Title: Understanding
Rating: K
Pairing/s: none
Character/s: Merlin, Gaius, Morgana
Summary: Can Morgana forgive Merlin for the poisoning after he explains?
Warnings: none
Word Count: 497
Prompt: #218. Forgiveness
Author's Notes: For the sake of this drabble, Morgause didn’t take Morgana at the end of 2.12
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Merlin paced outside Morgana’s chambers, waiting for Gaius to appear. He wanted to know what, if anything, Morgana had said about him. About what he’d done to her. After what seemed like days, Gaius finally appeared. Merlin ran to him to demand, “What did she say?”
Gaius raised his hands to placate his anxious ward. “Calm down. She’s just woken up and hasn’t said much. Nothing about you.”
Merlin made to push past his mentor but Gaius stopped him. “Uther and Arthur are in there now. You’ve got to wait. And for heaven’s sake, relax. She may not remember anything at all.”
Merlin stepped back. “You’re right. I’ll just . . . keep pacing, I guess.”
By the time the King and Prince walked out, Merlin felt ready to explode. “She wants to see you,” a puzzled Arthur told him. Merlin’s anxiety increased as he nodded and made to enter the room.
Morgana lay propped up against her headboard. She turned when he entered but didn’t smile. Merlin slowly walked to stand next to her bed. Not to close but not too far. When she didn’t speak, he asked, “You wanted to see me?”
“Yes,” she replied. He had to strain to hear her; probably a result of the hemlock. He waited for her to say something else and had opened his mouth to speak when she spoke again. “Why did you do it?”
“Why did I do it?”
“Why did you poison me?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Know what? All I know is that I was fine until you poisoned me!”
“Morgana, did you see Morgause right before the sleeping sickness struck?”
“I—yes. She asked me if I was ready to see Uther’s downfall. I told her yes and the next thing I remember was waking up in my bed.”
“Did Morgause cast a spell on you?”
“No? I don’t think so. I don’t remember.”
“Morgana, Morgause made you the source of the spell.”
“The source?”
“You powered the sleeping sickness and those dark knights.”
“What?!” She looked so totally shocked there was no way she could be acting.
“You—you didn’t know.”
“But how did you know?”
“I’d read about these kinds of spells before, and you were the only one awake, so . . .”
“You guessed. But why didn’t you tell me? I would have gladly taken the poison if it was the only way to save Camelot.”
“I’m so sorry. I thought you knew. I thought you’d turned your back on us.”
He took a couple of steps closer and she reached out to take his hand. “I’m sorry I put you in that position. I should never have gone to meet Morgause.”
“She’s gone now.” He squeezed her hand. “I hope you can forgive me for my part.”
“Of course I can. Thank you for saving me.” She smiled then.
“Anytime.” He smiled back; she yawned. “Looks like I’d better leave you to your rest.”
“Thank you, Merlin.”
“Rest well, Morgana.”