#it was uthers choices arthurs and morgana herself

[larluce]

Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS AU HERE: PARTE 1 , PARTE 2 , PARTE 3, PARTE 4 , PART5 (you're here) , PARTE 6

In "The Beginning of the End"

Morgana: Merlin! I need your help.

Merlin: (worried) What is it?

Morgana: Just come with me (brings Merlin to her chambers and shows him Mordred behind the screen)

Merlin: (Who's been ignoring Mordred's calls for help in his mind on purpose and still hates him to guts for what he did to Arthur in his timeline, trying to remain compose) That's... That's the druid boy.

Morgana: (Who did hear Mordred calls for help and helped him instead) He's injured. If we don't give him medical attention he'll die.

Merlin: (almost histerical) If Uther finds out you've been hiding the druid boy in your chambers you'll die! We'll all die! What were you thinking?!

Morgana: I couldn't just leave him! He's just a child! He's innocent!

Merlin: To Uther he's guilty.

Morgana: And to you he is? He has done no harm. His only crime is having magic. Do you think he deserves to be executed for that?

Merlin: ... No. Of course not.

Morgana: Then help me. Just tend his wound. Please. (puppy eyes)

Merlin: (Still full of resentment to Arthur's future murderer, but loving Morgana too much to deny her anything. Sighs) Alright.

...

Morgana: Arthur. To what do I owe this pleasure?

Arthur: (enters her chambers) Where is him?

Morgana: Who?

Arthur: I know you're hiding him Morgana.

Morgana: I don't know what you're talking about.

Arthur: Well, I need to search your chambers, kings orders. (starts searching)

Morgana: You will not do such a thing! Stop messing up my things!

Arthur: (opens the screen where Merlin and Mordred are hiding) So this is where you've been lazing around.

Merlin: Sorry 😅

Arthur: (To Morgana) You drag him into this, I can't believe you! Do you know the risk you're putting yourself in?

Morgana: Arthur, please! (putting herself between Arthur and Mordred) Don't turn him in. I beg you, he's just a child.

Arthur: (who resents Mordred, not really because he tried to kill him, that part just hurt him, but because Merlin had to make the deal with the sidhes and was turned into a tree due to what Mordred did in his timeline) I'm sorry I have no choice. I can hide your involvement in this. No harm will come to you or Merlin. Now step aside. (Morgana doesn't move) Morgana.

Morgana: You'll have to go throught me first!

Arthur: I'm trying to protect you.

Morgana: If you hand him over, I'll never forgive you.

Arthur: (Conflicted cause he still have mixed feelings about Mordred but doesn't want Morgana to hate him again. Looks at Merlin for answers, but Merlin's avoiding his eyes at all cost)...

Morgana: We can take him out of Camelot, back to his people. He'll be safe there and Uther will stop searching for him eventually.

Arthur: This is treason. If my father finds out-

Morgana: He won't. Not if you help us. Arthur, please. (puppy eyes)

Arthur: (sighs, giving up) We'll have to be careful. And I'm not doing this again, you hear me?

Morgana: (jumps happily and hugs him) Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're going to be a great king one day. I know it!

Arthur: Yeah, yeah whatever 🙄(but he smiles and hugs back)

Merlin: (touched by the scene and very proud of Arthur despite his feelings towards Mordred) I agree. You'll be the greatest king of all.

Arthur: (separating from Morgana's hug and extending his arms at Merlin to which Merlin just looks at him confused) So?

Merlin: So?

Arthur: Where's my gratitude hug?

Merlin: (shocked)... what? 😳

Morgana: (Who already knows something is going on) Oh, don't be shy (pushes Merlin towards Arthur)

Merlin: (wraps his arms around Arthur hesitantly, but Arthur presses Merlin to him instanly and Merlin melts in the hug)

Morgana: (thinking) Awww. Next time I'll just have Merlin seduce him into doing stuff. It'll work faster.

#merlin bbc #merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin fanfic #merlin and arthur #arthur and merlin #merlin fic #merthur fic #merlin prompt #merthur prompt #Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

[star-rie]

episode dedicated to banished!merlin and seperated!morgana in s4 from my fix it au:

warning: this is LONG

a bit background: there’s a year and a half timeskip between s3 finale and this ep.

merlin had been training, and getting closer to his roots (studying magic, becoming one with nature, etc etc, no he didn’t go back to ealdor) all the while protecting camelot from the shadows (yes arthur had been getting into a few troubles now and then and merlin had always been there, but never really appearing in front of his face, arthur knows but never really comments about it, settles for ignoring him)

meanwhile after a few months after the s3 finale (morgana and morgouse attacked camelot) morgana finally had a huge fight with her sister and they go on their own ways. So now morgana is alone, doesn’t really know what to do since she killed uther, but doesn��t want to obliterated camelot either

So during season 3 aithusa was born and shes been helping merlin and morgana there and then, there’s also mordred. Oh and merlin’s magic is public information at this point

*

actual ep:

episode starts off with morgana, tending to her cottage. She lives in the middle of the woods, in the middle of no where. She’s trully alone now, after the fight with morgause. She regretted it a little. Maybe her sister is right, maybe bringing camelot to total destruction and crowning her queen is the best course of action.

But morgana didn’t want that. She just wants uther’s reign to end. It’s not her place now to rule camelot, there’s really no benefit in killing everyone either. Although there really is no change, arthur is still banning magic…

Morgana puts down her firewood with a bit too much force. Truth is morgause is right. Magic is still banned in the land, even in Arthur’s reign. And morgana is scared. She isn’t ready to kill her brother, she isn’t ready to kill the girl who’s there for her each night, every time she’s confused of her nightmares, or the citizens that gave her flowers. Morgana remembers uther’s look of despair and confusion, she feels her hand trembles

Morgause: (in a flashback) You’re nothing but a coward Morgana! A coward!

No matter, she’s not part of it anymore, it’s better to leave it alone. Let morgause finish their revenge.

When morgana leaves to wash her cauldron, it feels weird. It felt like she’s being watched. She scanned the woods with her magic, she didn’t feel anything. That’s really strange, morgana must be…

.

.

.

The first thing morgana sees is the stone floor. Her head is splitting, her vision is unfocused. Morgana sits up slowly, trying to regain balance.

The room is dark, she can barely see anything. When she tries to move her hair, she realizes that she’s chained to the wall

Great. She’s kidnapped.

She scowls, trying to free herself from the chains. She tries to draw her magic, but she feels nothing. Whoever kidnapped her knows what they’re dealing with…

She hears a groan from her left and she saw a man. Wearing god knows what. Laying on the floor, chained like she is. She calls for him, trying to wake him up. The more she looks at him, the more she felt like she knew this man.

???: where am i… Morgana: (realize who this is) Merlin??? Merlin: …morgana…?

The man looked at her, no longer the merlin she last seen. He looks like a stray being, as if he’s the spirit of the forest. He is covered in cloth, a cloak on his head. His skin peaks out from where the cloth didn’t touch him, even in the dark, morgana can see the light bouncing off his slender thighs and the faint outline of his….nipple

Morgana: you look like a prostitute… Merlin: that's rich from someone who dress like a beggar Morgana: I’ll have you know this is one of the finest dresses i have- Merlin: Your hair could really do some work Morgana: you don't get to say that when you don't need to maintain your hair every day!!

They bicker back and forth about their fashion choices. Morgana also hates his serving clothes, especially that tattered neckerchief on his neck…And he barely changes everything. It’s a boring to look at every single day. At least Gwen changes her clothes once in a while.

It was so heated they didn’t notice the door opening until they heard footsteps entering the room. They eye their predator carefully, backing themselves to the wall. But the guards only un-cuffs them from the wall, forcing them to stand.

They were bringing into a room, full of people with chains on their hands. Morgana stands close to Merlin, maybe Morgana can kill him when he wasn’t looking, morgana HATES him after all…

The ringleader came into view, told them to fight to the death. Anyone who succeed can go to the second round or something morgana wasn’t really listening. She’s too busy to think of ways of killing Merlin.

They put a bunch of weapon in the middle of the room, probably to aid them or something. Morgana grabs a sword just in case. Merlin didn’t grab anything. What an idiot.

Ringleader: The battle starts….now

It was a blur after that. Morgana remembers slaying people, people who aren’t merlin. Morgana tries to cast a spell towards him every now and then, she saw Merlin doing the same. But it was never strong enough to kill, probably too distracted by the threat in front of them.

It suddenly stops. Only Morgana and a few other people stands unscathed, including Merlin, always Merlin. It makes a lot of sense now why he has a habit of not dying. Morgana remembers when she discovers that he has magic. What a hypocrite.

They were thrown to their prison cells not long after. After a speech that morgana really didn’t bother to listen

(in their cell)

Merlin: You have any idea what they want? (body swelling with blood and bruises) Morgana: we’re stuck in a slavery ring

Morgana seen one back when she was still with morgause. She tracks them down when one crosses her path, a potential army for her. She remembers that one of those rings would pit off prisoners like this, probably to find new slaves

Morgana: I couldn’t wait to see your demise when one of those brutes mortally wound you…” (giggling, imagining Merlin suffering a slow and painful death) Merlin: (shakes his head) look morgana…i’m sorry alright? I didn’t mean to betray you like that, and i… Morgana: i don’t want to hear your excuses you liar! You’re the same as that old fool! (screaming)

morgana wish she can slit his throat right now. Morgana wants to stab her dagger, revenge for every time Gaius told her she doesn’t have magic, for every time merlin stay quiet

Merlin: well i’m sorry for being a liar when i’m constantly threatened to be executed! At least you don’t get to suffer any consequences!! Morgana: you don’t get to say that!! You meddle into things when you don’t need to!!

they scream to each-other faces. Spit and all. It’s a bit disgusting, but Merlin is more disgusting. And every time she hears his excuses it brings something ugly within her. When Morgana was about to throw another insult at his face the door opens harshly

Guard: Quiet before I snap your necks (throwing a piece of bread and then leaving) Morgana: …at least i’m not an idiot in love like you Merlin: what do you mean? Morgana: (snorts) you spent every single day protecting arthur from harm, you took poisons and blows for arthur, you poisoned me because i’m hurting arthur, you hunt a child like a pig because of some wishy-washy prophecy, a child merlin, a child! Merlin: … Morgana: how’s arthur? was he sad that i killed his daddy??

it didn’t go unnoticed that Merlin was silent at the mention of his brother. Which was weird, usually when she brought him up he never shut up about him.

Merlin: (gets the bread, tossing it to Morgana with his bound hand) eat up, tomorrow is going to be a rough day Morgana: I don’t want food from you (tosses it back to him with gnawing stomach) it’s probably poisoned anyways Merlin: (sighs) if i ate it and i didn’t die, would you eat it? Morgana: ….no

merlin shrugs, biting a bit of his bread. When he shows no indication of poisoning, he tosses it back to her

Merlin: See? No poison Morgana: (rolled her eyes, grumpily tossing the bread back to him) i don’t trust you until you finished it

they toss the bread back and forth, biting into it until there’s no more food left to toss. After another stupid remark, Morgana greets him goodnight, and sleep on her side of the cell

It became a routine after that, they were toss at the arena, got toss back in the cell, tossed back at the arena….

Morgana hates it when she spends time with him. She’s sick of Merlin’s wicked humor. When he managed to rung a laugh out of her. For the first time since Morgause she feels like she’s not alone anymore

Merlin: …and then I told him that it was a sidhe, but he didn’t believe me! Morgana: Well he’s stupid, the stupidest man i’ve ever known…

Morgana didn’t enjoy talking to him, she hates it, she’s sick of the joy crawling on her skin

Morgana: What about Gwen? Merlin: Gwen? Oh she’s fine, she’s sad when you’re gone that time, we couldn’t really comfort her, it’s the same with arthur…it’s the same with everyone really…we miss you Merlin: …and what about you? What of you and arthur? Merlin: … Morgana: Oh come on merlin! There must be something that you did right? It’s been what? A year since that kiss? I saw it you know. Surely you already did something?? Are you still Arthur’s manservant? i don’t know how you handle that magic though…are you still keeping secrets from him? Why are you here anyways? Is arthur here with you? Merlin: Arthur banished me Morgana: Sorry? Merlin: I’m banished from camelot...

Morgana didn’t know what to feel. She should be happy, merlin is banished from camelot! That’s what she wanted right? For Merlin to suffer?

Merlin: it’s fine though, I learned a lot, did you know the druids grows the best of fruits? Must be their connection with nature or something. Their grapes are divine-

Morgana couldn’t stop the ire rising from herself when she kicks him. Merlin immediately bends to touch his leg

Merlin: WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! Morgana: YOU’RE AN IDIOT MERLIN SON OF HUNNITH! Wow i know you’re an idiot but i can’t believe you’re THAT BIG of an idiot Merlin: What???? Morgana what are you even- Morgana: Should i chop Arthur’s manhood for what he did to you? Gosh, you’re probably still protecting camelot even in banishment aren’t you??? I know that’s you when morgouse sends the hydra on the castle….are you an IDIOT??? Why are you still chasing this guy?? I can’t even…i get that he’s hot, but really merlin? Why did you get banished anyway? was it the magic?? Or is he hates homosexual relationship? It’s the magic isn’t it…that bastard….

Morgana swears when she gets out, she will kill him, even with her own two hands-

Merlin: stop it morgana, i don’t want you to kill arthur! Morgana: Of course you’re going to say that! you lovesick fool! Merlin: Really? Do you want me to kill gwen because she stabbed you that one time?!

Morgana shuts up, merlin must be referring to that time when gwen is forced to stab her when she reigns the castle with morgause, she doesn’t like thinking about it

Morgana: (huffed) he shouldn’t banish you, not when you’re always by his side, and what do you get?

it’s stuff like this that made her truly hate camelot. Morgana could understand her banishment, but to banish merlin? Why didn’t anyone do anything? It truly made morgana sick to her stomach

Merlin: you know, banishment isn’t that bad…and i made choices…I deserved it

Before morgana can reply a guard enters their room, uncuffing them and dragging them outside their cell. They arrived at a different room, like that of an arena. But smaller this time. But only morgana and merlin stand in the middle of the room. The ringleader stands on a balcony

What happened on the last arena again? Right, only merlin and morgana were left standing, which means…

Ringleader: Merlin and Lady Morgana, once the pride and joy of Camelot, only to be banished by King Arthur himself. What a pity Merlin: If you think that I’m willing to help you to destroy camelot, count me out. My loyalties will always lie on king arthur Ringleader: Oh no no, I don’t want any of that. I don’t know how you ended up together as prison-mates but i did not expect the witch and emrys to be in my doorstep, inside the same cell nonetheless! Morgana: And? You want us to be your slaves? do you really think we’re willing to submit to you? Ringleader: don’t worry, i can think of ways to tame you

Morgana stomach jolted at the implication

Ringleader: Despite your…peerless reputation, you’re both are a headache for me to handle…so i just want one (sat on his make-shift throne) go ahead then, fight to the death! don’t you hate each-other?

Morgana looks at Merlin, and he looks at her. It’s true, Morgana had been wanting to kill Merlin for a long time but…

She doesn’t want to kill another one of her kind. And she doesn’t want to kill her friend

Ringleader: Come on! I’m waiting…

The shackles on their hand cracks, and Morgana felt her magic restored. They stare at each-other, circling. Is Merlin going to kill her now? Morgana saw how Merlin body is poised, ready to strike.

She strike first.

They danced around each-other, exchanging blows. The blow was sometimes deadly, other-times unnecessary spells. But they never land a fatal blow, even if morgana is panting, and merlin is out of breath

Morgana: …what’s wrong Merlin?…scared? Merlin: You wish (strike a spell that tore the fabric of her skirt) Morgana: (gasped) My dress! Merlin: …oops…

Morgana screams, sending a curse towards merlin. Morgana can’t believe it, it actually hits him, and for a moment merlin was confused, because nothing happened

Merlin: well that was anti-climactic (in a girl's voice, realization) morgana change me back right now! Morgana: No

she puts another curse on him, but he dodges it this time. It didn’t take long for merlin to tackle her, she fights back, trying to push him off and they fight like children.

Merlin: Get off me! (shrieking unladylike, his long nose (yes how ironic morgana is a genius) touching the ground) Morgana: You get off! (fights back, hair green. Fingers feels like rubber)

They rolled on each-other back, trying to murder the other until they gave up and just sprawled on the floor, too exhausted to do anything. If Morgana have to fire a spell one more time it feels like she’s going go throw up

Morgana: You’re pathetic Merlin Merlin: You’re even more pathetic Morgana: At least I’m stronger than you, you look like a twig Merlin: Well I’ll let you know that- Ringleader: ENOUGH

(they both look at him)

Ringleader: Just die already! I don’t care who dies! Just kill someone! If you don’t want to do it, then I’m going to kill the both of you! Morgana + Merlin: ….HAHAHAHAHHA Merlin: Did you hear that??? He says he’s going to kill us Morgana: ‘Just die already’ (still laughing even as she felt her hair is being pulled. She felt hands shoving her down, Merlin next to her) Ringleader: Do you have any final words? Morgana: (looks at Merlin) You’re not as worse as I thought Merlin: I’m glad to meet you too Morgana

When the axe about to fall down on their neck, the rooftop shake, and suddenly a dragon is screaming at them. Their assaulters ran, terrified of the beast.

Morgana: Aithusa!!

Merlin laughs beside her, chanting in a foreign language. Aithusa squeal and Morgana paused

Morgana: You’re also a dragonlord Merlin: Yeah not many people know that

Aithusa breathes fire, fending off their attacker

Morgana: merlin if you dare as to so much touches her- Merlin: Morgana, i birthed her Morgana: …??

Morgana had no time to argue when the ringleader is starting to ran to them. She quickly climbed onto her, when Morgana reaches out her hand for Merlin to grab but Merlin fell. Limbs grabbed by the ringleader

Morgana: MERLIN!

Aithusa is shrieking, trying to shield herself and Morgana from the fire. Merlin chants and Morgana felt Aithusa leaving

Morgana: Merlin? MERLIN WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Merlin: Goodbye Morgana Morgana: STOP!!

Morgana tries to reach him, but Aithusa keeps flying, away from the dungeon, away from Merlin

Episode ends

*

End notes: i rlly didn’t expect it to be this long. Anyways sorry if it didn’t made sense and the pacing is off, i’m really rambling here 😭 but this is how i think morgana merlin interaction should go

#did not expect it to be this long #bbc merlin #merlin #merlin bbc #merthur #merlin emrys #arthur x merlin #merlin prompt #merlin x arthur #merlin snippet #merlin fic idea #merlin fic ideas #morgana pendragon #morgana le fay #morgana merlin #merlin morgana #morgana bbc #bbc morgana

[scionofguineverependragon]

for some reason i can’t find my morgana post anymore so it might’ve gotten deleted…idk how to tumblr…but since i had the text saved imma repost it 🤷🏾

ok so i saw the "morgana never turned evil, morgause did to her what morgana did to gwen" theory again and i just felt like laying down my thoughts on this

like, i understand i really do (once upon a time i wanted this too). but i dislike this theory be it is a thing used to victimise morgana and absolve her of her wrongdoings, especially towards gwen.

morgana's treatment of gwen is so cruel that people want to find a reason to excuse her of it. but morgana is a big girl, she knew what she was doing; which was apparent in the stuff she said. eg. "evil" gwen says she never loved arthur that it was all a trick, when there's evidence of the contrary because she is brainwashed asf. morgana when confronted with "i thought we were friends" says "so did i", and "you were so kind what happened" says "i grew up" that shows that she KNOWS herself and the choices she made. she confronts merlin in the hand he played in hurting her. she says "uther taught me well", she never denies her past. she is not magically brainwashed, she is a woman who got hurt and decided to turn against everyone, even those who cherished her. she decided to not care who she hurt to acces the power she deemed was right fully hers. those are her choices.

it can also feel like a disservice to morgana bc she has always made her own choices and stood by it since s1. while living under tyrannical uther, unlike many others, morgana always felt like she could talk back to him and she did.

saying that morgana for three seasons until her deadly end was not herself—when truly apart from a moral change, she sure spoke like the outspoken morgana with strong opinions and a sense of self-justice she always was—is doing her a disservice.

#merlin th0ts #merlin thoughts #morgana #bbc merlin #merlin meta #morgana pendragon #sp

[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

#merthur #morgwen #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #guinevere pendragon #please I literally can't stop talking about Merlin #all of my friends are going to cut me off if I don't stop #windows symbolism

[witchthewriter]

𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

⤷ gender neutral, ambiguous race, and any size reader. Requests are open, thank you for reading!  

Warnings: implied homophobia, it’s not gone into detail

ᴹᵃˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤˢᵗ        

𝑺𝑭𝑾🌿

・Love is a fickle thing

・One that we have no choice in

・That’s what Gaius said to Guinevere when she came crying to him, telling him of the love she has for both you and Morgana

・You never thought something like this could happen. You had heard of King’s taking multiple wives, but never a princess taking two partners, especially two lowborn. 

・It had to be kept a secret because King Uther would surely have the heads of both you and Guinevere - or he would banish you. And you couldn’t have either of that. 

・So you were careful and kept your secret. 

・Gaius kept it too, since he noticed the longing looks from all three of you

・Morgana and Guinevere have a layered dynamic. She’s still her servant, but that only means there’s extra time together. 

・You do feel jealous, but understand that not everything in life can be fair 

・Although Morgana and Guinevere do make it up to you 

・The relationship you have with each woman is vastly different

・With Morgana, it’s very passionate. There’s a heat that you cannot deny. You both desire each other so fiercely that it feels wrong not to be near her 

・And with Gwen, well. You feel like you’re on clouds when you’re around her. Your feet surely do not touch the ground. She’s an angel on earth. 

・Gwen keeps both of you grounded

・Morgana keeps both of you safe

・And you keep them in high spirits 

・Merlin is sure that something is happening between you and Gwen. But he doesn’t understand what Morgana has to do with it

・Arthur doesn’t notice anything at all. Why should he? He’s a King-in-waiting, and his attention lies elsewhere 

・There are a lot of stolen kisses in the corridors 

・And meetings in the forests underneath the moon 

・Morgana tells you how she feels about Uther. She says how much she hates him and that he’s a terrible person. 

・The evil that seeps into her is kept at bay by you and Gwen. The future villain that Morgana turns into is lost. Your love keeps her as a good person.

・And you tell her that she’s allowed to hate Uther for what he’s done. That people shouldn’t be killed because of their lifestyle. 

・You tell her that things will change once Arthur is King

・Those words are said constantly, to keep her calm

・Gwen brings flowers to you and Morgana every day. Your faces always brighten when you see them. 

・You and Morgana like to talk about sorcery. You’d let her know that she’s safe with you. 

・Morgana’s secret of being a sorceress would be too much to contain to herself, so she tells you

・And you don’t judge her, or tell her that anyone else will know

・Gwen fights with her feelings because she’s been brought up to think that same-sex relationship and love is wrong. That it’s dirty. But she can’t get rid of her feelings, no matter how hard she tries. 

・At the beginning of your relationship, she would be gone for days on end. Feigning sickness, but really she was fretting 

・You and Morgana told her that it was okay. She doesn’t have to partake if she doesn’t want to. But Gwen cried. Because she wanted to be with you two so badly. 

・And in the end, she couldn’t deny or push away her feelings.

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒏𝒈:

Danielle’s Wings by George Fenton

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

Makes A Mess (Morgana) x Cleans the Mess (Guinevere) x Is A Mess (You)

The Adventurous (Morgana) x The Unhinged (You) x The Unheeded Voice of Reason (Guinevere)

Moon (Morgana) x Sun (Guinevere) x Eclipse (You)

 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆:

Love Defeats Evil

𝒈𝒊𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒕: @merlin-gifs.

#merlin #merlin bbc headcanons #bbc merlin headcanons #merlin bbc #bbc morgana x reader #morgana x guinevere #morgana x reader #guinevere x reader #morgana x reader x guinevere #morgana headcanons #guinevere headcanons #witchthewriter #poly #poly relationship #poly headcanons #poly relationship headcanons #polyamourous #witch the writer #headcanons #relationship tropes #romantic plot trope #theme song #love #s/o headcanons

[merlinmicrofic]

Trust me ~ Morgana & Morgause ~ post S2

"You don't trust me?" Morgause demanded and lifted Morgana's face up by the chin. "Do you think I don't know what is the best?"

Morgana squirmed uncomfortably. She was sitting up in her bed. "That's not true, Morgause. I trust you. You're my sister and you saved me. But I'm afraid things will go wrong again. And I don't want Arthur or Gwen or innocent people to get hurt. Can we think of another way to defeat Uther...?"

Morgause released her, sighed heavily, and sat down next to her. "You're making things harder, Morgana. I didn't expect that of you after everything you've gone through."

"Please, don't think that I don't want to help, sister. I'm just..." Morgana smiled nervously.

"Alright. Here, take this, I prepared this tincture to make the remnants of the poison evaporate from your body faster." She held out a small brown glass vial to Morgana.

Morgana hesitated only for a moment, but it didn't escape Morgause's attentive gaze. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course." Morgana quickly drank the contents of the vial, then lay back down and covered herself with a blanket. Her eyelids grew heavy under the sleeping herbs that smelled of July dusk.

"Sleep, little sister." Morgause gently stroked Morgana's black wavy tresses, "This night will be hard on you, sorry. But it is for the good. You will always trust me from now on, and we will be well."

Morgause stood up. She had done this before; she once helped her poor sister make the right choice, guiding her. But now it was time for more drastic measures; she has waited too long and worked too hard to allow this opportunity to pass her by because of the girl's fears. The High Priestess placed a metal bowl on the table by the bed, put a mandrake root in it and set it on fire. Its viscous smoke would help Morgana find her way and never doubt again. Never.

#submission #bbc merlin #merlin micro fic #prompt fill #round: march 24 #prompt: ''trust me'' #relationship: morgause x morgana #rating: not rated

[guinevere-if]

Can you tell us more about Morgana? Pretty please?

Sure! I got you, Anon. Wink, wink.

Spoiler

Morgana, the daughter of Igraine and half-sister to Arthur, is seven years senior to Guinevere. Her fate took an unexpected turn when Uther, enamored by Igraine, vanquished her husband in battle and made Igraine his wife. It was with Igraine that he begot Arthur and another son.

Morgana is married to Lot and bore two children to him.

When she was young, Morgana found herself irresistibly drawn to a young knight who she fall in love with. However, her love was short-lived as Uther, disapproving of her choice, murdered her lover and buried him in an undisclosed location. Morgana was then coerced into marrying Lot against her will.

#guinevere #interactive fiction #ro #ask #Morgana #if

[igniferrus]

I can't believe the BBC's The Adventures of Merlin peaked at S01E04 "The Poisoned Chalice."

OBVIOUSLY I love the absolute absurdity of Merlin and Arthur trying to die for each other after knowing each other for like a week. Just for the vibes and for the Merthur implications, however; this episode is the one that does the characters and their interpersonal relationships the most justice, in my opinion.

Now with a read more, because this got out of hand, fast.

We start with the Gauis and Merlin father-son relationship, with them bantering in the hallways about work. Gwen and Merlin get to giggle together at the feast, and then we see their bond as Gwen worries over Merlin (and her blaming herself when he 'dies').

Merlin is also a wonderful sunshine boy in this episode. The weight of his destiny hasn't worn him down yet, he's still riding the high of finally understanding the reason he was born as he was. He perks up when Arthur tells him he's going to the feast, he treats the guests as guests (no immediate suspicion, trying to impress Kara/Nimueh), and we get to see some of his best cheeky moments - like calling Gaius out for making up a proverb, telling Kara he runs the castle, pestering Arthur about his smelly clothes and the food fights, and, of course, when he wakes up mock scolding Gaius for hugging Gwen, and then claiming not to be alive but his own ghost. He's still a silly boy, especially when he wakes up and says he doesn't remember what happened after drinking the wine.

But what I think this episode does particularly well is the Pendragons, especially Arthur.

We get Morgana ready to cut a bitch immediately when things go wrong at the feast, but also see her compassionate side when she allows Gwen to go tend to Merlin. Her relationships with Uther and Arthur are phenomenally well done. Uther scolds her (off-screen) for wanting to bash people about the head with ladles at the feast. But she also gets to stand up to him and show her displeasure at his choices.

When Uther rants at her after Arthur leaves, she agrees with his every point, sarcastically. His ordering Arthur to stay "worked like a charm" and "[her] lips are sealed" when he tells her to knock it off. She calls him out for oppressing Arthur and not letting him make his own choice, telling Uther "[He] can't chain [Arthur] up every time he disagrees with [Uther]" and "Arthur's old enough to make decisions for himself"

But Uther wins this argument (or is at least conceded to), because he asks Morgana if he should allow Arthur to make his own choices, if that means Arthur will die. And Morgana has no answer for him. Which is especially interesting as Morgana was the one to push for Arthur to go.

There is a lot to be said for Morgana and Arthur's relationship in the show as a whole, and this episode too. I could probably write a whole post about them just using The Poisoned Chalice. But I'll keep it to two main points here.

The first, and most important one, which I think is overlooked in a lot of people's take on their relationship, comes from a short line in a transition scene. There is a total of six pieces of dialogues, split between Morgana and Gwen, as Gwen fills Morgana in on the Merlin situation, which includes this bit:

MORGANA: Don't worry, I'm alright. How's Merlin? GUINEVERE: If Arthur comes back with the antidote in time, he'll be fine. MORGANA: Then he'll be fine.

Just like that. If Merlin's health relies on Arthur succeeding it is a forgone conclusion for Morgana. Arthur will not fail. She has enough faith in him that she is no longer worried about Merlin's fate. I don't think enough people consider this angle of their relationship. She knows who Arthur is. He is a good, capable man of honour. He will do what needs to be done. She never says this to his face, and actually implies the opposite when she thinks he won't go and rescue Gwen in a later episode, but that's sibling banter and desperation, baby! She's his older sister, she can't be seen hyping him up. Even when she gives him the chance to talk about his success at the end of the episode, she frames it as "bragging." C'mon. He just traveled to a place where few people come back from, defied his king, and still managed to save a man whose life was already deemed "worth less" that the cost of saving him. It's not bragging, it's a true achievement.

There has also been plenty said for Morgana being a guiding figure at first. When Arthur is stuck with indecision about going, when Uther has gotten into his head about this quest being an abandonment of his people, it is Morgana who encourages him to go, saying his people want and deserve a king who will do what is right. Which is all Arthur ever wants to do, despite the way Uther raised him.

Which brings us to the Uther and Arthur relationship. Uther prohibits Arthur from doing what is right. Calls into question his judgement ("jeopardise the future of this kingdom"? Realty, Uther?). Arrests his son. Locks him in the dungeon. Does his best to throw away all that Arthur sacrificed for to teach him a lesson about not doing things the "right" (Uther's) way. Continued to lie about Arthur's birth and magic, when given the perfect opportunity to come clean.

And yet.

Uther loves his boy. He wants to kill Bayard with his own hands, if it was true that he was going to harm Uther's son. Rants and raves to Morgana and Arthur leaving (and disobeying), putting himself in danger (could never say he's worried to his son's face, though). And in that moment, uses the exact justification he told Gaius wasn't good enough. When Merlin accuses Bayard of poison, Gaius claims "he's just a boy" and should be given leniency, which Uther refutes, saying Gaius should have taught him better. But when it's Uther's own (older) son, "he's just a boy" Morgana, not old enough to make his own decisions.

And at the end? When Uther does tell Arthur he's proud of him, despite it all? Arthur pulls this face, almost a kind of grimace. Like he doesn't know what to do with this information. How often does Uther say this? Not enough, obviously. Uther is a tyrant, a hypocrite, a terrible parent, and a father who cares so very deeply about his child(ren). The love is there, but it is not enough to redeem him. This, along with Beauty and the Beast (especially part two) are some of my top Uther episodes. Because they show how much he loves his boy, and it doesn't change anything. It cannot help either of them now.

Finally. Arthur Pendragon. My main man, in all forms, across all media.

He is at his best in this episode. In every conceivable way.

Aside from the excellent insight into his relationships with his family, in a way with more depth and nuance than most episodes, we get to see the Best Arthur, both physically and mentally.

As a man, he excels. He shows up for the diplomatic aspects of the position as Prince. His teases and needles Merlin, but it is less mean spirited than some episodes portray him. The silly hat is hilarious, but I also think putting Merlin in Pendragon red, with the family's crest emblazoned on his chest was a smart move. This is a new, incredibly untrained servant, with no idea of the decorum of the court. It wasn't Merlin's fault, but he really put himself in a bad light during the tournament by accusing Valiant and not being able to back up his claims, and he did recently confess to sorcery to the entire court...... Arthur all but putting his name on Merlin definitely would have afforded some protection if Merlin's trouble had been a little less dire. Calling Merlin an alcoholic may have been a bit harsh, but impugning Merlin's intelligence had already worked once in getting Uther to let him go, so I see why Arthur would stick with what works. Especially if defying Uther regularly gets him clapped in irons himself.

People routinely call Arthur honourable, and he really shows it in this episode. He tries to drink the poison himself to protect Merlin, after all his other attempts fail. He refuses to allow Merlin's sacrifice to go unrepaid. Even when he hears about how dangerous the quest will be, and that few who try it make it back alive, he says "Sounds like fun." There's no reality where Arthur doesn't want to go. Not even Uther pressing on Arthur's sore spots makes him want to abandon the quest, it just makes him wonder if he should. Also. On a time-sensitive quest that is more likely to kill him than not, he still stops to offer help to an apparently battered servant. It was the wrong choice, but the honourable one none the less.

He's so incredibly clever, too. I talked about my interpretation of his choice of Merlin's outfit already, but the scene with Gwen in the dungeon is so well-written. He's already in trouble. Uther has all but sentenced Merlin to die, twice. Once by forbidding Arthur from leaving the castle, and again when he crushes the flower to teach Arthur a lesson. The guards have to know this, along with the fact that the prince is out of favour enough to be in the dungeon for a week. And yet Arthur uses their perception of him, as a spoiled arrogant prince, to help Gwen smuggle the flower out. It is an exceptionally well-laid and executed plan. He has been studying to be a king (and kill) from birth. By necessity, Arthur is a skilled tactician. He wouldn't lead the army if he wasn't - Uther punishes failure harshly.

Arthur also gets to show off his physical skills in this episode. My man is STRONG and SKILLED. He carries Merlin from the hall to the physician's chambers. I don't know how long of a walk that it, but we've seen there are plenty of stairs up to Gaius' tower, and Arthur gets there without being out of breath. Incredible. Plus, in the cave, Arthur supports his entire body weight with one hand while hanging off a ledge AND waving a sword around to fight off a big spider. In chainmail. This man is Strong As Fuck. I don't think I could hang for very long, even using both hands, much less fight a monster.

We also get to see Arthur's skills with a sword. I've mentioned somewhere before that I understand Merlin was the protagonist and therefore got to be the hero most of the time, at the expense of Arthur. But damn. The cockatrice is the main reason why people don't return from this quest, a single drop of its venom is deadly. And Arthur takes care of it without a single thought. It lunges, he rolls under it, and then he THROWS HIS SWORD and spears it. How much did he have to practice to be able to throw a sword with accuracy, and enough power to be lethal? Absolute unit of a man. He fights off the spider mentioned above, and then climbs the cave wall to freedom. His arms must be so jacked. The only thing he can't carry is the weight of his father's disapproval.

This is also the only episode where we get to see Merlin and Arthur working perfectly together as they were meant to. In other episodes, Arthur is unconscious or unaware of Merlin's magic; or at the end, he is simply an audience to Merlin as the reveal at Camlann doesn't give them enough time to have a healthy Arthur and Merlin team up. Arthur only watches Merlin-as-Dragoon at the battle proper, or is too weak to do anything after.

But in this episode, Merlin, fever-ridden, dying, miles away in Camelot, is still able to provide Arthur magical aid in the cave. He lights the way, showing Arthur the spiders and the route to the exit. It is one of the few times Arthur is exposed to "good" magic. Could you imagine a world where the best swordsman in Albion and the most powerful warlock to walk the earth get to fight side-by-side? With Merlin providing magical support and Arthur the physical aspect? it would have been amazing, but this is the closest we come to it.

It also adds an interesting dimension to the idea of Merlin and Arthur being two sides of the same coin. Merlin's connection to Arthur despite the distance, knowing what Arthur is facing, should have been explored more. We only see it again when they are separated at Camlann, and Arthur wakes, seemingly knowing something isn't right with Merlin. Absolutely underused concept.

This has ended up criminally long, and didn't even cover everything I thought about during my rewatch of the episode. Thank you if you took the time to read all this.

#bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #bbc merlin meta #I'm so sorry to my real life friends who have to see me merlin posting all the time #I have so many thoughts #mostly about arthur #because I am an arthur pendragon girlie first and foremost #and sometimes i resent how the show treated him #but i still love it and him #this is a long and rambling post #im so sorry #I could write a whole post about the connection between Merlin and Arthur #Or Arthur's criminally underused skills #bbc arthur #I didn't even talk about Arthur's cunty prison shirt! #There's so much more I could say #But I will refrain. For now. #Justice for BBC's Arthur Pendragon

[tiodolma]

As someone who likes Merlin x Morgana i feel like i am obliged to give my own two cents on the question: should Merlin have revealed his magic to her early on?

To me, he didn’t have to tbh.

Why?

A. Morgana already hates Uther. There were too many unpleasant secrets regarding her identity. Her upbringing made her vulnerable.

He had been told by the all his mentors not to trust her despite him wanting to do right by her. And regardless of whether he told Morgana about his magic or not, Morgana had long been resentful and distrustful of Uther herself due to the latter’s injustices. She was bound to betray the king one way or another. She was bound to meet and trust Morgause one way or another. She would still find out her true parentage. She would still have been manipulated by Morgause nonetheless. The fact that not only was Uther keeping major secrets from her, but Gaius, her primary physician, kept her drugged and ignorant, in time the truth will have had to come out and she will have still been rightfully outraged. Also at some point she would have had to know that she and Arthur were half-siblings.

B. She may root for Merlin but she was against the crown.

I do not believe for one second that had Merlin revealed his magic to her, she would have remained on the Pendragon’s side of their world (aka the "good guys”). Although She was little bit like Will, Gilli, Freya, who could convince Merlin to fight for himself and the magicfolk, Morgana also had the makings of characters such as Kara, Edwin, Nimueh and Sigan. These four tried to show Merlin a better/freer world but also went on to harm Gaius/Arthur, which became their death sentence.

As we can see, Morgana was theoretically located in between these two groups. That made trusting/joining her already very precarious for Merlin.

The real tipping point would have been Arthur. Morgana seemed to be influential enough to guide Arthur to follow his heart and go against Uther when it counted. In another world she would have convinced Arthur to take the throne for himself. As long as Arthur stayed alive, then Merlin would be on Morgana’s side. Gaius, who’s technically pro-Uther, can be still be convinced to the magicfolk’s side as long as the Camelot prince was safe.

C. The prophecy

The bigger problem though was that Morgana, from the beginning, has already been pegged as "designated dangerous potential enemy of the state” by both Kilgharrah and Gaius. Regardless of what she did, Merlin will always have that piece of info at the back of his head. No matter what Merlin did to prove them that Morgana isn’t like that, Gaius and Kilgharrah never stopped reminding him of her potential to "do evil” or go opposite of Merlin’s pathos. That kind of thing can mess up someone’s brain, especially powerful young men who had been thoroughly convinced that they will be the "light and savior” of his people some day in the future. His later actions and mindset is proof of the prophecy (and gaius’s philosophy) already having a profound effect on him.

There are really too many factors tbh. Merlin’s loyalty and focus was really pulled into so many directions, so many options. There was never an easy way for Merlin x Morgana to become satisfying.

.....

Merlin’s biggest sin was really using Morgana’s unfailing trust on him against her when he poisoned her. They were friends. Morgana had wholeheartedly trusted, respected and admired him, even more than Arthur did.

Merlin didn’t need magic to earn Morgana’s complete trust and love. He didn’t need magic to lose it either... That was simple use of hemlock. The moment he chose to do that, to not give her a choice in death, to not tell Morgana of his plan, to not completely trust her just once, to betray her for the final time, even when he was counting on Morgause to lift the curse on her... that already set Morgana’s path to her hatred of him in motion.

Merlin’s fear, indecision, distrust, empathy caused him to make horrible yet very realistic decisions. He continuously backed himself into a corner until there was no one left who could root for Merlin himself, not the Emrys of destiny. His lack of clear ambitions or plans made him gullible and vulnerable of Gaius’ and Kilgharrah’s mind games. Out of options, he would have had to defend status quo as long as possible, to become a reactionary hero that relied on brute force and prodigious talents to subdue his "enemies”. He would be the natural adversary of people like Morgana, Morgause (and everyone else).

It’s fascinating. And it hurts.

#thots #i redacted this

[communitypoolswimlessons]

do you guys ever think that if Merlin had decided to let Morgana make the choice herself in s2 x e12 to drink the poison she would have done so because she was good and kind but because he didn't (in his misguided attempt to save Camelot but still she didn't KNOW THAT) she almost died thinking the one person she had confided in about her magic assumed that SHE was responsible for the spell on the kingdom and thus started her bitterness towards the kingdom and it's people as a whole rather than just Uther and then, many years down the line, was partially responsible for Arthur's death because woah boy let me tell you I DO-

edit: Y'ALL APPARENTLY I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT EPISODE AND MORGANA KNEW SHE WAS THE CAUSE OF THE ENCHANTMENT??? the point still stands but maybe a little further away

#bbc merlin #merlin and morgana would have been BEST FRIENDS #morgana pendragon #she deserved so much better #merlin #morgana

[thenerdyindividual]

Merlin Week Day 3 -- Favorite Dynamic + Quote

Also Cross Posted to AO3

It was difficult to pick my favorite dynamic. There is not a single dynamic in Merlin that I don’t like, even ones that makes me angry such as Arthur and his relationship to Uther. The writing and casting was done so well that everyone’s chemistry strengthened the story. I’ve written so much about how Merlin and Arthur’s relationship makes me go feral, but I decided to change it up. While the narrative implications of Arthur and Gwen don’t make me as wild as the narrative implications of Merlin and Arthur, I do think that Arwen (gwenthur?) was the right choice for the show. BBC Merlin really earned the romance between Arthur and Gwen.

Part of what makes them work so well for me, other than the fantastic chemistry between Angel Colby and Bradley James, is that we get a sense of their characters before the show introduces them as romantic pairing. They didn’t have to do that. Arthur and Guinevere have been a couple since the Arthurian Era, they are perhaps the most well-known couple in western story telling. The only couple I can think of that might be more well-known is Romeo and Juliet. As such, the writers could have easily fallen back on that collective knowledge and copped out of developing Gwen and Arthur’s relationship, relying on the audience to buy into it because we know that it’s meant to happen. However, they spent more time developing that relationship than I’ve seen in some actual romances.

We get to know Gwen outside of her relationship to Arthur. She hardly interacts with him in season 1, instead primarily interacting with Morgana and Merlin. We learn that she is kind, helpful, and a bit anxious, but has a spine of steel that comes out when she needs it. She gives Merlin a flower because she thinks it will suit him, babbles nervously when she thinks she might have offended someone, tries to cheer Morgana up when she experiences nightmares, helps Merlin whip up a knight’s regalia for Lancelot, and teaches Merlin how to properly armor people. On the flip side, she stands up to Arthur in Ealdor both to argue for the inclusion of the women in the fighting force and to tell him not to turn his nose up at food, and she risks herself to get the morteus flower out of the dungeons to get it to Gaius. She is not a main character, but we know her well by the end of season 1. Enough that we love her on her own, for her own merits.

We get to know Arthur too. We learn that how he is perceived is important to him; both when he refuses to pull out of the fight against Valiant for fear of being perceived as weak, and when he reacts badly to being taunted by Anhora’s illusion in the Labyrinth of Gedref. We also learn that most of his behavior is performative, and that at his heart he is kind and loyal. He defies Uther to get the Morteus Flower and to aid Ealdor even though it lies in an enemy kingdom, and he smuggles Mordred out of Camelot. He also argues on Gwen’s behalf when she is accused of sorcery, for no other reason than he thinks it the right thing to do. He doesn’t expect any reward, and given Uther’s hatred of sorcery, it is reasonable to think speaking up could have caused Arthur to be punished by Uther.

They are complete characters before they ever strike up a romance. I think that is vital to making their romance (or any romance) work. It’s difficult to invest in a relationship between two characters when you’re not invested properly in both characters. By giving the audience time to bond with Gwen and Arthur both, we now care deeply about what happens to them.

Another thing they did well was to slow play their feelings. A lot of romances end up straining the willing suspension of disbelief because they will fall into the trap of making characters who only just realized their feelings for each other be willing to give up the entire world for each other. In the case of Arthur and Gwen, not only did we have an entire season to get to know them as individual characters, but their romantic feelings also aren’t introduced immediately in season 2. Arthur doesn’t recognize his feelings as romantic until he spends a week couch surfing at Gwen’s house during season 2 episode 2. Even then, when he does recognize his feelings, Gwen is surprised by it, and he doesn’t start proclaiming he wants to defy Uther and run off with her. We also get the introduction of Gwen’s feelings for Lancelot, which works well to make the romance feel earned. It would have been easy for the writers to have Arthur and Gwen kiss, and then keep referring to that to make the audience buy into the relationship. By including Lancelot, someone who is equally as noble as Arthur and has an easier time being kind, it prevents Gwen from being shoehorned into choosing Arthur. There are other options out there that would have been good for her, so when she does inevitably choose Arthur, it’s a lot easier for us to accept she is entering this relationship with an understanding of herself and the man she chooses.

Then, even after all that, the barriers to their relationship don’t magically dissolve under the power of love. We then get walked through a slow burn that isn’t placed there for the drama, but for reasons that have been well-established already. We already know that Uther won’t accept commoners in court because of the way he treated Lancelot, and by extension we know he won’t stand for Gwen being his daughter in law for that reason alone. However, it is also not as simple as waiting for Arthur to be king before going public with their relationship. We already know that Camelot’s relative peace with other kingdoms is only upheld by honoring treaties, and that insult can bring them crashing down. Camelot and Bayard’s Kingdom almost go to war during a treaty meeting where Merlin accuses Bayard of Poisoning the goblet, and when Alined tires to disrupt peace treaty negotiations between his kingdom, Olaf’s Kingdom, and Camelot by making Arthur and Vivian fall in love. Knowing this, we understand that Arthur will need to make peace connections of his own, so it comes as no surprise when Uther tries to marry him to Elena. It further explains the odds set against Arthur and Gwen’s romance, and makes us feel for their struggle. Despite the odds set against them, however, they still yearn. Every lingering look in the halls, every time they joke about something in the course of their daily duties and stand together a bit too long, heightens both how much they feel for each other, and how impossible it seems for them to get together.

It is heartbreaking in the way that their affection for each other is so obvious, but they can’t say it out loud. Arthur’s first proper love confession makes my heart hurt every time I rewatch the show. He can’t acknowledge his feelings about Gwen without risking their forbidden romance from being discovered, and he’s so used to it that even when he explicitly states his feelings, he does it in a round about way. After rescuing Elyan, Gwen thanks him for his help, and his response is a wistful look and “That’s what you do when love someone.” He tells her exactly how he feels, but is still unable to say “I love you” and there is something so deeply Romantic about it.

On top of how well paced their arc is, Gwen and Arthur are just wonderful together. By season 4 they have been teasing and joking with each other for years. They also get into so many shenanigans. Their relationship started because Gwen aided Arthur’s hairbrained scheme to anonymously compete in a tournament, but earlier than that they both snuck away to help Ealdor. Arthur lies to Uther in order to rescue Elyan, and Gwen brings two silk dresses to Arthur after so he has proof for his lie. They are so often in cahoots with each other, that it sets a framework for what kind of partnership they will have when they can be open about their relationship. Not only that, but Gwen and Arthur reenforce the hidden good in one another. Gwen’s humble beginnings remind Arthur of his core kindness, and she is responsible for much of the gentling of Arthur over the seasons. Arthur’s gratitude for Gwen’s help remind Gwen that she can and should stand up for herself and others, it takes her from a young woman who babbles helplessly when Uther sentences he to death, to a young woman who can look that same king in the face and sneer, “I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand.”

Gwen and Arthur fit so well together, and the writers never underutilized their chemistry or circumstances.  Every moment between them serves to support the tone and themes of the show.

#merlinweek2022 #arwen #gwenthur #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #bbc merlin meta #merlin bbc meta #merlin meta #arthur pendragon #bbc guinevere #guinevere pendragon #gwen merlin #bbc gwen #merlin week 2022

[weakforarwen]

Thinking about how Morgana directly or indirectly killed all of Gwen's family.

Uther sentenced Tom to die but any hopes of proving his innocence and saving him were shattered when Morgana helped him break out of his cell. It was Tom's choice to try to escape, and I can't fault him or Morgana for their choices, but Morgana's good intentions expedited Tom's death, something I hadn't even noticed until it was pointed out by @groundbreakingdot872 in a post.

Elyan obviously died because of Morgana. Either him or Arthur were meant to die by the magical sword in the room with Gwen and Elyan got to Gwen first (for some reason it took Arthur ages to reach them when he hadn't been far behind Elyan...)

Arthur, Gwen's remaining family, died because of Morgana too, by Mordred's hand but with her enchanted blade.

It's insane to me how Gwen suffered more at Morgana's hands than Arthur did. I blame that first and foremost on the writers' racism and misogyny, but it's also a reflection of the kind of person Morgana became - someone who thought herself better than a mere servant without any magic.

It's also worth remembering everything Gwen had to face and endure to be with Arthur, all that she risked and sacrificed for him:

Even before Morgana, Gwen risked her life being loved by Arthur. She knew how Uther would react if he learned of her and Arthur. She had already been sentenced to die once, yet it wasn't Uther's wrath she feared; she feared coming between Uther and Arthur and weakening Camelot, because Arthur had to be King and she wasn't Queen material (or so she thought). She feared that Arthur wouldn't be able to choose her and she feared that he would.

When Morgana found out about Gwen and Arthur, she had Elyan and Gwen kidnapped. Gwen didn't learn of Morgana's involvement (she probably guessed eventually), but despite Merlin's words to her, she knew she'd been targeted for her relationship with Arthur. Her life, and her brother's life, were threatened but she didn't think for one second to blame Arthur or reassess their relationship. If anything, she became more certain of her and Arthur's future.

In 3.10, Gwen was again sentenced to die but she only thought of Arthur. She worried about how he would cope after her death. She also told Arthur he should never abandon Camelot for her. She put him, his future, and the future of Camelot, above herself.

Uther sentenced Gwen to die twice, tried to banish her, slapped her, killed her father, showed time and time again he thought her life was worthless, and still she took care of him. For Arthur. Her love for Arthur and her compassionate nature, who pitied Uther despite everything he'd done, was stronger than any hatred and resentment she harbored for the King. She was stronger than fear or hatred - she never let it consume her.

Gwen asked Lancelot to protect Arthur when she knew he planned to risk his life for them all. It mustn't have been easy to ask a man who perhaps still had feelings for her to protect the man she loved with his life. It was a Knight's duty to protect and give his life for their King but Gwen still specifically asked Lancelot to bring Arthur home. She believed Lancelot had died keeping his promise to her and she lived with that guilt. No matter what happened, she never reconsidered her relationship with Arthur, thought it would have been much easier to date a normal man.

She told Arthur not to look for Merlin in 4.06 and was grateful that Mordred was hurt instead of Arthur in 5.05. Gwen loved Merlin and didn't wish any harm on Mordred, but she loved Arthur to the point where she would risk anything and anyone for Arthur.

Gwen endured Agravaine's disapproval and likely the disapproval of many others who didn't wish for a servant to become Queen. She must've had her doubts and insecurities but she never showed them, because she wanted to marry Arthur and to support him.

Arthur banished Gwen but she still risked her life returning to Camelot to warn him of Morgana's plans and Agravaine's betrayal. She nearly died for it too.

She sentenced a young girl to death to flush out her father just to protect Arthur. That wasn't an easy decision for Gwen to make and she had truly cared for Sefa.

Elyan died and Gwen's agency was stolen from her - she murdered an innocent man and nearly killed her husband while not herself - because Morgana hated she was Queen and wanted to kill Arthur. But did she ever blame Arthur or resent all she'd been through and lost to be with him? Nope. Never. Not even a little.

Gwen also risked her life in the finale by accompanying Arthur to the battlefield and that wasn't the first time she fought for Camelot and for Arthur (4.13) despite not being a trained fighter.

All of that was already a lot and she never even learned of Agravaine's attempt on her life in 4.02. Gwen was completely devoted to Arthur and risked everything to be with him and to protect him. Still, the fandom doesn't seem to appreciate all she did because they believe she loved Lancelot more than Arthur, or because Merlin did more for Arthur or whatever.

#bbc merln #merlin #bbc arwen #arwen #gwen pendragon #guinevere pendragon #arthur pendragon #morgana

[diner-drama]

Determination (5/6)

Merlin may not know much, but he knows not to believe any old prophecy a dragon tells him, especially without proof. He came to Camelot to determine his own fate, not to blindly follow his supposed destiny.

He even turns down King Uther's offer to work as a servant for the insufferable Prince Arthur, but they just can't seem to stop crossing paths.

Other chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4. Also on AO3.

By the time Merlin got out of bed the next morning, Lancelot had already been summoned to the prince's chambers to begin his new job, so they had no opportunity to discuss the events in the forest.

Fortunately, Gaius was panicking enough for all three of them.

"I have feared for many years the day that Morgana would discover the truth," he muttered, leafing through one of the many books that littered his desk, the floor, and every available surface in the workshop. "Uther will have her head if he ever finds out. We must pray that day never comes."

By the time Merlin got out of bed the next morning, Lancelot had already been summoned to the prince's chambers to begin his new job, so they had no opportunity to discuss the events in the forest.

Fortunately, Gaius was panicking enough for all three of them.

"I have feared for many years the day that Morgana would discover the truth," he muttered, leafing through one of the many books that littered his desk, the floor, and every available surface in the workshop. "Uther will have her head if he ever finds out. We must pray that day never comes."

"What are you looking for in the books?" asked Merlin, pouring himself a cup of tea and perching on a tiny clear space on the table.

"Some way for her to suppress her powers. It's the only way I can think of to keep her safe."

"You can't be suggesting that we take away her gifts when she's only just discovered them," he replied, aghast. "You wouldn't do that to me. Why is Morgana any different?"

"Morgana is the king's ward," explained Gaius frantically. "She sees him every day. The danger she's in is unbelievable."

"Did you know that she has magic?"

"Morgana has always been troubled with nightmares," Gaius admitted. "I've tried to ease her suffering as much as possible, but I haven't been able to deny that her dreams often come true. I suspect that she is a seer."

Merlin took a gulp of his tea and considered the situation for a moment.

"You can't ask her to deny this part of herself," he said after some thought. "She needs you to teach her how to use it and control it before she can really make her own choice."

"That's assuming she'll live long enough to choose anything."

"I've tried to suppress my magic, Gaius. All it leads to is heartbreak. This isn't the right path for her."

"Perhaps you're right. I can't imagine the kind of burden Morgana is facing."

"This is enormous!" giggled Morgana, disappearing underneath the biggest bouquet of lilies she'd ever seen. "Are you trying to drown me in flowers?"

"Not me, my lady," said Gwen, filling a vase with water and placing it on the bedside table. "A secret admirer." As she took the flowers from Morgana's hands, their fingers touched, and she took in a sharp breath.

"How charmingly mysterious," murmured Morgana, arranging the stems in the container.

"Perhaps Merlin sent them to you," said Gwen. She turned away to start making the bed, but Morgana could see that her cheeks had turned a fetching shade of pink.

"All that Merlin and I share is friendship," Morgana reassured her, taking Gwen's hand in both of hers. "If I am to learn of magic, I will need him as an ally." She squeezed Gwen's hand, and didn't let go until her maid gave her a smile. "I know how you feel about him," she added, turning away to pick up her robe.

"That isn't-" stammered Gwen. "I wasn't saying that."

"I have duties to attend to," Morgana announced, mercifully changing the subject. She looped her arm through Gwen's and gave her a sly smile. "I can't very well go about my day without my moral guide to steer me."

"Of course, my lady. Lead on."

Merlin caught only a few glimpses of Lancelot all day, scurrying back and forth through the castle and looking mildly dazed. It wasn't until the sun was setting and Merlin made his way into the Darkling Woods for his rendezvous with Morgana that he crossed paths with the prince and his new manservant. He was just getting settled against the trunk of a tree to wait, flicking ants away from his boots, when a horse came crashing through the foliage.

"Merlin," said Arthur on catching sight of him, pulling his horse to a halt. "What are you doing lurking in the woods at night?"

"I could ask you the same question," said Merlin, not unreasonably. Lancelot appeared behind the prince, on foot and looking exhausted, laden with several weapons, half a suit of armour, and three dead rabbits.

"Hunting," said Lancelot breathlessly, leaning against a tree and closing his eyes.

"It's not safe for you to be out here after sunset," insisted Arthur, frowning down at Merlin. "Bandits roam these woods."

"I can take care of myself, and I have nothing worth stealing," said Merlin, pulling out his empty pockets.

Arthur shook his head, unsatisfied. "Lancelot, stay with him and escort him back to the castle once you've caught your breath," he ordered.

"Of course, sire," said Lancelot, managing a small half-bow and wincing as his sore muscles complained. "Thank you."

"You can clean my armour once you get back," added the prince, encouraging his horse into a trot and wheeling away, casting one last lingering look over his shoulder at Merlin.

"You look exhausted," laughed Merlin once the sound of hooves had faded away, clapping Lancelot on the shoulder. His friend was coated in grime, the only clean parts of his face the tracks of sweat from his forehead.

"It is an honour to serve the prince," he demurred, before giving a reluctant smile and adding, "but yes, I am indeed exhausted."

Merlin let out a huff of laughter, rubbing at a smudge on Lancelot's face with his thumb. "Rather you than me."

"I suspect a man of your talents would be rather better suited to this role than I am," replied Lancelot, giving him a frank look.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Merlin evasively, putting his hands in his pockets, with what he hoped was an innocent-looking raise of the eyebrows.

"Your secret is safe with me, my friend," Lancelot told him, total sincerity in his eyes. "I am forever in your debt - believe me when I say that you have my full loyalty."

"And you mine," promised Merlin, relieved. He sat down against the trunk of the tree and gestured for Lancelot to do the same. "I'm to meet Morgana soon. Now, tell me all about your first day working for Prince Stupid."

As evening trickled into night, Merlin lit a fire to keep them warm, happy to practice his magic with a trusted audience, but the heat of the flames couldn't chase away the cold grip of worry in his chest when the hours ticked on with still no sign of Morgana.

Eventually, once all of the stars had come out and the full moon was high in the sky, Merlin decided to head back to the castle to see what had held her up. Lancelot peeled off from him once they reached the main gates, to continue his duties in the armoury, so Merlin ascended the stairs to Morgana's chambers alone. He knocked quietly on the door, and crept inside when he heard no response. Morgana was asleep in her bed, and he was about to turn away to let her rest when he noticed the pallor of her skin, and the uneven sound of her breathing.

"Morgana?" he whispered, tapping her on the shoulder, then shaking her gently when she didn't stir.

"What on earth are you doing here?" said a voice from behind him. He wheeled around to see Gwen scowling. "A lady's chamber in the middle of the night is not an appropriate place for you to be sneaking around."

"I was worried about Morgana," he explained hurriedly. "She seems unwell."

"My lady?" said Gwen softly, taking Morgana by the shoulder to jostle her. "Morgana? Can you hear me?"

"Her skin is clammy," said Merlin, holding a hand to her forehead. "It could be some kind of infection. I'll fetch Gaius."

"Quickly," Gwen urged him, not taking her eyes off Morgana. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she took her lady's hand between both of hers and stroked it, her brow furrowed with concern.

Merlin sprinted across the castle as quickly as he could, rousing Gaius from his bed and hustling him back to Morgana's chambers without giving him time to change out of his nightshirt. The old physician examined his patient, before shaking his head gravely.

"I fear that it is an infection of the brain. I can treat her with yarrow and rosemary, but I am uncertain how much I can do for her. Uther should be informed of her condition."

"Wait," said Gwen suddenly, holding up a hand to stop him. "Before you alert Uther. Could there be some... method beyond medicine that you could use?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," said Gaius carefully, sharing a look with Merlin.

"Nobody beyond this room knows that anything is wrong with Morgana, so if she were to... magically recover, nobody would be any the wiser," she said firmly. She turned to Merlin. "Please, Merlin," she entreated him, brown eyes wide with sincerity. "I cannot lose her."

"I think you are mistaken-" started Gaius.

"I would need to know the right spell," interrupted Merlin. "She's right, Gaius. If we deal with this illness quickly and quietly, we can save Morgana before anyone knows."

Gaius sighed, casting his eyes to the heavens. "There is a spell to draw out a sickness from someone's brain. No-one can ever know about this," he insisted, trying to impress upon them the seriousness of their situation.

"What's the spell?" asked Merlin.

"Berbay odothay ariey ablinan."

Merlin repeated his words, eyes flashing amber as he waved a hand over Morgana's sleeping body. Nothing happened for a moment, and then she began to stir in her sleep, her skin taking on a healthier shade of pink. A rustling noise was audible, and then a sleek, black beetle fell out of her ear and onto the pillow.

"What on earth?" wondered Gaius, picking up the insect and examining it closely. "This is an Elanthia beetle. They creep in through the ear to the brain, then devour the patient's very soul. Someone must have enchanted it to attack her. This is very troubling indeed."

"My lady?" said Gwen, paying no attention to Gaius and scanning Morgana's face for signs of recovery. "Morgana, are you well?"

"Gwen?" murmured Morgana, her eyes blinking slowly open. "What's the matter?"

On seeing Gaius and Merlin standing around her bed, she gave an outraged gasp and pulled the sheets up over her body. "What on earth is going on?" she demanded.

"You've been very ill, Morgana," explained Gaius patiently. "This beetle had found its way into your head. You're very lucky that Merlin found you in time. How do you feel?" He held a hand to her forehead and then felt her pulse, nodding to himself in satisfaction at the results.

"A beetle in my head?"

"I'm afraid so."

Morgana shuddered. "Well, then I must thank you," she said graciously, regaining her composure.

"Yes, thanks Merlin," said Gwen distractedly, not turning away from Morgana as she stroked the hair away from her forehead, cupping her cheek with her other hand. "How do you feel?"

"I feel just fine," Morgana replied, looking up into Gwen's warm brown eyes. "Couldn't be better."

Arthur was well used to sending away peddlers and charlatans who came knocking at the castle door, seeking an audience with the king, and this Edwin Muirden fellow was no different. People were always turning up with miracle remedies and new wonders, and none of them ever worked. Frankly, if any of them did, Uther would probably have the seller sentenced to death for peddling witchcraft. He had just turned to walk away from the mysterious man with the flowing robes when he said something that made him stop short.

"I hear the Lady Morgana is gravely ill," called Edwin.

"You are either mistaken," said Arthur grimly, towering over the man, "or you are deliberately spreading falsehoods. Either way, I'd thank you to leave Camelot immediately, before I have you banished."

"Have you seen the lady this morning?" he asked.

Arthur tried not to show the jolt of worry that passed through his body when he realised that she hadn't been at breakfast.

Edwin smiled knowingly. "I might be able to help her," he promised. "Please, go and check on her. I will wait here."

Arthur strode anxiously towards the heavy castle door, and was about to open it when Gwen and Morgana walked through, deep in conversation.

"Morgana!" he cried. "You are quite well?"

"Of course," replied Morgana, giving him a searching look. "Why, what have you heard?"

"Nothing of importance," he said, shooting an incensed look at Edwin, who was frozen in shock. "This charlatan was trying to sell us a cure for your non-existent illness."

Morgana approached Edwin and took him by the arm. "As you can see, I'm perfectly well," she said in a sweet voice, laced with menace. "How interesting that you believed me not to be."

Gwen took his other arm with a vice-like grip. "You poor man," she said, the kindness in her tone belying the cold hatred in her face. "You must be truly desperate to make up that kind of story. Let us take you to see our physician. Perhaps he can help you."

Despite Edwin's protestations, the two women frog-marched him out of the courtyard and through the door towards Gaius' workshop, leaving Arthur shaking his head in confusion behind them.

"You are so very kind, my lady," said Edwin desperately, obsequious charm dripping from his voice as he was dragged into the physician's chambers, "but I really must be going."

Morgana shouldered the door open and pulled him through into the room, throwing him down into a chair. Gaius looked up from his book, startled.

"We found this gentleman talking to Arthur. He had the most astonishing story. It seems he had some belief that I might be unwell today."

"Astonishing indeed," replied Gaius gravely. He picked up the glass vial in which he had imprisoned the Elanthia beetle and shook it in front of Edwin's face. "I take it this was your doing?"

"I am but a simple travelling salesman," insisted Edwin, spreading his arms expressively. "I assure you, there has been some kind of misunderstanding."

Gaius peered into his face, scanning the shape of his scars. "Have we met before?"

"I doubt you would forget a face like mine," he demurred, not making eye contact.

"Oh, believe me," said Gwen from between gritted teeth, her grip on his shoulder tightening. "I never will."

"What is your name?" asked Gaius.

"It's really not important-" Edwin started, before stopping with a gulp when, quick as a flash, Morgana drew a jewelled dagger from her pocket and held it to his throat.

"Edwin Muirden," he choked, eyes flicking up to Morgana's face.

"Muirden," murmured Gaius. "I had a friend of that name once."

"And much good that friendship did her," Edwin spat, his face twisting with hatred, the mask of civility dropping as he sneered at the old physician. "You sat by and did nothing while she and my father were burned at the stake, and I nearly perished in the flames. Vaki ierlt!" he shouted. A blast of air flung Gaius clean across the room, and his head hit the wall with a sickening crack. Morgana dropped her dagger and ran to his side, cradling his head in her hands.

Edwin stood up. "I think I'll be going now," he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

A whooshing sound was the only warning before a jug of water clonked into his head at full speed, knocking him unconscious.

Merlin was standing in his bedroom doorway, one hand held out ahead of him to cast the spell and the other hand rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"What's all this noise about?" he grumbled. "I was already up half the night."

Gaius looked up at him, mildly cross-eyed after his head injury, and gave a weak smile. "You should probably tie him up now," he suggested, before passing out.

Before long, Edwin was bound securely to the chair, making small noises as he slowly found his way back to consciousness, and Gaius was much improved after a cup of tea, batting away Merlin's hands as he fussed over him.

"I'm perfectly fine," he insisted. "Our guest is the one you should be worrying about."

"What shall we do with him?" asked Gwen, viciously tightening the ropes that bound his wrists to the arm rests.

"I have some questions I'd like to ask him," said Morgana mildly, sharpening her dagger.

There was a creak of wood when Edwin snapped awake abruptly and started to struggle against his restraints.

"These can't hold me," he hissed.

"No," agreed Morgana, eyes flashing amber as she enchanted her dagger, wreathing it in blue flames, "but we can."

"The king's ward is a sorceress," said Edwin in wonderment, tipping his head back to laugh. "Oh, how delicious. What power we could have if we worked together."

"If only you hadn't tried to kill me, I might feel more amiable towards you."

"I can only apologise," he said smoothly, bowing his head. "It is Uther I wished to punish - you were but a means to an end. I did not know that I would be injuring one of my own."

"How are you any better than Uther if you're willing to harm other people just to get to him?" she said passionately. "At least the king believes in what he's doing, however misguided he may be."

"Tell me, what do you think the king would do if he found out the truth about you? Do you think that his love for you would prevent him from sentencing you to burn like my parents did?"

"Your concern for my welfare is touching," she said coldly.

"Come now, can't you see that we have a common enemy?"

"You are my enemy," said Morgana darkly, flames crackling behind her eyes. "You and anyone else who thinks their vendetta is more important than people's lives." She advanced on him, the glowing dagger gripped tightly in her hand. Edwin tilted up his chin, trying to look brave but trembling in fear as he felt the force of her magical power. "You will leave Camelot and never return, or you will wish you'd died in that fire."

He bowed his head, eyes darting between Morgana and Merlin. "Very well," he ground out between his gritted teeth. "I will take my leave of you, but please consider what I've said." A piece of paper appeared in his hand, and he motioned for Morgana to take it. "When you wish to contact me again, this is how to reach me."

"I won't," Morgana replied, letting the note drop to the floor.

Gwen untied the bindings that attached Edwin to the chair and he turned to leave, before turning back to look at Morgana.

"I'm sorry for any harm I may have caused you."

Gwen let out a grunt of rage and then, to Morgana's surprise and delight, punched him square in the nose.

#merthur #merlin #morgwen #my fics #determination

[eddysocs]

Merlin OC Masterlist

Name: Amarise

Face Claim: Emma Appleton

Love Interest: Arthur Pendragon

Fic Title: Set It Free

Plot Summary: Amarise lives her life as a witch within the borders of Camelot. While she lives peacefully, she knows she can’t remain undetected forever, and the day she’s found out arrives when she rescues Camelot’s prince, Arthur Pendragon. Will Amarise be condemned for her use of magic, or will Arthur, out from under his father’s watchful eye, see something in Amarise that tells him to let her go?

Name: Astris

Face Claim: Alyssa Sutherland

Love Interest: Gwaine

Fic Title: Magic In Me

Plot Summary: Astris was called to Camelot by destiny. Her life was meant to intertwine with Merlin and Arthur’s. What she didn’t plan on was meeting brave and dashing knight, Gwaine. During her visit to Camelot, she challenges him to a duel, and the two of them become sparring partners during her time in Camelot, but is there something more between them just under the surface?

Name: Avalon Clarissant

Face Claim: Kristin Kreuk

Love Interest: Uther Pendragon

Fic Title: Destiny's Queen

Plot Summary: Summoned by witches, Avalon rises from the lake, awakened from a cursed slumber of a hundred years. She has risen to take Camelot and make it hers. She charms Uther into allowing her to become his bride. When Merlin finds out what she’s up to, he’ll use magic of his own to break her curse and, no longer controlled by the witches who raised her from her slumber, Avalon’s true feelings will return to her and she will have choices to make.

Name: Colette Lockwood

Face Claim: Olivia Cooke

Love Interest: Morgause

Fic Title: For The Hand Of A Princess

Plot Summary: Colette Lockwood wants to escape her upcoming marriage of convenience. With the appearance of a stranger in the kingdom, she’s able to do just that. The knight that fought the prince for her hand has won, and now it’s up to Colette to decide her own fate.

Name: Malina Astormore

Face Claim: Annabelle Wallis

Love Interest: Morgana Pendragon

Fic Title: Under A Cursed Moon

Plot Summary: Malina is a princess trapped in a fate she doesn’t want, but one she had long ago accepted. It’s only when she becomes betrothed to Arthur Pendragon that she begins to see a different life for herself. She falls instead for Uther’s ward, Lady Morgana and begins to cast off the role that has been set for her.

Name: Nella Landon

Face Claim: Emma Watson

Love Interest: Merlin

Fic Title: A Binding Secret

Plot Summary: A bookbinders daughter, Nella Landon is always going around with ink stained fingers and a stack of books in her arms to deliver to the patrons of Camelot. A collision on a remote part of her course of deliveries shakes her entire world when a young man stops the books in midair. She’d never seen anyone else perform magic before and it startles her. She darts off without the books and the young man brings them back to her at the end of the day, introducing himself as Merlin. What transpires from there is a careful dance of tentative friendship and secret keeping. Merlin has magic, but so does Nella, and she doesn’t want it getting out.

#merlin ocs #oc: amarise #oc: astris #oc: avalon clarissant #oc: colette lockwood #oc: enid #oc: malina astormore

[retro-wallflower]

I think we all blame Merlin a little too much on things aren't exactly his fault. him being the main character kinda pushes the narrative into blaming him because he feels guilty, despite evidence to the contrary.

like I often hear people saying Morgana wouldn't have gone evil if Merlin had been more honest with her. but even though he kept his magic from her when she probably deserved to know, he still accepted her magic when she told him. she confided in him about her magic, her fears and her feelings on uther and Merlin was there for her. he listened to her and supported her, accepted her magic even though in Camelot most people wouldn't. having an ally like that in a place where there isn't many makes the world of difference.

after Merlin sends her to the druids, we don't really see her confiding in him again. she didn't have to feel quite as lonely as she did because merlin would've been there for her.

in the witchfinder, when Merlin is accused of magic, Morgana doesn't stand up for him. because one, she was likely in shock and two, she doesn't want to implicate herself. there's almost a sense of 'him or me' in the episode because when you're oppressed you're terrified you'll be found out. so both Merlin and Morgana don't make the most of a friendship which could've been so much more to them - they could've helped eachother feel less isolated, listened to eachothers woes, guided eachother from darkness when it beckoned.

Merlin doesn't take any action against Morgana, even though he's being incessantly told to, he shows her kindness. until in the fires of idirsholas. Morgana is on the precipice here, between good and evil - she knows she's the center of this spell but doesn't tell Merlin or Arthur. again, because she doesn't want to put suspicion on herself. merlin doesn't do anything to her until Arthur's life is on the line - he waits and waits until if he didn't stop this spell, Arthur would die.

in the later season we hear Morgana blame uther for what happened to her, then Arthur for following in his footsteps. she's bitter that Merlin poisoned her, but never brings up when she had the chance to confide in him, when he was her only ally. she doesn't blame him for her being alone, only for ruining her and morguese's plans.

but Merlin blames himself for all of this, for not being better to Morgana, for not trusting her with his magic, for making rash decisions and eventually for poisoning her. he bears the burden of how Morgana turned out, because he had knowledge she didn't. knowledge that could've changed things but, like Morgana, he was scared.

that's not to say Merlin telling Morgana of everything he knew about destiny and magic would've stopped her from betraying Camelot. I think Morgana was built to stand up against the oppressors, she always fought against uther when she disagreed with him. and this manifested over years of loneliness and fear that I don't think Merlin could've prevented.

it was a combination of choices from so many different people that led Morgana to join Morguese and those like her. while merlin undoubtedly holds some of the responsibility, it's unfair to say he was the catalyst for her turning to dark ideas when things that didn't even involve him (like in to kill the king) planted the seeds for her defection.

#i think fans myself included blame merlin for a lot things #probs because we see everything from his perspective #how his choices effected people and their consequences #and his subsequent guilt #but it wasnt just merlins choices that led morgana down that path #imo #it was uthers choices arthurs and morgana herself #we dont really see any healthy uprising in the show that i can remember rn #like everyone has different reactions to being systemically opressed and hated #but we only really see the two extreme ends of the spectrum #subservience self devaluation and hiding from merlin and outward anger and violence from morgana #morgana was right to stand up against uther and fight for her right to exist #but especially as time goes by and she goes through trauma after trauma the way she goes about it gets worse and worse #to the point that shes killed innocent people and is willing to hurt anyone that gets in her way #so no merlin is to blame for morganas downfall #i dont think him poisoning her in 2x12 made her go to morguese #i think she wouldve done it anyway at that point #anyway all my opinion just had to ramble 😌 #bbcmorgana #merlin #merlin emrys #morgana #morgana pendragon #lady morgana #merlin and morgana #morgause #arthur pendragon #uther pendragon #merlin meta #morgana meta

[kaiwrites-if]

Genre(s): Arthurian | Fantasy

Rating: 18+ for optional sexual content, depictions of violence, torture, blood, and death, kidnapping, instances of sexism and classism, and pregnancy (dependent). Will be updated as needed.

Demo: TBA.

Link(s): RO Artbreeders (book 1) | Pinterest

Asks: All types of asks are welcomed, including explicit asks. The tag to block is kaisins.

Disclaimer: This IF is heavily inspired by the BBC show Merlin, but there will be extensive changes throughout to both the plot and characters.

Other IF account: @midnightdelights-if

You’re one the rare ones, a child born of old magic, able to wield it instinctively and without the use of spells. You were raised by your mother, Hunith, after your father left you both when you were a babe. But your mother had no magic, and you had no choice but to control your magic to the best of your abilities, and hide it from all those who would wish you harm.

When you reached the age of eighteen, your mother arranged for you to apprentice as a physician under her older brother at the Palace in Camelot. There you find yourself saving the life of the young and arrogant Prince Arthur and being forced into rewarded with the position of his manservant by King Uther himself.

So, begins the prophecy of the Once & Future King and the Greatest Sorcerer to Ever Live.

Fully customisable MC: gender, pronouns, sexuality, name (preset name is Merlin), height, body type, hair colour/length/style, eye colours (magic and normal), skin colour, scars, disabilities, etc…

Have the chance to explore your identity and sexuality.

Lots of variations/flavour text depending on gender/sexuality.

Romance 1 of 4 ROs, as well as 1 more that is officially introduced in book 2. 4 poly options available.

Found Family.

Juggle your duties, protect Arthur from all manner of disasters, keep your magic (and possibly your identity) a secret, learn how to control said magic, and try not to end up with your head on the chopping block.

Arthur Pendragon [M]

21 | 6’2ft | Straight (?)

Character Profile

The Prince of Camelot is known throughout the Kingdom for his bravery, loyalty, and battle prowess. It’s said that all who met him fall instantly in love. You aren’t sure exactly who these people are, but you’d like to give them a piece of your mind. The Arthur you meet is spoilt and arrogant, and most certainly not anyone you could see yourself falling in love with. However, it doesn’t take long for you to see just how much Arthur loves: his family, his knights, his people, his home. With understanding, comes true loyalty and trust, and a bond of friendship that could never be broken. Yet, sometimes the touches between you linger, and the looks shared are filled with a little too much longing. Arthur struggles with, and explores, his sexuality throughout the book.

“You might drive me utterly mad, but I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it. It’s inexplainable, but I know that to lose you, would be to lose myself.”

Morgana le Fay [F]

23 | 5’10ft | Lesbian (Female & NB!MC’s only)

Character Profile

King Uther’s ward is as kind as she is beautiful. Fiercely protective of those she cares for, and always ready to fight for what she believes in, Morgana often finds herself in disagreement with her severe guardian. You find yourself in awe of her the first time you meet, and many subsequent meetings after. As you get closer to the beauty of Camelot though, you learn that she hides a quiet sadness, and a deep-rooted fear of that which awaits her in her dreams. Trust isn’t something that Morgana gives out easily, but with you it seems to come naturally, and you watch as she visibly brings her walls down for you.

“You already have my trust, so what will you take next I wonder? Perhaps my heart? It’s a fragile thing, but I believe you’d take care of it.”

Lancelot Du Lac [M]

22 | 6’4ft | Pansexual

Character Profile

Arthur’s personal knight with dreams of becoming a Knight Commander one day, but unfortunately only knights that come from noble blood are chosen. Lancelot’s loyalty is first and foremost to Arthur, and he would do anything to ensure the Prince’s safety. Lance is kind and charming, but can be a little serious at times, often finding himself nearly pulling his hair out at yours and Arthur’s hair-brained schemes. Lance is the first to find out about your magic (and identity if applicable), and becomes your loyal and steadfast confidant. He becomes just as protective of you as he is of Arthur, and frets constantly over your recklessness.

“I know that I have no room to talk, but I wish that you would put yourself first for once. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. you are…you are my friend and you mean too much to me.”

Guinevere [F (?)]

18 | 5’3ft | Bisexual

Character Profile

Morgana’s maidservant and closest friend, Guinevere is kind and soft-spoken, but is surprisingly strong due to the work she’d do with her father, the blacksmith. Many find themself crushing on the sweet girl, but no one has ever tempted her from Morgana’s side. You bring a new kind of light and friendship into Gwen’s life, helping her gain the confidence to get closer to Arthur and Lance as well. She always tries to be there for you whenever you need her, and often finds herself getting messed up in your plans. Gwen struggles with, and explores, her gender identity throughout the book.

“You make people happy and you inspire them to be better. You inspire me everyday to accomplish things I could only dream of before you came into our lives. So thank you, thank you for being my light.”

Gwaine [NB]

24 | 5’8ft | Gay, Demiromantic (M & NB!MC’s only)

Character Profile

Gwaine will be officially introduced in Book 2 (but you will meet zir in book 1).

“You’re either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid. Lucky for you, I find both of those traits very attractive.”

Poly Options: Arthur/Guinevere, Morgana/Guinevere, Lancelot/Gwaine (Book 2), Lancelot/Arthur.

#interactive fiction #interactive novel #if wip #if #wip #once & future if