#I love it when merlin is being goofy and gaius is like

[adhd-merlin]

deleting this scene was a crime against me personally

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Everyone’s reactions to finding out about the Arthurian legends.

I know you don’t generally write modern stories so feel free to ignore this one.

(Headcanon Masterlist) (Full Masterlist)

Oooh!! Very interesting!!! I like this :D

Ok so. If we're saying the Arthurian legends are exactly as they are now, I think it goes without saying that everyone is pissed that they got so much wrong. They're all horrified as well—look how they vilified Gwen and Merlin, and how so many of them (Leon, Gaius, etc) were forgotten—though they’re at least a little grateful that they're considered fiction, not real. Though the gang does get odd looks when they all introduce themselves (Arthur and Merlin and Gwen and Lance and Percy and Gwaine and Morgana and Mordred do at least). Arthur, Morgana, Mordred straight up can’t look at each other for a few days when they find out that, according to legend, Mordred is their child... and they're still half siblings. Some of the funnier stories were of course made up by Merlin when he was in a silly goofy mood and was too bored after spending centuries alone. To be honest, the only joy the others find in them is in taking the piss out of Merlin because apparently he was a super gross, sexually insatiable old man, who propositioned every one of his students, and turned into a cloud when he sulked.

HOWEVER if we're saying that Arthurian Legend is accurate (to the show, to what they went through) then they all like it a little more. Of course there’s still some made up shit in there, Merlin gets silly goofy moods no matter the AU (mainly because you’ll never convince me that a millennia and a half alone wouldn’t turn everyone at least a little mad).

Lance is interested to hear about all that happened after he died (and is a little pissed at Merlin for not demanding he be treated better), but he gets most of those stories from the gang directly. Though he does find great joy in saying things like “You never told me you married a tree, Leon!” in an outraged voice whilst holding a book. It’s just a copy of Lord of the Rings without the cover, but Leon doesn’t know that, and he’s now convinced that the legends say he’s a tree... hugger.

Arthur is sad mostly, I think, because he reads all of the stories from an outside perspective. Stories that include all Merlin did for him, both before and after his death, that he’d never seen. It’s hard to be proud when you see that A) Most of your achievements were someone else’s, and B) That person, whom he greatly cares about, didn’t get nearly enough recognition for it. Maybe he takes Gwen and Leon and Percival aside one day to thank them for sorting through his mistakes. But he for sure puts up a front about loving them because they're all about him "They’re call the Arthurian legends after all, Merlin."

Speaking of those three, Gwen, Leon, and Percival read every scrap of legend they can get their hands on, because they know that even after the truth came out, Merlin still didn’t, wouldn’t, tell them everything. Gwen has words with him about being so bloody self sacrificial (for the billionth time. She hopes he’ll actually listen this time round) and whenever Leon accidentally reminds himself of how much Merlin has suffered he sequesters the two of them away in a room somewhere for a cuddle fest.

Gwaine outwardly thinks they're the coolest thing, though he does secretly take it a little more seriously, and he develops a habit of checking in on Merlin fairly often. He does scoff a bit at the Gwaine and the Green Knight story because "This is bullshit, historians and storytellers couldn't conceive of me snogging blokes so they went and made this whole ridiculous story about it!"

Elyan and Gaius think they're kinda neat, but don't really pay much attention to them. They know what happened in their lives, they don’t need to read about it. Though maybe Gaius begins to feel a little bad when he realises how much stress and anguish in general he put Merlin through. Reading it with an outside perspective, away from the fear, helps him understand that Merlin went through a hell of a lot more than he had thought. Elyan loves reading about Gwen, loves reading about his big sister, Queen of Camelot, kicking ass.

Mordred and Morgana (still went evil, but had a redemption when they came back) had some real ugly moments. Mordred curses himself out for acting impulsively and letting his emotions get the better of him (Merlin feels terrible about pushing him away instead of helping, especially when he sees that Mordred was genuinely good right up until the end). Morgana... struggles. On the one hand, reading everything back solidifies to her that killing Uther was the only way, and everything she did was understandable (at least a little bit, she regrets killing so many people of course), but she still feels bad that she didn't take a step back emotionally and deal with things another way. And whilst Merlin could still be considered at fault for her fall from grace, ultimately, she understands his fear and forces herself to accept that her choices were her own.

~

This was so interesting to write about!! Do y’all agree with me?? 

I started writing the whole thing as if the Arthurian Legends are what they are in the real world, but I realised every paragraph was becoming “They all take the piss out of Merlin, but are furious at how inaccurate it is, especially the stories surrounding Gwen”

[weakforarwen]

Goblin’s Gold

I think Beauty and the Beast and Goblin’s Gold are cousins, except one is a lot grosser, yet somehow more serious, than the other. 

Kudos to Richard Wilson for playing the goblin so well. He nailed it. On the same note, Angel nailed her parts as well. Her embarrassment around Arthur was so cute and funny. She had great facial expressions and reactions. 

The funniest part of the episode was definitely the flatulence bit. Usually that sort of humor’s not up my alley, but the fact that it happened to Uther of all people, who was wearing a hilarious, and not at all period appropriate, aviator hat, and Morgana, the resident Ice Queen, made it a lot funnier. Angel’s reactions were priceless as well. Uther and Morgana tried to act cool and noble, but my girl Gwen looked ready to walk herself to the town square and light herself on fire. It’s not often that Arthur’s the least ridiculous person in a room. 

I gotta say that Uther’s baldness and special hair loss treatment were also very appreciated. I was reminded of a scene in Modern Family in which Gloria asked Jay to slap around a chicken in honor of her culture and Jay was too white to realize she was messing with him.

It’s hard to believe no one thought Gaius had been acting strangely. He beat a huge dude, half his age, at arm wrestling and no one called bullshit on that? I suppose no one had a good explanation for Gaius’s behavior, or wanted to get on the bad side of an esteemed member of the court. This was one of the few times Merlin actually tried telling people the truth about magic wrecking havoc in the castle, but, like Gaius always said would happen, no one believed him. No one but Arthur.

Even stranger than no one noticing Gaius’s suspicious behavior was Arthur being the one to figure it out. But let’s not give him too much credit. After Merlin exposed Gaius, it was only a matter of putting two and two together. Surely even Arthur can do that. After all, in what planet would Gaius be so gleeful about Merlin’s death? Uther didn’t notice it because he doesn’t care for his servants, and Morgana was all too happy to see Merlin go. 

Speaking of Morgana, the episode got unexpectedly dark during her scene with Gaius. That scene was perhaps the only real thing in the episode, apart from Arwen being lovesick fools. I guess it was undeniable proof that the old Morgana was entirely gone. It was the only time Goblin Gaius got serious about anything.

The episode’s honestly too silly to belong to season 3. In Beauty and the Beast, Arthur and Arwen had some development, so it wasn’t all just nonsense, but this episode is about 99% nonsense. It’s not too bad though. At least, Arthur didn’t just accept Merlin’s execution, and we had plenty of Gwen (and Gaius)!

Gwen was a cutie this episode. She got to help Merlin save Gaius (so, yay for screentime, and, also, I love it when those two work together), and she really had the best reactions. Gwen loves Arthur so much she didn’t even laugh at him when he became a human-donkey hybrid. She thought he looked cute and even tried to pet him but Arthur felt too emasculated to let her (although he was clearly enjoying it). Merlin really had to convince her to face Arthur again though. It’s a testament to their love that Gwen and Arthur weren’t turned off of each other for good after all this; instead, they chose to be mature and pretend nothing had happened. In any case, it was nice, and different, seeing them be silly with each other. But, still, the best goofy Arwen scene is, no contest, the one where Gwen and Gaius stop Arthur from death by bath water. It was a good job, indeed. 

Sadly, some of the humor in the episode fell flat. Arthur as a donkey wasn’t particularly funny. It was too ridiculous. He already embarrasses himself enough and looks like a buffoon around 70% of the time. His character was funnier when seriously reacting to Uther, Gwen, and Morgana losing it in the throne room. It’s funnier if he looks like the smartest and most dignified person present; Uther, Gwen, and Morgana are usually very poised, so it was amusing to see them lose their composure. But the donkey bit was tacky, and Merlin’s laughter felt forced. 

[zalrb]

I know we as the audience can see the devotion and love Merlin and Arthur have for each other, but do you honestly think everyone else knew it to the extent we do like Gwen and the knights? Sure they knew they cared, but merlin and Arthur go beyond just caring.

I absolutely do. In fact, Merlin and Arthur’s mutual devotion and affection for each other is the driving force of A Servant of Two Masters because Morgana uses it as a weapon:

She even says that she won’t kill Merlin because that would be too easy and what exactly is worse than death for Merlin? Having him, of all people, be the one to murder Arthur and what’s more is that she says everything that makes him Merlin will be gone, which means she knows that his devotion to Arthur is a fundamental aspect of who he is as a person

On the flipside of that, Gwen sees Arthur become so agitated without Merlin

that she chases after him out of palace when he’s on his way to find Merlin again and sees just how indignant he is at even the possibility of not finding him

Furthermore, she already voiced Merlin’s affection for Arthur before Merlin could even vocalize it

Much like how Merlin’s mother vocalizes Arthur’s feelings for Merlin basically responding to Merlin’s constant “it’s not like that” with, bitch, are you dumb?

I’ve spoken about the importance of this scene in 3x08 before but to rehash, I find it telling

because Gwaine looks at Arthur indignant and exasperated at his lack of thank you and he looks to Merlin to share in his exasperation but all he sees is that goofy grin on Merlin’s face and, I know the quality is terrible so sorry about that, but Merlin really has this affectionate, soft, warm grin at Arthur even when he’s not being particularly gracious, Gwaine sees that and then smiles to himself because he can see how much Merlin loves Arthur.

Uther consistently tells Arthur that he too intense an attachment to Merlin

to the point, as I also mentioned before, that I actually found this scene really telling

because it’s clearly a personal/intimate moment between Merlin and Arthur? Like if it was just Arthur berating his servant then he wouldn’t feel embarrassed in front of Uther because that’s what princes to do to servants but it was clearly him having fun with Merlin, blurring lines with Merlin so he’s like ………………

The knights absolutely saw these reactions in their 4x02 reunion

Because peripheral vision! And I headcanon that they want to give Arthur the courtesy of pretending not to see just how much he cares for Merlin

and I mean...

I MEAN ....

Gaius knows why Merlin is muttering Arthur’s name (or has some idea) but Gwen doesn’t

and speaking of Gaius, he had to have seen throughout the seasons that Merlin saw Arthur as way more than a charge. Next to seeing the emotional toll that Arthur potentially dying had on Merlin

he confided in Gaius just how much Arthur not knowing that he has magic hurt him, not because he wanted credit, but because he wanted his full heart

and even when he complains about Arthur only seeing him as an idiot, I believe it’s clear that he wants the respect of a man he himself respects and it hurts him that he sometimes thinks he doesn’t have that respect.

Arthur leaves his men to sit next to Merlin and talk to him

I mean, even when everyone talks about how much they complain each other, it’s as if all they do is talk about how much they can’t stand each other and they bicker with each other around the others all the time like a screwball romantic comedy

but then they’re consistently risking their lives for one another and they’re always around each other --- there are other servants in the palace and it’s been proven that Arthur can replace Merlin and it’s also been proven that Merlin can leave, neither do.

Plus, the Round Table

The two people next to Arthur are Gwen and Merlin and let’s think about that, let’s think about how on one side, there’s Gwen, the woman that Arthur loves, his future wife, the future Queen of Camelot, which is pretty much proven with this scene at this point, and on the other side is Merlin, how respected and loved and important and significant to Arthur must Merlin be to be seated next to him?

Everyone ABSOLUTELY knew.

[1mechanicalalligator]

OKAY LOOK HERE'S THE THING ABOUT BBC'S MERLIN.

And I'll preface this by saying I'm only on season 3, but I have a lot of feelings about one particular thing and I'm incapable of just letting it go, so tumblr gets to hear about it now (because I was starting to annoy my husband with my ranting).

So.

When watching Merlin, I can suspend a lot of disbelief. The magic. The magical creatures. The CGI that looks like it's from the 90s (in a very delightful way). The fact that they're trying to push Arthur into a relationship with a girl even though he and Merlin are clearly in love. Even Uther being so, so dumb and stubborn in the exact same way over and over and over.

But!

I just watched the episode where the goblin enters Gaius's body (3x3: Goblin's Gold) and wreaks absolute havoc in Camelot. And I wanted to enjoy the episode, because it was funny and goofy and whatnot. Except I couldn't, because this is an episode where the characters are clearly written as being dumber than they normally are just for the sake of the plot, and that drives me nuts.

You cannot sit there and tell me that no one -- not Uther, not Arthur, not Morgana, not Gwen, not the knights in the tavern, not the people Gaius gave medical treatment to -- none of them noticed the slightest thing wrong? None of them noticed that Gaius was acting wildly out of character? That he was doing things he didn't usually do and charging money for things he didn't normally charge for and being rude and speaking out of turn in court?

When Uther decided to put Merlin to death on Gaius's word alone without a trial, no one thought to be like, "Hey, is it just me or is Gaius acting completely bonkers and maybe we shouldn't trust him with Merlin's life right now"?

I could see Morgana not saying anything on purpose because she's ~*evil now*~, except that wasn't reflected in the text at all, so I'm keeping her on the list.

They do this a lot, like how Uther and Arthur have both experienced being hit with love spells and they still never consider that as a possibility when one of them is acting nutty and making dumb decisions because of a woman. And I let it slide a lot because, you know, writing's hard and you're trying to get from point A to point B and sometimes things get a little messy. But this episode just took it a step too far for me.

Respect your characters! And their intelligence! If your plot depends on noticeably altering your characters with no explanation, fix your plot.

Thank you for your time.

[thecowardwrites]

Fifty Shades of Gwaine Part Three

Part Three: The Feast

One more part uploaded! I know it doesn’t take long to transfer one piece at a time, but linking everything takes some time (and I don’t want to overwhelm peoples notifications or dashboard with a shit ton of random writing)

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Summary: It’s finally time for the feast, and once again Sir Gwaine is slinking his way into your thoughts.

Warnings: None

Words: 3.2k

<><><><>

In escaping Sir Gwaine and the butterflies, which happened to invade your stomach the two times you seemed to meet him, you were left wandering around the corridors and guessing at which direction to take. Usually, you were never left without a “guide” when you were commissioned for noble families. You did suspect, though, that was more for their comfort than yours. In other words, they wanted to make sure you didn’t have sticky fingers and steal something from them.

“I should’ve asked him where to go,” You mumbled to yourself after taking another wrong turn, leading you back to the entrance of your room. “I’m such an absolute imbecile.”

“That seems rather harsh,” A familiar voice piped up. You glanced over to where Merlin was leaning against your bedroom door, apparently you hadn’t noticed him standing there. Probably too distraught at having gone around in a giant circle to take notice of the serving boy waiting for you.

“Oh, thank goodness,” You breathed a sigh of relief, “Can you tell me how to get to the banquet hall, I had to have been wandering around for hours. How late am I?”

“You’ve only been walking around for the last forty-five minutes according to the guards that saw you leave,” He chuckled, “And, consequently, you’re only about ten minutes late.”

You cringed, realizing you could have just asked the guards stationed in every hallway where to go. “I gather that this won’t be a very good first impression, will it?”

Merlin pretended to think about it for a moment, tapping a finger on his chin in faux thought. “I’d say it makes you more fashionably late.” He grinned at you after making his decision on what to say.

“Well then, good sir,” You exaggerated your voice into an overdramatic, posh accent, “Would you do me the absolute honor of being my escort to such a prestigious event?”

“Of course, Madam,” Merlin attempted a deep bow but wavered, making it look more like he was stumbling. When he arose, his face was plastered with a lopsided, goofy grin, and you couldn’t help but laugh with him.

After taking a moment to compose yourselves, he juts out his elbow for you to take. Which you accepted by linking your arm through his. It wasn’t so much of a dainty hold, rather than having your arms hooked together by the elbows. It was friendlier that way, you thought, made it feel more equal.

“Who all will be there again?” You asked him as you approached a grand door that you could only assume was where the feast would be held.

“Just the king, the queen, the five knights of the round table, my mentor Gaius, and your favorite person in the world and savior. Just a hint that’s me, Merlin.”

“I’m so glad you’ve claimed that title for yourself, Merlin.” You grin, “Without that clue I would have never known who my favorite person in the world is.”

“All in a day’s work, my fair lady.” The two of you stopped in front of the ornate doors of the throne room, turned banquet hall, and waited for the guards to allow you to enter.

“Before we go in, I must ask,” You tugged on his arm slightly, “If you’re my favorite, then am I yours?”

“Well,” He sucked in a breath and cocked his head to the side, “I’m afraid that has to go to Gwaine right now, I promised him  he would be for the week.”

“Next week then?”

“No good, reserved for Leon.” The guards had started to open the doors for you now.

“Put me at the next available week and then let me know,” You chuckled before the two of you were finally entering the room you had searched an eternity for. Okay, it wasn’t really an eternity – it wasn’t even an  hour, but it was long enough to make you elated to finally be inside.

“Ah, finally Merlin has finally done something useful,” King Arthur exclaims, standing as he sees the both of you, “Welcome, again, Lady Y/N, to Camelot. We are excited to have you here.” The rest of the room following suit to stand as their king did.

“I am very excited to be here,” You announce with a grin as you approach the open seat next to the queen that King Arthur had gestured to. As delicately as you could, you took to your seat while the rest of the room took theirs as well.

“I hope your room is to your satisfaction.” King Arthur spoke as Merlin bounced over to fill his goblet.

“It is amazing, your majesty. I thank you for accommodating me so well.”

The queen, Gwen, responded while Arthur was taking a sip of the wine that was just poured. “It’s no problem. We have more than enough space.”

“Plus,” King Arthur added after, “You are forced to look at my men’s mangey faces for months on end. I feel as though I should be apologizing for asking you to do this.”

You simply laugh at his words along with the few surrounding you, as you take a chance to look over the men that were sharing the banquet with you.

The seven men (including Merlin and Gaius) that the king trusted the most were in this room. It sounded like so few people to trust fully as a ruler, but at the same time the knights made the grand room feel full. Their laughter echoing off the walls, the way they threw themselves around while telling stories and joking about. It seemed like they were more like a family than just a king and his knights.

Glancing around, you took notice of one closest to you who seemed a little less comfortable than the others. The boy was quite a bit younger than the rest of them, and you even. He had dark, wavy hair and the brightest blue eyes you’d ever seen. He wore the same chainmail and cape as the knights - he wore the uniform well. Yet, you could tell he felt slightly left out. Maybe he was the last to join their circle, maybe his age made him somehow separate from them. Maybe he was a secret agent that works for the moon, you never know.

Next to the boy, was an extremely tall man. His arms, apparently too large for the chainmail, were bare and looked like they could tear boulders in half. His hair was cropped close to his scalp, and his face looked as though it was sculpted of stone. If you hadn’t seen him here, smiling and laughing boisterously with the others, you would think him a brutal, frightening man.

You continued observing each of the men in the room. The knight with a mop of curly hair, the one who struck a striking resemblance to Gwen, the old man with locks of white hair and eyes that drooped, and, finally, your eyes fell to Gwaine. The way he threw his head back when he laughed, and how his hair seemed to blow in some imaginary wind. Funnily enough you also heard angels singing which was weird?

As if Gwaine sensed your eyes on him, he stifled his laughter and looked in your direction. He had no shocked reaction to finding your gaze already lingering on him, in fact, he seemed pleased to know that he had drawn your attention. You were sitting almost directly across the table from him, so it was an easy enough excuse to say you had zoned out and your eyes happened to rest on him. But the excuse was (already) futile, especially when you had no way to explain yourself in the loud room.

“He has been looking at you all night,” Gwen leaned over and whispered to you.

“Who?” You tore your eyes away from Gwaine to look over at the queen.

“Sir Gwaine,” She stated, “I think he’s been showing off a bit more than usual, too. Perhaps he has a little crush on our lovely painter.”

Your cheeks flamed up at her words, “Surely not. We’ve barely met.”

“But you have met?” She took a sly sip at her own wine and looked at you from the corner of her eyes. You could tell by the way her lips quirked into a small grin that she was enjoying teasing you. You, in a less dignified manner, began opening and closing your mouth like a fish choking on air.

“He saw… saw me in the town square. We just kind of introduced ourselves from there.” Your neck and ears began heating up with your words. They weren’t lies, but it wasn’t the full truth. It’s not even like you had met in a scandalous way, either. You – for whatever reason – just couldn’t seem to bring up exactly how you had met. Maybe the embarrassment of how you’d wrongfully accused him of trying to arrest a child had been more brutal than you thought, or maybe it was the way he shamelessly flirted with you and how that made you run away. Who knows?

The queen just let out a knowing hum before her focus was drawn away by King Arthur starting a conversation about something that seemed important. You drowned out their words, and once again, looked back towards Sir Gwaine’s, now empty, chair.

Puzzled, you looked up and down the long table, wondering where he might have moved but he was nowhere in sight. You grumbled to yourself, trying to balance the disappointment of his disappearance with logic. The logical side of you was telling you to stop fawning over a man you had seen maybe four times, while the part of you that was fed way too many love stories wanted to believe that he did have a crush on you. Though, as adults a crush seems like a silly thing to get excited for.

Brushing away thoughts of the dark-haired knight, you turn towards… another dark-haired knight.

“Hello,” You interrupted the boy’s thoughts, “I’m Y/N.”

“Mordred.” The boy gave you a small smile, “I’ve seen some of your work in another kingdom we had to visit a few months back.”

“Oh?” A wave of calm washed over you. You knew how to talk about work and if that’s what Mordred wanted to talk about, then you were more than pleased to oblige. “How’d you like it? Be honest.”

“I’ve never really had an eye for anything like that, but you’re pretty good.” His cheeks tinted pink a little as he spoke. Assuming it had to do with not talking to people very often, you continued on.

“Thank you, I think. I’ll take it as a compliment even if it wasn’t.” Your light laughter filled the space between you and Mordred’s tension began to melt away slightly.

The rest of your dinner was spent in between conversations with Mordred and Gwen. It was a relief to have a few people by your side that you felt at ease with, and, as Merlin eventually joined the three of you, your brain was completely void of a certain knight that had seemed to be your subject of infatuation for the day. Perhaps tomorrow you would have forgotten all about him.

<><><> 

The following morning, you awoke to the bright sun pouring in from an open window and the sounds of birds chirping happily in the trees. Had it not been for your wine-induced headache and the incessant clanging of metal that accompanied the sun and the birds, you might have had a truly peaceful lie in. However, that’s not what the gods had planned for you that day.

Rolling out of your (extravagant) bed, you place a thin robe over your nightgown and move towards the window that was somehow opened now. Even though, you were sure it was closed the night before.

Leaning against the rock window frame, you glance down at an open, green arena. It was lined with wooden dummies with armor placed haphazardly on them, and various weapons resting along the fence. Upon further observation, you also noticed a dozen or so men sparring in one section of the grassy area.

They were obviously Knights of Camelot, that much your hungover brain could put together, but why they were up so early and disturbing your sleep was something that could hardly be forgiven. But, standing by the window had let the sun melt across your cheeks, and the warmth that followed it was so welcoming, you couldn’t bring yourself to move from your position.

With a satisfied sigh, you slowly dropped into a chair by the window, lay your head in your arms on the frame, and watch the knights as they did their early morning training. Perhaps you had been too quick to mentally snap at the way they trained first thing. It provided you with entertainment while your face basked in the sun on an early summer’s day.

You had dozed in and out during your morning show. Sometimes waking up just enough to catch a glimpse at a shiny knight win his spar, and other times completely imagining an entirely different world as you once again lost consciousness.

“Y/n!” The voice was distant, and you assumed it was another dream. So, you let the voice lull you back to sleep. Afterall, it was just as warm and smooth as the sun felt dancing upon your skin. It must’ve been a dream.

You heard it again, “Y/n!” The voice just begging you to stay asleep for five more minutes. Just a few more moments before reality came crashing in.

The third time your name was called, however, is what drew you out of your slumber. Because you knew that voice. That wasn’t the sultry sound of a fantasy. That was reality.

Picking your head up from its position on the windowsill, you glanced down where the voice was coming from. There, below you, stood Sir Gwaine. He had on a white cotton shirt that clung to his shoulders and his abdomen with sweat. You could tell that his hair was curling with moisture, and he was heaving from the morning workout.

“Enjoying the show?” He shot up at you, a lazy smile transfixed on his face.

“I was,” You yelled down to him, stifling a yawn, “But it seems it’s all over now.” The rest of the knight were not to be seen, as you assumed they went back to do some knightly duties of some sort. You weren’t really sure what they did during the day whenever they weren’t training.

“How did you sleep?”

“Oh, just fine,” Your voice quipped with sarcasm, “Until these rowdy boys and their metal swords woke me up.”

“I wish I could do something to fix your burden,” He shifted from one leg to the other as he spoke, looking strangely energized for someone who should be ready to drop with exhaustion, “Alas, I am but a simple man with so little control over the king’s schedule.”

“A schedule you don’t seem to follow regularly.” You added.

“What do you mean?”

“I know for a fact you weren’t there first thing this morning when training started,” Your face held a smug smile, happy that you had caught him slacking off and giving you something to tease him about.

“And how would you know that, Lady Y/n? Were you,” He paused to purse his lips, “Were you looking for me?”

Your lazy demeanor had completely vanished. Previously, he was the one at fault. Albeit it was just because he was late to a sparring session, but he was the one under the spotlight. But, as he looked up at you with an innocent pout adorning his face, claiming that you were the one that had their hand in the cookie jar, you wished you had never crawled out of bed.

“I – I was not!” You claimed, but it was too late. “Not looking for you, specifically.”

“Oh?” Gwaine placed his hand on his heart, “Then who were you looking for?”

“I… I wanted to see if Mordred was down there. I think I’m going to sketch out his portrait first today.” You silently praised yourself for a quick (though not smooth) save, “I just happened to notice you were not among the original men I saw.”

You could tell he didn’t believe you; even from twenty feet in the air, you could see the disbelief painted across his face. Though, it didn’t matter as he dropped the subject.

“I’ll let him know you’re looking for him,” He turned around to head back into the castle, before shooting one more phrase your way. “While I like your hair like that, if I were you, I’d check to make sure an animal didn’t nest in it while you were sleeping.”

With a disgruntled squeak, you slam your window shut and rush over to the mirror to check how bad your bed head truly was. It was pretty bad, and you swore you could hear Gwaine cackling from outside.

It took the better part of an hour to detangle and plait your hair, get dressed, and head off in search of Mordred with your sketchbook. It wasn’t an extravagant book: loosely bound with twine and leather, some pages were stained a dark yellow from wear, and it was only half full. But it was a gift and you cherished it deeply.

Just as you had opened your door, you were almost hit in the face with a fist. Basically, throwing yourself back, you look at the person standing in front of your door absolutely horrified.

“I am so sorry,” Mordred gushed, “Gwaine told me you wanted to talk to me. I didn’t realize you were opening your door-“

“It’s okay,” You reassured, letting out a breathy laugh, “I wanted to know if you were free so I could get some sketching done for your portrait.”

“I’m sure I can spare an afternoon.” He grinned.

“Perfect! I just want to get a few angles of your face drawn and planned out so I can see what the best pose for your portrait would be.”

“It sounds like a good plan, where should we go?” Mordred followed you as you strolled out of your room and down the stairs that you learned lead outside.

“Anywhere that has good lighting at this hour,” You skipped down the stairs, excited to get to know more of a Camelot while also learning about Mordred. You’d hoped he would become a friend during your stay here. If anything, your conversations from last night seemed like a good starting point.

“I think I know just the place then,” Mordred gave you a small smile before throwing open a side door and leading you through the courtyard of the palace.

You followed him between a few shops in town and through a bit of shrubbery until he stopped. Using an arm to sweep a tree branch obscuring your view of the spot, Mordred let out a “Here it is.”

You could only say one thing:

“Wow.”

 <><><><>

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[spaceteenagers]

Hear that? That's me screaming about LOTR Merlin. How dare you introduce something so perfect to the world?

so heres the DEAL with this . 

Merlin is the Ringbearer, inherited from Gaius when he went with a quest with the dwarf king Uther Pendragon to reclaim the Kingdom Camelot under the Mountain from a Dragon. His son Arthur pendragon is Gimli, able to wield a sword and diplomacy both. Morgana is the Elven archer from the Darkling Woods, Friends with Elyan Son of Elithian, True King of Gondor, wandering the world avoiding the kingship he would NEVER seek out, while being desperately in love with the evenstar, Lancelot du Lac, who could die for love of him and miss the immortal life he deserves. Gwen is Samwise Gamgee, loyal and determined, steadfast but retains her goodness throughout. merry and pippin are percival and gwaine, starting off a little goofy but responsibility hardens them like a Gauntlet. Leon is loyal to the concept of kingship before the true king and wants only to protect his people, but dies looking into the eyes of elyan saying i would have followed you. i have the full notes under the cut! 

this never  made it into this specific conversation but eomer and eowyn arent brother and sister they are tristan and isolde in this one, and Galadriel is Mithian and Arthur is in Awe of Her

[writeroutoftime]

we need you

pairing: merlin x reader (requested by: anon)

summary: you have something to tell merlin, but will you get the chance to? 

warnings: little bit of angst, near death experience 

words: 1367

a/n: now I’m not sure if this is the direction the anon had in mind when they requested it, but this what came to my mind. it’s a tad angsty, but still sweet, at least I think so. anyway, request are open, so send some in! enjoy the story, stay safe, and have a fabulous day!

oOoOo

With every step closer to Gaius’ chambers – where you knew your husband, Merlin would be – echoes bounced off the castle walls, rattling your nerves.  Each step intensified the rapid beating of your heart, and all you could focus on was the smooth material your hand touched as it rested against your stomach. While it was not visible to the naked eye, you could feel your unborn child growing inside you, and the thought made you smile internally.

A child that was the product of yours and Merlin’s love was a blessing, but the timing was what scared you. With Camelot nearly at war, you couldn’t help but worry for the safety of Merlin, because as Arthur’s servant, he was constantly in danger. Of course, having magic helped, but that couldn’t always be there to save him, and the thought of raising this baby without Merlin caused you heartache. Hopefully when he found out, he would realize that his life no longer concerned just him.  

The door to Gaius’ chambers felt heavier than usual as you opened the door, the weight of your secret weighing on your shoulders. When you stepped in, you were nearly knocked over by Merlin scurrying around the room, shoving bottles and vials, here and there, into his satchel. A sense of dread washed over you as you watched the scene play out. 

“Ah, y/n.” Gaius spoke, being the first to notice you from his seat. “It’s nice to see you.” he continued, slightly louder to pull Merlin’s attention to you. Normally, if you walked into the room, Merlin would be the first to notice and would drop whatever it was he was doing to great you, much to chagrin of Gaius and Arthur.

Merlin finally looked up, but just as quickly turned back.

“What’s going on?” you questioned, your voice barely above a whisper, and all thoughts of why you had originally walked into the room flew out of your mind.

“Arthur’s leaving to go and try negotiate a peace treaty before this turns into a full-scale war.” Merlin said, now looking over a stack of books before grabbing one from the bottom.  

The dread you felt only moments before multiplied at the thought of war. “D-do you have to go?” you asked, silently pleading that Arthur could survive without Merlin this one time.

Merlin laughed at that thought. “As if Arthur could survive more than a few hours without me.”

“Well I have something to tell-“you began to say but stopped yourself short. Merlin wasn’t able to stay home with you, so maybe it wasn’t the best idea to tell him you were expecting a child. What if the news distracted him and he wasn’t paying attention if they were ambushed? What if he got hurt because of the joyous, yet nerve-wracking news you shared with him before he left? It would be better to tell him once he returned.

“What do you have to tell me, love?” he asked, doubling checking that he had everything.

There was a beat in which you considered just shouting your news, but you decided against it. “Never mind.” you offered a reassuring smile. “Please be safe.” you pleaded with your husband.

“Always am.” he smirked. He leaned in to give you a goodbye kiss before he left to find Arthur, leaving you there subtly cradling your baby bump and praying for Merlin’s safe return.

oOoOo

A week filled with worry after no news from Merlin passed, but your hope was quickly restored at the bells that signaled the group’s return. The book in your hands was casted aside as you ran towards the entrance to the castle to greet your husband. However, dread set in, as you watch the horses ride in, Merlin draped unconsciously over one.  

A sob left your lips as you felt your body give way and slowly sink to the floor as you watched Gwaine and Leon carry Merlin off to Gaius’.  Before you could hit the hard ground, Arthur and Gwen caught you, and tried to explain the situation. You barely paid attention as Arthur explained that on the way back, there had been an ambush by a rouge group of citizens from the kingdom who wanted Arthur dead, and Merlin had stepped in the way.

“I’m very sorry, y/n.” Arthur offered, not sure what to say that would ease your pain.  

Gwen tried to lead you back to your room, but you protested claiming you needed to be as close to Merlin as possible. The compromise you reached had you outsider Gaius’ door for what felt like hours, waiting to see Merlin.

Unconsciously, you cradled your belly for the majority of the time, whispering quietly to your baby – though you weren’t sure if it was more so for your sake or the baby’s. You couldn’t raise this baby without Merlin, he just had to be alright.

Finally, Gaius opened the door to allow you in, and a shaky step carried you inside and your body nearly ran to be by Merlin’s side. His hair looked disheveled, his skin was paler than ever, and you could see the bandages soaked in blood to try and stop the wound from becoming more serious.

“Oh, Merlin.” you whispered, running your hand through his hair. “What have you done now? Gaius is he going to be alright?” you asked the older man who looked on with pity.

“I’ve done all I could for him, y/n.” he answered honestly. “Now, it is up to Merlin to fight off the infection. Whatever he was hit with was laced with magic. Had it hit someone without magic, they would have died instantly, but Merlin’s magic must be warding off the poison. We can only hope that he pulls through.” Gaius finished solemnly. Merlin had become like a son to him and you a daughter, by extension. He never wished any harm on either of you.

Gaius’ word sent you over the edge and you grasped Merlin’s hands tightly and sobbed into them. After a moment or so, you heard Gaius leave the chamber to give you some privacy, but you remained in the same position. Merlin had always been so strong, and to see him so weak sent you over the edge. This wasn’t the loving, yet goofy man you fell in love with.  

“Merlin, please, you can’t leave me. You can’t leave us.” you pleaded with him. “I’m pregnant, Merlin. We’re going to have a child, so you can’t leave me. You better fight whatever this is and come back to us, damn it.” your voice broke as you dissolved in sobs.

Now you wished you would have told him that you were with child. Maybe he wouldn’t have gone, maybe you could have prevented this. All these thoughts ran through your mind until exhaustion washed over you and you feel asleep at Merlin’s side.

When you woke, you felt someone stroking your hair, and your eyes shot open to find out who was there.  It was Merlin, awake and looking better than before, and you had to rub your hand down your face to make sure you weren’t dreaming. “You’re awake!” you shouted and through your arms around him.

A groan left your husband’s lips, quickly followed by a chuckle. “I’m back.” he whispered and kissed your head.

Tears of joy now ran down your face as you stared into Merlin’s eyes and kissed him passionately. “I’m pregnant.” you breathed when the two of you pulled away.

“I know.” he admitted and lovingly rested his hand against your stomach. At the quizzical look on your face, he rushed to explain. “I could hear you, when I was unconscious. I was fighting to come back to you, and hearing that we’re going to be parents gave me the strength to pull through.” he said, his own eyes slightly misty.

A weight felt as though it had been lifted off your body.  Merlin was alive and well and would be for a long time. “I love you, Merlin.”

“I love you too, y/n and our baby. I promise I will always be there for the two of you.” he vowed as you curled into his chest.

[emrysarthurpendragon]

Let’s hang out sometime!

He had no choices. Merlin keeps muttering these words as he walked past the citadel’s doors. The guards standing there, one at each side of said doors, barely send a curious glance at him. It was not usual for the young warlock to go out in the middle of the night. Most of the time, nightfall – or even later – was the moment he left the city to collect plants for Gaius. Some flowers were blooming away from the sun, while the moon was high and full. For that reason, the soldiers just nodded in his direction and reminded him to be careful. Bandits used to roam the woods around the citadel and his royal pratness needed his manservant. Ok. He added the prat part. Still, after tonight, Arthur and Merlin would belong to the past. The young prince, soon-to-be king, needed not him now. He had seen enough lately to know. Arthur was not the once and future king. He hated magic as much as his father does and will do until the day he died. Morgana had every right to lose her mind, growing up in a place where people like her were burned at the stake, even when they used their powers to help and protect their loved ones.

“He will forget me. After all, we were just manservant and prince … not friends.” As if he wanted to befriend an idiot like Arthur. Real friends don’t throw goblets and various pieces of furniture at you. A sad smile graced the brunet’s lips. He remembered a time, in Ealdor, when Will pop out of nowhere with something to eat for them. They would grab hands and run together in the woods, laughing and playing tricks on the local bullies. They were poor, Merlin even more than Will’s family, but so much happier. Back then, no destiny darkened his future and threatened to crush him if he failed.

After some time, the small way through the trees widened and opened in a beautiful clearing. Here and there, white flowers faced the snowy full moon. Like stars fallen from the sky and to the peaceful earth. The soft wind made them dance shyly, nervous to move under a stranger’s gaze. In the middle of the clearing, surrounded by green grass, an oak stood. Oaks were magnificent. Older than most humans, they waited there and only shared their knowledge with a few chosen ones. Long ago, one of them sent a dream to Merlin. One about a world of magic. A world in which he was free to be himself and not some babbling, goofy, stupid manservant. A world with Arthur, the King, by his side and staring at his people with fond eyes. With kids roaring with laughter in the wide streets of Camelot, chasing each other’s and sending sparkles of magic toward their friends. It happened not long after he first step foot in Camelot and, like an idiot, he thought of a glimpse from the future. If it were, he probably messed it up somewhere. Like he did with Morgana, and probably Mordred too. Well, at least, Mordred had not attacked them for now. He was somewhere with his fellow druids, happy and alive. Hanging from a branch, a liana caught his eyes and merlin waved his wrist, calling it to him and making a knot with what could be called a cord in that case. According to the legend, taking someone’s life sends you to a terrible place in the afterlife. Doing so with yourself condemn the person to even worse … reincarnation where they would suffer even more. Funny enough, Merlin though nothing could be worst than what he was enduring right now. The other day, he barely avoids being caught by Leon, using magic to protect them in an ambuscade. The final countdown before his burning had begun and he chooses to die to his own terms. Not with Arthur’s hateful eyes on him, but with his laugh in his ears and his smile behind his closed eyelids.

“I guess it’s time to go…” whispered Merlin, slowly climbing the tree. For one moment, he turned his blue eyes where he heard a rustle in the bushes below. Probably his imagination. Some part of him wishing for a sudden twist in his fate, in the form of a friend coming to stop him. A chuckled escaped his lips at his stupidity. No one was coming. With that in mind, Merlin straightened the knot around his neck and made the last step between his life and death. “Freya, I’m coming,” the young man whispered and then, nothing. Nothing but the blissful darkness.

 * * *

Gwaine had been at the tavern – again – and stumbled out of the place around the witching hour. Maybe earlier. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the familiar figure of his friend, Merlin, walking down the street and outside the city. As a matter of fact, the knight knew Gaius needed not plants. They met earlier that day and his pots were so full he could probably make a good amount of money selling them to the nobles. Why was Merlin heading out then? Not for Arthur. The Prince never asked his manservant to leave town after dusk. Behind his banters and flying items, the young man cared deeply for his servant and would never endanger him like this. Merlin, on another hand, had that habit to endanger himself. The other day, Lancelot stopped him from falling down the staircases. How was he still alive? Gwaine did not know. Especially with all the adventures they shared since the day they met. Bandits. Sorcerers. Magic creatures. He survived them all but almost kill himself in the most random situations one could imagine. Of course, he decided to follow his friend in a matter of second. Anything could happen in the woods, in the middle of the night. What if the brunet was tricked and killed by an enemy of Camelot? None of them would survive this. Well, they will. But they’ll change in the process. Merlin was their glue. The one whom united them in the first place. A little brother. If something were to happen to him, if Arthur found out someone noticed Merlin and decided to ignore him … let’s say there would be consequences. In a lucky day, even the slightly drunk soldier managed to follow Merlin without being noticed. He stumbled a few times. Cursed when his right foot got stuck in a root. Still, he followed his friend and watched carefully, hidden behind a tree, what happened next. Or he listened. A cold feeling grew in Gwaine when the wind carried Merlin’s word.

“He will forget me. After all, we were just manservant and prince … not friends.” He said. Merlin, the cheerful boy, spoke like a man collapsing under too much pressure. Merlin who joked with them earlier that day, about how Arthur would kill him one day, if he keeps using him as a target during practice. Was he hurt at training? Something they said or did? His thought prevented him from following Merlin and when he reconnected with reality, the younger man was gone. Gwaine searched for him. He looked everywhere for hours. Or it felt like it. Then, the clearing appeared and his blood froze in his body. No. This what not happening. Merlin couldn’t be standing in a tree, face turned toward the sky, a ghostly smile gracing his features. He watched in slow motion the manservant’s movements. Even if he ran really fast, his chances at saving Merlin were inexistent. The wind carried the name of a girl named Freya. Did Merlin lose her? Who was she? His friend never mentioned a special someone before. A better half, lover or even good friend. Thinking out loud, Merlin had always been secretive about his life.

“Merlin! No!” screamed Gwaine, running under the tree. The small body fell and remained limp. From his pocket, the knight grabbed a knife and threw it at the vines. Call it luck, the blade snapped the liana right away and Gwaine caught his friend. Merlin weights nothing in his arms. His skin was pale and his chest immobile. As still as a frozen lake in winter. With shake hands, Gwaine undone the handmade rope and checked for a pulse. Sure enough, no bones had been broken when Merlin fell to his death. He probably chocked, gasping for air until his consciousness faded away.

“Please, don’t be dead. Not on me,” begged Gwaine, practising first aids on Merlin. One. Two. Three. Four. He heard a loud crack as a rib broke under the pressure. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, repeating the same gestures, giving his own oxygen and forcing in into Merlin lungs. After what felt like eternity, a loud gasp broke the silence. Merlin’s chest started rising and falling again; slightly, but enough to make him alive. “Hold on, I’ll take you to Gaius.”

The way to Camelot never felt so long before. The guards are the door sent worried looks their ways and Gwaine hurried. His loud steps sound like those of some spirit of the dead. With a loud bang – and a startled Gaius – Gwaine stepped into the physician’s office.

“Sir Gwaine? What’s the…” started the old man, before his gaze fell on his ward. “Merlin. What happened?” asked Gaius, hurrying the knight toward the table, where they lay their friend and/or surrogate son.

“I don’t know…” stuttered Gwaine, nervously scratching his neck with his left hand. “Followed him in the woods and … and he tried to… I lose him for a minute and … was hanging in … in a tree… I don’t understand.”

“Oh, my dear boy,” sighed Gaius, checking his books and potions. The thing was, he felt magic was involved in Merlin’s current situation. Lately, the boy had acted off character. Whenever people were not looking, he noticed how his ward’s happiness melted to a grim look. But magic saved him too. Around the younger man’s neck, he felt the golden stream that saved the warlock. His bones clearly snapped the moment he jumped off that tree and repaired themselves to save him. No matter how hard someone had been trying to kill Merlin, the boy’s magic acted like a shield. Or a curse, if legends were true. Legends about Emrys being the most powerful warlock ever, and also an immortal being.

Hours passed and Gwaine ended up snoring on a chair. That is, until Gaius said he did his best and that now, they just had to wait until Merlin felt strong enough to open his eyes again. The sun rose in the distance and the knight yawned loudly.

“I better go wake the Princess. I’ll tell him Merlin’s sick and banned from duties for the time being. Physician’s orders.”

“Thank you, Gwaine. For helping my boy and keeping the secret.”

“He’s my friend too,” smiled Gwaine as he exited the office. Once alone, his smile faded. Merlin almost took his own life. Merlin thought Arthur could lose him and be okay with it. Every single person in Camelot, from nobles to mere peasants knew how close they were. Even that stupid King Uther and his stupid laws knew. If magic truly was involved in it, Gwaine knew it couldn’t force that kind of feeling in one mind. No. Somewhere, even deep inside his heart, Merlin had believed them enough to do so. Or was it about that Freya girl? What if there was no magic here? What if Gaius told him so, just to ease his aching heart?

Without knocking, Gwaine entered the prince’s bedroom and found him fully awake, his back turned to him and struggling with his shirt.

“Merlin, you’re late!” growled the blond.

“Not Merlin, Princess.”

The man froze and turned over. His messy hair poked out of the shirt, quickly followed by the royal’s head with a confuse look all over his face. The moment their eyes met, Arthur asked in a worried voice:

“Where’s Merlin?”

For a second, Gwaine did not find the words. He closed his eyes and saw Merlin’s limp body hanging before him. He remembered how cold he was, how thin … his fear when he realised what had happened.

“He’s sick. Gaius tied him to his bed,” joked the man, trying his best to hide his worry. Thankfully, Arthur was the oblivious type and accepted his poor excuse. He never found out about the truth. Not when they visited Merlin as a group of worried knights. Not when the manservant awoke. Not even when, after a week and a half, Merlin resume to his duties and acted as if nothing happened. The only change came from Gwaine, who stopped his usual stops at the tavern to keep a vigilant eye on his friend.

[panharmonium]

Thanks to you I'm now rewatching Merlin, and like. Every time I'm always fucking floored at how well Uther is written? Cause like he's a complete and utter monster, that's never in question, but the writers did such a good job of making him human and occasionally sympathetic, all without ever downplaying the fact that he's a genocidal fuckhead. Like, the scenes with Uther after Arthur gets bitten in 1.13 are fucking devastating. (1/2)

YES!  Uther is literally one of the most amazing things BBC Merlin ever did.  Anthony Head just took things to a whole other level in this role; he was KILLING IT.  My sister and I always talk about this - like, Merlin is kind of a cheesy show in the beginning, and it could have come off slightly on the goofy side, but Anthony Head is so committed to the role - his performance centers the show, anchors it.  He lends the show a weight and depth and intensity that it just wouldn’t have had without him.  He just gives everything such...gravitas.  

And the nuance with which that character was crafted...that scene when he comes to “apologize” to Gaius at the end of the Witchfinder episode is just - wow.  All of his interactions with Gaius, really - the way that he and Gaius are a vision of the future for Arthur and Merlin, the way that he and Gaius are precisely what Arthur and Merlin are on their way to becoming.

I’ve completely lost track of the original post where I said this, but there was something I wrote at one point where I talked about how real Uther feels to me - like, we SEE Uthers out there in the real world, all the time - and I called him an eminently human monster.  And that’s the best way I have to describe him.  He legitimately loves his children.  He would die for his own son, but he doesn’t understand why that might mean he shouldn’t kill other people’s babies.  

(That’s partially why I don’t believe Arthur actually summoned Uther’s real ghost in “The Death Song of Uther Pendragon”  The first time I watched that episode, I was really irritated at the writing, because Uther decided to murder Arthur just isn’t something he would do.  Acting like he would make that choice is just like...it ignores all the real complexity they gave Uther when they created him.  It flattens his character into a less interesting, two-dimensional ghost of what he once was [literally and figuratively, lol].)

Nowadays I just interpret the “ghost” as being a construct drawn from Arthur’s own fears and insecurities, so the episode doesn’t bother me as much.  But anything else just wouldn’t do justice to the character.  Because as you said, Uther is a fascinating, compelling, completely human monster, and in my opinion, at least, he’s the best villain Merlin BBC ever created.

[tired-college-student-writing]

From the Ashes

Summary: It wasn't supposed to end like this. Merlin was supposed to protect Arthur until he united all of Albion, not be burned at the stake by his sadistic father. He was supposed to serve him until the day both men died. How did it end up like this?

___________________________________________

The twisted look on his father’s face just made his stomach swoop.

Arthur was no stranger to executions of magic users. They were almost routine now, and he couldn’t remember a time more than two months passed in between a pyre being lit. As he grew older he felt more numb watching the events than anything else, even if before and after his heart clenched in sorrow.  

This time, however, numbness refused to take him. How could it when Merlin was being led to the stake?

The goofy moronic servant had gotten close to Arthur over the last four years, always standing by him, always lending an ear when he needed it, never afraid to offer up a quip or insult when the royal needed to be brought back to reality. It wasn’t always a welcomed truth but Arthur found he grew fond of the unhesitant words of rebuttal and clumsy actions of the other man.

He may not always be the nicest to Merlin, berating him and throwing things at him when he’s mad but he never wanted him dead. Let alone burned.

But Merlin had magic, it was undeniable the way his eyes had lit up a blazing soul-piercing gold as the assassin was pulled from the rafters after nearly taking Arthur’s head off.

Anyone with eyes could see that he had only been protecting his prince, but as the gold faded Arthur could see his servant pale and begin to shake as he realized what he had just done, trying to sputter out apologies even as Uther yelled for the guards to seize Merlin.

There was no exception to the ban on Magic after all, not even for saving the crowned prince.

He was let frozen as Merlin begged not to be taken, vows that he only ever used his magic to help Camelot, to help Arthur, how he had been born with the spark, using magic before he could even speak, how he had no choice in the art, begging for Arthur to understand, to not hate him.

He struggled to remain in the throne room, to beg at Arthur’s feet, but he didn’t attempt to escape from the guards hold, didn’t attempt to flee.

He didn’t want to be saved, Arthur realized later, as he threw up near the stables. The only thing Merlin had wanted was for Arthur not to hate him.

Arthur couldn’t even give him that much as the guards caught him trying to sneak down to the cells that night. His father had been worried he had been enchanted, and now that Arthur had done what his father would only expect from an enchanted prince. He had been confined to his rooms until the execution.

He heard from a haunted-looking Leon who was ordered to stand guard on the Prince that Gwaine had been arrested for attempting to break Merlin out of the cells along with Lancelot. Eylan and Percival visited Arthur, uncertainty weaving through their words and movements.

Magic was hated by them all for its corrupting quality, they had seen how Morgona had been twisted so easily, but Merlin was… Merlin. He was The Round Table’s younger brother, a kind and loving friend to all. They protected him with a ferocity that only was matched in the intensity that they teased him with. He, in turn, treated the knights as equals, caring for them passed what was appropriate for a servant to do, but he just rolled his eyes at them with a sarcastic “Of course, sir knight,” before returning to his normal behavior.

But they had seen the good in Magic, hadn’t they? The light that had guided Arthur when Merlin was poisoned, Merlin’s friend Will saving them all from the invaders, and recently Dragoon the Great had healed Uther, pulling him back from the brink of death, though he had almost killed him before finding the charm placed on him that changed healing energy into harm. Arthur had been relieved each time, even when Uther had screamed for the guards the moment he opened his eyes.

Gaius also visited, grief and sorrow making the old physician look frail. Arthur accepted his gruff words about not knowing his ward had been practicing magic under his nose, even though he knew from the way his eyes teared up and his hands shook that he was lying. He was already losing his best friend, he wasn’t risking losing Gaius as well.

Now here he stood on the balcony overlooking the courtyard next to his father, he wished he had tried harder to get to Merlin. He was the only member of the Round Table here, the only one to see the hollow look on Merlin’s face. He was moving stiffly as if a puppet being pulled along against its will. Even from where he stood Arthur could see the dried tear tracks on his face and the red around his eyes.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe as his father’s speech bounced around the silent crowd, not hearing a word of it as the fire was lit. He wanted to yell at Merlin to fight, to use his magic to break free and run, but his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. His father had warned him harshly as he pulled him to the balcony that if he tried calling out to Merlin, to encourage him to escape, that Uther would have the man tortured before being burned. Arthur refused to cause his friend any more pain.

Merlin didn’t move as the fire licked higher,  didn’t even cough as the smoke overtook his form. Arthur could tell that he was burning, his best friend was burning, but he was as lifeless as a doll, but Arthur knew he wasn’t dead yet. It took at least an hour before the fire would die down and Uther would allow for the guards to put out the fire, certain the sorcerer was dead. At thirty minutes the cries were usually the loudest, but still nothing from Merlin.

There was sudden movement as they neared the hour mark, and through the haze, Arthur had let himself fall into he saw his father’s eyes narrow.

A crack sounded from the pyre and the crowd gasped as lightning struck the center of the fire. The intensity of the blast jarred Arthur to the very bone as the castle shook around him, knocking him to his knees. By the time he scrambled to his feet the fire had been extinguished, faster than should be possible by ordinary means.

In the center of the smoldering remains was Merlin, clothes singed badly and ash covering his skin but he was there and seemed unharmed, and he didn't quite fight back relieved laughter. Suddenly Merlin’s face snaps up to him and his father, revealing the blazing golden eyes that were burned into his memory. The sorcerer's face was unnaturally blank as Uther barked to the guards to seize him.

They didn’t get the option as Merlin lifted into the air without a word, floating elegantly to land on the railing of the balcony, looming over the Pendragons with an unrivaled authority Arthur never would have paired with Merlin but seemed so natural.

“What sort of trick is this, Sorcerer?” Uther barked, fury rolling off of him in waves.

“Oh Uther,” Merlin sighed, words echoing unnaturally through the courtyard, “You truly don’t see how ignorant you’ve become of Magic, and how hypocritical.”  

“Merlin was no Sorcerer,” Merlin told them, “He was a Warlock. you know the difference, Uther, but for your son’s benefit, I will explain. Warlocks are blessed with their gifts from birth and they develop somewhere between their early teens and twenty years old as Morgana did, but Merlin was special, he’s been using magic since the moment he drew his first breath. No, that it mattered, you had him burned for something he couldn’t control any more then you could decide what color your hair is. ”

Arthur felt his heart squeeze, “Why are you referring to yourself like that Merlin?”

The golden gaze turned to him, and almost seemed to soften as it spoke the words that sent ice through his veins, “I’m sorry Arthur, but Merlin is dead.”

Uther raised a brow, “Who are you then?”

“I am a being of legend,” Mer-The thing wearing Merlin’s skin explained, “Magic coursed through Merlin since the moment he was conceived, been at his disposal since he drew his first breath, using magic for him was instinctual as breathing and blinking is for you. His destiny laid out a path that magic had carved for him, he was to be the most powerful magic user that ever was. I was his magic, the connection he shared with the Old Religion that would allow him to protect the Once and Future King. I was meant to just be an aspect of him, but now that he’s gone Magic refuses to let the Once and Future King remain unprotected before his destiny can be fulfilled. So I have been awoken, and will remain at Arthur’s side until the day comes that he no longer needs a protector, or until Magic can convince Merlin to return from Avalon.”

“I’ll have you put to death if you get near my son,”

The being let out an ungodly laugh that sent fear down the spines of those gathered.

“Poor Poor Uther,” It cried, edging on pity, “You never learned your lesson. You can kill as many magic users as you wish, you can hunt them for sport, but you can’t rid the world of Magic, and you can’t avenge your wife because it’s not Magic’s fault that you did not heed the warnings.”

Arthur sucked in a startled breath, eyes flying to his father, “Morgause spoke the truth. You used magic so that I could be born, even though you were warned that someone must die.”

“Yes,” The being confirmed, “Your father ignored the warnings about how balance must be kept, he believed that the one that died would be a peasant or knight, someone with whose life he saw as forfeit compared to a prince’s. Only when it was Ygraine did he realize the true nature of what he asked, and chose to blame Magic and Nimih instead of his own choices. The only thing the vision lied to you about is that your Mother would never have blamed Uther for her death, nor would she have wanted for you to slay him in vengeance.”

“Why lie?” Arthur whispered, fists clenching, “Why not tell me the truth?”

“Because Merlin did not want to see you hurt in such a way,” The being explained, “He cared for you enough that he would allow your hatred of magic to remain so that you would not slay your own father in cold blood. It’s why Merlin broke the enchantment between your father and the troll, why he had Excalibur made, why he took the form of Dragoon and healed your father. It is also the reason I will not lay him to rest myself, even should you request it. Even so, he can not harm nor kill me.”

“Don’t be so cocky,” Uther seethed.

“Against you, Uther?” The being said, face blank as a slate, but full of promises, “It’s not being cocky, it’s stating fact.”

The being stepped down to the balcony and walked through the door behind them, not even flinching as Uther pulled his sword and tried to stab it through the being. The sword didn’t even make it close to it as a golden shield appeared and shattered the steel blade like it was an icicle.

Arthur took off after ignoring the calls from his father. He caught up to it after it had run into Percival outside Arthur’s chambers. The bear of a man was trembling, white as a sheet, staring at the golden-eyed being with fear that seemed more befitting a young maiden. Arthur would have found it comical if it had been any other circumstance, but right now he just felt empathy.

“Merlin…” The man spoke, “You’ve…”

“Merlin is dead,” Arthur spoke up before the being could, “This isn’t Merlin.”

The knight stared at him as if he had grown three heads, “But sire, it’s clearly-”

“Gather the Table, Sir Percival,” Arthur ordered, voice low and harsh, “I- We’ll explain once we have everyone. Break Lancelot and Gwaine out of jail if you have to, just get everyone here as soon as you can.”

The knight sprinted off with speed uncharacteristic of the large knight.

“What should I call you?” Arthur asked once the door shut behind him, “If you’re not Merlin if you’re simply his magic or whatever else you are…”

The being gazed at him in confusion, his eternal golden eyes, “I suppose Emrys is the best name for me. It was the name the druids created for the protector of the Once and Future King.”

“Alright, Emrys then. You’ll need to explain more about that Once and Future King business once the others arrive.”

“Of course, Sire.”

Arthur felt odd stripping from his court clothing with the be- Emrys simply stood like a statue by the bed, seeming to not even breathe, but he had a feeling that this was going to be a long talk.

The door crashed open unexpectedly before Arthur could finish changing, a sober and pissed off looking Gwaine, followed closely by the other knights, Percival hanging back, eyes vacant with fear. Gwen and Gaius were hanging near the back, tear streaks still evident on their faces.

Gwaine let out a sob as he saw Emrys standing there, crossing the room instantly to pull the being into a tight hug, “Thank the gods! How did you manage to escape?”

“I am not Merlin,”

Gwaine pulled back and stared at the being in confusion, “What do you-”

“Gwaine,” Arthur said as he pulled on his shirt, “We all need to sit down while Emrys and I explain… explain what happened at Merlin’s execution.”

Leon let out a slight gasp looking to the being for the first time since he entered the room, and Gauis looked like he might be sick, but no one could muster up a word as they tensely circled the room.

Arthur turned to the still statue-like Emrys, “Tell them everything you told my father and I at the execution site.”

The being didn’t move even as Gwaine pulled back uncertainty, didn’t even seem to acknowledge the others in the room as they slowly formed a circle around the room, but after being prompted he quickly started to recount the events of the morning. Arthur wasn’t sure listening to the emotionless factual retelling was better or worse than the real events. Everything was so... detached from Emrys as if the being could care less about Merlin's death outside of what it meant for it existing. A completely blank expression and a dull monotone didn't fit Merlin's face and voice, least of all when telling them about how the licking flames and suffocating smoke had driven the very essence of the man they all called a friend from his body, leaving a corpse behind before magic decided to create its own consciousness to stand-in.

“So Emrys,” Gwaine pushed, anger boiling just below the surface, “Why don’t you tell us everything Merlin did for Camelot? All the things that he did for Arthur that the princess couldn’t even be bothered to save him for?”

“Oh really?” Arthur snapped, “You want to say I did nothing? I argued and fought with my father but he was convinced the only reason I would still care for a magic user is that he enchanted me and reassured me that once Arthur was dead I would see reason. Then I couldn’t even speak up at the execution because my father warned me that if I even spoke a single word before the hour was up that he would burn all of Merlin’s friends. After all, clearly, one of them was also a magic-user and keeping the enchantment up! I was already losing my best friend, I didn’t want to lose any of you as well!”

“Stop this now,” Gauis cried, looking worn and tired, “None of this fighting is going to bring back Merlin, we’ve all failed him!”

The knights fell silent, frustration and sorrow oozing from all as they gazed around the room at each other, daring someone to speak.

“Odd,” Emrys said after a long moment, head cocking slightly to the side, the first real movement he made since entering the room.

“What?” Arthur snapped, glaring at the golden eyes that should be blue. Emrys simply looked between the knights before gazing back at Arthur.

“You really do care for him," Emrys stated with the barest hint of wonderment in his voice that caused Arthur's heart to wither, "even though Merlin left this plane believing that you despised him. Even Magic didn’t account for all of the knights siding with Merlin when Uther was still alive. Gaius, Lancelot, and Gwen were always going to stand by him but the rest of you...You all are very odd.”

[drkfought]

    ─         the  mirrors  surrounding  you  did  as  they  were  meant  to ,  reflecting  back  a  spitting  image  of  colin  morgan    -    but  it’s  clear  something  is  wrong  from  the  moment  that  a  vision  of  𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨  𝘧𝘰���  𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳  strikes  you .    perhaps  it  was  a  passing  daydream  in  the  frenzy  of  the  funhouse .    you  reassure  yourself    -    you’re  𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍 ,   a  𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺  𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵  year  old  𝗣𝗛𝗬𝗦𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗡  whose  virtue  lies  in  your   + cunningness   &   + loyalty ,  although  you’ve  been  told  that  you  tend  to  be  quite   - elusive   &  - deceitful ,  and you’re associated with  𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒏  𝒈𝒐𝒍𝒅  𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈  𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅  𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓  𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 ,   𝒂  𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒇𝒖𝒍  𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆  𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅  𝒕𝒐  𝒂𝒏  𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕  𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 ,  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒕  𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘  𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒕  𝒃𝒚  𝒕𝒉𝒆  𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒕  𝒐𝒇  𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ,  by  those  around  you .    suddenly,  however,  you’ve found  𝐀  𝐑𝐄𝐃  𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅  on  your  person    -    was  that  always  there ?     from  the  moment  you  leave  the  funhouse ,  memories  from  your  life  in  𝙗𝙗𝙘'𝙨  𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣   have  begun  to  return   -   leaving  whoever  you  had  been  before  in  the  mirror’s  reflection  behind  you .    you  can  almost  hear  𝚆𝙷𝙸𝚃𝙴  𝙻𝙸𝙴   by  𝚃𝙷𝙴  𝙻𝚄𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙴𝙴𝚁𝚂  following  in  your  wake .

it’s  basically  tradition  for  me  at  this  point  to  pick  up  merlin  anywhere  i  go .    that’s  my  comfort  character  your  honor .    i’m  picky  with  how  i  play  him   &   hope  you  like  him  but  i  truly  love  him  so  much .

full name :     merlin  ambrosius  wyllt . alises :   emrys .   dragoon  the  great .   magic  itself .   prince  of  enchanters . age :   twenty  eight . gender & pronouns :   non  binary ,  he / they . sexual & romantic orientation :    pansexual / panromantic . species :   sorcerer / magic  personified . identifying  marks :    tba .

     ─        𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍  𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 .

born  on  in  the  village  of  ealdor  to  a  simple  farm  maiden ,  merlin  seemed  quite  unimportant  to  most  anyone .   his  mother ,  however ,  knew  differently  when ,  behind  closed  doors ,  her  son  was  magically  moving  objects  since  before  he  could  walk .     knowing  that  her  son’s  abilities  would  mean  a  death  sentence  over  his  head  ever  since  king  uther  declared  magic  illegal  in  the  great  purge ,  merlin’s  mother  was  sure  to  keep  his  abilities  hidden  from  anyone .    however ,  she  knew  his  skill   &   life  was  always  meant  for  more  than  ealdor .   when  he  was  eighteen  she  helped  him  pack  his  things   &   sent  him  away  to  camelot  to  live  with  an  old  friend :  gaius ,  the  court  physician .

once  in  camelot ,  merlin  found  himself  thrust  into  his  own  destiny  when  following  the  call  of  a  strange  voice  led  him  to  a  dragon  imprisoned  below  the  castle .   the  dragon ,  kilgharrah ,  informed  merlin  of  how  he  was  to  protect  the  young  prince  arthur  to  becoming  king  &  uniting  the  lands  of  albion .    though  merlin  initially  refused ,  having  been  throughly  unimpressed  with  what  he  knew  of  arthur ,  fate  had  other  plans .     after  stopping  an  assasination  attempt  on  arthur  during  a  feast  later ,  merlin  is  given  work  in  the  castle  as  a  reward  &  is  named  arthur’s  personal  manservent .     the  both  of  them  are  displeased  with  the  situation  at  first ,  but  as  years  pass  they  form  an  unlikely   &   inseparable  friendship .

though  unable  to tell  arthur  about  his  magic ,  seeing  as  arthur’s  view  of  it  had  been  tainted  by  his  father  uther ,  merlin  still  committed  to  his  destiny   &   secretly  protected  arthur  from  the  shadows  from  any  threat .   though  decisions  were  often  tough ,  merlin  did  the  best  he  could   &   eventually  arthur  did  take  the  throne  as  king .   it  seemed ,  almost ,  like  everything  was  going  as  it  was  supposed  to .   all  up  until  a  fateful  night  at  the  battle  of  camlann .   though  merlin  was  able  to  drive  back  the  opposing  forces   &   even  defeat  morgana ,  arthur’s  traitorous  half  sister ,  arthur  still  became  mortally  wounded  in  the  battle .    merlin  confessed  to  his  magic  to  arthur   &   gained  the  king’s  forgiveness  but  still  was  unable  to  save  his  life .   arthur  died  in  merlin’s  arms .    &   as  merlin  was  being  told  that  arthur  would  return  again  one  day  when  albion’s  need  was  greatest ,  it  came  to  his  realization  that  this  failure  was  exactly  what  his  destiny  was  leading  up  to .   he  simply  was  never  told  the  end .  

over  a  thousand  years  have  passed  after  arthur’s  death .    the  king  has  yet  to  return .   but  merlin ,  bound  by  destiny ,  still  waits  for  him .

    ─        𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃  𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 .

merlin  is  an  only  child .   his  father  was  never  in  the  picture ,  left  before  his  mother  even  knew  she  was  pregnant ,  but  with  how  doting  his  mother  has  always  been  this  fact  hasn’t  bothered  him  very  much .    after  all ,  his  mother  was  never  entirely  alone .    she  had  a  close  family  friend  who  helped  raise  him   &   there  was  also  his  aunt   &   his  younger  cousin ,  simon .     he  never  felt  himself  to  be  a  lonely  child  by  any  means .    

he  grew  up  in  a  small  town  in  wales   &   was  fairly  well  liked .   people ,  if  anything ,  were  amused  by  how  mischievous  he  could  be .   he  was  a  trouble  maker  without  even  trying  much .     he  got  into  odd  fights  against  a  handful  of  bullies  but  he  knew  how  to  dodge  the  right  way  to  wear  them  out  most  of  the  time .    he  seemed  quite  very  unassuming ,  with  high  cheekbones   &   ears  too  big  for  his  head ,  but  merlin  had  always  been  quite  surprisingly  crafty .

he  went  to  school  in  america  for  medicine ,  something  that  his  mother’s  family  friend  had  always  brought  him  interested  in ,  &  came  out  with  good  or ,  at  least ,  average  grades  without  much  effort .    had  his  PhD  by  twenty  six    &   has  now  lived  in  alucard  for  two  years  working  as  a  general  physician .

   ─        𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑  𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 .

important  note  on  how  i  play  merlin :   he  is  not  just  “ the  greatest  sorcerer  to  ever  walk  the  earth ”    he  is  also  literally  magic  personified .   “ magic  itself ” ,   as  he’s  called  in  canon .    magic  put  into  a  human  form .    his  magic  is  extremely  powerful  with  very  few  limitations .

anyway .   he’s  goofy  a  lot ,  enough  that  he’s  rarely  taken  seriously ,  but  it’s  a  good  facade  for  him  because  he’s  also  almost  always  lying  when  he  can  be .    it  comes  like  a  second  nature  to  him .    most  don’t  think  much  of  him  because  he’s  pretty  unassuming  but  some  are  astoundingly  interested  by  him .   no  in  between .

remembers  waiting  for  arthur  for  fifteen  hundred  years .   is  a  little  bitter   &   pessimistic  because  of  this .

gets  moody  bc  he  failed  arthur  :/  

the  most  suspicious  bitch .   dude  trusts  almost  no  one .

has  a  slight  gambling  issue .   cheats  often .  counts  cards .

ill  add  more  later  as  i  think  of  it .

[solign0501]

La Morte D’Winchester

Part 3

Summary - Sam and Dean Winchester are looking desperately for ways to stop the apocalypse and the inevitable choice between being themselves or being a vessel for Michael and Lucifer. One day, potential new ally Crowley pops up with info on a young witch who might be able to help - problem is, they have to travel back… to a land of myth and a time of magic

A/N: This is a fic that my best friend and I started writing a couple of years ago, set around Season 5 of Supernatural -  thought we’d upload it here and see how y’all like it!

Warning - it’s long…. like 30+ chapters long and we’re not finished yet! Also present day chapters in the present tense, historic in the past - see what we did there? :) (as an aside, we know the French in the title is incorrect)

"Your exits are located here, here, and here. If the cabin pressure drops oxygen masks will fall in front of you. Make sure you put your own mask on before helping anyone else". The safety presenter says over the speakers.

"Cabin pressure, exits, oxygen mask? Sammy I need to get off this damn plane" Dean says rubbing his palms on his knees.

"Dude calm down, the chances of anything happening is about as likely as Cas without a trench coat" Sam says trying to lighten the mood.

"…a whistle is located on the life jacket if needed. Have a pleasant flight" The safety presentation ends and the air stewards take their seats.

"Breathe Dean, Breathe" Dean tries to reassure himself.

The plane engines roar to signal its take off. Dean starts to hum AC/DC's Back in Black, Sam joins him to relax his brother.

When the fasten seatbelt sign is switched off, Dean jumps up.

"Dude I need a drink," he says to Sam.

An air stewardess looks at Sam. "Is he ok?" she asks him. Sam nods, smiling reassuringly.

"It's gonna be a long flight" Sam says getting comfy for the next 8 hours.

*****************************************************************************

"Merlin!" Merlin grumbled as Gaius' voice brought him round.

"Merlin!" The door opened and Gaius walked in.

"You'd better hurry up or you'll be late" He looked around Merlin's room and sighed. "And get this room sorted, WITHOUT magic"

Merlin grumbled again and threw the covers back.

"I'll make breakfast, Hurry up"

A few moments later, Merlin fell down the stairs into Gaius' main chamber, earning a tut and an eye roll from his mentor.

Grabbing the bread from the plate, Merlin dashed out of the room, mumbling a goodbye at Gaius through a mouth full of bread whilst he tied his scarf in place.

"You're late…" Arthur snapped as Merlin burst through the door.

"And you're dressed…" Merlin stammered, catching his breath.

"Observant, as always" He put down the papers he was reading and scowled at Merlin "Where is my breakfast?"

"I thought you could diet today Sire" Merlin said, ducking as a well-aimed candle sailed past his head.

He stood back up and grinned widely at Arthur. The Prince softened slightly. He was fond of his friend, but he kept his face level.

"Forget it. You're such a useless servant you'd only give me food poisoning anyway. What you can do is get my boots polished, my horse groomed and ready and bring my sword and crossbow. I've decided to go hunting".

"That explains why you're dressed. Will it be okay for you to leave the castle?" Merlin inquired.

"We haven't seen Morgana for months. It will be safe for us to go out" Arthur said matter-of-factly.

"Us?" Merlin said, dreading Arthur's response.

"Yes, us" He clapped Merlin on the back. "You're coming too; though try not to let the deer scare you too much".

Merlin laughed sarcastically as Arthur walked away into his bed area.

Cursing Arthur in his head, he went down to the armoury to collect Arthur's weapons before telling Gaius where they were going.

Gaius was in Uther's chambers when Merlin went to find him. He held the cup to the king's lips as Merlin walked in.

"How is he?" Merlin asked, walking up to Uther's chair.

"There's been no change. His mind is broken by what happened." Gaius straightened up and looked at Merlin. "I honestly don't know what more I can do for him"

They both stood and looked at Uther for a moment. "Does Arthur need me?" Gaius asked eventually.

"No" Merlin said, stirring from his thoughts. "He wants to go hunting"

"And you're going with him?" Gaius said, more as a statement rather than a question. Merlin nodded, still looking at Uther.

"Do you want me to try something again?" Gaius shook his head.

"I don't think it will work Merlin, and we should not risk Arthur finding out, or Uther remembering."

Merlin nodded again, feeling sorry for the man in front of him. He may not be the fairest of kings, but nobody deserved to be brought low like this.

"You could light a fire," Gaius said, checking Uther's temperature. "The warmth will do him good"

Merlin turned to the fire and held out his right hand. "Forburnan" his eyes glowed gold and a fire sprang to life in the hearth.

"MERLIN!" Gaius exclaimed, slapping him round the head with the back of his hand.

"Ow!" Merlin said, whilst rubbing his head and looked wounded.

"Don't use your magic, you fool" he scolded, turning back to Uther. "You had better go and get the horses ready before Arthur finds you and gives you more work to do"

"Right, see you in a while" Merlin turned to go.

"Merlin" Gaius called to him. "Be careful. Morgana may still be out there, hiding. Watch Arthur, but keep yourself safe too" He looked at Merlin over the top of his glasses,

"I will Gaius, I promise." Merlin flashed him his famous goofy grin, before turning and hurrying out of the room, nearly bumping into Arthur as he walked in.

"Where are you going?" Arthur asked side-stepping Merlin and glaring at the warlock.

"The get the horses ready," Merlin said, speeding off.

Arthur shook his head, allowing himself to slightly grin before becoming serious again as he turned to face his farther, and a weight fell on his shoulders as he saw him.

"Your highness," Gaius said, bowing.

"How is he, Gaius?"

"The same sire. I am giving him every combination of teas and tinctures I can think of, but his heart and mind are broken".

"Morgana" Uther murmured. "Why Morgana?" Arthur choked back a lump in his throat.

"Leave us please, Gaius" Arthur commanded, trying to keep his voice level. Gaius gathered his things and made to the door to leave. "Thank you" he said quietly.

Gaius paused, bowing to Arthur, "Sire," he said affectionately before leaving.

"Father?" Arthur said gently, walking over to Uther's chair. "How are you father?" Uther didn't acknowledge his son. Instead he stared out of the window at some distant point.

Arthur sighed and took the seat opposite his father, "Our scouting parties came back this morning. The borders are safe, the outlying villages will be bringing in the harvests soon," He took a breath as he recalled the standard reports given to him that morning. "The store rooms are well stocked and the city's water supply was cleaned out. Gaius says that illness levels are down in the upper and lower cities." He steeled himself as he came to his main point.

"There has been no sighting of Morgana for three months." Uther's head snapped round and he seemed to look at Arthur for the first time.

"Morgana" he reached out and took Arthur's hand in his, gripping tight. "Why Morgana?"

"Father, it's me, its Arthur."

"Morgana, What have you done? I love you, my daughter. Why would you do this?" He broke and started to sob. Arthur leaned forward, hugging his father tight, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"It will be fine Father," he whispered.

"Find her. And tell my son I need him. Bring Arthur to me. Arthur!" he shouted "Arthur!"

Gaius came running in and helped to pull Uther back.

"Help me get him into his bed, before he raises an alarm," Arthur commanded as Uther continued to shout his name.

Together they half carried him over to his bed and lay him down, pulling the quilt over his father. Uther's cries died down to mumbling and then to silence as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

"I'm so sorry Sire," Gaius said, putting his hand on Arthur's shoulder. Arthur reached up and grasped his hand, trying to stop the tears falling freely.

"Just take care of him Gaius." He gave Gaius's hand an affectionate squeeze before turning and walking out.

[panharmonium]

Top 5 Merlin side/minor characters?

LOL THIS QUESTION IS UNFAIR I LOVE ALL OF THEM.  LIKE - sometimes I see criticism of Merlin’s “filler” episodes and I never ever understand that, like - those are…some of the best episodes of the show???  They?  Are some of the best stories???  Those are what gives this show so much of its charm?????  Idk, to each their own, but I aDORE those episodes and all the characters in them.

For the purposes of this question, I’m going to define side/minor Merlin characters as anybody who isn’t Uther, Gaius, Kilgharrah, the Core 4, or any of the knights.  If I were working on different definitions, I would definitely put Mordred on the following list of faves, because I LOVE him, but I think for these purposes he counts as a major character.

1) Not that this needs to be said, but…my absolute favorite is WILL!  Everybody who’s been on my blog at least once in the past year knows that Will is my number one most beloved side character.  I post about him incessantly, and if you want to understand why I love him so much, my tag for him is ‘no kings no masters.’

(The rest of these are not ranked in any particular order, because I love all the other minor characters the same.)

2) ELENA!  I adored her.  I loved how she just…in that opening scene, she’s just chowing down on an apple and checking her teeth in the mirror and farting in her room and I’m like “YES!  THAT IS A NORMAL HUMAN GIRL!  WE ALL DO THAT SHIT OK WE ARE JUST REGULAR PEOPLE’ it was like that feeling of what girls don’t get to be because somebody is always watching, but when we are home alone we stay in our pajamas and don’t look nice and just EXIST.  i just loved her.  And her dad was great, too; I liked him a lot.  And Grunhilda is in this episode, too - just a perfect, goofy side character.  Just delightful.

3) CATRINA OMG.  The troll arc is the funniest gotdam thing I’ve ever seen and the actress playing Catrina just went for it.  She just threw everything she had into that fucking role and it kills me every time.  

4) Mary the barkeep from Gwaine’s episode.  Lol I fuckin loved her.  Anybody who deflates Arthur’s ego in the process of praising Merlin is automatically my favorite person.

5) Annis.  That actress had a real presence, too, and I loved her character.  I was so happy she reappeared in S5, however briefly.  

Others because this is an unfair question and 5 is too small of a number.

GEOFFREY OMG.  How could I not mention geoffrey.  I was SO upset not to catch a glimpse of him in Season 5.

Mithian was frickin great.  I loved Finna and Alator.  I loved Freya and Gilli and Daegal.  I thought Myror the assassin was a badass, and I loved the fake knight from that same episode (Sir William) - he was so chill and like…just having a grand old time getting mixed up in all this silliness XD  I thought the Witchfinder was a GREAT villain, and his actor was fantastic.  I loved all the druids we met, including Kara.  I loved all the villains-of-the-week.  I loved the Fisher King and the Cailleach.  I loved Hunith and Balinor.  I loved Tom :’(  I liked Morgause a LOT in her first episode (though I feel like her development/motivations fell off later, personally).  I thought Nimueh was fascinating.  I even had a soft spot for Vivian - like, she was fucking rude to Gwen, okay, and that is a big no-no for me, but I loved how she legit did not give a shit for Arthur and slammed the door on him, and I LOVED how when her dad discovers her and Arthur together and he’s being all shouty and aggressive she’s not bothered at all and just makes a face like, “Father…” like she’s seen it all before and she thinks he’s being a little dumb and overdramatic lol.  

Honestly, the answer to this question is that there isn’t actually a side character on this show that I DIDN’T like.  Even the “bad” guys were entertaining and interesting to me.  I just…Merlin is a show that is almost entirely delightful to me, and I’m really happy that I had that kind of experience with it.

[emrysarthurpendragon]

Whumptober day 3 | Alt: Comfort

Where am I?

 What happened to me?

 Arthur? Arthur, where are you?

 Am I dead? Maybe he killed me before I woke again? For our friendship’s sake?

 Merlin’s drifted back into darkness’s arms; he felt safe, for now.

* * *

 Arthur had been thinking. A lot. Near the fire, Merlin had been unconscious for the past hours and all the prince could focus on was how Merlin had magic. No. Not had, has. Gaius’s ward was still breathing, and this would not cease anytime soon. Not even with his … lies. Had Merlin been practising when they first met? Probably. This would explain all the weird incidents occurring when they ran after one another and how Arthur made a fool of himself. How powerful was his friend? He made an entire building fell into pieces. He made them transport without even being awake when it happened. That must be something! Even regarding wizards’ standards. Blue eyes fell on Lancelot. The knight had been keeping watch over Merlin since they arrived here. He tended to the serving boy’s wounds and never let them approach with weapons at hand’s reach. They all noticed healed scars on their friend’s body. Scars that faded long ago, but with terrible stories attached to them. He saw Merlin half-naked through the years. At least after they met, and the boy had no choice but change into dry clothing after their usual banters. Those were inflected to his manservant after he first came to the citadel. By whom? Noblemen bother by their strange friendship? Attackers? Whenever they were ambushed? No. Arthur snorted when he remembered Merlin cowering to avoid battle. Or was he? Strange things did happen when bandits or enemies of Camelot attack them. Branches fell with perfect timing on their opponents, saving their lives more than once. Was it Merlin? He needed to know. If not for his sake, for Merlin’s. If he were right, this could be proof enough all sorcerers were not filled by hatred and darkness. Merlin was the opposite. Kind. Good-hearted. Goofy. A weird sense of humour, which often involved making fun of his master. Selfless too. He sacrificed his own well-being for Arthur, working extra hours just so his amour would be clean for the next day, and then stumbling more than ever the next day. Still he saw nothing. There must have been signs. Hints toward Merlin’s secret. With a heavy sigh, Arthur stretched and walked to Lancelot. The man glared at him, gesturing to his sword and the prince left it a few steps behind before sitting next to both his knight and valet.

“How did you find out?” he asked after an uncomfortable silence. If Lancelot knew and said nothing, this must mean something.

“Remember the manticore’s quest? Merlin used magic to save me and kill that beast. I’ve known since then,” Lancelot said, smiling fondly at their sleeping friend. “Then, I started noticing things. Like how he protected us without getting credits for it.”

“And Emrys? He’s related to Merlin?”

“I…” Lancelot hesitated; Arthur knew the truth now. “Yes. Pretty much. That’s why Morgana questioned him. Merlin told me her power showed her future. In it, Emrys killed her during a terrible battle. Since then, she wanted to find out who he is and stop him at all costs.”

“I don’t understand. Percival said I’m supposed to work hand in hand with Emrys. Legend and destiny. If it’s true, where is Emrys now? Why doesn’t he show up and change my mind on magic?” they would not build that future if they were playing hide and seek together.

“That’s the trick. He’s already here. Hidden in plain view and going unnoticed among your people,” chuckled Lancelot, now noticing how close the others were. They started listening and Leon gasped, realisation filling his features.

“Merlin?” he asked in a low voice, his gaze unmoving while said boy breathed in and out. In and out. Unaware of his surroundings.

“What about Merlin?” Arthur asked, still oblivious. He just couldn’t imagine Gaius’s ward as a powerful being. Not even after what they witnessed earlier.

“Yes, Merlin He’s Emrys. He was born to protect you, Arthur. He would die to do so, if it means you stay alive.”

“But it’s stupid! Merlin can hurt himself with a spoon! If he were so powerful, he would be dead because he sneezes too hard and just blew his room up!” OK, kind of rude. Merlin was not so stupid. Or was he? “He can’t keep a secret. I would know. It’s not…”

“Merlin’s more than that. Just … talk with him. Give him a chance,” Lancelot asked.

 With the betrayal still burning him third degree, Arthur wanted to say no. The conflict feelings sent him various messages. Forgive or kill. Understanding or hatred. Decide never felt so difficult before. The prince he used to be when they met, his father’s puppet, roared with anger and wanted to deliver Merlin to the flames. His new self, the one with strong feelings for his servant stood proudly, facing whoever may hurt the brunet. He needed to listen. To understand Merlin’s side of the story. So he waited … night turns into daylight. Another afternoon started and night fell again when Merlin awoke. After their talk the previous day, Lancelot had relaxed enough to sleep. Arthur took first watch and noticed Merlin’s eyes fluttering open.

“Rise and shine,” the prince mocked his serving boy’s usual greeting. “How are you feeling? You … you scared us.” You scared me. I thought I’d lost you. Don’t ever do that to me again.

“I … what…” then it hit him. Arthur knew the exact moment Merlin remembered what happened and what he’d done. Merlin went into full panic attack mode and Arthur’s body reacted before he could think. His arms locked around Merlin’s waist and he whispered words he never thought he would say. Especially to a sorcerer.

“Shh … it’s okay, Merlin. You’re fine. You saved us,” he murmured, gently brushing a strand of black hair. Merlin jumped at the touch and Arthur felt a pang of worry. This man could be the death of him. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m still alive…” Merlin whispered, dumbfound. Why had Arthur did not kill him? He had plenty of time if he had been out all that time. Wait. Arthur was hugging him. He watched him with worried eyes and something else … was it … no. Not love. Arthur loves no one more than his own person; a royal prat. “I was supposed to die!” the warlock suddenly gasped, watching around them with fright. Why was he…? He made a choice. He picked his life as a sacrifice to the goddess. He had to give up everything, just so Arthur may have a long and peaceful life, with a queen and lots of kids running in the castle. But here he was, breathing and … his mind free of Morgana’s spell. Free of whatever had bothered him for the last few weeks. Even when he walked and hang himself in an oak tree. Well, mostly. He still heard the voices in his mind, whispering tempting words behind an obsidian wall. They will come back, eventually.

“Merlin. Merlin focus,” ordered Arthur. “Good. Breathe in, breathe out … I know you’re scared. Listen to me. I won’t kill you. I’m hurt. I’m furious even. You lied to me … you kept secrets from me.”

“I’m sorry, I did not…”

“I know. You had to. Merlin I…” Arthur inhaled, unsure. If someone had told him this day would come, he’d laughed at the man face. “I guess I need to thank you … for what you did. You protected me, us, Camelot. You got hurt and never asked for recognition. Instead, I acted like a…”

“A prat?” Merlin joked.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

An angel pass, two, three and an entire van. Arthur knew he just shocked his servant. He never thanked him or anyone outside his knights before. Could one go into shock after such a change in their lives? After all, as a prince, people mostly kissed the floor he walked on and are grateful for his existence. Not the other way … oh … right … his head may pass the doors if he continues. His thought came to a halt when he heard Merlin’s soft voice, while their friends snore loudly around the camp.

“I’m dead. I’m sure of it now…” chuckled the younger man, raising a hand to brush over Arthur’s warm skin. If he hides it well, the once and future king felt a shiver ran down his spine. When he spoke, his voice sounds tight and uncertain. “Why would you? Tell me, Merlin.” The warlock still gently caressed his skin and they both blushed, even if no one noticed.

“Arthur never thanked anyone. Not even in my wild dreams. Ergo, I’m dead and I’m thankful…” under his fingers, Uther’s son froze. What for? “Arthur?”

“Don’t say those words. I’m your king and I ban you from dying. You’re not allowed to leave me. Not ever.”

“You can’t, I died already. I wouldn’t do that if I were still alive…” Merlin mumbled, sitting awkwardly. His hand still stroking his prince cheek. Their eyes met and suddenly, the world around them felt silent. Event the knights stopped their snores. King and vagabonds stared at each other’s for an eternity or mere seconds. Merlin’s inner voice tried to stop him, yelling something about him still alive or whatever … but he did not listen. He knew better. Arthur had to kill him, with the ban of magic still standing. He may regret it later, the morning after … but for now, the warlock stopped fighting his inner demons. He leaned toward his prince, the one who was still holding him against a strong body and their lips met for the first time. A warm feeling grew in them both. Arthur was stunned but deeper the kiss. He had desired that man for a long time now. Not since day one, no. They hated each other’s when they met; the feeling turned into something else. Respect. Love. Care. He wanted Merlin to feel it all and when wet tears fell over Merlin’s cheeks, the prince pulled back and gently chase them his thumbs.

“I need to show you something, Merlin,” Arthur whispered, not letting go of the sorcerer as he gently slapped the back of his head.

“Ouch! It hurts!” protested Merlin, his eyes widening when he realised when he just said … and did. Did he just … had he … no he … oh. Arthur followed his train of thoughts all along and snorted when Merlin yelped, mortified. Trembling fingers before his lips, Merlin shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t … it’s the spell, I guess… I…” Arthur stopped the rambling, forcing his friend to meet his eyes again.

“Don’t apologise. I’m glad you did it … even if you thought this world was an illusion. And I don’t want a world without you. Not now. Not ever. Understood?” with only silence for an answer, the prince continued: “I like you the way you are. Magic or not. Clumsy or not. Brave or coward. It doesn’t matter, OK? By the end of the day, you’re still the same old Merlin. Now that I know the truth, I can help you protect your secret, especially from my father.”

“You… You accept my magic?” Merlin asked, still confused at the mere prospect of being free of any secrets.

“Lancelot talked me out my prejudices.” Arthur admitted. Remembering Lancelot words about how magic was not different from any weapons. Just like a person can either help or kill someone with a sword, the same thing works for magic’s users and as a king, his duty was to bring equal justice in the kingdom. Murder with weapons or magics were both leading to a death sentence. The others shall live free of fear. “Now I see clearly and I promise you this: once I am king, I’ll lift the ban of magic.”