Love Conquers All

Chapter Two

Emptiness inside me
Wonder if you see
It's my mistake and it's hurting me
I know where we've been
How did we get so far?
What if, what if we start again?

- Start Again, Red

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Mordred smiled and nodded to Sir Leon as he entered the armoury after training. Leon paused what he was doing to return the young knights smile.

It had been a week since Mordred had been knighted, and things had been going.... well. Really well.

The knights had embraced him as one of their own, and due to him saving Arthur's life and his skill with a sword, he had been granted a seat at Arthur's round table.

Mordred slowly began taking his armour off, a twinge of irritation rising when the other knights entered the room and were able to remove their armour in half the time it took him.

"It'll come to you," Leon commented quietly, his sharp eyes immediately picking up on the source of Mordred's annoyance.

Mordred forced himself to relax, and smiled at the older knight.

"I know, thank you Sir Leon."

"Sir Leon! Respectful, isn't he?" Gwaine chortled, slinging his arm around Leon's shoulder.

"Yes, strange isn't it? He's only been here for what, a week? Yet he already has a better knightly attitude then some people who have been here for years."

Gwaine continued chuckling for a second before the meaning of Leon's words registered.

"Oi! I'll have you know I am an excellent knight!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sir Gwaine." Leon replied, his voice overly innocent as he glanced over Gwaine's shoulder.

Gwaine grumbled and moved back to his bench, where he stopped and turned to glare at everyone in the room one by one.

"Alright. Who took my helmet?"

"What helmet? Elyan asked innocently and Gwaine stomped his foot like a child.

"It was right there!"

Leon leaned forwards, faking concern. "Well that's not good, don't worry though. I'm sure an excellent knight such as yourself will have no trouble finding it."

Gwaine scowled. "You are terrible, terrible people. Merlin, my friend. Did you see what they did with my helmet?"

Mordred jumped slightly, he hadn't seen Emrys enter the room. The other man looked up but avoided Mordred's gaze.

"Isn't that it up there?" Merlin pointed to a helmet hanging off the top of a lance, well out of Gwaine's reach.

"What? How did you guys... Bloody Percival!" He grumbled, climbing onto the nearest bench and stretching as far as he could to get to the helmet.

The knights and Merlin watched, amused, as Gwaine eventually managed to grab the helmet off the lance, but he'd stretched too far and overbalanced.

He fell to the floor with a loud crash, groaning as he sat up and examined the helmet.

"Hey! This isn't even mine!" He cried out indignantly.

"No," Merlin commented, plucking the helmet from Gwaine's hands. "Arthur was being a prat and put it up there to make my life harder. Thanks though!"