Morgana and Hazel

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"
Archimedes glides towards Hazel, interrupting her as she puts her shoes on.
"The forest!" she proclaimed, smiling, "I'm going to collect some herbs and fruit for Arthur while he's away."
Archimedes huffs in annoyance, "Well, I'll go with you. The forest can be dangerous an-"
"I'll be fine!" Hazel interrupts. "I can protect myself, besides, what can a silly old owl do other then call for help?"
"Young lady! I must insi-" But it was too late, the girl was already gone, heading for the forest that surrounded the south end of the castle.
"...brat."

Hazel hums as she picks some blueberries and drops them into her basket. She inhales the fresh air and smiles, feeling at home among the trees. She places her basket nearby and climbs a large oak, finding a sturdy branch to sit on. She relaxes and looks over the forest, the wind rustling her hair and robe.
Hazel wonders about Arthur; where he is at the moment, what he's thinking about. Is he thinking about her, or that princess, Guinevere. Her only true competition for Arthur's heart, Guinevere has caused Hazel to feel paranoid about her relationship with Arthur. She wonders if he does have love in his heart, or pity when it comes to the animal-turned-human.
She stops thinking about the king when she hears footsteps from down below. A young woman stands near the tree. She was older than Hazel by a few years, hair as black as the night sky drape over her shoulders. The woman collects some flowers and moves on.
Hazel quickly climbs down, wanting to meet this mysterious lady being a new priority for her, since it was rare to see a new face. She grabs her basket and runs towards her as soon as her feet touch the ground.
"Wait! Miss!" Hazel shouts, gaining the woman's attention.
She turns around, revealing her face to Hazel. "Yes?"
Hazel admits to herself that the woman is attractive. Her face has a noble look to it, her lips slightly pouty and her eyes half lidded their color reminding Hazel of Arthur's own blue eyes. She notices that her clothes were tattered and old, however, making her seem poorer then she seems.
"Yes?" She looks Hazel up and down, as if studying her, "Who are you?"
Hazel shudders at the woman's gaze "I-I'm sorry for calling out like that, I was just excited. I have rarely seen a stranger in this forest as pretty as you ma'am."
The woman smiles at the compliment, "Why thank you young lady. May I ask, what is your name?"
"H-Hazel. And yours?"
"Morgana."
Hazel notices the air getting colder as soon as the name escaped Morgana's lips. She decides to ignore it.
"So, what are you doing in the forest?"
Morgana brushes the hair off her shoulder "Collecting ingredients for some elixirs and potions."
"You're a sorceress?" Hazel asks out of shock.
"On occasion." she replies, "And why are you here? A forest like this isn't a place for a girl like yourself to roam."
"I was collecting fruit for Arthur."
"Arthur? As in King Arthur?" Morgana asks.
"Yes! He loves ber-"
Hazel almost screams when Morgana suddenly grabs her arms. The woman's eyes are wide with anger, the sky blue they were before turning in an icy color. She pushes Hazel against a tree, her nails digging into her arms.
"What are you doing with him?! Has he already found a whore to bed with!?"
"N-no! I'm his squire!" Hazel shouts, holding back tears as Morganas grip grows tighter.
Morgana eyes squint as she studies the girl again. Her eyes grow wide with shock, dropping Hazel soon after.
"You were not born a human. A perversion of the natural order."
"Wh-what are you-"
"You should not even exist." Morgana says coldly as she pulls a dagger from her dress.
Hazels realizes what the woman was planning to do. She grabs a nearby rock to defend herself. Morgana moves closer, lifting the knife above her head.
"MORGANA!"
Merlins voice shakes the ground. Hazel drops the rock and cries tears of joy when she sees him.
"Merlin." Morgana seemingly returns to her aloof personality, "its been ages. Is she one of your creations? A piece of ass for Arthur to have whenever he wants?"
"Leave the girl alone Morgana." Merlin coldly tells the woman.
Morgana listens, backing away, dagger still in hand. She picks up her basket and starts to leave. She turns around and looks at Merlin.
"You cannot change his fate."
"It already is changing."
She gives him a small, fake smile, Hazel receives one as well. They watch her walk deeper into the forest, disappearing from sight soon after.
Merlin picks Hazel up as she wipes her tears, "Who was that?"
"Morgana Le Fey. I had hoped that you would never meet her. I am so sorry Hazel."

Later that evening, Hazel lays awake in her bed, the thoughts of her rather terrifying day keeping her up.
"Should I not exist?" she asks herself "Am I a monster?"
"A monster? What makes you think that?"
Hazel shoots up and sees Arthur standing at her doorway.
"ARTHUR!" she screams, jumping out of bed and running into his arms.
"H-hey! Easy now!"
Hazel rubs her face against his and laughs and cries at the same time.
"I missed you." she whispers.
"I missed you too Hazel." he places her on the bed and smiles "Now whats this monster business you're going on about?"
"I'll tell you later! First you have to tell me about your trip!"
Arthur sighs and sits next to her, recounting his day in a local kingdom. Hazel rests her head on his shoulder, smiling contently.
But, even as he talks, she wonders about the future of their relationship, she wonders of Guinevere and his attraction to her.
She wonders of Morgana Le Fey, that monstrous, cold woman.
And her question still eats away at her.
"Should I not exist?"