Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 49

Morgana was dying again.

And again, it was by Merlin's hand though this time it was unintentional.

Arthur had gifted Morgana the dagger Merlin had seen in his visions and while Morgana was sneaking out of the castle, Merlin stopped her by closing the doors, startling the witch and causing her to tumble down the stone stairs.

Everyone was beside themselves.

Gwen was worried sick.

Arthur was enraged that she survived all she did just to be beaten by a fall down the stairs.

And Uther was in utter shambles, even asking Gaius to use sorcery to heal her because, in a startling revelation, Morgana was Uther's daughter. He'd had an affair with her mother while her supposed father was away.

Merlin was also tormenting himself as he watched everyone in their grief, he was almost as inconsolable as Uther, so Miriam went to visit Arthur.

"Arthur?" she called as she knocked on the door.

"Come in," he answered.

Miriam pushed open the wooden doors to his room, sun shining inside as Arthur stared out his window at Camelot.

"What is it, Miriam?" he asked, not even looking at her.

"I wanted to see if you were ok."

"I'm fine," Arthur promised but Miriam saw right through the lie.

"Arthur, this is me you're talking to remember? I saw you hacking at that practice dummy, and I know you're not ok. And you've been more concerned with everyone else's wellbeing, and you deserve someone to be concerned about yours."

Arthur crossed the room in a few short strides as he wrapped his arms around her, face buried in her neck as he inhaled the smell of her hair and sobbed into her shoulder.

Miriam was quick to hug him, rubbing his back slowly as she comforted him.

Though she wasn't exactly sad about Morgana, she was sad that it caused Arthur pain, pain she knew well. She couldn't bear to imagine what would happen to her if she lost Merlin.

"She's like my sister, Mira. I can't imagine losing her. I'd give up my throne if it meant she saw another sunrise."

Miriam pulled back from the hug as Arthur inhaled scattered breaths through his mouth, his blue eyes seeming to sparkle like crystals as they watered.

Her fingers were soft, gentle and warm as she wiped away Arthur's tears.

"Do you remember what I said to you when you almost died from the Questing Beast's bite?"

Arthur's brows furrowed as Miriam's hands moved.

"You had faith in me that I was strong enough to fight it."

"And when your father was asleep when Morgause and her knights attacked I said the same. That if you were alike, he'd be strong enough to fight it. So, what do you think I'm going to say this time?"

Arthur seemed to calm dramatically as he thought about it.

"That if Morgana is like my sister, then she'll be strong enough to fight it," he answered, and she smiled as her hands rested on his chest.

"Exactly. You Pendragon's, I use the term loosely, are notoriously very difficult to kill. So as long as you have faith in her, she will be fine."

Arthur only pulled her into another hug, resting his chin on her shoulder.