Wrote this when I was sleepy so bound to have some mistakes that slipped my attention

I have no beta so we're going in blind haha

This one was a bit challenging at first but once I got deeper into it everything just poured in


This wasn't exactly how he thought his life would end up as…either of his lives.

Mordred groaned as he waited ages for Arthur to finish trying on his new clothes in the dressing room.

Ugh why did Morgana make him do this? It's not like he was the one who pissed her off, if anything he was as well behaved as a sleeping kitten.

Not even a day into his reincarnated memories and already Arthur's actions are affecting him. Is it really any wonder why Morgana wanted to get rid of him?

He didn't care, this wasn't fair!

It's not like it's so easy to forget that he killed the girl of his dreams, he doesn't do what Morgana says he isn't just going to "play nice" with Arthur. And he seriously doubts Arthur will do the same.

Looking at his phone he can see that the hour is already at 1 in the afternoon, they've been here for over three bloody hours. How long does it take for a grown man to shop for clothes, I mean really?!

It doesn't help that Arthur had even made a complete fool out of both of them when he began arguing with the staff when one of them said "Sir this isn't a tailor…talk with the manager if you have an issue."

Oh no he won't. He practically dragged Arthur towards the dressing room, throwing him the clothes they finally picked that barely hit the budget Morgana set.

He never felt so embarrassed in his life…also both of them. Mordred starts banging on the door to the booth with Arthur inside. Thank goodness he didn't use his sword, because that guy would have learned firsthand that no it wasn't just cosplay.

"For god's sake can you be any slower?! If it fits it fits, if it's too tight? Drop it!"

"Well excuse me for not understanding zippers!" Arthur shouted back.

"What's to understand?! You pull up it closes; you push down it opens!" Mordred really wonders if Morgana is laughing at him right now.

"I'm sorry, do you have a place to be right now?!"

Mordred squinted "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Hmph, well according to Morgana you're the same age you were when you fought battles years ago yet now, you're reduced to being an overgrown child" Arthur knew Mordred could just feel his smirk.

"Pot, meet kettle!"

Arthur needed a moment to understand the phrase.

"And how pray tell am I a child?"

"I would but I actually want to leave here sometime today" Mordred rolled his eyes.

Finally, Arthur stepped out in his new modern clothes. Blue denim trousers along with a skin tight red t-shirt. The new look being complete with black construction boots they got earlier.

"It'll suffice" Arthur did actually think the material wasn't bad, but it didn't beat silk.

"Fabulous." Mordred could not have been less impressed.

As they paid for the clothes and left the store, they both wondered what exactly they should do now. Morgana wasn't exactly specific, how was he supposed to show Arthur anything about the 21st Century when he's barely lived on his own to begin with?

Everything he knows about living in the world of today was simply by watching his parents.

"You should find a job"

"Hilarious"

"Yeah, didn't think you would either" Well he tried; Morgana can do this herself if she didn't like it.

They just stood there watching people pass around them.

Talk about an awkward silence. But what were they supposed to say?

Fuck it, Mordred isn't scared of Arthur.

"Did you even stop and ask yourself why you were doing it before you killed her?"

Arthur turned to him, confused as to what he was saying.

"Her?"

Mordred tightened his lips "Kara."

Arthur still didn't really know who exactly he's talking about.

"Kara...?"

Mordred flinched; how dare he forget her! Why should he be surprised, he's killed so many of his kind of course he wouldn't keep track!

"The love of my life you bastard!" People began to stare at the pair as they hurriedly walked past.

"…" Arthur honestly is trying to remember, but given recent events it's not like this is at the forefront of his mind.

Finally.

"The girl you betrayed Camelot for, now I remember."

Mordred glared at Arthur's blank look, wanting so much to incinerate him on the spot, if only he had magic in this life. But before he can so much as shout again a woman told them off for being in front of her business scaring away guests and told them to either come in and buy something or sod off.

Arthur and Mordred looked back at each other before they began walking toward the direction of the forest, where Morgana and Merlin's house dwelled.

"…"

"…"

Funny thing is though, it was a pretty long walk all things considered. Mordred wondered why Merlin and Morgana chose to live so far from the city but supposed they must value their privacy.

He just wished he could fly.

By the time they were near the cottage Arthur suddenly stopped walking and turned toward him.

Mordred quirked a brow, his body tensing up. He prepared himself in case Arthur tried to attack.

The bad news on that? Well, he may remember his skills from his previous life but his current body didn't, not to the same extent at least. He's practically a twig compared to his time as a Knight of Camelot.

He didn't even have magic also, so he's at an enormous disadvantage if Arthur decides to kill him now.

Arthur looked at his former knight and protégé, wondering how this could ever possibly work.

He doesn't even know why he's here let alone Mordred.

What he does know however is that they were both brought back for a reason, they had to find some way to form a truce at least until they've fulfilled whatever purpose Destiny had for them.

"Look, I'm not going to apologize for having to put down someone that I gave a clear chance of clemency to right before she pledged to try to kill me again."

"Liar!"

Arthur sighed "Believe what you want, but you do realize it had nothing to do with her being a druid or magic. She had literally tried to stab me and you're mad about me retaliating properly. You're just unreasonable because it was someone you liked. You betrayed us all because of a girl."

"Shut up…!" Mordred thought about throwing a punch, god he wanted to so badly.

"Use your brain Mordred, I made it my policy to end hostilities with the Druids when I became King, you know it because you saw it. I have no reason at all to lie simply because it serves no purpose. Not to me and not to you."

"Shut up!"

Arthur leaned close to Mordred with a look that one could say was both of pity and sympathy.

"You just hate having to admit that the girl you loved was in the wrong and that you ended up doing things you regret, like betraying those who were your friends."

Mordred finally did punch Arthur angrily huffing and puffing as he ignored the pain in his hand.

He tried hard to keep his eyes from shedding a single tear at Arthur's words.

To Arthur? Hardly the most damaging punch he ever received; in fact it was one of the weakest. But at least now they're getting this out into the open.

Arthur turned back to Mordred as he wiped some blood off his lip.

Mordred didn't have any time to be proud of that before he was knocked off his feet by a blow to his solar plexus. He collapsed to his knees gasping for breath.

Arthur crossed his arms, waiting for Mordred to compose himself. That felt so very satisfying.

Now he's ready for that truce.

Mordred glared as he slowly made his way to his feet.

"There we're even. You killed and I killed you back. Now can we please focus on figuring out what our Destiny is so that we can actually get the answers we need?"

Mordred squinted his eyes as he wondered if this was simply Arthur trying to deceive him.

"You can't deny that you want answers too, there's no way it was mere happenstance that you got your memories back on the same day I returned to life."

Arthur needed to know that he had at least one less enemy to focus on. Relieved when Mordred finally sighed and nodded his head.

"Fine Arthur I'll admit, yes I'm very fucking curious. But I'm letting you know now; I won't hesitate if our Destinies are in opposition to each other once more." Mordred couldn't say he felt 100% about his words, he just felt exhausted right now.

Arthur gripped his sword handle at his hip and stared down his former knight and friend "Glad we're on the same page."


Then finally they both returned to the cottage…and the door was open? They could have sworn they closed it. It also appears that the windows were fixed.

Perhaps Morgana returned and cleaned up her mess? Arthur supposed but he really hoped it was Merlin, if Morgana was still gone than now was the perfect opportunity to speak to him without his sister's interference.

Despite the apparent genuine nature of her supposed feelings for Merlin, Arthur would be a fool to just trust her.

She played the long game with him before back in Camelot when they had "found" her after a year of being missing by "bandits". When in reality she had been in league with Morgause and worked to take over Camelot.

Perhaps Merlin was enchanted? But wouldn't that make Morgana stronger than him? That doesn't make much sense but, what other explanation could there be?

For god's sake he literally saw Merlin stab Morgana with what should have been a fatal wound just prior to his death and now supposedly they're in love? Nonsense.

He can't lose sight of who he's dealing with, a viper. He can't allow himself to be fooled again and he can't let Merlin be used as a pawn.

Wait, why is it so windy here?

But as Arthur went upstairs, he noticed that…well…half the 1st floor is completely destroyed and the wind was coming from the now obvious lack of walls and roof…

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"

Did Merlin and Morgana have a battle? Was Merlin trying to break free from her spell and they fought for control?

He barely noticed Mordred running him behind him and assessing the sight before him.

"This entire floor is torn to shreds, looks like the bathroom got the worst of it."

Judging from the fact that the bathroom didn't exist anymore…yeah you think?

"What do you think could have happened?"

Arthur took a second to realize Mordred was actually asking him.

He really wants to be wrong, Morgana's story sounded genuine to him this morning, but damn it! Damn her! And honestly damn Merlin for ruining his ability to trust people!

"Be honest Mordred, do you really believe Morgana simply let bygones be bygones with Merlin and is so happy just being a wife. Or is it more likely that she's controlling him somehow so that he can no longer oppose her?"

Mordred didn't really know himself if he was being honest. Because the last that he saw of Morgana she was dead set on killing Arthur but especially Merlin.

So to hear that now they're suddenly in love and married and she…forgave him? It doesn't match up to the Morgana he knew at the end of his old life.

Maybe the Morgana he originally knew, the one who sheltered him in her chambers and helped him escape Camelot. But definitely not the cold Priestess who was willing to forgive his own actions against her just to find out Emrys' identity.

"If I were a betting man, I'd say at the very least Arthur you have just cause to be suspicious of her. But I have no concrete evidence one way or another."

Arthur was a bit surprised that Mordred was even entertaining his concern, he honestly expected him to side with Morgana as was his Destiny before.

Which only makes him more eager to know just what their current Destiny is now...!

They heard a door close behind him and they saw Morgana coming out of her room with a rather annoyed look on her face as she gazed at them.

"You two really know how to kill a mood, let me just say." Morgana dryly stated as she uttered a spell that began to repair the damage.

"Oh can it! What the devil has gone on here?! Where's Merlin?" Arthur was getting frustrated at her always taking this as some sort of joke.

"What's with this hostility? Those trousers too tight for your bollocks?" Morgana smirked as she saw Arthur's confusion.

Mordred rolled his eyes and whispered in Arthur's ear; the former King spluttered and was aghast when he turned back to his obnoxious sister.

"How could you say something so…ugh so…"

Morgana quirked a brow, placing a hand on her hip as the damages around them were now fully repaired.

"I know it's been centuries and that you've never been the brightest of the bunch, but surely you didn't forget how to speak words brother?"

"Tck…I know how to speak perfectly well! How could you say something so…scandalous?!"

"Hmph, about what Arthur?"

"You know what don't toy with me."

"No really, maybe you should be specific...?" Oh how she enjoyed making him squirm.

"Bollocks!" Arthur was fuming that he had fallen into another one of her games.

"Oh brother, it's nice to see you becoming a big boy. Don't worry I'm sure your balls were always as useless as the rest of you." Arthur was aghast with an angry blush on his cheeks with Mordred trying to contain his chuckling. Smirking, she than leaned in to his ear.

"Merlin's on the other hand was absolutely divine."

With that Morgana left to the kitchen leaving a now green Arthur looking shocked and Mordred wondering what she said to him.

She and Merlin? Merlin and she? They had... Arthur tried so hard not to puke at the thought.

Should he be surprised? No, Morgana has always behaved in whatever manner she wanted even under their father. Commissioning the most revealing dresses possible just to strike Uther's nerve in a petty show of defiance.

Now apparently she's bragging about having a 'tumbling in the hay' by his former manservant in terms worthy of Gwaine.

Wait! She left her room unattended, now's the perfect time to snoop around, and if Merlin's there than even better!

"Mordred, go downstairs and distract her, I'm going to see if Merlin is inside her room, and if not than I'll look for anything she may really be up to. Anything at all that could answer our questions." Arthur whispered to the younger boy, hoping Morgana doesn't have a spell to enhance hearing.

Mordred was skeptical this plan would work, but went along with it on the small chance that they could finally know what the fates had in store for them.

Once Arthur saw him leave, he waited for sounds of conversation to begin and once they did he made his way to their door.

Alright, he really hopes Merlin is in here. Not just because he hopes to finally learn of the fate of Gwen and his people, but to save his friend from the seductive woes of his sister.

But the second Arthur placed his hand on the door handle he was collapsed to the floor unconscious.


When Arthur awoke, judging from the sun's rays gleaming through the windows he'd say he was out for maybe a couple of hours.

Ugh his head...

Arthur gripped the back of his head trying to remember how exactly he got to couch in the living room.

"Ah your awake."

Arthur turned to see Morgana starring at him from the kitchen, her hair was tied up covered in a green beanie and her sleeves were rolled up with what he now knows to be an … apron? Yes! A red apron was wrapped around her upper body.

The smell in the air was nice, earthy, meaty, a bit of a spicy aroma. Oh, she's cooking.

Wait…Morgana is cooking? Since when does she cook?

"Did you really think I was that stupid as to just give you free reign of my home after the stunt you pulled last night? I took the liberty of enchanting the doors forbidden to you." Morgana went back to preparing the food as Arthur glared at her back, angered at his failure once again.

"How did I get here? Where's Mordred?"

Morgana rolled her eyes as she took the roasted chicken out of the oven. Cooking helped her when she was stressed, giving her something else to focus on. Arthur didn't need to know that however.

"Oh him? Nice try having him be your little accomplice but I saw through that little ruse. He's in the closet actually, I thought he needed a time out. I suppose now he can be let out." A flash of gold and out Mordred came from the storage room beneath the stairs, knocking into the wall.

"Ugh…." Mordred was just glad he can finally move with more space. He thinks Morgana might have given him claustrophobia.

Arthur winced as he pitied the boy, that couldn't have been fun.

Morgana turned off the oven and removed her apron.

They're really treading on thin ice, and it's barely been 24 hours.

"Well than, care to explain yourselves?" Morgana practically oozed intimidation as she crossed her arms.

"I know you're up to something! What happened here that destroyed much of this place? Did Merlin break free from your control and you tried to re-subdue him?!" Arthur gritted his teeth.

Mordred tensed, hoping this in itself didn't start a fight.

Morgana should have anticipated this; Arthur was always a stubborn fool. She's was wise not to get him a phone. But apparently, he and Mordred are taking her suggestion of playing nice a bit too well, so it's only a matter of time before Arthur demands he help him obtain one.

Luckily, she didn't give Mordred Merlin's number. She supposes Merlin no longer has the option to call him anymore without knowing if Arthur is listening in.

"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me Arthur, do tell. What horrid plot am I concocting that would enable you to arrive to this absurd conclusion?" If she knew Arthur as well as she thinks she does, than he'll probably say...

"All this marriage stuff, the so-called history between you two?! Admit it! You enchanted him didn't you?! All this because you know if you ever fought him again, he would win and ruin your plans!" Arthur ignored the pounding on his head as he stood on his feet to show Morgana, he was ready for anything.

Oh please.

Mordred kept looking between the two Pendragons, both incredibly stubborn and unrelenting. But only one of them has the power to instantly snuff out the others life.

"Bravo Arthur, I must confess I'm rather flattered you think so highly of me as to be able to mastermind this for hundreds of years. Though I doubt Merlin would agree with either of us on that." Morgana quipped as she gave Arthur a round of applause.

"Release him from you spell! I won't let you use him for your plans of destruction!"

Morgana's amusement quickly ran out and turned to irritation. "Alright genius, what's my plan?"

"It's-" Arthur paused, what IS her plan?

Camelot apparently is no more, so what would she want to rule?

Of course! Albion, or in this case the United Kingdom!

"Of course your plan is to topple the Queen Elizabeth and put yourself on the throne!"

Morgana snorted, "Oh sure. You caught me, 1500 years and I choose now to make myself Queen of Britain, hell why stop there? Why not conquer the entire world?"

Arthur's eyes widened, the entire world?! Well now he must stop her no matter what.

"Oh for fuck's sake Arthur do you hear yourself speak?! Obviously I'm not interested, haven't been interested in mortal affairs in decades!"

Mordred could feel the static increasing in the air. So much for living longer than before…

"How am I supposed to know what goes on in that sick mind of yours?! Every time I think you can't stoop any lower you continued to surpass my expectations over and over again!"

"And every time I think you can't be the biggest bastard on the planet you end up being 10 times worse!" Morgana tried so hard not to lash out, the last thing she felt like doing was repairing her entire house…again. But Arthur was making it very tempting to silence him once and for all.

"A bit ironic coming from an actual bastard" Arthur quipped back.

"Shit…!" Mordred really began to wonder how they'll get out of this in one piece?

Morgana's eyes glared in menacing molten gold, the reminder of her status in Uther's eyes too much to rein back. She raised an hand aimed at Arthur "Get out of my house."

Arthur unsheathed excalibur and readied his stance, not intimidated in his rage. "Not until Merlin is free from your delusional ways."

Morgana and Arthur starred at each other coldly as bits of static littered around Morgana, as if she was bathing in electricity. Her hair blowing in every direction, while Arthur remained composed. Ever the warrior.

Mordred cursed himself for getting in the middle of this, surely there was a more discreet way of figuring out their Destiny but noooo once a Pendragon opens their mouths, they just have to go for the jugular do they?

"Forbearne! Akwele!" Morgana shot a fire ball at Arthur who used a pillow as a shield than tossed it directly at her.

Once she effortlessly tossed it away, she began to practically dance around his swings. Showing off a bit of her skills that have built throughout her centuries of living.

"Taflu eich hunain at fy ngelyn!" A flash of gold and all the empty plates cups and silverware began shooting at Arthur.

Arthur squatted beneath the table to hide himself from most of the assault before Morgana destroyed that as well.

Just as she was going to strike Arthur with lightning however Mordred came and wrapped his arms around her midsection stopping her attack midway.

"Stop both of you, if you don't you're going to end up killing each other!"

"Wrong! I just don't want to have to waste more magic rebuilding my house!" Morgana's golden eyes gleamed as she electrocuted herself to get Mordred to release her as he spasmed on the ground.

However in doing so she made a fatal error. She failed to notice that Arthur used that brief moment to charge, about to land a fatal blow.

Morgana knew she fucked up by the time the tip was about to graze her heart

"Can excalibur kill me?! It didn't before but…Arthur is its true wielder…Merlin…"

Than, Arthur stopped his attack…yet seemed confused as to why.

He couldn't move.

Than he was lifted in the air, dropping excalibur on the floor as his body flew towards the stairs…where Merlin stood with a murderous look on his golden eyes.

Arthur stopped midair a few steps from Merlin to the floor on his knees as Merlin than clenched his fist. Closing Arthur's airways and squeezing his lungs.

"How dare you." His cold yet quiet voice spoke as his fist clenched as tight as it possibly could.

Arthur couldn't believe it, here finally was his former manservant his best friend. And he was trying to kill him. Curse Morgana and her enchantment! He tried to open his mouth and beg his friend to fight her evil but it was no use, he was quickly losing oxygen.

Merlin's aura didn't appear all flashy or staticky like Morgana…but the very gravity around him felt 10 times stronger than what it should have been.

Arthur's bones feel like they're stretching, the pressure…it's too much.

Without looking, Merlin's other hand opened and Mordred flew next to Arthur in the same position. Suffocating the second Merlin clenched his other fist.

"If Destiny thinks for a single second, that I'm going to let anyone, absolutely anyone take from me the one person with whom my life shines in this sea of darkness…than that dusty old crone is about to be sorely disappointed."

Merlin gritted his teeth with uncontrollable rage…but he didn't want this to be over just yet. He allowed them a second of reprieve before re-clenching their lungs.

"First you take over my life, then you condemn me to forever walk the earth – forever a wandering soul, now you have the GALL to come into my home and ATTACK MY WIFE?! You humans never cease to amaze me with your audacity.

Well if Destiny thinks I can be bullied by it once again, I'm sure it will think twice when I strip you of your souls right now" The smirk on his face was foreign to who Merlin was, neither of his two victims could match it to the Merlin they knew in Camelot.

Everything is turning black…they're actually about to die…they're…

"Merlin that's enough love."

Merlin's smirk turned into a frown as he turned - blinking real slowly - toward his wife, who was now to his right. When did she get here?

"I need to stop them, I need to stop it from happening…" Merlin began to mutter a great number of things as he clenched his eyes shut, still holding Arthur and Mordred's lungs hostage.

Morgana gave Merlin's cheek a tap which turned into a caress.

"Merlin, it's 2022…the war is over. The German's lost. You're not there anymore, you're safe. The world is still here. Hope is still alive, don't you remember?" Morgana soothed as Merlin had grabbed her face, searching for any injuries while his magic kept the other two bound. Panicked that she may be hurt, or worse...that he hurt her.

Morgana grabbed Merlin's head and turned his gaze to her eyes.

"Come back to me"

Merlin began to dry heave as tears began to fall from his eyes, eyes which now returned to sapphire blue.

He released the other two as he collapsed to his knees, Morgana coming with him and embraced him. Confirming that his worst fears were just in his head in loving whispers, just lost in their own world.

Arthur and Mordred meanwhile were grasping their throats, regaining their breaths as they looked in fear at the two mages.

Just another few seconds and Merlin would have killed them with hardly any effort…ironically it was Morgana who saved them.

"But why?! This makes no sense!" Arthur couldn't begin to wrap his head around all this.

"You two." Morgana turned to them with a blank gaze, assessing them as they littered on her floor.

"You're done here." With a flash of gold the last High Priestess sent the two figures of Destiny spiraling out of her house…out of the forest…out of their lives.

"And take your fucking Destiny with you." With that she magicked the door shut, locking it and a magical barrier on top of that.

She turned back to her husband, as he just laid his face hidden in her neck...a dead look in his eyes.

"C'mon Merlin, let's have dinner in bed tonight, I'm sure there's plenty of films or show we can watch together." Morgana muttered to her husband, kissing his forehead.

So much for making peace with her brother, but oh well.

She hasn't seen Merlin like this…this ominous presence…it's been ages.

Perhaps they need time to get away, a change of scenery would do them good as it did before.

Merlin needs her now more than ever, to be there for him like he was for her all those times she found herself in dire situations over the centuries…and now again.

She doesn't know for sure if excalibur can kill her with Arthur as the wielder but is nonetheless grateful that Merlin saved her just in time despite the fact that seeing Arthur triggers his trauma. This man, if that doesn't demonstrate his love to her than what does?

Speaking of…

She saw excalibur still lying on the floor, she magicked it into a metal box and sealing it with a spell. Hopefully that will never see the light of day again.

She lifted herself and Merlin back on his feet and up the stairs to their room.

No matter what, they stick together. Come hell or high water, if it's a fight they want they'll be ready next time.

They won't win.


I promise by the way this isn't an Arthur bashing story haha he just doesn't know when to quit and inherited Merlin's obsession with Destiny

So Arthur and Mordred will have their plot in their own little fold while Merlin and Morgana will have theirs as the primary focus

Eventually all the characters journeys and plots will coalesce in the climax

Please leave a kudos if you liked what you read and leave a comment if you have any thoughts or suggestions :) bye everyone 3