#Merlin had been charged to protect Arthur for the good of the kingdom. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dragoon-the-greatest · 1 year

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Okay, 🔥hot take🔥 time

The age old debate: should Merlin have told Arthur about his magic? Did he owe him the truth? I've always come down hard in the "of course not" category, but I think it's a little more complicated of an issue than I've given it credit for.

Yes I know this has been discussed a million times and the show ended 10 years ago but this is still so interesting to me

First off, a disclaimer: for those that interpret magic as being a metaphor for whatever secret you might have in real life: you do not owe anyone this information about yourself. In real life, these things really only impact you and you don't need to tell anyone anything you aren't comfortable with. That said, I am going to proceed with the understanding that I am only using magic as a literal part of the show and not as a metaphor for anything else.

Merlin did not owe Arthur the truth about his magic as a basic principle. Like, if he was just going about life as Arthur's manservant, even if they were friends, Merlin had every right to keep that info to himself. HOWEVER. Merlin wasn't just a manservant. He took up a role as a protector of Arthur and of Camelot, as well as (intentionally or not) someone who advised Arthur. Merlin didn't just keep his magic a secret; Merlin knew of and regularly fought against several dangers to the kingdom that Arthur, as the person whose literal job it was to protect the kingdom, had every right to know about. Because Merlin used his magic to suss out dangers and to fight, he kept the truth about either the severity, or sometimes the entirety, of a threat from Arthur (again, the person who was actually in charge of protecting Camelot).

The result of this was Arthur not only not knowing about the potential good in magic and the number of times it had been used in defense of his citizens, but it also led him to underestimate the magical threats against Camelot. Arthur heard about a magical threat, was told by Gaius that it could only be defeated by magic, and then (supposedly) defeated the threat anyway; this told him that not only was he perfectly capable of handling these threats without magic, but that Gaius's warnings shouldn't be taken too seriously. Merlin set himself up as the sole protection Camelot had against magic, and then he regularly put himself in harm's way for Arthur's sake, as if his loss wouldn't then have an equally devastating effect on the wellbeing of the kingdom. From a purely tactical standpoint, if Arthur knew the truth about the exact nature of the threats against Camelot and what was needed to defeat them, then not only would he know enough to know that the current laws were unjust and unsustainable, but he would also be able to plan for a better magical defense system than a single exhausted warlock who also had two other full time jobs.

If Merlin was just a manservant, he would have zero obligation to tell Arthur anything about magic at all, let alone his own magic. But by intervening when the kingdom was threatened and then hiding the truth from the people who were supposed to plan for these things, he (unintentionally) set himself up as the only person who was qualified to make decisions for the kingdom, with no one else to assist him due to pure lack of awareness as to the nature of current events. This resulted in Merlin making difficult and questionable but still understandable and justifiable decisions, like setting the dragon free and poisoning Morgana, and progressed to decisions that were not his to make in any way, like lying to Arthur about his mother (also, Merlin was pissed when Gaius hid his parentage from him, so like, buddy why?) and enchanting the king and literally taking away his free will because Merlin thought he would put up too much of a fight about getting to safety. His treatment of Mordred and advice with the Disir were also questionable but not quite to the scale of the others, I think. And barely anyone even knows he's making these decisions to begin with.

Arthur, when making these types of decisions, is held accountable to an extent because everyone knows every decision he makes. He's the king so he has the final say, but he also has councilors, friends knights, Gwen, and even (especially?) Merlin who can call him out if he's going down the wrong path. Merlin has no one (consistently) other than a dragon who operates on a completely different moral scale and a traumatized old man who has made his own fair share of questionable decisions to hold him accountable, and this is evident through his aforementioned actions, especially in the later seasons of the show. Merlin has such good intentions! But no one person should have that much power. Arthur has Merlin to balance him out (not to mention the rest of the court); Merlin has no one.

Merlin wanted to hide his magic and he wanted to follow destiny, but I don't think it was possible for him to do both. He didn't have to stay in Camelot, and he didn't have to use his magic to fight threats to it (although of course he would feel an obligation to help, so best case scenario for him safety-wise would probably be leaving), but he did. Merlin was also powerful enough even if Arthur did decide to execute Merlin for his magic (which, you know, he probably wouldn't have but we'll never know for sure), Merlin was capable of fighting back or making an escape if needed; it's not like he was completely helpless. He could even plan out a quick get away in advance, especially if he told Arthur outside of Camelot.

That said! He stood to lose a lot for sure! His life in Camelot, his position, his friends, etc. It was dangerous and this is not to say that telling the truth about his magic would have been no big deal. However: when he started defending the kingdom, I think that's the point at which Merlin did in fact owe Arthur at least part of the truth, not necessarily about his magic but about the threats he faced and how they were defeated. If it was possible to do this without exposing his magic, then great! But Merlin used his magic as a justification for hiding necessary details about running the kingdom from Arthur. For all that Merlin professed to trust Arthur and that he would be a great king, he never gave Arthur the chance to prove it.

Not that Arthur was perfect in this by any stretch; he shouldn't have needed Merlin to spell out for him (so to speak) that genocide is wrong, for one thing. He did have some examples of good or neutral magic to work with. Maybe not enough to completely override all the bad experiences with magic, but at least enough to question the justice of the magic ban. But Arthur was also constantly operating under limited information, and he typically did the best he could with what he did know.

Both from a tactical and personal standpoint, there were things Merlin hid that Arthur did in fact have a right to know. Arthur had several enemies he had no knowledge of and several near-death experiences he either didn't remember or misunderstood because of Merlin hiding the truth from him. The sidhe enchanted him and almost drowned him, he and Vivian were placed under a love spell from a visiting king, his first common-born knight who then died honorably did not come back to make moves on his fiancee (Gwen's enchantment not mentioned since Merlin likely didn't know about it); Arthur had every right to know about these things! There was a lot more that Arthur could have done in the canon script even without the full story, true, but that could be a whole separate post. For the purposes of this post, Merlin's secrets made Arthur's growth as a person and as a just king much harder than it needed to be.

TL;DR: By taking the role of a protector/advisor, Merlin lost some of the rights to his own secrets, simply because they were no longer just his secrets he was keeping. He did not owe Arthur the truth about his magic if that was the only thing he was hiding, but he did owe Arthur, as the prince-then-king, the truth about the nature of the threats he was facing and the facts about his own life. Merlin used his magic as an excuse to withhold necessary information from Arthur, and as a result Arthur operated under mistaken beliefs about threats to the kingdom and his own fighting capabilities while Merlin was free to make decisions on behalf of the kingdom with little to no accountability.

Also, for the record, this is not a criticism of Merlin's character, just an example of how a character can be flawed and impact other characters in a negative way even with the best of intentions. I LOVE Merlin's character, he is extremely compelling and did what he believed to be the best he could with the circumstances he was given, and the fact that he is in fact morally grey and not a perfect hero is one of the things that gives this show so much depth.

#bbc merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #long post #merlin meta

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camelotsheart · 3 years

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You brought peace at last.

Merthur Week 2021 | Day 1: Favourite Battle

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bitsandbobsofwriting · 3 years

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Long Lost Prince Part 2;

Merlin leads his people home and Arthur grapples with whether he should keep his feelings to himself or not.

Part 1

Just like Arthur promised, a portion of Camelot's army mixed with around fifty of Merlin's knights are marching towards the Dragonlands within a month.

Merlin and Arthur lead the way, Sir Thornway, Sir Leon, and Sir Mordred following closely behind. It was decided fairly quickly that Hunith and Gaius would stay in Camelot; they were desperate to get home, but they weren't fighters, and whilst the chance of attack was fairly low considering the army behind them and the two dragons circling ahead, Arthur and Merlin were unwilling to risk it.

At a quick pace, Arthur reckons they could've made the journey in a week, but the army is slow-moving, and it takes them almost three to reach the border. They don't hear a peep out of anyone as they move through the countryside, though Arthur does raise an amused eyebrow at Merlin every once in a while, as and when the Warlock chuckles at Kilgharrah whispering in his head about all the various pathetic mercenaries and bandits running away screaming at the sight of his silhouette against the clouds.

The Dragonland, in comparison to Camelot, was a very small kingdom, but it’s capital city was near the far border, backed by miles and miles of towering mountains. In one of the many sessions of reminiscing that Merlin, Thornway, and Kilgharrah have in the evenings, they discuss the mountains at length. They were mostly uninhabited by people, even before the purge, they were far too treacherous for those without a guide and strong magic, and even then the paths were still dangerous.

The great mountains were where the Dragon’s resided; in a network of twisting tunnels and great caverns carved with fire and magic. Merlin vaguely remembers being taken there a few weeks before... before they left. Thornway told him that retreating into the mountains was one of the back up plans, if Uther’s army was too big and there was no hope of escape through the countryside.

(Arthur frowned at that. He was frowning at a lot nowadays, but Merlin just squeezed his leg under the blanket they were sharing (Leon did NOT smirk and Arthur did NOT blush) and whispered, yet again, that he was not his father.)

The escape through the mountains was planned to be a last ditch effort though, even with the dragons leading them and their strongest sorcerers protecting them, the perilous paths, with their knife edge drops and loose rocks and harsh snow, would have taken too many casualties to count. Though, in the end, escaping through the countryside had been just as deadly.

Arthur also used the journey to think about what Leon had said. Though Merlin and The King stuck close by for the whole trek, conversation was sparse (though the silences were comfortable); Arthur was unsure how to bring up the inevitable change in their relationship, though he knows that, for his own peace of mind if nothing else, he should.

They were deep into the Kingdom, having passed all the now doubly abandoned outer villages (Arthur was right in thinking that two dragons and a marching army scared away all the various mercenary groups and bandits) and now only a day’s ride from the capital, that Arthur asked Merlin the question that had been plaguing his mind for weeks. The two of them were sat against a fallen log, the night flourishing around them. The silence over the rest of the camp was tense, the knowledge that they were close hanging in the air, but the silence between Merlin and Arthur was comfortable, peaceful:

“What are you planning on doing?”

Merlin took a noticeably deep breath and Arthur turned to him, trying desperately to keep the worried frown off his face:

“I don’t know. I didn’t really discuss it with ma, we just... wanted to get home, and work from there, see what happens I guess.”

Arthur nodded, gulping slightly before he responds:

“Do you think she wants the throne? Your mother? Or will you become King?”

Merlin chuckles, but Arthur clenches his hands and looks away at the humourless lilt the noise has:

“I’d love to see her back in her crown, on her throne, but it’s been a long time. She did everything with my father by her side, I don’t know if... if she would want to do it on her own. I don’t know that she would cope.-”

The Warlock turns to face Arthur, and it strikes The King how close they are when he can feel Merlin’s breath on his cheek. He turns to meet his gaze once more:

“-What would you do, Arthur? In my place?”

Arthur can only hold his stare for a few moments before he looks to his lap, shaking his head slightly:

“I don’t know, Merlin. Tell me what’s on your mind, I... I can’t promise that I’ll have the answers, but maybe saying things out-loud will help.”

Merlin nods as he shuffles in his spot slightly, and Arthur likes to think that he was moving closer:

“I... I’m desperate to get home. But at the same time, I waited. I waited for twenty years, I’ve built myself a life in Camelot, I’d... given up on ever returning home, and I was just about coming to terms with the fact that Camelot was my home now. And then... this. I have to lead my people back, I know that, I owe it to them, it’s my job to protect them and give them back their heritage-”

Arthur interrupts quietly:

“Your heritage.”

Merlin sighs:

“-yeah, my heritage. My mother, and Gaius, and my people, and... and I, we deserve to go home. But I was only six when we left, I never got all the lessons on how to be a Politician, a King. Yes, I’m the heir, yes, I remember home and the crown and being a little Prince, but I am not built to be a King, Arthur, I don’t want to- I can’t fail my people, but I fear I will. I... I’ve been putting up a brave front for my mum, for Thornway, but I’m terrified. I have no idea what I’m doing, Arthur. What if I mess up?”

Arthur allows a small smile to slip onto his face as he takes Merlin’s fidgeting hands in his own. He shakes his head as he huffs out a short laugh and Merlin looks at him incredulously:

“You couldn’t possibly, Merlin. I know you well, do I not?-”

Merlin nods his head vigorously:

“Better than anyone.”

Arthur fights the blush:

“-And I’m telling you, that you have nothing to worry about. You may not have had official lessons, but you have the mind for politics.-”

Arthur glances to his lap briefly as he takes a fortifying breath, stroking his thumbs over the back of Merlin’s hands, still clutched in his, and looking up to him again:

“-I had all those lessons. All that training, and practicing, and tutoring. But I was still so... lost when I became King. I don’t think I ever told you, Merlin, but the only thing that got me through was you, always by my side. Because I knew that you would never let me fail, because I trusted you to see my shortcomings and make up for them without fuss, without fault. And you did, without asking for any thanks, or recognition, like you do with everything. To this day, you think I’m a good King because of destiny, but that’s utter bollocks and I’ve always known it. I’m a good King, Merlin, because you made me a good man first. And on days when I doubt my own rule, I remind myself of how much faith you have in me, and it gives me strength, because I know you would never allow me to fail, and on the off chance I fall, I know you would catch me. Every good King who cares about his people has doubts, Merlin, but however much faith you have in me? I have the same amount, if not more, in you. You’ll do just fine.”

Merlin looks at him with wide, teary eyes, and Arthur flushes under the scrutiny. The King goes to say something, maybe a flippant joke to de-charge the atmosphere, but before he can utter even a word, Merlin throws himself at him, wrapping tight arms around his shoulders and burying his face in his neck. Arthur almost falls back, but he holds steady, chuckling slightly as he returns Merlin’s hug with equal intensity. Merlin’s muffled voice from his shoulder has Arthur tightening his grip:

“Will you catch me? If I fall?”

Arthur moves a hand up to cradle the back of Merlin’s head:

“You won’t fall. But I’d spend the rest of my life stood below you with my arms out ready, Merlin, if that gave you just a fraction of the belief in yourself that you should have.”

Neither pulled away for what felt like hours, and by the time Thornway wondered over to check on them, they had fallen asleep against the log, arms still firmly wrapped around each other.

He smiles mournfully as he drapes a blanket over them. You would have to be blind to miss the odd moroseness that had overtaken them both, and the old knight knew that his Prince was dreading having to leave Arthur, and that Arthur was dreading the same. They shuffle in their sleep, and Thornway freezes, worried that he had woken them, but when Arthur just mutters Merlin’s name and moves impossibly closer to the other man Thornway sighs. This is going to be... painful for the two of them, and he’s not quite sure how he can help.

After another day of travel, they find themselves moving through the capital city, towards the castle sitting at the foot of the mountains.

The army was left with orders to methodically clear the city whilst Arthur, Leon, Thornway, and Mordred headed straight for the citadel gates. Though the city had fallen into disrepair, the castle looked like it had barely been touched, even by the elements, and Thornway explained that powerful enchantments laid over the ancient building, preventing it from being invaded or damaged by even the strongest of armies:

“It was meant to be a stronghold, somewhere we could hide and keep our people safe in emergencies, but we knew if we did that we would have backed ourselves into a corner. Uther was taking over more and more of the city every day, if we locked ourselves in... we would have just starved. Trying to escape through the city and out into the wilderness was our only hope.”

Merlin nods absent-mindedly as he stares up at the main door:

“Can we even get in?”

His voice is quiet and shaky, and Mordred steps forward to put a hand on his shoulder as Thornway replies with a small smile:

“You’re the heir, the doors will always open for you, Little Falcon.”

Merlin replies with a weak smirk and flushed cheeks:

“You know, I’m not all that little anymore.”

Thornway barks out a laugh as he shakes his head slightly, ruffling Merlin’s hair as the younger man pouts:

“Well, you’ll always be littler than me.-”

Merlin goes to retort, but before he can, his knight steps back and gestures to the great doors in front of them:

“-Go on, it’s time for us to finally come home, I think.”

Merlin gulps and nods, and Mordred lets his hand fall back to his side as the older Warlock takes the steps two at a time, hesitating only slightly before he wraps his hand around one of the doors’ metal rings. It twists easily in his grip, and the door swings open. Merlin has to take a step back and cover his mouth with his sleeve as he coughs, the billowing clouds of dust being disturbed for the first time in two decades making it almost impossible to see into the dark hall.

It settles after a few moments and Merlin takes a deep breath, reaching behind him wordlessly and relaxing only when he feels Arthur take his hand. The blonde King gives his hand a comforting squeeze, and Merlin takes his first shaking steps across the threshold.

He walks through the dark corridors slowly, one hand tightly clenched in Arthur’s, the other trailing along the wall next to him. The rest of the group is silent as they follow him, and nothing can be heard bar their muffled steps over the dusty rugs, and the deep breathing of Merlin and Thornway.

Merlin seems to know where he’s going, so no one questions the corners he turns and the rooms he passes without second thought. The deeper into the castle they get, the darker it becomes, until finally Merlin stops, a long hall stretched out in front of him. His eyes flash gold and the torches lining the walls flare up, illuminating the corridor in golden light. Arthur turns to look at the Warlock beside him, empathetic tears gathering in his eyes as he sees tracks on Merlin’s cheeks.

Merlin turns to glance at Thornway, whose in a similar state, before closing his eyes and flattening his free hand against the wall, digging his fingertips into the cracks as his voice comes out quiet and raspy:

“I know these halls, this stone.-”

Thornway takes a deep stuttering breath, muttering Merlin’s name. Merlin steps away from the wall, looking back to his knight with a weak, teary smile:

“-Do you remember? Chambers filled with golden light, vast halls bustling with people and dragons and magic?”

Thornway gulps and nods, slowly moving towards Merlin and putting a hand on his shoulder:

“I remember.-”

He nods down the corridor, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat before asking:

“-You remember what’s down there?”

Merlin smiles and nods, squeezing Arthur’s hand and leading the group down the hall, obviously impatient to get to wherever their destination is, but unwilling to walk any quicker.

Leon and Arthur share a confused and slightly concerned look but don’t say anything, allowing Merlin and Thornway to lead the way. Once again, Merlin hesitates only slightly before pushing the door at the end of the corridor open. and the six of them gather inside the immense chamber. Like the rest of the castle, it was dusty, but untouched; unlike the rest of the castle, it was bathed in colourful light. The walls were high, the ceiling obviously stretching far above the surrounding rooms, and the afternoon sun shone brightly through giant stained glass windows.

Reds and blues and greens and every other colour imaginable were splashed across the stone floor, painting pictures of dragons and flowers and family, but everyone’s eyes skip over the colourful artwork, instead being drawn to the two golden thrones sat on a dais at the other end of the hall. Merlin lets go of Arthur’s hand, walking towards the thrones with wide eyes as the others stay back, watching with a mix of pride and grief. Thornway follows after a few moments and Leon has to put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder, shaking his head slightly when the King looks at him. Arthur clenches his hands and looks away, but stays by the door, wanting more than anything to be with Merlin through this but also understanding that it wasn’t his place.

Merlin finally reaches the thrones.

He wipes the thick dust from the armrests with shaking, but reverent hands before sitting down on the steps, slightly to the side of the golden seats. He runs his fingertips over the stone, remembering every bump and crack and texture, and Thornway stands behind him, in line with the thrones, putting a hand on his shoulder and muttering:

“Now this brings back memories.”

Merlin nods, looking up at him, tears no longer flowing, but still gathering in his eyes:

“I... I don’t remember much, but I still... know. I know this is where I sat, with you behind me, ma and dad next to me on their thrones. I remember dad promising that when I was older, they’d have a throne made for me, so I could sit with them.”

Thornway nods, slowly moving to sit beside him, ignoring the creaking in his bones as he lets his weight fall onto the stone steps:

“Hmm. foreign royalty and dignitaries thought it odd that the King and Queen let you sit in on meetings, even as a young child, but they were always adamant; they didn’t want to hide you away. You were always safe, of course, but they wanted you exposed to the people and the people exposed to you. I suppose they wanted to nurture a natural love and protectiveness of your people in you; how could they expect you to serve the Kingdom well if you were only doing so out of duty, and not genuine love?”

Merlin hums thoughtfully before smiling briefly up at Arthur, still stood on the other side of the room. When Arthur tentatively returns the smile, despite not hearing the hushed conversation, Merlin looks to Thornway next to him, bumping shoulders with a short giggle:

“Probably why I’ve always been so disrespectful to Arthur, everyone in here was equal, no matter what. I guess that’s why the treatment of servants and commoners was such a shock when I moved to Camelot, I don’t really remember much of home, but it definitely felt different.”

Thornway nods as Merlin stands, holding out a hand to the knight and pulling him to his feet. Merlin’s gaze moves around the room, though he stays rooted to the spot, and Thornway asks his question quietly:

“What do you want to do? Do you want to finish clearing the castle and the city first, or fetch your mother and uncle first?”

Merlin gulps before taking a deep breath, staring at the floor and saying in a small voice:

“I don’t know... what do you think I should do?”

Thornway chuckles and shakes his head:

“This is your decision, Little Falcon. You are the Crown Prince, this is your Kingdom, your city, your people, trust your instincts. What should be done?”

Merlin looks to Arthur once again, reminding himself of the King’s promise to catch him should he fall, before looking back at Thornway with a determined expression:

“Send Kilgharrah to fetch ma and Gaius. We no longer need him as a deterrent, and we’ll still have Aithusa. He can make the journey to Camelot and back in a week at most, knights, even on horseback, will take at least twice that. It’s been a while since either of them went flying, but they’ll remember soon enough, and I trust Kilgharrah to keep them safe. We can keep clearing the city and start rough plans for rebuilding whilst we wait.”

Thornway grins and nods proudly:

“Exactly what I would have suggested. See? You’ll be just fine.-”

Merlin returns his grin shyly, blushing slightly as he rubs the back of his neck. Thornway rolls his eyes good-naturedly before gesturing to the others:

“-Come, My Lord, we should let the others know and head out to send Kilgharrah off as soon as possible.”

Merlin pushes the older knight’s shoulder playfully at the use of a title, but Thornway just smirks and waves Merlin ahead of him.

Arthur, Leon, and Mordred were told of the plan as the group made their way out of the castle again, having to cover their eyes when they step into the bright sunlight. They all smiled fondly as they saw Merlin’s growing confidence, though Arthur had to stamp down the growing anxiety swirling in his stomach; he refused to be sad for himself.

Kilgharrah was flying back towards Camelot within the hour, and Merlin was separating the army into groups and assigning tasks with a strong voice and straight back, taking every question and suggestion in his stride and organising hundreds of people without issue.

Arthur knew that there was still a conversation to be had between himself and Merlin, though with every day that passed he questioned whether it was the right thing to do. He wasn’t oblivious enough not to notice the way Merlin always asked for his council, even when he didn’t need it, always searched for his eyes in the crowd when he addressed his people, but that didn’t mean that his... affections, were returned.

Everyone, even Thornway now, kept shooting him pitying looks, and he figured out fairly quickly that he wasn’t as subtle as he’d like to believe. Leon was the only one he could rely on to convincingly pretend nothing was wrong, and Arthur used that to back up his deliberate ignoring of his stupid emotions.

Six days had passed and the clearing of debris from the lower town was well on its way when Kilgharrah landed in the castle courtyard, his two passengers tense and teary. Only Hunith, Gaius, Merlin, and Thornway took the journey through the castle this time; the others continued to help with the work in the town, not quite feeling that they would be welcome on the emotional tour.

Hunith decided fairly quickly that she would move on to become Queen Mother. Merlin would be crowned King (though he put his foot down and insisted that it wouldn’t happen until everything was properly sorted, and the people were settled back in the city), and though Hunith would still be the most senior of the royals, Merlin would technically have the most power.

Arthur had mixed feelings about that.

As King, Merlin would be a lot busier, would have a lot more responsibilities, but equally, he would have much more control over the use of his time; somehow making it both harder and easier to organise visits between the two of them. Though Arthur, of course, didn’t mention such feelings, just pulled Merlin into another tight hug and congratulated him with a grin.

With the help of Merlin and Mordred’s magic, and the few sorcerers scattered throughout the army they had brought, clearing the town of debris and rebuilding what they could with whatever was left went fairly quickly. Soon enough, the blacksmith’s and an infirmary were up and running, and the farms were ready for work to commence, just as soon as the resources from Camelot arrived.

The castle, whilst it had been fully explored by Merlin, Hunith, Thornway, and Gaius, had yet to be opened up to others or cleaned properly, but no one mentioned it. The gang slept happily in homes rebuilt in the upper town, and accepted Merlin’s excuse of wanting to focus on the people’s infrastructure first.

It was a week or so after Hunith and Gaius had arrived, Kilgharrah and Aithusa had disappeared into the mountains with Merlin’s approval, and Arthur once again found Merlin stood in the otherwise empty, still dusty throne room, staring at the golden seats with his hands in his pockets and his face tense.

Years ago, Arthur would’ve been wrong in his assumption that Merlin hadn’t heard him approach, but just this once he knows that he’s right. Arthur had slowly become an expert on picking up Merlin’s ticks, and even in the low light of the evening the blonde could tell that Merlin had no clue he was there.

Arthur didn’t want to feel like he was intruding, so cleared his throat quietly, only walking closer to the other man when his head whipped around, smiling slightly when he saw it was just Arthur.

Arthur stepped up next to him, and they both stared at the thrones in silence, shoulders brushing ever so slightly. Everything had been so busy in recent weeks that, other than the conversation two weeks earlier, Arthur and Merlin had spent barely any time together, just the two of them; every other time Arthur had found Merlin alone in the throne room he had shut the door quietly behind him and left, too afraid to intrude, not quite ready to start a conversation. The conversation.

After a few minutes, he clears his throat again and speaks in a quiet voice, not looking to the Warlock next to him:

“What’s on your mind?”

Merlin responds almost immediately, but like Arthur, he speaks quietly and doesn’t move his gaze from the thrones:

“Nothing, everything. I’m... doing ok, I think.-”

Arthur nods with a small smile, but Merlin continues before he can say anything:

“-But I’m scared that I’m only doing well because you’re here. You have to go back to Camelot eventually and... it sounds stupid, but I... I don’t want you to go. I need you, Arthur.”

Arthur gulps, finally looking to Merlin’s sorrowful face, though the other man refuses to meet his gaze. He takes his hands out of his pockets, fiddling with them roughly, rubbing his knuckles together and scratching his palms harshly. Arthur clenches his jaw, taking one of Merlin’s hands in his own gently and running soothing fingers over the younger man’s callouses:

“I know what you mean.-”

Merlin looks to him in surprise, his eyes widening, and Arthur continues with a small smile:

“-I told you, Merlin, I’m only a good King because of you. I’ve never had to rule on my own before and I’m dreading going back to Camelot without you.-”

Merlin shakes his head roughly, but Arthur continues once again, before he can disagree:

“-No, Merlin, don’t argue, it’s true. I... I need you as well, I don’t want to be without you, and I’ve no clue how I’m going to cope with a week’s ride between us. Leon tried talking some sense into me back in Camelot, and I know he was right, that all relationships take effort and we’ll have to work incredibly hard to stay in each other’s lives in any significant capacity, and I’m absolutely willing to do anything to keep you close, if not physically then... otherwise, but I’m still...-”

Arthur sighs and looks away, his cheeks just a little bit pink as he continues quietly:

“-I’m still scared to be without you.”

Merlin gulps and squeezes Arthur’s hand in his own, waiting for the blonde to finally look up at him again. The Warlock smiles at the eye contact and Arthur returns it weakly as Merlin finally replies:

“The last ten years of my life have revolved around you, completely and utterly, and I know it’s selfish of me to... not want that to change. I know I’m staying here, with my people, as their King. I would never consider abandoning them, not really, but I desperately want to, just so I can stay with you. We... we’ll figure something out, find some way to communicate quickly. I’m magic incarnate, there has to be a way, I... I’ll make a way, if I have to.”

The tears in Arthur’s eyes finally overflow at Merlin’s determined tone, but before the other man can say anything about it, Arthur pulls him into a tight hug, clutching his cloak in shaking fingers and burying his face in his shoulder, for once feeling grateful for the extra inch in height that Merlin has on him. Merlin returns the hug without hesitation, closing his eyes against the tears, though not managing to stop them from falling as he quietly speaks, his voice thick:

“I promised that I would stay with you until the day I died, but I... I have to leave, I... I can’t-”

Arthur tightens the hug as he interrupts him:

“No, Merlin, you owe me nothing, you don’t have to explain. You’ve already given me my kingdom, now it’s my chance to return the favour. I would never ever ask you to leave this behind just for me.”

Arthur can feel Merlin’s body shaking with silent sobs, and he runs a hand through his hair softly, breathing deeply in an effort to hold in his own bawling.

They stand wrapped in each other for a while, neither willing to let go even when their tears dry up and their breathing evens out. Eventually Merlin rasps out a whispered:

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Arthur pulls back at long last, but doesn’t go far, leaning his forehead against Merlin’s and closing his eyes before replying:

“You won’t. We’ll take turns hosting Yule celebrations, and I can visit on your birthday, and there’ll be tournaments of course, and trade routes, and shared patrols near the border. I refuse to let you slip from my grasp, Merlin, you’ll never be without me, not for long anyway.”

Merlin huffs out a gentle laugh, and Arthur thinks the flutter of his breath over his cheeks and through his eyelashes is the most beautiful thing he’s ever felt. Both of them open their eyes, but they don’t move away from each other, even as they stare, becoming increasingly aware of the very little amount of space between them. Arthur’s brows crease slightly but he ignores the concerned question in Merlin’s eyes, instead lifting a hand to gently cup his jaw, gulping as Merlin’s expression falls into a soft smile.

The King takes a deep breath as he summons his courage, eyes filling with tears again as he clears his throat, whispering so quietly that it’s a miracle Merlin hears him, even with only inches between them:

“Merlin, I... you mean a great deal to... I mean I... -”

He cuts himself off with a quiet huff, and Merlin smirks at the slight blush dusting his cheeks, patiently waiting for him to continue. Arthur shuts his eyes tightly, taking another deep breath before opening them with a newfound determination. He meant it, he’d come this far, he was not going to let Merlin slip away:

“I love you, you are the single most important person in my life, and I would go to the ends of this world just to see you smile. I owe you my life, and so much more than that; you’ve been making promises and swearing oaths to my crown for years-”

Merlin interrupts him quietly:

“To you, to Arthur, not the crown, to you.”

Arthur huffs slightly and rolls his eyes:

“I’m trying to confess my undying love here Merlin, and I’m not very good with this whole... expressing shit, so shut up and let me finish.-”

Merlin snorts but stays otherwise silent, raising an eyebrow to prompt Arthur to continue:

“-Like I was saying. You’ve been swearing things for years, and now it’s my turn.-”

Arthur steps back, taking Merlin’s hands tightly in his own as he lowers himself to one knee, pressing his forehead to the Warlock’s knuckles:

“-I swear on my crown and in the name of Camelot, that I will always love you, that I will always be ready catch you, and that I will never stop putting the work in to make sure I don’t lose you, that you don’t lose me.”

The blonde can hear Merlin’s stuttered breathe and barely has time to process Merlin’s whispered-

“I accept your oath.”

-before he’s being pulled to his feet and urgently kissed.

One of Merlin’s hands settles on the side of Arthur’s neck and the other grips his hip. Arthur’s arms flail for only a moment in his shock before he moves to clutch Merlin’s collar tightly, closing his eyes and kissing back, pushing as much of his devotion into the action as possible and wanting nothing more than to sooth the stress-induced bite marks on Merlin’s lips.

They pull back far too soon, as far as both of them are concerned, once again resting their foreheads against each other as they catch their breath. Arthur’s face slowly morphs into a grin as he says:

“And to think I was stressing over whether I should tell you for weeks.”

Merlin rolls his eyes in response, snorting in amusement as he admits, much to Arthur’s chagrin:

“Believe me, I already knew, you weren’t very subtle. You’ve been sulking.”

Arthur lets out an incredulous huff and pulls back, still holding Merlin’s collar but staring at Merlin’s amused raised eyebrow with wide eyes:

“I am a King, Merlin, I do not sulk.”

Merlin chuckles:

“Well so am I, and yes you do.”

Arthur narrows his eyes slightly:

“Not yet you’re not. That’s besides the point, if you knew... why didn’t you say anything?”

Merlin’ face falls slightly, and if Arthur had to guess, he’d say that Merlin looked a little guilty. The blonde furrowed his brows but pulls his Warlock close again, stroking his jaw softly with his thumb as he waits for an answer:

“I... I love you, Arthur, more than anything, but... I wanted see if you would do anything about it. I knew I would do anything for you, but I needed... I needed to know if you thought I was worth the distance, the effort. If I said something first, I never would have known... I would always be second guessing if you were about to... to break it off, because you didn’t want to put in the frankly ridiculous amount of effort it’s going to take to keep things... good.”

Arthur smiles and shakes his head disbelievingly, landing a quick kiss to the tip of Merlin’s nose and smirking at the way his face scrunches in response:

“Well, now you do know. I will do anything, everything, to keep you happy and safe and loved. You will always be in my heart, if not by my side.”

Merlin smiles, and the two of them resolutely ignore the tears gathering in their eyes as he whispers his reply:

“As will I. I’ll talk to the Druids, Kilgharrah, Thornway, I’m sure we’ll be able to figure out some magical way to communicate.”

Arthur just smiles and nods, taking Merlin’s hands in his own once more:

“Ready to head to sleep? It’s late, and I know you’re tired.”

Merlin takes a deep breath, glancing to the thrones before walking towards the door, keeping Arthur’s hand securely in his:

“Yeah. Though unless we sneak past the others I doubt we’ll get to sleep for a while. Morgana’s been speaking to me in my head and teasing me for weeks and my mum keeps hinting at how politically beneficial a marriage between the kingdoms would be.”

Arthur doesn’t even try to hide his snort, but nods in agreement and squeezes Merlin’s hand, following him out into the star-lit evening with a newfound enthusiasm to see what the future will bring.

THE END OF PART 2!!!

I think I’ll write one more reeeaally short part, a ten years later sort of thing, just because I have a few more ideas about this, but no real huge plot points, just cute little things I want to add in but haven’t found space for yet.

This took a little longer than I expected to come out, but I hope y’all enjoyed it!!

(and yes, I may have taken a little inspiration from The Hobbit movies, sue me (pls don’t, I’m kidding))

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thebookluvrr1816 · 3 years

Text

currently crying over :

“He’s my friend”. The simple words meant so much. Merlin had been charged to protect Arthur for the good of the kingdom. The prince was destined to become a great king, uniting the land of Albion and freeing magic once more. But right now, that paled into insignificance beside the thought of no longer being by Arthur’s side. Merlin had come to admire and like the prince so much, and for all that Arthur ordered him around, there was a bond between them that neither could deny.

Official BBC merlin books

‘Dangerous Quests’ (Le Morte D’Arthur)

“But right now, that paled into insignificance beside the thought of no longer being by Arthur’s side.”

I CANNOT-

#also #there was a bond between them that neither could deny. -#god #the books are so gay and I love it #merthur #bbc merlin books #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon

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ladyofthelake · 4 years

Text

Merthur from the BBC Book ‘Dangerous Quests’ aka Le Morte D’Arthur

Strong arms grabbed Merlin and dragged him up. Arthur and Sir Bedivere had seen him fall, and had risked their own safety to come to his rescue.

It reminded him of Sir Bedivere, whose selflessness in rescuing Merlin had led to his own death. It might not have been Merlin’s fault, but the guilt still haunted him. not really merthur but kinda makes me think of them because Merlin will absolutely blame himself and be haunted for 1500 years over the finale

“Maybe the spells need time to take effect”, he suggested with desperate hope. But in his heart he knew that the hope was futile.

He wanted Arthur to live so much; he could not conceive of a world where the prince would be allowed to die.

But all he was thinking of was Arthur, dying even as they spoke and that was why he cried out, “Please! Just tell me what I have to do!”

Merlin was so relieved he could barely stammer out his thanks. He’d been given a chance. No matter how difficult it was, he would succeed.

“And Merlin, “the Dragon called after him, “The young Pendragon must live, no matter what the cost.” Merlin nodded. Of course. He felt exactly the same.

He knew he did not want to die. But if that was the cost of saving Arthur, then so be it.

It was a large golden chalice, and Merlin was reminded of the goblet Nimueh had once poisoned - a poison that would have cost him his life, if Arthur hadn’t risked everything to save him. It made it even clearer to him - he was doing the right thing. The prince had to live.

Emotions swirled inside him - relief at his success, desperate hope that he would not be too late to save Arthur, and a kind of dull fear of what might lie ahead.

Merlin rode through the night. His horse nearly collapsed beneath him, but there could be no rest until the water was safely with Gaius, ready to be given to Arthur. As dawn broke, the walls of the city finally came into sight.

He stumbled into Gaius’ chambers and thrust the chagul into the physician’s hands. “We need to give this to Arthur,” he said. “Please hurry.” Only a few minutes later, Merlin was cradling the prince’s head in his arms as Gaius administered the magical remedy, watching anxiously for any sign of recovery.

“The prince lives” The news spread throughout the court. Merlin heard it with relief and happiness. Whatever happened next, it was worth it.

(upon seeing Hunith) he had no difficulty in recognising the face he loved more than any other in the world.

Anything. Such a simple word. a word said easily and lightly, with no notion of what it implied. He’d thought he meant it at the time. But his mother for Arthur...

He didn’t know if he could have made the choice if it had been offered to him - but the choice should have been his. The Dragon should not have made the decision for him, of that he was certain. Merlin would have chosen between his mother and Arthur his mother the face he loved on the same level as Arthur HELP MEE

The prince was well again. At least, thought Merlin, no one could take that away from him. “How are you?” he said, trying to hide the vast emotions that still churned inside him. “Good”, said Arthur. “I owe it all to Gaius.”

Merlin allowed himself a half- smile at that. There had been times when he’d resented others gaining credit for the things he’d done.

“You’re a prat. And a royal one.” Arthur raised an eyebrow. Merlin wondered if he too was remembering on of their first encounters, when he’d called the prince a prat and Arthur, instead of gaoling him, had let him go.

“I’m happy o be your servant, until the day I die.” It was clear that Arthur didn’t know what to make of this. It was not the sort of thing Merlin usually said.

#merlin #merthur #merlin bbc books #yup im dead #MERLIN WOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE THATS CANON #HE PUT ARTHUR ON THE SAME LEVEL AS HUNITH #HE LOVED HER WITH EVERYTHING HE WAS #merthur is canon #the fact he wanted to save Arthur as a person not for the kingdom especially #but because he was his friend #HE WANTED TO BE BY ARTHUR'S SIDE FOR NO OTHER REASON OTHER THAN HE LIKED HIM #I AM 58673573% DONE #ROAST ME BATES ME AND FLING ME INTO THE SUN

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thelastlonelywriter · 4 years

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Let’s play: Do They Have Brain Cells? (BBC Merlin Edition)

This got pretty long, so here’s a summary and the full version is below the line.

Arthur has some, they just keep turning off

Merlin only uses them to remember birthdays

Gwen’s only function when they want to, regardless of what she wants

Leon got Mom Friend disease, so it doesn’t matter how many he has bc they’re not helpful

Lancelot’s get overridden by his need to be noble

Gwaine doesn’t use his to do anything useful

Percival just doesn’t have any relevant knowledge to being a knight

Elyan actively ignores his

Arthur - He’s got a good handful, contrary to popular belief. They’re mostly Running the Kingdom Knowledge and Respect My Friends cells. You can’t really tell that he has them most of the time though. The Respect My Friends ones don’t use a lot of common sense when left to their own devices, which results in a lot of charging and yelling and not a lot of forethought. The Running the Kingdom Knowledge ones often get overridden by Uther’s voice in his head telling him that he’s wrong, and he needs Gwen and Merlin to get them working again.

Merlin - He’s the proud owner of at least ten brain cells. He’s really good at learning and remembering things, but he doesn’t mess with pesky things like logic or thinking ahead. He can recite most of Camelot’s history from memory, but current political advice? Based entirely on his current mood and how much he likes the other people involved. He’s also really good at remembering dates. He never forgets a birthday and always is very kind and supportive on anniversaries of deaths.

Gwen - She’s got a reasonable number of functioning brain cells (more than any of the knights, anyways), but they take shifts. This would work great if the shifts were balanced, but what she gets is like, a round of Mom Friend cells followed by a round of Literal Sunshine and then a round of Running the Kingdom. She’s a good support system for the knights because other people’s brain cells work better around her, but as soon as her support system is gone, so are her brain cells.

Leon - He’s got a normal number of brain cells, but unfortunately they’ve all been taken over by Mom Friend disease. He actually uses like, logic and forethought and remembers important details though, so he’s doing alright. It’s just that every single thought he’s ever had has been filtered through a lens of ‘how is this going to impact my friends’. Sometimes that’s helpful, sometimes it’s a mess.

Lancelot - A lot of people think he’s the knight with the most brain cells, but he’s really just noble. He would literally rather die than see any of his friends get a paper cut, so he acts accordingly. Every time they’re in trouble, all the brain cells he does have are over-ridden by his need to protect everyone.

Gwaine - He’s...pretty similar to Merlin, actually. He’s got lots of random useless info stored because that’s how nobility rolls and also it’s more fun to think about than whatever Arthur and Leon are talking about. He doesn’t have as many brain cells as Merlin though. He does, however, use his limited brain cells to think about hot people a lot.

Percival - He’s got like, a decent amount of brain cells it’s just that none of them apply to being a knight. He doesn’t want the other knights to know that he only knows what he’s doing when it comes to farming and stuff so he just follows their lead and tries to remember as much of what Arthur/Leon/Gwen tell him as possible.

Elyan - There’s brain cells there, it’s just that he doesn’t listen to them. He doesn’t like doing what people tell him to do because he’s got this whole underlying resentment for most nobles, and that accidentally got extended to his brain. He could use logic and forethought if he wanted to, but he doesn’t.

#random thoughts #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin #sir leon #sir lancelot #sir gwaine #sir percival #sir elyan #brain cells are overrated anyways #guinevere

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bellamyblakru · 4 years

Note

Hey, I saw your "I have you, it's okay" Merthur drabble and thought it was incredible and beautifully written ❤️ So could I please request "Please tell me you aren't dead..." + Merthur, thanks xx

THANK YOU SO MUCH IMMA CRY🥺😭this is so kind, of course you can request that!! id literally write anything anyone asks me🥺thank you so much for the request, i hope i don’t let you down!! (im doing canon era again because i live for them, with all the knights alive and such) (i also made merlin say the prompt instead of arthur this time to mix things up)

Merlin was going to kill Arthur...if he wasn’t dead already.

Last night, the knights, the King and his servant went out to the tavern after sparring to try to enjoy the beautiful new spring weather that had finally arrived in Camelot—instead of sweating and beating each other relentlessly in the sun, Merlin thought unenthusiastically. This tavern trip, however, was different from the others. Instead of Gwaine leading the charge towards drinking unmercifully, it was surprisingly Arthur this time around. Merlin usually didn’t drink—just in case King Prat needed saving, but this time he couldn’t help himself. He was having a good day: Arthur was being unusually kind and tactile with him, Lancelot complimented his outfit, and Gwen stopped by today to give him his favorite sweet from the kitchens, so having a few drinks with his family would only top off his day. It is a known fact in Camelot that Merlin is a lightweight drinker—his abnormally low tolerance for alcohol made every knight howl with laughter, especially when he was hiccuping after drink number three.

What drunk Merlin and company didn’t realize at the time was how little Arthur was drinking. While Merlin, Gwaine, and Lancelot were on drink number four, Arthur barely touched his first round. Arthur had a reason, of course, for going light today, but he didn’t want to let the others realize his lack of drunkenness. He played the part of drunk King, but he had different plans for that night.

Earlier that day, a report came in from the south. The writer claimed to have seen a rare creature, one that only existed in the myths and legends, while pleading with the King of Camelot to conquer the beast before it can harm more of his people. Arthur refused to let Merlin read the report—which never happened. Merlin was hurt for a minute, but Arthur soon made it up to him by ordering two plates to be served for lunch (Merlin soon forgot about the paper after that). The reporter was convinced that the creature was a Necat Caritatem. They weren’t big creatures, and they didn’t look extremely threatening. They haven’t been seen in over a century--according to the library, that is. The name loosely translated to “love kills,” which is precisely what it does. It lures their prey with the scent of what or who they love the most, uses it to capture their victim, to slowly suck the love out of them. There are other stories that if the Necat Caritatem catches you with your love, they delight in witnessing one lover losing their love almost as much as the actual taking of the feeling. Arthur had believed they were all killed off--they were once the greatest threat in the land, and if this letter is to be believed, then his kingdom did face one of its biggest threats of their time.

Killing love is killing hope, light, and freedom all at once. The essence of humankind thrives on the existence of this one single idea, hope. Existing in this world, that can cease to be at any moment, is arduous without optimism. Giving a seedling light allows it to thrive, it becomes one with the world, part of something bigger than itself. Refusing this light slowly kills it. Taking away this love, this hope in the world of darkness, is the worst kind of pain. Arthur refused to let Merlin see the report. He knew where that would lead: “Merlin, no, you can’t come with me” “Arthur, don’t be stupid, of course I’m coming. Who would protect you?” Every time it was the same conversation, with different threats, but this conversation will not happen today.

This was different. This adventure could take Merlin away from Arthur, and he wouldn’t let that happen. Merlin was Arthur’s love, his hope, his life. Taking away Merlin’s unconditional love would be like stripping away the sun from the earth. Arthur knew that without Merlin’s love and loyalty, Arthur would amount to nothing. Merlin’s smile helped Arthur get out of bed in the morning and was the last thing he thought about before he closed his eyes. Merlin is too important to Arthur, to his kingdom he helped build. Arthur knew Merlin kept secrets, but he didn’t hold it against him. How could he? Arthur understood--he truly did. People keep secrets for a few reasons, but the only one Arthur could give for Merlin would be that Merlin’s secret could hurt those around him and Arthur knew Merlin went to great lengths to avoid hurting those he loved. Some would argue that Merlin kept secrets because Arthur was king, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Some things are safer kept to one person, but he hoped that Merlin would truly let him into his heart one day.

So, back to the drinking. Merlin was giggling with Gwaine’s attempts at flirting when Arthur tried to make his escape. He was just about to excuse himself when Merlin turned his beautiful, blinding smile onto him, and Arthur had to hold the edge of the table to stop his knees from collapsing underneath him. He holds too much power over me, Arthur thought ruefully with a small returning smile for drunk Merlin’s sake. Merlin stumbled over to Arthur and swung his arm around his shoulders, “Want to retire, sirrree?” Merlin sang to him into his ear. Arthur’s first thought was, how does he understand me so hammered?, then out loud he laughed, “Yes Merlin, I do have a kingdom to run tomorrow, but let’s get you to bed before Gwaine gets you to do anything unlawful.” Merlin just smiled at that and bid his goodbyes to the group, stumbling fast on Arthur’s heels. As Merlin was dead on his feet, the minute they were out of sight Arthur picked him up bridal style to move this along faster.

Arthur deposited Merlin on the king’s bed, taking care of him for as long as he could. When Arthur gave Merlin his mother’s sigil, he thought it would represent his love and respect for Merlin, but maybe it would help Merlin rise to be the leader he knew he could be when he is gone. Arthur could think of no one else better to lead his legacy.

He quietly asked for a horse to be prepared so he could start his southern quest. In the candle light, Merlin looked to be softly glowing. Arthur tried to remember every detail of his best friend, but he would need to leave soon if he wished to get there by sunrise. At the last minute, he decided to write Merlin a quick note explaining what was happening, with the report underneath it, ending the letter with ‘Yours Always, Arthur.’ This was the right thing to do. If Arthur was going to go down, it would be fighting for a future where Merlin exists.

Merlin woke up with a raging headache that doubled when he opened his eyes to the blinding light. The only thing he remembers from last night was Arthur’s lovely smile and the third drink. The softness underneath him, though, was a rude awakening. He jumped out of the bed but was immediately too dizzy to have a coherent thought. After putting his head against the cold wood of the bed, he decided he was stable enough to finally look around. The first things that drew his attention were the plate of food, Gaius’s hangover medicine, and a pile of papers that had his name written on top. Downing the cure, following that up with some bacon, he sat down to read.

Of fucking course he would, Merlin thought angrily, if there is one scratch on his stupid perfect blond head I’ll kill anyone who has ever threatened him. Merlin left the King’s room in a flurry of anger, love, and desperation. The servants quickly avoided this version of Merlin, knowing better, while he made his way down to the stables to go himself.

The trip was fairly quick, but what Merlin saw when he arrived made his blood run cold. Arthur was surrounded and caked by blood, both silver and red. Merlin halted for a second, letting his heart slow down enough to get the physician in him to address the situation clearly.

It didn’t work.

Merlin walked unsteadily to Arthur, his breath coming in harsh puffs. This wasn’t the end. This couldn’t be the end. They had a kingdom to continue building, they had people to free, but, most importantly, they had their lives ahead of them to learn how to love each other, properly, that is--without one of them trying to die to keep the other alive.

"Please tell me you aren't dead..." Merlin whispered when he bent down to Arthur’s body, tears already flowing down his face.

Arthur’s breath was shallow but still there. Breathing, even this small, made the hope in Merlin’s chest burst. He could make it.

Merlin put his forehead against Arthur’s, put his hands against his heart, and put his entire soul and magic into Arthur. Arthur took a gasping breath and opened his eyes to see his Merlin sobbing onto him. Snapping his head up, it took Merlin to realize that his eyes were still burning gold. Arthur, still breathing heavily, took Merlin’s face into his hands and kissed him. Merlin, still catching up on what was happening, hesitated and when he finally understood what this kiss meant, Arthur unceremoniously passed out again--looking healthier as time continued on.

Arthur managed to kill the Necat Caritatem in a bloody fight. The creature tried to use a hallucination of Merlin doing magic against him to slow down Arthur’s fighting, but seeing Merlin with beautifully golden eyes, giving off such an auror of power only made Arthur fight harder. If Merlin truly had that power within him, then Arthur wanted to witness that power himself. He knew Merlin’s heart, and an evil sorcerer is not who he was--no matter what this creature showed him. Not expecting that reaction of pure love, the creature fought dirty and clumsily--since it’s main source of attack was usually against the mind. Arthur ended it with Excalibur through its heart, and with Arthur trying to remember when his vision started getting so blurry.

The next time he woke up, it was to Merlin crying over his body, glowing ethereally. Those eyes he was taught to hate was the only reason he was alive, and the golden fire seemed to complete who Merlin was to him: strength, power, wisdom, and love. Through that train of thought, Arthur’s only reasonable reaction was to kiss the ever-loving shit out of Merlin until the dark claimed him once more.

#ashley writes #merthur drabble #thank you so much for the prompt #i dont wanna write more sad LOL it makes me sad #this was fun to write!!#i love y'all so much #merthur #thank you all for being so kind to me #again this is heka long sorry lmfaoo #sentence starter

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generallynerdy · 5 years

Text

Our Little Secret Part 12 (Merlin & Child!Reader, Mordred X Reader)

Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11

Summary: (Y/N) recalls the dreaded events of the last few days, from which she returned to Camelot alone, despite having left with Mordred.

Key: (Y/N) - your name

Warnings: mind control, injuries, violence, death, blood, cliffhangers, the whole shebang

Word Count: 1,835

Note: i couldn’t justify mordred leaving of his own account very well without giving up (Y/N)’s secret and i have a better plan for that so??? have some mind control i guess,,,this ending is faster than i wanted it but whatcha gonna do aLSO CLIFFHANGER AGAIN AHAHAHAHAHA

“(Y/N),” said a gentle voice.

The young woman remained still, her eyes just as unmoving as she was. Those crowded in the room watched her with curiosity, though they stayed a good distance away from her chair. They had been dining in the hall when she arrived, beaten and bruised, completely abandoned in the forest without her horse or her companion, Mordred, who had left with her days ago.

“I need you to tell me what happened,” the gentle voice spoke. It was Arthur, kneeling in front of her to meet her eyes. “Tell me everything.”

(Y/N) inhaled shakily. “It– we– I don’t know. I don’t know. It happened so fast.”

“Just take a deep breath,” he said. “Start from the beginning.”

“We– Mordred and I– were hunting a troop of Saxons that was terrorizing the outlying villages; burning crops, killing men. It took nearly three days, but we found them and took care of the lot of them, so we began the journey home. We were a day’s ride from the citadel when we made camp for the night,” she told them.

Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. “Were you attacked that far into the border?”

“No,” (Y/N) said, finally looking up at him. Her voice cracked. “That’s just it– there was no attack.”

“What do you mean?” Leon, who was also nearby, asked her cautiously.

She grasped one arm with the opposite hand, almost shaking in her chair. “Something– something happened to Mordred. He woke the next morning convinced you, Arthur, had killed someone important to him.”

“What?” Arthur glanced between the council members, then back to her. “Who?”

“Kara. She was, uh, a druid girl. They grew up together, but he hadn’t seen her in years,” (Y/N) stuttered. “He was practically screaming, furious with you over a crime you hadn’t committed. I tried to ask him when and how he thought this happened, but he wouldn’t stop talking about how you would pay for it.”

“And where did he go?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. He took the only horse we had and rode off. That’s why it took me so long to get here.” She looked up at him. “Arthur, you have to believe that wasn’t Mordred. I don’t know where he even heard the tale. He was not himself.”

“I believe you,” he said, putting a hand to her shoulder. “Do you have any idea where he went?”

(Y/N) froze and looked away from him. “Nowhere good, sire,” she muttered.

“Where?”

“He said something about finding Morgana.”

In the following weeks, the war against Morgana became far more intense. Reports of a dark-haired sorcerer at her side came swarming in and they only made (Y/N) fight harder, for she knew her Mordred was not there willingly.

When Arthur made the decision to ride out and meet Morgana’s forces at Camlann, (Y/N) readied herself for the fight of her life.

Those last weeks had been difficult, searching for Mordred and avoiding Merlin with all her might. She was so focused upon her work that the others grew concerned for her, more so when they planned to ride out. They knew she would stop at nothing to save Mordred and, while they did not blame her, they worried it would get her killed.

Waiting in the camp the day before they thought the battle would begin, (Y/N) suddenly regretted not saying goodbye to Merlin. Perhaps he was a stubborn bastard that had driven Mordred and herself away to the point where they could die this day and have never spoken to him again, but he was important to her nonetheless. His worries had been for Arthur and (Y/N) when it came to accepting Mordred and he could not be blamed for his protective nature. The mistakes he made while being protective, yes, but something told the young woman that he was already feeling the repercussions of them.

(Y/N) and her four favourite knights in the world, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Gwaine, gathered by the fire for what felt like their last meal. Spot laid loyally at her feet. He was probably too old for this kind of thing, but she felt he would chase her all the way from Camelot if he wasn’t brought along in the first place.

When she was done eating, the young woman cleared her throat. “Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you all to know that I’m grateful for all you’ve done for me and I’m blessed with the opportunity to fight alongside you.”

Leon, her oldest friend of all of them, looked up with sad eyes. She spoke as if she planned to die and that in itself killed him. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that the same could be said to you.”

That night, when the attack began early, (Y/N) stood beside Leon. They stood together during Arthur’s speech and during the initial charge. They shared one last glance before racing into the battlefield together.

It was a battle unlike any other she had fought. Besides the brutal nature of it, it seemed she was constantly outnumbered, surrounded by up to five men at a time.

She unabashedly used her magic whenever she needed, feeling that this was the final battle, no matter the outcome. If Morgana died, Arthur would likely allow magic more freely in his kingdom. If (Y/N) died, then there was no reason for her to worry about them knowing her secret from the afterlife. If Mordred were to die that day, then she would, too, whether by the enemy’s hand or her own.

It came to be, after the initial attack and Merlin’s appearance, though in disguise, that (Y/N) found herself in a quiet, narrow space.

She was fighting off two men and spotted Arthur in her peripheral vision. He was being approached by a dark-haired figure, but did not see him. Luckily for the king, she shouted his name, which gained his attention and allowed him to defend himself from her lover’s attack.

Soon, she was distracted by her own duel with the two Saxons, focused more on defense until she could turn the tide her way.

However, she failed to see the third attacker creeping up behind her.

Kill Arthur. Kill Arthur. Kill him. Kara. Avenge Kara. Kill him.

Mordred was in a dark room, sobbing and clawing at stone walls that had no door. The ends of his fingers never stopped bleeding and his nails were worn to the point of uselessness. No matter the amount of screaming and shouting and begging he produced, no one came to rescue him. He was stuck in a prison of his concoction, his own invention.

He knew Arthur had done nothing to wrong him, yet he couldn’t convince his mind otherwise. It was as if all logic had been shoved aside and his emotions were ruling him, using a false story to drive him to kill his king.

The young man could see himself go to attack Arthur. He could feel the sword in his hands, the wind upon his face, but he had no control over it. However much he moved his hands to try and drop the sword, they stayed stone still. The only thing that seemed to reflect his true mindset was the fact that tears fell from his eyes.

Please, he whispered, knowing Morgana was listening. Don’t make me do this.

As soon as the thought left his head, Arthur seemed to realise that the young man was crying, not to mention that his eyes were a sickly green.

“I don’t want to do this, Mordred,” he huffed, blocking another swipe of his sword. “You have to fight it. You have to fight her.”

Mordred wished that the king’s words inspired him to give more effort, but they did the exact opposite. He had tried already. He had tried so many times before, yet he was still trapped in his own head.

That was when he saw her.

(Y/N) was across the way, fighting off two Saxons. The sight of her filled him with such hope that for a second, just a second, his eyes moved of his own accord.

(Y/N), came the thought. That’s (Y/N). I love her.

But then he saw the third Saxon, who was sneaking up behind her, battle axe raised. She didn’t notice him, which filled Mordred with a sense of dread.

The thought of (Y/N)’s in danger wasn’t even fully in his head before he felt his hands loosen, dropping his sword onto the ground. He didn’t dare take another second to look at Arthur’s expression before he was racing across the field. When he arrived, he almost shoved (Y/N) out of the way, but was mindful of the other two Saxons at her front, before standing in between her and the Saxon.

The axe was bearing down on him before anyone even realised he was there. It cut him from his left shoulder to his right hip and he collapsed onto the ground without a sound.

(Y/N) had heard the shink of the axe against his skin and turned, killing the Saxon with a stab to the stomach. It was then that she saw Mordred’s bright eyes, turning back to his own rather than the green they would be under Morgana’s spell, staring up at her with a sort of deadness.

“NO!”

Across the battlefields of Camlann, Morgana and Merlin stood apart. They battled grievously, using all manner of magic they could before they turned to physical weapons. Morgana had been a great swordswoman in her time and she had lost none of her skill.

However, when she heard a cry from far off and her connection to Mordred was severed, she lost her focus. She turned her head violently, searching for the young man in the distance.

“Mordred,” she whispered.

Another word had not left her lips before a sword was driven through her midriff. The witch gasped at the sudden pain, looking down at the weapon then back to its bearer. She searched Merlin’s face for remorse, but found none, resigning her to her fate.

Thus, Morgana Pendragon collapsed, life fading from her eyes in an instant.

It wasn’t until she was gone that Merlin sighed, his eyebrows furrowed. Even his ageing spell could not disguise the pain he had felt at killing his old friend.

She hadn’t been the fair and just Lady Morgana in a long time, but she had always held some sort of remnant of her past, at least to Merlin. He could not help but think of the old days whenever he had seen her. Those days were gone forever now.

Merlin’s head snapped up when he heard (Y/N)’s scream, his heart dropping. The loss of Morgana was inevitable, as he had long resolved, but to lose (Y/N) now would be the death of him.

Merlin Tags: @pearlll09

Part 13

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laurasinele · 5 years

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A second life for Arthur Pendragon (a Fictober19 drabble)

Prompt 16: “Listen. No, really, listen”

Fanfic from: Merlin

Tags: Merlin/Arthur, bisexual Arthur, love confessions, second chances, absolutely self-indulgent

Warnings: mentions of war, also this is so silly it may make you stupid and so fluffy it may rotten your teeth.

Ao3

Merlin was following Arthur through the woods, discreetly casting a mild breeze that lifted the dead leaves on the ground, covering their tracks, as he used to do. This time, though, it came out sloppy, Merlin’s mind being concerned with Arthur’s silent fury.

Arriving to a small spring, Arthur slowed his stroll a bit, undid his armour’s shoulder pads and drank some water, all the while not uttering a word. From a cautionary distance, instilling a protective spell in the bark of the tree he had his hand on, Merlin watched him wash his face and hand, and remove the rest of his armour plates and his chainmail vest. His movements were methodical, not particularly brusque nor slow. They were just infused with deep indignation. Finally, hands propped on his hips, Arthur turned to look at Merlin with white hot wrath in his eyes.

“What was that?”

His voice was low and paused but Merlin winced as if Arthur had just yelled with all the power of his lungs.

“I...uh… Your moronic servant has just saved your life again, your majesty?”, Merlin offered with a half smile and the knowledge that he was about to be shoved against the nearest solid surface.

Arthur’s nostrils widened. He looked severely at Merlin and moved as if he was going to turn his back to him, but in the last second he charged against him and shoved him against the tree he was leaning in. Inwardly terrified, but always an optimistic, Merlin widened his smile.

“I knew you’d do that”

“Oh, did you? How did you know? Was it another of your magic tricks?”, spit Arthur.

Merlin’s face fell. He had wanted to tell Arthur so many times, but he’d never dare precisely because he dreaded this reaction.

“No”, he answered primmly, softly. “I just happen to know you pretty well”

Arthur’s face showed his inner debate, from rage, to fear, to disappointment and back to rage. He pushed Merlin against the tree trunk and let go of him, turning his back to him and walking away a few steps from him.

“What did you do?”, he asked, seemingly calmer, not turning to look at Merlin.

“I took you someplace safe. We are not far from Camelot”.

“Why, Merlin? Why would you remove me from battle when all my men were fighting and falling for Camelot and their king”, Arthur demanded, screaming and gesturing like a madman.

Merlin took a deep breath and tried to talk, with not much success. Tears welled up in his eyes and it was only when they began to fall down his cheeks that he managed to answer.

“Because he was about to kill you. And my destiny was to protect you until he did kill you. Because it was written that you’d be the greatest king and your death by Mordred would bring greater times. But, in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to let you go”.

Arthur looked at him with an indecipherable expression, and Merlin’s tears kept falling. He closed his eyes in an attempt to make them stop. The sound of the dead leaves told him Arthur was walking up to him and, not knowing his intentions, Merlin decided it was better to keep his head down and his eyes closed.

“You have been doing this for a while, then? Using magic to protect us?”

Merlin nodded. He felt Arthur’s hands take his face and make him look up.

“Open your eyes”, he asked softly. Merlin did. “Why? Isn’t destiny written and supposed to be unavoidable?”

“I suppose it can be changed or overwritten. You gave Mordred a death wound, this was written, but I vanished us here before he could hurt you”.

“And what does that mean? Am I still the king? Should I give up the throne or…? Wait!”

Merlin saw Arthur’s eyes light up, but couldn’t tell why. He felt the need to answer Arthur’s questions, though.

“After you fell wounded I had to take you to Avalon, and you’d die on the way. And then Gwen would be queen and bring the greater times expected”

“And what if that’s what happens?”

“What? Are you asking me to let you die? Or to kill you?!”

“Listen, Merlin”, Merlin shook Arthur’s hands off his face, but Arthur held him again. “No, really, listen!”

Merlin took a deep long breath and nodded, wary about what he was going to hear.

“What if we just don’t return to Camelot? What if we find ourselves a couple of horses and ride until we find somewhere where you can use magic for good and I can hunt and make a living for us? Everyone will think we died and the greater times sill be brought by Gwen all the same”.

Merlin laughed sadly, blinking the tears away, and held Arthur’s wrists.

“But won’t you miss her? Or your home? Wouldn’t it break your heart?”

“I sure will miss her, Merlin. But my heart’s been broken a million times, and only twice mended. Out of the two people I’ve ever loved, I’ve never been able to choose. I could never have one of them as long as I lived in Camelot, and I could never have the other while my father lived. All my life, everything I’ve done, I’ve done it for my King and my kingdom. But if fate wants to see Gwen as queen of Camelot and make her bring prosperity over its people, be it. Leaving her behind is my last one sacrifice, my last decision made for Camelot. And after this, I get to live my own life”

Merlin found himself nodding and smiling. He let go off Arthur’s wrists and Arthur let go off him. Merlin went to sit by the spring and lit a camp fire.

“Let’s camp here tonight. Tomorrow I’ll go find two horses. But I won’t go with you. You deserve the life you wanted. Tell me where can I find this other girl and I’ll bring her to you”.

Arthur looked at him dumbfounded, but before he could ask “Which girl?”, it all dawned on him. He went to sit next to Merlin with a smirk, talking suspiciously cheerfuly for someone who was in the middle of a death-threatening, hours-long battle.

“You are right, Merlin. I’ll tell you about the only person I’ve fallen in love with besides Guinevere. Oddly enough, you can’t say I have a type, because Gwen is long-haired, dark-skinned, with dark, loving eyes and eminently feminine, curvaceous and graceful; while the other is pale, with mischievous, clever eyes, thin, gangly and… definitely not a woman”

Merlin had been forcing himself to look interested in a manly, playful way, but all pretence of masculine camaraderie fell when he heard that last bit. He looked at Arthur with wide, disconcerted eyes, that only grew wider when Arthur started to laugh so hard he fell back on the grass.

“Arthur! Arthur, are you alright? Have you lost your mind?”, Merlin asked as he lay next to Arthur trying to make him stop laughing before he lost his breath. Wheezing, the former king wiped off his face a mirthful tear and answered.

“No, Merlin, I haven’t. Never seen clearer, never been wiser than right now”.

Arthur leaned in and kissed Merlin softly on the lips, while his head played a thousand terrible scenarios in which he misunderstood all the signs along the years and Merlin had never returned his feelings. And then, Merlin’s hand caressed his nape, and Merlin’s lips parted, and suddenly Arthur was unable to articulate any thought or give any retort.

And this is how it ended, and no one can convince that it went otherwise.

#fictober19 #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin/arthur #merlin/arthur pendragon #arthur pendragon/merlin #arthur/merlin

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confinedmadness · 6 years

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Merlin (TV Series)

Finished watching Merlin at 2am this morning and spent another hour just rewatching parts of the last episode again and again. It has been a very good and fun week. I will miss Merlin so much. I can only imagine how the people who actually watched the series as it aired feel. The fandom is still very much alive until now and I believe it just goes to show how deeply this series stayed with everyone and how it will with me.

SPOILERS BELOW

Merlin and Lancelot

It is my personal belief that had Lancelot lived longer, he really would have been Merlin’s best friend (and maybe he already was). Lancelot is too kind, it actually hurts. And Merlin is the only person who knows it completely. Likewise, Lancelot was the only one Merlin could truly be himself with (well, apart from Gaius, Freya, and Kilgharrah… but they were his guardian, lover, and mentor; I just really wanted him to have a friend who was just… a friend. A good friend). That scene (in season 4?) when Merlin cleaned Arthur’s shirt with magic on Lancelot’s suggestion was so short, but so so precious.

Merlin and Freya

I have seen that some people do not like Freya. But I liked her, and I liked the two of them together. Merlin was so happy when he was with her. And though he was the one taking care of Freya for most of the time they were together, Freya had a gentleness about her that put Merlin at ease. She loved him to the point that she planned to escape alone so Merlin would not have to leave the life he had in Camelot (which he had been wiling to give up!! and that was probably the strongest indication of his feelings). I only wish their time together had been a little longer or the development of their relationship given even just a little more time. I am so conflicted because I like to believe Merlin never loved anyone the same way again, but I am also sad for him and want him more than anyone to find new love. </3 When he hesitated for a bit before setting Freya’s dead body on fire was surprisingly the most painful moment of that episode. (Colin Morgan is an acting genius, I swear).

Merlin and Arthur

I enjoyed the dynamic between the two of them. I really love how Arthur gradually listened more and more to Merlin as time went on. When Merlin was imprisoned in season 5, I was so happy when Arthur said there was no way Merlin could have done it. And even though he masked it as Merlin being not smart enough to do anything, we all know he actually does trust Merlin not to betray him regardless of whether he had the ability to do so or not.

I’ve always believed that Merlin was Arthur’s best friend. But that unless Arthur knew of and accepted Merlin’s magic, Merlin would never really be truly comfortable around him. Which is why, I replayed the last episode so many times. Because it is in those short few days that both of them are finally their true selves around each other and it was beautiful. Arthur’s face when Gaius told him Merlin is the greatest sorcerer to ever walk the earth was priceless. More than that, I loved that Arthur was smart enough to realize how Merlin has been protecting him all this time, and yet I also like how even then he still has no idea of the true extent of what Merlin has done for him. Because I guess it just shows that all Merlin really wanted was for Arthur to know of his magic, but not necessarily of anything and everything he does for him. It is so selfless, I can’t even.

Dragoon the Great

He was everything. My gosh, he was absolutely precious. I loved it every time he appeared and he never fails to make me laugh. Oh, if Lancelot was alive he would have loved him too, I just know it. Favorite scene? I want to say everything! Favorite quote? Too difficult to choose!!! But for some reason, what really stuck with me more so than others was: “Percival! That is a sword. It does hurt.” =))

Aithusa

Once again, I am going to rave about Colin Morgan’s acting ability because when he met Aithusa again in the caves, the hurt, worry, and confusion was so clearly expressed. Actually, every time he has to use his dragonlord powers to force Aithusa to do something (even if that something is to stop her(him?) from killing people) always seems to hurt Merlin. When they met in the caves, he even tried to just tell her to go before he was forced to command her.

I’m wondering if Aithusa was able to speak when she first met Morgana. Otherwise, Morgana knowing her name is such a big plot hole. I like to believe that at the end, Aithusa was free and that Merlin often called her and Kilgharrah together to have dragon tea parties. Hahaha Unlikely, though, as Merlin respected their freedom and tried as much as possible not to call on Kilgharrah. Also, since Kilgharrah has started to weaken by end of season 5. I do hope that Aithusa and Merlin became as good friends as Kilgharrah and Merlin were.

Mordred

The funny thing is, the prophecy happened precisely because Merlin tried so hard to prevent it. Mordred was good, and I believe he really was up until the very end. The reason he betrayed Morgana was because she had lost all compassion. And when he helped Kara escape, he was also shocked to see her kill people so easily and with no remorse. When Morgana took the magic of one of their people, he was also the one who noted how there should have been no reason to do so, especially to their own kind. And at the very end, I interpreted him telling Arthur “you gave me no choice” as Modred saddened by the fact that (at least in his perspective), Arthur likewise wasn’t the man he thought he was. If anything, Mordred was probably the main character who despised violence the most (even more so than Merlin). I can’t help but be sad because Mordred had the makings of becoming a very good friend to both Arthur and Merlin because he was both a knight and a druid. He had a connection to both and it just didn’t happen and it makes me sad.

Morgana

If anyone wants to compare Morgana before and after her betrayal of Camelot, one only needs to see when Gwen was captured on both times. Her actions and her reactions were so different. It was really when I thought, “yes, she’s gone now”. I wonder what would have happened if Gaius had told her she had magic, and helped her hide and nurture it like he did Merlin. I wonder what would have happened if Merlin had told her he had magic, too, and they bonded over their similarities. I wonder what would have happened if she’d been able to stay with the druids she met when Merlin helped her find them. They were peaceful druids who didn’t want to hurt Uther, unlike her sister Morgause. It was really terrible how all her sufferings made her so different from what she was.

Really loved how she feared Emrys though. XD

The Ending

Gwaine’s death was really sad because he could have survived. :(

I was happy that Gwen figured out Merlin in the end. I just hope Merlin being unable to save Arthur didn’t change her view on anything (yes, I’m being pessimistic, and we’ll never know).

On my previous rant about Uther

In a post I made after I finished the first season, I ranted about how I just couldn’t understand why Uther thought magic was against him when all that happened was he made the mistake of using magic to have a child and it killed his wife. I said it made sense he hated the sorceress or even magic in general (even though he was to blame, at least partly), but that it didn’t make sense why he’d think all sorcery is a conspiracy against him and his kingdom.

When Arthur learned about the truth of his birth in season 2 and he angrily charged at Uther, I think he put it really well when he said that Uther was looking for something/someone to put all the blame to and in that attempt to free himself from guilt, he made everything/everyone related to magic an enemy in his mind. I guess the old druids were right. He is not someone to hate, but someone to pity. (I still hate him though, urgh. It just really became so annoying how he has managed to convince himself that he and only he is right and that he really did no mistake.)

And seeing just how Morgana changed by the time of the fifth season, I guess I could see how Uther could have reached his beliefs. Both were filled with grief and were in distress. Both couldn’t get rid of it until it just turned to hate– very strong hate to the point that their actions against the target of their hate no longer had reason or meaning. Unfortunately, father and daughter truly are more alike than Morgana would ever dare admit.

#posts #merlin #merlin bbc #merlin series #tv series #series #bbc

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join-the-joywrite · 4 years

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Ana -- 1.1

When Ana wakes with no memory but her first name, in a strange room in a strange kingdom and a strange doctor taking care of her, she has no choice but to accept the help of the physician's apprentice, an arrogant prince and a new friend. As Ana searches for her identity, she uncovers more questions than answers, leaving her at the mercy of she who holds but cannot give all the answers.

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Chapter 1 - The Curse of Cornelius Sigan

My name is Ana, and that's all I know. I have no recollection of my life, no memory of any family, and no idea where I am.

"Are you all right, my dear?" an old man asked. She thought his shoulder-length hair looked rather funny in its white waves. His blue robes swept the floor and she wondered if he wasn't afraid he might trip, the candlelight being the only light in the dark room.

Slowly, she sat up. "I believe so. What happened?"

He thought for a moment before answering her. "You drank from a poisoned chalice on behalf of someone to prove the truth, but that was a very long time ago. You've fully healed now."

Ana nodded, not fully understanding why she'd have done such a thing. It must've been someone important to her, otherwise what reason could she have for doing something so risky? She looked around and noticed a man fast asleep on another bed near her, his head facing the other way. "And him?" she asked, wondering what could've possibly happened to the blonde man.

"He's tired himself from exhaustion. Come, you must rest too."

Reluctantly, Ana did as she was told.

The next time she woke, the sun had not yet risen but the blonde man was gone. She looked around for the old man, seeing him soon enough seated at a table with books sprawled across it. He glanced up as she sat up. "How do you feel?" he asked her.

"Fairly well-rested, thank you."

He smiled. "You should. You've slept for a very long time."

"Oh." Slowly, she got up and pulled up a chair to sit in front of him, on the other side of his desk. "Where exactly am I?"

He closed the book in front of him and looked at her, folding his hands over the book. "Camelot, my dear. What do you remember about yourself?"

"My name," Ana answered, "That is all."

He sighed. "It's a shame, that's all I know of you - and that you're quite a heroic young lady."

"I am?"

"Yes. You might not remember it, Ana, but you risked your own life for the lives of others. My name is Gaius," he added. Ana nodded, not bothering to introduce herself as he'd already said he knew her name.

"Well, since I see no way I can return to wherever it is I've come from, I do hope you won't mind if I stayed here until then. I promise to earn my keep."

He shook his head, standing up and going around to pull her up too. "You needn't worry, Ana. You can always help poor Merlin, he's almost always in a rush."

Ana smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Gaius . . . who's Merlin?"

Before he answered, a door on her left opened and a young man walked into the room. Ana assumed he might be Merlin. "Gaius, there's a problem." He then noticed her. "Ana. You've woken." Almost instantly, he turned back to Gaius. "I need to show you something. Now."

Gaius glanced at Ana. "I shall be back soon."

"Ana can come too -- if she's feeling all right, I mean."

Ana shook her head. "No, no. You go, I'll wait here."

Merlin shrugged, clearly in a hurry. "Suit yourself. Gaius, now, please."

After Gaius has closed the door behind him, Ana got up and walked around. From the titles of books and the labels on bottles and jars, she concluded that Gaius must be a physician. Perhaps Merlin was his apprentice? Son? Friend?

. . . All three?

It was a few minutes later when the door opened again, and a dark-skinned woman entered. "Gaius, have you - Ana! You're awake!"

Before Ana could respond, the woman crossed the room and engulfed Ana in a hug. "Hi?" Ana said uncertainly

"Oh!" She stepped back and smiled, shaking her head, her messy curls bouncing. "I'm Guinevere, but everyone calls me Gwen."

Ana nodded again, not sure exactly what was going on.

"Come with me," Gwen said after a while, "I'd like to show you something."

It was only a few seconds after they've met, but Ana decided to trust this young woman who somehow knew her and she followed Gwen through the town. Gwen opened a door to one of the houses and allowed Ana to enter first.

"Oh! I like your house, Gwen. It's rather quaint."

"Thank you," she replied with a smile, closing the door. "Now, Ana, I must tell you something."

She sat on the bed in the corner and patted the space next to her, so Ana sat. "Ana, you must listen carefully to me. Magic in Camelot is forbidden and anyone caught practising sorcery will be charged with treason and shall be executed, by order of the king."

Ana nodded. "Why do you tell me this so worriedly? I do not practice sorcery."

"Ana, you are special. None can remember all that you've done, but I do. I know far more about you than you yourself, Ana, but I'm sworn to secrecy until such a time when I can reveal to you what I know. What I will tell you is that magic in the hands of those working to goodness is not an evil thing, but you must be careful. You must not tell anyone."

"But, Gwen, if no one else can remember what I've done, how do they remember my name?"

Gwen shook her head. "Because I've been allowed to tell them that much - and then too, it is only Merlin and Gaius that I've been allowed to tell. All they know is that you drank from a poisoned chalice on Merlin's behalf, but that was forever ago. Ana, you must be careful."

Ana nodded. Gwen shook her head and smiled, her earlier cheeriness returning. "There is something I've kept safe for you until you've woken."

She reached into a chest and pulled out a cloak - a beautiful one made of velvet, with a silk lining on the underside, in a deep red, with a gold trim. She motioned for Ana to stand up and fastened the cloak over Ana's shoulders. "This cloak in itself is magic, you will soon learn to control it once again. It will protect you and allow you to avoid the eye of many an enemy."

"Thank you."

"Ana, it is the source of your power. You can't lose it, or you shall suffer a great deal."

Ana nodded once again. "Thank you, Gwen."

Gwen nodded as well. "You mustn't tell anyone what I've told you, Ana . . . Shall we return? I fear Gaius may start worrying about your whereabouts."

"Yes, let's."

As soon as they got back, Gaius insisted Ana take a sleeping draught and get some rest.

Morning - or rather, afternoon - brought with it the sound of Merlin slumping into the room with a brown patch on his cheek that Ana suspected must be horse dung - due to the smell.

"What happened?" she asked, mildly surprised when he didn't answer, choosing to instead walk through the room and through a door on her right.

Gaius glanced at Ana before getting up and grabbing a bowl of water and a washcloth. He then followed Merlin. Ana could hear them from outside.

"Merlin," Gaius said slowly, "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"I'm not an idiot," Merlin said a moment later. Ana felt the hurt beneath his words and slowly got up to follow Gaius.

"What happened?" Gaius repeated.

"I just want Arthur to trust me. And to see me for who I really am." Merlin sighed.

"One day he will," Gaius assured him.

"When?" Merlin asked, sounding exhausted. He sounded far more normal when he continued. "Everything I do is for him and he just thinks I'm an idiot."

"Not everyone thinks you're an idiot. Although, looking at you now. . ." Ana bit back a laugh at Gaius's words as he trailed off and wiped the dung off Merlin's face with the washcloth.

"Now is not the time to be questioning these things, Merlin," Gaius continued, "I believe that you and Arthur are destined for greatness and that your calling is to serve and protect him."

"It's hard."

"I know it's hard. But Camelot is in grave peril. I've translated the inscription. 'He who breaks my heart completes my work'."

Merlin frowned at Gaius. "What does it mean?"

"Do you remember the stone in the tomb, how it glowed?"

"Yeah. I've never seen a jewel like it."

"That's because it's not a jewel, it's the soul of Cornelius Sigan."

Ana frowned. A soul? In a stone?

"You think he's alive?" Merlin asked.

"His soul is. But in order to truly live, a soul needs a body."

"So, if the stone is removed from its setting . . . then the heart is broken and the soul released?"

"That's what I fear."

"Someone trapped a soul in a glowing stone and that's bad?" Ana asked, speaking for the first time since she'd come to the door.

Merlin looked up to see Ana standing in the doorway. Gaius followed his gaze and noticed the slight confusion on Ana's face. Gaius was about to answer when Merlin softly said that he'd tell Ana about it. Gaius nodded and left, closing Merlin's door as he did. Ana took Gaius's place next to Merlin.

"So, who's Cornelius Sigan?"

Merlin grinned. "Don't worry, I didn't know who he was either. According to Gaius, he was a very powerful sorcerer - from before Camelot itself. When he died, he managed to put his soul in a stone, which rests over his grave in the tomb . . . which is in the mines below."

Ana nodded. "And if anyone removes the stone from its setting . . . say a thief . . . then Sigan's soul is out and most likely in the body of the thief?"

Merlin nodded. "Gaius believes Camelot is doomed if that happens. But I'm not really worried. Uther's so in love with the jewels and gold down there, he's got the whole tomb under lock and key - and only Clotpole Arthur has the keys to -"

Merlin broke off as Gaius popped his head in, saying the king requested his presence in the tomb. As soon as the words left his lips, Merlin stood up. Ana followed down and into the mines.

"Sound the warning bell," a new stranger to Ana told a guard, as he and an older man left.

"Merlin," Gaius said, grabbing Ana's and Merlin's attention, reaching for something on the floor. "Whoever did this got more than they bargained for."

He held up a clear cut stone that Ana thought resembled a heart-shaped diamond.

"Is that the stone?" Ana asked.

Merlin nodded. "I don't understand how they got in. The gate's not even damaged."

"Maybe whoever came in had a key?" Ana offered.

Merlin shook his head. "Arthur's got the only key."

"Where does he keep it?" Gaius asked.

"On his belt with the others."

"Does he ever take it off?" Ana muttered, thinking about sleeping with a ring of keys on one's belt. How uncomfortable.

Merlin smiled for just a second. "Only when he's asleep. He keeps it next to his bed."

"Then it was someone who had access to his chambers," Ana said. "Who has access, at night?"

"Just me," Merlin replied, but Ana could see he'd just realised something. "And Cedric."

"Who's Cedric?" Ana asked as Merlin rushed out.

Gaius motioned for her to exit the tomb first. "Arthur's just hired him today. Merlin doesn't seem to like the man."

Ana nodded. "Do you think it was Cedric?"

Gaius shrugged as they began the walk back to the physician's quarters. "It's possible. Merlin believes Cedric is a thief, only looking for a position in the royal household in order to steal what he can. If he's heard of the size of the stone before . . . Merlin's probably right."

As they walked through the corridors, two guards passed them, restraining Merlin between them. Gaius seemed only mildly annoyed - to Ana's surprise. "He never learns," Gaius mumbled, surprising Ana further by continuing in the direction of his quarters.

"Aren't you going to find out what's happened?" she asked, catching up to Gaius, who shook his head in reply.

"Merlin probably tried to attack Cedric. He never realises that Arthur is as thick-headed as he himself is." Gaius glanced at Ana. "You can go see him if you'd like. Keep him from getting too bored until he gets out again."

Ana nodded slowly, before turning and running in order to catch up to the guards and not get lost.

Once they left Merlin's cell, she crept past and stood at the gate. "Hi."

Merlin's frown morphed into a smile. "Ana, nice to see you."

Ana smiled too. "So, you get thrown in here often?"

Merlin came to stand on the other side of the bars. "I have my moments."

"Hm, and do you often call - who was it? - Arthur a clotpole?"

Merlin laughed. "No, it's a new development. I just wish he'd see what I see. Cedric is Sigan - and now Camelot is in danger."

Ana smiled. "I'm sure it's only because he needs glasses."

Merlin laughed once more, but before he could reply, they heard the rattling of keys and the voice of a guard. Ana glanced to her right before turning back to Merlin. "I must go. I trust you'll get out of here when all the chaos begins?"

Merlin smiled. "Of course."

Ana left quickly, heading for Gaius's place.

That night, on the drawbridge, Cedric found himself staring up at the sky. But it wasn't him - in his mind. Cornelius Sigan saw the world through the eyes of Cedric, and he saw only the kingdom he vowed to destroy.

"I am returned," he said softly, a sound so chilling, it would scare any who heard it - and it would terrify those who knew to whom the voice belonged. Then louder, "Ic cume eft to Camelot. swá þæt ic mæg min fæhþ awrecan! Nu 'ic lybbe ece and ic mæg rædan min burh!"

The stone gargoyles began to move, act like living creatures, and in the dark, hidden by the shadows, Cornelius Sigan forced a sinister smirk onto Cedric's face.

Uther was furious - but more at a loss than anything else. What was it that was threatening to raze his kingdom to the ground?

"I don't know what this creature is, where it's come from."

"There's more than one, Father," Arthur replied, "We've had several reports. There's panic in the lower town. People are fleeing the city."

"You must hunt these creatures down," Uther told the prince, "And kill them."

Arthur nodded, expecting those words. "Yes, sire," he said as he left with the knights.

Gaius stayed to talk to Uther after everyone had left, and Ana decided to see what Merlin was up to. On her way there, she glanced over the balcony and noticed one of the creatures prowling towards Arthur - who'd tripped backwards. Watching them from the ground was Gwen. On instinct, Ana held out her hand and muttered a spell in a language she did not recognise. The creature flew over Arthur. She watched as he stood up.

"Guinevere."

Gwen glanced around. "Sire," she said, with a small bow of her head.

"That thing could've killed you," Arthur said.

Gwen glanced behind him. "And it still might!" Catching the prince off guard, Gwen managed to knock them both down, avoiding the talons of the creature by an arm's length.

Despite the terrifying creatures flying around Camelot, Ana smiled. Then she hurried down to the dungeons. "Merlin!" she called out, making her way to the bars. She noticed a figure lying asleep against the wall. Merlin was asleep?

"Merlin," she whispered. She waited a few seconds, then decided it couldn't be Merlin. She'd only met him a day, but Ana knew Merlin would not sleep while Camelot was in such great danger. Ana left and headed to the temporary ward, where she'd met the Lady Morgana earlier that night.

As she entered from one end, she saw the king enter from the other. "Arthur," he said, noticing his son's bandage.

"It's nothing," Arthur said quickly.

"Have we driven the creatures out?" Uther asked, stepping forward. Gaius bowed his head slightly and stepped back.

"They have control of the lower town. The market has been all but destroyed." Arthur sighed.

"How many dead?"

"Too many to number," Arthur replied, looking down at his sword.

"I'm sealing the citadel," Uther said after a moment.

"You can't!" Arthur burst, looking up sharply.

"I have no choice," Uther said, "I have to protect those who have a chance. If I don't, we will all fall. Where are you going?" he asked when Arthur stood up and grabbed his sword.

"There are people trapped on the drawbridge," Arthur said.

"I forbid you," Uther said, fear for his son's life blatant in his eyes.

"I'm not leaving them to die!" Ana was mildly stunned at the ferocity of Arthur's voice.

"It's suicide!"

"I must do my duty to Camelot!" Arthur argued, his hand on the door. "And to myself!"

A while later, Ana noticed Merlin slip into the temporary ward and smiled. Slowly, she made her way to Gaius as soon as she noticed Merlin doing the same.

"Merlin!" Gaius sounded very surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I have to help Arthur," Merlin stated.

Gaius looked less surprised. "Merlin, Sigan's power is far beyond yours."

"I don't have a choice," Merlin said, shaking his head.

"But Sigan is immortal and you are not. If you face him, he will destroy you."

"There must be something," Ana said, sounding very hopeful.

"There is only one alive who is old enough to give us the answers we need."

"The Great Dragon," Ana said, not even realising the words she'd spoken. While Merlin argued with Gaius, Ana wondered where she'd ever heard of a dragon. She'd certainly not heard it from Gaius - or from Gwen, Ana thought, remembering all that Gwen had told her back in the town. Merlin hadn't said it, and Ana was sure Arthur didn't even know the dragon existed.

So where had she heard it then?

"Are you all right?"

Ana shook her head faintly as she realised Morgana was speaking to her. "Yes, I'm all right, my lady. I just hope Arthur succeeds."

Morgana didn't know of the dragon's existence either, Ana was convinced. Morgana nodded. "As do I," she said, the worry clear on her face.

It was then that Sir Leon tumbled into the temporary ward. "Seal the doors!" he yelled as a dozen or so knights followed.

"Where's Arthur? Where is he?" the king demanded, walking towards the door they'd just barred off. "You can't leave him out there. He'll be torn apart!"

"You can't go out there, sire!" Sir Leon yelled, restraining Uther. "If you open those doors, you will die. We will all die!"

Ana glanced around. Everyone was focused on the king and Sir Leon. She had to help Merlin - she knew that. She knew that whatever power he had would be only just enough, but only if he could harness all of it. Ana wasn't about to go out there weaponless like Merlin, though. She looked around, but the only weapons in the room were the swords strapped to the waists of the knights. The door was being pushed open from the outside by one of the creatures. The gaps that were formed every few seconds were only small enough for a small person to fit through - for Ana to fit.

She made her way through the knights undetected, and carefully timed how long it took before the knights managed to close the door again. Taking a deep breath, Ana gently placed her hand around the hilt of the nearest sword. The next time the door opened, she ran. She knew she'd not be able to kill the creature, but she'd be able to wound it.

It took a few swings of the sword before the weight of it felt natural in her hand, and in two more, the creature's horns lay beside her as it took off into the night sky.

The door behind her was slightly ajar. She glanced at the sword in her hand. "Seal the doors!" she yelled. It seemed as though they'd forgotten about the dangerous creatures.

Ana found Arthur instead of Merlin, but she went to help him anyway. His back was towards her, and he was fighting off two creatures. He'd never manage both.

"Evening, my lord," Ana said casually as she fell into step beside Arthur.

"Ana?" Arthur asked in surprise.

After a few moments, they stood back to back and kept the two creatures at bay. It didn't take long before Ana swung at the horns of the creature and it took off towards the lower town. Ana sighed and waited a few seconds before she pushed Arthur aside and took on the creature herself.

Arthur watched in a mix of awe and confusion as Ana battled the creature like no one he'd seen before. Her untidy braid of blonde locks swung with her, and her crimson cloak blew in the wind. Arthur found himself comparing her to a warrior princess he'd once seen in old books in the library many years ago.

Again, Ana sent a creature away howling, while its horns lay on the floor. She dropped the sword and took a few clumsy steps toward Arthur. "You're bleeding," she said softly.

"Oh, yes. There's that."

Ana raised an eyebrow. "Are you all right, my lord?"

Arthur nodded . . . and collapsed.

"That can never be!" Ana froze as she heard Merlin's voice. She hadn't heard it before, over the sound of their swords and the sounds of the creatures, but now they were as clear as day.

Sigan's reply was all too clear. "It can, if you join me. Together we can rule over this land. Arthur will tremble at your voice, he will kneel at your feet."

"I don't want that."

"You'd rather be a servant?" Sigan asked, somewhat amused.

"Better to serve a good man than to rule with an evil one."

Ana smiled, Merlin really wanted to help Arthur.

"So be it. If you will not join me, I will become you and your power will be harnessed to my will."

Ana watched as the blue smoke swirled at Merlin's feet. As he said a spell, Ana found herself reciting one of her own. She felt the energy and power drain from her body and prayed it was enough for Merlin to succeed.

Gaius had managed to get out of the ward. He walked through the smoke. He first saw Arthur on the ground. Then Ana, next to a knight's sword and two sets of horns.

"Merlin?" he called uncertainly, seeing a figure approach him through the smoke.

Merlin smiled and held up a heart-shaped stone that glowed blue. Gaius smiled too. "Well done, my boy."

When Ana woke up, Merlin was busy bandaging a wound on her arm. "Lay still," he said softly. "It's a deep wound."

Ana sighed and rested her head back on the pillow. Merlin glanced at her. "You saved Arthur's life," he told her.

Ana shrugged. "You were prepared to risk getting possessed. I saw no point to that if the prince were to die."

Merlin laughed softly as he helped Ana to sit. "You're ridiculous, Ana," he said, helping her to the table where Gaius had placed a setting for her.

"You won't get any thanks, Merlin," Gaius said.

"I'm not a complete idiot," Merlin replied, grinning slightly when Ana hid a laugh behind her hand.

At that moment, Arthur entered. "I've come to see Merlin. I've not forgotten about your lazy, insolent ways, or the fact that you called me a clotpole, but I do have to admit that there was some truth in your accusations against Cedric."

Merlin grinned. "Does this mean you're admitting that on this occasion I was actually right?"

"Not exactly, no. It means that I have a knighthood to bestow first thing tomorrow and no one to clean my armour."

Ana lifted her bowl off the table as Arthur dropped a large pile of metal on the table. Merlin's eyes seemed to pop. "All that?" he asked in disbelief.

Arthur nodded and smiled. "Yep." Then he left.

Gaius leaned towards Merlin. "Clotpole," he said decidedly.

Ana giggled, but then she remembered something. She handed her bowl to Merlin and rushed out after the prince.

Arthur turned as she heard her call his name. "Oh, hello. I almost didn't recognise you without the cloak and the sword."

Ana smiled. "I just wanted to ask, my lord, if we've met before that moment in the tomb after it had been broken into."

Arthur frowned. "You know, I know we've not met before, but I can't help but feel like I know you. It's Ana, right?"

Ana nodded. "Thank you, my lord."

Arthur nodded and turned to leave. He stopped after a few seconds. "You're very good with a sword, Ana."

Ana smiled. "I'm not entirely sure where I learnt to use one."

Arthur nodded again. "We should fight sometime. See if you're really that good against a person."

Ana laughed. She placed a hand over the bandage on her other arm. "As soon as I heal, my lord. I trust the look on your face when I beat you will be worthy of the time I shall waste fighting you?"

Arthur laughed, clearly in the belief that Ana couldn't possibly be better than him. She was a woman, after all!

Ana smirked and turned back into the physician's chambers. Arthur shook his head and left. Ana reminded him of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Although, the more he thought about it, the more she reminded him of Merlin - despite the stark differences between them.

Arthur shuddered. One was enough, he'd hate to deal with two of them.

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#merlin #episode 1 #curse of cornerlius sigan #fanfiction #kenny-writes

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