#thomas collins merlin

[vampyreblogger]

ruadan:

sarrum:

sentry:

sindri:

sir william of deira:

taliesin:

tauran:

terrence:

thomas collins:

tindr:

[starrieisdelusional]

rewatching merlin s1e1 and i just realize this person’s name is thomas james colins, is that a pun for colin morgan and bradley james?? lmao 😭😭😭

[tossawary]

Rewatching some of "Merlin" again and... I really love worldbuilding where I'm not sure the creators were thinking through all the implications. Like, the show opens with the King overseeing the execution of a man, Thomas Collins, who used magic (not even to commit actual harm as far as we know) and the crowd is dead silent during Uther's solemn anti-magic speech. Then they GASP in horror and disgust when the poor guy gets beheaded offscreen, and they remain dead silent as Uther's speech continues, declaring a festival to celebrate 20 years since the Great Dragon was captured and sorcery outlawed. And then no one cheers or even SMILES about this.

Like, okay, the people of the past were not always chill or excited by public executions, because historical people all around the world and across time are not a monolith. There have always been people who hated them. But there have definitely been points in time where some people viewed public executions as good entertainment for the whole family and/or have reveled in the righteousness of bloodshed.

A lot of these people must have lived through the Purge: if they actually, you know, believed in and supported Uther's anti-magic philosophies, you'd think that you'd see a few cheers? Maybe some nodding? You'd kind of think that the people who would actually show up to public executions are those who share Uther's radical, violent beliefs, but no... the camera doesn't show a single smile or nod in the gathered crowd. This is Fantasy Medieval Land and no one is cheering the public execution. Okay.

You could say, "Well, maybe Uther is just a sour grape who doesn't like people talking when he's talking. Maybe Uther takes his campaign against magic dead seriously and this extends to him wanting a solemn, respectful atmosphere at all of his public executions of sorcerers." Sure. There are a LOT of guards in the crowd, possibly a leftover habit from the early days of the Purge, when there were more people who were presumably Not Okay with Uther's sudden change in policy.

But again, even if this obviously tyrannical King really doesn't like any cheering or smiling, no one is even nodding along to his speech. It doesn't look like any of these watching people wholeheartedly agree with his anti-magic beliefs. They're not happy about the death of a sorcerer. The division in ideology between Uther and the lower classes here appears to be a very, VERY stark line.

And then Uther declares a FESTIVAL! Uther is smiling! There's a happy tone in Uther's voice, like he wants the people to be happy about the absence of magic, and I can't see why he'd be against cheering here. He wants to celebrate!

But NO ONE cheers. No one smiles. Like, yes, this crowd seems to mostly contain the lower classes, who are probably not going to be feasting in the King's hall later, but a festival implies to me that there's going to be more of a city-wide celebration. That the King is going to provide some amount of free food and entertainment to his people, give out bread and hire some musicians or something, that there's going to be some sort of relief from work for a day, and maybe other charitable givings that boost a monarch's popularity.

But NO ONE cheers. And, again, okay, maybe Uther hosts a bad party. Very possible. Maybe Uther is really just going to hold one formal dinner for the upper classes and he's announcing that to the lower classes who are going to get nothing because he's that out of touch somehow? But, also, no, a festival means something different than a feast. And Uther is awful, but I would think he has a little more social cunning than that. I'm going to suppose that he earnestly wants to "generously reward" the common people for resisting the corruption of magic, and that he intends to give out some benefit.

But NO ONE smiles. This is a Fantasy Medieval Land where someone gets executed for doing the Evil Magic and then the King announces a Victory Festival, and no one cheers or looks even remotely happy through any of it. Everyone is about to shuffle off sadly before the executed man's mother starts screaming at Uther, saying that he is the true evil of Camelot and promising to kill his son. And no one boos her for it. They mostly just watch her, wait for Uther's inevitable bad reaction, and then just... shuffle away quietly after she vanishes in a whirlwind. Huh.

This one scene is implying a LOT about the social and cultural state of things in Camelot, and what the common people think of their King and his campaign. Other episodes will go on to elaborate and say other things about this world. But this is the opening scene that's stuck with me for a long time. We're obviously not meant to think well of Uther during this scene. Maybe we're meant to see that Uther is not at all a beloved king here. It looks like they're intentionally going for a frightening tone because this is all meant to be very scary for Merlin, who walked into this place like five minutes ago and could be next.

But I don't know if the show fully thought through what the actions of the background extras are suggesting here (they were presumably understandably focused on other things, this is the pilot and they're still working out kinks, this show is kind of silly anyway, etc.), and I think what it says is neat: Uther is a relatively recent king (his speech contains the words "when I first came to this land") and he is NOT popular. There's a difference between "not liked" and "NO ONE likes this guy even when they actually showed up to his event", and what they show here seems to be the latter.

Everything in a visual medium contributes to the story, whether the creators intended it or not, and none of the background extras filling out the scene cheer or smile when the camera points their way. Usually, hatred like Uther's will attract eager assholes happy to blame the Designated Other for all of their problems and society's problems, and obviously Uther does have a lot of guards and soldiers and willing followers in them, but still... not a SINGLE person (not even the soldiers doing crowd control) cheers or smiles at the public execution OR when the king declares a festival. Not one. It's unfortunately not unrealistic for people to cheer tyrants and join hate campaigns, but Uther's willingness to kill anyone on a shred of evidence has made him so unpopular that he can't get a single huzzah here.

That's something.

(Also, the near-complete absence of the Church in this world is VERY funny.)

[ravennhearted]

You wanna know what’s not talked about enough? That the sorcerer executed at the beginning of Merlin is named Thomas James Collin.

[queer-ragnelle]

So, there's a lot of books that you complain about being awful (most of which I haven't read), usually because of the interpretation of some character (or many characters).

Is the problem with most of these books:

1. That the character on question has been written as a bad person,

2. That the interpretation differs from the Vulgate Cycle,

3. or the specific combination of those two things?

Or have I completely misread this situation?

See the thing is, yes it has to do with interpretation of characters, but perhaps not as superficial as it sounds! While I do love the Vulgate and prefer a more nuanced Mordred, that’s not really the root of the issue. I want Mordred to topple Camelot. I don’t expect or want authors to follow the Vulgate exclusively, there’s plenty from Chrétien or SGATGK or Parzival or the Mabinogion I’d love to see incorporated and they often are! Yay!

The real answer is a complicated thing that can only be expressed through examples because citing “misogyny” or “racism” doesn’t convey the magnitude or severity of the problem. Medieval society was misogynistic and racist at times, I don’t think those things should go ignored in a retelling. It would cheapen the narrative to pretend Guinevere’s or Morgause’s situations weren’t brought about largely due to the patriarchal systems at play nor do I want to pretend everyone who met Palomides was race blind.

Here’s an exhaustive list of sourced examples to indicate what I’ve encountered that really turned my stomach in retellings…content warning for everything from animal abuse to rape to genocide. This is gonna be long….

Adding more/intentional incest.

Agravaine sexually attracted to his mother Morgause (The Once and Future King by T. H. White) or to his aunt Guinevere (Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger, The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Gaheris sexually attracted to his mother Morgause (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart)

Mordred sexually attracted to and raping his mother Morgause (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Uther sexually attracted to his step-daughter Morgause (Igraine by Lavinia Collins)

Kay sexually involved with his uncle Lancelot (Guinevere and Morgan by Lavinia Collins)

Mordred sexually involved with his aunt Morgause (Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman)

Morgause attempting to seduce her teenage son Mordred (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart)

Arthur marrying his sister Morgan (Bedivere by Wayne Wise)

A life-long sexual relationship between Arthur and his aunt Morgan (The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Mordred and “auntie” Morgan having sex (Merlin and the Sword (1985))

Exceedingly graphic first-person rape of Guinevere by her cousin Maelgwn (Queen of the Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Mordred kidnaps and tries to rape his sister Avlynn (Merlin and the Book of the Beasts (2009))

Increased racism.

Using modern slurs like the N word against Palomides (The Once and Future King by T. H. White)

Aggressive and confrontational Safir “restrained” by white characters and called “homicidal Moor” by Kay (The Book of Gaheris by Kari Sperring)

Palomides speaking in broken English mentioned as a “turn-off” for Morgause (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Palomides a former slave orphaned and raised culturally British instead of immigrating to Britain and constantly othered as “the Arab companion” when the others don’t have modifiers like that (Queen of the Summer Stars and Legend in Autumn by Persia Woolley)

Depicting Arab Bertilak as perpetrator of pederasty, random anti-black or anti-Asian allusions, random antisemitism, etc. (Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger)

Tristan wanting to put down “barbarian” Palomides and drives him to madness (The Enchanted Cup by Dorothy James Roberts)

Black face Palomides (The Black Knight (1954))

Adding pedophilia/child brides.

Girls including Morgaine forced into ritualistic sexual situations for “ceremonial” reasons (Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley)

Eleven year old Morgause given to Lot in marriage by her mother Igraine who lied about her age (Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Child bride Isolde (Legend in Autumn by Lavinia Collins, Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell)

Merlin sexually involved with fosterling Nimuë and later attracted to young Olwen (The Winter King and Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell)

Morgause preying on minors (The Wicked Day by Mary Stewart, The Book of Gaheris by Kari Sperring)

Pedophile/serial killers Kay and Mordred (Dragon’s Child and The Bloody Cup by M. K. Hume, The Queen’s Knight by Marvin Borowsky)

Morgause sexually abusing Agravaine (Queen of the Summer Stars by Lavinia Collins)

Pederast Arthur sleeping with young Peredur and Geraint (Arthur the King by Allan Massie)

Lancelot grooms young Mordred to be his lover (Mordred, Bastard Son by Douglas Clegg)

Bademagus raping 13yo Lynette (The King’s Damosel by Vera Chapman)

Warp a character into a rapist.

Morgause/Morgan tricking Arthur to sire Mordred (The Once and Future King by T. H White, Excalibur (1981), The Hollow Hills by Mary Stewart, Bedivere by Wayne Wise, Morgan by Lavinia Collins, Guinevere by Sharan Newman, Camelot (2011))

Gawain threatening Guinevere with rape then eventually banished from court for raping someone else (Guinevere and Morgawse by Lavinia Collins)

Exceedingly graphic first-person rapes of Morgause by Lot and Mordred, Morgan by Urien (Morgawse and Morgan by Lavinia Collins)

Morgause laughing when she learns how traumatized Arthur is after her seduction of him (Queen of Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Agravaine threatening to rape Guinevere (The Road to Avalon by Joan Wolf)

Perceval raping Layla and getting turned on watching the rape of someone else (A Knight’s Tale by Richard Monaco)

Lancelot forcing himself onto Guinevere (First Knight (1995))

Lancelot raping Galahad’s gf (The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell)

Bors tries to rig a dice game in which the prize is sex with Nimuë (Cursed (2020))

“He would not fucking say/do that.”

Arthur, Lot, Geraint, Urien, and Lancelot are wife beaters with minimal to no consequences (Warrior of the West by M. K. Hume, I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer, Igraine and Morgan by Lavinia Collins, Knight Life by Peter David)

Lancelot doesn’t rescue Guinevere leaving her to burn at the stake by Arthur (Fall of Knight by Peter David)

Lancelot used Guinevere for political gain (Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell, The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman)

Lancelot married to Elaine then cheats on her with Guinevere and causes his wife’s death leaving Galahad an orphan (Merlin (1998))

Agravaine skins Elaine’s cat and wears it (Queen of Summer Stars by Persia Woolley)

Gareth helps Gawain torture Pellinore to death (I Am Mordred by Nancy Springer)

Genocide.

Arthur picks up where Uther left off and continues to commit genocide against magic-users, Merlin helps (BBC Merlin (2008-2012)

The red paladins commit genocide against the fay, Lancelot helps (Cursed (2020))

Gawain uses sun powers to commit genocide in the holy land, other knights like Tristan, Mordred, and Agravaine help (F/GO Camelot Wandering (2020) and F/GO Camelot Paladin Agateram (2021))

Lancelot as high king of Britain commits genocide against allies of Arthur to stay in power, other knights like Dagonet, Lot, and Calogrenant help (Kaamelott: First Installment (2021))

So yeah. It isn’t ideal that Lamorak is old in Sword of Lancelot (1963) or Dagonet is stoic and boring in King Arthur (2004). But like, whatever! I like those films! Same goes for replacing Gaheris with Geraint in Sarah Zettel’s series or cutting Gareth out of Gillian Bradshaw’s trilogy. Kind of a bummer, lame even, but not a deal breaker. The things about these bad retellings that drive me mad are much more sinister than that, rooted in really detestable opinions about women and children and people of color.

Can’t Mordred, Agravaine, and Morgan be normal scheming/evil/power hungry like they were in BBC The Legend of King Arthur (1979) or Howard Pyle’s books or Knights of the Round Table (1953) instead of whatever the above are doing? Not to mention the complete violation of Guinevere, Morgause, Lancelot, and Gawain as characters. I’m so tired, man.

Hope this clears things up. Sorry if you made it through that list. I’m sure you hated reading it as much as I hated writing it. But I think it makes it clear the problem here and that I’m not just being picky. The psychic damage is taking its toll.

[bloby-876]

You are a young man named merlin, about to enter the kingdom of Camelot. A kingdom known for it's beautiful lands, prosperous people, and a 20 - year long purge of magical people.

You just so happen to be a sorcerer.

Now, why on Earth would you be heading towards a magic-hating kingdom, while having magic, on purpose?

Because your poor mother wants you to be safe and you have an uncle who should hopefully be able to help you control your powers!

Yeah you can't control your powers yet. Fun!

-

You take your first steps into the city of Camelot, passing shops and merchants, children playing happily. The castle is beautiful!

There's a crowd of people. Making your way to the front, you spot a man being dragged to the center and hear a loud, commanding voice beginning to speak.

"Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, has been found guilty of using enchantments and magic. And according to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, sentence this man to death."

----

Should I change the pov-

Part 2 Part 3

[aaand-read-all-over]

Windows: Notes on Prejudice and Consequences

A recurring theme that I think is found in Merlin is the use of windows as a symbol for watching the impacts of Magic and the prejudice against those who have it from a (seemingly) safe distance. As if the effects of persecution don't cut deeper than the purge it attempts.

1x01: Morgana turns her face away from the beheading of Thomas Collins in defiance and denial, as she watched from her window. While she has not yet accepted that she has Magic herself, she acts as a fiercely outspoken ally to those who were persecuted in the great purge. Morgana also turns her face away as she tries to deny her inherent qualities and avoid suffering the same fate.

Referenced in 1x04

“I can’t stand by and watch him die.” “Then don’t look.”

Arthur is recognizing the extent of his father’s elitism and rigid views, which enrages him and inspires him to defy Uther. 

Callback to Morgana turning her face from the window in S1E1 because she cannot bear to see Thomas Collins die.

Arthur and Morgana know that they cannot stop the horrible fates that await those who have Magic, and Morgana cannot bear to watch.

1x09 Morgana and Arthur speak at the window in half-light, as she begs Arthur not to fight the Black Knight. Morgana knows Arthur’s future is dire, but she can’t tell why she feels that way. Morgana has an innate ability to sense the dark Magic that revived Tristan's spirit.

The half-light represents the half of herself that Morgana has to hide not only from herself, but also from those she loves.

Merlin and Arthur look down through the window to where the Black Knight stands still, not eating or sleeping. There is no uncertainty that the Black Knight is conjured from Magic, and that the Magic is sure to kill whomever blocks its path.

2x07 Morgana watches the building of the Witchfinder's pyre outside her window. The punishment for sorcery has only increased in severity in the time that she started to accept her true nature. The glass of the window represents the final, fragile barrier between Morgana and the fate she would suffer if she were found out.

(Gwen is so afraid for Morgana to be found by Auredian because she is always and forever an ally.)

2x08 Arthur must convince himself that Magic has no place in Camelot and that he was wrong to think it ever could. As he stands at the window, half in darkness, he separates himself from Magic and can’t look Merlin in the eye. 

“I am indebted to you, Merlin. I had become...confused. It is once again clear to me that those who practice magic are evil and dangerous. And that is thanks to you.”

Arthur can sense that what he is saying is wrong, but Merlin does not usually lead him astray. Merlin has always been his voice of honest advice and earnest reason. If Merlin tells Arthur that Magic cannot be legal in Camelot, he has no choice but to believe him. Arthur is fighting his instincts to embrace what he knows is right and fair because of the judgments from those around him.

Arthur looks out the window, away from Merlin, looking down on and keeping himself carefully separated from the people he started to believe he should protect.

4x03 Merlin watches Uther’s vigil through the same window where Arthur declared all Magic was evil in S2E8. This time, Arthur joins Merlin at the window and suggests that they use Magic to save Uther’s life. 

If Magic can save Uther’s life, Arthur may change his attitude, and Merlin has real hope for the first time that he could be able to finally live freely.

Arthur would not confide this desire in any other person because he knows that Merlin holds no judgment toward others. 

“If you were me, and it was your father, would you use Magic to save his life?” Merlin’s answer is immediate and confident, giving Arthur all the resolve he needed.

The vulnerability and openness in Arthur’s face is as fragile and clear as the glass of the windows they stand by -- so delicate that Merlin is afraid to blink. If he blinks, Arthur's vulnerability might crumble. If he changes his mind, the opportunity might be lost forever.

5x11 Arthur stands at the window and contemplates if he should free Mordred and Kara, despite their Magic. This time, he claims it is his decision to make. 

Arthur stands on his own, and Merlin is proud of him for choosing to give Kara a chance to repent. Arthur chooses to pardon a person with Magic, so long as she repents for killing innocent men.

Kara refuses to apologize and seals her fate. 

“I’ve made a terrible mistake, haven’t I?”

Arthur sits at the window and recognizes his error. Arthur could be referencing any number of things. He may be regretting his decision to execute Kara, not making an exception for Mordred, or the lasting impacts of his lifelong position on Magic.

I maybe could expend on this a bit, as it is all very precariously pieced together at the moment. Feels like it should ultimately be more of an essay than a list of notes like this? idk lol

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

🗡️ Character specific recs: IGRAINE🗡️

Download/video texts are linked beside titles if present. This is just a list of what I think is the most interesting Morgause material out there. Every list is favorite order.

Novels:

The Arthur series (Attanasio)

Uther and Igraine (Kirby)

The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)

The Igraine trilogy (Lavinia Collins)

Texts:

Lancelot-Grail

Morte d'Arthur (Thomas Malory)

Movies/tv shows:

2011 Camelot (Starz tv show)

2001 The Mists of Avalon

2009 Merlin and the War of Dragons (youtube)

2005 Kaamelott (tv show)

Others:

Novels I have not read: Uther and Igraine (Warwick)

Comic: Uther, the Half Dead King

Novels I did not enjoy but you might: Camlud Chronicles (Whyte)

[haveanotherfandomblog]

Fate of Destiny

The Dragon’s Call

Pairing: Arthur Pendragon x Fem!Merlin

Genre: Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Fluff, Genderbending!AU

Word Count: 10.4K

Warnings: Mild Language

Masterlist || Next>>

The sun shone across the countryside as she traveled through the endless fields, nothing but the few belongings she was lucky to possess strapped to her back. Her past was behind her, her future laid before her, and as she crossed the final hill, watching as the turrets came into view, she paused to stare at the castle. Huge as it seemed, strong and sturdy as it appeared, it was its striking beauty against the blue sky that gave her pause.

Taking a deep breath, Merlyn continued on. She marched her way to the front gates of the main city. Lively was the only word that Merlyn could use to perfectly describe the lower town of Camelot. Stands full of books and herbs and jewelry lined most of the street. Children ran and laughed through the road, chasing each other as adults went about their chores. Everything drew her attention at once. Eager as she was to explore the town, she had something important to do first.

Further she walked until she came upon the front gates of the castle. Its size from before paled in comparison to standing directly in front of it. The towers seemed to stretch towards the heavens as birds circled around them. Guards, servants, and courtiers mingled about. Taking one final deep breath, Merlyn hoisted the skirt of her green dress and continued on to the main gate.

Loud horns sounded as a crowd began forming in the center of the square. Curious, Merlyn picked up her pace. On a large platform was a man on his knees, tired and ragged. He stared out into the crowd, resigned to his fate as an executioner, dressed in black and his face hidden to protect his identity, stood by with an axe as tall as him.

Up on a balcony stood a man that could only be the king of Camelot. His gilded crown rested upon his head. Powerful and commanding, he gazed down at the poor man. Draped in the color of his kingdom, he turned his attention away from the man and towards the crowd.

“Let this serve as a lesson to all,” he said, his voice booming over the crowd. Everyone fell silent, leaning back slightly from the King’s balcony. “This man,” he continued, pointing down, “Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death.”

Merlyn clutched the strap of her bag with one hand, using the other to fiddle with the hem of her sleeve around her wrist. She bent her head, keeping her eyes on the ground.

“I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass.” He nodded his head, and the executioner began moving, pushing Thomas Collins head down on the wooden block.

Merlyn’s breath quickened as she turned her head away from the sight to avoid accidentally looking up. Her eyes traveled up one of the walls to see a girl, close to her age, peeking out one of the windows. Sorrow covered her face as she, too, turned her head away from the horrific and grisly sight. The drums and horns continued playing before a loud gasp overtook the crowd. The deed was done.

“When I came to this land,” Uther continued, “this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the people's help magic was driven from the realm.” His demeanor shifted to a cheerier one as he looked over the crowd. The executioner was shoving Thomas Collins' body off the platform. Merlyn swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. “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 celebrations begin.”

He had yet to fully turn around and the crowd had barely parted before a loud wailing captured everyone’s attention once more. An old and haggard woman cried as she reached towards the dead man. The crowd moved away, giving him a clear view of her.

“There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you!” she cried. “With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son!” Merlyn’s hands flew to her mouth. Her heart beat in sympathy for the poor old woman. To have watched such a cruel fate for someone she loved so dear-- it must have been worse than death itself. “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 son for a son.”

Her words struck a cord deep within Uther Pendragon. His face turned red as his fists clenched at his side and his nostrils flared. He took a menacing step forward, raising a finger at her.

“Seize her!” Try as they might have, it was no use. She clutched something around her neck and chanted a spell. The guards were almost upon her when she disappeared in a whirl of smoke and wind, leaving nothing but her haunting words as proof she was ever even there.

Frazzled and unsettled, the crowd quickly dispersed, muttering to each other. Merlyn looked towards the window, but the girl was gone. She gripped the straps of her bag a little tighter, letting out a shaky breath as she made her way towards a side entrance of the castle. She stopped by two guards, asking for directions to the court physician’s chambers. One pointed the way and she continued on.

She climbed the stone stairs, green skirt balled in her hand as she followed the directional boards pointing her to her desired location. Once she reached the chamber door, she gave a quick knock before giving it a slight push and calling out.

There wasn’t a response so she stepped in further, looking around. Books and papers covered almost every surface imaginable. Herbs and bottles full of colorful liquids sat over fires and in jars littered about.

“Hello? Gaius?” she called. Still, she was met with silence. Stepping further into the room, she found whom she assumed was the man she was looking for above her, searching a bookshelf. He had white hair that brushed his shoulders as he flipped through a particular book. She cleared her throat to gather his attention. He jerked around and lost his balance, breaking the railing behind him and falling backwards.

Panicked, Merlyn watched as time seemed to slow around her. The familiar warmth of her magic spread through her, her eyes turning to a glowing shade of gold as she searched around the room. A bed tucked away in a corner caught her eye, and she willed it to move itself beneath the man as he continued falling in slow motion.

Once the bed was securely under him, the warm feeling left her and time sped up once more. The man fell onto the bed, letting out a loud yell. Merlyn released the breath she’d been holding as the man looked around confused.

“I--What did you just do?” he asked, pulling himself from the bed. Her mouth ran dry as she took a couple steps back. Words failed her as he stared at her expectantly. The court physician, Gaius, was a shorter man with a slightly uneven face. She stared down at him with her mouth gaping. “Tell me!”

“I-- I-- I have no idea what happened,” she stuttered out.

“If anyone had seen that--”

“Er, no! That-- that was, that was nothing to do with me. That-- that was--” Once again, words failed her as she stared hopelessly at him.

“I know what it was! I just want to know where you learned how to do it!” he said. She shook her head, shrugging her shoulders and stuttering out more incoherent responses. “So how is it you know magic?”

“I don't.” She took slow and careful steps backwards.

“Where did you study?” He ignored her responses, waiting to hear what he wanted. “Answer me!”

“I-- I've never studied magic or, or been taught.”

“Are you lying to me, girl?”

“What do you want me to say?” Merlyn cried, exasperated.

“The truth!”

“I was born like this!”

“That's impossible!” Gaius shouted. Merlyn shook her head, looking down at the floor. There was a brief pause between them. “Who are you?” he finally asked. She slipped off her bag, pulling out a letter and handing it to him. “I-- I don’t have my glasses.”

“I’m Merlyn.”

“Hunith’s daughter?” He seemed shocked by her answer. She nodded, scuffing her shoe against the floor. “But you’re not meant to be here till Wednesday.” She scrunched her face slightly, tilting her head.

“It is Wednesday.”

“Ah. Right then.” He nodded his head. “You better put your bag in there.” He pointed to the door behind him. She nodded her head, holding her bag close as she stepped past him. She paused at the door, turning to look at him.

“You-- you won't say anything about, erm…” She nodded her head towards the bed and the debris from his fall.

“No.” He followed her gaze before looking back. “Although Merlyn, I should say, ‘thank you.’” He gave her a small smile. She bowed her head before continuing into her new room.

She closed the door behind her, letting her bag drop to the floor. She rested her forehead against the door, letting out a sigh. Night had almost completely fallen when she took a peek out the window. The flames from candles illuminated the windows of the lower town and she let out a small gasp. The city looked magical from this angle. Looking back at her new room, she found it to be luxurious compared to her room at home.

Home. She missed it already, especially her mother. She hadn’t wanted to leave, but her mother insisted, saying Camelot would provide her with better opportunities and would be a safer place for her. Maybe her mother was right, but after what happened in the square, she questioned her mother’s jugement. She was at a greater risk here than she was back home. At least in Ealdor, they weren’t under Uther’s reign.

She let out a yawn, the toll of her journey finally catching up to her. She pushed herself from the window, slipping into her nightgown and turning in for an early night.

Outside of her room, Gaius sat by his own bed, his glasses hanging on the tip of his nose. Hunith’s letter in his hand.

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 child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlyn were not so. Ours is a small village and she is so clearly at odds with people here that, if she were to remain, I fear what would become of her. She needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help her find a purpose for her gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her daughter, keep her safe, and may God save you both.

Love,

Hunith

Gaius set the letter down and removed his glasses. He turned his head towards Merlyn’s room. So much potential for a pupil untaught. So much trouble for a girl so young. So many burdens on a child. He folded the letter back up, pondering his future, along with Merlyn’s.

***

In another part of the castle, the Lady Morgana, the girl whom Merlyn had seen, stared out another window. The execution block was still the main square. Hard as they tried to clean it, she could still make out the blood stains in the grooves of the wood. The ax falling and the woman’s screams echoed in her mind as someone called out to her.

Uther Pendragon, her guardian, was walking towards her. His cape billowed behind him as he approached her. He seemed troubled and greatly disappointed. She said nothing and turned her head back towards the window.

“What is this? Why are you not joining us at the feast?” he inquired. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and sneer as they came face to face.

“I just don’t think chopping off someone’s head is cause for celebration,” she spat. She turned to look back out the window, her face softening. “That poor mother.”

“It was simple justice for what he’d done,” he said, dismissing her words. She turned to look back at him, her brows furrowed.

“To whom? He practiced some magic, he didn't hurt anyone.”

“You were not around twenty years ago, you have no idea what it was like,” Uther told her. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?”

“Until they realize there is no room for magic in my kingdom! You will be with me when I greet Lady Helen.” He turned away from her, heading back towards the feast as courtiers cheered and laughed with one another.

“I told you! I want no part in these celebrations!” she called after him. She wished he didn’t dismiss her so readily. He whirled back around, moving to look down upon her. She took a half step back, her hand coming into contact with the wall.

“I am your guardian!” he shouted. He looked back to the celebration before lowering his voice. “I expect you to do as I ask. If you show me no respect, at least respect our finest singer.” He said nothing more to her before marching away.

“You know, the more brutal you are, the more enemies you will create!” she called after him, watching as he disappeared back into the pantry. She let out a scoff, turning to look back out to the main square. Justice indeed.

***

A voice calling to her woke Merlyn up the next morning. She could have sworn there was somebody in the room. The voice had been floating around in her head. Yet as she looked around, she found nobody. She sat up slowly, stretching her arms above her head as sunlight filtered through the window. She let out a deep sigh as she slid out of the bed.

She rummaged through her bag until she found her mauve dress. It had an over skirt that was a slightly darker shade of the mauve with vertical stripes. She carefully laced her corset before securing it to fit her snug. She pinned the front few locks of her hair back away from her face.

She opened her bedroom door to where Gaius was up and about, standing over a pot of what she hoped was breakfast. She hadn’t eaten anything since her journey yesterday and she was positive her stomach was beginning to collapse on itself.

“I got you water. You didn’t wash last night,” Gaius said, motioning to the bucket teetering dangerously close to the edge of the table. She mumbled her apologies, nudging the bucket away from the edge. “Help yourself to some breakfast.” He placed a bowl of porridge in front of her and she wasted no time diving in.

The porridge was simultaneously watery and unnecessarily thick, but she knew beggars couldn’t be choosers. She’d barely made a dent in the bowl, however, before he had intentionally knocked over the bucket of water.

She jumped to feet without a thought, reaching for the bucket as the same warmth from yesterday began flowing through her. Her eyes took on their golden hue, and the bucket stopped mid-air. He let out a gasp and turned to gawk at her. As quick as it came, the warm feeling left her and the bucket fell to the ground, spilling the water everywhere. She jumped back, switching between gawking at him and the water as he continuously gasped.

“How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?” he asked.

“I don’t know any spells.” She looked around for something to clean the water up with, taking a couple steps back.

“So what did you do? There must be something.” His eyes practically begged her for an answer she couldn’t give. She turned her head away, moving to grab a nearby mop.

“It just happens.” She began soaking up the water, keeping her head bent as he moved around her.

“Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You can help me until I find some paid work for you. Here.” He placed a small sack and a vile full of bright, yellow liquid 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.”

“Okay.” She nodded her head, mopping up the rest of the water.

“And here.” He handed her a plate with a sandwich on it. She offered him a smile, trading the mop for the plate. He returned her smile with a small one, jerking his head towards the door. “Off you go.” She was almost to the door when he called out for her once more. “And Merlyn, I need hardly tell you that the practice of any form of enchantments will get you killed.” She nodded her head before leaving to complete her first tasks.

With only two tasks for the day, Merlyn saw no harm in taking her time to complete them. After all, it was her first time in Camelot, let alone the castle. Who could blame her for taking longer than usual?

She shoved her food into her mouth as she made her way into the square. The execution block was gone and servants and courtiers alike mingled about in the main square, the unpleasantness of yesterday far from their minds.

Her search for Sir Olwin was a short one thanks to the helpful and slightly flirtatious guards. His family crest, which depicted an eagle on a yellow background, hung just outside his door. She gave the door a quick rap.

An old man, presumably Sir Olwin, answered the door. He was bald at the top of his head, and she wondered briefly if it hurt for him to squint so hard to see. Nonetheless, she gave him a big smile.

“I brought you your medicine,” she told him, holding the vile out for him. He stuck his hand out, a gummy smile on his face. She brought her mouth into a thin line, grabbing his wrist and placing the vile in his hand. He popped the cork off and immediately went to do the very thing Gaius did not want him to do. She placed her hand over the top, stopping him from chugging it. “Gaius said not to take it all at once.”

He nodded his head and only took a small sip. She let out a satisfied smile before wandering off to enjoy the rest of her day.

She decided to venture outside the castle, to see what else the castle had to offer. Servants mingled about as she crossed a drawbridge that led to an open field where several strapping young men were standing.

Merlyn noticed a particular group staring at a servant boy, elbowing each other and laughing as they stared at the boy. A blonde male stepped to the front, looking down at the boy.

She took notice to one particular group staring at a serving boy, elbowing each other and laughing as one of their friends talked to him. His blonde hair looked like the sun and his jaw was square and firm. Not even the metal plating could hide the tense muscles of his arms. Yes, Merlyn found him quite attractive. Objectively speaking.

“Where’s the target?” All attractive features left her mind as the most pompous tone of voice, she’d ever heard mind you, had left the man’s mouth. His friends laughed as if he’d said the funniest thing in the world. She slowed her pace, listening and watching carefully.

“There, Sir?” the boy said. She couldn’t see much of him, seeing as his back was turned to her, but she could see his shaggy brown hair and that he was holding a rather large shield piled with knightly things.

“It's into the sun.” The blonde gestured to it, looking at him expectantly. His friends were still laughing.

“But, it's not that bright.” The boy looked up to the sky.

“A bit like you, then?” the man said. He and his friends, looking to one another with obnoxious smirks. Merlyn rolled her eyes. It appeared it didn’t matter where you lived, there was one universal fact of the world, boys had no sense of humor.

“I’ll put the target on the other end, shall I, Sir?” There was a clear sound of annoyance in his voice that let her know this was not the first time he’d been through something like this. She gave kudos to him for sticking it out.

The blonde went back to his friends as the servant went to move the target towards the wall, making sure it wasn’t facing the sun. His friends were nudging him and muttering things she couldn’t quite hear. As they continued to laugh and point, she narrowed her eyes.

“Hey! Hang on!”

The blonde had thrown a dagger into the target, hitting it almost center. He opened his arms, looking at the servant expectantly. “Don't stop!” the man said, laughing.

“Here?” he asked. The boy took a few more steps.

“I told you to keep moving!” He threw another dagger. The servant barely had time to lift it up before the dagger landed in the center perfectly. He let the target fall so he could see where it had landed, terror on his face. “Come on! Run!” The boy began shuffling his feet, running back and forth and hoping the blonde didn’t feel like “accidentally” missing. The blonde, and his friends, were amused, laughing as the poor boy tried, and failed, to carry the large target. “We want moving target practice!”

To his credit, the blonde had very good aim, but that was still no way to treat someone, and Merlyn felt her blood boiling over watching such blatant disrespect. Eventually the servant tripped over his feet, the target rolling from his grasp and landing at her feet.

When it came to a stop at her feet, she lifted her skirt from the ground, placing her foot on it as the boy almost crawled to get it. He looked up at her in awe and shock. She offered him a small smile, offering her hand to help him up. He took it graciously, mouth still hanging open as he stepped away from her.

I think that’s quite enough,” she said, stepping off the target.

“What?” The man’s tone was sharp as he turned to look at her, equally as shocked to see a girl standing there with his servant.

“I think you’ve had your fun, my friend.” She tried to keep her voice light and airy, not trying to cause too big of waves on her first day. But to hell if she was going to let someone be treated like dirt for sport.

“Do I know you?” he asked, approaching her and leaving his friends to stand back.

“I'm Merlyn,” she said, offering her hand.

“So I don't know you.” He turned his face away, looking off towards the distance.

“No.” She let her hand drop.

“Yet you called me ‘friend’.” The man didn’t let her say more before he was talking over her, looking down his nose and staring into the bright blue eyes of this random girl he knew he’d never seen before.

“That was my mistake.” She gave a soft and resigned sigh.

“Yes, I think so.” And there he went with his obnoxious, self-absorbed tone.

She would have been perfectly content on biting her tongue and excusing herself. She would have let his snobbery at her and his disregard for his servants go had he just let her finish speaking. But in that moment, she just wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.

“Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass.” The man was certainly shocked to hear such language from a girl. She found herself satisfied enough to leave him speechless and began walking away. He did not share those sentiments.

“Or I one who could be so stupid.” he called after her. She stopped in her tracks, biting her tongue. “Tell me, Mer-lyn, do you know how to walk on your knees?” He approached her as she turned her head over her shoulder, an unreadable expression on her face.

“No.”

“Would you like me to help you?” There was a devilish look behind his boyish smile, and it made her skin crawl.

“I wouldn't if I were you,” she warned. She turned back around to fully face him as he made his way towards her.

“Why? What are you going to do to me?”

“You have no idea.”

The man laughed, genuinely laughed, in her face. She’d met her fair share of men who thought themselves above everyone, women especially, but there was something about this particular prat that set her anger ablaze.

“Be my guest!” he taunted. He opened his arms, taking a step back. He was looking around, and that was when she noticed the other servants had stopped their chores to watch their exchange. “Come on! Come on! Come oooooon.” He leant forward slightly, giving her a stupid wide-eyed grin.

His taunts made something inside her snap, and against her better judgement, she took a swing. He easily dodged it, grabbing her wrist and twirling her around before he pulled her flush against his chest, holding her hand above their heads. She let out a huff, glaring into those stupid clear blue eyes, thinking he was so great because he missed a punch from a girl.

“I could have you thrown in jail for that.”

“What, who do you think you are? The King?” She let out a scoff, rolling her eyes. She struggled against his grip, using her free hand to try and push him away. He grabbed her other wrist and spun her around with ease, locking her arms behind her. He bent his head down, his mouth brushing the shell of her ear.

“No. I'm his son, Arthur.” He nodded towards two guards who came and grabbed her, dragging her from him. He watched as she went with them peacefully, noting them being a lot gentler than they normally would. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious about the daring stranger, but he found no reason to dwell on someone so insignificant to him.

The guards led Merlyn down to the dungeons. They led her inside a cell and locked her in. She sank to the floor, sitting on the hay as the guards left her alone with nothing more than the distant light from the torches. She let out a deep sigh, resting her head in her hand. Gaius was going to be furious with her.

She brought her knees to her chin. It wasn’t too cold in the dungeon, but she knew she’d miss her room and bed come nightfall. Of course the first person she fought with was the prince of Camelot. She let out another deep sigh. She was in for a long night.

***

In the throne room, Lady Morgana stood patiently as she, Uther, and some other courtiers waited for the arrival of Lady Helen. Her maid, a young and beautiful girl named Guinevere, quickly made her way to her side. Her brown curls sat in a knot behind her head, and there was a playful glint in her eyes as she leant forward slightly.

“My Lady, I have something to tell you,” she whispered. Morgana turned her head slightly, eager to hear what she had to say. Gwen relayd what she had witnessed earlier that day: the fight between Arthur and the beautiful stranger with dark hair and pale skin. Morgana did her best to keep her face neutral, but she couldn’t prevent the quirk of her mouth or how her face brightened.

She hadn’t a chance for a clever response before the doors were opened and a beautiful woman in a purple gown came through, her heels echoing throughout the room with each step against the floor. She gave Uther a coy smile.

“Lady Helen. Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations,” he said. He stood from his chair, stepping down from his dais to greet her.

“The pleasure's all mine,” she told him. She gave him a brief curtsey.

“How was your journey?”

“Oh, the time it took, Sire.”

“Well, it's always worth the wait,” he assured her. He pressed the back of both her hands to mouth, and Morgana resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the action.

“It will be.” Lady Helen reached down to take her necklace in her hand. She gave him a polite, albeit slightly strained, smile.

***

A deep voice calling to Merlyn pulled her from her slumber. She propped herself up, saddened that she found herself in a cell instead of her room. The voice called to her again-- louder. She scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over her skirt. She backed away from her makeshift bed. The voice continued to call to her-- beckoning her back to it. Slowly she crouched down, pressing her ear towards the floor.

“Merlyn!”

She sat back on her heels, turning to face the cell door. One of the guards opened the door as a livid Gaius stepped in. She stood quickly, collapsing her hands in front of her. She bent her head as he let out a sigh.

“You never cease to amaze me!” he yelled. “The one thing that someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot.”

“I'm sorry.”

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

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” She gave him a big grin, running to give him a big hug. He patted her back, then pulled away to give her a pointed look. She straightened herself out, but didn’t stop grinning. “I won't forget this.”

“You better not.” He jerked his head towards the door. “Now go clean up.”

Merlyn took her time washing, making sure to clean away the dirt from her hair. The sun was filtering through her room as she sank down into the basin. The voice echoed in the back of her mind. In a passing thought, she’d thought maybe it was a memory of her father, but she dismissed the thought. Her father had never been in life.

She shook the thoughts from her head, pulling herself out of the bath. She pulled on her peach pink dress with the ruffled bodice and grabbed her beige shawl, wrapping it tight around her arms. While not freezing, the warm weather was making a swift exit for the end of fall.

She decided to explore the lower town since that prat Prince Arthur ruined her plans yesterday. Gaius went with her, showing her his route and letting her explore as he talked with his patients. As they were walking, a young girl around Merlyn’s age stopped her. She wore a faded red dress with a red cloak tied securely around her. Gaius continued on without her.

“I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen,” she said. “I'm the Lady Morgana's maid.”

“Right. I'm Merlyn.” The two of them shook hands. Merlyn stood there awkwardly, running her hands down the length of her skirt.

“I saw what you did yesterday. It was so brave,” Gwen said.

“It was stupid,” she mumbled. She looked back towards the castle, giving an empty laugh.

“Well, I'm glad you walked away,” Gwen said. “You weren't going to beat him.”

“Oh, I-- I can beat him.” Merlyn let out a snort, nodding her defiantly.

“You think?” Gwen said, scrunching up her nose. “You are a girl.”

“Thanks?”

“No! No, I'm sure you're stronger than you look,” Gwen assured Merlyn. “It's just, erm…” She glanced down at her hands, fiddling with the sleeve. “Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save the world kind of men, and... well…”

“What?”

“You don't look like that.” She gestured to Merlyn’s dress, and the latter gave a resigned nod. She laughed, bending forward. “Well, it's great you stood up to him.”

“You think so?” Merlyn grinned bashfully.

“Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero.”Gwen nodded, looking at the castle. She gestured towards the people who were looking at Merlyn and whispering excitedly.

“Oh, yeah?”

***

Later in the evening, Merlyn and Gaius sat down for a nice dinner together. Merlyn had had a fairly calm and uneventful day, and after spending some time with Gwen around the castle, she felt she’d actually made a friend.

“Do you want some vegetables with that?” The question was innocent enough, but his tone was sharp. She didn’t need magic to know what was going on inside his head. She laughed slightly, looking up at him from her seat.

“I know you’re still angry with me,” she said.

“Your mother asked me to look after you,” he said. She nodded her head, looking down at her stew. “What did your mother say to you about your gifts?”

“That I was special.” She shrugged, pulling lips into a thin line.

“You are special,” he agreed. “The likes of which I have never seen before.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, setting down her spoon.

“Well,” he tilted his head slightly, searching for the right words to say, “magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What I saw you do was... elemental, instinctive.”

“What's the point if it can't be used?” She rolled her eyes, looking back down at her food.

“That I do not know. You are a question that has never been posed before, Merlyn.”

She sat there for a moment, then looked up with narrowed eyes. “Did you ever study magic?” she asked. He paused, seemingly unsure how to answer, which gave her his answer.

“Uther banned all such work twenty years ago,” he finally said.

“Why?” She frowned slightly, causing him to let out a sigh.

“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.” Her eyes grew wide. She had heard of them, sure, but she never thought that they’d actually been real. At least now she knew why she’d only ever heard of them.

“What? All of them?”

“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,” he said. Something clicked inside Merlyn’s brain. She thought back to that morning, the voice she’d heard. The one she could have sworn was coming from deep beneath the dungeons.

“Now, eat up,” Gaius said, pulling her from her thoughts. “When you've finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice.” She nodded, diving into her food.

Once she finished her lunch, she made her way through the winding stairs and endless halls of the castle. How anyone managed to remember where anything was astounded her. She lost her way several times, but she eventually found her way up a set of spiral stairs and across a balcony corridor to where Lady Helen was supposed to be staying.

She gave a rapid knock before letting herself in. The room was empty of people, but the amount of stuff had her jaw on the floor. Expensive and lavish drapes hung all over the room, detailed furniture pressed against the walls, a bed that Merlyn knew would be the most comfortable thing she’d ever lay on. The room was fit for a queen.

She set the bottle on the vanity table and was about to turn to leave, when she noticed a straw doll on the table. She picked the doll up, brows furrowing as she turned it this way and that. A strange thing for a lady to own. Even the girls in her home had dolls made of at least cloth.

She placed the doll back when she noticed a strange book tucked under a piece of cloth. She peeled the cloth back, tossed a quick glance over her shoulder, and picked the book up. The cover was detailed and ornate, but was tied shut by a piece of twine. She turned the book over in her hands, finding the same detailing on the back. Along the spine was what she assumed were inscriptions in a language she wasn’t familiar with.

A door opening started her. She quickly set the book back where it was, covering it and the doll with the cloth. She turned around just as a woman with long dark hair and fair skin stepped into the room. Her bright purple dress seemed to be made of the smoothest silk and it distracted Merlyn from the suspicious look on the woman’s face

“What are you doing in here?” she asked, looking around the room.

“An... I- I was asked to deliver this,” Merlyn stuttered out. She turned to pick up the bottle, missing the frightened look of the woman. She handed it to the woman and offered a small smile. The woman returned it with a strained one, and Merlyn made a swift exit.

She glanced back over her shoulder once she left the room, unsure what she was expecting to see. Something funny sat in the pit of her stomach as she hurried away, swarmed with her worries she couldn’t quite identify.

Too frazzled with her encounter with Lady Helen to deal with Gaius’ pestering, she went for a walk to calm her nerves. She kept her focus on the ground, barely making sure she didn’t run into anyone as she let herself be lost in thoughts.

She was so lost, she didn’t notice Arthur approaching from the other way, nor did she notice when his fellow knights pointed her out.

Arthur watched as she walked on the opposite side of the street, her brows furrowed with intense concentration, and he briefly wondered what could have her so focused. His friends jabbed him and poked him, urging him to do something. Never one to back down, he relented.

“How’s your knee-walking coming along?” His voice was enough to pull Merlyn from her thoughts, but not enough to stop her. She chose to continue walking, pretending she hadn’t heard him and praying he’d leave her alone. “Aw, don’t run away!” he called. That, did stop her.

“From you?” She kept her back to him, her temper running dangerously thin.

“Thank God.” He sighed. “I thought you were deaf as well as dumb.” She scoffed, running her tongue across her bottom lip.

“Look, I've told you you're an ass,” she said, turning around to face the smug bastard. “I just didn't realize you were a royal one.” His friends took a step towards her and she pursed her lips. “Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?”

Arthur laughed, causing his friends to laugh, albeit unsurely, behind him. He’d never admit her jab was genuinely funny, but he could play it off.

“I could take you apart with one blow,” he said, still smiling. His knight friends relaxed slightly, elbowing each other.

“I could take you apart with less than that,” she challenged. She was bluffing. He knew she was bluffing. And she knew he knew she was bluffing, but that wasn’t going to deter her or him. A small crowd had gathered around them once again, eager to see what would unfold.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth.”

“Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?” she inquired, feigning amazement. She even placed her hand over her chest to add effect.

“You can't address me like that.” He let out a snort, not as thrilled that his knights found that retort funny.

“I'm sorry. H-How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?” she asked again, giving another exaggerated expression, adding a little curtsy to the mix. “Pro-tip: bullying doesn’t earn you respect, just pity.” She turned around and walked away, pulling her shawl tight around her.

Arthur watched as she walked away, a perturbed grin on his face. He ran his tongue under his top teeth, opening his mouth to say something, when he felt a breeze where there shouldn’t have been one.

Loud gasps and laughter gave her pause. Her back still to him as a smile took over her face. She continued on, unbeknownst to her in that moment, Gaius had seen her little trick.

She had barely made it two steps into the Physician’s chambers when his voice boomed. “How could you be so foolish?!” She knew exactly what he was talking about and knew it would be fruitless to try and deny anything.

“He needed to be taught a lesson,” she said, pushing past him.

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

“What is there to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk!” She whirled around, angry tears beginning to pool in her eyes.

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

“I don't want to!” she screamed, the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. “If I can't use magic, what have I got?!” She quieted her voice, tears still falling down her face. “I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die.” The harsh secret had been spoken, and nothing said in the moment could change her feelings. She turned on her heel and ran into her room.

She slammed the door behind her and collapsed onto her bed. She curled into herself, letting the tears fall down her face as the weight of the past few days finally took their toll on the young girl. Barely sixteen, and yet the weight of the world deemed it vital to thrust itself upon her shoulders. She missed her home and she missed her mom. She wished deep down, with all her heart and all her might, that she didn’t have magic.

***

It was some time later when he entered Merlyn’s chambers. “Merlyn?” His voice was softer than it had been earlier.

She wasn’t sleeping, but she had long since run out of tears to cry. She laid staring at the flickering flame next to her bed, so deep in thought there was nothing left to think of.

“Sit up.” He sat next to her as she did so, handing her a cup of tea. He waited quietly as she took a few sips.

“You don't know why I was born like this, do you?” she asked softly, her voice slightly hoarse. She stared down into her cup, staring at her reflection in deep thought.

“No.”

“I'm not a monster, am I?” She tried to put on a smile, but he was having none of it. He reached over, gently taking her chin and forcing her to look him in the eye. His face was softer and his expression was almost sad as he stared into the eyes of a lost, young girl, so far from home.

“Don't ever think that,” he told her.

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

“Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me.”

“If you can't tell me, no one can.” She let out a sigh, turning back to look into her cup.

“Drink up,” he encouraged. “You’ll feel better.” He stared at her for a long time before giving her knee a gentle pat.

Late that night, after Gaius had fallen asleep and the moon had risen high in the sky, Merlyn found herself awake, staring into the darkness of her room. Despite the exhaustion from her cry earlier, sleep did not come easy for her. She found herself thinking of everything and nothing all at once.

Then from the depths of her mind, the voice that had been haunting her the past two nights once again called to her. She sat up in her bed, listening as the voice seemed to swarm around her and bounce around in her head. Having had enough, she flung the covers off of herself. She slipped on her shoes and pulled her black shawl tight around her. Her white nightgown would do nothing to protect her against the harsh wind.

She snuck out of her chambers, Gaius snoring filling her ears as she tiptoed through the chambers. He turned over in his sleep, startling her slightly. Quiet as a mouse, she lifted the covers and tucked him into bed, then made her exit.

She crossed the square and an eerie feeling fell over her. It was so quiet for a place she knew could be as loud and boisterous as the lower town. She hugged her shawl tighter around her, determined to make it to the dungeons-- where the voice had been the loudest.

She paused at the top of the stairs, peering over to see a couple of guards playing a dice game. She waited until one guard tossed the dice, then with gold eyes and warmth inside her, she jerked the dice off the table. She willed them away further and further, the guards chasing after them, and quickly grabbed a torch.

Behind where the guards had been sitting was a large tunnel with stairs that led down to a dark abyss. Louder and louder the voice grew, beckoning her down to where not even the rats dared to venture. The further she went, the colder it became and the scarier her surroundings grew. Carved stones laid in broken piles as she carefully stepped around them, her hand quivering slightly.

A chilling laugh echoed as she came to the ledge of the tunnel. She peered over the edge, stretching her torch as far as she could without dropping it. Yet all she could see was the damp, cold cave that stretched forever up and forever down. There was nothing around to indicate where the voice was coming from.

“Where are you?” she called.

Loud flapping and a low growl filled the cave. She peered over the ledge, watching a magnificent and horrifying creature-- a dragon-- burst from below, sending her stumbling backwards. He hand flew to her mouth as the beast, with scales as gold as its beady eyes, landed on the perch across from her. Her eyes were wide as she stared.

“I'm here!” it said. Gaius had been right. Uther really had trapped a dragon beneath the castle. How he managed to do so, she didn’t dare to venture. “How small you are for such a great destiny.” She furrowed her brows.

“Why? What do you mean? What destiny?” She furrowed her brows, taking cautious steps forward. She couldn’t bring herself to blink as the dragon stared down from a great height.

“Your gift, Merlyn, was given to you for a reason,” the Great Dragon said. He readjusted himself, relaxing as best he could on the jagged rock. Merlyn stood up straight, moving closer to fully take in the dragon, and what it had to say.

“So there is a reason,” she said. A small smile took over her face as she inched closer, eager for an explanation.

He gave a brief chuckle at her eagerness. “Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion.”

“Right.” She raised a brow.

“But he faces many threats from friend and foe alike.”

“I don't see what this has to do with me.”

“Everything,” the dragon said. “Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion.”

“No. No, you've got this wrong.” Merlyn shook her head, drawing her mouth into a thin line.

“There is no right or wrong, only what is and what isn't.”

“But I'm serious! If anyone wants to go and kill him, they can go ahead. In fact, I'll give them a hand,” she said.

The Great Dragon laughed, looking down at her with keen interest. “None of us can choose our destiny, Merlyn, and none of us can escape it.”

“No. No way. No. No. There must be another Arthur because this one's an idiot,” she argued.

“Perhaps it's your destiny to change that,” he said. He braced himself against the rock before launching himself in the air, disappearing from view once more.

“Wait! Wait! Wait, stop! No, I- I need to know more!” she called. She made her way to the edge, looking after him. Whether the Great Dragon heard her or not, he did not come back, and while she was happy her magic was hers for a reason, that reason was the last thing she wanted.

The next morning, after a fitful sleep filled with dreams of spoiled princes and mighty dragons, Merlyn was awoken by Gaius yelling. She startled awake, her hair an unseemly mess as a blurry vision of Gaius stood before her.

“Oi! Have you seen the state of this room?!” he said.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking around the room. Shoes and gowns and papers had been tossed around from her pacing in the late hours, thinking about what the Great Dragon had told her. Of course, she couldn’t tell him this, not without receiving a lecture for it.

“It just happens,” she suggested with a shrug.

“By magic?” She gave another shrug, letting out a yawn. “Yes. Well, you can clear it up without magic. And then I want you to get me some herbs: henbane, wormwood, and sorrel. And deliver this to Morgana. Poor girl's suffering from nightmares.” He placed a pouch at the foot of her bed, turning to leave. As she reached for the pouch, he threw one of her gowns at her before stepping out of the room.

“Mmm, I know the feeling,” she mumbled, falling back in her bed.

She pulled on her red lace gown with bell sleeves and pinned the upper strands of her hair away from her face. Once she had some breakfast, she made her way towards the Griffin Landing where the Lady Morgana’s chambers were. She was slowly becoming familiar with the castle, and she was glad for it.

The door was ajar and she stepped through, surprised to see the girl from the window of her first day in Camelot was Lady Morgana. She stood in front of a mirror, fixing her hair. Merlyn cleared her throat, capturing her attention. Lady Morgana frowned.

“You’re not Gwen,” she said.

“I’m, uh, I’m a friend of Gwen’s. I’ve come to bring this to you, from Gaius.” She handed the bottle to Lady Morgana. Morgana gave her a gracious smile, setting the bottle on a nearby table. “I’m Merlyn.”

“Gwen told me about you and your little encounter with Arthur.” Lady Morgana pulled her head back slightly, a face breaking out into a grin. Merlyn pulled her mouth into a thin line, looking down at the floor with tinted cheeks. “Not that I blame you,” she continued. “I wouldn’t touch him with a lance pole.”

Merlyn let out a snort. She found she liked Lady Morgana, even if they’d only known each other a mere three minutes.

“I mean, the man's a total jester. And just because I'm the King's ward, that doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast, does it?” She gave Merlyn a pointed stare to which the latter merely shook her head. “If he wants me to go, then he should invite me, and he hasn't.”

“You could always go by yourself,” Merlyn suggested.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” she laughed.

“Merlyn.” Merlyn and Lady Morgana turned to see Gwen entering. “I see you’ve met the Lady Morgana.” Merlyn nodded.

“While it’s been a pleasure my lady, I’m afraid I have other errands to run for Gaius. Good luck with the feast and Arthur though.” Merlyn gave her a quick curtsy before scurrying out the door. She had heard enough about Arthur for a lifetime. She wouldn’t mind if she never saw his face again.

Lady Morgana turned to Gwen, a coy smile on her face. She held up two gowns nearby, looking at both of them. She placed a dark blue one up to her, staring thoughtfully into the mirror.

“So, Gwen, it's whether I wear this little tease…” She placed a maroon gown up to her, giving herself a little twirl before looking over to Gwen. “Or give them a night they'll really remember.”

Gwen gave her a little laugh, folding her hands together as she began helping her get ready for the feast.

Later that night, the members of the court had gathered in the Banquet Hall for the final feast of the celebrations. Merlyn hadn’t done much with herself in preparation for the feast. Afterall, she wasn’t a guest. Besides that, she’d been running errands for Gaius nonstop all day-- a ploy by him to keep her out of trouble.

The Banquet Hall was beautiful with all the candles and tapestries and gilded plates and cutlery. Uther had taken the banishment of magic as a serious celebration, and the decorations did a fantastic job of showing it.

Across the way, she heard her name mentioned. She turned her head and found Arthur standing with his group of friends, laughing as he, incorrectly, recounted their run-ins. She rolled her eyes glaring in his direction. He turned slightly and took pause, his mouth falling open slightly and his story dying off, along with his friends’ laughter.

“God have mercy.”

She turned and followed his gaze towards Lady Morgana who, to both their credits, looked absolutely stunning. Her maroon dress exposed her shoulders and arms, and with her hair pinned away from her face and off her neck, she was every bit alluring as noble ladies were meant to be, and Merlyn couldn’t blame his attraction. Though he could stand to be more subtle.

“Merlyn. Remember, you're here to work,” Gaius reminded her. She nodded. Gaius wandered away as Arthur abandoned his friends to chase after Lady Morgana. She watched in disdain as he attempted to garner her attention, but Morgana shot her a coy smile before turning her attention back to Arthur.

“She looks great, doesn't she?” Gwen sidled up next to her, proud of the work she’d put into Morgana’s appearance. Much like Merlyn, she hadn’t put much effort into herself. “Some people are just born to be queen.”

“No!” She hadn’t meant to say that so loud, but the thought of that sweet girl, or any girl for that matter, being saddled with him sounded worse than any prophecy about keeping him alive.

“I hope so. One day.” Both girls turned to look back at them, Merlyn with a disgruntled look and Gwen with a smile. “Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?” Gwen scrunched her face at the thought.

“Oh, come on, Gwen.” Merlyn gave a chuckle. “I thought you liked those real rough, tough, save the world kind of men,” she said.

“No, I like much more ordinary men.” Gwen laughed, shaking her head. Merlyn nodded, not buying her words for one second. The pair continued to watch Arthur and Morgana before Merlyn shook her head.

“Poor Morgana.”

The celebratory horns blared, and everyone went to find their seats. Merlyn pressed herself against a wall, watching with great amusement as Morgana quickly left Arthur to take her seat. Everyone bowed as Uther made his entrance, his gold circlet resting around his head. He turned to face the courtiers, a genuine smile on his face.

“We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity,” he said. “It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honor of introducing Lady Helen of Mora.”

Everyone applauded as the woman she’d met the day before stepped onto the mini platform. Once Uther was seated everyone else followed suit. A lovely song began playing and Lady Helen began singing in a language she didn’t understand. Nonetheless, her voice was beautiful and she felt her heart steady as she sang.

As Lady Helen slowly made her way off the stage and towards Uther, Merlyn began noticing that everyone was nodding off. Morris beside her stumbled into the wall before sliding down. The courtiers, Gaius included, were resting their heads on tables and slumping back into their seats.

She quickly placed her hands over her ears, lest she too fall victim to Lady Helen’s spell. As she continued to sing, cobwebs began forming over the sleeping people and the candles blew out, leaving them in a cold darkness. As her song reached its crescendo, Merlyn realized she wasn’t staring at Uther, rather, at Arthur.

Panic struck Merlyn as Lady Helen pulled a dagger from her sleeve, raising it above her head. Merlyn followed the dagger up and saw the chandelier hanging above her. There was only one she wanted then.

The chang holding the chandelier snapped, and it came crashing to the ground, knocking her to the floor and ending her song spell.

Merlyn let her hands fall from her ears as the courtiers slowly began waking, muttering and pulling the cobwebs off themselves. Uther stood from his seat, clearly dazed, and peered over the table.

Lady Helen was not who she appeared to be. She was, in fact, the old woman from the main square-- the one whose son had been executed by Uther. Arthur stood too, pulling the webs from himself as he stared down in bewilderment. Gasps rippled through the guests as she took the dagger that was still clutched in her bony hand and threw it at Arthur.

Never one for thoughts before actions, Merlyn felt time slow down as she picked her skirt up and ran towards Arthur. Pompous as he was, arrogant and self-centered as he could be, he did not deserve to die over his father’s actions. She dropped her skirt to grab his shoulders, pulling him from where he stood stunned. The pair fell to the ground, landing beside each other as the dagger went through his chair.

Unsuccessful with no chance at a second try, the old woman collapsed from her injuries, joining her son in the afterlife. Arthur sat up straight, staring at the dagger in utter shock. Merlyn let out a breath, pulling herself up. She reached down to offer her hand to him, who took it while he continued staring at the dagger.

“You saved my boy's life,” Uther said. She dropped into a quick curtsy. He made his way to stand by Arthur’s side, looking overjoyed to see his son alive. “A debt must be repaid.” She shook her head, keeping her head bowed. “Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded.”

“No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Majesty,” she insisted. King Uther waved her comments.

“No, absolutely. This merits something quite special,” he said. She gave him a smile, her cheeks tinting pink as she turned to look at Gaius. “You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's maidservant.”

“Father!” The court clapped loudly as the smile ran from her face. She turned to see Gwen giving her a pity smile as she clapped. Everyone stood as Arthur and Merlyn looked at each other before turning away. This seemed to be more of a punishment than a reward.

Later that night, she sat at her desk, staring into the flame of a candle. Her thoughts traveled long and far, and yet the answers she sought remained just out of her grasp. The Great Dragon’s words bounced in her mind as did the feeling of looming doom.

There was a knock on her door before Gaius came in. He gave her a smile, holding a red bundle in his hands. “Seems you're a hero,” he said.

“Hard to believe, isn't it?” She gave a snort.

“No. I knew it from the moment I met you. When you saved my life, remember?”

“But...that was magic,” she said, giving him an incredulous look. There was a glint in his eye that told her he knew something she didn’t.

“And now, it seems, we finally found a use for it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I saw how you saved Arthur's life.” She shook her head. “Perhaps that's its purpose.”

“My destiny.” She let out a sigh, looking at the flame once more.

“Indeed.” He unwrapped the bundle he was holding, sliding an old, leather book bursting at the seams with loose pages. “This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be of more use to you than it was to me.”

She took the book, unlatching it to peek inside. There were pages upon pages of what looked like writing much like the type she had seen in Lady Helen’s room. Her mouth fell open as what was in her hands dawned on her.

“But this is a book of magic,” she said, looking over to him.

“Which is why you must keep it hidden.”

“I will study every word.” She threw her arms around him. She glanced back down at the book with a grin.

There was a faint knocking at the main door, followed by a voice, “Merlyn, Prince Arthur wants you right away.” Gaius turned back to her, giving her a smile.

“Your destiny's calling. You'd better find out what he wants.” She rolled her eyes, setting the book down. She glanced up at him, giving him another smile and hug before leaving to see what Arthur could possibly want at this hour.

[oneirataxia-girl]

Lmao sorry, I was reading something else while also sending an ask and got mixed up. Cute character ask game + Lynelda

ahhh np np!! everyone makes mistakes <33 here's my dragon girlie Lynelda!! tagging fellow bbc merlin girlie @supermarine-silvally as well!

under a cut bc it’s long af

the basics

name: Lynelda

age: 17 at the start of BBC Merlin season 1

zodiac sign: cancer

one good trait: nurturing

one bad trait: temperamental

habits

one bad habit: gets upset if things aren't going as well as they should

one good habit: says her pleases and thank yous

one habit they can’t break: baking when she’s stressed

one they’ve broken: throwing grumpy fits whenever something doesn't go her way

what they’re afraid of: getting caught using magic, losing her friends (Merlin particularly), drowning

family

their parents names: Lynelda doesn't remember her birth parents, but her adopted mother is Mary Collins

their siblings names: her adopted brother's name is Thomas Collins!

favorite childhood memory: learning how to make the fire dance with Mary

favorite childhood toy: a doll that's been patched up too many times to have any resemblance to its original form

embarrassing story: Lynelda cannot swim, but after a dare from Thomas, she lept into the Lake of Avalon without a second thought, then had to be dragged out hissing and spitting like a drowned cat

favorite family member: Mary, since as a little sister she refuses to acknowledge that she likes Thomas

a story about that family member: Thomas was always worried that someone would find out about Mary or Lynelda's magic. in some twisted way, it's ironic that he was the one convicted of using witchcraft -- and it's not even because he could do it, it was because a noble's son had a grudge against him

what they prefer

coffee or tea? coffee (if it existed in medieval times)

showering in the day or night? day, because nights are usually spent working in the tavern until the wee hours of the next morning

taking baths or taking showers? baths (I don't think they're showering in medieval times, I could be wrong tho)

tv or movies? movies

writing or reading? reading

platonic or romantic love? romantic

iced tea or lemonade? lemonade

ice cream or smoothies? smoothies

cupcakes or cake? cake

beach or mountains? beach

favorites

song: touch the sky -- specifically this version

band: Auri

outfit: blue colors mostly, typical peasant clothing, sometimes can be seen with Merlin's jacket

place: Lake of Avalon

memory: dancing with Merlin during her 19th birthday celebration

person: Merlin (good luck trying to get her to admit it though)

movie: the fellowship of the ring

show: the wheel of time

Cute Character Questions!

[wahwealth]

John Wayne | Rock Hudson |The Undefeated (1969) | Civil War Western Classic

The Undefeated was an American Civil War-era Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen.  The movie stars John Wayne and Rock Hudson, it was released in 1969.   Cast John Wayne as Colonel John Henry Thomas Rock Hudson as Colonel James Langdon Tony Aguilar as General Rojas Roman Gabriel as Blue Boy Marian McCargo as Ann Lee Meriwether as Margaret Merlin Olsen as George 'Little George' Melissa Newman as Charlotte Bruce Cabot as Confederate Sergeant Jeff Newby Michael Vincent as Lieutenant Bubba Wilkes Ben Johnson as 'Short' Grub Edward Faulkner as Anderson Harry Carey Jr. as Webster Paul Fix as General Joe Masters Royal Dano as Major Sanders Richard Mulligan as Dan Morse Carlos Rivas as Diaz John Agar as Christian Guy Raymond as Giles Don Collier as Goodyear Big John Hamilton as Mudlow Dub Taylor as McCartney Henry Beckman as Thad Benedict Víctor Junco as Major Tapia Robert Donner as Judd Mailer Pedro Armendariz Jr. as Escalante James Dobson as Jamison Rudy Diaz as Sanchez Richard Angarola as Petain James McEachin as Jimmy Collins Gregg Palmer as Parker Juan García as Colonel Gomez Kiel Martin as Union Runner Bob Gravage as Joe Hicks You are invited to join the channel so that Mr. P can notify you when new videos are uploaded, https://www.youtube.com/@nrpsmovieclassics

[myddrinmob]

Coeden Onnen

We are shown shadow. It is a warm shadow, almost blood hot. It occupies a space at once vast and very, very small. Philosophers don’t give it much thought in this age, believing the important shadows live in a being's liver or heart. They are not precisely wrong. But for our purposes, they are not precisely right. This warm, red-shot shadow is the space behind a boy’s eyelids. In the daylight hours this space is filled with light, coloured and full of life, but we have entered this space as night covers the world. Behind his eyelids, in these hours, there is nothing. Behind his eyelids there is only darkness. As it should be. He is in the deepest dell of sleep, past the province of dreams and nightmares, beyond the easy intrusions of the waking world. Nothing should ever be in this dark except the sleepers own slumbering mind. Nothing should be. Merlin…

Well, chapter one is out! There's not much that's changed as yet, it being so early on: the original episode has a sweet, nostalgic cringe aspect to it that I wanted to keep - even the cringe. Mainly I've made the dragon weirder, Uther more competant - and therefore more threatening - and given us a slightly longer glimpse of Hunith and Will, so we already care about them come 'The Moment of Truth'.

The two biggest changes, in my opinion, are both to do with Mary Collins.

Throughout the canon series, Merlin gets a 'thing' about other magic users. Sometimes it seems like he can tell that they've got magic by some kind of vibe-radar - often he'll bond or flirt with them sooner than with non-magic folk. And, of course, he kills them more than anyone else.

So, lean into his vibe-radar - he clocks Mary in the crowd, feels an odd kinship with the dragon, decides to hold vigil at the execution. Next, actually sit down for a second with the fact that we see Merlin's very first kill in the very first episode - only a few days into his time in Camelot. Killing Mary wasn't necessaruly the wrong decision - he didn't have much time to think of other ways of stopping her - but it the first instance of this weird thing the show has, where Merlin will sooner defend the murderous Pendragon regime than come to an understanding with the justifiable violence other sorcerers feel towards them.

You can do some cool Watsonian meta with that - and people have - but I wanted to look at it in a more Doyalist manner. And from a Doyalist viewpoint, that's an incredibly bland, superheroes-defend-the-status-quo take on it that I don't really care for beyond the purview of some incredibly angsty magic-reveal fics.

Her voice climbs to untouched pitches, from soothing to sharp, and she moves to take something from her sleeve. She nods at him, familiar. Merlin feels as if he should know her. Her song reaches its crescendo, and she pauses in the final note’s echo. “A son for a son.” She says expectantly, as if he will understand. You took my son! And I promise you, before these celebrations are over, you will share my tears- Oh gods -

Like, Merlin should feel some kind of fucked up about this entire thing! It's fucked up! He should be thinking about his own mum, and how if he does something wrong he could be in Thomas' shoes, and now he's working for the son of the guy that killed Mary's son...

“You saved my boy’s life. A debt must be repaid,” he says, and Merlin fights not to flinch, thinking of a shadow on a balcony, of a mother with her son.

Let me leave you with our version of 'Where's Wally': can you spot an errant priestess in this chapter?

[tfbretz]

OK so, I know I'm not the core demographic for Merlin (the Brit TV Series), because I'm more into a high middle ages fantasy vibe for my Arthuriana, but are you seriously telling me the first person condemned by Uther Pendragon for sorcery is named JAMES THOMAS COLLINS? For real?

That name is pretty much the polar opposite of a sorcerous vibe.

#Merlin #Arthuriana #Honestly I Don't Know If I Can Do This #The Musketeers Was Less Of A Stretch For Me #There'd Better Be Pretty Humans In This #James Thomas Collins #Sheesh

[legends-of-time]

Amelia’s Story (BBC Merlin Story)

Chapter 6: The Dragon's Call

Masterlist

Amelia's POV

Amelia slowly opens her eyes and glances to her left where she sees daylight creeping through the curtains that her maidservant, Anne, had closed the previous night. As she opens the curtains she can see that the sun is still rising over the trees and she wonders why she had woken up so early in the day.

Amelia's thoughts are broken by the sound of the door to her Chambers. As she glances over her shoulders, she can see that it is Anne.

"You're early today Anne," Amelia says in a confused tone.

"It is the execution today My Lady. You informed me that you wanted to get ready early," Anne responds.

The execution of course...

Amelia sighs and moves towards the basin of water Anne had brought in to wash her face. Amelia then moves towards the screen in the corners of her Chambers so that Anne can assist her with changing into her clothes for the day. Even though Amelia has been in this world for over 20 years now, she was still not completely used to someone assisting her with every little thing.

As she then sits down at her dresser so that Anne can do her hair.

"What is the matter, My Lady?" She asks having noticed Amelia's sullen face

"It's just the execution, Anne," Amelia answers. "I feel like Uther is doing the wrong thing by executing this man. I do not believe that he is evil."

"I'm sure the King knows what he is doing My Lady," Anne says attempting to reassure her.

From what Amelia can remember of the TV show from her previous life, she knows magic is not evil, it is how the person uses it but Amelia understands why Anne is saying this. She has been brought up with the belief that magic has been evil all her life. Amelia knows Uther tried to convince her as well but because she already was mentally an adult with her own opinions, Amelia could not be so easily influenced. She already knew her own mind.

When Anne finishes helping her get ready, Amelia leaves her Chambers and begins walking toward Morgana's. As she walks along the corridors, servants step aside to let her through and even though Amelia should be used to this type of treatment, she can tell you that she still finds it very weird.

——

When Amelia reaches Morgana's Chambers, she simply steps right inside (her and Morgana have long since given up knocking on each other's doors) and sees Morgana looking forlornly out of her window. She walks up to the woman she has grown to love as a sister.

Morgana glances at Amelia and tries to give her a smile though she is not successful. Amelia immediately hurries to give her a hug. Morgana clings to her as Amelia glances over her shoulder towards the window; her own Chambers do not face the Main Square as Morgana's does.

Through the window, Amelia can see the crowds gathered around the stand where the execution block stands. She has been excited but also dreading this day. This is the day that Merlin comes to Camelot but it is also the day that an innocent man will meet his death.

The dreaded drums begin to beat as the man is led by Guards towards his fate. Morgana lifts her head from Amelia's shoulder to look out of the window again.

Amelia then hears Uther begin his speech: "Let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, 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."

Hypocrite.

Uther raises his arm, then lowers it as a signal to the executioner. Morgana and Amelia turn their heads away, not wanting to see the man lose his head. The sudden thump and the gasps can be heard so they know it has been done.

"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 celebrations begin."

But as soon as Uther finishes his speech, a wailing wafts up from among the crowd. The crowd breaks away to reveal Mary Collins, the now deceased Tom Collin's mother.

"There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you!" She cries. "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 son for a son."

Clearly uncomfortable with this, Uther immediately orders the Guards to seize her. But before the Guards can reach her, Mary has already begun chanting and disappears in a whirl of wind and smoke.

"I wonder what will happen now," Morgana wonders. Amelia can only nod knowing what will happen but also knowing that everything will be resolved and be okay for the time being.

She stays with Morgana for the rest of the day comforting her. She gets very upset after every execution and would often rant angrily about Uther. It is at this time that Amelia cannot help but think about evil Morgana in the later seasons.

——

Later, Morgana and Amelia are looking out the window from the Griffin Landing. They stand in silence both caught up in their own thoughts before they are broken by the sound of footsteps though neither turn around.

"Amelia. Morgana." Uther says as he walks towards them.

"Yes?" Morgana says still looking out of the window while Amelia just glances over her shoulder at him not showing any emotions on her face. She has unnervingly gotten good at it.

"What is this? Why are you both not joining us at the feast?"

"We just don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for a celebration," Amelia tells him in a cold blunt tone as he stands next to them.

"That poor mother." Morgana murmurs.

"It was simple justice for what he'd done," says Uther in a tone that sounds annoyed clearly expressing how many times he's had to say this type of thing.

"To whom? He practiced some magic, he didn't hurt anyone." Amelia says, glaring at him.

"You were not around twenty years ago, you have no idea what it was like," Uther says in an increasingly angry and patronising voice.

"How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?" Morgana says in her own increasingly angry voice.

"Until they realise there is no room for magic in my Kingdom! You will be with me when I greet Lady Helen." Uther responds. Amelia tries to not show him how affected she is by his shouting, trying to be strong like Morgana is.

"We told you! We want no part in these celebrations!" Amelia calls after him as he begins to walk away.

Uther turns back towards them as they glare at him. "I'm your guardian!" He growls. "I expect you to do as I ask. If you show me no respect at least respect our finest singer." Before he turns around and once again begins walking away from them.

"You know, the more brutal you are, the more enemies you will create!" Amelia yells after him. Uther does not turn around as he turns the corner. Seeing how agitated Amelia looks, Morgana grabs her hand, something they have done since they were children to comfort one another.

"There's no point trying to convince him otherwise," Morgana utters quietly.

"I know."

——

Amelia wakes up the next morning feeling very excited about what will happen. Things are going to become much more interesting now that Merlin has arrived. She hopes to introduce herself somehow, she'll have to wait for her opportunity.

After repeating the same usual routine, she decides to perhaps walk to the Lower Town to maybe talk to some people and look at the stalls. As Amelia steps outside of the Castle with Anne following behind her, she hears a commotion near where the Drawbridge is.

"What is going on?" Anne murmurs.

"Let's look," Amelia says running towards the commotion. In her previous life, she did not do much exercise, which caused her to get stitches from just walking for 10 minutes... down a hill. However, since coming into this world, she has to do a lot more exercising (riding, sword fighting) so she actually is quite successful in running over to the noise without getting a stitch despite the dress she is wearing.

Nearing the crowds, Amelia can now see that Arthur had twisted Merlin's arm behind his back. She cringes; she had forgotten about this bit...

"I'll have you thrown in jail for that." Arthur barks.

"What, who do you think you are? The King?" Oh, Merlin...

"No. I'm his son, Arthur." The way that Merlin's shoulders slumped, you can tell that he has realised how much trouble he is in.

Arthur then takes Merlin out at the knees before turning around and ordering some Guards to take him to the Cells.

"Amelia," Arthur cries cheerfully when he notices her. "Did you see that? Not very bright is he?!"

"No Arthur." Amelia murmurs angrily before turning away from him, Anne following her, not trying to see if he has actually heard her.

There are times like this when Amelia has to remind herself that Arthur will not always be this bad and that he will grow as a person with Merlin's help.

——

After meeting Lady Helena the previous night, Amelia goes with Gaius to release Merlin from his Cell. She approached Gaius earlier hoping to help him with Merlin, he seemed a bit surprised by her insistence. He asked her why and Amelia simply replied with, "Anyone that stands up to Arthur deserves help".

She follows Gaius as he moves towards where Merlin's Cell is and as they reach the Cell, they can see Merlin leaning his head towards the floor as if he was trying to hear something. Perhaps he was hearing the Dragon? Amelia's memories of the show are not perfect since it had been so long since she has watched it.

Merlin immediately jumps up when the Cell door opens and spins around towards them.

"Merlin!" Gaius cries walking up to him as soon as the door opened while Amelia stays outside of the Cell waiting for her opportunity.

Gaius sighs, "You never cease to amaze me! The one thing that someone like you should do is keep your head down, and what do you do? You behave like an idiot."

Merlin sheepishly looks to the floor murmuring "I'm sorry."

"You're lucky. Gaius and I managed to pull a few strings to get you released." Amelia says announcing her presence. This causes Merlin's head to snap towards her in an almost comical fashion.

"This is Lady Amelia Hallewell, one of the King's wards." Gaius introduces.

"My Lady," Merlin says almost bowing, Amelia scrunches up her nose. She still does not like it when people did that. Gaius notices and gives her an amused look. When he realises what Amelia had said, Merlin suddenly springs up. "Did you say that I'm free to go? Oh, thank you! Thank you!" He cries.

Gaius gives him a disapproving look for being so excited.

"I won't forget this," Merlin exclaims. Gaius and Amelia look at each other grimacing as they know what is about to happen.

"Well, there is a small price to pay," Gaius says. This causes Merlin's happy expression to drop.

——

Before long Merlin is in the stocks in the Lower Town being pelted with rotten fruit and vegetables by children. Gaius and Amelia cannot help but laugh at his disgruntled expression. Amelia decides to walk over to him and have a little fun when she sees the children leave to get more rotten fruit and vegetables.

"Having fun?" Amelia asks in an amused tone.

"No My Lady," He grumbles.

"Please call me Amelia," Amelia says. "I hope we can be friends."

"Of course My L- Amelia," He says with an embarrassed smile on his face, trying not to open his mouth as the children are still throwing food at him. Amelia simply laughs in response. She then notices Gwen approaching them.

"Hello Gwen," Amelia says with a smile.

"Hello Amelia," she responds softly before turning to Merlin. "I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid."

"Right. I'm Merlin." He awkwardly reached his hand further out of the stocks to shake hers in an equally awkward handshake. Sweet. "Although, most people just call me Idiot."

"No, no, no. I saw what you did. It was so brave." Gwen hurriedly says.

"I agree," Amelia says warmly.

Merlin gives an adorably awkward smile before saying, "It was stupid."

"Well, I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him." Oh, Gwen.

"Oh, I- I can beat him." Merlin snorts.

"You think? Because you don't look like one of these big, muscle-y kind of fellows." Oh dear, maybe she should intervene but it is so adorable and awkward to watch.

"Thanks," Merlin says in an offended tone.

"No! No, I'm sure you're stronger than you look. It's just, erm... Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save the world kind of men, and... well..." Gwen stumbles before trailing off.

"What?"

"You don't look like that." At this point, Amelia cannot help but laugh out loud at this.

"Very smooth Gwen," She says chuckling.

Merlin then motions for the two to come closer and then whispers, "I'm in disguise."

Gwen then lets out a laugh, Amelia joining her. "Well, I can say for both of us when I say it's great you stood up to him," Amelia says.

"What? You think so?" Merlin says hopefully.

"Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero," Gwen says admiringly.

"Oh, yeah?"

Gwen nods, "Mm-hmm." They all then spot the children returning with more rotten fruit.

"Oh, excuse me, Guinevere, Amelia. My fans are waiting."

Gwen and Amelia share a smile before scurrying off together, they can both hear the laughter of the children as they start to pelt him.

——

Later as Amelia walks through the Lower Town looking at the stalls, she notices a commotion in front of her and as she walks closer Amelia sees Arthur and Merlin in the middle of the crowd. Oh, dear.

She sees that she has appeared to have arrived at the tail end of the fight as she pushes her way through the crowd and stands next to Gaius to see what is going to happen.

Arthur backs up, catching his foot in a bucket and falling over backwards. Merlin, thrilled by his victory, looks up at the crowd and spots Gaius giving him a disapproving stare and pauses. Arthur notices this and attacks him from behind with a broom, knocking him to the ground. Guards quickly step forward and begin picking Merlin up.

"Wait," Arthur calls to them. "Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one." Before stepping up to Merlin. "There's something about you, Merlin. I can't quite put my finger on it."

Amelia does not follow as Merlin scurries off with Gaius following. Partly because she knows that at this moment she is not supposed to 'know' about Merlin's magic yet and can't really have an excuse for being there. Though it is also because Arthur once again notices her and pulls her by the arm towards the Castle while informing her of how she shouldn't get involved, which has been a running theme since Arthur decided that Morgana and her should stay away from the 'men' stuff.

——

No one's POV

"Oi!" Gaius cries as he walks into Merlin's Chamber as the boy is just waking up. "Have you seen the state of this room?!"

"It just happens." Merlin mumbles.

"By magic?" Gaius sarcastically asks.

"Yeah."

Exasperated, Gaius simply replies, "Yes. Well, you can clear it up without magic. And then I want you to get me some herbs: henbane, wormwood, and sorrel. And deliver these to Morgana and Amelia. Poor girls are suffering from nightmares."

"Mmm, I know the feeling," Merlin murmurs to himself as Gaius leaves his room.

——

Amelia's POV

Amelia has once again snuck past the Guards and is scurrying down the steps to where the Dragon is kept. She often visited him during her time in Camelot with the aim to not only learn more from him, not that he told her much, but also to keep him company until Merlin arrived as he will get plenty of company then.

"Kilgharrah?" Amelia calls out. After a moment of silence she continues, "Don't try and scare me again, I do not appreciate it!"

"Of course young one," he booms as he flies down to his rock. "I learnt my lesson when you threatened with burning me alive."

Amelia shakes her head in exasperation, which seems to be what she always does when she talks to him.

"Have you talked to Merlin yet?" Amelia asks deciding to change the topic.

"I have spoken to the young Warlock," Kilgharrah answers in a humoured tone. "He seemed as irritated as you used to be."

"Well, I am no longer as irritated as I have learnt not to expect a straight answer from you." Amelia rebuts. "You tell him about his destiny?"

"I did. I assume you are wondering whether you will know about his magic?"

"Well obviously!" Amelia answers exasperated, a common mood around him.

"Time will tell young one." He answers cryptically. "You will find the right moment."

"Hmmm... as clear as always Kilgharrah," She speaks sarcastically. "What about how our destinies will link?"

"Again you will see as your path unfolds."

She sighs, "I will have to go now. People expect me."

"Of course, until the next time young one."

——

Amelia is walking towards Morgana's door after speaking with the Dragon when she hears Morgana ask, "Be a darling and pass me that dress, will you Amelia?" This confuses her as Amelia knows she can not be talking to her as she is not even in the room.

When she peers round the door, Amelia can see Merlin panicking before fetching the dress while Morgana can be seen behind the screen undressing. Ah, now she knows what is happening. Yet when realising what scene this is, Amelia does not want to interrupt as it looks as hilarious as she remembered with seeing Merlin panic and Morgana being completely unawares.

"I mean, the man's a total jouster," Morgana utters as Merlin places the gown on the screen. "And just because I'm one of the King's wards, does not mean either you or I have to accompany him to the feast, does it." After no response, Morgana repeats in a questioning tone, "Well, does it?"

"Mm-Mmm," Merlin says in a funny high pitched voice while shaking his head. Amelia sniggers behind her hand as she stands by the door, receiving odd looks from servants passing by.

"If he wants me to go, then he should invite me, and he hasn't," Morgana says in an exasperated tone as Merlin jerks about in a panicked fashion trying to figure a way out of his situation again making Amelia laugh quietly.

"So do you know what that means?" Morgana asks.

Merlin again utters in a high pitched voice, "Mm-Mmm." While shaking his head.

"Where are you, Amelia?" Morgana asks looking over the screen causing Merlin to hurriedly hold up one of her cloaks to hide his face.

"Here," Merlin says in a high pitched voice while peeking through the neck of the cloak. She does not sound like that.

"It means you and I will go together and show everyone that we do not need any man to accompany us." That makes Amelia smile.

She does not know how Morgana has not realised that it is not her she is talking to but that may be due to the probability Merlin did not knock, which is a usual indicator that Amelia has entered her Chambers.

Merlin puts the cloak down and starts to leave, however not before Morgana says, "I need some help with this fastening."

This sends Merlin into high panic mode as he looks around at a loss for what to do. Amelia knows she should put him out of his misery so she enters the room behind him.

"Amelia?"

"I'm here," Amelia answers trying to control her laughter as Merlin spins around to face her then sighs with relief once he realises who is behind him.

Amelia gives him a small smile. "What are you doing here?" She mouths.

Merlin motions that Morgana needs help dressing, smiling adorably.

Amelia laughs silently while gesturing to him that he should leave. After he scurries away, Amelia walks behind the screen to help Morgana. She had agreed to come round earlier to help her decide on what to wear for the feast while Gwen completed other chores.

Amelia follows Morgana out from behind the screen as she begins holding up the different dresses she had come out carrying.

"So, it's whether I wear this little tease..." She smirks as she spins around towards her, changing what dress she was holding up to a maroon gown. "...or give them a night they'll really remember."

Amelia laughs. "The second one."

"You should put on something similar!" Morgana declares. "Then we will really make an entrance."

——

When the evening comes about, Morgana and Amelia walk towards the Banquet Hall with their arms linked. Morgana wears her maroon dress that has no sleeves being held up by being tied around her neck with a circlet around her head. While Amelia wears an off the shoulder dress with long sleeves with a similar circlet around her own head. Though while Morgana has all of her dark, almost black, hair tied up, Amelia only has the front parts of her brown hair tied behind her head.

"Ready?" Morgana asks knowing how Amelia is not a big fan of being the centre of attention.

"Of course," Amelia says reassuringly. Court members would have already entered the Hall, which is important for Morgana and Amelia's entrance.

Amelia clings to her arm as they enter and everyone turns to look at them. Amelia takes in a deep breath and strides down the aisle between the tables without looking at anyone.

Once they get to the end, Amelia turns around and notices some people have turned away to continue to talk to one another while some continue to stare.

"Morgana, Amelia you both look well," Arthur says approaching them.

While everyone only know Arthur and Morgana as cousins and that means there still is this expectation of them possibly marrying, which Amelia finds a bit strange. Nonetheless, it does not seem to be an issue here. However, Amelia finds it especially weird with Morgana and Arthur, probably because she knows they are actually brother and sister. Yet if they do not marry, it is expected that Arthur and Amelia might marry, but she sees him as her brother and is very much against it.

Other Court members also approach Morgana and Amelia to talk with them; Amelia lets Morgana lead these conversations. While she has become more confident while living here in Camelot, she is still the person that only talked more with people she is comfortable with and know.

Amelia notices Merlin by one of these tables as Gwen appears to be walking away from him and decides to talk to him.

"Excuse me," Amelia says to the noble in front of her before walking over to Merlin. "Hello," Amelia says when she reaches him.

Merlin jumps spinning around to face her and begins gaping at her like he is a fish.

"Merlin?" Amelia asks laughing awkwardly. He quickly stops.

"H-hello Amelia, you look n-nice," he stammers. He smiles bashfully.

"Oh...thank you," Amelia says sheepishly, looking down at her outfit. "Is this your first feast?" She is desperately trying to make small talk.

"Y-yes!" He says enthusiastically. "It is amazing!"

"Well, you will get bored with them after a while," Amelia speaks. "Though you are lucky that Lady Helena is performing at your very first feast." While Amelia knows that it isn't actually going to happen, the Dragon, soon after she met him, said she has to keep up the pretence.

"The reason for this feast is quite sad though," Amelia says daringly wondering what his reaction would be. She knows he was at the execution where Uther mentioned that the feast tonight would be celebrating the capture of the Great Dragon and 'freedom' from sorcery.

"W-what makes you say that?" He says nervously glancing around him at the people standing around them.

"Well," Amelia says lowering her voice. "We are celebrating the persecution of people who did nothing wrong but be themselves. I think that is wrong."

"Y-you really mean that?" He asks almost hopefully.

"I do," Amelia says with a slight smile on her face prior to turning away from him and walking back to where Morgana is standing.

——

It is a little later when everyone moves to their places at the table as the celebratory horns signalled Uther's entrance; Amelia notices Merlin standing in a corner near the head table. Arthur sits on Uther's right while Morgana sits on his left with Amelia on her other side.

Standing in front of his seat, Uther begins his speech, "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." They all applaud and as the music begins, they all take their seats.

Amelia takes a deep breath, this is it.

Helena begins to sing. Everyone begins nodding off to sleep. Amelia quickly covers her ears, when she notices Merlin doing the same. He glances over at her and the two of them make eye contact. Cobwebs begin forming over the enchanted sleepers. Merlin is looking at Helena, who is staring at Arthur as she walks forward.

As she pulls a dagger from her sleeve, Amelia looks back over to Merlin with a panicked look on her face. "What do we do?!" She hurriedly mouths to him. Instead of answering her, Merlin looks down as if debating with himself, probably because he knows his next actions would reveal his magic to her. He then looks up directly at the chandelier and as his eyes flash gold, the chandelier drops on Helena as she raises her arm to throw the dagger.

The break in her concentration on maintaining the spell through her song causes everyone to wake up and pull the cobwebs off themselves while muttering. Amelia hurriedly does the same. Everyone either leans forward in their seats or stands up to look at what is now Mary Collins lying on the floor.

Mary raises herself up enough to throw the dagger at Arthur. But before the dagger slices into Arthur's chair, Merlin reaches Arthur and pulls him out of harm's way. They then tumble to the floor. Mary then collapses on the floor dead after witnessing that her last attempt at revenge failed.

Tearing their eyes from the dead woman, everyone turns towards Merlin. He looks somewhat nervous so Amelia gives him a small smile in an attempt to comfort him.

"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid." Uther then speaks gratefully, breaking the silence.

"Oh, well..." Merlin says bashfully.

"Don't be so modest." Uther insists. "You shall be rewarded."

"No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness." Merlin pointlessly refutes.

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special."

"Well..." Merlin says with a small smile on his face. You won't be looking that happy in a minute Merlin...

"You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant." She doesn't think Uther understands what a reward actually means.

They all begin to applaud after Uther finishes his statement.

"Father!" Arthur objects indignantly.

Amelia can't help but laugh quietly as Arthur and Merlin look away from each other unhappily.

——

After Anne had helped her get dressed for bed, Amelia sneaks out and starts heading towards Gaius's Chambers. She feels like she has to talk to Merlin and basically reassure him that she is not going to tell anyone about him and also to tell him that she does not think him a monster or evil.

Once she gets to the door, Amelia knocks gently before poking her head around the door. Amelia notices Gaius standing at one of the tables sorting out his bottles and pots of god knows what.

When he looks at her, Amelia smiles sheepishly. "I was looking for Merlin?" Amelia asks.

"He is in his room," he says gently while pointing towards the door at the end of the room they are in. Amelia steps into the room fully and looks at him questioningly, wondering if he knows that she has seen Merlin use magic. Seeing her look, Gaius speaks, "Yes he told me."

Amelia nods and walks to Merlin's door and knocks. Amelia hears ruffling before the door opens.

"Gaius what do you- Amelia?" Merlin speaks in surprise. He looks over her head at Gaius before ushering her into his Chamber. Amelia smiles slightly at all the mess.

"I meant what I said before," Amelia decides to start with. "I think it is wrong to persecute people with magic just because they have it and I do not know whose good idea it was for you to Camelot of all places."

Merlin laughs slightly. "It was my mother's. She believed I needed a mentor." He speaks before becoming nervous. "So you do not think I am a monster or anything?"

"No Merlin!" Amelia immediately says. "Of course not!" Merlin smiles thankfully. "I was wondering though, how long have you had magic?"

"My whole life" Merlin answers. "Gaius gave me this magic book to learn spells." He then grabs a book that is lying on the floor. Not very well hidden Merlin.

For the next hour, Merlin shows her the different pages of spells and which ones he will try to learn first but once Amelia begins yawning too often, they realise that they should continue another time.

"Thank you, Merlin," Amelia says with a smile while moving towards the door.

"N-no thank you!" He insists.

"It's nothing."

"No, it is not nothing!" Merlin again insists.

Amelia smiles and before she opens the door, she turns towards him, "I'm not going to tell anyone by the way." Amelia then turns away and opened the door and travels the journey to her own Chambers.

——

A/N: I hope I wrote that last scene alright. I was trying not to make it a copy of someone else's work.

Since in my story Ygraine and Vivienne are sisters, Arthur and Morgana are cousins, which I think brings an interesting complexity.

Please leave comments on how you're enjoying this story and what you think.

[queer-ragnelle]

do you have any arthur/guinevere/lancelot recommendations? if not, just stories where their characters were done justice and their friendship is explored and the love triangle comes to some satisfying solution.

i sure do! as always, with caveats. this list has two parts: films first and then books as i have suggestions for both! all of these movies can be watched here and the books read here.

TL;DR movies: Excalibur (1981), Camelot (1967), Knights of The Round Table (1953), Merlin and The Sword (1985), Sword of Lancelot (1963)

TL;DR books: The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey, Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger, Guinevere Trilogy by Persia Woolley, Guinevere by Lavinia Collins, Spear by Nicola Griffith, honorable mention to Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart

MOVIES:

Excalibur (1981): for me it has everything. we get to see young stupid arthur and clever curious guinevere fall in love, their wedding is gorgeous, then nicholas clay my beloved lancelot throws a wrench in it as he loves and respects them both so much, and they love him. he gets to be crazy about it too like running off to the woods to beg god to take these feelings away, dreams he's fighting himself and ends up impaled<3 meanwhile arthur/guinevere leave a cup out for him even when he isn't there. the crux of it comes when guinevere is accused of cheating (which she hadn't even at this point) and arthur won't champion her because his kingship comes before husbandly duties, so lancelot fights for her honor instead. at the end, after guinevere has gone away to a convent (lancelot is a wildman with a full beard lost to them all) arthur comes to retrieve excalibur from her and his speech is so romantic about finding her in the next life. i die every time. here is my review of that movie.

Camelot (1967): i adoooore this guinevere. jenny<3 she does whatever she wants and i love that for her. the whole may day queen aspect of her is muah chef's kiss. small wonder arthur loved her immediately. this arthur gets to wear eyeliner which is a plus. lancelot almost kills arthur on meeting him and then falls at his feet on realizing it, only for guinevere to be really cold to him at first, trying to get other knights to defeat him, but ends up falling in love with him. which arthur totally knows and turns a blind eye to btw. even when pellinore brings it up in as gently as possible, arthur bites his head off, knowing he cant even entertain the rumor or else the kingdom is in danger, and he just wants his two favorite people to be happy....cries forever.

Knights of The Round Table (1953): the biggest downside to this one is that lancelot has a horrible insufferable american accent. however his celebrity worship/instant friendship with arthur is soooo good. he breaks his own sword for threatening the king and then arthur gives him his own....is that even allowed to be so adorable? anyway so lancelot had met guinevere before they were arthur's friend and wife, essentially had a charming meet cute, and went their separate ways, only to formally meet at the wedding in front of everyone....god, the eye contact could turn someone to stone. arthur is extremely sympathetic and compassionate, to the point that when he catches guinevere sulking alone on the roof with a gift from lancelot, he says "i miss him too..." bruh???? my heart?? all around delicious food.

Merlin and The Sword (1985): huge disclaimer...this movie is ugly as sin lol the only version available is ripped from a vhs tape so it might as well be a crunchy gif at this point. it was also cut down from the 3 hour tv version to 1.5 hours which is a tragedy. (i've tried emailing the studio for a rerelease to no avail...) however it has the most insane arthur/guinevere/lancelot ever i'll never be the same. arthur is played by malcom mcdowell who always brings his a game to roles. he's a bit older than guinevere, but she apparently taught him to read? he dotes on her but he's somewhat emotionally stunted which gets in the way. this guinevere is gorgeous i'm obsessed with her she has this deep sultry voice and a simple elegance that completely shatters lancelot's resolve. i get it, it would work on me. lancelot meanwhile is this incredibly lanky sometimes mute shy guy who is besties with gawain and his meet cute with guinevere involves the mingling of their blood after they are both cut on some rose thorns? hello???? they're freaks just like chrétien intended. the blood. they share bath water and fuck in a dungeon. then after guinevere is rescued from meleagant, arthur asks merlin for some sort of potion to help guinevere recover emotionally instead of like.....talking to her? he's trying but so so bad at it<3 he then takes her to bed to "treat her like a queen." IT'S ALL GREAT IT MAKES ME FERAL ARGH

Sword of Lancelot (1963): this one is fun because cornel wilde wrote it, directed it, and starred as lancelot himself!! the other fun factoid is the woman who plays guinevere is his real life wife. how stinking cute is that? so obviously their chemistry is ridiculous. but arthur is a cutie too. he's older and tends to talk down to guinevere a bit, which makes sense why she befriends lancelot in her loneliness. lancelot gets a lot of development, taking young tor under his wing, besties with gawain and lamorak and gareth. being irl married to guinevere also makes their disagreements feel very real. arthur is counseled by a ton of characters, bedievere, merlin, even mordred is here giving his two cents. so you really feel that tug of war pulling the throuple apart. it hurts.

BOOKS:

The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey: this play is wiiiiiild but the take away here is that guinevere is the mother of galahad. like what a twist. meanwhile all the men are away fighting rome so you get this tragic back and forth switching of perspective between lancelot and arthur missing guinevere (plus galehaut is here as counsel which really kicks this up a notch) then it cuts to guinevere with a new baby and tormented by the prospect of whether to write to rome with the news but afraid it will cause an upset where she cant be.....hovey you mad lad you've done it again.

Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger: i hate i keep having to recommend this bigoted book but damn it this arthur/guinevere/lancelot are so good. why are they sooo goood???? this arthur is compelling since he loses his virginity to morgause and is forever messed up after that, so he struggles to connect with guinevere in the way she needs, not really understanding her even though he bends over backwards to please her. meanwhile there isnt a word for what she and lancelot have here they need to be studied under a microscope so history doesn't repeat itself they're so twisted it's wild i can't look away. and the friendship between arthur and lancelot is so powerful and enduring that even at the end while joyous garde is under siege, arthur sends in kay with food the moment he hears their stores are low, and has him serve them like old times. he doesnt want it to be the way it is....sick and twisted narrative choices.

Guinevere Trilogy by Persia Woolley: i admit this isn't my favorite guinevere, but credit where it's due, she's a complex and fully realized character. through her we come to understand both arthur and lancelot as deeply damaged men, who had their emotional states devastated by the fall out of sexual abuse, and how that impacts their relationship with her (and their sons, mordred and galahad, who likewise suffer as a result of their fathers' emotional states). as a celtic queen, guinevere has every right to take a lover if she so desires, and arthur is not ignorant of his own failings as a husband, but the tragedy plays out anyway as the orkney brothers are there to wreak havoc on the place as usual. (you might find that this has a movie adaptation Guinevere (1994) don't watch it, trust me, it's not even fun bad, just cursed.)

Guinevere by Lavinia Collins: this is technically part of a series so you'll also get a lot of arthur and lancelot in the other three (Igraine, Morgawse, Morgan) but for the sake of this list, the guinevere one will suffice. anyway what i like about this is the strong contrast in relationships with both men. lancelot is bisexual and guinevere is the first woman he ever sleeps with (but not the last...) so theyre very tender and sweet together meanwhile arthur sired mordred before marrying her he's overall more adventurous while keeping entirely faithful to her for the rest of his life......there is a threesome in this but ironically its lancelot/guinevere/kay and not arthur but you know what? he deserves a win. this still goes on the list.

Spear by Nicola Griffith: this is perceval pov so the focus on arthur/guinevere/lancelot is minimal, but its delicious. arthur is kinda cold and mean here (falling back on the celtic "bear" thing, same as woolley does) but its revealed that he, lancelot, and guinevere are in a throuple, the characterization of lancelot's shy explanation of this was so good, and he goes on the grail quest to try and heal guinevere's womb so she can have their children, as it's a point of tension that mordred and galahad both exist, but guinevere wants to have children with arthur and lancelot. there's literally a part she faints and they both carry her off to bed like....they dont even pretend its any other way. no homophobia or slut shaming or anything like that in this book which is a huge plus. palate cleanser after arthur rex lol

Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart: this is more of an honorable mention, as the first three books are merlin pov and the fourth is mordred. but book two (the hollow hills) has arthur raised alongside bedwyr (who is lancelot in all but name, son of ban, eventual lover of guinevere etc) they are the best of friends its adorable, bedwyr gave him his dog cabal, which is cute on its own, then fast forward to mordred pov (the wicked day) decades later and arthur is picking out a new puppy and names that one cabal too, its like this long homoromantic ritual that every dog descended from the first calls back to his original gift....im pulling my hair out. guinevere here is underdeveloped at best, as merlin doesnt really know her well and mordred's perspective on her is that shes (respectfully) hot lmao but worth mentioning as mary stewart is the goat, highly recommend her books.

and that's the list. hope that gives you some stuff to chew over!

[geese-in-a-frock-coat]

Obsessed with how in episode 1 of merlin they name a guy as Thomas James Collins and in the same sentence have another guy go "I UTHER PENDRAGON." And the first one is the wizard