CHAPTER TEN,
episode seven, the gates of avalon.

MORGANA WOKE up with a loud scream, so loud isabella heard it from her chambers one morning. the princess got out of bed with frown, still in her nightgown and opened the door opposite her chambers to see morgana sat up in bed with wide eyes.

"ana, what is it?" the princess whispered worriedly, sitting down on the young pendragon's bed.

"arthur..." morgana whispered, looking up to meet isabella's gaze. "izzie, he's going to die."

isabella sat up straighter with a frown. morgana looked traumatised, so she brought her in for a hug and listened to the girls nightmare. "there was a woman... standing over arthur. watching him drown."

"surely it was just a nightmare, morgana." isabella tried to comfort the girl who shook her head.

"it felt so real..."

"i will go and check on him for you, alright?" isabella promised and morgana nodded breathlessly, finding comfort in the princess's soothing french accent.

isabella quickly got dressed with the help of estella, choosing a light pink gown which had silk sleeves and made her way to arthur's chambers, but before she could, one of the guards told her that uther requested her in the throne room.

the throne room doors opened, slightly dramatically, and the guards bowed their heads as isabella walked further in, frowning slightly when she noticed two people stood in front of the king and arthur. the two unknown people turned around, and they were revealed to be a young woman and an elder man.

"princess isabella," uther greeted with a nod as she sent him a smile, walking over to them. the younger pendragon's bowed in respect, and so did a few knights who were in the room.

"what is going on?" she asked, eyeing the woman and elder man.

the younger woman's eyes narrowed at isabella, and the princess raised a brow at her facial expression. the elder man glanced at a knight, who had gestured for the two of them to bow or curtsy as a sign of respect to the princess, so the two unknown people did so hesitantly.

isabella joined arthur who sent her a smile and took her hand, sitting down on their thrones next to each other as the unknown man introduced himself. "my name is aulfric, heir of tirmawr. this is my daughter sophia."

"you're a long way from home." uther acknowledged, "what brings you to camelot?"

"our home was sacked by raiders. we barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry." the man told them, isabella sent a smile to estella who walked in to stand next to merlin.

"where is morgana?" arthur asked quietly with a frown.

"she has had a nightmare so she is resting for now." isabella didn't want to tell him what happened in her nightmare, of course.

"these are dangerous times. what will you do?" the king asked the the father and daughter.

"we traveled west to caerleon where we have family and, i hope, a new life."

isabella took notice of the strange stick's the two held with a blue crystal on top, and looked over at merlin who also looked curious. "well, you must stay here for a while." uther told them, "break your journey. a noble family like you're is always welcome at camelot."

the two bowed in response before a man lead them to where they could stay, and isabella looked slightly irritated when she saw sophia turn back to smile at arthur. 

they all soon left and isabella found morgana walking through the palace, they joined together and spoke about how the pendragon was until morgana suddenly froze. "it's her." she whispered.

isabella looked over to see sophia smiling slyly at the two ladies, before entering her chambers. which were right next to arthur's. "she's here. the girl from my dream."

morgana grabbed onto isabella's hand and they jogged towards merlin who was walking away from sophia. "who is that?" morgana asked.

"uh, sophia tirmawr." merlin answered cheerfully. "we rescued her in the woods...well, arthur did most of the rescuing."

"care to tell me why she has been put right next to arthur's chambers?" isabella raised a brow, merlin was about to reply before morgana spoke up.

"she can't stay here."

"uh...well the king said that she and her father were welcome in camelot." merlin spoke unsurely. isabella looked up at morgana, who looked down at the princess with sorrow in her eyes, as if the two were having a silent conversation.

noticing the unsettled looks on the girls faces, merlin frowned. "is everything okay?"

"yes, it's just...morgana had a—" isabella began, but morgana shook her head.

"no...no, everything is fine. thank you." she spoke distantly before walking away from the two.

"what was that about?" merlin asked as isabella looked around before whispering.

"morgana had a dream that the girl was stood over arthur whilst he drowned. she said it was so real and that arthur was going to die."

merlin's eyes widened in horror as isabella looked nervous. "i understand it's your 'destiny' or...whatever to protect me and arthur, merlin. so please...protect him." she whispered, her eyes filled with worry. "i don't trust her already. have you not seen the strange stick she carries around along with the father?"

"i have," merlin nodded slowly. "i'll speak to gaius." he told her.

isabella nodded. "thank you."

ISABELLA DIDN'T bother to knock as she walked into arthur's chambers, who jumped in a fright at the sudden outburst. "christ!" he exclaimed as she sent him a smirk.

"oh, isabella." he raised his browse

"hello, arthur." she walked in further, her hands crossed behind her back.

"why so formal?" he teased and she shrugged, taking a seat at his table and eating a grape as he sat opposite her. "somethings wrong. what is it?" he acknowledged, walking over to sit down next to her.

she shook her head, leaning back in her seat with a small smile. "can i not come and see you sometimes?" she raised a brow as he scoffed, shaking his head with a smile.

"what is wrong?" he asked again and she shook her head.

"nothings wrong." she laughed simply, before looking up at him. "tell me, do you find sophia... beautiful?" she asked and arthur let out a laugh.

"so that's what this is about."

"what?" she blinked as he had an arrogant smirk on his lips.

"you're jealous." he acknowledged.

"i am not!" she gasped, and he pulled a face.

"no need to get so defensive, isabella." he smirked and she grabbed the nearest book and chucked it at his head, which he luckily dodged.

"i am not jealous." she finished as he raised his hands up in surrender.

"you know i only have eyes for you." he smiled as she rolled her eyes, scoffing.

"i was only asking. she seemed to not take here her off you, also she's been placed in the room next door." she raised a brow.

he frowned slightly, "really?"

"and you know she is beautiful, arthur. be careful there." she advised with a gentle smile before getting up to leave as he watched with a small frown.

"isabella." he called out as she turned around with a raised brow, "why don't you go out for a ride with me today. you know, around the forest to see the views."

she hummed, "aren't you supposed to be on patrol with the knights?" she asked and he shrugged.

"i'll get merlin to lie for me."

"right." she said, amused before nodding. "okay. let me go and change. i'll meet you in the courtyard." she said and he nodded with a smile.

the princess changed into her riding gear, it was a sage green dress-like top, but underneath had black leather trousers and she found her black boots to go with it before leaving the palace to find arthur.

he was waiting by the two horses with merlin and isabella smiled as she approached her horse, zola, and greeted the two men. "arthur, merlin." she smiled as merlin bowed his head.

"are you ready?" arthur asked and the girl nodded with a small smile, arthur went to help her, but she simply stared at his hand and laughed before mounting the horse with ease as he raised a brow, impressed.

"arthur?" somebody asked and they turned to see sophia approaching as isabella rolled her eyes and looked at merlin who grinned, amused.

"are you alright?" arthur asked with a raised brow.

"where are you going?" she asked curiously.

"me and isabella are just out on a ride." he answered, mounting his own horse as merlin fed it a sugar cube.

"oh, i thought you could take me out today. show me around camelot." sophia asked with a smile and isabella's jaw dropped. this girl. merlin too looked suprised.

merlin couldn't help but point at isabella, "you do realise who this is?" he hadn't thought before he spoke, but isabella had to attempt not to laugh at the girls face.

"my apologies. so, perhaps tomorrow, arthur?" sophia asked as arthur looked slightly confused.

"uh...sure?"

sophia smiled and bowed her head as isabella and arthur began to ride out of the courtyard, not before isabella turned around to send a slight glare towards the redhead who simply smiled slyly in response.

arthur glanced at the expression on isabella's face and sent her a reassuring smile. "what you said earlier... 'be careful there'. what does that mean?" he asked as she let out a breath and glanced up at him.

"it means, she is a very pretty girl and you are a boy." she spoke simply, and he went to argue but she simply shook her head, "i'm not implying, arthur. you do as too wish, i'm just curious is all."

"you don't have to be, bells. you know i will always choose you." he spoke, the cheeky grin on his face mads bee question his words, but the tone was sincere, and honest.

she smiled at him, "and i you."

ISABELLA WATCHED with a frown as arthur went out on a ride with sophia. morgana watched isabella with a sympathetic smile. "are you sure it's her?" isabella asked distantly.

"i could never forget that face." morgana whispered, shaking her head.

"surely we should tell uther?" isabella spoke, her eyes not leaving the window.

"and tell him what, bells? that i can see into the future? he'll assume i am a sorceress." morgana replied with a small frown as isabella's brows furrowed in concentration.

"if arthur's life is in danger—" she began.

"you know how uther would react." morgana cut her off, gesturing to uther's abusive traits.

"he wouldn't dare harm you, morgana. i promise you that." she spoke.

"his hatred for magic is far more powerful than how much cares for me." morgana whispered.

"then we are going to have to stop her ourselves." the princess spoke firmly as morgana nodded.

the raven haired girl noticed the princess still staring out of the window with a frown as she smiled, "bella, come on. sit with me."

isabella finally tore her eyes from the window and sat down next to the girl, "honestly, morgana. i might have to just marry you instead." she whispered jokingly and morgana laughed, looking down at her dress.

"thank you." isabella suddenly spoke as morgana raised a brow. "for everything." morgana smiled at the princess's words and the brunette rested her head on the raven haired girls shoulders as they waited for estella and gwen to arrive.

after their day, isabella walked down the steps by her chambers and was making her way to dinner when she bumped into sophia. "sorry—oh, princess isabelle, isn't it? i'm sophia. but you already know that."

"princess isabella." the girl corrected as sophia smiled playfully.

"same thing, is it not?"

"not really, sophie." isabella smiled falsey as sophia's face dropped. "why are you lying to the king and arthur? you're not guests to the king and you are not welcome in camelot. i know what you are doing and just know lady morgana and i will do everything in our power to stop you."

"does arthur know you feel this way about him?" sophia mocked as isabella raised a brow.

"well, we are to be married. so yes, i assume so."

"for now." sophia curtsied with a smirk before moving past her as isabella grabbed a hold of her arm as sophia yelped.

"let go of me!" sophia cried as isabella held on tighter with darkness in her eyes that sophia noticed, making her even more fearful.

"if anything happens to arthur. i will find you. trust me on this. however long it takes." she whispered threateningly before releasing the harsh grip on the girl, causing sophia to fall back slightly into the wall.

isabella walked down the stairs in anger so fast merlin thought she was almost flying. he rushed to catch up with her, panting slightly. "bella, is everything alright?"

she glanced at him before nodding. "fine, merlin. that little leach just needs to wind her neck in." she rolled her eyes as merlin let out a laugh.

isabella suddenly stopped in her tracks as merlin has no choice but to do the same. she glanced up at him with an unknown look in her eye. "i want you to promise me something."

"anything." merlin nodded as she looked down, before ordering.

"it is your destiny to protect me and arthur. but promise me, if it ever comes down between saving me or arthur. you will always chose arthur."

"i..." merlin frowned in shock, "i can't promise something like that." he shook his head as she sent him a smile.

"i'll see you tomorrow, merlin."

THE PRINCESS watched arthur curiously whilst sat at the table in his chambers that evening. "how was your day?" she asked, more or less asking about his ride with sophia.

"it was...okay? i suppose." he was busy fiddling with his armour as she nodded slowly. "are you...feeling alright? you haven't really been yourself lately." arthur looked at her.

"yes, of course. i just have a bad feeling these days. plus the girl seems to like glaring at me every chance she gets." she teased as arthur rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

"you're not very keen on sophia, are you?"

"not at all." she answered truthfully, and then she sat down on the end of his bed with a sigh, and he looked over at her from his place at the window.

"talk to me, isabella."

"morgana had a dream. it's difficult to describe. it was the day before sophia and her father came to camelot. in the dream...you were drowning. sophia was watching you: you were dying, and it was all her fault." she began and arthur laughed.

"surely she is making that up? honestly, isabella. you don't need to get so paranoid." he told her as she scoffed before getting up to leave.

"let's just hope i'm wrong about her."

ARTHUR MISSED the king bestowing a knighthood on one of his men the next morning. why? because he was out with sophia. the princess was starting to get paranoid. just like arthur said.

he had also missed lunch and dinner with the king and morgana. so, she decided to see where he was and if he was okay. bad decision.

isabella valour stood frozen in her spot when she walked into the prince's chambers to see sophia pressing a kiss to arthur's lips. her eyes widened as she quickly left, not knowing how to feel.

luckily for her, she bumped into merlin on the way out. "merlin,"

she looked up and he frowned. "are you okay?"

"i-yes...i'm fine." she lied as he nodded, before pulling her away so they were alone.

"come with me." he told her quietly. the girl followed merlin who seemed to be following sophia's father. they left camelot and soon got to the woods as the two followed closely until they came to a lake.

"i seek an audience with the sidhe elders!" he cried as isabella and merlin shared a look as he began to incant something as the lake shone.

golden wisps began to fly about the lake until merlin's eyes told a golden colour. isabella wondered what he was doing, and then he answered. "they're pixie's." he whispered with a smile.

"i come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to avalon and a life of immortality!" aulfric yelled as one of the pixie's stopped in front of him.

"you're punishment for killing another sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. you will never be able to return to avalon." the pixie yelled.

"the crime was mine, not my daughters."

"the gates of avalon remain closed to your daughter. unless the soil of a mortal prince be offered up to them." the pixie spoke as merlin had to put his hand over isabella's mouth to stop her from gasping.

"thank you!" aulfric exclaimed. "an immortal life for my daughter is all that i desire. so, i promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all...arthur pendragon!"

merlin had to cover isabella's mouth to stop her from gasping as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"and what of his queen?" the pixie growled.

"the princess of valour?" aulfric questioned as the pixie nodded distastefully. "she is already suspicious of us, if she gets in the way any more, we shall deal with her too."

isabella's eyes darkened as she glared at the back of the man's head, she didn't realise aulfric had turned around before merlin grabbed onto her arm and pulled her away as they ran through the woods.

"i've got to tell gaius. you must speak to arthur." merlin told her once they reached the castle as isabella froze.

merlin noticed this, and faced her. "what is it?"

she suddenly remembered what she saw. "i'm not going to see him."

"what? why? he'll believe you!" merlin protested as the princess simply shook her head, looking up at him.

"no, he won't." she whispered as his eyes filled with realisation.

"bella, what did you see before i found you?" he asked, looking concerned.

"nothing. but i'm not going to speak with him tonight. i'm afraid he won't believe me. not anymore."

merlin's eyes softened, "do you want to come with me to speak to gaius? about what we saw?" he asked and she smiled, shaking her head.

"no, thank you, merlin. i must go, the girls will be wondering where i am." she said as he nodded, bowing as she smiled and walked away.

ISABELLA FELT sick and mortified. she sat with the king on their thrones as arthur and sophia walked in, having requested an audience with the king. "i requested this audience, father, to discuss a matter of great importance."

arthur seemed different, his eyes were darker, and he seemed more serious. she caught merlin's guilty eyes as she frowned. merlin had worked out arthur had been enchanted and feared what arthur was about to ask.

"it cannot have escaped your attention that i and lady sophia tirmawr have grown very close." he began as isabella's heart raced. uther chuckled and glanced at isabella.

"well, not too close, i hope. for isabella's and your sake."

"we're in love." arthur replied and isabella's heart dropped. morgana sat up properly, eyes wide as everyone looked shocked. "which is why i come before you today to ask your permission to marry."

uther only laughed, which seemed to anger sophia further. "i'm sorry, what? i assume you're joking?" uther blinked. "you do realise isabella is sat here?"

"no. i'm going to marry her." arthur said forcefully.

"you only met two days ago, and you and isabella are to be wed."

"we're in love." arthur spoke again. isabella didn't know wether or not to laugh or cry.

"in love." uther mocked. isabella kept her eyes on morgana, too scared to look anywhere else to see their sympathetic looks.

"i'm going to marry her. i don't care what you three think about it." arthur finished.

"i thought you'd come to ask my permission." uther frowned as he looked at the prince.

"out of courtesy, nothing more." arthur turned around, holding sophia's hand to leave.

"guards, door." uther ordered as he put away his letter and stood up.

"have you forgotten whose court your standing in?" uther boomed. isabella's eyes were now on merlin who was watching in shock. "arrest sophia and aulfric tirmawr." the king ordered.

"and inform the executioner his services will be required tomorrow morning!" he finished, gently patting isabella's hand who watched as arthur looked furious.

he's been enchanted. a loud, almost painful voice that sounded a lot like merlin said in her head. she winced, and looked up at the warlock who nodded, his eyes wide.

"you're sure?" she mouthed and he nodded once again.

the princess sighed of relief, luckily not noticed by anyone. "you cannot do this." arthur exclaimed.

"yes i can! and unless you show me some respect, i will." he said as arthur looked down and the king nodded. "release them...you've got your whole life ahead of you, and isabella here with you. enjoy that while you can."

arthur bowed and left the room as isabella looked up at morgana who was now stood up. "come on." she took isabella's hand and the two left, unfortunately passing sophia, aulfric and arthur who looked oddly enchanted, but the princess didn't even look at them.

"they're running away." estella whispered as her and gwen looked out of the window once isabella and morgana reached her chambers.

"i'm sorry this has happened. truly. i still do not trust her." morgana said.

isabella shook her head. "i must speak with merlin, i'll be back tonight."

the second the princess left her chambers, she sprinted down the stairs, her dress pulled as she hurried past the servants and ran through the castle, attempting to find the wizard. she found him passed out on the floor in arthur's chambers and rushed over immediately.

"merlin? merlin, for bloody hells sake, wake up!" she smacked his face as the boy jumped up in a fright.

"did you just...slap me?"

"what happened to you?" she asked with wide eyes.

"aulfric...where's arthur?"

"he's left with sophia and aulfric!" she exclaimed, pulling him up.

"we have to go after them." merlin said as isabella nodded.

merlin then walked over to the window, and the girl frowned. "merlin? it's this way."

the boy blinked. "just testing."

the two raced through the courtyard to the gates, and into the woods where they saw aulfric the night before. it was getting light now and isabella noticed her dress had rips across it, her hair a mess and a cut on her cheek from the twigs. she gasped as merlin tripped over, and immediately tried to pull him up as they neared the lake.

"no." the girl whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek as she noticed sophia luring arthur into the lake of avalon.

"merlin, do something." she told him as aulfric began to enchant things, sophia kissing arthur who slowly fell into the water. merlin nodded with wide eyes as he flung his hand out, causing sophia's stick to come flying into his hand as he yelled an enchantment and used it to attack aulfric.

while he was doing so, isabella raced into the water behind sophia. once the girl realised her father was dead, she turned around in shock, only to be met with isabella who greeted her with a punch to the nose, causing the girl to fall back into the water, knocked out as merlin did the same he did to aulfric to her with the stick.

the princess panicked as she dived into the water, trying to find the prince as merlin hurried in behind her, her dress was weighing her down, but it didn't matter to her. after a minute or two, she finally found arthur and latched onto him, pulling him up with her.

the princess let out a chocked sob as she came up for air, arthur in her arms as she and merlin pulled him out of the water, laying him down. isabella fell down onto her knees to see if she could hear his heart.

"he's alive." she whispered in relief, her head falling onto his chest as she closed her eyes.

"we have to take him back to the castle." merlin said, he too, letting out a quiet sigh in relief as he realised both the prince and princess were safe.

ISABELLA, MERLIN and gaius sat around a sleeping arthur, waiting for him to wake up the next morning. the prince grumbled slightly as the three shared a look. "arthur?"

"what happened." arthur sighed. "where am i?"

"can you remember anything?" merlin asked as arthur sat up.

"oh, my head...there was a girl, sophia, i asked my father something about her...what was i thinking?" arthur gasped in horror as he looked isabella. "oh, isabella, i am so sorry. i didn't mean it, truly. i have no idea what—" arthur began to ramble as the girl cut him off with a hug, which he gladly returned.

"well, we did wonder, especially when you eloped with her last night." merlin joked as arthur chocked on air.

"i did what?!"

"merlin and isabella had to bring you back to camelot." gaius told him as arthur looked stunned.

"i don't recall any of this."

"must've been some blow." gaius said, sighing.

"what blow?" arthur snapped.

"well, isabella and i couldn't persuade you to return, so she punched you in the face." merlin said and isabella blinked.

"you managed to knock me out?" arthur asked, his jaw dropped.

"i did. with my hand, too. even though merlin suggested a lump of wood." the girl said proudly. "i only did it to bring you back safely."

"no one can know about this! bella, i am so truly sorry. please forgive me." he turned to face her.

"i forgave you the moment i knocked you out," she said. what she meant to say, was she forgave him the second she pulled him out of the lake, but he of course, didn't know that.

"oh, and morgana, estella and gwen know." isabella said.

"what?" arthur spun around to face her.

"nothing!"

i literally hate that whore bitch sophia cunt

this gif is the definition
of "you're doing amazing sweetie!!" 😭😭
i love baby mordred but adult mordred really got on my nerves

also look what i found 😭