Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews so far, and thank you Bailieboro for noticing two minor mistakes in the previous chapter. Both of these have been corrected. This would have been uploaded earlier but my computer is a pain in the arse and never saved my work, so I'm having to re-type it out. It's still snowing, the second day to be exact, and we're up to about three inches. More to come! I'm just hoping that university is open next week.

For this chapter, I've added some original characters, because I couldn't match a Merlin character to a Maurice character, so I came up with my own, just in case any of you became confused. So anyway, here is Chapter 4. Enjoy!

Avalon Hall was huge, never mind the park that surrounded it. Avalon Hall laid in the depths of the Wiltshire countryside, in a small, peaceful village. The estate had belonged to the Druidson's for four generations, soon to be five. Ms Druidson, who went by the name of Octavia, strode out of the large estate, where a carriage met her and the butler, a wagon following behind carrying luggage, a beautiful afternoon upon them.

In this carriage contained three people, two of which were guests. Arthur was the first to step out, followed by a middle-aged woman, who by the looks of things was an old friend of Octavia's. The final person to depart the carriage was Mordred, who had met both guests at the station.

Octavia would greet the lady first, who went by the name of Mrs Stephenson.

"Octavia, it's a pleasure to be here."

"It's been years. I hope you're journey was a comfortable one."

"Indeed it was. I had the pleasure of acquainting Mr Pendragon, and isn't Mordred handsome?"

Mordred grinned and strode out, giving the attention to Arthur. "Indeed. Mother, this is Arthur Pendragon."

Arthur shot Octavia one of his warm, affectionate smiles and shook hands with Octavia. "How do you do?"

"Very well thank you. Welcome to Avalon."

Octavia's smile faltered, returning her attention and gaze to Mrs Stephenson, where both turned and went indoors, the pair picking up their long-left conversation. Mordred would deal with Arthur.

Arthur was to help heave some of the luggage from the wagon behind the carriage, but Mordred brushed Arthur's arm away.

"Leave those. Come on."

Mordred and Arthur were about to head indoors, following the ladies, but Mordred halted Arthur, giving him a few words of advice.

"Oh by the way. If my mother or sister asks you to do this or that tomorrow, then say yes if you wish. What you're actually doing, and they both know it, is you're riding out with me tomorrow. It's just their ritual."

"But I haven't brought any riding breeches with me."

"Ah, then I'm afraid I can't associate with you on that."

"Deep breaths." Mordred and Arthur would then enter the house. The butler, who noticed their peculiar interactions, gave the pair an odd look behind their back as they entered the estate.

The first who Arthur would be introduced to inside the estate was Mordred's sister, Rosalie. Rosalie departed herself with another male from the crowd of residents and guests, and joined the lads, shooting both a wide grin.

She raised a hand out towards Arthur, who gently shook her delicate hand. "Hello, you must be Arthur Pendragon. I'm Rosalie Druidson, Mordred's sister." She then turned to the male next to her, still focusing on Arthur.

"I don't believe you have met Mr Simmonds, have you?"

Before Arthur could answer, Mr Simmonds stepped out and introduced himself. "Edward Simmonds. I'm the lucky devil who's to marry her." Arthur shot his famous, affectionate smiles at both of them. Rosalie would then ask, as Mordred did warn, this and that, which Arthur, in politeness, agreed to.

Rosalie turned to her mother. "Mama, Arthur will be joining us tomorrow."

"Has anyone showed him to his room?"

"The blue room mama."

"The blue room, poor soul."

"George!"

Indeed a blue room it was. The room, from the size of the estate, was rather small in comparison. The room contained a single bed, side table and wardrobe. There were two doors attached to the room. The one door was near the bed, and the other was to the left of the wardrobe, which faced opposite the bed.

Arthur had been shown up there by George the butler, who still gave Arthur an odd look, but still stood in place of his duties. Arthur had been left alone to begin unpacking, Arthur not noticing the silent creak of the one door. Arthur was close to the bed when a wild Mordred came bustling through the one door and tackled Arthur to the bed, both crashing into the soft mattress. Mordred then kissed Arthur, Arthur's mind full of curiosity as they lay together on the bed.

"Where did you come from?"

"The old school room. Our study. That's why you've been put in this misery of a room."

Then there was a knock at the door. Arthur startled, but Mordred pulled him back down, knowing that it was just the maid, and being a maid, no word could get out. "Come!" Mordred would call. "It's as much like college as I could make it," Mordred would continue communicating with Arthur.

A maid, probably around seventeen-ish, came in with a jug of hot water, and placed this on the windowsill, leaving it there for Arthur's desires. As her back was turned to the lads, she had a rather peculiar look to her face, as if something fishy between the pair was going on, which must be dealt with in secrecy. Nonetheless, she continued her duties.

Mordred leaped off the bed, pulling Arthur with him towards the windowsill. "Now, you must see the view!"

"A damn good view that is!"

"You may shoot rabbits from this window."

The maid departed herself from the windowsill, inches from the door. "Will there be anything else, sir?"

"No, thank you," Mordred would answer.

The maid continued on her rounds, closing the door behind her, leaving the boys alone.

Being alone, and rather in an intimate zone, Arthur pulled Mordred closer, hands roaming across his shirt, back, and towards his neck. Mordred leaned in towards Arthur, inching himself closer.

"We're up the staircase by ourselves. We needn't be in any other part of the house, except for meals of course."

Both shared a chaste kiss before Mordred inched away, "I'll leave you to unpack." Mordred left Arthur, who returned to the view of the windowsill.

The next time Arthur and Mordred would almost come into contact is at dinner. Although not dining next to each other, they were still nearby. Mordred was placed next to Mrs Stephenson, and Arthur was placed in between Octavia and Rosalie.

As they were dining, Octavia sparked up a conversation with Arthur.

"The house is his. Did he tell you?"

"No, I'm afraid he didn't."

"Well, it is, under his father's will. I must move to the Dower House as soon as he marries." This startled Arthur, who had pushed aside that thought as soon as he and Mordred had begun a relationship earlier that year. Questions began filtering through Arthur's mind, such as 'How long have me and Mordred got left before he must marry?' or 'Is he already seeing a girl?'

"Mordred wishes to take up a fourth year at Cambridge, but that'll make very little profit. I think he should go travelling instead before taking up a job."

Arthur glanced at Mordred, who eyed him back with a smirk. "He speaks of travelling. He wants me to go with him."

"I trust that you will. He must see America, and if possible, the colonies; but not Greece Mr Pendragon, not Greece. Greece is travelling for pleasure."

"I'd prefer America myself."

"Anyone with a sensible mind would. Do dissuade him from Greece, Arthur."

There was a moment of silence before Octavia continued. "Arthur, is there some girl? Rosalie declares there is."

Arthur mockingly laughed, who turned sideward to Rosalie. "Rosalie had better ask then."

Rosalie caught her name being mentioned, and returned the gaze. "Did I hear my name being mentioned, Mr Pendragon?" Again, Arthur gave a small laugh, and continued finishing his soup.

The morning after, when everyone began setting about their duties, Arthur rode out with Mordred, where they stopped by some small building, where Arthur and Mordred planned to laze about all day, in harmony, well, more like in each other's arms.

Mordred was the first to jog up the stairs, where he failed to open the door. "Damn! It's locked! They call this The Goblin House."

Arthur followed Mordred up the few steps, where Mordred leaned into the door, Arthur leaning into him, where for a few moments, they affectionately touched and kissed each other. Hearing someone approaching, immediately they broke from each other, keeping their edge and dignity.

It was only George, who was riding down the path on his bicycle, again, glaring daggers at the pair, soon returning his eyes on the path, and continued on. As soon as they were alone again, both returned to their warm touches, embracing and kissing each other.