The Future of Camelot

Dreams

The young boy Merlin, Morgana, and Gwen had sheltered under the nose of the king and Arthur ran along a wooded path. At first, Morgana thought that it was a memory. Then she realized that Mordred had never burst out of the woods and run, laughing, towards Camelot. Morgana's dream followed him. Joyous laughter came from where she was, and she realized that she was in the dream. Mordred turned around and ran back to her.

"You can't keep up with me!" he exclaimed.

"No my little gazelle, I can't," she laughed.

"What's an gazelle?" Mordred asked, staring up at her with big, blue eyes. Morgana laughed again.

"It's like a stag," she tried to explain. "It's very fast." Mordred stared up at her in admiration.

"How do you know all these wonderful things?" he asked. Morgana knelt down in front of him and pushed his wild hair back from his face.

"I told you the story of the other world," she said. "Me in that world knew all sorts of interesting facts." Mordred giggled and grabbed her hand.

"Let's both be gazelles!" he said. Morgana ran with him to the gates of Camelot. Inside, Leon swooped Mordred up and set him back down gently. Then the knight knelt by the young boy.

"How's my favorite future knight?" he asked. Mordred laughed. Morgana somehow knew that everyone in the castle loved Mordred. They all knew him when he was a delightful young man, and they had a chance now to know the delightful young boy he was again.

Leon stood and smiled at Morgana. "It's good you got him out," he said. "Camelot is too small for a curious little kid." Morgana felt comfortable with Leon, as if they were friends.

"It wasn't me," she said. "He wanted to see Aithusa. Nothing can stop this child when he wants something he can obtain himself!" Leon laughed and departed. Mordred ran up the great stone steps to the palace. At the top, he barreled straight into a very pregnant Guinevere.

"Sorry, Aunt Gwen," Mordred said. "I wasn't looking where I was going, so I ran into you. I hope you don't mind." Gwen laughed and stroked his curls.

"That's alright, Mordred! Have you seen your father?"

"No, I've been outside all morning," Mordred told her. As hard as Morgana tried, her dream self wouldn't tell her who the father was. It wouldn't even tell her who the mother was. And yet, she had a sense when she saw Mordred. She'd always had this feeling, but it was multiplied tenfold in the dream. Mordred said something she couldn't hear.

"Oh, I see," Gwen said. She smiled at Morgana. "Have you seen his father?"

"Not since this morning," she answered, somehow knowing that specific fact. Gwen sighed.

"He promised Ygraine that she could play with him, but I haven't found him. She'd devestated." Morgana wasn't given the backstory on this.

"Why would Ygraine want to play with him?" she asked. Gwen looked at her as if she forgot something terribly obvious.

"Because she loves him," Guinevere said slowly. Morgana was still completely lost. "He's her godfather, and she loves spending time with him."

"Her godfather?" Morgana repeated. "But she's Arthur's mother." Gwen went up to Morgana and felt her brow.

"Are you alright Morgana? Have you really forgotten my daughter?" Suddenly, knowledge flooded through Morgana's sleeping mind. Arthur and Gwen were expecting their second child. Their first was named Ygraine, and was to be Crown Princess. She was a year older than Mordred. They were good friends, and loved playing together. Another word entered Morgana's head. Cousins. If Ygraine was Arthur's daughter, then that meant Mordred was his only sibling's child. She was Mordred's mother.