Mordred
I walked wearily into the Druid camp. I lead the horse into the camp and a young girl came up and curtsied, "Hello Lady Emrys," she greeted. She held a baby on her hip and the little girl gurgled happily. She took the saddlebag and reins from me saying. "Why are you here my lady?"
"Well, I'm here to speak to Mordred. Where is he?"
"Just project yourself calling his name, he'll come," she said tying my horse to a tree and fastening the saddlebag back in its place. I concentrated and closed my eyes.
"Mordred!" I projected loudly trying to get it as loud as possible. I saw a boy coming toward me from the river past the hill I was looking at. His green cloak, as was customary of the Druids, billowed out behind him. He was wearing a plain white tunic and tan breeches. He had his head down looking at the path and I noticed his wavy brown hair. When he looked up I unconsciously gasped, his eyes were a clear, piercing icy blue.
"Hello Lady Emrys," he said. "Is there something you need?"
"Do you know where Mordred is?"
"I am Mordred. Why are you looking for me?" he asked looking up at me. All I could think was how young he was. "I know, I'm very young but I can help you with all the other questions you have. Come," he said and grabbed my hand bringing me to a nearby tent. "You look tired. Rest and tomorrow I will answer your questions the best I can and tell you what I know." I laid down on the bedroll and drifted to sleep.
I was standing on a battlefield and I spotted Arthur, surrounded by dead bodies. He was older and he looked worn. He seemed to be the only one on the field but then a young man stood up and leaned on his sword. He and Arthur were yelling at each other but I couldn't hear them. Arthur pulled a spear out of the ground and charged the young man. The young man swung his sword arm up but Arthur speared him through the stomach. I cheered but too soon because when the boy looked at me I recognized Mordred. He looked sorry but then he swung down and hit Arthur in the head with his sword. I ran up to Mordred and Arthur and pulled Arthur's head into my lap carefully. I held Mordred's cold hand. Arthur went to speak but I pressed my lips to his and felt the tears prick my eyes. My tears mingled with the sweat and soaked his hair. Arthur took one last shuddering breath and died. I woke up screaming.
Mordred snapped up and looked as frightened as I did. I stopped screaming and instead cried. I cried until my throat and eyes burned. I looked at Mordred and said hoarsely, "I'm sorry if I scared you. I had a horrible dream. The person I cared for most died." Mordred just put his small hand over mine. I looked at him, his mussed brown almost curls, his sleepy ice eyes and his small bare torso. I studied the tattoo on the right side of his chest. It was three blue swirls that met to form a triangle but the middle of the triangle was empty. I calmed and looked outside, it was the dawn of a new day.
"I'll get dressed and we can get you the answers you came for," Mordred said slipping on his tunic and tying his cloak. He grabbed my hand and led me to the river. "What is the first thing you want to know?" the cool air stung so I pulled the hood of my cloak on and pulled the cloak around me tighter.
"What does Arthur Pendragon have to do with me?" I asked.
"You are both destined to unite the five nations of Albion and bring magic back to Camelot. You are linked forever," the little boy said bringing a handful of water to his lips.
"How? Am I supposed to marry him? Unite the kingdoms by showing people that I have magic?" I asked, "How am I supposed to help him unite all five kingdoms?"
"That isn't in my knowledge, I just know that you will," he said shrugging. "I also know that I am to be Arthur's demise."
"If you know then why don't you try to change it?" I asked. "I'm not just going to sit around and hope that Arthur can figure out a way to untie the kingdoms, I'm going to help him."
"There isn't a way that I know that my destiny can be avoided, I'm going to kill Arthur Pendragon."
"Mordred, I only have two more days here, you and I are both going to figure out our destinies. I promise," I said touching his shoulder. He looked at me thoughtfully.
"Who was it that died in your dream my lady?" he asked.
"Arthur, he was killed in battle."
"That's odd, that's what I dreamt. I was on a battlefield strewn with the bodies of the dead," he said eyes starting to cloud over, "I knew that I had to kill Arthur, the last person standing. When he speared me through the stomach I heard a cheer. I looked and saw you. I tried to project that I was sorry and then I sung my sword knocking Arthur across the head. I saw you running and you cradled Arthur in your lap and you held my hand. I felt the life draining out of me and then I heard you screaming and woke up." He looked at me his eyes looking almost sad. "I don't know why you even held my hand when the person you loved was dying as well and I was the one who had killed him." He looked like he was going to cry.
"Mordred, everyone deserves a second chance whether it's in this life or the next." I smiled at him and gave his hand a playful squeeze and that's when we heard people screaming. I jumped up and grasped Mordred's shoulders. "Mordred, I want you to stay here and if people start running this way then go into the tree line. GO!" I pushed his hood up and ran toward the camp. The young woman who led me here was sitting clutching her ankle and crying.
"My baby is in the tent!" she cried and I rushed to her.
"Which tent?" I asked healing her ankle as fast as I could.
"That one," she said pointing to the one that was on fire. I pulled my cloak tightly around me and barreled inside the tent. I heard the baby crying and grabbed her. I put her under my cloak so she wouldn't breathe in any smoke and would be protected from the flames. I burst out from the tent and was immediately grabbed roughly by the shoulder.
I was swung to face my attacker. It was Arthur. He looked at me dumbfounded so I took that as my chance to run. I gave the young mother her daughter and helped her stand urging her to run and find Mordred. Arthur tried to do something other than just watch me put out fires and telling people to run.
A few knights I passed me that I knew. Gwaine actually stopped and yelled out "Little bird, where are you going?" I ignored him and kept trying to get people to leave with their wives and children.
"Merlin?" Arthur finally said when the cam was almost deserted.
"Arthur, you should be ashamed!" I yelled lecturing him like a mother would her child. "These people were innocent! You set fire to their homes and everything they had! And you!" I yelled turning toward Leon and Gwaine "I thought you two would have stopped this blind attack on innocents, all of you!" I yelled at the knights. "The knight's code clearly states that you're supposed to PROTECT women, children, and the innocent. Not ATTACK them!"
"I'm on my father's orders to burn the Druid camps," Arthur stated dumbly.
"Why don't you just go home and leave these people to rebuild. Like you never saw them," I said tears threatening to spill over.
"Sire?" Leon asked looking for instruction.
"Fall back," Arthur said his eyes not breaking contact with mine. "Merlin," he said walking toward me looking hurt. "Why did you lie to me?"
"I wasn't," I lied smoothly, "I planned on going back to Ealdor but then I saw this Druid camp and the Druids pass through Ealdor often so I figured I might see someone I know so I stopped." Each word hurt having to lie to him but I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. I saw Mordred over Arthur's shoulder and he merely peered at us. Arthur pulled me to him and rocked me for a minute before pressing a chaste kiss to my lips and leaving.
"I love you," I thought I heard him say but I couldn't be sure. I went to Mordred and kneeled in front of him.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I said frantically looking him up and down for some sign of injury. He laughed an odd sound out of the boy's mouth.
"Lady Emrys I'm fine. I climbed up a tree and tried to help you. I tried my best to put out the fires but it didn't work very well."
"I'm just glad you're safe Mordred," I said hugging the boy. He tensed and then relaxed and wrapped his thin arms around me. When I pulled back we went to pitch the tent he called home. We spent the next few days talking and him showing me how to use my gifts.
~Time Skip~
I was leaving. I knelt in front of Mordred and we both looked at each other silently with tears in our eyes. I finally decided to say good-bye. "Mordred I want to thank you for all you've done for me. I think that if you do as I've taught you that your destiny will change. Good-bye," I said and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He just clung to me and kept telling me he didn't want me to go. I shushed him and stroked his hair. I scooped him up into my arms and rocked him back and forth. I pressed a hand to his brow and muttered a little spell to make him sleep. I laid him on his bedroll and gave his forehead one last kiss.
I rode back to Camelot my tears flowing freely. I sat up straight and wiped the tears away as I entered the gates. Arthur, King Uther, and my father were waiting for me and Arthur helped me dismount. He whispered soothing words to me as he could see I had been crying. When we got to my chambers Arthur held me and the tears started all over again. He gently swayed me back and forth. The hypnotic movements made me feel tired until I knew I was asleep. Arthur laid me on the bed and left shutting the door behind him.
I woke up to Arthur sitting on the end of my bed, leaning on the end post asleep. I sat up and shook him but to no avail. I pressed a kiss to his temple, his cheek, and the corner of his mouth. His eyes fluttered open and he yawned. "Good morning," I said giving him a quick peck on the mouth.
"Good afternoon is more like it," he said pouting. "No matter what I did you wouldn't wake up."
"Sorry, the journey was a bit, tiring," I said stretching my arms. "I'm going to talk to my father, want to come?"
"Sure. Both the kings are in the council room talking over the merchants' law again," he said helping me to my feet. I walked over to the audience chamber but stopped when I heard my father's voice.
"Uther my old friend I'm afraid we have two love-sick children one our hands."
"It seems we do Balinor. Arthur's head over heels for that lovely daughter of yours. She is quite the charmer."
"And so is your son. I've never been able to get Merlin interested in any boys. Arthur would be a fine match."
"I agree but I'll need to talk it over with Arthur," Uther said but Arthur and I walked through the door both red with embarrassment and indignation. We both started yelling at the same time so none it really made sense. Uther and my father just chuckled.
"And we are NOT love-sick!" I yelled finally. Arthur just nodded hesitantly.
"It would still be a fine match, it would unite Camelot and Ealdor. Merlin are you saying that you're completely against marrying Arthur?" my father asked. I looked at Arthur, he looked like he was trying not to say anything.
"No," I said my voice just above a whisper, "I'd marry Arthur because… I love him." I stared into his blue eyes and smile forgetting about everyone else in the room.
"I'd marry her even if it meant giving up my title, my kingdom, and anything else that stood in the way because I love her." He took my hands into his and I smiled, genuinely smiled. I looked at our fathers, they were both smiling at us.
"Well then Uther, if it's alright with you I'd like my daughter to marry your son."
"I was just thinking that I wanted my son to marry your daughter. It's settled!" Uther said clapping Father on the shoulder. I hugged Arthur and he spun me around. He gave me a quick kiss only because my father was in the room. I stopped and thought if this was what Mordred meant by uniting the kingdoms. This was definitely part of it. I couldn't believe it, I was marrying Arthur.
Later that day Arthur came to my room and knelt in front of me. He pulled out a little box with a ring inside and asked me to marry him. I said yes and he slipped the ring on my finger. The ring was simple and I loved it, an oval shaped sapphire set in a simple silver ring. I kissed Arthur and he held me tightly. Uther had all the people gather in the courtyard to tell them the news. Arthur stood slightly behind his father holding onto my hand.
"Today is a happy day!" Uther announced, "Today is the day my son, Prince Arthur, gets to find his happiness, in time he will marry Princess Merlin of Ealdor. From now until their undetermined wedding day they are betrothed!" the crowd cheered so loudly that at first I thought they were angry. I saw some people hugging and whistling. People were jumping up and punching the air. Arthur and I stepped forward and held our hands up in the air with identical smiles.
I don't know if it was the moment or if Arthur was just being an idiot but he grabbed me around the waste and planted a big kiss right on my mouth. I touched the nape of his neck and heard the cheers that had started to die down come back stronger than before. When it was all over I felt dizzy. I was marrying Arthur and I did just kiss him in front of the whole of Camelot.