I've had this story in my head for days now, so I finally decided to write it down.

But don't worry, I will finish the other story.

I hope I've gotten the characters right…

It was a really hard piece to write down and I hope I do the story right.

Please let me know your opinions, I really appreciate that.

Enjoy the story,

Yours sincerely, Bluewryter

How had they've gotten themselves in this situation? Over the next few day's Arthur would ask himself this question more times than often. Even so he knew the answer, it was magic, it is always magic. Arthur got yet again the proof that magic was evil, it ruined everything. And it was now that he and his knights faced Mordred in the dark forest after he tried to run away with his friend.

Arthur didn't dare to think that he was in love with this girl, because if that was the case then they would certainly loose him and Arthur didn't want to lose Mordred. He was like the knights' little brother… like Arthur's little brother. And now he had betrayed them, like all his family members eventually had betrayed him. All because of magic! And now he stood in front of him, a family again divided. But he had no choice now, not anymore. He gave her enough chances and she had thrown them away. And when Mordred chose to protect her, a sorceress, instead of being loyal to him, to his king, he was no longer a knight of Camelot in Arthur's eyes, he was now a fugitive, a lawbreaker and Arthur had no choice but to uphold the law and put his feelings aside.

G"give yourselves up" he demanded in a cold voice. Mordred, although having a sword in his hand, looked anything but threatening. He looked torn, it was evidently that he still saw them as his friends. This gave Arthur small hope, maybe they weren't too late yet, maybe they had a chance to get his friend back. Mordred started begging. "please! Let us leave, let us leave Camelot and I promise we'll never return to Camelot. Please let us leave" last one asked in a smaller, softer voice. It was clear that he didn't want to fight him. Mordred knew also that they didn't want to fight him and he didn't know what would happen if it came that far. He hoped Arthur would just let them run, let them leave and live in peace. He didn't want to lose her! He just couldn't and so he begged them, begged to leave. "Gwaine?",next "Leon?", hoping that the older man was more forgiving, more reasonable. But they wouldn't give in. Not while they were so loyal to Arthur. They were friends longer with Arthur end he was their king, he had proven himself worthy to them.

Kara entered his mind. "Use your Magic! Use it! Attack them!" Mordred hesitated, he knew them, knew they were once his friends and they knew how hard the choice was for him, but if he used magic he'll know that he will definitely lose them. They were unforgiving when it came to magic.

Merlin in the meanwhile was hesitating. He didn't know if he should act of let Arthur and the knights handle Mordred on their own. They didn't knew Mordred had magic after all and Merlin didn't know if Mordred was desperate enough to come out and use magic to get away. Merlin didn't trust Mordred, never had since he knew of the prophecy. But he couldn't help the feeling that if they let Mordred get away now, the prophecy had a good chance in getting fulfilled and Merlin was determined to do anything to prevent that event from happening. He would protect Arthur!

So when Merlin heard Kara's comment he got himself ready in case Mordred chose to use magic. His friends didn't have any defence against magic and if Mordred attacked them then Merlin was their only chance even if it meant that he would have to expose himself. He really didn't want Arthur to find out that he had magic, but if he had no choice then he would use it to protect them. He would always protect Arthur. It was his destiny. But he saw Mordred hesitate, knew that Mordred didn't want to attack his friends. So Merlin decided to step in and speak up, hoping he could prevent Mordred from attacking and from getting his own magic found out.

"Mordred, please. You don't have to do this… You know she committed a crime. She's found guilty of killing people, she is condemned because of that, not because she had magic. You've got to listen to me. You don't have to run away, you —". "You just have to turn her in? Is that what you are suggesting?" Mordred asked outraged. "I don't have to do anything. She's my friend and I won't lose her! She doesn't deserve to be executed and I won't let you!"

"Mordred, please listen. I just –" "No! I don't have to listen to you! Did you listen when I asked you not to tell Arthur? You didn't, you betrayed me!" Mordred was outraged. How dared Merlin to lecture him! After all he had done. Merlin always had hated him for no reason. He was always cold and distant towards him.

"Mordred, like I told you before I didn't tell Arthur. I swear!" Merlin hoped he would get through to Mordred, but all Mordred did was getting angrier by the minute. If he can't calm Mordred down anytime soon Mordred will attack them and his secret would be out.

"I always hoped you eventually would trust me, even become my friend as I proved my loyalty to Arthur over and over again but you never did. You just betrayed me again! I forgave you for the first time when I chose to betray morgana and join the knights of Camelot, because I saw that you were right. Arthur wasn't the same king as Uther was and it gave me hope. But now I see that that hope was false and that you Merlin are nothing but a liar!"

Merlin and Mordred were so enveloped in their heated discussion that they forget about Arthur and the knights. But they hadn't forgotten about them and it was clear in the glances they gave each other they didn't had a clue about what was going on.

"Is it just me, but does it seem that Merlin and Mordred have a bit of a history here we don't know of?" Gwaine whispered to Percy. The tall knight merely shrugged, he was too busy to keep an eye on the two in front of them in case they needed to intervene. Mordred had a sword after all and Merlin was unarmed. Arthur in the meantime furrowed his brow and was trying to figure what the hell was happening and what he had missed between Merlin and Mordred. He always knew that Merlin wasn't that happy about Mordred joining the knights and he had always behaved a bit distant towards Mordred. But Arthur just assumed he was jealous of Mordred, because he became like a little brother to the knights and spent so much time with Arthur. But now Arthur thought that there was more going on than that they knew off.

Kara didn't have a clue what was going on. Why didn't Mordred use his magic so they could go already? And who was this boy who has gotten Mordred so angry?

"In the time that you've been on Arthur side nothing has changed, Arthur is still Uther's son in every way. You know nothing! I've lost everything and I've still had hope, but now I know, I know that there will be no chance that the laws will be changed. They will stay cruel en we will be hunted and hurt. Everything was a lie and you are nothing but an imposter!" Mordred exclaimed harshly. By the end of it he's gotten so angry that he was shouting the words.

"Don't you dare challenge me! Don't you dare to accuse me of things you don't have no knowledge over!" Merlin roared. Now it was Merlin's turn to get angry. How dare he. He had no idea of what he had to go through, of all the battles he'd fought, of all the people he'd lost, all his hardships. He knew nothing and he dared to challenge him!

They all looked up in surprise at Merlin's outburst. "Will someone please explain to me what the hell is going on here?" Arthur muttered to his fellow knights. "Not a clue, princess." Gwaine whispered back. "We hoped that you may have known what is happening here, but it seems that we are all in the dark here, sire" Leon said.

Merlin continued his outburst. "You think I don't know about loss and pain? I had my fair share of hurt and regret, but even in my darkest moments I've never lost track of my destiny, of who I am. So what gives you the right to give in? You will cast all what you've have learned this last year aside? All of your friends? Well guess what. I've had enough of this. If you hurt them in any way I will stop you."

Merlin was determined. He got himself ready in a fighting stance and called his magic towards him. He felt it pleasantly humming right under his skin, waiting to be released, waiting to fulfil its purpose of protecting him and his friends.

Arthur was perplexed. He knew Merlin was loyal, but this was getting ridiculously. What was Merlin thinking? He had no means of stopping Mordred, he was unarmed and Mordred was an excellent swordsman. This had to stop before it got out of hand and the idiot got himself hurt. He signalled to the knights to get ready to intervene at his signal. He slowly inched forwards, hand on his sword.

Mordred it seemed was still not ready with Merlin. "After all that hurt you still chose for Arthur? I can't believe you. All those years you stood by Uther and Arthur when they hunted us down and killed us like animals. You knew of our suffering and you did nothing! For all those years I believed in the prophecies, I believed in you. You were supposed to be our protector, our saviour but you proved yet again that you are nothing but a hypocrite. I know who you are, but if you think you are the only one who has gotten stronger you are severely mistaken! You say you will stop me? I loved to see you try." Mordred sneered at Merlin, eyes already showing specks of gold in reaction to his anger.

Merlin withdrew slightly at Mordred's words. He'd sounded so hurt and sad when he said that. It hurt Merlin deeply to think that he'd let the young druid boy down so long ago. But he had no choice then. If Uther had found out that he'd helped the druid boy all those years ago he surely would've killed him. Merlin never wanted to hurt anybody, but it seemed that he'd always let someone down in his quest to save Arthur. He wanted so badly to help all the people and finally free magic, but in the process he always managed to lose in some ways. But he had to believe in his destiny in Arthur as the future king.

"I'm so sorry." Merlin started. "But you give me no choice, I won't let you hurt Arthur." Every word sincere.

"Your apologies mean nothing to me, not anymore. You're done for Merlin." Mordred looked around him at Arthur and his knights, finally acknowledging them. "Your friends will finally know, just like me, that your words mean nothing and know you for the liar you are. Face it Merlin, you lost, it is over. Morgana was right all along, you and your king are done."

Merlin was furious, how dared he to mention her in front of him! He saw Mordred getting ready and he prepared himself. He tried once more in a low commanding voice, letting his power seep through his voice, eyes slowly filling with the melting gold, ready for attack.

"Mordred, don't –"

But then, all hell broke lose….