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

Chapter 7

"So about you and Mordred," Merlin whispered, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Now's not the time, Merlin," I whispered back a bit snippily. The truth was I had been skirting around him a bit since I realized how I felt about him. Until I calmed down about the way I felt toward him, I wasn't sure how to act around him. I'd just been taking some time to... take it in, I suppose. We still talked a bit, but he was busy with his Knightly duties, and I was busy... Helping the knights. And Gaius and Merlin.

So I guess I didn't really have much of an excuse.

"No, I agree with Merlin, did something happen? I don't mind if you and Mordred take a day to just-" Arthur began.

"Everything's fine, I don't understand why you're so concerned," I interrupted, peeking around the corner.

"Are you sure? Mordred seems..."

"Seems what?" I asked, looking back at him, concern filling me.

"He's been a bit... down," Arthur shrugged. "I thought maybe something happened between you two." I bit my lip and looked away. Was it my fault?

I was stupid to avoid him. Something was wrong with my best friend, and whether it was about me or not, it was my job to be there for him. And I wasn't.

"There!" Merlin exclaimed, and I whirled around.

"Where?" Arthur asked, and when I saw what he was looking at, I bit back a snicker.

"Oh, it's just our shadows," he chuckled, and Arthur hit the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Let's go," I insisted, and we were off again, walking carefully. Suddenly, there was another little gust of wind just past the doorway, and we froze, waiting for Uther when-

"Arthur. Merlin. Ariel," Leon greeted, shocked.

"Leon," we all greeted at the same time.

"Is everything all right, my Lord?" he asked, effectively weirded out.

"It's perfectly fine. We're..." Arthur glanced at me before looking to Merlin and then back to Leon again. "Merlin. Tell Leon what we're doing."

"We're..." Merlin trailed off, looking at Arthur, and I raised my eyebrows. This was certainly awkward. "Teaching the King some poetry." I slapped a hand over my mouth and made it look like I had an itch to hide my laughs.

"Poetry?" Leon asked, looking amused.

"I... love poetry."

"I was as surprised as you are," Merlin said, making his laughs sound shocked. "He can't get enough of it."

"I was equally as surprised that Merlin knew so much about it," I interjected, and Merlin whirled around to look at me, but I kept my amused grin on Leon. "More than I could ever hope to know, I dare say."

"I'll leave you to your... poetry, then, my Lord," Leon insisted. "Wonderful to see you again, Ariel," he nodded to me as he walked past, giving Merlin and Arthur strange looks.

"Likewise," I responded with my own nod.

"Poetry? That's the best you could come up with?" Arthur asked Merlin while I finally allowed my snickers to erupt.

"What did you want me to say?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know. Something that didn't make me sound like a love struck girl."

"You have such a masculinity complex," I muttered, rolling my eyes at them, and they looked at me. "What's wrong with girly things, anyway?"

"Why did you have to say I knew more about poetry than you?" Merlin asked. "You're the woman."