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“Your oaths poison those you would protect.”
The old sorcerer’s words echoed through Morgana’s mind even days after she killed him. But why did he say it?
Morgana snarled and pushed away the thought. What did that old man know anyway? He’d lived in hiding since Uther’s purge. Since Camelot declared all magic evil and death what awaited all who used it. How did he not see that Morgana would be better?
Her vows of vengeance again Camelot were for the benefit of people like her, like that ungrateful old man.
Too many of them just failed to see it! The druids kept spurning her. Other practitioners of the Old Religion stayed away from her. Emrys himself fought against her at every turn.
But she knew she was on the right path! They just couldn’t see like she could. She’d make things better for all like them if they just stopped getting in her way.
But will you? A little voice deep inside her asked.
She viciously pushed that away too.
She could not let doubt creep into her heart.
Or else her own betrayals were for naught.
Arthur’s face sprang unbidden to her mind. Arthur who’d defied his father more than once at her urging. Who’d helped her save Mordred.
No. He’d raided that druid camp when she sought to flee Camelot. He was just like Uther, as much as she had once hoped he’d better. He deserved all she’d done and more.
She thought of Merlin and his betrayal of her. She’d thought he was her friend. He knew her secret, yet he turned on her. She’d trusted him and he’d poisoned her!
Camelot and all in it were stain on the world.
She’d wipe that away, then rebuild things the way she wanted.
It would be better.