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dragons-stories-hoard · 3 months ago

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Okay but I don't think it should be day one of Merlin being in Camelot, cause then frankly nothing is stopping Morgana from going all game of thrones on Uther and Arther.

Might I suggest, they come back when they're kids? Hear me out. Morgana may have been messed up and evil but even she wasn't going around killing squishy baby-faced ten year Olds. So she's going to hesitate at trying to kill Arthur because he's a child, and vice versa for Arthur and co seeing Morgana. Plus none of them have the strength (in body or magic) to start challenging Uther for the throne so they can instigate chamge, but theres time where they cant change much but they can think and plan for the future. So they have time to deal with their feelings at seeing old enemies again but they're friends still. (None realize they aren't the only one who time traveled). Maybe it's soon after Morgana moved to Camelot, so her sudden anger at Uther and temper can be attributed to a grieving child.

Arthur and Gwen both know how Morgana turns evil so they're looking out for signs of her magic and hey look at that she's being given sleeping draughts even as a young child. And they realize Uther would still kill this baby-faced Morgana if he knew, and they know how her fear of him turned her to hate everyone. They see their friend as a scared grieving child and want to change her fate. So they start trying to assure her without directly letting her know about the magic. Meanwhile Morgana is seeing Arthur stand up to his father on her behalf, and promising her he will protect her even from Uther if he has to. And she can't remember if he'd done that before, thinks maybe she forgot in all her fear and anger. And she has time to realize she may have had reason to fear but she never did give Gwen and Arthur a chance to be good. She was the one who turned on them first.

MEANWHILE Merlin has much better control of his magic because he already has so much knowledge of the old religion and it's language from the previous life. He works harder on controlling and improving his magic and skills from a young age. He is determined to fight fate and save everyone so he needs to be better stronger more knowledgeable. He starts taking trips to the druids under the guise of "taking goods from the village to trade" (he does trade but keeps the fact that it's with druids to himself and maybe Will since he'd want to come with his friend sometimes). He learns from books and people he had no chance to learn from before, building on his knowledge. He looks into death magic and high priestesses, knowing Nimueh will eventually target him and Arthur and Gaius and his mother. He thinks ahead to ways to keep Lancelots sacrifice from happening or even ways to bring someone back from the veil without tearing it if he must. He thinks of Elyan and looks into ways to heal unhealable wounds, thinks of Morgana and plans to kill Morgause before she can put the spell on the kingdom and use Morgana as the center. He looks up obscure poisons and remedies, looks for Protective enchantments and healing spells he can layer into the knights armor and clothes the second he sees them again. He takes time to hunt down traffickers and cage fighting rings to destroy them before Lancelot or Gwaine ever have a chance to be forced into fights to the death again. He looks for rumors of the last dragonlord so he can free Kilgarrah and hatch Aithusa without Leon ever having to be revived from the flames.

Due to his frequent travels, whichever of the wandering knights try to find their young friend early think they got the wrong village whenever they arrive in Ealdor. (Gwen Arthur and Morgana are the only ones who went before amd they don't exactly have a reasonable excuse to go there to see their friend now. They have to wait).

I bet Elyan was first to try to find Merlin early. He was closest and he started his travels pretty early, thinks he can suggest Merlin start the apprenticeship sooner but he can't seem to find Merlins village (he found it but Merlin was away learning death magic or whatever). However this time on his travels Elyan stays in touch with his family, returns occasionally to help with the forge, tries to talk his sister out of getting a job at the castle to her confusion (she's stubborn and by then is determined to stop Morgana from turning evil due to fear so she does not take this well).

Leon sees Uthers reign, remembers Arthur's and how much better it was amd how much happier he had been with all of Arthur's changes, and he starts subtly backing Arthur more. Talking Arthur's suggestions up to Uther, giving Arthur support earlier. He's Arthur's knight before Uthers this time around and he is disgusted by some of Uthers choices having seen the consequences. Having seen a better way of living.

Percival keeps hearing rumors of the fabled Emrys being alive, making moves, accessing powerful magics. He lives near and was partially raised by druids, so he hears these whispers and with future insight is able to piece together Arthur is the OAFK. He starts training.

Lancelot honestly knows the least of them (he died first man) so he's just gonna show up to Camelot earlier than before and do his best to support his friends and keep Arthur and Merlin alive.

Gwaine saw the sorcerer saving Camelots troops in that final battle, and he never had strong opinions about magic before but now he thinks about it and realizes if they allowed magic it would save so many lives. Hell, it would remove so many enemies. And he's always had a rather pushy relationship with Arthur so he can manage to nudge him towards being okay with magic without crossing the line and making Arthur think he's gonna commit treason. Plus he'd love to see young awkward child Merlin (sadly he also arrives in Ealdor while Merlin is away, probably learning to shape-shift or smt).

So when Merlin finally realizes it's time to head to Camelot, he tells his mother he wishes to apprentice with his uncle to learn medicine (she felt he was able to hide his gifts this time and didn't feel the need to send him away to protect him). He arrives amd when all the knights of the round table end up arriving much sooner than before he assumes it's ripple effects of all the stuff he'd been doing with the druids and his self imposed quests. Leon, Gwen, Arthur and Morgana just assume they did something to affect some policy of Uthers so they shrug off any changes as well. I think Lancelot is the only one who's really confused/concerned with all the shifts because it's making it harder for him to help Merlin dammit.

I think Gwaine, Percival, Leon and Elyan never got the chance to find out about Merlins magic but the others did so everyone is working off different levels of knowledge and it's chaos cause they all assume they know more than everyone else.

Merlin is so used to working alone he's hiding his magic from everyone and he's losing so much sleep trying to deal with threats before they come near his people but the others are GOING NEAR THE THREATS ITS FINE. At least they're more prone to believe him this time and less fond of >insert villain of the week<

The others are remembering almost these threats like "Jesus Christ how did this get solved last time?" Everyone is trying to keep Merlin from drinking the poisoned chalice, Leon is ready to go searching for the flower himself or go with Arthur or hell, even ready to sneak into the dungeons to talk to Arthur to get the flower for Merlin himself (everyone is a lot angrier at Uther for his refusal to allow anyone to get the flower to save Merlin despite him not knowing its anything but a simple task, even Morgana who is hesitant/still kinda mad at Merlin is pissed) (this makes her think on Merlins POV more because frankly if she was scared to reveal her magic, of course Merlin would be. He had even less protections, Uther was okay with allowing him to die when he thought Merlin had saved his son AGAIN.) So maybe she is a bit sympathetic to the man who killed her. Who was once her friend. Because she's seeing how much bullshit he had to deal with in keeping Arthur alive and now she knows he has magic she's realizing he was the one protecting her and Arthur and the kingdom long before she knew about her own magic. Because how else did these things get solved when it wasn't Arthur or herself (she is the first to put together just how much Merlin did for all of them tbh).

One of them walks in on Edwin (idk if that was his name the cure all ills guy) attacking Merlin and helps dispatch him while Merlin is unconscious and it scares the hell out of Merlin that they fought a sorcerer when he was out of commission, while whoever came in wad terrified at seeing/hearing Merlin Crack his skull on the wall from Edwin throwing him and seeing him lying there. They see how much danger Merlin was/is putting himself in to protect them and it scares them.

Merlin is definitely losing sleep trying to stay ahead of all the threats and his friends who keep HEADIMG TOWARDS DANGER so like. He's exhausted and his friends are seeing how tired amd clumsy he is with new eyes once they know he's the one dispatching threats when they're not looking.

Also frankly all of them are hit hard with seeing their friends so young, seeing them before everything happened. And they're all definitely way more emotional about it and I feel like as the youngest they're all so protective of this baby faced Merlin because gods above he was so small and youthful and energetic how was he ever this skinny? (It's jarring for Percival especially he didn't meet Merlin until he'd been a fighting magical threats to Camelot for a few years, and if he thought Merlin was small before he's downright concerned now). (Doesn't help Merlin is worse at taking care of himself this time) (Merlin is as cheery as he was in early seasons because hey this is when shit was easy, and the moral dilemmas were way less intense and he gets to see all his friends and Morgana isn't evil and he can protect them all this is great! He loves spending time with them when hes not working or protecting them and he will make the most of this time). (The rest of them are like wtf because they are comparing baby Merlin to end season Merlin and realizing somewhere along the way he lost that cheer and enthusiasm and they're like we gotta protect the small and they are all working themselves into protective flurries over Merlin and being so nice to him).

Not gonna write a full fic but had to get my thoughts out. This is a fun au and it would be fascinating to keep track of who knows what amd when people come back and how everyone tries to deal with threat of the week or when they each even realize "oh shit that person tried to kill me!" Cause I guarantee they didn't realize some of the threats were threats the first time around.

I think it would be insanely funny if after Arthur’s death everyone returns back in time to the place they were the day Merlin arrived in Camelot. But like, everyone thinks they are the only ones who has returned. We see it all from Merlin’s pov, who’s traumatised and wondering why the fuck Arthur is so much sweeter to him this time around and keeps saying ‘thank you’. He wonders why Lancelot shows up earlier, why all of a sudden Gwaine is there three years too early, saying he got hurt in a tavern bawl and needs a physician. He wonders why Leon keeps pretending like he didn’t just accidentally see Merlin do magic. Why Gwen keeps giving him these knowing looks. And why Morgana doesn’t seem as afraid as she used to when she was figuring out that she had magic. Everyone is trying their best to change history for the better, thinking they are alone with this duty... and then one day when uther is dead and they are sitting around the round table, merlin steps forward and is like: ‘I need to confess that I have magic, but also that I have returned from the future.’ And everyone just whips around and is like ‘YOU TOO??!’ And then they realise that they’ve all returned and wasted their time thinking they were alone.

#merlin #merlin au #merlin timetravel au #merlin fix it au #merlin fanfiction #merlin fanfic #everyone remembers #everyone lives #bbc merlin #merlin everyone knows au #sort of

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help-i-need-a-cool-username · 4 years ago

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Been thinking about what Mordred's life in Camelot would've been like if Merlin didn't hate him and then thought about how if Morgana was around she would probably always give him her favor at every tournament (until he married) and the other knights would tease him for that so have a broad outline for a Beloved Characters Dont Turn Evil AU

Morgana discovers her magic and Merlin swears to her that he'll protect her. He comforts her when she's scared and Merlin begs Gaius to share his knowledge and suspicions about Morgana to Morgana herself. One night Morgana bursts into their quarters in hysterics, waking them up, screaming and sobbing, and it feels like Merlin's hug is the only thing holding her together but its not enough. Glass starts shattering, candles flare, chandeliers fall to the ground. Gaius decides at this point not telling her will do considerable more harm than not, to both herself and others. They stay up through the night. Gaius speaking and Morgana asking questions, Merlin with a supportive hand on Morgana's shoulder. At one point Morgana tearfully asks the question Merlin asked Gaius long ago, "am i a monster?". They all fall asleep at the table, and that morning when Gwen arrives to wake Morgana only to find her absent with her blankets thrown over the bed and several things knocked over she runs and alerts the guards. The guards initiate lockdown and the commotion reaches Uther and wakes Arthur (Merlin is once again late), and they proceed to fear she was kidnapped right under their noses without anyone knowing. Arthur runs down to get Merlin so he can prepare him for the day only to open the door to find the three of them asleep on the table.

Later Merlin organizes for Morgana to learn more than Gaius can tell her from the Druids, but she intends to stay the night at least, if not then significantly longer (anywhere from a week to several months), and they have no good excuse for her to use that would allow her to leave without Gwen and guards. They come up with some very convoluted plan, which does not end up in the raid that occurred in canon, and when Gwen catches her sneaking back she lies and says she wanted to check up on Mordred (who she did run into), to see if he was with the Druid encampment that was rumored to be nearby (which he was). She didn't learn nearly as much as she hoped in those few hours, but they at least pointed her in a direction.

Morgause comes to town, and leaves Morgana her bracelet. After discovering it stops her visions Morgana takes it to Gaius, who reveals it was enchanted and looks similar to the one Lady Vivienne used to wear. Morgana states Morgause got it from her mother, but that Lady Vivienne was Morgana's mother and wonders how the bracelet ever got to Morgause. Gaius says there was a rumor that Lady Vivienne had a baby that displayed a affinity for magic, but Gorlois told Uther their baby had died before they even named her. Gaius reveals that the baby was smuggled out of Camelot and given to the High Priestesses, and Morgause might very well be that baby. Morgana begins to long for a connection with Morgause, to meet the sister she never knew of and recover something of her dead parents. When she begins secretly meeting Morgause, she tells Merlin and then asks him to come with her when she begins receiving lessons from her. Morgause tries to convince them that killing Uther is the right thing to do, but Merlin keeps reassuring Morgana that all they need to do is convince Arthur to change the law for when he is king, and he's not ready to do that now so theres no use in killing Uther before he's ready, and that she does love Uther and Uther does love her and would try to "fix" her well before he ordered her death. Morgause still wants him dead, to rush the prophecy of magic's return. Them sneaking out every few nights cements the idea that Morgana and Merlin are secretly dating in castle gossip.

Im not sure what happens with Morgause, but i think she would still take Camelot at some point and she would spare Morgana and by extension Merlin. Morgana and Merlin make sure to get Arthur out (and Merlin probably goes with him) because they dont trust Morgause to not kill him. Morgause reveals her heritage (and makes Morgana a Princess and her Heir) despite claiming the throne for people of magic and not the House of Gorlois, and the knowledge that Vivienne and one of her daughters were sorceresses leads Uther to believe he can not save Morgana from magic that is likely in her blood and THAT is what breaks his mental state. Morgana's real heritage is revealed soon after, with Uther informing Gaius that Morgana being a Princess is actually within her birth rights. Morgause continues Morgana's training because at some point Morgana has to become a High Priestess because canon. That or Morgause switches sides (this is a Beloved Characters Dont Go Evil AU might as well make it No Beloved Characters Are Evil AU) and she trains Morgana later after Arthur is a established King.

Morgause is overthrown and the Round Table formed. Arthur as well as several people in the castle know of or suspect Morgana of being a sorceress but he refuses to banish her, first believing it to have been out of her control (forced by Morgause) and later learning that her nightmares had been magic all along (how could he punish her for something he knows she had tried to get rid of for over a decade?). Perhaps he lets her keep the title of Princess, having always seen her as a sister (and someone who is compassionate for the people in a way royalty should be) and armed with the new knowledge of her being his actual sister. Everyone expects Regent Arthur to crack down on magic, its what Uther would have done and what the people want, so he does. Morgana becomes a advocate for magic, as she had been for Arthur in private as a Prince, and it scares people in the castle. They believe her to be working with Morgause, despite her arguments being for individuals' wellbeing and how punishments fuels hatred for Camelot. Several attempts are made on her life, many stopped by Merlin and Gwen and sometimes Lancelot. Arthur often "asks" Merlin for his opinion on magic and with Morgana's voice being public he feels okay with being straight with Arthur on what he thinks. Uther dies same as he did in canon: protecting Arthur from a assassination.

Mordred becomes a Knight because canon. Morgana is ecstatic to see him again and acts like a mother who hasn't seen her child in ages when she first sees him. Merlin has learned you often make the enemies that are destined to kill you (ex. trying to stop Morgana's visions from coming true) so he ignores Kilgharrah and doesn't hate Mordred (he is always wary though). Mordred alternates between childlike eagerness around the knights and following Merlin around while hero worshiping him (no one can figure out why. Their best guess is that Morgana is a mutual friend). In the beginning he kept messing up his name (calling him "Merlin" is just weird) and they often talk in their heads and therefore just stare at each other which has led to two conflicting rumors: theyre in love or they hate each other. Morgana often invites him to dinner, and when they dine with Arthur they easily slip into mind-talking (because chewing) and Arthur is convinced that they're making fun of him every time they do it. He protects Arthur when Merlin can't, often runs off to do side quests Merlin needs to do but cant get away to do, and often tags along with Merlin on his quests. Being able to share the knowledge of his destiny since Lancelot died (if he dies in this AU) relaxes Merlin's caution and allows him to be emotionally closer to him. Mordred enjoys being around Merlin and Morgana not just because he's Emrys and she's Morgana, but because they are the closest thing to home he has: they know what he is, they understand (bits) of his culture and make it possible for Mordred to share it with them, their individual magic sings strong enough to remind him of when he lived surrounded by it. He quickly grows to love them so very much and no one understands WHY. The knights tease him about it, and Morgana forcing Arthur to take Mordred on certain missions he isnt qualified for "so he can learn" does not help. Gwaine and Percival were planning to convince him that he couldnt compete in a tournament without a lady's favor because he's the rookie and his panicked look greatly amuses them only to find Morgana giving him her's before kissing his cheek. They were relentless after that, alternating between "lady's favors dont count if they're from your mom," "Mordred has a girlfriend," and whatever the medieval version of affectionately calling him "Bambi" is. Morgana sits in the stand's throne (since Arthur is competing) or besides it if Gwen is queen, and she flashes a smile at him when he comes out (Gwen too. He's a sweet kid with a baby face, of course he's one of her favorites. He also reminds her of Merlin when she first met him: kind, awkward, cute). This settles Mordred's nerves but has the unfortunate side effect of increased teasing. Merlin doesn't let it go to far, he never does, and gives them a distraction before running back to Arthur.

And then magic is brought back to the land and Morgana continues the work of the High Priestesses and helps the rebuilding efforts and they're still adventures and problems, but everyone Lives Happily Ever After

#hinacu merlin #bbc merlin #morgana #mordred #merlin #morgause #au #morgana is good au #mordred is good au #to clarify merlin and morgana never date #its just castle gossip and arthurs assumptions #mordred has familial love for morgana and no you dont need a family dynamic for that #people make mom jokes but its not like that #morgana cares a lot about people and wants to protect them but mordred is ''new'' and ten years younger than her #so mom jokes are too easy #morgana tells merlin of her visions and he sets out to stop them like when kilgharrah tells him stuff #and then she gets her bracelet and that stops but its not like merlin can ask her to take it off #idk when morgana finds out about his magic #maybe he tells her about the whole dragonlord thing but i dont trust her not to NOT say something about it when defending him #he def would have kept it a secret around morgause and in canon she didnt seem to know his power but nimueh did so who knows #i like to think she has no idea that he has powerful magic that hes actually super weak with it since he almost never does magic #big fan of mordreds silent hero worship

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weakforarwen · 2 years ago

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Merlin Season 4 Episode Ranking

Lancelot Du Lac: The love and hate relationship I have with this episode... On the one hand, there's the Arwen proposal. On the other hand, there are not enough Arwen scenes - no wedding preparation scenes, no marriage talk, no talk of how Gwen would handle being a Queen, nothing. Just a short proposal, a tournament, and Lancelot and Gwen. I love the ending though. Bradley and Angel's acting was fire and the dialogue was so good. It was really good angst... until the banishment. Still, the most infuriating thing about the episode is how we were robbed of good and necessary Arwen content (like Gwen preparing to become a literal Queen), and the fact that the enchantment was never revealed. Oh, and what they did to Lancelot... And the overall characterization. Like all season 4 episodes, it suffered from poor characterization. It could've been an amazing episode, if the writers had cared for Arwen at all and poc.

The Sword in the Stone Part 2: It tried to be The Coming of Arthur and failed, but I liked Arthur and Morgana, Gwen!, and Arwen (though I was still angry at Arthur). Arthur pulling the sword out of the Stone was ridiculous though.

The Darkest Hour Part 2: Oh Lancelot... Arthur and Merlin thinking they were gonna die was so sad, and Merlin begging to stay with Arthur after being injured was sad too. I also liked the tiny Arwen moment at the end. Best of all though was Gwen being a total badass with Agravaine.

His Father's Son: I hate that Arthur regressed yet again and broke the promise he'd made to Gwen. This wasn't season 3 Arthur. They regressed his character just to give the illusion of growth in the end, which is frustrating, poor writing, and the theme of season 4. If we ignore that though, I like Morgana's characterization, Queen Annis, and the ending. I also like how it was Gwen who showed Arthur the proverbial light. She was essential in this episode. I liked their scenes though he should've apologized a lot more.

The Secret Sharer: This episode is also frustrating, but the ending with Gaius and Merlin and especially Arthur and Gaius is rather beautiful. Arthur's shame and regret in the face of Gaius's injuries and gentle reproaching was very well acted. Arthur was in near tears when Gaius told him he loved him so easily, so unlike Uther. I also love how Gaius told him one day he would know all that had been done for him.

The Sword in the Stone Part 1: It's not particularly bad except for Merlin putting a spell on Arthur. It was OOC for Merlin to do it, for Gaius to suggest it, and ridiculous in general to pull off in a season finale. Its saving grace is the Arwen reunion which was like an arrow shot to my heart.

Aithusa: Still don't know how I feel about this episode. It's a bit filler but the ending is rather beautiful and there's adventure too. It's enjoyable.

Lamia: This episode makes me feel icky, but it has Gwen and Arwen so I can't hate it too much.

The Hunter's Heart: I like that Gwen still has Arthur's heart, but seeing what my girl went through is infuriating. Fuck the writers. It's not a bad episode but... Gwen...

A Servant of Two Masters: A real hot and cold episode. The Morgana parts were good, but the humor didn't quite land, though Arwen were funny. I loved Gwen, but not her serving Arthur.

A Herald of the New Age: It's not a bad episode at all but I still dislike how it ignored Gwen's banishment or made light of it, and Arthur's tears weren't earned, nor was his regret convincing.

The Darkest Hour Part 1: There's a cute Arwen scene, but I don't think anything much happens in the episode? Other than the Lancelot and Merlin bromance.

The Wicked Day: I barely even remember the episode. It was such a poor sendoff to Uther. Arthur was a hypocrite, and almost no Arwen on Arthur's birthday? Forever hate the writers for the deleted Arwen scene.

Check my pinned posts to find my episode reviews!

It's almost impossible to rank the episodes. They're all frustrating and a missed opportunity. Episodes 6-10 in particular could be switched around.

#bbc merlin #merlin #my rankings

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theroundbartable · 1 year ago

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True.

Though I believe in that moment it wasn't Arthur vs Merlin, and more like Gwen vs Merlin.

They considered Gwen's word more for multiple reasons.

A) Gwen is the Queen

- which means their code of chivalry adds to their and Arthur's trust in her. Plus, she's their friend just like Merlin is. It's 1:1 in which Gwen has better cards in the game, especially with her husband dying.

- this also means her word is law and they have to be loyal to her by default

B) Gwen is Merlin's best friend and would NEVER consider him as evil unless she was certain or enchanted

- remember, she had "reasons" to frame him

C) Everyone was broken over the accusation. They didn't even dare look at Merlin. He wasn't guarded enough to not break out without being watched. They literally had to steel themselves for it all.

D) Merlin had already tried to kill Arthur once (master of two servants, in which Gwen and Gaius were really shocked when Leon told them he gave Merlin a weapon to kill Arthur. We don't know the repercussions of that.)

What surprises me more is that no one even considered that he was enchanted.

About Leon:

So yeah, I believe Leon would be more loyal to Arthur... if he realises that Arthur is driven by emotions rather than facts, then he'd hesitate.

Nothing more.

Maybe he'd meet Merlin in secret to talk, but Leon wouldn't rebell in an obvious way. We know this, because we know how he reacted in the Troll episode.

Leon accepted catrina as queen, because he had to. And while he pointed out the flaws in Uther's great plans, he remained loyal and did as he was told. He had a troll for a queen, I feel like I need to repeat that.

So, Leon would hesitate and wait until Arthur gives him the order to cease Merlin. If the order is to kill, he'd question if Arthur was really sure, but I believe he would do it in the end.

That doesn't mean he'd like doing it, mind you. Leon is a knight of Camelot, not a bandit. He's bound to whoever is in charge and I can't imagine a world where he'd give that up. (Even if he hates it, as he often does in my fics. I'm also kinda exploring where his loyalties lie in 'Uther's knight' if you're interested)

Now, let's get to the rebells who would do something about Arthur should he not react well... But who can also be swayed by e.g. Gwen. :

Gwaine... He's a difficult one. I think it's kinda similar to Leon, only that he would be more chaotic and secretive about stuff. He's also more divided. (Should leon find out, he'd pretend not to see and have the keys lying around on 'accident'). He's loyal to a fault. But he's Merlin's friend and being Merlin's friend means to be loyal to Arthur. I dunno what happened in that episode, but my gut feeling tells me that he believed things would resolve themselves once Gwen found the real culprit. Or he was planning to get Merlin out but then they were attacked and stuff was resolved in the morning when Arthur woke up.

Elyan would straight forward talk to Arthur until Arthur changes his mind. And he'd manage it, because it's Elyan and that man is nothing if not empathetic. We see this in the Darkest Hour where Elyan comforts Arthur through the episode. (He can't use his powers on Gwen though, siblings amiright?)

Percival is too quiet to break lose. He'd probably follow either Gwaine or Elyan and support their plans.

Now we have Lancelot and boy... That's the only knight who I trust to outright battle Arthur about it. It would be a threat and Merlin would tell him to stop, but Lancelot is "the most noble of them all". That man will protect his friend over his king. He already lied for Merlin, fought for Gwen, and died for both of them and then sorta accidentally protected Arthur in the process because he considered Arthur to be a better man than himself. Still, he'd draw his sword and defend Merlin. Dunno why people think the man is stoic, he's more impulsive than Arthur.

And then... Finally, Arthur himself.

We already know how Arthur reacts. We saw it in Diamond of the day.

Disbelief, confusion, shock, betrayal, defense/distance, mistrust, asking questions, guilt, grief, acceptance.

Mostly in that order. Those are the switches I most vividly remember.

Now, Arthur was dying in the episode, so we don't know if he wouldn't have grabbed his sword under different circumstances. But I argue that he wouldn't have. That he would have been too shocked to move. Because, and I hardly believe it myself when I write this, he wasn't angry.

We know how Arthur looks when he's angry. How he punches things, shouts at people, all those things. In the final episode, he does none of that (except telling Merlin to leave in the beginning (distance)). I think his emotions are too painful to let him experience anger in that form and wouldn't if he weren't dying, because I mean the emotional pain. Maybe anger mixed into all these other emotions, but it's definitely not the main one. What Arthur feels most is pain.

That's why Arthur says: "I dunno what I'd've done. " When Merlin says Arthur would have chopped his head off. Because he really doesn't know. He can't even make sense of his emotions, how could he know how he'd react?

Merlin stabbed him in the heart and Arthur wouldn't know how to deal with that. That's my take. Arthur would do exactly what we've seen in Diamonds of the day and none of the knights would know what to do because Arthur wouldn't give anyone an order.

Except Merlin: "Leave."

And he'd mean forever. And he'd be relieved when Merlin defies him as he always does.

nothing worst then a Merlin fic where Leon is more loyal to Merlin then Arthur.

like out of all the people fanfic writers went yeah Leon would threaten to kill Arthur why not!

like NO HE WOULDNT

I personally think none of the knights would but especially not Leon.

This fandom just needs to stop the whole everyone would kick Arthur to the crib for Merlin trope all together. Gwaine included in case y’all forgot he threw Merlin in jail when Gwen framed him.

#bbc merlin #merlin meta #hc #this is how i see them #my take on this #my opinion may change in the future #let me know what you think

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fishoutofcamelot · 4 years ago

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Hi there! I hope you’re well. I just wanted to send a message to thank you for the elyan content 😍 he is my favourite knight but for some reason I never see much of him on tumblr! So it’s awesome to see him on your blog. I hope I didn’t bother you with this ask 🙈

I AM doing well, actually! And you didn’t bother me, asks will probably never bother me <3

I could go on for a million years about why no one makes content about Elyan - and sometimes forget he exists altogether - but I don’t wanna start drama so we’ll just. Not touch that topic with a 10-foot pole

BUT! Elyan IS a fantastic knight, and the fact that he is your favourite knight too is very iconic and sexy of you. Elyan fans/stans are the sexiest members of this fandom. That’s not even opinion, that’s just science

So! Here’s a list of Elyan headcanons, because he’s worth it:

Elyan is ace. Them’s the facts

He’s also gay but in that stage where he’s questioning if he might be bi. Unfortunately, he died before reaching an answer

I hate to talk about Hogwarts Houses in 2020, but he is one hell of a Hufflepuff. Elyan is his name and protecting his loved ones with life and limb is his game. It is very easy to earn his loyalty, and once you have he will ride straight through Hell for you

Elyan likes hoods. He wears hoods whenever he can (i mean c’mon, that outfit in season 3 was serving some killer looks)

He’s just a protective older brother to literally everyone in Camelot. Yes, even Gaius

Gwen, Elyan, Leon, and Merlin have family game night once every month. They all gather in their old house in the lower town to get drunk, play some dice games, and spend the whole night goofing off

Only a few people know about game night. Even fewer people have seen it with their own eyes. Arthur and Gwaine frequently try to sneak in to see game night for themselves, but somehow never succeed

Elyan loves swimming. They don’t get many chances for it, but whenever they do, Elyan is the best swimmer out of all the knights

He’s also like. Really good at sneaking up on people. Consistently rolls high on stealth checks

Out of everyone in the Round Table, Elyan is the most easily spooked. He hates it when they gather around the fire to tell ghost stories, bc he will NOT be able to sleep the rest of the night after that

Why do people think there’s no dynamic or chemistry between Elyan and Gwaine??? Those two had a SOLID friendship and I will not stand for this disrespect (also, Perelyan is good but Elyaine is godtier imo)

Elyan is bad at blacksmithing. Like really bad. No one even understands how that works, considering he spent his whole childhood training under his father. All the blacksmithing talent apparently went to Gwen somehow

He likes bugs. When he was a kid he would go out in the woods and collect beetles and stuff to stick in little terrarium jars. He’d even give them names and backstories and personalities. Sometimes he would sit under a tree and tell Gwen stories about all these adventures his bugs would go on when no one was looking

Leon HATED bugs, and got creeped out by them, which meant Elyan was legally obligated to harass him about it

Elyan doesn’t get much chance to catch bugs anymore, but he’s also the only member of the Round Table who can put up with spiders

Spider in the armory? Everyone is freaking out while Elyan just calmly picks it up and lets it outside - but not without lots of snark and eye-rolling, of course

The reason Elyan ran away from home was because his mother had died and he saw it as a personal failing. He felt that it was his fault she was dead, because he couldn’t protect her, and left Camelot because he couldn’t bear the shame of guilt

In the last few years of his time away from Camelot, Elyan fell in love and lived out an mlm cottagecore fantasy where he and his lover raised wyverns together. But when Morgause came to capture him, she killed his lover and burnt their wyvern farm to the ground

Elyan tries not to let his grief be known, though. Not just because he doesn’t want to burden Gwen with his pain, but also because his lover had magic and he could get arrested for having fallen in love with a sorcerer

Morgause had Elyan captive for a while before Gwen showed up. She even used the nathair on him in small increments; not long enough to kill him or damage him irreparably, but enough to make him suffer. It’s for this reason that Elyan was able to bounce back from being tortured by Morgana whereas Gwaine didn’t survive it, because Morgause had already microdosed him with that kind of pain two years ealier

Still traumatizing, though. Like. This boy is EXTREMELY traumatized, can someone please get him some therapy???

Moving back to Camelot with Gwen was simultaneously healing and harming. Healing, because he visited his dad’s grave, rebuilt his relationship with Gwen, and his companionship with her, Merlin, and Leon helped him move on from the pain of his loss. But harming because of all the anti-magic prejudice that surrounded him, and every time someone said magic was evil it was like another dagger in his heart. That was his dead lover they were talking about and calling a monster. Someone who was kind and compassionate and funny, who didn’t have a lick of evil in them, who would have burned at the stake by Camelot’s laws

Elyan didn’t think about what it meant to be a knight of Camelot when he agreed to be knighted. But he was just so determined to fight and kill Morgause, the woman who had killed his lover and his wyverns and abducted him from his home, that he didn’t even think about it. He just wanted Morgause dead. It wasn’t until a few days later when he realized that being a knight of Camelot meant enforcing Camelot’s anti-magic laws, and this realization naturally caused him distress

Instead of abandoning his knighthood, Elyan found a compromise. He would support Arthur in everything, until magic got involved. If Arthur ever captured druids or put sorcerers to death, Elyan decided he would smuggle them out of the city. He would never actively kill or capture those with magic, and would sometimes even try to sabotage efforts in capturing harmless magic-users

Elyan knew full well what Dragoon was doing. He knew that Gwen and Arthur’s love was true and required no enchantment, meaning Dragoon had simply framed himself to get Gwen out of a jam. He appreciates Dragoon, and even though he supposedly killed Uther, Elyan can’t even fault him for that. Elyan wanted to kill Uther too

Merlin is the little brother Elyan always wanted, and Elyan is the older brother Merlin never had. They act so much like siblings it’s not even funny, and some people question if they were actually raised together

He and Merlin like to team up and tease Gwen. They’ll walk behind her and chant stuff like “Gwen and Arthur sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G”. They’re like children, and it’s both very funny and very annoying

Gwen gets her revenge, of course. She always gets her revenge

They also team up to be like. Super protective of Gwen. The vetting process Arthur had to go through - between Elyan, Leon, AND Merlin - in order to date Gwen was ridiculous

Arthur: Merlin I’m literally your boss. Your friend. You've been my personal manservant for like six years now

Merlin: Yeah, which means I know exactly how much of a dick you are

After being possessed by the druid ghost, Elyan is a lot more in tune with the supernatural

Am I suggesting that Elyan can now see, talk to, and interact with ghosts, and even starts a little agency where he goes around helping them complete their unfinished business? Why yes, yes I am

When Gwen was banished, Elyan wanted to go with her. But she asked him to stay behind and keep an eye on Agravaine, as she suspected him of treachery, and to stop him from taking over Camelot should Agravaine make a move. And, well, Elyan has never been able to say no to his sister

Elyan and Merlin decided to try and find a way to prove Gwen’s innocence. There’s no way she was acting of her own accord, after all. There was some kind of enchantment at play, there had to be. Merlin doesn’t tell him about Shade!Lancelot directly, but does propose it as a theory regarding how Lancelot had come back from the dead. Elyan supports the theory 100%

About two months after the wedding, Merlin and Elyan locate the enchanted bracelet, and Gwen and Lancelot’s names are finally cleared

In Avalon, Elyan, Freya, and Lancelot spend the whole time watching/narrating the events of season 5 like sports commentators. They are all mutually exasperated at Merlin’s antics

When Arthur shows up in Avalon, the only reason Elyan doesn’t punch him in the face is because he’s too busy restraining Lance from doing the same

He does, however, give him a strong talking-to about how “all your magic and you still can’t save my life” is a horrible thing to say actually

Lancelot, however, is more upset about the “I guess I was wrong” speech

Gwaine shows up in Avalon like. SUPER traumatized. He died while being tortured by a nathair, died in a way that he perceived to be failure, and he’s kinda messed up because of that. Elyan, who has already had a few years to cope with nathair torture, is the one who helps Gwaine heal from his trauma

In the 21st century, Elyan gets reincarnated along with everyone else. His childhood is plagued with weird dreams, dreams that terrify him. Snakes and pain, wyverns and fire, all of it. He meets an old man who calls himself Merlin, who helps Elyan through the pain of remembering his past life. For once, Elyan gets to be taken care of instead of the other way around. For once, he is allowed to be vulnerable and weak and struggling. He doesn’t hide his tears. He gets the help he needs and works through his trauma

And one day, many years later, he is walking down the street when he sees someone who looks oddly familiar. The face of an old lover, perhaps

Thanks for the ask! <3

#Merlin Fandom Stop Forgetting About Elyan Challenge #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #bbcm #ask #fish post

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roostercrowedatmidnight · 5 years ago

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Morgana was in love with Gwen – an analysis of series 3 of Merlin

This is an analysis I wrote of why I think Morgana was in love with Gwen, and how it culminated in Morgana’s betrayal of Gwen and Arthur in series 3.

When Morgana comes back from her year away at the start of series 3, she quickly turns on the people she used to care about. It’s understandable that she feels hate towards Uther, who has threatened and physically harmed Morgana before, as well as continuously prosecuting Morgana’s people; Gaius, who gaslighted her and consistently drugged her in an attempt to hide her identity; and Merlin, who literally tried to murder her. However, the two people who didn’t directly wrong Morgana were Gwen and Arthur. Her hatred of Arthur could be linked to the fact that he often assists his father in hunting down and executing magic users. But it could also be for another reason.

Morgana doesn’t attempt to directly harm or kill Arthur and Gwen for the first half of series 3. While she is more distant with both of them, she doesn’t make any obvious acts of aggression towards either person. Morgana doesn’t actually attempt to hurt Gwen or Arthur until episode 7, ‘The Castle of Fyrien’. After that, she continues trying to cause them harm, especially after dreaming of Gwen marrying Arthur in episode 10 of series 3, ‘Queen of Hearts’. Maybe it’s because she didn’t have any good opportunities to kill Arthur in the first few episodes. Or maybe it’s because of the events of episode 6, ‘The Changeling’.

Unlike Merlin, Morgana is unaware of Arthur and Gwen’s feelings for each other in series 2. She doesn’t figure it out until ‘The Changeling’, when she notices Gwen and Arthur’s eye contact at dinner.

We all know that Morgana is a very good actor. She may not reveal much about how she feels in this scene, but you can tell she’s a little shook. You can see in her eyes that her braincell is firing up.

It’s after this episode that Morgana starts going hardcore on trying to kill Gwen and Arthur. She first harms Gwen to hurt and manipulate Arthur, and then later on does it because she knows Gwen will marry Arthur one day and become Queen. When discussing these things with Morgause, Morgana frames it as though she wants power, and Arthur and Gwen are both standing in her way. Morgause has strongly instilled in Morgana that ruling over Camelot just as brutally as Uther is the only way that Morgana can get revenge and free magical people from oppression. And while it’s true that Morgana hurts Gwen and Arthur to gain power, I think another reason why she does it is because she is in love with Gwen.

In Merlin, magic is a thinly veiled metaphor for being LGBTQ (at least in my opinion -- if you think it’s a metaphor for a different group facing oppression then I’m totally behind that idea as well). While they never canonically make any of the characters overtly LGBTQ (because TV writers are cowards), holding the secret of having magic can easily be paralleled with holding the secret of being queer, and Morgana’s discovery of her own magic in series 1 and 2 can be paralleled with her coming to terms with the fact that she’s queer. If we assume that these things are linked, then Morgana’s discovery and acceptance of her magic in series 1, 2 and 3 is happening at the same time as her realisation that she’s queer and has a crush on Gwen. When Morgana comes back at the beginning of series 3, though much has changed, I believe she still genuinely cares about Gwen. And then she finds out about Gwen and Arthur.

Morgana has noticed Gwen having crushes on people before. She could tell that Gwen liked Merlin, and I think she had an idea of Gwen’s feelings for Lancelot when he first arrived. Neither of these crushes seemed to bother Morgana very much. Lancelot arrived and then quickly departed, so Morgana probably thought Gwen’s feelings would be a fleeting thing. Morgana probably didn’t consider Merlin much of a threat either -- maybe she thought his and Gwen’s feelings would be short-lived. Morgana also wasn’t very close to Lancelot, nor was she super close to Merlin at the start of series 1. With Arthur, though, it’s personal; Arthur is one of the people Morgana trusts the most, and she probably knows that he is the sort of person who doesn’t bestow his affections lightly. To Morgana, Arthur’s feelings for Gwen, as well as Gwen’s feelings for Arthur, are a direct and deeply personal betrayal.

One of Uther’s and Morgana’s biggest weaknesses is their unwillingness to forgive and let go of the past. Arthur, unlike his sister and father, has a great capacity to move on from past wrongs and forgive others, as do Gwen and (sometimes) Merlin. Uther’s failure to move on from the mistakes of the past is the driving evil of the show, while Morgana’s determination to get revenge on the people who have wronged her is what makes her begin to lose her way as the show progresses. So when Morgana finds out about Arthur and Gwen, it is an unforgivable betrayal from the two people she once loved more than anyone else.

The one time Morgana offers forgiveness is in the series 3 finale. Near the end of ‘The Coming of Arthur: Part 1′, Morgana believes she is about to achieve her great victory. She is close to dethroning Uther, and Arthur is either dead already or walking towards certain death. Morgana’s ascension is no longer threatened, and with Arthur gone, neither is her relationship with Gwen.

Morgana could easily allow Gwen to die, since it’s possible that she still threatens Morgana’s future reign. Strategically speaking, Morgana doesn’t gain anything from offering Gwen safety. But she does it anyway -- in her own way, Morgana is offering Gwen once last chance to choose her over Arthur.

Yeah, Gwen’s lying, and understandably so: Morgause’s people are ruthless and her hold over Morgana dangerous, Merlin and Arthur are still Gwen’s friends and she wants to protect them, and if Gwen refuses Morgana’s offer she will definitely be killed. But Morgana doesn’t know Gwen is lying. Morgana is still suspicious - she is used to being lied to and betrayed - but she also truly hopes that Gwen is telling the truth.

When Morgana discovers that Gwen is still on Arthur’s side, Morgana feels betrayed once more. She no longer cares what happens to Gwen. It is only because of Morgause’s plan to enchant Gwen to find Arthur that Gwen lives.

So in summary, I think Morgana was in love with Gwen, and her inability to forgive is what made her turn so suddenly on Gwen and Arthur. Morgana has been betrayed by pretty much everyone in her life, either intentionally or unintentionally, and it leaves an emotional scar that Morgana never heals from.

This was very long, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed. Shout out to @cats-n-swords for our combined braincell leading to our initial realisation that Morgana hated Arthur so much because she was in love with Gwen.

#merlin analysis #morgana #morgana pendragon #gwen #guinevere #morgwen #merlin #queer #my post

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wheredostarsgowhenyoudie · 4 years ago

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You'd never know what day your life would change. It could be today or tomorrow. It could be a day when the sun reigns in the sky or a day when stormy clouds rule. It could be a day you're happy or a day you're down. No one could tell. But when it happens, you'll know it, because suddenly everything is different and nothing will ever be the same again.

The day it happened, Merlin still wasn't convinced that Arthur wasn't lying when he told him he acknowledges that he has magic and that it doesn't change the fact that he's still an idiot.

The warlock wanted to believe him. He really does. But when one had been living in the shadows of lies, deceit and fear for as long as he had, it couldn't be harder to step into the light and accept that it was real.

Merlin hated that he couldn't be fully at ease with Arthur and the knights. He hated seeing the hurt in the prince's eyes every time he would wince when the royal would draw a sword or prepare to give an order. Merlin also noticed that the knights had been taking turns, keeping him company on his chores and going out of their way to ask him questions to learn more about his magic.

Merlin wasn't oblivious to their intentions. He knew that his friends were doing it to show him that it's alright to be himself around them. But as much as he appreciates their effort, try as he might, he still just couldn't erase the nagging fear at the back of his mind that Arthur would change his mind and decide that burning at the stake is where he belongs and that the knights would agree with him.

The worst part was that even if they do, Merlin would only understand their choice. They had been breaking the law by lying to Uther just to save his head. While Gwaine had no qualms deceiving the king, he knew the rest of the knights had their apprehensions. And Arthur, well it was him that Merlin feels most sorry to. What kind of friend does it make him if Arthur had to lie to his own father to protect him?

There's no question that Merlin couldn't have picked better friends. But what does that make him? For someone who has his secret out in the open, Merlin still doesn't feel free. Sometimes, he even finds himself believing that maybe he will never be.

It might just be so that for all the trials and tribulations magic had brought into his life, in the end, it will still be the one constant he can rely on.

Merlin barely managed to catch his breath on his way to Gaius' chambers when Gwen came running to him.

"Gwen?" he asks, instantly worried for the first friend he made in Camelot. "What's going on?"

"It's Arthur, Merlin!" Gwen answered. "Uther sent him and the knights to search what's causing the villagers' fright in the Forest of Merendra. Arthur sent me to inform you to take the shortcut and bring food and extra towels."

Merlin frowned. "When was this?"

"Just right after you left. They wanted to wait for you but Uther was insistent, and they couldn't tarry, else, Uther would be suspicious."

"I know that," said Merlin, knowing she was trying to assure him that they didn't leave him by choice. "I'll catch up with them. It should be no problem."

"Good," Gwen smiled before taking off the satchel strapped on her shoulder and handing it to him. "I prepared everything you might need. Now all you have to do is get a horse and leave." Then, taking the basket from him, she added, "As for the herbs, let me deliver them to Gaius. I'm sure he won't mind."

Merlin beamed, amused at her preparedness. "Thanks Gwen. I owe you," he expressed, clutching the supplies to his chest and running past her and into the stables. "And please tell Gaius I've gone after the prat!"

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Arthur couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the body lying still in the middle of the forest. He took a quick scan around the area just to see if they were being watched. It was a pity he got separated from the knights.

His own experiences with magical creatures had taught him to be wary, but he couldn't for the life of him, abandon the knight's code and turn away from a potential damsel in distress. And somehow, even if he wasn't willing to believe it at first, knowing that his idiot of a best friend has magic and could find him wherever he was, was a reassurance of its own kind. Not that he'll ever admit it to Merlin. The idiot would never let him hear the end of it if he does.

But just in case, he unsheathed Excalibur and prepared for an attack.

Carefully, he turned her so he could see her face.

"A princess?" he gasps, eyes instantly drawn on the silver tiara on her head. He had never seen anything like the pale blue dress she was wearing.

Arthur quickly reached a finger under her nose to see if she's still breathing. He couldn't help but worry what her presence here would mean if his assumptions were right.

To his relief, he had barely lifted her when she began to stir. He watched as chocolate brown eyes slowly blinked into awareness.

Gently, he helped her to sit up, making sure to support her back to keep her steady. The feel of his gloved hand on her back must have done the trick and she shrieked, jumping in fright of him. He would have laughed if she didn't look so scared.

"Oh, dear Merlin!" she exclaimed.

Arthur frowned. "You know my manservant?"

"Ahm," she started to say, and he easily caught onto her confusion.

"Forgive me, please," Arthur quickly apologized, making sure to step away to assure her that he meant her no harm. "My name is Arthur. I mean no threat to you, my lady, but I found you unconscious in the middle of Forest of Merendra. Tell me, where are you from? Do you remember how you got here?"

"Forest of-" she trailed, and he waited patiently as she finally seemed to absorb her surroundings. Her eyes widened in shock and she gasped, raising a hand to her forehead. "Oh, Hermione, what have you done now?"

"Hermione?" Arthur's face brightened. "Is that what they call you? What kingdom are you from?"

"I-…" she bit her lip in thought. "I'm sorry. Who did you say you are again?"

"Arthur. Arthur Pendragon, at your service," he reintroduced, waiting for recognition to dawn on her.

He didn't expect amused laughter to be her reaction. "Seriously, where are we? Is this some kind of a theme party? Are you in cosplay? Is that it? Well, I certainly can't remember drinking enough for this," she rambled. "Wait, I must be dreaming! That's it, isn't it? I'm dreaming, or I must be under a spell…A pensieve? But I don't remember…"

The prince listened to her patiently, mentally taking note of the words in her rant that he finds unfamiliar. Eventually, she stopped on her own and turned to him.

"Let's try that again, shall we?" she suggested. "Where are we?"

Arthur sighed but had no choice but to acquiesce. She still hasn't confirmed who she is and what she's doing dressed so thinly in this cold, or why she doesn't seem too worried at the thought that she might be under a spell. "We're in the Forest of Merendra in the Kingdom of Essetir. We're miles away from Camelot."

At this, her eyes widened and she pulled away from him. "Camelot?" Then, sounding fearful now, she asked. "And you're telling me you're King Arthur? As in THE King Arthur? Are you messing with me?"

"Well, no, it is my father, Uther, that is king. I'm only a prince. But I don't understand why you find this so hard to believe. Surely, you've heard of Camelot?"

She didn't get to answer though as the roars of the linen wrapped beasts finally caught up to him. Quickly, he helped her get to her feet and readied to defend.

"Well if you're Arthur, then what are they?" she asks, mystified. He couldn't help but wonder if she'd hit her head real hard that she still thinks she's dreaming.

But the pondering would have to wait as the creatures began to surround them.

'Anytime now would be great, Merlin.' He thought before he answered her.

"They're soulless animals' corpses being controlled by a sorceress."

"So they're dead? Like mummies?"

"You need to get behind me," he instructed, eyes at the beasts, only to startle when she stepped right beside him instead.

"How do we fight them?"

Arthur's first instinct was to tell her off for foolish bravery but one look at the advancing beasts told him there was no time for that. She at least needs to know what they're up against. "Fire, we need to burn them. But normal fire isn't enough. We need to-"

"It isn't working!" she was screaming before he could even register that she was holding a stick and one of the walking dead beasts was suddenly set ablaze.

"How did you?" he asked, before realization dawned on him and he turned to her in disbelief. "You're a sorceress!" he accused just as a lion jumped at him and he dodged, seeing her do the same in the corner of his eyes.

"What?" The girl, Hermione, scoffed, looking very much offended. "Flipendo!" she screamed before a light shot out of her stick and hit a tiger in the chest. "No, I'm a witch! Now, quickly tell me how to defeat them! Normal fire isn't working."

Arthur fought a headache from coming. Fate must be punishing him for treating his manservant so cruelly. As if dealing with one Merlin isn't enough…

"They're creatures of magic. The fire must be enchanted to destroy them."

"Of course," she breathed, eyes widening as though she'd just made a wonderful realization. Arthur barely moved his foot before he heard her say, "Stay back and don't move," and then, "FIENDFYRE!"

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Merlin had barely stepped into the forest when he felt it - magic both light and dark and so intensely heavy that he won't be surprised if he could touch it just by reaching out his hand.

He hurried his horse to the source of the screams and light, but nothing could have prepared him to what he saw.

A girl dressed like royalty was standing before a disgruntled Arthur, her arm outstretched and preventing the prince from taking any step farther as they stared down the army of mummified beasts advancing towards them.

His heart all but leaped out of his chest at the sight of the phoenix erupting from her wooden stick.

"ARTHUR!" he yelled.

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The frightened voice sounded very much like his manservant, but the prince couldn't keep his eyes away if he tried, gaping as the fire bird flew to devour the whole beastial army, leaving nothing but ashes on its wake.

He only breathed, alert and mortified when the phoenix started to turn on him. Before he knew it, Merlin had thrown his own weight to push them both out of harm's way and onto the ground, a move they soon found unnecessary when the fire bird released an ear piercing screech before drawing back and disappearing into thin air, leaving their eyes to settle on the lone girl standing in the middle of the devastation.

Legs apart, back straight, eyes ablaze and unrelenting, and with her hair crackling of magic - she looks like the perfect embodiment of an avenging female angel if they'd ever seen one.

No one said a word until she broke the silence.

"Is that enough?" she asked, eying them expectantly. "Are we safe now?"

"Huh," was the prince's unintelligible response, the only one he could manage after seeing what he saw. But he saw her brow lift higher and knew she was awaiting his answer.

"Yes," Arthur finally agreed, "I suppose that will do it." Then turning to the astounded warlock lying on his back beside him, he says, "Merlin, I think she just beat you in the most glamorous display of magic."

"You're-" she started to say, but the use of magic must have drained her and she began to sway.

Arthur hurried to help but Merlin signalled he let him instead, still feeling the lingering trace of unfamiliar magic in the air. It felt like his own and yet so different.

"SIRE!"

"Merlin!"

The voices came from the knights who arrived just in time to see Merlin carry the now unconscious girl in his arms.

"Who is she?" he found himself asking.

"I don't know," Arthur said, sounding as puzzled as he looked, staring at the sleeping damsel. "She seemed lost. She didn't even know who I am and yet, she protected me." Looking at his manservant, he asks, "Is she alright?"

Merlin nodded.

"Merlin, you alright mate?" Gwaine asked, seeing him look so perplexed.

This time, Merlin didn't nod, unsure of it himself.

He just witnessed magic unlike anything he'd ever seen.

But then she stirred on his arms, the tip of her stick accidentally touching his arm and Merlin's breath was caught at the feel of her magic humming and causing his skin to tingle with warmth.

"I think I need to speak with Kilgharrah."

A/N: Chapter 7 up! Read it here at...

#merlin #bbc merlin #hermione granger x arthur pendragon #hermione granger x merlin #merin and arthur pendragon #au #friendship #adventure #romance #fanfiction

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victimsofyaoipoll · 2 years ago

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Round 1

Propaganda Under Cut

Alana Bloom

she kissed will graham in s1 and dated hannibal in s2 so you can imagine how bad the fandom is to her. fun fact she's in a canon lesbian relationship now tho <3

The show literally does the yaoi treatment of victimisation for the benefit of the male leads to her. And then the fandom mistreats her

I'm not sure if this even counts but...Literally a victim of Yaoi along with several other characters in-series, but she got it almost the worst. The entire show is just people dying because the two male leads are OBSESSED with each other and can't be normal about anything. Alana Bloom, actual PhD of psychology and consultant to the FBI, got kissed by one guy, fucked and fed people-meant by the other, and pushed out a window by the murder husbands' forced-surrogate daughter. Like. Actual victim of several crimes caused by yaoi. She's probably one of the few examples of a Yaoi Victim overcoming and evolving past her yaoi-related trauma into a stronger person/character, though: She gets an entire character overhaul and a hot, millionairess for a wife. She kills a man with an eel. She becomes head of the BSHCI, effectively putting her in complete power over her jackass cannibal ex-bf. She does quite well. Unfortunately, the rest of her screen time is spent trying not to get killed in the ongoing fallout of Hannibal and Will's fucked up courtship, but hey. Can't have everything. I don't even know if I'm saying anything valid here: the fandom loves her, but I supposed her position outside of the Hannigram relationship relegates her to a non-subject in a lot of Hannigram-focused fanwork. She's an 'obstacle' to their relationship only in the sense that Will had a crush on her once that went nowhere and Hannibal started an actual relationship with her SPECIFICALLY to piss off Will. I guess she's also a more literal obstacle as Hannibal's jailer and Will's friend who's constantly pointing out to him that Morals exist and he should try having some of those, maybe.

Gwen

She stands in the way of Merthur, by far the most popular ship in the fandom. I haven’t seen it as much in recent years, but back in the days of fanfiction.net she got slut shamed so badly for having been romantically interested in three of the male characters over the course of the show, which is just... normal straight woman behavior, meanwhile Merlin crushed on pretty much every woman who even looked at him in the early seasons of the show and got no hate for that whatsoever. I barely even read Merthur fics (not because it’s m/m, just because certain aspects of their relationship don’t appeal to me) but the “Gwen is a slut” attitude was so pervasive across the fandom, even fics that weren’t explicitly anti-Gwen would “jokingly” call her a slut. I even saw a few fics demonizing her for having an affair with Lancelot despite the fact that SHE WAS ENCHANTED when that happened, and surprise surprise, Lancelot (who was also under the influence of magic) got none of that hate, and neither did Arthur, who got enchanted to fall in love with multiple women over the course of the show.

Canonically Arthur Pendragon's love interest and an important and interesting character in the show who's completely shoved aside and ignored in favour of the medieval bbc yaoi ship. At best they put her and Morgana in Lesbian Timeout (ie make them get together and then reduce them to wingwomen at best because god forbid we focus on the medieval bbc yuri). Justice for Gwen right now!

She is prince Arthur's love interest (eventually wife). Arthur is MADLY in love with her. He tells his tyrannical father he would give up his crown to be with her (she's a servant in the series). He forgives her cheating on him with Lancelot (!), which in the show is caused by an evil enchantment, but the characters never find out about it. He chooses her time and time again. His love for Gwen is literally never put into question. Many fans insist to this day that there was no chemistry between Gwen and Arthur compared to Arthur and Merlin. Arthur isn’t even particularly nice to Merlin most of the time! The funny thing is that Merlin himself ships these two so hard and does everything he can to help them get together!! Gwen & Arthur are adorable and too many fans were drunk on the yaoi fumes to see it. ARTHUR WAS A SIMP FOR GWEN.

#poll #round 1 #alana bloom #hannibal #bbc gwen #bbc merlin #merlin

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panharmonium · 5 years ago

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some meandering bbc merlin thoughts that got too long for tags on this gifset.

normal disclaimers apply, which, given that i’m evaluating media, means that these are just my own thoughts and nobody else need agree with them; i don’t expect all of us to have the exact same impressions of tv shows. :)

now, without further ado:

i started to type a novel in the tags of that gifset, but it got too long, so i’m moving it over to an actual post. and what i wanted to say there is this: my thing about arthur isn’t that his story was badly written. it’s that it was incomplete.

it’s probably more common for folks to assign responsibility to the writing, and that’s totally fine; i definitely get it - there are places in this show where i think things could have been handled better as well. (i did write sixteen pages about how poorly executed the finale was, after all.) but for my own part, i personally don’t think most of the story was badly written. i think it was unfinished.

and what i mean by that is that i sincerely think that almost everything bbc merlin did could have been pulled together in a meaningful way after 5.11, and that if this had happened, then we would be evaluating the previous seasons differently, because things that seemed to not fit or be nonsensical or not be given enough attention would have been pursued all the way through to their natural conclusions.

i’m not sure if it’s because i watched the show so late, or because i watched it in a spoiler-phobic bubble isolated from fandom input, but my own assessment of this show seems to exist in kind of a weird limbo-place on the spectrum of fandom opinions, because i don’t like how it ended, but i also don’t dislike the writing, up to the point of the finale. are there things that could have been improved, or quibbles i have? definitely. i can list them for you. but overall? i still believed in the story at the 5.11 mark. there were things i sometimes thought ‘oh, i’m not sure about this,’ but i always gave the show the benefit of the doubt, because i truly did feel that things were going somewhere. anything the show did that gave me pause wasn’t something that couldn’t eventually have been made meaningful, if the show had actually...been finished.*

(*elyan’s death excepted. that’s one of the things on my list, and i think it might be the only thing besides the finale that doesn’t fall under the criteria i’ll discuss below. it was a bad decision, flat-out, and could not have been improved by finishing the story.)

so for example, morgana. if i were going to critique her development, yeah, i’d say that we don’t get enough of her internal conflict; she goes from the voice of moral authority to (apparently) delighting in wickedness very quickly, offscreen, and the constant smirking doesn’t show us what we know must be true - that she hasn’t become like this because she enjoys it; that she is wounded and her rage at arthur, gwen, merlin et al comes from a very real place of pain.

but, as i said above - even though her development was something i recognized as questionable while i was watching, it didn’t make me too nervous, because i really trusted that the story was eventually and slowly taking us to the place it needed to go. you could see her conflict, sometimes, in her confrontations with arthur, and that conflict finally took center stage in 5.09, when mordred confronted her and appealed to her humanity. they were getting there.

and evaluating her development solely from what we ended up getting, i agree: now the writing just looks Bad. but it wouldn’t have been bad, if it had been finished. i would have completely believed morgana closing herself off from regret/sadness/compassion/any feelings at all for her former friends; it would have been okay for her to be so smirky, cold, etc; because it wouldn’t have been the endpoint for her arc, but rather a front to protect herself from the true conflict she felt. we would have gotten more than that. the story would have taken her farther than that. but the story was incomplete, and so everything that came before it just looks like a mess that ran off a cliff.

this is how i feel about almost all of the “questionable” writing things on this show. it’s not that they were ‘bad’ decisions in and of themselves, but they look that way in the rearview mirror because they never had the chance to develop into what they were supposed to be.

take arthur, for another example. i honestly don’t have a problem with his arc in S4 and S5. i completely believe what a horrible and unadmirable mess he is for most of S4. i believe that he would absolutely revert to thinking about “what would my father do” as soon as the realities of kingship are thrust upon him. and i love how in S5 he’s moved past that and IS admirable in so many other ways, but then we start once again addressing the central conflict, which is that he’s still oppressing part of his population, and he starts to hit roadblocks again. 5.05 and 5.11 are the crisis points there, and honestly, i didn’t have a problem with how they unfolded (i mean, i did, but not in the sense of ‘this is bad writing and i hate it.’ rather in the sense of ‘this is fucking painful but i believe it’).

the problem for me was never that it took arthur too long to accept magic or that he backslid or anything like that, because quite frankly i found all of that to be believable, given the circumstances. the problem was that the show ended before he was ever allowed to progress past that. he never atoned for anything he did. he, like morgana, was never allowed to go where he was meant to go, because the show stopped before it was over. if he had, all of his previous missteps wouldn’t have felt so much like ‘bad writing,’ they would have just been natural steps on his long journey.

same thing goes for gwen. do i have a problem with her being sidelined towards the end of the show? abso-fucking-LUTELY. that’s on my list. did her relationship with morgana deserve a resolution? YES. but it still could have happened! if there had been more time, the show could have dealt with that. gwen’s enchantment by morgana could have meant something, could have prompted something bigger; gwen could have taken the reins and started pushing arthur, who has entrenched himself into old ways, to start thinking from a place of compassion, even though it’s risky and it scares her. or she could have broken with arthur’s decisions completely and made a move of her own. if they had been given the time, nothing that happened to gwen prior to 5.11 precluded her character from going somewhere important.

and merlin - merlin could have gotten what he deserved, which is a resolution to the question he’s been struggling with since literally day one: how do i justify serving a regime that oppresses me? how do i reconcile my responsibility to my people (and MYSELF) with an externally-imposed responsibility to protect arthur?

merlin never settles on an answer to that question. or rather, the answer he’s given is that he doesn’t need to be conflicted in the first place; protecting arthur was the right thing to do (even though it ultimately achieves nothing).

merlin deserved to have a chance to work out the answer to that question for himself, rather than having his core dilemma wiped aside. and, much like my opinion on everyone else’s arcs, i don’t think the writing on this show ever took merlin to a place where this problem couldn’t be addressed. i don’t find merlin’s arc questionable; i am fully convinced by the hole he’s dug for himself by 5.11. merlin’s descent into single-minded preservation of arthur’s life at the expense of his own welfare/moral compass is absolutely tragic, yet also absolutely believable, to me - merlin’s been told all along that saving arthur is the only way to save his people, and now he’s been presented with so much evidence to the contrary - and yet he doesn’t want to admit that it’s all been for nothing - it’s honestly…i honestly actually think it’s spectacularly crafted. that scene with finna in 5.10 is absolutely the most devastating thing i think i’ve ever witnessed on this show - when merlin’s on the verge of passing out and he murmurs, ‘it won’t always be like this. things will be better.’ and you can see he’s just telling himself a lie, over and over again, trying to believe. and then when he says ‘running…from arthur?’ because he knows, he knows it’s true that arthur is the real threat, arthur is the one with the sword at all their throats, but merlin has come to care about him so much -

truly, they hit a point there that was just - fucking amazing. that was the moment. that, leading into 5.11, was the axis point for merlin’s unavoidable moral crisis, and there was so much potential there and so many places for it to go, but then the show just ended. conflicts wiped away. no wrongs ever righted. merlin never comes into his own. he never finds his feet.

but he could have.

so again. what i’m saying here is that for me, for my particular experience with this show, i actually don’t dislike the writing, up until the very finale. i think the writing actually brought us to a place that was fairly exploding with possibility. but then the show just stopped, and that’s why it’s so easy to find places to critique the previous seasons, because of course it all looks poorly constructed now. it isn’t finished.

#the once and future slowburn #meta #long post #even if merlin wasn't cancelled (which i have my doubts about tbh; who announces that their show is ending four weeks before the finale?)#the ultimate effect is still that of a cancelled show #if you took away the last two episodes i would never have guessed we were that close to the 'end'#there was still so much to deal with!#but anyway #on the whole merlin is a show that for some reason went over extremely positively with me for almost its entire run #i see spots where i would tweak things too #but recognizing merlin as an unfinished story has kept me from feeling that too deeply #most of the things i would tweak are things i KNOW would have been okay #if only they had been given the space to develop fully #and come to a natural conclusion #so for me #i never felt like this show tanked #not until the finale #i was as deeply engaged in 5.11 as i was in 1.01 #and then they just - pulled the plug when the story wasn't anywhere near finished #THAT was the problem for me #not that what came before wasn't good; but that what was supposed to come after was never allowed to happen #(everybody's different and i know not everybody had the same experience as me; which is totally understandable)#(but that's where i'm at)#¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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fashionstatement-deathwish · 5 years ago

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I tried uwu

For @gremlinbehaviour and @thereisnofuckingreason

That damned cat pt. 1

Pairing: Gwaincelot

Warnings: self miscaring (like, when you don't take care of yourself)

Lancelot hummed as he strolled through the castle halls; he was on his way to the marketplace to help Gwen and Merlin out with some shopping they had to do- admittedly, he hadn't been paying much attention when either of them explained, his mind fixated in the way Gladys' eyes lit up when she spoke instead.

While he was walking, he felt something strange at his feet. It was… warm. And it had soft fur. The Knight looked down and, to his surprise, a chestnut coloured feline, not too fat, but definitely not slim, was curled around his feet.

Lancelot opened his mouth to say something, yet he closed it immediately afterwards: he did feel quite stupid for talking to a cat in the middle of a hallway.

“Come with me.” the Knight demanded.

The cat looked at him almost pleadingly, confusing Lancelot, until he remembered a piece of bread he put in his satchel after eating part of it when he bought it during his morning walk. He sighed, pulled it out and hesitantly held it in his hand, crouching down to the cat's eye level.

“This won't work, it's ridi-…” He murmured to himself, but had to swallow his words when the cat rushed towards him and devoured the bread in a matter of seconds.

“Well… Okay then,” Lawrence was vaguely amused by the animal, and he started walking towards his chambers, making sure that the cat was following him: Gwen, Merlin and the market would have to wait.

When in his room, the Knight sat on his bed and looked down at the cat.

“So…” Lancelot felt his cheeks tint a soft pink, embarrassed to be actually talking to an animal.

The feline tilted his head and smiled- yes, the cat seemed to smile. Strangely enough, that grin was unusual for a cat; a wolfish grin laced with malice complemented it's mischievous olive green eyes. Lawrence layed back on his bed.

“You know? You remind me of someone…” He commented abstentmindedly.

The animal meowed and crawled onto the bed, curling up on Lawrence's chest, never breaking eye contact with those coffee coloured eyes.

“He's… handsome. Very handsome; in a rouge-ish kind of way. He's carefree and jovial and his smile takes away the tension of each day. He's… oh God, I sound like a love struck fool.”

Lancelot groaned and looked back at the cat. It was gazing back at him with the closest thing to amusement a cat can show, yet Lancelot could see a hint of hurt in those green orbs of his.

The Knight huffed, but sat up straight as soon as he heard a soft knock on the door.

“Uh, come in,” He called after hiding the cat under his covers.

“Hello Lancelot,” Gwen smiled sweetly as she came into the room, followed by a visibly stressed Merlin.

“Gwen, Merlin,” The short haired Knight greeted them in response. “I was going to go with you…” He started building up his excuse, but the raven haired servant cut him off. “No time. Gwaine is missing.”

Lancelot's coffee coloured eyes widened like plates and his heart rate quickened. No. Gwaine couldn't be… missing. It was not like him to just…

“What happened? Did you check the tavern? The woods around Camelot? Maybe he is-”

“Lancelot, we have searched everywhere.” Gwen mumbled sadly, letting worry seep into her features. “Leon and Arthur are still in the forest , and Elyan and Percival are searching each tavern in the kingdom. I… I wish there was something we could do…” The short woman sighed. “Sorry Lancelot.”

“I think it's better that you stay here…” Merlin commented quietly.

The Knight stood up, almost outraged, and almost throwing the cat off the bed in the mean time.

“Why? Can't I search for my friend like the others?”

Lancelot knew that his response was hardly rational, but his friend (he wouldn't go as far as to admitting he liked the man even though he did) was missing, goddammit! He could afford to throw his rationality out of the window for Gwaine if he so desired.

The sorcerer gave Gwen a pointed look that clearly read 'We need to speak about this in private,' Which the woman understood; as she left, Merlin gave the Knight a long stare.

“What?” Lancelot asked, admittedly annoyed.

“Listen, there is no easy way to say this, but Gwaine might be enchanted. I don't know where he might be, but he was seen with someone who, as we later discovered, is working for a mercenary who wants to break through Camelot's defences. We need you here, Lancelot.”

“But-”

“Listen, I know you love him,” The warlock stopped for a moment to appreciate the usually stoic knight's blush coated cheeks, “But you need to take care. Please. If not for me, for him.”

Lancelot opened his mouth, then closed it again. He hated to admit it, but Merlin was right: he could find something to take his mind off Gwaine.

“Just… rest for a while, okay?” Merlin grinned, but the Knight could tell it was forced. “Physician's orders,” The blue eyed male chuckled before leaving the room.

Alone again.

“Meow,”

The short haired knight's eyes turned back to look at the feline who was climbing up the thrown sheets with ease.

“Oh, you're still here. Sorry.”

Lancelot picked the cat up and left him beside his body. He sighed.

“He's right… maybe I could care about you in the mean time. Are you hungry?”

The cat's eyes that before looked dejected now lit up as it nodded with enthusiasm.

“Heh, funny it's almost like you understand me,”

The chestnut coloured cat meowed in protest, making the Knight chuckle softly.

“I'm sure we can find something to eat in the marketplace.”

And with that, Lancelot walked once again out of the room and down the halls, with the feline trotting happily behind him.

#gwaine #lancelot #lancelot x gwaine #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin ficlet #gwen #cat

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ladylynse · 5 years ago

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Hey, @lumanae, I haven’t quite finished that chapter of Down the Rabbit Hole I promised you as a thank you, but that’s because a little birdie dropped by my ko-fi asked me to write a Merlin ficlet for you. I decided to continue this three sentence fic. (This wound up longer than I was expecting, but some of it’s a thank you from me, too, so....) Spells are taken from the Merlin wiki page.

-|-

Accused of sorcery, Merlin is imprisoned on Uther's orders. Of course, no one else (especially Arthur) seems to think he deserves that. [FF | AO3]

-|-

When Arthur walked up to him, flanked by guards Merlin barely recognized (which was a feat, considering how many of the castle folk he knew), Merlin looked between them and asked, “What did I do now—or, I’m sorry, is it something I didn’t do, your royal prattiness?”

Arthur’s expression tightened, and Merlin realized he was serious. “You’ve been accused of sorcery,” he answered flatly, causing Merlin’s head to spin as he tried to figure out who and why and where he’d been seen, “so until we can sort everything out, my father insists that you be imprisoned.”

Imprisoned. It sounded so final. He’d always known it was a possibility—this was Camelot, after all, and with some of Arthur’s reckless moves, Merlin couldn’t always afford to be as careful as he needed—but he just….

He’d thought training here, having Gaius’s guidance, was worth the risk. His mother had certainly thought so. And it had been. Sure, there wasn’t always time for much more than self-taught learning from Gaius’s books, but they were still his books. Really, Merlin had learned more from Gaius than he had from Kilgharrah, even if he hadn’t known of his destiny—or how it intertwined with Arthur’s—until his meeting with the Great Dragon.

But now that he knew, he couldn’t just run. He had to stay by Arthur’s side. He had to protect him. To see this through. To make sure Arthur became the great king he was destined to be.

How could he do that when he was trapped in the bowels of the castle? He wasn’t good enough to enchant a pile of rags to look like him while he ran around as Dragoon. Gaius could slip the guards something—might anyway, just to talk to Merlin once he found out about this—but all his friends—

“Better eat the rest of your bread,” Arthur said quietly. “You know the prisoners aren’t as well fed as the rest of us, and father insists you don’t get any special treatment.”

Merlin’s fingers found the heel of the loaf he’d swiped from the kitchens earlier and curled around it, but he couldn’t eat now. His mouth was too dry. He couldn’t believe this was happening. When had Uther issued the order? It hadn’t been very long since Merlin had delivered Arthur’s lunch, and it had only taken a few snide remarks before Arthur had dismissed him. Arthur hadn’t known of this then. He would have said something. At the very least, it would have shown on his face.

“He doesn’t like the idea that a sorcerer could get so close to me,” Arthur continued. “I tried to tell him he was ridiculous. You, of all people, could not be a sorcerer.” Perhaps he caught the expression on Merlin’s face, for his tone softened, and he added, “I’m sorry, Merlin. I don’t know how much farther I can push him before he insists that my defence of you is proof of your sorcery. He might think I’ve been enchanted.”

“Why…?” No. That wasn’t the right question, not right now. He couldn’t think straight. “I mean, who accused me?”

He’d always thought, if any of his friends did find out, that they wouldn’t betray him. Confront him, sure, but not betray him. Not do this.

But perhaps they wouldn’t. Arthur had come on the king’s orders, perhaps as much to appease his father and set his mind at ease as anything else, but the guards…. Merlin didn’t know them. Maybe, just maybe, that was because no one else who might have normally accompanied Arthur had agreed to be a part of this.

He hadn’t thought everyone else shared Arthur’s convictions that his apparent ineptitude made it impossible that he was a sorcerer, but if that turned out to be what saved him….

Assuming he could be saved, when he didn’t know who had seen him using magic. The king wouldn’t take any risks where his son’s safety might be involved. He might even think Merlin had orchestrated the first attack from which he had saved Arthur, just to get the position he’d initially hated.

“I don’t know,” Arthur said, “but I’m going to find out.”

XXXXX

The cells were as unpleasant as Merlin remembered. Not that he had ever spent much time here, even just visiting others, but the stench of blood and waste seemed to have soaked into the stone. It was as bad as mucking out the stables. Worse, really; the hay wasn’t changed nearly as often, and musty rot settled on the back of his tongue.

The cell door locked behind the guards. Merlin sank down to the rough floor and leaned against the wall, shivering slightly even as he closed his eyes and waited for Arthur’s footsteps to finally retreat. He needed to find a way out of this. Unlocking the cell wasn’t his problem. Getting out to escape via the tunnels was a bit more difficult, but nothing he couldn’t handle. He’d taken that route too often before, sometimes even at Arthur’s orders, for no one to guess that that would be his most logical way out of the citadel. But leaving? Now? When he’d hardly done anything, when Arthur hadn’t done anything? He couldn’t. He’d never be able to return to Camelot. He might as well admit his guilt now and help them ready the pyre if he tried.

“Merlin?”

That was Gwen’s voice.

“Come on, Merlin, I know how hard Arthur works you, but you can’t possibly be asleep.”

It was Gwen. Merlin opened his eyes and saw her crouching by his cell, stealing frequent glances over her shoulder even as she beckoned him forward. He obediently came to meet her at the bars. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered. “The guards—”

“I asked Gaius for a sleeping draught the moment I heard, and then I brought them some wine. I know we must still be quiet, but—”

“It’s dangerous for you either way. Anyone who tries will be able to figure out what you did, and I don’t want to see you or Gaius in here with me.”

Gwen pursed her lips. “You don’t deserve this. You aren’t a sorcerer.”

Merlin couldn’t think of anything he could say to that that wouldn’t incriminate him, and he didn’t want to lie to her right now, so he said nothing.

Luckily, Gwen was prone to rambling when she was nervous, and he didn’t think she noticed. “And even if you were a sorcerer, you wouldn’t…. You wouldn’t plot against the king, against Camelot. I know you, Merlin. Not like…. Not like I thought I knew Morgana. Please, Gwaine’s planning a distraction for the moment one of the others can get the keys, and Arthur won’t stop us if he finds out. We won’t see you burn for this. You just need to promise me, promise us, that you’ll run.”

“It would be a death sentence if I ran,” Merlin murmured. “Uther would see it as proof of my guilt.”

“He’ll find proof enough even if you stay,” she retorted. “You know he will. You know what happened with my father, how close…. It’s better that you run. You can come back once we find a way to clear your name.”

“And what if you can’t?”

“We will. Whoever has accused you must have seen someone else. Or perhaps it’s a terrible lie. Whichever the case, we’ll get to the bottom of it. You just need to give us the time to do that.”

It was possible that he had been mistakenly accused. It was possible that someone who did know of his power was trying to get him away from Arthur. And it was entirely possible that whoever had accused him of sorcery was entirely well-meaning, in their own way, and speaking true.

“Just be ready to run,” Gwen said, “the next time someone comes for you. Even if it isn’t one of us.”

XXXXXXX

Merlin never found out what Gwaine’s distraction was—only that it involved a lot of shouting, and quite possibly a lot of fire, judging by the smell. He never found out who had filched the key, either, but night had barely fallen before the guards stationed at the end of the corridor were running to help with something.

Hardly three breaths later, Leon was slipping down the stairwell and walking towards the cells.

“I’m sure you know the way through the tunnels well,” he said as he unlocked the door, “but I promised Arthur I’d escort you in case you suddenly found your memory lacking.”

“I can’t leave Camelot,” Merlin said immediately. He’d decided as much once Gwen left. There might never be enough time, not when he wasn’t innocent and couldn’t be proven as such. Even if he had good intentions, he still had magic.

Merlin only knew of a handful who still lived despite Uther knowing their abilities, Gaius among them, but he also knew he couldn’t expect similar treatment.

“Arthur thought you may say that, too,” Leon said, a smile teasing at the corners of his lips now. “In that case, I have orders to hide you within the castle where you’ll never be found.”

Merlin pulled a face. “Tell Arthur that just because he never goes into the stables, it doesn’t mean they’re abandoned except for the horses.”

Leon snorted and pulled Merlin forward when he didn’t move to leave the cell. Merlin’s half-hearted resistance wasn’t enough to match Leon’s strength. “I don’t believe even he would think to hide you anywhere as accessible as that.”

“The laundry isn’t any better, you know.”

“I do know. And, though you may be surprised to hear it, Arthur knows as well.” Leon didn’t bother to lock the cell again, maybe because he didn’t dare loosen his grip on Merlin’s arm, and instead tugged him forward. “Come, we must hurry. Gwen’s waiting by tapestry.”

Merlin frowned. He suspected he knew which tapestry Leon meant—there was one nearby with a servant’s passageway hidden behind it—but it was one of the main connections to the kitchens, and—

“Gwaine’s distraction won’t last long, no matter how much Elyan and Percival can do to add to the confusion. Stop trying to drag your feet.” Leon moved quickly but surprisingly silently. Merlin opened his mouth to protest when Leon pulled him into an alcove near the laundry, but then Leon said, “Elyan found a cloak for you.” He nodded to a brown bundle of cloth half-hidden behind a console table, adding, “We must still do our own laundry.”

“Thank you,” Merlin said as Leon helped him into the disguise. It wasn’t much, but Merlin was grateful for any time it might buy him. And going along with everything was easier than protesting. He didn’t seem to be getting anywhere by protesting.

Besides, the cloak hopefully meant Arthur’s brilliant plan wasn’t trying to stuff him into a garderobe.

Not that Merlin would put it past him. Arthur would find it hilarious. Probably say Merlin shouldn’t even notice the smell.

Merlin kept the hood of the cloak pulled low, even inside, and would have instinctively shrunk towards the walls when they met others had Leon not been there. The nudges weren’t terribly subtle, but they were reminder enough to walk with confidence, and everyone they passed was too preoccupied to worry about them, anyway. Or rather, if they thought anything of it, they surely believed Leon had it all in hand.

The pass off to Gwen went smoothly. Leon never broke his stride. As they passed the tapestry, he let go of Merlin, and Gwen latched her arm around Merlin’s instead. She was small, but she certainly wasn’t weak, and she was pulling him along the passageways nearly as quickly as he’d been moving with Leon. If Merlin hadn’t known the way so well, he’d have tripped over the occasional trick step that was a different height than the others.

“Why are we going up?” Merlin asked, but Gwen shushed him instead of answering. The guestrooms would be searched; there may be a lot of them, but none of them were suitable for hiding him.

But then Gwen pulled him out of the passage at a familiar spot, sliding open the hidden door with a familiarity few servants could claim, most not having duties that required them to use this particular exit to the main corridors.

Merlin stared, and Gwen rolled her eyes and tugged on Merlin’s arm to get him moving. His feet responded before his mind fully comprehended the fact that Arthur’s backup plan, should Merlin refuse to escape via the tunnels, was to hide him in his own bedchamber.

Two guards stood outside despite the chaos that reigned below. Merlin wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t for show—when was Arthur not in the middle things?—but Gwen muttered, “I told Arthur you’d be coming here. He didn’t want to listen. He still thinks this’ll be as easy as when we hid Mordred. Because he still thinks that was relatively easy.” She flashed him a smile as she said it, marching him up to the guards and announcing, “Arthur’s expecting him.”

Merlin rather suspected they knew very well who he was, since they didn’t even question Gwen or ask him to show his face.

“Good luck,” Gwen murmured as she pushed him inside.

XXXXXXX

Merlin still half-expected Arthur to be preoccupied with whatever distraction Gwaine and the others had set, but he sat at his writing table with parchment and a quill. Merlin couldn’t guess what he was bothering to write by candlelight, but the prince wasn’t even out of his day clothes yet. “Are you really as hopeless at undressing as you are at dressing?” he asked, tugging his hood down.

Arthur scowled at him. “You were supposed to leave Camelot.”

“Doesn’t sound like anyone really expected me to do that.” Merlin held out his arms. “I’ve got a cloak, but it wasn’t stashed where it would be if everyone thought I was leaving.”

“You’re in danger here.”

“More than I might be, if I weren’t in the prince’s private bedchambers. What if I were an assassin?”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “This is serious. You aren’t in Ealdor. Sorcery isn’t simply shunned. My father—”

“I know the punishment for sorcery. And sorcery isn’t just shunned in Ealdor, either. I…. Will was a good friend of mine. That’s the only reason I knew. It’s not exactly something people shout about, and not just because of how near we were to Camelot’s borders.”

Arthur frowned. “You’re a shoddy servant, Merlin, but try to use some sense. You must have some in that empty head of yours. I don’t want to lose you over some false accusation. You don’t deserve that.”

Merlin grinned at him. “You mean you don’t think much of whomever was sent to replace me tonight? Really, sire, I didn’t know you cared.”

Arthur threw the quill at him, and Merlin ducked. “I already said,” Arthur repeated, “my father won’t listen to anything I say on your behalf. All you need to do is hide until we can prove your innocence. Really, it’s not that hard. Even you should be able to that out. This will work. It has to.”

Merlin bent to pick up the quill, placing it on the dining table beside him rather than returning it to the writing desk. He didn’t need to hand Arthur another weapon. “What if it doesn’t?”

“What do you mean, what if it doesn’t? It will. You’re not a sorcerer. The entire notion is ridiculous. Anyone can see that.”

Merlin took a breath and chose his words carefully. “I don’t really need to have magic, you know. All that matters to your father is if he believes I do.”

“And we can prove you don’t. I’ve asked Gaius to look into it. There must be some sort of test. Some way to prove that you’re just you and not some sorcerer.”

If there were some sort of test that unerringly determined someone’s potential to use magic, whether or not they were born with it, Uther would have found it despite Gaius’s efforts to keep such a thing hidden.

But Arthur didn’t always think things through when he was convinced he was right.

Even if Gaius pretended to find such a test, even if Merlin used magic to mimic whatever effect it was supposed to have to prove his innocence, it wouldn’t work. Not when the test couldn’t be repeated when Merlin wasn’t there to watch it and make sure it always proved someone’s innocence. Even if Uther didn’t jump to the conclusion that innocent people had magic when they didn’t, he’d eventually realize that the previous results meant someone close to him did have magic, and that that someone wasn’t just Gaius.

And Merlin wasn’t about to condemn someone truly innocent to the pyre by using his magic to make it appear that someone else was a sorcerer.

“There isn’t any method like that,” Merlin murmured. “Everyone would know if there were.” Arthur snorted, so Merlin added, “Do you know who brought the charges forward?” If he could just figure that out—

“Apparently,” Arthur said dryly, “it’s a rumour.”

“A rumour?”

“The entire lower town has heard it, near as I can tell, and more than one of my father’s spies repeated it.” Arthur paused, then said, “Sit down, Merlin.”

Merlin usually had a habit of ignoring Arthur, but he listened this time. He pulled out Arthur’s chair at the table and sank into it. Arthur gave an approving nod, as if he’d expected protest and was pleased not to get it. Merlin didn’t have the heart to tell him he didn’t want to get into an argument right now.

He hated lying to Arthur. He did it all the time, of course. He had to. But that didn’t mean he liked it. And in these circumstances….

A show of submission, with some very real fear of winding up on the pyre, was the most he could do right now. Even once Arthur told him whatever he knew, Merlin couldn’t very well do anything about it while Arthur was around. And the clotpole clearly wasn’t about to go to sleep any time soon.

“They’re saying that there’s a sorcerer within our walls. Someone else like Morgana. They’re saying that whoever it is is simply biding their time, waiting to strike us when we least suspect it.”

“That doesn’t have anything to do with me.” Well, it did, because the rumour wasn’t entirely wrong, but Merlin was fairly sure whoever had started it didn’t actually know that. If anyone, it was probably about Dragoon—or Emrys, for those who had heard tell of Emrys. Which still had to do with him, technically, but Arthur didn’t need to know that.

“The ones willing to name names don’t agree with you.”

That didn’t make sense. If someone had actually seen him use magic, it shouldn’t have come about like this. There was no shame in uncovering a sorcerer, not in Camelot. It was far more dangerous to try to protect one. There wasn’t anything to be gained by telling those not in power that you suspected a sorcerer unless—

“Don’t look at me like that, Merlin. You know I don’t believe those rumours. We’ll find a way to clear your name and—”

There was a thud from the opposite wall, in the hidden corner farthest from the door. The secret entrance slid open, and Merlin watched himself tumble out. “Sire,” the other Merlin gasped, “we have to go.” His eyes found Merlin’s, and he let out a squeak. “Get away from him!”

Merlin had never had cause to use that particular passageway. It wasn’t meant for servants. He wasn’t even sure he was supposed to know about it. It was meant for a time when the citadel was under siege, when even the servants couldn’t be trusted, and the royals had to flee.

Arthur was on his feet, but he wasn’t wearing his sword. Until he moved, he could only defend himself with a candle and a bottle of ink. “What’s the meaning of this?” he roared. He must have intended it to be loud enough to hear from the hall, to call in the guards, but—

But the guards didn’t come.

In fact, Merlin couldn’t hear anything from outside of Arthur’s chambers.

And the prickle of magic he could feel meant they couldn’t hear what was going on inside, either. It was a subtle spell, not one he’d have noticed if he hadn’t been practicing magic detection. He couldn’t tell much more than that without a good deal of time and a spell book, but he didn’t need either of those to figure out what was going on now.

“It has to be a trick,” the other Merlin spluttered. “He can’t— That must be magic!”

Magic indeed. A glamour, and a good one. The reflection in the window matched what he saw with his own eyes. Perhaps the enchantment was enhanced with a potion, maybe even one of Morgause’s own creation. He had no idea what she’d taught her sister before the end, but Morgana was playing her part well. No one else would know of that tunnel and know him well enough to fool Arthur for even a moment.

Merlin’s eyes flicked back to the intruder’s face. Morgana’s eyes were narrowed, watching him, waiting to see what else he’d do. No doubt she was expecting him to tell Arthur what he’d seen. To protest that he was innocent. That he was the real Merlin, that she was the imposter.

But she’d seen him check her reflection.

Which meant that she knew that he knew what to look for.

She might draw her own conclusions. She might know that Gaius had once practiced magic. She might believe that Gaius had taught him what sorts of signs to look for, to better protect Arthur. She might assume he’d looked for some obvious sign of magic to point out to Arthur because he knew perfectly well that this was a ruse, that he was the real Merlin.

But she might also have realized that the Emrys the druids spoke of was Merlin himself.

Except…. Surely she wouldn’t have targeted him if that were the case. No, if she knew that Emrys was protecting Arthur, she must assume it was someone else. Maybe she suspected Dragoon, never realizing that he was Merlin, too.

“How did you get out?” Arthur demanded, and Merlin realized with a start that he was addressing them both.

“Leon,” he answered, but he heard Morgana say the same. She must have watched them, must have—

“Gwen took me into the passageways,” added Morgana, and she managed to say Gwen’s name without the slightest trace of a sneer on her face. Or rather, his face. “But then we heard something, and Gwen told me to come here alone while she made sure I wasn’t found.”

Arthur turned to him and raised his eyebrows. Merlin scowled at him. “We came out at the end of the hall,” he said, “and you saw me come in through the door.” He waved a hand towards it. “You’ve got your guards outside.”

“Did you leave them alive?” Morgana snapped. Arthur’s glower became more pronounced, and Merlin realized that he wondered that, too. He knew perfectly well that they were making enough noise, doing enough to arouse the guards’ suspicions, that they should have burst into the room to defend the prince.

Had she done something to them? Was she trying to frame him, make it seem like he did have magic? That he was a sorcerer in disguise?

“Of course they’re alive,” Merlin said, but Arthur was already marching towards the door. He really could be an absolute clotpole at times. Granted, he didn’t know he was turning his back on two people who had been born with magic, but he must surely know one of them could use magic, and—

Arthur had barely opened the door before slamming it closed again and spinning on his heel.

Merlin swallowed.

The guards weren’t alive any longer.

He didn’t need Arthur to say it, and Arthur clearly knew that.

“It wasn’t me,” Merlin said. “I didn’t do that. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

“I know Merlin couldn’t do that,” Arthur growled, “but you’re not Merlin, are you?”

He was edging towards the chest at the foot of his bed. It held one of his swords—not the sharpest, but certainly not the most dull—and a number of knives hidden in layers of clothing. Arthur could have a weapon in his hand in a matter of seconds.

Morgana could wrench it from him in a matter of seconds, too, but not without blowing her cover.

“Do you remember what I said to you when we first met?” Merlin asked. “When you were being your usual arrogant self?”

Arthur frowned. “Everyone knows Merlin doesn’t address me with the respect I deserve.”

“You didn’t deserve any respect then. Anyway, it turned out not to be much of a mistake.”

“He’s playing with you!” Morgana hissed. Merlin couldn’t tell if Arthur had caught the meaning of his words—or if Arthur even remembered their exchange well enough to do that. Still, he couldn’t afford to be clearer with Morgana around. He had to hope that Arthur didn’t listen to her, had to— “Stop being such a clotpole,” continued Morgana. “You can’t fight him when he has magic!”

So that’s the game she was going to play after all? Make it seem like he had magic? She had to be thinking on her feet. Even if she had come here with a means to disguise herself as him as a way to get to Arthur, she couldn’t have known of the plan to free him much ahead of time. She may not even have known until she saw it in action. If she’d disguised herself as someone else before him….

He and Leon had passed others in the hallway, and he wasn’t sure it had been entirely empty when he’d gone into the passageways with Gwen. She knew Arthur well enough to predict most of his movements. She might have been on the lookout for such a plan to be carried out.

But she didn’t believe he had magic, either.

And as much as he wanted to keep that from her, he’d rather she know—that she and Arthur both know—than have her win now.

Arthur was looking at him when Morgana used her first spell, and he didn’t see her eyes burn gold. Wind swept through the room, and Morgana shrieked as every light went out, not so much as a glowing ember left in the fireplace. “Arthur!”

Morgana thought this would benefit her. That Merlin and Arthur would both be fumbling while their eyes adjusted, that it would be too long before they’d be able to see enough in the dim light from the half-hidden moon outside. She thought she could make her way to Arthur’s side and latch onto him while Merlin blundered about, disoriented.

No doubt, all she wanted was to get her hands on Arthur and teleport him away so she didn’t need to keep up this charade any longer.

With the prince’s absence and the added bonus of Merlin missing from the dungeons, she had no reason to think he wouldn’t be blamed.

But Merlin wasn’t about to let her do that. “Hierste þæt íecen sóna,” he murmured, closing his eyes and concentrating. He needed to break her glamour if Arthur was going to listen to him and not be distracted by her lies. This spell hadn’t worked as well as he’d liked last time, and he was dealing with Morgana, but he had to try. He could hear her soft, careful footfalls moving steadily across the floor, and he opened his eyes even as he repeated the spell. “Hierste þæt íecen sóna.”

His words this time were loud enough to draw her attention—and Arthur’s, of course. He scrambled away from Merlin, accidentally kicking the chair Merlin had pulled out earlier. Arthur cursed and stumbled away, back towards the door. Morgana’s shadow froze, just barely outlined as she crossed in front of Arthur’s bed. He didn’t know if either of them had seen his eyes flash, but Morgana would have been close enough to recognize the words of the spell for what they were.

And she would feel his magic warring with hers if she tried.

Merlin was perfectly aware that she would not only know that he had magic but also that his magic was strong enough to do far more than light the odd candle. He was also perfectly aware that she couldn’t fight back without breaking her cover. She could try to turn this on him, of course, trying to use his magic as proof to Arthur that he wasn’t the real Merlin, but she didn’t know what he could do in the meantime.

And she knew she couldn’t afford mistakes.

“Bærne,” she murmured, keeping her eyes downcast, and when the swath of cloth hanging down the bedpost behind her caught fire, she leapt away with a scream.

Specifically, she leapt towards Arthur.

“Hierste þæt íecen sóna!” Merlin shouted it this time, flinging out a hand to better direct his magic. She flinched away, but he could see the glamour starting to break. Same dark hair, but it was slightly longer than before; the colours of her clothes weren’t quite right; she didn’t stand as tall as him, even at her full height, and that was becoming noticeable even in the flickering firelight.

He couldn’t afford to waste time putting that out now, so he flicked his eyes to Arthur long enough to make sure he was staying away from Morgana and then focused on her. “Hierste—”

Something pushed him back, and he fell. It wasn’t violent enough to be obvious—Arthur might not immediately assume it had been a spell of Morgana’s—but he still hadn’t been prepared for it, and he cursed himself under his breath. He knew better than to underestimate her, and all he was doing was proving to her that she should no longer underestimate him.

“Forþ fleoge.” He cast the spell before he was even on his feet again, hoping to catch Morgana off her guard, but she must have expected it and shielded herself. Before he could try again, she pushed him off balance.

That was fine. He didn’t need to be on his feet to cause the tapestry behind her to fly off the wall and over her head. She wasn’t expecting that, and by the time she’d freed herself, he’d moved to cover Arthur. He tossed another spell at her to make her sleep, but she’d thrown another shield up. In the meantime, he doused the flames licking at the bed—he’d deal with that mess later—and relit the torches.

Arthur, for his part, kept trying to move so that he wasn’t behind Merlin, but he stilled the moment Morgana fought free of the heavy cloth and he saw her for who she truly was.

The glamour had finally broken.

“Ástríce,” she snarled.

“Scildan!” If he had to protect both himself and Arthur, he didn’t dare rely entirely on non-verbal spells. But—

“Hleap on bæc!”

—he couldn’t afford not to use them, either. Even as Arthur lost his footing behind him, not entirely protected by Merlin’s shielding spell, Merlin focused on Morgana and pushed. This time, he broke though her shield and sent her crashing back into the wall. She crumpled when her head collided with the stone, but he cast another sleep spell on her just in case.

Arthur was so quiet behind him that Merlin thought he was knocked out, but when he turned back to check on him, Arthur’s eyes were locked on him.

And he was gripping a knife—the one from the cubbyhole by the fireplace, from the looks of it.

“You have magic,” he said bluntly.

Merlin swallowed, suddenly wondering if he should have let this play out differently. But his secret wasn’t worth Morgana successfully kidnapping Arthur—especially when kidnapping him would mean killing him—and he’d always hoped the truth would go over well.

He’d always hoped it would go over better than it was so far, at least.

“I did sort of tell you,” Merlin mumbled, “shortly after we met. When you said you could take me apart with a single blow, I said I could do it with less than that.”

“I can’t believe you have magic.” It was a complaint, and Merlin had never been happier to hear one. He let out his breath in a rush. “You— All this time, and you’re powerful enough to do…that.” Arthur waved the knife in Morgana’s direction. “You knew it was her. You fought her, protected me, and….” He shook his head. “I can’t…. How?”

“I’ve been practicing, you know.”

Arthur stared at him. “Then the rumours are true? Someone actually saw you doing magic? Merlin, this is Camelot!”

“I know. And that’s one of the reasons I never told you before. I know the laws, and I…. I didn’t want to put you in a position where you’d have to act against your father.”

Arthur snorted. “You say that like I’ve never done it before.”

“Mordred was just a child.”

Arthur rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t the only time, and you know it. Honestly, Merlin, if you had wanted to attack me or my father or do anything against Camelot, you’ve had ample opportunity. And Gaius is a good judge of character. I just…. This entire time. You’ve had magic. How have I not noticed when you’re apparently careless enough to let complete strangers catch you at it? You must have used it around me.”

“Well, considering how many times I’ve had to save your sorry a—”

“Have you been using magic to do all your chores?”

“That’s your biggest concern?”

“How am I to know if you’ve given me leaves to eat that you just magicked into food?”

Merlin bit back a laugh. Arthur had a lot to learn about magic, and maybe this was a sign that he’d be willing to do that. Willing to listen, despite everything his father had ever taught him. “I’ve never done that,” he said, not wanting to get into everything he had done. “I’ve spent most of my time trying to protect you.” He looked back at Morgana, bit his lip, and added, “I don’t know how long my spell will keep her asleep. We need to do something. What, ah, are you going to tell your father?”

“Not that you have magic.” Arthur moved to stand beside Merlin and looked over at Morgana. “I won’t be able to convince him to see you as an ally. We must find another sorcerer to blame for Morgana’s predicament. I…. Have you ever met the old sorcerer known as Dragoon? If we can contact him— Why are you laughing?”

“Sorry,” Merlin said, though his grin made it clear he didn’t mean that in the slightest. “I just…. Yes. You could say I know him. Very well.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “How well?”

“Well enough to do whatever you’re planning.”

“Merlin!”

“I’ll explain when we have more time,” he promised, and Arthur huffed.

“Very well. If you can convince him to show up and pretend he stopped Morgana, maybe even that he spread the rumours about you to try to draw her out, I’ll do whatever I can to make sure he gets away unharmed and remains unprosecuted.”

Merlin smiled. Sometimes, he was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of the king Arthur would become. “Leave it to me.”

(see more fics)

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin fanfiction #fanfiction #my writing #ladylynse #snippets #merlin snippet #so I wrote this in between researching and plotting a dp ficlet #and instead of working on down the rabbit hole like I said I would #but this works too #...it has been a WHILE since I've written a longer Merlin fic

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specialagentlokitty · 6 years ago

Text

Sir Leon x reader - He’s kind, not harsh

A/N: this was just a random thing I daydreamt off. I’ve never wrote Leon before so sorry in advance!❤️

The bell rung and you turned to Gwen, the pair of you dropped what you were doing and ran through the castle, you a bit easier than her considering you were wearing pants and a shirt instead of a dress.

The pair do you ran outside just in time to see Merlin, Arthur and Sir Leon jumped from their horses. Your gaze was trained on Leon, the pair of you had been friends for a while and you begun to develop feelings for him.

Gwen rushed to Arthur, Gaius to Merlin and you headed to Leon only to have him rudely barge past you. Frowning you turned to watch him leave them turned back to the group who all seemed equally as shocked.

“Is Sir Leon Okay?”

“He’s probably just tired.” Merlin smiled.

You smiled and nodded, it made sense.

Only, for the next week you didn’t see or hear from him, which was unusual. Leon came to talk to you every night, and when he could in the day.

“Gwen have you seen Sir Leon?” You asked peaking around the corner.

“I think he’s in the training grounds.” She smiled at you sadly.

Nodding you jogged over there and sure enough he was there training on his own. Slowing your pace, you smiled a little and stood a few steps behind him.

“Leon?” You called.

The man turned around his eyes narrowing and a sneer on his face.

“That’s SIR Leon to you.”

Your eyes widened, never had Leon demanded you to call I’m sir. He was the one who said it was okay to call him but just his name. You crossed your arms and glared.

“What’s gotten into you? You’re acting like a complete arse.” You huffed.

“Have you thought maybe I don’t want to see you? That I don’t like you?”

It felt like a knife was stabbed into your heart, your arms dropped and your face fell. Did he really feel that way?

“Y... you what?”

“I don’t like you. I don’t even know why I became friend with you honestly, you are nothing but a serving girl. You don’t even dress like a lady.”

With that he turned around. You clenched your fist.

“YOU told me that didn’t matter, YOU told me that you enjoyed spending time with me not even two weeks ago! You like the fact I dress different!”

Leon spun around with fire in his eyes and he stalked forward, never had you been so afraid of a man. You stumbled back a few steps.

“Clearly I was wrong! I don’t like you (Y/N), I never had! Obviously your parents didn’t either, that’s why they left you in that village, so you’d become someone else’s problem.”

You felt your heart shatter, the pieces of it turned to ice. Your face hardened and you stood tall as you stared him in the eyes.

“Fine. You won’t have to see me again. I hate you SIR Leon, and I hope you burn in the depths of hell.”

With that you spun around and marched off, all the way to your room where you packed a small bag, you scribbled out a quick note and left it on Gaius’ desk before you saddled a horse and raced out of Camelot.

Gaius and Merlin came back for dinner, while Gaius was cooking Merlin spotted a note on the desk.

“Gaius, someone left you a note.”

“What does it say?”

Merlin picked it up and read it, the paper slipped from his fingers and he looked up at the physician with wide eyes.

“Merlin?”

“(Y/N)s left...”

“Why would she...” Gaius trained off.

Merlin sat and thought for a few seconds before he jumped up.

“Sir Leon! I saw them talking earlier! He said something and she sped away but Arthur called me before I could follow.”

Merlin ran out the room to find the knight, when he did he asked about you, Leona response made it clear that he was under some sort of spell or enchantment.

It took a few days but with the help of Gaius, Gwen and Arthur they somehow broke the spell and Leon had regained his senses. The knight looked at them with a frown seeing their sad faces.

“(Y/N) left.”

Leon’s face fell even more, he stood up and looked around like a lost puppy.

“What?! Why? Where did she go?”

“You were under a spell.” Gaius explained.

“While you were we think you upset (Y/N), and she left.” Merlin sighed.

Leon’s head dropped and he stared at the floor. Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look up and the prince smiled.

“We’ll find her, Gaius knows where she was raised.”

You had been back home for nearly two weeks, it was just how you remembered but you weren’t happy. Leon’s words still grit and as you looked around you wondered if the all felt the same.

Sighing, you climbed the tree in the middle of the village and hid within its leaves. Leaning agasint the body of the tree you closed your eyes, only to snap them open when a famialir voice reaches your ears.

“You don’t happen to know someone by the name of (Y/N) do you?” Merlin asked.

“I do, everyone knows (Y/N). She’s the light of the village when she comes, but lately she’s seemed upset. No one can get her to talk or smile.” Barnby sighed.

“Would you possibly know where she is, we’re looking for her.” Arthur said.

Barnby hummed for a moment.

“She could be in the tree, that’s where she goes to think. That one just over there.”

They thanked him and you heard footsteps grow closer. Silently you climbed higher up the branches.

“(Y/N)?” Arthur called.

You stayed silent, two faces peered up from the bottom. Picking up a pinecone you aimed between the brances and dropped it. Merlin yelped when it hit his head and jumped back.

“We just want to talk.” Merlin yelled up.

“Go away or the next one will hurt more!” You yelled back.

They whispered among themselves. You heard footsteps leave and you closed your eyes once more.

“(Y/N)...?” A sad voice called.

Ignoring it, you hoped that he would leave as well.

“I’m sorry... can we... can we talk?”

You ingored him again and he sighed. Then you heard twings snap, looking down, you watched as Leon climbed his way up the tree until he was sat on a branch next to you.

“Sir Leon.” You said coldy.

He flinched back, as if you just hit him. His face was sad and pained like a wounded puppy.

“I’m really sorry.” He whispered, “I can’t remember what happened but I swear it wasn’t me.”

You glared at him, pointing an accusing findger at him you swallowed thickly.

“Really? I’m pretty sure you’d remember saying you didn’t like me, I was just a serving girl. How you never liked me, and neither did my parents and it’s why they abandoned me.” You spat.

Leon tilted his head down in shame. You laughed bitterly and shook your head.

“I said it once and I’ll say it again, burn in the depths of hell sir Leon.”

With that, you crossed your arms and watched him. Leon raised his head, his eyes were red and brimmed with tears, a few of which fell down his cheeks.

“I’m so sorry.. I was enchanted.. I.. I didn’t mean any of it! I would never say anything like that to you I promise!” He cried.

You scoffed and begun to climb down the tree.

“Your word means NOTHING to me.”

Jumping down, you didn’t look back at the tree as you walked away. Arthur and Merlin watched from nearby as a clearly upset Leon climbed down and hun his head.

“Let me talk to her.” Merlin muttered.

He followed you to a nearby field where you sat on the gate, watching as the horses ran around freely. Merlin climbed up next to you and stayed silent for a few seconds.

“Sorry for dropping a pinecone of you. It was either you or Arthur.”

“Should’ve dropped it on Arthur.”

You laughed and shook your head, letting t fall silent again.

“What did he say?”

“He was enchanted.” You laughed angryly.

“You don’t believe him?”

You turned to face Merlin and shook your head.

“The things he said, they hurt Merlin. Deeply. Now he’s just trying to pretend it wasn’t him.”

Merlin looked at his hands then to you.

“He was enchanted. I went to talk to him after I read your note and that’s when I realised it wasn’t him. Sir Leon loves you, he wouldn’t act that way.”

“I’m sure he does.” You said sarcastically.

Jumping from the fence, you went to walk away only to have Merlin grab your wrist and spin you around.

“You trust me? Right?”

“You know I do.”

“Then believe me when I say it wasn’t him, please, he’s been beating himself up ever since that day. He’s broken.”

Searching Merlin’s eyes, you saw no sign of him lying. You pulled your hand free and Merlin sighed as he watched you go.

You searched the village and found Arthur sat with Leon under the tree. Leon was crying into his knees. He prince looked at you and silently stood up, nodded and left. You knelt in front of Leon.

You listened to his sobs and took a quiet breath. Reached out, you ran your fingers through his hair.

“I don’t like to see you cry Leon.” You muttered.

“(Y/N)?!”

His head snapped up and he wiped his eyes. You ran your hand through the hair on the side of his head before pulled his head to your shoulder where he rested it.

“I should have belived you. I know you wouldn’t say something like that, it just sounded so real.”

You carefully pulled him into a hug, Leon wrapped his arms around your waist and hugged you back. Pressing a tender kiss to his hair, you rested your head on his.

“(Y/N)... I.. love you and I don’t want to loose you...” he said softly.

“You won’t loose me Leon, not now, or ever.”

You place your hands on the side of his face and tilted it up. Smiling, you kissed his forehead and nose. Leon closed his eyes and smiled a little.

“I love you too, my knight.”

With that, you shyly kissed him, only for a few seconds before you pulled away. You’d never let anger cloud your head like that again, because you knew that Leon was a sweet man, and he’d never say such a thing to you

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