#its not until after the magic ban is repealed that everyone gets to see the glowing golden merlin

[justaz]

merlin’s secret being a visual thing. when he is around arthur or gwen or leon or morgana or [insert whatever character here] merlin seems pale and thin, almost like a ghost or an apparition. when the sun lands on him he reflects it like a corpse, he eyes seem dark and dull. he has this ethereal beauty to him, this otherworldly visage that leads many to believe he is of fae blood. he just doesn’t seem to be 100% human. but when he is ONLY with lancelot or gaius (cough or gwaine bc gwaine DEFINITELY knew) merlin is heartachingly human. merlin shines in the sunlight, colors are brighter and more vibrant around him, and his smiles are wide and his laughs are boisterous. he takes on color and leaves everyone wanting to know him. but when other join in or interact with the two, merlin shifts before their eyes so quickly and suddenly that they aren’t sure whether or not what they saw was a trick of the light. the idea still leaves them wanting more and wanting to see the merlin who is just so full of life but that merlin only appears for a small select group of people. merlin who has a guard so high that it has an effect of other’s perception of him.

[sadhaa]

ok. okay. Okay. OKAY. THOUGHT

Fic idea: Death Song of Uther Pendragon. BUT REVOLVING AROUND MERLIN.

Like the potential for this is amazing. ANGST. ROMANCE. MAGIC REVEAL. IDIOTS IN LOVE. WE HAVE IT ALL(Note: I had this thought in the shower where all great thoughts come from. dont judge)

Ok lets set the scene:

1. Lancelot is alive bc yes

2. Arthur let Gwen go to be with Lance bc he realizes it was mean of him to hold her back from someone she loved. 

3. Arthur has feelings for Merlin. Like love. yike. scary. 

4. Merlin over the years has a few pieces of parchment where he has written down all his “crimes”, or times he uses magic. He has another piece of parchment where he writes a letter to Arthur about why he didnt tell him and how sorry he was. Merlin did this cause he felt guilty and needed to find someway to cope. 

OK ON TO THE THOUGHT:

So, beginning starts the same with the almost burning and getting the horn. check. done. 

They go back, Arthur broods, hides the idea from Merlin.

they go off on their little adventure, he talks to Uther

NOW HERES WHERE THINGS GET SPICY

AND NOT IN THE SEXY WAY

Uther knows about Merlin’s magic bc he sees everything over Camelot right? He knew about the knights (and in canon he knew about Gwen) So this man has to know about Merlin’s magic considering this dumb little magic twink has ZERO self preservation instinct. and Uther. is. pissed.

So he says “you let common men become knights, there is magic in the heart of Camelot!” much angry. very dick. so Uther.  

Arthur: shock and sad. Who could it be?

commence the looking back and shit show that Arthur is about to cause.

CAMPING SCENE! but Arthur doesn’t tell Merlin about the magic comment bc he doesn’t want Merlin to worry and if Merlin found out, he may become a target.

Back in Camelot everything is fine until it isnt. cause its Camelot. and nothing is ever fine there.

BUT. NOW. 

the ghosting that Uther is doing is now solely directed at Merlin.

candelabra doesnt fall on the table. It fucking gets yeeted at Merlin. M nearly gets crushed under that thing and the knights all freak out.

cause we all know that the knights adopted Merlin at this point

M gets taken to Gaius and he concludes that M is bruised and lightly concussed. (i dont want my boy too hurt)

Next the axe. M helps some of the knights with their armor and as he is the last one, he cleans up a bit. suddenly axe yeets itself and M gets a scratch all down his arm

sad and in pain Merlin

Now, M thinks A did something sus

u can tell I played alot of Among Us lately

also how does one spell suspicicious?

he confronts him, A brushes him off. bc he love his daddy. But A looks kinda like longingly and concerned for M bc he knows that M gets hurt quite a bit, but never like this.

M leaves and cue the torches and fire sequence.

*insert pic of Edna with fire in her goggles* *Uther is Edna, but more evil*

Gwen is walking down the hall when she notices the smoke and call for help.

our OG6 come running and find M, unconscious, bleeding and suffocating.

A freaks the hell out. 

M’s room: he is on the bed and everyone, including OG6 and Gwen are in there with Gaius and M.

Main Q: Why would Uther try to kill M when he appointed M in the first place!

Gaius realizes. Lance realizes. oh shit. He knows

Lance and Gaius tell them and there are some mixed reactions.

Leon, kinda suspected it from the beginning but he didn’t have enough evidence to back it up

Absolute shock to Gwaine, Elyan, Percival and Gwen

ARTHUR IS FUCKING DEVASTATED. He has been lied to and cue the betrayal and manpain.

Suddenly the attacks on M make more sense

candelabra: being buried alive, asphyxiation.

ok i am borrowing this idea from the author of the amazing fic These Breaths We Breathe series where Uther finds out about M and buries him alive

yall should read it. 

author is kayura_sanada

Axe: beheading

torches: the pyre

the symbolism here is prob the smartest thing I have ever done. like y couldn’t i think of this back in soph year english? 

Uther was threatening M and trying to kill him

Arthur is conflicted so Gaius gives him Merlin’s list of “crimes” and the letter. All of the others leave and Gwaine implies that he would fight A for M. 

Cue emotional transformation and realization.

Arthur flashes back to Isolde and Tristan and realizes that letting Gwen go wasn’t that bad, but losing M? that would fucking kill him. He can imagine a future without Gwen. But M? Nah man. They are two sides of the same coin. two halves of a whole idiot. two braincells of the same dumbass brain. they love each other. A needs M. A loves M.

So he plans to confront his father

he gets the gang and they all set out to find Uther. 

They all tell him how they are accepting of M and why and that A should tell M he loves him when this is over.

A is touched and is glad that M has this family who loves him so much

now fighting Uther

right before he blows the horn, Uther says “Merlin has Magic!” and A goes “Yeah, I know and I love him” and yeets him back to Narnia (or where ever these ghost people go) 

M wakes up to everyone knowing, breaksdown crying and feels loved

jump ahead a week: A hasn’t told M how he feels. He is doing something else instead and it is a surprise.

Leon walks in during that week and asks what hes doing. Arthur freaks out, hides the thing and blurts out “I’m writing Poetry”

Leon has never heard such bs in his life. But he gives up and walks away.

2 weeks later, A tells M he loves him by repealing Magic ban. and they live happily ever after.

yay. 

Can someone write this pls? Like im still planning to write the long fic idea i had from my last post, but can someone write this? I would love them forever. 

Bonus: Ygraine freaking WHOOPS Uther’s ass and loves M alot.

tl;dr: death song of U Pendragon with M, magic reveal, angst and Leon deserving a raise.

[booleman]

merlin WIP that’s been in my docs for too long and I need to share it

Arthur watched the young knight with pride in his eyes. Since he made Mordred one of his knights, the druid had shown a great improvement in the art of the sword, visible by everyone – Merlin being one of them, even if he still didn’t trust the boy, the Seer’s words being the reason why. Just after the knight was shoved on the ground, the King found the right to add: «You are getting good, Mordred, very good.»

Blushing, the younger person on the training field murmured something in the lines of “my lord”, while the King decided that the best remark had to be a chuckle. «I may have to start trying soon.» 

Merlin decided that it was the right moment to save his kin from Arthur’s ego, so he got up from his usual place and, clapping, he asked: «My lord?»

Arthur ignored him, too much invested in trying to make Mordred understand why he lost the friendly duel, so the former manservant just went away, the sassy remark almost urging to come out, deciding that this war was not worthy of care; he just went straight to his chambers.

──────────

«Did you see how Mordred used a contre quarte to my high-line attack? It was a very skilful move, really!» the King started, trying to put his beloved one in a talkative mood. When Merlin didn’t respond, he decided to add: «You do understand what a contre quarte is, right?»

Merlin rolled his eyes, but responded nonetheless: «At a guess, a type of parry, beginning in the quarte position, ending with a twist of the wrist.» At this Arthur smiled, a smile he reserved just to his lover when he was trying to make fun of him. «You have been paying attention, then. What do you think of young Mordred?» 

Merlin tried to hide his disappointment at the turn this conversation was having. 

«He’s, er, making progress,» he said while sitting on the bed, resting his head on the King’s shoulder in a matter of seconds. The latter smiled, and put a hand on Merlin’s hair, stroking them gently. «He has all the makings of a fine knight, don’t you think?»

The warlock stayed silent for a while, closing his eyes to better feel the vicinity of Arthur, a thing he loved to do since the early days of their courting. In the end, he settled down with a fact, instead of an opinion: «There are many fine knights in Camelot.»

Arthur smiled, calmly, playing with his lover’s hair for the last time before finally getting up to go and participate in the Council’s meeting. «Yes, but if I’m not mistaken, he’ll be one of the finest, and I’m determined he’ll receive nothing but encouragement from me.»

Merlin shrugged, succeeding in stealing a kiss from Arthur’s lips before the two of them had to leave the bedroom. Maybe it wasn’t going to be a bad day after all.

──────────

Arthur was bored to death in the Council chambers, that until Leon spoke up to divulge what the Eastern border’s report said.

«Serious news, I'm afraid, Sire. As you know, a few days ago, our garrison in the Forest of Brechfa intercepted the man who goes by the name of Osgar,» the knight said, watching every one of the men’s faces pale at the sorcerer’s name, even though they weren’t aware of his true power. 

He stayed still for a moment, letting the nobles take the information in and digest it, and he started speaking only after what seemed like an eternity: «They were trying to apprehend him when he used his powers to escape. I am sorry to report... Sir Ranulf was mortally wounded.»

Some of the Council’s men gasped, a bunch of them because they knew Sir Ranulf, the others because of the brutality the Camelotian knight was speaking of. 

This time it was the King’s burden to break the silence, with just a few words for the guard’s captain: «Place all the men in the Eastern territories on high alert.»

Leon nodded his heart heavy with the loss of a loyal brother in arms such as Ranulf. At the umpteenth Council’s silence, the King spoke up again, his eyes searching Merlin’s ones in the room. «I personally shall lead a patrol to bring this Osgar to justice.» 

The warlock bit his lip for a while, afraid to speak up in front of the people who were more likely to judge him, even if he was, by all means, the King’s Consort. «Is it necessary for you to go in person?» he asked just to have the answer he was preparing himself to. «He wasn't just a knight, Merlin, he was a friend. We knew each other as boys, I must go. Have no fear, for I will be perfectly safe. As you said before, I have many fine knights.»

Merlin nodded, not completely sure, just a bit before the Council’s meeting met its end.

──────────

In the King’s chambers, Merlin was trying to pack for the quest, while Arthur was pacing in the room. The only sound was the one made by his boots hitting the floor and, when someone knocked at the door, the two of them almost jumped out of their skins. 

When Mordred came in, Merlin relaxed just a bit and decided to sit on the bed, almost to remind the people in the room that it was his, too. The young knight disposed of Merlin’s behaviour as normal Emrys’s jealousy and went on about the reason why he came into the room. «Your Majesty? You wished to see me?»

Arthur finally stopped pacing and, after seeing his Consort on the bed, decided to keep his standing position. «The time has come for you to accompany your King.»

Mordred raised an eyebrow, not completely sure of the extent of Arthur’s request, trying to find his lord’s eyes in the room. No matter what level the hatred between the two was, Mordred often found in Emrys’ facial features the meaning to go on. «My lord?» he said, in the end, unsure if he was speaking to Merlin or Arthur. 

Neither of them answered right away, and the knight found himself more unsure than before. Was he being rejected by both of the people whom he swore fidelity to?

Arthur’s answer was the first one to come, while Merlin was still thinking about what was the best thing to say to the druid. While he was proud of him, being a knight and a skilled magician, the prophecy was still something that Merlin couldn’t ignore. «I want you to join me on a patrol to the Black Mountains.»

Mordred’s eyes lightened up, and he didn’t even try to hide the smile that found home on his lips just after. «Me? To Brechfa?» he asked, eyeing Merlin eagerly awaiting for his approval. The latter nodded, though nobody but Mordred saw that, and this just made his smile grow bigger.

<i>I’ll watch every move of yours</i>, said Merlin, his voice clear in the druid’s mind. <i>Even if I can’t trust you yet, you have earned your place. Be ready to ride at dawn.</i>

The knight bowed, to both of his lords, murmuring something in the lines of “I shall be, my lord. You won’t regret this. I promise” while exiting the room, the excitement obvious on his face.

«He has all the makings of an excellent knight,» said Arthur, finally eyeing the bed, a little smile on his lips. He laid down, waiting for Merlin to do the same. When the warlock did that, Arthur wrapped him in a hug, his lips fast on his lover’s temple. «I do believe you’ve grown fond of him,» Merlin said, his body pressed against Arthur’s, his hand on the King’s cheek, yet completely still. 

«He’s a good fighter, a brave knight,» Arthur tried to answer, and Merlin just nodded, trying to find something to say as a remark. «He’s young.»

Arthur wanted to say something like “so were you when you came here”, but the words died in his mouth. Thinking about the time Merlin had to live under his father’s reign – under the promise of a public execution as a sorcerer – made him feel bad. Made him think about the fact that almost three years into his reign, he still hadn’t repealed the ban against magic.

«Where would any of us be, Merlin, if no one had given us a chance?» he said, then, feeling his Consort squeezing a little against him, and tucking their blankets in.

«You should sleep,» said Merlin, and Arthur did just that, giving himself to Morpheus without resistance.

────────── 

Merlin fidgeted with the ring on his finger, the one Hunith gifted him when Arthur proposed. It was one of her most important possessions since it had been Balinor’s before, but she decided that if her little bird was to marry, he needed to have something to remember him of home.

He smiled at the memory, gripping the reigns of the brown mare he was mounting a little steadier. 

Meanwhile, Leon and the other knights were having fun with the new knight – something they always did, to ensure that the bond between the Knights of Camelot was at every time forged in the best of friendships. «You sure you haven't forgotten anything, Mordred?»

Mordred paled at this, mainly because he didn’t want to disappoint Arthur nor Merlin, and asked, agitated: «D’you think so?»

At this, the others tried to hide their smirks and started to list things that the druid most certainly didn’t forget.

«Isn't he missing a dagger?» came the voice of Leon, the noble sure on his horse.

«I can't see a water bottle,» remarked Elyan, the smile badly hidden on his lips.

«His boot. He's missing a boot,» decided Percival in the end, finally making all of the knights laugh, and Mordred repeated to himself that those were Emrys’ friends, and he shouldn’t kill them.

«Gentlemen,» said Arthur in the end, his voice putting an end at the knights’ banter.

«Merlin?» asked Gwen, her new dress – acquired when she became the Kings’ First Advisor – gentle on her body, the gryffin pin that symbolized Lancelot’s knighthood fierce just upon her heart. The warlock turned to her, his expression unsure, as he didn’t want to go. «You will take care of him?»

Merlin smiled the thin layer of red cloth which his cloak was made of shamelessly flattering behind him and the fact that his friends knew of some of his birth gifts making his heart light. «He doesn't always make it easy,» was what he said, even though he nodded, trying not to think about all those times when he almost lost him. 

She responded with a smile and a whispered “I know”, which was Merlin’s clue to follow the men and take his rightful place next to the King.

──────────

«It is a tradition,» said Leon, almost immediately finding Elyan to buck him up with: «Goes back years.»

Percival couldn’t resist, so he added, smiling: «We all had to do it on our first patrol.»

At this Arthur turned around and, seeing his youngest knight sat backwards on his horse, couldn’t find a way to repress a laugh. «Mordred, what on earth are you doing?» he asked, his words making Merlin turn too. At the warlock’s attempt at hiding a laugh, Mordred decided that killing the Camelotians knights was the only intelligent thing to do.

«Melding the saddle, my lord,» said the druid, his cheeks red and his voice unsure, feeling a little calmer when Gwaine said: «As in the ancient tradition... of melding.»

Arthur chuckled softly, the words leaving his mouth before he could think of stopping them. «Of course. I trust your breeches are on inside out?» 

At this Merlin let the mask he wore just for the Council’s men fall, a brief smile on his lips and, his blue eyes shining in the light. Arthur replied with just a smile, full of love and devotion, things Merlin never thought he’d have seen in an Arthur who was aware of his magic.

Not that Arthur knew everything, like the talk he had with his father’s spirit about his magic, or the fact that he, indeed, had known his father. Those were pieces of information that were futile for the King’s wellbeing, so they were unimportant and mostly overlooked by the warlock himself.

──────────

Gwaine raised a hand in the sky, the “stop” signal easily for everyone to interpret. At the questioning look on his lord’s face, his response was just: «It's Osgar. He's close.»

Percival nodded and after he found a piece of cloth, said: «He’s getting careless.»

While Arthur examined the fabric in his hands, Mordred went just a little forward and, with his sword raised, asked: «Sire?»

Arthur turned in the druid’s direction, all of this while Merlin was carefully controlling the situation, staying just behind them. They saw the sorcerer moving in the wood and, without wasting time, they ran after him, two by two until Gwaine and Elyan found him sitting on a fallen tree and drinking from his waterskin.

The drunken knight approached him silently, taking the sword out of the sheath without a sound, while the blacksmith’s son followed him not long after. In the end, it was Gwaine who broke the silence, making the sorcerer turn. «Who are you? What's your purpose?» he said, his sword fiercely on his dominant hand.

Osgar got up, his face emotionless, and said: «I was beginning to fear you had taken the wrong path,» thing that made Gwaine repeat his question, his voice just a little bit high. «Who are you?»

At the obvious last chance to make the encounter remain peaceful, the sorcerer decided to oblige the knight’s request. «My name is Osgar. And I have an important message for your King. Take me to him.» 

Elyan moved a bunch of steps forward, and responded with: «It’ll be our pleasure,» pointing his sword at the sorcerer’s throat. At this, Osgar responded with: «do you not know who I am?»

Gwaine decided to take the floor and said: «you are a sorcerer, a heretic and a murderer,» words that made Osgar shake his head and say: «No. Just a man who values his freedom. Take me to your King,» he made the knights lower their swords, a thing that, of course, the two found wrong, seeing that they raised them again. At this the man lost his patience and, hands raised before him, said: «Would you challenge me?», while the knights’ swords flew from their hands. Gwaine was quicker than him, and so his dagger was stuck in the man’s stomach before he had the mind to pronounce any kind of enchantment.

Osgar bent over, his hand on his side, trying to stop the bleeding. The knights moved forward to see the damage the dagger did and, taking advantage of this, the sorcerer cried: «<i>Forth fleoge!</i>», making the knights fall backwards in the wood.

Osgar then got up again, his face a display of the pain he was feeling, but walking in the rest of the party’s direction nonetheless. He found what he was looking for seconds after, in the silhouettes of Mordred, Merlin and Arthur, turned with their back on him. As a stick broke under his feet, the three of them turned quickly, their red cloaks were long forgotten on the back of their horses.

Arthur shouted a “stop”, while he and his two magical protectors walked forward to the sorcerer, who knelt on the forest floor. «Sire... My name is Osgar,» he said, his head down. 

Merlin watched him eagerly, studying every one of his movements as his King was slowly getting closer to him. After a few seconds, Arthur answered, «I know who you are,» while pointing his sword at the man’s throat, just to feel safe.

Osgar changed his expression from a pained one to an almost fierce one, the fact that he was speaking in the Triple Goddess’ blessing helping him find the courage to do so. «I am sent from the sacred Disir to pass judgement on Arthur Pendragon, the Once and Future King.»

Mordred responded, without skipping a beat, the fact that he had once been a druid being the reason why he was the only one who knew what the Disir represented: «What right have you to pass judgement?»

The sorcerer looked at Mordred strangely, as he was asking himself why a being who smelled like magic was loyal to a Pendragon when his sixth sense made him feel the vicinity of his deity’s child, the one the humans had taken pleasure in calling “Emrys”. He nodded, at this, even though it wasn’t meant for anyone. It made sense that magical people were drawn to other magical people, especially if the second type were as powerful as a God’s child.

«No man is above the Disir - however royal,» he then said, making Mordred lower his sword. «I must pass their judgement on to you, dread King. My sacred duty.» As he said this, he put his hand inside his cloak, just to get something. Mordred moved closer to the man, threatening him with his sword, now raised again. The sorcerer got a coin-shaped token out of his pocket, which both the King and the Consort watched as closely as possible, with ruins on it. At his King’s stare, Mordred lowered his sword again.

«Your hand... Arthur Pendragon,» said Osgar, and waited for the King of Camelot to reveal his gloved hand before putting the token on it. As he tried to not fall on the floor, blood loss being the reason, he murmured ”it is done”, words at which Arthur responded with a questioning: «What is the meaning of this?»

Osgar took a moment to think about the answer, sure that only the truth was going to satisfy the King’s need to understand. After a bunch of seconds, he spoke, his blue eyes pointed in Merlin’s cerulean ones: «It is both judgement and fate. You have waged war on the people of the Old Religion. Now the ancient gods answer you. The Disir has spoken. The circle of fate begins to close. For even as Camelot flowers, the seeds of her destruction are being sown.»

The warlock’s response was to raise an eyebrow, for he knew who his mother was, even though they didn’t have a real bond these days, and he knew that her hand was behind all this.

Arthur turned his head to Merlin, who was slightly behind him, as he saw that the sorcerer was speaking to him in particular, and asked: «What nonsense is this?»

Osgard took Arthur’s hand in his and, trying not to be impressed by the amount of power Emrys had unleashed just to frighten him, spoke again: «It is not too late, Arthur. Not too late to find the true path. Redeem yourself. No further chance shall be given,» falling on the ground just after, dead on the spot.

──────────

Merlin was piling stones one upon the other, his gaze lowered and what seemed similar to a prayer leaving his lips. As he heard Mordred approach, his work stopped, and his face suddenly snapped up to the druid’s direction. «What would the King say, Merlin? Sorcerers are not permitted marked graves. Not officially.»

The Consort frowned a bit, then released a quite shaky breath. «What Arthur doesn’t see can’t hurt him. And he’ll come around, eventually, just- give him time. You would have done the same.» At the misplaced druid’s apologies, Merlin shook his head, waiting for the rest of Mordred’s words that came into the form of: «He was one of us, after all. D’you really believe that?»

Merlin nodded, his -too-long- hair falling right in his eye. He thought of the last time he cut them- Arthur was the one that did it, his hands secure on the scissors and his fingertips cold that made him laugh so much. And now they were going to have a conversation with the Disir, and the Disir was going to tell everyone the truth. And there would be no more laughing alone on the big bed of the Kings’ bedroom.

«One day we’ll live in freedom again,» he said, his voice secure and just a tiny flick of power in his words to ease the young druid’s spirit. «Until then,» replied Mordred, his voice unsure but still less scared than before, «we go unmarked in death as in life.»