Wolves And Hounds - 4
(Warnings: Angst, angst, a bit of fluff and a bit of angst)
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Karliah was enjoying the evening sun from her balcony when there was a knock on the door, her eyes moving to it and she got up, approaching and opening the door, a smile gracing her lips when she saw who it was âJory, a pleasurable surpriseâ she stated with joy, stepping aside to allow him inside but he shook his head âactually, My Lady, your brother sent for youâ he stated, her smile dampening a little, turning into a forced one as she nodded âoh, right⊠did-... did he say what for?â
âNo, My Lady, only that it was urgentâ he admitted, taking in the disappointment in her eyes even though she smiled and nodded, walking out of her room and closing the door behind her âwell, then you better lead me to himâ she stated softly, Jory nodding, beginning to lead her towards her brother. âIâll admit that I had hoped your visit would be for a more⊠personal reasonâ she admitted quietly, Jory had to restrain himself to not gaze at her âas did Iâ he admitted just as quietly, Karliah glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes and she looked around before stopping, grabbing Jory by his hand to stop him as well, his head nervously whipping around, scanning the corridors with worry.
âYou have barely laid your eyes on me since I arrived, Joryâ she stated with a small frown, Jory looking around with worry and Karliah sighed heavily, letting go of him to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration âwhat is different except the location? Hm? My brother is not the only one who needs you⊠I find myself wishing for your presence every day and I try to ignore it, Jory, I do. But then you call me âMy Ladyâ and Iâve never wanted to punch as hard as I do when you call me thatâ she whispered with anger, Jory sighing heavily, looking around once more and she scoffed, stepping away âif you are so worried being seen with me, then Iâll find my brother myselfâ she stated harshly, already about to leave when Jory reached for her âMy Lady-â he was cut off by her palm colliding with his face, tears in her eyes as he stared at her in shock. âI gave you everything! I gave you parts of myself I should have saved for my husband, whoever he might be! Now, you might not have deflowered me but what man would want me should they know that I had been involved with a man out of marriage?! I may still have my purity but that wonât matter to people! I am a woman. I have no voice. No right. It doesnât matter if I speak the truth and say that you and I never laid together, people will draw their own conclusions - men will draw their own conclusions! And now you want to âMy Ladyâ me? As though the last three years have been, what? Nothing? Worthless? I could have found a husband but I waited for you⊠I waited on you! To pick up your balls and ask for my hand yourself! But you didnât and now you want to call me âMy Ladyâ when we are alone?â Karliah whispered harshly, shaking her head at Jory âno one will ever want me nowâ she muttered quietly with a heartbroken voice that she tried to hide before turning around, storming off to find her brother herself. Both of them were unaware of a Hound that had heard the hushed voices from around the corner and had come to investigate.
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âKal?â Ned asked with worry when he saw her there and she forced a smile as she walked closer âJory said you sent for me?â
âI did-... where is he?â
âI asked if I could walk alone.â
âI gave him explicit orders-â
âAnd I counter-acted those orders. Now, why did you want me here? Jory said it was urgent?â
âIt is⊠close the doorâ he muttered, Karliah hesitating before doing as told, turning to watch him sit back down behind the desk, rubbing his forehead with worry. âNed?â
âCatelyn has taken Tyrion Lannister as her prisonerâ he revealed, Karliah slowly closing her eyes as she let out a heavy breath, opening them again and walking closer, sitting down on the chair across the desk, across from Ned. âSeven HellsâŠâ she muttered, Ned sighing âCatelyn has taken the Imp as her prisoner, Robert wants to murder the Targaryen girl and her unborn babe across the sea and I fear my daughters are not safe here, and neither are you. Iâve resigned as Hand of the KingâŠâ
âI told you, brother⊠We wolves do not fare well in the southâ she muttered, leaning back in the chair with a heavy sigh. âHis rage is because he thought that Rhaegar raped Lyanna and killed her⊠but-â
âNo, Karliah-â
âYou donât know what I was going to say! Do you really think Iâd ever, ever let him know about him now that you tell me he wishes to murder a girl and her unborn babe halfway across the sea?!â she asked in a hushed whisper, a frown on her brows as she shook her head at him âI would die for him, Eddard. I would die for him, just to see him smile and breathe for yet another day and I despise him being at the Wall because of the danger but at least heâs out of Robertâs reach there⊠I would never, ever use him like that to save that Targaryen girl, and Iâm appalled that that thought would even enter your mind! Gods, what is with you Stark men?! What is with you men?! You never think about us women, do you?!â
âWhat?-â
âOf course I wonât tell him! You think Iâm a fool? I love Jon with my life! I was merely going to ask Robert to change his mind! Gods!â she snapped and got up, storming out of the office and Nerd groaned loudly, his head in his hands as he let out a heavy sigh. Gods be good, the women in his life were sucking the life out of him.
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Karliah knocked gently on the door, waiting, and when she heard his voice, allowing her inside, she entered, spotting him by his table, a cup of wine in his hand and she sighed at the sight, walking closer after closing the door. âKarliah? To what do I-â
âI loved Lyanna, Robert⊠more than you could ever imagine⊠She was my sister, my mentor, my best friend. I looked up to her, I wanted to be her⊠she taught me to fight and shoot arrows and ride and-... we made such promises to each other⊠that weâd do so many things! That weâd see the Wall together, that weâd travel to Dorne or across the sea!...â Karliah remembered with a bright smile as she sat down across from Robert, studying him before reaching over, taking the wine glass from him and putting it down out of his reach, turning back to look at him. âYou loved Lyanna in a way I can never⊠you loved her beauty, the way she looked in her dresses⊠the way she did her hair⊠her smileâŠâ
âKarliah-â
âBut that wasnât just herâ Karliah added, interrupting Robert with a frown on her face âLyanna was wild. She was stubborn and feisty. She was strong in so many ways, stronger than anyone else Iâve ever known, even you, Robert⊠She liked to ride and fight and shoot arrows from horseback. She loved fighting and sparring⊠you knew Lyanna in her pretty dresses, I knew her caked in dirt, the biggest smile on her face that Iâve ever seen when I won over her the first time we sparredâŠâ Karliah remembered with tears in her eyes, letting out a shaky breath âand her death-.... her death still pains me as though it was yesterday⊠but Rhaegar is dead. The Mad King is dead. The queen Rhaella is dead. Theyâre all dead except a spoiled brat and a girl, across the sea, so far away that it might as well be another world entirely! If you do this⊠if you go ahead with your plans-â
âNed shouldnât have told you-â
âHe shouldâve. And he did⊠if you go through with this, it will for certain bring war upon all of us. Imagine if the assassin youâve sent out failed⊠if it had been Lyanna, carrying your child, and a brat and his sister in a far away country that youâve never even considered tried to murder your wife and unborn child, the woman carrying your heir⊠would you not want revenge? Even if the assassin doesnât fail, it still comes back to revenge! Leave them be, Robert⊠leave them to forget about Westeros. If you do this, you will certainly bring a war to Westeros but if you donât-.... if you donât do this⊠then it wonât draw their gaze to Westeros. Iâm not saying that there isnât a chance of war, but if you do this⊠it will certainly mean war, no matter whatâ Karliah finished, grabbing the wine goblet, drinking all of it before giving it to Robert, taking a jug and filling it for him before putting it down âand Ned is one of the best hands this realm has seen in a long, long time, Robert⊠and heâs your friend, your brother, you grew up together and youâre both fine men⊠but if you kill a girl and her unborn child⊠Lyanna would have your head herself. She was stubborn, Robert, just like you⊠and the two of you would have budded heads because of it, but she would never encourage what you plan to do now, even with the circumstances that led to her death, she could never accept such a thingâ Karliah finished with a soft look in her eyes, it wasnât a threat, it was a fact, and he knew it, tears showing in his eyes as he just looked at her and she bowed her head slightly âYour Graceâ she greeted before leaving. She was on her way back to her chambers when Jory hurried past her with a very dirty Arya, Karliah frowning at the sight âArya?â
âAunt Karliah! You have to tell him! Tell him Iâm not lying!â
âTell who?â
âMy father! Please! Heâs about to leave with Littlefinger and-â
âItâs alright⊠itâs alright. Are you going to your room?â she asked, Arya nodding and Karliah nodded as well âalright, how about Jory deliver the message and I go to your room with you?â she offered, Arya nodding, already hugging her despite soiling Karliahâs dress but Karliah just smiled, lifting her head to look up at Jory with sad eyes. âYouâve gotten a red cheek, it seems, Joryâ she muttered, Jory smiling a little as he nodded, looking down briefly âwell earned, My Lady Karliahâ he stated as he turned his eyes back up to look at her and Karliah felt her heart flutter, looking down at Arya âgo on ahead, Iâll be right thereâ she spoke softly, Arya reluctantly doing as told and Karliah looked back up at Jory, a faint smile on her lips âsorry about the slapâŠâ
âNo worries, as I said; it was well earned⊠Iâm sorry for the way Iâve treated you⊠after this is all over and we return to Winterfell, everything will go back to normal againâ he whispered, Karliahâs eyes saddening a little and she looked down with a frown âand what if I donât want everything to go back to normal?... I just-... want more, I think⊠and I know that youâre not prepared for that⊠youâre not prepared to give me that because you donât think itâs possible, so⊠This is goodbye, Jory. And please, take care of my brotherâ she whispered before walking away before he could respond, Jory watching her leave to catch up with her niece, a sad look in his eyes but he forced himself to leave to meet up with Lord Stark, as he was ordered.
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Karliah burst into the room, eyes wide with fear and worry and she sighed heavily when she saw him lying there, hurrying over as he was just waking up. She turned to the guard who had fetched her, anger in her eyes âwhy was I first told now?! What took you so long?! You didnât think I needed to know that my brother-â
âKarliah, itâs alrightâ Ned mumbled and Karliah quickly turned to look at him, all traces of anger gone like smoke, and she leaned closer and sighed, using the sleeve of her dress to gently wipe away the sweat from his brow, not caring about being proper or soiling her dress âGods, Ned⊠you look horrible. Have they given you any milk of the poppy? Someone fetch some more milk of the poppy! The man is in pain!â
âKarliahâ he spoke again and she turned to look at him, sighing with worry âwhat happened? I heard that there was a fight in the street with Jaime Lannister? What in the name of all the Gods were you doing fighting him??â
âThe girls..â
âTheyâre safe, itâs alrightâŠâ
âDo they-â
âNo, not yet. I came the second I heard, found the first guard and demanded he take me to youâŠâ
âThat sounds like youâ Ned muttered with a faint, weak smile, Karliah nodding her head with a sad smile âthe girls are alright and in their rooms with their guardsâŠâ
âGo to them⊠they should hear of this from you and not some Lannister guardâ he muttered bitterly and Karliah sighed softly, nodding âyou rest, brother⊠sleep, promise me youâll try?â she asked, Ned nodding, already about to fall asleep and Karliah smiled at the sight âitâs alright, NeddyâŠIâll talk to the girlsâ she whispered softly before leaning closer, kissing his sweaty forehead before leaving the room after making sure he was safe and alright.
She entered the area that was connected to the girlsâ quarters, her own, Nedâs and the Septa, finding her with Sansa, stitching. âSepta, a word?â she asked, the woman nodding, standing up and walking a distance away from Sansa. âNed is wounded, Iâm not sure if youâve heard?â
âI have, I didnât want to discuss it in front of the girlsâŠâ she admitted in a whisper, Karliah nodding, sighing softly as she glanced at Sansa before looking back at the Septa âwell, itâs true, heâs wounded. His leg is-...â Karliah cut herself off with a small sigh, frowning âheâs resting right now, I will check on him later today but from now on I want a guard with you and the girls at all times. A Stark guard. Do you understand what Iâm saying, and why?â she asked quietly, the Septa nodding âI doâŠâ
âIâm trusting you with my nieces, Mordane, I love these girls more than life itselfâ Karliah whispered, the Septa smiling softly at her âI know, I do too. Theyâre good girls, although Arya is as stubborn as she is wild and unruly, and Sansa has taken to an attitude as of late, since the KingsroadâŠâ the Septa muttered slightly bitterly, Karliah sighing âI heard⊠I hadnât brought it up, I didnât want to remind the girls of it more than it already does by itselfâŠâ she admitted, sighing softly âgo get Arya from her room, pleaseâ Karliah asked, the Septa nodding, leaving to fetch Arya as Karliah walked over to Sansa, sitting down next to her, leaning closer to see what she was stitching. âItâs beautiful work, Sansa, I could never stitch that wellâ Karliah admitted, Sansa smiling softly at her and Karliah studied her before smiling back at her, just as Arya and the Septa returned. âArya, sit down, pleaseâ Karliah ordered and Arya frowned but did so, sitting next to Sansa, both of them facing her.
âEarlier this day there was an-... incident⊠your father was wounded - he is still alive! But he was wounded. He will be bedridden for-... I donât know how long⊠Only time will tell. His leg was injured severely and heâs been given milk of the poppy. Your father is tired because of it, but he is alive and resting, as he should beâ Karliah explained, the girls both seeming saddened and partly horrified, Karliah sighing softly âfor the two of you, everything will go on as it has been. I will ask your father if you may visit him but I want both of you to understand that if he says no it is not because he doesnât want to see you. Heâs wounded, hurt and tired from milk of the poppy, he may not be at his best and he may not want you to see him this way, weakened and hurt. All the two of you need to do is go on as you have-â
âThen why tell us?â
âBecause, Sansa, he is your father. He is your father and he loves the both of you more than his heart is capable of, and you donât deserve to be kept in the darkâ Karliah replied softly, studying the two girls with a soft smile âeverything will be alright, I promise. Iâll look after your father while the two of you stop acting the way you do. Youâre sisters, you are family whether you like it or not. What are our words?â she asked, the girls glancing at each other before replying at the same time; âWinter is coming.â
âAnd what does it mean?â Karliah asked, the two girls frowning a little and she smiled âwhen winter is coming, you prepare. You prepare for the worst, you hope for the best, you donât know if itâll be a kind winter or one that will leave you freezing in front of a big fire. âWinter is comingâ means to stand together, as one, to weather any storm that may be thrown our way. Your father is injured and weak, he cannot lord over the two of you as you squabble. Youâre sisters, do you understand?â she asked softly, the two girls nodding, once again replying at the exact same time with the exact same words; âYes, aunt Karliah.â
Karliah nodded and stood up, walking over to the two girls, leaning down to peck Sansaâs head and then Aryaâs. âI love you both, dearly, as does your father. Listen to your Septa, I will let you know if anything changes with your fatherâ she stated, kissing their heads once more before walking over to the Septa who smiled softly at her âwhereâs Jory? I need to speak to him, I want extra guards assigned to you and the girls-â
âYou havenât heard?â the Septa asked with a frown, watching Karliah frown as well, softly shaking her head âheard what?â she asked, the Septa sighing softly âJory was killed at the altercation, when Lord Eddard was injuredâ she whispered, frowning even more at the way this seemed to shock the Lady Stark to her core, eyes widening a little, her breath a little shaky but she forced herself to nod âIâm sorry to hear that. He was a good and loyal manâ she muttered before leaving, at first slowly and calmly, as she would any other day, but the second she was out of sight, she picked up the pace, hurrying around a corridor, back against the wall as tears filled her eyes and she had to cup her mouth to not sob too loudly, her heart breaking over and over again every time she thought of him and their last words. As she tried to gather herself, removing her hands from her mouth and tried to breathe normally, she placed a hand on her chest, over her heart, closing her eyes and leaning her head back as she sobbed quietly, tears running down her cheeks as she tried to keep quiet. She was so caught up in trying to control her rapid breathing, already feeling lightheaded, that when someone touched her shoulder she flinched, looking up at the scarred face of the Hound, her eyes wide and she quickly turned away, trying to wipe away her tears, cheeks burning with embarrassment and shame as she tried to gain her breathing under control. And failed. âBreatheâ he stated gruffly and she scoffed through her ragged breathing, the Hound studying her before sighing, looking around before turning her around to face him, hesitating before reluctantly wrapping a single, armored arm around her, pulling her against his armor in an awkward and stiff hug, a displeased look on his face but it seemed to work, Karliahâs breathing calming down, her heart stopped racing and she felt fatigued, eyes already closing, the cool metal of his armor soothing her, cooling down her burning cheeks as she relaxed.
After a while, she realized something. He hadnât moved away. He hadnât let go of her and she enjoyed his presence, she enjoyed the stiff and awkward hug and when she looked up at him, he looked like he was just about done with the world and itâs shit. And then he looked down at her as she peered up at him. Something in his eyes changed when he looked down at her, the tears stuck to her cheeks, her red and puffy eyes wide as she looked up at him. His entire body softened a little as he studied her, his arm around her no longer as stiff as before, though it wasnât entirely relaxed like she was. âThank youâ she whispered, lowering her head and resting it against his armor once more, closing her eyes. She didnât ever want this to end. Ever. But it seemed it wasnât meant to be, Sandor lifting his arm, leaning back a little and she understood the message, quickly taking a large step back as she wiped her wet cheeks in an attempt to wipe away the tears. âForgive me, I-...â she trailed off. She had no idea what to say. âSorry for sobbing up against you?â. âForgive me, I enjoyed your hug so much that it made me forget all the horrible things happening around me and to my house and family.â
She sniffled a little, clearing her throat as she tried to make herself presentable âI-... thank you, for your comfort⊠it was-... niceâ she admitted, finally looking up at him and saw that he was already looking at her, making her cheeks burn again âI would-... prefer it⊠if you didnât mention this to anyone⊠Iâm not overly fond of the idea of people knowing I sobbed like a child in the corridorsâ she admitted with an awkward chuckle, looking down before looking up at him, finding him still staring at her as he nodded ever so slightly, making her smile âthank you, Serâ she stated softly, hesitating before looking away âI suppose Iâll see you around, thenâ she muttered, wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks as she left, Sandor watching her leave with a small frown.
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Wolves and Hounds-3
(Warnings: Some blood and a tiny tiny hint at angst before more fluff. Also sorry it's so short<3)
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His eyes would wander to her every now and then, how bored she looked, her gray eyes dull as she barely paid attention to⊠well⊠anything. The jousting had yet to begin and she already looked bored. âKarliah!â Robert called suddenly, the woman turning to look over her shoulder before getting up without question, joining the drunk king without another thought after his wife had left âwhat in Seven Hells are you looking so bored for? The jousting will begin soon!â he asked with a burp that she didnât even seem to care for âyou know whyâ she muttered bitterly, Robert laughing, slapping his big wine belly as he did âI canât have you fight them! Thereâs not enough gold dragons in the world to pay all the bets Iâd win on that one!â he shouted loudly with joy, Karliah briefly looking around with a big blush on her cheeks, obviously feeling embarrassed since everyone turned to look at their exchange, but Robert just continued to laugh. âYouâd knock them all off their fancy horses!! Theyâd never be able to walk again!â Robert continued bursting with laughter, Karliah forcing a smile to stay polite âthank you, Your Grace-â
âGet her a horse and some armor!! Iâm sure thereâs some pitiful squireâs armor you can wear. Come on!!! Before I die of old age!! Get the lady a horse and some armor!!â he stood up and roared, Karliahâs cheeks almost beet red as she shook her head âthank you, Your Grace, it makes me proud and happy that you have such confidence in me, should I joust, but Iâm afraid I canât joust-â
âWhy not?! Afraid of embarrassing everyone else?â Robert asked with utter amusement and Karliah forced a smile âitâd be a shame to knock so many knights and lords off their horses and bruise their egos. Let the realm believe I cannot joust, for their egoâ she whispered, Robert staring at her before laughing loudly, nodding as he could barely get his words out of his mouth âyer just like Lyanna! As clever as they come! Alright then!â he decided and Karliah smiled. She quickly turned around and walked back to her seat behind Sansa, Arya and their septa, just as a squire hurriedly approached with a horse. âYour Grace! The armor is in-â
âWhat in the Seven Hells are you doing?!â
âI-... you asked-â
âAnd now Iâm asking you to leave! Get outta here so the jousting can finally begin!â he yelled loudly, the poor boy hurrying away with the horse as the jousting games began. As a man sat down next to Sansa, Karliah frowned, listening as he talked to her, listening to his every word and she forced a smile as she jumped in âLittlefinger, was it?â she asked, the man turning around to look at her, smiling politely as he nodded âyes-â
âBut your name is actually Petyr Baelish, correct?â
âYes, Lady Stark-â
âYou grew up with Catlyn. Sansa is the spitting image of her mother, isnât she? A northern beautyâ she complimented with a warm smile, Sansa smiling with red cheeks, always enjoying the compliments and praise sheâd get for her beauty and femininity âshe is, she looks just like her mother when she was her ageâ Petyr said with a fond look in his eyes when he looked at Sansa, Karliah nodding âand have you heard? Sheâs promised to the prince himselfâ Karliah added, Petyr turning to look at her, his entire demeanor changing at the look in Karliahâs eyes. The warning. Telling him that he was far too familiar with her niece for her liking. âI can only imagine the pair theyâll makeâ was his response and Karliah nodded, forcing a polite smile âindeedâ she stated, leaning a little closer âI am giving you one warning as a courtesy, Lord Baelish; I love both of my nieces very dearly. Do you understand?â she whispered so only Petyr could hear, waiting for him to nod with understanding before leaning back in her seat, a small victorious smirk on her lips when he finally did nod. Karliahâs eyes widened a little as the tall suit of black armor rode closer, her heart racing a little as she frowned, unaware that the Hound himself watched the way her chest seemed to rise and fall a little heavier, a look of shock disguised as intriguing on her face as she studied him. He truly was as tall as a mountain. She doubted his apparent size was due to the armor; it must have fitted him like a glove, unlike the shiny little squire on his white horse next to the Mountain. Heâd run him through. There was no doubt about it. No Gods, old or new, could save that poor boy from the Mountain once heâd take his lance.
The first clash. The knight survived, both of them being offered new lances and then came the second one. The second clash. Sansa screamed as the knight fell from his horse, wood impaled in his throat as he drowned on his own blood as it spurted out all over him and his shiny armor that was obviously new. Karliah flinched at the clash and put a hand on both of her niecesâ shoulders out of instinct, Arya turning to look up at her and Karliah sighed as she wrapped an arm around the youngest of her nieces with a worried frown. Her gaze turned to the septa, both of them with worry as Karliah looked back at a shocked, wide-eyed Arya. âDo you want to leave, Arry?â Karliah asked in a whisper, gaining the young girlâs attention who looked up at her, eyes still as wide as the wheels on a wagon, she shook her head a little and Karliah sighed, the two of them unaware of Petyr who spoke in a hushed voice to Sansa. âYou donât have to stay. If youâre afraid of what people will think, I will lie. I can come up with an excuseâ Karliah promised but Arya shook her head again, finally finding her words âIâm okayâŠâ she muttered, Karliah looking at the septa and she nodded. Karliah looked back at Sansa just as Petyr leaned away from her, Karliah placing a hand on Sansaâs shoulder, gaining the girlâs attention. âSansa?â
âIâm fine, Aunt Karliah, thank youâ she spoke in a meek voice and Karliah sighed softly, reaching forward and gently cupping her cheek before nodding, leaning back in her seat, sighing heavily. As she felt someoneâs gaze linger, she turned her head, finding the Hound staring at her but instead of looking away, as her oldest niece often did, she gave him a smile. A rare, one-sided smile, her eyes locked with his until he looked away first, Karliah smirking a little, her stomach fluttering with an unfamiliar feeling in her gut.
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Karliah was silent as she sat in the gardens, eyes closed, face turned to the sky as she had a small frown on her face. So much was happening, yet nothing was happening at the same time. Sheâd already been to the Godswood, twice, praying. She wasnât entirely sure if the Gods existed, old or new, but there had to be something. Something more out in the world, there had to be. So she prayed, though her prayers were really more a front, allowing her to spend some time to herself without a Stark or Lannister guard breathing down her neck, without her brotherâs worry rubbing off on her, and, as selfish as that may have been, without the banter of her nieces and by the Gods, those two could fight for hours if theyâd be allowed to, each trying to get the last word, the two girls worlds apart and different, yet she adored them all the same. They were her life. All of her nieces and nephews were. Sheâd already accepted that marriage and children were not in her cards, so she doted on her brotherâs children, each and every one of them⊠and her sisterâs⊠her only sisterâs only child.
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âIâm telling you, itâs awful! Thereâs all the laces and theyâre all on your back and then thereâs the shoes!! I have no idea how Cat does it! Or Sansa for that matter!â
âWhat âbout Arya?â
âHer? In heels? You mustâve eaten something that wasnât quite right, Your Graceâ Karliah joked before sipping her wine, amusement clear in her voice as Robert laughed. Robert had always been⊠different towards her. She was Lyannaâs baby sister, and he loved her as such, furthermore, unlike her brother, she could be chatty, after a few drinks, especially around her family and Robert was part of that family. And she had no filter with him. Sheâd even met his daughter in the Vale, once, and briefly while visiting Ned while he was fostered by Jon Arryn with Robert. Robert had talked about women, sex, battle, killing, shit, piss, blood and all manner of other things that a highborn lady shouldnât be discussing, and he was overjoyed when she laughed, when she was showing him her wit with a clever comment or joke, proving the sturdy, unmovable, unfazed North blood in her veins, chilling her, making her unfazed by just about everything heâd brought up. Though he did joke a little too much about that time that a squire made her blush⊠and in front of the poor boy, making her furious and sheâd dumped an entire flagon of wine over his head before storming off. He never apologized but the next day she seemed to have gotten past it faster than him, and the poor squire. âSeven Hells, where have all the years gone by, Kal?â he asked suddenly with a much dimmer tone compared to the cheerful one only a few moments ago. âDown your gullet, by the looks of itâ she joked and he cracked a wheezing laugh at her joke, his cheeks red and flushed from wine and laughter before he settled back down again âyouâre a soothing balm for the company of your brotherâ he admitted as he drank his wine, Karliah chuckling lightly âheâs not called the Quiet Wolf for nothingâ she stated with a shrug, finishing off the last of her wine, which Robert of course noticed. âBoy!! Make yourself useful and fill Lady Starkâs cup already!â
âNo, thank you, Your Grace, Iâve had quite enoughâ she quickly admitted, placing a hand over the top of her glass to prevent anything from going in as she stood up, putting the glass back down on the table. âAh, ya prude!â Robert called as his own glass was filled, Karliah chuckling instead of taking it as an insult âand by the sound of it, youâve had enough as well, but I know better than to stand between you and wineâ she teased, curtseying before leaving, faintly hearing Robert shout at the poor boy when he realized the wine jug was empty.
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Wolves and Hounds-2
(Warnings: Again, mostly just fluff)
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Karliah couldnât help but laugh as she rode alongside Tyrion Lannister, as far as Lannisters go, he wasnât half bad actually, which was a pleasant surprise to her. âAnd down the hill he went! Right into the muddy pondâ Tyrion exclaimed and she threw her head back with laughter, shaking her head as she tried to contain it, unaware of the small glare that Ned was giving the little Lord. âPoor squire! Right into the mud!â Karliah managed to get out through her laughter, shaking her head as she looked back at the Lord. âAs far as Lannisters go, youâre not half badâ she said with a smirk, seeing him roll his eyes âanother dwarf joke?â he asked amused, watching her as she nodded her head with excitement âyes, Lord Lannister, another dwarf joke, but at least mine arenât as terrible as as my brotherâs wardâ she said with a smirk, chuckling as Tyrion laughed âno theyâre not, and please, Iâve been making you laugh for the past hour, I think you can call me Tyrionâ he said with a smirk, seeing her giggle quietly âmy my, Tyrion, you couldnât possibly be flirting with me, could you?â she asked with a teasing smirk, grinning as he laughed at her small remark âno, I wouldnât dishonour you like that, My Ladyâ he said through his laughter, making her roll her eyes âyouâve been making me laugh for the past hour, Tyrion, I think you can call me Karliahâ she said with a wink, throwing his own words back at him, laughing with him until she stopped her horse to say goodbye, for now, to Ned, who was saying farewell to Jon.
Once that was done with, she rode up beside Ned, a smile on her lips as she watched Jon join Benjen. âYour mind is made up, isnât it?â he asked quietly, his eyes locked on her as she nodded âyes, you know Iâve always wanted to see the Wall⊠Lyanna and I made a deal⊠that weâd both visit it somedayâŠâ she admitted, looking down with a sad look on her face, a frown on her brows as she softly shook her head âIâll see you in Kingâs Landing, though⊠the Gods know you wouldnât survive the girls without me or Catelynâ she added with a forced smile, looking back up at her big brother who forced a smile as well. âTake care, youâre my only sisterâ Ned reminded her, making her smile a tad more genuine as she nodded âand you, take care, brother⊠you know how we wolves fare in the southâ she muttered, giving him one last smile before joining Benjen, Jon and Tyrion, smiling softly at the three when she reached them. âMy Lady, youâre joining us to the Wall?â Tyrion asked with a tiny hint of shock, a chuckle leaving Karliahâs lips as she nodded âyes, My Lord, youâre not the only one who wants to stand on top of the Wall, though I canât piss off of itâ she added with a smirk, hearing Benjen and Tyrion laugh while Jon smiled softly, the poor boy had no idea how important he truly was.
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Karliahâs jaw nearly hit the neck of her horse as she rode closer and closer to the wall, Benjen smirking at the sight of her so awestruck. âPick up your jaw, sister, or itâll freeze in placeâ Benjen joked and she closed her mouth with a light blush on her cheeks, though she still admired the Wall. As the gates to Castle Black opened, her attention was brought from the giant wall of ice to the men eyeing her with interest, a small scoff leaving her lips as Benjen glared lightly at the young boys, which she already knew he was doing without even having to look at him. âIâm quite capable of handling a few young boys, Benjen, Lyanna taught me how to fight after allâ she half joked and saddled off once everyone was inside, a smile on her lips as she saw a face she vaguely recognised. Sheâd seen his face when she was but a little girl at a feast, before he joined the Nightâs Watch. âLord Commanderâ she smiled softly and bowed her head at the Old Bear as he approached with a chuckle. âLady Stark! Come to see your brother off?â he asked and gestured to Benjen but she merely chuckled and softly shook her head âand my nephewâ she said and gestured to Jon who stood behind her âand also because I wanted to see the Wall. A promise thatâs been long overdueâ she admitted softly as she glanced at Benjen who gave her a sad smile, he knew of the promise she and Lyanna had made, it had been while they were both just barely girls, coated in mud from playing in the Godswood, pretending to fight off White Walkers and giants beyond a wall neither of them had ever seen, only heard of. âYou are most welcome here at Castle Blackâ the Lord Commander said and Karliah nodded and smiled before turning to Benjen, walking over to him as the Lord Commander greeted Tyrion. âWell, what are the sights to see here in your little castle?â she asked jokingly and Benjen scoffed quietly âwhile Jon gets settled, Iâll show you the Wallâ he suggested, gesturing to the wooden structure thatâd take them both to the top and Karliah paled, smile dropping as she studied it. âUh⊠Benjen-â
âItâs alright, itâs sturdier than it looksâ Benjen said with a hint of amusement, making her scoff âIâll use you to cushion my fall if it isnâtâ she muttered and Benjen laughed, letting her walk ahead of him into the structure, glaring at a few young lads whoâs eyes lingered on her for a second too long for his liking. âYou donât have to fight every living creature offâ she noted once they were both well on their way to the top, her Stark grey eyes locked on the landscape in front of her as Benjen sighed âthese arenât just boys, Kal. Theyâre rapists, murderers-â
âAnd thieves, I know⊠but I made a promise, Ben. I made a promise to stand at the edge of the Wall and watch the sun set or rise, hear the weeping of the ice as I stood upon it, at the top of the world, at itâs end⊠Lyanna isnât here to see it for herself so I have to see for the both of usâ Karliah admitted softly and Benjen nodded, ever as quiet as Ned. âItâs worth a few uncomfortable staresâ she admitted softly, looking at Benjen with a soft smile âfor Lyanna, itâs worth itâ she added, turning once the structure stood still, opening the small gate and stepping out onto the wall, a grin on her lips as she felt the bitter cold bite her bones and freeze her blood in her veins but it was worth it. It was worth it to hear the wind howling, the Wall itself weeping below her feet as though it knew of the bittersweet feeling it brought her to stand upon it. Karliah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the clean air that almost burnt her lungs with how biting cold it was, but it was a good pain, the grin on her lips broadening as she sighed heavily, opening her eyes and looking at Benjen âshe would have loved thisâŠâ she muttered, her grin fading into a bittersweet smile as she looked over the edge at the landscape below. Everything was so small from up here, Castle Black looked like a drop of ink that was fading on a piece of paper, the other castles lining the wall as far as the eye could see. Lyanna would have loved this.
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âMy Lady, are you not staying with us?â Tyrion asked as she rode past the inn they stopped at, a chuckle leaving her lips as she shook her head, looking over her shoulder at him âno, My Lord⊠I must admit that Iâm eager to see my nieces and my brother againâ she called out, watching Tyrion as he rode alone closer to her, smirking âand perhaps youâre eager to see a certain kind of dog again?â he asked teasingly and Karliah blushed but scoffed and looked away from him âyes, Lord Tyrion, I do miss the wolves that keep my niecesâ companyâ she stated with a smirk, knowing full well it wasnât the wolves whom he was referring to. âIâll see you perhaps at the next inn, I feel like riding until duskâ she admitted, Tyrion nodding softly and looking over his shoulder at his soldiers. âOne of my soldiers will accompany you, wouldnât want a Lady on the road all aloneâ Tyrion waved over one of the guards and Karliah chuckled lightly, shaking her head as she looked back at Tyrion âthatâs very kind of you, thank youâ she bowed her head and waited as Tyrion gave the guard strict orders to protect her at all cost, all the way to Kingâs Landing, even if it should cost him his life. âThank you, Lord Tyrion, I hope to see you in Kingâs Landing soonâ she admitted, Tyrion raising a teasing eyebrow âis that so, My Lady?â he asked with a smirk and she chuckled âyes, I wouldnât need to wear heels when Iâm walking with you, my feet would greatly thank me for itâ she jested and Tyrion chuckled as he shook his head at her âsafe travels, My Ladyâ he said and bowed his head, making Karliah grin âyou too, My Lordâ she bowed her head and turned to the guard, giving him a soft smile before spurring her horse into action once more, the guard following as they both rode towards Kingâs Landing.
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âWe cannot afford another tournament, weâre too far in debt with the Lannisters and I will not bankrupt the Realm furtherâ Ned snapped as Robert groaned and downed his goblet of wine âIâm the King, I do as I please and you do what I say, and I say we have the damn tournament!â Robert roared back at his old friend, the two of them about to go into it further when her voice interrupted them âperhaps you could somehow divorce your wives and marry each other, you seem so happy togetherâ she joked as she walked towards the two of them, a wave of her hand and the guard who had been escorting her bowed and left quickly. Robert grinned big and got out of his chair, approaching her and hugging her so tightly that her feet left the ground, as they always did when he gave her one of his signature hugs. âKarliah!! Knock some sense into your brother will ya?â Robert asked as he put her down, gesturing to Ned with an annoyed expression and she chuckled lightly âIâm afraid that is beyond my abilities, Iâm no godâ she jested and Robert laughed as he patted her shoulder âwould you fancy some wine? Bring Lady Stark a goblet of wine!!â Robert roared over his shoulder at his squire, the poor boy flinching at the tone as he hurried to give her a goblet, filling it to the brim with wine before she could stop him, but she just politely thanked him and sipped the wine before it would spill over, Robert moving back to his desk and sitting down, pointing at Ned âweâre having the damn tournament!â he snapped and Ned sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance as he glanced at Karliah, seeing her shrug subtly, what the hell was she supposed to do? Convince Robert? Good luck with that to anyone. âYour Grace-â
âWeâre alone, Ned, you donât have to âYour Graceâ me every time I take a shitâ Robert grumbled, he had never really been one to censor himself, especially not in front of Lyannaâs younger sister. Robert loved the Lyanna in dresses with braided hair and a soft smile on her lips, but he also knew of the feisty side she had, the side that put on menâs armour and picked up a sword, she would have driven him mad with her stubbornness, the thought bringing a soft smile to Karliahâs lips. âWell, if the tournament is inevitable, then-â
âYouâre not participatingâ Robert and Ned snapped at the same time, a scoff leaving Karliahâs lips as she pouted and downed her wine in annoyance âwhereâs my nieces?â she asked with an annoyed pout, Ned sighing heavily in frustration. âAryaâs with her dancing master-â
âHer what?â she asked with shock, Ned sighing and looking down, the poor man had aged five years already just by being here. âHer dancing master. Sansaâs with her Septa, stitchingâ Ned informed and Karliah raised a questioning brow before slowly nodding, eyes narrowed at him before putting the empty wine goblet on Robertâs desk and nodding to herself âdancing master⊠rightâ she mumbled with confusion before walking out of the room, walking over to a Stark guard who bowed his head upon seeing her âtake me to Aryaâ she ordered with a soft voice, the guard bowing his head before turning and leading her to her youngest niece, knocking once on the door before opening it for her, bowing his head as he let her inside and closed the door behind her. Karliah couldnât help but laugh as she saw the wooden swords, of course, of course it wasnât real dancing. âAunt Karliah!!â Arya dropped her wooden sword and rushed over to Karliah, hugging her tightly as she hugged her back with a big grin âI thought youâd gone mad when I heard you had a dancing master! Now I understand betterâ Karliah said with a chuckle as she parted from Arya, looking at her supposed teacher, smiling at him as he bowed theatrically âSyrio Forel, the First Sword of Braavosâ he introduced and Karliah smirked lightly as she walked down the steps towards him. âFirst Sword? Iâve heard of those⊠I know my brother wouldnât have hired you if you were a slouch with a weaponâ Karliah stated with a soft smirk before curtseying, bowing her head. âKarliah Starkâ she introduced and he hummed with a grin âah, the Lady Wolf, the⊠âWild Wolfâ. Little Arya has told me a lot about you, about your skill with a swordâ he noted and Karliah looked at Arya with a light glare âwell, she wasnât supposed to know about thatâ Karliah muttered as Arya blushed and looked down shyly. âI saw you training with Jon and RobbâŠâ Arya admitted and Karliah nodded and hummed, looking back at Syrio âwell itâs been a whileâ she admitted, taking a step back to turn to Arya who picked up her wooden sword and rushed over to Karliah, giving it to her.
âYou have to see her fight, Syrio! Sheâs really good!â Arya exclaimed and Karliah blushed wildly, eyes wide as she chuckled nervously âArya, thereâs a big difference between Westeros and Braavos, the fighting styles are very differentâ Karliah informed, looking at Syrio as he spoke up âahh, so you know as well? Not many from Westeros know of the water dancingâ Syrio said with a light shrug and Karliah smirked slightly âmy sister and I were quite the feisty ones, we loved to train and learn new styles to fightâ she admitted and Syrio smirked before getting ready to fight, getting in the proper stance and Karliah chuckled lightly, gently ushering Arya out of the way, chuckling as she practically jumped half a mile back, eager to see everything unfold.
âIâm afraid Iâve never danced a water dance, Master Syrioâ Karliah admitted and Syrio nodded âyou will learnâ he stated before walking around her, prompting her to turn her feet to walk around with him, eyes locked on his instead of his wooden sword. âSee how her eyes are watching mine, Arya? That is where the true intent of your opponent will showâ Syrio commented with a smirk and Karliah just knew that Arya was watching with wide eyes, completely focused on the scene in front of her. As Syrio charged elegantly, Karliah jumped aside, moving a long step back and away from him as she didnât have a clear cut with her wooden sword, a smirk on her lips as she chuckled lightly. âSee? Elegant as a cat, smooth for a wolf, no?â he half asked and Karliah chuckled lightly again, dodging another attack only this time her âswordâ touched his sword arm, a stunned look on his face as she grinned at him, gesturing to his âwoundedâ arm with her own wooden sword âare you really a First Sword of Braavos?â she asked teasingly, Syrio smirking as he chuckled and switched the sword over to his other arm, gesturing to her with the wooden sword as they both walked around each other, his âwoundedâ arm behind his back. âElegance is key, Arya, see the way her feet move? Quiet as the night, swift as a cat, you can barely hear her move at all. Except for her mouth, that is certainly not quietâ Syrio teased and Karliah chuckled lightly, shaking her head softly at him as she continued to watch him with caution, nothing really happening except the two of them circling each other, but it was more to teach Arya as well. âSee her grip? Delicate yet strong. Who trained you, Lady Stark?â Syrio asked just before charging at her, barely missing her with his sword as she ducked out of the way, stumbling a bit before regaining her footing and blocking another one of his attacks with her sword, stepping back as she did. âMy brothers and my sister. My brothers taught my sister and I, despite our fatherâs worry, when they realised weâd just learn it ourselves if they wouldnât teach usâ she stated with a light tone before charging at him, their wooden swords clashing as she advanced while he stepped back, only to swiftly move around her, forcing her to quickly turn so she wouldnât have her back to him.Â
âAh ah ah, see? She lost her focusâ Syrio noted and Karliah shrugged lightly âyes, talking about my sister is⊠a lotâ she admitted before bringing her head back into the fight. âI understand. Arya, you see her feet again? Watch them as I advanceâ he ordered and did as he said, advancing, and Karliah let him push her back as their swords clashed, the sound of wood beating against wood filling the room as Arya eagerly absorbed everything she could. As the door to the room opened both Syrio and Arya turned to see who had entered, a smirk tugging at Karliahâs lips as she bent down, kicked Syrioâs legs out from under him and pointed her sword at his throat with a smirk âdeadâ she stated softly before lowered her sword and helping him up, finally turning to see who had entered, seeing Ned look at her with a small smirk, Karliahâs cheeks flushed as she panted lightly, clearing her throat as she gave the wooden sword back to Arya. âBeen a whileâ she admitted and Ned chuckled lightly, shaking his head softly as she cleared her throat again and smiled at Arya âheâs a good teacherâ Karliah noted and gestured to Syrio with a smirk âthough he could use another armâ she jested about the âcutâ she had given him earlier on his best sword arm, a chuckle leaving his lips as he looked down with a small smile âit is good for the First Sword of Braavos to be humbled, every now and thenâ Syrio stated with a light shrug and Karliah chuckled âjust let me know and Iâll be thereâ she joked as she walked out of the room, patting Nedâs shoulder as she turned to the Stark guard who had led her to Arya. âTake me to Sansaâ she ordered and just as before he bowed his head, turned on his heel and led her towards her oldest niece.
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Wolves And Hounds-1
(Warnings: Some fluff, more fluff, a bit of angst about suspicions about why Bran would fall while climbing but overall this is very soft and fluffy:3)
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Karliah stood by Nedâs side as the King arrived with his entire entourage, watching the King climb off his horse as she kneeled down next to her brother. She smiled as Robert subtly told Ned to get up, eyeing him up and down before telling him how fat he had gotten, prompting Ned to glance at Robert with a suggestive eyebrow and the two broke out in laughter, embracing tightly. Karliah grinned as Robert turned to her, his hands on her shoulders âmy! Look at you, Karliah, as beautiful as ever! You havenât aged a day unlike us old foolsâ he laughed and Karliah laughed with him, initiating the hug, which shocked most in Winterfell but Robert just laughed and hugged her back, even lifting her slightly off her feet before putting her down âand you still havenât married, have you?â he asked and she rolled your eyes, causing him to chuckle âthatâs my girlâ he praised and gave her a wink before greeting her nieces and nephews and then greeting Catelyn. She watched as Robert and Ned walked towards the crypt, a sad smile on her lips, still to this day she felt tears sting her eyes at the thought of Lyanna, so she looked down and tried to think of something else, only lifting her gaze when she was certain she had no more tears in her eyes. Her eyes landed on a tall, iron clad man, she knew instantly by his helmet who he was. The Hound. The Princeâs obedient dog. She wondered how he would be in a fight, if he was actually as skilled as they said, or if he was just ruthless and thatâs how he gained his reputation, perhaps like this brother? The mountain. Though she found the Hound much more interesting, she would admit that.
Karliah changed as the festivities were beginning to be prepared, the final touches put on as she laced up her high leather boots, a habit from the war with the Mad King, always being ready to fight which she couldnât do well in small heels. She was only thirteen, Lyanna had been sixteen, almost seventeen, but that was sixteen years ago now⊠she was older, no one bothered to try and court her anymore despite her being still very much young and in her prime. So she didnât care how she dressed, not that she ever had, but no one tried anymore, so why should she? She laced up her dress with some difficulty, but she had sent her handmaidens away, being fond of doing things herself instead of having people do everything for her. Perhaps it wasnât how the last Lady Wolf to be born a Stark should act, but growing up with Lyanna had itâs perks, she taught Karliah everything their father was uncomfortable with his two girls learning, especially his youngest. Riding, fighting, archery⊠archery and fighting while riding, she was Karliahâs teacher, mentor and best friend⊠she even disguised herself and joined Robertâs rebellion to save Lyanna but she was too late⊠that was her biggest regret, though, not going with Ned to DorneâŠ
âSeven Hellsâ she mumbled as the loud bustling of people met her ears, the festivities had already started and she was late, damn dresses and their complicated lacing! It left no room for any kind of independence. She subtly snuck into the hall and sat next to a tired Ned, giving him a sheepish smile that screamed âIâM SORRY IâM SORRY IâM SORRYâ. Karliah quietly began to eat, enjoying the wine and talking with Ned here and there. Her brother was never one for socialization but he talked when he needed to and wanted to. âWhen are you going to tell him?â she asked in a quiet voice, making sure no one else heard and Ned sighing heavily, eyes sad and tired, just as yours were whenever the thought of Lyanna would come across your minds. âI know what youâre going to say, with Robert, but remember, there is also Lyannaâs blood in him, no silver hair and lilac eyes, no madness, just pure hearted goodness and a sense of not belonging anywhere. He has her hair, her eyes⊠heâs more Lyanna than Rhaegarâ Karliah whispered and got up, wine goblet in hand as she was about to walk out of the hall, Ned grabbing her free hand and looked up at her, making her scoff âno, I wonât tell him, that should be you, the boy sees you as his fatherâ she whispered and Ned let her go with a curtly nod, her words had stung a little but he knew she disapproved of his choice to leave his wife in the dark, to Karliah, Catelyn was a good woman who wouldnât betray the trust of her husband, at any cost, and she was right, of course. Catelyn would never betray him⊠except if the knowledge of Jonâs birth could save their childrenâŠ
Karliah left the hall and noticed Lord Tyrion out in the cold instead of inside in the warmth and she approached, smiling at him âLord Tyrion, not enjoying the festivities inside? What would you rather do out here, in the cold? You Southerners canât handle itâ she teased and he chuckled âbe careful, Lady Stark, we might still surprise youâ he fired back and Karliah chuckled âIâm sure you will, Lord Tyrion, enjoy yourselfâ she said and he bowed his head âyou as well, My Ladyâ he left and she walked towards the sounds of hacking and beating. She raised a brow at the training dummy âthink itâs dead yet?â she asked and Jon smirked at her, panting âalmostâ he said and Karliah laughed, walking over and handing him her goblet âhere, itâll warm you upâ she said and he took a sip, handing it back to her âthank you, Lady Auntâ he said and Karliah rolled your eyes âoh stop it, sixteen years and youâre still calling me that wretched name, I feel old!â she said and cringed, making Jon laugh âsorry, Aunt Karliahâ he said and she waved her hand âitâs alright, Iâll just have to beat it into you at our next trainingâ she said casually and he smirked at her âwhat makes you so certain you will win?â he asked cockily and she chuckled lightly, taking another sip of wine âbecause Iâm smaller and quicker than youâ she pointed out.
âTrue, and wiserâ a voice said and she turned to see Benjen, a big grin forming on her face as she put her goblet down and ran to him, hugging him tightly, his arms wrapping around her as he chuckled âSeven Hells, I can still feel the cold on youâ Karliah laughed as she parted from him, walking back and taking her goblet, Benjen sighing with a smile and reaching for it but stopped as she took a sip of it herself, smirking at him âwhat? Youâre used to freezing your balls off up there, Iâm notâ she teased and Benjen scoffed at her âyou will never marry if you talk like thatâ he pointed out and Karliah cringed, downing the rest of the wine in the goblet âIâm going to need more wine if weâre having this talk againâ she said with a chuckle and left the two to hug and greet each other again. She couldnât help but smile amused as she heard the two greet each other, even as their voices faded when she walked back inside, heading straight for a jug with wine that a servant was carrying, no words needed as she held out her goblet, seeing it filled instantly. Being a Stark had itâs perks sometimes. âAunt, youâre going to be stumbling if you keep up drinkingâ she heard a voice say, and seeing as it wasnât everyone in Winterfell who called her âAuntâ, she knew exactly who it was to begin with. âYouâre just jealous because youâll tumble over after three gobletsâ she teased without having to look over her shoulder, hearing a brief chuckle âexactly, so please, make me look goodâ Robb stated with a smirk, his eyes glancing at a young woman who giggled and blushed, smiling sweetly at him, a scoff leaving her lips. âIs Arya put to bed? Itâs lateâ she noted, hearing him chuckle lightly, she always cared for him and his siblings like they were her own children, even Jon couldnât escape the love she held for her nieces and nephews. âShe is, she started throwing food at Sansaâ Robb muttered, hearing her chuckle briefly as she tried to muffle it with her hand âSeven Hells, that girl, as wild as Lyannaâ she muttered with a fond smile, Robb turning to look at her with a soft expression.Â
âFather never talks about herâŠâ he admitted, looking down as Karliah looked at him with a soft frown. âYour father just misses her⊠he had been the one to find her body⊠give him time, Robb, sixteen years are sometimes not enough for grief to fade into a fond memory⊠now, donât let this bring down your moodâ she said and gestured to the woman who had been eyeing him shyly with that sweet smile of hers, a smirk tugging at Karliahâs lips âbe careful, Lord Stark, donât have too much fun and donât get her pregnant, Iâm not old enough yet for that, I wouldnât be able to handle a tiny version of you running around just yetâ she teased before walking outside again, taking a deep breath of the cold air she was born in. She took a sip of her wine before continuing to walk, rounding a corner where she almost bumped into someone, her eyes wide as she managed to step aside at the last minute. She looked up and was met with the scarred face of Sandor Clegane, the Hound himself, Joffreyâs obedient dog. âNot a fan of feasts and parties?â she joked softly, seeing him scoff quietly and poorly bow his head âMâLadyâ he muttered in an annoyed voice, about to walk away when her chuckle stopped him. âMy, youâre not one for conversation, are you? Normally, a proper man would have answered my questionâ she teased, seeing him raise his unburnt eyebrow at her with a bored expression. âNo, Iâm notâ he stated in a monotone voice, a flash of confusion running across his face as he saw the corners of her lips tug up in amusement. âForgive me if I have offended you or disrupted your evening, it was never my intention. Have a nice evening, Ser Cleganeâ she said and bowed her head slightly before walking off, leaving a confused and shocked Sandor in his place, Tyrion watching, albeit a bit drunk, from the shadows, scoffing quietly before stumbling his way to somewhere else.
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Karliah was silent as she sat next to Bran, Catelyn on the other side of the bed, cheeks stained from her tears as she watched her little boy. Karliah sighed softly and reached for Branâs hand, holding the limp hand in hers, it was so much smaller⊠Karliah glanced at Catelyn before getting up, letting go of Branâs hand to walk around his bed and sit down next to Catelyn, wrapping her arms around her and the tired mother sobbed into her arms, the dam breaking for the hundredth time and Karliah gently rubbed her back âheâll wake, Catelyn⊠he will. Heâs a Stark and a Tully. He has his fatherâs strength and your stubbornness. Heâll wake any day now and heâll look at you and ask why youâve been weeping, heâll ask with that sweet voice of hisâ Karliah whispered and Catelyn moaned in agony and grief, Karliah continuing to hold her. âHeâll wake, Cat⊠heâll wakeâ she promised before leaning away from Catelyn, the mother looking at her, wet cheeks and red puffy eyes and Kalriah smiled âhow can he not, with a mother such as you?â
âI should have-â
âThere is nothing you could have done. You and I both know that Bran would climb on the ceiling of this room if he were to be confined in it, the boy is half-squirrel sometimes, I swearâ Karliah stated with amusement, looking back towards the sleeping child. âHe will wake. I know he will, in my heart, I knowâ she whispered, gently rubbing Catelynâs shoulder. âYou neednât be by his side every waking hour⊠you should get some sleep, Cat⊠get some rest-â
âNo... no, I canât leave him⊠I wonât-â
âSomething to eat, then? You can eat it here⊠We can have something brought in for you to sleep on and I will sit and watch over him while you rest. You need rest, Cat⊠or youâll be delirious and then what use will you be of?â Karliah warned and Catelyn looked at her, eyes still full of tears and Kalriah sighed, standing up. âI will have some food and drink brought in. Iâll figure something out, a bedding of any kind, for you to sleep on, you need rest just as much as the rest of usâ Karliah spoke softly, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze before leaving the room, heading immediately for the kitchens as her first stop.
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When it came time to leave, Karliah walked into the room, intending to say her goodbyes when she saw Catelyn with her head on Branâs bedside, asleep, a smile forming on her lips and she sneaked inside. She leaned over Bran and gently kissed his forehead, stroking back his hair from his forehead, smiling down at him âBran, if you can hear me, you must wake soon. Please. Your mother is beside herself, she needs to see that smile of yours, she needs to hear you laughâ Karliah whispered before walking over to the side Catelyn was on, smiling at her, leaning down and gently kissing the top of her head, being careful not to wake her âthank you, for taking some restâ she whispered before leaving the room as quietly as possible, sneaking out, being met with Robb who had gone to see his mother and brother, Karliah stopping him with a hand âyour mother is finally restingâ she whispered, Robb seeming to almost faint with relief as he nodded âgood⊠is she-...?â
âNo, no sheâs still by his bedside, I doubt she has even looked at the cot thatâs been brought in for her, but sheâs asleep. Your brother is well, too. He has no fever that I could tellâ she added in a whisper and Robb nodded âthank you, Aunt Karliahâ he whispered back and she smiled, cupping his face in her hands and tilting his head down as she stood up on her toes, giving his forehead a peck before patting his chest âgive her a few more hours before visiting her again, make sure everyone knows, the Gods know that woman deserves some restâ she whispered with a smirk and Robb nodded, Karliah patting his shoulder in silent praise as she walked past him.
As she walked outside, she felt the dread fill her, the reality of everything finally hitting her. Her nephew was laying in his bed, unconscious, unmoving⊠he was just a boy⊠just a little boy, a sweet boy who adored climbing⊠which made all of this even weirder. Bran never fell. Never. Not once since he could stand upright and grab onto things did he ever fall. So why now? She hadnât brought this to anyone, her family was going through enough at the moment⊠sheâd keep her thoughts about this to herself⊠Perhaps she was just overthinking everything.
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She didnât even seem to notice his gaze on her as she talked with Rickon, the youngest of the Stark children, the boy up in her arms as she smiled at him, making him grin and smile, bouncing him a little, the three year old grinning and laughing with her before she had to put him down, smiling at Arya as she approached, ruffling the young girlâs hair as she passed by before turning to a horse, a horse sheâd apparently be riding, instead of riding in a carriage with her nieces. Tyrion walked up to the large man who had kept his eyes on the unmarried Stark, the North having named her just as they had named her brother. The âWild Wolfâ. Tyrion smirked a little at the name. Had the Hound taken an interest in the Wolf? âI believe she remains unmarriedâ Tyrion suddenly spoke, Sandor whipping his head around and looking down at him before scoffing and grumbling, much to Tyrionâs amusement. âWell, if you wonât pursue her, I suppose you wouldnât mind if I gave it a go. Sheâs a beautiful woman, still in her prime and youthâ Tyrion commented casually. In reality, he had no intention of pursuing her, but he had an interest in the Houndâs interest in the Wild Wolf of the North. It was said she rode more than she sewed, that she hunted more than she practiced dance and singing, that she could often be seen riding and visiting smaller towns and villages, her hair braided and wild from riding through harsh winds.
Sandor glared lightly at the Lannister at his words, though he tried not to, and Tyrion smirked victoriously before looking back at Karliah. âRelax, Hound. A hound is better suited for a wolf than a lionâ he stated casually before walking off, Sandor giving Karliah a spiteful look, though he wasnât quite sure why, it just felt like he had to do that, that he had to hate her for some reason.
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Happy holidays everyone!! Hereâs a little unwanted present from me! A drawing I made last year for Christmas, I thought Iâd try and post one of my drawings to see what people thought and well, yeah lol. Please refrain from being too mean, my confidence is low enough already. Iâm open to ideas and criticism tho. Happy holidays my lovelies!!
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Witches and WIzards - 21
(Warnings: Sad fluff, some angst but thatâs about it, I think, itâs just sort of angsty, sorry!<3)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was silent as she stared out the window, heart racing despite the calm look on her face. She didnât even look away when someone knocked on her door, or opened it after a few seconds of silence. She stayed silent until her name was spoken, tears forming in her eyes when she recognised the voice.
âOphelia?â she turned, her eyes meeting Harryâs and she frowned, tilting her head a little at him. It was him. Obviously. But he looked⊠different⊠older⊠he even had the hint of a growing stubble âthe nurses said you woke upâ he added quietly as he closed the door gently, walking into the room, towards the chair she sat in by the window. âDo you-... remember anything?â he asked hesitantly, pulling up a chair to sit next to her, watching her closely as she frowned and looked out the window. More tears formed in her eyes as she slowly, very slowly, began to shake her head. âAlright⊠you-... you sort of just⊠showed up⊠at the twinâs shop, out of a closet⊠your leg was wounded and you passed out. They said you looked like youâd been trapped under rocks or something, your leg-â he stopped himself, looking down at her left leg as she just sat there, his eyes shifting to a cane nearby, within her reach should she need it, before looking back at her face as she just continued to stare out the window. âYou were out for a long timeâŠâ
âHow long?â
âA few weeksâŠâ
âI meant-... how long-... before-â
âA few yearsâŠâ he admitted, a tear running down Opheliaâs cheek yet her face was without expression, her eyes a stormy cloud of emotions but her face was empty, blank and void of anything. âFred and George came by every day I hear, ever since you showed back up, theyâve been bringing you flowersâŠâ Harry stated in an attempt to elicit some sort of emotion from her, but he got nothing, making him sigh quietly. âWhat-... what happened? Are you sure you donât remember anything? Not the smallest detail-?â
âHow old am I?â she asked blankly and Harryâs entire expression softened, a mix of pure horror and remorse in his eyes. She was strong. Stronger than anyone heâd ever met. She had to be with all that she had endured. But this woman wasnât the one who disappeared three years ago. This woman was broken, the last three years barely a foggy feeling for her, her memory of said time completely gone and it seemed like a piece of her had faded, like a part of her had been chipped off, the most important parts of her had been torn off the sides of her and thrown away somewhere, never to be found again. âTwenty-three⊠almost twenty-fourâ he admitted hesitantly, a part of him hoping itâd elicit some sort of emotion but she just stayed silent, she didnât even nod, she barely blinked, as though she was catatonic. This was worse than after Jaime died⊠after Jaime, at least she cried, she was angry, hot tempered and refused to even say his name or hear of it because every time it was uttered, she broke down in tears and her two favourite spells became Confringo and Bombarda with an occasional Diffindo, but at least she felt. She didnât appear to feel anything right nowâŠ
âEyesâŠâ she muttered blankly, a frown forming on her face as she stared ahead at nothing in particular, zoned out as her mind raced. âYou asked if I remembered anything⊠I remember a pair of eyes and I think-... I think they belonged to someone who-... made me feel⊠happyâ she muttered quietly, still staring straight ahead, head a little tilted as she continued to frown, as though the thought of happiness and good things were some unfathomable thing, foreign and alien and completely unheard of. Harry nodded âthatâs good. You remember something. Itâs good news, Opheliaâ he stated, a small smile on his lips, desperate to see her smile as well but she just continued to stare ahead. âMr. Potter? I think perhaps Miss Black would like some rest nowâ a nurse said after walking in, Harry looking at her with desperation before looking back at Ophelia, studying her blank face, devoid of any emotions, before nodding, getting up âIâll visit you again soon, alright? âMione and Ron will tooâŠâ he muttered, standing up, about to leave the room when Ophelia turned to look at him, tears in her eyes âHarryâ her voice stopped him and he turned to look at her, frowning at the utter hopelessness in her eyes âthey were golden, like burning orbs of fireâŠâ she muttered with the first real sign of emotion in her eyes, Harry frowning even more âthe eyesâ she explained quietly âitâs itâs like a dream I canât wake up from⊠or-... I woke up from a dream that I didnât want to wake up from⊠itâs-... cloudyâŠâ she admitted, Harry glancing at the nurse before walking over âgive it time, alright? You donât have to remember everything, certainly not all at once. Itâll take itâs time, and weâre here for you, all of us, through every step of itâ Harry encouraged, smiling at her, only leaving when he got a smile in return, although they both knew it was forced. After he left, the nurse walked over, giving Ophelia a sympathetic smile that made her want to hex her âwhy donât you rest for a bit?-â
âI am resting. This is me restingâ she muttered bitterly, turning her head to glare up at the nurse âIâve done nothing but rest and write and draw since I woke up⊠it was weeks ago! Why am I still here?! You obviously canât fix my leg and writing and drawing to get my memory back has done nothing for me!â she spat bitterly, more tears forming in her eyes and she shook her head with determination âno, no Iâm leaving. Iâm not going to sit around and wait for me to remember while I draw shit drawings of nothing and write about how much I hate this damn place! Iâm leaving, Iâm done waitingâ she muttered, struggling to pull herself out of the chair, gritting her teeth as the nurse hurriedly gave her the cane sheâd been given, Ophelia reluctantly taking it. âI understand that this is all too much to handle-â
ââToo much to handleâ??... I donât feel⊠I donât feel anything except angry and the pain in my leg! Itâs been weeks⊠nothing is getting better! I-... I might as well just-... move onâ she muttered bitterly, the nurse sighing with a frown âis there anyone youâd like us to get for you? A relative? A friend? A husb-â
âNo⊠no, he wasnât my husbandâ she muttered with a dazed expression, as though barely aware that she said it, the nurse frowning at her before gently placing a hand on her back, guiding her back to the hospital bed âitâs alright, now⊠perhaps one of your friends who have visited you?â
âMolly⊠Molly Weasley⊠sheâs-... always been like a mum for meâ she admitted, the nurse nodding with a small smile before leaving, Ophelia sighing heavily, looking at the cane with spite before throwing it across the room in anger, closing her eyes in an attempt to see them again, those eyes that brought her so much comfort when she was asleep. She tried. Hard. Eyebrows pinching together as she struggled until they were there. Not as clear as when she slept, but she could see them behind her closed eyelids, those golden eyes. An almost blissful smile formed on her lips, a few tears running down her cheeks as she enjoyed the feeling of joy they brought her. Until she opened her eyes. She knew she had to. She didnât have a choice⊠and it only made seeing them even more bitter-sweet.
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âSheâs in room 4-â
âI know which roomâ the woman waved the nurse off, hurrying inside of the hospital room, a grin forming on her face when she saw Ophelia sitting on a chair in the corner and she instantly opened her arms as she hurried over âoh my goodness!!â she exclaimed with joy, hurrying over and hugging Ophelia, managing to pull a small smile to Opheliaâs lips, though Molly didnât see it, thatâs how brief it was. âHello, Mrs. Weasley-â
âOh, please, âMollyââ she corrected as she parted from Ophelia, sitting down on the chair next to Opheliaâs âyouâre not a child anymoreâ she added, Ophelia smiling hesitantly at her before looking down âI was-... I was wondering if-... I heard Professor McGonagall is the head mistress now⊠do you think-... do you think there could be an opening? Potions, Herbology, perhaps?â she asked hesitantly, Molly smiling at her with utter warmth âI am sure she would be delighted to have you as a professor there. You aced all of your O.W.L.s after all, and your N.E.W.T.sâ she stated with pride and Ophelia smiled forcefully at her, the smile not genuine, empty, like the rest of her, âand-.. I was wondering, if it wouldnât be too much trouble-â
âI already prepared Fred and Georgeâs old room for you when I got the letter yesterday, I know you havenât stayed in Grimmauldâs place since-... well, sinceâ she interrupted and Ophelia nodded blankly âthank you⊠it really does mean a lot to me⊠and I wonât be any trouble, I promise, and-â
âOh, if I remember you correctly, you were always troubleâ Molly teased and Ophelia actually smiled a little, a genuine smile, for the first time in weeks âI will take that as a complimentâ she joked lightly despite her emotionless expression, the smile no longer there, but the ghost of it remained on her lips, Molly nodding with glee. âSo, all we need to do is pack your things and-â
âI-I donât-... have anythingâ Ophelia admitted quietly, Mollyâs smile never faltering âWell, then we certainly need to get you things! The old apartment you have is still there if you-â
âNo⊠no nothing was in it anyway, I had everything in my bag⊠which I donât haveâ she admitted, Molly nodding âthen weâre off to Diagon Alley at some point. But for now, why donât we get you settled back at the house, hm?â
âI would love that, thank youâ Ophelia muttered, Molly nodding as she got up, walking over to help Ophelia up, having heard about her leg when Ophelia raised a hand to stop her âI got itâ she muttered, gritting her teeth as she pulled herself to stand, grabbing the cane and leaning heavily on it, sweating a little from the pain she felt. âOh, dearâŠâ
âItâs alright, I need to be able to do it on my ownâ she muttered, grimacing at the pain in her leg before sighing, nodding to herself before looking at Molly, sighing at her worried expression âitâs just a bad day, thatâs allâ she assured, Molly nodding with a sad smile before walking out of the room with her to check her out.
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Ophelia was sitting in front of the fireplace, a blanket covering her legs, the warmth of the blanket helping with the pain she felt, distant voices caught her attention as they came closer and closer. She looked over her shoulder and grinned at who she saw, moving the blanket and her legs to stand up, already grabbing her cane when Minerva hurried over âno need for that-â
âItâs okay, itâs a good day today and itâs good for me to do it even though it hurtsâ she stated, Minerva nodding with a sigh, taking a small step back and allowed Ophelia to stand up straight, Molly grinning when she saw that Ophelia didnât grit her teeth as much this time. âThank you for coming. Iâm sorry I couldnât come to Hogwarts myself-â
âNo need to worry at all. Molly has told me a little about your ambitionsâŠâ
âYou knew it was always my goal to be a professor at Hogwartsâ Ophelia said quietly, a hint of genuine emotion in her voice but it still worried Minerva, though she didnât, she just nodded with a small smirk âI thought as much⊠which is why I have prepared a class I know you will be fond of teaching. Herbologyâ she revealed, Opheliaâs lips nearly pulling into a genuine smile, her eyes lighting up a little âthank you. Iâm excited to go back in a few yearsâ she stated softly but Minerva just smirked again âin a few years?â
âYes, I-... I have to be older, donât I?â
âI have made special arrangements for youâ was all she said and Ophelia grinned. It was a small, faint grin that was easy to miss, but it was there and both Minerva and Molly noticed. âI have spoken with Molly and when you are ready, this summer, she will take you to get whatever you need before you join the rest of us at Hogwarts to begin the new school year. You will of course stay in the faculty wing, all and any furniture you might require will of course be there, waiting for you, unless you require something specific or personal, then Iâm afraid Iâm going to have to ask you to buy it yourself. I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts, Professor Blackâ Minerva stated with a small smirk, Ophelia giving her a faint smile, nodding âI canât wait to start my first year. Thank you, for looking past my ageâŠâ
âYou are incredibly gifted in Herbology and show a real passion for it, Ophelia, Iâd even go as far and say you have the right mental age. Itâs why I am certain you will prosper at Hogwarts as a teacherâ Minerva praised, Opheliaâs cheeks turning red and she looked down shyly, clearing her throat awkwardly âthank you, professorâŠâ
âIâm no longer your professor, you may call me Minerva if you want.â
âThank you, Minervaâ she tried the first name, looking nervously at Molly who grinned and chuckled lightly âitâs quite alright, dearâ she stated with that heart warming grin she always had. Ophelia smiled and gave her a nod before turning to Minerva âIâll see you in a few months time, thenâ she stated, Minerva nodding with a proud smirk on her lips âindeed we willâ she agreed, smiling at Molly before turning around to leave but she stopped when Ophelia spoke up âthere is one thing, if itâs not too muchâŠâ Ophelia trialled off and Minerva nodded âi-it can wait until I start my job, thoughâ she added and Minerva nodded, giving her a warm smile before leaving, Molly turning to beam at you with joy. âWell, congratulations on the job, Professor Blackâ she said and Ophelia smiled faintly, ignoring the pain in her leg from standing for too long, nodding âthank you very much, Mrs. Weasleyâ she retorted, Molly laughing briefly âIâll get you something to eat, you still look far too thin for my likingâ she muttered the last part and Ophelia gave a brief nod, awkwardly sitting back down, wincing a little now that Molly couldnât see it. She let out a heavy sigh as she sat down, putting the cane aside to glare at her leg. She knew that under all the loose clothing she wore, the spot just below her knee was-... not like the other⊠it always seemed crooked⊠she sighed heavily at the thought, opting to stare into the fireplace as she had done before Minerva arrived, even though no flames were lit.
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Witches and Wizards - 20
(Warnings: Angst, a bit more angst with some comfort, a bit of fluff, sad angst, more sad angst and angsty sadness, sorry yâall)
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âI am here for a purpose, Morgana. I did not break stride to find you. I bring you the news you have longed forâŠâ
âArthurâs death?...â
âThe key to it⊠I was wrong to ever question your wisdom, My Lady, and I wish to make amendsâŠâ
âTell meâŠâ
âThere is someone you have been searching for⊠someone who has always eluded youâŠâ
âEmrysâŠâ
âI know where he isâŠâ
âWhere?â
âCamelot. And I have his true name⊠It is MerlinâŠâ
âAnd what of Agatha? The woman?? The old woman?? The one who is destined to help Emrys??â Morgana asked with urgency and desperation, Mordred lowering his head, heart beating rapidly in his chest, against the book he had tucked away under his chainmail, his head aching with the weight of the two choices before him. Finally, he lifted his head, looking Morgana straight in her eyes, the same look of rage on his face.
âI know not of a woman by that name⊠she resides not in Camelotâ he decided, swallowing thickly before lowering his head again.
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Ophelia sat up straight in her bed when the doors burst open, heart in her throat until she recognised the voice calling out her name in the darkness. âMerlin?! What the bloody hell are you doing here?!â she snapped, standing up from her bed, wearing the nightgown she had been gifted by Gwen not too long ago. She watched as Merlin began to tear her room apart with Gaius, making her look at them with confusion before sighing heavily âWHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!â she screamed, her window cracking due to a brief loss of control in her magic when she screamed, both Merlin and Gaius stopped to look at her, Merlin quickly getting up from the floor after looking under her bed, his hands firmly on her shoulders. âWhereâs your wand? Ophelia-â
âGet your hands off of me!â Ophelia snapped, getting out of his grasp as she stared at him. âHow did you get in?!â
âBroke the lock-â
âYOU BROKE THE LOCK?!â
âYou took my key!â
âI broke up with you!â There was a long silence that filled the room, Merlin swallowing thickly, the start of tears in his eyes when he sighed, blinking them away before she could notice âOphelia, please⊠whereâs your wand?â he asked quietly and she sighed heavily, walking over to her bed, unscrewing one of the pillars on the headboard, reaching in and taking out her wand. She showed him the wand with an angry look in her eyes, Merlin sighing softly before nodding to himself. She looked like she was going to murder him within the next few seconds. âCould you-... cast a spell?â he asked nervously, Ophelia frowning at him with utter confusion, shaking her head in disbelief before giving it a wave at the nearby fireplace. All she had to do was give it a wave and the fireplace instantly lit up as a ball of fire flew from her wand and attached itself to the firewood inside as she turned to face Merlin and Gaius, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Merlin in particular as they both sighed in relief. âWould you mind telling me why you barged into my room to ask me to do something you know I can do?!â
âBecause-â Merlin began but stopped himself, tears forming in his eyes and he swallowed thickly, Gaius glancing between the two before leaving, closing the door behind him. Ophelia frowned at him with more concern than anger, taking a step closer to him. âMerlin, youâre scaring meâ she muttered, Merlin nodding before finally finding his voice âI donât have magicâ he admitted, Ophelia narrowing her eyes at him âwhat are you-â
âI DONâT HAVE MAGIC, OPHELIA! Morgana took it from me! Mordred told her who I am and she took it!â Merlin shouted, something heâd never done before, not with her. He could barely see through his tears, but what he could see was anger. Pure, unfiltered rage. For a second he thought it was still aimed at him but all that vanished when she sighed and pulled him into a tight hug, shaking her head and closing her eyes in regret. It was the first time she showed any affection towards him after Mordred left and Kara was hanged. She shook her head as she held him, sighing heavily as she felt him hesitantly hug her back, his head in the crook of her neck as it used to, and she felt the tears fall from her eyes and onto her skin.
âI knew Morgana was cruel, butâŠâ she trailed off, sighing heavily before parting from Merlin, taking his hands in her own âyou listen to me right now, Merlin. This isnât it. Weâre going to go back to the physicianâs chambers and meet up with Gaius, Iâm going to bring every book I have and my potions kit. I donât care if I have to empty this entire room, Iâm bringing all of it. Do you understand? She wonât get away with this, and this isnât it. Your magic is not gone, Merlin, it can NEVER be taken from you, not truly, we just have to figure out a way to bring it back to life, thatâs all this is, alright? Itâs dormant, asleep, but weâre going to wake it, and then weâre going to rain hellfire down on that cunt of a bitchâ Ophelia was seething, releasing his hands and cupping his face in her hands, making him look at her âdo you understand me? Iâm going to bring her to her knees for thisâ she muttered, Merlin frowning at her âyou donât kn-â
âI do, Merlin. Magic can never truly be taken. Itâs in here,â she pressed her hand against his chest, right over his heart âitâs in here and it can never, EVER, be taken from you, it will never leave you, not everâ she promised, sighing softly before nodding towards the door âIâm right behind you, go. Iâll bring everythingâ she whispered, hesitating before leaning up and hugging him tightly, closer than a normal hug. The hug she used to give him, before everything⊠before he had sided with Arthur against Kara before she died. Merlin parted from her with a nod and without a second thought she waved her wand, every book, every potion, everything vanished into her bag as she threw on her Ravenclaw robe before pulling on her shoes, grabbing her bag, hiding her wand in the hidden pocket in her robe before running out of the room, hesitating, glancing to the room where a spear stood in the corner, the norseman spear tip stretching further down than a normal spear, curving on one side, like a sharp knife, one side sharper than the other yet both could cut through flesh like it was a gentle stream of water, the tip slightly curved and twisted. She hesitated, glancing down the hallway before hurrying over and taking it, twirling it effortlessly in her hand before nodding to herself, not even bothering to close the door as she ran out, the room almost completely bare except for the plants and an unmade bed.
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Ophelia followed Merlin through the caves, choosing to not use her wand for light, her eyes lingering on Merlin at the thought of using her magic but she banished it, instead sticking close to his side. As they walked further into the cave, the torch was suddenly blown out, Ophelia flinching at the sudden act, shaking her head with a scoff before looking at Merlin who frowned at her âIâm alright. It just-... scared the crap out of meâ she admitted quietly, Merlin daring a smile before nodding.
â~Emrys~â Morganaâs voice was taunting, Ophelia immediately pulled the spear from her back, holding it like she had been taught as she looked around, her hand not in the middle but closer to the end of her spear, her eyes narrowed as she studied the dark cave.
â~Over here, Emrys~â
Merlin and Ophelia exchanged brief glances as Ophelia gave him a small nod, the two parting to look around the small room in the cave. âI see you, MorganaâŠâ his words made her look over her shoulder at him, opting to move over to his side again, carefully, treading lightly so as to not make too much noise.
â~How well youâve kept your secret. How well youâve protected my brother⊠but it seems you donât want to protect the little Lady Black at your side⊠does your little love know about you? About why youâve dragged her to this cave in a bandit filled territory? Or did she not ask? Did you fool her like you fooled everyone else? Lied to her like you lied to everyone? Whoâd have thought it? A worthless servant with all that power~â
âHe was never worthless, Morgana!â Ophelia snapped, looking around the cave, trying to see her, preferably so her spear could pierce her gut.
â~So, she knows. Tell me, did you trust her with it, or did she have to figure it out on her own? Did she have to see through all the lies you told her? But you cannot help your king now, can you? You cannot even help yourself! How will you ever protect the love of your life? The one who risked everything for you, the only woman who will ever truly see you. Is that what you told her? Did you tell her everything she wanted to hear so sheâd look past all the lies?~â
âHe never, and he never fooled me. I know he loves me, and-... he knows I love him, I always have and always willâ Ophelia hissed, heart racing in her chest and she wasnât sure if it was the slight fear she felt or anger ânow why donât you come out and face us? Are you still scared?â Ophelia taunted, a silence filling the room. âI fear no one, least of all that powerless servant you love so dearl-â she was cut off as Merlin turned around swiftly, cutting across her side with one stroke and Morgana recoiled a little, holding her side where Merlin had cut her, grinning and laughing as he held the sword to her throat from afar as she slowly backed up, Merlin following despite Ophelia trying to subtly stop him. âYou have defied me for the last time, Emrys⊠my only regret is that youâll have company in this tomb of yoursâ Morgana taunted before uttering a spell, aimed at the rocks above the small cave entrance. Luckily, she didnât have time to finish it when Ophelia had her wand out âMorgana! Stop this! Stop this, I donât want to kill you! Donât make meâ Ophelia nearly begged, Morgana just smirked at her, once again looking at the ceiling, intending to bring the rocks down over the small path she had come from, trapping the two of them inside. Just as the incantation left her lips, Merlin heard two words heâd never heard before in his entire life, a green flash enveloping the entire cavern as the cave rattled and shook from Morganaâs spell, Morganaâs eyes were wide and blank, her eyes briefly shining green before fading as the green light enveloped her, her body stiff before falling to the ground, dead. She prayed that it would stop the spell, but she was wrong. Opheliaâs eyes were wide in shock as she watched a rock fall towards her head, the rock dust floating down over her head, coating her hair as other rocks headed towards her and then everything turned hazy before she could do anything. She felt a surge of pain run through her leg, barely able to lift her hand to feel where the pain came from, glimpsing a small boulder laid over her right leg, right atop her knee, something warm dripping down her head like water and then everything turned to black.
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Ophelia was woken up by the sharp pain in her left leg, her eyes opening only to close again, jaw clenching as she couldnât help but let out a scream of agony, sweat forming on her forehead as tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes opening to see the her leg crudely bandaged with ripped cloth, she lifted herself up on shaky hands to look around, gritting her teeth as every small movement made the pain in her leg worse. Her eyes closed tightly as she raised a hand to her head, retracting it when she felt something wet, looking at her fingertips that were covered in blood. Her eyes widened as she felt sick, leaning to the side as she threw up whatever was left in her stomach, her hand weakly trying to keep her hair out of the way and she cringed at the ache in her head. She felt weak, she felt like she could barely hold herself up, everything almost as though it was spinning. She forced herself to dragged her limp body backwards and against the cave wall, cringing and whimpering in pain at her leg, eyes shut tightly until she forced them open, looking through her pockets for her wand, hoping and praying that it would be intact and she let out a sigh of relief when she felt it. Her hand was shaking as she pointed it at her knee, âBrackium Emendoâ she screamed loudly as her broken leg and kneecap put itself back together in the blink of an eye, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed, biting her lower lip to hard that she started to taste iron on her tongue, the spell had worked yet it still felt⊠crooked⊠uneven and misshapen. She took several deep breaths before trying to stand up, whimpering as the rock walls cut into her palms and shoulders. She barely made it halfway up before her legs gave out under her and she scraped herself even worse trying to grip the wall when she fell. She took a heavy breath, looked down at her leg and pointed her wand at it again. âFerulaâ bandages flew from the tip of her wand and wrapped around her leg. She looked around the cave with a frown, shutting her eyes tightly as she reached for her wounded leg, blood dripping down her face and into her eyes and she forced herself to open her eyes, cringing at the pain she felt when blood dripped into them, tainting half of her sight red and she looked around once more and then she saw something. A black square, glittering like small stars and her heart raced. It looked as though someone had thrown it in a rage⊠or dropped it⊠She crawled her way over, as though it was instinct, she couldnât remember it but she still felt drawn to it, her shaky hands managing to grab it, wincing at the pain in her leg as she tucked her wand away and hesitantly lifting up the box. Hesitantly she opened the box lid, holding the box in her hands as she stared into the darkness, taking a heavy breath to steady herself, closing her eyes, shutting them tightly. She had no idea where she was. All she wanted was to go home. She wanted to go home. She almost thought of opening her eyes when she heard it, people talking, laughter. She heard the sounds of toys that she recognized, jokes. She heard something singing and she recognised it. She took a second to calm her racing heart before opening her eyes again, finding herself in a small storage closet she recognised, her eyes trailing down to her hands as they felt empty, finding the box long gone. She forced herself to stand anyway, taking a moment to compose herself as her shaky hand reached for the doorknob, opening it, being greeted by people talking, the sounds of a cash register that she recognised, people walking up and down the stairs in the shop. Tears filled her eyes as she looked around, her legs feeling weak and she had to lean against the wall to stay upright. A small whimper left her lips and it caught the attention of someone near her, the person turning around and she nearly fell to the ground, caught by the person, passing out before she could see who it was.
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Witches and Wizards - 19
(Warnings: fluff, hints at a GoT character, angst and more angst)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia let out a grunt as she was knocked down once more, laying down on the grass instead of getting up, her eyes closing as she winced at the ache in her body. âI told you, Ophelia, I-â he was cut off as she swiftly rolled back and kneeled, smirking up at him before running at him, sliding under his legs and knocking them out under him, making the king fall face down onto the ground, Ophelia panting from hours of training, standing up and wiping the sweat from her brow as she approached a stunned Arthur, giving him her hand. âYou were saying?â
âHow on earth-â
âMy mum took me to gymnastics when I was younger, turns out Iâm quite flexibleâ she stated with a shrug, Arthur frowning but with a smile, about to open his mouth to reply when Merlin walked over âyes, you areâ he agreed mindlessly, Ophelia smirking at him as he realised where he was, and how it sounded. âI mean-... Iâve-... Iâve seen her do something she calls âsplitsâ and itâs not what you think-â
âMerlinâŠâ
âShut up?â
âYou got itâ Arthur muttered with a cringe, making Ophelia chuckle as she smirked at Merlin before watching him hurry out of the training field once more. âSo, what is âgymnasticsâ?â Arthur asked as he poured himself a cup of water, handing one to Ophelia first who gladly took it. âItâs sort of like training, I guess. Though itâs not to fight. Itâs for flexibility. For example, I can do this,â she put the goblet down and swung back, leaning backwards and supporting herself on one hand as her legs followed in the air like a wheel, doing that three times before ending swiftly on her feet a few feet away from a shocked Arthur, the knights around all clapping and Ophelia felt her cheeks turn beet red as she walked back over. âThat was⊠elegant. Almost as well as your skill with a bow, which is surprisingly goodâ he agreed, making her chuckle lightly âI can do loads more. Which is why brawn over brains might not be my fighting styleâŠâ Ophelia admitted with a frown âIâm sorry Arthur, I know I took time out of your day to train me for the last few months, especially since you got the real Gwen back and I know you have a picnic planned later today with her, but I just-â
âYou donât feel like fighting like a knight is the best option for youâ Arthur ended, Ophelia nodding with an apologetic look on her face âIâm so sorry. I-I just wanted to learn so badly and I feel useless and-â
âWhich is why Iâve sent for someone⊠lighterâ Arthur admitted, gesturing to behind her and when Ophelia turned, she spotted a man walking towards them. Hands behind his back, even his walk seemed⊠light⊠like a feather barely flying above the grass, so close to getting caught in between the blades of grass yet remaining just above them. He wasnât tall like the others, yet only a little taller than her. He had dark, curly hair and a beard, both dark yet his beard had hints of grey to it, showing his age. His skin was a warm olive colour, his eyes brown and deep and he had a flamboyant air about him. âLady Black, this is Syrio Forel. Heâs going to be your new teacherâ Arthur introduced, Opheliaâs mouth wide open in shock as she turned to Arthur. âYou-... you went out of your way to find someone who-... Bloody hell, Arthur!â Ophelia nearly screamed, grinning from ear to ear as she hugged him tightly, Arthur chuckling, a little surprised but he still hugged her back ânow, if youâll excuse me, as you said, I have a picnic with my wifeâ he stated, Ophelia nodding with a grin before turning back to Syrio, stretching out her hand which he shook gently âSyrio Forel, thank you, for agreeing to teach meâ Ophelia admitted, Syrio smirking at her, walking around her as he studied her, looking her up and down, taking in every detail from head to toe âyes. You are small, slim but yet strong, this is goodâ his accent was like water off a gooseâs back, smooth and easy-going with no hardness to it, exotic yet easy to understand. âI will train youâ he agreed, picking up a training sword from nearby, examining it, noticing how you grimaced a little at the idea of fighting with it.
âThe sword⊠it is a heavy thing, no?â
âIt isâŠâ
âIt is as heavy as it needs to be. For the knights.â
âNot a woman?â
âNot youâ he corrected, Opheliaâs lips tugging up in a smile as she studied him putting the sword back, instead picking up a long stick, making her frown. âI will teach you another dance.â
âA dance?â
âYes. The water dance. These knights and their heavy swords, they hack and slash. It is useful, but not what you need and wantâ he stated knowingly, picking up another stick of the same length, just an inch or two taller than Ophelia. He threw it at her and she caught it, although rather clumsily, caught off guard by the flying stick coming towards her. âTomorrow you will catch it betterâ he stated casually, effortlessly twirling the stick between his fingers before approaching, the stick parallel with his arm behind his shoulder, hand grasping it firmly yet not tightly. âYour legs should not be so far apart. Your shoulders, pull them back- yes, like that. You are learning quicklyâ he praised, Ophelia grinning like a little girl. Her heart raced as Syrio walked away from her to face her, effortlessly twirling the stick so it was in front of him, held with both hands ânow, attack. Go right, right, then left and then rightâ he ordered, Ophelia doing as he told, slowly at first as the sticks met each other, her confidence growing with each nod he gave her.
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âToday, the first lesson is about Star Grass, then Angelâs Trumpetâ Ophelia stated as she winced, holding her bruised side before waving Mordred over. âAre you alright?â
âWell, I got my arse handed to meâ Ophelia muttered, smirking at a genuinely concerned Mordred âthe foreigner?â
âSyrio Forel. A man of mystery but heâs bloody good with that stick of his⊠I think I actually feel more comfortable with what he calls the âwater danceââ Ophelia admitted as she gestured to the pot in front of her with what seemed like a patch of tall grass, Mordred frowning at the sight. âThis is Star Grass. You can figure out the name for yourself. Itâs a magical healing herb, used in Star Grass Salve, which soothes sores, bruises and wounds. It has other names such as; Unicorn Root and Ague Grass. Itâs a simple plant, really, itâs for pain and aches. You can eat it or grind it in a mortar and use the paste to put on your wounds but it really is most effective if you just eat some of it or use the salve itâs in. I always trim from the top but Iâve cast a spell on it so it wonât grow more than this length, even if I donât cut it. Next up is Angelâs Trumpetâ Ophelia moved over to a white bell-formed like flower, itâs stem green, as well as the leaves. âTell me what you seeâ Ophelia ordered softly, tilting her head at Mordred who narrowed his eyes at it, studying it thoroughly âitâs⊠beautifulâ he admitted, Ophelia giving a brief nod in confirmation âit is. And highly poisonous if ingested. Fatal, evenâ she admitted, Mordred turning to look at her with a frown. âMost beautiful plants are. Itâs a trick, a lure. They look innocent when in truth theyâre the most dangerous of all⊠Iâd like to give you somethingâ Ophelia stated, walking over to her bag, sticking her entire arm into it, which Mordred was used to by now, pulling out a small book that could be concealed in a fair sized pocket or bag, though not so small that it couldnât be read.
Ophelia walked over and handed it to him, Mordred cautiously opening it, flipping through the pages, studying the drawings of flowers, the notes beside them as well as crucial information. âIt was mine, back at Hogwarts⊠It was before I memorised it all and got other booksâ Ophelia admitted, sitting down at a nearby table, studying Mordred for his reaction, waiting nervously âyou-... you donât like it?â
âNo! I-... thank youâ Mordred mumbled, tears forming in his eyes as he shifted through the small book, only a little bigger than his hand, Ophelia smiling softly at him. âYou have what Iâd call a âgreen thumbâ. A knack for plants in general, how to care for them, identify themâŠâ
âI canât-â
âYou can. See it as-... a thank youâŠâ Ophelia admitted, Mordred frowning at her and Ophelia sighed heavily, gesturing to the chair across from her and Mordred sat down. âA thank you?â
âI-... growing up, do you know what I always wished for, every birthday?â he shook his head and Ophelia smiled âa brother⊠one who would protect me against the kids that bullied me⊠I remember saying that he didnât even need to have magic like me, he could be a muggle and Iâd love him all the same⊠Iâve⊠enjoyed teaching you about these plants, about what I learnt at HogwartsâŠâ Ophelia admitted, looking down at her hands in her lap with a frown, waiting, yet when she heard nothing, she looked up at a teary-eyed Mordred as he stared at her, mouth half open in shock, eyes wide and even a tear rolled down his cheek. Without thinking Mordred flung himself at her, hugging her tightly and at first she was shocked, frozen, but soon her arms wrapped around him, despite the awkward angle of him standing up and her sitting down. âYou canât show anyone, but I hope youâll learn from it⊠and it doesnât mean Iâll stop teaching you if you still want itâ Ophelia muttered, Mordred parting from her as he nodded, wiping his eyes to try and remain knightly, but Ophelia just stood up and chuckled, wrapping her arms around him again, a grin on her lips.
âNow, you be careful out on patrol tomorrow, alright?â Ophelia asked as she parted, wiping away her own tears before smiling at Mordred who nodded, lingering before grinning and walking out, the book in his hands, firmly holding his attention.
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Ophelia watched with a frown as Arthur circled the young woman, her eyes drifting to Mordred who seemed to especially loathe the situation, a frown forming on her brows and he caught her gaze, blinking away his tears as he looked away from her and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep as neutral a face as possible.
âWere you part of a cohort of saxons who attacked an armed shipment bound for Camelot?â
âYesâ her affirmation made Ophelia take in a subtle breath, glancing at Mordred who was trying to contain his anger, doing his best to not openly glare at his king, her eyes returning to Arthur as he continued to question her.
âWere you acting under the orders of Morgana Pendragon?â
âWhat I did, I did for myself. For my people. And for our right to be free.â
âI have no quarrel with the druids.â
âIâve spent my life on the run because of my beliefs⊠and seen those I have loved, killed.â
âOnce, maybe⊠but Iâm not my father.â
âYou donât kill those with magic?â Her question made Ophelia shift her weight a little, heart ramming against her ribs, so loud that she was sure the entire court could hear it.
âIt is not I, Arthur Pendragon, who needs to answer for my crimes. It is you. You and your father have brutally and mercilessly heaped misery on my kind. It is you who has turned a peaceful people to war. And it is you, and Camelot, that shall pay the price.â
âIn your words I hear the voice of Morgana⊠it is she and others like her who have abused the powers of magic. It is they who have brought the rift between our people. It is their deeds that have terrorised Camelot and forced us to outlaw such practices⊠but you stand before the court not because of an act of sorcery or sedition, but because of an act of murder⊠your actions have brought about the deaths of many good men⊠threatened the lives of many more.â
âThey were casualties of war⊠and I would do the same again. For I will not rest until you are dead and your kingdom is no moreâ her reply made Ophelia close her eyes in regret, lowering her head briefly before sighing quietly.
âYet you have friends here⊠somehow you got treatment for your leg. From someone in Camelot⊠who?â Ophelia subtly turned her head to Mordred, seeing a horrified look on his face, her eyes returning to the girl. âI treated myselfâ her reply was calm and smooth, yet the lingering hesitation before her answer was enough for Arthur to determine she was lying. âYou are lying. Whoever it was, left a trail of footprints in the mud. Footprints that resulted in your capture.â
âA stranger came across me and he helped me. I have no idea who he was.â
âYou show no remorse for your actions⊠I have no choice but to declare you an enemy of Camelot⊠at dawn tomorrow, pursuant to the laws of this land, you will be taken from your cell⊠and hangedâ Arthur declared, nodding to the guards and they came forth, grabbing her and leading her out. âYou can do as you wish! It will not stop Morganaâs uprising. Your doom is near! My only sadness is that I wonât be there to see itâ she called, Ophelia shrinking back into the crowd, moving towards Mordred, catching him by his arm, glaring at him when he looked at her âyou. Me. Talk. Nowâ she hissed quietly before moving out of the room with the others, Mordred swallowing thickly. He followed her out, almost losing her in the crowd when she grabbed him and shoved him behind a pillar, glaring at him before making sure no one paid them any mind. âYouâre just about the most idiotic, mindless, careless idiot of a person Iâve ever met!â Ophelia hissed quietly, Mordred staring at her with tears in his eyes, making her sigh, shaking her head at him âMordred⊠youâre a bloody idiotâ she muttered in a much softer tone. âMy Star Grass Salve wasnât where it used to be⊠did you take it?â she asked quietly, Mordred giving a shameful nod, making her nod and sigh. âYouâre just about the biggest idiot Iâve ever met in my twenty-three years on this earth!... But you love herâŠâ Ophelia whispered softly, Mordred staring at her with confusion, making her give him a soft smile âyouâre more obvious than you think, youâre just lucky theyâre all just as stupid as youâ she muttered before nodding to herself âIâll talk with Arthur⊠I wonât promise anything!â she stated harshly when she saw his eyes light up at her words, âIâll talk to him⊠but she hasnât made it easy on herself, admitting everything, showing no remorse! Trying to kill Arthur, I mean- Iâm shocked he didnât charge her with that as well!...â Ophelia hissed before leaving, turning in the opposite direction to walk back to where Arthur was.
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ââThereâs nothing I can doâ?! YOUâRE THE KING!!â
âAnd the king must uphold the law and protect his people!!â
âAND A KING MUST SHOW MERCY!!â
âOphelia-â
âSHEâS JUST A GIRL!! SHEâS BEING USED BY MORGANA, MANIPULATED LIKE GWEN WAS, YET YOU DIDNâT HANG HER!â Ophelia screamed, Arthur glaring at her, a deadly silence falling over the two of them, one that should have warned that she had gone too far, and she knew it, yet she took a step closer to Arthur. âYou are my king, Arthur, my friend. I love you and I always will, as I love Gwen and Gaius⊠if you value me, not as an advisor, but as a friend, a person who cares for you, deeply⊠then you wonât do this⊠let her spend the rest of her life in that cell! It IS possible! She will NEVER breathe another day of freedom but sheâll live! If not for me, Camelot or yourself, then do it for Mordred! Show the people, and the other knights, that the king sees his knights as more than glorified bodyguards, that theyâre a family!! Under his protection and love!!â
âAnd what will the people think when I let an enemy of Camelot live in the palace?!â
âSheâll be a prisoner!! Put her in chains for the rest of her life if you must!! Make her life miserable! But if you do this, Arthur⊠I will never, ever forgive you, nor will MordredâŠâ Ophelia hissed before storming out, slamming the door behind her so hard that it bounced back, Arthur flinching at the sound before sighing heavily.
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Ophelia sat in the cell with Mordred, holding his hand as he cried, anger pooling in her eyes as she just sat there, back against the stone wall. As everything began to shake, she frowned, looking around, at the table that was shaking, the hinges on the cell door, and her gaze turned to Mordred, seeing the look of rage on his face and she felt her heart quicken. She squeezed his hand in hopes of bringing him out of it, moving her other hand to his shoulder when it didnât work. âMordred⊠Mordredâ she gently shook his shoulder, trying to get his attention until eventually he snapped, screaming, and the last thing she remembered was flying back, something colliding with her head and then. Darkness.
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Witches and Wizards - 18
(Warnings: a bit of angst, fluff, fluff and some more fluff)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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âTyr Seward, by the power vested in me, I hereby sentence you to death.â
Arthurâs words left Ophelia stunned, her eyes wide as she stared at him, mouth slightly open as Tyr was being dragged out, her heart beating against her chest with rage. The second the doors were closed and they were left alone, Ophelia approached Arthur âdeath? Arthur!â
âThe evidence speak for themselves-â
âHis testimony is evidence as well! Why would he do this? Heâs harmless, Arthur! Heâs always taken care of the horses, especially yours! And heâs been kind enough to take care of Lovegood even though sheâs not a part of the royal stables or one of the horses the knights use! He loves what he does, why would he risk that?â Ophelia asked with desperation, Arthur sighing heavily as he turned to face Ophelia âI donât know. But what I think doesnât matter, the law is the law-â
âYouâre the king, Arthur! You are the law and the law are you!â Ophelia snapped before storming out, heading directly for the cells, glaring at the guards that stood guard outside. âLeave me with himâ she ordered, the guards bowing their heads and doing as told, Ophelia dropping the cold facade, sighing heavily. âHeyâŠâ she mumbled, Tyr looking up at her, the tears on his cheeks not even dry. He quickly tried to wipe them away and stand up to look presentable but Ophelia gently shook her head âitâs okay⊠Iâm so sorry about this, TyrâŠâ
âMâLady⊠I-I know Iâve got no right to ask b-but⊠c-could you-... look after my mother?â he asked, whimpering, Opheliaâs heart breaking as she nodded âof course⊠but youâre going to be alright. I know you didnât do this. The king will realise it tooâŠâ Ophelia stated softly with a warm smile, Tyr nodding as fresh tears almost ran down his cheeks, Ophelia sighing softly at the sight, frowning at him. âDonât think about this right now⊠howâs Lovegood? I havenât had a chance to ride her in a whileâ Ophelia asked softly, managing to pull a smile from Tyrâs lips as he wiped his nose, sniffling as he looked down âsheâs good. Never worked with a kinder horse, she truly lives up to her nameâ he admitted in a giddy tone, Ophelia grinning âthatâs good. Itâs been so long since Iâve taken her out for a ride⊠but Iâm glad that youâve kept her companyâ Ophelia stated softly, gesturing to the bed in the cell and Tyr nodded, sitting down on it, clearly overjoyed to be speaking about his work and the horses. Ophelia pulled up a chair and sat down as well, giving him a kind smile that encouraged him to continue speaking about the horses that he loved and worked with.
She sat with him for hours, in the end it was just silence, silence and company, until the guards approached with Merlin in tow behind them, Opheliaâs eyes meeting his and she gave him a soft smile, standing up and gently placing her hand on his arm, a silent gesture of affection. âHow is he?â Merlin asked quietly, Ophelia sighing as she looked over her shoulder at Tyr as he stared at the stone floor of the cell he was in, sitting on his bed. âIâve distracted him by having him talk about horses but-... weâve run out of things to talk about that distracts him, and I havenât-⊠I havenât asked, I thought it best to leave that to youâŠâ Ophelia admitted in a whisper, Merlin nodding with a sigh, about to approach when Ophelia moved her hand down to hold his. âSee me afterwardsâŠ? Tonight?â she asked quietly, Merlin giving a brief nod and a faint smile before entering the cell as Ophelia went the other way to her room.
It was hours later when Merlin entered the room with the key Ophelia had given him, raising her head from her book with a soft smile as he walked over, yet her smile faded when she noticed the look in Merlinâs eyes. âMerlin?â
âHeâs been threatened, Ophelia⊠heâs horrified⊠Did he say anything to you? Anything at all?â Merlin asked urgently and Ophelia felt her heart beat rapidly against her chest as she thought over her conversation with Tyr. âHe asked me to look out for his mother, but other than that, not muchâ Ophelia admitted, Merlin nodding with a sigh âthey threatened his mother⊠said theyâd cut her throat if he told anyoneâŠâ
âHave you told Arthur?â
âOf course, but-...â
âBut what?â
âHave you noticedâŠ. A change in Gwen?...â Merlin asked hesitantly, Ophelia narrowing her eyes at Merlin, closing the book and standing up, walking towards him with a shrug and a frown. âShe just lost her brother a few months ago, Merlin-â
âYou know thatâs not what I mean-â
âBut yesâ Ophelia finished, Merlin staring at her with a little bit of shock, Ophelia sighing as she nodded. âShe-... people grieve in different ways, Merlin, and grief can change people⊠sheâs been through a lot, sheâs dealing with it in her own way and-... although I donât like it, if itâs what she has to do to get through it, then itâs what she has to doâŠâ Ophelia admitted with a frown, sighing at Merlin as he seemed unsatisfied with the answer âMerlin-â
âThereâs just something-...â
âSheâs grieving. Let her grieveâ Ophelia asked softly, Merlin sighing, nodding reluctantly and Ophelia gave him a warm smile. âGood. We can figure all of this out tomorrow and weâll get Tyr out of this mess and hopefully the next few months will be without someone trying to kill Arthur or kidnap Gwen or torture Gaiusâ Ophelia hummed, Merlin nodding with a sigh as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder as her fingers gently played with the hair at the back of his neck, soothing him.
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âGet your grubby hands off of him!â Ophelia screamed as she pulled and tugged at the guards, her fist colliding with the one that shoved Merlin into the cell, causing her to be shoved in as well, the door closed just as she had gotten up and ran for it, colliding with the bars and wrapped her hands around them âcunts!â Ophelia screamed as she watched them walk away, heart racing in her chest as her hand ached, making her eventually let go of the bars and turn around, wincing at her sore and red knuckles, shaking her hand lightly as though itâd shake off the pain. âDid you really just punch a guard?â Merlin asked with a smirk despite the situation, approaching and gently taking her bruised hand in his own, gently running his thumb across the reddened knuckles, Ophelia hissing lightly at the sore sting she felt. âHe deserved itâŠâ
âAnd called every guard in here a âcuntâ?â
âThey are!â Ophelia shouted at the bars in hopes that the guards heard her, sighing heavily as she sat down on the bed âbesides, you didnât actually think I was going to let you be here all alone?â she asked jokingly with a small smile, Merlin sitting down next to her, taking her hand in his own âI still wish you hadnât punched that guardâŠâ
âIt was better than hexing him into the next centuryâ Ophelia muttered with a shrug, Merlin chuckling lightly âit is⊠you shouldnât be here, OpheliaâŠâ
âMerlin-â
âIâm serious!â
âSo am I, Merlin. I love you, more than anything in the world! Where you go, I go⊠besides⊠Iâve faced worseâŠâ
âWorse than the charges of treason and possibly a painful death?â
âWhat? I meant being in a cellâ Ophelia stated with a smirk and amusement, managing to pull a smile from Merlin. âYou canât do this, Ophelia⊠You have to look out for Arthur⊠he has to make it, Ophelia-â
âGaius knows where the antidotes are, heâll no doubt have used both as well as whatever else he had, and besides, a little private time never hurt any coupleâ she stated with a shrug and a smirk, once again being able to make Merlin smile for just a brief moment, despite the situation. It wasnât long until Gaius arrived, finding them in the cell together, Opheliaâs head on Merlinâs shoulder, their hands interlocked until they heard him approach. âOphelia?â
âI may have punched a guardâŠâ
âOphelia!â
âHe shoved Merlin! You know heâs too good of a person to fight back!â
âIâm right hereâŠâ Merlin mumbled, Ophelia looking over her shoulder with a sigh as she gave him an apologetic smile. She listened as they both talked, her eyes lingering on the floor of the cell, the idea that Gwen did this⊠What she must have endured at that towerâŠ
Without realising it, tears had started to run down her cheeks, and she wasnât even the one who noticed it first, it was Merlin, turning to gently cup her face in his hands, making her look up at him, her tears smearing across her cheeks and his palms, making her quickly recoil in an attempt to wipe away the tears but Merlin held onto her, his thumbs stroking away the tears before he held her against his chest. âItâll be alright⊠Gaius said he tried both of your potions⊠itâs too strong⊠but my magic will work, I know it willâŠâ Merlin whispered comfortingly, Ophelia biting her lower lip as the image of Nevilleâs parents popped up into her mind. âAre you sure? Are you sure that itâs Gwen?â Ophelia asked quietly, still coddled into his chest and Merlin hesitated before nodding âitâs Morganaâs work⊠sheâs taken control over her, somehow⊠sheâs using herâŠâ
âItâs like one of the forbidden cursesâŠâ Ophelia muttered in a breathless, meak voice, Merlin frowning at the sound. Heâd never heard that sound. The breathless whisper of fear. At least not when it came from Ophelia. âForbidden curses?â Merlin asked quietly, feeling her tighten her grip around him as she nodded into his chest âImperious⊠Crucio⊠if Morgana somehow cast either one⊠Merlin, either sheâs not herself, Morgana is literally in her head, her body and mind, or sheâs-.... Or when she was in that tower, she-... the pain she must have-â Merlin cut her off by holding her tighter, sighing heavily as he briefly closed his eyes, shaking his head softly before kissing the top of her hair âweâll get her back⊠I promiseâ he whispered, continuing to kiss the top of her head lovingly as he held her tightly. âWhen Gaius gets me out of here⊠I need you to stay here-â
âWhat?â Ophelia lifted her head from his chest, looking up at him with red and puffy eyes, already shaking her head âMerlin-â
âListen. I need you to stay here. Gaius can get you that potion youâve mentioned before and you can get some of my hairâŠâ Merlin revealed quietly, Ophelia hesitating before nodding, sniffling before continuing to nod âokay⊠okay Iâll try b-but I donât know whatâll happen, Iâve never tried it with-... Hermione tried to become Pansy Parkinson and I became Tracey Davis but I donât know whatâll happen if I drink it and itâs not hair from a womanâŠâ Ophelia admitted, Merlin about to reject the idea when she quickly shook her head âbut Iâll do it! Iâll do it!... For Arthur and for Gwen and for you. Iâll do it for youâ Ophelia admitted, Merlin cupping her face in his hands, his forehead resting against hers as he nodded in agreement.
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Merlin hesitantly handed the vial to Ophelia before placing the spare clothes on the bed, watching her take it with distaste, cringing at the thought of how itâd be, not only the taste but the turning as well, a feeling she wish she wasnât so familiar with but she nodded to herself, turning to Merlin and hesitantly reaching up a hand, giving him an apologetic smile before tugging off a few hairs, putting them into the potion that began to bubble sizzle as Merlin winced when the hairs was tugged out. Ophelia sighed heavily, awkwardly clearing her throat âIâll uh,â she cleared her throat awkwardly and Merlin nodded with red cheeks, making sure no one could see as Ophelia quickly undid her dress, shivering at the cold as she couldnât even keep a thin gown on, having to quickly pull on Merlinâs spare clothes, Merlin keeping a watchful eye out, casting the ageing spell as Ophelia drank the potion with a frown and cringing at the taste, gagging. As they both turned around to face one another, both of them couldnât help but let out a small chuckle.
âYou look like⊠meâ Merlin whispered, Ophelia chuckling âand you lookâŠ. Oldâ she teased before looking past him to the corridors âyou have to hurryâ she whispered, leaning up to kiss him when both of them recoiled, grinning at each other âlaterâ she muttered, Merlin nodding, about to leave when something struck him âyou donât sound like meâ he warned, Ophelia clearing her throat and nodding âitâll comeâ she whispered, her voice already darkening and with that, Merlin left and Ophelia hid her dress, at first trying to sit as she always did before forcing her body to sit as he would instead, heart racing like a mad horse in a gallop.
She tried to hide her grin as she could hear Merlin- or, well, the elderly totally-not-Merlin Merlin, as he reprimanded the guards, commenting on one of them with a broken nose, taunting him about walking into a wall when they both perfectly well knew why, Ophelia trying to remain as quiet as possible and to keep face, acting like Merlin would in the situation.
Ophelia felt her heart race as the bells began to ring, wanting to just crawl away into the darkest hole of the cell but instead she got up, clearing her throat quietly before speaking, hoping and praying that itâd sound at least a little bit like Merlin âwhatâs going on??â
âMind your own business!â One of the guards shouted with only a glance over his shoulder at the cell, Ophelia unable to not grin as she watched them run off, wanting to excitedly jump around but she sat back down instead. Even though no one was there to watch, sheâd at least try and preserve Merlinâs dignity by not jumping around like an excited school girl. It took a while but finally Merlin returned, just as Ophelia felt the familiar tingle and slight burn under her skin, looking down and seeing her hands grow smaller until they were her own again, just as Merlin opened the cage door with magic before closing it again, turning around to look at Ophelia, the real Ophelia. She grinned at him and without another word, pressed her lips to his lovingly, Merlin eagerly kissing her back. âIâm guessing it worked?â she asked with a smirk, Merlin nodding with a breathless laugh âit workedâ he confirmed before attaching his lips to hers again. âWhy are you sweating?â Ophelia asked breathless after the kiss, Merlin smirking âI just climbed from the courtyard and up to Arthurâs room, and then back againâ he bragged quietly, Ophelia smirking, fiddling with the collar of his tunic as she gave him a seductive look, knowingly biting her lower lip âreally? Kind of sexyâ she admitted with a slight shrug and grin, her lower lip again caught between her teeth, Merlin grinning from ear to ear as he picked her up and laid her down on the bed, hearing her giggle and chuckle, the two of them shushing each other.
Once morning came, Ophelia was back in her dress, laying on top of Merlin on the bed, some of the laces undone on the back of her dress but it was obvious it was only for comfort, her hair messy as she laid still, even when the cage door was opened by Gwaine and Gaius. âMorning, you twoâ Gaius greeted sternly, both Ophelia and Merlin raising their heads at the same time, her cheeks turning beet red as she quickly got up, smoothing down her dress and nodding to herself âmorning⊠howâs-... howâs the guardâs nose?â
âBroken, no thanks to youâ Gaius scolded lightly, Ophelia unable to not smirk, giving an unapologetic smile and Gwaine actually laughed âwith that strength of yours, you should be training with the knightsâ he stated teasingly, Ophelia shrugging casually âmaybe I will. Iâll kick your arseâ she stated casually, Gwaine frowning at her âwhat does that mean?â he asked with genuine confusion, Ophelia smirking even more at him as she walked past him âit means you stand no chanceâ she added before walking past them and to her room as though she hadnât just spent a night in the cells for punching a guard.
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Witches and Wizards - 17
(Warnings: A bit of angsty fluff, more angst, fluff, fluff and more fluff:3 Watch out because this is almost teeth rotting fluff)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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âI still donât like it.â
Merlinâs words made Ophelia sigh heavily, again. âWhat donât you like? That heâs learning about Herbology and Potions or that he knows about me?â
âBoth-â
âMerlin, he has magic. He has as much to lose as any one of us and besides, people change. Destiny is not always set in stone. Sometimes a single thing that we do differently can be the thing that changes everything. I know that you fear that what Kilgharrah said is true but-... everyone deserves a chance, Merlin. He saved Arthurâs life. And besides, with him learning Herbology, I can keep an eye on him. The truth is-... I like it⊠I like not having to hide⊠I like sharing and teaching what I know to someone like us, because he IS like us, Merlin. I like not having to hideâŠâ
âYou donât have to hide with me! Or Gaius!â
âOf course I donât! Thatâs not what Iâm saying. Iâm just saying that-... I have been used to living in hiding amongst muggles for years now⊠and itâs-... it feels familiar to be sharing this with someone, someone who is obviously eager to learn. I know you worry, and Iâm thankful, I truly am, and I love you more than anything in the world⊠but I feel familiar⊠like a piece of what I used to have before I ended up here⊠that doesnât mean I ever intend on going back, this is my home now. You are. So is Gaius and Gwen and Arthur! But I like this piece of what I once had⊠what I could have been at Hogwarts⊠a herbology or potions or care of magical creatures professor⊠itâs what Iâve always dreamt of, you know that, and I-... now I have a piece of what it could have been likeâ Ophelia pleaded, waiting before sighing âbut if you truly donât trust him⊠I can stop teaching himâŠâ
âYouâd do that? Give that up?â
âFor you? Without a second thoughtâ Ophelia answered plainly and honestly, Merlin sighing heavily âno⊠no I-... I want you to be happy⊠and youâre right, you can keep an eye on himâ Merlin muttered, Ophelia giving a soft nod with a warm smile, reaching over to hold his hand âthank you, Merlinâ she whispered softly, Merlin smirking at her âanything for you, my loveâ he whispered back before kissing her, feeling her smile against his lips as she returned the kiss eagerly. âIt wonât be the end of the world, Merlinâ Ophelia whispered once she parted from him, Merlin sighing heavily, his hands resting comfortably on her waist as hers rested on his chest. âAt least itâs not Uther coming back to try and kill Gwen as a vengeful ghost⊠or Princess Mithian being manipulated by an old Morganaâ Merlin muttered, Ophelia chuckling lightly, making him smile as well. âYour laugh is really beautiful, you knowâ he murmured, Ophelia grinning at him, gently cupping his cheek in her hand while the other stayed on his chest. âAnd you are the sweetest, kindest man Iâve ever met⊠and Iâm twenty-three, Iâve met a lot of people at Hogwarts⊠and yet you⊠youâre one of the best people Iâve ever met, Merlin⊠and not just because youâre THE Merlin, or what you will accomplish⊠but because youâre kind. Youâre kind, thoughtful and so, so sweet⊠and not just to meâ Ophelia stated softly, leaning up and kissing him sweetly before parting from him ânow go before Arthur will make you his training dummy againâ she whispered with a smirk, Merlin frowning at her before quickly looking out the window, nearly tripping over himself to hurry out of her room as he realised how late he actually was. âI love you!â Ophelia shouted, hearing his voice echo down the hallway.
âI LOVE YOU TOO!â
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Ophelia kept glancing at Mordred as he trimmed the Alihotsy, his obvious bad mood making her sigh finally, making him look at her âalright, spit it out.â
âMâLady?â
âEver since you returned youâve been⊠quiet⊠everyoneâs been quiet! And no one tells me anything. Also you know I hate that title so now Iâm really concernedâŠâ
âItâs nothi-â
âMordred!â
âDid you know that weâre not permitted marked graves?â Mordred asked with a scoff, shaking his head as he looked away, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. Opheliaâs entire demeanour softened as she nodded with a sigh âI knowâŠâ
âMerlin believes it wonât always be like thisâŠâ
âBecause it wonât.â
âYou believe it too?â
âI know itâ Ophelia stated calmly, gesturing to the nearby table and chairs, Mordred sitting down as Ophelia sat down next to him, sighing âIâve never told you about where Iâm actually from⊠How do you think things are over a thousand years from now, for our kind? Centuries from now.â
âC-Centuries?â Mordred asked with confusion, Ophelia giving him a brief nod as he frowned, shrugging lightly âI-I donât knowâŠâ
âThereâs a few schools. I donât know all of them, but I know of four. One here, in this country, one in France. One in a place called Bulgaria and one in what will become America. I lived in a tiny town north of London⊠I grew up there, went to a normal school for muggles⊠I had to hide what I could do, what I am. Every time one of the other kids pushed me and was mean to me, I had to do everything I could to keep my emotions at bay so my magic wouldnât do something by accidentâŠâ
âHow-â
âBecause I knew one day, it wouldnât be like that⊠until I turned eleven, one and ten, that was my life⊠and I was pushed around by the other kids a lot, Mordredâ Ophelia admitted with a sad smile âthen I turned eleven and a letter was delivered by owl. âDear Miss Smith. We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.â... My mother had gotten the same letter when she was eleven herself. This was the day I had been waiting for. This was why I had endured what I had endured, teased and bullied by the other kids. And so I left. My mum helped me get all the things I needed, even an owl, and I was sent off. The first time I saw Hogwarts it was-... beautiful... A great castle on a lake, itâs tall towers reaching the dark sky⊠we were hoarded into one big group, led up the stairs while someone else took care of all the things we had brought with us, ready to take them to the appropriate rooms when we would be sorted. Outside the Great Hall I was met by one of the brightest witches Iâve ever known. Minerva Mcgonagall. She greeted us, told us of the houses we would be sorted into. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin⊠I was sorted into Ravenclaw. Each house represents different strengths, core personalities and traits. For example, a Gryffindor is brave, knows right from wrong and is often noble. A Hufflepuff is kind, loyal, accepting and welcoming. Slytherins are ambitious, cunning and crafty when it comes to their ambition. And a Ravenclaw is one who seeks knowledge, the cleverest of them all, bright witches and wizards who wants to learn more than anything about everything⊠Iâve always wanted to teach there, when I became old enough to be accepted as a teacher⊠Iâd always fancied teaching about magical creatures, or potions⊠or herbologyâ Ophelia retold with a warm smile, looking back at a shocked and confused Mordred with that same smile of hers.
âWhat I call muggles are Gwen, Gaius, Arthur, and all the rest without magic. Iâm telling you this so you can understand, Mordred. Magic can be used to gain knowledge, it can be used to right a wrong, to seek out and help others, to further ambition and help you reach what you want to achieve. But itâs not good, and itâs not bad either. Magic is like a tree, itâs deeply rooted in nature and can be used for shelter, or arrows. But the tree itself isnât good or bad, itâs simply a tool. How we wield that tool is up to us. You donât blame a sword for killing someone, you blame the wielder⊠How we choose to use our powers, this tool, shapes everything, not just who we are. I want to see the world I know Arthur will build, with Merlinâs help, and yours. So I bite my tongue and keep my secrets⊠I want to marry Merlin, Mordred⊠but I want my wedding to be filled with what we are, magic. Itâs the only reason why I havenât damn near asked him myselfâ Ophelia admitted with a chuckle, sighing heavily âI know itâs hard, but we have to hold out a little longer⊠just a little bit longerâ Ophelia smiled at Mordred, watching him as he looked around with tears in his eyes âhow do you do it? Hold out?â he asked softly, Ophelia gesturing all around the room that was filled with plants and herbs, growing strong and healthy next to tons and piles of books, both old and new, the bookshelves having run out of space, though to be fair they werenât that big to begin with âthis is how I bite my tongue⊠I take what I can get. Thereâs a lot of plants that I wish I could take care of, like these, but theyâre sentient. Many of these plants are magical but if they look normal, no one will know any betterâ Ophelia stated with a light shrug, Mordred letting out a tiny smile as a tear ran down his face.
âFind your own way of biting your tongue, Mordred. If itâs training, then train, if itâs reading, then read. If itâs working with me on these plants then Iâm more than willing to continue teaching youâ Ophelia stated softly before getting up, smiling down at Mordred ânow, that Alihotsy still needs trimmingâ she ordered softly and with a smirk, Mordred wiping his eyes as he stood up with a smile, nodding as he went back to work, both of them unaware of Merlin who had come to speak with Ophelia, having heard the entire conversation, from start to finish.
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Ophelia was quiet as she continued to gently dab the wounds on Percivalâs arm, sighing softly as she gently ran a finger along the puncture wounds, her eyebrows knitted together in worry, even as the door opened and closed did her eyes never leave Ser Leon or Percival. âDid you find it?â
âI found both, but-â Ophelia looked up at the last word, frowning when she saw only two vials, her heart sinking. âOnly one vial each?? Are you sure?â
âI looked through your entire kit, Ophelia, even the secret room you told me of, and the other secret roomâ Merlin admitted as he panted, hurrying over to her and giving her the vials as she inspected them. âWhat do we do?â
âWell Iâll have to brew more, obviously, but-....â
âUntil then⊠who do we give what to?â Merlin asked quietly, Ophelia nodding with concern. âTheyâre both strong, but-... Ser LeonâŠâ Ophelia admitted, gesturing to Ser Leon across from her on the other bed, Merlin nodding as he followed her gaze. âPercival is stronger⊠it wasnât far in between but-... Ser Leon was bitten before Percivalâ Merlin admitted, Ophelia nodding with regret. âGive Ser Leon both⊠letâs hope either works⊠Iâll begin brewing the other antidotes for PercivalâŠâ Ophelia ordered softly, giving the vials to Merlin who nodded, hurrying to Ser Leon as Ophelia ran out of the physicianâs quarters, hurrying to her room only to be met with Mordred outside, frowning at Opheliaâs distress.
âHow are they? I saw Merlin run out of your quarters? Are they alright?â he asked as she hurried inside, closing the door behind him as Ophelia frowned, shaking her head âI uh, itâs-... theyâre not good. Magic is involved. I didnât realise I didnât have enough antidote for both of them, I-I had to give both of them to Ser Leon, heâs worse than Percivalâ Ophelia admitted as she waved her wand and everything got ready for potion making, Mordred looking at her fly around her room, never having actually seen her brew a single potion, or any ingredients other than the plants he had learnt about and learned how to keep and care for. âW-What do you need me to do??â
âNothing-â
âBut-â
âListen! Arthur is going after Gwen, at dawn, you need to leave with him, do you understand?â
âI-â
âMordred!â
âYes. Yes, I-I understand.â
âGood. Since thereâs magic involved, itâll most likely be Morgana behind all of this- oh who am I kidding? Of course itâs Morgana! So please⊠please be careful, Mordredâ Ophelia stopped fussing around to turn and face him with a concerned frown âno matter what, you take care of the others, and yourselfâŠâ Ophelia warned softly, Mordred nodding sternly, making her sigh âand-... get Gwen⊠I donât-... sheâs my best friend, queen or notâŠâ Ophelia admitted stiffly before turning around to continue her work âdonât be late, you know Arthur will leave without you if youâre lateâ she ordered softly, Mordred nodding, about to leave the room when he turned back to face her âthank youâ he muttered, Ophelia halting to frown at him with confusion.
âI never knew what it was like to have a big sisterâŠâ he admitted with a soft smile before leaving, Ophelia sighing heavily, shaking her head, closing her eyes briefly before going back to work, trying to ignore the fear she felt. For Gwen, for Arthur, for Ser Leon and Percival and Mordred and Merlin and all of themâŠ
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Ophelia was there when Ser Leon woke up, groaning, aching all over as he shut his eyes tightly when he felt the pain run through him. âDonât try to moveâ Ophelia hurried to his side, sighing heavily in relief before reaching for a cup of water she had readied for when either one of them woke up, gently putting it to his lips so he could drink something. Ser Leon turned his head and saw a still Percival, his heart stopping for a moment and Ophelia followed his gaze. âItâs alright. He just had to get the antidotes after you⊠you were in worse condition and I had to make more, which took a little timeâ Ophelia admitted, Ser Leon turning to look up at her with a frown âantidotes?â
âI have some, just in case⊠I have one who works on common poisons and uncommon ones. You both had a dose of each, along with herbs and medicine that Gaius gave you both, we gave you everything, just to make sure we covered all the basesâ Ophelia revealed with a soft smile âyou should rest now, the others have gone out to find the queen, everythingâs alright-â
âThe queen⊠the queen!-â
âIs in good hands. Iâm sure theyâve already found her and are on their way homeâ Ophelia comforted, making sure Ser Leon stayed in the bed, as calm as possible. âHow long-â
âA day, youâve been unconscious for almost a day. The pain youâre feeling is mostly from when you fell from your horse but you shouldnât move about, a snake bite is still something to be wary of. You might feel fine but please listen to Gaius and I and do as we tell you, even if you feel fine, if we tell you to rest, you have to. The pain might last a week or two, depending on if you listen to us or notâ Ophelia ordered, Ser Leon sighing heavily as he nodded, letting his head drop back down onto the bed, making Ophelia smile. âAre you in any pain?â she asked with worry, Ser Leon shaking his head as he briefly closed his eyes âjust-... tiredâŠâ he mumbled, Ophelia nodding âitâs okay to sleep, youâre both safe here and Percival should wake up at any moment. Gaius has gone out for a bit but heâll be back soon, Iâll stay here until heâs backâ Ophelia promised, Ser Leon nodding weakly as he drifted off to sleep, Ophelia getting up and sitting down on a nearby chair, picking up the book she had abandoned, finding the page she left on and continuing to read.
It was dark when Gaius finally returned, walking inside to see both knights out cold, a hint of worry surfacing in his gut and Ophelia caught onto this âSer Leon woke up, I told him to sleep some of it off, heâs not in any painâ Ophelia reported, getting up and walking over to Gaius after leaving her book on the table, Gaius nodding as he placed a hand briefly on her shoulder âthank you, Ophelia. Iâd be grateful if you could watch them tomorrow as well-â
âIâm staying through the night, Gaiusâ Ophelia stated with slight amusement, Gaius frowning at her âyou need sleep too, and I slept most of the day for this exact reason while I brewed more antidotes, just in case this sort of thing ever happened againâ she admitted, Gaius nodding reluctantly, giving her a warm smile âyouâve grown, Ophelia⊠youâre much different than you were three years ago⊠itâs a pleasure to seeâ he admitted, Ophelia blushing as she gave a brief nod, Gaius chuckling lightly âyet still not a fan of praisesâ he mumbled as he walked off to his bed, Ophelia smirking ânot all things change, Gaiusâ she stated before smiling at the two knights, sitting back down in her chair and picking her book back up to read.
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The Dragon's Daughter - 14
(Warnings: A little bit of angst, fluff, a little more fluff aaaand some more fluff just for good measure:3)
Dothraki will be in bold
High Valyrian will be in cursive
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âYou will not follow me! You will stay at Dragonstone-â
âNO!â
âYouâre just a child!! Youâre only nine-â
âI can fly Raemor!â
âFlying is not the same as war! You could be killed! Youâre my daughter! My heir! Itâs final, youâll stay at Dragonstone with Ezzo and thatâs it!â
âNo! Youâre going to burn the Iron Fleet! So will I! They killed Rhaegal!â
âRhaella!-â Daenerys tried to catch up with her daughter, her eyes moving to Raemor as the little girl reached the dragon. âDonât let her o-â she was cut off as Raemor screeched loudly in her face, her eyes wide as she halted, staring at the white dragon as it seemed to take her daughterâs side. Drogon bared his teeth at Raemor as he lowered his head at Daenerysâ side, tears forming in her eyes as she watched Rhaella climb up on her dragon. âI want to be there, MuñaâŠâ Rhaella shouted with tears in her eyes, Daenerys reluctantly getting up on Drogon, tears in her eyes as she saw Rhaella sitting atop her white dragon. âI want to help-â
âYouâre a child!â
âYou canât stop me!â
âYouâre just a kid, Rhaella! Youâre a child! MY child!â
âI have Raemor and you and Drogon-â
âRhaella-â
âMy father would never back down from a fight, you told me so! You told me he was the bravest of all the Khals! The Khal above Khals!â Rhaella snapped, Daenerys staring at her daughter with wide, shocked eyes, Rhaella holding her gaze and Daenerys swore she saw the dothraki horse lord in her eyes, the horse lord she still loved to an extend, the small bells hanging from his braided hair that she used to braid for him, the white lion skin she had seen in the room of their daughter, she had caught her sleeping with it more than once. âYouâre just a child, Rhaella, you shouldnât be in a war to begin with-â
âLady Mormont was in battle-â
âAnd she died!â
âThrone of ash. Ash and snow, the blood and fire of metal⊠I want to watch them burn! Black boiling blood of ash and snow... Please, Muña⊠I want to hear them scream for killing Missandei! PleaseâŠâ Rhaella begged quietly, Daenerys watching her, swallowing thickly before just continuing to stare at her daughter, shocked at how⊠bloodthirsty her daughter seemed⊠the sudden idea of burning them all⊠it felt alien, foreign and disturbing, that her little girl, her little dragon, wanted a city to burn and be slaughtered. Rhaella slid off of Raemor âpleaseâ Rhaella pleaded again quietly before walking towards Dragonstone to wait with Ezzo who had stuck to her like glue since Missandeiâs execution, well aware of the guilt the princess felt yet he still knew she needed him, and not just for protection.
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Rhealla watched from her motherâs side as both a man and a woman were pulled out of the Red Keepâs lower levels and brought before the Iron Throne where Daenerys waited, the throne covered in ash and snow, roof collapsed and ceiling broken open, letting in the cold air of the newly-arrived winter, despite how south Kingâs Landing were, the sounds of dragons roaring in the distance, their large wings taking them through the air and wind, high above the clouds and Rhaella felt a brief moment of peace as Raemor soared above the clouds, before she had to return to earth and pay attention once more. The woman was short-haired and blonde, the man had a golden hand, Raella frowning at the recognition of them. They were both roughly thrown on the floor in front of the chair that Daenerys sat in, her hands clutching the chair in an attempt to keep herself calm, or at least not ordering their execution immediately, causing a few cuts to bleed on her hands from the sharpness of the blades. Daenerys turned to Tyrion, her eyes piercing his soul with an unmatched fury âyour sister, I presume?â she asked spitefully, Tyrion keeping his head down as he nodded nervously âyes, Your Grac-â
ââYour Graceâ... is this another one of your bad jokes?â Cersei hissed at Tyrion, turning to look at Daenerys with pure and utter rage âI am the queen of the Seven Kingdoms! I am the ruler of this Keep! Youâre just a foreign whore with a foreign bitch for a daughter-â Cersei was cut off by Gray Wormâs knife that was pressed against her throat, so close that if she moved even an inch, the knife would pierce her skin and draw blood. âCersei Lannister, you stand accused of the murder of your husband, King Robert Baratheon; the Usurper, Olenna Tyrrel, Queen Margaery Tyrell, Ser Lores Tyrrel, Eddard Stark, my dragon Rhaegal and countless others, you also stand accused of high treason, several accounts of attempted murder of Tyrion Lannister, current Hand of the Queen. You stand accused of the murder of Missandei of Naath, trusted adviser and counselor of the true Queen of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, trusted voice of the true Queen of Westeros⊠and a dear FRIEND. How do you plead?â Daenerys ended in as much a controlled voice as she could muster, Cersei smirking at her ânot guilty, I demand a trial by combatâ she stated smugly, Daenerys raising a brow at her in a silent challenge, âvery well, choose your championâ she stated calmly, Cersei looking at Jaime, almost expecting him to defend her but he just shook his head and kept his gaze down âdonâtâ he whispered, Cersei scoffing âI choose Ser Gregor Cle-â
âSer Gregor Clegane is deadâ Daenerys revealed coldly, Cersei halting, fear slowly sinking in, shaking her head with a scoff âno, no heâs-â
âHeâs fucking dead woman, I killed himâ Sandor grunted out, Cersei looking at him as she tried to control her fear, Daenerys leaning a bit closer while in her seat. âSo I ask again; how do you plead?â she asked loudly in a clear voice, Cersei staring at her, trying to contain her shock and fear. âIâm pregnant, you wouldnât kill me while I am with child.â
âNo, I wouldnât. Youâll be imprisoned until you give birth, after, you will be executed if you do not die in childbirth, by my champion, whom I will choose when the time is upon youâ Daenerys declared, turning her gaze to Jaime Lannister, raising a questioning brow at him âSer Jaime Lannister you stand accused of treason against the crown and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms as well against the heir to the Iron Throne and my daughter, Rhaella Targaryen. You also stand accused of murdering your cousin amongst countless others and attempting to escape the Crownâs justice via boat. How do you plead?â
âGuiltyâŠâ he admitted in a quiet voice, Cersei staring at him with rage and wide eyes, tears of utter fury in her eyes as Jaime just shook his head at her âitâs over, Cersei-â
âNo! No it is not ov-â she shut up as Daenerys stood up from her throne, Rhaella looking at her as she approached Cersei. âSer Jaime Lannister, you are found guilty of treason against the realm, your queen and your princess, you will spend your life in prison, you will most likely die in prison⊠unless,â Daenerys glanced at Tyrion who was looking at her with pleading eyes, her gaze turning to Jon Snow before finally settling on her daughter before returning to Jaime Lannister. âOne day you may be released early⊠should that be the case, your fate will be discussed at that timeâ Daenerys ended with a bitter taste on her tongue âthrow them both in separate cells, far enough so they canât speak to each otherâ she ordered before looking over her shoulder at Rhaella who gave her a sweet smile. Once the two Lannisters had been removed from the throne room, Jon Snow approached Daenerys, smiling ever so slightly. âThank you, Your GraceâŠâ he whispered softly, Daenerys trying to hold back her tears, a cold expression on her face âwhen do you leave for the North, Lord Snow?â
Jon smiled softly at her, about to open his mouth when Rhaella ran over, a small smile grazing his lips at the sight of the young girl, something that Daenerys relished in. âCan I pick my own room?â the girl eagerly asked and Daenerys shared a brief glance with Jon before smiling down at her daughter, nodding as she kneeled down and took her daughterâs hands into her own. âOf course, but take Ezzo and Tyrion with you, Tyrion knows the castle the best, he knows where all the good rooms areâ Daenerys stated with a grin, Rhaella hugging her tightly before hugging Jon and then she was off again, as quickly as she had arrived and Jon tried to hold back his smile, as did Daenerys as she stood back up again. âSheâs a brave young girl, Your Graceâ Jon stated, Daenerys nodding with a sad smile âshe isâŠâ Daenerys agreed, Jon turning his gaze to her while Daenerys still looked in the direction that Rhaella had gone off to. âDaenerysâŠâ he began, the queen looking back at him, her smile wavering and it slowly faded as she prepared herself. âI donât care about the damn crown, I donât care about titles or names or blood, Iâm not Aegon Targaryen, Iâm Jon Snow. I know you think what I want wonât matter, but it will. I donât want the damned crown, Iâve never wanted a crown. I love Rhaella and I love you⊠now I donât expect you to marry me, or even keep me by your side⊠my place is in the North, I know that. And Iâll serve you as Warden of the North, as I always will, but not without telling you that I love youâŠâ Jon stated softly, Daenerys studying him with tears in her eyes, forgetting about the audience but she remembered when Ser Davos bumped into a pillar in his attempt at sneaking out to give them some privacy, Jon glaring lightly at him, making the elderly man clear his throat and nod. âRight, Iâll just, uhâŠâ he pointed towards the exit and swiftly moved that way, closing the doors behind him, leaving Daenerys and Jon alone in the throne room. Daenerys studied him before forcing herself to put on a regal face, devoid of emotion, confident in her power and self. âYouâre not Jon Snow, because I hereby name you Jon Stark, the true-born son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North and previous King of the North, now joining the North as the Seventh kingdom. Youâre now Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the NorthâŠâ she declared quietly, swallowing the lump in her throat as she continued to study him, trying to keep herself together, Jon nodding with a sad frown. âThank you, Your GraceâŠâ he murmured, about to turn around when her voice rang out in the throne room âbut⊠you are welcome here. At my side⊠as my Lord Husband, if that is what you wantâŠâ she finished, Jon smiling at her, walking over, gently cupping her face in his hands before leaning down and kissing her passionately as his answer.
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Rhaella was quiet as she looked out over her balcony, hands clutching the stone railing, her eyes on the white, silver dragon that soared on the horizon, the rising sun bathing the sea and her dragon in a warm glow, Rhaella sighing softly and briefly. Without thinking about it, one of her hands lifted from the rail, moving up her shoulder, feeling just behind her back, near the top of her shoulders, feeling the silver scales against her fingertips. As there was a knock on the door she quickly lowered her hand and turned around, hesitating before sighing. âCome inâ her voice didnât carry any particular strength to it, the soft spoken words barely audible but whoever had knocked had heard them anyway, and thus they opened the door to enter. Rhaella watched her hand-maiden halt, looking at an already dressed princess. âYour Highness⊠youâre dressed?â the question made Rhaella tense, she almost wanted to scoff, her softened features hardening as she looked out over the balcony again âGold. Golden crowns on golden wings⊠Iâm quite capable of dressing myself, thank youâ she muttered bitterly, her hand-maiden hesitating before daring to venture inside âthe queen wishes to speak with you⊠perhaps-... a more suitable atti-â
âYou donât think me capable of deciding what I want to wear?â Rhaella sneered, glancing down at the clothes she wore when she rode Raemor, which was almost all the time. âO-Of c-course not! I j-just meant-... s-sheâs asking for you in the throne room and I-â the poor girl cut herself off as Rhaella just walked past her, her eyes finding Ezzoâs as he waited outside, following along with her as her hand-maiden tried to keep up. âYou shouldnât be so hard on h-â
âDark wings, dark words, dark ashesâŠâ Rhaella spoke quietly, even though she knew Ezzo couldnât speak High Valyrian, but he understood the message well enough, smirking ever so slightly. âWould you want me to remove her tongue?â
âDidnât realize that it was an optionâŠâ Rhaella stated with a smirk before sighing âI would rather get eaten by Raemor than disappoint motherâŠâ
âThis is your fifth servant these last two years-â
âThey all try to be her. They all try to be the woman they have all heard of, the woman who visited me in Mereen when I was but a girl and surrounded by my brothers⊠when I still had themâŠâ
âYou have brothers, princess.â
âI used to have two more⊠It seems that many forget thatâ Rhaella muttered, glancing up at Ezzo who gave her a soft smile âyou are Rhaella Targaryen, the White Dragon of the Great Grass Sea and Westeros. You remember more than most because you have not just heard, you have seenâ Ezzo explained softly just before ending up at the big doors leading to the throne room, Rhaella giving a heavy sigh before nodding, the doors opening and she saw her mother and the king consort by the throne, talking, until the doors opened. âRhaellaâ Daenerys greeted, voice echoing in the hall, the dragon glass mural behind her proudly signaling the rise of the Targaryens once more. Rhaella walked the long walk to Daenerys and Jon, glancing at the latter before turning to face her mother. âElyda said you wanted to see me?â
âYes⊠now that you are of age and have bled for three years-â
âI wonât marry. You were sold to my father, and now you want to sell me?! None of the suitors want me, they want my blood and my positionâ Rhaella argued immediately, Daenerys sighing heavily âI loved your fath-â
âI know. But I donât want to love my husband later, I want to marry him IF I love him, whoever he might be. If I ever marry. I wonât be sent off-â
âYou wouldnât-â
âMother, the maesters say you carry a son. I know what the realm wants⊠and it will never want me⊠300 years ago our family faced the same situation and it nearly ruined our house, it cost us our dragons and our dignity and we became a shadow of ourselves. The ship from Ashai has returned with two more eggs, we now have four that could be hatched, three keepers have already volunteered. We lost many ships and sailors to the storms on the voyage to and from Ashai. Let me ride my brother, let me fly to Ashai-â
âNo-â
âI will never be Queen, mother!â Rhaella snapped, approaching a shocked Daenerys âyou carry a son inside you and I am happy for you, I amâŠâ she nervously glanced at Jon Snow who had entered the hall, looking back at her mother âbut the second he is born, I will be cast aside. As Rhaenyra was over 300 years ago.â
âA son would never replace you as heir!â
âViserys Targaryen the first said so as well, yet his son was crowned when he died and a civil war broke out and destroyed our house and who we were-â
âYou will ascend the throne while I live!â
âYou canât-... wait-... what?â
âYou will ascend before I die, Rhaellaâ Daenerys admitted softly, getting up from the Iron Chair, Rhaella helping her briefly before standing back again, looking up at her mother in shock. âBut-... tradition-â
âTraditions have changed, my little dragon. There are now women at the citadel and in the Queensgarde. Lady Brienne is the commander of the Queensgarde and has been training you for years now, and you have been allowed into the Maesterâs Citadel more than once. You will become queen of the Seven Kingdoms and Essos, no son of mine will ever change that, nor no daughter of mine will⊠Grand-Maester Ricardo says your dragon dreams have become less aggressive?â
âYesâŠâ
âI know, My nightâs skyâ she whispered, Rhaella looking up at her with wide eyes. She hadnât called her that in so long. âI know you worry for the realm, that is why I know you will be a good Queen. Over 300 years ago the realm couldnât imagine a queen on the throne but now they have lived under a queen sitting on the Iron Throne. You are my daughter and heir, and you will sit on this throne before long. You are a Targaryen, with fire and blood you will take what is yours, do you understand?â Daenerys asked softly, Rhaella studying her before nodding, looking down âI think soâ she muttered, Daenerys giving her a warm smile, stretching out her hand and Rhaella approached, glancing at Jon before looking back at her mother. âSoon you will turn six-and-ten,â she began, turning to look at Jon who stepped forward, untying the sword from around his waist, presenting it to Rhaella who frowned in confusion, âthis is an early name-day present. Though it has always been yoursâ she stated softly, Rhaella hesitatingly taking the sheathed weapon, un-sheathing it to reveal the sword she had been promised since she could barely understand words. Dark Sister. The sword that was thought lost in the Blackfyre rebellion, carried by Daenerysâ brother and kept safe for the day that Rhaella was old enough to wield it properly. Which she was now. Rhaella stared at it in awe, Jon momentarily taking the sheath so Rhaella could admire the sword properly, Jon and Daenerys sharing a brief glance of joy before looking back at Rhaella. She ran her finger along the surface of the blade, completely enamored with the weapon, admiring the way the steel reflected the light âitâs beautifulâŠâ she murmured in awe, turning to look at her mother who smirked a little âyou will need it, when you sit upon this throne. You cannot rule from the back of a dragon, Rhaellaâ Daenerys warned, Rhaella looking down before sighing softly, handing the sword back to Jon who put it in itâs sheath before handing it to her, Rhaella hesitantly taking it. âWhen the new eggs hatch⊠then Iâll accept the throne, but not before then⊠until then, I have a dutyâ her words made Daenerys frown a little, Rhaella smirking at her âit was once tradition that a dragon egg be placed in the crib of a Targaryen, wasnât it? I have to pick one of the fourâ Rhaella stated casually, strapping on her new sword, nodding to Jon before leaving, meeting Ezzo at the doors, the Dothraki Screamer picking up the pace and walking alongside her. âWell?â
âI am to marry soonâ Rhaella admitted bitterly, Ezzo smirking a little âI could always cut off the cock of your suitor? They canât marry you if they donât have a cockâ he admitted quietly, Rhaella playfully glaring at him before shoving his shoulder with amusement âdonât tempt me. Weâre going to the dragon pit, it was once tradition that a dragon egg be placed in the crib of a Targaryen⊠I want to revive that. We have four new eggs and the Maesters and keepers are all certain they could hatchâ Rhaella explained, Ezzo nodding, following after her to the dragon pit, which he secretly adored, watching those magnificent beasts, how gentle they were with the princess, especially Raemor. He had witnessed how difficult that dragon was to control, the fire it spewed from itâs mouth at any command that was not given by the princess, it made him smirk to think of it, thinking of how too many to count had tried to command the beast and lost their lives and flesh all at once, yet with her it almost purred like a satisfied cat that had just had itâs fill of warm milk, itâs eyes closing in delight at her mere presence.
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Witches and Wizards - 16
(Warnings: angst, angst, fluff, a lot more fluff, Ophelia and her green thumbs, more fluff)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was as quiet as a grave as she stood in the corner of the room, heart racing despite her calm expression as she looked out the window to the night sky, hand clutching the stone pendant that Merlin had given her on their three year anniversary, not long before he went with Arthur to find the rest of the knights of Camelot and Gwaine. She sighed heavily before turning around, leaving the council room without a single word spoken all day, or all week for that matter. Not since they had left. She went to her room and the second the doors were closed, she waved her wand at it, locking it and sealing the room with a muffle spell, walking towards one of the windows, clutching the necklace even harder as she closed her eyes.
âPlease be alive. Please be safe.â
The words repeated in her head over and over and over again until she thought sheâd go mad, losing time as she just stood there, by the window, her eyes locked on the gallows that were being built, praying. Hoping. Wishing and begging. Until she felt it. The tiniest spark touching her palm, a hint of life on the other end and Ophelia let out a heavy sigh of relief, tears filling her eyes as she nodded to herself, feeling like the dress sat too tight against her chest, her ribs crushing her heart and lungs as she tried to breathe. She heard someone persistently knock on the door, her eyes moving to the wooden barriers, giving her wand a wave and every sealing and muffle charm vanished, the doors opening to reveal a concerned Gaius. âOpheliaâ he breathed out with relief, Ophelia frowning at him as he approached. âYouâre alrightâ he mumbled, Ophelia frowning even more at him, meeting him halfway as he walked towards her âwhy wouldnât I be?â
âBecause youâve been gone for two hours! I have been knocking on your door for the past ten minutesâ Gaius revealed, Ophelia shaking her head in confusion, turning to look out the window, only now blinded by the light of dawn, revealing the tears staining her cheeks as she looked back at Gaius. âI-... Iâm sorryâŠâ she mumbled, Gaius gently shaking his head with a sigh âitâs alrightâŠâ he murmured, gently taking her hands in his own, offering her a soft yet forced smile âI believe Gwen is looking for you, sheâs as worried as I was⊠perhaps youâd assure her of your well-being?â
âYou donât think I should be aloneâŠâ Ophelia concluded, Gaius just smiling at her again, not even denying it. Ophelia sighed and nodded, her hands slipping out of his âokayâŠâ she mumbled, walking past him and towards Gwenâs room.
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Ophelia was sitting opposite of Gaius on the other side of Gwen when the doors opened, Ophelia lifting her head to see Sefa, her heart aching with both anger and sadness, her brows twisting together in a frown for a brief moment before she looked back at Gwen and placed the papers aside as the doors closed, glancing at Gwen before looking back at Sefa as she curtseyed briefly. âMâLadyâŠâ
âSefa⊠you asked to see me.â
âIâm sorry for what I did⊠It was wrong, I know, it was without thinking⊠I didnât mean to hurt anyone. I wouldnât. I-... All I wanted was to help my father⊠and now Iâm condemned to deathâŠâ
âYou understand the law, Sefa. I cannot change it-â
âPlease⊠I know you have a good heart⊠a reprieve, Iâm begging youâŠâ
âMen have died.â
âI know⊠Iâm sorry. Iâm s-... Iâm so sorry⊠I did it for my father. It was the only thing he wanted from me⊠I told him I couldnât but he-... I donât know, he-... I wanted to make him happy⊠to please himâŠâ Ophelia briefly closed her eyes and turned her head away at Sefaâs begging, the break in her voiceâŠ
âHe used youâ Ophelia spoke up softly, turning to look at Gwen briefly before looking at Sefa who nodded, turning her gaze to Ophelia now âI knowâŠâ her gaze turned back to Gwen instead âMâLady⊠I donât want to dieâŠâ
âThereâs nothing I can do, Sefa⊠the sentence standsâŠâ
Ophelia turned her head and stared at Gwen at her answer, heart racing in her chest when Gwen met her gaze, surprised by the look of shock on Opheliaâs face as Sefa was dragged out, begging. âOphelia-â
âSheâs just a girl, Gwen. A stupid, foolish, naive one, but still a girl!â
âOphelia-â
âNo! She doesnât deserve to die!â Ophelia hissed, only being more and more angered by Gwenâs calm facade, the three of them completely alone in the room and Gwen glanced at the doors before turning to Ophelia âand she wonâtâ she stated softly, Ophelia narrowing her eyes at her, leaning back in her chair âyouâve lost meâŠâ Ophelia mumbled, Gwen sighing, reaching over and gently taking Opheliaâs hand in her own âI have no intention of her dying, Ophelia. But her father WILL rescue her. He is the real threat, not her⊠but if he knows that I donât actually intend on executing her, then he wonât come. He had one spy, there could be many more so I have to keep face, Ophelia⊠no one can know, itâs why I didnât tell either of you until nowâ Gwen admitted, looking at Gaius before turning to look at Ophelia once more. âSheâs just a girl, a naive, foolish girl⊠she was manipulated by her father, of course death isnât what she deservesâ Gwen added softly, Ophelia studying her before running her free hand over her face as she sighed heavily âbloody hell Gwen, you keep me on my toesâŠâ she mumbled, offering the queen a brief smirk before shaking her head once more. âAt least youâre the clever one out of you and Arthurâ Ophelia teased, Gwen glaring playfully at her âhe is your kingâ she reminded, Ophelia shrugging with a smirk âbut not my husband, you have the short stick on that oneâ she teased further, Gwen chuckling âmarriage is not so bad, you know.â
âI never said it was. Arthurâs just a clotpole, itâs a miracle heâs survived this longâ Ophelia stated casually, smirking at Gaius who shook his head with amusement, deciding to go back to work and shut out the conversation between the two of them. âSo, youâd want to get married?â
âOf courseâ Ophelia answered without even blinking, her eyes scanning over the papers that Gwen signed before Sefa had come to plead for her freedom, attempting to sort them as Gwen smirked at her. âTo Merlin?â she asked teasingly, Opheliaâs cheeks growing darker as she shifted a little in her seat, keeping her eyes on the papers as she shifted through them âI think you forgot to sign one of theseâŠâ
âOphelia-â
âYour Highness-â
âOphelia!â
âYes, okay?! Iâd-... I mean it-... w-wouldnât be-... you know⊠terrible, b-being married to him some day and-... you know what I think we should just get back to workâ Ophelia babbled, cheeks flushed red as Gwen continued to sign and work with her and Gaius, still smirking at a still flustered Ophelia.
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Ophelia was currently trimming her Alihosty when there was knock on her door, her head turning and the second she saw Merlin she dropped everything and ran to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his neck as he hugged her back, kissing up and down her neck to the point where it tickled her, making her giggle a little. âMerlin!â
âSorry, I just wanted to hear you laughâ Merlin admitted sheepishly, hearing her giggle once more as she hugged him even tighter. It was a while before Ophelia parted from him, grinning from ear to ear as she studied him before kissing him deeply, Merlin eagerly kissing her back as he picked her up suddenly and without warning, making her yelp and giggled as he carried her to her bed, their lips continuing to meet in slow and passionate kisses. As Merlin laid her down on the bed, his lips trailed down from her lips to her jaw, continuing down her throat to her collarbone, his hands moving over her sides, feeling one of her legs hook around his hips to pull him in closer, her head tilting back in delight, his breath heavy and hot as it fanned across her collarbone, making her smile and her eyes close, feeling his lips over every accessible piece of skin. âBloody hell Iâve missed youâ she whimpered softly, Merlin lifting his head to kiss her lips once, twice, before lifting his head to gaze down at her, smirking âyou missed me? How much?â he asked quietly, Ophelia smirking at him, pulling him in closer with her leg over his hip, âveryâ she mumbled before kissing him. âCuddle time?â Merlin offered and she grinned âgod you know me so wellâ she whispered, Merlin chuckling as he moved to the bed with her, laying down and holding her close as she snuggled up next to him.
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It was almost noon when there was a knock on Opheliaâs door, a smile on her lips as she already knew who it was âcome inâ she called, not bothering to hide the GlumBumble in her hand, gently shushing it as the door opened and closed again âitâs alright. Youâll make more next time! No oneâs blaming you in any way, I can promise you thatâ she whispered softly before turning around, opening a small door in the side of the large wardrobe she had, the small door seemingly only a part of a much larger door, stretching the entire side of the wardrobe, enough for a person to barely squeeze through, the GlumBumble flying inside once more, sticking her entire arm inside to bring out a small vial with black liquid in it, smiling into the tiny hole that could be heard buzzing, as though an entire family of bees lived in there. âYouâre late, you know, we were supposed to replant the new wormwood an hour ago, and the Alih-â she stopped herself when she turned and saw it was not him. Definitely not Merlin. It wasnât even Gaius. Instead it was a young man in the armour of a Camelot knight. Ophelia slowly moved her hand to the hidden pocket in the skirt of her dress to grasp her wand, slowly taking it out âwho are you?â
âMordred, MâLadyâŠâ he mumbled, eyeing the wand with suspicion, Ophelia sighing softly, forcing a smile âwhat can I do for you, Mordred?â
âPardon me, Mâlady, but-... your arm⊠was thatâŠâ
âNo.â
âBut-â
âDefinitely not.â
âIâm sure I saw-â
âYou didnât.â
âAnd heardâŠ.â
âPlease donâtâŠâ Ophelia begged quietly, Mordredâs eyes widening in realisation âyou have magicâŠâ he concluded, Ophelia sighing heavily as she pointed her wand at Mordred âIâm so sorry, I really am I and I hate this spell but you canât know about this⊠you just-⊠canât. Iâm sorry. Ob-â
âI have magic!â he exclaimed, Ophelia frowning at him with confusion. Mordred quickly held his hand out, his eyes glowing briefly as he whispered some words and a flame lit in his palm, Opheliaâs eyes widening as she slowly lowered her wand. âMerlinâs BeardâŠâ she mumbled, sighing in relief as Mordred frowned confused. âHis what-now?â he asked, confused, closing his palm which extinguished the flame, Ophelia waving her hand mindlessly ânevermind. Iâm guessing Arthur has no idea?â she asked with a smile, placing her wand back in her pocket as she turned her attention to the vial with the black liquid in it ân-no⊠and you?...â
âOh, no. No one knows-â
âNot even Merlin?â his question made her halt, her head turning to look at him with narrowed eyes âwhat about him?â
âI know he has magic-â
âHe doesnâtâ Ophelia lied with a scoff, shaking her head âand he doesnât know about me either, and Iâd prefer it like that, thank youâ she snapped, moving over to her potions set that was laid out on a table, placing the vial down on the wood before turning to face Mordred who smirked a little at her âitâs alright. I know-â
âWhat you âknowâ is that I donât have magic. Merlin doesnât have magic and you, especially, donât have magic. Thatâs the facts. Three years ago I wouldnât have been, but now? Now Iâm not above the Imperius curse, so you best remember that. Magic is outlawed. Punishable by death and despite how torturous it is to not be able to be who I truly am, itâs better than deathâ Ophelia scolded lightly before turning back to the table, picking the vial back up and examining it, swirling it around a little, watching the black liquid inside. It was almost sticky, thick, like honey. âI know Merlin has magicâŠâ
âHe doesnât-â
âHeâs known as Emrys amongst the Druidsâ Mordred continued, Ophelia slowly turning to look at him with a frown, Mordredâs smile long gone and Ophelia sighed heavily. âPlease donât say it out loud. Iâm not ashamed. I will never be ashamed of who or what I am, or who he is, but being careful is the reason why all of us stay alive, not just us with magic, but those who know, too⊠Now, did you come here for a reason?â Ophelia asked much more softly, Mordred frowning a little âto introduce myself⊠the king said you spent most of your days hereâŠâ
âTrue. Iâm working on some things at the moment, but mostly Iâm focusing on my Bubble Bat gum⊠an invention of mineâ Ophelia revealed with a shrug, smirking when she saw it catch Mordredâs attention. âHow old are you, Mordred?â
âNine and ten, Mâlady-â
âPlease donât call me that, I really donât like that title. Ophelia will work just fine, it did for my mother, unless I misbehavedâ Ophelia added half-jokingly, Mordred feeling more at ease, even letting himself smile briefly at the statement âwhatâd she call you then?â
ââOphelia Agatha Smith!ââ Ophelia imitated, Mordred chuckling with her as he approached when she waved him over. âSo, your name is âSmithâ?â
âFor a time, yes.â
âWhat happened? Did you marry?â
âWhat? No! No, itâs-... complicated⊠I took my fatherâs last name when I was thirteenâ Ophelia admitted and despite the shrug, Mordred could sense that she wanted to leave it at that, so instead he gestured to the black, honey-like liquid in the vial âwhatâs that?â
âGlumBumble treacle. That insect I was standing with? Itâs a GlumBumble. They make this. A bit like honey, I guess. GlumBumble treacle is the antidote to that plant over there, the Alihotsy. I managed to find the GumBumble by luck and some of my plants have been replanted from ingredients like bulbs and sprigs, like the Alihotsyâ Ophelia gestured to the green and red plant not too far away, standing amongst many other plants. In fact the entire room was almost packed with plants aside from all the books, like an inside garden. âWhat does that one do?â he asked, gesturing to the Alihotsy which made Ophelia smirk âthat is also called the Hyena tree, though itâs not a tree yet, of course. Itâs leaves can induce hysterical laughterâ Ophelia admitted before turning back to the GumBumble treacly in the vial, studying it before nodding âitâs viableâ she muttered, walking over to her potions kit and pulling out a drawer, placing it neatly along with some other vials âIâll label it laterâ she hummed, turning to face Mordred with a smirk. She leaned against a nearby table, crossing her arms over her chest and tilted her head at Mordred.
Mordred continued to inspect the room with great interest, making Ophelia smirk even more âyou can look around, you knowâ Ophelia spoke up, Mordred glancing at her nervously before giving a hesitant nod, looking around the room, even wandering a bit, inspecting the plants. âAre all these magical?â
âNo, not all. Some are muggle plants but if they have any use in potions, I try to have them. I have the ones who appear normal out here. I havenât found a spot for the others, thoughâŠâ Ophelia admitted, Mordred reaching out to touch a purple flower, itâs head hanging from a long, leafy stem, amongst other purple flowers of the same kind, their leaves long and basal amongst the colourful flowers. âThat is Foxglove. Itâs also known as âWitchesâ Fingersâ or âGoblin Glovesâ. Itâs highly poisonousâ Ophelia mentioned casually, Mordred quickly retracting his hand before he could touch it, making her chuckle âif eatenâ she added with a smirk. âWhat does it do?â
âIt causes heart failure. But it can also be used for medicinal purposes. If treated properly, it can actually be used in medicine to do the opposite of what it usually does, instead of harming the heart, it can be used to help the heartâ Ophelia revealed, Mordred giving her a shy smile âcould you teach me?â
âAbout Foxglove?â
âAll of it⊠all of these plantsâ he asked nervously, Ophelia smirking at him âof course. So long as no one knows about this. No one but Gaius or Merlin, do you understand? No one else can know the true nature of these plantsâ Ophelia stated sternly, Mordred giving an excited nod which made Ophelia chuckle.
âAlright. Letâs start with lavenders.â
âLavenders?â
âYes, lavenders.â
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Witches and Wizards - 15
(Warnings: some angst, a little more angst, some death (not Ophelia) and some tiny fluff at the end<3)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was silent as she walked alongside Merlin, her eyes scanning the cave walls, as though expecting something to jump out from beneath the stone. âWeâre safe hereâ he whispered with a smirk, Ophelia tilting her head up to look at him, giving him a smirk in return âright, I forgot, you grew up in these cavesâ she teased, Merlin nodding proudly âI didâ he announced with pride, Ophelia chuckling lightly âcavemanâ she muttered, smirking up at Merlin who scoffed with a grin âdonât startâ he whispered, Ophelia unable to not grin as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes âwhy? Are you going to drag me off by my hair to some dark, hidden spot only you know of so no one could hear us?â she teased Merlin, the young man was about to open his mouth when she turned to fully look at him âplease doâ she whispered teasingly before falling back in line with Gwen, smirking at Merlin before giving Gwen a warm smile, walking with her until the path began to narrow, leaving her to walk in front of Gwen, in between Merlin and her. Ophelia halted as she heard a noise echo in the large cave, her heart beginning to race and she turned to look at Merlin who in return looked at her as well, both of them coming to the same silent conclusion. âWeâre not aloneâ.
âI thought you said weâd lost themâŠâ
âI thought I hadâŠâ
âIt wonât take long for them to catch usâŠâ Tristan whispered, Ophelia barely able to speak up before Merlin walked past her âIâll go backâ he determined, Ophelia reaching for him but he was out of her reach, a frown on her brows as Arthur caught his arm instead âwhat are you going to do?â
âCreate a diversion.â
âItâs too risky, Merlinâ Ophelia hissed, Merlin turning to look at her after handing the torch to Arthur. Merlin gently cupped her cheeks in his hands âI know these tunnels, Agravaine doesnât. Keep goin-â
âIâll stay back with youâ Ophelia determined, Merlin about to speak up when she leaned up and kissed him briefly, giving him a smile before turning to Arthur âkeep going, weâll catch upâ she spoke softly, Arthur looking between the two before reluctantly nodding âjust-... donât do anything stupid, Merlinâ Arthur muttered, Merlin and Ophelia both looking at Arthur, though Merlin had quite the frown on his face as he did âme?? What about her?â
âOphelia wonât do anything stupid-â
âWell, how would you know??â
âBecause unlike you, sheâs not a clotpole.â
âThatâs my word!â
âMerlinâ Ophelia gently pushed him away from the others, smirking at Arthur as she stayed behind with Merlin. âIâll lead them to a dead end, if you take that path right there and wait, you can come up behind themâ Merlin whispered, Ophelia nodding, giving his hand a squeeze before getting out her wand and hurrying to the narrow passageway as Merlin went off to find the soldiers and Agravaine. Ophelia waited quietly as she heard footsteps approaching, all of them running, her chest barely scraping the cave wall in front of her and when the footsteps stopped, after torches ran past her, she silently got out, standing behind the small group of people, wand raised. âMerlin?â If only she could see the look on Agravaineâs face when he saw Merlin. âBe carefulâ Agravaine looked confused at Merlinâs warning, except when he saw white-blonde hair move towards him from behind, a frown on his brows as he looked at Ophelia âI always am, Merlinâ she spoke softly, turning her gaze to Agravaine, her soft look gone, replaced by a wall of ice as she glared at him âOphelia. Whereâs Arthur?â
âWho?â
âDonât play stupid-â
âNo, youâre right⊠youâre rightâŠâ Ophelia stated with a sad frown, sighing heavily as she nodded to herself, looking down before looking back up at a smug Agravaine âstupid is your thing, youâre right, you donât have anything else so Iâll let you have thatâ she stated with a growing smirk, Agravaineâs smug look fading into one of anger and annoyance âtell me where Arthur is. Now. Or Iâll have to kill you bothâ Agravaine threatened casually, Ophelia glancing at Merlin before raising her wand at Agravaine, slightly enjoying his confused look. âI donât think soâ Merlin stated softly, glancing at Ophelia who gave him a nod, her free hand interlocking with his, still locked with his as she turned to look at Agravaine who seemed almost amused. âSo, youâll die together, thenâ he barely got the words out before a bolt of energy crashed against them, giving Merlin the opportunity to make them fly back unhindered, his eyes glowing and a brief nod of his head was all it took, Ophelia turning to look at him before looking at Agravaine who was already waking up. Her hand dropped from his as they both watched him stumble up, pointing at them âyou both have magic!â
âWe were born with itâ Merlin admitted, turning to look at Ophelia as she kept her eyes on Agravaine, his own soon following âso itâs you⊠youâre Emrys and AgathaâŠâ Agravaine put together as he pointed at Merlin and Ophelia, and now it was Opheliaâs turn to look at him, studying his face closely before looking back at Agravaine as he took two small steps towards the both of them, Ophelia taking a small one forward as a silent warning. âThat is what the druids call meâŠâ Merlin admitted, turning to look at Ophelia who frowned at Agravaine, taking a small step closer âhow do you know that name? Agatha?â
âMorgana had visions about you, both of you⊠sheâs heard whispers of your name, how you were destined to help Emrys, that you were destined to become more powerful than her, than any priestess or witch before youâŠâ Agravaine added with narrowed eyes, Ophelia turning to look at Merlin with slight shock. She knew that Merlin had a great fate and destiny, it was obvious, but her? Somehow she apparently had a fate that treaded his path as well⊠maybe it was what was meant to happen all along⊠something inevitable. Though she had never heard of anyone named Agatha with Merlin from any frog cards or Magical History, but then again Professor Binks really only ever talked about goblin rebellions. âAnd youâve both been at court, all this time, eh?â Agravaine asked, oddly enough with a smile, Opheliaâs grip tightening around her wand as Agravaine kept taking steps closer to them, Ophelia backing up to be at Merlinâs side once more âat Arthurâs side... how youâve managed to deceive him⊠I am impressed by both of youâ Agravaine added, chuckling afterwards. âPerhaps weâre more alike than you thinkâŠâ he pondered with that same grin, Ophelia gritting her teeth and scoffing âweâre nothing like you. Merlin least of allâ she hissed, about to take another step forward when Merlin gently grabbed her wrist, holding her back and pulling her back at his side, both of them still watching Agravaine with suspicion. Agravaine reached out his hand to Merlin, Merlin in turn raising his own as Ophelia raised her wand, Agravaine raising his hand in surrender.
In the blink of an eye, a dagger cut across Opheliaâs shoulder, cutting through the fabric, only tearing a shallow cut across her skin because Merlin sent him flying backwards. As Agravaine flew back and hit his head, he laid still, Merlin instantly turning to Ophelia, cupping her arm in his hand as he inspected the wound, only for Ophelia to smile sweetly at him and cup his cheek in her hand, making him look at her face instead. âIâm fine. Thank youâ she whispered, gently kissing him before looking past him at a dead Agravaine, sighing softly, her hands resting on his chest as Merlin looked back as well. âHe was wrong, you know⊠youâre nothing alike⊠youâre nothing like him or Morgana⊠Morgana or Agravaine wouldnât think twice about anything to save themselves, but you⊠you feel your hands sticky with blood when theyâre cleaner than everâ Ophelia whispered softly and Merlin looked back at her, making her smile up at him. âTheyâre clean, Merlin⊠do you understand?â she asked, Merlin nodding weakly, making her smile even more at him âletâs find the othersâŠâ she muttered, putting her wand away and taking his hand, leading him away from the dead Agravaine.
Ophelia flinched as Arthur jumped forward, sighing heavily as she glared at the king. âMerlin! Ophelia!â he exclaimed with a smile, Ophelia scoffing quietly, unable to prevent the smile on her lips from forming. âWere you worried about us?â Merlin asked with a small smirk, Arthur hesitating before scoffing âI was worried about Lady Black, I feared you had gotten her into some troubleâ he lied, Ophelia chuckling quietly âtrouble finds me, Arthur, not the other way aroundâ she muttered jokingly, walking past him as she patted his shoulder, soon hearing both of their footsteps follow her towards the others.
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Ophelia couldnât help but smile up at the dragon as he landed in front of both her and Merlin, her eyes bright and it seemed like the dragon was pleased to see her as well. âWell, thank you. You saved us allâ Merlin stated casually, the dragon briefly nodding âthe land of Albion and the future we have all fought for was in perilâ the dragon rationalised, Ophelia turning to look at Merlin as he was the embodiment of defeat, despair and hopelessness, a small sigh leaving her and she looked back at the dragon with pleading eyes, begging him for something. Some advice. Tips. Hell, even a training manual on how to bring self-confidence back to others, or oneself, would help. Luckily, though, the dragon seemed to catch on, tilting itâs large head at Merlin âwhat is troubling you, young warlock?â
âItâs Arthur⊠heâs lost the will to fightâŠâ Merlin admitted, Ophelia gently placing her hand on his shoulder as a silent comfort before looking back up at the dragon ânothing we say or do helps⊠he thinks he doesnât deserve to be king. That he lost for good, that he failed everyone, especially his peopleâ Ophelia added once Merlin seemed to bite his tongue in order to keep his emotions at bay, as if saying something would make him break down in tears. âThe fate of Camelot rests in the hands of you, young warlock. For you, Merlin, and you alone, can restore the kingâs faithâ the dragon stated softly, Ophelia giving Merlin an encouraging smile when he looked at her, briefly, before looking up at the dragon again âhow? Nothing that Ophelia or I have said so far has worked, he wonât listenâŠâ
âYou must make him believe that he can be king once more-â
âThe sword!â Ophelia blurted out, turning to face a confused Merlin. âThe sword. That only the true king of Camelot, Arthur, can lift!â
âHow do you-â
âMerlin, even outside the wizarding world, youâre still a legend, just thought of as more⊠fiction. You, Arthur and Excalibur are literally famous world-wide as one of the oldest and most prominent British legends. Literally everyone knows about Arthur and his bloody swordâ Ophelia stated with amusement, grinning from ear to ear as an idea formed in his mind, the dragon chuckling at the duo. âI see you hardly need my advice to save the world of Albion, young warlock. Sheâs quite the clever oneâ the dragon complimented, Ophelia blushing as she smirked up at the dragon âhead-girl of Ravenclaw, thank you very muchâ she stated with amusement, turning back to Merlin âall we need is an audience! And of course a reason for him to lift it! The other people who escaped, can you find them?â Ophelia asked the dragon urgently, the dragon raising his head proudly, unfolding his wings a little to show their size. âI am a dragon. I can cover many leagues in the blink of an eye. They shouldnât be too hard to findâ he stated smugly, Ophelia taking off her bag, opening it and putting it on the ground, stepping back to point her wand at it âAccio Firebolt!â a broom with brass stirrups flew out of her bag, taking both Merlin and the dragon by surprise, both of them leaning away as the broom shot out of the bag, flying high into the air, shooting back down before halting just above the ground, hovering. Ophelia smirked at both the dragon and Merlin, picking her bag up, putting it over her head and shoulder before casually mounting the broom, turning her gaze to the dragon. âYouâve seen it beforeâ she argued, Merlin nodding âitâs still⊠your bag, itâs incredible! A-And your broom! Iâve never seen one like it!â
âItâs the fastest and latest model of racing brooms. I didnât beat Cho at becoming Seeker by chanceâ she teased before turning to the dragon âwell, we have some people to find, donât we?â she asked with a smirk.
She grabbed the broomstick more sternly, placing both feet in the stirrups before looking at the dragon âsee if you can keep upâ she teased before shooting off, the dragon turning to Merlin with amusement âI see why you care so deeply for herâ he teased before flying off, catching up with Ophelia who was smirking at him, the two of them glancing at each other before flying off.
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As Percival and Leon stepped forward, Ophelia walked out from behind them, smiling softly at a shocked Arthur. Her hair was wild and tangled, untamed as though she had been flying through the air, which Arthur of course dismissed because that wasnât possible. As Arthur turned to whisper to Merlin, she approached, ignoring the part of her that wanted to fawn over the sword in the rock, the actual proof of the myth and legend. THE Excalibur. âWeâre all here, Arthurâ she stated softly, gently placing a hand on his shoulder as he turned to look at her, following her gaze as she turned to look at the sword. âTristan is wrong. Theyâre here because they know that youâre their king. You will always be their king, Arthur, even if you sometimes forget it yourselfâ she smiled warmly at him, biting her tongue and a sarcastic remark when she saw the tears in his eyes. âAnd you? Youâre always ready to question me...â he asked hesitantly, swallowing thickly, his question making Ophelia smile even wider as she held back a laugh. âI might chew your ear off but youâll always be my king, Arthur. And a friend I trust and care for, deeply. A good servant must sometimes tell their king the ugly truth, rather than a pleasant lie, but that doesnât mean that Iâll ever stop respecting you or see you as my king and friendâ she admitted, gesturing in a head nod towards the sword. âEveryone here sees you not only as their king, but their friend. Theyâre here because they love you, because they believe in you⊠all you need to do is believe in yourself as well, repay their trust and faith in you by believing in yourselfâŠâ she added before stepping back to Merlinâs side as Arthur kept his gaze on the sword.
As Arthur grasped the sword with both hands, Ophelia couldnât help but sigh a little. He didnât believe. He didnât believe he was strong enough to lift it like any other sword. And Merlin knew this. âYou have to believe, Arthurâ Merlinâs voice was calm, even as Arthur began to shake, and not entirely because he was straining himself. Ophelia nearly stepped forward when Merlin gently caught her by her wrist, keeping her in place as Ophelia looked up at him with a frown. âHe canât believe in himself if you donâtâ he whispered, Ophelia nodding to herself, interlocking her hand with Merlinâs instead. âYouâre destined to be Albionâs greatest king. Nothing, not even this stone, can stand in your wayâ Ophelia spoke softly yet sternly, Arthur glancing over his shoulder at Ophelia who gave him a firm nod, making him look back at his sword, grasping it with one hand, his eyes closed as he tried to find his will. âHave faithâ Merlin spoke softly, his eyes glowing bright with the light of a roaring fire and Arthur drew the sword. Ophelia couldnât help but smile as she watched Arthur pull the sword from the stone, chest filling with a sense of pride as she watched the courage come back to her king. If one had told her two years ago that she would actually call someone king, let alone proclaim it to be her king, she wouldâve called them a loon and hexed them to never be near her again. Yet here she stood, a bright smile on her lips as she echoed the words that filled the small clearing.
âLong Live The King!â
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Witches and Wizards - 14
(Warnings: angst, tiny tiny hint at smut but no actual smut, Ophelia being done with Agravaine and using some⊠un-lady like words lol, more angst, fluff, a tiny hint at Hogwarts: Legacy, some more fluff and angst again, I think thatâs it.)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was silent as she laid next to him with her head against Merlinâs shoulder, eyes closed as she enjoyed his warmth despite the fire in front of her. Merlin watching her with a love-sick expression on his face, studying the way the flames lit up her features, her white-blonde hair shining in the glow of the light, the flames dancing in front of her, almost as though, in his opinion, they knew how beautiful she was, how peaceful she looked. She seemed unfazed by their escape, being on the run, as she had been the first time. He almost felt guilty bringing her into this, taking her on the run with him, even though he knew the alternative was far worse. He hadnât asked yet, about how she could be so calm, but he figured the answer would be rather glum, seeing as it appeared she was used to being on the run. He couldnât help but gently run his fingers over her forehead, moving strands of hair out of the way as his hand trailed down to her cheek, cupping it lovingly as he watched her. Her hair was still braided, as it had been at the feast, but now it was more loose, unhinged even, her skin slightly darker due to the dirt on her face, mud covering some strands of her hair yet she seemed almost⊠content⊠like laying next to him made everything okay for her, or at least he liked the thought that it did. His thumb gently stroked her cheekbone, his eyes still roaming her face, admiring her, when she hummed, nudging closer into his embrace as she sighed softly âyou should get some sleepâ she murmured, Merlin grinning down at her at her words, leaning his head closer to hers âso should youâ he whispered, glancing at a sleeping Arthur.
âCanât sleep if you donâtâ she murmured again, Merlin nearly chuckling âwell I can sleep if you donâtâ he lightly joked, feeling how her cheeks moved against his palm and shoulder as she smiled âwhatever will we do then?â she muttered quietly, opening her eyes to look up at him, being greeted with a warm smile from Merlin, his eyes flickering down to her lips and she leaned up, connecting them in what was meant to be a brief kiss, a short one, yet they both lingered. Merlin gently pulled her in closer, deepening the kiss, his tongue gently swiping across her lower lip and she eagerly welcomed him, his tongue tasting hers, his hand moving down her shoulder, past her arm to her side, pulling her closer against him. Ophelia gently draped a leg across him, hooking it over his hip and bucking into him, making Merlin grab her thigh tightly to keep her there. His tight grip on her thigh made her buck against him again, breaking the kiss to rest her forehead against his, biting her lower lip at the feeling between her legs when she slowly moved her hips against him again. Carefully, Merlin moved to lay over her, in between her legs as his lips began to trail down her neck, hearing how her breath got quicker until eventually she whimpered quietly, biting her lips together when his lips brushed across the shell of her ear, a smirk tugging at his lips as he tried placing a kiss on it, moving down to her earlobe, feeling her hands grab his clothes to pull him closer. Their lips almost met again until they both heard a snore, the two of them flinching until they remembered they werenât alone, both Merlin and Ophelia sighing heavily, Merlin glaring over his shoulder at a sleeping Arthur, shaking his head and resting it in the crook of Opheliaâs neck, the two of them silent until Ophelia began to chuckle quietly, Merlin soon following as he laid back down on the ground, pulling Ophelia closer to him.
âI might actually kill himâ he muttered despite the smile on his face, Ophelia grinning up at him. âI was wondering⊠if you hadnât ended up here⊠what would you have done?â Merlin asked quietly, Ophelia humming as she snuggled up closer to him âwell⊠I was honestly just waiting for when I was old enough to be accepted as a teacher at Hogwarts⊠Iâd love to teach care for magical creatures, Iâve always wanted it, but Iâve always wanted to teach herbology and potions too, I guess those would be the hardest choices for me if I got the offers, which one to pick⊠I wish there was a class that combined all three of themâŠâ she admitted dreamily, Merlin smirking lightly âI think youâd be good at it, teachingâ he murmured, Ophelia chuckling lightly, looking up at him again âletâs sleepâ she whispered, kissing him one last time before laying her head on his shoulder again and closing her eyes, Merlin hugging her tighter, his own eyes closing and despite his blood rushing in what he deemed the completely wrong direction at the moment, at the thought of how he made her breath quicken, he fell asleep as well.
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Ophelia woke up to someone kicking Merlin as they both leaned against the tree, blanket around them both as Arthurâs snoring had become too much for both of them during the night, the two moving away to where it was less⊠noisy. âYou better damn well have a good explanation for thisâ Arthur hissed down at them, continuing to kick Merlin, Ophelia raising her head to glare at him, whining when Merlin stood up, leaving her alone against the tree with the blanket. âSod off Arthur, come back in an hourâ she muttered, both of them glancing at her before Arthur turned his attention back to Merlin. âYouâre back!â
âWhat do you mean, âIâm backâ?? Youâre talking gibberish.â
âListen to me, please, Camelot is lost. You were injured in an attack, you passed out. Ophelia and I had to get you out of thereâŠâ
âWhere are we now?â
âWeâre heading north to a safe haven, to Ealdorâ Merlin spoke quietly, Ophelia standing up with a sigh, taking off the blanket as she stood next to Merlin. âArthur, we had to get you out. Weâre hoping the knights will meet us thereâ Ophelia spoke softly, frowning at a confused and worried Arthur, especially when he looked around, his look turning sour and annoyed âwho are these people?â There was a long silence, Ophelia and Merlin glancing at each other and Ophelia shook her head briefly âso, Iâm going to check on⊠the⊠horses! Yes. Horsesâ she muttered, quickly moving away from the two of them after giving the blanket to Merlin, hurrying towards the graceful creatures, slowing down as she approached them. As she gently petted one of them, she heard crunching footsteps, turning to see Isolde approach with a smirk âso, whatâs your name?â she asked casually, Ophelia studying her before looking back at the beautiful black horse she was petting âAgathaâŠâ
âAgatha? Is that your real name?â
âActually, itâs my middle name. My nan- I mean, grandmotherâs.â
âMother or fatherâs side?â
âMother.â
âYouâre very open.â
âIâve got nothing to hide.â
âWhere are you from?â
âDoes it matter?â
âI wouldnât ask if it didnât matter.â
âIâm from the outskirts of a small town.â
âYour eyes are quite unique, one green and one blue.â
âI inherited it from my grandmother.â
âNot your mother?â
âNo, it skipped her generation.â
âAnd your hair?â
âMy mother.â
âWhy are you traveling with the simpleton and his âwatcherâ? Iâve watched you, you know how to make a fire from barely anything, Iâve seen you cover tracks, you know what berries to pick and which ones are poisonous, you know the forest yet itâs obvious itâs your first time here.I bet you could make it on your own.â
âWhy are you with Tristan? Youâre obviously capable of running things by yourself.â
âDo you love him?â
âThe simpleton? No.â
âThe other one?â she asked, the rapid-fire conversation coming to a steep halt, making Isolde smirk. âAh, havenât gotten to that point yet?â she asked, Ophelia blushing as she shook her head, looking back at the horse. âWhat was your motherâs name?â
âWhatâs with all the questions?â
âPerhaps Iâm just curious about the cargo weâre transporting.â
âYou donât strike me as someone who is just curious.â
âWhat do I strike you as?â
âIntelligent. Bold. Cunning. A little bit on the arrogant side but with probable causeâ Ophelia answered with a shrug, turning her gaze to Isolde who smirked at her. âWater the horses, then we leaveâ she ordered, Ophelia giving a brief nod before doing as told, Isolde watching her with a smirk before turning away. Ophelia watched her leave before turning back to the horses, continuing to water them, giving the black mare a pat once she was done, walking over to Merlin and Arthur, catching Isoldeâs eye, giving her a brief nod before turning to look at Merlin and Arthur. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, a bolt landed in a nearby tree, her eyes widening as she turned to look in the direction from which it was fired, her eyes widening even further as she saw the ones who had been hounding them all the way from Camelot. âBloody hellâ she murmured as Merlin grabbed her arm, dragging her to hiding along with Arthur.
Her lungs burned as she ran with Merlin and Arthur into the trees, nearly throwing herself to the ground by Isolde and Tristan, peeking over the log to see Agravaine. âI really hate that cuntâ she murmured, Tristan, Isolde, Arthur and Merlin all looked at her in shock, making her turn to look at them âwhat? Heâs a cunt!â
âSuch language isnât befitting a woman of your station, Ophelia-â
âMy âstationâ?! Weâre lying in the dirt on the ground, hiding from arseholes who wants YOUR head on a spike. And he is a cuntâ she hissed the last part, turning to look back at Agravaine. âThey havenât found the cargo-â
âSod the cargo! Theyâre not interested in it, obviously!â
âNo, theyâre interested in the âimbecileâ! Who the hell are you?â
âMy name is Arthur PendragonâŠâ
âThe king of Camelot?!â
âAt least I wasâŠâ
âIâve lost everything Iâve worked for, for some good-for-nothing king?!â
âThatâs a lot, coming from a smuggler.â
âI wouldnât have to be a smuggler if it wasnât for your damn taxes!â
âThose taxes help protect the people of this land!â
âSo sorry to interrupt, but;â Merlin nodded in the direction behind them, Ophelia groaning quietly, standing up and tightening the fastenings on the straps of her bag. Ophelia watched helplessly as the others charged forward, a frown on her brows as she looked between them, unsure of what to even do, when she heard a brief yell, turning to see a man cut Isolde on the arm and without thinking she ran towards him. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around the manâs throat, tightening her thighs as the man scratched at her legs to try and pry her off, his face soon turning red as he sunk to his knees, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he passed out, Ophelia landing on the ground with him, her legs still around his neck until she was sure he was completely still, only then did she let go and get up.
She watched the two of them as Tristan held her in his arms, kissing her forehead lovingly and Ophelia gently moved her hand to Merlinâs, interlocking her fingers with his. âWe need to keep moving. Thereâll be more coming soonâ Arthur spoke softly, Tristan looking at him with disdain âthen go. Thereâs nothing stopping youâ he snapped, Ophelia turning to look at Merlin before nervously approaching, kneeling down on the other side of Isolde. âI can clean her wound and stitch it. Merlin studied under the court physician at Camelotâ Ophelia informed softly, gesturing to Merlin before looking back at Tristan âlet us help her⊠at the very least make sure she didnât hit her head too hard. Come with us to Ealdor, youâll be safe thereâ Ophelia pleaded, Tristan looking down at Isolde who gave a weak nod âshe saved my lifeâŠâ she spoke softly, Ophelia giving her a weak smile âsheâs injured, she needs rest and shelterâ she pleaded once more before Tristan gave a hesitant nod âvery well. But know this, Arthur Pendragon. I do this for her. You and your kind bring nothing but misery to this landâ he hissed at Arthur. Ophelia helped him lift Isolde up, the woman turning to look at Ophelia with a smile âthank youâ she whispered softly, Ophelia giving a brief nod with a smile.
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Ophelia was quiet as she walked alongside Merlin, their hands interlocked as Ophelia looked around, studying everything, taking it all in with a small smile. Until Merlin suddenly stopped. Ophelia frowned at Merlin before looking at the woman running towards him, his hand parting from hers to wrap around the woman. âMotherâ he greeted, parting from her to look at Ophelia. âMother, this is OpheliaâŠâ he announced, Ophelia stepping forward with a smile âso you must be Hunith. I can see where he got his looksâ she stated half-jokingly, Hunith chuckling lightly before looking at her son with a knowing smirk. âYouâre very beautiful, Opheliaâ she complimented, Opheliaâs cheeks reddening as she looked down with a small smile, Merlin reaching for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before smiling at his mother again âwelcome home, Merlinâ she spoke softly, cupping his face in her hands before guiding them all to her house. As they went inside, Ophelia and Merlin both looked over Isolde, Merlin looking over the wound while Ophelia made sure her head was alright, though she was done far quicker than Merlin, resulting in her leaving the house to look outside. It wasnât long until Merlin met her outside, wrapping his arms around her from behind, feeling her lean into him as he looked up at the moon with her. âHave you ever heard of werewolves?â
âWerewolves?... Yes. Why?â
âI had a professor once⊠Defence Against Dark Arts, he was a werewolf, had been ever since he was a child⊠normally he would never be accepted at our school, or any school, but Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster, made an exception⊠he kept it quiet, helped him⊠and every full moon, he would go to this abandoned house out of the school grounds, near a nearby town. Because of the howling and screaming, it became the âShrieking Shackâ, of course it was only encouraged that it was haunted, so itâd be left alone⊠His name was Remus Lupin⊠he had three best friends⊠each learned about what had happened to him, and what happened every month⊠so they did something incredibly difficult, near impossible with help, even more so without it⊠they became Animagi, they could turn into an animal at will. They did it so they could keep him company every month, keeping an eye on him as he hated hurting others, instead clawing at himself as he transformed⊠His friends were Peter Pettigrew, who turned out to be a traitor⊠he could turn into a rat. James Potter, a stag⊠and Sirius BlackâŠâ
âBlack? As inâŠ?â
âMy uncleâŠâ Ophelia admitted with a sad smile. âThe first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, or any house aside from Slytherin, that isâ she added with amusement, sighing softly âhe could turn into a black dog⊠they werenât registered, which is illegal, so it gave them quite an advantage, especially my uncleâŠâ
âYou never talk about your familyâŠâ
âI suppose I donât⊠would you like to hear about them?...â Ophelia asked softly, turning in Merlinâs arms to look up at him, Merlin giving her a soft and warm smile. âWell⊠you know about my father, and my uncle⊠my mother had magic, my grandmother didnât⊠actually there was this family myth that long ago some distant ancestor of ours had magic and it was just that, a story, a myth, until my mum had magic⊠while at Hogwarts, she found a painting of a woman, she had a nasty purple-ish scar on her right cheek from a curse and blonde hair, piercing blue eyes⊠my mum told me that when it looked at her, the woman smiled, like she knew her⊠like she had been waiting for her all this time, just waiting for my mum to arrive⊠when I was at Hogwarts, I saw the same painting⊠the others call the painting âthe lone womanâ because no one knows who she is, just that she was a great witch who attended Hogwarts and saved it with help of some other students and the teachers of Hogwarts, defending Hogwarts from a goblin rebellion attackâ Ophelia admitted, Merlin smiling softly âdid you find out what her name was?â he asked softly and Ophelia was about to speak up when Hunith approached, a warm smile on her lips at the sight of her son and Ophelia together. Ophelia gave her a small smile before turning to Merlin âIâll tell you laterâ she whispered, leaning up and kissing him softly before walking back inside, giving a tight lipped smile to Tristan and Arthur before sitting down at their table, getting herself something to eat. It wasnât long before she yawned, covering her mouth as she stretched before getting up, cleaning up her dishes before glancing at both Tristan and Arthur, giving them a small smile, before turning around to try and get some sleep, walking over to the floor near a small fire, laying down, using her bag as a pillow.
She had barely dozed off when she heard screaming, quickly sitting up as Merlin and his mother entered the house, instantly rushing towards Ophelia, Arthur entering after them, andâŠ
Ophelia jumped up and ran to Gwen, hugging her tightly, surprising the woman yet she grinned and eagerly hugged her back. âYouâre okayâŠâ Ophelia murmured, hugging Gwen even tighter. âIâm so sorry⊠I should have been there⊠I should have woken up and been there for you and defended you and-â
âOphelia. Itâs alright, you couldnât help that you were unconsciousâ Gwen soothed as she parted from Ophelia, smiling at her before taking her hand âbut we have to go, Agravaine has found usâ she could barely get the words out before Ophelia had thrown on her robe, her bag over her head and shoulder and she was ready to be on the move. Ophelia was one of the last to leave the house when Hunith grabbed her arm, making her stop and turn to face her, a frown on her face âMerlin told me about you, what you are, what youâve done⊠what you can do⊠take care of him, pleaseâŠâ Hunith whispered desperately, Ophelia giving her a soft smile and a nod âI love your son, Hunnith⊠Iâll give my life for him, without hesitationâ she promised quietly, Hunith giving her a nod in return before ushering her to follow the others before Agravaine could catch up to them.
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Witches and Wizards - 13
(Warnings: Angst, a hint of fluff, more fluff, Merlin being a worry wart but with good reason, more angst, a hope of fluff before even more angst:3)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
Clothes: Luxury fashion & independent designers | SSENSE | Ball dresses, Evening dresses, Fashion (pinterest.dk)Â
Hair: Pin by Abigail Avitia Fazz on Abs | Hair styles, Long hair styles, Curly hair styles (pinterest.dk)Â
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He was silent as she watched over Ophelia, a constant frown on his brows, as it had been for weeks now, his eyes locked onto Opheliaâs pale face. He could still see the blood. It had been washed a hundred times but every time he looked at that golden-white hair, he saw blood. He was on the verge of leaving when Ophelia finally moved. After three weeks of laying still, almost as though dead, she moved. Opheliaâs brows scrunched together, the ache in her body making her wince as she forced her eyes open, squinting at the sudden light compared to the darkness behind her eyelids. âOphelia!â Ophelia turned her head to look at who had said her name with such glee, tears filling her eyes when she saw Merlin smile at her. âMerlin?â her voice was weak and hoarse, Merlin nodding eagerly, leaning forward to gently stroke her hair when she suddenly shot upwards, nearly headbutting him if he hadnât moved out of the way so fast. âMerlin! They took Gaius!! They took Gaius! T-There was one w-who was wearing these robes and one who was tall and they-â
âItâs alright, Ophelia, itâs oka-â
âWhat?! No itâs not, Merlin!! Gaius has been taken!!â
âWell Iâd say itâs quite a poor attempt, since Iâm hereâ Gaius piped up, Merlin smiling over his shoulder while Ophelia stared at him with wide eyes, filled with tears. âYouâre okayâŠâ she barely whispered, Gaius walking over with a smile, taking Merlinâs place at her bedside when Merlin got up, gently holding her hand as she reached for him. âYouâre hereâŠâ
âIâm hereâ he confirmed, about to say something else when Ophelia launched forward, hugging him tightly, tighter than she had hugged anyone but Merlin, it took the old physician a while to register what was going on, but when he did, he gladly welcomed it, hugging Ophelia tightly with a smile, gently patting her back âitâs alright, my dear. Itâs alrightâ he soothed, enjoying the moment until she quickly broke away from him âso⊠I-... I was just dreaming?â
âNo⊠Iâm afraid notâŠâ Gaius admitted, still holding one of her hands, giving her a soft smile at her obvious worry for him âbut everything is as it should be, nowâ he stated softly, Ophelia letting out a shaky breath of relief and confusion, nodding to herself. She turned to look at Merlin, giving him a sad smile that Gaius caught on to. âIâll let Merlin tell you what happenedâ he stated softly, standing up and leaving the room, Merlin walking over and sitting back down on the bed again. âGaius⊠is he-... he wasnât hurt, was he?â she asked quietly with a frown, Merlin gently shaking his head âno, as far as I know, youâre the only one who actually was injured severelyâ Merlin added with amusement, Ophelia blushing as she scoffed and looked away âyeah well, they wouldnât have stood a chance if I had my wand outâ she muttered with slight embarrassment, Merlin beginning to laugh which made her laugh as well. âHow long was IâŠâ she trailed off, Merlin smiling softly at her as he reached and placed a strand of white-golden hair behind her ear âthree weeks⊠Gaius was concerned but he knew what to do to keep you well and alive, he said youâd wake up any day nowâ he murmured, Ophelia sighing heavily âwell⊠at least it wasnât four weeksâ she muttered jokingly, sharing an amused smile with Merlin before leaning forward, her head on his shoulder, eyes closed as he held her, enjoying feeling her in his arms, properly this time. âWhereâs Gwen?â Ophelia asked quietly, feeling Merlin tense up, her eyes opening, the feeling of bliss fading away as she leaned back and looked up at Merlin with a frown. âMerlin?... Whereâs Gwen?...â
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Ophelia was quiet as she stared at the table, the food on her plate untouched, the books in her room gathering dust from never being picked up and read. Arthur watched from the doorway, a frown on his brows, arms crossed over his chest as it appeared she had not yet noticed him. âItâs rude to stareâ she suddenly spoke up, turning to glare at Arthur, his blood running cold at the dead look in her eyes, the anger. âItâs the first time youâve spoken to me in nearly two monthsâ he pointed out, being met with more silence as she turned her head away from him again, making Arthur nervously shift his weight a little, arms dropping from across his chest. âMerlin tells me you havenât been eating muchâŠâ Arthur muttered, Ophelia scoffing quietly, shaking her head as she stood up and walked away from the table âgo aheadâ she muttered, gesturing to the food before sitting down behind her desk, picking up her quill and opening a book, dipping the quill in ink and writing something that Arthur couldnât tell from this distance. âOphelia-â
âSire.â
âMust it really be like this??â
âWell, letâs seeâŠ. You banished Gwen for something she couldnât help because Morgana used magic, you take your uncleâs side in everything, even when heâs been wrong on every single account, you act like you want equality yet everytime someone who isnât your uncle tries to tell you something you donât want to hear it, just because theyâre not dear old uncle Agravaine! Itâs rather Agravaine ruling instead of you, heâs got his hand up your arse like a damn muppet!â Ophelia snapped as she got up, placing her quill down on the table before walking around the desk to face Arthur. âHe accused Gaius of something horrendous, while Gaius was being tortured, loyal to you through every step of that pain, while you betrayed him with your suspicions and lack of belief. Next, he convinces you to banish a woman who would do anything for you, because of something that obviously involved magic-â
âYou donât know tha-â
âNOTHING SUCCEEDS DEATH, ARTHUR!! You donât get to die and come back, magic isnât that foolish. No one can beat death and what Lancelot walked into, FOR YOU, was death. There is no grey area, no silver lining, he died! Merlin had his suspicions that he wasnât truly Lancelot but did you ever think to listen? No. And your uncle was the one to beat the thought of banishing Gwen into your thick head! Every time he has opened his mouth, he has been wrong and something horrible and painful has happened! Gaius was questioned, then he gets kidnapped and tortured while Agravaine convinces you that Gaius fled and INJURED ME! Do you honestly think that Gaius would ever betray you and injure anyone?! Now Gwen is gone and Agrvaine is never questioned. So yes, âSireâ, apparently it has to be like this, and while everyone else who know you, love you, care about you, see the truth, you duck your head in the sand and do whatever Agravaine wantâ Ophelia snapped, glaring harshly at a very shocked Arthur âso get out of my room, because I canât stand to look at you while Agravaineâs words come pouring out of your mouthâ Ophelia snapped before turning around, sitting back down at her desk, picking up her quill and continuing to write after dipping it in ink once more.
Arthur stood silent as he watched her, taking in her words, unsure about anything except the tight feeling in his chest. âMy mother is dead. My father died in my arms⊠the love of my life kissed another man in front of me⊠who else do I have but Agravaine?â
âMerlin. Gaius. Percival, Gwaine, Elyan, Ser Leon, every single one of your bloody knights or guards, every single servant, every single civilian under your rule and-⊠and meâŠâ Ophelia admitted in a much softer tone, Arthur watching her with the same amount of sadness as before, making her sigh. âAgravaine is not the only person around you, Arthur. But please, start to use your head⊠Gwen was someone who questioned Agravaine. So was Gaius, so was I⊠I know heâs your uncle, and I might be wrong, but look at the evidence instead of what you wantâŠâ Ophelia muttered even more quietly, looking down and beginning to write again, Arthur thinking it over, blinking away his tears before clearing his throat, sitting down on a nearby chair after pulling it over to be in front of her. âSo⊠the feast tomorrow nightâŠâ he trailed off, awkwardly trying to mend things with the woman in front of him, hearing her sigh and putting the quill down. Again.
âWhat about it?â
âItâs the feast of BeltaneâŠâ he trailed off again, Ophelia raising a single brow at him before sighing âArthur-â
âItâs been almost two months! You havenât attended any balls nor feasts, not even the surprise one for your birthday!â
âWell, I did tell you I didnât want a feast on my birthday, and itâs not a surprise when Gwaine spits it out a month beforeâŠâ
âYou know how he is with secrets!â Arthur argued, smiling once he saw her try to restrain a smile, trying to hide it from him. âSo, what do you say? Will you join us at the feast of Beltane?â
âArthur-â
âYou wonât have to stay the entire night!â
âIâm twenty-two, I think Iâm capable of deciding when to leaveâ she muttered before thinking it over, nodding to herself âalrightâ she muttered, tilting her head at him, narrowing her eyes âbut donât be too hard on Merlin! Heâs working so hard already.â
âWhatever you want.â
âHalf the night off-â
âWhat?!â
âHalf. The. Night. Off. It can just be the later half of the night as everything is settling down. Let him wear something nice, just a little bit. No pranks either!â
âWhat??â
âMerlin told me about that one time-â
âIt was one time!â Arthur exclaimed with amusement, a smile still on his lips, even more so when he heard Ophelia chuckle. âAlright, now leave.â
âWhat?â
âWell Iâm hardly going to try on dresses with you here, Arthur. Youâre not Merlinâ she teased, Arthurâs cheeks turning bright red âOphelia!â
âWhat?? Donât be so offended, Arthur, youâre just not my type!â
âAnd what is my type?â
âStrong, big, bulky⊠thick-headed, you know, brawns over brains.â
âWha-â
âI prefer brains over brawns. Anyway, outâ she ushered, waving Arthur out and closing the door the second he was outside, confusion and shock obvious on his face while Ophelia smirked and spun around, hurrying to her bag to look through all her clothes that were in there, an old habit she had yet to get rid of back at home, always ready to run if needed, so of course everything was in her bag.
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Ophelia winced as she tried to run in her heels, hurrying into the room and sitting down next to Gaius on the side of the knights, Gwaine giving her a teasing smirk that made her roll her eyes, mouthing âshut upâ to him as she glared at him before sighing heavily, smoothing down her dress, fingers grazing across the navy blue silk, the golden embroidery from her waist up to the sleeveless top, the front of her hair pulled back into a lazy braid that went down the rest of her free hair. She had just filled up her cup when she saw Merlin walk over to Arthur with a plate of food, a natural smile forming on her lips at the sight of him, one she wasnât even aware of. âAh, my favourite. Herb-Crusted Caponâ Arthur exclaimed with glee, Ophelia thinking nothing of it until she choked on the wine in her goblet.Â
âEasy now, we donât want any more holes in that belt.â
Ophelia coughed while trying to stop laughing, a hand on her chest as she quickly put down the goblet, raising a hand to Gaius before he could get too worried, her face reddening as she couldnât stop laughing while also coughing. âAre you alright, my dear?â Gaius asked with a nervous laugh, Ophelia nodding eagerly, the coughing dying down and when she was just chuckling, she turned to look at Merlin, the young man-servant halting completely, as if frozen. Her eyes had tears in them, face red and flushed to an alarming extend as she had just coughed half her lungs up, and yet he gave her the goofiest smile she had ever seen, as though he was in his own little dream land when he looked at her, her cheeks reddening even more but this time it wasnât from any wine or coughing. As Arthur let Merlin go, Merlin cast a glance at her and she smirked at him, lifting her goblet to her lips, drinking it while keeping eye contact. Merlin once again felt himself freeze up until she looked away, Gaius muttering something to her, making her turn to look at him, only to chuckle lightly, shaking her head with amusement.
As the night went on, Merlin frequently looked over in her direction, watching her as she talked with Gaius, one time she even subtly put her hand in the small pouch she had with her, only for half her arm to disappear as she retracted a small notebook, Merlin smirking as he recognized the disguised bag, only taken out of his trance when he noticed how glum Arthur appeared to be. Ophelia opened the small notebook and leaned towards Gaius, pointing at something in the small book that seemed to fascinate Gaius. âHow on earth did you obtain this??â
âWhen I was younger, my uncle-â she was cut off by the bells ringing and the doors bursting open, her eyes widening as she saw Gwaine hurry in, covered in sud and smoke âSire! Weâre under attack, theyâre within the city walls!â he announced loudly and Ophelia stood up quickly, turning to look at Merlin with worry, moving out of her place at the table to hurry to his side. âMerlin, get everyone to the inner chamberâ Arthur commanded, Merlin nodding, turning to look at Ophelia who quickly shook her head âI have to get something first. Iâll find you.â
âOphelia-â
âIâll find you, Merlinâ Ophelia whispered softly, kissing him to shut up his protests, and it worked. Merlin nodded before shouting for everyone to follow him, Ophelia waiting until everyone had turned either one way or the other, before she apparated, ending up in her room. She nearly tripped at the shifting movement and her heels but she quickly shook them off while hurrying to her Potions Kit, her wand out as her bag turned into what it usually looked like. She put it on the desk, opened it and waved her wand, every book, potions and magical artefact instantly moving into her bag, shrinking if needed before plopping down as Ophelia hurriedly changed, barely managing to stuff her dress and jewellery into the bag before she swung it over her shoulder, wearing blue jeans, a blue and silver sweater and her usual shoes, looking around to make sure she had everything before nodding to herself, apparating to the inner chamber in the darkest corner she could remember, quickly appearing as she walked out of the darkness, her hand finding Merlinâs from behind, at first startling the young warlock but he relaxed when he turned to see who it was. He hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head before parting from her, quickly noticing that she had changed clothes. As a soldier was being brought in, coughing and clutching his chest, Ophelia was the first to hurry over to him, kneeling down and pushing his shoulders back so he wasnât crouched over. âWere you in the lower town?â she asked urgently, watching him nod and wince in pain, about to crouch over again when she stopped him âdid you inhale smoke?â she asked, the soldier nodding and she gave him a nod in return. âListen, this is going to be painful, very painful, but I need you to take a deep breath. I need you to take as deep a breath as you can, okay? I can do it with youâ she spoke softly yet sternly, the soldier nodding.
Merlin almost got lost in watching her, how she inhaled deeply with the soldier, exhaling when he did while giving him an encouraging smile every time he looked like he wanted to stop. âCan you keep doing that? Think of your lungs as dirty clothes, breathing deeply and calmly is cleaning them and we need them clean, okay? Not just for Camelot, but for yourself, and your Kingâ she soothed, the soldier nodding, seemingly more empowered by her words, making Ophelia stand up and tend to a wounded knight, already getting her hands dirty and bloody without even blinking. As Merlin rushed past her, she gripped his arm, staring up at him with pleading eyes and he was ready to argue when she crashed her lips against his, cupping his face in her hands as she kissed him deeply before parting from him, both of them panting for air as he held her close. âGet back to meâ she whispered, Merlin nodding, giving her another kiss before hurrying out. Ophelia watched him leave before forcing herself to turn around and continue helping the wounded knight.
Ophelia was carefully binding a wound with torn fabric when Merlin and Arthur stumbled in, her eyes wide and she finished the binding quickly before hurrying over as Merlin sat Arthur down on a bench. The second Merlin had free hands he turned around and grabbed Ophelia by her hips, his lips meeting hers as he kissed her, her arms wrapping around his neck until they both needed air and had to part. âTold you Iâd come backâ he whispered, Ophelia letting out a breathy chuckle, leaning up and kissing his lips before turning to look over Arthur along with Gaius. âI can bind the ribcage but even then we run the risk of puncturing a lungâ Gaius explained as Ophelia gently felt over Arthurâs side âyou two just do what you have to, so long as I can still swing a swordâ Arthur groaned out, Ophelia raising a shocked eyebrow at him âswing a sword?! Arthur, youâre not swinging anything right now, let alone a sword!â
âI have to fight, Ophelia-â
âThere are more ways to fight than with a sword!â Ophelia hissed, sighing heavily as she looked up at Gaius âwe canât bind the ribcage, at least not until we know where the break isâ Ophelia muttered before looking back at Arthur, Gaius watching her âcan you find it?â
âFind out where a bone is broken? Been doing that since I was eleven and got into business with Fred and Georgeâ she muttered, kneeling down to be level with Arthurâs side, gently pressing down along each rib, trying to find out where the break was as Gaius walked over to Percival, Merlin and Gwaine. âOphelia, I command you, as your king, to bind-â
âShut up, Arthur! Iâm not your subject right now!!... Iâm your friendâ Ophelia hissed before sighing as she found where the break was, Arthur doing everything in his power to not even flinch. âI can bind this, but not now, not like this-â
âWhen?â
âWhen weâre not about to get slaughtered!!â Ophelia snapped, Arthur throwing his head back in annoyance and pain, gritting his teeth âdo it anyway!â
âLike hell I will! Youâre lucky itâs only one broken rib! Itâll have to be done carefully! Youâre no use to anyone if youâre dead, at the very least Iâd hope youâd be so stubborn as to not give Morgana that satisfactionâ she muttered the last bit. âOphelia!â
âIâm not binding it like this, Arthur!â Ophelia snapped before walking over to Merlin and Gaius âwe need to get him out. Now. I can bind his ribs but I have to do it very carefully, we have to get him outâ Ophelia hissed before walking back over to Arthur as he tried to stand up, pushing him by his head down, hearing him groan once more. As Gaius and Merlin walked over, Ophelia took a step back for Gaius, letting him take his place and at first she didnât know what was going on, until she saw Merlinâs eyes glow, a smirk tugging at her lips as Arthur became completely calm, compliant even. âWe need to leave now, sire!â Merlin stated, both Gaius, Ophelia and Merlin shared quick glances, until Arthur nodded âof courseâ he stated willingly, Ophelia trying to hide her smile as Gwaine and Percival took Arthur towards the back exit, practically carrying him. Just as Merlin was about to leave, he noticed that neither Gaius nor Ophelia were with him, Gaius turning to Ophelia with pleading eyes, Ophelia sighing softly âGaius-â
âGo, please⊠for meâ he pleaded, Ophelia hesitating, looking over her shoulder at Merlin before nodding, hurrying over to him âIâll see you outsideâ she whispered, kissing him briefly before hurrying after the others.
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Witches and Wizards - 12
(Warnings: Fluff, angst, more fluff and some more angst)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was writing in her notes when there was a knock on the door, then someone trying to enter, rattling the locked door, making her frown with concern as she quickly hid the notes for her Bubble-Bat gum in a drawer in the desk, which she had insisted on being included when she got the desk. âHold on! Iâm coming! Donât rip off the door yetâ she muttered with annoyance as she hurried over, unlocking and opening the door, eyes wide as she saw Arthur on the other side, quickly making sure the door was barely open enough for her to stand there. âArthur! I uh⊠w-what can I do for you?â
âHave you seen that useless servant of mine?â
âLord Agravaine? No, I-â
âOpheliaâ Arthur warned, Ophelia sighing and rolling her eyes âI donât like him, but at least Iâm not saying it to his face!â
âYes thank you, heâs had enough of that already-â
âIt was months ago now, Arthur!â
âHave you seen Merlin?â Arthur asked with a mix of annoyance and boredom, Opheliaâs eyes widening once more as her mind ran a thousand miles per second to find an excuse âhe is-... in-... here!â she blurted out, Arthur about to enter when she blocked the doorway even more âbut heâs not-... d-decent!â she spat out, cheeks turning even more red as Arthur raised his eyebrows in shock at her, taking a tiny step back âoh⊠he-... you-... w-well, I, uhâŠâ
âHeâs had a hard time of it, you know, you leaving him in the forest-â
âI told you, I didnât mean to-â
âAnd on top of that when he actually returned you expected nothing would change? Perhaps he just needed a break, Arthur, doing everything for you can be quite hard sometimes, youâre a king after all, lots to do, not just your duties but his own. Havenât you thought about that with your new duties, Merlinâs been feeling it too? All the new duties, the pressure, I mean you hardly pay the bloody idiotâ Ophelia babbled randomly, looking up at Arthur who still seemed shocked. âS-So m-maybe he just needed a little-... uh⊠r-release, you know- I mean not that youâd kno- I mean of course you know, Iâm not saying that you wouldnât know but I-I meant- not that Iâd ever-â
âJust tell him to get back to work soonâ Arthur muttered, walking away with a disturbed frown, making Ophelia force a smile before quickly shutting and locking the door, letting out a heavy breath as she leaned against it, cheeks flushed and heart racing, and then it hit her. âFucking hellâŠâ she murmured, the idea of Arthur thinking she was sleeping with Merlin felt⊠off⊠especially since she wasnât, although she wouldnât have complained if it was the caseâŠ
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Ophelia was silent as she sat in front of Gaius, head turned to stare into the flames, brows furrowed together and Gaius finally sighed, loudly, making her turn to look at him with confusion. âWhatâs on your mind, my dear?â he asked calmly, Ophelia considered denying it but eventually she sighed as well, turning to look back into the fire âI-... have you ever loved someone⊠truly loved someone, but you were scared of being with them? Because you knew that one day⊠one day youâd-... thereâd-... something would happen that would take them from you⊠take everything from you..?â Ophelia asked quietly, Gaius studying her with a small sigh âare we talking about myself, or you?â he asked casually, Ophelia giving him a bitter-sweet smile, glancing briefly at him before looking away, tears in her eyes. âI canât lose him, GaiusâŠâ she whispered, Gaius nodding with a soft and sad smile, understanding. âYou love himâ he concluded, Ophelia giving a weak nod, making Gaius sigh out loud again âwell⊠as they say; it is better to have loved and lost, than not loved at all-â
âNo, whoever said that has never lost someone they truly lovedâŠâ
âPerhaps not, or perhaps they had⊠it doesnât matter. What matters is what you think, what you feel⊠if itâs worth the risk to love someone you care deeply about⊠even if he is in danger too often for either of our liking. Perhaps those who said those words loved and lost, but knew that the memory of those they loved, they live on, far longer than any grief⊠so what it truly comes down to is, do you want those memories with Merlin?â Gaius asked softly, Ophelia frowning, staring at the fire a little while longer before looking at him, a tear rolling down her cheek, reflecting the fire at her side.
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It was evening when there was a knock on the door, Ophelia mumbling a faint âcome inâ and the door opened, her head buried in her books, until she just heard the door closing and footsteps. She looked up to see Merlin, narrowing his eyes at her and without needing to be asked, he turned around and showed her his neck before turning around to face her again, being greeted by a warm smile. âWelcome back, Merlinâ she greeted, getting up and turning to face her Potions Kit, opening it and pulling out the last of the Fire Whiskey and two glasses, still not using the goblets that were used in the castle. âIâd say this is cause for celebrationâ she stated half-jokingly, raising an empty glass to Merlin, silently asking if heâd like some, but he just kept approaching her with slow steps, hands behind his back. âWhat?â
âYou wouldnât happen to have told Arthur that I was⊠âindecentâ in your bed, did you?â Merlin asked with a smirk, Opheliaâs cheeks losing all colour and her eyes widened a little bit and she awkwardly put away the Fire Whiskey again, along with the glasses, before turning around and facing him. âI-... h-he knocked on the door and I was working on something magical and I didnât know what Gaius told him, if heâd even asked him yet! I didnât know what to say and I couldnât let him into my room and he was asking about you!â Ophelia babbled, Merlin doing his best to not laugh âwell, heâs just given me a proper scoldingâ he admitted as casually as he could without bursting with laughter at her reaction. âA what? He âscoldedâ you?â
âYes. For spending two whole days in the tavern and for âseducing a noblewoman at his court and councilââ Merlin imitated Arthur and Ophelia covered her mouth with her hand to stop a laugh that was building in her throat at his imitation. âHe didnât!â
âHe did.â
âPrickâ she muttered with brief laughter âwho Iâm âindecentâ with is none of his concernâ she added with even more laughter, smirking at Merlin âbesides, perhaps that âindecentâ time with you were enjoyable, then thereâd certainly be no need for scoldingâ she teased and flirted, heart ramming against her chest like a furious drum, cheeks burning hot yet she didnât back down, not this time, Merlin studying her before daring to take a step closer to her, narrowing his own eyes at her with a smirk. âIs that so? Well perhaps you should⊠let me in on what happened⊠just so I can play along if Arthur asks, of courseâ he stated casually, stepping even closer, smirking down at Ophelia who tilted her head up at him. âWell⊠if Arthur asks, tell him to mind his own arse, itâs none of his business that we maybe did⊠this,â she whispered, leaning up and gently kissing his cheek, smirking, lingering there before kissing his other cheek, âor this,â she gently dragged her lips from his cheek and to his lips, looking up into his eyes for permission, though her grin only grew bigger when she realised they were closed, fingers itching at his side to hold her. âOr that you did⊠thisâŠâ she gently took his hands and placed them on her waist, Merlinâs lips crashing with her own before she could say anything else and she smirked, eagerly kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him in closer.
She almost whined when Merlin parted from her, cupping her face in his hands, his forehead against hers, eyes closed as he had a blissful smile on his lips âI thought you-... I thought you didnât want to-â
âI do. I was just-... scaredâŠâ
âWhat changed?â
âGaius reminded me of something⊠thatâs allâ she whispered against his lips, their lips crashing once again and Ophelia couldnât help but hum in satisfaction at the feel of his lips on hers again. Ophelia giggled lightly as she felt Merlinâs hands eagerly tugging at her clothes, Merlin parting from her, both of them panting for air âsor-â she cut him off with another heated kiss, her nails scraping gently across the nape of his neck, urging him silently to do as he wanted, which resulted in Ophelia being pushed against the desk. She eagerly welcomed it as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tasting hers and she moaned quietly at the sensation, holding him even closer, especially when he picked her up, the sudden shift in balance making her break the kiss and yelp, letting out a breathy laugh as Merlin smirked up at her as he carried her the short distance to the bed. She chuckled with him as she landed on the bed with him still on top of her, their lips quickly meeting once more and she let her hands run down his clothed chest, reaching the ends of his tunic, her nails gently scraping along the skin just above his trousers when a sudden voice made them both jump apart.
âMEEERLIIIIN!â
Merlinâs forehead rested in the crook of her neck as Ophelia scoffed, glaring at the ceiling. âIâm going to murder himâ she muttered, Merlin lifting his head to smile down at her, making her unable to hide a smile of her own. âYou donât mean thatâ he stated softly, leaning down at kissing her softly, making her smirk as she kissed him back. âOkay, maybe not kill him but Iâll definitely hex himâŠâ
âOphelia-â
âJust a small hex! I promise! Just a pigâs tail and ears for a few days!â
âOphelia-â
âOne day, give me one day at leastâ she pleaded jokingly, Merlin chuckling, leaning down to kiss her again when the voice rang even louder.
âMEEEEEEEEEERLIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!!!!â
âIâm definitely going to kill himâ Ophelia mumbled with a less joking tone, yet Merlin still laughed, shaking his head and soon Ophelia began to laugh, the two of them laying there, laughing until Arthur screeched again and Merlin was forced from her embrace. The two parted with equally big grins on their faces, one last kiss shared before Merlin hurried towards the king who woke the entire castle with his yelling.
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It was past dawn when Ophelia heard rumbling in her room, her mind foggy with sleep but she still grasped her wand from just under the mattress in the bed frame, eyes slowly opening, body unmoving until she jumped up, wand raised at whoever had entered her room, as Gwen had always announced herself as the first thing when she arrived, Opheliaâs eyes wide when she saw who it was.
âMerlin?!â
âSurprise?â he was carrying a tray of food, the sound of rumbling having been him getting everything ready at the table in her room that she never used, the one originally meant for dining. She let out a heavy breath of relief, frowning at him as she approached when he continued to place it out in front of a chair on the table. âMerlin?â
âHm?â
âWhat are you doing? Gwen brings me breakfast, even though Iâve asked her not toâ Ophelia admitted, a smile tugging at her lips when she noticed the single flower, a daisy, standing in a small vase on the tray, being placed on the table as the last thing. âWell Iâve talked to her and she said itâs alrightâ he noted, putting the tray away before walking over to her, grinning from ear to ear and she couldnât help but let out a breathy laugh âso you broke in to bring me breakfast?? I thought-... I thought I locked the door? Did Gwen give you her key??â she asked with amusement, Merlinâs cheeks growing a dusty pink as he shrugged ânothing a little magic couldnât fixâ he stated cheerily, grabbing her hand and leading her to the table, even pulling out the chair for her and pushing it back to the table when she sat down. âMagic?? Merlin-!â
âYou do it as well!â
âWell I know a memory erasing spell and Iâm bloody good at it as well, you donâtâ she reminded him, Merlin shrugging again. âI uh, I wanted it to be a surprise, you know, so youâd wake up and itâd be there, I knew that you donât really eat what Arthur eats for breakfast⊠Gwen told me you liked this more than meat and breadâ he admitted, sitting down next to her, making her grin at him even more âyouâre kind and sweet, Merlin, thank youâ she leaned over, kissing him softly on the lips, much to his surprise, not that he complained, though. Once she leaned away, she looked over the tray with glee. Blueberries, strawberries, a freshly peeled orange and slices of apples cut out like small rabbits, some pieces of bread covered by a thin layer of butter with a bit of apple jam on top. Ophelia picked up one of the apple slices cut out as a small rabbit, examining it before looking at Merlin with a smirk âyou cut these yourself?â she asked, Merlin nodding eagerly, making her smirk turn into a grin.
âYouâre wonderful, Merlinâ she stated eagerly, leaning over and kissing him once again, this time longer and deeper than the first time, her hand cupping his cheek lovingly until the door opened. âMerlin- Oh! Iâm so sorry!!â Gwen quickly backed out of the room again, Ophelia taking a heavy sigh before parting, although rather reluctantly, from Merlin, leaning back in her chair with a somewhat annoyed expression. âYes, Gwen?â she called in an even tone, Gwen carefully stepping inside, like a frightened mouse hiding from a cat. âIâm sorry I just-... Arthur asked where you were and when I said you were here, apparently he-... wasnât too happy, heâs asking for youâ Gwen admitted with regret, Merlin frowning before nodding, leaning over and kissing Opheliaâs cheek before getting up and leaving, Gwen offering Ophelia an apologetic smile, Ophelia shrugging.
âWell, I suppose now youâre forced to endure my company instead of Merlinâ she teased, Gwen giving a genuine smile as she closed the door and walked over, sitting where Merlin had sat before, taking the rabbit shaped slice of apple that Ophelia offered her. âHe cut them into rabbits?â she asked with amusement, Ophelia blushing as she nodded, eating one herself, making Gwen laugh briefly before biting into the apple herself.
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âGaius?â Ophelia knocked gently on the door as she entered, seeing Gaius at the table, working as usual, the sight making her smile a little. âOphelia! What can I do for you, my dear?â his smile made her enter, already feeling welcomed, as she always did in his presence âI was wondering if perhaps you had some Atropa?â
âAtropa? Well I believe so, but why at this late hour?â
âI canât sleepâ Ophelia admitted with a sigh, following Gaiusâ finger to the ladder, crawling it up by some shelves, looking them over. âSo youâd look for poisonous Belladonna?â he asked with amusement, making her chuckle briefly âno. I mean, yes. Iâve always loved Herbology, the Belladonna was always my favourite. I want to try and replant one in my room. I just need a sprig and since itâs recognized by muggles I wonât have to hide itâ she admitted softly, picking up different jars and putting them back in place as she continued her search. âYour favourite? Iâll admit that although itâs quite common, I find it strangelyâŠâ
âBeautiful?â
âPrecisely.âÂ
âIâve always liked the flowers. Purple among the black berries⊠purple was my nanâs favourite colour, so perhaps that had something to do with it as wellâ Ophelia admitted with a grin, continuing to look through the darkness as best as she could, until there was the sound of floorboards creaking, both Ophelia and Gaius turning their heads to look towards the door. âMerlin?â Gaiusâ question went unanswered, his gaze turning to Ophelia who quickly crawled down the ladder, careful to make as little sound as possible, her hand reaching for the hidden pocket where her wand was but Gaius shook his head, making her reluctantly redraw her hand. Gaius gestured to Merlinâs room and Ophelia frowned with confusion, quietly walking towards it and up the steps, opening the door and looking around the empty room, frowning at the darkness, only lit up by the moonlight through the window. She turned back around, walking down the steps to see two men and an unconscious Gaius, her eyes wide and without thinking she grabbed a broom and hit the man carrying Gaius over the head. âLet him go!!â she screamed, hoping and praying someone would hear it. A guard. Servant. Some lord or lady or whoever the fuck resided in this fucking castle aside from Arthur, Gaius, Merlin and herself. âGet out! Now!!â she snapped as both men turned to face her, the broom still in her hands, shaft broken in two, the splintered and sharp end turned towards the two men.
âI said; GET OUT!â she screamed even louder, swinging the broom shaft at the larger man as he reached for her, cutting his cheek with the sharp splintered edge of the broken shaft, her leg landing harshly in between his legs and when he sunk to the floor in pain, her knee quickly collided with his face, knocking him back, her gaze turning to the robed man. âGet. Out. Nowâ she growled, hitting the still downed man over the head with the broom shaft, splintering it further, her hand reaching for her pocket but before she could find her wand, her feet were sweeped out from under her.
Ophelia gasped as the air was knocked out of her lungs, her head aching from it colliding with the floor. She turned on her side, crawling towards one of the chairs, intending to try and throw it at the attackers but something heavy collided with the back of her skull first, darkening everything, her vision blurry as she watched Gaius be carried off before everything turned black, small drops of blood slowly pooling around her head on the floor, staining her almost white hair a deep, sickening red.
Agravaine silently crept inside the physicianâs quarters, ignoring the obvious signs of struggle as he planted whatever evidence he could, about to pack a bag to make it seem like Gaius had fled when he saw her. Her hair was stained red, a large, heavy vase by her head, bloodied with a single hole in it from where it had collided with her head. He was about to try and get rid of her when he smirked, it was convenient for him, so why ruin it? A scoff left his lips and he simply packed the clothes, casting another glance at the body before leaving, the bells soon tolling after his passing.
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Witches and Wizards - 11
(Warnings: Fluff, angst, angst and a mention of greek mythology, I think thatâs it:3)
Note: I once read parts of a fic where the reader has magic and goes back in time, meeting Merlin. I sadly canât find it anymore. Also Fred didnât die in this.
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Ophelia was sitting at her desk, writing in a small book when the doors burst open, causing her to stand up and look at the doors, her eyes widening when she saw Merlin, lips spreading into a grin and she almost dropped everything in her hurry to move around the desk and to his side. âYouâre back!!â Ophelia laughed with glee, Merlin eagerly accepting her hug as she threw herself at him. âArthur said youâve been hounding him for two days nowâ Merlin stated with amusement, hearing her chuckle lightly as she let go of him, Merlin placing her back on the ground âheâs just whiningâ Ophelia joked with a shrug before sighing, cupping his face in her hands, a soft smile on her lips as she looked at him. âYou really scared me, MerlinâŠâ she whispered softly, her smile gone as she looked at him with worry, Merlin resisting the urge to lean in and kiss her. âI know, but Iâm alright, I promiseâ he stated softly, enjoying the moment until Ophelia realised how close they were, awkwardly parting from him, nervously clearing her throat as her cheeks burned hot and red, offering a small smile before moving back to the desk, picking up the book and closing it, seeming to put away her things so she was free of distractions now that Merlin was back. âGood, goodâŠâ she muttered before turning to look at Merlin again, giving him a sincere smile âyou are alright, though, right?â she asked with a kind smile, Merlin nodding as he took slow steps towards her, hands behind his back. âI am, yes⊠you know,â there was a small silence as he approached her, Ophelia raising a single brow at him, silently asking him to continue. Her cheeks once again turned beet red as he neared her, standing so close⊠a few inches away, one of his hands coming up to gently tuck a lock of the white-blonde hair behind her ear. âWhile I was out there⊠you were all I could think aboutâŠâ he continued quietly, watching as Ophelia frowned up at him, slightly confused, which just made him smirk.
âThe thought of seeing your smile again was what kept me goingâ he added, Opheliaâs eyes widening a little, her breath stuck in her throat as Merlin leaned down a little, Ophelia watching him with confusion and just before his lips met hers, she turned her head to the side, heart beating like a drum in her chest, her hands having come up to rest on his chest as another barricade, yet she couldnât deny that the feel of his chest against her palms only made her heart race faster. âMerlin, I-... I donât think that this is a good ideaâ she muttered, forcing a smile to try and lift the mood she had just dampened but it didnât seem to work as she looked back at Merlin. He gently tucked another strand of hair behind her ear, studying her face, his eyes roaming her features before both of his hands cupped her cheeks, making her look at him, his eyes meeting hers. âWhy not?â
Ophelia nearly scoffed at the question, gently shaking her head âyou know whyâŠâ
âYou donât love me?â
âMerlin-... I care about you, a lot, youâre loyal and brave and kind and wonderful but-... youâre always putting yourself in danger⊠I understand that you have a responsibility, that you feel an obligation to Arthur, to always be by his side and I love that about you, I really, really do⊠but I donât-â Ophelia sighed heavily, closing her eyes briefly before moving one of her hands up from his chest, cupping his cheek gently in her palm âyouâre always putting yourself in danger, for Arthur, for Camelot, for Albion⊠I donât think I canât do that⊠not againâŠâ Ophelia added softly before gently prying herself out of his grasp, not even noticing a tear until it rolled down her cheek. âSo please donât⊠I just-... I want to enjoy having you back⊠I was worriedâ Ophelia muttered as she wiped away the tear, sniffling briefly as she tried to compose herself. âWhat if I didnât have to do that anymore? Follow Arthur around, always willing to give my life for his?â his words made her frown at him, the way he said it, like he was disgusted by the idea. âMerlin, I might not like it, but itâs one of the reasons why I care so much about you, youâre always willing to give everything for everyone⊠if youâre asking if Iâd rather want you safe, then of course I would⊠but not at the expense of who you areâŠâ Ophelia stated softly before sighing, turning around and digging through a drawer, pulling out a book and opening it, turning to a page and showing it to him, showing him the drawing of a strange bat-like creature. âThis is what my newest invention, the Bubble Bat, will look like. At least the idea of it. Itâs easier to create and enchant once Iâve gotten a good idea of what I want it to look likeâ Ophelia stated with a smile, grinning at Merlin who studied the drawing with a smile âitâs goodâ he concluded, giving the book back to Ophelia who seemed ecstatic at his acceptance.
âGood! Iâve got some gum left from the last time I went to a muggle store with Hermione. Iâm going to duplicate it, so I have more to experiment withâ Ophelia revealed, clearly still trying to get as far away from the previous topic as possible, and Merlin noticed, of course. âIâll leave you to it then, Iâve got to start making Arthurâs food anywayâ he stated casually, Ophelia frowning at him despite her grin âyou what? Merlin, shouldnât you rest?â
âIâd rather just get back to workâ Merlin admitted stiffly, Ophelia narrowing her eyes at him before nodding to herself, walking over to her Potions Kit, searching through it until she found what she was looking for, walking over and giving the small vial to Merlin, who recognized it. âIsnât that-â
âWhat I gave Arthur when he was wounded and Morgana took Camelot, yes. Only use it if you absolutely have to! Itâs difficult to brew enough as it is, and I donât have a lot of caffeine left to brew another batch, so only use it if youâre nodding off while working!â she warned, Merlin nodding, about to say something when she turned around to face her potions kit again, Merlin nodding to himself, turning around to leave, Ophelia sighing heavily when she heard the door close.
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Ophelia was nose deep in her work when there was a knock on the door, her head quickly lifting from her hand, eyes wide until she heard the familiar voice.Â
âItâs Gaius!â
Ophelia let out a sigh of relief, picking up her wave and giving it a wave at the door to unlock it âcome in!â she shouted before returning to her work, Gaius walking inside with something in his hands, walking closer after closing the door. âGwen says she hasnât seen you all day, that youâve refused to let her come inâ Gaius noted casually, sitting down on a chair across the desk she sat behind. âIâve been working⊠she isnât upset, is she? I didnât mean to be rude or anythingâ Ophelia asked with a frown as she looked up at him, Gaius merely smiling at her and shaking his head âno no, she was merely worried, she says you havenât eaten either. So I thought you might have been doing something magical, even though itâs bold of you to do it right under Arthurâs noseâ Gaius scolded lightly, Ophelia blushing a little before shrugging âI thought Iâd begin to work again⊠I had this idea before I ended up in Camelot. I thought Iâd try and work on it again. Iâve also thought about creating a small greenery in some way. Hemione created a small tent with the size of a large room inside of the small tent. Itâs called an Undetectable Extension Charm. If I could manage to get a box or suitcase or something akin to it, I could enchant it. Iâve always loved and been good at Herbology, I could start to actually grow my ingredients instead of merely duplicating them⊠it decreases the potencyâ Ophelia revealed with a small grimace at the end, her eyes turning to Gaius who stared at her with slight confusion, clearly having no clue what she was talking about.
âI could create a big room within a small space, like a wardrobeâ she summarised, Gaius doing a little âahaâ as he nodded to himself. âSounds very practical⊠and difficultâ he warned softly, Ophelia leaning back in her chair with a small shrug, running her hands down her face in slight frustration. âThe hardest part will be creating something within the extended room, not the charm itself⊠Iâve done it before with great success but Iâve never had to actually build anything inside it⊠Iâm not sure how Hermione did it with the tent, we never really stayed in one place long enough for her to teach meâ Ophelia admitted, first now noticing the small bag he had in his hands. âThought Iâd bring you something to eat, seeing as you havenât eaten nearly all dayâ Gaius stated with a shrug, a smirk on his lips as he watched her eagerly reach for the bag, opening it and digging out an apple, instantly taking a bite, nodding to herself âyouâre the bestâ she murmured through the apple, going back to her work, Gaius studying her before deciding to stop beating around the bush. âOphelia⊠have you noticed anything⊠odd⊠about Merlin since he came back?â he asked calmly, studying her as she just shrugged, clearly not understanding what he was really trying to ask âwell he WAS left out in the woods to die by his best friend for two days-â
âOphelia, Arthur did not-â
âI know, I knowâ Ophelia murmured bitterly, looking back up at Gaius, studying him, a thought suddenly striking her, her brows furrowing and she looked off to the side, Gaius leaning in a little closer as he noticed this. âOphelia-â
âActually⊠he was very-... forward⊠he came to visit earlier today and suddenly he-... well not exactly âsuddenlyâ but he-... he was less⊠I donât knowâŠâ Ophelia admitted, looking back at Gaius who nodded with a grim look on his face, Opheliaâs eyes widening a little âyou donât think-... something happened to him out there⊠Do you?â
âI suspected as much, but hearing you say that something was different, it settles all of my doubts⊠something is off with Merlin, OpheliaâŠâ he admitted, Ophelia staring at him before nodding to herself, closing her books and forgetting about her work âso⊠what is it? What are you not telling me?â
âWell, Iâm not sure, but he asked which one of the poisons I have would be the deadliest⊠he then took some⊠and not too long ago Gwen came to see me, some pigs had eaten a meal Merlin had prepared for Arthur, since Gwen had already given Arthur lunch he must have thrown it awayâŠâ
âWhat happened to the pigs, Gaius?...â
âThey diedâŠâ
âWhat poison did he take?...â
âAconiteâŠâ Gaius admitted with remorse, Ophelia staring at him before nodding to herself with worry. âWhen he was here earlier, he-... he said something that sounded off but I didnât think-... he asked me if Iâd prefer that he didnât follow Arthur on every quest he makes⊠he said; âWhat if I didnât have to do that anymore? Follow Arthur around, always willing to give my life for his?â...â Ophelia recounted softly, âwhat do you think it is? Some sort of spell? Like the Imperious curse?â
âIâm not sure⊠but when he had gotten back, I saw something in his neck⊠almost like a snake under his skinâŠâ Gaius revealed, the two of them staring at each other before Ophelia got up âwhere is he now?â
âWe donât kno-â
âGet Gwen and find him, if he wants to do something to Arthur then start with his room, Iâll meet you in the physicianâs quartersâ she stated coldly, walking over to her Potions Kit, Gaius standing up, hurrying out of the room as Ophelia grabbed her wand from a hidden drawer in the kit before hurrying out of the room, being sure to lock on her way out after making sure she had her wand, her steps bringing her to the Physicianâs Quarters before the others.
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It wasnât long until Gaius and Gwen arrived with an unconscious Merlin, Ophelia frowning at the sight, staring at them as they placed him in a chair, Gaius going off to find one of his books. âWhy is there a bruise on the side of his head?â Ophelia asked calmly yet with a frown, looking between an awkward Gaius and a nervous and awkward Gwen. âBecause I⊠hit him⊠with a jug?â
âYou what?â
âIt was the only way we could get him here!â Gwen defended, Ophelia sighing heavily before walking over to his neck, pulling down the collar of his clothes and wincing when she saw something move under there. âBloody hell⊠itâs like one of those movies Hermione forced me to see in a cinema, not that she was fond of it anyway, she regretted it immediately after, but this is⊠sickâŠâ she muttered quietly, leaning a bit closer to inspect it as Gaius walked over with his book âI feared as muchâŠâ
âWhat is it?â
âItâs a Fomorrah-â
âA Fo-What?â Ophelia asked with confusion, Gaius raising a confused eyebrow at her âyou donât know it?â he asked quietly, Ophelia shaking her head, their conversation unheard by Gwen who was reading the book. âMust be extinct in my time⊠no doubt Hagrid wouldâve found it incredibly fascinating, thoughâŠâ Ophelia added quietly, turning to look back at the thing in Merlinâs neck. âSo, what now?â Ophelia asked in her usual voice instead of a quiet whisper, Gaius turning to look at the thing as well. âWell, whoever put it there was very highly skilledâŠâ he muttered, sitting down behind Merlin to inspect it further, Ophelia sighing heavily âso, what does it do?â
âIn the days of the Old Religion, they were used by the high priestess to enslave the minds of her enemies. Once a thought was planted, the victim would not stop âtill theyâd accomplished it⊠first we must paralyse the serpent-â
 âYouâre going to have to cut it out, arenât youâŠ?â Ophelia asked with a grimace, Gaius nodding with concern âIâm afraid so, yesâŠâ he muttered, Ophelia running a hand over her face in frustration before nodding to herself. Gwen reached the bowl to Ophelia who took the small pouch, handing it to Gaius, watching with worry as Gaius dapped it around the moving serpent until it became still. âIs it dead?â
âSadly not. Merely dormant⊠Now for the tricky bit, pass me the blade-â the second Ophelia heard the word âbladeâ, she actually turned her head away, Gaius and Gwen both noticing. âOphelia, itâs quite alright, you donât-â
âYes, I do⊠I just-.... Iâm okay, Iâm okay, I donât like knives when they mix with people but Iâm okayâ she muttered, turning to look back at Merlinâs neck, nodding to herself which made Gaius nod in return. Ophelia watched as Gaius cut into Arthur, an emotionless expression on her face, unlike Gwen who winced, but on the inside she was trying not to turn away, heart racing as he cut into Merlinâs neck. She could hear her blood rushing through her veins as Gaius pulled out some kind of snake head, hurriedly throwing it into the nearby fire. Before Gaius could return to Merlinâs side, Ophelia was already standing there, studying the wound before gently stroking his head soothingly, as though she had forgotten that Gwen and Gaius was there as well, a small moment of weakness, of care, that she allowed herself to display. âOphelia?â Gwen asked softly, watching as Ophelia straightened up quickly, nodding to herself as she took a large step back âheâll be alright⊠right, Gaius?â
âYes, but we will have to wait until he wakes up to be certainâŠâ
âGood, good⊠Iâll-... get back to my work.â
âWork?â Gwen asked with confusion, Ophelia glancing at her, staring at her with wide eyes before clearing her throat and nodding âyes, my work. Iâm-... m-making a dressâ she lied, quickly turning around and hurrying back to her own room before Gwen could ask any further questions.
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Ophelia sighed heavily as she entered the Physicianâs Quarters once again, walking straight towards Gaius and Gwen who stood over an unconscious Merlin, Ophelia frowning at the new bump in the back of his head, her eyes instantly moving to Gwen who gave an awkward and nervous smile. âWhat the bloody hell is it with you and jugs? And whyâd you use one on him again? I thought it was handled?â
âIt wasnât⊠apparently, if you kill one, another one grows in itâs place..â Gwen admitted, Ophelia frowning âlike a hydra?â
âLike a what?â
âA hydra. Greek mythology. It was one of the labourers set before Hercules, or Heracles, as his actual name was before the Romans changed itâŠ?â There was a long silence as Gaius continued to prepare the sedative, making Ophelia nod to herself. âHeracles was set out to do twelve labours by the king of the Tyrins, one of them was to slay a hydra that the goddess Hera had raised just to slay Heracles, since she wanted him dead because he was her husbandâs, another god, son, as her husband frequently, and alarmingly so, visited the mortal women, which resulted in a lot of children, half god, half human and Heracles was one of them. Anyway, it was an attempt by Hera, Zeusâ wife, to kill one of her husbandâs bastard children. A hydra is-... I suppose a bit like a dragon in shape, large, sometimes depicted with wings, or sometimes as a giant snake. It has several heads and when you cut off one, two more grow in itâs place, making it impossible to kill. Heraclesâ nephew found a way around this, though. They burnt the stumps of the decapitated necks so they couldnât grow any more of them. Heracles cut them off and his nephew burnt the stumps, as itâs vulnerable as long as it only has one head. Heracles succeeded, of course. In the end the king, who was under Heraâs orders, declared that the labour wasnât finished when he learnt of Heraclesâ nephewâs involvement, he deemed it a failure because Heracles had help, but it is still remembered as one of the labours Heracles would faceâ Ophelia retold casually, both Gaius and Gwen staring at her, making her cheeks turn red as she looked away shyly âmy nan was a history teacher⊠Greek mythology and history, to be exactâŠâ she admitted, Gaius nodding with a shrug, though Gwen was still confused âa what?â
âA scholar interested in Ancient Greeceâ Ophelia summarised, Gwen nodding, satisfied with the simpler explanation as Gaius began the procedure all over again. Or at least she thought he did. Instead he paralyzed the serpent in Merlinâs neck, then made him inhale something that made him jump up and gasp awake, Ophelia flinching at the sudden movement as Merlin coughed and groaned. âWhat is that?! Arthurâs socks?!â Merlin gasped as he sat up, holding his head where the two bumps were, from Gwenâs jug-mania. There was a silence as Merlin looked at the three of them before looking at Gaius âwhat are you trying to do to me?â
âIâm trying to stop you from killing the kingâ Gaius explained calmly, Merlin letting out a breathy chuckle, as though he didnât believe Gaius, but when he looked at Ophelia who gave a concerned nod of confirmation, he frowned with equal concern. âLetâs get you something to eatâ she murmured, walking around Gwen to help a still dizzy Merlin off the table.
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