For the Love of Camelot

It took Arthur almost a couple days to be back within Camelot's walls, immediately summoned to his father's presence to complain about his hasty departure, the boy's escape and a number of other things. He had spent two nights away, but it seemed like a lifetime. The man that stood in the throne room was a completely different one to the man that had last stood before the King.

Of course, his father did not notice it – Arthur had been careful to bring back a beautiful deer, making sure that they would have venison for their evening meal. Of course that shooting things had been the least impressive thing he had done since leaving his father's presence – he had defied him in manners he had never expected before; and it hadn't been easy either.

First of all, he had to send a word to the druids, and while it wasn't hard to find in the royal records those who were suspicious of associating with the druids, after his first encounter with them, no one was willing to be forthcoming about it, and Arthur couldn't really blame them. It had taken him a great deal of persuading and actually showing the contents of his letter – Florindale had been sure that it was a ploy, that she would have been tagged in order for the King to find the site.

She had met him close the city, coming from to the general direction she had indicated him; and still they would not allow him to come to their camp, choosing to meet in a clearing nearing Derry Hill. It wasn't far from Camelot, indeed he had arrived shy of the sunrise. Most of the time he had been out, he had been hunting in order not to raise any sort of suspicion about his mysterious disappearance. It would do no one good if Uther somehow decided to be suspicious of Arthur's absence.

He had waited patiently for his father to finish his speech and dismiss him, hoping to tell himself to Morgana that the boy was safe, but the king had other ideas – he set a number of chores for him, and while Merlin had soon warned her of his return, it wasn't until near sunset that he managed to find time to go to her chambers.

Gwen opened the door for him, and left immediately, leaving them alone – and Arthur was unsure if she had something else to do or if Morgana had dismissed her; the two of them were very close, enough so that Morgana would want to protect Gwen even from herself. The least she knew, the better – Uther had very little consideration towards their servants as he had made abundantly clear lately while imprisoning Gwen and leaving Merlin to die for having saved Arthur's life.

"It took you long enough" Morgana said, and there was a challenge in her voice that Arthur couldn't understand – but also wouldn't bother to acknowledge.

"Some of us actually do something all they long" he answered, smirking, and she gave him a small smile and shook her head.

"Yes, playing soldier, I know."

"It's not playing –" Arthur begun, but she interrupted him.

"Is the boy alright?"

"He's fine – he's safe" Arthur answered his brow furrowing as he saw the unmistakable signs of relief in her face. "Surely you would know if we were caught."

"He was sick" she said, sternly. "He almost died a few days ago – and he must had been scared to death, he didn't even manage to speak…"

Morgana had begun to pace, twisting her fingers with her hand in a show of worry. Arthur took a step closer and held her hands, stopping her.

"He's fine. He's safe. It's over. His people will take care of him."

She gave him a small nod, her face still clearly distraught. Arthur walked her a few steps back, making her sit in her own bed as he crouched in front of her. He was amazed – Morgana hardly ever seemed that out of control.

"You really care about him, don't you?" he muttered, his mouth against her trembling hands.

Morgana gave him a small smile.

"I can't explain it" she said, her voice strangled. "I didn't even know his name, but there was… a bond between us. I can't… I don't know…"

She shook her head, looking at him again, and Arthur felt a sudden urge to protect her.

"Mordred" he said, clearing his throat and trying to lock his feelings away. "His name is Mordred."

"Mordred" she said, as if she was testing the name – hadn't it been a small child, Arthur would wonder if she had fallen for the boy after seeing the tenderness in her face; but he was just a child, he reminded himself, wishing away his sudden jealousy. "It's a beautiful name."

Arthur had nothing to say to that, so he just let go of her hands and stood up.

"I should…" he started, but Morgana interrupted him once again.

"I need to talk to you."

Part of him told him to run away – all of his last conversations with her had led him away from his father; away from his duty. It was true that it also had led him closer to the man he wanted to be, but it was always a risk, walking on a slippery slope. Everything she had revealed had been a burden, and emotional as she was, it was likely she would turn herself to matters that he was not yet ready to discuss – that he wasn't ready to admit.

"Morgana…" he started, trying to get himself out of this one.

"It's important" she said, standing up and looking at him for a moment before sighing. "I am not going to ask you anything" she added, and Arthur wondered if she could read his mind.

"Has my father said anything to you these last days?" he asked, finally, since it was clear he would have to face the problem, whatever it was.

She gave him an amused look before shaking her head.

"Yes, he has been saying it's time for me to marry, but…"

"I'm not ready" Arthur blurted out, suddenly, and she let out a small laugh.

"I don't think you crossed his mind" she said, smiling. "It would be a loss of a valuable exchange he could make giving me to someone else."

It pained him to see her talk about it as if it mattered little, but he soldiered on.

"I always thought you were being raised to be my queen" he said, shaking his head. "He never took on any other proposals seriously."

Morgana smiled at him, coming closer and caressing his face lightly.

"And I would have gladly accepted that, if it were the case" her voice was soft, softer than he had ever heard, and he looked away from her fearing what sort of impulses he would have looking at her like that, admitting his ideas like that. "Alas, it isn't. Also, this not what I wanted to talk to you about."

Once again, Arthur shut himself up, standing a bit straighter as he stared at her.

"What is it?"

Morgana bit her lip, unsure, and took a step back. When she spoke again, her voice was rushed.

"Do you remember Sophia…?"

Arthur couldn't help but flinch, he would rather not think about those days.

"Unfortunately" he said, looking away from her for a second. "But why…?"

"I told you she was up to no good."

"I thought we had already established that I don't need help making a fool of myself, especially when it comes to things like this."

That made her give him a small smile, but it soon vanished.

"I dreamed…" she paused for a second, and then begun again. "Before she arrived in Camelot, I dreamed she was kidnapping you – I dreamt of you getting hurt and in her care."

Now it was Arthur's time to laugh – not this again!

"Morgana… You had a nightmare and assumed it was her."

"I did not" she replied, clearly angry now. "It was her and I recognized her as soon as I saw her – and it is not the first time. There were many times before…"

"You should talk to Gaius to adjust your potion" he said, dismissing it. He was tired and didn't have time for Morgana's fancies.

"There's nothing Gaius can do for me" she said, briskly. "And you can ask him yourself if you don't trust me enough."

"Morgana…" Arthur started, already tired of it.

"I am a seer" she said, her head held high and her stare piercing him.

He stopped for a second, stunned, and then sighed.

"You should…"

"You can ask Gaius – he will tell you. I am a Seer, Arthur, and I was born with this gift – and maybe other gifts too, I do not know. But I am telling you, I am a Seer, and my dreams do come true."

Arthur could only stare, thinking back on the many times Morgana had come to talk about her nightmares; how often they had indeed been an omen of what was to come, but his mind couldn't wrap itself around the idea that the girl he had grown up with was… That she had something so close to magic inside her. They stayed in silence for a long time, and there was nothing else that he could say – he couldn't even believe his own ears or the evidence his memory kept giving him.

He didn't know what he could do or why she had told him that, so, Arthur did that only thing that he knew he wanted to do.

He left.