It has been years since his aunt Morgana Lefay, from his mother's side, brought him to Uther Pendragon's, his grandfather's house. King Uther told him he was adopted and didn't know who his real parents were, but loved him like his real son and he was always led to believe he was Uther's adopted son, not his grandson. And Arthur himself, Uther's own son, treated him like his own little brother. But they all did that, because they were afraid of his Aunt Morgana's curse on them. He didn't know his adoptive family would be cursed if they broke their oath to Morgana Lefay, or did anything wrong to him.

And so he grew up, knowing nothing about his aunt Morgana de Gorlois and his birth own Mother : Morgause de Gorlois. He often heard about his adoptive father Uther Pendragon talking about his late adoptive mother : Ygraine. He knew his adopted father was deeply in love with his late adoptive mother. Uther had frequent outbursts about her and he didn't know why, but he always lashed out at Arthur, his adopted big brother. He was always there to defend him whenever that happened though. Uther Pendragon, drunk, said once at the table :

"You good for nothing, urchin, Arthur."

"He's not an urchin, father, he's your son and the Heir to Camelot."

"And you, Mordred, daring to defend him?"

"Yes I dare, Father, you are not yourself. You will regret it later, if you hit my brother Arthur." His adoptive father Uther was about to hit Arthur, but stopped in mid-air by him.

Now in their rooms, his brother Arthur thanked him for everything he did for him. And said to him :

"Father's been this way ever since Mother died, I don't know why he always lashes out at me, though. And never at you."

"Well, Arthur, I'll be asking him about it someday. "

"Don't Mordred, my dear brother, it'll only anger him even more."

"You're scared of your own Father, Arthur, I'm not."

"As your older brother I ask you to promise me you won't?"

"Why, what are you truly afraid of?"

"Nothing, just Father's other beatings."

And the boys went to each other's rooms to sleep. Growing up, Mordred never forgot this day, when his Father almost hit Arthur, his brother. He swore then he'd ask Uther why he was this way with Arthur, his adoptive big brother. Although only his adoptive brother, he was really a real big brother to him. He protected him against others' mockery, because he was adopted, and he in turn, protected Arthur against his Father's wrath. The man he called "Father", was very aggressive and very rash, and despised anything to do with magic. So once, when he discovered he could do magical things, he hid it from Uther.

But a maid in the House saw him, as she was going to blow out Arthur's and his candles. Luckily for him, he saw the maid too, she was so nervous that she ran as fast as she could from him, and then he knew why she was this way : she had seen him doing something. He couldn't let said maid go and rattle this out to his Father, so he stopped him in some corridor :

"Maid in the House of Pendragon, as the House's prince, I order you to not say anything about this to my father or my brother."

"But sir, if I don't report you, as asked by your Father Uther and Brother Arthur, I'd be fired and my family, especially my mother, won't have any money for her sickness anymore."

"There, this is a watch of great value. You can sell it for a lot of money. I'm sure it'll be enough to cure your mother's illness."

"Thank you, my Lord Mordred. I won't tell a soul about tonight, I promise."

And so this was the first time he, Mordred Pendragon, bribed someone. He felt rather awful about it, but as this would be fatal to him, if his "Father" and "Brother" knew about it, he'd rather have a guilty conscience than have his secret out. With time, he discovered he could do many other magical things : like transform into something and etc.

He was really careful about it though now, careful to not let anyone else see it. Even though he made the maid swear she'd never tell anyone, he was still afraid his secret might be out in the open. And if that happened, his comfortable life in the Pendragon's Castle would be over, he might even face death, as his "Father" utterly hated anyone with magical abilities, so he always thought this about his adoptive father : "Why does he hate magic so very much?" And he promised himself he'd get the bottom of this one day.

So one day he was crouched in a dark corner, overhearing his Father talk with a maid, a different one from the one he bribed into secrecy :

"Ygraine wouldn't have died if not for that wretched Morgause! She tricked me!"

"Sire, not so loud, some people might hear it."

"This is my Castle, I could be as loud as I wish, maid."

"Yes sire."

"As I was saying, it was all that damned Morgause's fault!"

"But Sire, don't forget, you were in love with the late Lady Ygraine then."

"You're only a maid, what would you know about this? And why I did what I did?"

"Why don't you tell me, my Lord, maybe that could lighten up your mood."

"Ever since she was gone, I can't be happy. And I've been a terrible father to my young son Arthur and Mordred, Morgause's son. I'm sure both must despise me now."

"Without knowing why you're this way towards them, and especially Arthur, of course, your young son wouldn't understand your behaviour toward him."

"I wish there was a way I could tell him, but every time I try to, he reminds me too much of his late Mother, Lady Ygraine. And she died giving birth to him, because of Morgause."

"Why do you say so, my Lord?" The maid was somewhat surprised.

"Because the price for my son Arthur was someone else's death, and that's why she had to die, when she gave birth to my real son."

"That's why you hate him so, my Lord?"

"Not that I hate him, no. I just can't bring myself to be good to him, after his Mother died."

"You were deeply in love with your wife Ygraine, my Lord."

"I still am now. I still can't forget her gentle touch, her face, her smile. Arthur has all that, you know."

"Yes I know, my Lord. It's getting late, you should go to sleep."

"Alas, sleep doesn't come easy for me, maid. "

He quickly climbed the stairs before his "Father", in reality his blooded grandfather, could see him. Quite often in the Caslte, he heard the name "Morgause" mentioned very often by his biological grandfather on his father Arthur's side. "Who is she? And what did she do to my adoptive father Uther?" He always wondered that whenever Uther talked about her. He know this much about her : she was a sorceress, married to King Lot, much like Morgana Lefay and worshipped the "Devil".

In his juvenile young mind, he recurrently thought about his birth mother Morgause de Gorlois as a "bad, evil woman". But he never knew in all the years, in the House of Pendragon, that he was this woman's illegitimate biological son and that his "Brother" in actuality was his incestuous father, killed his maternal grandfather Sir de Gorlois. And that she seduced his "Brother" Arthur to avenge her father, and still her vengeance wasn't appeased by that yet.

Because he was away from any of that, he grew up a happy, carefree around 15 year-old young lad, healthy and full of love from his "Brother." And whenever his "Father" would chide Arthur, he'd come to his defence. And one night he told him the truth about Uther :

"Brother, Father doesn't hate you."

"How do you know?"

"I've heard it from him one day when I was following him around."

"You're one bold one, not afraid to be caught?"

"No, and anyways, I found out about the real reason he treats you so."

"And why?"

"Because your late Mother Lady Ygraine, had to die giving birth to you." This he could see, was a shocking revelation for his big brother.

"And why?"

"He didn't say afterwards. And it was getting dark."

He wanted to talk more, but his 13 years older brother was snoring already. "That Arthur, he can fall sleep anywhere he likes and whenever he wants, not like me! For me, it has to be dark and I must be in my night wears."