Destinies Intertwined (Mordred/OC Merlin BBC Series) - IN PROGRESS

Chapter 6

That night, after the party, I walked back to my room slowly, ready to collapse from the long and draining event. When I reached my chambers, I was ready to cry from exhaustion and guilt of not saying what I knew I should have.

"Your dresses should all be coming in tomorrow morning, milady," Alyssa said happily.

"Mm," I hummed, allowing her to undress me and attempting to think of anyone and anything aside from Mordred, for if I did, I knew I would have broken down into tears. I loved him. And now, I knew it. I missed my chance to tell him that night, and I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance again.

"I've seen them all, they'll look gorgeous on you," she insisted excitedly.

"Mm."

"My favorite is either the cream colored one with roses on the bodice or the pink one with lace. Oh, you'll love them, milady!"

She was almost done undressing me, thank goodness. "Mm."

It was silent for a moment as she finished untying the corset, and as usual, she began to get the bed ready while I slipped my nightdress over my head. As I settled into bed, Alyssa looked at me concerned.

"As a friend," she said, sitting on the edge of my bed. "I'm going to ask you something." I nodded. "Is everything alright, Ariel?"

It was then that I let out a sob, almost leaping to throw my arms around her as I cried.

"Ariel?" she asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I-I..." I began. "I l-lo.... I love him!" I wailed.

"Sir Mordred?" she asked.

"Ho-how did you know?" I asked incredulously, as I wiped my eyes.

She chuckled. "Milady, I promise you, this is nothing to cry about. Don't you worry about a thing."

It was almost an hour before she got me to stop crying, and hours more before Alyssa and I finished speaking, and as she headed out to go home, I begged her to just stay with me for the night, afraid that I'd start crying again.

But as soon as Alyssa was settled in, we were both out like a light.

~:~:~:~:~

I listened in to the conversation at the round table intently as Leon began to present.

"Ariel, would you mind to get the maps from the other room?" Leon asked, and I nodded, making my way to the doors as he began speaking, realizing we had forgotten the maps earlier when we had been talking about this in the other room. I opened the door and grabbed the maps quickly, hearing Leon begin his presentation. I felt chills rise on my body, and I felt as though I was being watched, but I tried to brush it off.

"We covered the area from Pawlett down to Meldreth. This includes thirty troops at Bawtry, fifteen at Talan, ten at Chime," he began, and I walked toward the doors. "Nine at Brune-" I yelped in fear and pain when the doors slammed open, bruising my outstretched arm terribly, the ones beside them slamming open as well. I had dropped a few of the maps, and I glanced back to see all the men looking toward me. I hid my bruised arm, trying not to wince. I wouldn't say anything about it for now, I'd just see Gaius after the meeting to see if there was a tonic for the pain or something similar. Everyone looked as shocked as I was.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, and I nodded.

"I'm fine, just... s-startled," my voice shook slightly, and I glanced at Mordred, who looked concerned before I just shook my head and sighed, picking up the maps and closing the doors gently while Percival continued.