Hime: Hi! Thanks for being so patient! Hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

Myrddin screamed again with tears streaming down his face causing Mordred and Arthur to run even faster.

"Just hold on! We'll get you! Don't worry!"

Mordred stopped and took off his boots. He had to jump in after Myrddin. He would never be able to forgive himself if the boy died in front of him.

Or Merlin for that matter.

But before he could do anything, he heard a spell cast.

"ASTIGE!"

Arthur stopped and gaped as the boy who was on his way downstream was now held above the water by an invisible force.

"H-how-?"

Mordred slowly put back on his boots and watched Myrddin float to the ground in front of him, dripping wet. Arthur turned around and went over to the boy whose feet gently just touched the ground, "Are you alright?"

The boy answered with a loud sneeze. Arthur moved his hand close to the boy with the intention of removing his hood to see his face for injuries but was stopped.

"Do not touch my son!"

Arthur stepped back and turned to see who had warned him off and was shocked when he recognized the mother who was levitating toward him.

The woman wore a long, linen burgundy colored dress that had long intricate lacing along the back of the sleeves and a dark cloak that made Arthur recognize her immediately.

"You!"

The woman from the waterfall!

What is she doing here?

"It's rude to point you know" Layla chided him as she landed in front of the king.

"You're a witch?"

"Problem? May I remind you that we are not in your kingdom hence you have no jurisdiction over me milord."

Arthur scowled and the two glared at each other well, more like Arthur just glared at the shadow the hood of her cloak had irritatingly cast over her face which frustrated him even more.

WHAT WAS UNDER HER DAMN HOOD?

"So, are you going to arrest me?"

Arthur deadpanned, "I'll leave you be but don't ever appear in front of me again. Come on Mordred."

Arthur turned and walked away causing an eyebrow to raise from Layla. Mordred looked at the retreating king in surprise before turning to Layla in confusion whom gestured to him to follow after the blonde man. Mordred nodded and did as he was told, leaving behind a shivering child and a frustrated mother to tend to her son.

"Milord?" Mordred asked.

"We will not speak of what had just transpired to anyone, do you hear me Mordred?"

Mordred stopped and so did Arthur who turned back to look at his knight.

"Am I clear?"

Mordred nodded in understanding,"Crystal"

"Good. Now-"

"How did you know her?" Mordred blurted out, unable to stop himself.

Arthur just answered that question with a dont-ask-me-that-again look effectively shutting up the dark-haired man.

"Let's get back"

Merlin returned to the living room to find Gwen there, sitting in the armchair looking very red in the face.

"Something wrong?" he asked her, wondering whether his friend had gotten herself a fever.

Gwen hugged herself, looking very distressed, "M-merlin...uhm..are your mother's medical exams so...thorough?"

Merlin smiled, amused at Gwen's flustered state.

Ah, so that's it...

"Yes, medical exams like the one you went through is quite common especially when the patient and the doctor are both female."

"But-t-"

"Arthur will have to go through the same thing later too you know except for him, he just gets the embarrassing questions."

Gwen could see that Merlin was trying to cheer her up but the Queen still felt uncomfortable from it all. Well, Hunith did ask a lot of disturbing, personal questions but the way she had touched her and prodded her later on was very discomforting for Gwen. She was grateful though that Hunith had forbade Arthur from following her. She could never live it down if her husband saw her in her earlier state.

Seeing how Gwen's change had no difference, Merlin tried a different approach, "Oh come on Gwen, my Mum did all that for you! To find out the cause of the problem!"

"W-well..."

"Besides Arthur had his own embarrassing medical exam with Gaius!"

"Really?" asked Gwen, surprised to hear this.

How come her husband never mentioned it?

Leon entered the room, cutting of Gwen's thoughts, "Merlin! There you are!"

"Yes? What is it Leon?"

Leon came close and whispered in Merlin's ear, "May I speak to you for a moment? Alone? Just us two?"

Merlin nodded his head and ushered Leon to the back of his home to the garden so that they may speak privately.

I wonder what would Leon need to talk to me about?

Mithian watched, horrified when she saw Morgana, riding her horse with an army of tough-looking soldiers marching on behind her.

"Captain! Get the men ready! Morgana is coming our way!"

What on Earth did Morgana want with Nemeth?

She had conquered the kingdom before so what on earth could Morgana want from the kingdom now?

Mithian ran inside her castle, to prepare for the battle.

Arthur & Mordred were still making their way back to Merlin's house but Arthur stopped suddenly out of nowhere, also halting his knight.

"Mordred"

"Yes milord? Is something the matter?"

"There is something I would like to inquire. Let's sit."

Arthur went to the tree nearest to him and sat down with his back against it and gestured to the younger male to the same.

"Mordred, I want to know...how do you feel about magic? Especially after living for a quite a while in Camelot where we have our own stands regarding the practice."

Mordred sat down next to the king and looked at Arthur, wondering if it was some sort of set up or a test of some kind, asking him this but after studying the blonde king's face, he realized that he was serious and curious even.

"May I be blunt your Highness?"

"You may"

"Then I believe that Camelot's stands on magic are very narrow-minded."

Mordred stopped there to see Arthur's reaction but there was no change as if the king had expected his answer.

"Go on" the older man urged.

Mordred took a deep breath, "Magic is like sword. It depends on the wielder and his intentions. A good man would use the sword to protect his family and friends. Honorable yes? But a bad man would use a sword to hurt others just to amuse him no?"

Arthur's expression softened, "I guess, I never thought about it like that"

"Your father had bad experiences with magic hence why he ruled Camelot the way that he did but magic isn't all that bad besides didn't the woman just now use her magic to save her son? Isn't that good? Especially when you were even there? A king who prosecuted magic in his own kingdom? She didn't care about the consequences, her son was way more important."

Arthur nodded slowly, "That is true."

Mordred smiled.

Arthur's stomach grumbled loudly then, ruining the atmosphere. Mordred tried not to laugh whilst Arthur looked sheepish.

"Let's hurry on back. I am starving as you've already heard."

Hime: Hope you liked it! Please review! ^.^