A/N: Hi everyone! So, this AU is basically my fix-it for the way the show handled Mordred. Poor Mordred hadn't even done anything and Merlin kept trying to kill him—I hate that. Warning: the altered backstory has somewhat changed Merlin.

Two basic things to note before reading. First of all, dialogue in italics is telepathic. Second, this fic will be written almost exclusively from Merlin and Mordred's POVs; if a scene is not featured, that does not necessarily mean that it didn't happen in the AU.

I plan to update this fic every Wednesday. I've got several episodes already written and I plan to stay a few weeks ahead of the updates. That way, if anything comes up to delay my writing, you'll still get your regularly scheduled chapter.

Please note that I do not own Merlin, its characters, or any direct quotes from the show. All rights to the BBC.

And to anyone decided to stop by for a re-read, you may notice that The Dragon's Call has undergone a minor rewrite. It originally took a few episodes for me to settle into Merlin's alternate personality, and I've now gone back through to make his early characterization more consistent.

On a hill outside Camelot, two boys made their way toward the city. Although they were not related by blood, they had grown up together and considered each other brothers. Looking at them, one would never guess that they were not related—both boys had black hair and startling blue eyes. When they caught sight of the castle, they paused to admire the view, totally awestruck.

I never realized castles were that big! Mordred exclaimed, speaking in his brother's mind.

And we're going to live there, Merlin replied in the same manner, smiling at his brother.

Mordred bit his lip, looking worried. What if we're caught? What if they look at us and know?

They can't know we're magic just by looking at us, Merlin reassured.

But what if someone recognizes you? Mordred fretted.

It's been eight years. I don't exactly look the same, Merlin reasoned. Nor will they expect me to walk through the front gates and move in with the physician. We'll be fine.

Merlin was eighteen now, almost a man. On the other hand, Mordred was still very much a child, only nine years old. He was young enough to be easily reassured by Merlin's words, and the pair continued their journey. Eventually they reached the city and entered the lower town. They happily drank in the sights around them until they reached the palace courtyard and heard drums.

What's going on? Mordred wondered.

Merlin craned his neck, trying to see over the crowd. To his horror, he realized he was looking at a scaffold. He instantly grabbed Mordred and shielded his view. Mordred, don't look, he urged.

Why not? What is it? Mordred asked, trying to wriggle out of Merlin's firm hold.

Just don't look, Merlin repeated.

A defeated-looking man was led to the scaffold. A richly-dressed figure watched from a balcony overlooking the courtyard and began to address the crowd. "Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."

The king lowered his hand. The axe fell, and Collins's head with it. Merlin flinched, and Mordred was suddenly very glad that his own head was safely buried in his brother's chest.

"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos," Uther continued. "But with the people's help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin."

That could be us, Mordred said, shaking.

It won't be, Merlin promised. I won't let it.

A loud wailing tore through the air. The crowd turned to see an old woman pointing an accusing finger at the king.

"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic!" she cried. "It is you! With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"

Amazingly, the king looked entirely unconcerned by the woman's threat. "Seize her!" he called. The guards surged forward to obey his orders, but the woman chanted a spell and disappeared in a smoky whirlwind.

The crowd began to dissipate, muttering about the woman and her threats. Merlin finally released Mordred and led the way to the base of a tower. Once inside, they stopped in front of a guard.

"Excuse me, where would we find Gaius, the court physician?" Mordred asked, speaking aloud for the first time that day.

The guard grunted and pointed at the staircase behind him. The brothers made their way up the staircase, passing a sign that indeed read "Court Physician". Eventually they reached a door that was slightly ajar. Merlin tentatively knocked. When there was no response, he pushed the door open and cautiously entered, followed by Mordred. The room appeared to be empty.

"Hello?" Mordred called. "Hello? Gaius?" When there was still no response, he nervously cleared his throat.

Suddenly there was a loud snapping noise, drawing both brothers' attention to a small balcony. An old man had been browsing books on the balcony, but Mordred had startled him into falling backwards—straight through the railing. Immediately, Merlin's eyes flashed gold, and Gaius's fall slowed to a near stand-still. Frantically, Merlin looked around the room. When he spotted a bed, another flash of his eyes moved it underneath Gaius. Time returned to normal, and Gaius crashed onto the bed.

Immediately Gaius got to his feet and turned to the two brothers, his eyes slightly wild. "Which of you was that?" he demanded.

Both brothers paled. "Neither of us!" Mordred defended instantly, his panic obvious.

"Tell me!" Gaius cried.

"I have no idea what happened!" Mordred insisted.

"If anyone had seen that…" Gaius warned.

"Please don't tell anyone!" Mordred begged, giving up on convincing Gaius that they had nothing to do with it.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, I just want to know where you learned how to do it!" Gaius continued. Though his words came as something of a relief, he still looked a bit wild.

"We've never studied magic," Mordred stated emphatically.

"So how is it you know magic?"

"We were born like this!" Mordred insisted.

"That's impossible!" Gaius said dismissively. "Who are you?"

"I'm Mordred and this is my brother Merlin," Mordred explained. Merlin took off his pack and removed a letter, which he handed to Gaius.

"Hunith's sons?" Gaius queried.

"Yes."

"But you're not meant to be here till Wednesday," Gaius stated, confused.

The brothers shared a worried look. "It is Wednesday," Mordred said.

"Ah. Right then." Gaius gestured to his back room. "You'd better put your bags in there then." The brothers moved to do so, but then Gaius's voice made them pause. "Merlin, I take it your voice never recovered?"

Merlin shook his head, and Mordred answered for him. "No, it didn't. But he's got a language of hand signs now, so he can sort of talk. And," Mordred lowered his voice, "we can speak to each other in our minds."

"Ah," Gaius said, his face softening. He turned back to the elder brother. "I'm sorry to hear that, Merlin, truly I am."

Merlin offered him a brief smile and turned to lead Mordred into their new bedroom. He had not spoken a word in the last eight years. Truth be told, he had long since adjusted to his condition. The loss of his voice was hardly the worst thing that had happened that day.

That night, Merlin was trying to sleep when he heard a voice in his head.

Merlin…

What is it, Mordred? Merlin asked, annoyed that his rest was disturbed.

Be quiet, Merlin, I'm trying to sleep, Mordred said drowsily.

Before Merlin could formulate a response, the voice came again. Merlin…

Merlin sat bolt upright. That wasn't Mordred's voice. Who are you? he tried to reply.

There was no response.

The next morning, Merlin and Mordred entered the main chamber and found Gaius putting a bucket on the end of the table.

"I got you water," Gaius stated. "You didn't wash last night."

Both brothers looked abashed. "Sorry," Mordred muttered for the both of them.

"Help yourselves to breakfast," Gaius said, indicating two bowls of porridge.

The brothers sat down to eat. Gaius checked to be sure neither one was watching, then knocked the bucket off the table. Both brothers immediately reached toward the bucket. The bucket and its partially spilled contents froze in midair.

Gaius gasped and looked between the two in amazement. The bucket dropped to the floor. "Which of you was that?"

The brothers just glanced at each other and shrugged. They both could control objects with their minds, though Merlin was better at freezing things in midair.

Gaius saw that he would not get a response, so he continued. "How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your minds?"

Merlin shook his head while Mordred replied. "We don't know any spells."

"So what did you do?" Gaius demanded. "There must be something."

"It just happens," Mordred answered with a shrug. Merlin got up and grabbed a mop to begin cleaning up the spill.

"Well, we'd better keep you boys out of trouble," Gaius said worriedly. "You can both help me until we find some paid work for Merlin." He placed a small sack and a bottle on the table. "Here. Hollyhock and feverfew for Lady Percival, and this is for Sir Olwin. He's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all at once."

Mordred picked up the medicines as Merlin put away the mop. They prepared to walk out the door, but Gaius called them back. "Boys, I need hardly remind you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed."

Merlin nodded while Mordred swallowed nervously. That execution had ensured that he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon.

After the pair finished delivering medicines, they made their way outside. They soon came to a large field with lots of targets set up. A servant scurried back and forth, carrying another target, while several richly-dressed young men laughed at him. One of the men, a muscular blond, was throwing knives at the beleaguered servant. None missed the target, but Merlin grew angry anyway. When the servant dropped the target and it rolled to a stop at Merlin's feet, he put his foot on it.

"Hey, that's enough," Mordred spoke up.

"What?" the blond said in disbelief, turning to face them. He was clearly unused to people standing up to him.

Merlin made a few signs with his hands, which Mordred interpreted. "He says you've had your fun."

"Can't he speak for himself?" the blond asked derisively.

"He was strangled half to death as a child, so, no, he can't," Mordred answered, annoyed.

"Can't say I blame whoever it was," the blond replied, smug laughter in his eyes.

"He was defending me!" Mordred said angrily.

Sensing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Merlin put an arm around his brother's shoulders and began steering him away. Leave it, Mordred, Merlin cautioned.

They had barely gone two steps when the blond spoke up again. "I don't see why he'd bother defending a runt like you."

Suddenly, Merlin whirled back around and took a swing at their tormentor. The blond quickly caught the punch and twisted Merlin's arm behind his back, entrapping Merlin in his grip. "I'll have you thrown in jail for that."

Mordred's jaw dropped in outrage. "Who do you think you are, the king?"

"No, I'm his son, Arthur." The prince purposely tripped Merlin before handing him over to the guards. "Take this idiot to the cells."

"He has a name! It's Merlin!" Mordred called.

The prince whirled to fix him with an angry glare. Mordred swallowed nervously, but refused to back down. "And I'm his brother, Mordred."

Just stop talking and keep yourself out of trouble! Merlin begged. Go, I'll be fine!

Mordred acquiesced and ran back to Gaius's chambers, though not before shooting the prince one last hateful look.

"Gaius!" Mordred called, bursting into their chambers. "Merlin's been thrown in jail for trying to punch the prince!"

"What?!" Gaius exclaimed. "Slow down, Mordred, I think you had better start from the beginning."

Mordred stood panting for a few moments, trying to catch his breath. Once he'd recovered, he explained the whole story. Gaius's eyes slowly widened throughout the tale.

"I'll handle this, Mordred," Gaius promised. "You just stay here and stay out of trouble." He quickly left the room.

Mordred sighed. That was all anyone wanted him to do, stay out of trouble. He considered wandering off just to be contrary, but then he remembered the sight of Merlin being dragged away. Mordred imagined himself being dragged off to his own execution, and he shuddered. Maybe staying put wasn't such a bad idea.

That night, Merlin tried to get comfortable on the pallet in his cell, but he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, cursing his stupidity at trying to punch a man who was obviously a nobleman, even if he'd had no way of knowing the man was the prince. Then Mordred's voice floated into his mind.

Merlin? Are you all right?

I'm fine, Merlin replied. Don't worry about me.

Gaius says he got them to "reduce your sentence", Mordred informed him. I think that's supposed to be a good thing.

It is, Merlin assured his brother. It means they're not going to punish me as badly. He rolled over and finally closed his eyes, more relieved by the news than he was willing to admit.

The next thing Merlin knew, he was being woken by the unfamiliar voice.

Merlin…

Look, I hear you, now what do you want?! Merlin shot back, annoyed.

Merlin…Merlin…

Frowning, Merlin realized that the voice seemed to be coming from underneath him. He crouched down and pressed his ear to the floor of his cell.

"Merlin!"

Merlin quickly jumped to his feet. To his embarrassment, he spotted Gaius and Mordred outside his cell, giving him curious looks.

"You never cease to amaze me!" Gaius continued. "The one thing someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot!"

Merlin bowed his head in shame, knowing that Gaius was right.

Fortunately, Gaius wasn't finished. "You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released."

Merlin beamed at Gaius, signing his thanks, but his smile faded when Mordred failed to interpret. Instead, his brother was smirking at him. Oh no, there must be a catch.

Traitor, Merlin said sullenly. Mordred had gleefully joined the crowd of children who were throwing rotten vegetables at the poor soul locked into the stocks today—namely, Merlin.

For once, I can throw things at you and Mother can't even tell me off for it! Mordred said wickedly. Then he sobered. If she were here, anyway.

Merlin's annoyance faded as he saw Mordred's face fall. I miss her too.

At that point, the children ran out of vegetables and ran off to collect more. Mordred did not join them; instead he approached Merlin. A dark-skinned maidservant also approached, carrying an overflowing basket of laundry.

"Hello," the maidservant said. "I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid."

"Hello," Mordred replied while Merlin flashed a smile at Gwen. "I'm Mordred and this is my brother Merlin."

Gwen returned Merlin's smile. "I saw what you did yesterday. I thought you were very brave."

Merlin attempted to sign a reply, although it was difficult with his hands locked in the stocks. Luckily, Mordred knew his brother well enough to guess what he was trying to say. "He says it was stupid."

"Ah." Gwen looked taken aback for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "If you don't mind my asking, what happened to your voice?"

"We were attacked when I was a baby," Mordred answered. "A man was about to kill me and Merlin stepped in the way."

"You were a baby and he tried to kill you?!" Gwen exclaimed.

"Yes," Mordred continued somewhat uncomfortably. "The man tried to strangle Merlin and he nearly succeeded."

Gwen gasped. "How did you escape?"

Mordred opened his mouth to answer, but then he caught sight of the look on Merlin's face and he changed what he had been about to say. "Mother was looking for us and brought some villagers to help."

Gwen didn't look entirely convinced, but she smiled. "I stand by what I said, Merlin. You're very brave."

Merlin smiled and attempted to sign something else. Mordred got the gist and glanced around to see the other children returning. "He says you should probably go before they start throwing."

Gwen moved to leave, and her laundry nearly fell out of the basket. Mordred caught it. "Would you like me to help you carry that?" he asked shyly.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Gwen replied with a smile. "You're very sweet, Mordred."

Mordred smiled back and grabbed some clothing from the top of her basket. It looked like he and Merlin had made a friend.

Gwen led the way to the noblewomen's wing of the castle and knocked on a door. "Lady Morgana?" she called.

"Come in!" came the reply.

Gwen opened the door, revealing a lavish set of chambers. A richly-dressed woman with raven-colored hair sat at a desk. She looked up as Gwen entered, then turned her head to look at Mordred with surprise. "Who's this?" Lady Morgana asked kindly.

"My name is Mordred, my lady," Mordred said with a bow.

Morgana rose from her chair. "Please, there's no need for that. I know I'm the king's ward, but I'm still human."

Mordred straightened. "It's an honor to meet you."

Morgana smiled. "I should be honored to meet you. Gwen told me what you and your brother did. Not many people have the guts to stand up to Arthur. Camelot could use more people like you."

Mordred frowned. "Merlin got thrown in jail for it. I don't think we should do it again."

"Nonsense," Morgana replied dismissively. "Someone's got to keep his ego in check, or he'll never fit in his armor. I tell you what, if he bothers you again just come to me. I'll give him a lesson that he can't throw me in jail for. How does that sound?"

"You're very kind, my lady," Mordred answered. He quickly decided that the Lady Morgana was one of the most wonderful people he'd ever met.

Later that day, Merlin was released from the stocks and both brothers sat down to lunch in Gaius's chambers. "Would you like some vegetables with that?" Gaius teased.

The brothers snorted with laughter, then Merlin signed a reply. "He knows you're still angry with him."

"Your mother asked me to look after you," Gaius said, a hint of a reprimand in his tone. "What did she say to you about your gifts?"

"That we were special," Mordred answered.

"You are special," Gaius agreed. "The likes of which I have never seen before."

"What do you mean?" Mordred asked curiously.

"Well, magic requires incantations, spells," Gaius continued. "It takes years to study. What I saw you two do was…elemental, instinctive."

Merlin signed something else. "We're not the only people ever to be born with magic."

Gaius shook his head. "Some people are born with the talent, but even they must study to gain any semblance of control over their abilities."

Merlin signed again. "Did you ever study magic?"

"Uther banned all such work twenty years ago," Gaius said evasively.

"Why?" Mordred wondered.

"People used magic for the wrong end at that time," Gaius explained. "It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons."

"All of the dragons?" Mordred said, surprised. "Aren't there any left?"

"There was one dragon he chose not to kill, kept it as an example," Gaius revealed. "He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it. Now, eat up. When you've finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice."

The singer's guest chambers were empty when the brothers arrived. Merlin glanced around, then put the bottle of medicine on the vanity table. He was about to leave, but he paused when he noticed an odd effigy. There was something definitely…off about it.

Mordred followed Merlin's gaze with interest, then started examining the other objects on the table. Soon, he spotted a suspicious-looking book. What do you think is going on? he asked.

I don't know, but I don't think it's good, Merlin replied.

A noise from the hallway made both brothers look up. Quickly they tried to replace things where they had found them. Moments later, Lady Helen walked in and gave them a suspicious look. "What are you doing in here?"

Mordred quickly held up the bottle of medicine. "We were asked to deliver this."

Lady Helen gave them another suspicious look, but apparently she found nothing to contradict their statement. She stepped aside to let them leave, and they were only too happy to do so.

What should we do? Mordred asked worriedly.

What can we do? Merlin responded. Tell the guards that we were snooping in Lady Helen's room and got a funny feeling? We'd be lucky if they didn't throw us in the cells. Again, in my case.

Free of chores for the time being, the brothers headed out to explore the lower town. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Would you look at that, it's the idiot and the runt!" the prince called.

Merlin slung his arm around Mordred's shoulder and kept walking, studiously ignoring their rival. However, Arthur was not content with that. "Oh, don't run away!"

Mordred stopped and turned around. "From you?" he called back, refusing to let the arrogant prince intimidate him. After all, he knew the Lady Morgana would be on his side. It hadn't crossed his mind that she couldn't do much from wherever she currently was.

Merlin sighed and turned around to face Arthur as well.

"Thank god!" Arthur said. "I thought you were deaf as well as dumb."

Merlin stiffened and signed a reply. "He says he's not stupid enough to pick a fight with a man who has the guards arrest anyone who stands up to him."

Arthur simply laughed. "Who needs guards? I could take you apart with one blow."

Merlin shook his head and signed again. Mordred looked slightly put out as he interpreted. "He says he doesn't need to prove anything to you." Merlin once again tried to steer Mordred away.

"What's the matter? Scared to lose in front of your brother?" Arthur taunted.

Merlin kept walking, keeping a firm grip on Mordred.

Arthur tried a different tack. "I think the runt has more guts than you do. Perhaps I should try taking him apart with one blow."

The effect was instantaneous. Merlin whirled around and stepped defensively in front of Mordred, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it to his brother. Arthur's cronies laughed and jeered. The prince tossed a mace to Merlin, who fumbled and dropped it. This only caused the noblemen to laugh harder. Merlin picked up the mace while Arthur began swinging another one around his head.

"I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth," Arthur stated.

Merlin gave Arthur's mace a wary look and signed something with his free hand. "He says if you've been training to take 'runts' apart with one blow, that's not something to boast about."

Arthur looked taken aback, then offended. He lunged at Merlin with the mace. Merlin backed up to avoid the swing, and Mordred darted out of the way.

It didn't take long for Merlin to realize that he was thoroughly outmatched and he would never win this through skill alone. He had a few moments of panic, then he had an idea and he steered his retreat toward the market stalls. Unfortunately, he hadn't been looking where he was going, and his mace got caught in a basket and was wrenched out of his hands.

"Ha, you're in trouble now!" Arthur gloated.

Mordred began to grow worried, finally realizing that Morgana was not about to rescue them. Did she not care after all? Had she forgotten him already? Perhaps she didn't think some common-born boy was truly worth her time.

Meanwhile, Merlin ducked behind a stall with a sigh of relief. He had the prince exactly where he wanted him. A quick flash of his eyes saw some nearby hanging hooks moved to entangle Arthur's mace. The prince quickly untangled it, but Merlin was in his element now. Another flash of his eyes moved a box into the prince's path. Arthur stubbed his foot and yelled in pain. When the prince continued his pursuit, Merlin moved a rope to trip him. Arthur lost his balance and fell to the ground.

Merlin quickly grabbed Arthur's mace and began swinging it around. He signed again with his free hand, making an unmistakable demand for Arthur's surrender. Mordred cheered, watching from the main thoroughfare.

"You really expect me to give up to you?" Arthur demanded, quickly regaining his feet. His words were undermined when he caught his foot in a bucket and fell over again.

Luckily for Arthur (and not so luckily for Merlin), Merlin caught sight of Gaius's disapproving face in the crowd, and he forgot to pay attention to the downed prince. Arthur grabbed a nearby broom and swiftly knocked Merlin to the ground, sweeping dust over him for good measure. Mordred gulped as a pair of nearby guards hauled Merlin to his feet, preparing to drag him back to the dungeons.

"Wait!" Arthur called. The guards stopped. "Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one. There's something about you, Merlin. You and your brother both. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"How could you be so foolish!" Gaius cried, following the brothers into his chambers.

This time, Merlin was utterly unashamed as he signed his response. "He, uh…Prince Arthur threatened me," Mordred explained.

Gaius sighed. "I highly doubt that he would have actually harmed a child. Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good! Not for childish quarrels!"

Merlin huffed as he signed again. "Childish quarrels? The man's a bully! He'd say that standing up to Arthur is a plenty good use for magic!"

"Perhaps, but you cannot just go challenging the prince! And especially not with magic! You must learn to control yourself!"

Merlin paced as he replied, making it somewhat difficult for Mordred to interpret. "He is magic, always has been! If he can't use it, how can he protect me? If he can't use magic…he might as well die." Merlin stormed up into the boys' bedchamber.

"Mordred!" Gaius exclaimed. "Can't you talk some sense into him?"

"I know how he feels," Mordred said dejectedly. "If we can't use magic, we're just nobodies, and we always will be." He followed Merlin into their room, and both brothers curled up on their beds.

A minute later, Gaius joined them with some medical supplies. "Merlin, sit up. Take your shirt off."

Merlin reluctantly obeyed, and Mordred looked away from the large bruise blossoming on the back of his brother's shoulder. "Why were we born like this, Gaius?" Mordred wondered.

"I don't know," Gaius sighed.

"…are we monsters?" Mordred asked in a small voice.

Gaius and Merlin both immediately turned to look at him. "Don't ever think that," Gaius stressed.

We are not monsters, Mordred! Merlin exclaimed at the same time.

Mordred simply turned to face the wall and curled up into a ball.

Gaius finished treating Merlin's shoulder and handed him a small bottle of medicine. "Take this. It will help with the pain." He shot a worried look at Mordred. "And do what you can for him." Gaius left and closed the door, casting one last worried glance over his shoulder.

Merlin moved and sat down on Mordred's bed. Gently, he placed a hand on Mordred's shoulder. He was surprised to realize that it was shaking with suppressed sobs. I mean it, Mordred. We're not monsters.

Then why does everyone hate us? Mordred sniffled.

They don't hate us, Merlin replied. They hate magic because they don't understand it. That's not our fault. And it's not theirs, either. Uther has been filling their heads with lies for years.

So…Uther is the monster? Mordred asked.

I don't think anyone is truly a monster. Nobody's perfect, but having flaws doesn't make you a bad person.

Slowly, Mordred sat up. He flung his arms around Merlin and began sobbing openly. Merlin quickly reciprocated the embrace. He patiently waited as Mordred let it all out.

Finally, Mordred asked the question that had truly been bugging him all this time. Why didn't Morgana save us? I thought she liked me. I thought she was my friend.

She wasn't even there, Mordred, Merlin pointed out. How was she to know that we were in trouble? Just because she didn't save us, it doesn't mean that she wouldn't have if she had known we needed it.

Eventually, Mordred calmed down enough to fall asleep. Merlin gently tucked him in and returned to his own bed. Just as he was climbing under the covers, he heard the unfamiliar voice again.

Merlin…

Oh no. Merlin was sick and tired of this. He was going to find that voice once and for all. He got back out of bed and quietly slipped into the main chamber. A noise made him pause, and he turned to see Gaius shift in his sleep. Merlin used magic to tug the blanket back up to Gaius's shoulders, then snuck outside.

Merlin…

Merlin followed the voice across the courtyard and down a staircase that he recognized as the one leading to the dungeons. A couple of guards were playing dice on a table at the bottom of the stairs. With a flash of his eyes, Merlin sent the dice skittering away. Amazingly, both guards followed the dice, and Merlin was able to grab a torch and sneak past them.

Merlin…

The voice led Merlin down a long staircase, through a corridor with broken carvings lying on the floor. Eventually, the tunnel opened onto a small ledge. Emerging onto the ledge, Merlin saw that he was in a massive cave.

Merlin! the voice called, laughing now.

Where are you? Merlin asked.

A dragon flew up and landed on a rocky outcropping across from Merlin's ledge. The dragon was about the size of a house. His scales were a dull gold color, and his orange eyes glittered with intelligence. A heavy manacle trailed from one of his hind legs.

"I'm here!" the dragon announced. "How small you are for such a great destiny."

Why, what do you mean? Merlin demanded. What destiny? Does Mordred have one, too?

The dragon bared his teeth. "You and the boy are as different as day and night. With your help, Arthur will become the Once and Future King and unite the land of Albion! Mordred is Arthur's doom, and Albion's with it. You should not protect him so."

Are you actually suggesting that I abandon my own brother in favor of that idiot of a prince?! Merlin demanded furiously. No. No way. If Arthur is destined to die, then that's fine by me…but my little brother is not a killer!

The dragon simply laughed. "None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none can escape it."

You're wrong, Merlin declared coldly. Mordred is not a monster, and he's no one's doom. Good-bye, and good riddance. Find someone else to fulfill your precious destiny, and its downfall.

Merlin turned on his heel and marched back out of the cave, ignoring the dragon's laughter as it echoed behind him.

The next morning, Merlin and Mordred were awoken by Gaius's shocked exclamation. "Have you seen the state of this room?!" he cried, looking around at the mess.

Mordred looked embarrassed. "That happens sometimes."

"By magic?" Gaius asked skeptically.

"If one or both of us is really upset, yeah," Mordred replied sheepishly.

"Yes, well, you can clear it up without magic," Gaius said sternly. He held up a bottle. "And then you can deliver this to Morgana. The poor girl's suffering from nightmares."

Merlin got up and began putting things back where they belonged. Mordred did the same, swallowing nervously at the thought of seeing Morgana again.

When they reached Morgana's chambers, the door was open. Merlin stopped in the doorway, momentarily stunned by the sight of the raven-haired beauty within. A shove from Mordred restored his senses, and Merlin moved aside to allow his brother to enter the room.

"Lady Morgana?" Mordred ventured tentatively.

Morgana looked up and a wide smile lit up her face. "Mordred! I take it this is your brother?"

"Yes, my lady," Mordred answered, relieved that Morgana truly hadn't forgotten him. "This is Merlin." Merlin inclined his head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Merlin," Morgana replied. She smiled conspiratorially. "There aren't many people with the courage to put Arthur in his place."

Merlin ducked his head in embarrassment and hesitantly signed a question. Mordred was somewhat surprised by the query, but relayed it nonetheless. "He wants to know what kind of king you think Arthur will be."

The smile faded from Morgana's face, replaced with a pensive expression. "The man may be a total jouster, but deep down he has a good heart. I'm not sure what kind of king he'll be, but I know he'll be better than his father."

Merlin signed another question. "Do you really believe that?"

Morgana sighed. "I've known him for years. I know he cares about his people, even though he tries to hide it. So yes, I do believe that." She trailed off, lost in thought. Then she remembered herself. "Was that what brought you here?"

"Oh, er, no. We brought you your sleeping draught," Mordred explained.

Merlin held out the bottle, and Morgana took it. "Thank you," she said with another smile.

The brothers returned her smile, then turned and left. They passed Gwen on the way out, pausing to give her a friendly greeting.

Merlin pondered Morgana's words. He had been desperately hoping for reassurance that the dragon had been talking absolute nonsense, but it was apparent that Morgana truly did respect the prince—in spite of her teasing insults. Merlin tried to shove aside his worries, telling himself that he should be pleased if the heir to the throne showed the potential to actually be a decent leader.

Gaius managed to pull a few strings and get work for Merlin as a server at that night's banquet. Mordred was also allowed to come as Gaius's guest, though he stuck close to Merlin. They grinned as they entered the banquet hall and saw it decked out for the festivities, but their smiles faded when they caught sight of Prince Arthur. He was laughing with his buddies, and Merlin had a feeling he knew what they were laughing about. Then they saw Arthur turn and do a double take. The brothers followed his gaze to see that Morgana had entered the banquet hall in a stunning (and rather revealing) red dress. She caught sight of Mordred and smiled at him. Mordred beamed back.

Gaius noticed Merlin's awestruck expression. "Merlin, remember you're here to work."

Merlin nodded, still staring at Morgana.

"She looks great, doesn't she?" Both brothers started and turned to see Gwen standing right behind them. "Some people are just born to be queen."

"I think Morgana would be an amazing queen," Mordred declared.

"I hope so," Gwen agreed. "One day. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?" Gwen shuddered at the thought.

Merlin signed his input. "Merlin thinks you would make an interesting queen."

"No!" Gwen exclaimed, turning to Merlin. "Please, I prefer much more ordinary men like you."

Mordred giggled. "Believe me, Gwen, we're not ordinary." Merlin shot Mordred a disapproving look.

"No!" Gwen protested. "I didn't mean Merlin, obviously. Just, you know, I like much more ordinary men. Like Merlin."

Merlin made another sign. "He says thanks."

Gwen blushed and hurried to Morgana's side. Luckily for her, Mordred was too naïve and Merlin too oblivious to read into her words.

Soon, trumpets sounded to announce the king's arrival, and Merlin hurried to take up his position in the corner behind the royal table. Mordred followed, slightly nervous in the presence of so many people.

"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity," Uther announced. "It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honor of introducing Lady Helen of Mora!"

The king began a round of applause. Lady Helen entered and took her place on a stage at the other end of the hall. Musicians began playing, and Lady Helen's ethereal voice filled the room. Soon, members of the court began nodding off, and servants slumped down the walls. The lights dimmed and cobwebs began to grow over the sleeping court. Merlin wildly looked around, realizing that Lady Helen's song was the cause.

Mordred, cover your ears! Merlin warned, following his own instructions.

An increasingly drowsy Mordred obeyed. Once his ears were properly covered, he jerked back to alertness.

Merlin intently watched the sorceress, trying to discern her plan. She was glaring at the royal table. Merlin followed her gaze and saw that she was staring at Arthur, her expression full of malice. Lady Helen pulled out a knife, never taking her eyes off the prince.

Merlin thought back to his conversation with the dragon. The dragon had said that Arthur would need his help. There was no way he wanted to do anything that dragon suggested, but at the same time he knew that Arthur didn't deserve to die…

A loud crash solved Merlin's dilemma. A large chandelier had fallen on the sorceress just in time to stop her from throwing her knife into Arthur's heart. Her spell ended, and the court began to wake up and brush aside the cobwebs. Lady Helen had been crushed underneath the chandelier, only she wasn't Lady Helen any more. Her face had been replaced with that of the old woman who had threatened the king after her son's execution.

Merlin glanced at Mordred and saw that his brother had gone very pale. He suddenly realized that the chandelier had not fallen by accident.

Before Merlin had a chance to process this realization, the sorceress heaved herself up and used her last ounce of strength to hurl the dagger at Arthur's head. Arthur stood frozen in shock, still dazed from the spell. Seeing the sudden danger, Merlin reacted without thinking. He slowed time, raced to the prince and pulled him out of harm's way. Time returned to normal and the two young men hit the ground just as the dagger embedded itself in the back of Arthur's chair. The sorceress slumped to the ground, dead.

Much to Merlin's discomfort, both the king and the prince stared at him in amazement. "You saved my boy's life!" Uther exclaimed. "A debt must be repaid."

Merlin tried to shift so that he blocked Mordred from view. He shook his head, hoping that the king would leave the matter be.

"Don't be so modest, you shall be rewarded," Uther insisted.

"He can't speak, Father," Arthur cut in.

Uther paused in surprise, but continued regardless. "Well, this merits something quite special. You shall be rewarded with a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

Merlin's jaw dropped in horror. The prince's manservant? What kind of reward was that?!

Arthur seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Father!" he protested indignantly, but his complaint went unheard. The court had burst into applause.

Merlin and Arthur awkwardly looked away from each other. At this point, Merlin caught sight of Mordred, who was still staring at the sorceress. Mordred looked like he was going to be sick, and Merlin immediately realized the problem. He quickly moved in front of Mordred, blocking Mordred's view of the dead woman. Mordred, look at me, Merlin urged, crouching down so that he and Mordred were the same height. You did a good thing. You saved Arthur's life.

I killed her, Mordred said, shell-shocked. I killed a woman. I am a monster.

I killed that knight, on the day I saved you, Merlin reminded him. He would have killed you, and he nearly killed me. Am I a monster?

Mordred finally looked up and met Merlin's eyes. No.

If I'm not a monster, then neither are you, Merlin stated firmly. He pulled Mordred into a crushing embrace. Neither brother noticed Arthur watching them curiously out of the corner of his eye.

After the banquet, Gaius knocked on the brothers' door and entered their chamber. "Seems you're a hero, Merlin," Gaius stated.

Merlin snorted bitterly and signed a reply, which Mordred interpreted. "Who would have guessed?"

"I would," Gaius said seriously. "I knew it from the moment I met you. When you saved my life, remember?"

"But…that was magic," Mordred said, surprised.

"And now, it seems we've finally found a use for it," Gaius said approvingly.

Both brothers looked confused. "What do you mean?" Mordred asked.

"I saw how you saved Arthur's life, Merlin," Gaius said. "Perhaps that is its purpose."

Merlin looked away, not wanting either of them to see how much this statement bothered him. Mordred, on the other hand, perked up. This was why they were born with magic, he decided. They were meant to protect people.

Gaius held out a rectangular object wrapped in a cloth. "This book was given to me when I was your age, Merlin, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to the two of you than it was to me."

Mordred took the book and unwrapped it. Merlin turned to look over Mordred's shoulder as the latter browsed through it, revealing odd diagrams and symbols. "But…this is a book of magic!" Mordred exclaimed.

"Which is why you must keep it hidden," Gaius warned.

Merlin nodded while Mordred beamed. "We will study every word," Mordred promised.

A knock sounded in the main chambers. Then a guard's voice came through the door. "Merlin! Prince Arthur wants you right away."

Gaius smiled. "Your prince is calling. You'd better see what he wants."

That night, Merlin mulled over Gaius's words, tossing and turning. Eventually, he gave up on sleep and snuck back out to the dragon's lair.

I told you you were wrong! Merlin called. Mordred and I both saved Arthur!

The dragon flew into view and settled on the rock. "Yes, young warlock, Mordred did help you. This time."

And you think he won't next time? Merlin asked angrily.

"Mordred is harmless for now. But one day, he will kill Arthur. I cannot say how or why, only that it will happen."

Oh, and is that supposed to make me trust you? Merlin derided.

"It does not matter whether you trust me or not," the dragon said calmly. "As I said, none can escape their destinies."

I just thought you should know about Mordred, Merlin retorted. It doesn't matter what you say, I still want nothing to do with you.

He stormed out of the cave, intending never to return.