Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 101

"Elyan?" Miriam asked as her eyes widened at the sight of her knight walking through the door of the new room she was being held in.

"Miriam!" he exclaimed in relief as he beheld the sword floating in the air between them.

"Elyan, don't! That's an order! The sword was enchanted by Morgana to protect me, it will let no one pass," she urged but Elyan only drew his sword.

"It's my fault you're here. I'm the one who told you to leave," he said and his words broke his queen's heart.

"It was not your fault Elyan. Leave me here, you cannot save me. Please leave me," Miriam pleaded as Elyan paced the width of the room, the sword following him.

"No!" Elyan shouted as he tore off his cape.

"Elyan! It will fight to the death! Leave! That's an order!"

"I'm sorry, my queen, but I'm going to have to disobey that order."

And Elyan lunged.

"Move out of the way!" he called as Miriam fled, pressing herself to the wall left of the door as Elyan battled the sword, eventually grabbing hold of its hilt but the magic was too powerful as it shook itself free and charged at the knight again, Miriam unarmed and absolutely helpless as her friend fought to free her.

He was angled away from her, but her breath caught in her throat as she watched the sword pierce Elyan's armour in a spot that looked dangerously close to his heart.

"Elyan go! Save yourself!" Miriam screamed, hopeful that if he left now he'd be able to live, but Elyan wasn't done.

With a glance to the window, Elyan jumped to his feet as he blocked the sword's advances before ducking out of the way and opening one of the wooden shutters.

The sword flew at him, but the knight ducked out of the way at the last second, sending it zooming out of the tower as Elyan closed the shutter behind it.

He panted heavily in relief as he leaned against the window, Miriam's hands shaking as she moved away from the wall, only to flinch as the sword stabbed itself through the wood and stayed there.

Then Elyan stumbled to the floor.

"Mira?"

"Elyan!" Miriam cried as she rushed to him, pillowing his head on her lap as she yanked the dagger from his belt, cutting material from her skirts to cover his wound but they both knew it was hopeless.

"You know...for a moment, I didn't think I was going to win," he gasped as he reached for her hand.

"I never had a doubt. You were always the best of my knights. You'll be fine Elyan," she promised as she cradled his head.

"Tell Gwen...tell...I love her. And- and I'm, sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You're a hero. There won't be a person in Camelot who doesn't know your name."

She didn't know how she had any tears left as they slid down her cheeks, watching as the life slowly drained out of him.

"Goodbye, Elyan," she whispered.

And he exhaled for a final time as the rest of her rescue party burst into the room.

"Merlin, check on Mira," Arthur ordered as he, Leon and Percival rushed to Elyan.

Gwaine and Merlin then gently eased the despairing queen onto her feet.

"Mira! Mira, are you alright? Did Morgana hurt you?" he asked in urgency, and Miriam seemed to be spacing out as she looked to her brother.

"Morgana? What about Morgana?" she asked and Merlin and Gwaine gave each other a worried glance.

"Wildfire, what's the last thing you remember before we burst in here?" Gwaine asked and her brows furrowed.

"We were at our father's grave. It was the anniversary of his death," she answered.

"Mira, that was over 4 days ago," Merlin said and though his sister looked concerned, she wasn't overly shocked that she was missing days' worth of memories as she stared at Elyan's body.

Whether her current behaviour was a result of grief or her time with Morgana, they didn't know.

And that's what scared them the most.

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Gwen had hardly been able to stand as she stood in a black dress for her brother's funeral, all the knights gathered to watch as the boat that held his body was set alight with a flaming arrow.

Miriam only stood silently as she held her husband's hand and they watched on, the queen also in a dress of black as she mourned.

However, her act quickly fell away as she donned a cloak that night and slipped away from the bed she shared with Arthur. It fell away as she journeyed into the woods where she met someone who stood with their back to her, also wearing a cloak with the hood up.

And then figure turned as she neared, wrapping her in a hug.

"How is it?" Morgana asked before she pulled away.

"Arthur thinks he's won," Miriam replied with a cold look on her face.

"Do you understand now who you can trust?"

"It's you, Morgana. It's only ever been you," Miriam said, almost lovingly as her friend tucked a piece of hair behind her ears.

"I would've involved Gwen, but she doesn't have the kind of access to Arthur that you have. You're not one of them, and you never will be," Morgana cooed.

"You don't know how much I hate them," Miriam whispered. "All of them."

"You have done well to see past the lies they feed you and to the real truth. You have an important part to play in the future. Together we will ensure the destruction of everything Arthur holds dear," she snarled and Miriam gave her an evil smirk.

"And I look forward to it."

"Good, but before I go, I have but one thing left to ask of you."

"Anything," Miriam said anxiously.

"Tell me, do you know the true identities of the sorcerer Emrys or my counterpart Emerie?"

Her eyes seemed to widen as she blinked hard before cocking her head at Morgana.

"I know the threat they present to you, if I knew their identities, of course, I would tell you. Alas, I do not."

"It's alright, erase it from your mind as we have bigger things to attend to. I shall see you again soon, Mira," Morgana whispered in farewell.

"See you soon, Morgana."

And it was as her eyes glowed gold did the sorceress disappear in a puff of smoke.

Miriam was left alone in the woods, head spinning as she tried to make sense of what had happened in the last day before she was forced to her knees with a splitting headache as Morgana's magic fought viciously to control her once more.

And when the queen rose from the ground, pain a distant memory, an evil smirk glittered on her lips as she returned to Camelot.

They wouldn't know what was coming for them.