Chapter 21: Recruiting the Witch

Sir Lancelot led them directly to the round table, and the large, intricately carved doors. Like last time, there were two guards stationed outside, but unlike last time, the doors were ajar. Artie was slightly confused, and so was Sir Lancelot. As the group moved closer, they could hear the loud voices of two people. Artie, recognising both, but also now even more confused, moved and pushed open the doors further to move inside.

In the room but not sitting at the round table, were two people. Two people that Artie knew. Lady Morgan, and Sir Percy stood, both with slightly red faces, clearly in the middle of a heated argument. Sir Percy's face had actually dropped into an expression of anger, which Artie thought was a little impressive on Lady Morgan's part, but she didn't like the tension she could feel in the air. Morgan was puffed up, her face red, and her eyes appeared to be rapidly changing between two colours. She wasn't sure what the other shade was since she wasn't close enough to her to tell, but it was pretty even if it was a bad sign. Artie clapped her hands, knowing that the two weren't done, given the personalities she had gotten to know from them.

"Alrighty you two, enough of that. Sir Percy, you are dismissed while Lady Morgan and I speak." Sir Percy, who she had gotten to know as a carefree and jovial knight, tightened his jaw and his gaze darkened.

"I am not leaving you alone with her, Sire." Wow, Artie was actually impressed at how quickly their relationship had deteriorated, if it had ever been good. Lady Morgan rolled her eyes, crossed her arms and scoffed.

"Afraid I'll hurt our precious King, Sir Percy? Or are you afraid I'll tell her the truth?" Percy turned white, before his face flushed with anger. Morgan looked satisfied at riling up the knight, while Artie sighed. She stared at the two of them, before glancing behind her at the others. Sir Lancelot didn't seem surprised at this display, which told her two things. One, Sir Percy did get angry, and two, Lady Morgan liked to rile him up, and three, these two had never had a good relationship. Probably on Lady Morgan's part, since she was like a cactus, or a porcupine. She was not making Artie's plan go smoothly. She cleared her throat.

"Sir Percy, you may leave." His jaw tightened further, clearly upset that he wasn't staying, but froze at Artie's next words. "You are a Lady, Lady Morgan. Act like one." Merlin gasped as Lady Morgan's face heated in embarrassment. Percy wasn't appeased and he threw a betrayed look in her direction as he stormed out of the room. Artie followed him with her gaze, noticing that once he was outside of the doors, Sir Geraint wrapped his arm around his shoulder. She glanced at the two remaining knights in the room. "Please make sure he's alright, Sir Gaheris." She whispered and he nodded. Sir Lancelot glanced around the room before he grabbed Merlin by the upper arm and dragged him out. Sir Lancelot's gaze was the last thing she saw before the giant doors closed behind them and it was just the two women alone in the room.

Artie sighed, running her hand over her face before she glanced over at the other woman. Lady Morgan was slowly calming herself down, taking a few deep breaths in and out. Artie stood, staring at her, with her hands on her hips while she waited for her to compose herself. She wondered, briefly, if she should ask what the two were arguing about, but thought better of it. She had a feeling if she asked either one of them for clarification, neither of them would tell her the truth.

Lady Morgan finally pulled herself together, opening her eyes to stare at Artie. The more Artie looked at her, the more Artie saw little things from her in Artie. Their eye colour was eerily similar, but most wouldn't notice that because their eyes were blue. It was the shade that was unusual. Artie's eyes had always been blue, but around her iris were a ring of a fairly dark shade. Most thought it was blue, but Artie, and her Mother, had always seen it as purple. Artie had a feeling that Lady Morgan would also see it as purple.

"What do the spirits see in you?" The soft murmured words for Lady Morgan made Artie smile. She gave a soft, dry laugh.

"I am pretty sure, Morgan Le Fae, they see you in me." Her head jerked at the name Artie called her. Artie was now close enough to see her eyes, and watched in amazement as they changed from blue to a vibrant, turbulent purple shade. It was eerily similar to Merlin's gaze.

"How dare you!" She hissed, backing away from Artie, but Artie wasn't going to let her. She moved after her, coming closer.

"I am not here to threaten you." Artie told her, but it was clear that she didn't believe her.

"I trust no one who knows that name." She hissed, clearly on edge. She had, however, stopped moving away from Artie. Artie looked around the room, taking in all the extra chairs, the large table, and the long scratches on said table. She traced one with her finger.

"Even if I'm pretty sure I know what the cost was?" Artie asked, before glancing up at her. Lady Morgan had frozen. It was clear Morgan knew that Artie knew things about her, but not how much. Artie was now going to show her hand, and she hoped that it wouldn't result in Morgan trying to kill her, oath be damned. "Lady Morgan, I'm not going to pussyfoot around this anymore, but, I want to make something clear before I speak of this. I do not hate you. I don't think I ever could. When I told you that you were the one I had the most information on, that wasn't for any nefarious purposes. I just really admired you. You were a strong woman in a time that, to me, was very dangerous to be so. You did everything you wanted, while also looking out for those you cared about. You were bold, intelligent, and caring. Your stories were always about how strong you were, but what that strength cost. Sometimes, you supported Arthur, other times, you would betray him, but it was always for reasons that I could understand. You had your flaws, but that was what made you human." Lady Morgan's eyes followed Artie's movements as she sighed, shaking her head. "Mordred grows up into a good man, but we both know he isn't going to be a good King. He's too much like his father. He's a gentle person, he can't handle the weight of the crown." Morgan's eyes watered at the mention of his father.

"H-How could you-" Artie tapped the side of her head at Lady Morgan's stuttered question.

"I won't say it out loud. I won't risk it. I know Merlin wants to know if he doesn't already, and you've done a wonderful job at keeping it safe." There were only a few accounts of who Sir Mordred's father was, but in all cases, it was a man she had encountered while on a pilgrimage to get her powers. Or to deepen them. But, after she had fallen in love with him, she would go to the fae, and the fae would demand those feelings in payment for her powers. She'd always fought it, but in the end, it was either her brother and kingdom, or her love. And Lady Morgan was selfless enough to give him up, always unaware she was with child. She'd always bargain away his feelings, not hers, and his memories. What she wouldn't know is that he would never marry, and never fall in love again. The man wasn't truly able to give her up, but he also wasn't able to fully remember her either. It was a true tragedy.

Lady Morgan sucked in a shaky breath, and Artie worried she was going to start yelling at her or something. Slightly panicked, Artie opened her mouth before Lady Morgan could.

"What I'm wanting to say, Lady Morgan, is that you've done a wonderful job and I don't think enough people have praised you for it." Artie watched as the purple leached out of her eyes and the tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. Artie moved closer to her, unable to stop herself. She offered her arms to the woman, unsure if this was acceptable. Lady Morgan hesitated for a moment, before she rushed forward. The grip she had on Artie was bruising, and a little too tight for her wound, but Artie said nothing of it, keeping her breathing nice and even so as not to upset the woman. Artie ran her hands down the other's back, soothing her. "Losing the brother you had always tried to protect must have been awful for you. Not being able to properly mourn him must have also hurt. I am sorry that I know so much about you, Lady Morgan, and that it makes you uncomfortable, but please understand that it doesn't come from a place of evil. I do not want to harm you. It wouldn't do me any good to do so." Artie squeezed her slightly, the warmth of Lady Morgan in her arms feeling comforting. "Apparently, we are distantly related." Lady Morgan jerked in her arms, before pulling away slightly to stare into her face. She searched Artie's for a moment, clearly trying to find anything similar about them. She gasped, raising a hand to gently touch the area around Artie's eyes.

"Wait, your eyes…that's…" Her eyes narrowed, and she stared some more. Her eyes briefly went purple again, and Artie had to stop herself from gasping. It was overwhelming up close. Lady Morgan seemed shocked, stunned even as she returned her gaze to the blue hue most were familiar with. "You…You don't jest?" She whispered and Artie shook her head, smiling.

"The spirits all but confirmed. They specifically said it was from my mother's side, and made fun of my mother for not naming me after you." Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced down Artie, looking over her with new eyes.

"So they grabbed someone of our blood to be the new King? What of Arthur? Does he not have his-" Artie pressed her finger against Lady Morgan's lips in a motion of quiet.

"I do not know, and I do not want to curse Lady Guinevere by speaking it out loud. Not many know, and I want to limit that number until she's in a safe part of her pregnancy." Lady Morgan's eyes hardened, and she nodded.

"Of course. Forgive me. I normally would be so cautious, but this conversation has left my head reeling." She admitted, and Artie smiled at her. It felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and she felt a little giddy.

"I'm glad your suspicion of me dropped. Honestly, I don't know how long my heart could have handled having such a powerful witch disliking me." Artie chuckled, expecting Lady Morgan to laugh but instead she stared at Artie for a long moment of silence.

"Why is it that you don't treat Merlin and I with as much suspicion as everyone else?" She asked, and Artie was slightly surprised. It was, after all, a valid question. Artie thought about it for a moment.

"It's a gut feeling, first of all. It isn't that I don't think you two have the capacity to betray me, or the others, it's more that I know whatever powers the two of you have come with a cost. In most cases, those powers are tied to a location, person, or situation. If you got your powers from the Lady of the Lake, like I suspect Merlin did, you wouldn't be able to harm me in a way that could kill me." She stared at the new King with a thoughtful expression.

"And if I got them from a different spirit?" She asked softly and Artie chuckled, raising her hand to cup the other woman's face. It was clear to her that she was afraid of Artie's answer.

"I do not care about that, and Morgan, you don't lose control of your powers for a very, very, very long time. Mordred is long buried when you do." Lady Morgan exhaled a shaky breath, pressing her forehead into Artie's shoulder in relief. As much as Artie had said that she shouldn't tell the others about their future, she told Morgan this part. It was part truth, and part wish for her. Artie had a feeling she knew who Morgan had made a deal with, and it was a serious one. Not that when a witch or wizard made a contract with a spirit it was not a serious one, but Morgan had gone to the fae court to get her contract. It was why hers had cost her so much.

"Thank you." She whispered once she had recovered herself enough. Artie shook her head.

"It was something I always wanted to tell you. Now, I have a large ask of you. I wanted to do it without others round first, so you could tell me now if it was a no." Confusion washed over her face.

"What do you ask for Sire?" Artie felt her cheeks heat.

"Would you join my round table?" Her mouth dropped open.

"I'm not a knight!"

"And neither is Merlin." She countered.

"I'm a woman." Artie raised an eyebrow at that.

"And so am I." She stuttered.

"Everyone hates me. You saw Sir Percival and I. No one likes me." Artie's heart ached.

"Morgan, they don't like you because they don't know you. No one knows you. I know you've been quietly supporting me while to my face you've been abrasive. I'm not going to explain your behaviours to them, but I think it's about time everyone realised how much you've given to Camelot. What you've given." Artie stepped back, taking her hands in her own. "So? Your answer?" She pestered and Lady Morgan closed her eyes, taking a few moments to herself.

"...I will join your round table, my King." Artie gave a squeal and hugged her tightly, much to Lady Morgan's surprise.

"You won't regret it, Lady Morgan!' Her eyes sparkled as she looked up at her, a smile touching her lips.

"I feel I might already."