The Redemption Arc (A BBC's Merlin Fanfiction)

Chapter 21

"Hello Mordred," Morgana smiled sadly. 

Mordred just glared. What could he say? He had tried to save her, despite everything, and she had seen it. But he could not forgive her, could not accept her terms. He stood his ground. 

Morgana sighed. She looked at Merlin. 

"I'll wait over there," he said reluctantly. He paused for a second and looked at Mordred. It seemed to be a warning, but he said nothing. Merlin walked back towards the entrance. 

Mordred looked at him suspiciously, but Merlin was looking away, unaware. Mordred waved a hand nonetheless. 

"He cannot hear us now," he informed Morgana. 

"I wasn't worried about Merlin," Morgana shrugged. 

"Merlin, is it?" Mordred's face fell. He broke eye contact and looked away. "I remember a time when you called him nothing but Emrys." 

"They are both the same man, Mordred." 

He scoffed. "Are they now?"

"I have not come to talk to you about Merlin. I have come to tell you something important." 

Mordred waited, and Morgana could not help but push through, empowered by a tiny flame of hope that lit itself in her. 

"Camelot has lifted the ban on magic, Mordred. There is yet hope for us. For you and me and every person that is born with magic." 

"King Uther has died, and Arthur is not yet king," Mordred pointed out. 

"Arthur and Gwen will make it their first law as King and Queen." 

"How kind," Mordred seethed, spitting fire through his gritted teeth. "How very merciful of King Arthur to let us live and to let us be who we truly are." 

He took a step forward, but Morgana didn't move. "And what happens after, Morgana? Do you even know why it is that Uther banned magic? He was a tyrant and a hypocrite! He used magic to create Arthur, knowing fully well the consequences of altering nature and his wife died! He killed the queen and he took it out on everyone else but himself." 

Morgana closed her eyes. This was a story she was only too familiar with, but she could not cut Mordred yet. 

"He let Nimueh escape, although it was she who cast the spell. He let Gaius stay with just a promise he would never learn or practice magic again. He brought up his dear son Arthur although it was he who created all of this mess to begin with! And he hunted down every Druid in the land, for being protectors of those with magic. He burned at the stake every sorcerer and every single one of their family and anyone who was associated with them. He killed newborns and infants. He burned expecting mothers who weren't even sorcerers to kill what was inside them." 

He took one final step forward, and suddenly Mordred was so close, she could see the rage burning in what was once calm and playful green eyes. "And you want to forgive him now, and all of them, for what? Not killing you? Have you forgotten everything, Morgana?" 

Morgana lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek. Surprisingly, Mordred did not move. "My dear Mordred," she whispered. "You have suffered so much." 

His eyes widened in surprise and he closed them. Morgana saw that his eyelashes were wet. He was trying not to cry. 

"It is time to let all of it go. You remember why we started this war, and how we are to win it, but you forget what it is that we seek to win," she said softly. 

Mordred opened his eyes. "Freedom," he said. 

Morgana nodded sadly. "We want freedom to be ourselves. Every human is born with the undeniable right to become who they are, and ironically, some humans only exist to deny them their being."