MORDRED

Gazes. There was a sharp gaze that pierced every inch of their body, analyzing all of it. There were more than a thousand knots inside Mordred, making their heart pant and breathing heavily. Someone started laughing because they heard Mordred's breathing.

‘’Do you want me to hold your hand?’’ Hephaestus asked him gently, even though Mordred knew they were teasing him. And he knew they had been upset the night before. Now he was wondering how they would react after finding out what happened after.

‘’I will be alright’’ He replied with a dry cough and gave the golden invitations to the guard wearing a dark mask. Mordred nodded and touched his colorful mask. He had given his pistols and his mask to Ukko and now, even with the red and orange feathers and golden lines, he could feel his face exposed. The only thing he could do was wait. Wait for this to end.

Walking inside the ballroom, his eyes got hurt by the sudden bright light from the crystal chandelier. Light golden walls and a ceiling with painted spirits and mortals dancing around together. Within the center, is a giant light with a person trying to escape. A Made One, Mordred thought.

The charming beautiful music of violins and flutes whispered to their ears, making their heart flutter.

But that did not stop Mordred from feeling the stares. They could see how they would pass out on the floor while Hephaestus gave the sigil to the guard.

His fingers felt Hephaestus’s leather glove and caressed it slowly after they were free to enter inside the ballroom. Hearing their heavy shakily breath coming from their mask, made him confused.

‘’Are you nervous?’’He asked them softly.

‘’No’’ They stuttered, lifting their head to look around the room, walking with faster jumps as they let go of Mordred’s hand. ‘’Let’s scatter.’’

‘’Wait.’’ Mordred tried to stop them but they blended into the crowd.

Keep calm, keep calm, Mordred repeated as he shut up his eyes

There was a table filled with small tarts. Mordred’s gaze found one of them with a sunflower petal at the top and white frosting.

He moved his mask slightly up before taking a small bite from it and smelling it. Sweet and soft. Not sweet enough to not eat and not soft enough to melt immediately in his mouth.

I want more of it. Mordred pouted his lips as he took two more of them and kept walking around the crowd.

Mordred’s gaze studied each corner of the room as she found soldiers standing against the walls with dark masks covering their faces. There were far more than thirty guards inside the area where Mordred was standing. And they knew that it would be difficult to not escape.

People were whispering, laughing, and complaining about what had happened to Aztlan. An accident. That is what they said to everyone. A tragic one that no land believes in. Some of them thought that it was an attack from Diyu, paying revenge after the…lesson. Another one said that the warlocks made everything, and caused a fire with just a single snap of their finger. But they all agreed on something. That the army, the Ruler, was getting weaker.

He heard a priest suggesting an alliance of every temple, for them to take control. That is what spirits would want. A priest whispered into someone else’s ear and kept moving.

In an event where the organizer was trying to make peace, everyone was ready to side against her with a simple stab behind her back. Mordred never got used to thinking as cruel as this world. He could see the way Nephthys was always against Hermes. She never hid it. Perhaps there were a few things he admired her for. How she was afraid to tell the truth and did not care if she hurt anyone with her words.

But right now it did not matter who was cruel in secret or not. They were inside an enemy’s house. The healer had to look at everything around him. Be cautious.

They had to find Hephaestus. Being alone with countless soldiers was not the wisest idea. But judgmental eyes kept facing the healer. Looking at them as whispers kept getting loud.

I have to find them. I have to find them. I have.

And they did find them in one of the corners of the pillars. Outside in the garden.

Are they stupid? Mordred asked as he watched them from the window. He was ready to walk away, thinking that they would return until a soldier with moonlight hair approached them outside.

He bowed towards them and Hephaestus turned, frightened. And the soldier returned to this straight position but she kept talking to them. Hephaestus nodded and stretched their wrists.

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Mordred could not listen to what they were talking about but he knew that he couldn’t stay inside the ballroom.

As he walked outside he could now overhear the soldier talking to them.

‘’What are you doing here?’’ The guard asked with a voice so familiar that it hit him slowly.

‘’I think you have mistaken me for someone else.'' Hephaestus lied to him.

‘’Don’t play dumb with me,’’ The soldier now snatched their free hand and pulled them closer. ‘’I don’t know what you are planning but…’’

‘’There you are dear’’ Mordred jumped to the conversation with his hand wrapped around their waist, pulling them closer. Now, he could see the guard he had spoken to before clearly. He was almost as tall as Mordred with his white hair shaved. Cold presence, absent from the soul.

‘’I was looking everywhere for you’’He muttered softly and took their hand far from the soldier’s grasp. Mordred’s gaze shifted to the soldier and tried to take a closer look at him. He kept standing with a cold, formal tone. But Mordred could listen to Hephaestus’ heavy panting with their heartbeat bumping from their wrist to Mordred's fingers.

He was no fool. He realized quickly who the guard was.

‘’Did this soldier hurt you, dear?’’ He asked, trying to make the noblest accent he could accomplish. Even Lucifer was disappointed in how both Hephaestus and he could not act like proper ones. But unlike the others, they were the closest ones to succeed in the quick lessons.

Look at the soldiers like objects.

His hand wrapped their waist, pulling them closer to his as his fingers quivered around the fabric. Spirits, he almost heard a skipped heartbeat from the mechanic.

‘’No dear,'' Hepahestus’ breath quickened as they changed their accents.

‘’His memory was just playing with his mind.'' They tried to force a laugh and kept their fingers close to Mordred’s.

‘’I am sorry’’ the guard apologized quickly and bowed to them once more. ‘’I did not intend to hurt your…’’

''Fiance'' Mordred held his breath and kept staring down at him. Slowly, he felt every inch of his stomach moving higher, ready to throw away every sweet he had eaten.

‘’Of course’’The soldier hid his laugh and walked away with one more bow, letting them enjoy the night.

When he had now vanished inside the ballroom, Mordred turned to them.

‘’You have impeccable taste in men’’He said with irony conquering his lips.

‘’I have seen yours’’ Hephaestus now moved their hand away from his and stretched it. Mordred bit his lip and sighed heavily.

‘’Listen’’ Mordred stretched his neck and found a glimpse of red night flowers in the garden. He took the opportunity and cut one of the smallest ones among the many and turned to them once more to place them in their suit. Their eyes lit up from down the mask as Mordred made this gesture. They like red, correct?

''I am doing what needs to be done,'' His gaze softened behind the mask. ''Same, what are you doing for yourself. So'' He took one quick breath and looked at them once more.

‘’For the mission.'' He explained. ‘’Just for tonight, let’s keep close to one another.’’

Hephaestus hesitated before they lent their hand to him and they both walked once more to the lion’s den.

‘’Fiance?’’ Hephaestus turned to him, shocked by the words he had spoken before.

''Just stop'' He grunted flustered.

His fingers were now clenched, wrapped, trapping Hephaestus’ hand. He could hear their beat almost skipping and their breath slightly stopping.

‘’I told you if you try to kiss me’’

‘’I am not going to kiss you yet. Dear,’’ He replied with a mock tone. He now wished that he could take their mask off to see their flustered face, even though their heartbeat was a simple satisfaction.

Hephaestus let out a long sigh and pulled away from Mordred’s body.

‘’You are evil'' they whispered.

‘’And yet, here you are’’ He replied, keeping the tight leather around his skin.

He made a mistake saying that because the music changed and almost everyone started dancing to the melody in flawless sync.

And without even realizing it he was now dancing with them and their free hand around his waist. He shook a no but they did not listen

The sharp gazes again. He knew that the steps were wrong. He stepped three times to their feet. And four to his. Everyone was laughing behind their masks. There was a fog that was drowning him, making his heart heavy. Was it a curse? Was it his mind itself? Or was a scientist, another warlock spy, trying to trick him?

‘’Eyes on me’’ Hephaestus whispered. ‘’I will not stare back'' they said sarcastically.

And they were honest. They did not stare. Their gaze was falling on the soldier who was walking to the side of the room with the other guards.

‘’I can kill him if you want’’He replied warmly, his hand around their waist, pressuring cold energy to keep them standing without the cane.

They let out a scoff. They laughed, tilting their head back and Mordred prayed he could listen to them laughing over and over again.

Their movements became synced with the melody. They seemed as if they belonged in this place. With riches, with scientists everywhere with machines and dreams to come true.Unlike him.

But the smoke was now extinguished. He could breathe again by just looking at the blue eyes that were beneath the mask.

The pain in his heart was not. A reminder that this moment cannot last forever. A reminder that his hands will be painted red after the sun sets once again. He wanted to tell the gunsmith the truth. And then what? They would let everyone stay with their eyes closed until Mordred had collected the souls. They could have forgiven them on the other side of deceiving them, lying to them. Will Hermes forgive him for being weak and get himself cursed? If the curse wouldn’t exist on his body, would anything be different? I am loyal to the light. He kept reminding himself.

Nothing has changed.

‘’You are shaking’’ Hephaestus realized and whispered worriedly. Mordred realized that his left hand, which was wrapped around their waist, was trembling like a leaf.

He let out a heavy breath and the music became broodier. He learned the next movement. He moved his hands away from Hephaestus’s body and started walking around them while both of their palms were slightly touching.

‘’It seems that you can actually dance’’ Hephaestus complimented him.

Mordred rolled his eyes and found a glimpse of Lucifer, walking upstairs with quick rational movements.

He did not know what it was inside Hephaestus’mind when they asked her to do her part. For now. Mordred was trusting their instinct.