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luminara123 · 2 years

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Chapter Four: The Dragon’s Call

“Hey, Gaius… can I talk with you about something?” I said gently as I walked to go sit next to him at his work bench.

“Yes, dear. What’s bothering you”

“It’s Lady Helen,” I answered vaguely.

“What about her? Does this have to do with your knowledge of the future?”

“Uhhh, In a way yes. I find myself having this knowledge and wondering if I should do something about it? I just don’t want to mess things up…”I began to tear up a little and Gaius placed his hand on mine in a fatherly comfort kind of way. “Lady Helen… the one that’s here. She’s not what she seems”.

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the man who was executed a few days ago” he nodded,” well his mother had promised to avenge him. She said Uther would share in her tears before the end of the celebrations. ‘An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A son for a son’... if my knowledge is correct, then she killed the real Lady Helen and took her place. She’s plotting to kill the Prince” I explained worriedly.

“Oh dear… the ‘show’, is that what you called it?”

“Yeah”

“What does it say about the outcome?”

“Arthur survives. I don’t know what I can say about it. It could prevent that favorable outcome from happening…”

“Then, what do you need advice on? You seem to know what you can do. What worries you?” Gaius asked, confused.

“What if my being here has already changed more than I could ever imagine”

“I’m sorry, I don’t have the answers you need”

“That's alright, Gaius. I am going to find Merlin”

“Be careful”

“I will” I figured I would find him in the lower town by now. Once I got there, I could hear the ruckus of Arthur and Merlin bickering.

“Ahhh, don’t run away,” Arthur teased.

“From you?” Merlin answered.

“Thank, God! I thought you were deaf as well as dumb” First of all that is offensive to the deaf community but he is already a Prat, so I guess just another thing to work on.

“Look I’ve told you, you were a Part. I just didn’t realize that you were a royal one” (I know the show is different but I don’t particularly like curse words so I am changing it a round a bir)

“I could take you apart with one blow”

“I could take you apart with less than that” Merlin started and then noticed me in the crowd behind Arthur and his knight ‘friends’. I shook my head to tell him this was a bad idea, but he never listens to me when it comes to things like this.

“Are you sure”

Merlin took off his jacket and Arthur tossed him a mase,”there you go, big man”. Unfortunately, Merl did not catch the weapon so he had to pick it up off the hay covered ground.

“I warn you. I’ve been trained to kill since birth”

“Wow, and how long have you been training to be a Prat?”

“I told you, you can’t address me like that”

“Sorry. How long have you been training to be a Prat, my lord?” the knights ‘oooh’ed(?) as Merlin, the idiot, did a fake bow to Arthur. Arthur swung the mace at Merl and the infamous fight began. I decided best just to stand back and watch. Then, I can lecture Merlin later on about his stupidity and apparent death wish.

Crowds of people gathered to watch as the two spared/fought one another. In the end, despite Merlin’s efforts (magic), he lost. Luckily, Arthur decided to let him go. I walked up to him as Arthur finished talking to him, you know the whole ‘there’s something about you Merlin’ thing. I walked up to him silently, grabbed his arm and dragged him to the chambers.

“How could you be so foolish!!”

“He needed to be taught a lesson”

“Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good! Not for idiotic pranks!”

“What is it that there is to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk!”

“Then by now you should know how to control yourself!”

“I don’t want to! If I can’t use magic then what have I got? I’m just a nobody and I always will be. If I can’t use magic, I might as well die” Merlin turned to go into our room.

“Merlin. Merl. Wait!” I said I got into the room and shut the door so that we may have some privacy between friends.

“What! Are you here to lecture me about my misuse of magic too?”

I sat next to him on his bed,”No” he furrowed his eyebrows,”I just wanted to say that you're not a nobody. No person ever is. You are more than just your magical gifts… your someone’s son, you My best friend. You’re a kind and funny person, with the most sass I have ever seen in anyone from this time. You accepted me for me, when most would have assumed I’d gone mad”

“You really think all of that?” he asked as he looked at me with teary eyes,

“Of course I do” I pulled him into a hug,”don’t ever forget”. We sat there for a while hugging and then Gaius entered, holding a few vials and clothes.

“Come here and take your shirt off” He instructed as he came to sit down on the opposite side of Merlin that I was.

“You don’t know why I was born like this, do you?”

Gaius replied with a simple, “No”, as he began to treat Merlin’s bruises and I grabbed Merlin’s hand as a show of support.

“I’m not a monster, am I” Merlin let out with a dry laugh.

“Don’t ever think that” Gaius said seriously as he looked Merlin in the eyes.

“Then why am I like this? Please, I need to know. Why?”

“Maybe there is someone with more knowledge than me”

“If you can’t tell me than no one can”

“Uhh. Maybe I could help, even just a little..” I hesitantly said as they both turned to look at me.

“I can’t tell you everything I know, at least not yet… but I can say that your magic has a purpose. A good one at that and I know that very soon you are going to meet someone much wiser than me. Someone who has been around much longer than me and has way more knowledge”

“Can you tell me when? Who?” Merlin asked desperately.

“I don’t know… I really, really want to. I just don’t want to mess things up” Merlin looked at me extremely confused but somewhat relieved.

“You’re really cryptic sometimes, you know that?”

“Yeah, sorry”

“Here, drink this. It’s for pain” Gaius handed Merlin a vial of an orange-ish brown liquid. Which he gulped down and winced.

I stirred in my sleep that night and heard Merlin get up and leave. I guess he is finally going to meet ‘The Great Dragon’. It is really late and I don’t want to follow him though. I will ask him about it in the morning in private. Maybe some other day I will go talk to Kiligarah and ask him if he knows how I ended up here.

‘Oi!! Have you seen the state of this room!” Gaius came in yelling the next morning.

“Not my fault” I pointed at Merlin,”it’s all him”

“It just happens” With that I rolled my eyes and left the room as I was already dressed for the day.

While Merlin delivered Morgana’s sleeping draught. I figured he can deal with that all on his own. It certainly will be funny to hear about later from his point of view. Oh no, that also means that poor girl is going to get killed by Mary and I don’t know where her room is. Crap!

We arrived at the banquet hall where we were helping Gaius with whatever needed done. Just after us, the Lady Morgana entered the hall closely followed by Gwen. I swear I could hear Arthyr whisper,’God have mercy’ under his breath. If only he knew that she was his sister. Man, wouldn’t that be a different response altogether.

“She looks great doesn’t she?” Gwen asked Merlin and I as she walked up to us.

“Yes” we both answered at the same time.

“Some people are just born to be Queen,” Qwen added.

Merlin faked a shocked, “No, really?”. I know that she really won’t be queen but Qwen will with luck. No that I would ever tell her that. It’s for her to figure out.

“I hope so. One day. Not that I’d want to be her. Who’d wanna marry Arthur?” You would, I thought.

“Oh come on, Gwen. I thought you liked those real, rough, tough, save the world kind of men” I nudged him for that comment.

“No, I like more ordinary men. Like you” Merwen for the win.

“Qwen, believe me, I’m not ordinary”

“Oh! I didn’t mean you. Just, I like much more ordinary me, like you” she added nervously.

“Thanks” Harsh one, Gwen. It is ok, I know she didn’t mean it like that.

We all took our places as Uther entered and gave his speech and introduced ‘Lady Helen, of Mora’ and the sleep spell began. Everyone began to fall asleep so Merlin and I covered our ears and I slowly made my way towards Arthur while Merlin focused on stopping Mary. In the end, Merlin and I both pulled Arthur out of the way of the dagger. Everyone was shocked by what had just occurred. While Uther decided to award not only Merlin, but me as well. Which caught me by surprise as he also made me Arthur's servant. That should be interesting.

Once we arrived back in our chambers, I gave Gaius and Merlin some space to talk. AKA, the giving of the magic book. Then, a pager came to get us for Arthur.

“Seems you destiny awaits’

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rainbowvamp · 3 years

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Gone and Back Again

Hello and welcome to chapter 5 of the manic creation that is my princess bride au. I’m slowly seeing my creative energy wind down, so the chapters for week three and four might be slightly more brief than this weeks and next week’s chapters are. It looks like there will be five for next week as well, but not all of them will fit the Albion Party prompts. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

~5100 words. (AO3 Link)

Arthur and Morgana are our main dynamic today. (platonic)

Warnings: suicidal ideation, depiction of depression, mentions of force feeding, memory loss, and non-consensual memory alterations. (All of this happens after the cut) Further: Lots and lots of talk of marriage. And I don't know how marriage works in the long ago times, so if it doesn't make much sense, please excuse me. Merlin is a little sus this chapter, but it gets explained in chapter 7. Oh, in this AU Arthur and Morgana are not related in any way. Just in case you were worried about that.

---

Becoming the King’s Ward is even more suffocating that being the daughter of a Lord. She is always expected to be dressed in finery, she is almost never alone, and far too many men look at her. Arthur does his best to keep them away, but it becomes clear in late Autumn that Uther doesn’t intend for her to be Arthur’s wife. He invites a neighboring king and his very lovely daughter to the Samhain festival.

Morgana is still seated in a place of honor, but her usual place beside Arthur is occupied by the Princess Vivian. The girl is so insufferable that it hurts to even think her name, and so Morgana does not spend much time speaking to her.

Morgana’s lack of socializing is excused time and again by someone or other who says that she’d just lost bother her parents, last week, less than a month ago, only a month ago, only a few months ago… She doesn’t have to pretend to be happy, at least, but she knows the excuse will not last.

Days pass and at Yule, a different princess is at the castle. This one stays for weeks because of the bad weather, and Morgana becomes a ghost in the palace.

Uther calls her to his chambers one night, a nobleman she doesn’t recognize is also there, likely for the sake over own reputation.

“Morgana, please sit.” Uther gestures to the place across from his desk, and she takes the seat gracefully, keeping her face cool and collected. “The Princess Elena has expressed concern for your wellbeing. She says you seem, despondent. I understand your parents death was very distressing, and no one expects your mourning to be finished, but I will ask this of you only once. You are to make sure the Princess Elena feels welcome here. She is very likely to become Arthur’s betrothed, and if you are to continue to stay here, you should become friendly with her. Do I make myself clear?”

He thinks I want his son. She nods and smiles sheepishly. An act she had learned pleased him early on. “I understand, Your Majesty. I will make every effort to show her kindness and make her feel welcome, just as you welcomed me.”

“Good girl.” He turned back to his papers and she stood, dismissed.

Arthur is waiting outside the door for her.

“What did he say to you?” He fell into step beside he and she smiled wanly.

“He intends to marry you to Elena, and I should not be so cold to her if I would like to stay here.”

“I would never let him turn you out. You know that.”

She and Arthur had built a tentative sort of alliance since she’d come to live in the palace. In keeping with that alliance, he took her hand in the guise of reassuring her, while slipping two gold coins into it. She placed them in the pocket of her dress. Beside the ring she had stopped wearing upon the king’s demand.

“I don’t think you’ll have much of a choice.”

“I’d go with you.” He promises, and she laughs.

“No you wouldn’t. Your loyalty is too bound to Camelot and it’s people.”

“You are a person of Camelot, aren’t you?”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

They walk in silence until they reach Morgana’s chambers. At her door they stop and finish the conversation. “Princess Elena has no interest in marrying me. She wants to rule alone.”

Morgana smiled, “Good for her.”

“Yes. You should still be nicer to her.”

“I am nice!” She said with a scoff. When Arthur raised an eyebrow at her she conceded, rolling her eyes. “I’m not any less nice to her than I am to you.”

“Yes, but I know you’re nice inside. Elena just thinks you hate her.”

“I will smile at her at dinner tonight, will that make you happy?”

“Immensely.” Arthur bows and kisses her hand before he goes, and Morgana make a very unladylike face of disgust at him. He does this to exasperate her and amuse himself, and she plays into it every time.

—

The castle servants are not as kind as the ones from her home, or as loyal. Not to her, at least. Her stash of coins is discovered and taken, and the King is cold to her for many days. Each stash of coins she manages to acquire receives a fate much the same, until Arthur starts hiding the coins for her. His servant doesn’t take coins, but he does manage to “put away” every bit of traveling supplies Arthur manages to help her acquire.

Eventually, she gives up. Spring comes and goes, then another Winter. She mourns the loss of her freedom almost as much as she mourned Lancelot. Eventually the hopelessness gets the better of her, and she takes ill. Arthur visits her everyday, and at first she can muster the occasional conversation, but as time passes she finds she has the will to speak to him less and less, and eventually, she goes quiet. He is good, and kind. The last thing she intends to do is bless him and wish him well when she thinks that she will die.

She doesn’t die.

Uther calls physicians from every corner of the Kingdom to come and tend her, and promises the position of court physician to anyone who manages to cure her. She’s poked and prodded, and Arthur is by her side as often as he can be. She doesn’t trust these strange men and so she’s always grateful for his presence, even if she doesn’t say so. She wishes they would just leave her to die, but her body is too heavy to move, and her mind too clouded to protest.

Her dry lips barely part to take a little water. She can’t eat, and her sleep is fitful.

She goes through nearly a dozen physicians before one, Merlin Emerys, finally cures her.

“Take this.” Is all he says to her, not even bothering to do a physical exam.

She is laying on her side, curled in on herself, much the same position she’s been in all afternoon. She doesn’t reach fo the medicine when he offers it, and only his assistant, Gwen, can coax her into motion.

“He looks very young, doesn’t he?” Gwen asks as she smooths hair back from Morgana’s face. “He is, but he is very knowledgeable. Studied with all the best physicians in the five kingdoms. Here, let’s sit you up.” Gwen takes her under the shoulders and props her up. Arthur moves forward and adjust her pillows so she can lean against them, taking Morgana’s hand to help her shuffle back against them in the bed.

Her whole body hurts, aches with the motion. She feels hopeless, like nothing will ever be right again, and the only reason she doesn’t protest is because there is no point. She’ll just be force fed whatever concoction he has for her if she does. That was what happened with the first physician who had come to see her.

She can’t focus on anything that’s happening, she just takes what she’s given, letting Gwen give her medicine. She drinks and the bitterness she is expecting never comes. Whatever this tincture is, it’s sweet, and there is just enough of it for a few sips. She swallows it down and then Gwen lets her go, lets her rest against the pillows and returns to Merlin’s side.

Arthur and Merlin bend their heads together and whisper to each other. Arthur’s shoulders are tense, hunching inward, while Merlin speaks low and easy. Gwen stays beside him all the while, but says nothing. There is no ring on her finger, so she is not his wife. Morgana wonders idly if they are involved.

It’s the most interest she’s had in anything in months.

Arthur sees Merlin out of the room, and a servant comes in to bring Morgana something to eat. She finds that she is starving, and she eats everything given to her. It was a small amount of a wide array of food, the castle staff having been told to prepare anything and everything they thought might make her eat. She eats all of it, and Arthur watches her with wide eyes.

“What?” She asked when she finally stopped eating long enough to see her friend. The servant who had brought her dinner was out of earshot, straightening the room, but Arthur looked at her and held his tongue. Morgana watched his eyes, and then nodded, understanding. He sat beside her bed and took her hand in his.

When the maid moved further away to get Morgana’s bath water, Arthur leaned close to her and whispered, “The potion is already working. I’m afraid it is not just medicine he peddles.”

Morgana raised her eyebrows at the accusation, but Arthur shook his head, looking to the maid again. “I’m glad you’re eating well. I hated watching you be force fed.”

“You could have stopped it.” She reminded him, in fact, she had begged him to stop it, weak and breathy from too little time spent speaking in too many days.

“You would have died. I hated it, but I would not see you dead.”

“The kingdom will talk. The Crown Prince favoring an orphaned girl.”

“And orphaned Lady. It’s hardly out of character.”

“It is out of line with your father’s plans for you. Which princess does he like for you think season?”

Arthur laughed. “Princess Mithian.”

Morgana had never met princess Mithian. She found she wanted to, if only to compare her to all the other princesses that she had seen paraded in front of Arthur.

It was one of the first things she’d wanted to do in a long while.

“Get out.” She said, her voice stronger than it had been in weeks. “I need to dress.”

“It’s late afternoon.”

“And dinner is soon. I need to dress. Get out.”

Arthur laughed, and squeezed her hand as he stood, gesturing the maid over to help Morgana out of bed for the first time of her own accord in days.

—

The Lady Morgana goes down to eat dinner with the Prince and the King for the first time in a month that evening. Uther immediately calls for a servant to bring him Merlin, who he assigns the position of court physician. For the first time in weeks, Morgana smiles brightly, and whatever the man has done, Uther is glad for it.

Morgana eats heartily, almost unbecomingly heartily, but neither Uther nor Arthur begrudge her the meal. She is boney, and her dress is loose from the weight she’d lost in her sickness. She is to eat to her heart’s content.

The food Morgana eats tastes divine. For weeks everything in her mouth felt like ash and nothingness. Now the warm sting of wine and hot vegetables feels like home, like life, and she is eager to take it all in.

Uther asks her questions, and she is eager to speak, happily chatting about her intentions to take a morning ride, her desire to return to her studies, and even her desire to start looking for a husband.

This catches Arthur by surprise.

Morgana has not spoken of a husband of her own accord except to speak of her dead love, Lancelot. Something about this is strange.

When dinner is over, Arthur excuses himself and goes to find the Court Physician, Merlin.

“What did you do to her?” Arthur finds Merlin in the court physicians chambers with his assistant, Gwen. Merlin is wide eyed and watchful when Arthur enters his room.

“I gave her a medicine to heal her mind. She is better now, yes? Eating, active, back to her usual self?”

“Yes.” Arthur doesn’t dare make an accusation without more proof, but the wary way that Merlin’s assistant watches him makes Arthur think that he is on the right track. “I haven’t seen her this happy since before her parent’s deaths.”

“Grief can sometimes be so deep that it dulls everything else. What’s the point of food when you’re in so much pain you can’t fathom going on?”

Merlin sounds so wise, so knowledgeable, when he speaks, but Arthur is suspicious.

“If you say so. Well, whatever you’ve done. Thank you.”

“I live to serve.” The physician waits for Arthur to leave, but he doesn’t go without sizing Merlin up first.

He would be able to take him in a fight, if needs must.

—

Time goes by and Morgana is happier than Arthur has ever seen her and while he is glad for it, his suspicions never waver.

They are never left alone anymore, upon his father’s insistence. With Morgana’s willingness to speak of marriage, he thinks maybe he’s trying to discourage anything untoward between them. This makes it hard to ask Morgana the question he so desperately needs an answer to. He sees hints of it, but he doesn’t find hard proof of anything. She doesn’t stare off in the distance like she once did. She smiles like she has no worries. She never slips her hand into her pocket to touch Lancelot’s ring.

Merlin is a good court physician. He can heal almost any ailment, or at the very least help the patient be comfortable. Gwen is also very competent, though she is quiet. She doesn’t talk much to the other servants, as he’s heard from George. Or, as he’s made George tell him in his own quest to wheedle out whatever information he can about Merlin.

Merlin is a hard nut to crack. The man’s face never falls, always tranquil, always sure of himself. Even in the most dire circumstances, he is easy-eyed and softly smiling, like he expects everything will just go his way eventually.

Uther eats it right up.

Arthur doesn’t dare make his suspicions known until he has proof, and even then he thinks he’ll have a hard time having a man killed who’s done so much good, but a year on and he still doesn’t know what’s wrong with Morgana. Between his new and increasing duties as a knight and the crown prince, and Morgana’s now constant activity, he barely has time to speak to her, let alone discern what the problem might be.

He has nearly a whole sack of gold coins discreetly saved before he mentions to Morgana that if she wishes to leave, soon she might be able to.

When Morgana smiles serenely at him and says she has no wish to leave, Arthur knows that something is wrong. And he can’t do anything about it.

—-

Morgana’s parents have been dead for two years, a plenty adequate mourning time, when Uther starts suggesting matches. First a Lord’s son that Arthur knew to be a cad. Next a young Lord who was fine but very bland. After that, a prince from a neighboring Kingdom who had caught word of Morgana’s beauty and shown interest.

All of these men Morgana entertained, smiled at, was polite to, far more polite than she had ever been to Arthur before her mind sickness. She made them smile and completely enthralled them, only to turn down each proposal made, all smiles and apologies.

That, at least, gave Arthur some comfort.

But after a year of failed courtings, three years in the palace, people were starting to talk. Morgana is 21 and people start to call her unlovable. They don’t say such things about Arthur, and he is nearly 23. It seems unfair to him, that people are so cruel.

“If this keeps up, you might have to marry her, Arthur,” Uther said in passing once, rubbing his temple while he read an angry letter sent by yet another lord turned down by the Lady Morgana. “Gorlois used to speak of her unwillingness, but I never expected she’d be so brazen about it here.”

Arthur doesn’t think before he speaks, going over the grain reports from the latest council meeting in more detail. “Is that an option?”

The soft sound of Uther setting down the letter he’d been reading draws Arthur’s attention up from his own.

“Is that something you would consider?” Uther had made no secret of his distaste for Arthur’s own reluctance to marry. Uther, of course, hadn’t been married until he was almost 26, but he often forgot that.

“Maybe. If she was amenable.” Arthur shrugs. It would save them both a lot of trouble, at least. They were good friends, Arthur would never press for a physical relationship, and their marriage would be in name only. For Morgana’s sake, it would probably be the least painful option. Arthur wouldn’t mind not having his father trying to force him to fall in love with new women every season either.

Of course, there was still the question of status.

Uther doesn’t respond, but Arthur can feel the king’s eyes on him long after he’s gone back to reading over the grain report.

—

A month later, while they are having dinner, Uther asks Morgana if she has any interest in courting Arthur. Considering this is right in front of Arthur, he’s quiet embarrassed, but Morgana only smiles, laughs, and says, “Arthur is one of my dearest friends.”

“Dear friends make the best husbands.” He raises his brow at her, watching her every reaction. She looks over the table at Arthur, who smiles, shrugs. They don’t get much time to talk now, but maybe if they were courting, he would finally have time to get to the bottom of Morgana’s drastic change in demeanor.

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in courting. It can always be broken if we don’t agree with each other?” She looks at Arthur when she asks this question, and Arthur nods, solemn.

Uther grins and claps his hands together. “Excellent.” He just seems happy to have two problems off his hands all at once.

And Morgana’s unwillingness to marry had been a problem. Rumors started to fly that she’d been holding out for the prince since their first meeting, wrapping him around her finger for three long years until he had no choice but to beg Uther to court her. Morgana never mentions these rumors, and so neither does Arthur.

Morgana’s early morning ride is now accompanied occasionally by Arthur, and George. They sometimes take their breakfast alone, save for a chaperone, usually the Lord Agravaine, who had also been seeing over Morgana’s lands.

It’s on one of their shared rides that Arthur manages to tell her that he won’t expect anything “wifely” out of her if they do end up married. Morgana just smiles and nods, shrugs like this doesn’t particularly bother her.

This is too far. And so he tests her.

“Where do you keep his ring, now?”

She blinks and looks at him. “What?”

“His Ring. Lancelot’s ring. Where do you keep it?”

She looks at him blankly, blinks a few times, and then shrugs. “I forget.”

I forget. A woman so distraught at the loss of her love that she’d been willing to leave behind everything she knew with no money and only the dress on her back, but she’d forgotten the last thing that she’d received from him? This was why she felt better after the potion was drunk, he was sure of it now. She’d been made to forget the things that caused her pain.

But still she’d refused to marry. The love ran deep for her. Arthur wouldn’t pretend to understand it, but he respected it none the less.

“It was that damn physician who did this to you.” Arthur muttered, but Morgana was unaffected, distracted by the buzzing of a few nearby bees, smiling.

He wonders if this was what Morgana was like with him, this Lancelot fellow she’s so lost without. He hopes she was. That he brought her joy with whatever time they had together.

Arthur has a physician to see, so he ends their ride early, despite Morgana’s protests.

George is glad to be heading back, at least.

—

As soon as they return, Arthur storms the court physicians quarters and confronts Merlin about what he’s done to Morgana. Merlin holds firm that he’s done nothing magical, and has only given a sick girl medicine to make her better.

“How is it better to forget your love?”

“She was dying for him, Arthur. Doesn’t your friend deserve a chance to live her life, free of pain?”

“Life is full of pain. You can’t simply get rid of it. What sort of heartless bastard are you?”

Merlin’s eyes flash with anger and maybe something else, but before Arthur can get a good look at it, Gwen, his assistant, takes Merlin by the elbow and reminds him they have a pressing appointment with an expectant mother in the lower town.

Arthur lets them go, but he doesn’t forget that interaction.

—

For a year he courts Morgana, and finally, at Yule, he makes a public proposal. She accepts, as she had agreed she would weeks before, and the Yule celebration becomes a celebration of their engagement. Their wedding is set for Samhain of the next year. The wedding of the crown Prince and the King’s only son is going to be a giant affair, the whole of Camelot will rejoice in it.

At least, that’s what everyone keeps telling him. Morgana seems content enough to marry him, though he can’t help feeling distraught where this marriage is concerned. Morgana isn’t in her right mind without her memories of Lancelot completely intact, or blocked off, or dimmed, or whatever it is that damn sorcerer has done to her.

So, finally, Arthur goes to Merlin and demands he lift the spell on Morgana.

“My Lord, I haven’t cast a spell on her. I gave her medicine. Medicine that saved her life, might I remind you. Even if I could simply reverse it’s effects, which I can’t, she would only be right back where she was when I gave it to her, wasting away with mind sickness.” Merlin’s face, when he says this, shows no remorse, not a hint of anything resembling pity. He just looks… blank.

Arthur hadn’t wanted to hear this. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to collect himself. “What exactly did your medicine do?”

“It blocked some of her ability to feel emotional pain. She still has all her memories, if that’s what you’re worried about. She simply doesn’t hurt when she thinks of them.”

“You say that like it’s not a terrible thing.”

“I’m a physician. My whole life is dedicated to easing people’s sufferings.”

Arthur is very glad Gwen isn’t here. He’d feel terrible starting a fight in front of a woman.

Arthur clocks Merlin in the mouth for the blasé way that he talks about taking Morgana’s feelings from her. “I want you out of this castle. We’ll find a new court physician. Whatever your remedies are, I don’t want them for my people.”

Merlin glared but didn’t say anything back. Arthur stormed out of the room and only once he was down the hall did the commotion start in the physicians quarters.

Arthur felt satisfied, then, that at least he’d gotten a rise out of the man.

—

Uther gives him grief about firing the court physician, but when Arthur stands his ground and says he doesn’t like the way the man behaves, Uther simply nods and agrees to send the man, and his assistant packing.

He hadn’t held out much hope for the possibility that Morgana would return to her old self when the man was gone, but when three days passed and Morgana still seemed unbothered, mood entirely unchanged, Arthur’s last little bit of hope died.

He promised himself that he would do right by her, then, and committed himself to honoring the memory of her love. He’d make sure to remind her regularly, even use the ring Lancelot had given her as her wedding ring, if she wasn’t opposed to the idea.

—

Their engagement goes well, and Morgana throws herself into the wedding preparations. She seems to be enjoying herself, and Arthur is glad of that, at least. They eventually find a new court physician, a wisened old man named Gaius. Arthur takes his suspicions about Morgana to the man, but he claims he can do nothing for it. Even so, something about the look on his face makes Arthur suspicious.

He sits down to breakfast with Morgana in his chambers, and while his manservant is attending to business on the other side of the room, he takes her hand in his to get her attention.

Morgana looks away from her breakfast and smiles easily at him. He would be a liar if he said he wasn’t glad Morgana smiled more now than she had years ago, but something about it always felt wrong. Knowing she was being forced to suppress the memories of her dead love made that feeling of wrongness infinitely greater.

“I’ve said this before,” He started, and she raised an eyebrow, curious, but without any bite. He used to quite like that she was always subtly making fun of him. “But I feel the need to say it again, with the wedding just a few weeks away. Morgana, I will not expect anything of you in this marriage. I do care for you, but I don’t love you anymore than you love me. You will be an excellent queen, and I’m grateful to have you by my side, but this is a marriage of friends, and equals.” Despite our differences in stations goes unsaid, but not unheard.

Morgana’s smile becomes softer. “I know you don’t. I wouldn’t be marrying you if you did. I-“ She stopped, trailed off, really, blinking like she was blinking away some thought she couldn’t be bothered to remember. “The preparations are going splendidly, anyway. It will be a beautiful ceremony. Unfortunately large, but it can’t be helped. We can’t refuse anyone an invitation.”

The way her mind changes track from the aftermath of the marriage to the wedding itself worries him, and he thinks that he should’ve pushed harder for a cure of some kind. But he dared not do anything that might alert Uther that he suspected an enchantment was placed on Morgana. Uther’s intolerance for magic had extended to those under its influence before, and he wouldn’t risk Morgana’s life like that.

“No, I suppose not. Any friends you’re looking forward to seeing?”

Morgana laughed, “Other noble ladies have never liked me much, I ruffle their feathers.” She pulled her hand away from his and went back to her breakfast, but Arthur was not quite done.

“I want you to use Lancelot’s ring, as a tribute to him.” He watches her carefully when her body stills, eyes distant as she looked down at the fruit she’d just speared with her fork. Again, she blinks away a thought and smiles.

“I don’t know where it is.” She smiles, but it’s tight. “I haven’t even thought of it in years.”

“Would you like me to help you look for it? It might be nice to have.” Even if she says no, he thinks he’ll try to convince her to find it. Maybe whatever connection it gives her will help bring her back from whatever spell Merlin put on her.

“Maybe,” She says it like she can’t be bothered either way. He swallows and nods.

“Let’s look for it. You used to love it so much. I’d like you to wear it again, once we’re married.”

“The wedding is in just a few weeks, and I haven’t seen that ring in years. Do you really think we’ll find it in time?” One of her eyebrows raises, a question, and maybe a challenge.

“How hard can it be? It’s probably in with the rest of your jewelry.”

Morgana laughed wholeheartedly now, still delicate enough for a lady, but very obviously laughing at him.

“What?” He asked, and she just shook her head.

“I don’t think you realize how much jewelry you’ve given me over that last two years. Your courting gifts are very unoriginal.”

—

Sure enough, her vanity and another separate chest are both full of Jewelry. She goes through her vanity while Arthur checks the chest, but neither of them find it. Morgana gives him a knowing sort of “didn’t I tell you” look, but Arthur is determined. Morgana is his friend and that ring is important to her, whether she remembers it or not. He will not see it lost forever to time and a terrible curse.

“Alright, fine. So it’s not with your jewelry. Check the pockets of your dresses, then. I’ll look under the bed.”

Morgana laughed at him again. “You really think I’d find it in a pocket after all these years? Surely a laundrywoman would have taken it out and put it with my things.”

He leveled her with a gaze that brokered no arguments. “Humor me.”

She rolled her eyes at him, and at least this teasing felt a bit like the Morgana he’d known for a short while before she’d been influenced.

Arthur got to his hands and knees, then down to his stomach, to look beneath every piece of furniture in the room. The bed, the night stands, the wardrobe. He even looked behind her changing screen and under the empty tub, but there was no ring in sight.

The rustling of fabric at the wardrobe stops and Arthur looks around the privacy screen to see Morgana, standing frozen at the door, head bent, eyes locked on something Arthur can’t see.

He gets up and approaches her quietly, trying not to startle her.

“Morgana?” He asks when he’s still a few feet away, trying to see around the wardrobe doors to what she’s holding, but his vantage point is no good. He moves to stand behind her, looking over her shoulder.

In her pale, shaking hand, lies a dull, tarnished ring. The band is far too wide to be fitting of a noble lady, let alone a queen, and the stone doesn’t glitter so much as gently diffuse light. He’s seen it only a few times before, after his father banned her from wearing it, but he thinks this must be it.

“I found it.” When she whispers it, her voice is choking. He gently turns her toward him and there are tears in her eyes. When she looks up at him, he sees every ounce of pain he remembers from their first meeting, and maybe more, laced with years of regret. “I can’t marry you.”

Arthur nods, feeling tears prick his own eyes as he pulls her into a hug. “We’ll figure something out.” He promises, and she sobs into his shoulder, soaking his shirt through. He pats her on the back and swears that he won’t force her to be married to him. Not on his life.

He explains his suspicions of Merlin to her, and when she goes to bed that night, she’s distraught. The next morning she goes for her daily ride without him, presumably to think, and she never returns.

#albionparty21 #morgana #arthur #fic #bbc merlin #pbau au proper

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hiimsociallyawkward · 3 years

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the wicked day

hey guys. i'm back with my random and annoying merlin thoughts. i should be studying for my bio quiz, but yk- i don't want to :,) love you @lady-ofmagic-andstars✨enjoy✨

literally every time i'm going watching i'm going to comment on john hurt that says young man instead of young boy

it's so subtle but wow. thanks i didn't need to be hurt so early on in the episode

i know i know i'm basically a child but this is so exciting

merlin is so cute

aw no not arthur being pouty abt his big birthday

I LOVE THE 'i heard that' thing so much. i love it i love it

off topic, but i love knife throwing. i've always thought that if i had to choose a weapon that's not a gun, i'd choose knifes. swords? maces? crossbows? sure. but knives?? that's where it's really at

i love arthur not wanting to overburden their citizens

ok uther? i hate him

but here? i love him

he's a good dad here. remembering arthur's birthday? that's so sweet. uther in season 4 is the only time i semi like him

AW ARTHUR AND UTHER AT DINNER

i love them

off topic but i like that arthur is wearing his 'every day' clothes, jacket and a tunic under his cape. that's it. the knights are all wearing his garb but arthur is just wearing his 'regular clothes'

hehe gwen being nervous about arthur being on the wheel is so sweet

idk why but i always get nervous at that last knife.

like of COURSe i know he's not going to get hit but it's scary.

the 'not wearing any trousers' thing omg. bbc really decided to do that

i wish we had more of this parental dynamic of arthur and uther

dam alright arthur. being out of it but still being in it enough to see the guy in the reflection? i stan

SKLFJASLDFJA uther fighting to protect arthur

literally me through his whole scene going 'oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez' on repeat.

so off topic but i kind of like the hairstyle they have for most of the guys in this show?? idk is that weird

oh jeez oh jeez oh jeez uther dying

like, i HATe him. i've been waiting for this since season 1 but this scene makes me sad

ok i don't remember the last episode of merlin so i forget what arthur says when he's dying in merlin's arms??

it's something like 'hold me' right? i feel like that has the same energy as 'stay with me' so while i can't exactly say this is sort of parallel, it's sort of parallel?

i mean, ok 1. dying in someone else's arms. 2. dying in the arms of someone you love? romantically, platonically, familial? doesn't matter. both uther and arthur died in the arms of someone they loved. 3. i'm just gonna say 'hold me' and 'stay with me' have the SAME energy, so if no one has called semi-parallels, i'm calling semi-parallels

bradley's single tear

stfu agarvaine. i'm serious. legit everytime he shows up i wanna pow pow pow him

legit. agaravaine needs to get away from morgana.

DO NOT GRAB HER ARM MISTER. LET GO OF HER

I DON'T CARE THAT YOU'RE SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH HER. LET GO OF HER RN

i've said it once and i'll say it again, i love gwen

not to romanticize death or anything but i like candle light vigils.

ok maybe slightly symbolic but probably not? ok actually i think it is, not to toot my own horn but this is also just really straightforward too.

arthur wearing 'street garb' and his 'knight stuff' sort of differentiates between 'arthur' and 'prince arthur'. the scene where merlin and arthur are looking over the vigil and merlin's talking about how there's nothing that can be done, and arthur mentions using magic, i may be off about this but i feel like he's speaking more from prince arthur rather than arthur, uther is my father.

like of course arthur's hurting, everyone knows he's hurting. but idk. i feel like he feels like he's not ready to be king. he needs more time, and he can't be king yet. so therefore, prince arthur is talking about needing to save their king.

gaius and merlin are both right here. idk what else to say.

wow merlin 'you can't stop me' love that

jeez 'maybe this is my chance to change that' little do you know what's happening soon merlin.

oh shoot.

arthur asking merlin if he would use magic to save his father? i'm just thinking back to merlin crying, but not crying over balinor because he couldn't tell arthur, and merlin having to mourn his father in secret. vs. arthur, asking merlin for advice. sharing all his worries and insecurities with gwen. begging gaius to do something more for his father. this just makes me so sad

arthur TRUSTING merlin. with everything. taking merlin's opinion on things and aw

this is dumb but tbh i really like merlin's outfit. like tbh i think i dress in the same sort of style, just ✨modern✨ sadly, no neckerchief for me but i do have a necklace that says 'heather' despite my name being 'ashley'. ily conan gray

ugh. arthur calling merlin a coward but also calling him brave?? you need to pick a side arthur

LMAO ARTHUR STOP THINKING ABOUT WATCHING MERLIN PEE

bruh arthur breaking the vase. it's so dumb but merlin referring to the vase over and over actually makes me chuckle

ok merlin going 'you have come to kill me?' reminds me of another show but i can't remember but i thought i'd put it out here anyways

oh shoot i just realized/remember that uther got stabbed on arthur's birthday. hell of a gift am i right 😭

hehe arthur 'sweeping' with the broom. silly goose

dragoon sounds so vulnerable asking for the right to use magic freely

i love you arthur. this scene, i'm like YES. arthur i love him

i love the saying 'my word'. like, i don't want people to promise me anything anymore. i want them to give me their word.

HAHA THIS IS SO DUMB. MERLIN SAYING 'QUESTIONS. SO MANY QUESTIONS'. I LITERALLY SAY IT WITH THE SHOW EVERY TIME. WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME

aw arthur just sitting there with the cup and trying not to break it HAHA he's so sweet. slightly scared after that vase yk what i mean

ok i don't like morgana and everything but that necklace? that's a stroke of genius. yes girl. make up the plan as you go along

frick you agarvaine. do not scare gwen you PERV

jeez agarvainewas SO rude putting that necklace onto uther. like yes, ik you don't like him but STILL. that's just rude

i'm going to start calling people toads now

hehe arthur closing his door and merlin being right there. it's not necessarily a trope but it totally is and i love it

ah yes. merlin and the tavern. i feel like it's been referred to before but it's still funny.

ok ik arthur carrying merlin is there for kicks for the kids but i laughed anyways

apparently i have the humor of a 10 year old

this is really dumb but the scene with arthur and the two guards. i'm just thinking 'how tall are these guards'. ofc ik that the staging/perception could be doing something that might be making arthur look shorter, but my first reaction was 'bradley is 6' just how tall are these guards??'

merlin's speech about magic makes me sad

aw 'i hope, one day, that you'll see me in a different light'

dragoon has the same effect on arthur as merlin does

uther waking up 😭

AW. UTHER'S LITTLE SIGH AND THEN 'ARTHUR' BREAK MY HEART COVEY. BREAK IT A THOUSAND TIMES.

they're both so happy. this makes me so sad now. oh jeez. oh jeez. oh jeez

oh jeez oh jeez merlin's expression. AW merlin gave arthur his word. oh jeez this is very stressful and i'm only watching this

ok obviously. merlin doesn't want to see arthur in pain. but ALSO this was merlin's chance to change things once and for all. and now uther is dead. #no liam just payne

arthur's face post crying. skf;aldjfa;ldk AW

frick you agarvaine. literally die. i can't wait for merlin to kill you

i think this scene is pretty. the light on the left and the dark on the right? ok actually, i'm going to be making an off base comparison now because that's all i do.

i'm remembering this post i saw on here and it was like, arthur uther and morgana in the throne room. in order of the way they sit in the throne room, first it's arthur, uther, and then morgana

well. the really dumb and off base comparison here is the 'light' goodness of arthur and the 'dark' evil of morgana being mirrored in the picture above.

'light', bravery, doing what's right- being on the left. 'dark', evil, power on the right- and arthur in the middle of it, king

like i said, it's a dumb off base comparison, but at least the picture is pretty

oh jeez this scene

my heart breaks for both of them

merlin not being able to form a sentence at first.

😭😭😭😭 arthur please. you're breaking everyone's heart right now

you already knew i had to include this scene

arthur walking in there all alone

oh jeez he's all alone

dumb parallel number 2. arthur walking into the throne room with uther, father and son. merlin and gaius closing the door for arthur- pseudo father and pseudo son.

'he'll never know who i really am'

i want to do a DEH post soon but jeez. the line that hits hardest for me in DEH is 'i never let them see the worst of me. cause what if everyone saw? what if everyone knew? would they like what they saw? or would they hate it too? and jeez that's all i can think about when i think about merlin and his secrets

again. no liam, just payne

asldkfja;sldkfjas dlf merlin waiting for arthur

i have so many feelings

i love the show of affections for his father. you already know that uther wasn't affectionate when arthur was growing up, but still. forehead kiss? i love it

I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO FEEL THAT YOU WERE ALONE. i hate this and love this so much. i'm not saying merlin is completely selfless, because merlin wants magic to be leagalized and arthur is the way to do that. but omg merlin not wanting for arthur to feel like he's alone breaks me

first, merlin being physically alone while waiting for arthur. arthur was technically alone too, but he was with his father

but also, merlin being alone in the sense of his magic. no one knows except for gaius. lancelot knew and then they killed him. merlin is so alone when it comes to his magic, and morgana's enchantment only pushes merlin into his 'magic shell' more. arthur thinks magic is pure evil, and merlin is made of magic. what does that mean would think of arthur. this hurts me so much i'm so sad

friend 😭

arthur asking if he's hungry and them getting breakfast together

ok this sound track

pendragon red. i actually stan

gwen wearing a purple dress?? color symbolism?? nah i'm over thinking

ASIFA;SDLFJAD HE'S KING OF CAMELOT

IT'S LIKE I WANT TO CRY BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD RIGHT NOW.

oh jeez oh jeez.

and merlin saying 'long live the king' at the end of the episode?

chills

Anyways! I’ll be back next week to rant more about aithusa so I’ll see you then! thanks I love you bye

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talesofafangirlwithadvr · 4 years

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**SPOILERS** Featuring Netflix’s Cursed

SPOILER FREE REVIEW:

When I first heard about this show coming to Netflix I was excited. As someone who loves watching King Arthur inspired shows/movies, I was interested to see how the story would change by following Nimue aka the Lady of the Lake. I was surprised at how few Arthurian references were made. Mainly just focusing on characters names (like Arthur) and re-inventing them. This is more inspired by Arthurian legend than a full re-telling (or at least for this first season). From what I’m familiar with, there isn’t a whole lot of similarities with the King Arthur legend. When I first heard about the focus on Nimue, I thought the story would have followed a time long before Uther. Instead it’s more like an alternative story.

There are a lots of characters and plots that can feel info dumpy at times, but you kind of roll with it and see how important they are as you go. Due to having SO many characters, it makes it easier to watch and doesn’t make me want to read the book. I think fans of Game of Thrones will like it because it feels like it’s trying to bank on filling the fantasy void that GOT left. (Especially with all of the characters involved and mini story-lines.) Disclaimer: There is A LOT of blood and gore. Sometimes it feels unnecessary and that they had a blood quota. So watch out for that if you’re squeamish or don’t like gory things. (There were a few parts I had to look away from.)

Despite all of this negativity, once I understood this was a show that’s loosely based in the lore, I actually grew to like it. Of course, there’s things I would be okay without, but overall if/when a season 2 comes out I would watch it.

SPOILER REVIEW:

Two things that I think made this watch even more enjoyable/fun was 1) Watching it with someone 2) Watching it with the captions on. [Mystical Twinkling]--Every time the sword made a noise.

Like I said before, there were A LOT of characters and for some of them I really didn’t care. As the show went on, it made more sense, but still had a lot going on. At times, I wished I could see more of the characters I liked (ie: The Weeping Monk) compared to the Raiders.

I definitely made a lot of Game of Thrones references and surprisingly The 100 too. Also, naming people other names. When the Widow showed up to Merlin we were joking around that it was his Mom. Also, thought Squirrel was Nimue’s brother for the longest time.

Villains:

SISTER IRIS!!! She needs to stop and I hate that she survived at the end of the show. For a small moment it looked like she might have changed her mind about killing the Fey Queen, but after that creepy scene of psyching herself into it, I knew she was a lost cause. Her and the paladins were very creepy and eerie. All the red just felt uncomfortable. So, that made them a chilling villain. I’m just frustrated that won’t be the last time we see Iris as now she’s been truly welcomed into the fold.

“Born in the Dawn to walk in the Twilight”

MERLIN!!! I really enjoyed this incarnation of him and the direction they decided to take. Basically every scene he was in I enjoyed. The idea of him losing his powers to the sword and then the SWORD BEING INSIDE OF HIM!! AND THAT ENDING!! Such an epic scene when he used the sword. (I kept making Thor references with all the lightning.)

1x06 was probably my favorite episode because of his backstory/flashbacks with Lenore. They easily are one of my top ships of the show (very close to Pym and Dof). I GUESSED he was Nimue’s Dad (because it made a lot of sense) and was SO HAPPY when he was revealed as her dad. I really loved their dynamic. Gustaf did a fantastic acting job showing how much Merlin cares for Nimue. His watery eyes in so many scenes! And that the last one when she called him father and he couldn’t hold onto her! No wonder why he decided to use the sword again. I’m very excited to see what happens to him in season 2 (if/when there is one). I’m also interested to see what happens with him and Morgana. In Arthurian legend they are adversaries, but can have a very complicated relationship. Despite all of the changes in the show, I’m sure they’ll keep that in (or something close).

Speaking of Morgana.... I really loved her character from when we first met her. I thought it was an interesting choice that she went under the name Igraine as she was Arthur’s sister and that’s his mother’s name. And then when the reveal happened with her actual name I got excited. When she was talking to Celia (when she was dead) I kept shouting NOOO and wanted to run into the TV. I like that they are going to explore her sorceress side. Now that she became the widow it should be interesting to see how powerful she will be. (We don’t know much about that character.) So happy she stayed loyal to Nimue at the end.

I’m a HUGE fan of Daniel Sharman and after watching Medici earlier this year, I was very excited to see him back on Netflix with another show. Even though he was a villain in the show I kept holding out hope that he could be turned. (Probably because of my love for the actor.) Very early on I felt he was Fey. This was mainly due to the fact he could smell them out. This isn’t a trait that any other man blood had. There was also the fact he didn’t harm kids that sent a red flag to me that something probably happened in his childhood. I was pretty accurate when his backstory (or some of it) was revealed in 1x10. My one major complaint about this season is that we didn’t get more of him/more of his story sooner. Because if there isn’t a second season than we won’t be able to see this transformation happen. That is one of my favorite tropes in TV shows and books.

While the Weeping Monk’s relationship with Squirrel was only a little part of this season, I really enjoyed them together. So I was very excited that they ended up together at the end, which will probably have them together for a good amount of another season. Their dynamics will be interesting to see. Definitely get an Arya and The Hound vibe.

AND THAT NAME REVEAL! I can’t believe I didn’t piece it together!! Squirrel as Perceval makes so much sense! I read the romance of Perceval and the Story of the Holy Grail when I was studying in college and Preceval starts out as this young kid who longs to be a knight and is very hot-tempered and innocent. He will jump into anything without thinking about it first. That’s squirrel! So when Gawain named him before knighting him a knight of the Fey it was just perfect! I am very excited to see how his character develops. I just hope he doesn’t age too much before the next season. AND LANCELOT! I can’t believe I didn’t see that one coming! But it also makes sense as Lancelot is a skilled fighter and so is the Weeping Monk. With a name like Lancelot, he has a lot to live up to. I am very ready to witness this transformation.

While watching the show I was doing my best to avoid all spoilers, yet in my YouTube feed I came across a few videos shipping the Weeping Monk and Nimue. This made me believe the two would have a true scene together, but no. I was very shocked that they did not and that the fandom already loves them so much. I can understand it because there are a lot of similarities between the two characters. From both in a way being cursed and the parallels with them having scars (specifically on their backs). He’s fire and she’s water and we know the connection there. Plus, the whole enemies to lovers trope feels strong. I also know about the lore of Lancelot and the Lady of the Lake which they have to explore. So, I can definitely see myself getting aboard this ship.

For me Arthur’s character started out very wishy washy. I’m not a big fan of love at first sight ships just because I feel they’re not realistic. (I guess that’s the unromantic in me.) And then the fact that he backstabbed Nimue by stealing the sword all to try and restore his honor (which he failed). Now I know this was all within the first few episodes but when he tells her he doesn’t want to be saved yet they still love each other...idk. It felt like it was contradicted the female queen power being showcased. For me their relationship overall just felt rushed. Perhaps if it wasn’t so fast then maybe I could have gotten on board with it. I think time apart will help me like Arthur’s character more.

.....

Definitely watch Cursed on Netflix if you’re a fan of medieval fantasy and don’t mind keeping up with a ton of characters and gore. Then you’ll hope for a second season as much as me!

#netflix cursed #cursed netflix #lady of the lake #spoilers #katherine langford #merlin #gustaf skarsgard #nimue #the weeping monk #Daniel Sharman #lancelot #squirrel #arthur #pym #morgana

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lesya-writes · 4 years

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ch.3 excerpt

“So how goes it with your new manservant?” Morgana asked casually. A casual Morgana is always a lie, a necessary front when fishing for gossip and rumor. He considered, for a moment, to tell her some pretty lie, but there would be no point. Morgana always knew what she needed to know; after all, she always got what she wanted.

“He wishes for me to fire him.”

“Did he tell you that?” she asked, voice curious and perhaps a tad surprised.

“In all manner but verbal.”

“Then fire him,” she replied obviously, looking upon Arthur as though he were slow. But then, she almost always looks at him that way.

“I can’t. You know I can’t, not if I don’t want to cause offense. My father chose him and he gave him the position for saving my life. Firing him would seem to everyone, including the King, that I do not care for my own life and do not respect my King.”

Of course, there was also the matter of keeping careful watch over Merlin. But Morgana didn’t need to know that. She would never know that, if he could help it.

She rolled her eyes.

“You aren’t just some ordinary lord. You’re crown prince! You can choose who serves you without causing offense. I’m sure Uther wouldn’t care much if you fire the boy; he probably doesn’t even remember he exists. He’s served you a few weeks now, I’m sure that’s enough to satisfy his gratitude.”

Arthur stared at her, trying to piece this all together. Morgana was usually nice to Merlin and spoke to him as she did to her maidservant. So why was she so callous now? Maybe she sees he doesn’t like to serve me and wishes to free him. Perhaps the cruelty is a secret act of kindness. Morgana is known for her compassion. But Arthur sees her in private and knows she is as cunning as she is kind.

“You only say that because you want him to be your servant.”

“Maybe I do. What of it?”

“Why would you want that?”

“Merlin is my friend. And he is Gwen’s friend. In fact, we all get along quite well. I believe he’ll do much better with me than with you.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Besides, he’s a breath of fresh air in these stuffy old halls. He’s always full of good humor and he lacks cruelty.” Well, he’s full of something alright, but it isn’t ‘good humor’. “Why wouldn’t I want a servant like that?”

“Because he’s rude?”

“Hm. Strange. He’s never been rude to me. Perhaps it is you that is the issue.” Morgana gave him a small and very genuine smile, then quickly left. Not too quickly to be seen as running, of course. No, Morgana did not run. She flowed with the tide of the court, melding with the comings and goings of the nobles and knights, then finally joining some group of ladies to gossip.

Always the last word.

For all that he knew how Morgana worked, he couldn’t help but think of her words. They were like berries, sometimes sweet and sometimes poison. Yet, their whole childhood spent together was not enough to inoculate him. He thought about her mild criticism till the next day when he was, once again, greeted by Merlin.

For once in his life, the boy was not late.

He arrived with his morning meal and after Arthur was dressed and fed, he put on Arthur’s mail and armor.

Arthur refused to be impressed with Merlin managing to put on all his armor correctly, but for a peasant boy who had about two days to prepare, it wasn’t bad.

Still, he said nothing and walked out, Merlin trailing after him. Down at the tourney, he had his own tent set up, just like the rest of the competing knights. Since he wasn’t up first, he went there first in the hopes of unwinding a bit, but knowing it was all for naught.

Arthur could never relax, not until he was finally fighting and not thinking.

Merlin buzzed around, bringing water and some meats and cheeses and fruit.

Arthur did not eat.

That didn’t stop Merlin from taking liberties, however. He would’ve admonished Merlin, but he did not wish to speak at the moment.

“So I noticed something,” Merlin said, breaking the silence.

Arthur closed his eyes and did not groan, but he did heave a terribly deep sigh. He opened his eyes and looked to Merlin, who was standing near the table, fingers plucking a grape off a vine.

“Some of the knights, they have a little bit of…cloth. Around their arms? I was wondering what they were.”

“They’re favors.”

“Favors. What’s that?”

Arthur heaved another deep sigh.

“If you must know, they were tokens of affection, given to knights by noble ladies. They’re for good luck.”

“I see. And have you got one? A favor?” he asked, popping a grape into his mouth and chewing obnoxiously.

Arthur stilled, staring straight ahead. It was amazing how aggravating Merlin could be without even trying.

“No, Merlin. I haven’t got one.”

“Oh? I suppose it’s no surprise there.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?”

“Just that, you know, you’re an insufferable cabbagehead. Who’d want to give you a favor?”

“Plenty of noble ladies would give me one! I’m the prince!”

“Then why haven’t you got one?” he asked, popping yet another grape into his mouth.

“Well. That’s because,” he paused, fumbling for an explanation. “I do not take favors.”

“Why not?”

“I do not need them. I don’t need some charm to help me win. Besides, I’m the prince. Showing favoritism can be bad for court and also give the wrong impression.”

“And by ‘wrong impression’ you mean ‘marriage prospects’.”

Arthur cringed but nodded.

Merlin ate the last of his grapes, stuffing them all into his mouth rather gracelessly. Arthur made a face, but said nothing as it was a pointless endeavor to admonish Merlin.

The boy then put his hands behind his neck and unfastened the neckerchief. He tugged it off and held it out. Arthur stared at it, then back at Merlin.

“Well? Take it!” he said, though it sounded more like, “Weh? Tae ih.”

“Why would I do that? Are you offering it to wipe the sweat off my brow? How considerate!” He went to take it, but Merlin swiped his hand away.

“Merlin. Are you giving it to me or not?”

“I am not giving this to you so you can wipe your sweaty mug all over it!” he sputtered out, his words coming out clear now that his mouth was free of grape. Arthur scoffed at such rude and inaccurate portrayal of his royal visage, but Merlin continued, “I’m giving you a favor.”

“That. Is a favor.”

“Yep!”

“Merlin, I don’t know if you recall, but we just had a discussion about why I cannot take a favor literally a few seconds ago.”

“Oh come on, no one will know who it’s from. Everyone will claim it’s theirs and therefore it will be no one’s.”

“Alright,” Arthur said, because it was a fine point.

However.

“Still, there’s something you’re missing.”

“Which is?”

“A dress and a status of nobility. Seeing as you’re neither a lady nor noble, I do not see how I can accept.”

“But no one will know! That’s the point!”

“Ah! But that is where you are mistaken; I will know.”

Merlin rolled his eyes.

“So? What does it matter where it comes from? It’s only meant to be a token anyway.”

“A token of affection. I didn’t realize you had such passions for your prince, Merlin.”

The boy spluttered.

“I do not – I don’t mean it in that way. Think if it as a token of friendship? No, that’s wrong. Maybe a platonic token of good luck from a servant to his prince.”

Arthur raised a brow.

“We are breaking some significant rules of etiquette here.”

Merlin sniffed uncaringly. “So?”

Arthur turned away before his smirk could be seen. For all that Merlin’s insolence annoyed him, his disregard for rules was refreshing. And a bit fun, too.

“Look, do you want it or not? It’s red, even. Matches.”

Arthur made a show of it, the terrible tragedy of succumbing to his manservant’s idiocy, but Merlin didn’t seem to pay much mind.

“You’ll have to put it on me. Can’t tie it with one hand.”

Merlin stepped closer as Arthur held his arm out. He took the neckerchief and folded it a bit so it was a thin strip. Then he put it around Arthur’s armored arm and neatly tied it together on the side.

Arthur watched his long nimble fingers work, at odds with his usual clumsy self. Then his eyes went higher, studying Merlin’s profile up close.

His lashes were quite long and his eyes were a grey blue. His lips were red and Arthur had to wonder how it is he made them look like that. Surely, it couldn’t be natural –

“Done.”

Arthur blinked a few times, then turned his head away quickly, trying perhaps in vain to hide his unabashed staring.

It’s not my fault he looks like that! Besides, Arthur is the prince; he can do as he pleases, even if what he pleases is staring at Merlin.

So he glances at the favor tied at his arm, then looks to Merlin, who is now staring at Arthur. He raises a brow as if to ask, “Well?”

Arthur ignores him and walks toward the tent flap, ready to fight. He feels like there’s lightning in his body, rushing down his arms and legs and through his heart. He wants to dispel this strange energy.

When his name is finally called, he walks to the arena without a backward glance, pulling the helm over his face as the sun shines into his eyes.

The crowd roars and he smiles, raising his sword.

#merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #Arthur Pendragon #morgana #fanfiction #fanfic

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vintagemermaidscove · 5 years

Text

The Merthur Fic

That I don’t have time to write...

Chapter 1

Arthur and Merlin are wrapping up a quest at a small neighboring kingdom. Mercia had made plans to take it over with little fuss, but Arthur led a small army to defend the land. Merlin is being tended to in the infirmary after being bucked from his horse near the end of the battle. The widowed Queen, some 80 years old, is presenting Arthur with a token of her affection- as her kingdom is only wealthy enough to just sustain itself, she has no way of properly paying him. Instead she presents as a gift a family heirloom. A braided silver ring that is rumored to have the power to ‘reveal to a ruler all he must know to keep himself and his kingdom safe and happy.’. Arthur believes the woman to be quite mad, but she is sweet and old so he accepts the gift, even putting it on at her insistence.

Arthur collects Merlin (Gwaine and Lance make a couple of cracks about ‘picking up the wife’) and they set out to return to Camelot.

Chapter 2

Uthur receives Arthur upon his return with the usual amount of warmth. He dismisses Merlin so the two may discuss kingdom matter and Arthur feels a pang at his departure. (Annoying as he is, he somehow always manages to cheer Arthur up.)

After the meeting he wanders down to the kitchens, too restless to sleep and hoping someone will be up who can make him a spot of tea. He finds Gwen doing a bit of experimental baking, and they chat. Things have been awkward between the two of them lately, and for some reason in the dead of night he finally is able to talk about it.

He admits when they first met he was quite fond of her and wanted something to happen. She says she would have liked that, but as time went on and Arthur did nothing, she assumed the interest had passed. Then Lance came along, and for a while she thought he might be jealous, but again he did nothing.

Arthur says he wanted to be jealous, even put on the act of it as if it might make it true. She is beautiful and wonderful, and would make a fine queen, so Arthur wanted to want her. But he couldn’t make it so. Gwen smiles and pats his hand, taking no offense. She assures him that when he meets the right person, he won’t have to think so hard about it. He’ll just know.

Chapter 3

The next day Arthur puts the knights through their paces, claiming their performance against the Mercian army was mediocre at best. He tracks Merlin as he walks around the edge of the practice field, subconsciously doing his best to impress him. Uther appears suddenly and calls Arthur over to chastise him for overworking his men. He thinks he ought to be spending more time instructing them and himself on strategy and less on brute force.

Furious at once again being unable to please his father, Arthur takes the long way back to the men and in doing so overhears his knights in conversation.

Percival is griping and doesn’t get how Gwaine can stay so cheery. “Simple mate. You’ve lived here all your life, so you’ve only ever known one king and one prince. But I’ve been around. I’ve seen truly sadistic kings work their knights to death for no good reason, and I’ve seen lazy and stupid princes who don’t give a cup of piss for their kingdom’s safety. Sure, he’s a prick at times, but Arthur’s a good man. He’ll be a bloody good king. So, if he wants to drag me out for training at the crack of dawn or send me to protect some speck of a kingdom, you can bet I’ll do it with a smile. Cause I’ve seen the alternative.”

Lance nods and agrees. Arthur is thrown by the kindness of these words and doesn’t move. Gwaine adds that even so there is one thing he’s being especially idiotic about. All the knights agree, and Leon asks if there’s anything that can be done. Lance says you can’t force things like that, he’ll do something when he’s ready. One knight asks if it’s even allowed in Camelot, since he knows in some kingdoms it isn’t even legal. Merlin appears and asks them what their talking about and they all clam up. Arthur emerges and pretends not to have heard anything.

Chapter 4

During his bath Arthur asks Merlin about what his father said. Merlin says plainly that the knights are perfectly well informed about strategy, but if he does want them studying more it’d be best to do it in winter. Use the last of the summer weather to their advantage. Arthur admits this is passably good advice. Merlin teases him about just how much he knows that Arthur doesn’t ask about. Arthur jokes that he’ll make every effort.

Chapter 5

After supper Morgana pulls Arthur aside and says she heard Uther chewing him out early. (What? I like watching the knights spar, I am only a woman.) She wanted to show him something that might make him feel better.

She brings him to Uther’s study, sure by now he’ll be asleep, and reveals a hidden key and chest. Inside are letters he has written to his deceased wife- many of them about Arthur and Morgana. She’s read them all of course and thinks there are a few he might benefit from reading himself. When asked why she is doing this for him, she informs him that she wants the two of them to get along, because she’s planning on leaving Camelot. She wants to study her magic and knows doing so is impossible here. Maybe before she leaves she can mend some fences.

Arthur reads what his father wrote about him- that he is too hard on Arthur for a reason but doing so breaks his heart because he knows it means they will never be close. But his love for his son and Camelot is so great he is willing to make the sacrifice.

Arthur returns the letters and key to their places and goes to bed. He feels small and alone and desperately wishes he had someone to hold. He tries conjuring up different women in his mind but none of them fit, so at last he gives up, hugs an extra pillow to his chest and tries to fall asleep.

He dreams of dragons, and a flipping coin.

Chapter 6

The next week they receive news that a visiting king from an island kingdom will be coming through Camelot on his way to the coast, and since the two countries have no formal relationship Uther has invited them to stay in the castle.

Arthur groans internally- visit nobles always make Merlin jumpy and odd, even more so than usual.

The king and his delegation arrive- they are wealthier than expected, and quite kind, with colorful regalia and dark skin. The king introduces himself, his advisors and most surprisingly, his husband. Uther is shocked and the entire room gets uncomfortable. The visiting king stiffens, having now seen this reaction a few times on the mainland, and says if he and his husband offend they will find accommodations elsewhere.

Arthur swoops in and assures them there is no problem- their cultures are different, but not at all incompatible, and there is nowhere they would rather have them be. The kitchens have prepared a feast in their honor, and everyone is encouraged to settle in to their quarters before it begins in an hour.

Arthur begins to speak but his father cuts him off. He says he did good work for the sake of diplomacy, but it would be best that after they leave that Camelot do no more business with their country. Arthur tells his father not to be so rash- they know next to nothing about these people.

Uther

-They are strange, they cannot be trusted.

Arthur

-You speak out of fear. Think! Every other nation will be doing the same. They will go back to their homeland with no allies- what if they had us?

Uther

-They have nothing to offer.

Arthur

-You don’t know that!

Uther

-You’re being idealistic and childish.

Arthur

-No father. I am trying to act in the best interest of Camelot. I am trying to be the king you raised me to be.

Uther

-You’re not king yet.

Arthur

-No but like it or not one day I will be. One day Camelot’s fate will rest in my hands. I know you love this kingdom father- I know because I do to. I would die to keep her safe. So please, before you make of the mistake of acting on fear, let me try. Let me talk with these people. You are the one who taught me how to take measure of a man’s heart. Do you not trust your own instruction?

Uther agrees with Arthur not to make any snap judgements, and Arther leaves to go dress for the feast. He bumps into Merlin who was clearly eavesdropping. He doesn’t even have time to scold him before the servant is throwing his arms around him in a hug. He has tears in his eyes.

Chapter 7

The feast goes well, though Uther claims a headache and does not attend. Arthur thinks this is for the best, as he is able to charm the king and prince and learn all about their island- they are in fact quite rich in resources and without allies on the mainland, as they have only just begun to design vessels large enough to travel for months at sea. Morgana attends and is delighted by the company as well, taking the advances of a female body guard in more than perfect stride. Arthur can practically see her scheming to join their traveling party and makes a note to himself to make plans to help her do so.

That night he gets fairly drunk and on his way to his bedroom somehow ends up in Merlin and Gaius’s quarters. He asks Merlin what he thought of their guests, and what Gaius knows about ‘those’ kinds of relationships. Like, whether or not they can even work.

He wants to kiss Merlin but Merlin tells him he’s drunk and confused. Arthur says he may be one, but he’s certainly not the other. Merlin sends him back to his room anyway.

He lays in bed angry- not because Merlin refused him, but because it was clear he thought he was only making advances because he was drunk and didn’t take him seriously. Arthur vows he will get sober and woo him properly- that will show the gorgeous little twat.

Chapter 8

The next evening the traveling party departs, with the promise that they are always welcome in Camelot. Uther wishes them goodbye as well. Morgana presses a letter into Uther’s hand, and gets into the caravan. She clearly enchants him to stay still and be unable to yell. Arthur and Merlin try to fight laughter.

Later in the halls, Merlin asks if Uther has started on the war path. Arthur assures him it will be fine. Morgana’s letter was very clear, and Arthur smoothed things over as best he could. Now it will just take time for Uther to adjust.

He switches topics to he and Merlin, bringing up their conversation from before. Merlin tries to laugh it off, but Arthur is in no laughing matter and makes clear advances.

Merlin panics and runs, making Arthur think he has made a terrible mistake.

Chapter 9

He wanders the castle, feeling terrible. He never even thought through the possibility that Merlin wouldn’t be interested. He didn’t know how being attracted to men was supposed to work, but if he could do it, couldn’t other men? And even if all men couldn’t, this was Merlin. There was something about the two of them that just felt sort of…inevitable. Arthur wanders into the knights’ barracks, where they’ve set up a sort of clubhouse pub. Arthur often drops by in a ‘we’re all off the clock’ fashion. The men are having an average night of beer and socializing, and Arthur drops in and begs for a drink.

Gwaine takes front position and asks what’s up. Arthur gets a bit drunk and then explains that he made a move on Merlin and messed things up. He’s angry with himself for being an arrogant prat, assuming Merlin would be interested. Gwaine and the boys politely inform Arthur that….well duh! Of course, Merlin wants him! The boy has been in love with Arthur since day one, everyone knows that. They assure Arthur that if Merlin said no, it wasn’t because he didn’t want Arthur- it was because he felt for whatever other reason that he wasn’t allowed.

Arthur knows then what he has to do. He tells the boys that this will go down in history as the worst week of Uther’s life.

Chapter 10

“Are you telling me, that after everything this week. After the closest thing I have to a daughter went gallivanting off with no plan whatsoever, that my only son is in love with his manservant?!”

Arthur explains to Uther that he just wants to know the steps needed in pursuing a relationship with Merlin. They fight a bit and Uther tells him that there really isn’t any precedent for this- if it were a woman he’d be telling him he’s a prince, so as long as he treats the woman with respect he can do as he likes.

“Then let’s treat this the same way.”

“I hardly think this is the same.”

“It is father.” Steely cold gaze. Firm stare. No room for argument.

Uther says he won’t be allowed to be his manservant anymore. And depending on how the relationship progresses certain changes will need to be made- Merlin’s wardrobe, accommodations, title, etc.

Arthur says he understand. He’ll work on finding Merlin a more suitable position- letting him apprentice of Gaius full time or work in the archives.

As he leaves he can hear Uther venting to Ygraine.

Chapter 11

Arthur combs the castle looking for Merlin but can’t find him anywhere. He goes to ask Gaius where he might be. Gaius says he’s gone to talk with an old friend and not to worry. Arthur sits, exhausted from his search. Gaius gently asks if Arthur is quite sure he knows what he’s doing, Arthur assures him that he’s never been surer of anything. He is unfortunately quite in love with the oaf.

Gaius says in that case, he may need to prepare for the possibility that Merlin has a life and secrets of his own that, as his Prince and employer, Arthur knew nothing about. Gaius loves Merlin like a son, and respects Arthur deeply. He would be quite displeased if Arthur got angry with Merlin for not being the simple man he thought he was.

Arthur is very confused by this advice but feels his love for Merlin like a solid thing in his chest, and decides he is not worried.

Chapter 12

That night Merlin returns to Arthur’s bedchamber for his nightly duties, acting flustered. Arthur chides him a bit (out of habit) then switches tactics, sitting him down and explaining that he doesn’t have to worry. He’s spoken to Uther and their relationship won’t be hindered or scandalized. Merlin can stay employed in the castle and continue his work with Gaius. Merlin gets angry at Arthur’s presumption, and that he just decided to go ahead with this without speaking to Merlin. “Did it ever occur to you there might be some other reason? Maybe I find you repulsive- ever think of that?” They go back and forth before Merlin is forced to reveal his sorcery. Arthur is shocked, Merlin makes to storm out, but Arthur tells him to stay.

“All this time…why haven’t you killed me?” Merlin laughs and has to explain to Arthur that magic has nothing to do with evil. “I’ve actually spent most of my time working to save your life. Not for any ounce of credit mind you…”

They go through a short bit about how their destinies are tied together (a dragon told me) and Arthur laughs for the first time- he always suspected as such.

Arthur wants confirmation that Merlin does truly in fact want him (honestly mate, where are your priorities right now?) and they kiss. Arthur assures him that this is one thing they just cannot tell his father. Merlin wholeheartedly agrees.

Chapter 13- A year or so later…

It’s Uther’s Feast day and Morgana has come home for a visit. She travelled with the islanders for a while before splitting off to spend some time in a desert oasis with some shamans. They told her about a mythic library in the East- that’s where she’s headed next.

Merlin is in fact no longer Arthur’s manservant, but head librarian and archivist for a college Arthur founded. On the surface it is meant to fund the arts, but Merlin and Gaius also use it to seek out possible magical practitioners and give them a safe place to study.

At the feast Arthur gets tipsy and Merlin takes him up to bed before he can embarrass himself. They flirt (Arthur complains they don’t see each other enough, Merlin reminds him they have sex and sleep together nearly every night. Arthur says exactly. Merlin rolls his eyes. They talk about the college a bit and Arthur’s own attempts to ease Uther’s zeal for sorcerer killing- Arthur promises to restore magic to its former glory as soon as he is in charge. Merlin tells him his heart is in the right place, but he fears too much damage has been done. Arthur persists in his confidence, stating finally ‘I cannot believe my own husband doesn’t believe in me!” “Am I your husband? Someone forgot to tell me.” “Oh, you will be my husband Merlin- just you wait. And since this is an unavoidable eventuality, I’ve decided I may as well start using the term now. So, you’ll just have to get used to it.” Merlin smiles and agrees, and the two fall asleep.

#patroclesdefensesquad #merthur #fanfic outline

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merlinthoughts · 6 years

Text

Season 1 Episode 4 - The Poisoned Chalice

- god fucking dammit here we go again, i'm bloody done with my life and do not, at all, want to see merlin die bc i don't remember anything except that, yeah, he dies and someone has to get off their ass and save the motherfucking day and kiss him

- i realise how much i swear in these posts bc 1. when do i not? 2. i'm emotionally invested 3. i have no other excuse i just like swearing

- AAAND NIMUEHS IN CAMELOT SHE THINKS SHE'S SO SLY WITH HER HEAD THING

- id recognise her in a split second tbfh, she aint subtle

- *heterosexual tension*

- merlins skin be looking so smooth this episode, this boy be wearing lots of Dove

- he looked so excited to be in the banquet, then arthur just fucking slashes him with “not quite” and his hopes and dreams are destroyed

- “wanna see what you’ll be wearing tonight?” arthur says as he's behind the fucking changing curtains, about to get undressed and show merlin his birthday suit

- i honest to god thought that was where he was going, but no, he was just getting something from behind it

- “tonight you’ll be wearing the official ceremonial robes of the servants of camelot” IT'S A FUCKING DRESS ISN'T IT

- aw damn id have preferred a dress

- that smile shared between them was the most adorable scene

- god

- i

- fucking

- love

- their

- smiles

- sm

- best thing ive ever seen

- i mean… hunty look at that piece of glistening butter beauty

- wow ok back to the episode:

- bros being bros and giving each other a handshake to destroy the mortal enemy pack and put together a family, we stan.

- as if a servant who has only had eye sex with another servant ONCE would trust them enough to say that one of the chalices were poisoned. like??? “ur the only one i could tell” LMAO NO?

- she's a sly fucking dog tfbh

- “if he kills arthur, uthers soul will be broken and camelot will fall” at this rate uther prob wouldn't care if his son dies or not, look at him, he's already mentally broken. he has anxiety and paranoia over magic. child services where u at in the medieval ages?

- i wouldn't believe a word she said, or well, id have believed it was poisoned but id say yeah no damn way you aren't in on it if you know which one it is. bayard wouldn't tell a fucking servant.

- HE'S GONNA SNAP ISN'T HE

- MERLIN FUCKING SNAPPED

- yknow what we say here folks? U DO U MERLIN

- okay i was fine if uther made bayard drink it but like the moment uther said “mmmh… no.” and slowly turned to merlin i think my arteries just crunched together and died so

- “if it is poisoned, he’ll die” HE'S FUCKING SCARED MERLIN WILL PASS AWAY ISN'T HE?

- “it's fine” he says, then starts to fucking choke

- ah fuck he's down

- my boy is down

- FUCK ME SIDEWAYS WITH A CHAINSAW

- ARTHUR CROUCHES NEXT TO HIM LIKE “BB NO”

- lmfao bayard looks so shocked, his face is in disbelief and confusion, he's like who tf done me bad

- arthurs carrying merlin fireman style this is what i live for folks

- did like nobody notice the flower stuck on the inside of the cup? like honestly if you take a sip you’d kinda spot it or perhaps even the person pouring the drinks would have been “is this chamomile tea? no? then what the fuckery-doo is this leaf in here for?” yknow. it's like that scene in Matilda when the angry buff lady completely missed a fucking salamander in her cup when it was the size of her bloody hand. it brings out the same mood honestly

- does gaius have an index for these books or does he just have every page memorised and know exactly what page to go bc I FUCKING NEED THAT it would make bio so much easier if i knew what page it was on instead of looking back and forth from the homework sheet to my textbook, then closing it by accident and having to find the index again for that specific page i need

- arthur wants to fucking go on a life-or-death journey to save merlin i've never been so happy

- this is honestly my favourite episode, like it may be really fucking angsty but i love it so much

- arthur betrays his dad and leaves his room even after being told not to just so he can save a servants life is literally my new moto

- NO IT WON'T LOAD MY NETFLIX IS STUCK ON 99%

- okay so while i'm waiting for my shit to load, i just discovered the new fucking tumblr rule starting dec 17 and i'm like 0.2 inches away from just spamming NSFW pics on here just for laughs

- like hunty, that won't stop people from posting elsewhere or for thinking about sex bc like??? whatchu gonna do tumblr?? get the fbi to erase it from our minds

- i think nOT thot

- watch me get flagged for just using the fucking term “NSFW”

- i'm gonna end up asterisking everything (is asterisking a word? wow it has red under it so like probably not but i just added it to my dictionary so uhh it is now)

- by asterisking i dont mean furry kin shit ew no

- i mean like N*FW, s*x, t*mblr, m*rthur

- god it took me like 20 minutes to calibrate my fucking wifi and fix the connection problem

- wow the stage for the poison increased by 75% in 30 mins, damn

- merlins like like having a conniption on his bed lmao, chanting arthurs name and sweating lot

- do we ever find out how uther gets that scar bc i'm like 100% positive arthur was a little child and swayed his fucking sword too hard just as uther rounded the corner. the sword then collided into his fucking brain and destroyed a good part of his intelligence, targeting especially his morals on how to accept people and how to be a good father

- that’s my theory

- merlin starts talking enchantments in his sleep while gwens watching, and gaius is just there like wtf merlin ur blowing ur cover “oh! gwen!! uhhh sorry. he’s just... in a latin study group in his pastime and has an oral presentation in minutes”

- omg, nimueh, stfu

- i didn't know dinosaurs existed back then, this reptile be whack

- y’know what's funny? ppl thinking dinosaurs didn’t exist. i find creationism very very very intriguing bc how fucking stupid could you be

- that sword throw was faker than my moms tits

- arthur could have done better

- k but like what if merlin’s hand wasn’t under the covers? like he was just throwing that blue ball around right in front of gwen

- can arthur like not hear her? nimuehs literally enchanting the rocks right behind his ear lobes and arthur acts nothing of it until those said rocks collapse and he gasps and suddenly he realises shes evil

- also his fucking hair in this scene looks glorious. perhaps bc it's pushed back rather than his bowl cut, but its doing things to my abdomen

- i thought for a second she was pulling off her mask to say “nimueh” and arthur was gasping bc he only recognised her after her hair was shown, just like in that scene with joker and harvey in the hospital

- OH RIGHT THE SPIDERS I LIKE COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THOSE SONS OF A GUNS

- i’d be dead if those spiders came crawling up to eat me lmfao

- k so nimueh went from :) to >:D in half a second

- i'm smelling up those symbolisms, boys

- watch out pals cause here are some of them:

- merlin is the LIGHT of arthur’s life

- he LIGHTS up the party

- he gives arthur a BRIGHTER future

- he's the GUIDE for his path

- hahhahahaha

- i'm serious when i say i have a huge fear of insects (spiders count in that too, no discrimination) so i'm just putting that there, saying to yall id be fucking terrified

- gaius would be so confused, like we don't see his face here but merlins close-up sweaty concentrated frown, but he’s literally just screaming “ARTHUR!!” “FASTERRR!!” “YESS!!” “CLIMB!!!” gaius would be looking like he walked into something he wasn't supposed to. prob thinking he should just let the kid die so he doesn’t have to deal with this shit anymore

- UTHER LOCKED HIS SON AWAY I'M FUCKING QUESTIONING HIS PARENTING SKILLS

- that's grounding???? throwing ur child in prison???

- yes 999 can i have child services on his ass

- gwens so smart honestly i love her

- pretending to be a maiden for the food, god what a queen

- arthur buying it and saying “yuck you say this is food?! disgustang!”

- the fact that i misspelled disgusting but it autocorrected to disgustang (which is originally what i wanted but autocorrect shouldn’t have known) makes me consider if i should really check my dictionary…. who knows what words are on there

- they’re so smart

- and then this fucker ruins it all while eating his food, checking her out and saying yeah arthurs a prick, hyuck hyuck, realising only that wait fuck u aint the maiden

- how’d they know GWEN was the one not supposed to have delivered the food, what if it was that chick right there???

- welll….. maybe it's because gwen took her sweet time up those steps, staring as if she couldn’t blink at the guards below

- i forget what happens at the end of this episode besides the kiss, and there's like 9 minutes left my fingers may rot at this point

- wake him up! wake him up!

- OH WAIT HE DOESN'T FUCKING WAKE UP DOES HE AND EVERYONE PANICS

- YEAH OKAY I'M SEEING THAT NOW

- MERLIN STOPPED BREATHING

- LMAO GWEN IS IN TEARS

- “HE'S DEAD” SHE SAYS

- ARTHUR BB COME IN HERE TO KISS UR HUBBY ALIVE

- OH WAIT UR IN FUCKING PRISON

- WAIT UP, HE'S ALIVE AND SHE KISSES HIM AFTERWARDS????

- FUCK ME I THOUGHT FOR THE WHOLE EPISODE THE KISS HAPPENED BC HE COULDN'T WAKE UP THAT'S FUCKING WITH ME I DIDN'T KNOW

- i keep forgetting to switch up the cap locks, sorry if it seems im screaming im legit using my inside voice for most of the time just emphasizing my words a little more

- goddamn, everytime they say mercia i just think of “murica”, like those americans on the 7th of july or whatever date the “we love our country” day is, chanting it as they throw around beers and fireworks as people gather round in jerseys or crop tops

- it's not that hard to spot the european on here

- the most celebrated holiday here which contains a lot of beers and big pub gatherings (besides every fucking night honestly) is either new years, lowkey stereotypically correct saint patricks, and ig easter monday but that's more for the kiddos

- i mean ofc christmas and all that shit but im not the most devoted christian, i just like presents and small gatherings among good friends

- wow okay it wasn't the 7th of july

- i mean at first i looked up “USA day” (i couldn’t remember the name) and it popped up today’s date, and i was like no thats not it at all. dec?? its in like july i think. and i was close! it was july 4th.

- uther damn knows it's nimueh!!!

- i mean, he just overheard morgana and arthur talk about it, and initiated himself into a convo about it once morgana left, as his sneaky ass just slithered up like “hey man, u know that woman? yeah uhh, what she say? anything about me? no? k i know who it is tho”

- i thought he was going to apologize or like explain to arthur what's the sitch, but he just waits for five whole seconds before saying. “those who practice magic know only evil. they despise and seek to destroy goodness wherever they find it.”

- arthur, confused: sounds as if you know her

- uther, walking away: i do

- arthur:

- wow k lots of fucking quotes here cause it's the merthur reunion

- get ready babs

- arthur: still alive then?

- merlin: oh yes, just about… i understand i have you to thank for that

- arthur, leaning on the chair merlin is sitting in, stifling a smile: ah it's nothing, a half-decent servant is hard to come by. i was only dropping by to make sure you’re alright… i.... expect you to be back to work tomorrow

- merlin, watching arthur as he slightly walks away having embarrassed himself: arthur... thank you

- arthur, slowly: you too

- they stare for like 5 whole seconds

- arthur, uncomfortable: well… get some rest

- there we go folks: my eulogy.

- hope someone reads it at my funeral

#merlin #merlin bbc #merthur #s1 #s1ep4

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thegreatestsorcerertoeverserve · 6 years

Note

If you're taking writing requests, how about if everyone knew about everyone else's magic early in the series and the four of them would go off for picnics in the woods where Gwen and Arthur could stop pretending they're not in love and Morgana and Merlin can learn magic together and they're all happy and not caught in multiple layers of deception.

I’m answering this one first because ah what a lovely little AU where people are happy

This fic’s peaceful vibes are inspired by this quote: “When love is the way we will lay down our swords and shields down by the riverside to study war no more.” -Bishop Michael Curry

Though it had only been two years since Uther had died, the whole kingdom truly felt that they were experiencing a new era in this time. Uther, through a deathbed stupor that seemed more like a truth serum than anything (Merlin had no idea what you’re implying, Gaius, none at all!), Uther had confessed his secrets to his son. Arthur now knew where his father’s anger and hatred had come from, and though he had forgiven the broken and dying man for the mistakes of his past, he vowed on his father’s tomb that he would never rule by his hatred and guilt.

Thus, a new age had begun. Arthur declared freedom to all sorcerers throughout Camelot, and though many had been too afraid to truly come out into the light in the beginning, the first night of magical freedom saw many a dancing lights in the sky.

Merlin nervously told Arthur the truth about his own magic, which shockingly made cry more than Merlin, and even earned him an official spot on his council (he still kept his position as Arthur’s servant, which was a lot easier now that he could openly use magic). He was rewarded for his courage and sacrifice for the king, which of course meant nothing and everything to him all at once.

Gwen and Arthur were permitted to be together, of course, and the peaceful kingdom enjoyed many a beautiful day.

On one of these such days, Gwen, Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana rode their horses to a meadow in one of Morgana’s favorite parts of the woods. Morgana and Merlin left the two lovers to their romantic picnic and sat together by the trickling stream. Merlin had told Morgana of his magic even before Arthur, in the dead of the night, right after Arthur had made his decision to lift the ban. That conversation had required more tears, though most out of relief than anything else.

Morgana waved a hand absentmindedly, muttering so that the leaves danced above the water in the shape of a old man. “Merlin… Do you think you would have told Arthur, eventually? I mean, if things had been different. If Uther had survived, or if the ban had not been lifted?”

She stole a glance at Merlin, who was looking down, eyebrows furrowed in a way that almost made Morgana feel the weight of the burden he’d carried for so long. “I don’t know.” He kicked around at the pebbles at his feet. “Kilgharrah told me of many possible futures… Futures far worse than the one we have now.”

“Futures like what?”

Merlin no longer avoided her eyes. Those innocent blue eyes stared back at him, and he didn’t want to tell her- the terrible things Kilgharrah had said, the things he’d seen in the Crystal Cave. “Futures where chaos reigned, people starved… futures where you…” He teared up just thinking about it.

Morgana was taken aback. “Futures where I- what? Merlin, what is it?”

Merlin willed his eyes to dry once again. He stared forward into the river and started to weave a fish trap out of the weeds at the bottom. “Futures where I failed you.”

Morgana smiled gently. There was more to the story than he was telling her, that was clear, but now was not a time to press. The sun was shining, and Arthur hadn’t picked up a sword other than for practice in over a year. “Well, those futures are not this one. And you have not failed me, Merlin. You’ve taught me more than I ever thought I would know, about magic and myself.” She gently finished the fish trap with him, a trout already swimming itself into their simple design. Morgana laid a soft hand on Merlin’s hand. “You mustn’t let yourself be weighed down by the things that have not come to pass, Merlin. You’ve carried far too much on those shoulders already.”

Merlin squeezed her hand in gratitude. They watched the as more fish fell for their trap, before their peaceful reverie was cut off by a-

“MERLIN!” Arthur shouted, his piercing volume the result of a whole childhood of leadership education.

“Yes, Arthur?” Merlin called back warily.

“Don’t you have any fish yet? I assume that’s what you two are doing, unless you’re just making leaf puppets again! I’m starving!”

Merlin sighed. “Aren’t I an esteemed member of the royal court now? Why do I still have to feed a lazy arse like you?”

That wasn’t going to sit.

Arthur’s gruffness increased, but you could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m your king, you ignorant wizard! Show some respect!”

“I’d rather eat a toad, sire! Trout or salmon?”

A pause. Arthur murmured to Gwen. “Trout! Gwen’s hungry as well!” Merlin sighed melodramatically and tossed an eye roll over to Morgana.

“Always the servant, aren’t I?”

Morgana grinned. “You wouldn’t have it any other way.” Merlin laughed. Its melody sounded weightless. Morgana thought that maybe, maybe this future was the best they’d ever get.

#anon #fanfic #bbc merlin #au #happy #morgana #merlin #arthur #gwen #arthur/gwen #a little bit of #angst #writing #mine

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rosyredlipstick · 6 years

Text

merlin fic rec list - starter pack

@trueloveorsomething told me she’s never really read a merlin fic and my heart, that is still stuck in the blissful ignorance of november 2012, couldn’t accept that. I promptly told her I would make her a starter pack of some of my favorites and completely forgot about it until she reminded me like, an hour ago. So sorry bout that. Rina puts up with so much of my shit and deserves a nice fic rec list considering I call drunk call her at 4am and she still answers.

SO HERE’S A REC LIST THAT IS VERY LATE AND TOO LONG ILY AND I HOPE THESE BEAUTIFUL MERTHUR FICS SOMEHOW CONVEY THAT

For Your Information by reni_days (ao3 no longer available)

Summary:

Merlin sighs. "After your...announcement," he explains, "your father decided he needed a bit more information. Which is apparently where I come in. I'm sort of like his gay tutor, it's hard to explain."

Okay so this was one of my all-time favorite merlin fics because I HAVE NEVER READ A BETTER UTHER!! WHO IS TRYING TO LOVE & UNDERSTAND HIS SON!!! But recently the fic was taken off ao3 and I was desolate for numerous days UNTIL I REALIZED that the author had still left up the original livejournal post from 2012. Wow. flashbacks. Anyways, this is def in my top five I adore it.

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A New Low by Rosie_Rues // @rosierues

Summary:

Written for this prompt at kinkme_merlin, which asked for diabetic!Merlin stuck in a lift with Arthur. It grew from there.

God. GOD. secretly caring Arthur Pendragon is LITERALLY MY SHIT. The dialogue & character interactions are SO FUNNY and I swear I laugh on every read through (which is often tbh). FLUFF!

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A Modern Manservant by Mamalazzer

Summary:

A modern magical comedy very loosely based on Ugly Betty. Publishing king Uther Pendragon has had enough of his playboy son seducing every female assistant he has ever had so he hires Merlin, a man he is sure Arthur will never sleep with. Merlin would be more insulted by this fact if he wasn’t so busy trying to juggle his duties, save Arthur's skin from ruthless fashionistas and keep his magic a secret at the same time. Expect appearances by oil-lathered knights, the occasional mad druid, a perverted Will and a mental caretaker who lives in the basement and keeps harping on about coins and destiny.

I honestly think about this fic constantly. I’ve been meaning to reread it for like, a month and my time has finally come. An Ao3 legend. Wow. I’m in awe of this fic. I love it so much. Please Read, I’m Begging.

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Dying to Return by StormDancer // @hurricanedancer

Summary:

When they try to hang him, he floats.

They put him on the pyre at dawn.

He doesn’t burn.

Canon-divergence is one of my fav tags and this fic does it SO WELL! Also BAMF!Merlin bc OF COURSE and again, this fic just shows their relationship and Arthur’s inner struggles/thoughts so well as he deals with this ~~~mysterious~~~ mage. Wow. You’ll be screaming the whole time.

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The Weight of Words by Waldorph // @waldorph

Summary:

Arthur knows how to use words just as well as Merlin, and he knows about the magic.

One of the best character studies I’ve ever read. Also done by a fic legend, and it SHOWS. I never know how much i craved the tag “Smart!Arthur” bUT I DID! Also Morgana is my favorite. She needs more love.

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How to Untrain Your Dragon by Teumessian

Summary:

Merlin has many secrets but Arthur sees more than anyone knows. This is the story of a prince and a dragon. A canon changeling!verse AU, deviating around season 2.

In case you haven’t been able to tell, I’m a bITCH for magic revealed fic. And I seriously loooove when Arthur already knows. Wow. Plus this is a great twist with the changeling AU. Check it out!!!

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Emrys Ascending by tricksterity

Summary:

In the depths of the Crystal of Neahtid, Merlin sees the resurrection of Lord Voldemort, an event that will tip the balance of the world so far out that only he has the power to intervene and set it right, or stop it from ever happening. For that, he'll have to pose as a student and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The only problem is, he's been chosen instead of Cedric Diggory as a Triwizard Champion, and there's a recently reborn Arthur Pendragon in Gryffindor House.

*lays out cards on table* you want some character development? Some of that good BAMF Merlin shit? Some of that reincarnation? Magic revealed? 100k+? A HOGWARTS AU? Have I got the SHIT FOR YOU! Pls scream about this fic w me.

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Keep the Magic Secret by orphan_account

Summary:

For the prompt: Someone tells Arthur about the legends of Emrys, an all-powerful warlock whose destiny is to protect Arthur and his kingdom and help bring about an age of peace. He is told that Emrys is someone close to him, and has hidden his identity and trials over the years to protect himself and make sure he can continue on at Arthur's side. When Arthur asks who it is, the person turns to Arthur and shrewdly asks: "Arthur, who do you want it to be?" ... Arthur's mind automatically goes to Merlin.

ASDGL;DKLD WOW. I ADORE how the author wrote Arthur’s mindset, and the plot is so well done and fleshed out I’m totally obsessed. Wow. Such an intense slow burn I’m sure a small village went up in flames. Wow. Also, I love Gwen with my whole heart and this fic treats her RIGHT w/out ignoring her whole canon storyline. Great work!!!

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All’s Well That Ends Well by StormDancer // @hurricanedancer

Summary:

Merlin spent the week and a half that Arthur was gone splitting his time between crafting careful explanations that never ended up explaining the important things, the things that would make Arthur listen, and making half-baked plans to escape to Ealdor. He found a number of fire-proofing spells that would have no effect if they decided to cut his head off, and figured out how to adapt an invulnerability spell he had been trying to find a way to cast on Arthur without him noticing so that it would protect him from being decapitated, but it would have no effect on anything but metal. Despite all his frantic searching, he did not find a teleportation spell, because that would have been too simple and if there was one thing Merlin had learned in his years at Camelot, it was that nothing was ever simple.

A classic magic revealed fic that handles emotion - both Merlin & Arthur’s - extremely well. I’m a big fan of this author, so check out their other works if you’re interested!

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Strike of Lightning by helloearthlings

Summary:

Uther's commandment was very simple: If there should come a day when Arthur met his soulmate, he would drive a sword through their chest and kill them on sight.

EVERY fandom has their own soulmarks fic AND THIS IS MERLIN’S WOW! I love it. I adore it. I’d frame it and put it above my bed if it wasn’t 4k words.

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1609, 5280, 63360 by Sham

Summary:

When they were young, Arthur had gone running. Morgana discovered that early into her tenure at the Pendragons; shortly after the car crash, when she was swathed in a bed with silk sheets with the memory of Uther standing awkwardly in her doorway, old face creased with the vestiges of grief and uncomfortable concern for the fragile girl in his house.

I haven’t read this one yet - it’s next on my to-read list! - but it seriously looks SO GOOD and once again I LOVE MORGANA and plus there seems to be a somewhat sympathic Uther in this which, once again, I would die for.

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Fathom Me Out by supercalvin // @supercalvin

Summary:

After ten years, Arthur thinks he has Merlin all figured out. But as he watches Merlin, he finds out that he has more questions than answers. The longer he thinks about it, the more uneasy he feels. So he pushes it aside. Except, he can no longer ignore the questions he has about Merlin.

Not your everyday reveal!fic.

Great character study & development and I loooove how the author writes their relationship. Also, it’s not required, but the prequel to this fic is also very very good and I highly rec it! Check it out here - Laundry’s Hard Work.

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It’s Nice to Finally Tweet You by Pendragons Dragonlord // @pseudoauthor

Summary:

Merlin's eyes scan the headline.

Arthur Pendragon reveals mark in attempt to find the one.

"I pity the guy who's unfortunate enough to get him as a soul mate.”

In which Arthur is a famous celebrity, Merlin is a beloved teacher, and they break Twitter once. Well, twice. Okay so it's a whole bunch of times actually but it's not their fault. Really it's not.

Read that description and try not to explode over your excitement for this fic. Really, I dare you. It’s such a good balance of fluff, plot, and soulmarks. Also, Merlin is a schoolteacher and if that doesn’t sell you on it I have nothing else to offer.

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Until You Do (I’ll Bring You Tea and Honey) by TheAvalonian

Summary:

Modern AU: Everyone keeps assuming that Merlin and Arthur are together, so as a joke, they start pretending it's true. And then, suddenly, it is.

A story of giant teddy bears, meddling sisters, nonexistent homoerotic subtext (or is it?), and accidentally falling in love.

So much fluff you’ll get a toothache. The best Friends to Lovers fic I’ve ever read ever in my life. Wow. WOW. This tops the cake not only with a cherry but like, a hundred dollar bill (iDK WHAT'S BETTER THAN A CHERRY JUST DO W IT) READ THE FLUFF.

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License to Thrill by lady_ragenll // @theladyragnell

Summary:

Merlin's employees bet him the recipe for the most addictive cocoa in the world that he can't find out what the hot blond who comes into his chocolate shop does for a living within the month. He ends up getting far more than he bargained for.

This was such a joy to read like, all the dialogue? Is SO GOOD. Also, I love Merlin so much in this fic wow. Omg. I’m in love with this fic and we’re getting married this weekend.

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Not In This Land Alone by torakowalski

Summary:

Modern AU. When Merlin Emrys gets a summer job at Buckingham Palace, he doesn't expect to even meet King Arthur, let alone become involved in protecting him from a plot to overthrow the monarchy.

I’m finishing off this list with a Merlin fandom CLASSIC. Admittedly, it took me a while to get around to reading this but by the time I was a few paragraphs in I was instantly wondered WHY bc it’s SO GOOD AND I WAS MISSING OUT SO MUCH. So much drama I was thriving. The plot? Perfection. Wow.

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Okay I think that’s a decent start for a starter pack - Rina & everyone else who reads this, I hope y’all enjoy! Remember to kudus & review for any fics you enjoyed!!! Also I found like, seven new merlin fics I somehow haven’t read yet soooooooooo another list may be on the way soon omg.

#merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #morgana #fic rec list #fic recs #trueloveorsomething #FOR RINA #rina tag

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merlesbians · 6 years

Text

merdred D/s filth and crack

disclaimer: i’m not a writer but the one that collaborated with me is.

this one is about this fanfic series

Most of Mordred's searches on porn websites are orgasm denial. Merlin thinks it's cute. -

"Milk or sugar?" "Both." "That a thing now?" "I LIKE MY MAN LIKE MY TEA. FULL OF MILK" "MORDRED NO... I like mine sweet and not too strong." "Yea." - Merlin texts Arthur when Mordred leaves. 'You think I look kinky?' 'Only when you're stressed and biting your lips' 'I do this all the time' 'Really?' 'Oh.' -

Mordred was obviously a first timer because he had no idea how to say no to people he wasn't interested (after all being a sub doesn't mean being held by the first dom that claims him). Merlin saw him all unconfortable with some guy, then approached them "excuse me but this boy is mine, aren't you?" to which Mordred thought THANK YOU MY LORD AND SAVIOR but just answered "Yes Sir. Sorry Sir". Arthur was at the club too, but he was probably too far gone with a femdom and public whipping. Merlin asked if that was ok because he noticed Mordred wasn't comfortable with the guy and Mordred just said that all he needed that moment was to be taken care of.

Mordred noticed Merlin's lips and cheekbones because "THIS LIGHTNING FLATTERS YOUR ANGLES, SIR" "My room is pretty clear and I want to see you whole and properly, boy"

"You a top or a bottom?" "I'm what you want me to be" "Fuck, boy. Can I make you come twice tonight?" "You don't need permission. Sir. And if I try hard we can make it three." "I like you"

Merlin makes Mordred finger and blow him to avoid him touching himself. Then he blows Mordred until the adge, then rides him (and he comes again and just says 'now you broke me' and sleep again). And Merlin makes him tea and biscuits.

Mordred tells his age QAF-like.

After the first night/dat/afternoon WHATEVER Mordred is getting ready to leave but the mess in the room is absurd and he can't find his underwear. Merlin finds it while cleaning the room and it smells like strawberry (lube, maybe? Did he go ready to bottom to the club?) and Merlin dies a little. -

Merlin always gets paranoid about consent when they drink, but one time they end up having the most vanilla sex to ever vanilla. (Except the biting, Merlin can't help himself) (And hair pulling because PLEASE) Later he discovered that Mordred held his own breath because he can't vanilla (he actually can and it's quite lovely how long it takes for him to come).

- Merlin wants to buy something for Mordred. Morgana tells him to buy leather. He does. A jacket. And a choker. - When Merlin's friend Will meets Mordred, he says "I wonder how this one behaves in bed" because the boy is always ready to explode. Merlin laughs. "He's quite obedient, actually." - Mordred has a lovehate relationship with morning sex because he fucking loves the way Merlin takes care of his mmorning erections, but he has trouble focusing on classes in the morning. - Whenever someone makes a joke to Mordred about him and Merlin, he agrees and grins. "I even call him daddy." - Merlin got in bed too late and too tired because of work things, and Mordred was fast asleep already. When Mordred woke uo, got the sight of Merlin and couldn't wake him up, so he decided to wank in bed watching him. He was halfway through it when Merlin sleepy spooned hims and Mordred and he was all like of fuck and came between their bellies. - "Mordred, the sheets. I can't do laundry every day." "I'm s-" "I'd love to clean you up if you make a mess of yourself." "Mer-" "I can clean myself up too." - Mordred every now and then suggests shower sex. Merlin avoids it because, in some way, it seem s a too intimate thing he'sw not ready to. When they become closer and start thinking about moving together aqnd sheit, Merlin doesn't quite asks it to Mordred, just throws a waterproof lube. (It's also the first time they go bareback) - "I got a cockring to deal with your 17yearoldness." (Mordred didn't dare to make the joke about having a dildo to deal with Merlin's 30yroldness. He would suffer enough already.) - "Where were you?" "Dining with Uth--" "ASDFGHJKL TELL ME MORE" "-er and Arthur." "And were you boys all serious talking about business using your reading glasses?" "Will you ever stop" "Nope" That night: "I'm leaving my tie. And the glasses. You leave the hair pins, boy." Merlin managed to put the pins on Mordred's nipples. He was a begging mess that night. (More than the usual). - Once, Merlin invited Mordred for a Star Wars marathon - but his real intention was to get the D. Mordred was way too excited by the movies to even think about sex. By the end of Return of the Jedi, Merlin was already boiling in arousal and when Mordred said "this is just too exciting!" while Leia's escape, Merlin just screamed FUCK THIS SHIT THEN and procedeed to blow Mordred while getting himself off. Mordred's eyes never left the screen - but his grip on Merlin's hair was saying he was enjoying it thank you very fucking much.

Mordred returned the favor while showing Pacific Rim to Merlin. - Mordred likes the idea of having sex in front of Arthur because Arthur is the only other that has Merlin's heart and still, Arthur would never have Merlin the way he does. - One time Merlin finds Mordred crying at home. Turns out he had had a fucked up dream. Merlin kisses his whole body until he falls asleep again. - Merlin wants a dog. Mordred wants a cat. They get two fishes, called Puppy and Kitten. (Puppy stays at Mordred's and Kitten at Merlin's - until they move together - because they remind them of each other.) - Mordred starts calling Merlin "Emrys" when he wants to show respect. - When Mordred moves in and Merlin has work trips, Mordred sleeps wearing Merlin's clothes. Before he moves in, Merlin notice the clothes he thought he'd lost getting back to his wardrobe. Mordred swears he has 0% guilt on it. "I think the cleaning lady is stealing my clothes" "Hm" "But she's been working for the Pendragons for years, I don't know..." "They must be dirty" AT UNI: "WOA MORDY U LOOK GREAT IN FANCY SHIRTS" Mordred once got off in a Merlin shirt and brought it back without cleaning. - Arthur called Merlin late one night, and while babbling, Merlin was sure Arthur was getting of with his voice - but he never asked if it was truth fearing the answer would be no.

Mordred actually calls Merlin quite often to phonesex. Mostly while he's at Uni, and the classes are too boring. Those little escapades are the highlights of the week - until they're actually together. (Mordred also records himself getting off if he can't talk with Merlin, then sends the audio file to him) - At first, Mordred couldn't swallow so he would take off his mouth. Two times Merlin came on his hair, but he always washed it later. - Very often Merlin would arrive home stressed and tired, but if he could see that Mordred wanted something, he'd get the boy off. - Merlin showed Mordred how to deepthroat with practical demonstration. "Come on, give me your wrists. Yeah, good boy. Gonna show you something now." - Merlin likes to ride his boy because it's the best way to have him undone. One time Mordred drifts off so bad, Merlin thinks it had something to do with the breathplay. - Merlin wants to submit quite often, just to change up things a bit - but he can't refuse Mordred anything (and every single time what Mordred wants is to be taken to the edge) - Phonecall: “yes mordred please come but you‘ll have to put up with drunk Arthur again. Yes. Its football, what can I do?“

“MORDRED IS COMING?“

“Yes.“

“NICE. Mordred is fun.“

“He sure is.“

“That why you‘re not d drinking?“

“Kinda.“

“BUT WE ALL SHOULD DRINK YOU CANT LET ME DRINK ALONE“

“You promise not to creep on us?“

“Mãrlin, please.“

“so you can really take all of merlin‘s cock?“ “I have dreams about merlin and your father.“

“Oh, me too. Someday they might kill each other.“

“... kinky dreams“

“why are you telling me this, christ mordred“

“Dunno, they‘re both hot, thought you‘d agree“

“MY FATHER, MORDRED“

“sorry. Merlin would fuck the bitterness out of him, tho.“

“he would, wouldnt he?“ *frustrated noises because merlin* (Kidding, merlin/uther is not happening)

Merlin, while fingerfucking a tied up mordred and about to suck him off: “Go on with your poetry, then. You manage to finish it, I fuck you. Bare. If you stop, I stop. If you say anything more than the poem, you‘ll be tied all night and I‘ll just have a wank by myself."

That night, before they collapse in a very deep sleep, Merlin kisses him and tells him how good he is. With a lower tone, he says “love your voice“ by Mordreds ear, then kisses his neck, “love you“. He didnt know if Mordred could hear it, but then the boy started holding him harder and he couldn‘t tell if Mordred was going to collapse or just smile. ----

Mordred keeps asking what they‘re doing when he graduates. Merlin cant think of something special that they haven‘t done yet “MY SEXTAPE“

“mordred stop“

“PRETTY PLEASE“

“what if you lose it, what if your computer is stolen, what if, I dont know, my mother finds it“

“I‘ll cook you dinner for a week. A month. Wearing panties.“

“Deal.“

Said month:

(Merlin and arthur entering) “You said Mordred would make dinner? gonna say hi-“ “DONT“

Too late. Arthur caught Mordred making orange juice, sweating and wearing light blue panties. hih ----

Merlin starts a system to make Mordred study.

- "You finish this paper before 9, I let you bite me." - "If you don't miss any classes by the end of the month, I will wear heels." - “You make valedictorian, I wake you up with you already inside me.“

- “You pass, we fuck in lingerie for one week.“

Nobody understands how frustrated Mordred gets if he doesnt do well at uni.

“Mordred y u sulking u probably gonna work with Pendragon as soon as possible your grades are great“

“BUT NOT HOW GREAT I NEED THEM“

------

Merlin had to travel because of job stuff, and he doesn't see Mordred in two weeks. In the meantime, Mordred left his beard grow just because he didn't care about shaving, and by the end of the time away he goes meet with Merlin at the airport. 'Holy shit, Mordred.' 'Hey! Missed me?' 'If I knew you'd look so hot with facial hair I'd order you so much earlier to keep it' 'So you like the too-lazy-to-shave look on me?' 'Enough to be thinking about letting you welcome me with a bathroom blowjob right here' 'I thought you weren't into public display' 'We can lock the door. Come on.'

#merdred #some arthur #I'd change mordred's age to 18 so things aren't weird #this was some time ago....

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lenafromthenordiccoven · 7 years

Text

Spoils of War - Vortigern x Reader

Fanfiction Title: Spoils of War

Fandom: King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Pairing: Vortigern x Reader

Requested by anonymous

Rating: Mature

Warnings: none

Summary: Reader is a mage and was taken back to Camelot as a price of war by Vortigern. They confront him about his thirst for power.

Word count: 1085

Read on ao3

A/N: Thanks so much for the request! Since I didn’t get anything specific, I just went with what came first into my mind. Also, tried to keep the Reader as non-specific regarding gender as possible. Hope, you’ll like it ^^ (Sorry for the weird writing style, I think, watching Spartacus for the past two days has its effect on me xD)

The images of your slaughtered family and your village, set ablaze by King Uther’s men on his brother’s behest, still haunted you. Even weeks after your loved ones and your home had fallen at the blades of the soldiers, you still woke up in the middle of the night in cold sweat and with a thundering heart, which, you feared, might escape your chest, if you weren’t careful enough.

And yet, it was a miracle, that you were still alive. Although, you yourself would not call it a miracle as you had been dragged by Vortigern himself into the palace to live as his pet mage, to be gawked and glared at by servants and nobles alike. While he still desired more power and threw himself into the studies of a craft you had no desire to dive further into.

But Vortigern did not care for your own thoughts or the fact that the magic he sought to master was but a dark and cruel one, one that required so much sacrifice that only one had dared venture that far. Mordred might not yet be the thundering threat to Camelot he was bound to become, but you could already hear him growling on the horizon, faint promises of the bloodshed that was yet to come.

Although you wanted nothing more than to be released from your prison inside the palace, you couldn’t and wouldn’t look away while Vortigern endangered himself, his family and his people. Others would have called you a fool for still believing in the good in men, but there was nothing else for you to do than hope. Hope that Vortigern could still be reasoned with.

And you were about to set that hope to the test. You thrust open the door that led from your chambers into Vortigern’s private study. Why he kept you close to his studies where you could wreak unimaginable havoc if left unchecked, you would never understand. It was certainly not because he had gone soft on you. Perhaps he simply believed you harmless, not knowing that whatever he made you show him in terms of magic and spells, helped you become stronger as much as it did for him.

‘Vortigern, I have to warn you, if you keep following this path, it will not only lead to your own suffering but to that of your family. I know, you love your wife and Catia, your daughter. But if you seek out even more power than you already have, you will have to make unimaginable sacrifices,’ you said.

Vortigern had neither looked up from his books nor turned around when you had burst into the room. He still didn’t look at you, when he answered. Although, you knew the look he would give you would be a dark and frightening one. ‘I did not think, I had given my prisoner any permission to voice concerns over what we are doing. I know, what I have to do in order to become more powerful. Mordred already told me.’

‘You cannot really mean to give the life of your wife and child to the sirens just so can be as powerful as Mordred. He is a monster, nothing but a shadow of the great man he once was. Even his own people fear him now. I’m sure that is not what you wish to become.’ Your voice trembled lightly at the thought of what else Mordred might have whispered into Vortigern’s ear. Truth was, you didn’t even want to know. All you wanted was your freedom, but you doubted, Vortigern would ever grant it.

The king’s brother now did turn around to face you, a grim smirk on his face while he slowly strode towards you. His voice was low and dangerous. ‘I do not care what you think Mordred has become or what I will become if I follow him. You are nothing more than a pet, your only purpose is to do whatever I tell you to do. Not chew my ear off with your worries. I. Do. Not. Care. Whatever you think Mordred was or is, I will be far greater than he ever could be. My power will exceed his and if I have to sacrifice my family to gain it, then so be it.’

He had now reached you, a hand gripping your face, holding you tightly in place. ‘You will care once you have felt the pain of loved ones’ life draining from their bodies because of your own actions. Once they die in your arms, I hope, you will see your mistakes. But I am afraid, you will never learn. And that will be not only your own downfall, but the demise of many others.’

Vortigern pushed you backwards, until you hit the stone wall and you flinched at the cold touch of the stone on your back. ‘Perhaps, I should take your life first then.’

‘Do it. I welcome death’s embrace and the freedom it finally will bring,’ you hissed. Your hands balled to fists at your sides. You could slowly feel his magic come to life around him.

‘No. It would be too easy, and too merciful to simply slit your throat. Maybe, you can be useful to me after all.’ He smiled again, his magic now bursting into action around both of you. Blinding light filled your eyes and you lost your bearings for a moment.

When you finally came too again, you saw the room from a whole different angle. And you felt smaller, feathers on your body. You could see your human body slipping to the floor in front of Vortigern. He simply left it there, not bothering to pick it up. Instead, he came towards you again. He seemed so much bigger from the angle you got to look at him now. But maybe, that was also just because you were smaller than before.

‘You will make a fine trophy someday, but first, we have work to do, my pet. Such are the spoils of war. I apologize, but your words spurred me into action. And now, you can still be useful to me after all,’ he smiled down at you and then picked up the cage you were in. You flapped your wings and cawed, desperately trying to get out the words your human mouth would have been able to form, had you still inhabited your old body. Vortigern shushed you, telling you to be quiet, while he carried you off to the sirens’ cave.

#vortigern x reader #king arthur: legend of the sword #fanfiction #king arthur: legend of the sword fanfictions #fanfic request #sophie writes #vortigern imagine

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supercorps-imaginesetc · 7 years

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Morgana/You Fic Part One

Morgana/You Fic

Part One: The Dragon's Call

SUPER LONG

Words: 6200+

Parts: 1(You’re Here!) Next Part

This chapter won't have a lot of Morgana until closer to the end because I'm going by the flow of the show. There will be more Morgana action in the later part because of what happens at the end of this one. These parts for this fic will be long most of the time because like I said I'm going by the show.

I didn't change a lot from what happens in the show in this part because there really wasn't any need to. For most of the dialog in the beginning I went straight from the transcripts so if you haven't seen Merlin you can still read this.

One last thing, should (Y/N) have she/her pronouns and such or stay neutral? It might be harder to stay neutral in later chapters, but if that's what you guys want I can make it work.

- Admin Cam

No young man or woman, no matter how great, can know their destiny. They cannot glimpse their part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, they must live and learn, and so it will be for the young warlocks arriving at the gates of Camelot. Two siblings that will, in time, create the legend. Their names: Merlin and (Y/N).

Your brother, Merlin, and you enter Camelot as King Uther addresses a crowd of people in the square. You both curiously continue towards the crowd.

“Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. Pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass.” Uther raises his arm, then lowers it as a signal to the executioner and the man is beheaded. The crowd gasps and you and your brother give each other a look of concern.

“I thought we were coming to some place better.” You whisper to Merlin and he nods before the King addresses the crowd again.

“When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm. So, I declare a festival to celebrate twenty years since the Great Dragon was captured and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebration begin!”

Merlin and you are about to leave when an old woman from the crowd starts to wail loudly.

“There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you with your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son and I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a child for your children!”

“Seize her!” The guards rush forward towards the woman, but she begins to chant a spell and disappears in a whirl of wind and smoke.

“Camelot sure is a bit more exciting than our home.” Merlin says as the two of you continue on to the palace.

“Where would I find Gaius, the court physician?” You ask a guard. The guard points and you and Merlin walk up the steps. You knock on the open wooden door to the physician's quarters and peek inside.

“Hello?” Merlin calls as you both wander inside. “Hello? Gaius?”

An older man, that must be Gaius, falls backwards from the bookshelf stairs and the railing breaks. You stop him from falling in midair, and Merlin moves a bed from in the corner under him. You release him onto the bed.

“What did you just do?” Gaius asks the two of you. Merlin and you stumble through words trying to find an explanation.

“Tell me!” He demands.

“I-I-I have no idea what happened.” Merlin stutters.

“If anyone had seen that-”

“Oh, no! That had nothing to do with us! That was...” You exclaim trying to save you and Merlin from the same fate the man you saw earlier had.

“I know what it was! I just want to know where you two learned how to do it!”

“Nowhere.” You and Merlin say in unison.

“So how is it you know magic?”

“We don't.” You say.

“Yes, we do not know of this magic thing,” Merlin says nervously scratching the back of his neck

“We've never studied magic or been taught anything about it.” You answer twiddling your thumbs.

“Are you lying to me?”

“What do you want me to say?” You ask shrugging.

“The truth!” The older man exclaims.

“We were born like this.” Merlin explains and you nod.

“That's impossible! Who are you two?”

“Uh, here.” You hand Gaius the letter your gave you before you and Merlin left.

“I don't have my glasses.” Gaius says and Merlin explains.

“I'm Merlin and this is my twin, (Y/N).”

“Hunith's kids?”

“Yes.” You answer and Merlin nods.

“But you're not meant to be here til Wednesday!”

“It is Wednesday...” Your brother says furrowing his eyebrows.

“Ah, right then. You better put your bag in there. Merlin your room is on the left and (Y/N) yours is on the right.” Gaius says pointing to the doors across the room. “I have some simple clothes for you both in your rooms. They're just your basic tunics and pants.”

“Thank you and you won't say anything about...” You say trailing off.

“No, although, (Y/N) and Merlin, I should say thank you.”

You and Merlin walk into your rooms as Gaius retrieves his glasses and reads the letter you gave him.

My dear Gaius,

I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her children are special, and yet I would give my life that (Y/N) and Merlin were not so. Ours' is a small village and they are so clearly at odds with people here that if they were to remain, I fear what would become of them. They need a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help them find a purpose for their gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her children, keep them safe, and may God save you three.

The next morning, you wake up to someone calling you and your brother's name but shake it off. You stretch and leave your chambers.

“I got you both water. You two didn't wash last night.” Gaius says as you and Merlin walk in.

“Sorry.” You both say and sit down at the table.

“Help yourself to breakfast.” Gaius says.

Merlin and you start to eat porridge when you hear the sound of things getting bumped into. You and Merlin look up to see a bucket of water and a pile of books falling. You both jump up and using magic you stop the books while Merlin stops the bucket of water. Gaius gasps at you two and you let the frozen objects drop to the ground with a loud thump and splash.

“How did you two do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?” The older man asks amazed.

“We don't know any spells.” Merlin says as you both shake your heads.

“So, what did you do? There must be something!”

“It just happens.” You say with a shrug as you and Merlin grab a mop to clean up the water all over the floor.

“Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You both can help me until I find some paid work for you two. Here,” Gaius places a small bag and a bottle on the table, “Hollyhock and Feverfew for Lady Percival, and this is for Sir Olwin. He's as blind as a weevil, so warn him not to take it all at once.”

Merlin and you nod.

“And here,” Gaius says and hands both of you a plate with a sandwich on it. You both give him a lopsided grin and take the sandwiches, “Off you go, and I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you both killed.”

You and Merlin bid Gaius a farewell and eat your sandwiches as you walk down the Physician's Corridor and through the Square to deliver the medicine. You knock on the door of Sir Olwin's chambers and a squinting old man answers.

“We, uh, brought you your medicine.” You say placing the small bottle into his hand. Sir Olwin pops the cork off and starts gulping it down.

“Oh, and Gaius said don't drink it all at...” Merlin starts as Sir Olwin finishes the remedy.

“I'm sure it's fine.” You finish and Merlin and you run off.

The two of you cross the drawbridge gate into the training grounds pushing each other around laughing when you both spot a blonde knight bullying a serving boy. You and Merlin watch the interaction between the prat and the poor boy clenching your jaws and fists. The boy finally drops the target he was holding and it rolls to Merlin's feet. You watch as your twin puts a foot on the target so the boy can't pick it up.

“Hey, come on, that's enough.” Merlin says and you punch him in the arm to try and get him to stop.

“Don't do anything stupid.” You mutter to him under your breath.

“What?” The blonde prat says addressing your brother's comment.

“You've had your fun, my friend.” Merlin says and you sigh.

“Do I know you?”

“Er, I'm Merlin.” Your brother says and holds out his hand.

“So, I don't know you.” The arse says.

“No.”

“Yet you called me 'friend'.”

“That was my mistake.” Finally your idiot brother says something right.

“Yes, I think so.”

“Yeah, I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass.” Bloody hell, Merlin! Merlin and you start walking away and you smack him on the back of the head.

“Or I one who could be so stupid.” This causes Merlin to stop walking. “Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?” Why must boys be so stupid?

“No.” Your brother, who apparently has a death wish, replies.

“Would you like me to help you?”

“I wouldn't if I were you.”

“Why? What are you going to do to me?” The knight asks chuckling with his fellow knights.

“You have no idea.”

“Be my guest! Come on! Come on! Come oooon!”

Merlin steps forward and takes a swing at the blonde and he twists Merlin's arm behind his back.

“I'll have you thrown in jail for that.”

“What, who do you think you are? The King?” Merlin shut up!

“No, I'm his son, Arthur.” The prat says and takes Merlin out at the knees. The guards grab your idiot brother and start to take him towards what assume will be the dungeons. Once the guards are out of sight you run and get Gaius.

The next morning, you and Gaius go down to the dungeons and retrieve the fool known as your twin brother. You clearly got the brains.

“Merlin! You never cease to amaze me! The one thing that someone like you should do is keep you head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot! Did (Y/N) do anything as stupid as this?” Gaius exclaims.

“No, I'm sorry.” Merlin says glancing at you and looking down at the dungeon floor.

“You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to get you released.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Gaius gives Merlin a disapproving look for being so excited and you shake your head knowing what comes next.

Merlin is put in the stocks and you'd be lying if you said you weren't enjoying it a little. The children who are throwing rotten fruit and vegetables at Merlin leave to go get more ammo when a woman approaches you and your brother.

“I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid.” The woman says.

“Right, I'm Merlin.”

“And I'm the smarter twin, (Y/N).” You say causing Gwen to laugh.

“Well, Merlin, what you did was brave but I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him.” Gwen says causing you to chuckle.

“Oh, I-I can beat him.” Merlin snorts and you roll your eyes.

“You think? Because you don't look like one of these big, muscle-y kind of fellows.”

“It's cause he's not.” You mutter.

“Thanks.” Merlin says sarcastically.

“No! No, I'm sure you're stronger than you look. It's just, um... Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save the world kind of men, and... well...”

“What?”

“You don't look like that.” Gwen says and Merlin motions for her to move closer.

“I'm in disguise.” Merlin says and you sigh at your brother's antics.

“Well, it's great you stood up to him.” Gwen laughs.

“What? You think so?” Merlin asks and you mutter a “not unless you have a death wish” under your breath.

“Arthur's a bully and everyone thought you were a real hero.”

“Oh, yeah?” Merlin asks grinning.

“Mhm.” Gwen hums and the children return with more rotten fruit.

“Oh, excuse me, Guinevere. My fans are waiting.” Merlin says and Gwen and you leave your brother to the mercy of the children.

“Do you want some vegetables with that?” Gaius asks Merlin later that night at dinner and your brother snort while you just laugh quietly.

“I know you're still angry with me.” Merlin says glancing at Gaius.

“Your mother asked me to look after both of you.”

“Yes.” Merlin says and you nod.

“What did your mother say to you two about your gifts?” Gaius asks.

“She always said that we were special.” You say with a shrug.

“You both are special. The likes of which I have never seen before.”

“What do you mean?” Merlin asks.

“Well, magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What I saw you two do was... elemental, instinctive.”

“What's the point if it can't be used?” You sigh.

“That I do not know. (Y/N) and Merlin, you both are a question that has never been posed before.”

“Did you ever study magic, Gaius?” Merlin asks.

“Uther banned all such work twenty years ago.”

“Why?” You both ask.

“People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons.” Gaius explains.

“What? All of them?” You question furrowing your eye brows.

“There was one dragon he chose not to kill, kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it. Now, eat up. When you both have finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice.” Gaius says and leaves you and Merlin to finish your meal alone.

After you finish, Merlin and you exit the Physician's Chambers and walk up a long spiral stairway across from the Balcony Corridor and enter Lady Helen's guest chamber. You put the potion bottle on the vanity table and notice an a effigy and a special book. You pick up the strange book and look through it seeing weird symbols and what looks to be a different language.

“There's someone coming. Put the book back!” Merlin whispers to you frantically as you both hear footsteps approaching.

You put the book down and try to cover up the evidence that you were snooping right before Lady Helen enters.

“What are you two doing in here?” She asks glaring at both of you.

“We were asked to deliver this.” You say picking up the potion bottle from the table and handing it to her. She continues to glare at you as you and Merlin leave her chambers.

“Something's not right with her.” You say quietly to Merlin once you are out of earshot from the woman.

“Maybe she just like her privacy.” Merlin says shrugging, but you can't help but think that Lady Helen is up to no good.

As you and Merlin walk across the Square you pass Arthur, the prat, and his gang as he walks through the Lower Town.

“How's your knee-walking coming along?” Arthur asks.

“Just ignore him you.” You quietly so that only Merlin can hear you and thankfully the two of you keep walking.

“Aw, don't run away!” Arthur exclaims laughing and Merlin stops and you've had enough. This idiot is not going to ruin your day.

“From you?” Merlin asks.

“Thank God. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb.” Arthur sighs.

“Look, my brother has already told you you're an ass,” You say and turn to face Arthur, “He just didn't realize you were a royal one. Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?”

“I could take you apart with one blow!” Arthur laughs.

“I could take you apart with less than that.”

“Are you sure... what's your name again?” Arthur asks.

“(Y/N).”

“Come on then. Fight!” One of Arthur's knights says before Arthur can say anything else.

You roll your head, pop your neck, and then pop your knuckles.

“Let's go.” You say and you hear Merlin mutter something under his breath.

“Here you go.” Arthur says as one of his knights hand him a mace, which he tosses at you and you catch it with ease. Arthur seems surprised that you caught it but recovers and starts swinging his mace with ease.

“Come on, then. I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth.” Arthur says and you laugh.

“Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?”

“You can't address me like that.” Arthur snorts.

“I'm sorry. How long have you been training to be a prat, my lord?” You ask and give a little bow. Arthur smirks and starts swinging at you.

“Come on then! Come on!” Arthur exclaims trying to encourage you to fight.

Arthur backs you into the market stalls and crowd starts to gather. You don't notice while you're defending yourself, but Gaius hears the commotions and looks out the Physician's Chambers' window to see that it's you in trouble this time. You trip over something in the market and fall down.

“Oh, you're in trouble now.” Arthur says grinning down at you.

You quickly look for something to help you. You see a couple of large hooks and use your magic to entangle them with Arthur's mace. While Arthur's distracted you get up and put some distance between you and him. Once Arthur untangles his mace, he attacks again. You dodge the attack and move a box which Arthur steps into and bangs his shin.

Arthur pursues you again. Using your magic you tighten a rope on the ground and Arthur trips. You pick up the mace and start swinging at Arthur.

“Do you want to give up?” You ask raising an eyebrow at him.

“To you?”

“Do you? Do you want to give up?” You ask again and Arthur backs up, catching his foot in a bucket and falling over backwards. You, thrilled by your victory, spot Gaius in the crowd standing by Merlin and pause. While you're distracted, Arthur attacks you from behind with a broom, knocking you to the ground. The guards picking you up but Arthur stops them.

“Wait. Let them go. They may be an idiot, but their a brave one. There's something about those twins. I can't quite put my finger on it.”

Arthur goes back to his fellow knights as Merlin and Gaius come over to you and help you back to Gaius' Chambers.

“How could you be so foolish? I thought you were the smart one!” Gaius exclaims as the three of you enter his chambers.

“He needed to be taught a lesson.” You mutter as he slams the door shut.

“Magic must be studied, mastered, and used for good! Not for idiotic pranks!” The older man exclaims.

“What is there to master? We could move objects like that before we could talk!” You exclaim and you see Merlin nod from his spot in the corner.

“Then, by now, you should know how to control yourself!”

“But we don't want to! If we can't use magic, what have we got? We're just nobodies, and we always will be. If we can't use magic we mights as well die.” You say and go into your bed chamber. You throw yourself onto to the bed and wince at the pain it causes. A few minutes later Gaius enters you chamber with a medical basket.

“(Y/N)? Sit up and lift the back of your tunic up.” Gaius says sighing.

“You don't know why we were born like this, do you?” You ask as you lift up your tunic.

“No.” Gaius replies tending to your wounds.

“We're not monsters, are we?” You ask quietly and Gaius looks you in the eye.

“Don't ever think that.”

“Then why are we like this? Please, Merlin and I need to know why.”

“Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me.” Gaius says pulling your tunic back down.

“If you can't tell me, no one can.” You say sadly while the man pours a potion into a tiny cup.

“Take this. It will help with the pain.” He says and leaves you chamber quietly closing the door behind him.

Later that night, you lay awake in your bed when you hear someone calling you and your brother's names.

“(Y/N)...Merlin...”

You get out of bed and leave your chambers and find your brother leaving his too.

“Did you something?” He whispers so he doesn't wake Gaius.

You nod and the two of you sneak out of Gaius' Chambers. Your cross the Square and hear it again.

“(Y/N)...Merlin...”

You and Merlin descend a wrought iron stairway carefully trying not to trip over each other. When you reach the bottom of the stairs you come across two guards sitting at a table playing some game. Merlin distracts them by using magic and rolling their dice away from them and across the room. You both hold back a laugh at how they scramble after the dice. You grab a torch, light it, and you and Merlin hurry down a tunnel stairway.

“(Y/N)...Merlin...”

The two of you reach the end of the tunnel stairway and find a cave.

“(Y/N), Merlin.” The dragon laughs.

You both look around in confusion to find the owner of the mysterious voice.

“Where are you?” Merlin asks into the vast darkness of the cave.

“I'm here! How small are the two of you for such a great destiny.” The voice says laughing and it's owner, gigantic dragon, appears in front of you and Merlin.

“Why? What do you mean? What destiny?” You ask still in awe of the beauty of the dragon.

“Your gift, (Y/N) and Merlin, was given to you for a reason.”

“So there is a reason.” Merlin says curiously.

“Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion and Morgana will be there with him. Morgana will also be very powerful but in a different way. ”

“Ok...” You say.

“But they both face many threats from friend and foe alike.”

“I don't see what this has to do with us.” Merlin says.

“Everything. Without you two, Arthur will never succeed and Morgana will go on a dark path. Without you, there will be no Albion or even Camelot.”

“No. No, you've got this wrong.” You say shaking your head.

“There is no right or wrong, only what is and what isn't.” The dragon says and you sigh.

“But we're serious! If anyone wants to go and kill Arthur, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand and we haven't even met Morgana.” Merlin says and the dragon laughs.

“None of can choose our destiny and none of us can escape it.”

“No. No way. No. No. There must be another Arthur and Morgana. Plus, Arthur is an idiot.”

“Perhaps it's your destiny to change that. (Y/N) you will guide Morgana and Merlin you will guide Arthur.” The dragon says and flies off.

“Wait! Wait! Wait, stop! No, we need to know more!” You yell after him. When it was clear the dragon wasn't coming back, you and Merlin sneak back into the Physician's Chambers.

“Good morning, you two. After you're done with breakfast, (Y/N), I need you to go deliver this to the Lady Morgana. The poor girl suffers from terrible nightmares and, Merlin, I need you to go fetch me some supplies” Gaius hands you a small bottle and Merlin the list of supplies. “Now run along and stay out of trouble. I don't want a repeat of yesterday.” He says giving you and your brother a look.

The two of you promise to stay out of trouble and go your separate way. As you walk into Lady Morgana's room she starts talking from behind a changing screen.

“You know, I've been thinking about Arthur. I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole. Pass me that, will you Gwen?”

You pause uncertainly before you put the small bottle in your hand down on a table and grab the dress. You put it over the screen and Morgana begins undressing.

“I mean, the man's a total jouster and just because I'm the King's ward doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?”

Silence.

“Well, does it?”

“Mhm.” You hum.

“If he wants me to go, then he should invite me, and he hasn't.”

You look around trying to decide what to do.

“So, do you know what that means?” Morgana adds.

Another mhm from you.

Morgana looks out from the side of the screen.

“Where are you?”

You pull a nearby cloak to hide your face. “Here.”

“It means I'm going by myself.”

You sigh in relief at the conversation being over.

“I need help with the fastening.”

Oh please no...

“Gwen?”

This is so not good.

Thankfully, when you look over at the door you see Gwen coming to the rescue.

“I'm here.” She says as she enters Lady Morgana's chambers.

Gwen gives you a curious look. You gesture towards Morgana and then to the potion you put down on the table earlier. Gwen nods and helps Lady Morgana with the dress but before you can leave Morgana comes out from behind the screen.

“So, it's whether I wear this little tease...” She puts up a maroon dress against her, “or give them a night they'll really remember... Wait who are you?” Morgana says finally noticing your presence.

“I'm (Y/N). I'm new in Camelot. I was just bringing you your sleep remedy from Gaius, my lady.” You reply.

“You're the one who fought Arthur yesterday!” Morgana exclaims and you nod sheepishly. “Well, since you're here you might as well tell me which one you like best.” Morgana says holding the two dresses up again. You look over at Gwen to see what you should do and she just nods.

“Well, if I were them I would definitely want you to give me a night to remember... my lady.” You say nervously scratching the back of your neck.

“The maroon it is then. Oh and (Y/N) why don't you meet me here before the feast so you can accompany me there?” Morgana suggests.

“Oh my lady, I'm not worthy enough and besides I don't even have a proper outfit.”

“Nonsense, I insist. Anyone who can get Arthur as mad as you did is a friend of mine,” She says with a wink, “and about your outfit I can send Gwen to help you get ready.”

“Alright, I shall accompany you to the feast then, Lady Morgana,” you say bowing, “I must go now and see if my brother needs any help. Goodbye, my lady. Goodbye, Gwen.”

“Goodbye, (Y/N).” The two call as you leave. You search for Merlin and find him back at Gaius'.

“What has got you all giddy?” Gaius asks raising an eyebrow at you as you practically skip into the Physician's Chambers.

“I may have just been asked by Lady Morgana to accompany her to the feast tonight.” You say grinning and sitting down by Merlin at the table.

“Must you always find a woman?” Merlin asks exasperated.

“In my defense, Morgana ask me! All I did was tell her which dress I thought she should wear!” You exclaim holding your hand up in defense.

“Well, I'm happy for you, (Y/N),” Gaius says with a smile.

“At least you didn't get in a fight with this Pendragon.” Merlin says and you laugh.

Later that day, Gwen comes to the Physician's Chamber with an outfit for you tonight. Merlin and Gaius say their hellos and leave you and Gwen to go help with the preparations for the feast. You tell them goodbye and take Gwen into your chambers and she helps you get ready.

“Morgana hand picked this outfit for you and let me just say you look stunning in it.” Gwen says smiling at you.

“Thank you, Gwen, for everything. I don't think I could have gotten this on without your help.” You say and give her a hug.

“It was my pleasure. Don't tell Morgana that I told you this, but she seems much more excited about going to this feast now that you're going to be accompanying her.” Gwen says and your smile get's even bigger. “You better get going though. Don't want you to be late.”

“Are you not going with me?” You ask confused.

“No, I'm going to go ahead and help at the feast. Don't worry you'll be fine though. Morgana should be finished getting ready by now. So, I'll see you in a little bit.” Gwen says and you hug her goodbye and head towards Lady Morgana's chambers. On the way there, you try to calm your nerves.

It'll be fine. Don't worry everything will be fine.

You finally get to Morgana's chambers and knock on the heavy, wooden door. A few seconds later, the door opens to reveal the brunette looking absolutely amazing and your jaw drops.

“I take it you like the dress.” Morgana says smirking and you blush.

“Yes, you will definitely give them a night they won't soon forget, my lady.” You say once you're able to form words again.

“Well, good.” She says and you smile.

“Shall we get to the feast?” You ask offering her your arm.

“We shall.” She says smiling and wraps her arm around yours.

“You look amazing tonight too, (Y/N).” Morgana says and you blush once again.

“Thank you, my lady.”

You and Morgana enter the Banquet Hall and all eyes are the two of you. When you and Morgana reach Arthur and his mates' line of sight, Arthur does a double take and all the men stare. Even Merlin stares and Gaius elbows him.

“God have mercy.” Arthur says and Morgana smirks.

Morgana and you stop and talk to a few people before Arthur approaches and you lean in towards the brunette.

“I'm going to go talk to Merlin.” You say quietly in Morgana's ear and she gives you a smile and nods.

You go over and stand by your brother. A few seconds later, Gwen joins the two of you and you all three watch the interaction between the two royals.

“She looks great, doesn't she?” Gwen asks you and your brother.

“Yeah.” You both say in unison and she laughs.

“Some people are just born to be queen.” Gwen says smiling.

“No!” Your brother says playfully.

“I hope so. One day. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?” Gwen says and you and Merlin chuckle.

“Oh, come on, Gwen. I thought you liked those real rough, tough, save the world kind of me.” Merlin teases.

“No, I like much more ordinary men like you.”

“Gwen, believe me, he's not ordinary.” You say nudging Merlin playfully.

“No, I didn't mean him, obviously. Not you, but just, you know, I like much more ordinary men like you.”

“Thanks.” Merlin says and the two of them turn away from each other awkwardly leaving you stuck between their backs.

“Well, if you two are going to be awkward, I'm going back to the stunning woman I had the pleasure of coming here with.” You say and leave Gwen and Merlin to their awkwardness.

“Hello, my lady.” You say sneaking up behind Morgana and she smiles excusing herself from her conversation with Arthur.

“Hello, (Y/N).” She says wrapping her arm around yours like she did on the way here, “How is your brother doing?”

“Alright, I guess. Him and Gwen were doing some kind of awkward flirting. I don't really know. It was bizarre.” You say and she laughs.

All of a sudden celebration horns ring out and signal the King's entrance. Everyone heads to their places at the tables and Morgana leads you to your spot beside her. Half way through the feast you excuse yourself and leave to go to the washroom. You return as King Uther stands up to address everyone, so you stand against the wall across from Merlin who leans on the wall opposite of you.

“We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora.” The King says and everyone claps for Lady Helen. The music begins and Uther and the court take their seats.

Lady Helen begins to sing and you notice the court members begin to fall asleep. You look across the room at Merlin and he notices too. The two of you cover your ears as cobwebs begin forming over the sleeping court members.

Lady Helen's singing starts to crescendo as she stares at the sleeping Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana. She walks towards them while still singing and pulls two daggers from her sleeves. You stare at the chandelier above her and using your magic make it fall on top of her.

The Lady stops singing and the court members wake up and shake the cobwebs off. King Uther, Arthur, and Morgana rise from the table to see Mary Collins, the old woman from the execution, lying on the floor. Mary raises herself enough to throw the daggers at Morgana and Arthur. You and Merlin slow down time to reach Morgana and Arthur and pull them out of harm's way. The dagger slices the two royals' chairs as the four of you fall to the floor. Uther, Arthur, and Morgana stare at you and Merlin in disbelief.

“You two saved their lives. A debt must be repaid.” Uther says shocked.

You and your brother mutter about how it was nothing and scratch the back of your necks nervously.

“Don't be so modest. You both shall be rewarded.”

“No, honestly, you don't have to your highness.” You say and Merlin nods in agreement.

“No, absolutely. This merits something quite special.”

“Well...” Merlin says trailing off and you shake your head at him.

“You both shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You, who saved Prince Arthur, shall be Prince Arthur's manservant and you, who saved Morgana, shall be Lady Morgana's servant.” King Uther declares and the court applauds.

“Father!” Arthur exclaims while Morgana just winks at you and you give her a lopsided grin.

“Seem you two are heroes.” Gaius says the next day.

“Hard to believe, isn't it?” You say chuckling.

“No, I knew it from the moment I met you two. When you both saved my life, remember?” Gaius says smiling at you and Merlin.

“But... that was magic.” Merlin says and Gaius nods.

“And now, it seems, we finally found a use for it.”

“What do you mean?” You ask furrowing your eyebrows in confusion.

“I saw how you both saved the two youngest Pendragons' lives.”

“Oh, no.” Merlin says and you laugh.

“Perhaps that's its purpose.”

“Our destiny.” You say and Merlin sighs.

“Indeed. These books were given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling they will be of more use to you two than they will me.” Gaius says and hands you and Merlin each a book wrapped in cloth. You unlatch the book and look inside.

“But this is a book of magic.” Your brother snorts.

“Which is why you both must keep them hidden.”

“We will study every word.” You say and hug Gaius. You and Merlin are wrapping your books back up when there's a knocking on the door of the Physician's Chambers.

“Merlin. (Y/N). Prince Arthur and Lady Morgana want you two right away.” A guard says from the corridor.

“Your destinies' are calling. You'd better find out what they want.” Gaius says and you and your brother are off.

Sorry about any typos

#morgana fic #admin cam #merlin #morgana imagine #morgana pendragon #arthur pendragon #gaius #merlin bbc #katie mcgrath #morgana x reader #imagine #fic #merlin imagine #merlin fic #imagines #katie mcgrath imagine

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whimstories · 7 years

Photo

Prompt: “Can I kiss you?”

Fandom: Merlin

A/N: I’m learning that I find it very hard to write below 2k, apparently??? I’m ashamed. But even with just 2k I couldn’t elicit the emotions I wanted realistically conveyed from the characters. I need to work on that. Feedback appreciated, enjoy! ~~

Once upon a time there was a young prince that lived in the visage of his father. His father, King Uther Pendragon, was a strong, intuitive, an excellent fighter, and a proper diplomat.

His father was a righteous king to those he found worthy, but to those that were not, they were dealt the greatest injustice. The prince could not see there was an evil growing within the king, clouded by grief and ignorance. That an evil had festered into hatred and prejudice after his wife, the queen, perished the day of the prince’s birth. The king was the only true family the prince ever knew and all his life revolved around making his father proud.

In the prince’s efforts he inevitably shadowed the dismissive disposition of the king into his own personality. The prince was arrogant, spoiled, and naive to the plight of people below his station. The kingdom worried of another generation of Uther Pendragon.

One day the prince went into the woods to hunt. He was well trained as a knight and took solace in owning his skills in the wilderness. Dropping from his mount, the prince took his knife, crossbow, and bundle of arrows to a small clearing where he usually set up with his knights. He waited behind a large brush for any sign of life to pass. If there was no luck, he rose to another regular spot he and the knights marked. A few hours in waiting, the prince did not find any such luck. The sun was not high and his irritation was growing. As he rose to turn back to the first brush, he saw a large white stag speed past a few trees.

The prince took a brisk step in the direction of the white animal, careful not to make a startling noise. The bright color kept the animal in sight so, it was not hard to follow. The prince did not want to fall deep into the forest and took many efforts to slow the animal, but it always swerved around a tree. The longer he followed, the closer he became, but he also noticed the shape was not what he originally thought.

The animal stepped into a clearing next to a grand lake. Arthur finally had a clear study of the beast; for it was a great beast. The long white neck twisted to the right and nuzzled its snout against long, pale fingers. The prince realized in his shock that there was another person on the lake’s edge.

The young man’s figure was lean, his hair was black and wild, and his clothes were simple in station. He was smiling gently at the beast and the prince was mesmerized by the sincere glow that lit his features. His face brightening in many emotions, as if he was dancing in a social exchange with the creature. The prince felt a light shiver and his mouth ran dry. He could acutely feel the ground beneath his feet and the escalation of his heart, as he could not look away. Suddenly, the young man’s eyes narrowed, his head jerking in a nod at the creature, and turned in the direction of the prince behind the tree.

“Reveal yourself!” The man yelled. The Prince was trained well but he was careless in his chase. The trail he followed was unfamiliar and the sensations a moment ago had distracted him from his situation. Plus, if he did turn to run away, the beast would catch him in a moments time. He stayed still and refused to move.

There was a crack above the Prince’s head and he glanced up. A large branch descended above and the prince had to roll forward into an open patch to escape it. What bad luck.

He stared; the man and the beast stared openly in return. “Who are you?” The prince demanded.

“Why were you following Aithusa? Did you think your hair might blind her to death, because those arrows certainly would not.” The man smirked at the prince and remained seated.

“Who is Aithusa?”

“They always said knights were slower than most. She said she let you follow her here. But as dragons are cryptic and vague, she will not tell me why.”

“A dr—A dragon? I thought them gone?” The prince responded. The man looked back with a hard glance and sadness furrowing his brows. The prince felt guilty to mentioned it.

“I hope the world will not allow something so cruel. Would you like a seat?”

The prince did not know what to do. He was not trained for a dragon encounter. But he was also very curious on this young man, lounging deep in the forest. He could be a threat keeping company with a dragon, but he also was a threat for enticing the prince so quickly. The prince stood rocking on his heels, gripping his bow tight.

“You are a knight from Camelot?” The man said, not looking back. “Isn’t there a code about bravery, agility, and wit? How do you get by with just one?”

The prince bristled. “I am the best knight in the kingdom! I do not need a lecture from a scrawny, forest dwelling peasant.”

“Peasant! Do you always carry a spare bow up your arse when you talk to people?”

“I speak as I wish. Do you not know who I am?”

“Should I know every prat nobleman from Camelot? If that is the law, I would not be surprised.” The man looked to his left at his beastly companion, looking affronted. “I’m being rude? Why did you lead him here knowing what I think of his kind?”

The man did not know he was the prince. Perhaps if he is diplomatic, the man will not send the dragon in his wake. He has a prejudice against those in Camelot, so it was likely he was a magic user, but maybe this encounter would prove fruitful to them both.

“I’m Arthur.” The prince nodded at the man and shuffled to sit beside him. “Perhaps, I was quick to snap at you. I traveled farther than I meant and…perhaps, I am unaccustomed to your dragon.”

“Scared.” The man parried back.

“Tense.”

“Skittish.”

“Nervous.”

“I’ll take that. I’m Merlin.” Merlin stuck out his hand towards Arthur. Arthur looked at it dubiously then slowly lifted his gloved hand and shook. Merlin returned a beaming smile and Arthur’s muscles melted.

They talked for many hours about the current state of Camelot and the merits of magic. Arthur never had the opportunity to speak to a magic user and he wondered if they all were as passionate as Merlin. His eyes sparkled, his hands were expressive, and he said the word magic like he was whispering endearments to a lady love. He apologized for dropping the branch, which Arthur did not realize Merlin caused, and with Arthur’s permission, showed him the joys of magic.

Arthur’s jaw was tight when he waited for Merlin’s first display. All his father’s talk of magic were of barbarians and blood shed. After speaking to Merlin, he realized how naive he was about the world’s experience with magic, but it did not erase his engrained apprehension. Arthur was staring at Merlin as he cast an enchantment, his eyes were glowing gold like the first rays in the morning light. Arthur leaned towards Merlin’s face, expecting the gold to spread and shimmer across his features, like Merlin was truly a magical creature. For there could not be another like him.

Instead of gold, Merlin’s face flushed red when he saw Arthur leaning towards him. He cleared his throat and nodded his head forward.

“Look ahead, Arthur.” Merlin whispered. Arthur blinked, the back of his neck warm, and turned towards the lake. Dancing out of the lake was a blue creature, flying and twirling in fluid circles. It took Arthur a moment to realize it was water in the shape of a small dragon. Every swoop of its wings caused small droplets to trickle behind in a cascading rain.

Arthur turned back to Merlin, eyes wides and mouth parted. Merlin was looking at Arthur, gauging his reaction. It was wrong to blindly follow his father, Arthur thought in that moment. He could not comprehend ever objecting to Merlin; he could not comprehend ever living his life without experiencing the joy of Merlin. In that moment, Arthur was entranced and he was not sure if it wasn’t a spell. He panicked and looked away.

“So, parlor tricks. Entertainment at feasts. That’s the use of magic, is it?” Arthur stated. Merlin shook his head as if in a daze himself, and shoved at Arthur’s shoulder and leaned towards his face.

“Do not worry, my noble prat, there is much more I can show you.” He whispered in earnest then stood up and began to demonstrate more spells. Arthur’s body flushed down to his knickers and he imagined the things Merlin could truly show him. He grunted and adjust his seat to watch Merlin.

The hours passed and the connection between the two men increased throughout the day. Merlin told Arthur he was a Dragonlord, protector of dragons, and Arthur told him about his life as a knight. They laughed, teased, and engaged in many conversations that Arthur would never bestow below his closest family. Merlin pushed and pulled at Arthur’s emotions. He challenged him in debates over the state of Camelot. He enchanted Arthur with a single smile, and enticed him in light touches.

It was close to nightfall when Arthur realized he must leave before a search party would be sent for him. The dragon left them alone an hour prior and Arthur thought he should leave before it returned.

His throat felt thick as he swallowed to speak the words he did not want to say. “I have to go. I have shirked my duties enough for one day.” Arthur said, gathering his bow and arrows. He walked to the edge of the forest and paused to say goodbye.

“I knew the moment we met that you were a good-for-nothing knight. Following a dragon alone is pretty foolish, even a tame one.” Merlin was standing close to Arthur, head tilted and eyes teasing.

“If it attacked, wouldn’t that make you a good-for-nothing Dragonlord?”Arthur responded. He could feel his breath bouncing off of Merlin’s upper lip. His left arm was tingling to reach forward and pull Merlin’s hip close.

“No, it makes me a very good one. I know how to handle stubborn creatures.” Merlin smiled and inched his hand toward’s Arthur’s left, closing the gap. Their fingers entwined, a sharp prickle of pleasure rushing through the contact. Arthur clenched his right hand around the bow and promptly released it to the sands. The hand glided along Merlin’s throat, inspecting every detail from his chin to collar bone. He did not know what he was doing, but he knew it was not an enchantment. Not one enacted by a spell.

“Arthur?” Merlin whispered, his pulse was pounding against Arthur’s hand.

“Are you scared?” Arthur responded. Merlin cast a swift glance at Arthur’s eyes.

“A bit tense.” Merlin clarified. Arthur slipped his hand into Merlin’s hair, brushing through the messy locks. Merlin closed his eyes and groaned, leaning towards Arthur’s hand.

“Skittish.” Arthur breathed. Merlin smiled instantly.

“Not nervous.” Merlin continued to stare at Arthur, neither wanting to move.

“Will I see you again?” Arthur broke the silence. Merlin’s eyes were downcast in response. He reached up to Arthur’s jaw and stroked along the edge.

“You should go.” He began to step away, loosening their entwined hands. Arthur knew there was something he had to do in these final moments. He would see Merlin again. He knew it, but he did not know when.

He kept his grip in Merlin’s hair and tugged him close, pressing their hips together. Arthur pressed his cheek against Merlin, lips close to his ear. He kissed the edge of his jaw—Merlin’s breathing escalated—he opened his mouth wider and licked lower on his neck—Merlin clutched Arthur’s upper back—he sucked on his neck and traveled his left hand wherever it found purchase, memorizing Merlin’s body. After Arthur knew he left a dark mark on his neck, he kissed up to Merlin’s cheek to the corner of his mouth. Their foreheads were pressed together and Merlin’s eye’s were black, intent on Arthur’s stare.

“Can I kiss you?” Arthur’s voice was heavy and hoarse in desire. Merlin made the decision in an instant and wrapped his mouth around Arthur’s lower lip. He lapped and sucked at Arthur’s mouth, abusing it until Arthur’s legs felt weak. Merlin’s arms were wrapped around Arthur’s shoulders, dragging their bodies into a close embrace. Arthur opened his mouth to Merlin and reaped the rewards of devouring all of Merlin’s magic in a single kiss.

The embrace lasted but a few minutes but the shiver of pleasure that ran through them would fuel their dreams for years. Arthur ended the kiss with light pecks around Merlin’s face.

Arthur left moments later and Merlin watched him walk away. Arthur knew he would fight to find Merlin again, but understood that they would be left apart because they were already worlds apart. Camelot would not allow him to live in their walls and Arthur knew there were years of mental shackles he needed to release from his father’s grasp. He accepted Merlin because Merlin was unique in a way that even Arthur could see. Arthur could not be confident in viewing every magic user the same.

Arthur felt it was too early for them to have met and been happy. Arthur would have to build a future for them and it might take many years. It was a battle worthy of his crown.

#merthur #merlin #camp nanowrimo #writing prompt #writing #storytime

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softkaimin · 7 years

Text

Stranded (Part 2) - [Morgana]

part 1

"I would like that," (Y/N) smiled at Morgana, who was standing by the door, patiently waiting for her. As much as she hated wearing dresses, she would rather be in an airy, lung-constricting gown, than in the same room with Arthur for a second longer.

(Y/N) picked up her box, pushing it up with her knee as she walked out of the room with Morgana. Once the door closed stood, they stood outside of Arthur's chambers, listening to his muffled whining. (Y/N) could see on Morgana's face that she was just as entertained by Arthur's anger as she was. A few minutes passed, and once his temper tantrum began to die down, Morgana motioned for (Y/N) to follow her.

"Where are you from? I've never seen someone dressed so... differently." Morgana began walking down the hall, her elegant stride producing a gentle breeze that blew her hair back in small waves.

(Y/N) walked alongside her, feeling a bit small in her presence. "Close..." She lied.

(Y/N) would've told Morgana the truth, but she was afraid of sounding like a mad woman, or worse, being treated by Morgana the same way Arthur treated her. But then again, why should she care what Morgana thought. She didn't know her, nor did she care for her. Besides wasn't this just a daydream anyway?

"Oh? I could probably borrow a horse or two to take you home." Morgana said, so innocent and unknowing.

(Y/N) laughed, trying to imagine what the twins would say when she woke up and told them where she was. "No, no. It's not that close. But thank you, it's kind of you to offer."

Morgana stopped in front of a door that looked much similar to the one that lead to Arthur's chambers. She pushed it open, walking in first. "Come on, I don't bite." Morgana held the door open, waiting.

(Y/N) walked in cautiously, taking in the entire room. Her chambers seemed to be well kept, as opposed to Arthur's, and there was beautiful white and purple draping adorning the windows, as well as her canopy bed. Although it was a bit darker in here, the atmosphere was much more welcoming.

(Y/N) stood awkwardly at the door, waiting for Morgana's permission to walk any further. "You can set your things there," Morgana pointed to table sitting in the middle of the room.

(Y/N) carefully set the box down where Morgana had directed her, noticing from the corner of her eye, a group of Knights outside the window. She walked over, sitting down on the chair that was placed against the wall for decorative purposes.

Morgana watched her closely. Her clothes were quite odd, and the little stick poking out of her boot even more. Everything about this girl told Morgana to run, but her curiosity was a far stronger competitor than her common sense.

Morgana pulled a chair from the table, and dragged it toward the window where (Y/N) sat admiring the Knights in their red capes. "Do you know how to use a sword?" Morgana asked, sitting next to her.

"God no." (Y/N) chuckled softly, remembering the time when she and the twins tried using swords with their wands. She had the scar to prove just how bad of an idea that was. "I know how use a broom. It's not just for flying, you know. You can also give someone a good whack with it if needed."

Morgana let out a small noise that could've been anywhere between a scoff or a laugh. She tried to make sense of what (Y/N) was saying, but couldn't come up with anything in response, except for the obvious. "What?"

(Y/N), realizing that Morgana didn't know she had magic, snapped her head toward her, smiling. "Oh, just a stupid joke," (Y/N) laughed nervously, studying Morgana's face to see if she believed her lame excuse. When she saw no hint of suspicion, she allowed herself to breathe again.

They stayed silent for moment. (Y/N) was no longer watching the Knights, but instead, she tried to imagine the vast lands beyond the concrete wall that surrounded the castle. She tried to imagine the people, wondering if they were anything like the ones back home. She wondered about the ones who practiced magic in secrecy, and how hard it was to have to look behind all the time for fear of getting caught. (Y/N) wondered about everything. But Morgana only wondered about her.

Now that (Y/N) was no longer looking at her, Morgana was able to build up enough courage to ask her about something that'd been bothering her since her arrival. "What were you and Arthur arguing about earlier... if you don't mind my asking."

(Y/N) blinked, bringing herself out of her thoughts, and back into the room. She leaned her head against the cool brick wall, questioning whether she could truly trust Morgana. "How do you feel about magic?"

Morgana furrowed her eyebrows, confused by the question. She could've chosen to ignore it, but she decided to humor (Y/N) instead. "I wish Uther didn't loathe it so much... perhaps that way he could see that magic is actually a gift... that way he wouldn't see me as a monster." The last bit came out as a small whisper. Barely audible, but loud enough for (Y/N)'s ears.

(Y/N) looked at Morgana, her eyes wide as she tried to figure out if she joking or not. "Are you saying that you've magic?" She shifted her body toward Morgana, her back now to the window as she crossed her legs in the chair.

Morgana nodded, looking away from her gaze. (Y/N) could see the fear and the anger in her eyes, and she realized that all that wondering was now over. This was what those wizards and witches looked like. Angry. Terrified. (Y/N) wished she would've never wondered about them in the first place.

"Magic is a gift, Morgana." (Y/N) said in a soft voice. She reached for her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

"It is not." She wiped away a stray tear. "Not when you have Uther as a guardian. He would have me executed, and he wouldn't even give it a second thought. Magic is a curse." Morgana's eyes were beginning to fill with a deep hatred (Y/N) had only seen once before in her life. She shuddered, remembering the distant memory of the war between Voldemort and Harry years before, or in this case, a war that had yet to happen. She recalled a time when she, too, was afraid of being of having magic, and had it not been for Fred and George, she probably would've stopped practicing all together. She couldn't imagine a life without magic.

"Let me show you something," (Y/N) said, digging through the pockets of her jacket. She pulled out a small polygonal box, and handed it to Morgana. "I hope you like sweets."

Morgana hesitantly took the box in her hands, reading the words on it aloud, "Chocolate frog?" (Y/N) nodded, the anticipation of her reaction building up inside her. Morgana flipped the top open, revealing a small frog made of chocolate... and it was... "It's moving!" Morgana exclaimed.

(Y/N) laughed. "What card did you g-" Just then the frog jumped out of its box, startling Morgana. (Y/N) , with her quick reflects, dodged the frog, catching it in the air with both her hands. "Whoa." She brought down her hands, unclasping two of her fingers to reveal the frogs face. "You can eat it if you'd like," (Y/N) pinched the frog with her fingers, bringing closer to Morgana.

"I can't eat a frog! Are you mad?"

"A little," She giggled. "It's not alive, Morgana. It's just magic."

Morgana inhaled deeply, considering whether she should eat the frog or not. She almost said no, but she gave in to the eagerness in (Y/N)'s eyes. Morgana took the frog, bringing it close to her lips. She closed her eyes tightly, and bit into the frogs head. She was quite surprised to find that it really was made entirely of chocolate. She finished the frog, excited to see what else (Y/N) could show her. "It's great!"

(Y/N) smiled, resting her elbows on her knees. "Want to try something else?"

"I would love to!"

"Awesome." (Y/N) reached back into her pockets, and dug out two pepper imps, handing one to Morgana. She unwrapped it, waiting for Morgana to do the same. Morgana's mind raced a thousand miles per hour, trying to imagine what the small black peppermint she held in her hand had in store for her. "On three... one... two... three."

Both Morgana and (Y/N) threw the peppermints into their mouths, sloshing it around as they enjoyed the nice cinnamon flavor. Then Morgana's eyes widened, watching as smoke began to billow out (Y/N)'s ears and nose. "You're smoking!"

"So are you!" (Y/N)exclaimed. They both burst into a roaring laughter.

This went on for hours. (Y/N) and Morgana tried all the sweets that she had in her pockets, reveling in the delicious flavours and their special effects. Once those were gone, (Y/N) began telling Morgana about the twins and their shop. She told her of the joke products they sold, and how much they loved experimenting with new things. She even told her stories about their adventures after the great Wizarding War. About how much she missed Hogwarts, but didn't at the same time. And Morgana loved it.

They were leaning closer to each other, like two little girls telling secrets that they didn't want no one else to hear. But then the door opened, and in walked a young woman with curly hair, and beautiful brown skin. "My lady, I've... oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you had company."

Morgana straightened her back as she turned around to greet the young woman, "Oh that's alright Gwen. This is (Y/N)." Morgana flashed a gentle smile at Gwen, then at (Y/N).

Gwen gave (Y/N) a confused half-smile. "Oh... um, I believe this is yours then," Gwen pulled out a small gold necklace as she walked to where they sat, placing it gently into Morgana's hands.

Gwen looked past Morgana at (Y/N), eyeing her suspiciously for a second. (Y/N) waved at her, and Gwen quickly reverted her gaze back to Morgana. "Would you like me to prepare your bed?"

"No, Gwen. That'll be all, you may go."

Gwen hesitantly curtsied, glancing at (Y/N) one last time before leaving the room.

But something she said crawled under (Y/N)'s skin, sending shivers down her spine.

Did she say 'bed'? (Y/N) spun around in her seat, the night sky stealing the air directly from her lungs. The trees that once danced in the wind under the sun now stood still, casting an eerie shadow over the wall that separated the castle from the rest of Camelot. Time had slipped from her hands, in between the stories that she told and the laughs that they shared. Her skin turned a ghostly pale at the realization that this wasn't a prank after all. She really was in Camelot.

Morgana noticed her sudden change in mood, and decided to hold onto the necklace a while longer, not wanting to upset her any further. She quickly placed it in her jewelry box, bringing her attention back to (Y/N). "Are you all right? You look like you're about to be sick." Morgana brushed a strand of hair away from (Y/N)'s face, placing her hand at the nape of her neck.

(Y/N) was frozen in her seat. Her mouth was parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't. Her eyes were wide, focused on something that only she could see, and her chest sat unmoving, almost as though she stopped breathing, which scared Morgana.

"(Y/N)?" Morgana crouched in front her, trying to meet her eye. And finally, she let out a raspy breath. Tears began to pour in an unbroken stream without warning, staining her cheeks.

(Y/N) whimpered, unable to form a coherent sentence. "I-I... Cam..." She couldn't focus, not on Morgana's face, nor on the room surrounding them. How did I get here? (Y/N) thought, but she couldn't remember. She was too disoriented to think.

"Okay, okay. Deep breaths," Morgana said, breathing deeply in through her nose and out of her mouth at a slow, rhythmic pace. "Can you follow me?"

(Y/N) nodded vigorously, still a blubbering mess as she tried to follow Morgana's breathing pattern. Eventually she was able to even out her breathing, and her heart rate was as normal add she could manage for the time being.

As Morgana prepared for bed, (Y/N) sat in the chair, crying silently to herself as she stared at the ring on her finger, thinking of the twins and how they were dealing with her sudden disappearance, or if they even were at all. The was a subtle glow around the letters that brought her a small comfort, but it wasn't enough.

Morgana stepped out from behind the panel screen, newly dressed in her nightgown. She watched for a second as (Y/N) bit her nails, staring into nothing. She then made herself to the side of the bed where she'd chosen to sleep for the night. "Is that what you'll be sleeping in?" She asked.

(Y/N) flinched at Morgana's voice breaking the silence so suddenly. "Um... no, no... not entirely." Her gaze was distant, dead, like all the life had seeped out of her in an instant. "Where will I sleep?" (Y/N) asked in a wobbly voice.

"With me." Morgana smiled, hopping up onto the bed, and tucking herself in. "You'll sleep on this side," she said, patting the pillow.

(Y/N) nodded, stood up, and absentmindedly removed her jacket, shoes, and pants, placing them neatly on the chair where she once sat. Morgana stared, mouth agape at the half naked woman who was making her way to the other side of the bed. She would've said something, but she felt like (Y/N) had already been through enough. And something in her kind of liked seeing (Y/N) like this, so she just brushed it off.

They both laid down, pulling the covers over themselves as they faced each other.

(Y/N) smiled weakly, "Thank you... for helping me with my panic attack, I mean, and for letting me stay the night with you."

Morgana giggled softly, "I'm just glad you're okay." They watched each other for a while in a comfortable silence, until Morgana felt the need to say something. "I'm going to help you get home, (Y/N). I promise you I will." Though, in reality, Morgana didn't know if she could, or even where to start, but she did know she would try. And it brought (Y/N) a great comfort to know that she would.

part 3

#stranded #morgana #morgana pendragon #morgana Pendragon imagine #merlin #merlin imagine #merlin imagines #series

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cupcakezys · 5 years

Text

Understanding.

First. Previous.

Read on AO3.

Pairing: Merlin/Arthur.

Summary: Morgana’s head was a confusing mess of fear and dread, hope and wonder. It had been that way since the trip to Ealdor, when Merlin’s friend had confessed to using sorcery to save his people. She hadn’t talked about it to anyone, not since that conversation with Arthur months ago, but it still gnawed at her mind. Especially with the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that her nightmares were no simple nightmares, and especially after the feast last night.

So, burning with the confusing mess her feelings had become, Morgana sought Arthur out the next day, as they had both known she would.

Merlin greeted her when she knocked loudly on Arthur’s door. His eyes widened when he saw her, and he hesitated only a moment before pulling the door open with a sigh of resignation.

“Good morning, my lady.” He stepped back, sweeping his hand out. “Come in.”

Morgana brushed past him, and only relaxed once he’d closed the door. “Merlin.” She started, then glanced around the obviously empty room. “Where’s Arthur?”

“Out with his knights in the lower town.” Merlin waved his hand and tried to smile, but Morgana could see how tight it was. He was worried. “Someone arrived this morning saying he knew- well. That he had some valuable information. Arthur was sent to check if it was correct.”

Morgana raised an eyebrow. “Valuable information? Why have I heard nothing about this?”

“It was early this morning, my lady. I’m sure you were still asleep, as was most everyone else in Camelot.”

Her eyebrow stayed raised. “Then how do you know so much already?”

Merlin flushed. “Ah. Oh- well, see-“

Morgana laughed. “Relax Merlin. I was only teasing.” She winked. “A prince’s bed has got to be more comfortable than your own.”

Merlin choked and went bright red. Morgana laughed again, and for a moment she felt freer than she had in months. Then the chamber doors burst open, ruining the moment and cutting Morgana’s laugh off abruptly. Arthur slammed the doors shut behind them, already stripping himself of his armour before he caught sight of her.

He straightened, glancing from her to Merlin. “Morgana. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

It sounded like his usual uninterested drawl, but Morgana could see his hands shaking. It made her relax, just a little, to see that Arthur was about as ready to have this conversation as she was. She sunk down into the chair by Arthur’s desk and tapped the table to keep from fidgeting.

“Sit.” She commanded simply, and Arthur slumped.

Merlin took his sword from him and bustled about the room, picking up dirtied clothes and making Arthur’s bed. It had been half finished when she walked in, so she suspected she had interrupted him with her impromptu visit. She felt slightly guilty, but this was a conversation she needed to have with Arthur as soon as possible.

She caught Merlin’s eye and held it. “Leave us.”

Merlin's lips immediately thinned, and Arthur grunted. “Merlin has my utmost trust, Morgana. You needn’t send him away.”

Morgana studied him. She supposed he was a rather gentle man, and a friend. Not to mention he had been Will’s best friend in Ealdor. He must have known about Will’s magic, must have accepted it, otherwise why would Arthur have taken him along to fight those bandits? She nodded, and both men relaxed somewhat.

Still, she didn’t know where to begin, and was grateful when Merlin cleared his throat.

“Have you eaten today, my lady?” He asked.

Morgana shook her head. She’d been far too upset to even think of eating. From the looks of Arthur, he’d been hastened out of bed and thrown into his armour before he could even get a word out, let alone get something to eat.

“Should I go get some breakfast for the two of you then?” Merlin looked to Arthur.

They seemed to have an entire conversation with just their eyes and simple movements of their heads. Morgana watch, fascinated, as they reached a conclusion within seconds.

“Yes, thank you Merlin.” Arthur relaxed back into his chair. “And do make sure there’s enough for three.”

Merlin grinned and gave a little bow, more a nod than anything, and left the room in a hurry. The doors shut near silently behind him, and immediately the air changed. Morgana felt it pressing on her shoulders, and started tapping at the table again.

“Will you stop that.” Arthur snapped, shifting in his seat. “It’s annoying.”

Morgana curled her hand into a fist and knocked it against the table once, hard. “Better?”

Arthur wasn’t fooled by her faked innocence, but, surprisingly, he let it go with a sigh. “I know you’re nervous Morgana, but I promise you have nothing to fear from me.”

Morgana blinked. “I’m not afraid of you.”

She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, but it was true. She had never feared Arthur. He was, in fact, one of the few people she trusted. If the sorceress’s words last night were true, then... well, it wouldn’t change anything. Morgana still wouldn’t fear him.

Arthur chuckled darkly and shook his head.

Morgana frowned. “I’m telling the truth Arthur. I’m not afraid of you.”

“Even if I tell you the answer to your question is yes?”

Morgana gasped and failed to hide it. “I haven’t asked anything yet.”

“You didn’t need to.” Arthur met her eyes, determination filling them. “We both know why you’re here. What you were going to ask.” He sat back, eyes never leaving hers. “So ask it.”

Morgana swallowed audibly, her throat suddenly dry. “Are you a werewolf?”

Arthur’s breath hitched, but his voice was steady when he spoke. “Yes.”

Morgana felt her heart start beating like a drum. She’d been expecting that answer, thought she was prepared for it, but in truth she still couldn’t wrap her head around, couldn’t believe it even after Arthur himself had confirmed it. One look at the normally composed man, and Morgana knew he was speaking the truth. He was shaking, and looking damn near terrified of her reaction.

She thought about it for a second, then nodded. Arthur was a werewolf, and he was her friend, and nothing would change that. She would not fear him. And she wanted him to know that, to believe it. She wanted him to know his trust was not something Morgana would take lightly, without giving in return. So she swallowed, and gathered all her courage.

“I think I have magic.” She finally whispered.

Arthur jerked back and his eyes widened in shock. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, clearly unable to say anything. Morgana shifted, and tried to fight back against the rising panic. She refused to be afraid. Arthur had shown he was more open to the idea that all magic wasn’t automatically evil – the incident in Ealdor had taught her that – but it was hard to squash down the fear of someone else knowing what she suspected about herself.

The silence dragged on, and with it Morgana steadily felt the fear growing to overwhelm her. Perhaps she had made a mistake- maybe Arthur wasn’t accepting of magic at all, maybe-

The sound of the door interrupted her thoughts, and Morgana couldn’t help the little sigh of relief when Merlin entered. Arthur almost leapt forward out of his seat, eyes staring intently at Merlin, and Morgana felt confusion mix in with her fear.

“Show her what you can do.” Arthur commanded, startling Merlin and just making Morgana even more confused.

Merlin closed the door behind him with his foot, a large tray balanced carefully on his arms. “What?”

“Show her, you know!” Arthur waved his hands around. “Your gifts.”

Morgana glanced between the two, her mind whirling. There was no way Arthur was suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. There was no way. She’d gotten it wrong- she must have.

“Arthur-“ Merlin’s eyes darted to Morgana, and she couldn’t hold back the gasp when she saw her own fear mirrored back at her.

She wasn’t alone.

“Trust me.” Arthur said.

Merlin breathed deeply and then dropped the tray. Morgana gasped and automatically stood to try and catch it, no matter how hopeless she knew it was, but to her astonishment the tray stayed where it was, hovering in the air. Morgana looked up into Merlin’s eyes, only to jolt back when she saw them glowing bright gold. She fell back into her chair, simply staring at Merlin.

The magical manservant sent Arthur a nervous glance before he waved his hand and the tray sailed over to the table, placing itself down neatly in the centre. Morgana swallowed, but thankfully didn’t jump this time. Arthur held out a hand and Merlin instantly made his way to his side, his own hands shaking as he allowed the prince to pull him down onto his lap and into a hug.

“It’s okay, Morgana.” Arthur said lowly. “I understand.”

Of course he did. How long had it been since he’d been bitten? He was always kept inside when the moon was full, and Morgana could count on one hand the number of times Uther had allowed him outside the castle walls when the danger of being attacked was so high. The last time it happened was years ago, when Arthur had been on patrol with his knights and had been attacked by-

“That patrol.�� She gasped quietly. “It wasn’t an ordinary dog that attacked you.”

Arthur was already shaking his head. “No. No it wasn’t.”

Morgana swallowed and let her eyes settle back on Merlin. “I have magic- my nightmares, sometimes they come true. And you?”

Merlin shrugged and leaned into Arthur’s side, resting his cheek in Arthur’s hair. “I was born like this. I was doing magic before I could even speak.”

Morgana frowned. “Is that even possible?”

Merlin sighed and slipped from Arthur’s lap. A chair slid across the floor towards them, and Merlin sat as Arthur grabbed his plate. Morgana grabbed her own and Merlin sighed again before taking his. He took a quick bite of a sausage before he started speaking again.

“Gaius has a theory.” He said, glancing between them both. “Witches and warlocks – people like us, people born with magic – are rare. Or at least, they were, before...”

“Before the purge.” Arthur finished grimly.

Merlin nodded. “Yes. When there was an abundance of magic within Camelot, those born with magic were few and far between. They were so rare, in fact, that Gaius thought they were a myth, or their powers greatly exaggerated. The only magic users he had ever met were those that had been taught to use magic – sorcerers and sorceresses.”

Morgana frowned. “Then how does he explain a witch and a warlock being born within the span of a few years?” She asked, hushed. “I certainly never learnt how to use any magic – these visions just started happening!”

“I know, my lady.” Merlin reassured her, and he looked excited now. “That’s where Gaius’s theory begins. Since the purge, he has met the both of us, and- do you remember that druid boy we saved?”

“Wait.” Arthur interrupted. “Are you telling me Mordred had magic? He looked barely eight years old!”

Merlin nodded. “He was able to speak to me with his mind. I’ve never known-“ he frowned for a second. “I’ve never known a person that could do that.”

Morgana noted the way he stumbled over his words, but didn’t mention it. Yet. “And?”

“And! Last month, Arthur and I met a woman and her daughter. She was only nine years old, yet Juliana said her magic had already begun to develop.”

Morgana closed her eyes for a moment, calculating, then hesitantly spoke. “I’ve been having nightmares since I reached my tenth year.”

Merlin nodded and sat back. “That’s four children. Four of us that could wield magic without ever being taught how, and who knows how many more there are out there, hiding.”

Morgana shook her head. “It doesn’t make sense. If witches and warlocks were so rare before, why are there so many of us being born now?”

Merlin slapped his hand down on the table. “Because of the purge.”

Arthur snorted. “How did the execution of hundreds of sorcerers lead to more magical children being born?”

Merlin eyes glittered, and Morgana found herself holding her breath. “Gaius believes – and I do too, it’s a very plausible theory – that with the sudden rejection of magic within Camelot, and the execution of all those sorcerers, the magic they once had was left unused in the world. No one in Camelot dared learn how to use it, so it just stayed there, waiting to be used, until it couldn’t afford to wait anymore. Magic requires balance, and without sorcerers to use it, the magic just kept building up until it couldn’t anymore.”

Morgana sat back in her chair, eyes wide and mouth open. “So it found a way to be used.”

“Exactly.” Merlin grinned. “Gaius thinks that most of it went to me.” He gestured to himself and flushed a little. “I’ve been able to do magic before I could even talk, and even for a warlock that’s unheard of. The rest has simply hung around until the right child was conceived, and then it flowed into them in an attempt to balance things out again.”

“But none are as strong as you.” Arthur said, and it wasn’t a question, not with that amount of wonder and pride in his voice, but Merlin nodded anyway.

“No, none will ever be as strong as me. There aren’t as many sorcerers dying now, so it’s easier for the magic to stay balanced. And the more magic we use, the less will build up, and the less magical children will be born.”

Morgana thought all of this sounded wonderful, but there was one thing that wouldn’t stop nagging at her. “I was born before the purge.”

Both men blinked at her, Merlin furrowing his brows in confusion. “You were?”

Morgana shrugged. “I was born a little less than a year before Arthur.”

They all puzzled over it for a moment before Merlin shrugged and said hesitantly. “Maybe you were just the rare child born with magic? Before the balance was upset?”

Morgana blinked. “You think so?”

Merlin nodded. “It would make sense. If there hadn’t been a witch or warlock for hundreds of years, then I bet plenty of magic would have simply built up naturally.” He studied her for a moment. “It would mean that you would be very powerful.”

Morgana gulped. She wasn’t sure she liked the sound of that. Arthur, however, simply looked amazed at the idea.

“You two could be unstoppable together.” He whispered. “If you have all that magic, imagine what you could do.”

Morgana shivered. She could see it, how if she truly were that powerful, if Merlin was too, they could do anything. No one would be able to stop them, they could crush anyone in their path. They could destroy entire kingdoms with such power, she knew. Many weaker sorcerers had come close to toppling Camelot with barely a fraction of what she potentially had inside of her. Would she be able to resist the temptation to use her powers like that? Or would she give in, and do what she wanted when she wanted to, no matter who it hurt?

She blanched at the idea, and wondered how Arthur could still look so amazed.

“You could heal any sickness.” Arthur started, surprising her. She hadn’t even thought of that, hadn’t known magic could even do that. “You could protect the entire city from attack, you could rebuild homes and grow entire forests – you could ensure no one ever starved, or wished for warmth in winter.” He stood up and started pacing, too excited to sit, a grin splitting his face. “You could bring peace to the entirety of Albion with that kind of power.”

Morgana’s heart was beating fast beneath her skin. She hadn’t even thought – hadn’t even known magic could do half of those things! Something hummed, right underneath the blood pumping through her veins, and she could almost see it, almost taste the freedom and the love and the peace.

Albion’s Golden Age.

She gasped, but Merlin was already shaking his head, and the buzzing was quickly fading.

“Magic requires balance Arthur.” He explained, taking Arthur’s hands in his when he was close enough. It made Arthur stop pacing, at least. “Little things are easy, but to do things on such a large scale – there could be serious consequences. Consequences that could be worse than simply letting things be.”

Arthur pouted and slumped back into his chair, though he didn’t let go of Merlin's hands. Morgana chose not to comment. Now was not the time for teasing. There would be plenty of that later.

“But we could help.” She said instead. “We could use our magic to help people.”

“Yeah.” Merlin's grin was huge. “Yeah, we could.”

This may be the last part for a while, as I'm going to be focusing on little one shots for Marry Merthur Month, so if this series is put on hold for a while that will be why! Thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one, whenever that may be. :)

If you wish to support me, please consider donating to my PayPal. I’m struggling a little for money at the moment, so any donations would be greatly appreciated, and would allow me to write more, more often. :)

Here's the next part! :)

#merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin/arthur #werewolf au #werewolf Arthur pendragon #Arthur knows about merlins magic #we are not monsters #my writing #cakeswriting

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