A/N I actually wrote this a month ago and came across it today!

Thanks to The-Lady-Isis for being my beta! Your amazing!

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Love you all x

Two Sides

"The hardest challenge is to be yourself in a world where everyone is trying to make you someone else." E. E Cummings

Everybody has two sides. A side displayed to everyone and another reserved for only them and the person they trust enough to let in - like two sides to a coin. A front for others to see and not who they actually are.

Take Arthur for example; people don't see past his position and his pride. Sometimes, even I find it hard to see past this exterior to his other side. Really, he is just a caring, compassionate man who wants only to do his best for the people of Camelot. The man who lied to his father and stole Mordred from the jail, releasing him. He believes people will see him sensitive, a soft touch, certainly not fit to be King let alone anything else. He doesn't yet understand that it's permitted to have emotions and portray them to others.

It's not a sign of weakness, just humanity.

He's changed so much since we were children, running around carefree. Giggling and ignorant of what the future would hold for us. How our lives have changed. I recall a memory from that strangely free time.

"Will you teach me to fight?" I asked.

"Morgana, you're a girl," retaliated Arthur.

"I hadn't noticed," I replied with sarcasm.

"But, Morgana, girls don't fight. It's only knights and Kings - who are all men!" Arthur stated.

"I want to be a knight," I pleaded in return.

"You can't!" he exclaimed.

And I stormed away in a strop, hair flying and my dress getting dirty. I somehow managed to get lost, and predictably, Arthur had to come rescue me.

The confidence Arthur exudes only extends to his fighting; he's so insecure about his role as Prince, and he desperately doesn't want to disappoint his father.

He is scared of rejection - he has already lost his mother.

I reminisce of when he stormed out of the court. When his father humiliated him in front of the whole court, refusing to believe that the Valiant was using a magic shield. It completely tore him apart. I went to him, as soon as I had permission to leave and finding him in his room. I stood in the doorway watching him. The table was on its side alone with the goblet, kicked aside in an emotional outburst. There was Arthur sitting on a chair gazing into the fire: a tear rolling down his cheek. He looked up.

"Morgana! How long have you been standing there?" he questioned, wiping away his tears.

"I came to see how you were," I replied softly.

"I'm fine!" he snapped.

"No, you're not!" I replied. "You're hurt, and you have every right to be so." I walked towards Arthur and placed a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"Bloody Merlin, this is his fault. I never should have listened to him."

"Arthur you trust him. I doubt Merlin is the type of person who would lie to you," I reminded him gently.

"I'm totally humiliated! My dignity is gone!"

"Only a little scathed," I corrected him with a small smile. "You'll get through it, you always do."

He glared for a moment more, then relaxed, smiling. "You're right." He paused. "What would I do without you?" he asked as he stroked my face. We were standing too close - much too close.

"I'm sure you'd survive but barely more then that," I teased.

Arthur laughed. "Yeah something like that," he smirked. His smile melted away again, his expression sobering. "I just want to be a good King, someone who my father can be proud of."

"You are going to be," I smiled. "Just as long as you stay true to yourself."

Arthur pulled me into his arms. His embrace felt so right, safe and comforting. He kissed my hairline - just as Merlin walked into the room and we quickly sprang apart.

"Merlin, what have I told you about knocking?" snarled an agitated Arthur.

A wide smile spread across Merlin's face as I looked down in embarrassment.

"Where would be the fun in that?" smirked Merlin. "I'd miss all the fun. Gwen was right about you two."

"Why?" I ask. "What's she been saying?"

"Some people are just born to be queen!" laughed Merlin.

My cheeks flushed red. "I better go," I spoke, as I looked down at the ground to avoid the gaze of the two men next to me. I left the room in a hurry and my dress swished at my feet. I waited outside the door to hear raised voices.

"Merlin!" came Arthur's frustrated growl.

"What?" replied Merlin in a would-be innocent tone.

"You know what!" replied Arthur.

"Sorry about that, sir!" Merlin apologised.

"It's alright," Arthur sighed, forgiving him.

"But some men just need a women to make them whole," teased Merlin, removing all good his apology had done.

"I'm going to kill you at my next fighting tournament," Arthur said through gritted teeth.

I laughed to myself as I walk away from the door. Two sides of a coin is the prefect way to describe Arthur.