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hayleysstark · 5 years ago

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GIVE US THE INTENSE ANALYSIS ON MERLIN AND KILGHARRAH YEEEES

may i just say, i am very glad you asked but i really don’t think you’re going to be, by the end of this. do you know how many Thoughts™️ i have had about one very stupid warlock and one very cryptic dragon???? do you????? do you know????? i could turn this into a fucking,,,,,, PowerPoint presentation if i cared to except i don’t and also i would never inflict PowerPoint on my followers, i love you guys far too much for that, i’m sorry for even suggesting it honestly

i AM sorry in advance for how long this is going to be, though, i’ll try to just reference key points, such as,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Dragon’s Call

I legitimately don’t even know where to start with this, to tell you the truth - there is just so much to talk about here, and I’m honestly a bit overwhelmed - but I think, most of all, it’s incredibly important to note how easily, how effortlessly, Kilgharrah handles Merlin here.

We don’t know yet how much Kilgharrah truly knows about Merlin as a person - all he ever mentions, in this interaction at least, is the destiny Merlin shares with Arthur - but Merlin gives himself away all too easily. There is such earnest desperation and hope on his face when Kilgharrah talks of fate. He lays bare the thing he wants more than anything else in the world–a purpose for himself and his power–and Kilgharrah immediately seizes this advantage. He dangles a “great destiny” in front of Merlin like a horse with a carrot, but he neglects the details and the specifics in favor of the big picture.

The only true instruction Merlin receives from Kilgharrah in this scene is “protect Arthur”. There’s some stuff about Albion, and freedom for sorcerers, of course, but Kilgharrah leaves it all a bit fuzzy, a bit scrambled. Clearly, he has plenty more to say on the subject, but he deliberately holds back. Like he’s going to clear it all up, yes, of course, but not tonight, no, maybe next time he sees Merlin.

And that’s exactly what he wants.

I know Kilgharrah’s cryptic, confusing, usually not-very-helpful advice is sort of treated a bit like a running joke, by the fandom and the series itself, but just think, for even a second, about the implications of it.

Kilgharrah does not intend to tell Merlin everything he needs to know to fulfill the prophecy. Kilgharrah does not intend to tell Merlin even a fraction of everything he needs to know. Kilgharrah wants to keep Merlin coming back for more. Kilgharrah needs Merlin. Kilgharrah needs to earn Merlin’s trust. Kilgharrah needs to establish a relationship with Merlin if he’s ever going to get free of his prison.

At this point in time, Kilgharrah does not care about Merlin. Kilgharrah does not care, even, about destiny, or Albion. Merlin is merely a means to an end, and so Kilgharrah treats him as such - gives him the bare minimum, gives him the slightest taste of what he wants, and pretends he’s doing Merlin an enormous favor the whole way through.

Perhaps Kilgharrah expects Merlin to jump at this chance - after all, great destinies bring much glory - but that’s absolutely not the case, and, as Merlin gets blunter and blunter about his doubts and reluctance, Kilgharrah takes away all other options.

Kilgharrah tells Merlin that the prophecy is not something he can cast off or leave behind. It’s not something he can outrun. As a matter of fact, their very next interaction in Valiant has a similar exchange.

Kilgharrah cuts off Merlin’s escape routes. Kilgharrah wants to trap Merlin. Kilgharrah wants Merlin to feel trapped, fettered, bound to something he doesn’t even want. Kilgharrah does not want Merlin to have a choice, so Kilgharrah denies him this choice right from the start. Kilgharrah teaches Merlin that he does not get to say no.

And it only gets worse as S1 drags on. Nearly all of their earliest interactions follow the same pattern, every single time: Kilgharrah never gives Merlin the whole truth, and Kilgharrah never forgets to make Merlin feel special.

And it works. It absolutely horrified me to sit through S1 at certain points - the pattern of malicious manipulation stood out to me so starkly, I couldn’t think how other people could even stomach it, to be honest. And even worse, you have to watch the hero wander right into the lions’ den, lay docilely down, and wait for the inevitable, because that manipulation fucking worked.

By as early as The Mark of Nimeuh, Merlin is clearly very at ease with Kilgharrah, visibly relaxed and even content in the caves with him. And it’s a horrific thing to see. If you recognize the pattern, if you recognize the way Kilgharrah draws Merlin in, it truly is a horrific thing to see.

And it only gets worse.

By The Beginning of the End, Merlin has started to take his destiny seriously–so seriously, he calls Arthur’s death “unthinkable”, so seriously that Kilgharrah advises him to kill a child, and Merlin actually takes the time to step back and consider it. This is where the true scope of Kilgharrah’s manipulation can best be seen, especially by the viewers who didn’t notice it, or just didn’t actively look for it in or after The Dragon’s Call.

As in The Dragon’s Call and Valiant, Kilgharrah cuts off Merlin’s escape routes. Kilgharrah traps Merlin. But it’s not like The Dragon’s Call, and it’s not like Valiant, not really, because this time, Kilgharrah is nowhere near as straightforward about it. He does not outright tell Merlin “you have no choice”–as a matter of fact, he is very quick to emphasize how much of a choice Merlin truly has.

And how, if Merlin dares to make the wrong one, it’s going to be all his fault.

Again, this is where the full extent of Kilgharrah’s machinations fully comes to light. For all but Merlin.

Because Merlin continues to trust Kilgharrah right up until

Le Morte d’Arthur

The term “emotional rollercoaster” is, in all honesty, a very weak way to describe this episode, but it’s the best I’ve got, so that’ll have to do. So, to make sure I don’t just fuck off right here, rewatch this one, and cry literal buckets, the way I’d really like to, I’ll just jump right on in. (I already have this whole episode memorized by heart anyway.)

If the casual way Kilgharrah sent Merlin off on an actual suicide mission - in absolutely every sense of the term - wasn’t enough to tip Merlin off that the cryptic lizard under the castle couldn’t be trusted, well, don’t worry, because the rest of the episode certainly does that.

This is the moment when Merlin finally starts to see through Kilgharrah’s pretty words, this is the moment when Merlin finally starts to see the web Kilgharrah has woven all around him, and it is done absolutely brilliantly.

Kilgharrah has grown so confident–so complacent, even–in his control over Merlin, he makes no attempt, at any point, to mask his true intentions.

And Merlin never wondered, not even once, if Kilgharrah might have an ulterior motive, a deeper reason, to see Arthur succeed, to see the prophecy come to fruition. Merlin never suspected Kilgharrah of treachery or deceit.

At first glance, this line is flat, unimaginative, unoriginal - you see it in every stereotypical fantasy series when the hero suffers a betrayal - but if you go back through S1 and you really pay attention to what’s led up to this, and damn, that line cuts deep. Because it’s true. It’s the truth. Merlin really believed Kilgharrah wanted the best for him.

Merlin really believed Kilgharrah was his friend.

Because Kilgharrah played him like a goddamned fiddle.

And even now, Kilgharrah thinks he can pull Merlin right back under his thumb, he truly thinks he’s still got a hold on Merlin, however small.

When Kilgharrah sees he’s lost the emotional advantage he had over Merlin, he immediately finds another angle to work with - the magical connections he and Merlin share. And it backfires spectacularly.

This is the first moment we see Kilgharrah truly fail. And this is the first moment we see Kilgharrah lose all control, and lash out in wild fury.

This was not a calculated move. This was not part of the plan. This was not the way Kilgharrah wanted things to go from here. This is raw, uncontrolled, unrestrained rage. This does not fit into the grand scheme Kilgharrah has cooked up over all those years in the dark, this is something far more primal than that. This is an emotional reaction in the deepest sense of the term, and it’s Merlin who dragged such an extreme response out of him.

But unlike in previous episodes, Merlin doesn’t come back and resolve it all. Things stay sour between them for–well, several weeks, actually, that’s my best guess, because we see in The Curse of Cornelius Sigan, Merlin’s outright refusal, at first, to return to Kilgharrah.

Gaius eventually convinces Merlin to mend fences with the dragon - Camelot will fall if he doesn’t, which certainly gives Merlin an incentive - but Kilgharrah’s help comes at a steep price now.

It’s clear Kilgharrah has realized he doesn’t need to play Merlin anymore. He doesn’t need to hide what he really wants, and he certainly doesn’t need to do anything special to keep Merlin coming back to him. Merlin needs him. Merlin will come back so long as he still has a prince to protect. So Kilgharrah, with this newfound sort of freedom, goes to the opposite extreme. He tears Merlin down for the smallest thing, he criticizes Merlin for every last little failure, he sneers at Merlin’s resolute hold to his own morality, he blames and belittles Merlin, he is needlessly and openly cruel to Merlin at absolutely every opportunity.

In The Nightmare Begins, we see he refuses to help Merlin with Morgana, he insists Morgana is not to be trusted and he calls Merlin a fool for his attempts to help her with her magic.

And, in The Witch’s Quickening, Kilgharrah reproaches Merlin for his failures with both Mordred and Morgana. (That’s honestly just a constant throughout S2 - Merlin does something, Kilgharrah tears him apart for it, Merlin defends himself and his decisions, Kilgharrah reminds Merlin of his promise to set him free, Merlin swears he will, and so on and so forth. I really don’t think we need to touch on every single interaction between them in S2, as many of them are largely the same.)

But a few key points here…..

The Fires of Idirsholas

Anyone notice how every season finale, with the exception of S4, marks a major turning point in Merlin and Kilgharrah’s relationship??? Because I fucking do. anyways, quick aside before we get into the more serious stuff

Merlin knows Kilgharrah well enough to know the dragon’s just fucking around, and honestly, that makes me so happy. one of them might be a scaly asshole and the other might be a magical bastard, but goddamn, their relationship still has its moments.

So this scene is,,,,,,,,,, honestly really important, I’ll just stick a bunch of screenshots in right here and dissect it as I go

Merlin acts rashly here, there’s definitely no doubt about that, but honest to God, this is one impulsive decision where you just can’t blame him at all. Kilgharrah has backed him completely into a corner–and, in keeping with his new attitude toward Merlin in S2, Kilgharrah doesn’t bother with subtlety, Kilgharrah doesn’t even try and rely on manipulation to get Merlin exactly where he wants him to be.

It seems overt threats and brute force are the tools Kilgharrah has turned to, since he lost his command over Merlin in S1.

As we can see here, Kilgharrah does not bother to try and lightly nudge Merlin down the “right” path–why would he bother to be kind if he doesn’t absolutely have to be, after all? This is just the most complete turnaround from The Beginning of the End, and it’s absolutely astounding how smoothly, how neatly, the change in Kilgharrah comes about.

But, as we all know, the overt threats and brute force actually work. Merlin does exactly as Kilgharrah wants - he poisons Morgana, he steals a sword from the Knights of Medhir, and he frees Kilgharrah (anyone else remember the fUCKING MAGIC STAIRS THAT LITERALLY DIDN’T EXIST UNTIL MERLIN NEEDED THEM Or nah just me?? maybe Merlin magicked them up with his phenomenal cosmic powers i dunno either way i fucking hate it)

And this string of Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! decisions leads us to……

The Last Dragonlord

There’s a lot of ground to cover in this episode, honestly, but for now, let’s focus on how Kilgharrah knew Balinor.

Let’s break that shit down, because it’s really fucking important, actually. Kilgharrah knew Balinor. To that end, he must have known Merlin. Maybe he knew Merlin’s ancestry right from the start, maybe he sensed it, even, through the telepathic connection he established with Merlin in The Dragon’s Call, or maybe, the moment he laid eyes on Merlin, he simply saw so much of Balinor there, and he put it all together, but however he worked it out, Kilgharrah knew Balinor, and Kilgharrah knew Merlin must be Balinor’s son.

And Kilgharrah deliberately withheld this from Merlin.

And Kilgharrah rarely makes a move without reason. Kilgharrah has always got some sort of plan, some sort of scheme, some kind of angle to work, and that’s exactly what he has right here.

Because, God knows, if Merlin ever met Balinor, if Merlin ever learned about dragonlords, if Merlin ever had any knowledge of the magical world Kilgharrah did not personally hand to him, it would give Merlin an advantage. However small, this knowledge would give Merlin an advantage.

And Kilgharrah cannot let him have that.

i previously touched pretty heavily on this episode, and what it means for Merlin and Kilgharrah’s relationship here, so i’ll just reiterate briefly ~

Ever since Le Morte d’Arthur, Merlin and Kilgharrah’s relationship has headed for something serious, something major–if all the bits of S2 weren’t enough to foreshadow that, Merlin’s final promise to free Kilgharrah in The Fires of Idirsholas certainly did–and that incredible tension finally comes to a head here. When Merlin discovers his own latent dragonlord abilities. When Merlin “finds the voice” that he and Kilgharrah share. When Merlin realizes Kilgharrah’s soul and his are “brothers”.

Oh, no, Merlin doesn’t forgive Kilgharrah here–and that’s what most powerful about it, in all honesty, it really just wouldn’t have packed the same punch, if Merlin had truly buried the hatchet here. But he doesn’t. The hard edges of his anger soften, he sees revenge is a pathetic and pointless thing to try and exact from Kilgharrah, and he sees he has laid unnecessary and unfair blame on Kilgharrah. But he doesn’t forgive Kilgharrah. Not at all.

And Kilgharrah doesn’t forgive Merlin.

Kilgharrah comes to respect Merlin. Up until now, Kilgharrah has seen Merlin as little more than a child–foolish and naive and entirely dependent on others, too easily tricked, too easy to take advantage of, too quick to trust, too quick to love, too quick to give his heart away–and while that perspective isn’t necessarily unfair, it’s not the whole picture, either. Merlin isn’t just a child. Merlin isn’t just foolish and naive and gullible.

And for the first time, Kilgharrah really sees that. Kilgharrah has believed, up until right this moment, that Merlin’s heart, Merlin’s compassion, Merlin’s love, would lead him to his death, to Arthur’s death, to the fall of Camelot, to the failure of the prophecy. Kilgharrah didn’t truly believe Merlin could achieve his destiny. Not until right now.

Because, for the first time, Merlin’s heart, Merlin’s compassion, Merlin’s love, serves Kilgharrah.

Merlin shows Kilgharrah mercy (and commands him to “do the same to others”) and in the face of such an unexpected and undeserved kindness, Kilgharrah finally sees Merlin in his entirety.

And Kilgharrah comes to respect Merlin.

Something fundamental has shifted between them. Something has changed here tonight, and it’s immediately obvious right from their very first scene together in S3.

If that - and the gentle, almost sweet way Kilgharrah cares for Merlin here - didn’t already indicate a serious shift in their dynamic, the rest of it certainly does.

If The Last Dragonlord wasn’t a thing, do you really think Kilgharrah would ever have said Merlin “showed great courage” when he followed his heart? Yeah. Neither do I. Oh, and then Kilgharrah allows Merlin to ride upon his back all the way to Camelot.

What a blatant change from S2, don’t you think? But the conflict between Merlin and Kilgharrah isn’t entirely over. With two such obstinate, contrary personalities, it’s almost inevitable, to tell the truth.

But The Crystal Cave is, I think, the first true example of how Merlin, rather than Kilgharrah, holds all the power in their relationship now.

In S1, Kilgharrah convinced Merlin he did not get to say no.

In S3, Merlin proves Kilgharrah truly does not get to say no. Kilgharrah has absolutely no choice in this, Kilgharrah has absolutely no power or control or command here. It all lies with Merlin. And Merlin is so damned out of line.

Don’t misunderstand me. It’s wonderful that Merlin has finally learned how to handle himself around Kilgharrah. He has finally learned how to stand on his own and stick to his guns, he has finally proven Kilgharrah cannot lead him around blindly as in S1.

But Merlin is out of line here. Merlin does mistreat Kilgharrah here. Merlin does abuse his power here. And that’s not okay.

Kilgharrah isn’t the sole “bad guy” in this dynamic, and Merlin is not his helpless, defenseless victim. It’s not so simple as all that. The minute the power is placed in Merlin’s hands, he uses it. He is every bit as cruel to Kilgharrah as Kilgharrah has ever been to him.

(something very interesting to note here: Merlin waits to see what Kilgharrah will do. He’s already given his orders, there is little more Kilgharrah can do, but Merlin is genuinely curious to see if a dragon can truly shake off his control. As we see in Kilgharrah’s acquiescence mere moments later, he cannot. this has nothing to do with anything, I just really like the little detail.)

Kilgharrah and Merlin never resolve this conflict, but the next time they get together, in The Coming of Arthur, things appear to be back to normal. There’s no lasting anger on either side. Kilgharrah even proclaims his loyalty to Merlin, and lets Merlin ride upon his back again.

In The Darkest Hour, the year’s gap has clearly only served to strengthen Merlin and Kilgharrah’s relationship even further.

Kilgharrah’s confession here is powerful enough all on its own, but the soft, sorrowful way he says it really plays up how much he would truly miss Merlin, were he to lose him now. Even Kilgharrah in S3 hadn’t yet developed enough–or, in truth, softened enough–to grieve Merlin as he does here.

And yet, for all of that, Kilgharrah’s character stays mostly the same, right up until the end of the series. Yes, he has come to care about Merlin now - he doesn’t even try to deny it - and yet, he still cares for himself and his own plans more.

And he makes that pretty clear in Aithusa.

To be fair to Kilgharrah, Merlin’s hesitation here is merely that - a hesitation. He is going to go after the egg. He is going to rescue Aithusa. He’s already made up his mind. He just needs a little push, and Kilgharrah’s intention here is simply to provide him with that push.

But guilt didn’t need to be that push. Guilt shouldn’t have been that push. The inherent malice in a mention of Merlin’s father felt cruel. Like a step backward for Kilgharrah and his growth. Like he hadn’t changed at all since S1.

And it felt right! Kilgharrah shouldn’t have to change the very essence of who he is, as a character, as a person, to prove how much he has grown. He has grown! By leaps and bounds, he has grown, and this is not an erasure of that growth, this is a reminder that all that growth will not turn him into a pure or wholesome or unproblematic character.

If you really need a further demonstration of Kilgharrah’s development over the course of the series, just look at his reaction when he hears Aithusa’s egg is still out there somewhere.

This is not an act. This is real. Kilgharrah is overjoyed at the idea that he will not have to be alone any longer, and it astounds me, still, how truly open with Merlin he is here, how freely he expresses himself. Even as late as S3, Kilgharrah takes care to cloak and conceal his emotions even from his dragonlord, and to see him so candid is honestly a bit of a shock.

Kilgharrah has come to trust Merlin enough to be honest with him, to be open with him. For that alone, this moment is one of the most important the two share over the course of the series.

also, this episode is my personal favorite from S4, so have a rare glimpse of Merlin and Kilgharrah being happy together:

We don’t see much of Kilgharrah from here on out - in fact, we don’t see him in S4 at all after this - except his brief appearance in The Sword in the Stone ((which was hella rad, by the way, don’t ever piss one Merlin Emrys off or he will just call up a fucking dragon to rain down literal hellfire on you i guess)) - but the times we do see him are very important!

The Kindness of Strangers

Raise your hand if this episode just utterly wrecked you, because,,,,,,,,,, uh,,,,,,, yeah,,,,,,,, as the kids say,,,,,,,, “big same”,,,,,,,,,,

Merlin and Kilgharrah’s time together is actually very short, in this episode, but all the more poignant and impactful for that. It’s clear right from the first moment Merlin opens his mouth that the dynamic between the two of them has evolved yet again. Aithusa definitely planted the seeds for this new and stronger relationship, but it’s only here we get to see those seeds truly blossom.

So, yes, there are definite echoes of Aithusa here–Kilgharrah is honest, he’s candid, he’s open with his emotions, but unlike in Aithusa, he’s much freer with his affection for Merlin. Sure, he’s certainly had his moments (The Darkest Hour jumps readily to mind) but even so, he’s never been quite this quick to confess how much he’s truly come to care for Merlin.

And it’s a rare thing, really, to see Merlin so relaxed around Kilgharrah. It’s taken the two of them a long time to grow so comfortable with each other, and it’s wonderful to finally get to see it!

………oh, yeah, and then there’s this

So this is kind of branded into my memory (listen, I was already braced for Arthur’s death, okay, I did not expect to lose Kilgharrah, too, and if you think I didn’t cry literal buckets after this episode, you are fucking WRONG) but the bits that really stick out?

“What will I do without you?” “It is the cycle of life–no more, no less.”

The two of them have really just come such a long way, haven’t they? Remember in S1, when Merlin was merely a means to an end for Kilgharrah? Remember in S2, when Kilgharrah was nothing more than a necessary evil to Merlin?

Now, Merlin cannot imagine his life without Kilgharrah and now, Kilgharrah tries to ease Merlin’s grief and sorrow in any way he can.

Which, actually, is the exact same thing he does in

The Diamond of the Day

Kilgharrah has just seen Merlin fail, in the worst and most enormous way possible. Destiny has finally come to fruition, and Emrys himself was not strong enough to stop it.

And yet, Kilgharrah - who, in the past, has never hesitated to point out all the ways Merlin went wrong, no matter how Merlin feels in the moment - offers nothing but comfort, and the first glimmers of hope for the future.

A little hard to believe, isn’t it, that this is the same dragon we met in S1. damn it’s been literal years and i’m STILL shook over the drastic change in the two of them.

Though the core of the characters remain largely consistent, the two of them truly just shape each other so much as the series goes on.

Merlin would not be the person he is in S5 without Kilgharrah, and Kilgharrah would not be the person he is in S5 without Merlin.

thanks for coming to my TED talk ~

#merlin #bbc merlin #ask #anonymous

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lover-of-midnight · 4 years ago

Text

The last dragon - Chapter 9

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M M/M Fandoms: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game) Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski Merlin (TV) Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion Leon/Morgana (Merlin) Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Gwen & Morgana (Merlin) Characters: Merlin (Merlin) Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Kilgharrah (Merlin) Uther Pendragon (Merlin) Morgana (Merlin) Gwen (Merlin) Jaskier | Dandelion Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Yennefer z Vengerbergu | Yennefer of Vengerberg Additional Tags: Fae Jaskier | Dandelion alternative universe Pre-Relationship Established Relationship Established Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion Mild Language Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin) tired Merlin Tired Jaskier injured geralt Notes: I just want to say thank you to my amazing beta @aalizazareth for beating this story. I appreciated it so much.

Arthur closed his eyes with a groan. His hands went to his temples and for a moment, he looked thoroughly defeated.

“I know,” he said tiredly, hands shifting to rub a chafed wrist. “I just don’t know what to do about it.”

Merlin pattered around slightly in the back of the chamber, unsure of whether he should move closer to be part of the discussion.

Jaskier’s eyes zeroed in on the manservant. “Come, sit down. You are part of this discussion.” There was a sternness to him that made Merlin immediately gravitate to them.

Geralt looked quietly at everyone. He generally tried to stay as far from politics as he could. The air within felt slightly tense, and he wished he could be back in the woods.

“Well,” Jaskier resumed, endeavouring to keep his voice gentle, “let us try and sort some things out first. Arthur, why do you not remove the King?”

Why wouldn't a prince do what was best for his kingdom first?

Arthur was silent for a moment. “He is my father. I can’t just go and kill him,” he said, in a quiet voice.

“Well, you have to do something.” For the first time, Geralt spoke up. His golden eyes bore into Arthur’s. “You will do wrong to your people if you don’t.”

Arthur knew things in the kingdom were getting to a point which made it dangerous to keep this up.

“You can always try a coup d’etat,” Jaskier pointed out softly.

Merlin was next to speak up, asking, while his eyes wandered around the room, “If I may, what is a coup d’etat?”

“It is basically to remove the existing government from power,” Jaskier answered easily. “It normally happens violently, but there is a way to do it without things getting messy.”

“I have four members on the council who are willing to lay their loyalties down to me,” Arthur whispered to the room. “The rest are still thinking about it.”

Ever since he found out about Morgana, he had been going through every book on the law he could find. Why did people love violence? The last thing he wanted was to kill Uther, who despite everything, remained his father.

“That’s good, how many people does he have on his council?” Jaskier prompted. If the number was relatively low, it would be easier to get the support they needed. Just a little bit over half was needed.

“Fifteen. I still need the support of at least four more people.” Arthur's eyes closed, and he looked in deep thought.

They all fell into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Geralt was the first to break it.

“So, where is this dragon we keep hearing about?” he asked, seeing Merlin, out of the corner of his eye, grow pale.

“Dragon?” Arthur had a sharp note to his voice.

Merlin could feel the anger rising within, and he wished he could kill Geralt, but he knew he could not. “There is a dragon in the lowest part of the castle. Your father captured him at the end of the great purge.”

Merlin struggled to keep his breathing even. Well, it was time to come clean about his magic.

Arthur took a deep breath before he asked: “Merlin, how do you know this?” His eyes narrowed down on his manservant, and he almost felt bad for asking, seeing as Merlin looked like he saw a ghost. Fear in Merlin’s eyes left him uneasy.

“He called me down shortly after I came to Camelot.” Merlin did not try to make eye contact.

Arthur looked over at the two guests, who were quietly watching the exchange. “Would you mind if we talk about this later?” he asked Geralt and Jaskier, a slight strain to his voice.

Geralt gave him a sympathetic look. He knew how it felt to have secrets kept from him, even when they were important.

“Listen, and hear what he truly is saying,” he advised Arthur.

How long did it take him to truly learn that? His golden eyes strayed to Jaskier. With a soft tap against his hand, both were out the door before anything more could be said.

Merlin fiddled slightly with his hands, wishing he could move around the room as they talked, but he knew Arthur did not like it. Arthur took a few deep, audible breaths.

“Merlin, why did the dragon call for you?” Arthur made sure to keep his voice even, aware he sometimes had a temper, just like his father’s.

“He called me down,” Merlin said, after a moment of silence, “because he wanted to talk to me about our destiny.”

Arthur silently waited for Merlin to continue, but after a few seconds, he prompted slightly: “What destiny?”

He knew that Merlin liked to call him ‘dense’ sometimes, but how else would a dragon make contact with someone without the use of magic?

“I have to protect you so that you can make it safely to the throne.” Merlin could feel the slight shake of his hands. “He said you would be the one and future king, you would unite all of Albion.”

Arthur crouched in front of Merlin. “Let’s not be funny here Merlin, but how do you protect me, when you are such a klutz with weapons?” He knew it was not the time for banter, but if it helped Merlin relax slightly, all was well.

Merlin bit his lip. Arthur's eyes were trained directly onto his. Merlin tried to take a breath.

“Magic.” The words were out of his mouth before he could think about anything else. Merlin's eyes settled on the floor. He did not want to see the betrayal in Arthur’s eyes.

“Why did you never tell me?” Arthur asked.

The question hit Merlin hard. Arthur sounded closed off, yet Merlin knew that Arthur would only bury it until he was ready to handle it.

“I never wanted to force you to choose between your father and me. And after Morgana told you, I could see that you were running yourself down, and I did not want to add more stress.” Merlin sank to his knees in front of Arthur and whispered, “I am sorry Arthur.”

Arthur wished he could say it was alright, but he could feel the anger brewing in the back of his mind. His heartfelt like it was breaking. He had truly thought they were friends, but at the same time, he could understand why Merlin had kept quiet.

“Give me some time to think. We will talk about this some more tonight.” Arthur patted Merlin's shoulder, and then he left the room.

Merlin groaned softly. Already, he could feel tears gathering in his eyes.

#fae jaskier #merlin (bbc)#merthur-fics #merthur #geraskier fic #geraskier #tired merlin #tired jaskier #established relationship

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thisisamerlinonlyevent · 5 years ago

Text

Merlin but a bit different

Got an idea for a different plot for BBC Merlin

So, first things first, some details:

• All knights of the round table are already together • Uther is still king (he let the knights in by a lot of begging from Arthur and Morgana) • Morgana is evil • Gwen has stronger feelings for Lancelot than for Arthur • Gwaine and Percival are oblivious and have a bit of a crush on each other • Arthur has feelings for Gwen • Gaius works alone and has been the one to save Camelot most of the time All good? Okay. But where’s Merlin? Well...

• Instead of staying with his mother, Merlin goes after his father, knowing about him and desiring to learn from him • He trains to be the most powerful warlock and Dragonlord, knowing that Prince Arthur will need his protection • He befriends Mordred, deciding on not killing him and giving him an someone to look up to in world full of hate and a promise of loyalty to him when he's older • Freya and him did have a thing but she hadn't been cursed then and after being attacked by bandits he grieved her as she had died • He sacrificed himself to Nimueh but so did Freya afterwards and with Nimueh not giving him the chance to die again, he kills her instead but Freya disappears afterwards to a safer life and they don’t meet again

Alright, so there’s Merlin. And how does he get involved with the rest of our beloved characters?

• Merlin is found by the knights in one of their patrols (in a forest) • He's more confident and mischievous but in a prank sort of way (in this AU) • Knowing about his destiny with Arthur, he saves them and goes with them to Camelot, although none of them desire it • There, he starts to work for Gaius but he isn't Arthur's manservant • He also befriends Kilgharrah, his Dragonlord nature shining through more • He helps Morgana with her powers and shows her that fighting fire with fire won’t help, making her see sense • He also kills Morgause (in a very epic battle), knowing that she is the reason for Morgana's malevolence and therefore should be killed So, a bit of plot for you. But, y’know, I’m not done. No, I want to talk about Nimueh in this AU. • Nimueh, knowing her powers, decided to continue her bloodline, being immortal and all that jazz • She had multiple children and all of them are very powerful and keen on revenging her death by killing Merlin first and then Arthur • They turn evil, blinded by grief over their mother and while some traveled far to expand their skills, others stayed, causing havoc on Camelot and therefore, Merlin Oh shit, am I right? We needed some more powerful villains no? Anyway, let me give you more plot...

(btw, I think that if Merlin had acted differently in the show itself, destiny wouldn’t have changed so much, since Kilgharrah had said that Merlin and Arthur’s reign would commence with Uther’s death but with Merlin’s interference, destiny changed and that didn’t happen. So, keep that in mind)

• Arthur is now destined to die by the eldest child of Nimueh, Diana (named after Nimueh’s own mother, according to the arthurian legend; apparently Nimueh is the daughter of a goddess, damn) • Merlin decides to free the great dragon and making him keep watch for any enemies outside of Camelot • In one of Merlin and the knights's patrols, Merlin senses a being of magic close • Turns out, it's Freya and she had been cursed just like in the show • She stays with them and in Camelot, sadly still cursed even though Merlin is trying to make it better since he can't stop a curse he doesn't know of (after midnight, she will kill at least once to transform back to normal; that’s the curse btw) • Freya joins them on their patrols and starts to fall for Elyan, and him too (new ship everybody!) • On the episode where Merlin gets the dragon egg, on the way back they encounter yet another sibling but Merlin realizes that she's Diana • The knights try to fight her but she's stronger and injures them badly • Merlin and Freya (having been practicing her curse and trying to at least control herself) fight her • Freya manages to hurt her (my baby) but she too gets injured badly • Merlin realizes that they can't fight her so they might as well befriend her (honestly that’s what Merlin should’ve done in the show sometimes) • They fight but in the end Merlin wins with a fatal blow, promising to cure her if she gives them a chance • Diana accepts and even though she takes some time, she warms up to them (Freya is too sweet and Merlin incredibly endearing; also Morgana advises her that bitterness won't get her far and that helps immensely) • Morgana and Diana grow close and develop feelings (ANOTHER new ship!) • Now Arthur is destined to grow into a great king but that doesn’t mean that he won’t face may foes until then

So that’s all I have. Uther is still alive until now btw. I might write something fluffier today, tomorrow or something. It’s one of those days.

I have an idea of shipping Leon with a female knight somewhere in this and also Mordred when he get’s older; maybe with one of Nimueh’s evil children manservant or something like that.

Please leave comments and entertain this idea with me!

#bbc merlin #merlin #merlin au #nimueh #Arthur Pendragon #gwinevere #sir leon #sir mordred #sir gwaine #Sir Elyan #Sir Percival #sir lancelot #morgana #morgause #kilgharrah #gaius #freya #uther pendragon #my post

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