A/N. Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, faves and Christmas wishes, hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too. Can't believe Merlin is finished for the year! On the one hand I'll be able to function like a normal human being again, on the other it's 9 MONTHS until Series 5. It's going to be torturous…thankfully we have fanfics and fanvids to keep us going :)

Chapter 2

Mordred broke the link between Morgana's mind and his, falling back into an empty chair with exhaustion. He could scarcely believe he had found her; Mordred had been sure he would never see Morgana again after Alvarr's plan had been discovered and he had been forced to run for his life. Mordred had been aware of the connection they shared, but had been unable to get through to her since their separation. It had been Morgana, in her anguish over Agravaine, who had inadvertently restored that connection. Mordred had refrained from delving too deep into her mind, as now she trusted him he did not want to jeopardise their tentative reunion. Mordred had, however, managed to find out where she was hiding out.

Mordred was currently staying at an inn towards the western border of Camelot near Caerleon's kingdom. His father Cerdan had been the glue that held Mordred's relationship with the Druids together. Although the Druids were a peaceful people, he knew they felt uneasy in his presence. Their methods for restoring magic to the kingdom of Camelot differed greatly from his own ideas. It irritated Mordred that the Druids seemed content to wait for their supposed saviour Emrys to unite the kingdom – effectively leaving everything to destiny. Mordred did not believe in destiny. Cerdan had stood by him, cared for him and protected him without hesitation, teaching Mordred ways in which to use his magic. It still hurt Mordred to think of him. Following his father's death, Mordred had slowly felt the link between him and the Druids disintegrating. They still protected him – it was in their nature – but Mordred could feel that they were wary of the scope of his powers.

Severing his ties with the Druids he had grown up with, Mordred joined forces with Alvarr; a sorcerer who seemed more proactive in his fight against the ban on magic. His approach seemed more suited to Mordred's, so he followed without question. When their attempt to retrieve a powerful crystal had been thwarted by Emrys, Mordred had been forced to escape into the woods alone. It was not until a year later that Mordred discovered Alvarr had managed to escape from the cells in Camelot. The sorcerer had sought Mordred out in the hope that he would once again assist him in stealing the crystal. This lead the boy to question whether Alvarr's obsession with the crystal's power was entirely healthy. Mordred refused to help him, which pushed Alvarr over the edge as he attempted to force the boy to travel with him. Unsuccessfully. Mordred showed him no mercy – he was not one for being used.

Mordred spent the next few years travelling from tavern to tavern, honing his magical skills on unsuspecting citizens. Mordred felt confident in most spells, but his speciality involved matters of the mind. He tested his gift by planting thoughts or taking information from other people, revelling in the different results his actions granted him. Some people had their characters and, in turn, their lives transformed; while others were pushed to the brink of madness. Naturally, this meant Mordred could not stay in a village for too long and he travelled constantly, relying on the kindness of strangers – whether they gave it to him willingly or not. The only downside to Mordred's telepathic abilities was he could not use it for long, as it left him feeling weak. Mordred hoped with practice, this side effect would soon subside.

No matter where Mordred ended up, Morgana was never too far away from his thoughts; her kindness and acceptance of him had reminded him of Cerdan. Mordred often wondered what had become of her, and though Mordred's nomadic lifestyle meant he never stayed long enough to keep up with events, he had heard she was a traitor to Camelot. Mordred assumed her magic had been discovered and since then had made it his duty to try and connect with her. It had been a disheartening exercise – until now. Now it was time see Morgana again.

"When will he return?" Gwen questioned, pouring Merlin a glass of water to go with the soup she had set before him.

"Thanks…tomorrow hopefully." He took a gulp of water before continuing. "The hut seems so empty without him." A few of Camelot's more trusted knights had been sent to Balor, a neighbouring village, to assist in fending off attacks from raiders. Gaius had opted to travel with them and administer first aid to those who needed it – leaving Merlin feeling a little despondent for the best part of a week.

Gwen placed her bowl of soup on the small table and took the seat opposite him. Thinking that Arthur would probably have Merlin working late again, Gwen had offered to have supper waiting for him in an attempt to cheer him up. Surprisingly, Arthur had given his manservant the rest of the night off, prompting Gwen to join him for the evening meal. She tore apart a piece of warm bread, handed Merlin a chunk and watched as he immediately stuffed it into his mouth. Shaking her head, Gwen started to eat her soup whilst Merlin told her of the tasks he had been given for the day through each mouthful.

They talked animatedly, their topics of conversation varying from which substance would be most effective in removing wine from linen, to which name would suit Arthur best if he had been born a girl (they had settled on Ethel). Whilst they were giggling at the thought, a sharp knock interrupted their camaraderie. Gwen sighed and made her way to the front door of her cottage.

"Who is it?"

"It's Arthur," came a muffled response. Lighting up, Guinevere opened the door. Before she could say a word of greeting, Arthur leant in and kissed her passionately on the lips, using the doorframe to balance himself.

"I've been waiting to do that all day," Arthur grinned as he finally drew back and gazed at her intensely. He was pleased to see Gwen struggle to catch her breath before remembering to invite Arthur inside and offer him some refreshment.

"Sounds wonderful," Arthur smiled gratefully, realising he was rather peckish.

Entering her cottage, he stopped short and blinked at the sight of Merlin slurping at his soup. Merlin gave Arthur a small wave, his face annoyingly cheerful, before returning to his bowl.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked him incredulously.

"What does it look like? I'm eating."

"But…I gave you the night off."

"I know," Merlin replied casually. "And I'm spending it with Gwen."

"But that's what I- that was the point-" Arthur spluttered, looking to Guinevere for assistance. She shrugged with a smile and proceeded to prepare another bowl for Arthur.

Merlin continued to consume his soup; Arthur's pointed glare boring into the top of his head. Unable to concentrate fully on his meal, Merlin sighed and dropped his spoon with a clatter, finally looking up at his master.

"Do you want me to leave?" Merlin asked.

"Yes."

"No, don't be silly!"

Arthur and Gwen spoke simultaneously, Arthur's response causing Gwen to shoot him a disapproving look.

"Of course not, Merlin," she insisted. "You haven't finished your meal." Gwen noticed that Merlin's bowl was nearly empty. "Would you like a little more? There's plenty left."

"Yes please, Gwen." Merlin eagerly held out his bowl, ignoring Arthur's scowls from across the room.

"You'd better enjoy this while it lasts, Merlin," Arthur mused later when they had settled down, chewing his piece of bread rhythmically. "There's no chance of this happening when Guinevere moves into the castle." Tossing an effortless smile in Gwen's direction, his rhythm faltered as he noticed her uneasy expression.

Noticing a shift in the atmosphere, Merlin glanced between his two friends as they played with their spoons and avoided each other's gazes. He was aware that at some point Arthur and Gwen would have to address this matter properly, but right now Merlin could not bear to watch them quarrel. Frantically looking around the room for a distraction, Merlin finally settled on the clothes he had seen Gwen sewing earlier before he had interrupted her.

"What are you making?" Merlin asked reaching out to the kitchen counter to grab it. Unfolding it, he revealed the small sleeping garment Gwen had been creating for her friend's newborn. Arthur – who had been silently gulping down his ale in an attempt to overlook Gwen's obvious discomfort at his earlier comment – choked at the sight of the item of clothing.

"T-that's a little early don't you think?" Arthur stuttered once the coughs had subsided. Though he tried to remain cool, the flush creeping up Arthur's neck betrayed him. Snatching the cloth from Merlin's grasp, Guinevere too fought to keep a blush from spreading across her face. "I mean, not that we won't…I definitely want-"

"This is for a friend," Gwen cut him off hastily and stuffed the garment under her pillow. "Though maybe I could. For when we- I mean, if we ever..."

Assessing that babbling was preferable to the tense silence there had been before – and that Arthur now had a weird glint in his eye – Merlin decided to leave them to it. Thanking Gwen for the meal, he made his way back to Gaius' cabin.

Since Mordred had removed her visions of Agravaine, Morgana had enjoyed uninterrupted sleep. In fact, she had had rather pleasant dreams. Most of them featured Mordred himself, standing by her side and helping her to regain control of Camelot once again. Morgana had tried to contact him repeatedly after he had helped her, but it was proving difficult. She did not know whether Mordred's plan had been to aid her like she had him in the past and move on with his debt repaid. All Morgana knew was that she felt safe now he had helped her and that she needed Mordred near her. Closing her eyes tightly, Morgana attempted once more to connect with Mordred. It shocked her to hear his voice almost instantly.

I'm here.

Scrambling to her feet, Morgana rushed to the door and flung it open expectantly. It was his eyes that gave him away. If it were not for those pale blue, almost grey eyes staring nervously back at her she would never have recognised him. Mordred's brown hair had grown out to his shoulders and he was taller; just a little taller than Morgana herself. The turquoise cloak he favoured no longer trailed across the floor, but instead hung across his broader shoulders. Sure he was now on the brink of manhood and with eyes that knew a great deal more than they should, but he was still Mordred. To Morgana, he was the same Druid boy that Merlin had dragged into her room four years ago.

"Morgana?" Mordred shifted uncomfortably, imploring silently with her to accept him. Giggling sharply in uncontainable delight, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, noticing him shiver under her embrace. She felt his arms snake around her and hold her just as tight. Stepping back, Morgana held his shoulders and beamed at him. He grinned back, his body unsure what to do with itself under unfamiliar emotions.

"Mordred." Morgana breathed, surveying him once again. "You've come back to me."

Merlin groaned, burying his head into his uncomfortable pillow in a bid to lessen the dull thud in his head. Gauis had returned to Camelot that afternoon and the dinner Merlin had prepared to welcome him back had not been as celebratory as he had hoped. Instead it had been a silent affair in which Merlin could barely swallow a mouthful due to the headache he had developed. Deciding to turn in early, Merlin bid his guardian goodnight and tried to fall asleep, but it was virtually impossible.

Feeling bile creep up his throat, Merlin jumped out of bed, stumbled down the stairs and outside in order to heave the contents of his empty stomach. Leaning against the wall of Gauis' hut, Merlin breathed in heavily as he watched Gaius approach him, his faced etched with concern. Even under the glow of the moon, Gauis could see that Merlin was far paler than he normally was. Gently placing a hand on Merlin's clammy forehead, he checked for signs of fever and determined it was not the cause of Merlin's discomfort.

"Merlin are you ok?"

"Something's wrong, Gaius. I can feel it." Merlin gasped quickly, trying to explain the way he had been feeling for some time. "It's like there's this pressure…inside my head. I can't-" He broke off as his head pounded incessantly.

"Calm down, Merlin," Gaius soothed, supporting the young man's weight despite the height difference.

"There's something here," Merlin continued regardless, allowing himself to be steered back into the cabin. "I could feel it, something – before…But now it's here." Merlin rubbed his forehead vigorously. "It's too much." Gaius eyed him worriedly.

"Do you think it could be magic?"

"It can't be anything else," Merlin answered as he shook his head, his expression haunted. "And it's stronger than I've ever felt, Gaius. It's too strong."

So Emrys was still here, Mordred thought to himself as he withdrew from the barriers of Merlin's mind. Morgana was sound asleep on her bed and as Mordred watched her, latent anger welled up inside him. It pained him to see what she had been reduced to. Mordred's relief at seeing Morgana happy at his return had overshadowed his initial shock at the state of her living conditions. Now Mordred had a chance to really look around he was horrified. The Morgana he remembered could have been a princess; regal and compassionate. No doubt she was as beautiful as Mordred remembered, even more so, but that beauty was hidden under rags and resentment. Morgana was now being forced to live in a house barely fit for an animal whilst Arthur sat upon the throne that he clearly did not deserve.

Morgana had told him of all she had suffered at the hands of the Pendragons. The lies and deceit she had endured over the years were unfathomable. What was it about Arthur that was so special? Even Emrys, the sorcerer who was meant to bring magic back to Camelot, had betrayed his own kind in support of the young King. The reality was Mordred would do anything to protect Morgana from anyone who hurt her - and Arthur had hurt her. So Mordred would make him hurt.

A/N. I'm sorry I could not get this up sooner, the next update should take less time. I found myself visiting several relatives over Christmas and I thought it only fair that I engage them in conversation hehe :) Again, hope everyone had a lovely Christmas/Hanukkah etc. and please review/comment if you can spare the time, I appreciate them so much!