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

Chapter 15

I stood behind the thrones of the King and Queen, listening to Kara's trial as it took place. I kept my eyes trained on the floor as I stood listening intently, afraid my heart would break all over again if I looked to Mordred or Kara or Merlin, though I could feel Kara's eyes trained on me. It seemed though I was able to strengthen and understand myself in my time away, I still failed to control my emotions efficiently.

"Were you part of a cohort of saxons who attacked an arms shipment bound for Camelot?" Arthur asked Kara.

"Yes."

"And were you acting under the orders of Morgana Pendragon?"

"What I did, I did for myself, for my people and for our right to be free," Kara denied.

"I have no quarrel with the Druids."

"I have spent my life on the run because of my beliefs and seen those I have loved killed."

"Once, maybe. But I'm not my father."

"You don't kill those with magic?" Arthur turned to look at her, staying silent for a moment.

"It is no longer outlawed in Camelot," he said, but she shook her head as though disbelieving that he would use such a thing as defense for his past with magic.

"It may not still be outlawed, but it is not difficult for you to see treason in harmless tricks... Acts of sorcery still have such strict restrictions that even the most light-hearted of acts can lead to death. It is not I, Arthur Pendragon, who needs to answer for my crimes, it is you. You and your father have brutally and mercilessly heaped misery on my kind. It is you who has turned a peaceful people to war... and it is you... and Camelot that shall pay the price."

"In your words... I hear the voice of Morgana. It is she and others like her who have abused the powers of magic. It is they who have brought the rift between our people. It is their deeds that have terrorized Camelot and forced us to look down upon such practices," Arthur reasoned. "But you stand before the court not because of an act of sorcery or sedition, but because an act of murder. Your actions have brought about the deaths of many good men and threaten the lives of many more."

"They were casualties of war. And I would do the same again, for I will not rest until you are dead and your kingdom is no more," Kara said coldly, turning to watch Arthur as he walked around the circle.

"Yet you have friends here." I looked up to see her sharing a look with Mordred. "Somehow you got treatment for your leg... from someone in Camelot. Who?"

"I treated myself."

"You're lying. Whoever it was left a trail of footprints in the mud..." I looked over to see Mordred look down in shame. "Footprints that resulted in your capture."

"A stranger came across me and helped me. I have no idea who they were."

"It was me," I spoke up before I could stop myself, and everyone turned to look at me, shock evident on their faces. I swallowed thickly, my cheeks beginning to burn from the sudden attention.

"Ariel?" Arthur asked, confused.

"I... arrived late that night and happened upon her on my way here," I began my lie, hoping that it would spare Mordred but keeping my eyes trained on the floor. "She's been a friend since I was young, when I was a Druid myself. I admit, I did not know of her crimes when I had happened upon her, and so I promised to come back to help her once I had the supplies I needed to do so... I had run into Sirs... Percival, Gwaine, and Leon, who told me of the attack... But I had made a promise." I looked up to Arthur then. "And I had no way to know for certain whether or not she had been a part of it, or happened to be in the crossfire, or... if she had been pursued by the Saxons herself. I could not assume... I did not want to." Arthur looked uncertain of what to make of what I said. "Later, I left my room and got some supplies before doubling back to help her."