Uther and Igraine took their son home that day, of course they chose to keep Mordred's return a secret for now.
Terrified by the idea of Mordred being swamped by others demanding to see the boy who only existed in the glorified past.
And so while giving the staff indefinite paid leave for the foreseeable future and just allowed the discombobulated young man to look around his family home.
But after four weeks 13 had started to settle down and had started to gain a healthy color and weight, but things couldn't stay peaceful for long.
…
It was late when the messenger rattled on the door, Uther was in the middle of retelling an old story of Mordred, himself and Falkner.
Igraine too was laughing heartily, as she added little tidbits that her husband 'accidentally' skipped over.
They were in the rumpus room, is what Uther called it, they had just finished dinner and 13 had asked a question that accidentally sparked this nostalgia fueled storytelling.
But before the story could be finished there came a knocking at the door, even though the door was on the opposite side of the manor.
Yet the knocking was sharp and loud enough that 13 himself mistakenly thought that the knock had come from the rumpus room's door.
Uther sighed and picked himself up as he told Igraine and 13 to stay here, but Igraine refused and came with her husband to greet their surprise visitor.
But as soon as the knocking stopped as they answered the door, 13 had gained an ill feeling.
13 obviously worried about what was going on, left the rumpus room to join the rest at the front door.
…
Only when 13 had gotten to the reception room, he could finally hear what his family was arguing about.
"Why now of all times?" Uther spoke trying to hide his annoyance.
The person who stood at the other side of the door was someone 13 actually recognised.
Wallace Targe, the king's royal advisor and family friend to the Collins family.
13 had seen the old man in a couple of the portraits that covered many of the walls of the manor.
Wallace had visited seemingly by himself, with nothing but his cane and the clothes on his back.
The old man just stood there as the Collin's spoke passive aggressively and told him to leave.
But impassive look changed when he noticed the third person who lived in the manor.
He then smiled like a fox, as he then started to talk to 13.
"Could you help me boy? Your parents believe that you're not ready to be left on your own, and it's sadly causing problems for me and the rest of the royal court. Would you mind lending me a hand?"
Wallace's voice was warm but it had a greedy tinge about it, like someone talking to a merchant wanting a deal.
It was a voice of a reciprocating nature, and such introduction to such speech so suddenly had thrown 13.
But then it hit him, problems with the royal court. Even with the little knowledge he had gained 13 knew that the royal court and its political rival the Oblige faction.
And if the court needed both Uther and Igraine, it could only be about the Oblige faction.
13 had heard of how much the Oblige faction had troubled his parents, and the other members in the royal court.
As they had the Royal Guard and the Mage Tower under them, they of course held a lot of sway within the kingdom.
13 then spoke, " I'm fine you know?"
His parents, who had become furious at the fact that Wallace had the gall to ask Mordred for anything, then turned to their son.
13 then continued, "nobody would be stupid and try to go near this place, and I have a feeling that Mr. Targe would be happy to leave a few aids for my needs.
Wallace then made a gratified smile and nodded in approval.
"Of course how could I leave Mordred alone, servants hand picked by me alone and sworn to secrecy are arriving tomorrow."
The old fox continued to strengthen his cause, he had needed both of them to oppose a bill that would only make the oblige faction an even greater tumor for Soladarr.
Uther had remained quiet and had become dispirited, he went to his son and put his hand on 13's shoulder and he asked a simple question that he didn't want answered.
"Are you sure?"
Uther's voice was soft, for the first time 13 had returned.
But 13 turned stalwart, and gave his answer.
"Yes."
…
Wallace had returned to his carriage, his old muscles aching by the time he sat down.
Uther and Igraine had left on their own, but only after they argued about the servants that would arrive to help Mordred in the morning.
It would take a full month to stop the bill from being taken in, and who knows how much paperwork.
"So how was he?"
A shadow on the other side of the carriage asked.
The old man laughed before giving the specter an answer.
Magus Thade, the kingdom's hidden dagger and manager of the kingdom's 'secrets'.
"Well Uther looked at me like I was a heartless old dragon, and Igraine threatened to kill me on fifteen separate occasions."
The old man kept a smile on his face, as he watched the shadowy specter twist and reform like an inferno as they laughed like a possessed madman.
Then their form became distressingly still, and after being still for over five of the journey to the capital it spoke again.
"How is Mordred?" they asked with a tone filled with guilt.
Only a few in the world knew of the return of Mordred, for it had been reported to the king and his royal sire spread it to a chosen few of course with permission.
The old man sighed.
"The boy hasn't recovered his memories yet, but it is him."
The carriage had become quiet, no one wished to speak about their failings.
…
13 stood in a vast white void alone, he had been searching this place for what felt like days but he found nothing.
But then he saw someone running right at him, and as the person ran closer 13 could make out some of their physical traits.
They were young but not a child, golden mane like hair fluttered in the wind as he ran towards 13.
And as he got closer to 13, the young man became more and more recognizable.
And when 13 finally realized the young man's identity, the run stranger slammed into 13 like a cannon ball and he, along with the young stranger, fell into a chair?
When 13 realized that landed on something other than ground he looked around and noticed that his surroundings had changed.
He was back at the rumpus room, it had taken a minute before he realized two things.
One, while yes he was in the rumpus room it was different from before with missing paintings and unfamiliar furniture.
And two, he had the stranger with him hugging him, the stranger stirred as he turned his face to 13.
This action had shocked him to his core especially when he spoke.
"Hi dreamer, it's good to see me again!"
The boy talking to 13 was himself, or rather the fifteen year old Mordred Collins.