Chapter 25: Nightmares and Talent (Please bookmark, please recommend)

On the fifth night, Morgana was once again jolted awake by a nightmare.

"Ah!" she screamed, bolting upright in bed, which startled Kay awake beside her.

"My love?" Kay looked at Morgana, who was drenched in sweat and trembling with terror, and his heart sank. He pulled her tightly into his arms, stroking her back gently to help soothe her frantic nerves.

"Kay... I dreamt it again. I dreamt that Arthur drowned in water. I... I don't understand why I keep having these dreams, but they feel so real, terrifyingly real. I even saw the murderer who drowned him! Kay... I'm so afraid. I'm truly terrified."

Kay’s embrace seemed to provide Morgana with strength, allowing her to calm down slightly. Ever since she had awakened, she had been plagued by the same recurring dream. In it, she saw a lake where Arthur, guided by a woman, slowly walked into the water. Then, amidst the woman’s sweet smile, Arthur sank to the bottom. Morgana saw it clearly: Arthur did not struggle; instead, he wore a similarly sweet smile, as if it were all entirely voluntary.

But that was impossible. Who would willingly drown themselves?

For the first two days, Morgana thought it was just nerves, but as time passed, the dream became more frequent and vivid. Now, she could even recall the woman’s features. It was just a dream! Usually, one forgets the details of a dream by the next morning, remembering only vague fragments. Yet, Morgana remembered every detail with crystal clarity. It was deeply unnatural.

Morgana believed it was an omen.

"It's alright, it's alright," Kay said, patting her back as if soothing a child. "As long as I’m here, no one will harm Arthur. Trust me."

Although this wasn't the first time she had heard these words, each time Kay said them, Morgana felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Perhaps it was because Kay was the only one who believed her. She had once told Gaius about her visions, but he did not believe her, dismissing them as the product of an overactive imagination and offering her sleeping draughts instead. His only instruction was for her to keep it a secret from everyone, including King Uther. It seemed Gaius knew something, yet he chose not to speak of it. At least he had the sense to warn her against telling others.

But what Gaius did not know was that Morgana had told Kay.

"There, there. It’s still early; get some more sleep. From today on, I’ll keep Arthur by my side, wherever I go. Don't worry."

Seeing Morgana now, Kay knew that Gaius’s sleeping draughts were ineffective. Morgana’s visions stemmed from her innate talent—a gift akin to prophecy. During his travels, Kay had encountered such people; these seers could glimpse fragments of the future.

However, these seers often held different interpretations of these visions. Some believed the future was immutable, while others argued that the future held myriad possibilities, and what they saw was merely the most likely outcome.

Regardless of the theory, a seer’s warning was best taken to heart, as they were rarely wrong.

Under Kay’s comforting presence, Morgana finally settled and drifted off to sleep. The mental strain of the prophetic dream was severe, leaving her exhausted; combined with a subtle technique Kay used, she fell asleep quickly.

Watching Morgana’s steady breathing, Kay realized he had to visit the dragon’s lair. Over the past few days, he had tried various methods to suppress her talent, but it seemed his expertise lay elsewhere, as the techniques he had learned abroad proved useless.

He had no choice but to seek help from someone deeply knowledgeable about Celtic magic. As luck would have it, that person was currently in Camelot.

***

The next morning, Kay emerged from Morgana’s chambers. The servants and guards he passed showed no surprise, treating his presence as a matter of course. Ever since Morgana had fallen into her coma, Kay had moved into her chambers and never left.

No one believed that Kay had been playing the saint all those nights. If something was going to happen, it would have happened long ago; to care about it now would be hypocritical. Even King Uther had not said a word about them living together.

And indeed, everything that could happen between them had. On the day after her recurring nightmares began, Morgana had been startled awake in the middle of the night, Kay had comforted her, and then...

They were consenting adults with feelings for one another; it was only natural.

Kay had mentioned to King Uther the following day that he intended to move out with Morgana, feeling that since their relationship had progressed this far, marriage was the next logical step. Regardless, his return home was a hopeless prospect, so he might as well settle down here. Both Morgana and Uther treated him with genuine sincerity, and he would not let them down.

However, King Uther did not approve of the proposal. He unexpectedly urged Kay to wait, suggesting that there was no rush and that they could delay the marriage for a couple of years.

Kay understood Uther’s intent; the King did not want to lose Morgana so soon. Once married, it would be improper for Morgana to continue living in the royal palace.

Seeing the hopeful look in the King’s eyes, Kay could not bring himself to reject his future father-in-law’s wishes and could only grit his teeth and continue the current, ambiguous arrangement. What else could he do? The father-in-law didn't want his daughter to marry off so quickly, and as an adopted son raised in that very house, could Kay possibly refuse?

Walking through the palace corridors, Kay soon reached the training grounds.

Arthur and Merlin were already waiting. After weeks of training, Arthur had grown accustomed to the schedule Kay set and no longer needed to be prompted. Still, their early arrival was a pleasant surprise.

"Kay!" Seeing his brother-in-law and brother-figure, Arthur greeted him with great enthusiasm.

"Hmm. Finished your warm-up? If you have, get to running. Do you really need me to teach you that?" Kay offered no pleasantries, rebuking him with a cold, stern expression.

A boy of Arthur’s age was at his most rambunctious; if you gave him an inch, he would take a mile. Therefore, when it came to serious matters, Kay never showed him a soft side. He needed Arthur to understand the difference between play and discipline.