#Elena of Gawant

[nerdie-faerie]

Merlin's allies are all swordsmen who's lives he's saved and viced versa. While Arthur's allies are women he almost married

[pagsys-writings]

weak in the knees

ao3 link

Rating: Teen Category: W/W Fandom: Merlin Relationship: Elena/Mithian Words: 927 Content Warning: alcohol use, kind of drunken confessions

For @flufftober Day 21: Swoon

Summary: Elena doesn't swoon, but maybe she does for pretty brunettes with a heart of gold.

Elena does not swoon. She just doesn’t. Arthur Pendragon — the heartthrob of their time — couldn’t even make her swoon. If anything, she thinks of him as a good friend — someone who can actually challenge her in a horse race. Even if she always wins.

She’s had plenty of suitors come her way. Men from good families and with good enough looks come to her father for a chance to win her hand in marriage. It never takes long for Elena to realize they simply want the money her family has or want to one day take over her family's business. And they’re boring, can’t ride a horse, and just… not Elena’s type. Not that she actually knows what her type is.

Or… maybe she does…

Maybe it’s… someone with long dark hair, kind eyes, a warm smile, and someone with kindness, compassion, and competitiveness. Someone with curves in all the right places and who is loved by everyone. Maybe she’s staring at her type right now. Maybe it’s… Mithian…

“Are you even listening to me, Elena?” Vivian huffs and stamps her foot. The heel of her shoe clicks harshly against the hard floor and echoes through the room, drawing some unwanted attention. Though Vivian always draws the attention of others while many tend to stay clear of Elena, which is probably why Vivian lingers around Elena whenever possible.

Elena pulls her gaze away from Mithian and back to the pouting Vivian, who even has her arms crossed now. Her eyebrow is raised in question and judgment. “Sorry,” Elena whispers. She takes a sip of her wine. She’d much rather have a beer, but this is a ‘distinguished party’ for the young adults of their standings and beer is sadly not an option.

“Who’s got your attention anyway?” Vivian asks, swirling around dramatically as she looks into the various faces around them. “It’s not Arthur, right? You know he’s taken.” Elena would like to walk away but she knows Vivian will just follow after her. “Gwaine? He does have nice hair. Even I would like to run my fingers through it and— Hey! Where are you going?”

“To get a drink!” Elena calls over her shoulder finally having enough of her friend.

“But you have a drink already!” Vivian whines. 

Elena quickly throws back the remainder of her wine and grimaces at the taste. Yeah, she is not a wine girl. She hears Vivian call out to bring her back something, but she pretends not to hear it. And maybe she spends way more time than is necessary at the bar, chugging glasses of wine as they’re placed in front of her and earning concerned but impressed looks from the bartender and various patrons around her.

She fidgets with the skirts of her dress. God, pants are so much better than this. Why does she have to wear dresses in an already uncomfortable environment? “I hate it here,” she whines to herself. Her brain feels a little fuzzy and as she reaches for her drink, her hand is just slightly off-center and knocks into the glass.

Elena watches as the glass tilts in slow motion and the red liquid sloshes about. God, she’s going to end up with wine all over her new blue dress and her father is going to be disappointed in her. She’s resigned to her fate, but a pale, elegant hand comes to her rescue and settles the glass before damage can be done.

The slender fingers wrap around the stem of the glass and Elena knows who it is once she sees the forest green nail polish. She lifts her gaze but it takes a moment to focus on Mithian as the world spins around her. God, she’s so pretty.

Mithian’s lips curl up, and Elena’s eyes widen. Did she say that out loud?

“I think,” Mithian says slowly as she pushes the wine glass away from Elena’s grasp, “that you’ve had plenty to drink tonight. Don’t you think, Elena?” 

Elena has no idea what to say, so she just stares at Mithian’s beautiful face. Mithian’s kind smile directed at her shortcircuits her already intoxicated mind. She needs to say something, but she doesn’t trust her mouth to say words correctly so she nods her head dumbly.

And then… Mithian tucks a strand of Elena’s hair behind her ear. Her fingers brush gently against Elena’s cheek and jaw, lingering just a bit longer than necessary. And she smiles so fondly that Elena’s knees go weak. She does not swoon. She’s just leaning really heavily against the top of the bar to keep herself upright.

Mithian steps closer. Her hand gently wraps around Elena’s elbow to steady her. “How about we get you home?” she asks softly. 

And Elena is going to blame the wine for the words that come out of her mouth. “Is that an invitation?” Mithian’s eyes go wide and Elena feels the heat in her cheeks. Oh, she definitely needs to leave now. 

Mithian chuckles. Her hand tightens her hold like she can read Elena’s mind and knows she wants to flee. “Maybe if you were sober,” she replies and that makes Elena pause. 

It’s not a rejection. That is definitely a “come back later” kind of comment. Elena takes a deep breath in. “That’s not a 'no',” she says because her brain is moving slowly and she needs Mithian to confirm what she thinks she heard. 

“It’s not,” Mithian says with a smile. 

And Elena doesn’t swoon, but maybe she does for pretty brunettes with a heart of gold. 

[justaz]

i prefer happy ending bbc merlin where morgana becomes court sorceress and arthur becomes king and merlin remains as his servant (until they eventually marry) and lancelot lives and he and gwen marry but that damn game of thrones (?? probably idk) audio on tiktok that goes “i mean to fight this war and win it.” “good. to war then.” keeps giving me visions of king arthur of camelot on the verge of war with other kingdoms and his powerful court sorcerer merlin standing by his throne. arthur declares that he wishes to go to war and merlin (eager to bring about the united albion the prophecies speak of) supports arthur immediately and declares they’re going to war

[omensfilm]

princess elena was actually one of my favorite merlin characters. despite being manipulated for 20 years by her nursemaid, mocked by everyone in camelot and not feeling like she was good enough her entire life, she got the happy ending she deserved!!

makes me so mad how everyone mocked her and then as soon as she acted “normal” everyone was just like “oh my god, she’s BEAUTIFUL!!”

elena deserved to fall in love, take part in horse races and not wear heels for the rest of her life!! my messy haired queen, i adore her so much!!

[hannahhook7744]

Modern Merlin Moodboards (Part 3) (Revamped);

Previous parts: Modern Merlin Playlist, Moodboard Masterlist, Modern Will Fic, Modern Gwaine Pie Story, Au, 1 , and 2.

------------------------------------------------------------

Character: William of Ealdor.

Modern name: William 'Will' Knightley.

Age: 37 years old.

Modern job: Professional soccer/football player.

Short rundown of their modern life: Will grew up poor in a small town in England after his father (who worked for the royal family) died for their country.

Because of this, he grew up without his father and started to resent royalty, causing him to move to the states the first chance he got after playing football for awhile after his mother died. Which America calls Soccer. Because of this he refers to the sport by both names.

Soon after moving to Nashville, Will started volunteering at Tristan and Izzy's Youth Center, where he went on to meet his wife, Elena. Who he fell for immediately.

During a vacation the two went on not long after they started dating, Will got into a tree chopping accident and was saved by a mysterious doctor, Merlin Everstone, who soon became his best friend and introduced him to most of the other people who he soon began to see as good friends.

When he and Elena got married, Merlin was his best man, and when they adopted their son, Marcel, they made him the God Father.

They are also the godparents of Merlin's own son, Dragonet.

Merlin is also the one Will seeks advice from when he decides to hire someone new because he finds that Merlin has good instincts. Which Elena agrees with.

Which is how they came to hire George and several of his family members.

Character: Princess Elena of Gawant.

Modern name: Elena Knightley.

Age: 35 years old.

Modern job: Horse Riding Instructor.

Short rundown of their modern life: Elena grew up different and was seen as a problem child by many because of the fact that she was a clumsy tomboy.

Seen as a problem child by everyone except her father who encouraged her to follow her dreams. So she did, becoming an horse riding instructor and a volunteer at the local Youth Center where she met her husband, Will.

Who would be saved by a man named Merlin who became a good friend of theirs and the best man at their wedding after he saved Will during a tree chopping accident that occurred while on vacation.

The man also became the Godfather to their adoptive son, Marcel, after they adopted him and they became the Godparents to his son in turn.

Not long after they adopted Marcel, Elena got back in contact with her cousin, Winnie, who she convinced Will to hire as their son's musicial tutor.

And now they're very happy together.

Character: Druid boy.

Modern name: Marcel Knightley.

Age: 11 years old.

Modern job: None. He's a student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Marcel Knightley grew up on the streets until he broke into the Knightley house, looking for food where he was found by Will and Elena—who took him in.

He's lived happily with them for the past 5 years ever since.

Though all is not perfect because nightly he is plagued by nightmares that he isn't quite sure are just dreams. Which has caused him to be labeled a problem child by many—which his parents disagree heavily with.

Even when he was oddly terrified of their friends for some unknown reason (which had Merlin cringing).

Character: Sir Gwaine of Camelot.

Modern name: Gwaine Jones.

Age: 39 years old.

Modern job: Bartender and YouTuber.

Short rundown of their modern life: Gwaine Jones was found in a field in America when he was twelve with serve amenisa and wounds.

When questioned, he could only vaguely recollect that he'd come from a big family with a mother, a father, and a sister specifically. The names turned up nothing and because of that, Gwaine was placed in foster care.

He ran away and picked fights often. Eventually, the system lost track of him due to him constantly moving around.

He hopped trains, rode busses, burrowed bikes, and hitchhiked to get around. Earning money in any way he could (under the table jobs, mowing lawns, helping people move, street performing, boxing, poker playing, etc) until he was finally able to get a bartender license.

Gwaine then saved up to get an RV. Eventually becoming a father of three, marrying Percival, and saving a doctor named Merlin Everstone in a bar fight. Reopening an old scar on his thigh that he doesn't remember how he got in the process.

Character: Sir Percival of Camelot.

Modern name: Percival 'Percy' Armstrong.

Age: 38 years old.

Modern job: Kindergarten Teacher.

Short rundown of their modern life: Percival 'Percy' Armstrong grew up in a big family with tons of cousins, siblings, aunts, and uncles for the first ten years of his life until they all died in a fire (that was later determined to be arson) that he just barely survived.

After he got out of the hospital, he was placed into foster care and stayed there for three years until he placed into a military boarding school by the state due to misbehavior on his end.

But luckily for him, some of the 'weird' staff at the military liked him so it wasn't all that bad.

There he'd meet Lancelot, who'd eventually introduce him to Leon and Merlin.

Who he then, in turn, introduced to his cute bartender friend (who he is now married to with kids and living in an apartment with) Gwaine.

Character: Sir Le Bel Inconnu from the legends.

Modern name: Gingalain 'Everard' Jones.

Age: 11 years old.

Modern job: None. He's a student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Gingalain 'Everard' Jones was the product of a one night stand between bartender, Gwaine Jones, and an unknown woman he met at a music festival.

9 months later, he was abandoned at a hospital not far from where the music festival took place only to be picked up by his dad when the hospital was able to get ahold of him.

Gingalain eventually gained a little sister in Constance 6 years later and a step brother in Percival's son, Lohengrin 'Grin' Armstrong 11 years later.

He now lives happily with his siblings, dad, and stepfather, Percival.

Character: None. This is an original character of mine.

Modern name: Constance Jones.

Age: 5 years old.

Modern job: None. She's a student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Constance Jones was a result of yet another one night stand between bartender, Gwaine Jones, and an unknown woman he met at a bar.

She, like her brother before her, she was abandoned at a hospital until her father was able to pick her up from the hospital.

Now she lives happily with her brothers, dad, and stepdad, Percival.

Character: Sir Lohengrin from the legends.

Modern name: Lohengrin 'Grin' Armstrong.

Age: 9 months old.

Modern job: None. He's a baby.

Short rundown of their modern life: Lohengrin 'Grin" Armstrong was recently adopted by Percival, who he now lives with alongside Gingalain, Constance, and Gwaine.

Character: Sir Leon of Camelot.

Modern name: Leonard 'Leon' Grant.

Age: 43 years old.

Modern job: Detective.

Short rundown of their modern life: After watching Percival, Giaus, and Gwen grow older and older while he stayed the same, sir Leon of Camelot realized he was immortal.

Because of this, he's been traveling and has kept running into Merlin.

Eventually, the two realized that the others have been reincarnated (FINALLY) when Lancelot was assigned as Leon's partner at work (who has become his roommate). They've also realized that it isn't just their friends because of Lady Vivian (who is now Leon's wife) and Princess Elena's presence in this time.

Needless to say, they're both scrambling. Trying to find everyone who has reincarnated before Arthur rises because they're sure he's coming soon (they're also trying to figure out WHY he's going to rise and WHY Leon is aging all of a sudden).

Character: Lady Vivian.

Modern name: Vivian Grant.

Age: 38 years old.

Modern job: Butterfly Habitat Curator.

Short rundown of their modern life: Vivian Grant grew up the daughter of a violently protective socialite and looked down on others—including her future husband, Leon, who eventually showed her that she was wrong for doing so and helped her grow as a person.

They became friends and eventually married after he saved her from a kidnapper and would be murderer.

Afterwards they moved into an apartment building with one of Leon's close friends and detective partner, Lance, where they met and befriended a friendly couple Tristan and Isolde.

Leon also introduced her to a friend of his named Merlin and she never suspected that the two were immortal until her memories started to trinkle back.

[akelafang]

Yellow Thread

Pairing: Mithian/Elena, slight side Merthur Word count: 2841

Inspired by this post by @arthursknight. It's a different pairing but the idea of the colored thread acting as a favor was so cute I had to use it! Might post to ao3 later, will link if I do.

~~~

Nemeth was abuzz with activity. Nobles and royalty from all her allied kingdoms were flocking to the citadel, a new group arriving almost every hour. Servants scurried around making preparations and aiding those who had already arrived. The reason for all this excitement? A celebratory feast was being held in Princess Mithian’s honor.

See King Rodor knew he was getting on in his years. He was starting to slow down and it wouldn’t be long before his time came. He feared what kind of position his death would leave his daughter in. While he knew MIthian will be an excellent queen and was more than capable of taking over the kingdom when he was gone, not everyone agreed with him. More than a few had expressed concern over a woman taking the reins of power in Nemeth once Rodor was gone, some had even gone so far as to suggest he skip over Mithian and make one of his nephews his heir. There was no way he was going to do such a thing. Why would he pass over his brilliant daughter just because of her sex? 

Some had expressed their support of Mithian’s future rule, such as King Arthur of Camelot, but Rodor knew that it was not enough to make the transition of power an easy one for Mithian. If he could not bring more people to support Mithian and those who opposed her managed to come together then there could very well be a coup early on in his daughter’s reign. 

So after much discussion with Mithian over the matter they had agreed to make Mithian his regent, a trial run so to speak in order to demonstrate her abilities before she was granted full power. Thus the celebratory feast. A tournament is also to take place over the duration of the guests' stay. A perfect opportunity for Mithian to showcase her skills as a warrior against knights of the realm and any from visiting kingdoms who wish to join. King Arthur himself had already expressed interest in taking part in the event.

“It would be an honor to cross blades with such a fine swordswoman.” He said when the tournament was mentioned while welcoming him and his men to the kingdom.

Mithian smiled at the gesture before answering “I look forward to besting you on the battlefield.”

Merlin, standing just behind his king like the loyal manservant he was, failed to stifle a laugh. Arthur smacked him upside the head for it but he couldn’t fully keep a smile off his face. Mithian chuckled at the display. 

“It’s good to see you again Merlin.”

“And you, your highness.” He said with a cheeky grin and a bow.

Arthur huffed and was about to interject when trumpets sounded announcing new arrivals. The procession from Gawant.

“Well, we best not keep you from your other guests.” He said instead.

“Heather will show you and you men to your rooms,” Mithian said gesturing to the mentioned servant.

The King of Camelot and his men headed inside just as the Princess of Gawant and her father rode into sight. 

Mithian had heard about Princess Elena but this was the first time they’d met in person. Rumors abound of the unkempt, socially inept, wild child heir to the throne of Gawant who was unsuccessful in securing a marriage to then Prince Arthur a few years before her attempt. Mithian failed to see the resemblance to the woman gracefully dismounting her horse before her now. Yes her hair was a little messy but who’s wasn’t after a long journey? Besides, the look suited her.

“Rodor! Good to see you old friend!” Lord Godwyn called as he and Elena approached. 

“You as well Godwyn.” The two shook hands. “Allow me to introduce my daughter and regent, Princess Mithian.”

Mithian extended her hand and Godwyn kissed the back of it. “My lady, It’s a pleasure. I believe the last time I saw you you were still a young child clinging to your mother's skirt.”

Mithian gave a polite smile. “Yes well, that would have been many years ago my lord.”

“Indeed. Time waits for no one. Allow me to introduce my daughter Princess Elena.”

The two princesses curtsied to each other.

“Princess Mithian. I’ve heard much about you.”

“And I you Princess Elena.”

“Good things I hope” Elena forced an awkward smile.

Mithian returned it with what she hoped was a reassuring look.

“Anything less than that I’d say holds no water. You must be tired after your journey, Aisling will escort you to your rooms where you can rest and freshen up before dinner.”

Godwyn and Elena bowed and curtsied respectively before moving to follow Aisling. As she passed by Mithian Elena caught her foot on the stairs and tripped. Mithian’s reflexes kicked in and she swiftly caught her around the waist, pulling Elena against herself to keep her upright. 

“Are you alright?”

“Yes, thank you. I must not have raised my foot high enough.”

With their faces so close Mithian couldn’t help but notice Elena’s beautiful hazel eyes. She thinks she spotted a few flecks of blue in them. Realising she was still holding Elena she let her go and stepped back. Her throat felt tight all of a sudden and she cleared it before speaking again.

“Probably due to exhaustion. I know I’ve struggled to raise my feet after a long enough time traveling.”

“Indeed. Good thing you’re a good catch.”

Mithian looked surprised and Elena, realising what she said started to ramble.

“I mean, you’re a good catcher-uh, I mean you’re good at catching- I mean, thank you for catching me.”

Mithian pressed her lips together to keep herself from giggling. “You’re welcome.”

Elena curtsied again before hurrying up the rest of the stairs and following her father inside.

Once she was gone Mithian let the giggle escape her. She supposed the rumors weren’t completely unfounded. Though they still seem quite exaggerated. 

Mithian’s arm still felt warm from where it had been wrapped around Elena’s waist.

~~~

The feast went off without a hitch. It was a pleasant evening of good food and mostly good company. One nobleman, Lord Cilian from one of the oldest families in Nemeth tried to goad her into a debate on a woman’s place in political circles but she managed to evade the topic and steer the conversation away from that explosion waiting to happen. She was not going to win support by participating in an argument during the celebration feast of her regency.

She scanned around the banquet hall, what for she wasn’t entirely sure but she did spot Arthur just down the table bantering with Merlin as he poured him wine. She watched as the two seemed to forget everyone else around them as they looked at each other. She also watched as Sir Leon rolled his eyes and moved the wine jug out of Merlin’s hands. She pitied the poor fellow. From what she’d witnessed in her few days in Camelot she can only imagine the pain Sir Leon has experienced in his years of service having to watch those two flirt and pine.

While her ego had been bruised by Arthur calling off their engagement she certainly could not blame him for it whenever she saw him and Merlin together. She longed for someone to look at her the way he looked at Merlin. 

Rumors have been circling that Arthur was fighting with his council over law changes he wishes to make. The specifics regarding which laws vary, some say it’s about the magic ban, while others think it’s the law forbidding nobles and peasants from marrying, but in almost all versions Merlin’s name is mentioned. Whatever the truth it was obvious to Mithian that Arthur was putting things in place for him to finally make Merlin his consort. She hoped for his success and wished them both happiness.

A commotion from the other side of the hall caught her attention. She looked over to see Lord Cilian now speaking to Princess Elena. It seems he’d tried the same thing with her and she was not interested in changing the topic and ignoring him as Mithian had. 

“I don’t think I’m the one you want to have this discussion with sir. You’re clearly looking for a sympathetic ear and based on your tone I can tell you it won’t be mine or anyone from Gawant’s. Or have you forgotten that my mother was Queen Regnant and that I’m her heir? I already have more right to my throne than my father and have every intention of claiming it when I am ready. In fact, my father and I have been discussing ending his regency and officially crowning me in the near future. I’m sure it won't be too long before Gawant will be the one hosting many of the people here tonight.”

Lord Cilian huffed and moved away.

Mithian admired how she handled him. She managed to shut him down without outright insulting him or saying anything anyone could truly argue against. She was impressed. 

She caught Elena’s eye and raised her goblet to her. She ignored the flutter in her stomach when Elena smiled and returned the gesture. There was a familiar gleam in her eyes and a voice in the back of Mithian’s mind told her where she’d seen that look before. She ignored that too.

```

Mithian was in her tent preparing for the tournament. This was hardly the first tournament she’s participated in but the significance of it sent her nerves into overdrive. This was meant to be a show of strength, of her abilities as a warrior. How well she does in this tournament could help tip the scales in her favor in the eyes of the people. She needed to show them what she was capable of. 

She anxiously straightened out her chainmail where it lay on the table while she checked over the rest of her kit to make sure it was all there. 

“Shouldn’t your maid be helping you with that?” A voice asked from the tent entrance.

Mithian looked up to see Elena looking at her curiously.

“Sera’s skill is doing up tiny buttons on dresses, not armor buckles. Besides, I like doing it myself.”

Elena moved further into the tent until she stood across the table from Mithian looking over her armor. She fiddled a little bit with the handle of Mithian’s sword.

“Fair enough. I suppose it's similar to me saddling my horse. It’s meant to be the stable boy's job but I feel better doing it myself.”

“Exactly. Some things you need to do on your own even though you’re taught to let others do it.”

A somewhat awkward silence settled between them.

“So what brings you to my tent my lady?”

“Oh um, I just wanted to wish you well. Not that I think you need it of course! I’m sure you’re amazing with this thing.” She lifted the sword and the tip caught itself on Mithian’s sleeve, cutting a hole on its way up. Elena dropped the sword and hurried around the table.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I?!”

She grabbed hold of Mithian’s arm and frantically searched it for any injuries.

“No it's alright, you didn’t even nick me.” Elena breathed a sigh of relief. “The only thing you got was…my tunic.”

Mithian looked down at her sleeve. Now that Elena had calmed down she fully registered that there was a large tear in her tunic sleeve. She clutched at the fabric.

“Oh shit no! I’m meant to be out there in 15 minutes!”

Elena looked surprised by her reaction, probably because she seemed to care more about her tunic getting cut than her own flesh. Mithian looked a bit embarrassed before she started to explain.

“It’s silly but, I always wear this tunic for tournaments for good luck. It was my mother’s and, I guess it makes me feel like she’s there cheering me on.”

“I don’t think that’s silly at all! It makes sense you’d want to have your mother close when doing something you love.” Elena said before a solemn, pensive look came over her face. 

No doubt she was thinking of her own mother who had passed when Elena was a baby. Mithian had been young herself when her mother had gotten terribly ill before passing. She treasured every memory she had of her and clung to any small trinket that was passed on to her. She could only imagine how much harder the loss must have been for Elena.

Suddenly the somber mood seemed to lift from Elena, quick as a lightning strike before she turned to Mithian with an excited look.

“I can mend it for you!”

The sudden shift threw Mithian off for a second but a flicker of hope began to burn in her chest. “Really?”

“You may have noticed but balance has never quite been my forte.” Elena gave a brief self-deprecating smile. “I’m well acquainted with tears and learned to mend them pretty quickly. I could have this sewn up before you’re needed for the tournament. I think I’ve even got some thread that will match!”

Elena pulled a small sewing kit from her dress pocket and, with a nod from Mithian, quickly got to work. Meanwhile, Mithian finished all the preparations she could in just her breeches and undershirt. As she strapped her greaves to her legs she couldn’t help glancing over at Elena, watching her as she worked. Clumsy she may be while on her feet but the way her hands moved with needle and thread between her fingers was nothing short of graceful. The practiced movements were smooth and fluid as the needle glided through the fabric. Mithian felt like she could watch her work for hours. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts and moved on to tie her hair back in a ponytail. She needed to focus on the tournament now and not on unkempt, awkward, pretty, princesses.

However, that was hard when said princess let out a triumphant “Ah ha! Done!” 

Elena hurried over to Mithian, stumbling slightly but quickly righting herself. She eagerly held out Mithian’s tunic with a look of pride. Mithian took it from her gratefully and looked over her handy work.

“Oh, it's lovely Elena! It looks as good as new!” Mithian smiled as she analyzed the craftsmanship, running her thumb along the mended seam. That is when she noticed it. Just at the end of the stitched-up hole, next to the thread that blended in perfectly with her off-white tunic, were 4 little stitches in yellow thread. The same yellow as Elena’s dress.

“It wouldn’t be proper for a princess to be seen carrying another princess's favor but…I thought this might do. Forgive me if I overstepped.”

Mithian glanced up at her but Elena had her head down, refusing to meet her gaze. She looked anxious and though she tried to hide behind her messy hair Mithian could see a rosy hue on her cheeks. Adorable.

Mithian tugged the tunic on, catching Elena’s attention. She caressed the little yellow stitched thread before smiling at the other princess. “I shall wear them with pride, my lady.”

Elena’s smile was like beaming sunshine and Mithian was captivated by the sight. Anyone who said the princess of Gawant was unattractive had clearly never seen her smile before.

Her gaze softened as the two smiled at each other, turning almost shy. Mithian quickly put on her chainmail and armor but she could feel Elena’s eyes on her the whole time. Hesitantly Elena moved closer to Mithian, reaching towards her neck. 

“Allow me.” She breathed, barely above a whisper. Gently she reached behind Mithin and lifted her hair up, releasing her ponytail from the tunic and chainmail. Her fingers skimmed along the base of her neck sending shivers down Mithian’s spine. Their eyes never strayed from one another. “Wouldn’t want your hair to get all tangled up”

“Thank you,” Mithian spoke softly, not wanting to ruin the moment they had found themselves in. 

Mithian’s eyes dropped down to Elena’s lips. She knew she shouldn’t but it was like there was a magnetic pull between her and Elena, one she was losing the fight against. She leaned forward. Just as her lips were about to brush Elena’s the trumpet sounded, announcing that the tournament was about to begin. 

Like that, the spell was broken. They jolted away from each other, avoiding the other's eyes. Mithian hurried to grab her sword and helmet and made her way towards the tent flap.

“Mithian!”

She stopped at Elena’s call.

“Good luck.”

“You’ll be watching from the stands right?”

Elena nodded.

“Then I’ll have all the luck I’ll need.”

Elena gave her another of those blinding sunny smiles. It quickly turned mischievous “Maybe if you win I’ll let you join me for a horse ride tomorrow. If you think you can keep up with me.”

“I look forward to it my lady.”

[thenerdyindividual]

Ship ranking?? Uhhhh I want in!

The most random ships I have:

Mithian / Vivian, Mithian could turn out to be the one to free Vivian from the enchantment and make her into a better person!

Hunith /Uther or Ygraine / Balinor or Hunith /Ygraine etc etc. All the combinations

Gwaine / Elena I just think they're neat. They both have chaos energy. Plus, Elena's Father seems like a chill guy who would accept a peasant (who isn't actually a peasant huhhhhhhh)

Hear me out... Finna / Alator.

Nimueh / Freya

Julius Borden / Will

I swear I am not throwing these name out randomly there's a thought process behind it

Like Nimueh is of the old religion, so maybe she finds Freya after death in Avalon. And Freya being the kind soul she is can help her heal and grow out of her hatred.

And for Julius and Will... Picture a world where Will didn't die. And now everyone thinks he is a sorcerer. Julius hears rumours of the son of the last dragon lord living in Ealdor. So he goes there and he assumes it's Will, and Will just agrees to cover for Merlin, so he has to fake being a Dragon lord until the letter he sent reaches Merlin to warn him and to idk get help? But huh huh they actually fall in love.

Okay! There’s a lot here and I’m going to unpack all of them! This is fun!

Mithian / Vivian

I’m in favor of lesbian queens ruling a kingdom together, but also I like Mithian and feel she deserves better than Vivian. And I really dislike Vivian because she was mean to Gwen and I adore Gwen. I’m just not that interested in Vivian’s character, personally. I think Mithian, Gwen, and Morgana are all more interesting in her. So for that reason I rank it:

E-Tier

Hunith /Uther

No. Just no. Okay I know Uther was probably not always a genocidal maniac, but to quote Brennan Lee Mulligan “Before you were a fascist, you were a bully.” I think Hunith deserves to get her needs met by someone who would not one day gleefully send her son to the pyre. I rank this ship:

E-Tier

Ygraine / Balinor

Ohhhhh now this has some interesting vibes. Does Ygraine have a romance with Balinor before meeting Uther? Does she find out that Uther cheated on her, and got revenge on Balinor? Was it both? Does that mean that Uther and Ygraine were an arranged marriage? If so that makes Uther and even bigger hypocrite by using her death to justify his hatred.

For sheer implications and intrigue, I rank this:

C-Tier

Hunith /Ygraine

Ooooo a parallel to Arthur and Merlin, hell yes. I’m in favor of more sapphic romances in this fandom, and this could be fun. But also I now want an extremely cracky one shot where Merlin and Arthur are dating and introduce their moms, only for their moms to start hooking up, much to the horror of Merlin and Arthur.

I rank this:

C-Tier

Gwaine / Elena

I see this one a lot in the background of fics and I’m never much of a fan. It’s just a little too quirky for me. Like I’m sure there’s a fic out there that could get me to ship it, but most of the time it feels like people just want to ship the chaotic one with the chaotic one. It rarely feels thought out to me, and often feels like shoehorning it in because everyone needs to be a couple.

That said, it’s never enough to make me click away from a fic. And I could see how I would enjoy it if there was more time and thought put into their relationship. I mean, Gwaine is wandering rogue pre season 4. Chances are he ended up in Gawant at some point right?

I rank it:

C-Tier

For the potential

Finna / Alator

Tbh? In my soul, this is canon.

B-Tier

Nimueh / Freya

I just feel like Nimueh would trigger Freya. Super powerful, super scary, witch lady? After Freya got cursed dating Nimueh would just set Freya up to be terrified all the time. I don’t vibe with it. Also I think Freya has been through enough and doesn’t need to be fixing Nimueh.

I rank it:

D-Tier

Julius Borden / Will

Here’s the thing, I love Borden as a character but I like to make him Merlin’s shitty ex. I know the go to is Cenred, but he has way more chemistry with Borden.

So as far as shipping him with Will? Idk man. I’d maybe be tempted to read the fic you described because it sounds fun as hell, but Borden is just such a fun scummy piece of shit that I don’t ship him seriously with anyone. So without reading that fic, going on vibes alone…. I rank it:

D-Tier

Send me a Merlin Ship and I’ll rank it on a tier list. Note: This is a subjective ranking and a low ranking in no way means that I am shaming you for your taste in ships.

[merlinbingo]

"

Princess Elena of Gawant by HadrianPeverellBlack Ship: Elena/Merlin Main Characters: Merlin, Elena Rating: General audiences Warnings: Choose not to use archive warnings Major tags: Episode: s03e06 The Changeling (Merlin), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, , POV Elena (Merlin), Possessed Elena (Merlin), BAMF Elena (Merlin) Summary: “I had a Sidhe.” Elena murmured. “I was possessed by a Sidhe.” Merlin nodded. “I'm sorry it took me so long to understand this.”"

[xviruserrorx]

Merlin Tags

#bbc merlin

Seasons:

#merlin s1 : 1x01 - 1x02 - 1x03 - 1x04 - 1x05 - 1x06 - 1x07 - 1x08 - 1x09 - 1x10 - 1x11 - 1x12 - 1x13

#merlin s2 : 2x01 - 2x02 - 2x03 - 2x04 - 2x05 - 2x06 - 2x07 - 2x08 - 2x09 - 2x10 - 2x11 - 2x12 - 2x13

#merlin s3 : 3x01 - 3x02 - 3x03 - 3x04 - 3x05 - 3x06 - 3x07 - 3x08 - 3x09 - 3x10 - 3x11 - 3x12 - 3x13

#merlin s4 : 4x01 - 4x02 - 4x03 - 4x04 - 4x05 - 4x06 - 4x07 - 4x08 - 4x09 - 4x10 - 4x11 - 4x12 - 4x13

#merlin s5 : 5x01 - 5x02 - 5x03 - 5x04 - 5x05 - 5x06 - 5x07 - 5x08 - 5x09 - 5x10 - 5x11 - 5x12 - 5x13

Characters:

Main: arthur pendragon | morgana pendragon | guinevere pendragon | merlin emrys | sir gwaine | sir elyan | sir lancelot | sir percival | sir leon | sir mordred | gaius the court physician | uther pendragon | agravain de bois

Side: mithian of nemeth | ygraine de bois | bbcm sefa | bbcm freya | bbcm morgause | bbcm nimueh | bbcm iseldir | king cenred | geoffrey of monmouth | alator of the catha |

One Off: bbcm daegal | bbcm kara | eoghan the map makers apprentice | bbcm gilli | edwin muirden | tyr seward | will of ealdor | elena of gawant | princess vivian | anhora keeper of the unicorns | tristan de bois | bbcm alvarr | bbcm enmyria | julius borden | bbcm aglain | lady catrina | aredian the witchfinder | knight valiant | king alined | the cailleach | bbcm tauren

Extra: knight!merlin | shade!lancelot | enchanted!arthur | enchanted!gwen |

Ships: (that I know of)

Arthur: #arlance | #arlyan | # armor | #arwen

Elyan:

Gwaine: #gwaincelot | #gwainevere

Gwen:

Leon:

Lancelot:

Merlin: #merthur | #mergwen | #mergana | #merwaine | #merlance | #merleon | #merwill | #merthian |

Mordred:

Morgana: #morgwen |

Percival: #perwaine | #perlyan |

| #geon | #morgal | #morra

Poly ships:

#merwaincelot | #mergwenthur | #mergwainthur | #merlyanthur |

Group Tags:

pendragon house

pendragon siblings

smith siblings

knights of camelot

people of the old religion

awotc

[nerdie-faerie]

Love how no one really acknowledges Elena becoming the perfect princess overnight

[internetaddict104]

Ok so I can’t stop thinking about this, and correct me if I’m wrong, but are the only blondes in Merlin royalty???

Like just in the main group (Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, Morgana, the Knights), Arthur is the only blonde.

And I’m pretty sure the only other time we see blondes, they’re royalty- Ygraine, Elena, Vivian, (Annis?).

Also idk if it’s just my shitty memory but if this is true, is Arthur the only male blonde?

Also I know Morgause is blonde, but technically she’s nobility since her mother was presumably noble (by marriage to Gorlois, who Uther wouldn’t have gave a shit about if he didn’t have some sort of status), and by being a High Priestess she’s technically a noble-like rank since she’s in the highest position a person can be in the Old Religion.

[merlin-emrys-wyllt]

Merlin was glad for Arthur talking about lighter things with him as they made their way through the castle. He needed the distraction. Otherwise, his thoughts were going to begin spiralling. He did his best to ignore the curious gazes of those they passed in the corridors. He knew the fact that he was wearing purple was going to cause talk. He knew how much the servants loved to gossip. Normally, he shied away from such attention, but today, he couldn't help but be slightly pleased by it. Whatever kept the attention off of Arthur and Elena was good.

Those from Gawant made it to the room first, gaining a warm welcome from Uther and standing to talk with him while waiting for the prince. Merlin stayed behind Arthur when they made it into the room and followed him over to the group of royals. He gave Gwen a small smile as he passed by. He'd be able to talk to her in a moment when he made his way to get a pitcher so he could attend Arthur. He wanted to be there to support Arthur when greeting everyone, even if he couldn't actually do or say anything to support him. Hopefully, his presence at the man's back would be enough. He also wanted to be close enough to see Uther's reaction to him wearing purple, and Arthur with his mark in the open.

Gauis gave her a nod and a sympathetic smile. "You should be well enough to help out soon. For now, them knowing that you're on their side is enough." He couldn't help the knowing look that crossed his face again, and he gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you Morgana I really appreciate it. It's good for him to have so many people supporting him."

Merlin chuckles at that as he finishes fixing the man's collar and smothes the last of the creases out of his clothes. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Red or blue definitely suits you better." Reluctantly, he takes his hands away from the man and returns them to his side. He can't help blushing slightly at the compliment from the man again. "Okay, I'll keep it. Thank you, Arthur." He's never going to stop wearing this jumper now. He nods and turns away from the man to head off and get his makeup for him. "Want me to apply it, or do you want to do it yourself?"

Gwen would much rather stay by Morgana's side for the rest of the evening, but she knew she had to go to the feast for Merlin's sake. She didn't really want to have to watch Arthur with the other woman. Gauis gave Morgana a smile, "That's good, I'm glad you're feeling much better." Gwen gave Morgana one last smile and a determined nod. "I'll see you as soon as I can," before she turned to head out of the room. Gauis turned to speak with her before she left. "Could you keep an eye on Merlin? He's... Well, I'm sure you've seen." Gwen gives him a smile and a nod. "Yes, I have, I will, Gauis, don't worry. Getting to see him is the main reason I'm forcing myself to go tonight." They give each other a small smile, and Gauis thanks her as she leaves the room. Gauis gave her a knowing smile, "That's understandable, I know how worked up he can make you. It's best to wait until you feel better."

@indigoinformant

[raspberry-gloaming]

So we all have our comfort films/ books/ TV shows, right? And while my comfort books are all dark, and magical, and world-build-y and mysterious, for some reason my comfort films are a few feel good Disney animated movies, like Brave and Moana.

And I recently got in to watching BBC’s Merlin, and I thought casually, ‘oh look, both Brave and Merlin are set in Medieval times, where magic and magical creatures exist.’ And that’s gone on to develop a bit in my head a bit, so here we go...

I was thinking, and if i wanted one character from Brave to get pulled in to Merlin, I’d obviously choose Merida. But if it were the other way round, I wouldn’t pick a main character from Merlin to get chucked up in to Medieval Scotland. No, I’d choose a one time character: Elena. Now, I wish that Elena had shown up again in a later episode like Mithian did, but alas, it wasn't to be the case. I felt she was an interesting character, and I couldn’t believe she went all “perfect princess” after the Shide inside of her was gotten rid of. No, i reckoned it just dialed her down a notch. Getting back on track, I think both Elena of Gawant and Merida, firstborn of Clan Dun-Broch have a lot in common.

So on to my emptying. With everything happening in series 5 of Merlin, and with all of the Saxons, I think the other kingdoms, not just Camelot, would be feeling the affects of the time. So what happens is Gawant is overrun and Elena, her father and a few of their men and women (knights can be girls), and perhaps a few normal people flee to the sea. They have to sail around a lot, because they are being followed by whoever invaded, and eventually get caught up in a storm, which blows them far north (and as Albion is in the south of England - see Stonehenge in 05x03 - being blown off course and north enough crashes them on the shore of some Scottish coastline.

So... they make up camp for a while. Most of their knights and other advisors, etc were killed or taken hostage when Gawant was invaded, and the remaining ones docked with the two Royals. So they can’t get back to Albion very soon, as what are they going to do? they have hardly any fighting force, and are wanted dead. Meanwhile, Elena is having the time of her life. She can do what she wants, never have to wear her shoes, and has no Royal responsibilities. And while gadding about in the forest/ hills one day, she meets a girl of around her own age: Merida. Now neither of them tell the other of their royal heritage, and have no idea about the other. being quite similar, they get along like a house on fire, although there are some cultural confusions, and confusion to do with accents and dialects.

And they have a grand old time, and go climbing, and riding (I’m saying there are semi wild horses and Elena tamed/ randomly took one.) And one day they have an accident, and Merida brings the injured Elena back to her home. So you can begin to imagine all the chaos that goes on there, as it turns out both girls are princesses, and neither of them had a clue about the other’s status, and with their parents and such.

That’s all I’ve got right now, but if you’ve read it, thanks!

[merlinssaggyyfronts]

princess elena of gawant would say poggers

[cosplayinlovenikki]

Cosplay #59

Elena of Gawant (BBC Merlin)

[thatgaywizardoverthere]

Literally cannot stan Lord Godwyn enough, like this dude is King of Gawant and surely has regal expectations put on him and Elena and yet as she walks out barefoot and farting and chewing with her mouth open in the beginning of the ep he’s just like “yes, 10/10, magnificent, angelic, a blessing to this earth, #1 princess of Gawant”

Like we stan soft Papa Godwyn in this house