#The Moment of Truth

[kissme-withyour-cherrylipstick]

Hunith and Merlin, 1x10, The Moment of Truth

I can't just stick to one style can I? This shot was begging to be painted like this though. 12 hours.

[comebackali]

HE BURNS LIKE THE SUN INSIDE!! I WOULD BEAR YOUR BURDENS FOR YOU IF I COULD!!

[inalandofsadclowns]

I know Arthur had gone after Merlin in The Moment of Truth to save Ealdor then get Merlin back to Camelot so everything can be back to normal. But we need to consider another option:

Gwen and Morgana, also fearing to lose Merlin forever, huddled in Arthur's chambers.

Morgana: Did you give him the sword?

Gwen: I did.

Arthur: He did manage to hold it upright, I hope.

Gwen: He did, but...

Morgana: Oh dear, he did not slash himself, did he?

Gwen: No, his still has every limb. But I asked him to tell me how the sword felt, and he said it was... "very swordy".

Arthur: ...

Morgana: ...

Arthur, dropping his drumstick.

Gwen: My Lord-

Morgana: It's worse than we thought.

Gwen: I know, my Lady.

Arthur: We need to go with him.

Gwen: I know, Sire

Arthur: He's going to kill himself before his friends could say hi to him.

[digitalfossils]

[alpenglow-moons]

holy shit folks. It’s not even subtext, it’s just clear context. According to Merlin’s mother in S1 E10. Merther folks Merther

[where-our-stories-start]

Endless Merthur scenes (1/∞)

[earthshine-moon]

Merlin Parallels

(happy/funny ones as an apology for the sad ones)

“Not that I’d want to be her. Who’d want to marry Arthur?” (1x01)

(4x13)

“In this circle, we are all equals.” (1x10)

“A round table afforded no one man more importance than any other.” (3x13)

“I was fearful I might injure you, sire.” (2x02)

“To kill Arthur.”

“Driving you mad is he?”

“Not for much longer.”

*wheezes* (4x06)

In which Arthur’s reaction to someone saying that Merlin is a sorcerer is exactly the same (2x07) and (5x13)

[merthurians-prat-and-idiot]

The Moment of Truth is such a good ep but godd the end gets me everytime 😭😭

[pippin-katz]

Camelot or Merlin?

I've been thinking a lot about The Moment of Truth (1x10) lately, and this scene popped into my head:

Obviously, this is right before the battle, but I want to point something out here. Arthur says, "It's been an honor." as though he suspects they might not survive the fight, and wants to say a proper, respectful goodbye as a warrior would.

Now here's the thing: Arthur, Guinevere, and Morgana are not from Ealdor, and they are only to help Merlin. Logically speaking, it would make sense for them to leave if the battle was unwinnable.

But Arthur is not the type to run from a fight when innocents' lives are on the line. Even before the battle when training the villagers, he thinks that it can't be won, but he doesn't back out. He doesn't leave; he stays and fights with the villagers because he's Arthur, and he does not hold his own life above others. He's the opposite of the king that let Will's dad die. Will went ranting to Merlin about royalty even says, "Well, let's wait until the fighting begins and see who he sends in to die first. I guarantee you, it won't be him."

But it is him; Arthur always goes in first. It doesn't matter what part of a plan or battle he's apart of, he will always go in first and put those fighting with them above his own safety. The Curse of Cornelius Sigan (2x01) is a good example of how selfless he is. When he's cut off from his knights during the fighting, he orders them to retreat and save themselves, knowing full well that he was going to die (if Merlin hadn't been able to save him).

In the case of Ealdor's battle, he hoped they would win and he would fight, but he wasn't expecting it to work (it wouldn't have if Merlin hadn't stepped in with his magic). But he's not going to retreat, he's Arthur; he fully intends to fight until he's struck down.

This is where it gets interesting to me.

Arthur is the Crown Prince of Camelot, heir to the throne, and the commander of the Knights of Camelot. He is entirely dedicated to protecting and bettering the kingdom in any way that he can. He puts his people over everything, including his life. Arthur probably expected that when he would die, he would die in battle protecting Camelot (which he pretty much did in the end).

But he's not in Camelot. He's in a tiny village that's not even in his kingdom. Uther didn't know he was there, but if he had, he would've undoubtedly been absolutely furious, because the logical thing for Arthur to do was leave. He's the Crown Prince, the sole heir to the throne; his life is tied to the future of Camelot. There is no "rational" explanation for him to be there, and putting himself in danger.

But Arthur is completely willing to fight and die defending Ealdor. He's okay with laying down his life for these villagers that aren't even his people. Arthur (intentionally written so or not) puts the fate of Ealdor before the future of Camelot. He puts a little farming village before his entire kingdom, and why?

Because it's Merlin's home. That is how much he cares about him (regardless of interpretation their relationship).

He wasn't supposed to be there. It was possibly illegal for him to be there. Uther mentions their treaty with Cenred is gone, and that an armed force entering his kingdom for any reason would be seen as an act of war; Arthur doesn't go with any knights, but being the prince would likely be enough for Cenred to declare it as a crime.

So Arthur risks his own life, the future of Camelot should he die, and even the present state of Camelot should Cenred have found out he was there.

All for Merlin.

Of course he cares for the innocents in the village, but the only reason he actually traveled to the village in the first place was purely because of Merlin. In any other circumstance, he likely would've said the same thing about wanting to help, but not actually go.

He goes because Merlin goes. It's Merlin's home, and Merlin's leaving, and potentially isn't going to come back if he has to take care of his mother, or if he gets himself killed by the bandits.

Arthur would rather go, knowing all the risks, and die fighting to help him than stay in Camelot, even though his duty is expected to be to Camelot first. And he truly loves Camelot. It is no doubt that the kingdom matters a lot to him. Yet, Merlin's village seems to matter more, or rather Merlin himself seems to matter more.

God I hate and love them so much.

How did they write such a beautiful relationship, likely without meaning to? Obviously, much of their relationship is intentional written that way, but I'm almost positive that some things, like this, happened purely by accident because they didn't think through the all of the implications of their actions.

[garbage--account]

Waking up realizing the demo release is tomorrow :

[wonderlandmoonrose7]

“The Moment of Truth” is really reminding me of a Hallmark movie with Merlin as the protagonist, Arthur as the love interest, and Will as the ex who wants him back with all the talk about trust and where he really belongs lol

[comebackali]

just ending with some casual wedding vows nbd

[inalandofsadclowns]

Not to be rude, but why even call an episode The Moment of Truth, if it's just going to end in another lie. I do think Merlin was ready to come clean not less than two times in that episode (the first one being: "Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me", and the other one, obviously, after the wind thing, before Will lied to save Merlin). I imagine it felt like the moment of truth for Merlin. Maybe the stakes of revealing his magic were the lowest throughout the series, because at that point he couldn't know he'd return to Camelot again.

But it was supposed to be the moment of truth, and instead of Arthur (or even Morgana or Gwen) finally learning that truth, after 1x10 there was, in fact, one man less who knew about Merlin's magic.

[wumiings]

“I should like to see Emma in love, and in some doubt of a return; it would do her good”

…but it’s me wanting Arthur to be put in a situation where he’s forced to understand Merlin’s friendship/loyalty as something he could lose, rather than something he can take for granted regardless of how he treats him.

The few times we see Merlin consider leaving Camelot— [1] when Gaius is fired during the Edwin Muiren debacle, [2] when he’s reluctant to return after Will’s death, [3] when he plans to run away with Freya, [4] when he wants to bring Balinor back to Ealdor— Arthur doesn’t know about it.

He knows that Merlin essentially resigned when he left to help deal with Kanen (which possibly catalyzed Arthur’s decision to go after him), which makes their interactions in 1x10 particularly interesting because like,, he’s still bossing Merlin around in Ealdor, implying a mindset of “well I’m here to solve this problem for you, therefore you don’t have to stay afterwards, therefore you are still my servant despite having quit yesterday” which sure is an Assumption.

But then there’s also the armor scene that’s such a rare moment of Arthur ‘lowering’ himself to treat Merlin like an equal. Helping him prepare for battle and validating his fear, even acknowledging that same fear in himself. He shows vulnerability intentionally for Merlin’s sake and doesn’t seem embarrassed or backtrack. His actions demonstrate that he values their friendship and doesn’t want to lose it.

And then!! Merlin’s best friend- his only friend for the first fifteen years of his life- dies saving Arthur’s life, and Arthur reacts by being unforgivably callous at his funeral. Will’s body is literally still burning and Arthur is talking about how “you should have told me” because “sorcery is dangerous,” and Merlin isn’t having it!! Why should he return to Camelot when he’s just lost half his world and isn’t even given time to grieve because Arthur is already making it about Him??

Except this internal crisis plays out after Arthur has walked away; Merlin is talking to his mother. Arthur never learns that, just as his initial actions (coming to help Merlin’s village) worked to keep Merlin at his side, his later actions (being a dick about Will) might have cost him that friendship for good if Hunith hadn’t convinced Merlin to go back with the whole, “He needs you” bit.

I think he should have. He should know that his words are capable of damaging their bond, and be forced to acknowledge that it’s something he values- that he cares for Merlin as a friend and equal, not just a servant.

And he should be left in some doubt of a return; it would do him good.

[doppleganger-rental]

[untilyouremember]

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