Mordred. They/Them.
Having a lot of thoughts lately about Mordred as the protagonist of a story. Allow me a tangent, if you want to keep reading:
The bastard of Arthur's half-sister, Mordred serves as a knight in their uncle's court. Vicious rumors surround the court. Some say Mordred is the incestuous spawn of Arthur. Others say Mordred has ambitions to take the throne, or that Mordred is an evil sorcerer.
According to Mordred themself? They do not know their father, but they are sure it is not their uncle. The King's silence is a matter of "maintaining dignity" or so they tell. They've no want to rule the land, though it is true that they know a little magic. Nothing dark, just some simple utility spells.
For the most part, Mordred minds their own business. They do as they're told and they serve the realm loyally, enduring the jeers of their peers, dubbing them "traitor", "bastard", or worse.
The realm is suddenly brought to chaos when news arrives that the mad wizard Merlin has escaped his imprisonment. Previously sealed within a tree by the Lady of the Lake, Merlin has taken the bride-to-be of Arthur and fled to his hidden lair. The wizard's intentions for her are unknown, and the King's finest knight Lancelot is missing as well. Arthur decides to muster his bannermen in order to confront Merlin and take back his bride, but Mordred protests. "There is no time!" They shout. "By the time you arrive, she may be gone!" Their words fall upon deaf ears, "Merlin would not dare harm the Kings bride. She is but a hostage." The knights assert. Mordred decides to defy the crown. As they leave the castle, the Lady of the Lake appears before them and instructs Mordred to take Clarent from the mantle. "Move with haste," the spectral shape whispers to them "Her fate now lies within thy hands. Thine own is sealed."
