20 year old Ariella Morgenstern lost her mother to an evil sorcerer when she was just seven years old, and has had some pain in her heart since, though her father, King Oberon, hates magic, but not nearly as much as King Uther, because of it. Ever s...
The next morning, we ride on until we reach a large lake with a waterfall on the other side. We pause the horses to gaze at it, wondering what to do now.
"It seems your horse has brought us to a dead end," Merlin says.
Torrento snorts at that and just walks forward, into the water.
Arthur demands, "Now where's he going?!"
I call, smirking, "I think you're going to get wet!" Merlin and I snicker.
"You don't say," He calls back. Torrento continues to wage into the lake, the water going up to his knees.
When they just keep heading for the waterfall, Merlin and I call in puzzlement, "Arthur?"
We then kick our horses into a steady trot after Torrento. We end up getting soaked when we ride beneath the waterfall. When Merlin and I come out of it and ride through a wide tunnel, we find Arthur waiting with his horse before a huge fortress.
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I ask, "Where are we?"
Arthur replies, "I'm not sure." We nudge our horses forward, as we make our way to the fortress.
Merlin muses, "If we weren't sure Morgause was a sorcerer before, we can be certain of it now."
Arthur holds out a hand in exasperation as he mutters, "That must've been how she defeated me. She was using magic!"
"Hm. It didn't look like she was," I say thoughtfully, sharing a glance with Merlin as I peer at him over my shoulder.
"I agree!" He chimes.
Arthur glares at me as he questions, "And what would you know about magic, Ariella, Merlin?"
I wanted to say, "More than you do, Princeling," but knew it would make him suspicious. Merlin knew too. So we just say in unison, "Nothing."
The three of us half our horses beside each other outside the front door, and dismount. Arthur and I take our swords from their sheathes strapped to our saddles and slide them into the sheathes at our waists, before he, Merlin and I walk up the stone steps and into the fortress.
Merlin and I gaze around wearily as Arthur goes over to a chopping block in the centre of the room, and picks up the slim axe. He waves it around as Merlin and I step further into the room, and he asks, "Now what?"
"Maybe we shouldn't ask the horse?" I suggest, making my fiancée give me an exasperated expression.
He spins the axe in his hand before embedding it into the chopping block once more.
Merlin says nervously as he begins to leave, "Oh, there's no one here!"
I grab the collar of Merlin's jacket to stop him from escaping when Morgause's voice says in surprise from behind us, "You kept your promise!"
