Happy Monday everyone! Enjoy! I never intended to write this second half of this 'episode' but it's gone in an interesting new path. I like it.

Chapter 10- Mordred

Arthur Pendragon had very little patience, and less when he was imprisoned. Morgana had gone silent and still, brewing in the many betrays she'd faced. Arthur, perhaps, would have felt bad for her, except he was too busy trying to escape the mess she'd created. He began to pace, moving back and forth across the small tent, looking to see if there was anything that could be used as a weapon. Magic, of course, was an option, though the guards presumably had it as well, and there were two guards for each of them, more if Morgana did not know how to use her magic, which was Arthur's suspicion.

He sighed loudly, and hissed, "Merlin, how many guards can you handle?"

Merlin peered out of the tent, before shrugging. "Enough, but we cannot leave without the crystal. It's too dangerous to be left with these people. We could beat our guards, but not the whole camp."

It was a fair enough statement, though Arthur wished the odds were more in their favor. Perhaps with Morgana's help they could fight their way out, but there were too many bandits for them to get the crystal and escape. They could not even escape and hope to come back with a larger force, for the bandits would certainly be gone in the time it took to go to Camelot and back.

Arthur cursed himself for coming alone, for attempting to do things peacefully. His father's way was not right, but it was certainly simpler. "Morgana, I don't want to know how you came to befriend these people, but tell me there is something you know about them that can help us?"

Morgana bit her lip, and Arthur's hope soared. She clearly knew something, and she had to help them. For whatever reason she'd helped them, she had to know now they were no good. "Mordred… I came for Mordred. He's just a child, Arthur. He doesn't deserve to be hunted like a dog just for what he is!"

No, he didn't. None of them did. All three of them in that tent, and this boy, wherever he was, would be killed by Uther if he knew of their magic. Class, age, sex, even familial relations- none of it mattered to Uther when he was thinking about magic. "It won't be like this forever. When Father is gone, I will legalize it, but I'll never have any support doing so if the only magic people see is dark. Trust me Morgana. You must trust me."

For a reason unbeknownst to Arthur, Morgana looked down at a cuff on her wrist. Then she looked back up at him and nodded, "Of course, Arthur. Of course I trust you. What must I do to help?"

Arthur, unfortunately, did not actually know. Luckily, he had Merlin. (Which just about summed up his life.) Merlin turned to Morgana and said, "If I can get Mordred to come in here, do you think you can convince him to help us?"

Morgana did not reply because Merlin practically jumped out of his skin. Arthur didn't know what was going on, but he saw Merlin raise a hand to his temple. What had his servant said before, about speaking to the druid boy in his mind? Arthur had no doubt that the same thing was occurring then.

Arthur heard the sound of the tent flapping. He looked towards the entrance, but saw nothing but the guards. Then he turned around. Standing in the back of the tent, having undone one of the spikes and snuck under the fabric, was a boy of ten or eleven by Arthur's reckoning. He had a mop of black hair on his head, and deep, soulful blue eyes. It was what was in his hand that drew Arthur's attention though. He was not glad to see the crystal again, though he was grateful to know it was not in these bandits' hands. Then again, he had less confidence in the hands of a little boy.

Especially with the look the boy was giving Merlin, and the silent conversation they seemed to be having.

Morgana swept the boy up into a tight hug. He looked surprised for a moment, but then reciprocated it. For the first time, he spoke aloud, "Emrys doesn't believe me, but I don't want to see you hurt Morgana. You must take this and run. Alvarr is harmless without it."

Arthur doubted any of the bandits were harmless, but he was wise enough to understand that, compared to the power they had with the crystal, they were all harmless without it. Though Merlin still seemed hesitant, even glaring at the child, Arthur trusted him for having the courage, at such a young age, to go against his guardians. Arthur was far older, and he certainly lacked the courage to fight his father, to face the prospect of being entirely alone in the world- it was unthinkable.

He reached out to take the crystal, and his eyes met with the boy's. They were deep, expressive, but made a part of Arthur quake with fear. He grabbed the crystal, wanting to move away from the strange boy.

And found himself lying up in bed, staring at those same eyes.

Arthur rubbed his eyes, sure his vision was betraying him. He blinked once, twice, trying to figure out what was happening. He could have sworn moments before he'd been grabbing the crystal from Mordred, and yet he was now back in his bed. Had it been a dream? Had he somehow fallen unconscious upon touching the stone, perhaps reacting poorly to the magic? The latter, at least, would explain why Mordred was still there; Arthur hadn't known Mordred in the world where he did magic. Of course, if that was the case, then his memories were still all wrong, which seemed far more absurd than a random child being in his room. Throughout the dream he'd felt as if it made no sense for him to simply have false memories.

Arthur was very confused, and looked to Merlin for answers. Surely, if he'd been knocked unconscious by the crystal, Merlin would mention it upon waking. Instead he was giving Arthur dirty looks, "And you said you were capable of getting yourself up. It's nearly lunchtime! How has no one missed you?"

Arthur had no idea. He had very little idea of anything, actually. He looked over at Mordred. The boy looked almost younger than he had been in the dream. It was a dream, right? "Merlin, this may sound odd, but… I've always known of your magic, correct?"

"Of course… are you alright, Arthur?" Merlin asked, and Arthur felt tendrils of Merlin's magic reaching out to him. That assured him that reality was correct once more, though he cast a look at Mordred (if that was his name) who'd shrunken into the corner.

"Yes, just a funny dream. Who is your friend?" Arthur asked, very glad to get the conversation away from his mind. (Besides, it was odd for Merlin to bring a random child into Arthur's chambers, so it was worth asking about. Strictly speaking, Merlin wasn't allowed to bring anyone into Arthur's chambers, nevermind a random child.)

Merlin must have realized that, for he reached out, pulling the boy back within his grip. "He… well I actually don't know his name. He doesn't speak, aloud I mean. He speaks in my head, which is a skill I should learn, make my life easier than running about the castle looking for you…" Merlin was getting distracted, which wasn't very odd at all. He shook the thoughts from his head, and pulled the boy's shirt down so Arthur could see the tattoo there. "He's a druid. The guards killed his father, but I managed to rescue him. Please, Arthur, you have to help me get him out of the city. The guards saw him; they're searching the castle already."

Arthur did not have a chance to reply before the door to his chambers swung open. He moved instinctively in front of the boy, as did Merlin, though anyone with eyes would see him immediately. Morgana, it appeared, lacked them, for she came in speaking and only stopped halfway through, "Arthur, why on earth are there guards tearing apart my chambers looking for a druid bo…"

Morgana's eyes softened in a way Arthur had never before seen when she saw the boy. She knelt down before him, reaching out to touch him. Merlin held on tight to the child, but the boy, in a rare burst of courage, pulled away from the great warlock and moved towards Morgana. When their hands met, Arthur felt a strange dance of magic irradiating from them, as if their own magic was reaching out and binding them together. He looked to Merlin, to see if he'd felt it as well. Merlin didn't seem aware at all. Sensing magic, it seemed, was the one domain of magic Arthur was superior in. Merlin never seemed to notice it at all.

Quickly, however, a new thought appeared in Arthur's head- if he felt Morgana's magic tying with Merlin's then that meant… "Morgana, you have magic."

Every window, every mirror, every piece of glass in the room, shattered. Shards went flying everywhere, and slashing Arthur's arms as he used them to cover his face. Merlin shielded Mordred as well, getting long cuts in the process. Once the glass settled, Arthur looked up to see Morgana, horror wide across her face, slowly backing towards the door. Merlin reacted first, reaching out to grab her. She struggled against him, trying to pull away, but Merlin told her, "Morgana, calm down, we won't hurt you. Let us explain, please."

Morgana continued to fight Merlin, and Arthur thought quickly, looking around his room. He called upon Merlin's magic, bending it to his use, and then said carefully, "Béte."

The room righted itself, the shards flying back to their spots, and suddenly the light coming into the room was filtered once more through windows. Arthur turned to Morgana, who had stopped fighting Merlin, and was standing, mouth agape. He walked towards her, keeping his eyes locked to hers. She looked terrified, and confused, and a bit betrayed. Arthur took it all in stride, saying to her, "It's alright Morgana. You're not alone. I've been practicing magic for years. Mordred here has it. Merlin… well I think Merlin actually is it. We help each other. I suppose now we can help you as well."

"Arthur, how did you know about her magic, and how do you know this boy's name?" Merlin asked, and Arthur gulped. The boy, Mordred, was looking at him strangely. Clearly Mordred was his name, which made no sense, for Arthur hadn't been told it. He only knew from the dream, the dream that somehow wasn't a dream, for it had been right about Mordred, and it had been right about Morgana.

It was very strange. Then again, they were in Camelot. "I had a dream… It does not matter. We must get Mordred out of the city. We are all old enough to hide whatever abilities we have from my father, but Mordred is just a child. He belongs with his own people. Mordred, do you know how to find friends?"

The child did not speak, and for a long time did nothing. The seconds seemed to stretch for miles, and Arthur's heart pounded. He did not know what he would do if Mordred didn't know how to find other druids. Arthur certainly did not know where the druids hid. He only ever found them when his father ordered them slaughtered; it was no wonder they did not advertise their movements to Arthur.

Yet after an eternity, Mordred nodded. Arthur let out the breath he had not realized he was holding. "Then this should not be difficult. I am the Prince- no guard will question me. Merlin-he looks enough like you to be your little brother. We shall say he ran away to visit you, and now we must ride to Ealdor to return him. Go prepare two horses and a pony. I will tell my father I am to search for any signs of where the druids are staying. It will, for once, not be a lie."

"Prepare three horses, Merlin," Morgana snapped. Arthur went to object, but the look in her eyes grew deadly. "I am just as involved in this as you are, Arthur, and if I truly have magic, then perhaps the druids can explain it to me."

She quivered a bit at the end, but the resolve in her eyes remained firm. Arthur hated it when she got like this, yet he respected it as well. Furthermore, he knew from their childhood that it was not worth fighting her over. "Very well, but you must come up with your own excuse for my father."

Morgana smirked, "Oh I can handle Uther."

"No, that is my final answer, Morgana!" Uther declared, standing up from his throne to look his ward right in the eye. Arthur would have chuckled had not he known what a precarious line they were walking. He'd easily enough gotten permission from his father to ride out in search of the clan from which the dead druid came, but then Morgana had declared she was joining Arthur because her health demanded she spend me time outside. It was the worst excuse Arthur had ever heard, Uther too, it seemed, from his response.

"Arthur is going to find druids, evil beings who would kill you in a second were they given a chance. If you truly wish a vacation for your heath, you could join any of my lords in their country house- and perhaps even find someone to wed. You cannot go with Arthur."

Morgana would likely have continued arguing pointlessly, but Arthur saw fit to step in and save her- for Mordred's sake. He did not like having the boy remain in Camelot any longer than strictly necessary. "Father, perhaps Morgana can join me, just so far as Viscount Vorlous's country house? It would be a waste of good men for you to provide her with a different escort, and wherever the druids came from, they must have passed through his lands if they reached Camelot. It is not like they came from the sea."

Now Uther sat back down, rubbing his chin. Finally, Uther nodded, "Very well, this I can agree to. I hope, Morgana, that you learn something from Arthur one of these days. Arthur will bring you to rest at Lord Vorlous's home, and then gather you once he has rooted out any druids. Arthur, I do not think I need to tell you what your orders are should you find any druids in our lands?"

"No, Father, you do not," Arthur assured, bowing slightly to his father for good measure. Morgana glared at him, but Arthur rolled his eyes, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her from the throne room. Once they were outside and heading down to the stables to meet Merlin and Mordred, Arthur hissed at Morgana, "You can handle him, can you?"

Morgana huffed, defiance bright in her eyes, "As if you could have done much better." (Though, actually, he had). "I am having a difficult day, Arthur. There were guards in my chambers, and you suddenly reveal yourself to have magic, not to mention claiming that I… that I…"

Arthur couldn't blame her for not being able to finish that sentence. He'd chosen to do magic. As much as he didn't have it in him to stop, he technically could. Morgana, Merlin, Mordred- none of them had asked for their lives to be forfeit by the very fact of their existence. It was all wrong. Arthur didn't understand why his father was so blind.

So he looked upon Morgana sympathetically, giving her a break for her terrible attitude, just this once, "I'm sorry. Did you truly not suspect?"

Morgana bit her lip, and shook her head. "No, the problem was I did. My dreams… they keep coming true. I just didn't want to think... Well I didn't want to face the truth."

Arthur understood that for sure. The truth in life was often a terrible thing.

Arthur and Morgana hurried from the castle to the stables, and arrived a moment too late. When they got there Arthur found four knights, their blades pointed at Merlin, who held their saddled horses, and Mordred, tightly. "What is going on here?" Arthur demanded, storming over.

One of the knights, Sir Nevil, if Arthur remembered correctly, ruffled his feathers, and actually dared to smile. "Your Highness! I found the druid boy running away with this servant."

"Tell me, Sir Nolan, is there only one boy in Camelot right now?" Morgana snapped, startling even Arthur. Her gaze on the knights was intense enough they all, besides Sir Nolan, lowered their swords.

The haughty knight, however, smirked, "No, My Lady, but I know this is the one. Besides, they were stealing horses."

Arthur almost felt bad for the knight, except he seemed the boastful, arrogant type of knight, which, of course, Arthur could not stand. "Yes, and what would two fleeing druids be doing stealing four horses, not two? Do you ride faster if you have an extra horse?"

"They could be meeting up with others," Sir Nolan countered, taking a step closer to Merlin. Arthur saw Mordred looking terrified, and reached out to sense the boy's magic. It was bubbling beneath the surface dangerously. Arthur had no desire for another outburst like Morgana's; he had to diffuse the situation quickly.

"Sir Nolan, I order you to stand down. This is my servant and his foolish brother. The extra horses belong to the Lady Morgana any myself. If you are done being a blundering idiot, perhaps you all should rejoin the search for the true druid child, before he burns all of Camelot with his magic?"

Finally, Sir Nolan paled, "Oh…. My apologies, Your Highness. Of course, we shall…. We shall do just that!"

The knight raised his sword high in the air, running off, the others behind him. Arthur watched for a moment, trying to remember if he'd been concussed when granting permission for that man to be knighted. He wondered if there was a way to un-knight someone, for surely it did Camelot no good to have men like that out there fighting for them.

"Remind me, Merlin, to ensure Sir Nolan is guarding the dungeons the next time we have a magical prisoner. It shall make us freeing them significantly easier," Arthur noted mindlessly, climbing upon his horse. Merlin, who was helping Mordred mount his pony, snorted a laugh, and even Morgana chuckled.

They rode from Camelot without anyone stopping them. The guards at the gate had been ordered to check any child trying to leave the city, but they supposed a child leaving with the Prince himself was harmless. It reminded Arthur of why he'd decided it was better to remain in the graces of his father, whatever the cost. Supporting magic in secret, with deeds instead of words, was quite advantageous.