Change of Plans

Just outside the castle walls Morgana and Morguse lurked waiting for the sun to set and the servants to leave the castle. The town was empty as people closed their shops and prepared to go home for the night. The aroma of stews and burning wood filled the air as Morgana and Morgause waited in the shadows. As Morgana looked through the gates into the courtyard she began to feel her chest tighten and her pulse started to race. Just looking at the castle brought back the feelings of being frightened and trapped. Anxiety began to build up as she watched the night guards carry their torches to the watch posts on the wall. Both Morgana and Morgause turned and pushed themselves up against the wall so that they were completely hidden from the few of the night guards.

“Just a few more minutes until the servants file out for the night. Then we will be ready to go.” Morgause smiled eagerly.

Morgana forced a smile as she pushed away the nerves she was feeling. She carefully cocked her head so that she could see around the corner of the wall and into the courtyard. The torches at the top of the steps were lit and the servants were making their way out of the castle. Morgana watched the people she had grown up surrounded by leave the castle just as they had every night. It was as if nothing changed since she left. No one seemed to notice she was gone. In some ways she expected to see double the normal amount of guards. Something to show that Uther and Arthur realized she was
gone and were worried.

“They don’t care…” Morgana whispered.

From what Morgana could see nothing had changed. Uther was probably glad she was gone. Morgana confirmed that she was a threat to Uther so he would be glad to be rid of her. Arthur grew up believing he was Uther’s only child and the only one who had any right to the throne. If he learned the truth about her he would not want to go out of his way to find her. No one in the castle cared if Morgana was there or not. She just served as a lovely trophy that the King kept by his side.

Once the last of the servants finished their gossiping and made their way out of the castle Morgause raised the hood on her coal colored cloak and kept her body close to the wall as she snuck into the courtyard. Morgana followed her lead and pushed the feelings of disappointment aside as she prepared to kill Uther and Arthur. Quietly they crept into the castle through the servant’s entrance. Everything was still and the torches were dimmed. As they came to the main halls of the castle Morgause took out a small sack of powder and smiled.

“This is it.” She said as he loosened the string around the bag.

Morgause took the lead and sprinted down the hall then she slid carefully behind a tapestry that hung on the wall. After a few seconds Morgana followed. She carefully stepped down on the stone, trying to keep her steps light and quiet. She then slid under the tapestry and watched as Morgause poured a few specks of the powder into her hand. Then she handed the sack of powder to Morgana. Cautiously Morgause stepped forward and away from the tapestry. Once she was close enough to the guards she blew the powder from her hands at them. Her eyes flashed gold and Morgana knew the guards were unconscious. Slowly they made their way down the next hall where Morgause once again blew a puff of the powder in the guards’ direction and watched as they fell to the ground.

The castle was dark and quite it gave Morgana an eerie feeling. Everything was in its place but at the same time something seemed wrong, something seemed different. As she slowly glided towards Uther’s chambers she realized what was wrong. On their way to Uther’s chambers they had only passed four guards. They never saw the patrol and normally there were guards posted at every door. When Uther was really worried about security he ordered guards to stand post at every corner.

“Morgause… Something isn’t right.” Morgana whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“Uther… he normally has more men on guard. There is something going on. I have not seen Sir Percival or Sir Leon. They should be on patrol.” Morgana explained as she looked around nervously.

“Well they maybe in the kitchen eating.” Morguase said as she inched closer to Uther’s door.

“No! Morgause, you are not listening!” Morgana exclaimed. “We came in through the servant’s entrance. If they were in the kitchen we would have seen them...”

Before Morgana could finish Morgause pushed open the door Uther’s chamber’s and slid inside.
As she tried to stop Morguase, Morgana followed her into the room. The curtains were pulled over the windows and all the candles had been put out. Swiftly Morgause pulled Morgana across the room and behind Uther’s desk. Out of breath Morgana put her and on her chest and watched as Morgause peeked up from behind the desk.

“Sleeping like a baby.” Morgause said as she looked away from Uther and down at Morgana and smiled. “This will be easy.”

“Morgause, wait. I think we need to figure out what is going on here.”

“Wait?” Morgause plopped down next to Morgana. “Are you having doubts?”

“No, I am just worried.”

“Morgana, if we wait it will be too late. Look! He is just lying there. This is our best chance to get what we want. We cannot just pass this up.” Morgause said as she pulled Morgana up on her knees to look at Uther asleep in his bed.

Morgause stood up and reached her hand down to Morgana. With confidence Morgause led the way to the side of Uther’s bed then squeezed Morgana’s hand and smiled. It was Morgana’s time to shine. She just needed to perform the one unconscious spell and Morgause would pour the Henbane in Uther’s ear. The poison would quickly flow through Uther’s body and the unconscious spell would keep Uther from waking up and calling for help.

“You can do this Morgana.” Morgause said with another squeeze of Morgana’s hand.

Whatever Morgana was worried about happening seemed pointless as she stood next to Uther’s bed and watched him sleep peacefully. No one knew they were in the castle and no one would be aware of what happened to Uther until his servant came in the room when the morning came.

Morgana had nothing to worry about, so she closed her eyes and raised her hand over Uther’s body. She felt the brush of the hairs on Uther’s chest against her finger tips as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. With one last deep breath Morgana began mumbling the words to her spell. Uther rolled on to his side and groaned as his shifted in his sleep. Frightened by Uther’s sudden movement Morgana jumped back and opened her eyes. Her breathing was harsh and broken, her hands were shaking, and her face was red.

“It is ok, Morgana. Just close your eyes and start again. Concentrate” Morgause advised.

As soon as Uther stopped groaning Morgana took her place next to her bed and began the spell again. She held her hands still and kept her breathing shallow. Slowly she closed her eyes and began to picture what was going on inside of her. She imaged a ball of energy flowing rapidly through her body. Before she knew it the spell was complete. Morgana opened her eyes and looked down at Uther’s still body.

“Is he dead?” Morgana asked.

“Not yet. We need to hurry though I heard footsteps coming down the hall. I think your patrol has finally caught up to us.” Morgause said as she popped open the bottle of Henbane.

Watching as Morgause stepped closer to Uther and leaned over him Morgana turned around. She could not watch Morgause kill the man who at one point Morgana trusted. She knew he needed to die, but she did not want to watch it happen. Then Morgana bit her lip and faced Morgause again.

“I will not be weak.” Morgana stated as she watched Morgause pour the poison into Uther’s ear.

A wicked smile crossed both Morgana and Morgause’s faces. They did it. They poisoned Uther and nothing had gone wrong. Morgana felt a sense of freedom as she watched the color drain from Uther’s face. One step to their plan was complete and with a bit more work Morgana’s path to the throne would be clear. Without Uther and Arthur in the way Morgana would take the crown and become Queen of Camelot. With that kind of power she would be able to insure the safety of those who not only have magic but those who also practice it. Under her rule Camelot would be a safe and happy place to be. The weak would be strong and the frail would become powerful. Camelot would be a place of extreme power, and no other realm would threaten it.

“What?” Morgause heard a voice from the hall say. “Guards! Someone hurry!”

Footsteps raced towards Uther’s chambers as Morgana and Morgause’s presence became known. Needing a place to hide Morgause scanned the room for any place she and Morgana could take cover. In a matter of seconds Arthur and his guards would come bursting into Uther’s chambers and find the King dead. If Morgause and Morgana could not find a place to hide Arthur would know what they did. He would come after them and execute them for killing the King.

“Morgause, do the transporting spell you did the other day.” Morgana suggested as she grabbed on to Morgause’s arm.

“I can’t. That spell requires a lot of energy. I have not recovered …” Morgause was interrupted when Arthur burst through the doors and into Uther’s chambers.

Panicked Arthur raced into his father’s chambers to see Morgana and Morgause standing side by side over Uther’s cold dead body. Arthur looked from Morgana to Morgause then back to his father and finally he looked back to Morgause. The pieces were starting to fall into place and Arthur realized what Morgause was doing.

“Father!” Arthur yelled as he ran to his father’s side. Tears began to well in his eyes as he felt his father’s clammy face. It was clear Uther was dead and Arthur could do nothing to fix it.

Nonchalantly Morgause began to pull Morgana away from the bedside as she tried to find a way to escape Arthur and the castle. Slowly Arthur raised his head and fought back the tears. He glared at Morgause and ordered for his guards to attack. The men all drew their swords and took their stance. Arthur held his sword firmly in front of his chest ready to lung forward at any moment.
“You killed my father!” Arthur screamed at Morgause. “I will not let you hurt anyone else I care about.”

“Someone you care about?” Morgause snickered. “I can only assume you mean yourself. Who but yourself do you care about?”

“Morgana, it will be ok. I will not let this evil sorcerer hurt you anymore.” Arthur said in an effort to comfort Morgana. He reached out one hand towards her, but Morgana just stood still next to Morgause.

“You won’t let me hurt her?” Morgause asked as she laughed at Arthur’s stupidity. “Oh my naïve,Prince Arthur I…”

“How can you say that?” Morgana interrupted as she took Morgause’s hand. “You do not care about me, Arthur. You care about no one but yourself. If you truly cared about me you would not have left me alone down in that room that Uther locked me in. You would have fought for me and shown Uther that he was wrong.”

Shocked at Morgana’s behavior Arthur lowered his sword. The woman he had grown up with and thought of as a sister was completely different. She seemed full of hate and emptiness as she stood in front of Arthur. Something had happened to her to make her change, and Arthur blamed Morgause. She was a sorcerer it only made sense to assume that she did something to Morgana as well as Uther.

“We will find a way to fix whatever that woman has done to you.” Arthur reassured Morgana.

“No! Morguase has done nothing to me. She is not some evil sorcerer.” Morgana demanded. “The only
people who have hurt me were my father and you.”

“Your father?” Arthur questioned.

The look of helplessness and confusion on Arthur’s face was priceless. Morgana’s wicked smile grew as she realized she was the reason Arthur’s world was about to fall apart. She helped Morgause kill Uther who was the only person in Arthur’s life who could provide him guidance and support. Arthur was going to feel the pain of being alone. Just like he let her feel everyday he let Uther walk all over her. As if that was not enough for Arthur to handle Morgana was going to break the news that Uther was not a perfect man.

“Yes Arthur, my father. The man who died in the fire when I was a child was not my real father. This man was!” Morgana yelled as she pointed to Uther’s body. “The man you grew up trusting and idolized was no better than a common thief. He spent years lying to everyone about me and my mother.”

Proudly Morgana held her head high and stepped towards Arthur. She moved so close that there was barely any space between them when she said, “Uther was my real father. I am your sister, Arthur and the true heir to Camelot.”