His Father's Son

Tedros was many things; one of them being that he was his father's son. He was very much stubborn and set in his ways. In his eighteen years, he found there was little he could do to change his destiny. It was a future he grappled with since he could remember. On his desk, he found a torn piece of parchment. Frantically, he read it over a few times. Anger and grief rolled through him heavily, making his stomach twist. Now the throne laid on his shoulders. It was a truth he hoped would not come so soon. Crumpling it angrily, he went to find the one item he knew she couldn't handle. No one could lift it except for him and his father.

Searching around, he found the sword resting in the corner. The blade was unaware its owner was dead, and no one else knew. It pained him to think of his only parent as deceased. Angry tears had come to his eyes. The heat alone was too much to bear. They spilled down his face as he wept silently. He thought about telling Merlin, the king's husband, but the note had instructed Tedros to come alone. Tedros wasn't as experienced with magic as his stepfather, and despite Arthur's teachings, his swordsmanship was lacking. Merlin was his only parent now. Since he was a babe, his mother, Guinevere, took off with her lover. She left him with his father to raise. This was why he was fearful of being abandoned. The dread stayed with him, and even now. Losing his father was his worst-imagined reality. One he prayed to the gods would never happen.

He clutched the magical blade with a stone grip. Tedros understood what he needed to do: storm the fortress and demand a reason. It seemed simple, but it could end badly. His inexperience could be his downfall. Where would this leave his people? They needed him more than ever. Against his better judgment, he placed the note on Arthur's desk for Merlin to find. If he didn't come back from this, at least his stepfather would know to come for them. He had to hope he would.

Grabbing a few essentials and tossing them into a bag, he left the castle with Excalibur, and his blood boiled. If this was to be his end, he accepted it fully. "Goddess save her soul..." If anyone would pay for this, it would be Morgana Pendragon— now his mortal enemy.