CHAPTER THIRTY SIX,
episode five, the crystal cave.

PRINCESS ISABELLA was horrified when arthur and merlin finally returned later than they said they would, merlin looked like he had seen a spirit, and arthur had a wound on his back, which luckily had healed.

"what on earth happened? you nearly missed the celebrations." she exclaimed, bringing the two of them in for hugs as arthur sighed.

"we were being chased by bandits... apparently i had an arrow in my back, but all i can feel is a slight bruise. merlin on the other hand looks like a startled stoat." arthur responded sarcastically.

"at least i don't look like a bone-idled... toad." merlin snapped back as isabella laughed quietly.

"you are saying i look like a toad?" arthur scoffed.

"yeah. and one day, maybe you will transform into a handsome prince. but, since magic is outlawed i doubt that will
happen." merlin said tiredly, a distant look in his eye.

"well, what a lovely adventure." isabella said sarcastically, arms crossed as she looked at the both of them. "now you have to go and tell the king why you are late."

the three of them walked into the throne room and isabella sat next to the king on her throne while arthur explained what happened and merlin stood five steps back.

"the bandits must have some kind of strong hold somewhere in the white mountains. how we escaped, i'll never know. although, some credit must go to my servant merlin." arthur began to explain, uther practically ignored the last sentence.

"dispatch a patrol." uther began, not noticing estella roll her eyes at merlin not getting any credit. she smiled at merlin, who still looked distantly traumatised. "i want these men caught and brought to justice."

"immediately, father." arthur nodded.

"for a moment we feared you might miss lady morgana's birthday."'uther smiled as morgana stood up with a smile and walked in step with them.

"it'll take more than a bunch of thieves to keep arthur from such a feast." isabella remarked with a small grin towards the prince.

arthur scoffed out a laugh, but nodded. "true. very true." he smiled.

isabella walked in step with morgana to leave the throne room, wrapping her arm around hers. "tomorrow promises to be quite a night." the princess said to the lady.

morgana smiled, although it looked a little like a smirk. "indeed it will."

isabella raised a brow at the strangely cryptic girl, and carried on walking.

"TO THE lady morgana!" everyone did a cheers, clinking their glasses together. isabella smiled and sat down next to the girl.

since it was a special occasion, everyone was dressed up. isabella wore a emerald coloured gown with her matching tiara, arthur wore his best shirt with his cloak and crown and uther...wore the same outfit he usually did.

"your gift," she handed two, rather large, boxes over. morgana smiled, giving isabella a hug. "happy birthday."

isabella had gifted morgana a new riding saddle for her horse, and a green gown. "i believe you look best in green, and your
saddle was getting rather old." isabella smiled at the woman who looked overjoyed.

i could kill uther in this dress, morgana thought with a small smile on her face. and then ride away with the saddle!

"thank you, so much. i love them. it is so beautiful."

almost everyone had gifted morgana hair brushes, the king gifted morgana a new necklace, and arthur had gifted her a dagger. isabella's eyes widened at the dagger, it was beautiful. she took notice of the gold surrounded the handle as morgana smiled slyly, staring at it in shock.

merlin looked as if he was about to pass out . isabella placed her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts as he jumped. "are you alright, merlin?" she asked worriedly.

"i'm fine...i'll tell you later. wouldn't want to ruin the celebrations." he responded distantly, turning around and going to fill up everyone's goblets.

estella came and crouched down next to the girl with a small frown. she noticed morgana glance at her and looked back at isabella. "penses-tu que merlin agit bizarrement?" do you think merlin is acting strange?

isabella glanced over at the boy who was stood with gwen, not listening to anything she was saying. "je fais. il agit comme ça depuis son retour hier." i do, he's been acting like this since he got back yesterday.

"i wonder why." estella switched back to english as isabella hummed.

"peut-être qu'il a quelque chose en tête ."maybe something is on his mind. isabella said with a small shrug. "pourquoi tu ne lui demandes pas?" why don't you ask him?

"i will." estella nodded, getting up to find the boy.

"what was that all about?" morgana chuckled, making isabella shrug.

"estella wanted to know if merlin was feeling well." the girl responded with a small smile, making morgana nod slowly.

the celebrations soon came to an end and everyone returned back to their chambers. isabella wondered what merlin was going to tell her, since he never came to find her.

all of a sudden, a scream could be heard throughout the castle. she rushed out of bed, running down the steps only to find morgana at the bottom. she let out a slight scream of her own at the sight, and saw merlin run up behind her. "get the king. get arthur—get someone!"

merlin nodded and rushed off as isabella crouched down, moving morgana's hair away from her face. gaius, gwen, merlin, estella and arthur soon arrived and arthur picked the girl up to take her to gaius' chambers.

"we need water and bandages." gaius told them hastily.

"i'll get that." gwen responded immediately.

"and yarrow. we need to stop the bleeding." gaius continued as estella quickly followed gaius.

isabella pushed all of gaius's things off the table so morgana could lay down, sending an apologetic smile to gaius. "is she going to be alright?"

"she's having trouble breathing."

"dianthus?" merlin suggested.

gaius looked at him, impressed, "yes, and a preparation of pulmonaria." he responded as merlin squinted his eyes in confusion.

"lungwort, merlin." isabella explained briefly, seeing his confused face as merlin rushed up the stairs.

"quarter of an ounce, ground fine and mixed with violet." gaius finished, looking over morgana.

"how could this have happened?" arthur asked, to which gaius gently moved him away.

"arthur, i need room here." he silently told him to go.

"yes, of course. anything you need, just tell me" arthur said before slipping away out of the room as isabella walked over to gaius.

once the two maids returned, gaius began to stich her up. isabella held her hand over her mouth as she realised morgana wasn't getting any better.

"we've done the best we can...now please return to your chambers. myself and merlin will watch over her." gaius said slowly. isabella sniffled and left the room, heading to her own chambers, passing arthur on the way who was sat outside.

"how is she?" arthur asked, moving to stand up as she shook her head slowly.

arthur sighed and brought the princess in for a hug, staying there for a few moments before returning to their own chambers.

A DAY had passed, and isabella walked into gaius's chambers and sat down next to him and morgana. "how is she now?"

"her breath is leaving her...she'll be gone by morning." the man whispered, making tears brim in isabella's eyes as she covering her face, letting out small cries.

"...unless." gaius whispered in realisation. "i know i said i wanted you to save your strength...but uther suggested to me that he does not care which remedy is used to save her."

isabella sat up, her eyebrows furrowed. "are you suggesting...me?" she asked, her eyes silently asking gaius about the agate.

"...yes, i believe it is the only way." gaius nodded.

isabella nodded slowly, wiping away the tears and pulled out the agate. merlin walked in and she glanced at him hesitantly, before holding it in her hands carefully. she closed her eyes, and focussed on healing her. without realising, the stone lit up and wind picked up from the window, her hair blowing against her face.

once she opened her now golden eyes, morgana's breathing started to flow naturally again. isabella let out a sigh, growing tired. "well done...and now we wait." gaius spoke quietly.

the princess sat beside morgana and waited, gaius and merlin passed her multiple times however she didn't move. after what felt like hours, morgana shot up from her sleeping position and isabella gasped. "ana, you're alive!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her.

morgana held her with a relived smile, "everyone has been so worried. can you believe, the king even suggested using magic to cure you!" isabella giggled slightly.

"really? i had no idea he cared so much." morgana joked, "izzie, how am i alive?"

"ana, there's something you should know...about me." isabella began slowly as morgana turned to listen.

"i am the ag—"

"morgana!" a voice gasped, both girls turning to the king who rushed in to hug her. isabella smiled and let the two have their moment.

"what was it you were saying, izzie?" morgana asked after she pulled away.

isabella smiled, "oh, nothing. i believe gaius used herbs to cure you." she explained briefly as morgana nodded slowly.

"it is truly a miracle." the king whispered as gaius also walked in at that time.

the king quickly stood up, and isabella overheard him. "thank you, gaius. so much."

"i assure you, i did nothing, sire ." gaius responded carefully as the king nodded with a small smile.

"of course, i understand. i will never ask any questions. but thank you. i will not forget this, gaius." the king whispered, before returning back. luckily, the ward didn't hear his conversation.

or so isabella thought.

"i'm just so glad you are okay. gaius told us you'd be gone by morning." isabella sighed in relief as morgana chuckled.

"well, i owe gaius a thank you. and everyone who stayed to care for me." morgana responded.

isabella stood up, and helped the lady get to her own chambers, the king following behind as isabella sat with her.

"i couldn't let you die. i must have somehow willed you to live." the king smiled, holding morgana's hands.

"you've always been so good to me. i'm grateful."

"you, arthur...and you, isabella," the man reached out to pat isabella's hand, making the girl smile slightly, "you mean everything to me, morgana."

"i know i could have no better guardian." morgana smiled brightly as the king nodded. "being so close to death has made me realise how important you, izzie and arthur are to me...how close we all are to each other."

"you're like a father to me." morgana spoke as uther's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion.

"yes." uther smiled, nodding.

"i will leave you two to speak." isabella stood up with a smile, bowing for the king and turning to leave as morgana smirked behind her back, coming up with her new plan to kill the king as she remembered the truth she overheard uther telling gaius.

morgana pendragon was uther's daughter. if uther were to die, arthur and isabella is all that stands in between her and the throne of camelot.

although she did not know it yet, future isabella wished she could go back to before this very day and stay there, forever.

ok i need help—so the next episode that annoying clumsy burping marriage girl is coming and obvs uther wants her to marry arthur.....but we have isabella. so idk how im gonna do it. i think im just gonna skip it cause it's not really relevant for the plot anyway ig???

bye