Connecting the dots

Simple Solutions

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Morgana was too busy. Being court sorcerer was harder than she had imagined. Harder than ruling a kingdom as a tyrant monarch, at the very least.
She was asked to sit with Merlin and rewrite the law, so that sorcerers could be living in peace and prosperity.
The sole presence of Emrys, her demise, however, frightened her. Because he had magic. And he was powerful, she could sense it.
How had she never noticed that before? His aura was literally everywhere. It surrounded the castle like a protective shield and he didn't even notice it existed.

The only advantage she had, was that Merlin seemed to not suspect her of evil – at all.
He did not remember poisoning her, that she had figured out. And Morgouse had succeeded in taking the castle and killed Uther, before she disappeared to who knows where.

Since then, Arthur had been furious about magic, but with the sudden peace in the five kingdoms, he was forced to accept that his father's rage had been more evil than magic ever was.

The fury turned to understanding. And the understanding to kindness.
And all the kindness, suddenly directed at Morgana – somehow – cooled her down after a while.
At first, it had fueled her rage. Now it became – less.
She was accepted here. She was valued. Respected, not feared. Mordred was her friend. Gwen and Merlin too. Arthur asked her for her opinion, her help on everything that went on between the five kingdoms.

Slowly, but sternly, her fears were replaced with acceptance. Her hatred was countered by the love people provided her with. And after two months of seeing how willing Arthur was to change and be better than their father – her heart softened. And she found, she didn't want vengeance anymore.
Not on a kingdom that was actually treating her the way she deserved.

She felt her heart bleeding warmth against the abuse and trauma. She felt it grow and pump with – magic. Beautiful, innocent, pure magic.
She learned to smile again, she learned to love again.

In years, since her father (Gorlois) died, she had never felt this – free.
And her decision to take over Camelot was pushed to the back of her mind as she feasted and drank with her new found family. Who accepted her as she was.
And played crystal cave and dragons (CCND) with her. And she was allowed to be the main villain. And have her own pet dragon.

Later, as Merlin had heard of this, he actually introduced her to Aithusa. Who he had hatched a couple of month's ago.
And Aithusa, despite Arthur's fears, was allowed to live in the castle with them.
Morgana was happy.

Especially when Merlin and her pranked Arthur with magic. When the Dragon took Arthur by the shoulders and yote her out the window into a carriage full of straw (he wasn't hurt, he laughed it off, actually). When Mordred insisted she was the purest sorceress to ever be born.
When Gwaine made sure to point out, that Balinor, Arthur's new advisor and Merlin's father, liked her so much, he was about to adopt her -
Morgana decided she didn't want to leave. She felt save here. She felt at home. She felt loved. She belonged here.

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"You poisoned me?", Morgana asked Merlin. Guards were watching the door, as Arthur had taken Merlin by his scarf and pushed them and the knights into one room to talk out all that was going on. The only person missing, because he couldn't know of his heritage, was Gwaine.
Arthur hadn't known Gwaine had eavesdropped on him and Leon earlier and had gone to correct his "mistakes."

Merlin was in the middle of explaining all he had ever done for Camelot, for Arthur and how and why he had secretly fought against Morgana.

"I'm going to bloody kill that dragon!", Leon muttered and grabbed for a battle ax that was now his favorite new weapon. It had carvings in it's blade that would remind you of Arthur's sword Excalibur. That is, because it also was forged in a dragon's breath. But he was the only one who knew that.