#Freya the lady of the lake

[hannahhook7744]

Modern Merlin Moodboards (Part 4) (Revamped);

Character: Sir Lancelot Du Lac.

Modern name: Lance Griffin.

Age: 39 years old.

Modern job: Detective.

Short rundown of their modern life: Lance Griffin grew up the son of a solider and because of that, he and his family often moved around. That is, until the night his parents and grandparents were all killed in a robbery gone wrong after burglars broke into their house.

Lance just barely managed to escape being killed as well by hiding in a cupboard until the cops arrived.

After that, he was placed in foster care where, after a couple of years of acting out (from ages 7-11) Lance was put in military school where he met and befriended Percival. He was there for a couple of years until an old friend of his mom's petitioned for custody of him and got it. Allowing for him to stay there during the school year and spend the summer with her.

He joined the police academy after graduating and eventually, after being promoted to detective, he was partnered up with Detective Leonard Grant (who preferred Leon) who introduced him to Doctor Merlin Everstone.

The pair are now roommates (along with Leon's wife, Vivian).

Character: Merlin of Ealdor (also known as Emrys).

Modern name: Merlin Everstone.

Age: 36 years old (physically at least).

Modern job: Physician/Doctor.

Short rundown of their modern life: Merlin has walked the Earth waiting for Arthur to rise, constantly running into Leon and getting into trouble in the meantime. Helping those in need as he did so and eventually becoming a licensed doctor.

Not long after Lancelot popped up, Merlin met Freya (who had nothing to her name) and re-fell in love with her. Eventually Freya's memories returned and the pair settled down, got married (after meeting Will and Elena and attending their own wedding) with the pair (along with Lancelot, Leon, and Vivian) as their witnesses, and had one (magical) son named 'Dragonet'.

As well as a daughter named Stephanie.

Character: Freya (Also known as the Lady of the Lake).

Modern name: Freya Everstone.

Age: 36 years old.

Modern job: Strawberry Farmer.

Short rundown of their modern life: Freya Everstone was born to an Amish community in Canada where she spent the first eighteen years of her life.

She lost her family when she was young, causing her to be raised by the rest of the community until she was attacked by a man, causing her to kill him accidentally in self defense. Which caused her to be ousted by her community and attacked by the man’s mother, which caused her to flee to the U.S.

She ran into Merlin when she was twenty three and soon fell in love with him: eventually causing her memories to return. After that, the pair bought a farm with a few fields filled with wildflowers, near a lake and mountains. Planted some strawberries and got a couple of cows.

Not long afterwards, she and Merlin attended Will and Elena's wedding and decided to tie-the-knot in a courthouse wedding with their friends as their witnesses.

Less than a year later, their only daughter, Stephanie, was born. Two years after, their last child, Dragonet, was born.

Character: None.

Modern name: Stephanie Guinevere Everstone.

Age: 13 years old.

Modern job: None. She's a student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Stephanie Guinevere Everstone was born fourteen years ago was born to Merlin and Freya, and grew up having to keep her magic a secret from most—except for Leon and her family.

Because of this, she grew up feeling bitter and became very rebellious towards her parents. Wanting nothing more than to not hide who she was.

Eventually leading to her disappearance.

Character: Dragonet the Royal Court Jester.

Modern name: Dragonet Everstone.

Age: 11 years old.

Modern job: None. He's a student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Dragonet was born to Merlin and Freya 11 years ago, and grew up having to keep his magic a secret from most— outside of Leon, his sister, and his parents, of course.

He eventually ended up befriending Artie, Everard, Marcel, and Salem, and now does his best to keep them out of harm while trying to keep his magic a secret. Just till his parents and Leon say it's okay for him to tell them.

Which is likely to be sometime after they awaken everyone.

(It's a good thing he's somewhat patient).

Character: Gilli.

Modern name: Gilligan 'Gilli' White.

Age: 28 years old.

Modern job: Carpetener.

Short rundown of their modern life: Gilligan 'Gilli' White was born to a disgraced Magician who was murdered when he was only twelve years old.

After this, Gilli ran away and joined a traveling group of magicians who were apart of a traveling circus. Hellbent on learning all the tricks his father had denied him knowledge of and on tracking down the men who murdered his father (which, given that he doesn't know they are... Well, is not easy).

In the circus, he met his boyfriend, Daegal Norrington, and his friends, Sophia Tiermore and Lamia Scales.

Eventually, he left the circus. Still practicing magic, but becoming a Carpenter and moving into a motel where he still resides to this day with his now med student boyfriend, Daegal Norrington.

Character: Daegal. 

Modern name: Daegal Norrington.

Age: 25 years old. 

Modern job: Med Student.

Short rundown of their modern life: Daegal Norrington grew up the only child of a single magician and fortune teller in a traveling circus. 

Never knowing who his father was. 

When he was eight, an older boy named ‘Gilli’ White joined the circus and they became friends.

When he was nine, a girl named ‘Sophia Tiermore’ was left at the circus by her father. 

When he was thirteen, a girl named ‘Lamia Scales’ was found and brought to the circus and taken under the wing of his mother.

When he was seventeen, his mother was killed by a Penace Industries product and was laid to rest by the rest of their circus troop. 

When he was eighteen he left the circus with Gilli in hopes of attending med school and supporting the other man’s dream of being a carpenter. Now they live in a motel together.

[morganadeservedbetter]

Merlin: God, if only someone loved me… Arthur: standing behind them with a wedding ring roses Freya: holding box of chocolates Gwaine: has balloons Gwen: holding out a flower crown Mordred: has a card Morgana: bringing him special books Lance: literally just dropped everything he was doing because Merlin needed help carrying things Gaius: facepalms This is sad.

[gldnstrngs]

this scene in s5 ep11 is Always On My Mind

i feel like there are so many layers to this conversation between merlin and mordred

“kara is sentenced to die in the morning. what would you do?”

“you can’t.”

“tell me you wouldn’t do the same for the woman you love.”

the. silence.

“that’d be foolish.”

i repeat. THE. SILENCE. i remember the first time i saw this scene and merlin paused like [gay silence] and i was like🧍🏽‍♀️and replayed the scene a few times to actually process what i saw

the thing is— this scene could definitely be about freya. honestly, i wouldn’t even argue against it. i think that, to an extent, it is a callback to freya and how merlin wanted to run away with her. this scene really just solidifies how much merlin has changed throughout the years. like saying “that’d be foolish” really shows the disconnect between merlin in s2 and s5

with that being said, while i do think this scene does hint at freya, i believe that this is ultimately about merlin and arthur’s relationship

the silence after mordred asks if merlin would do the same for the woman he loved was telling. i don’t think it was just merlin reminiscing his past with freya, but more so that there was no woman he loved

but there was someone he would do those things for, no matter how foolish it seemed to him. he spent nearly a decade being entirely devoted to arthur and having so much faith in him

no, merlin did not try to run away with arthur like he did with freya, but he did everything else. just episodes before, when arthur asked merlin whether or not he should bring magic back into camelot so that mordred is alive, merlin says no

merlin says no.

what has been merlin’s purpose leading up to that very moment? it was to bring magic back into camelot with arthur’s rule and the golden age of albion. this was something merlin had waited arthur to say to him for YEARS. and it wasn’t just about him— it was about other magic users, the druids, kilgharrah, and all the beings who died because of uther’s tyranny

but merlin said no. he said no because he knew that if he let mordred live, then arthur would be killed. magic didn’t matter to merlin at that point. ultimately, it was never really about magic. it was always about arthur. arthur meant more to merlin than magic did, even when he’s the physical embodiment of it

we’ve witnessed five seasons of merlin making sacrifices or taking risks just for arthur. if anyone understands mordred in that very moment, it would be merlin

[neptunesyellowsands]

The votes have spoken: our Lady of the Lake has arrived! PDF here.

There are only two more designs I've got planned for this set, which I'm tentatively calling the Destiny Set. I am so glad you all are enjoying these, they are giving me such a fun outlet/avoidance method lol. I have also for some reason decided I really want to represent as many magical creatures as I possibly can in these portraits, though I might do some dedicated creature pages later down the road, too. Anyway that means that most pages should come with a creature, which means I've spent quite a bit of time on the Merlin wiki rediscovering episodes and quests that I completely forgot about lol. So that's been a blast!

All other pages can be found under this tag.

ANYWAY, which page comes next?? Vote via vibes :D

[jopzer]

merlin writers made an absolute litany of insane crazy /neg decisions over the course of the television program but. making merlin's first love the lady of the lake at the start of the show and then making him give the love of his life to her at the end. fucken based. absolutely red pilled.

[princess-of-morkva]

to find you again

Arthur Pendragon was ten years old when his world finally began to make sense.

It was in his fifth grade, when his class went on a week long camping trip. He didn't know, at the time, what compelled him to sneak out of the tent in the wee hours of the morning, when the first rays of dawn lit up the treetops and his legs carried him towards the shore of a lake. It's surface was shimmering in morning light, and he could feel his breath halt, afraid to disturb the serenity of the sight that felt so otherworldly. It may have been some divine compulsion or simply his innate, childish desire to explore that made him go further, then, until his rubber flipflops were left on the shore and his bare feet touched the water.

There was a hand then, that rose out of the water, translucent and not entirely present, an image out of mist. There was a hand, and then another, and then the head and the body — a figure arose from the lake, smiling at the little boy that intruded her realm.

"Hello, Arthur." She spoke, and her voice didn't carry through the air like a human's would, rather, it sang with the wind, hit the ears like tiny drops meeting the water. "It's good to meet you at last."

He stared at her, for a long moment, before answering.

"How do you know me?" He frowned at her. Father told him not to talk to strangers, and this might have been a very pretty woman made out of mist, but she was still very much a stranger. Still, he didn't step out of the lake, for his curiosity was much greater than his father's teachings which felt so far away at the moment, and there was no one around to see anyway.

"The world speaks to me. I can't leave this lake, but I can see far beyond it." Her answer was not an answer at all, Arthur thought. His confusion must've been evident, because she smiled at him again, and there was a mischievous hint in the corner of her lips that made her look not so much like a spirit in a lake but a living and breathing young girl, but the next second it was gone and Arthur was left to wonder if he imagined it entirely.

"Why can't you?" He asked.

"It's were I was put to rest." She spoke the words so evenly, as all of the things she previously said, that it took Arthur a few seconds to catch the meaning of it.

"Does that mean you're dead?" He asked, hoping not to offend her with it.

"Not exactly. I'm here, aren't I?" Once again, her answer gave more questions than it answered.

"There are ghosts." He said. Arthur wasn't sure there were, actually. His father didn't believe in such things.

"I am different from ghosts."

"What are you then?"

"A guardian."

Arthur nodded, as if it made perfect sense. It didn't.

"Do you have a name?" He asked. It was only polite to ask for a person's name when first meeting them. Than again, lake-guardian-spirits could have entirely different etiquette.

"I was called Freya, once." There was a small smile, again.

Arthur nodded musingly.

"It's a pretty name."

She hummed.

"Do you often speak to people?" He never heard of such entities as her. It couldn't have been a common occurrence, surely. But wouldn't that be lonely? Having no one to talk to?

She shook her head, and there was a wistful look in her eyes.

"I haven't spoken to anybody in centuries." That couldn't have been nice, Arthur thinks. If she could speak to him, why didn't she speak to others?

"Why'd you speak to me than?" Freya didn't answer immediately, pausing the flow of their measured back-and-forth. It almost looked like she was unsure, but her features were still so calm, it was impossible to tell.

Then, she asked. "Do you have dreams, sometimes?"

It was a silly question. Everybody had dreams. Arthur understood immediately though, it wasn't the regular kind of dreams she was talking about.

Because the thing is, Arthur did have dreams. Ever since he was little. He remembers dreaming of white towers and battlements, of bright red banners and capes. Of metal clanging and laughter and a weight of a sword in his hand, on his hip. Of familiar faces he could never quite place. Of raven curls and bright blue eyes, especially often.

He never told his father about them — he'd call such things foolish. Arthur didn't think they were.

Arthur looked at Freya and nodded. There was a glim of relief in her eyes, he thought.

"Would you like to see more?" She asked, offering him her hand. Not solid in any common way of the world but in that moment, more real than any other thing around them.

Arthur didn't think twice before grasping it.

-----

please tell me if you'd like to see more of it because i love the thing in my head so far

where is merlin in it? he's gonna be there. with a twist. it's a reincarnation fic but with a twist. it's also very merthur. or as much as it can ever get with my aromantic ass.

also it's modern au but i still haven't decided on a more specific setting- should i do college au? i'd be horrible at it even though it would make sense thematically- i haven't been outside in years how does society function? how do i write it?

can you see i love freya? i love her very much

[msue0027]

I sometimes hate that i prefer to write by hand. Because then i have something like this and no power nor will to type it out again.

It's not checked, i haven't even read that over after writing. Maybe i'll rewrite it later (unlikely, unfortunately. i must've been bored enough and remember bout it).

[treasureguardingdragon]

i adore freya in fanfic sm you don’t understand

first we get the classic angsty freylin canon vibes

but then we have lake wife!freya and she is adorable

then we have poly freya, who ,yes, is married to merlin but is so excited and supportive of merlin dating arthur or gwen or half the knights of the round table

and then theres modern au freya, who consistently seems to have pagan, witchy vibes and has the side of her head shaved, and is either stupidly in love with merlin or is so very lesbian, no inbetween

OH AND the chomp!freya who leans into her cutesy bastet vibes and is chaotic and bites people

this world needs more freya appreciation okay

[thisisjustmefangirling]

Merlin rewatch : 2x09 "The lady of the lake"

Freya must have been so cold wearing these rags…

Gaius, your acceptance/resignation towards people being sold for a price if they have magic freaks me out.

As if Merlin was going to let a defenseless looking girl stay in that cage… Especially someone with magic. He feels empathy for them.

Is that the first time we're seeing the Rising sun tavern ?

Oh Merlin is using so many spells in a few minutes, I'm loving it…

"Here, I thought you might be cold."

"I just saw you and… It could have been me, in that cage".

WHY is Merlin not stealing from the kitchens instead of bringing Arthur a rotten apple and a stale piece of bread ? The NERVE ?! I wouldn't have given this to anyone, even less my BOSS, a PRINCE.

Arthur's indignation : "I am fighting fit!"

I think this is where we're getting started with the fatphobic jokes…

Arthur has scratches/scars on his chest ? Where did he get that ?

Merlin giving Arthur "Sire" because he knows he fucked up…

Oh Freya was a druid ?

Merlin !!!! How did you not realise that that bathwater was BOILING and could COOK ARTHUR TO DEATH ?

"You need to warn them, Sire. The girl is dangerous. My informer told me she was cursed."

"How so ?"

"He didn't know. But he said even the druids were frightened of her. They cast her out of their camp."

So Freya is an outcast. Just like Merlin, in some way. Merlin is so powerful it'd be easy to be afraid of him once he's mature enough. He's not part of the druids. Neither is Freya.

Add butter to that bread and cheese and you get un jambon-beurre haha.

"Believe me, it's fit for a prince" hahaha no shit Merlin !

"He knows but I'm not sure he understands". => Merlin about Gaius knowing about Merlin's magic.

"Magic is not a curse. It can be a gift!" Oh baby in 1x01 you feared you were a monster ?

Merlin is lying to Gaius' face and his very inquisitive eyes…

Merlin stealing Arthur's food is supposed to be a joke, okay, but I'm not sure I like it now. Arthur is being deprived of a good breakfast and lunch. He'll be cranky come evening. Give him food.

"Merlin is my servant, he has my absolute trust. If you have a problem with him, you come to me. Do you understand ?"

This line is doing things to my heart, oh la la…

The fact that Arthur doesn't question Merlin AT ALL about his strange behaviour, they just bicker about the stolen sausages and Arthur's weight and then Merlin just… leaves. And goes straight to see Freya.

"I scare most people away" Freya you deserve better…

"You can't always trust people."

"I know. That's why I left home."

Merlin :/ Babe <3

Let it be remembered that Merlin can make flowers appear, but not food.

"With you, I can just be who I am. We don't have to hide anything. I don't have to worry."

"Being different is nothing to be scared of".

AND THAT SINGLE TEAR ROLLING DOWN HIS CHEEK !

Awww Merlin behaving like a lovesick puppy <3

This is the first time Merlin even THINKS about leaving Camelot. He's known Freya for two days. He's just really desperate to be known for who he really is, and to be free…

Moths and woodworms : the "reasons" why Merlin is snooping into closets and bedside tables he should not be touching at all.

"Running an errand for Gaius" : excuse number 1 for weird shit and secret missions Merlin is doing.

Arthur not giving a fuck about Merlin possibly crossdressing for fun in his spare time : "As long as you do a decent day's work, Merlin, that's all I care about. […] What a man does in his spare time is completely up to him". And then the compliment : "colour suits you Merlin".

This is day three now.

"We can leave tonight, as soon as it gets dark, and we can be together".

Horses, blankets and food and they won't need more. A second kiss, and goodbye. Freya doesn't have the heart to tell him.

"There was a time when you thought twice about lying to me".

Yet Merlin said "Of course not!" which such an air of sincerity… Oh yeah, he's turning into a really good liar…

Mais Gaius t'es tellement une grosse balance, t'es là à lécher les pompes d'UTHER au lieu de régler le problème avec Merlin !

"You can never understand. Do you know how it feels to be a monster? To be afraid of who you are ?"

"Freya is very different from you. She's dangerous."

Oh I didn't remember Arthur saw her in her human form ! Lol he's just there blinking as she's turning into a bastet…

I can't freaking believe Arthur's guards and knights are running away while Arthur is trying to fight the bastet !

MERLIN ! You almost crushed Arthur to death !

He's petting her head ???

OH is Freya a rape survivor, forced to kill people by the mother of her rapist ? That's so fucked up…

"Please go."

"No. I'm not leaving you here".

The PARALLELS with Arthur's dying moments !

"One day, Merlin, I will repay you. I promise". Okay but do we actually see that happen in the next seasons ? I don't remember her.

What I do remember from years ago is directors saying that Colin held that level of intensity and sadness for hours in the rain for those lake scenes.

It's the first time he has to light a funeral pyre for a friend and it sadly won't be the last…

That last scene with Arthur always gets to me. Arthur might be oblivious to a lot of things but he pays attention to Merlin more than Merlin might think, I'd say.

"Something's been upsetting you, hasn't it ?"

Arthur has seen Merlin doing the weirdest things in the past four days or so : stealing his food, calling him fat, giving him stale food to eat, stealing a dress, being accused of hiding a druid… And he doesn't accuse Merlin of anything himself. He thinks "Oh, Merlin has been upset. I must find out why. Maybe it's because of me." and then he sort of apologises and when words fail him, he uses action to make Merlin smile again. Because seeing Merlin smile, as we'll learn in the next seasons ("I haven't seen you smile in the past three days") is important to Arthur. Because he cares. Another thing that gets to me is that when Merlin is sitting upset doing his chores, Arthur usually comes to sit next to him, at his eye level, or even UNDER his eye level sometimes. Yet, a Prince should never be sitting at a lower level than a servant or any lesser noble. He gives himself the look of a listener, and he's bad with words and feelings (because of his father's shitty education) but he TRIES.

Last episode was Arthur centric, with Arthur showing his most intimate thoughts and feelings to/in front of Merlin : his grief and guilt about his mother's death, his rage at the idea that his father was responsible for her death, that he was a hypocrite and a liar... This episode was Merlin centric. I wonder what next episode will be like.

This episode was really good at exploring Merlin's feelings about his magic, his identity as a warlock, his sense of loneliness at the heart of Camelot. Gaius cares about him but is still loyal to Uther, and Merlin is not sure Gaius really understands him and what it's like to be a warlock. Arthur... Merlin cares about Arthur and Arthur cares about him, but Merlin knows that he could end up in a cage just like Freya. And I think a part of him might resent Arthur for it. Or at least, at the end of the episode, he's tired of his chores... But no wonder. Your crush is killed by your soulmate, and you still have to show up at work the next day and shine his boots ?

[quotidian-oblivion]

Your go, Ms Void!!

Headcanon about Arthur (or Freya??)

Agh. I always take so long to come up with headcanons lmao

I've already done a couple on Arthur, but hmmm, let's see... Freya...

In my world, if Freya survived, she would be able to change in and out of her Bastet form whenever she liked (except for a few limitations like maybe she has to shift at least once a week or something because the curse is just so intertwined with her body).

My biggest headcanon that also fits in with canon is that the Bastet curse was taking up all her magical abilities which is why we don't see her doing any magic in Merlin. She used to have the magical abilities of an average person (say a step below Gaius's power), but when she was cursed, the curse caused her magic to turn against her and regularly turn her into a bloodthirsty-Bastet each night.

Which is why Merlin was the only one all this time who was able to calm her down in her Bastet form. 1) Because she loved Merlin and his soft, gentle and reassuring ways deeply and also 2) because Merlin is Emrys, he is magic and so he was able to reach out to Freya's magic through their connection with one another and calm it down.

And before the Lake of Avalon, while Merlin was sobbing and whispering for her to not let go, his magic listened and made Freya the Lady of the Lake. The Triple Goddess saw what Merlin was (subconsciously) doing and since he's Emrys, she trusted his reasoning and helped with the process to make Freya the Guardian of Avalon.

That's my two cents!

[cynthia39100]

Merlin rewatch -- S2E9: The Lady of the Lake

Merlin and Freya were so precious and sweet together. It's not a grand romance, but it's so beautifully shot and I just love seeing them together. It's cute how giddy Merlin was every time he made some progress with this relationship.

"I'm going to look after you." I think Freya's presence fulfilled Merlin's desire to help people and to prove that he wasn't a monster. “It could have been me in that cage.”By helping Freya and treating her as a beautiful being, he convinced himself that he didn't deserve to be in that cage either.

He also wanted to be with someone who would appreciate his magic to the fullest, both its usefulness and beauty. He used so much magic in this episode it's quite delightful~

He said“I like you." and then "With you, I can just be who I am.”Both statements were genuine, but I think the latter was what really drove him to decide to run away. “I’m fed up of being careful.”He wanted to stop hiding and to have someone who understood him. “He (Gaius) knows (about magic). But I’m not sure he understands." He thought he could find it in Freya and didn't realise when Freya said they were nothing alike, it was true.

~~~

Freya knew from the start that they would never work. Aside from her curse, she didn't harbour strong romantic feelings for him I don't think. She said "You made me feel loved." and "I will repay you." Not the lines from a typical romantic story. She tried to tell Merlin about herself and that they couldn't be together, but she couldn't bring herself to say it clearly because she was so lonely and afraid. She wanted to stay in the little bubble with Merlin's affection just a while longer. She wasn't lying when she said "I want that (run away with Merlin) more than anything." and "I've never met someone like you either."

~~~

(That single tear was too perfect honestly)

This story felt like Merlin's little rebellion against destiny. He liked Freya enough, but more than that he wanted to run away from this dangerous place and the awful thing he had done and would keep on doing. Freya died so he had no choice, but I think even if he did run away, he would soon regret his impulsive choice. There were so many people here in Camelot that I don't think he could leave behind. And as much as he liked cute little magic tricks, I think he needed a grander purpose for his magic.

[S2E9] [other episodes]

[pyjamacryptid]

*blows kiss to a lake* for Arthur. And Freya. And Lancelot. And—

[abbyofthefirenation]

freya and merlin were adorable together. but just imagine freya and morgana together. the angst would be all time which is probably why morgana didnt even appear in that episode

[adhd-merlin]

don't talk to me

[dollopheadedmerlin]

I love how in Merlin the lady of the lake is legitimately a catgirl

[1asbrightasthestars3]

I just heard that Merlin and Freya's ship name is merya. MERYA???? Y'ALL ARE SLEEPING ON FREYALIN.

Freya is a goddess and Merlin is literally the god of magic. She's the lady of the lake and he's the kind of the druids. He is magic itself and she's quite literally a SHAPESHIFTER. (I know it's a curse but it's still pretty badass)

And y'all call this iconic duo MERYA???? shame.