#Seems slightly better than camelot
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Sonic and The Black Knight AU in which Sonicâs from that world, heâs an explorer of some sorts and he does technically live in Camelot with his brother Miles, but he spends most of his time traveling around and getting new stuff for his brother to weld and forge with.
One day while returning to Camelot and looking for minerals or cool rocks he finds a sword in a stone, great! New materials for his brother! he can surely make something better than this old blade or upgrade it.
He takes the sword out effortlessly. The sword can talk. Great(?
He brings the weapon to the town, people start to notice the obvious magical artifact and voice goes around about âthe legend being fulfilledâ.
Oh, that legend. Yeah, no.
He just wants to show his little brother a cool sword, not become ruler of a whole kingdom thank you very much, it doesnât matter if he âfulfilled the sacred prophecyâ, itâs just a rumor until he decides it isnât. And he doesnât want it to not be a rumor.
Rumors travel fast, but he is faster.
The talking sword started doubting if he was worthy of the throne after spending no more than an hour around him, not shutting up about how âyouâre already running from your kingdom and you havenât been crowned yetâ. Good. Maybe he could convince the sword to tell the people he would make a terrible king if the disdain in its voice gave anything off.
They arrived at the blacksmithâs shop, his brotherâs shop, he shushâs the sword down as his brother runs to hug him, instantly pulling away at the sight of the weapon, his twin tails happily wagging gentle circles behind him as he asks Caliburn (what a name) anything and everything that there is to know as a talking sword. Caliburn just asks him why does Sonic call him âTailsâ (nice try of a joke mate).
The very rude sword being perplexed about how someone as âreckless and carelessâ as him has âsuch a brilliant child in his careâ.
Well, not a pretty mineral or shiny rock, but a talking sword seems interesting enough to make his brother happily ramble almost all night long, taking karma in his name as he wears Caliburnâs ear(?) off as he did with him.
Well, he could tell the kid all about his latest adventure in the morning, right now he could focus on cooking his brother a new dinner dish with spices from his latest travel destiny. A small bedtime story (about the knightâs of the round table by Carliburnâs request) and a few ear scratches later and you got a snuggled sleeping fox kit ready for the night.
The sword stays near them, looking at every move Sonic made, as if analyzing him in confusion. What a rude weapon, he might not be good king material but heâs peak big brother material.
He might not have enough on him to give his brother a bigger workshop or expensive materials, but he will give him everything he has if it means keeping him happy, they may not live in a big castle or have fancy dinners every night, but he swore from the moment he met the fox that he would do everything in his power to keep him safe.
As long as his big bro was around, he would never go hungry again, he would never sleep outside again and no one would hurt him again. He wonât ever feel unloved again.
Sonic might not be able to give him the world, but heâll give him everything else.
His little brotherâs sleeping form slightly trembles in his tiny bed, curling himself in his small blanket, covering his body with his fluffy tails, (sometimes Sonic thinks heâs more âTails than âMilesâ, pun intended). itâs been kinda cold lately, their humble home not making much favors to keep them warm even with the forge still on, but he doesnât think heâs trembling because of the cold.
Itâs okay, he didnât wanted to sleep in his makeshift bed today anyway, heâs been away from his brother for enough time and he doesnât mind staying right beside him to fight the little foxâs nightmares away and sharing their warmth for comfort. He nuzzles beside him, the kit instinctively moving to hug him and hide his face on the crook of the hedgehogâs neck, gentle purring and soft humming filling the silence of the night.
The next morning Caliburn greets him loudly âGood morrow, king Sonicâ
Hell.
He doesnât know what couldâve changed Caliburnâs opinion on him from one moment to another, but now thanks to that he has knights kneeling before him, the royal wizard offering him their nationâs secrets, a talking sword lecturing him all day long about âa kingâs duty and heartâ, and the whole kingdom practically demanding him to rule.
Itâs not a very tempting idea to say the least. Organizing diplomacy gatherings, hosting balls and knighting warriors is not really his thing, and hell, the kingdom wants it to be his thing.
He offers the throne to whoever wins a crusade? âthe winner must defeat his majesty firstâ. He tries to put back the sword in the stone? âThe sword chose you, my liege, it is your destinyâ. He tries to show the high commands how bad of a kind he would be? âHis majesty is such a humble king, even in all his mightâ.
So, so eager to make him king. They tried to drag him to the castle so he could âknow his new homeâ. They offered him to make changes to royaltyâs way to make it âenough of his wayâ. They showed him the perks of having power, âa king does as he pleasesâ.
But what could he really offer them as a king? He can fight bad guys and make allies for sure, but even if he wanted to, would that be enough?
He kinda regrets not spending enough time around the kingdom before, maybe if he did and the people actually knew him they wouldnât be so insistent on him of all people being king, talking magical sword be damned.
His brother knows whatâs going on, he keeps mostly quiet about it, not wanting to disturb the hedgehog with the subject when he actively is trying to avoid it, his only opinion about it being shown a few nights after his return to their home. Heâs tucking the fox in for the night, Caliburn silently watching them from the other side of the room, a sleepy squeaky voice fading with a yawn in a last effort to reassure his big brother while he runs his fingerâs trough the foxâs bangs.
âYou could give this kingdom anything⊠you already gave the world to meâ
Thatâs all it takes.
Alright, heâll be their king, but he will not sit on a fancy chair all day, wonât have a personal army following him around and definitely wonât be educated in âproper royalty mannersâ, you want him to be the king? The king does as he pleases.
The high council or whatever can take care of the bureaucracy, alliances and all the boring stuff, theyâll have the control over most of the kingdom (just how they like it, right?)
His first decree? Right after his coronation, the only time he actually stays in the throne room longer than five minutes, he actually wears his crown, heâs bearing the sacred sword when he calls his brother to the center of the room âI dub thee Miles âTailsâ Prower, the crown prince of Camelotâ.
Heâs the king now, itâs only logical for his little brother to be the prince, the crown prince, direct heir to the kingdomâs throne.
Heâs the prince, and the prince can get whatever the hell he desires, so bring him all the minerals and heavy armory, and show him the secret library! Little bro needs stimulation and thereâs only so much he can do with a blacksmithâs mediums. His room? Bigger than the kingâs! His food? Get him all the neighbor kingdomâs candy if he asks for it! His education? Give him all the books known in the world, get him all the minerals and bring his workshop inside the castle!
What he had was enough for his little brother before, but it might not be enough for him just yet. Time to give him the world that he already promised him.
Prince Miles does have a nice ring to it.
#sonic the hedgehog#miles tails prower#sonic and tails#unbreakable bond#they are cosmic truth#theyâre brothers your honor#wholesome sonic and tails wednesday#Prince Miles AU#theyre brothers your honor#sonic fanfiction#caliburn saw this punk ass mf and said nope#and then saw how he cared about that little baby fox and said yeah thatâs the king#and lil tails being so happy because Sonic returned and now he can sleep beside him#and donât worry the kingâs schedule will always have time to read his brother a bedtime story#Sonic just wants to give his brother the world because thatâs what he deserves no less#and now he will give him everything#not that Tails needed it#his brother was enough#but the castle and the toms of books are a nice plus#and donât worry they wonât be cold at night anymore#the nightmares might still make miles tremble but his brother will scare them off
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2024 Camelot Remix - Reveals & Masterpost!
â„ Thank you everyone for joining us again for another fantastic year, we hope to see you all again next year!
â„ We've had some amazing remixes this year and want to thank all of our remixers and pinch hitters for your hard work - you've been FABULOUS.
â„ Thank you to everyone who read, commented, kudosed or showed love in any way for the works created. And if you haven't left some comments, kudos, or love, here's your chance!
Your ever-loving mods, Sknits & Fifty â„
FIC:Brechtjeeatscheese created Standing still; for six months and two weeks for MerlinLikeTheBird (Merlin/Arthur, Gwaine/Percival â Gen â 2605w) Summary: We all know Percy influenced Arthur to finally undertake action with Merlin. But what if he had underlying motives? And what if Gwaine has something to do with it too? Eventually all knights get involved.
FIC:queerofthedagger created This Song and Dance (The 'Balancing Act' Remix) for polomonkey (Merlin/Arthur â Teen and Up â 1200w) Summary: The thing is, Merlin has been thinking about it. About Arthur and the grief that he wears like penance, how he fits so easily into the spot beside Merlin. How he always has, and how, for all his talk about leaving, he does not seem to be in a hurry. --- Between circus shows and late nights, Merlin and Arthur figure themselves out, one step at a time.
FIC:eachpeachpearplum created wandered out in the world for years (the king and the knight remix) for HadrianPeverellBlack (Gwaine/Merlin â Gen â 800w) Summary: Gwaine doesn't like Arthur. Respects him, sure. Admires his fighting prowess, yeah. Envies his freedom and pities his lack of it in equal parts. He'll follow him into battle and mostly follow orders as he does so, because chances are Arthurâs on the right side of a fight, and even if he isn't he's got Merlin to push him until he is. But he's more than capable of all that without actually liking the man. Or: Arthur and Gwaine search for Merlin during the deleted scene from A Servant of Two Masters.
FIC:TrebleMaker07 created A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance [Remix] for scotscookie (Merlin/Arthur â Explicit â 1478w) Summary: After a night of drinking with Morgana, Arthur goes home to wind down.
FIC:Ynnealay created The Best and Terrible (An Extended Remix) for linorien (Gen â Teen and Up â 30,691w) Summary: After meeting the Druids, Morgana cannot sit idly by while Utherâs tyranny against magic continues; but, taking action may put her in more danger than she can get out of alone. Meanwhile, Merlin struggles under the loneliness of his secret, and wonders who heâs destined to be. A story about working together, magic reveals going better than expected, and Uther Pendragon being the worst man ever.
FIC:merthurmagic025 created Where We Find Our Peace for queerofthedagger (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â 2687w) Summary: Arthur looked the most relaxed Merlin had ever seen him; his hair was a golden mop, glistening droplets of water traveling down the planes and angles of his face. Merlinâs eyes followed one, down the side of Arthurâs sculpted nose, reaching his plump lips where Arthurâs tongue darted out to catch it.
Merlin tore his eyes away and let his face break out into a bright grin as he looked into Arthurâs eyes. âYou couldâve told me that we were going for a swim; I wouldâve complained far less.â
Arthur rolled his eyes slightly. âI was going for a swim,â he replied, âyou simply decided to follow me.â
A remix of Bad Choice of Words in My Alibi by queerofthedagger
ART:schweet_heart created Reluctantly in Love for chaosgenes (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â Digital Art & 127w) Summary: Arthur has waited for Naming Day all his life, but could not be more disappointed when he finds out who the Soul Stone names for him. It isnât the prisoner he meets in the dungeons, but his heart aches for him anyway.
Merlin has never thought about soulmates until they come knocking at his door in Ealdor. Convinced that thereâs something wrong with the Soul Stone, he travels to magic-banned Camelot to end its influence. He never thought that he would be enraptured by the crown prince who comes to interrogate him.
FIC:linorien created Disillusion (a remix of Light Pollution) for Ynnealay (Gen â Gen â 1041w) Summary: Some of Merlin's letters to Arthur over the years.
ART:kairennart (personaje) created earnest and respectful (The so easy, and the words so sweet Remix) for EachPeachPearPlum (Lancelot/Merlin â General Audiences â Art) Summary: They sit on Merlin's bed at night.
FIC: MyKingdomComeUndone created Our little remedy (the âIn this state of classical denialâ Remix) for fifty_fifty (Merlin/Arthur â Explicit â 10,660w) Summary: Merlin and Arthur enjoy getting off whenever (and wherever) they can find the time. Sometimes, this makes things... let's say interesting for the people in their life, whether they like it or not. or Five times poor Leon got a much closer look at Merlin and Arthur's sex life than he wanted, and one time things played out a little differently
FIC: chaosgenes created Step by Step (a âDanced into My Heartâ remix) for TrebleMaker07 (Merlin/Arthur â Explicit â 1513w) Summary: Arthur watches Merlin perform The Nutcracker ballet on opening night and is entranced, and aroused, by his dance.
FIC: little_dhampir created Timezones (the Boys are Back in Town Remix) for Laevateinn (Gwaine/Percival â Teen â 1500w) Summary: Gwaine never thought he'd meet someone like his boyfriend. Percival was tall and handsome and so incredibly nice it could be tooth-rotting. And he loved Gwaine, with all his flaws and sometimes too-loud behaviour. Jesus, did Gwaine miss him.
FIC: HadrianPeverellBlack created (Are you sure you) Love Me ((say you) Love Me Remix) for Salamandair (Merlin/Arthur â General Audiences â 595w) Summary: Merlin still canât really believe Arthur wants to marry him, or that he loves him.
Probably, is Arthur's fault anyway
ART: Stelle_loves_reading created Truth, truth, truth for Personaje (Lancelot/Merlin â not rated â art) Summary: "Lancelot, I can explainâ"
âWho are you?â He drew his sword. There was a reason why he had not run back to that clearing, why he drew his sword instead of throwing it away, and it was that the Merlin he knew would have never let him believe he was dead. For years.
"Lancelot, it really is me," he said, his hands raised. Lancelot swallowed.
"Prove it," he said, because yes, he was that desperate.
Merlin took a step forward. Lancelot adjusted his stance, gripped his sword tighter.
Eyes locked, Merlin's glowed. Hundreds of tiny golden lights appeared around them, like fireflies but warmer.
FIC: lavender_spice created Rush In My Veins (Every Bit As Much Yours Remix) for moonflower999 (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â 1157w) Summary: It is a morning like any other, until it isn't.
FIC:salamandair created Gladiators/Spartacus (the âLet us entertain you!â remix) for Dylan_M (Gwaine/Percival â Gen â 2351w) Summary: Percival and Gwaine had been forced to fight each other for entertainment. Now, Percival was being ordered to take his opponentâs life.
ART: Merlinlikethebird Sun and Snow for merthurmagic025 (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â Art) Summary: âMerlin! Your hands are freezing, what were you thinking?â
FIC: laevateinncreated I will show you how to dance (remix of Stelle's Mercelot Cinderella AU art) for Stelle_loves_reading (Lancelot/Merlin â Teen and Up â 1055w) Summary: For a few weeks now, Merlin had been attracted to a human home. At first, he had strayed in this direction accidentally, following the wind and sounds, only coming close to the property. Then, he had realised to whom this house had once belonged to. ~ A Cinderella AU, based on Stelle's art for the Camelot Remix 2024!
FIC: scotscookie created Breaching the Walls (The Tower Remix) for schweet_heart (Merlin/Arthur â Teen and Up â 3884w) Summary: Uther has a decision to make - what does he do about Merlin?
FIC: polomonkey created Tattered and Torn and Born To Be for lavender_spice (Gwen/Morgana â Explicit â 2350w) Summary: Gwen awaits Morgana's return from a dangerous mission.
FIC: Zorbo_Jorks created Sage Words for Vague Woes ('The secrets we keep' Remix) for little_dhampir (Leon/Morgana, Arthur/Merlin â Teen â 2000w) Summary: When Arthur witnesses his best friend, Merlin, doing magic, he goes to his sister for advice, feeling betrayed and confused by the whole ordeal. Morgana receives a surprise visit from her brother, troubled and seeking her counsel for what must have been the first time in his life. Though he seems adamant not to tell her exactly what is wrong between him and Merlin, she and her young son, Mordred, try to help where they can.
FIC: moonflower999 created More Than I Deserve (The King Arthurâs Throne Remix) for brechtjeeatscheese (Gwen/Merlin/Arthur â Gen â 1,096w) Summary: Arthur stands up for himself and those he loves most in the world.
FIC: fifty_fifty created High Society (The "It's A Nice Day To Start Again" Remix) for MyKingdomComeUndone (Arthur/Merlin, Gwaine/Morgana â Explicit â 17,541w) Summary: âSo, what do you think of the lasses so far?â Gwaine asked him, as he eyed up the women who were milling about the place.
âPretty, as they always are,â said Arthur.
It was a truthful answer, which he hoped Gwaine wouldnât probe him too deeply on. If it had been someone else, he would have tried to summon up more enthusiasm. He hoped, however, that Gwaine was bright enough to realise the circumstances Arthur found himself in by now.
âWell, let me know if you ever have your eye on anyone, and Iâll be sure to steer clear to give you the best chance.â
Arthur scoffed, his pride ruffled.
âAs if I couldnât have any woman I wanted,â he groused.
He was not about to let Gwaine think he would ever consider him as a rival.
âAh, well, thatâs the problem right there, isnât it. You never seem to want one, Arthur.â
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Part 1, Part 2(you are here)
After that- lovely welcome, you rush to find your uncle. That poor mother..
With directions from a helpful guard, you make your way up some stairs, into a room full of potions and drying herbs. You're particularly interested in an odd, orange potion. Looking around, you spot an old man with shoulder length hair searching through a high-up bookshelf.
That must be your uncle!
"Gaius?" He must not have heard you, so you clear your throat to get his attention.
Gaius is surprised and jumps, falling backwards onto the weak looking railing.
Clearly it's as weak as it looks because he falls right through it!
In a panic you instinctively slow down time with nothing more than a thought. Frantically looking around, you see a bed and quickly use magic to position it under Gaius.
Luckily, Gaius is unharmed, if not a bit winded.
"What did you just do?" He asks, getting up quickly.
"Oh I erm.." You're flustered from the prior events and panic.
"Tell me!" He's insistent.
"I-I have no idea what happened." smooth. Reall smooth. He definitely doesn't know what happened.
"If anyone had seen that..." You know exactly what he's talking about.
"Er, no! That- that was, that was nothing to do with me. That- that was..." Not any better, Merlin.
"I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned to to it!"
"Nowhere!"
"So how is it you know magic?"
"I don't!" Oh when will these questions end. You had one job Merlin!
"Where did you study? ..Answer me!"
"I- I've never studied magic or, or been taught."
"Are you lying to me, boy?" Why is this man so scary-
"No! I was born like this."
"Impossible! Who are you?" FINALLY. your poor heart-
Eager to change the subject, you pull out the letter your mother wrote for gaius and hand it to him.
"I don't have my reading glasses."
"I'm Merlin."
"Hunith's son? But you're not ment to be here till Wednesday!"
..what?
"it... is Wednesday?" (you didn't mix up your days, right-)
"Ah. Right then," Gaius seems to brush it off pretty quickly, "you better put your stuff in there, then."
He points you to a door, which has a small room with a cot inside. Pausing, you turn back to look at your uncle.
"You- you won't say anything about-"
"No. Although, Merlin, I should say thank you." He gives you a small smile, and your heart warms..
Maybe your powers can be used for good?
----
You settle into your room and unpack. Curious, you set your bag down and open a window.
The moonlight brushes your face as you look on to the bustling city of Camelot, which will hopefully be your new home.
It's so.. different here. Nothing like what you're used to.
----
You're sleeping off the exhaustion from your travels, when you hear a voice in your head.
It calls your name.
"Merlin.."
It sounds ominous, and slightly annoying.
The ominous voice comes with a ray of sunlight hitting you directly in your eye. You snap awake unpleasantly, and sit up.
----
I'll try and post the next part in like, 2-ish days.
The third option is basically 'ignore it but spitefully' lmao
Part 3
#merlin#bbc merlin#bbc gaius#bbc kilgharrah#kilgharrah#The dragon's call#merlin fic#choose your own adventure#this is fun guys.#merlin bbc#merlin emrys
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Return AU
Sonic letâs put a shaky breathe watching as the lady of the lake comes closer. âKing sonic. Youâve it seem fate has returned you to usâ she smile gently her voice soft as it echo throw the woods that hide the lake.
Sonic fixes his quills. âI-I guess soâ he stands and bows âitâs a pleasure to see you again my ladyâ the lady of the lake smiled and bowed back âthe pleasure is mine. You were luck enough to land in the lake tho. You have an issue with falling out the skyâ she tease pulling something from the water. Sonic chuckles âyeah I do. Maybe we need to bolt me to the groundâ he smirks watching her. Soon she pull excalibur out. His tail wags as its hand to his and annoys the sword awake âhey hey hey guess whoâs back~â excalibur wakes slightly angry and annoyed. Heâs woken up âwhat. What- my king! Youâve returned!!â Sonic smirkâs more joy fills his eyes glad there happy to see him âya miss me?â
A several hours of talking the lady of the lake speak up âcome. Let us surprise the others. They are all together in Camelot. An alliance meeting I believe. They will be happy to see you.â Sonicâs tail wags âyes! I canât wait!â
The lady of the lake gracefully walked out and to Sonicâs side. âThen letâs be offâ she said as she took the lead, excalibur in Sonicâs hands as he followed. âSoooo~ whatâs changed since Iâve last visited?â Sonic tilts his head, his ears flop to one side. âMany things my king, most of the other kingdoms are married to startâ the lady of the lady smiled her jaded eyes focused forward. âMarried? Whom? How dare they not invite me!â Sonic smirks as the lady of the lake giggles at his joke. âLet me see~ well, king mephilous married Galahad. After you freed him and his kingdom from stone he is forever in your debt, tho he wasnât pleased to work with Lancelot after you left. But he visited a lot. Galahad showed him around and they started talking move and next thing you know they were married.â Sonicâs mouth fall open âGalahad and mephilous? Youâre kidding.â The lady of the lake giggles again. âNopeâ Sonic looks at her in shock âoh chaos. What about king scourge?â The lady of the lake smiled âmarried the rogue fleetway, fleetway wouldnât leave the poor king along. Not even I know how they got togetherâ Sonic snickered ânow that. I can believeâ the lady of the lake playfully roles her eyes âoh of course thatâs believe able, letâs see miles became the first âmechanicâ as you call it. And has invented so many thing to help with the kingdom. Lancelot has also take to the throne like you asked. A bit of a rock start but he got the hang of it.â Sonic grins âthat amazing!!â âIndeed it is my kingâ âainât lance the king now? You can drop it.â âNo. Youâre the king. Lancelot is your replacement for when youâre gone.â âI still feel like heâd make a better king than me.â âKing sonic do have faith in yourself, the kingdom loves you, if anything everyone here, including Lancelot, youâd be more than happy to have you sit on the throne againâ Sonic sighs âI supposeâŠâ âdonât be so down my king.â Sonic smirks âcan you at least just call me Sonicâ the lady of the lake smirks back âand Miss the opportunity to drive you mad? No. I donât think I willâ Sonic groans playfully âyour evilâ the lady of the lake giggles âcome my king, weâre almost there.â
Sonic follows, only to come over a hill and look out and see the one place heâs missed so dearlyâŠ.
âŠ.. Camelot ïżŒ
#return AU part two#return AU#sonic the hedgehog#sonic#sonic AU#lady of the lake#excalibur#Sonadow#king author#king sonic#camerlot#knights of the round table#mephilver#Galahad#miles prower#fleetourge#fleetway
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Jimtober 2023: Dawn
Here's what I got done for Jimtober! It's not very long, but eh.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/50540605
Orange light filters in through thin satin curtains, giving the room a warm glow. Outside, Jim can hear the calls of early morning birds, the first signs of life greeting the new day.
He should still be asleep â they had a late night celebrating his birthday, having stopped over Arcadia so he could see his mom and they could all go out for drinks and a good time. They hadnât returned home until the wee hours of the morning, those ungodly hours in the darkest part of the night when sane individuals are long asleep in their beds, when the nocturnal animals are all out to play and the world seems suspended and unreal. They had stumbled into Castle Camelot drunk on alcohol and partying alike and subsequently collapsed, though some made it further than others. Heâs pretty sure Douxieâs still in the entrance hall, everyone else having been too drunk to move the sloshed wizard after he passed out, and he doubts anyone has woken and done so yet. He and Claire were part of the few who had managed to make it to their own rooms, and they were up a while later before finally falling asleep long past their bedtime. But despite that, here he is, awake. He canât say for sure why â one moment, he was asleep, and the next, he was awake, like someone had flipped his on-switch, far different from his usual groggy stirring into consciousness.
His gaze sweeps across the still room. Clothes are strewn across the floor, mostly from last night, and half the stuff that sits atop their dresser has been knocked over â he has a vague memory of nearly wiping out by falling into it while trying to rid himself of his pants. This includes some of Claireâs nail polish â all bottles thankfully still intact and sealed as far as he can tell from his vantage point â as well as a book heâs been reading as suggested to him by Toby, one of Krelâs trinkets he made as a gift for Jim last Christmas that Jim still canât figure out, and the big group picture theyâd taken during their âThe World Didnât End!â party four years ago after they defeated the Order.
It's hard to believe that happened that long ago if heâs being honest. The memories are all still so fresh and vivid. He can still feel the heat of the Fire Titan and hear Bellrocâs dual-tone voice. He can still feel the fear and that heady, intoxicating relief when they realized that it was truly and finally over and they had all miraculously made it out on the other side. He can still see the Ice Titan reforming despite their efforts and Claireâs hair turning white as she cast the spell to move the Life Titan.
Thereâs a soft snuffle beside him, drawing him from his thoughts.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear â though Claire is much better, in his opinion. Sheâs sound asleep next to him, pressed to his side with her head tucked against his shoulder and chest, cutting off the blood flow and making his right arm feel more like static than an arm. Her white hair â with small sections of brown still remaining â spills over his arm and across the pillow, now much, much longer than it had been back in high school. Dark eyelashes flutter as she readjusts herself just ever so slightly before settling back into perfect quietness. He canât help but marvel at how beautiful she is â the curve of her cheekbones, the gentle slant of her jaw, the shape of her nose and lips. He could happily spend forever just staring, meticulously memorizing each and every inch of her tan skin and her bright hair and her dark eyes over and over again.
He slowly works to wiggle his fingers and restore some feeling so that he can curl his arm around her bare shoulders and hold her closer.
Between the curtains, a single ray of brilliant sunlight shines through, the star finally emerging from beyond the eastern horizon.
With the way it lights up her face and lays in a warm strip across his skin, he canât help but think back to the day he was turned human again.
There were so many emotions and so much confusion, but Claire stood before him to light up the darkness and bring him back into reality, and he knew the moment their eyes connected that he would be ok. He couldnât say how long it might take, how long he would be disoriented, how long the fog in his mind would sit heavy, how long the exhaustion in his bones would weigh him down, but he knew he would be ok. Every day, he counts his lucky stars that he has her.
That he has everyone, really. He cannot imagine where he might be if even a single one of his friends was removed from the equation, he doesnât want to imagine it.
He feels Claire shift a little more, and looking, he sees her brow scrunch in an obvious tell that sheâs waking up.
She opens her eyes, doing her best to blink the sleep away, and a warmth bubbles up inside him at the sight of her sleepy gaze, intensified by the deep brown of her irises.
âMorning,â she greets with a hum, nuzzling further into his chest.
âMorning.â
âWhat time is it?â she asks.
âFar too early for either of us to be awake,â he says. Especially after last night.
âMmm. So why are you already awake, then?â she asks.
âBeats me,â he says.
More sunlight spills into their room, and Claireâs eyes turn from dark chocolate to warm liquid caramel. She smiles sweetly at him, and his heart swells in his chest. She brings a hand up to lovingly brush a piece of hair from his face and then trails down to caress his chess and settles to cup his jaw.
He all but blurts out, âI love you,â the feeling too big to possibly contain.
âI know,â she says, her smile turning cheeky.
âOk, Han Solo,â Jim teases.
âYou and I both know Iâm Princess Leia,â she says. âNow, how about we go back to sleep, hm?â
He nods, and her hand slips from his face to settle atop his chest as she nuzzles back down, closing her eyes once more with a content sigh.
His mind goes to the velvet box sitting at the bottom of one of his coat pockets, inside of which can be found a ring wrought from sterling silver and studded with a violet diamond he cut himself with the guidance of Blinky.
He thinks about late nights like last night, falling into each otherâs arms. He thinks about early mornings like this one, sleepy in the newborn sunlight. He thinks about that being every night and every morning, getting to have this every day of his life.
He canât wait.
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Merlin X GN!Fae!Reader Modern AU
I wrote this purely out of my own suffering in my heart. Gooosh I miss the show so much ;-; Reader can be a good friend of love interest. Left it up to the reader. I think about Merlin wondering around the earth waiting for Arthur much more then Iâd like to admit. Anyway. Enjoy!
Little sad, fluffy ending. Merlin misses Arthur.
Slight warning: Mentions of death, spoilers??? If you havenât ever finished watching BBC Merlin ^^
Playlist listened to during the writing process: https://youtu.be/_DMo7B7oAVo?si=WVMp4ZYLMGiIDdaQ
youtube
~Maldo
Merlin sat quietly under the gray thundering clouds. Nothing but the company of an old park bench and the creaking of its old wood underneath his legs. Pellets of water graced the young man's shoulder as the sky weeped upon him. Well⊠prehapes⊠young wasnât the right word⊠Not anymore at least. Truthfully he was⊠millennia upon millennia years old. He only appeared young⊠bright eyes and high cheekbones. The weight of carrying such heavy misery waved from the corners of his eyes with a little sorcery still brightly dancing in his veins. Magic had long died in this world, yet not in him. Clinging on to thin threads from a promise made to him long, long ago.
The once and future king will rise again.
Creeaak. The interruption made Merlin nearly jump out of his whole skin. His eyes immediately looked to the source of the sound. Where he found an old friend. A fae with many secrets⊠yet still a comforting presence. A small smile crept onto his lips, his eyes crinkling slightly. âCome to keep my company in the rain, (Y/N)?â They promptly returned his smile. The rain seemed to lighten with them here beside him. They had that sort of effect on the world . âSomeone has to, otherwise you might just let the rain consume you.â
âYou might be right about that.â He shot back with a low chuckle. In all of his years of being alive. (Y/N) was still the only one in eons to bring amusement back into his tear stained heart. He took a deep breath, basking in the rain's chill icy touch. He closed his eyes briefly and simply let humanityâs silence rush over him in waves. What was he doing hereâŠ? Truly? Still waiting for Arthur? Merlinâs memories of him were still freshly cut in his mind. The pair running through the castle halls like fools and the iron still strong in his mouth from the battles they faced⊠The scars he kept when Arthur died in his armsâŠ
âMerlinâŠ?â He flinched when he sensed (Y/N) wrap their delicate fingers around his arm. Though he quickly relaxed, the warmth of their head on his shoulder chasing away some of those unruly demons. âYour doing it again.â They spoke softly, always so courteous to his feelingsâŠ
âSorry⊠I canât help it sometimes⊠I was suppose to protect him-â
âIt wasnât your fault Merlin.â (Y/N) cut him off before he blumitted to far into his guilt. Merlin let out a long sigh, he certainly didnât agree with them⊠but he knew better than to argue.
âWhat was he like?â Merlin fixated his eyes on them again, brows raised above his head. The question had taken him aback for a second. Unsure if heâd heard it correctly. âArthur?â He confirmed watching them nod. They hummed, peering up at him with those wide curious eyes heâd come to cherish in his years of immortality. Their cheek a little smooshed up against his shoulder. He couldnât help the wide grin spamming across his face.
âWell, first off he was a complete ass-â A fit of giggles erupted from (Y/N) mouth at the comment, followed up with his own series of laughter. The rain didnât feel so cold along his shoulder anymoreâŠ
Merlin went into all the details of his adventures with the young king of Camelot. Their adventures, conversations, the friends theyâd made and the memories theyâd forged together. His mood lifted with each word, recounting each step heâd taken next with his best friend. The one he missed so dearlyâŠ
âHe was an idiot sometimes⊠but he was a good man with a good heart. He always wanted to do what was right.â As soon as heâd spoken the words, he sensed (Y/N) curl tighter around his arm. Their loving touch melding with his own. He was so grateful they were here with him. His body moved on its own, clasping one of their hands with his and pulling them closer. Resting his head on top of theirs. The motion brought a harsh burning lump into his throat. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes.
âItâs okay to cry Merlin. To mourn something youâve lost even after all this time.â
Thatâs all it took. Large tears welded in his eyes and cascaded over his pale cheeks. Becoming lost in the sea of droplets still raining down from the sky. He stayed this way for several minutes. Clinging and sobbing into (Y/N) arms. Their gentle fingers circling soothing circles onto his arms. Everything heâd kept bottled up inside of him for so long ruptured violently and without apology. He didnât need one. Not with them.
Over some time, the tears did run dry. He snuffled a few times as he wiped away the excess unflattering snot leaking from his nose with shaking hands. It was as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from him. Feeling so light he might fly off into the heavens to find Arthur himself.
âBetter?â (Y/N) voice sweetly questioned. He smiled toward them through his tear filled lashes. âBetter, thank you. I needed that.â
#Merlin#BBC Merlin#Merlin x reader#arthur pendragon#uther pendragon#morgana#x reader#fanfic#maldo writes#imagines#Merlin Imagines#Merlin Imagine#Mordred#magic#Maldo#cry#sad#fluff#Youtube
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A SERVANT'S FRIENDSHIP â arthur pendragon â
Chapter Fourteen - He's Just A Boy âArthur... swaâŠâ Merlin croaked out. Gaius held his hand, encouraging his nephew, âMerlin, you must fight it.â The boy seemed to flinch at being near someone so sickly and quickly handed the letter to Lynette before departing. The girl watched him go with a peculiar gaze, but her mind didnât rest on the messenger long. Merlin didnât have that kind of time. She read the letter and was surprised to find its sender to be the King of Camelot. While she knew he would eventually discover Arthurâs escape from the castle, she had hoped she would at least have a few more days. Lynette showed the contents of the message to her father, whose only response was to not keep him waiting. The blonde left hurriedly, casting one last glance toward her cousin, who reached a hand out to her as if in search of her. She wanted to return to him, but she knew better. The longer the servant kept Uther waiting, the worse his wrath would be. She went toward Morganaâs chambers, flinching when she heard his fury echoing through the halls. She knocked on Morganaâs chambers timidly, hearing Morganaâs voice before entering. Uther stood next to one of the windows, his fist tightening as he shook in apparent fury. He was still dressed in his ceremonial cloak from the feast, and his crown, a symbol of power, sat on his head. It had been days since Arthurâs departure from Camelot, and it looked as if the king had neither slept nor eaten. Lynette looked worriedly over at Morgana, who didnât appear surprised at her guardianâs reaction. She was in one of her night dresses, having changed herself so she wouldnât bother Gwen or Lynette as they tended to Merlin. Lynette had to clear her throat to announce her presence, not trusting her voice to be strong as the king rounded on her, âYou knew about this, didn't you?â Lynette stepped back as his eyes landed on her, âMy lord?â âDon't lie to me.â Uther spat. âHe tells you everything.â âArthurâs old enough to make decisions for himself.â Morgana intervened, but Uther held up a finger to silence her. âArthur, indeed, is more than capable of deciding who is worth saving,â Lynette stated. âHe's just a boy,â Uther countered, " a boy who still does not know what it takes to be king.â Morgana scoffed, âHave you seen your son recently? You have to let him make his own mind up.â âEven if it means letting him go to his death?â Lynette faltered slightly at Utherâs words. She had been prepared to defend Arthurâs choice, yet the blonde had forgotten who stood before her. Uther may be the King of Camelot, but he was also Arthurâs father. He had every right to worry about his son's safety and the kingdom's future. What caused Lynette to not lose her momentum with Uther was that he had no authority to decide who was worth saving. She wouldnât let him have the final say over whether Merlin lived or died. Arthur had made his choice. Uther must now make a choice on whether or not to support his son. âYes,â Lynette answered firmly. Your son chose to put someone elseâs needs above his ownâa quality that a good king should have. Despite what you may believe, the prince has a mind of his own, and I did nothing to influence his decision to pursue the antidote. If you will excuse me, sire, I must return to my cousin's side.â
THE ALBION ESCAPADES read here: wattpad
tag family: @arrthurpendragon, @eddysocs, @darth-caillic, @dancingsunflowers-ocs, @kmc1989, @ocappreciation, @ocs-supporting-ocs, @lostinwonderland314, @oneirataxia-girl if you want to be added to my family, all you have to do is ask!
#my fics#the albion escapades#fic: a servant's friendship#ch: lynette wyllt#arthur pendragon#bradley james#bbc merlin#arthur pendragon x oc#merlinedit#chapter update#fanfic#merlinfanfic#wattpad#wattpad fanfic#ochub#ocappreciation
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The Pleasure of Your Company
HI!!!! I absolutely love your work on AO3, especially your works in the Merlin fandom. I was wondering, would you write one specifically about Leon? All the ones I've read which go into his internal pain and the suffering he deals with trying to look after everyone just keep him in Camelot. There's none about him wanting to leave to ease his suffering or to escape from this 'cage' that might have been created for him by his family and friends because he feels he has to stay, or any debate with himself which reasons why he hasn't left Camelot. Basically, the 'vibe' I get from him is that he feels stuck in his position and can't change at all because of the crippling fear of rejection. Especially since it seems like he's the 'odd number' friend, the 'disposable' one, which seems to be the case with 'mother hens' because who cares for them when they're feeling down? He just doesn't seem happy to me. Anyway, you don't have to write this, it was just an idea I had. I'd write one myself but, life, you know? Hope your day goes great! IntenseDreamer1 :)
Read on Ao3
Warnings: none
Pairings: leon/morgana (what's their ship name???)
Word Count: 2988
When the feared sorceress Morgana's wickedness is revealed to have been exacerbated by a poisonous mind charm at the hands of her sister, Morgause, Camelot becomes the unwitting host to the last of the High Priestesses of the Old Religion. She is not to be trusted out and about the citadel, and so must be placed under constant watch. Who better to assign, then, than Camelot's First Knight himself? Leon has missed the Lady Morgana, he can admit, and as the years belie the changes they both have undergone, they find themselves hovering much closer to friends than to hostage and guard. And in truth, there might be more to both of them than they initially cared to admit.
  "You're punishing yourself."
Leon pauses, halfway through filling Morgana's cup with tea. "I beg your pardon, My Lady?"
Morgana gives him a look that says she's not about to have this argument again, but she nods for him to continue pouring. She waits until the cup is full and he's set down the teapot to speak again. "You're punishing yourself."
"I would hardly count tea with you as a punishment," he remarks as he retakes his seat, pouring his own cup. "Sugar or honey?"
"Honey." She holds out the cup to allow him to add the honey. "And you know very well what I'm referring to."
"I assure you," he says with a softness that most might deem unfit for the company to whom he speaks, "that I am far from averse to spending time with you, My Lady, despite your current situation."
"What an artful word for imprisonment," Morgana remarks wryly as she stirs her tea, "it's a wonder Arthur's so bad at diplomacy if it's truly you who taught him."
"I wouldn't dream of remarking on that."
"Come, you're in neither polite nor company, you can speak your mind." When he allows himself a smile yet shakes his head all the same, she rolls her eyes. "I can't imagine Camelot's first knight volunteering for guard duty."
"It is far from simply 'guard duty,' My Ladyâ"
"Oh, of course. Not every guard is qualified to stand vigil over the wicked sorceress who almost brought Camelot to ruin."
It's his turn to give her a slightly chiding look. "I would hardly use the word 'wicked' to describe you."
"Perhaps you would prefer 'evil?' It is far more straightforward. Or 'scheming,' that's a good one." Her brow quirks. "Perhaps even 'wretched?'"
"'Wicked' and 'evil' are cut from the same cloth," he says instead, "and do not fully describe how you were affected by Morgause's own desire for revenge against Camelot. 'Scheming,' perhaps, but then any tactician could be described as such."
He sets his cup down and slides the platter of fresh rolls towards her.
"And the only 'wretched' thing about you is the suffering you have had to endure."
Her hand trembles slightly but she hides it well, setting her cup down and reaching for a roll with such a sigh. "It's a wonder you aren't a poet instead of a knight."
"I'm afraid the King's idea of poetry isn't quite what I have in mind for myself, no." He reaches for a roll too, tearing off a small piece as she takes a bite. "Good?"
She hums. He smiles and tastes it too; the baker has done an excellent job with this batch, indeed. Warm and sweet, paired perfectly with the suggested tea. He will have to stop by and pass on their compliments. They sit there for a moment, simply enjoying it, before Morgana's foot nudges his leg.
"You're avoiding the subject."
"On the contrary, I believe I have made it quite clear that I enjoy spending time with you."
"Not that."
He shifts to ease a cramp in his arm. "Why else would you believe me to be punishing myself?"
"You're isolating yourself from the other knights. From Arthur, from Merlin." Morgana runs her finger over the edge of her teacup. "You know this post demands several hoursâmore, in your case, since there are so few guards willing to relieve you from your shifts. You know these chambers are on the other side of the castle from everyone elseâespecially Arthur and Merlin. And you know that none of them will ask you how your days have been when you have spent them all in here with me."
She leaves the cup aside and leans onto her elbows, interlacing her fingers.
"You of all people know how important morale is for a warrior, so tell me: if purposefully distancing yourself from your brothers in arms isn't punishing yourself, what else would you be doing?"
Leon's hand does not shake as he puts down his cup, nor does he break eye contact as he turns to face her properly. He mirrors her position and tilts his head. "Have you grown bored, My Lady?"
Her brow furrows. "What are you talking about?"
He indicates the positions they've taken. "Have we something to negotiate? Or is this a debate?"
Morgana seems to realize the somewhat confrontational way she's positioned herself in the conversation and lets her hands slide back along the table, reaching for her teacup with an almost petulant air. "All I'm saying is that I'm the one who's supposed to be undergoing the process of atonement and redemption. I see no reason for you to be acting as though you're doing the same."
He allows himself to relax as well, picking up the discarded roll. "I don't know how many times I can assure you that I enjoy my time spent with you."
"That's not the punishment I'm referring to," she says, her voice a slight bit harsher, "and you know it. At this point, you're not even being subtle."
Leon debates holding out a moment longer before he accepts defeat, taking another sip of his tea. "You are right, of course, My Lady. I suppose I amâŠwell, I don't know if I am punishing myself as much as indulging a bad habit."
Morgana doesn't gloat, simply taps her fingers on the table. "And what bad habit would this be?"
"Feeding an unfair suspicion."
She groans. "If you're just going to be vague, I'm going to start throwing those rolls at you until you give me a plain answer."
Speaking of which, he tears off another small piece and eats it. "I don't wish to burden you with the insecurities of a foolish old knight."
"I am confined to one set of rooms with the same foolish old knight for company," she says without missing a beat, "please, burden me and alleviate me of my boredom or else I'll start trying to take over the kingdom again."
He allows himself a chuckle as she smiles behind the rim of her teacup. But, as before, she is correct, and so he spares another moment to gather his thoughts before he speaks once more.
"I'm sure it did not escape your noticeâhas not, I should sayâthat I amâŠunique amongst the King's trusted knights. I am the longest serving, I served his father before him for many, many years, and I amâŠwell, I am perhaps what most would consider the typical knight."
Morgana hums, cradling the warm mug to her chest.
"As such, I haveâŠtaken a position of seniority amongst the King's knights, both as his first knight and in the Knights of the Round Table, by virtue of my experience, or age, or the relationship I have with the King." He hesitates a moment before adding: "I do not think it to be an overstatement to say I am often the voice of reason when conflicts arise, friendly or fearful."
He's rewarded with a small snort and a nod, but she gestures for him to keep going. When he hesitates again, she speaks. "I have no other confidant that I would spill your secrets to. Do not feel the need to watch your words so closely."
"Thank you, My Lady."
Still, it takes him a moment of wrestling with himself to figure out just what it is he wants to put words to. After all, words have within themselves a power. If he speaks it, it becomes real, and despite all his accolades, he is not sure he has the courage to confront the reality of the amorphous shapes in his mind and heart. Morgana allows him his silence, only prompting for another cup of tea when hers runs dry.
"I care for my brothers deeply," he says as he pours, "I would die for them as I know they would die for me. It is no burden to care for them when they fall or are otherwise uncertain. I would gladly go without sleep if it meant they would be able to rest comfortably."
The next words stick to the inside of his throat and so he swallows them and tries again.
"I am grateful to be the one they turn to, the one they can rely on. It is a position that I regard with great honor and privilege and I would do anything in my power to maintain such a level of trust."
Yet again, they hook barbs into the side of his throat and he drinks and eats to unstick them.
"I have noticed that sometimes my efforts to join in their fun are regarded asâŠunsuccessful." He glances toward the window, through which the faint sounds from the training fields can be heard. "I believe Gwaine has referred to me as 'the end of the night' in the past. I didn'tâI do not think I always used to be."
His next words feel almost treasonous to speak, and so he hesitates once more.
"Sometimes I think about leaving Camelot," he confesses, "if I am truly so changed from the man I once thought I was."
"If I may be so selfish as to ask you not to," comes Morgana's voice, "who else would guard me as politely and indulgently as you?"
"And once you are no longer in a position to need guarding?" He looks at her. "When you have atoned and redeemed, and the kingdom has welcomed you back with open armsâwhich they will, My Lady, upon my honor, they willâthen what am I to do? Will Camelot find another responsibility that they deem only I capable of shouldering?"
"I could always pretend to be power hungry again," she offers, and they both laugh for they know she wouldn't. He shakes his head ruefully.
"I suppose I am as I said: a foolish old knight who has grown weary of being so old and foolish."
Morgana is quiet for a moment before she puts down her cup and calls for his attention. He gives it. "You are not foolish, Leon. It's because you aren't foolish that you feel this way. The suspicion, the one you referred to indulging, it's that no one would bother to come and look for you or care for you if you weren't there, right?"
"You are perceptive as always, My Lady," he says quietly, despite the slight ache in his chest at how effectively her words have pierced him.
"Are you seriously considering leaving Camelot?"
"No, I fear I am too much a coward. I enjoy the life I have here, truly, I do, and I care for the people here, the family I have made for myself. I could no more leave it than I could no longer wield a sword to defend them." After a moment, he glances at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "And should you ever decide to turn your appetites to power."
She laughs, looking for a moment the young lady Camelot lost so long ago, before she reaches across the small distance between them to take his hand. He allows it, bringing hers up to press a courtly kiss to its back.
"Don't leave me with these fools," she stage-whispers with mock and earnest conviction alike.
"I won't, My Lady."
A knock interrupts them, Leon standing and opening the door to see another guard. "The King has asked for you."
He nods, turning to retrieve his sword from its place near his chair and bowing his head to Morgana. "I will see you later."
Had he noticed the thoughtful look on her face as he left, he may have been more prepared for the crowd inside her chambers when he arrives for his shift the next day. As it stands, he can only look on in silent bewilderment as Morgana opens the door to reveal Arthur, Merlin, Gwen, and the rest of the knights already inside, chatting and laughing as though this were the tavern.
"My Lady," he greets, more out of instinct than anything, "IâŠ"
"Oi, there he is!" Gwaine beams at him from his seat on the floor, waving him inside. "Get over here and settle an argument, would you?"
"What argument would this be?"
Elyan rolls his eyes. "Gwaine's trying to convince us that it's a noble tradition to eat entirely apples for one of the festival meals, which I think is complete and utterâ"
"Look, just because you don't like apples doesn't mean that itâ"
"You know we've been to the feasts here, right?"
"Those are for everyone! Not just the nobles!"
"He's right," Arthur addsâsince when is Arthur on Gwaine's side about anything?â "it was a massive fight to change it with my father."
"This has been going on for quite a while," Gwen informs him and Merlin hums, "they think you'll be the tie-breaker."
Leon simply nods, still attempting to wrap his head around why, exactly, all of them are here. Gwaine notices his silence and throws his arms up.
"Well? Back us up here, Leon!"
Leon glances around at the sea of expectant faces, before he sighs. "You're mistaken, Gwaine, there was never a feast consisting only of apples."
"Hah!" Elyan smacks Gwaine's shoulder. "I knew it, youâ"
"It was pumpkins."
Gwaine throws his head back and laughs as Elyan splutters in disbelief. Leon simply smiles.
"The squash were suited for little other than decorations to the peasant folk, and so the crown decided to host a feast where the castle's kitchens would do the cooking and everyone would partake. Then, of course, there was the pulp-throwing contest, during which people would take the leftover seeds and pulp and throw them at each other."
"I can never tell," Lancelot mutters to Merlin, "when he's joking."
"None of us can, it's a skill."
"Come sit," Arthur says, waving him over to the last empty chair, "stop standing by the door like that."
He comes obediently, sitting and letting both Gwen and Merlin shove all sorts of food and drink toward him. Pear juiceâŠroasted duckâŠthe bread rolls that the baker makes twice a weekâŠhold on a moment.
"What," Percival laughs when he looks up in surprise, "did you think we didn't know your favorites?"
"Iâwellâ"
"You're the only one so far who's weasled their way out of letting Arthur spoil you with what you like," Merlin says as Arthur tries to shush him, "so we decided to surprise you instead."
"To Leon," Gwaine announces, standing and holding up a goblet, "without whom we would be so much worse off than we are!"
The rest of them toast and drink, and Arthur leans over to grab his shoulder.
"Enjoy yourself, old friend," he says quietly as the rest of them return to their merriment, "you're very bad at it."
"Yes," Leon says weakly, "I suppose I am."
"Indulge," comes Morgana's voice as Arthur gets pulled into another argument, and he turns to see her holding out one of the rolls, "it's the least you can do after I've been besieged by fools."
His eyes widen as he takes in the true meaning of her words, taking the roll with no small amount of wonder. "Thank you, My Lady."
"Well, I figured it's the least I could do, after all you've done for me."
"That and I'm pretty sure her crush hasn't faded," Gwen chimes in and several things happen at once.
One, Morgana whips around and hisses Gwen!
Two, her cheeks turn a pale pink.
Three, Leon feels his own do the same.
Gwen looks unapologetic, shrugging as Morgana glares at her. "If I had to listen to it for years, I'd imagine it's lingered."
Morgana's features twist and contort. "Why would you say that? I do not!"
"Yes, you do," Arthur calls helpfully and she throws a roll at him, one he can't even be bothered to catch for laughing.
"Why did I agree not to kill you again?"
Leon just manages to wrap his head around what's just occurred in time to catch her hand with his own. Morgana quiets, staring at him with an apprehension that does not become her, one because he has always known her to support herself, first and foremost, and two, because, well, it's quite unwarranted.
"As I said," he murmurs, low enough for the two of them, "I have always enjoyed my time with you."
The flush on both of their cheeks grows stronger as he slowly raises her hand to his lips once more, chastely brushing a kiss to her knuckles. A small smile finds itself on her face and he smooths his gloved thumb over her fingers.
"Boo," Gwaine hollers, "kiss her properly!"
It takes him not even a second to grab another roll and throw it at Gwaine.
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Shield of Camelot
Chapter 4 Lancelot and 4.5 an overheard conversation
Chapter 4: Lancelot and 4.5: an overheard conversation
(this one is a bit of a flashback in the form of a dream.)
Percival blinked as Merlin and Gaius came to him as he tended to his weapons and stood to greet them. âSit, Percival. Merlin has a request,â Gaius said firmly.Â
Percival nodded and sat, curious about what Merlin had to say. âArthur wants Gaius and I to take care of Lancelotâs burial, and I was wondering if youâd be willing to help,â Merlin said quietly.Â
Percival swallowed hard at that, watching Merlinâs eyes. He couldnât deny that there were tears in his friendâs eyes. He had taken everything especially hard, and to have lost Lancelot twice had been hard on the knights as well as Merlin. âIâll do whatever you need me to,â he said softly.Â
Merlin nodded. âMeet me at the lake two hours before sunset. You know the place.âÂ
Percival nodded. âWill the others be there too?â
Merlin shook his head. âIâm afraid not. Thereâs something I have to check, and the fewer who see it, the better.âÂ
Percival had to admit, he was perplexed at that, but decided that it was probably best not to pry, and whatever Merlin had to do, was something that he trusted Percival with. Percival suspected that Merlin and Lancelot had feelings for each other, but he wasnât going to speculate or judge because of it.
âOh, and Percival,â Merlin said, snapping him out of his thoughts and Percival looked at Merlin. âDress plain and see if a commoner will lend you a horse. Not a knight's horse, but a commonerâs horse,â he added calmly.Â
This confused Percival even more but before he could ask anything, Gaius and Merlin left. Percival shrugged but continued to work on ensuring his sword was sharp, just in case he needed it.Â
Percival joined Merlin at the lake and saw that Lancelot had already been placed in the boat, yellow and white flowers lay around his body and Percival took note of how peaceful Lancelot looked. He did not look anything like what Percival was used to dead bodies looking like. He looked far more peaceful than expected, almost like he was asleep. Percival felt a lump form in his throat and chest when seeing him like that and he heard Merlin nearby. âNeeded a witness?â he asked plainly.Â
âYes and no. I still need to check something. What Iâm about to do, you canât tell anyone,â Merlin said softly.
Percival nodded. âI will not judge.â He said quietly, taking note of how nervous and scared Merlin seemed to be.
Merlin seemed relieved as he leaned over Lancelot, staring at his face before putting a hand on his forehead. Merlin then spoke. âIvathsne Nidthisne tin tregarden sole.â Percival swore Merlinâs eyes flashed golden afterwards and stared, wondering if he was dreaming. He and Merlin both startled slightly as Lancelot suddenly inhaled and Percival stared down at Lancelot, whose head moved to look at Merlin and his eyes were open.Â
âMerlin, thank you,â he heard Lancelot whisper before Lancelot closed his eyes and became still again, though Percival could tell he was still breathing, though it seemed weak and ragged and saw Merlin sigh in relief.Â
âNot what I expected, but I wonât tell,â Percival said, heart thudding at the revelation that Merlin had magic. He knew he couldnât tell anyone. Arthur would have to kill Merlin, and that would destroy Arthur, as well as the unity amongst the knights.Â
Merlin nodded. âI made a decoy using the body of a bandit that tried to attack me on the way here, but I wasnât sure this would work. I need another favor.âÂ
Percival nodded, having a feeling he knew what it was, and that it still had to do with Lancelot. He then gave Merlin a look, did Merlin really kill someone who attacked him. He shook his head as Merlin continued to talk.
âTake him out of Camelot, Caerlonâs border is the closest. Find a healer there and tell them that heâs ill and needs care. Leave this on him to read once heâs better. It will tell him that I will let him know when it is safe to return. When Arthur is no longer so hurt by what happened while he was under Morganaâs spell that he wants to kill him. Iâll take care of everything else. No one but us will know what happened here.â
Percival nodded, gently picking up the unconscious Lancelot and mounting the horse he borrowed, knowing time was of the essence with this. That Merlinâs spell had freed Lancelot and brought him back to them once again, but whatever was done to him may still be the death of him. He rode as fast as he was willing to have the horse go while carrying a passenger straight for the border.
It was night time by the time he reached the border and passed it, slowing the horse into a normal pace till he found a spot to set up camp and dismounted, gently laying Lancelot on the ground. The man hadnât stirred at all and Percival checked to see if he had a pulse. He swallowed hard at feeling how weak it actually was and noticed that Lancelotâs breathing was a lot weaker as well. âHang in there Lancelot. Donât let Merlinâs effort be wasted,â he whispered as he wrapped him in an old blanket heâd brought with him.Â
He held Lancelot close, holding Lancelotâs head over his heart, hoping that the steady rhythm would help him somehow and found that he himself couldnât sleep. His mind was plagued with thoughts of the events that day. Merlin was a sorcerer, and had trusted him with his secret. He had to admit that something about that made sense, especially with the Lamia incident. Merlinâs magic must have protected him from her influence. Percival flinched; he had never apologized for his behavior towards Merlin during that. Whether it was pride or not, he didnât know. Merlin had never demanded it either.Â
Percival sighed, then heard a noise. He focused and listened intently, trying to gauge whether it was a threat or not, before realizing that it was laughter, and it was close. He looked at the borrowed horse and saw that it was asleep, worn out from the hard ride. He held Lancelot close as he stood up and walked towards the sound and saw a light shining through the trees. He could tell it was a building, but whether or not it was an inn or a tavern, he couldnât tell.
He walked towards it quickly, holding Lancelot close and hearing him start to gasp. âHang in there,â Percival whispered and broke into a run, slamming the door open as he got there. âHelp us, please,â he called, flinching at the sound.Â
He saw several men jump up, hands on weapons, before they laid eyes on Lancelot, who was significantly paler than he had been when theyâd left the lake. One, a well dressed young man stood. âI wasnât expected to have to work today, but it seems like Iâm needed. Bring him upstairs, quickly.â
Percival nodded, relieved and followed. The man motioned for him to lay Lancelot on the bed, and Percival did so quickly. The man frowned after looking him over. âHeâs got a nasty curse placed on him. A curse of death. Had you gotten here even ten minutes later, there would have been nothing I could do,â the man said as he poured something in Lancelotâs mouth and made him swallow by rubbing his throat gently.Â
Percival nodded. âHe canât return home, not yet,â he said softly.
The man eyed him. âYou have to return though.â
Percival flinched, wondering if the man knew of his mission and how. âI do,â he agreed warily. âI will leave this here for him when he wakes. This is for you.â He handed the man a small sack of coins, before leaving the note near the bed.Â
The man weighed it in his hands before nodding, satisfied. âVery well, I'll make sure the other witnesses understand that you at least, were never here. Safe travels.â He settled to watch over Lancelot as Percival forced himself to leave and return to his camp, wondering if he was doing the right thing.Â
Percival jolted awake covered in sweat and went over to his window, opening it and letting the cooler night air in. He couldnât help but wonder why that memory came back as a dream now of all times. He shook his head, taking note that it was quite close to sunrise, so thereâd be no point in trying to fall back asleep. He threw his clothes on and went into the hall, figuring he had time to visit Gaiusâs chambers and see how Gwaine was doing.
He frowned. He'd been trying to avoid visiting while Gareth was there. Something about the younger knight felt off, and he seemed so scared of everyone; but Garethâs arm still needed care as the burn had been quite severe, and Gareth didnât seem to want to leave. Alvor had tried to force Gareth to leave at one point, but Arthur had been there and told Alvor that Gareth would stay there until Gaius said it was okay.Â
Alvor hadnât liked that, but wisely chose not to argue, instead shooting a nasty look at Arthur and the other knights before storming away, leaving behind a very withdrawn Gareth. Percival frowned, recalling that Gareth seemed to have almost shut down entirely for the rest of the day until Gaius had done something to calm him and let him tend to him. He'd still been rather quiet and seemed to sneer when anyone not Gaius approached or tried to talk to him.Â
As he passed Gaiusâs place he saw the window was open and Leon was standing there. Leon motioned for him to keep quiet and motioned him over. Percival came over and listened. He heard a voice talking, and recognized it as Garethâs. It sounded almost like he was talking to himself, and he realized that Gareth was talking to Gwaine even though he was unconscious. âWeâre half brothers, you know,â he heard Gareth say. âMy mom and your mom are the same. My fa⊠Sir Alvor, he found her one day and brought her home. She⊠She died wondering what had happened to you. If you were still alive, you know. She never gave up hope youâd one day find her again. Told me stories of the brave big brother I might never get to meet. Seeing you now, I canât stand it. You look so much like her when she got ill. Please, youâve got to wake up. I need you now more than ever.â
There was a long pause. âWhat happened to my arm was no accident. My father hates Arthurâs round table knights. Hates that Arthurâs so close with them. He sees them as not worth Arthurâs time. He was aiming for Elyan to be either badly hurt, or killed, and sabotaged the thing that held the vat. Guinevere wasnât supposed to be there and I wasnât supposed to intervene. When I saw it fall towards her, I knew I couldnât let it happen. I donât know why, perhaps itâs because sheâs my queen. Fatherâs probably ready to kill me, and if Iâm overheard talking about it...â Gareth got quiet again.Â
âDamn it, Iâm such a coward. I canât even stand up to him. Canât even tell the king himself that I was forced to lie about my age. Canât even tell them that Iâm not even sixteen yet.â Percival heard Gareth sob out and he and Leon exchanged glances at that. Everything was starting to make sense about Gareth now. âAnd I know if Iâm found out, I'm as good as dead. My knighthood will be stripped of me, and my father told me that heâd kill me himself if I was ever caught. If heâs caught itâll be both of us, and heâll kill me for sure. Probably leave me in a ditch like heâs always threatened. I just⊠I wish you were awake. Iâm certain youâd protect me, and guide me. Then again, maybe itâs best youâre not, as I donât know if youâd believe me. Or if youâd just consider me a bastard because of who my father is. I guess what Iâm most scared of is being alone. Being thrown away and seen as useless as Iâve always been told I am.â Garethâs voice cracked. Percival felt his heart break at Garethâs tone. He sounded so lost, so broken. And for him to be as young as he said, he shouldnât have been hurt, he should have been protected, instead of being used by Alvor.Â
There was the sound of a bedroom door opening at that and the sound of someone scrambling to get back in bed. Leon and Percival walked away, hoping they hadnât been noticed before stopping a good ways away. âIâm going to go report everything to Arthur. Stay with Gareth and Gwaine. Donât give away you heard anything yet. I hope Arthur will let Gareth stay as a squire of the round table. So we all can teach him that heâs got nothing to be afraid of, not anymore,â Leon said calmly, though Percival could see the anger in his eyes at the injustice that Gareth had to suffer through for so long.
Percival nodded, knowing it would be best to let Leon deal with the situation with Alvor and Arthur. âGladly, kidâs been through enough.âÂ
Leon nodded and walked towards the palace and Percival walked to Gaiusâs door and went in, seeing that Gareth was pretending to sleep and hide the fact heâd just poured everything out on an unconscious man. Percival put his hand gently on Garethâs head, feeling the boy tense underneath his touch and felt Merlinâs stare. He mouthed âlaterâ at Merlin and saw him nod and smile gently, telling him wordlessly that he'd also heard everything.
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LâMorte dâDinadan
(TW: Blood)
Dinadan ached.Â
Having bested the evil knight Brehu a few days ago, he once again found himself going to make another speech about how the King of Cornwall was, once again, unfit for the throne.Â
âOf course,â Dinadan, antennae warbling in the wind from frustration, spoke aloud to himself, âThe most Iâll get is another lecturing about how change continues slowly, apace. Honestly, youâd think someone with as much power as the King of the Bloody Round Table would realize the damn power he was sitting on. Perhaps he sat on Excalibur.â The Roach gave a chortle at the mental image of his King sitting on the rather uncomfortable object.
Despite his complaints, Dinadan was as loyal as any man in the Round Table. Should Arthur command it, he would willingly lay his life on the line. Though, in the case of Arthur, he wished he didnât have to do it so damn frequently. I mean, is there any harm in a break every now and again?
As he grumbled to himself about his conditions, he couldnât help but detect the sound of hoofbeats that werenât his own in the distance. Antennae stood up as he saw two horses appear over the horizon, walking down the path he was travelling.Â
Well, he thought, I guess I wonât have to commiserate by myself. I can not well and truly throw a pity party. Dinadan joked, as the two horsemen began to approach. Of course, his hopes of having someone to talk to were dashed when he saw that it was Mordred and Agravain- Two of the most humorless bastards this side of Camelot. He supposed that it was better than no one, though. Stopping his horse, Scuttle quickly dismounted, Mordred and the other doing the same.
âWell well, when it rains, does it pour. Hail, Mordred,â Dinadan waved, as Mordred approached, âWhat can Dinadan do for-â Sharp, shooting pain erupted from the Knightâs gut. Looking down, he saw that the fellow knight had lodged a knife directly into his stomach. With a twist, Dinadan slouched forward slightly, his wings flitting out in a useless attempt to fly, perhaps away from this situation. Antennae droop forward as Mordred pulled the knife out-Â
Another explosion of pain wracked his body as Agravain stabbed in his upper belly. Blood was starting to soak the Roachâs gambeson as he staggered forward, no longer supported by the weight of Mordred. Falling to his knees, Mordred delivered one final stab directly to his back, pulling the blade out quicker this time.Â
Breath seemed to no longer find the Roach as he stared ahead on the path. Red discoloring the suit of armor and gambeson he wore as his eyes became unfocused. The sound of hoofbeats started up as his attackers- Those he trusted- Began to ride off.Â
Dinadan hit the ground on his shoulder, the world becoming blurry.
In his last moments of consciousness, the Knight was confused.
#[Phantom or Agent?] - IC#[G.U.N. Agent] - B.U.G. Squad#[Outside the Round Table] - Black Knight AU#phantom-vs-agents#((sorry i saw that dinadan died and was like 'so is no one gonna pick up this angst' and didnt wait for an answer))
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Emrys and His Bane
Merlin just wants to continue to help the magical world in his own way, as he has been doing for the last year. Now, he has a baby-faced knight clutching at his cape, begging to be taught magic and shaking up all of Merlin's carefully curated peace. But could working with Mordred change the future enough to save Arthur?
Chapter 1
on AO3
[mild threats to each other, but no follow through]
Ships: Merlin & Mordred (platonic)
Merlin never wanted his vigilantism to come back to bite him.
And yet, here he is, staring down a knight of Camelot while he is shrouded in blacks and dark greens, eyes still shimmering gold. Of course, itâs the last knight he would want to catch him as well.
âEmrys,â Mordred breathed out, startled.
Merlin withheld a growl. He didnât have time for interruptions but couldnât risk the little knight attempting to follow. âWhat do you want, Mordred?â Merlinâs hand remained raised in warning.
The young druid stared a moment longer before straightening himself, stating, âI saw you slip away and was worried something was wrong.â
Merlinâs hand twitched, attempting to contain his irritation. âItâs nothing of your concern. I have it handled. Go back to the castle,â he grumbled through gritted teeth.
Mordred puffed his chest out even more at that, and Merlin was going to kill whichever knight was teaching the boy that preening like a peacock somehow made others listen to you. Probably Arthur, damn prat. âI think it would be better if I stayed. I am a knight of Camelot now. You can use the protection.â
Definitely Arthur. The royal idiot was going to have a rude awakening when he found his favourite shirt full of moth holes.Â
Merlin sent a magical nudge against the new knightâs shoulder as he replied, âYou know better than the others that I donât need protection.â
âBut you canât let anyone know that,â Mordred pushed, squaring his shoulders and stepping forward into the warlockâs space. âLet me come with you.â
Merlin turned away from the knight, adjusting his cloak. âGo back. I wonât ask again.â He started back on his way, already planning a longer, round-a-bout route in case he was tailed. He was very eager to put this conversation out of his mind.
âI know what youâre doing.â
Merlin froze, his blood running cold. He could feel the otherâs eyes piercing his back.
âI asked around the other knights,â Mordred continued. âTheyâve heard whispers of a great sorcerer called âEmrysâ helping those involved with magic. I wasnât sure if it truly was you or an imposter. I seem to have my answer.â
The servant whipped around, storming closer to Mordred, magic itching his fingertips. âAnd what exactly are you going to do with this information, hm? Get me killed? Blackmail me?â
Mordred swallowed, taking in the full force of Emrysâs anger. He took a careful step back and looked Merlin in the eye. âJust what I said before. I just want to go with you.â
Merlin raked his eyes over the fresh knight, yet he found nothing but sincerity. âAnd what else?â He was skeptical that it would be, and he wasnât in the mood to play games to get the information out of the other.
Mordred took a breath, working himself up for whatever he was going to say. âI want you to teach me magic.â
âNo,â Merlin replied immediately, âabsolutely not. I refuse to teach a knight of Camelot how to use magic.âÂ
Mordred continued, barreling over the warlockâs arguments, âPlease, Emrys, no one would teach me much back with the others, and it would be an honour to learn from someone like you.â
Merlin sighed, rubbing the space between his eyes with a hand.
âAnd Iâll tell Arthur if you refuse.â
Merlin tensed up slightly before looking at the other. He noticed how Mordred wouldnât meet his gaze. âNo, you wonât,â he confidently replied and started walking away again.
Mordred sighed. âAlright, I wonât, but I wonât stop bugging you about it until you help me.â
Merlin stopped. The servant considered if he deserved another headache on top of his permanent one, Arthur.Â
Something like this should not be taken lightly. All of Kilgarrahâs warnings flashed through his mind. He remembered a much younger Mordred swearing revenge on him. But was that just a childish grudge long dropped? Another magic user protecting Arthur would be significantly less stress on Merlin.Â
âAnd I can be very annoying if I want to be, or so the knights say.â
He was taking too long. The village couldnât hold out against the chimaera without him for much longer. Merlin wheezed out a slow sigh. He realised there was only one option at the moment, and he would have to live with what followed. âFine,â he bit out.
Mordred quickly scurried up behind him. âYouâll teach me?â he asked, hopefully.
Merlin refused to look at the druid and never broke stride but said, âThe first rule, you do exactly what I say, and when I say it, understand? While youâve been hiding from patrols before, youâve never been under scrutiny like this. So you always defer to me. I go before your conscience. Yes?â
âSure!â Mordred responded, mildly confused but eager.Â
âThe second rule,â Merlin turned around and stopped the other short, âyou need to lose the get up when weâre out and about.â He gestured to the armour and bright red, specifically looking at the Pendragon chest resting on the capeâs shoulder.
Mordred turned his nose up slightly. âBut, Iâm a proud knight of Camelot.â
âFirst, what was rule number one?â Merlin glared slightly at the knight, but the younger man refused to cowl. âSecond, most people associate the knights of Camelot with danger and death regarding magic users. I know that you know that. If people see Emrys walking around with one, theyâll think something is wrong or that they canât trust me anymore.â
âBut whatââ
Merlin talked right over the other, âAnd we canât have anyone associating a magic user with a Camelot Knight. How well do you think Arthur will take it if he hears that someone is running around looking like one of his while using magic? Youâll be aflame before I can think to help you.â Mordred broke eye contact at the last line, fidgeting in place. âSo, youâll take that off when we do our work?â
âYeah,â Mordred replied, thoroughly chastised.
Merlin internally groaned. He would have to take a different approach to working with the little knight. Softening his voice slightly, he continued, âIâm not trying to hurt you, Mordred. Iâm trying to keep you from getting hurt.âÂ
Mordred nodded, finally able to look at the warlockâs face once more.
Merlin fidgeted with the edge of his cloak. Part of him longed to reach out and comfort the boy, but he quelled it. If Merlin had his way, this would be a one-time deal. No need to make any attachments. âYou have to think of every single scenario that could go wrong and plan, so it doesnât. That is the only way to stay alive and hidden.â
Mordred looked at him sadly. âThat sounds exhausting and lonely.â
Merlin sniffed and turned away again. âWell, we do what we must to save Arthur.â
âYou mean ourselves?â
âItâs the same thing for me.â
#idk how to put multiple chapters on here#but im so excited for this fic#im gonna learn how#bbc merlin#fanfiction#merlin#mordred bbc merlin#emrys and his bane
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Camelot Remix 2024 - Week 1
FIC: Standing still; for six months and two weeks for MerlinLikeTheBird (Merlin/Arthur, Gwaine/Percival â Gen â 2605w) Summary: We all know Percy influenced Arthur to finally undertake action with Merlin. But what if he had underlying motives? And what if Gwaine has something to do with it too? Eventually all knights get involved. FIC: This Song and Dance (The 'Balancing Act' Remix) for polomonkey (Merlin/Arthur â Teen and Up â 1200w) Summary: The thing is, Merlin has been thinking about it. About Arthur and the grief that he wears like penance, how he fits so easily into the spot beside Merlin. How he always has, and how, for all his talk about leaving, he does not seem to be in a hurry. --- Between circus shows and late nights, Merlin and Arthur figure themselves out, one step at a time. FIC: wandered out in the world for years (the king and the knight remix) for HadrianPeverellBlack (Gwaine/Merlin â Gen â 800w) Summary: Gwaine doesn't like Arthur. Respects him, sure. Admires his fighting prowess, yeah. Envies his freedom and pities his lack of it in equal parts. He'll follow him into battle and mostly follow orders as he does so, because chances are Arthurâs on the right side of a fight, and even if he isn't he's got Merlin to push him until he is. But he's more than capable of all that without actually liking the man. Or: Arthur and Gwaine search for Merlin during the deleted scene from A Servant of Two Masters. FIC: A Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance [Remix] for scotscookie (Merlin/Arthur â Explicit â 1478w) Summary: After a night of drinking with Morgana, Arthur goes home to wind down. FIC: The Best and Terrible (An Extended Remix) for linorien (Gen â Teen and Up â 30,691w) Summary: After meeting the Druids, Morgana cannot sit idly by while Utherâs tyranny against magic continues; but, taking action may put her in more danger than she can get out of alone. Meanwhile, Merlin struggles under the loneliness of his secret, and wonders who heâs destined to be. A story about working together, magic reveals going better than expected, and Uther Pendragon being the worst man ever. FIC: Where We Find Our Peace for queerofthedagger (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â 2687w) Summary: Arthur looked the most relaxed Merlin had ever seen him; his hair was a golden mop, glistening droplets of water traveling down the planes and angles of his face. Merlinâs eyes followed one, down the side of Arthurâs sculpted nose, reaching his plump lips where Arthurâs tongue darted out to catch it. Merlin tore his eyes away and let his face break out into a bright grin as he looked into Arthurâs eyes. âYou couldâve told me that we were going for a swim; I wouldâve complained far less.â Arthur rolled his eyes slightly. âI was going for a swim,â he replied, âyou simply decided to follow me.â A remix of Bad Choice of Words in My Alibi by queerofthedagger ART: Reluctantly in Love for chaosgenes (Merlin/Arthur â Gen â Digital Art & 127w) Summary: Arthur has waited for Naming Day all his life, but could not be more disappointed when he finds out who the Soul Stone names for him. It isnât the prisoner he meets in the dungeons, but his heart aches for him anyway. Merlin has never thought about soulmates until they come knocking at his door in Ealdor. Convinced that thereâs something wrong with the Soul Stone, he travels to magic-banned Camelot to end its influence. He never thought that he would be enraptured by the crown prince who comes to interrogate him. FIC: Disillusion (a remix of Light Pollution) for Ynnealay (Gen â Gen â 1041w) Summary: Some of Merlin's letters to Arthur over the years.
#camelot remix#merlin fanfic#merlin fanart#merlin fests#merlin#camelot remix 2024#camelot remix week 1#camelot remix fest round up#pairing: merlin/arthur#merthur#pairing: gwaine/merlin#pairing: gwaine/percival#pairing: gen#gen fic
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Babylonia Section 21~Section 22(END)
Final day and final post of this Singularity before the impending doom at Solomon Singularity. Hope your Servants and sanity are ready because thatâs some insane fight to be happened soon!
Section 21
At Uruk... The end of the world at last with Gilgamesh and 8 soldiers being the sole survivor against Tiamat... Time to destroy the demonic beast and Lahmus before we made way to find Gilgamesh!
Reaching to Gilgamesh at last... The end of the world in his eyes as he expected with Tiamatâs arrival getting closer... Our Chaldean Embassy swallowed in flames and in the Chaos Tide... Whether Tiamat hates humanity or not itâs another story if she even has a conscience in the first place after becoming Beast II
Arriving in Uruk at last... While Ishtar takes on Tiamat via the sky, we stand by with Gilgamesh against her on the ground. Yeah yeah you Tsundere king, weâre sticking with each other until the end of the Singularity!
Dingirs fired from the city wall all launched at Tiamat under Gilgamesh command by his own magical energy! Heâs definitely not a half god without a reason--! GUDAS WATCH OUT THAT LIGHT!!!
.............. Gilgamesh... You..... You took the hit from Tiamat... Into your heart..... GOD DAMN IT, YOUâRE NOT MONTY PYTHON! THATâS NOT JUST A MORTAL WOUND, THATâS GOING TO KILL YOU DUMBASS!
Tch as Gilgamesh keeps on going... 3 more minutes before Tiamat arrives at where we are....! After we got knocked by the 8k Lahmus... Before Ishtar could help us... Thatâs...!! KINGU!!!
Looks like Gilgameshâs words finally reached his heart... Even if itâs a grail operating it... And... Enkidu... They came back... Even if itâs too far to reach, their words of wanting to talk to Gil will definitely reach! Kingu, Enkidu! Itâs time to finish off Tiamat!!
As Kingu turned into the Chains of Heavens... We wake up to find Tiamat is being restrained by Kingu!! WHAT?! The Chain of Heavens broke!! And Eresh?!
Underworld is finally right below us. Ishtar and Gilgamesh discuss one last time about Enkiduâs passing before and now. Ishtar readies to launch a big blast for a big hole... One last talk with Gilgamesh and... KING GILGAMESH!!! THIS WAY--!!
KING GILGAMEEEEEESSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Falling into the underworld after that abrupt parting... Eresh gives us her powers to be able to deal in the underworld. Looks like Ereshâs security system at intruder is causing great pain to Tiamat thanks to Ishtar forcing her down inside
To fight on for King Gilgamesh... Eresh began her attack against Tiamat... Wait this blackness... THE CHAOS TIDE IS RETURNING BUT EVEN STRONGER THAN BEFORE?!!
Because of that fall... Beast II finally turns to her true form...! And Jaguar Warrior! So she turned out fine but... Itâs now or never to defeat her-- Flowers... This voice, this voice of a fucking horny wizard... MERLIN!!!
So... Merlin youâre still alive? Tiamat didnât kill you at all? You broke out of your prison for once to help us?! Okay forget happy reunion, seems like Merlin brought... Wait we brought him to repay his gratitude? But who--?!
That old man Ziusu-dra! No... KING HASSAN!!! With his NP... At the price of sacrificing his Grand title... Hassan granted death onto Tiamat! We can kill her now! As expected of Da Vinci-chan! Since we damaged her brain but recovered... Everything is to face her in the face!
With Merlinâs return... The buff is something against that fucking disgusting Chaos Tide. But still hurt a like bitch when they crit!
One wave down, next wave towards her head! Direct offsprings with class of Beast, King Hassan given us the temporary contract... Time for insta-kill on those things!!
I retried this because RNG luck and irritating taunt from the Lahmus are pissing me off :/
8 insta-death later, weâre finally at the head! As Romani said, time is running out with Tiamat reaching the surface soon in 300m.... Time for the first round against her!!
Iâm frankly wondering if double Mash setup works here... Because this isnât Gorgon with Chaos Tide bleeding the Servantâs life.. And additional curse buff that will outheal Merlinâs buff
Since NPC Merlin is here... Might as well have Ozzy being buff by him in Heroâs creation to kill her quickly... Considering he and Xuangzang are my current ST Buster NP
Oh come on! How the hell is Tiamat still standing?! Merlin you idiot, now you got kicked out by her! And... This..... No way..... KING GILGAMESH?!!!?!?! Heâs back but in his Archer class?!
With Gilgameshâs arrival... TIME TO FINISH THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!
Okay, trying on double Mash.. Which is again hilarious because it worked for a while... Yeah until she removes them, so itâs a bit headache with her, along with the curse buff that stack
Ozzy and Herc-chan are main DPS with the former trying to dish out as damage as possible against her before the latter kicks in.
Martha for the buff and debuff remover... MVP actually since itâs ashamed I canât rushed her skills finished to deal for Tiamat. But definitely helped a lot in dealing with her annoying debuffs
At last dealing a critical damage, Beast II finally destroyed! The grail from her finally retrieved at last!
Section 22
The final chapter arrived with us returning back to the surface. Singularity is repairing itself once Tiamat is gone. The grail in our hands thanks to Merlin getting his ass back to our side! And... Nope, weâre not helping you. Itâs your fault in destroying Quetzâs divinity, Merlin!
Oh right, Quetz came back but how?! Ah, seems like Jaguar Warrior saved her! Oh... Guess Quetz and Jaguar Warrior are heading back to the Throne of Heroes first
Ishtar is alright too and looks like sheâs staying in Uruk for a long while, hence her limited summoning. Eresh... For helping to destroy Tiamat... Sheâs fading... And disappeared.... Or to rest from what Ishtar said...
GILGAMESH!? YOU TURNED BACK TO YOUR NORMAL STUPID CASTER SELF! WAIT YOUâRE... Heâs going off too?! And... For a souvenier... Thatâs why we got 2 Holy Grails this time! Along with food! Leaving to the Throne of Heroes to be summoned... He will spook again one way or another.
And weâre heading back to our own ways as we departed with bidding good bye to Merlin! So Merlin is a big fan of ours huh... Iâm sure weâll meet everyone again!
At home at last, WHAT?! Chaldeas turned red again?! Seems like King Solomon is giving an invitation to us to end things once and for all! To be continued until Solomon Singularity!
Iâll apologize for the observations since majority is already done up under the JP side. So Iâm doing the ones which are the notable main bosses for this fight
Observations:
Quetzalcoatl:
The impossible: If you have two Herc-chan with you (one of them being borrowed), just bring more taunters and healers
The only possible option: To deal with her effectively only option is the Berserker class which is Lancelot and Herc-chan, but preferred the latter. Summer Servants worked but again, it depends on your preference. The only thing with those above as your main DPS, youâll seriously want to have taunters especially you donât know who her NP will hit. Also Herc-chan wise, at this point find the one with his Bond CE in ever the case he got killed repeatedly. Or other wise, just make sure heâs alive long enough to kill Quetz
Ereshkigal:
............. I learned my lesson in this fight a little. Never try to rely too much on your NP to deal with her
Anyway... If youâre having FFF rank luck for this fight, not being able to use NP through the whole fight. Have her to be crit rill death by your Sabers
Bring Servants who generates a good amount stars, Main DPS Saber that absorb good amount stars and crit hard, support that helps buffing damage/crit damage to kill her
Or otherwise, bring a debuff remover if youâd like to be able to use both NP and skill
Gorgon:
Laser shooting fest is amusing with double Mash + main DPS ST NP Servant
Any main DPS will do depend if you want to hit hard, get more stars to crit or to be able to spam more NP often.
I went with the last to be compatible for Mash to spam her NP often. So if you want double Mash way or there... Bring a good arts team like Robin, Medea, Chloe, George (unless youâre going for Sieg-George combo)
Otherwise, any team will do. Only problem is her stun debuff on your Servant when it happens, so it delays one turn to boost that said Servant NP or use their skills/NP
Another to watch out is her curse debuff after using her NP. I went with double Mash, and time is really ticking on me because the curse she dealt is really killing their HP each turn
Trait dealing thereâs Scathach, Karna & Arjuna (for divine), Jack & Carmilla (for female) and the infamous King of Heroes
CEs not much of a comment but if you want to be not stun and curse... Debuff immunity CE?
Otherwise, CE that boosts damage should do
Kingu:
Your RNG luck comes into play a little but not as bad as Eresh, youâll never know when heâs going to charge his NP full on the same or next turn
DEFINITELY DONâT BRING DIVINE SERVANTS AS THIS IS ENKIDU AND THEIR NP COMING AFTER THEM
Once again, taunters are needed if you donât him to fire his NP at your main DPS/support
Trait wise... Nightingale as Enkiduâs body is still humanoid and at your own risk, AUO himself... Definitely donât take the latter
I havenât see it work but if Zoukenâs CE in sealing his NP will helped delayed from it firing. But Iâm not sure if it works because his permanent buff in charging NP randomly is there
Invincibility more recommended instead of evasion since he has a skill that removes evasion buff
Anything else, bring a good ST NP Servant for DPS and support with taunters/healers... Or even stallers to keep him at bay. But for stalling team, Gorgon Sister combo definitely donât work.
Ushiwakamaru clones:
Iâll touch more on the ones which sheâs neutral damage to all. Her Berserker-class version bring good AOE NP Servant will do
Considering her sole gimmick is to create copies of herself... Kill the original before more are being created
For this bring AOE NP... One fitting Servant for biggest damage by far again, AUO. Weak to Enuma Elish regardless corrupted or not
Or otherwise, bring your best AOE NP Servant...
With a really good healer in particular, because Chaos Tide against that class will kill you faster than you know it
Taunters for avoiding ST NP from her onto your main DPS Servant
Tiamat:
Martha my fucking saint saves my ass in most of these fight!
Practically debuffing her and removing those debuff from Tiamat is vital because she just keep stacking that curse debuff
Thereâs also her stun and NP seal thatâs targeted onto Man-trait & Star-Attribute Servants... That kind of explained why Jeanne gets NP seal most of the time OTL
Double Mash works somewhat when she doesnât remove your buffs and stack those fucking curse
Considering her laser and chaos tide charge your NP quickly.. Itâs not that difficult to do spamming when needed
Skill seal definitely vital with Servant like Davidâs NP to stop Tiamat from buffing herself
Debuff immunity needed for the above debuff or even her NP when she buff block debuff on your whole front-line team
If you donât have Angra Mainyu with his Bond CE in your friend list to deal bigger damage, balance between 3 DPS and 3 supports? Or at least estimated the amount of damage 1 main DPS Servant does before dying out.
Now that this is over... While grinding for SQs... Time for 3 to 4 days break from NA before the biggest hell right before Christmas!
#fgo#fate grand order#the shit i shit myself into#babylonia singularity#I'M OUT OF THERE AT LAST!!#BECAUSE 1 SQS AND 3 CS ARE NEEDED NEXT WEEK#Seems slightly better than camelot#let's not fucking go there again#though things really going to get shittier from here on#babylonia NA
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I notice a lot of mecha RPGs tend to aim more 'real' what with modular weapons and settings aping Gundam with space wars. Do you have any mecha RPGs that are better for classic "There's an evil space empire invading Earth and all that stands between them is the creations of a quirky scientist, his hot daughter and a hot-blooded Japanese teenager (or 4)" styles?
A lot of depends on whether you're talking about settings flavour or mechanics. Giant robot RPGs do tend toward the crunchier end of the spectrum rules-wise, but that doesn't necessarily correlate with either a simulation-style approach or a thematic focus on gritty space politics. Like, Lancer is crunchy as hell, but it's not really simulating anything; in terms of its mechanical structure, it's basically Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition with giant robots.
In the absence of any more specific guidance, I'm going to assume that you mean games that are both on the lighter side rules-wise and feature not-terribly-serious settings.
If that's what you're after â and if you've no objections to Fate Core â you might have a look at Camelot Trigger, available as pert of the Worlds in Shadow anthology. (You'll also need Fate Core itself, of course, but it's pay-what-you-want.) As the title suggests, it's literally Arthurian knights in space, with giant robots. The rules basically treat giant robots as an overlay on top of your character's regular stats, with the robot's systems providing bonus stunts and skill substitutions in a framework that otherwise plays out as scaled-up personal combat, saving the trouble of needing to learn two different combat systems.
Alternatively, if the Apocalypse Engine is more your speed, there's Armour Astir: Advent. This one's notable both for the fact that its gameplay loop supports mixed groups where some players take on the roles of mecha pilots and others take on the roles of ground/support crew, if you happen to have players who are more interested in the command-room side of things, and also the fact that it's illustrated by the Paranatural guy. Still in early access, though the most recent update was just a couple of months back, so the project seems to be alive and kicking.
I'm also going to throw in a slightly off-the-mark plug for Harder They Fall. It's probably not quite what you're looking for because it's a one-shot game that revolves entirely around playing out the final epic battle of a super robot story without providing any tools for any part of the story leading up to that point, and it's kind of a pain to play online because conflict resolution involves knocking down rows of dominoes. (Yes, really!) However, it's got some very neat ideas to steal if you end up deciding to roll your own solution, so there's some potential value there. Plus, it's cheap.
(Finally, I'm going to touch on Beam Saber, because I know somebody's going to plug it if I don't. Beam Saber... like, it can do super robot, though that's not its primary focus, and the mecha combat isn't terribly crunchy as such things go; however, as a Blades in the Dark hack, its gameplay loop has a lot of moving parts, which takes it firmly out of the rules-light category if that's a priority for you. This oneâs another early access title, and while the most recent core rules update was less than a month ago, most of the supplementary material hasnât yet been updated to reflect those revisions.)
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Oh shit, I never told you that Merlin isnât my actual name??
Igraine reveals⊠one hell of a secret, and not the one youâre thinking of:
Part 2Â Â Part 3Â Â Part 4(final part)(coming soon)
TW: Uther being a Jackass I guess?
Arthur knows about his dumbass servantâs magic. He wasnât best pleased, in fact, he was furious when he first found out; how is supposed to protect his servant-turned-best-friend-except-thatâs-super-secret-even-from-himself if heâs off doing stupid shit like Sorcery in Camelot?!
He was a lot more sympathetic when Merlin explained that heâd been born with it, and that his destiny was, literally, tied to Arthurâs. That, mixed with the fact that Arthur tended to get himself into a LOT of trouble, without even realising it most of the time, means Merlin has no choice but to be doing stupid shit like Sorcery in Camelot.
Merlin is currently giving Arthur the silent treatment, not that Arthur seems to notice. The two of them were waiting for Morgause to finish whatever it is she was doing to, apparently, allow Arthur to speak to his mother.
She doesnât take long, and though Merlin keeps his distrustful gaze on her the whole time, he still canât quite tell what it is Morgause has done. She looks to them with a blank expression, though her focus is mainly on Arthur as she gestures him forward:
âItâs ready, Prince Arthur. Close your eyes, both of you.â
Arthur frowns briefly but does as told. Merlin raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms, and staring Morgause down; she rolls her eyes and huffs quietly when she realises that he isnât going to take his eyes off her, but gives in, turning away and performing some sort of simple looking (though Merlin gets the distinct impression that it isnât simple) ritual.
The Witch lets out a deep breath and steps back, and Merlinâs hard stare is finally drawn away from her when a shower of golden sparks materialises in a cloud in front of The Prince.
Arthur opens his eyes to see Igraine standing there, practically glowing, looking every bit the glorious Queen she once was. She gives him a soft smile, and Arthur can only stare, his mouth moving of itâs own accord:
âMother?â
Merlin stares on in suspicion as Igraineâs smile grows:
âMy son.â
She pulls him forward into a tight hug, and though Arthur had started off forcing himself to be wary, he falls into the hug easily, struggling to hold his tears in. They pull back after far too short of a time, and though Merlin was still distrustful, he wishes she had held Arthur just a little longer.
Merlinâs heart breaks as Arthur goes on to apologise for being born, but his feelings quickly turn to anger as Igraine explains the truth, how his people were being hunted, burned, vilified, all because Uther was too much of a hypocrite to admit his mistakes or listen to reason; but he couldnât lash out now, this time was for Arthur, not him.
Igraineâs face falls even further, and she grips Arthurâs shoulders tightly:
âBut we do not have time to talk of this, I can feel the other side pulling me back, I must be quick. Arthur, my son, you have a brother, and you must find him.â
Merlinâs eyes go wide and he tenses in place; this had better not be some twisted trick on Morgauseâs part to destroy Arthur, because he would destroy her in return if it was. And he would do it in a far messier way. Arthur just looks shocked:
âA brother? How?!â
Igraine smiles mournfully:
âA twin. He was so small when he was born, I thought he wouldnât make it, but though I canât see his face, I know he lives, I can feel it. He had hair dark as the night sky, a complete contrast to your golden wisps-â
She lifts a soft, gentle hand, and runs it through Arthurâs hair with a smile:
â-but his eyes, oh his eyes were just as golden as your hair, before they faded to the colour of the sky.â
Arthur gasped but Merlin tensed even further, certain that this must be some sort of trick:
âHe was magic?â
Igraine smiles again and nods:
âItâs not common, but not completely unheard of for people to be born magic. Your brother was, and it was beautiful.-â
He smile falls into something more angry, though sheâs clearly trying to hide it:
â-Your father... did something. I do not know what; by the time my soul was restful enough to be able to look back upon the world, it was too late, he was gone somewhere I could not see. I know he still lives, your father was too much of a coward to admit his mistakes, but too much of a hypocrite to keep to his convictions and destroy the child, which I can be grateful for. I feared he had been sent far away, but you must find him, restore his heritage.â
Arthur nods vigorously, his eyes wide and desperate, and Merlin finds himself desperate to believe that this spirit is true and genuine:
âWhat else can you tell me about him? Do you know where he is? What he looks like now?â
Igraineâs face falls into a soft smile again, though she shakes her head mournfully:
âHe is powerful, extremely so. I worried he was dead until I suddenly felt him; he appeared in Camelot, around three and a half years ago. His power is vast, I can sense it stretching for miles and miles, though I can not pinpoint the epicentre; he is somewhere within the Kingdom, you must find him.â
Merlin frowns in confusion, stepping forward to interrupt, though he desperately doesnât want to:
âDid you name him? Your son?â
Igraine looks to him suddenly, as if she werenât aware they had company, but quickly turns almost her full attention to Merlin with a soft smile:
âYou. You looked after my boy, thank you. Thank you for all that you have done. And yes-â
She looks back to Arthur:
â-I named him, though I whispered it with my last breaths, Uther would certainly not have used it, and I do not know if Gaius heard me.â
Arthur responds quietly, his cracking voice heavy with too many emotions to name:
âWhat is it? Whatâs my... my brotherâs name?â
âMyrddin.â
Merlin takes in a quiet gasp, and Arthur, always with at least one half of his brain focused on his manservant, turns to him:
âYou know that name?! Merlin, do you know someone in Camelot with that name?â
Merlin just stares at Igraine, his eyes wide and his hands shaking:
âHow... how do you think he got out of Camelot? How would Uther have sent him away?â
Igraineâs face is confused, but mostly curious as she takes a step towards him, still with one hand on Arthurâs shoulder:
âGaius and Balinor possibly, perhaps Nimueh, though I imagine she fled rather quickly. They were Utherâs closest friends before the purge, and they all practised magic, they would have been... sympathetic, tried to help the child. Why? Are Arthurâs questions relevant? Do you know my son??â
Merlinâs eyes flickered between the two of them, but when Arthur says his name again, his voice nothing short of desperate, his gaze fixes on The Prince:
âArthur, I... I never told you, because I didnât think it was... relevant, but... Merlin isnât my real name.â
Arthur recoils, shocked, and utters a dumbfounded âWhat?!â. Merlin gulps, and looks to Igraine briefly before resuming his fearful, and slightly confused, stare on Arthur:
âWhen I was young, my magic was still strong, but I had no control over it. I would subconsciously summon animals to my side constantly. Mostly small things, but the occasional stag or bear would wander through the village to find me. But... but what came most often where the birds; the village is essentially in the middle of a forest, and... and there were thousands of merlins. So I got that as a nickname, Merlin, and it just stuck.â
Arthur just shakes his head, caught off guard but mostly just annoyed:
âYou heard my mother, Merlin, we donât have much time, what is this-â
Merlin interrupts him:
âJust listen!! My real name.... itâs Myrddin.-â
Igraine takes in a quiet gasp, mumbling more to herself than anyone else âGaius heard me.â but Arthur just stares. Merlin holds his gaze, but after a few moments, he looks back to Igraine:
â-My mother... she... she wouldnât lie to me, nor would Gaius... this... itâs a mistake. Itâs... itâs a common name, right?!â
Igraine responds in a hushed tone, though Arthur barely moves, still staring at Merlin as though he had gained a new head:
âShow me some magic, my boy.â
Merlin stutters and shakes his head, laughing incredulously before he notices her pleading face and looks to Arthur, almost for permission. The Prince gulps before nodding, just once, and Merlin lets out a deep breath. He holds his hand out in front of him, palm up, and without even needing to mutter a spell, a single flower grows; a Camelot-red Tulip, itâs petals dipped in gold.
When his eyes fade back to blue, he looks up to see the othersâ reactions: Arthur is smiling softly, always eager to see Merlinâs magic, as if he had forgotten the situation at hand, but Igraine... oh, Igraine was staring at him with such wonder, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.
Merlin drops the flower without a second though and shakes his head minutely, but Igraine just nods, allowing the hand on Arthurâs shoulder to slip down to his hand so she could tug him forward, towards Merlin:
âMyrddin, my boy, my son. You came home all on your own.â
Merlin just shakes his head again and steps back:
âNo. No this... this isnât real, this is a trick, or... or something. How do we prove it? How do we know youâre not lying or some trap laid by Morgause?!â
Igraine sighs, but nods, understanding:
âAsk Gaius and your... your mother, and thank her for me, for raising you with so much love. The doorway is closing, I can feel it.-â
Her gaze moves lovingly between then two of them, and when she steps forward once more, she takes Merlinâs hand before he can move away, pulling the two of them into a tight hug:
â-I am so endlessly proud of you both, and I love you, always.â
She fades from the air, and within seconds Arthurâs arms are falling in on themselves, nothing under them to hold their weight and forceful pressure.
The Princeâs head whips towards Morgause, who until that point had been completely forgotten about:
âBring her back!â
Her stare is fixed on a frozen Merlin, though she slowly looks to Arthur when he takes an intimidating step towards her and goes to open his mouth again:
âI canât. The doorway closes of itâs own accord, I canât bring her back again. But that was... unexpected. I apologise, you shouldnât have had to find out like that.â
Arthur shakes his head angrily at her denial, but quickly refocuses and looks to Merlin, who still hasnât moved an inch. He puts a soft hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly until the other man looks at him; Arthur isnât quite sure what he was expecting, but Merlinâs eyes to be filling with tears definitely wasnât it:
âI... this canât be real. My mother, Gaius, Kilgharrah, they all wouldâve known. Why wouldnât they tell me?â
Arthur pulls him into a hug, silently vowing to stop Merlinâs suffering as soon as heâs possibly able, that they would discover the truth no matter what. Merlinâs arms just hang limply at his sides, though he does push his face into Arthurâs neck as The prince responds:
âI... I donât know, Merlin. Maybe they thought it would get in the way of that destiny of yours, maybe they were waiting for my... for The King to pass.-â
He pulls back, but keeps his hands on Merlinâs shoulders:
â-Lets just... get back to Camelot, and we can figure it out. We can go downstairs to talk to Kilgharrah.â
Merlin shakes his head, stepping back and wiping his sleeve over his eyes roughly before walking purposefully towards the horses:
âNo, heâs the least likely to be honest, weâll talk to Gaius. Though if any of this is true... Iâm having some bloody harsh words with my... with Hunith.â
Arthur flinches slightly at the anger in Merlinâs voice, but after a quick glance to a slowly retreating Morgause, he follows him to the horses and they start the fast paced journey back to Camelot. The only words exchanged, around an hour in, were Merlinâs quiet, humourless:
âGwaineâs never going to believe this.â
And Arthurâs responding snort of derisive amusement.
~
They manage to stay out of sight when they arrive back in the city, which is good really. Arthurâs lowly simmering rage had been reaching taller and taller heights with every pound of the horsesâ hooves against the hard ground. But before he confronts his father, they need confirmation, in the form of Gaius.
They stalk quietly through the castle, using servant corridors and hidden passages to avoid being seen, but all bets are off when they reach the Physicianâs chambers.
Gaius looks up with a quiet gasp when the two men burst in, locking the door behind them. Arthurâs blank stare and Merlinâs barely concealed anger force his shock and relief to morph into confusion:
âMerlin, Prince Arthur, where on Earth have you been? The King has been panicking, sending out patrol after patrol to search for you.â
Arthurâs face remains blank, and when Gaius looks to him for an answer he just moves his gaze to Merlin, allowing him to determine the pace of this much needed conversation. Merlinâs dark gaze is now fixed on the floor, though his jaw and hands are tightly clenched, and his breathing is shaky in his anger. His voice comes out lethally quiet, and Arthur can tell that itâs only a matter of time before he explodes:
âGaius, whatâs my name?â
Gaius just looks slightly taken aback, like he hasnât quite grasped Merlinâs meaning despite its plainness:
âMy boy, whatever are you-â
Heâs interrupted when Merlin looks up at him sharply, his eyes blazing and his face turning slightly red:
âItâs a simple question Gaius: Whatâs. My. Name?-â
Gaiusâ eyes flicker to Arthur in confusion, but Merlin breaks from his near frozen stature, moving with a speed that Arthur had never seen in him before to slam his hand on the table:
âNo, donât look at him, look at me. Whatâs my name, Gaius?!â
Gaius nods, his eyes sad as he gulps before answering quietly:
âMyrddin, but you already knew that.â
Merlin takes a deep breath and nods, his fingers tapping rhythmically, though a tad aggressively, against the table. Arthur goes to step forward to put a calming hand on his shoulder but Merlin shoots him a withering look and he stays back. Merlinâs hard stare returns to the resigned physician:
âAnd my parents?â
Gaius gulps again but straightens his posture, putting up a confused façade, though itâs easy to see through:
âHunith is your-â
Merlin slams his hand on the table again, much harder this time, and a voice in the back of Arthurâs headâthe one at the forefront was spitting obscenities and planning rather gruesome ways to murder his fatherâmakes a note to check his hand later, a hit like that had likely broken something, though Merlin was clearly too furious and confused and upset to notice:
âDONâT LIE TO ME!â
Gaius is taken aback at Merlinâs bitter yell, but he softens again at the tears on his wardâs cheeks; he collapses into a chair on the other side of the table, rubbing his eyes tiredly before looking up at the distraught man:
âUther and Igraine Pendragon. You are a year older than your mo- than Hunith led you to believe, and you are Arthurâs twin brother.-â
Arthur turns away angrily, vocalising the curses that had been playing on a loop in his mind, and Merlin nods, pushing his injured hand into the table without even realising:
â-I am so sorry, my-â
Merlin shakes his head and holds a hand up to stop him but doesnât say anything, not pulling away this time when Arthur steps into place beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder, waving the other one aggressively at the elderly physician:
âYou had no right, no right to keep this from us. I grew up being taught to hate magic, miserable and alone, and Merlin grew up hating himself, just as miserable and alone, if not more so. You had no right to take us away from each other.-â
Gaius goes to respond, but Arthur stops his excuses before they even make it past his throat:
â-No. There is no excusing this, you and my father took my brother from me, and there will be no forgiving that. Iâve known about Merlinâs magic and our entwined destinies for over a year, youâve had every opportunity to tell us, but you didnât. Thatâs not even mentioning the nature of my... our motherâs death. You are a coward, and in your cowardice you have been cruel; I will not stand for it. Where is my- where is The King?â
Gaius nods slowly, standing on almost wobbling legs before gesturing to the door:
âThe King is with Sir Leon trying to figure out where to look next, theyâre in the council chamber. You are right, and I am sor-â
Arthur cuts him off with a sharp gesture and a dark look, taking Merlinâs uninjured wrist and pulling him towards the door. The servant (Prince?) follows easily, unable to meet Gaiusâ gaze and allowing Arthur to drag him briskly through the corridors towards the council chamber.
By the time they reach the chamber, Merlin has broken out of his stupor, wiped his tears, and pulled his wrist from Arthurâs grip, instead walking alongside him and using just as much force when they both push the doors open and stride in.
Uther and Leon both look up rapidly, startled at the sudden intrusion, but whilst Leon looks relieved and sends the two of them a small smile, Uther looks angry:
âArthur. Where have you been? I have had search parties out looking for you. Arthur?â
Arthur doesnât answer for a few moments, but a glance at Merlin by his side gives him the confidence boost he needs and he straightens his back, draws his sword, and stares The King right in the eyes:
âI know what you did to my mother, and I know what you... what you took from me.â
Uther stands tall, glancing to Leon briefly as he announces:
âLeave us. No one is to enter.â
Leon looks between the three other men, but doesnât make it to his second step towards the door before Arthur has his sword pointed at his chest, though The Princeâs gaze stays on his father. Leon knows itâs less of a genuine threat and more of a way of emphasising his words, but that doesnât stop him from taking a slight, wary step back:
âNo, Sir Leon, you will stay.â
Leon glances nervously to the red-faced King, but doesnât move. Uther looks furious at Arthurâs denial of his orders, but The Prince pays him no mind, finally turning to look at Leon with a slightly softer look in his eyes:
âSir Leon, do you bear witness?â
Leon frowns slightly, looking between Arthur, Uther, and Merlin once again, frown deepening as he spies the unshed tears in Merlinâs eyes and the purple bruise forming over one of his hands. He finally looks back to Arthur, moving to stand to attention with one hand held over his heart and the other resting on the hilt of his sword:
âMy Lord Prince Arthur Pendragon, I, Sir Leon, bear witness.â
Uther just splutters angrily, but Leon pointedly keeps his gaze on Arthur until The Prince nods at him and is the first to look away. Merlin had stayed silent the entire time, but visibly relaxes when Leon swears to stay, and that just makes the knight even more curious; this seems to be just as much about Merlin as it did Arthurâs parents.
The Prince moves his gazeâand his swordâto be pointed at The King once more, and he takes a deep breath before forcing the words from his mouth:
âYou used magic, against my motherâs will, so that you could conceive. Is this true?â
Uther huffs angrily, gaze dashing to the other two men before it settles on Arthur again:
âThis is preposterous, Morgause has lied to you.â
Leon is practically holding his breath at the side of the room; he can clearly tell that Arthur is moments away from striking his own father down, but does he interfere? Does he let it happen? And he still has no clue whatâs bothering Merlin so much, other than the obvious pain in his hand.
Arthur takes slow steps towards Uther, inching the blade closer and closer to his throat:
âYou are the one thatâs lying. You started a genocide because you insisted on blaming magic for your own mistakes, and thatâs not even the worst thing you did.-â
Arthur lets out an incredulous laugh, and Uther takes a step back as Leon tenses and Merlin stays blank:
â-I had a brother, a twin born with magic. You were too much of a coward to admit your mistakes but too much of a hypocrite to stick to your convictions, so you sent him away instead of killing him.-â
Uther goes pale, taking another stumbled step back as Leonâs eyes go wide, his gaze jumping to Merlin with a sudden, dreaded clarity.
(Perhaps Leon had picked up on Merlinâs magic a few months ago, and perhaps he had come to the conclusion that the younger man was the best protector Arthur could have.)
â-Do you even know his name? Mother said you would likely refuse to use it, but do you even know what it is?!â
Uther quickly regains his anger, his fury snapping into place as he gestures threateningly and thunders:
âIt was an abomination! A creature of magic that destroyed your mother and almost tainted you! I should have slaughtered it where it lay-â
Merlin takes in a sudden breath at his words and Leon clenches his jaw; itching to comfort the younger man, but knowing that he wouldnât exactly be welcomed right now. Heâs meant to be here as an impartial third party.
Arthur throws his gauntlet down before Uther can finish his aggressive assertion, and Merlin gulps, moving properly for the first time since heâd entered the room. He grabs Arthurâs arm and pulls him back slightly:
âArthur you canât, heâs your... heâs The King.â
Arthur glances to him:
âI donât care, he took you from me, he had no right.-â
He looks back to Uther, who is now staring at Merlin with a shocked venom. No one notices the way Leon quietly draws his sword; impartial his arse, heâd protect Arthur and Merlin to his dying breath:
â-You are the abomination, and you will pay for your crimes. Perhaps you shouldâve sent Myrddin, thatâs his name by the way, further afield, perhaps Iâd have been more inclined to keep you alive until I found him. Pick it up.â
Utherâs gaze doesnât move from Merlin as his face grows redder and redder. He doesnât look down to the gauntlet, nor does he look at Arthur, nor does he notice Leon creeping closer:
âYou. You foul, hellish, beast!â
Without another secondâs of hesitation, he lunges forward and draws his sword all in one move. Arthur reacts too slowly, not expecting The King to attack Merlin instead of him, and Uther pushes him out of the way, swinging the sword down harshly toward Merlinâs chest before Arthur can block him. Merlin is too shocked and angry and scared and upset to even think of using his magic, so just stumbles back helplessly, falling and landing harshly on his already broken hand, yelping slightly.
Before anyone can even blink, Leon is there, stood over Merlin with blazing eyes and his sword raised. He parries the King easily, and by the time Uther has processed one of his own knights turning against him, Merlin has scrambled back, injured arm held to his chest, and Arthur has moved to stand at Leonâs side, sword raised.
Uther can only stare in furious bewilderment, but it doesnât take him long to concede that he has been outmatched. He calls for the guards, though once theyâve spilled into the room, six in total, they stutter to a confused stop when they see The Prince and The First Knight seemingly defending a servant (a well-loved, well-known servant), from The King.
Arthur, without looking away from Uther, speaks harshly, his voice controlled and forceful and, frankly, Kingly:
âArrest The King and escort him to his rooms. Remove all weapons and bar the windows and doors, I want him under constant guard.â
Uther screeches angrily, both at Arthurâs words and the fact that the guards make no moves to detain The Prince and the knight, like he clearly wants. Before he can actually say anything, Arthur speaks again, his voice even louder than before, first to the guards:
âNOW!-â
And then back to Uther:
â-You will either be arrested for your crimes, both against our family name and humanity as a whole, or I will kill you where you stand.â
Uther tries his best to stare Arthur down, but there really is no competing with the fire in his eyes, and it only takes one short nod from Leon for the guards to step forward and confiscate The Kingâs sword before they pull his arms around his back and push him towards the door. He digs his heels in and begins screeching again, though they can only make out the odd word, itâs mostly just âBETRAYAL!â and âSORCERY!â and âHOW DARE YOU!â. Arthur pulls Merlin to his feet gently, frowning at his purple wrist and knuckles before sighing and rolling his eyes, nodding to Uther and muttering, just loud enough for Merlin and Leon to hear:
âI donât suppose you could do something about that, could you?â
Merlin looks shocked, but huffs out a gentle laugh when Arthur just raises his eyebrow in question. He looks to Uther just as the guards struggle to open the door, muttering a quiet spell under his breath, his eyes flashing golden. Leon takes in a slow breath at the obvious display of sorcery; heâd been constantly on edge since he discovered Merlinâs talent, desperately fearful that someone would find out. Thankfully, the guards are entirely focused on the task at hand.
Uther quickly goes quiet, his head drooping, and Arthur grimaces as the guards struggle to hold his sudden dead weight. He has to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing aloud when they turn to him with questioning looks; he just nods and gestures regally for them to keep going.
Soon, the room is quiet again, only the three men remaining. Leon looks between them apprehensively but Arthur just takes a fortifying breath before focusing his attention on Merlinâs arm, holding it gently in front of him and frowning worriedly:
âIâm guessing you havenât gotten any better at healing magic since the arrow incident?â
Merlin scoffs and rolls his eyes:
âThat wasnât my fault, youâre the one that yanked it out of my shoulder and left the damn head in. And for your information, yes actually, Iâve been practicing. But I really think we have more important things to deal with at the moment, like the fact that the council is going to freak out when they find out you had The King arrested.â
Arthur shakes his head, giving Merlin a firm look:
âMerls, I just found out that youâre my twin brother, you are the important thing right now. Heal your hand, I donât care how long it takes. Leon will take care of the council until we get there.â
He looks pointedly to Leon, and the knight nods, clearing his throat with a confused frown as he replies:
âWhat... uh... what would you like me to tell them, My Lord? Before your arrival? And where would you like them?â
Arthur smiles, grateful that Leon knows to take cues from him, knows what to focus on, knows that he is being trusted:
âTake them to the Throne Room. Tell them that Uther has been forcibly removed from the throne, that I have discovered the existence of my magical twin brother, whom I intend to have announced as Crown Prince within the week, and that I plan to legalise magic.â
Merlin, already pale and shaky, flinches, starting up with a âBut I donât want-â but Arthur cuts him off with a harsh, though fond glare, looking back to Leon to see the knightâs face shocked and pale. He purses his lips, before humming thoughtfully and speaking again:
âActually... that probably wouldnât be for the best. Just inform them that itâs an emergency, reassure them we havenât started a war or anything, and tell them Iâll be arriving shortly.â
Leon visibly relaxes and nods, giving Merlin a soft smile and ruffling his hair quickly before striding from the room. Merlin huffs at the affection, but Arthur can tell heâs secretly pleased and copies Leonâs fond smile. Merlin looks to him confusedly:
âWhy will the council have to wait? Itâll only take a few moments to heal myself.â
Arthur raises an eyebrow, nodding at Merlinâs hand pointedly and crossing his arms as if he were expecting failure. Merlin just rolls his eyes before looking down to his injury and muttering a few words, grimacing as his knuckles realign, and the bruise recedes. It doesnât disappear completely, but the bones and deeper muscle tears have obviously repaired themselves, and Merlin looks very proud of himself as he looks back to Arthur:
âThatâs the best I can be bothered to manage-â
Arthur huffs disapprovingly but knows he isnât going to get any better than that:
â-so why are the council waiting?â
Arthur sighs, putting a hand on Merlinâs shoulder and leading him to the door:
âWell, you look one stiff breeze away from keeling over, and I imagine youâll want to speak to Gwaine?â
Merlin looks to him suspiciously, but allows Arthur to lead him through the castle towards where Gwaine was almost certainly pacing worriedly in his rooms:
âI thought you didnât approve of Gwaine?â
Arthur grins wolfishly:
âOh, I donât, especially now that I know that youâre a Prince, and my brother, but itâs my duty as the oldest to threaten him more than I already have.â
Merlin stops suddenly in the corridor and pulls Arthur back:
âHang on a minute you prat, first off, when have you ever threatened Gwaine? And second, who said youâre the oldest?â
Arthurâs smile just grows and he grabs Merlinâs uninjured wrist to start pulling him down the corridor again:
âLiterally the day I found out he was attempting to court you, which was about a month before you figured it out by the way,-â
Merlin grumbles, but doesnât argue:
â-and Iâm the oldest because I said so, and mother said naming you was... was one of the last things she did, so you obviously came out second, idiot.â
Merlin rolls his eyes yet again, but doesnât say anything as they come to a stop outside of Gwaineâs room. He takes a deep breath, and Arthur moves his hand up to his shoulder again, giving him a small smile and a supportive nod.Â
The Warlock knocks on the door, and Gwaine opens immediately. The knight relaxes significantly when he sees that itâs the two of them back from God knows where, though he tenses again as his eyes run over them; he takes note of Merlinâs red eyes, injured wrist, and generally shaky demeanour. He also quickly catches on to the protective way Arthur is standing behind him, and the way The Princeâs loose hand shakes slightly with left over adrenaline.
Despite himself, Merlin relaxes and smiles when he sees Gwaine; with everything that had been going on he hadnât really had a chance to think about how much he missed him, about how much he needed his support.
Gwaine pulls them into the room quickly, shutting the door behind him and turning around to see Merlin looking at him sheepishly, and Arthur staring at him with a predatory smile:
âWhat happened? Where have you been? Is everything ok?!â
~
End of Part 1!!
Hope yâall enjoyed this!! I probably couldâve fitted more in, but I figured this was a good point to stop. Part 2 and 3 are out (link @ top), part 4 wonât be too long!!
Drop comments and things lads, I love yâall!!
#merwaine#bbc merlin#platonic merthur#merlin and arthur are brothers#merlin and arthur are twins#twin au#igraine#igraine pendragon#uther#uther is a dick#uthers a+ parenting#uther pendragon#king uther#prince arthur#leon#sir leon#protective leon#gwaine#sir gwaine#arwen?#arthur/elyan?#part 1#gaius#gaius fucks up#hunith#balinor#kilgharrah#the sins of the father#ygraine#ygraine pendragon
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You are so right on the Gwen thing. Honestly, I don't know what the writers were thinking not establishing Garthur in the first season. Sure we all knew that he would end up with Gwen because of the mythology, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have sown the seeds from the beginning. Instead they focused so much on Methur that it was bound to become the most popular ship (plus, unpopular opinion I'm sure, but Bradley and Colin had better chemistry)
And I'm so happy you like the pirate thing. I've been trying to make it a fandom term since...god, I don't even know. Since the final season of Spartacus. It's based on the pirate character who tried to break up Argon and Nasir. And considering pairing are called ships, I thought it was fitting. đ€
Hi darling!
Awww, Iâm glad to hear you agree with me on Gwen. OMG, I never knew that Arthurâs ship with her had a name. I donât know, maybe I just never came across anyone shipping it? But yeah, I have no doubt that the writers wanted to tell Merlin and Arthurâs epic love story. Itâs why the story begins and ends with Merthur, itâs the literal frame for the entirety of the show. Merlin the show wasnât about Merlin the person. It was about how he discovered his fate lay in his union with Arthur. Itâs why we donât see his years before Camelot, or after. Garthur is the price the writers had to pay in order to get to tell this tale. But at the end, what matters in the Merlin finale is Merthur. Itâs the two of them getting to talk openly about everything theyâve went through, itâs about Arthur going from shock over Merlinâs secret to acceptance and love before he falls asleep, itâs about why Merlin is going to wait for Arthurâs return till the end of time. Gwen would be gone for millennia, but Merlin will still be waiting, and Arthur will come back to him. At the end of the day, thatâs what weâre left wishing for, not Arthur returning to save Britain from an unknown crisis that would supposedly be its greatest time of need. We get no clue of what that crisis might be in the finale, we see nothing reflecting the Brits awaiting this miraculous return. What we are left with is a shot of Merlin, wandering about and waiting, and on the far horizon, the shadow of the things heâs yearning for.
So Iâm not surprised the writers didnât dedicate much time to Garthur during the first season, when they didnât even know whether theyâd get a second one. I am more... I guess astonished is the word, that they cared so little about Gwenâs ship, that they so clumsily put it together with tape and leftovers from Merthurâs amazing story and dynamic. But youâre right, Merthur also had some amazing chemistry between James and Colin. And NGL, I wouldnât be surprised if it ever came out that those two actors had a small something during the filming of Merlin (which I donât expect weâd ever hear about, if for no other reason than itâs clear Colin is honestly a private and shy person who wouldnât want that). Because James honestly seemed like he was crushing on Colin, flirted with him in a way James didnât with their other colleagues, Katie seemed to tease them a bit about it as well, not to mention that one time a male interviewer flirted with Colin right in front of Jamesâ salad, and James looked ready to kill someone, and then a video showed him putting his hand on the small of Colinâs back in a very possessive gesture. IDK if they were ever really together, but if James really did have a crush on Colin, and if Colin felt even slightly similar things, that could have played into their onscreen chemistry, too.
Well, matey, Iâm here to help you with your efforts! I love the pirate term you came up with, and Iâm grateful to you for sharing it and its origin story with me! Iâll def keep using it and credit you for it. Now Iâm also missing Nagron, but I love that they gave you this idea.Â
And like I said, I really do think weâre not gonna see a Buddie pirate in the near future. Whatever they need to learn about themselves and about being in a r/s to eventually be together, I think for now the show will look into that without bringing in external love interests. At least for a while. I would mind a pirate, if it were one brought in letâs say specifically by one of our boys to make the other one jealous. ;)
Thank you for this follow up to your previous ask, you have no idea how much follow ups make me happy! Hope you have a great day! xoxox
(If youâre looking for my ask replies, here is my ask tag! xoxox)
#buddie#buddie meta#911 meta#911meta#911#eddie diaz#evan buckley#edmundo diaz#evan buck buckley#merthur#merlin x arthur#nagron#all the ships all the feels#ask#gatergirl#fandom love#911onabc#911 on abc#911abc#911 abc
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