AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Today I happened to re-watch the episode in which the "key" told Merlin that Arthur's Bane was himself (Season five of Merlin!) With that in mind, that is what this chapter will kinda bring into attention. Just a very, very little bit. Without further ado, enjoy!

0oOo0

A week.

It has been a week since Gilli brought to his attention how honesty can be rewarding. As small of an action as it may have been, he had lead Gilli into the right path because he had revealed his secret. And now, as though fate were laughing at his face, similar circumstances are before him.

He needs to reveal the secret, he needs to tell Mordred of the prophecy. He has to, otherwise, he could not be sure what would befall them.

Time and time again, without a doubt, Mordred has proven himself to be willing to risk his life for Arthur. And yet, he still hesitates.

What if he's still in contact with Morgana? What if his loyalty still lies with her? What if he's finally fooling him as much as he is fooling others? What if—

"What ifall of those are just assumptions and not facts?"

If it had not been for the broom, Merlin's face would have surely been planted on the horse's artistic splat beneath his feet. He straightened himself with the broom, his heart still beating erratically at the sudden intrusion.

"Gilli."

"Emrys," His response nearly sounded sarcastic, as though he were referring to a grand being. "Because you are a grand being."

The warlock sighed heavily, his task at cleaning the stables was over for the evening. He undid the scarf around his forehead, slipping it back to its usual spot around his neck. He stepped around the hay, placing the broom back to its rightful place. He exited the stables, his feet nearly dragging from the weight of tasks…and destiny.

"A 'grand being' would have made their decision to eliminate any threat." But instead, he was hesitating and further giving time for the inevitable to come. He was considering Gilli's words, ever since he had brought it to Merlin's attention. However, he was unsure if they would even work. Even if he eliminated the threat, Arthur would surely not allow it from happening—with or without his knowledge, Arthur was his own bane because he is too noble. After all, he is not his father.

"Or would have eliminated the threat by making it a weapon against any other threats." Gilli's response faded out, his last words barely reached Merlin.

"How do you even tell someone they're destined to bring chaos?" Merlin muttered in frustration, his steps no longer dragging on the ground but rather stomping on it. In the same way, he needed to stand against destiny but he wondered whether that would do any more harm than good.

Merlin took in the castle before him, his gaze softening slightly at its appearance. In the same way as the first time he arrived to Camelot, he recalled how he had seen it with awe and admiration. And now…

Now what? Home?

It was not home. Not yet. In order for it to be a home, he had to feel that he could be himself. This, however, has not yet been accomplished. Merlin was sure, that in the same way as he viewed the castle as a hidden sorcerer, any other sorcerer would feel the same. Any other sorcerer like…

"Mordred."

The warlock frowned, an expression he seemed to do most days, and simply chose to hurry and meet with Arthur. He had been told to join him by tonight, he needed help with preparing a special night with Gwen. Even the thought of Gwen brought him great sadness for he felt that any day without facing his fears was a day betraying her love with Arthur.

0oOo0

"Mordred."

The knight sharply lifted his head, his pen momentarily forgotten on his hand. His gaze slowly scanned his chamber, confusion written over his face. He was sure he had heard his name, but not from just anyone. It had been Emrys, he was sure of it.

But then, why did it sound distant and distorted? Had he accidentally shared his own thoughts to him?

It dawned on him that if he had unknowingly transmitted his thoughts, he had been thinking of him. As strange as it was, that made him curious as to why he would be thinking of him. Unless, the destined man was simply vigilant over what hidden "plans" he may have.

Mordred frowned, his eyebrows knitting as he stared at the paper before him. He had been told to educate himself further on the history of Camelot, as a way to enforce the laws and history of the kingdom through his position as a knight. However, he had sat all evening without writing so much as a word. His mind was simply too preoccupied by the conversation he had shared with Gilli.

Not only did that bother him, there just had to be one more negative occurrence. He had also been discharged from the duty of picking up Gwaine's remedy. The knight had picked a horrid timing to proclaim he was finally healthy and no longer required treatment. Thus, he had gone for about a week without speaking to Emrys. The warlock always occupied with the king's tasks, thus he never truly saw him around as much as he used to.

Not that he would even have one chance of spending time with the warlock. The man always needed to have at least one reason for being around him, and without that reason, he was nowhere near. Mordred, as much as he enjoyed his solitude, also craved the interaction with one of his kin.

And yet, the warlock did not give him that chance to interact with him. The reason behind it was utterly unknowing, therefore, it further aggravated him to the point of resentment.

"I must clear my head," The knight sighed as he placed the pen on the table. He pushed his chair back, his chain mail rattling the slightest at the movement. Once he had slid the chair back into place, he grabbed his red cloak and placed it behind his back. There would be no solutions if he resented the man, he would only further aggravate their situation and further distant the little companionship they had.

He could simply inform the king of his studies and how he has progressed so far, thus clearing his mind by hearing his words. The king, after all, seemed to be fond of him. The greatest part was that the feeling was mutual. "A just king…just as the prophecies have foretold."

It would do well for the king to also have a bit of a breather. He had noticed how agitated he had been today, as though he were nervous of something. Mordred had noticed how calmly Emrys had seemed, although he could see there had been an inner turmoil.

"That makes two of us."

0oOo0

"A prat. That's all he is, a gigantic royal prat that thinks it's easy to do everything with a snap of a finger," He paused for a moment, his thoughts registering with how ironic they are. Merlin, unlike any other, could do anything with a snap of a finger. But, because his magic was a secret, he could not do that.

And so, here he is, balancing himself dangerously at the edge of the drawers, trying to tie a bouquet of roses that would slide down at the perfect moment for dramatic effect. And all for Gwen. On their anniversary.

But that was not all. Oh no, that is just not the highlight of his night. As if destiny was laughing at his face yet again, Mordred had entered at the perfect moment when the bouquet of roses "accidentally" fell on Arthur's head.

That had been bad for three reasons.

One, Arthur was going to tear him a new one. Two, he had exposed a mannerism he kept hidden around Mordred. Three, Arthur seemed to want Mordred to stick around and have mutual interaction over how the decorations should be.

Destiny, it seems, wanted him to take Gilli's words to heart and had given him this chance in a silver platter. It was now up to him whether he would make his decision tonight or deal with the consequences.

0oOo0

Please let me know whether you liked (or disliked) the different comedic approach I took at the end on Merlin and Mordred's interactions.

This is officially where the story will go down its own route. (Although the original ending on Merlin will be a bit similar here. Not that the ending is close!)

Thank you very much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!