Vol 2. Chapter 5. An Unhappy Occasion

The carriage rocked gently as it made its way along the winding road to Orkney, the wheels creaking in the morning mist.

I kept my gaze fixed on the passing landscape, fields of green turning shabby farms, mist clinging to the houses like a shroud.

In the distance a city surrounded by tall, cobbled, walls could be seen.

And somewhere beyond those walls lay Orkney, my new home, my new prison.

I felt a strange calm, a quiet that bordered on coldness.

Not the kind of excitement one should feel on the morning of their wedding, but then again, I have never been one to play the part of the blushing bride.

This union had nothing to do with love or joy; it was an attempt at building stronger relations, so it was a transaction, or a bribe.

The only silver lining was that, for the first time, I was free of the suffocating presence of Camelot.

Free of Merlin's knowing gaze.

Free from the weight of Uther's indifference.

Leaning my elbow on the carriages window, I placed my chin on my fist, and peered at the approaching city.

It was only fitting that neither Uther, nor Merlin accompanied me to my wedding.

The three of us knew that this was little more than being exiled, but in this way, Uther gained some benefits.

I had always imagined the day of my exile would come sooner—at twelve, perhaps—but to my mild surprise, he had waited until fifteen.

Maybe he had hoped I might grow more docile, more compliant.

If so, he had misjudged me, as he always had.

Smiling to myself, I watched as the entourage in front of the carriage was stopped by the patrolling city guard. 

Feeling the carriage halt to a stop, I slowly closed the curtains, causing the carriage to be draped in darkness.

Slowly, the shadows coalesced in front of me, coiling itself into a sphere. Slowly, a green glow emitted from it, before projecting a scene for me.

I could see my uncle, Vortigern, riding on his horse, while surrounded by his army of Saxsons.

Slowly, he raised his head in the direction of my scrying spell, and frowned.

I had specifically made it simple for him to discover it, more as a message that someone wanted to make contact with him, and wished him no harm.

I knew that he wished to overthrow Uther, so I'd need to make contact with him sooner, rather than later.

And now that I am out of the incubus's reach, I'd be able to finally make contact, and take a small step out of the shadows.

Slowly, I pulled out a letter, before gently pushing it into the scrying orb.

The letter entered it without resistance, and sunk into the orb, like a stone falling into a lake.

As it fully entered, I saw the letter appear on the projected scene, slowly falling towards Vortigern.

My uncle frowned, but as the letter got close, I saw him snatch it out from the air.

Not showing any hesitation, he ripped it open, and read it's content.

His eyebrows shot up as he read, before he gave a slow nod, and folded the paper into a pouch.

Slowly, uncle raised his head, and looked up at the location I was scrying from, before giving a slow nod.

I felt the grin on my face widen, before I snapped my fingers.

Instantly, the projection before me vanishes, and the shadows retreat to the corners of the carriage.

It would seem Vortigern was up for negotiations, and was willing to work together with his poor niece.

Admittedly, it would be hard for anyone to not be intrigued with someone, who was willing to hand out information on their fathers campaign, to his main enemy, but I am thankful nonetheless that that was all it took.

It would have been remiss of me to be forced to hand over even more information, without getting an agreement for cooperation and negotiations in return.

Smiling to myself, I leaned into the carriage seats, as I felt it start to move once more.

Slowly, the sounds of the peasants echoed all around, be it someone bartering for food, bard's retelling tales, or children frolicking around.

The carriage's ride was more bumpy, as the city's roads were cobbled.

Using a finger, I barely moved the curtains, allowing me to barely gaze into the city.

Guards were stationed around the carriage, guarding it, as if it held valuable cargo. Which it certainly did.

The peasants were looking at the convoy with awe, as many pointed at the carriages, or the knights surrounding them.

Glancing at the structures, I found myself dissatisfied at the sight.

The city was simply not up to my standard, as there was a majority of wooden houses with straw roofs, dotted with a few robust houses with tiled roofs.

I was shocked how such a sight could be seen in a fortress city, such as this, as a single misplaced fire could spell doom for the city.

Removing my hand from the curtains, I felt how the smile I had on my face had vanished without me noticing.

Perhaps Uther hated me more than I thought, as this kingdom was a dump…

But perhaps I could use it as a testing ground for when I will rule one day.

Uther is not getting any younger, and to my knowledge, he has no bastard children, and no male heir, meaning that I would be the first in line to the throne.

He wouldn't even have a choice whether or not to give it to me, unless he passed it onto my little sister, if she still lives.

The thought of my, probably dead, little sister, never failed to make my mood sink.

I still felt disgusted with him throwing away my sibling to some far away corner, before I could even meet her, as one of the vilest things he's done to me.

I'm sure that he'd not have done it, if she was born a boy… but apparently, her being born a girl was too great a sin.

Crossing my arms, I felt a wave of heat overcome me at the thought of what he did, before I managed to center myself.

I need to stop thinking of that man, the mere thought of him sours my mood.

Soon I would be whisked away to some seamstress to get my dress on, before being whisked away to an altar.

While distasteful, it was a necessary step for my freedom, so I will do it, despite my reluctance…

So for today, I would be a bride.

But tomorrow, I will be a witch.

~~Fate/False Order~~

"No, my Lady, I can't allow you to put it on alone!"

In front of me was the seamstress that Lot had provided me with, for the wedding.

And I could not be any more disappointed.

She looked more like one of those baremaidens, I've heard the castle guards complain about having no right to be called anything close to a maiden.

She was old, short, and very self important.

"No, I will put the dress on myself," I said dismissively. "You may adjust it as you wish, only once I have dressed myself," I said imperiously.

Taking a step closer to her, I loomed over the old woman, while looking down at her.

"Understood?" I said cooly.

The old lady seemed to buckle under my words and stature, and gave a meek nod.

Humming in content, I picked up the folded dress, and moved into one of the dressing rooms.

Entering, I threw the dress over one of the nearby chairs, before I stripped off my traveling clothes.

Tradition would have the bride bathe and be tended to by handmaidens, before she would put on her dress.

But, as much as I wanted to take a relaxing bath, and have all my needs tended to by some desperate handmaidens, I had things that weren't meant to be seen by mortal eyes.

I don't know why it happened, but once I turned thirteen, red markings started to appear on my body.

Markings that could only be found on phantasmal species…

Somehow, I had the makings of the Fae… despite not having any fairy lineage in my family tree, at least none I could find after scouring through multiple copies of Mothers and Uther's family line.

Pulling off my top, my eyes were drawn to the 'X' shaped marking, in the middle of my chest.

Tracing a finger over it, I let out a frustrated huff.

Ignoring it, I picked up a part of the dress, and held it in front of me, allowing me to get a good look at it.

This was the Chemise, which was a bit too low cut for my taste… or at least it would have a problem covering my Fae marks.

Quickly, I pulled it over me, allowing it to drape down my body.

Pulling at the edges, I gave a little twirl. 

As I turned around, I was met with the seamstress standing in the doorway, and gaping at me.

I felt a chill run down my spine, before I acted.

Shadowy tendrils latched themselves around her arms, forcing her to the floor.

Before she could give a yelp of protest, I erected a noise canceling bounded field.

The old woman started to yell in desperation, while looking around, begging for someone to help her.

A bit dramatic, but I suppose it wasn't too surprising.

Sauntering up to her, I gleaned down at her.

"No one can hear you, so would you be so kind and shut your mouth," I explained kindly.

The old lady didn't seem to hear what I had said, as she kept on screaming.

Frowning, I conjured another shadow, which wrapped itself around her mouth, muffling her yelling.

I watched as her eyes widened with fear, before she looked up at me.

Smiling down at her, I watched as her squirming suddenly heightened, before I had the shadows tighten their grip on her.

"Now, now, no need to be so afraid, but I'll need to ask you a few questions, alright?" I asked, earning a frantic nod of the seamstress's head.

Smiling, I removed the tendril around her mouth.

"Good, now tell me, will you tell anyone of the marks you saw on my body?" I probed while knowing the answer.

"N–no [Lies], I would never [Lies]!" She said frantically.

I gave a fake humm of approval before continuing.

"And, pray tell, why did you enter my room, after I explicitly told you to stay out?" I probed gently.

She seemed to shiver, before opening her mouth. "I-I didn't mean to [Lies], it was a mistake [Lies]! I meant to enter a different room [Lies]!"

Tapping my chin, I flashed her a smile.

"You know… I hate liars," I said in a frosty tone.

I saw her eyes widen, and her mouth started to move, probably in an attempt at lying her way out of this.

Swiftly, the tendrils pulled her into the shadows, causing her to vanish.

Looking at the spot she had just been in, I gave a light snort.

I had wanted to start experimenting on how to make Homunculi for a while now, and now all the ingredients of a human just fell into my lap.

Admittedly, one close to expiring, but beggars can't be choosers.

Anyways, it made for a fine wedding gift nonetheless.

Turning around, I picked up the next part of my dress.

Maybe today wouldn't be too bad.

~~Fate/False Order~~

I was mistaken.

After the 'disappearance' of the seamstress, security had been increased.

The few handmaidens I had from my time in Camelot, had been following me every move, and there was almost always a knight within arms reach.

Standing in a side-room of the church, I was getting my last adjustments to my attire, or face.

They kept on putting some sort of accessory on me, from jewelry, to perfume, and I was starting to get sick of it.

Sighing, I gleaned at them. "Can't I just wear the veil the entire time?" I said dismissively, causing the three handmaidens to halt their fussing, and look at me with shock and confusion.

"Um… My Lady, that would be improper… the Groom will need to see your face at some point, or else it would be seen as you disrespecting the marriage," Sano said in a timed tone.

At the latter part of her sentence, I slowly looked at her.

"Really?" I said with amusement coloring my tone.

This might be better than I had originally thought.

I picked up the tiara, with a white bridal veil tied to it.

Smiling to myself, I ripped off the veil, eliciting a few gasps from the handmaidens.

Snapping my finger, all three's eyes become glossy, allowing me to continue on in peace.

Slowly, shadows grew to replace the spot the veil had previously been, giving the illusion of a black veil.

A black veil was meant for mourning, which was fitting for how I felt for being sold off… alright, maybe not, but I wanted to twist the knife, for no better reason than I could.

Smiling to myself, I dawned the tiara.

The shadows did not change my level of vision, which was perfect.

This was going to be fun.

~~Fate/False Order~~

Slowly, I walked alone down the aisle as the organ started playing.

The church was filled with nobles, knights, merchants and whatever riff-raff that Lot found useful.

Walking down, I saw how many of those sitting there were pointing at me, and whispering.

The further down I went, the louder, and more rampant the whispering became.

As I stepped up to the altar, I was met with a man with gentle brown eyes and hair, with a slight stubble. Wearing royal red clothing, fitting for the occasion.

His face seemed to harden, as he saw what I was wearing, and his smile became cramped.

Lot was a weak king, and seeing as he hadn't spoken up, then he was just as weak a man.

The priest gave a slight cough once seeing me, before he started the opening prayer.

I ignored the long winded speech of the priest, only saying the odd 'Amen' when prompted to.

"Since it is your intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church," said the priest, while gesturing for one of the alter boys to bring forth a pillow with our rings.

Lot picked up one, and glanced at me meaningfully.

Understanding what he meant, I raised my left hand.

"Morgan Pendragon, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit," Lot said almost mechanically, before slipping the ring onto my ring finger.

Rolling my eyes, I picked up the other ring, causing Lot to raise his own left hand in anticipation.

"Lot MacGorrie, receive this ring in the name of the father, and the son, and the holy spirit," I said in the coldest voice I could muster.

I watched as his eyes slowly widened, as if disbelief of the disrespect I was giving to the sacred ceremony.

The priest seemed to glance between the two of us nervously, before coughing into his fist, as a means to relieve his own tension.

"Now let us humbly invoke God's blessing upon this bride and groom, that in his kindness he may favor with his help those on whom he has bestowed the Sacrament of Matrimony," he said while raising his arms in a gesture of happiness.

Glancing between the two of us, he continued. "In the sight of God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride!"

I saw as Lot was about to move his arms to raise my veil, but I was already one step ahead.

His movement's ground to a stop, as his body could no longer move by its own will.

Under his clothes, shadows were coiled around his limbs, forcing them to move as I wished them to.

Meaning that he was currently something closer to a puppet, rather than an actual person.

Smiling, I saw as his face morphed into shock, before quickly wiping it clean of emotions.

Only my husband would ever be allowed to take of my veil, and this man was far from being my husband.

Raising my left arm, I allowed his hand to grip my own, before forcing him to lean down, and kiss my ring.

At that moment, I was eternally thankful for my veil, as I'm fairly sure that the smile I had on my face was not something I'd like outsiders to see.

Lot might have 'married' me, but he'd never be my husband.

I knew it, he knew it, and hopefully everyone else could see it.

Marriage is meant for equals, and this was not an equal relationship.

"I look forward to living with you, 'husband'," I said the last word with as much sarcasm that I could muster.

I could see his expression contort at my words, and I couldn't help but feel a bit better about myself.

I have no idea what he had imagined, when he accepted to marry me, but I hope that I was making him regret 'purchasing' me from Uther.

After all, a friend of Uther, is no friend of mine.

~~Fate/False Order~~

I felt someone shake me awake. "Alistair!" Came Morgan's voice, causing me to dazedly shoot up into a sitting position.

Blinking my eyes, my gaze landed on Morgan, who stood next to me with her arms crossed.

"The church is calling," she explained with annoyance laing her tone.

Frowning, I gazed around, noticing that the sun wasn't up.

Shifting in my bed, I slung my legs over its frame.

Pushing myself up, I rubbed at my head while looking at Morgan.

"Do you have any idea what they want," I said while yawning intermittently.

Morgan's memories were never something pleasant to wake up from, as my quality of sleep seemed to take a nosedive each time it happened.

Morgan seemed to give a low sigh, before gesturing for me to follow her.

"The Magus Killer blew up a hotel, so they probably seek your help in checking the scene, and covering this up," she said blandly, causing all the sleep in my body to promptly vanish.

That was today? 

Glancing at the clock, I saw it display 1:06 in the morning.

"Fuck…"

This was going to be an awful morning.

—

148 Hours, 53 Minutes And 22 Seconds Until Zero 

—

-----

A/N

Welcome back, my reader Overlords, please add this to your library and give me some comments, stones and Reviews, as it would be much appreciated.

How was some more backstory on Morgan? I know that many wish for the lunch break with Saber, but that is in the next chapter, so sorry to disappoint. It's just that I'd like to post a 'flashback' for each day, so there will always (hopefully) be one for every 24h on the countdown.

Any questions?

Thoughts?

Here's a question from me, what do you all want to see? Give me some suggestions! I'll screen them, don't worry!

Btw, I have made a Discord server for the fic, come on and chat with me!

https://discord.gg/eJpSFD4H

Now I'm tired, so have a nice day, and send me some stones or some shit, I need motivation, or some shit like that.