana's case, Arthur just being in her room as a teenager) had he turned so aggressive towards her, never had he left her with no room to escape with a tone so threatening she half believed it. When he raised his hand, still clutching the paper she thought for a split second that he might slap her, that the only way to calm him down entirely was to leave his mark on her in a flash of rage that he would sooner regret. But then his palm went thudding into the wall beside her head and she flinched. Her heart was booming in her chest and she felt fear within her, a horrible emotion that showed nothing more than weakness, and she felt it because of Arthur- she was intimidated by Arthur, and she realised he saw the fear in her eyes, and that made her want to slap him.

After a moment of simply taking in what had just happened, staring at him with wide eyes of astonishment, she then knitted her brows together and realised that Arthur would not do this to her, she would not be belittled by him. She placed both her hands on his arm and shoved him off aggressively, moving a great deal away from him across the room where he could not trap her again.

She took a few moments to compose herself, this was Arthur Pendragon, and he would never make her feel that way again. Morgana turned to him, frown still in place but still perhaps a bit shaken by his actions and overall attitude towards the letter, a situation she could not help.

"Did you expect me to ring you up?" She hissed as she began her tangent. "Like we're old pals and tell you to expect a letter from my solicitor through the door?" How truly naive was he, to want to believe she would warn him beforehand. "And it's not me ripping this family apart, it's Uther " She screamed at him, winching her eyes in anger, she was tired of being blamed for what Uther had done, he had wrecked this family, he had torn what they had to pieces, just because she was fighting back didn't make her the monster. "I'm sick of being blamed for his crimes!"

"You're too blinded by him that you can't see what he's done!" She snapped. "Do you ever just think for a second about what he's done to me? I can never forgive him!" So it was best Arthur stop trying. "He denied me, he lied to me all his life as though I wasn't good enough, as though you were better than me!" And truly how wrong was it for a father to have favourites. "He didn't want me anywhere near that fortune, so he hid it from me- he deserves what's coming!" Because she honestly didn't see how Uther had a chance, even with his big fancy lawyers.

Morgause truly disliked Arthur, but sometimes she felt like it would do Morgana more good than bad to reconcile with her brother. There was no way things could go back to “how they were before,” that was impossible and ridiculous. But that didn’t mean they have to cut all ties and fight like dogs for Uther’s money. They were siblings, after all. If only Arthur made an effort and put himself in Morgana’s shoes, if only he tried to understand her and not bend his back and lower his eyes to his father like a trained dog, like a coward, maybe things could be better for both of them. Then again, Arthur didn’t know of the gifts Morgause suspected Morgana possessed, and he’d probably not take it well if he found out.

Morgause chose not to comment anything on the matter, though. She felt the topic only ignited Morgana’s rage, and neither of them needed that at the moment. 

“You know,” she said, “While you and I were fighting,” she smiled, acknowledging how childish the whole thing had been, “Mordred and I got together. We are officially boyfriend and girlfriend, even if saying it out loud makes me feel like a 14 year old, but I am happy. As for Elena… well, she’s amazing, but it’s just a tiny little crush that will probably fade away soon.”

Morgana then heard her talk of Mordred and she realised that was the reason they'd fell out in the first place, over some argument involving Mordred and Elena. She didn't particularly like this Mordred boy, he was annoying and Morgana found him unbearably frustrating, as though he was better than her. She hadn't forgotten their day down in the washrooms when she'd found his underwear and that led to them talking, to which he so boldly judged her for not knowing how to wash clothes. And why should she know? She'd grown up all her life with that being done for her, she never had to worry about splitting clothes to whites and darks and colours and it seemed silly to start now.

"Oh, really." Morgana managed to say after a few moments knowing her response was slow and would provoke Morgause to think that she was unhappy about it, but Morgana couldn't lie, she didn't like the boy yet if Morgause was happy she supposed she would be to.

"Well I'm happy for you." Morgana told her, knowing how long her friend had a crush on the boy and her rather good prank at New Years had perhaps been another contributing factor to them falling out, Morgause was most unhappy about that.

"I mean if he treats you wrongly it'll be a good excuse for me to go and slap him." She let a small laugh escape her lips, knowing Morgause wouldn't appreciate that humour, in fact she'd probably persist Morgana's humour was distasteful. However Morgana was always close to slapping the boy anyway when she met him, and now that he was dating her best friend she supposed she'd have to be civil with him, what a shame. However she wouldn't pretend to like him, she'd make that point very clear.

It was a Friday afternoon, lectures were over, classes were done with, assignments could wait until 11pm Sunday night. There was a cold pint with Arthur’s name on it, perhaps he’d even squeeze in a quick walk or job before he hit the bars tonight - Arthur walked briskly through the dorm’s common room. Student’s were milling about, some slouched on the leather couches, laughing in groups, others seemed to be heading out or about to hit the library.

As Arthur walked past, he decided on a whim to complete his obligatory fort-nightly emptying of his mail box, swinging into the small office that would have been nothing more than a stonewalled store cupboard originally. A desk sat in the middle, piles of paper strewn across an old computer keyboard, an old yellowed lamp illuminating shelves of ring binders and filing cabinets topped with coffee mugs and wilted pot-plants. A large wooden shelf donned the back wall with close to a hundred smaller cubby-holes, only the odd few had actual mail in them.

Arthur smiled at the older lady as she passed him his stack of envelopes. He made his way back to his room flicking through the mail as he walked. Chairty, charity, charity dinner, bank statement, charity, oh. The letter was smaller than the others, professionally sealed with a law firm’s address printed neatly on the back. He stuck the others in his mouth and fingered the envelope open. 

Dear Master Pendragon

Our law firm will be representing Miss Morgana Le Fay in her legal claim for her father’s inheritance on the ground of unjust trauma caused by her father’s actions, and the revelation she is now his eldest heir. No action is required on your part, but we are obligated to inform you of Miss Le Fay’s intent given you are sole beneficiary at this point in time. 

We strongly suggest you use an attorney in your future contact with Miss. Le Fay. You will be contacted soon in regards to scheduled meetings, hearings and court dates.

Best wishes-

Arthur felt himself involuntarily begin to crush the piece of paper slowly in his fist. He felt sick, light-headed as he pushed the door open to his room, ignored the light switch and felt his way to his desk in the darkness. 

How could he have been so stupid? To actually think things were improving ever since that bloody scavenger hunt. And all this time she’d been having secret meetings with her lawyer behind his back. A lawyer paid with his father’s money to strip him of all he had worked for. The reality of the letter he was gripping started to sink in. This was real.

Arthur wondered if Uther knew. Of course he did, Morgana had probably sent this last week and Arthur hadn’t checked his mail. She didn’t even have the nerve to tell him face to face- oh that’s right, they weren’t supposed to talk face-to-face anymore. We’ll see about that. 

Arthur was up from his chair again, a flash of anger that he didn’t even bother to suppress.  He knew he should have a cool head but frankly he didn’t care. He was gripping the paper so tight now that his nails dug through into his palm. He took the stairs two at a time, navigating the winding second-year corridors until he found Morgana’s row. He could see the light on in her room, it leaked out from under the door. He tried to stop himself but he was way too far gone for any reasoning. 

Arthur hit the door five times in quick procession with the first still curled around the letter. He bit his lip, took a step back, shifted his weight with impatience as the door was unlatched. The door swung open slowly, warm light from Morgana’s room spilling into the corridor. His sister looked confused, a little dazed at the sudden intrusion and for some reason Arthur couldn’t get any words out, he just stood there, on the darkened threshold to his sister’s room, the crumpled curling edges of the letter in his right fist that was still raised. Morgana’s eyes turned to it, and realized rather quickly why Arthur was there. His foot was in her door before she could even move to shut it, pushing his way into her space.

She didn't feel like leaving her room today, having been to a lecture this morning on historic painters, she'd realised it was one of those days where she just couldn't be bothered with art, and everything she may do in terms of painting or drawing would be of no use, for her inspiration seemed all but lost. She supposed it had something to do with the rather dull sky, as though the blackness of night still lingered, so much so that all the lights were on in the building, including her own. Rain was sure to follow and for that, she gave a huff.

Not to mention the mere annoyance of most of the campus annoyed her and how on a Friday afternoon the only gossip she'd hear in her classes were what each girl intended to wear that evening and which guy they intended to make a move on when horrifyingly drunk. The sheer stupidity of half her classmates made her huff again as she whisked her pencil up the page, having only pulled her drawing materials out, out of guilt.

But, when she heard a demanding bang on her door she dropped her pencil and sighed, perhaps it was her art professor come to tell her off or some reckless first year upset with something she'd done, or even one of the preppy blonde girls annoyed at her lack of school spirit and ignorance to charity emails.

Morgana felt her stomach turn however, just the slightest bit in fear of who it might be and why they seemed so upset and annoyed over something, which she was not in the mood for today. She opened the door a small bit, so that if it was her art professor she'd have to to put on her 'sick' face.

But her brows immediately knit into a frown at the sight of her brother, looking absolutely furious. What had she done now?

However she didn't get the chance to ask, or even greet him (however sour the greeting might be) before he pushed his way past her, and afterwards she just saw red, how dare he! How dare he push into her room as though he very well owned it, as though he had any right.

But her eyes caught sight of the letter he was clutching as she spun around to give him a belting, and that's when she realised.

At first she didn't know what to say? What could she say? This had to happen, even if she herself found their relationship had been improving but she convinced herself that was little more than for the sake of Gwaine. She loathed Arthur now, he was stealing her fortune away and she wasn't going to very well let him have it.

"Don't be silly Gwen." Morgana reassured her. "How could nothing happen between you?" Yet she knew Gwen was always modest and refused to admit that Arthur would ever like a girl like her, whereas if Morgana liked someone she'd simply go and state it- Guinevere was always the type to hide her feelings and hope they'd go away. She made quite a change from Arthur's normal array of girlfriends, growing up Morgana saw more girls come and go out of his bedroom and yet they weren't even girlfriends, they were one night stands, girls that didn't see past his looks, and they all hated Morgana simply because Morgana hated them, and she loathed her brother even more for being so frivolous with his love life.

"Arthur would be lucky to have someone like you- in fact, you're too good for him." Guinevere was beautiful and if anything, Arthur needed a girl like Guinevere to take him down a peg or two. "So I think you should tell him, it would give me a good excuse to punch him if you turns you down- which he totally won't." Morgana added in a lighthearted smile before the topic turned to her and Gwaine.

To say that Mordred hated being stuck in the sea of bodies exiting the giant lecture hall was an understatement. If he wasn’t worried about getting to the dining hall before the lunch rush he literally would have been willing to just sit in his seat for twenty minutes or more until he was the only one left in the room. The only damn one But of course as fate would have it he was stuck in the middle of things today, feeling more or less like a piece of meat to slaughter. 

Looking around Mordred tried to keep his mind off of things as he waited. Like look that girl has a rainbow pin on her back pack. And that dude has a weird scarf and that girl has really really high heels and oooh shiny. Quickly bending down between people he snatched the shinny thing off the ground closing his fist around it for safe keeping as the sea kept swimming. Shuffleing for for a while Mordred waited until he was safely out of the room to open his hand a fully explore the shiny thing that was in his hand. Laying his palm flat he discovered that his treasure was a single earring, with a stone in it (diamond to be exact) and it actually looked expensive. Like he could just tell right off the bat that this was not  costume jewelry at all, which knowing the kids around here, with their Porsche’s and trust funds. That was probably true.   

Gulping he turned it over in his hand trying to figure out what to do with them next. Because oh god if he held on to this thing any longer someone was going to think he stole it weren’t they?

However, that wasn't bothering her now, what was bothering her now was that she felt virtually trapped in this unmoving wave of people. It frustrated her because there was virtually little she could do, but wait and Morgana didn't like waiting. With a huff from her lips she held her file tightly, moving inch by inch out of the hall of talking students.

Her fingers moved to graze her ear, because for some odd reason she could remember putting three diamond stud earrings in each ear this morning, yet her left ear only held two earrings from what she could feel from her fingers. Instantly she felt downhearted, that her earring had fell out and perhaps was lost for good amongst the crowd, there was no chance she would get it back. It was obviously a dodgy earring back, and now she was left even angrier than before, she huffed once more, not being able to wait to get out of here, so with a roll of her eyes she tried to ignore her surroundings.

That was until she felt a small finger press into her back, at first she believed it to be an ignorant student wanting to push his way through the crowd, to which she would have no trouble setting him straight, but the poking continued and Morgana groaned, and turned to see a face that would only make this day worse.

"What?" Morgana hissed, she could ignore the stupid boy and allow him to ramble on but that would be incredibly childish, she hadn't forgotten their last meeting, when he seemed fine and possibly friendly enough until he had the sheer audacity to belittle her. Morgana held a mean grudge.

Because, truth be told, it made her feel better to talk about magic as something natural, something good and positive. Through helping Morgana, even in a small way, Morgause was helping herself, because she wasn’t quite over the fact she’d almost been murdered for possessing the same gifts she was trying to sell to Morgana as awesome—not that she was lying there, magic was great, but still… it still hurt when the world slapped you (literally or not) and spat at you that you were a monster for having and using magic. 

“No,” she said, and took Morgana’s hand, momentarily not caring if she seemed a little desperate. She really didn’t want to be alone right now. “I’m not sleepy, I just wanna rest a bit. Please stay. I mean, unless you want to go check on Gwaine…” she offered, because well, she didn’t really wanna seem that needy, and besides, Gwaine was Morgana’s boyfriend and he had been injured too. 

Morgana understood that Morgause didn't want her to go, and that she wasn't saying it merely to be kind. She knew the moment she grasped her hand as though she should get up and leave. "It's fine." Morgana mumbled with a soft smile on her features. "I'll stay." She was merely only asking out of common courtesy anyway, because had it been her she probably would have want left alone to fret and huff in her room for days at how unfair it all seemed, but Morgause took these things in her stride, it had happened and she couldn't fix it, so she wouldn't dwell on it. She supposed that was how they were different, always having a  different approach to every situation.

"I'm sure he's fine anyway, I mean if he wasn't I'm sure he'd have me well informed by now." She rolled her eyes in a sarcastic manner, adding some light humour to the situation at how Gwaine liked to exaggerate things worse than they really were. Morgause needed her and she wasn't going to leave her, Gwaine had not been reported gravely injured or nearing death so she supposed he was fine, even if the thought made her seem rather selfish, Gwaine was not the one with a broken rib.

"Oh, we're alright, same as always." Morgana assured her, same as always meaning she was mostly in a mood with Gwaine over something he'd done yet hadn't realised his wrong doings, a typical sort of relationship that resulted in her arguing with him, but it wasn't so much him as it was everything else, such as Arthur and that horrible scandal with Uther, Gwaine just heard the blunt end of it. Strangely however she couldn't imagine it any other way.

"Yeah he's a good guy, I mean you weren't the only one to think him a womanizing drunk, he practically lived in my house growing up remember." She told her, knowing Arthur and Gwaine were horribly close and she was always up to something with him and Arthur when they were younger, however that sifted into hate as she progressed through her teenage years, as teenagers typically did. "But turns out he wasn't as bad as I thought."

“You know,” she said, “I don’t know if I’ve told you before, about the way magic sort of works? I mean, nobody knows for sure because this kind of thing has never really been scientifically studied, so to speak, but we’ve got centuries of observation and knowledge to make up for it…” she let out a sigh, and that reminded her of her broken rib. She winced. 

“I believe magic, like arts, is a gift that everyone can nourish to some degree. Not everyone can be Monet, but with practise, an average person can learn to draw decently, right?” she said. “Magic is a bit like that. Pretty much anyone could do it, given the right tools and the right training, even if it’s something simple like making your bed, or something harder like controlling the weather or curing a disease. People who have more talent for it might manifest it involuntarily… that’s the kind of people like me, or like Camelot students. Those who can’t really hide…” she trailed off. 

“What I mean to say is that, if you were willing to learn something, I would gladly teach you. And please feel free to come to me any time if you’ve got questions or doubts about it. I had my granny to guide me and teach me and protect me when I was growing up, but I’ve seen how difficult it can get for someone to deal with their powers on their own, if they find that they have them,” she said cautiously. Morgana had always been cool about Morgause’s magic, but she feared she might’ve gone a little too far today. 

Then again, she had the excuse of having been attacked. Her face grew tired and sad again. She stood up to draw the curtains (this time manually), and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. She looked awful. She looked away immediately, unable to stand the look of surprise and defeat and sadness in her own eyes. Once she drew the curtains, the room was considerably darker. 

"I understand." Morgana told her, it seemed she was far more knowledgeable now in the field of magic than she had been before, and if anything that knowledge would grow. However she had not anticipated this conversation or this practical lesson as it where today, when she went to collect Morgause from the hospital she had not expected her to be in the right frame of health to even begin to use magic, yet magic seemed a lot easier than she perhaps thought.

Morgana had no one to teach her, to show her that she was indeed not going out of her mind but instead possessed the gift of magic, without Morgause she wasn't sure what she might do,especially living under a man like Uther, who forbade magic. And now his own daughter possessed the gift, that thought made her want to smirk rather snidely.

"I appreciate it." Morgana went on as Morgause lay down on her bed for the first time since she left the hospital  Morgana could wager she was happy to finally be home. "And I wouldn't worry, you know I'll come to you whenever." Because who else did she have really? It wasn't like Guinevere was going to be open minded about magic, but then she didn't really know what the girl might think, so perhaps she'd just leave it out.

Morgause made her understand that her gifts were not as scary as she thought however. "Anyway, I see no better teacher than you." She let a small smile creep onto her lips at the mention.

Elena had never really had to do any of this before, live on her own, do things all by herself. Of course, she was entirely capable of taking care of herself, she just hadn’t quite gotten the hang of the best way to do so. It was something she didn’t like to admit, finding it a rather pathetic fault in herself.

"Oh it's no trouble." Morgana said as they went off moving again down the street, campus wasn't far. "I always do that too- and end up regretting it." But then when she went shopping, she normally had Guinevere to help her and a car no doubt, doing it alone was not something she was used to really, so she often took a second pair of hands for granted.

“Excuse me, I think that’s the point. I don’t think names and titles and wealth have any kind of weight around here. We’re a university. It should be about how well we work, not anything else. But you…you’re just acting like a spoil brat and I’m sorry I’ve made the connection to the Pendragon’s. I know Arthur and, you’d probably be unhappy to hear, you are far more alike than you apparently want to admit.”

He realised his hands were clenched and slowly opened them, his fingernails leaving crescent shapes in his palm. He took a slow breath.

"Me? I'm acting like a child?" She huffed out at him, absolutely fuming. How dare her call her a child! He didn't know her, and if he thought he was going to ruin her painting and then proceed to make a show of her in front of the whole art class, he was wrong! No one called her horrible names and got away with it. "You storm in here and ruin my painting and then have the audacity to come out and call me a brat?" Perhaps she had been, but she certainly couldn't change her ways now.

"I offered you the chance to leave, you would have been wise to take it!" Many people got into feuds with Morgana and many people had the sense to walk away, yet Percival here thought differently on the matter. She didn't care that the whole art room was staring at her, eager to see this whole ordeal unfolding. But she was used to people glaring and nosing into her business, this would be no different.

"Let us hope you don't ruin anything of mine again." Her pride was a bit hurt, and she'd been in a horrible mood for the rest of today because of it, but she was sure this man before her would feel a great deal worse if she had anything to do with it. "Because I will delight on ruining you." And she knew, if she tried she really could ruin him, a little petty maybe and selfish, yet she didn't care, with the right words to Uther; a man she loathed beyond all reason, yet  she could easily set this Percival up for a fall, he would not win against her, and she would make sure that crossing her was the biggest mistake her ever made.

"Oh look at you Gwen!" Morgana chuckled with a wide grin. "You're blushing." Although her poking of fun was only done so in a humorous manner and a rather friendly gesture than anything of meaner qualities.

Morgana was no fool to Guinevere's admirations of Arthur. Morgana loathed her brother above all else, yet she could not loathe Guinevere for such thoughts upon him, feelings were feelings and no matter the person they could not be denied. Morgana could very well ask her what she saw in him, why she would like such a pompous idiot and give her a great list of reasons as to why he would be an absolutely hateful boyfriend, yet Guinevere was her friend and even if she hated Arthur, she could do little more than encourage her affections.

"Let me guess..." Morgana looked at her with a knowing smile. "I doubt it's anyone other than my idiot of a brother?" She let a small laugh escape her lips knowing Guinevere would be afraid to admit such things since they had a very tender relationship, yet Morgana's relationship with Arthur was entirely different than that he had with Guinevere.

"It's alright Gwen." She chuckled again, feeling like a schoolgirl gossiping about boys in the school canteen, and the many girls below her in her year that came to ask her of Arthur and his current relationships status, to which she had great pleasure belittling him. However growing up she knew he had more girls back in his bedroom at home and the idea of what he very well might be doing made her skin crawl, so she didn't ask questions but instead mocked him on the matter, she doubted this would change with Guinevere, a simple fact she couldn't help.