Don't Be Afraid
A/N: I think I fixed all of the errors in my previous chapters and hopefully I can catch them in future chapters. In this one Merlin finds out what's been going on back home and his reaction is…not good…at all. This chapter was a lot of fun to write because I got to let Merlin's darker side come out to play a bit more. Never mess with Merlin's mother lol. I feel a bit bad because I'd kind of forgotten about Sir Ewan lol, so I've brought him back again. This chapter will only barely follow the actual episode as my vision for this is vastly different…plus Mordred is in it so…yeah lol.
Loulou2a: I'm glad you liked it so much, and for this story it made more sense for Arthur because he's not as oblivious or gullible as the one in the show.
Mersan123: All children must eventually stand on their own…but Uther pushed his son too far and has to deal with the fallout now. The dragon annoyed me with his riddles and I can't imagine my less-patient Merlin being fond of them either lol. It could have been dangerous but Uther knows his son would probably tear him apart if he touched Merlin again so, at this point, he's kind of leaving Merlin alone as much as possible. I'm glad you liked those two bits, they were my favorites to write. Arthur twisted the oaths to suit him, not his father, and Uther knows it. As for the glowing with power bit, that was technically Emrys but the two are slowly beginning to merge now.
Chapter 9 – Home to Ealdor
"Arthur!"
"I know Merlin…"
"You know…know what? I haven't said anything yet."
"Sir Ewan is back from the outer regions. I'm the Prince remember? I am usually informed of the whereabouts of the men I command."
"Right…I was thinking…we should add him to our personal knights."
"I agree, which is why he will be joining our meeting later tonight."
"Yes!"
"Merlin…"
"Right…sorry…I'm calm."
Arthur rolled his eyes and followed Merlin as he darted off to greet the group of knights returning to Camelot, mainly Sir Ewan though he did greet the others as well.
"Welcome back Ewan."
"Thank you…Lord Merlin."
"Oh gods…not you too…"
"Oh you'd better believe it. It suits you."
"Sir Ewan?"
"Sire?"
"We're having a special meeting tonight in Morgana's chambers. Would you join us?"
"It would be my honor, Sire."
"Good. We'll be meeting for dinner…don't be late."
"I won't, Sire."
That night the Round Table met in Morgana's room, joined by Sir Ewan who looked curious as to what it was all about. Merlin was in between Arthur and Morgana, Leon was next to Morgana and Gwen was between Leon and Lance, with Ewan taking the seat between Lance and Arthur to complete the circle.
"Sir Ewan, this is our Round Table."
"Our?"
"Merlin and I's Council…with Morgana and Gwen acting as advisors in various things. Sir Leon and Sir Lancelot are our personal Knights of the Round Table."
"I see…why am I here, Sire?"
"We'd like for you to join us and become a knight of the Round table as well Ewan."
"I would be honored, Lord Merlin."
"Wonderful…Arthur?"
"Kneel before me Sir Ewan. I, Arthur Pendragon, claim thee, Sir Ewan, as my personal knight of the Round Table. Do you hereby swear your loyalty to myself, Merlin, and Morgana?"
"I do so swear, Sire."
"Then rise, Sir Ewan, Knight of the Round table."
"Welcome to the family my friend."
"Thank you Leon."
The group settled in to eat their dinner together, chatting happily about many subjects while Merlin and Arthur watched their Council growing. The two shared a fond look and felt that everything was slowly falling into place.
The next morning Merlin went to the market in the Lower Town, accompanied by Sir Ewan at Arthur's insistence, when he spotted a familiar face and his own lit up in joy.
"Mother?!"
He raced into the older woman's waiting arms and hugged her tightly, both of them clearly having missed each other greatly, despite having seen each other only months ago.
"Merlin darling…"
"Mother, your eye? Who did this to you? Who would dare?"
"Merlin, darling, calm yourself please? Can we go inside to Gaius?"
"Not yet…Sir Ewan…go and fetch the rest of the Round Table and bring them to Morgana's room…we'll go to Gaius later."
"Yes, Lord Merlin."
"Lord Merlin? When did that happen?"
"It's a long story, mother. Let's get you somewhere safer and more comfortable."
Merlin led his mother to Morgana's chambers where they were welcomed warmly. Morgana was thrilled to finally meet the woman but was horrified to see the bruise darkening her eye. Arthur and the rest of their group soon joined them and Arthur's eyes darkened at the sight of Hunith's eye, especially when he saw that Merlin's eyes were flickering between molten gold and bright blue.
"What happened?"
Hunith related the story of what had been happening in Ealdor recently with a bandit leader named Kanen and Arthur felt his blood boil.
"What abour Mordred? Is he alright? Where is he?"
"He's staying with Will while I'm here."
"Good…Will can protect him. His father taught him the basics of fighting before he died."
"That…and he knows about your magic and Mordred feels he's safe to be around. I think he can sense the brotherly bond between you two."
"Probably."
[Emrys? Did Miss Hunith make it to you safely? Is she alright?]
[Yes little one, she's here and we're taking care of her. We're going to bring help just stay safe until we can come back to you alright?]
[We're trying, Emrys. Kanen keeps coming in and threatening everyone…he's really scary Emrys.]
[I know little one…stay strong…we'll come as quickly as we can.]
"I'm going to rip the bastard's throat out and hang him with it."
"Merlin?!"
"I'm not going to apologize Mother…not when I can hear in my mind how terrified poor little Mordred is."
"Had this happened a year ago I would have suggested speaking to my father but I know, without a doubt, that he'd refuse to help you. It's up to us to handle this ourselves. Knights…gear up but don't wear Camelot's colors. We are not going as knights of Camelot but as the Knights of the Round Table."
"Yes, Sire. We'll meet you all outside of the gates in…say an hour?"
"Make it two, Sir Leon."
"Yes, Sire. Come along men…we have work to do."
After the knights left the rest of the group set about preparing what they would need as well. Gwen went to her father and he offered his aid, as well as extra weapons and armor. Morgana pulled out her own armor and sword, which Merlin hadn't even known she had, and then left to go and collect extra food from the kitchens. Arthur went to put his own armor on for a change and then headed to the stable to ready the horses they would need for the journey. Merlin took his mother down to Gaius who tended her eye and then put together a pack for Merlin with a lot of herbs and vials of different medicines, all clearly labeled so he could identify them in a hurry. Merlin left his mother with Gaius to catch up since the siblings hadn't seen each other in years, and went back to his own room to get himself ready to go. Once everyone was ready they met in the stables and secured all of the various packs and bags to the horses before mounting up and making their way out of Camelot. Uther noticed the large group riding out and went out onto his balcony to address his son.
"Arthur? Just where are you going?"
"Hunting."
"With Morgana? She hates hunting."
"I don't hate hunting in general…I just don't enjoy killing for sport. We're going to try and find a couple of deer so the cook can make something special for us."
"I see…alright then…be careful."
"We always are."
Uther still had his suspicions but he had realized that arguing with his children was pointless and would only turn them against him again…he barely had them back on his side as it was. He noticed a woman riding next to Merlin and felt his heart drop to his feet. He recognized her…he remembered her from before the purge. She was Gaius' younger sister…the one who had run off with the last Dragonlord before he could kill the man. He resolved to speak with Merlin upon their return, whether Arthur liked it or not…he needed to know how much the boy knew about the man that was likely his father.
The group made camp a few hours away from Ealdor when it became too dark to safely make it through the woods. The women and Merlin were all sleeping closer to the fire while the knights and Arthur formed a defensive circle around them on the outside. Arthur's bedroll was next to Merlin's, Leon was next to Morgana, Lance was next to Gwen, as was her father, and Ewan was next to Hunith. Anyone who tried to get to one of them would have to cross a knight first, not an easy task with their training under Arthur. Arthur kept Merlin as close as he could, wrapping an arm around him and holding him to his chest as they slept and Hunith watched this with a soft smile. She was happy to see her son so protected and cared for. This entire group seemed to hold him in such high esteem, and it warmed her heart to know that her son had finally found where he fit in…where he belonged.
The next day they packed up camp and headed off to Ealdor again, as they neared the village Merlin heard Mordred's frightened screams in his head and urged his horse into a gallop, pushing the poor animal as fast as it could go. Arthur and the knights took off right behind him while the women held back a bit with Tom.
[Emrys! Help! He's back! Make him stop! They're hurting people! I can't do anything, Emrys…there's too many of them. I'm scared, Emrys…please?!]
[We're coming Mordred…stay hidden…stay safe little one. We're almost there now.]
"We have to hurry…Kanen is attacking and Mordred is terrified."
They raced into town and Arthur watched Merlin use his magic to embed a sword into a post behind the leader, Kanen, just as he was about to kill a man.
"Just who the hell do you think you are boy?"
"Your worst nightmare if you do not leave this village alone."
Merlin's voice had gone dark and Arthur smirked as he saw his eyes flickering between gold and blue. His darker half was trying to come out again.
"Yeah right boy…you're nothing."
Arthur had heard more than enough by this point and swung down from his horse, his knights following his example, and unsheathing his sword. He swung it around expertly and smirked in satisfaction as the man grew a bit more wary.
"Do you know who I am…Kanen?"
"Nope…don't care neither."
"You should. I am Prince Arthur of Camelot."
"I've heard of you…it's said you are ruthless in battle, and cruel to those that cross you."
"A reputation I have earned I assure you. If you continue to attack this village I will not stop until I see you dead at my feet. Do you understand me?"
"I'm not afraid of some little-boy princeling. I will give these people three days to give me what I want…or I'll kill them all."
The man mounted his horse and took off with his men. The villagers seemed to sag with relief and several of them praised the men who had come to their rescue. When Merlin dismounted and began to walk into the village Arthur grew angry at the way the people looked at him. They eyed him with suspicion and distrust, and some with outright fear. He suddenly realized why Hunith had sent him to Camelot in the first place. He hadn't noticed it the last time they'd come here as he'd been focused on delivering Mordred safely and getting back to Camelot.
"Merlin, come here."
"Arthur? What's wrong?"
"I want you to stay close to me."
"Arthur? I grew up here…it's perfectly safe."
"I do not like the way people are looking at you."
Merlin looked around and sighed softly. He had forgotten about how people had looked at him after his magic had gone out of control and nearly killed the village bully, not that the little bastard hadn't deserved what he got.
"Before my mother sent me to Camelot I kind of had a little incident…I lost control of my magic when the village bully wouldn't leave me alone and I almost killed him."
"I'm certain he deserved it."
"Not the point Arthur…it frightened people."
"I will not allow you to be harmed and if anyone dares to try they will not live to see the next sunrise."
Arthur spoke loud enough that everyone could hear him and Merlin smirked a bit, shaking his head at Arthur's protective streak.
"You do remember how many times I've had to save your royal backside?"
"Oh hush you."
"He's right though…he's saved you far more often then you've had to save him Arthur."
"Not helping, Morgana…"
"Not trying to, Arthur…"
Merlin laughed as the two bickered and shared a fond look with Gwen who rolled her eyes in amusement.
"I thought I told you we didn't want your kind around here no more?"
Merlin eyed the newcomer for a long moment before both of them burst into laughter and Merlin tackled the other man to the ground.
"Will! Gods I've missed you."
"You too, Merlin. You look a lot better than you did before you left little brother."
"I am better."
"Your Mum's been telling me all about your adventures in Camelot…her brother sends her letters."
"Of course he does…"
"So…is that your Prince Charming then?"
"Will…please don't embarrass me…?"
"I'm not that bad…come on…introduce me."
"Arthur…this is Will…he's the one I told you about who grew up with me."
"The one whom you see as an older brother?"
"Yep. Will…this is Prince Arthur. My other half…not the better half obviously…that'd be my role."
Merlin laughed and dodged the swipe Arthur made at his backside by darting behind a highly amused Morgana. Will watched all of this with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk on his lips.
"So…I take it your mum is safe then?"
"I'm right here, William. Where is Mordred?"
"I'm here, Miss Hunith. Emrys!"
Mordred caught sight of Merlin and launched himself into his idol's arms, laughing as Merlin lifted him up and held him close.
"Hello again, little one. Are you alright? Did anyone hurt you?"
"I'm ok. Will took care of me."
"Of course I did…can't let my little nephew get hurt right?"
"Nephew? Will?"
"What? You've adopted him in all but name…might as well call it like it is."
Arthur moved closer to Merlin and Mordred and rubbed the boy's back, receiving a bright smile in return.
"Hello again, Mordred."
"Hello, Arthur. Thank you for coming to help."
"Of course, Mordred. This is Merlin's original home, and his family is here. How could I not help?"
[Emrys? Would you not want me as your son?]
[Oh, Mordred…I would love that more than anything…but it cannot happen while Uther is still King.]
[I understand, Emrys…maybe one day though?]
[I hope so, little one…I hope so.]
"What are you two talking about in there?"
"Mordred was asking if I wanted him to be my son…and I told him I would…very much so…but…we both know your father would never allow that to happen."
"He doesn't have to know…we could have Geoffrey file the paperwork in secret for us and reveal it after I take the throne."
"Really? Do you think he'd keep it a secret?"
"He adores you Merlin, and Gaius is his best friend. I think he'd be thrilled to help you."
"Would you like that little one, to truly be my son in name?"
"Yes, Emrys…I'd love it."
"Mother? How is his control?"
"Much improved. It can still flare sometimes if he's hurt but otherwise he seems to be able to keep it hidden."
"Alright then…I say we take him back home with us when we go and talk to Geoffrey as soon as possible."
"Of course, Merlin. In the meantime…we have a village to train."
"No…you and your knights have a village to train…I'm here to keep everyone healthy and in one piece until the fight."
"Good point. All right men…"
"Ahem?"
"And Morgana…"
"Better…"
"We need a plan to train these people to defend themselves from not only this attack but any future attacks as well. We'll need to set traps as well. Morgana? I'm putting you and Gwen in charge of trap duty…you're more than devious enough."
"Oh I look forward to it. That man will rue the day he ever dared set foot in this village."
"Good. Sir Lancelot...help Tom organize armor and weapons. Sir Ewan, take some villagers into the woods to gather as many long sticks as you can. Sir Leon…come with me to take stock of what we have to work with here…men and women alike because we'll need every able-bodied person if we're to be successful."
"As you wish, Sire."
The knights set about performing their designated tasks while Merlin and Will took Mordred to find fresh herbs.
"Merlin? Why did you leave?"
"I had to Will. My mother wanted me to go to my Uncle so he could help me gain more control. I'm happy there Will. Arthur is…he's my other half. We're two halves of the same whole. He needs me and I need him."
"I don't like it…"
"You don't have to. I'm happy and if you care about me at all that should be all that matters. Mordred? What have you found Little One?"
"Comfrey."
"Good job Mordred. That will come in handy later I'm sure. It looks like the men have found all the sticks they need…shall we head back now?"
"Yes, Emrys."
"Why does he call you that?"
"It's what the druids call me…and no I'm not going to elaborate on why."
"Aww…you're no fun anymore."
Merlin rolled his eyes and returned to the village with Mordred, Will following behind like a sulking puppy which amused Arthur. He swept Merlin into his arms and kissed him for a moment before letting him go to his mother's home. Arthur raised an eyebrow at the people staring at them, daring them to say anything about it, but no one did. The village leader, Matthew, was so horrible at fighting that Arthur set him on watch duty instead, allowing the man to use his stallion as he was much faster than any of the village horses.
The next day Arthur gathered a group of villagers in the town hall to discuss his ideas for how to defeat the bandits. A shrill scream from outside drew them to the scene of Matthew's body draped across the back of Arthur's horse.
"Get him down from there."
Arthur's knights laid the poor man on the ground and Merlin moved to help him until his head moved and Merlin saw the glassy eyes and knew he was already gone. Matthew's wife pushed through the crowd, screaming and crying, and Merlin saw Arthur wince in sympathy and guilt. Will snapped at him and made it worse.
"You did this! Look what you've done! You've killed him!"
"It wasn't his fault."
"If he hadn't been strutting around here, treating this like his own personal army, it would have never happened."
"These men are brave enough to fight for what they believe in, even if you aren't."
"You're sending them to their graves! You've killed one man. How many more need to die before you realize this is a battle that can't be won? When Kanen comes…you haven't got a chance. You're gonna be slaughtered."
Merlin had enough and snapped at his friend, his brother, his magic flaring around him like a halo as his eyes turned molten gold. Everyone except for Arthur took several steps back from him while Will stared at him with wide eyes. He'd never seen Merlin let his magic free like that before.
"I will not allow you to blame Arthur for what Kanen has done. Arthur came here to help because this was my home, and people I consider part of my family are still here. The other followed out of loyalty to both him and to me. Do not DARE attack him, Will…I will not spare you if you do that. He is more important to me than anyone else in this world."
"More important than your family?!"
"Yes! Arthur is my other half, Will. My soul-mate…my everything…and one day he will be my King."
"One day WE will be kings Merlin. I will have you rule by my side."
"Arthur…"
"I will not hear any argument on that…our Round Table agrees with me on this."
Merlin glanced at the aforementioned group ad they all nodded at him, earning a groaning whine from him that had them all laughing softly.
"Not funny…ganging up on me like that…"
"Aww…poor Merlin."
"Shall I kiss it better my little Warlock?"
"Arthur!"
They all laughed again as the poor man turned bright red up to his ears, even his mother couldn't stifle her giggles and he pouted at them all. Will growled softly and stalked off to his own home. Merlin glanced at Arthur before following his older brother in all but name.
"Will…"
"Don't bother, Merlin. I'm not interested."
"You should be, because tomorrow Kanen attacks, and whether you like or not we'll have to fight."
"Not if I'm not here."
"Well, that's up to you but the rest of us are staying. Join us, Will. This isn't about Arthur. This is about your friends. Are you really going to abandon them? Abandon us?"
"What, like you did?"
"I'm here now."
"Yeah, you are…and you could end this. If you and your sister used your magic then no one else would have to die."
"I plan to help, Will. Even I can only do so much. I don't have full control yet so people will need to fight. Will you be with us or not?"
"I don't know yet…"
"I hope you will be, Will…I'd hate to lose my brother over something so stupid."
Merlin left and returned to Arthur's side, watching him sharpen his sword for a bit before speaking up. Arthur didn't look at him but he knew he was listening, he always did.
"Will's father died fighting for Cenred, while he stayed in his comfy little castle. He hasn't trusted anyone of nobility since."
"What if he's right Merlin?"
"He's not."
"I'm treating these men like soldiers and they're not. You've seen how they fight, they haven't got a clue. We need to evacuate the village before Kanen comes."
"Where would they go? Cenred won't help them, other villages can't afford to help them, and Kanen would just run them down anyway. Arthur…we have to stay and fight…and we will win. You just have to get the men ready for battle…the rest will take care of itself."
"How?"
"You've got to believe in them, because if you don't they'll sense it…and the battle will be lost before it's even begun. You taught me that with your knights. Have faith in these people and they will fight hard."
"You're always so wise, Merlin."
"One of us has to be…"
Arthur pulled him into a headlock and ruffled his hair, leaving both of them laughing like a couple of kids and the sight relaxed many of the villagers. To see the son of a man who hated magic enough to kill anyone that has it playing around with a powerful magic user eased their fears about Merlin and allowed them to accept him more. All save one man…the village bully when Merlin was growing up. Jonas still hated Merlin and he couldn't stand to see Merlin so happy. Will kept an eye on Jonas, watching him careful in case he was stupid enough to try and hurt Merlin, not that he expected the idiot would survive the attempt after seeing how protective Arthur was of his little brother. That night Arthur gathered the villagers around the fire in the town hall and spoke to them. When he tried to tell the women to leave with the children and elderly Gwen and Morgana protested…loudly.
"None of you know how to fight."
"You need all the help you can get, and the women have just as much right to fight for their freedom as the men do."
Looking around Arthur saw the determined faces of the women and caved in, giving them permission to stay and fight.
"I would be honored to fight along side all of you. Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill…which is why he can never defeat us. Look around you…in this circle we are all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to…you're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace…and if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes…fighting for your very right to survive. When you are old and grey you will look back on this day and you'll know that you earned the right to live every day in between. So you fight, for your family, for your friends, for Ealdor."
Merlin was louder than anyone as the villagers began chanting 'Ealdor' after Arthur's speech. Merlin could see the great King he would be in this moment and felt himself beaming with pride. The next morning Merlin helped Arthur into his Armor and then Arthur helped him into some of his own, fastening his bracers and pulling him into a fierce kiss as Morgana ran inside.
"They've crossed the river."
"Time to go."
Arthur got everyone into their positions, with him and his knights in the lead. Merlin and Morgana were together in another area while Gwen lead the group that would spring the first part of the trap. Gwen and a couple of others heaved ropes to pull up a large heavy wooden gate that prevented Kanen and his men from going back the way they'd come in. Merlin guided Morgana through a simple fire spell to ignite the alcohol soaked hay that had been laid in a pattern to prevent the bandits form coming their way and forcing them back to the gate. Arthur yelled and everyone moved it to attack, pulling the men from their horses and beating them into the dirt. At one point Merlin had killed one bandit when another came riding up behind him with a mace, aiming to remove his head form his shoulders, but Will jumped on the man and took him down. The two started fighting back to back and Arthur was glad someone was helping Merlin. Will and Merlin looked around and Will spoke in a soft, almost defeated tone.
"There's too many of them…"
"Not for me there isn't. Stay behind me Will."
[Arthur, try and get people to move to the sidelines if you can…I'm about to let loose.]
[I'll do my best.]
Arthur started ushering people, especially the women, off to the sides and pushing them between the huts, his knights doing the same once they saw what he was doing. As soon as most of the people were out of the way Merlin let go of his magic. His eyes turned that familiar molten gold and his magic flared out around him. He raised a hand and a whirlwind formed in front of him, growing stronger as it moved towards the bandits. It tossed them around like dolls. One man's foot got caught in his stirrup as the horse bolted, dragging him along behind it. Eventually the bandits all fled and Merlin allowed the whirlwind to fade. Arthur started to head towards him when Kanen stepped out of hiding and challenged him. Arthur easily won the fight, stabbing the man in the gut and walking over to Merlin.
"Are you alright Merlin?"
"I think so…so far anyway…nothing hurts yet."
"Good…maybe you're getting used to your power now hmm?"
"Maybe…"
Neither of them noticed Kanen raising a crossbow and aiming for Arthur's back, but Will did. He pushed Arthur out of the way and took a hit to the chest, making Merlin scream his name as his magic flared in his anger and fear. His magic lashed out at Kanen and strangled the remaining life out of him before Arthur could calm him down.
"Merlin? Look at me. Right now. You need to calm down so you can help your friend."
"Right…I'm good…I'm calm…oh gods….Will…"
Arthur had his knights carry the injured man into a hut and lay him on the table while Merlin fussed over him.
"It's alright Merlin…I'm ready…"
"You're not going to die you hear me?"
"You saved my life, William…thank you."
"Yeah, don't know what I was thinking…"
Arthur placed a comforting hand on Merlin's shoulder when he broke down in tears after uncovering the wound. It had pierced the heart and if he removed it Will would die that much faster.
"I'm sorry…Will…I can't…I can't fix…this…"
"I know…s'ok Merlin…"
Merlin held his brother's hand as he started to fade and Arthur kept his hands on Merlin's shoulder in a show of support.
"Merlin…I'm scared Merlin…"
"It'll be ok, Will…I'm right here with you…I'm right here."
As will finally breathed his last Merlin lost control completely. He was screaming and crying as his magic lashed out around him. It never touched Arthur but nearly everything else in the place was destroyed, thankfully it was an unoccupied hut at this point. Merlin eventually exhausted himself and collapsed into Arthur's waiting arms. Arthur lifted him up and carried him back to his mother's hut, the villagers moving aside to let them pass with saddened faces as they looked at Merlin. Everyone knew how close he had been to Will and they were all moved by the anguish he'd released moments before. Hunith was crying on Morgana's shoulder while Leon held them both. Gwen was turned into Lance's chest to hide her own tears and Ewan just bowed his head out of respect.
The next day they headed back to Camelot, much to the dismay of the villagers. Merlin barely spoke the entire ride home and everyone could tell Arthur was concerned. Mordred sat in front of Merlin and he too was quiet, Morgana was fairly certain the little boy was talking to Merlin mentally and hoped he could bring him back to them. As they entered the castle Uther was waiting on the steps, looking rather unhappy as usual. He was about to lecture them when he noticed the dull, listless look on Merlin's face and stopped.
"What happened to him?"
It was a bit, disconcerting to see the normally bubbly boy so quiet and withdrawn. Arthur's concerned look was shared by everyone else in the group, a fact Uther took note of.
"We stopped in to visit with Merlin's mother…the village was attacked while we were there and his surrogate brother was killed…he died saving my life…and he wasn't even a citizen of Camelot…"
"He knew Merlin cared for you so he didn't want to let you be killed, Arthur."
"I know…"
"They all looked at Merlin as Mordred tugged on his sleeve, breathing a collective sigh of relief as he finally reacted to something.
"What is it little one?"
"We're home now."
"So I see little one. Let's get you to bed…it's been a long few days for all of us."
Uther watched as Arthur came up behind them and led them away, most likely to his room. Morgana and Leon wandered off together which made Uther raise an eyebrow. He watched Gwen and her father head home with that Lancelot fellow in tow and wondered just why that man was still in Camelot.
The next day Arthur and Merlin took Mordred to Geoffrey and explained to him what they wanted to do. Geoffrey was more than happy to help them and keep their secret. He revealed that he had known Merlin's mother when she'd lived in Camelot and had been fond of her.
"She was like a little sister to me as much as she was to Gaius. I still miss her sometimes."
"She's mentioned you before as well. Thank you for this."
"Both you and Prince Arthur need to sign this and it will be official…and there we have it. Mordred is now your son…both of you…Once Arthur takes the throne this can be revealed to all and he can then be known as Mordred Pendragon, son of Arthur and Merlin."
"I like it!"
The adults all shared a laugh at Mordred's excited exclamation before Merlin lifted him up and carried him back to their rooms. They spent the night with Mordred tucked against Merlin while Arthur was curled protectively around both of them. Morgana found them that way the next morning and her cooing woke them up, earning her a pair of tired glares.
"Oh, stop that…both of you. Mordred? Would you like to join Sir Leon and myself on a morning ride through the forest?"
"Can I Emrys?"
"Of course, little one. Go on then…take your cloak though."
"Yes, Emrys."
"You already worry over him like a mother."
"I do not…"
"Yes you do…and I think it's adorable, my little Warlock."
Life once again returned to normal, but none of them could have known what was coming for them next, except Morgana who woke screaming one morning and sent Gwen to warn Arthur and Merlin…but by the time Gwen reached them events has already been set into motion.
A/N: Not my longest chapter but hopefully still good. From here on out this story will not be following Cannon…except that certain adventures will still happen, but the reasons and such will be vastly different because of the events I have planned for the next chapter. The next chapter will change everything…dramatically.
