#arthur ‘disappointment to his father’ pendragon | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hoarder-of-dragons · 5 months

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Arthur could have noticed earlier if he wasn’t already enamored by Merlin. But perhaps his brain was hiding the truth because he knew once he dwelled over the thought, it would just lead to a series of events that wouldn’t end well.

It all finally came together not in a dramatic reveal but by gardening. Gardening. Yes. Apparently he underestimated the/foolishness of his manservant because when he took a walk to the woods nearby (“And no Merlin” he answered to a suspiciously cheeky voice that resembled his manservant in his head, he was not running away from the castle, it's just that the forest seems to be more peaceful and inviting than usual) when he heard strange sounds near the lake.

With the sleight of a tiger and the grace of a swan (No he was not exaggerating his feats Mer-lin), he slowly glided through the grass, hiding in the shadows. Many bandits have settled near as the king got more sick by the day and Morgana’s disappearance didn’t help. The mutterings he heard didn’t seem too dangerous. It looked like it belonged to one person

A very well known person in fact, as when he finally came to view the silhouette near the waters, a familiar red neckerchief and flop of dark hair stood out.

He was about to call out what his manservant was even doing in these parts when he was supposed to be cleaning his armour, when his words got stuck in his throat.

Magic

He was certain whatever happened right now was magic

Because Arthur would really like another explanation on how leaves can float around and make shapes strongly resembling dragons. There wasn’t even a wind for God’s sake.

Oh also if that wasn’t enough, if he slightly tilted his head, he can even see the gold in his eyes

So Merlin has magic.

He waited for the feeling of anger and rage to take over but all he felt was disappointment. Disappointed that he didn’t find out sooner, though all the indescribable mishaps along the years made more sense. Disappointed that Merlin felt that he had to hide magic from him. And why wouldn’t he.

He was the prince of Camelot, a magic banned kingdom with Uther Pendragon as his father. He was sure the roles were reversed; he would have done the same.

There was still a touch of betrayal in his heart but most of it is subdued (not only has he been trained to be a king but also to control his emotions. if he tries to) . Deep down, he knew Merlin was hiding, lies spoke through his mouth though his shifty eyes gave way to reveal that he was hiding something. But he knew once he discovered whatever Merlin was hiding, it was for a good cause

He still needed time

He needed time to think this all over

#short writing i did long back #emptying my drafts #before new year #i do want to change a little thing about arthur's emotions #i feel like he is was to cool in this situation #hmm what can i do #merlin bbc #merthur #merlin's magic reveal #magic reveal #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon

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fluffypotatey · 2 years

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God, watched "Sins of the Father" last night and I. Just. Love. How the writers were like, "Ah, yes, let's finish out this episode with the most violent upheaval of Arthur's relationship with Uther. There is no need to mention this again."

Like, yeah, I get it, Merlin lied and stopped Arthur from killing King Cunt, but STILL. It happened. Arthur and Uther have had disagreements before, but those were small potatoes. Arthur challenged his father, the King, to a fight to the death. He was actively trying to kill his father. And that....had no effect on him? Or Uther?

Arthur doesn't always agree with Uther, and he does disobey him when he has to, but I don't think he ever would imagine himself capable of hurting his father, let alone killing him.

And Uther, being the manipulative, abusive piece of shit he is, was probably 100% certain Arthur would never turn on him, the same way any abusive parent is confident in their power over their victim.

But it happened.

And that's just........not important?

bestie.....are you sure you want the open that can of worms with me

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NO BECAUSE LISTEN I HAVE TOO MANY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ABOUT THIS

imma holler @nextstopparis because they have bombass posts and meta about exactly this

anyway

yes bestie so true, we have seen in s1 and s2 that arthur is capable of having a little rebellious streak but not enough to truly slight his father because (despite his shitty and abusive uther is) arthur still loves him. arthur has craved uther's approval since day one. all he gets from uther is stunted shoulder pats and "you're my son" kind of affection. which, you know, explains SO MUCH about why arthur is emotionally constipated, compensates his emotions into hyper-masculinity, and a grade A jock.

we know arthur seeks uther's approval and just wants uther to be proud of him. motherfucker (uther) literally in episode 2 of s1 "stops by Arthur on his way to the stands and speaks to him in a low voice" about he "trust [Arthur] will make [him] proud" like bitch???? way to stress out your child.

tips on how to emotionally abuse/keep your child wanting you love

always makes sure you pressure them into making you proud

place conditions on your love (trust = love = pride for son = no longer disappointed = no longer sees arthur as the cause of ygraine's death oop did i type that)

move them away and speak in a low threatening voice because self image matters and your child would never risk that

undermine your child's worth to exterior factors, aka things your child never had a say in (being a captain/high ranking knight at 15, being the son of your dead wife, telling them to grow up when they literally are acting their age)

enforcing patriarcal ideals such as only encouraging stoicism for arthur because feelings are for weaklings and dismissing morgana's opinions for 'outbursts'

howdy folks! welcome to the uther sucks club and why the hell did bbc just ignore arthur's very understandable anger towards uther in s2 ep8

we will not touch arthur's self loathing blame for his mother's death because i will derail from this post

what happened in s2 ep8???? i'm so glad you asked

it is revealed that uther pendragon's reason for committing genocide for over 20 years boils down to a highly dangerous spell that he forced the high priestess nimueh to cast on his wife (who wasn't aware of the spell in the first place) so she could become pregnant and grant him an heir.

uther, the caricature of the british empire himself, caused the death of his queen then turned around and blamed a whole community of innocent people because "magic is evil and shouldn't be trusted" and "when you know one sorcerer, you know them all"

arthur, daddy issues galore, is understandably pissed and enraged. why, you ask? because for years he believed it was his birth that led to his mother's death

ARTHUR I'm so sorry. YGRAINE You have nothing to be sorry for. ARTHUR It was my birth that caused you to die.

ok so we are actually gonna discuss this

FOR 20 YEARS THIS MAN BELIEVED HIS FATHER'S GRIEF WAS HIS FAULT

AND YOU KNOW WHAT

UTHER NEVER CORRECTED HIM! UTHER NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO CONTRADICT ARTHUR'S INTERNAL STRUGGLE!

WHY YOU ASK????

BECAUSE THEN ARTHUR WOULD STAY LOYAL TO HIM, BECAUSE THEN ARTHUR WOULD DO EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER TO PROVE THAT HE COULD 'right this old wrong' EVEN THO IT WAS NEVER HIS FAULT!

ahem

and then arthur learns the truth. arthur learns that ygraine's death was never his fault. ygraine's death was all because uther pendragon "was so desperate for an heir". that was all uther cared about.

ARTHUR This is what fuels your hatred for those who practice magic. Rather than blame yourself for what you did, you blame them.

ARTHUR How many hundreds have you condemned to death to ease your guilt?

ARTHUR You speak of honour and nobility! You're nothing but a hypocrite and a liar!

do you think....after arthur learned the truth, he remembered all of morgana's old arguments that went ignored by uther? he could hear her voice, filled with self-righteousness and selfless anger about how uther always placed the blame on others, projected fear and hatred to those who were innocent. do you wonder if arthur thought of morgana as he spewed those words to uther?

and then he is told that morgause lied to him. that the ygraine he saw was actually an illusion meant to divide camelot. arthur is told that the ygraine he saw who told him that holding him was "the most precious" moments of her life was nothing more than a lie.

so, what does mean for arthur? does that mean that it truly was his fault that ygraine died? does he go back to blaming himself?

is there still that doubt of his father's ruling that lays restless inside of him? does he watch his father more closely and how he reacts to magic crimes compared to non-magical? does he begin to confide in morgana more because she, too, understand this kind of anger he feels nestled inside of him?

but we don't get that

what we get after this is a week or maybe more of a time skip where gwen is kidnapped and the show tries to further the arwencelot love triangle (and i mean, i'm not against the love triangle, it's just...timing my dude)

it just goes ignored by the show like it wasn't a big deal that arthur was ready to commit regicide (unlike morgana), like it wasn't a big deal that merlin lied to arthur like that and didn't feel conflicted, like it wasn't a big deal that uther's Purge began because of misplaced anger.

no, instead, arthur is back as his snarky and uptight self who never again thinks back to what happened when some big plot is heading his way. and so the show never dives back into that. mentions of arthur's mother don't come back until s4 but that's with agravaine and i do not have the time for that man.

this episode really seemed like it was supposed to lead to a shift in arthur's character, and yet it didn't. it was just...never touched on again and i will never forgive them for that

#long post #excuse me while i go off #i brought receipts (transcipts)#bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #uther pendragon #anti uther #we do not stan that man in this household #not to mention that this is the ep where arthur doubts his father's views on magic bc morgause is granting him this chance to see his mom #he has already doubted his father's views on class (lancelot) & duty (going to help merlin even if his presence could cause war w/ Essetir)#and then he learns that his father LIED #uther lied about magic users for 20 fucking years and didn't care #all he cared about was that the spell didn't work the way he wanted and decided that a whole community of ppl deserved to be wiped out #arthur is devasted bc you know what that means??????#that means that when arthur raided that druid camp all those years ago as a young captain of the knights its purpose was never moral #arthur aided his father and his father LIED ABOUT IT #the sins of the father #s2 ep8 #2.08 #i'm not sorry but also i am sorry that the post is a little long #merlin meta

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the-pen-pot · 1 month

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Tier Spotlight: Artificer - $5/month (7 day free trial available!)

What's included: Access to drafts of many of my current WiP longer stories are available in this tier, including the next five chapters of Hiraeth (Merlin) before they go up on AO3.

There are also drafts of several other in-progress Merthur WiPs that haven't been posted elsewhere yet, as well as Sherlock and the Hobbit.

Additionally, you get to vote in polls to help me choose what to focus on writing in a particular month!

Note: All the first chapters of these drafts are available to read for non-patrons as well.

🌟See below the "keep reading" for WiP info and summaries!🌟

Merlin

King & Court (22 draft chapters available)

Summary: Loneliness is an insidious thing. When Merlin looks at Arthur, he sees not just a prince waiting for his time to rule, but a young man struggling to find his place in the world, with little help from anyone else.

The truth is, Arthur needs more than the friendship Merlin can offer. He needs people he can trust: men and women who will become his court and his confidants, and if he is going to survive to take the throne and lead Camelot into its golden age, he needs them sooner rather than later.

Finding loopholes in Uther’s laws is no easy feat. Court life is a dangerous game, but it’s one Merlin has every intention of winning so that Arthur can have knights of his choosing by his side.

And then there is the matter of his magic…

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Love Is Never Lost (12 draft chapters available

Summary: Uther Pendragon has never approved of Arthur’s friendship with Merlin. There had been disappointed sighs and whispered warnings, but Arthur had never thought it would come to this: scars on Merlin’s back and a manservant made hollow and thin by cruelty.

Yet Uther’s efforts to drive a wedge between them instead bring Merlin’s greatest secret to light, and once the wound of secrecy has been purged, their healing brings them closer together than ever before.

Much to Uther Pendragon’s horror.

When Merlin disappears, Arthur is left questioning the true honour of the crown and the value of a kingdom forever stained by his father’s tyranny. Will he answer the call of duty, or will he sacrifice everything to chase the cries of his heart?

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Sigh No More (5 draft chapters available)

Summary: Prince Arthur Pendragon, Captain of the Llamrei, would far rather spend his days patrolling Camelot's Waters than assume his place on the throne. Yet when he finds the wreckage of a vast ship and one lone survivor on board, nothing can prepare him for the path his life will lead.

Nor the demands his heart will make.

(Feral world-building Camelot with sailing ships AU)

The Hobbit

Quarantine (11 draft chapters available)

Erebor is saved from the dragon and beginning to rebuild, but Thorin, newly healed from the injuries of the battle, suddenly takes ill.

The sickness is a dwarf's worst fear: highly contagious and always fatal. Thorin locks himself away to die a slow death, alone. Of he would, if not for the persistence of a certain hobbit. Bilbo breaks into the royal chambers, effectively locking himself away with Thorin.

Except as the disease progresses, he begins to think it looks rather familiar. In fact, it's a common childhood illness, one hobbits have been able to cure for years.

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Where The Heart Is (11 draft chapters available)

'There was an attack. Raiders. There was no warning of their coming.' Gandalf sighed: the broken sound of someone who has failed in their duty of care. 'They took everything they could carry, and burned everything they could not. Many of the fallen were impossible to recognise.' Gandalf leant on his staff, and the wizard looked more tired than Thorin had ever seen him. He swallowed, and Thorin wanted to put his hands over his ears, because he knew, sick and certain, why there had been no more letters from Bag End.

'Bilbo is not among those who live.'

(Bilbo's presumed dead, but has actually been taken by raiders. Thorin must rebuild his kingdom with a broken heart, while Bilbo fights his way across the wild north, broken and bleeding, to make his way back to the mountain that has become his home. With bonus hobbits re-homing in Erebor.)

Sherlock

Guard of Diocletian (14 drafts chapters available)

'What's his Shift?' John asked, frowning to himself. Sherlock had not mentioned anything about another form. That in itself was not unusual. A lot of people were rather private about their alternative shapes. It was frowned upon to ask someone outright what creature they were when changed, but Mike was like him, baseline, and if he was going to live with this man then he needed to know what he could wake up to find one morning. Shedding on the furniture was one thing, but he had no real desire to find a strange, threatening animal in the living room one day.

'He isn’t one, is he?' Mike's eyebrows were up, his honest face truly puzzled. 'I've never seen him change, and he's been coming here for years. I mean, I suppose he could be, but...' Mike trailed off with a shrug. 'I think he's like us.'

John pursed his lips, tapping his cane on the floor as he shook his head. 'No, Mike, he is nothing like us.'

L'Appel Du Vide (Six Draft Chapters Available)

Hunters were a rarity. In fact, there was really only one family that knew what they were doing and became a name to fear, but the last Van Helsing had died in 1886. Well, the last male Van Helsing, anyway. Still, that did not mean their unique genetic gifts had not been passed down the female line, holding steady and sure even as the name faded into memory. 'If I confirm your suspicion, what will you do?' 'You don't need to confirm it. I saw!' 'And yet you did nothing to stop me.'

Sherlock is a vampire, John is a Van Helsing. What could possibly go wrong?

#PlacesToSupportMe #Merlin #Sherlock #The Hobbit

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rabbitshat · 3 months

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God damnit im starting a new fanfic im never finishing-

But can you imagine, hear me out:

Immortal Merlin being so sick and tired of waiting for Arthur that the triple goddess takes pity on her child and grants him a different kind of immortality- reincarnation, where he's reincarnated as Harry Potter Link from Legend of Zelda style. His soul never finding rest and never truly being able to reach Avalon, but its fine because anything is better than spending centuries without his other half.

Arthur Pendragon reviving as Draco Black Malfoy, a soul full of courage, loyalty, and righteousness but forced- once again, into being a prat by his father. A soul destined to be bathed in 'Pendragon red' but being forced into green.

Lucious being disappointed by how kind his firstborn is by nature to all things that him and Narcisa have a second child Mordred Lucious Malfoy- someone that, by nature is an extremist and easily influenced- as a back up. This gives Draco the pressure to try and be the perfect heir so his little brother doesn't become Lord Malfoy.

Tom Riddle studying Morgana and being inspired by her very extremist ideas about magic and non-magic.

#text post #theres obviously gonna be Dumbledore bashing #harry potter #harry potter au #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin au #merthur #drarry #obviously #parseltounge harry #because of his dragolord magic

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we-pay-for-everything · 2 years

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I’ve got to know, did you start watching Merlin because of Anthony Head from Buffy 😂😂 ?

/j only thought it was a funny coincidence

I can't remember why I started watching Merlin. I wanted something light to watch, but also something that had substance. I knew campy, cult classics like Buffy and Merlin usually have those in spades. I like older shows too, because they don't look as polished as current ones. I had actually just finished Person of Interest, which I began watching mainly out of curiosity for Amy Acker's role in the show.

I'd seen gifs of Merlin - not just of ASH, but also of Morgana - and I saw it was on Netflix, but I don't remember why I actually decided to watch it. How did I remember the series existed? I can't recall.

Also, I think I had already tried to watch Merlin in the past, but the first episode has such low production value I almost gave up, haha.

But yeah, one of the reasons I started watching Merlin was curiosity about Anthony's role, and trust that he wouldn't disappoint me, like Amy hadn't. He did not disappoint. ASH was absolutely brilliant on Merlin, better than he was on Buffy, imo.

I prefer Uther Pendragon to Giles. Uther's characterization was more consistent and fleshed-out, and Uther was so fascinating to me. He was the foundation of the series. The premise of the show was that, through King Arthur, Merlin would restore magic to Camelot, which had been banned by Uther. Merlin's biggest difficulty was that Arthur had been brainwashed by his father and distrusted magic too. Uther and Arthur's relationship was so complex and compelling to me - and probably the most defining one to Arthur. Uther was so important to the series. On Merlin, ASH had a chance to show his acting chops in ways he never had on BtVS. Giles was so underutilized, but not Uther.

Thanks for the ask!

Btw, I have a Merlin sideblog: @weakforarwen.

#ask #bbc merlin #btvs #uther pendragon #rupert giles #anthony stewart head #thanks for the ask

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gazelonger · 2 years

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arthur looking back in the death song of uther pendragon is so good it’s SO good it’s like...he has to. he just has to look back. he has to see his father’s face one more time even if he knows he’s going to be disappointed because even that is better than not having uther around because that is something that arthur cannot get used to, especially when his father was constantly there looking over his shoulder while he was alive. it is so tragic and so terrible and it is so orpheus core and i love that and hate it at the same time

#merlin #arthur pendragon #my sweet boy #:(#uther pendragon #bbc merlin

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megacristalixblue · 2 years

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Mordred´s backstory/ El pasado de Mordred.

Aquí voy a relatar la historia de Mordred Pendragón (mi oc) y de como llegó a ser un villano / here im going to tell the story of Mordred Pendragon (my oc) and how he became a villain.

Cuando Mordred era jóven, era un niño muy feliz junto a su familia, desde pequeño soñaba con convertirse en caballero por lo que solía entrenar con su padre (Rey Arturo), pero eso no era lo único que le interesaba. Mordred también amaba la magia al igual que su madre (Guinevere), Mordred amaba cuando su tía (Morgana) hacía magia, a pesar de las advertencias de su padre, Mordred seguía interesado en la magía

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When Mordred was young, he was a very happy child with his family, since he was little he dreamed of becoming a knight so he used to train with his father (King Arthur), but that was not the only thing that interested him. Mordred also loved magic just like his mother (Guinevere), Mordred loved when his aunt (Morgana) did magic, despite his father's warnings, Mordred was still interested in magic.

Mordred tenía la vida perfecta, pero todo eso cambio con la muerte de Gwen / Mordred had the perfect life, but all that changed with Gwen's death.

Después de eso, su vida empezó a complicarse, como ya se sabe, Arturo prohibió la magia, gracias a eso, el y Morgana discutían bastante, esto afectaba bastante Mordred y lo hacía sentir muy mal tanto que lloraba en su cuarto por las noches. La situación empeoró cuando la magia de Mordred empezó a manifestarse, cuando Arturo se enteró quedó decepcionado de su hijo, esto lo llevo a rechazarlo. El amor que Mordred le tenía a su padre desapareció cuando Arturo le dijo “Tu no eres mi hijo” y desde entonces Mordred pasaba mucho mas tiempo con Morgana porque sentía que ella era la única que lo quería

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After that, his life began to get complicated, as is known, Arthur prohibited magic, thanks to that, he and Morgana argued a lot, this affected Mordred a lot and made him feel very bad so much that he cried in his room at night. The situation worsened when Mordred's magic began to manifest, when Arthur found out he was disappointed in his son, this led him to reject him. The love that Mordred had for his father disappeared when Arthur told him "You are not my son" and since then Mordred spent much more time with Morgana because he felt that she was the only one who loved him.

Los años pasaron y Mordred se volvió un chico muy negativo y rebelde con problemas de ira. En sus entrenamientos solía ser muy agresivo con los otros caballeros, tanto que Arturo tenía que intervenir. Las peleas entre el y su padre eran muy frecuentes, Mordred se volvió mucho mas apegado a Morgana y ella era la única persona con la que podía desahogarse. Ella le enseño a como usar su magia y hacer hechizos para que su espada sea más dañina al atacar.

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Years passed and Mordred became a very negative and rebellious boy with anger issues. In his training he used to be very aggressive with the other knights, so much so that Arthur had to intervene. The fights between him and his father were very frequent, Mordred became much more attached to Morgana and she was the only person with whom he could vent. She taught him how to use his magic and cast spells to make his sword more damaging when attacking.

Al verlo tan solo y triste, Morgana pensó que era buena idea que el hiciera amigos, así que ella le dijo que se juntara con Douxie y hablaran, Mordred solo acepto para no molestar a su tía. Douxie, al tener a Mordred adelante de el, se sentía realmente aterrado por que sabía que el era mas que capaz de matarlo si metía la pata. sorpresivamente para los dos, comenzaron una gran amistad y Mordred y Douxie se volvieron muy cercanos.

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Seeing him so lonely and sad, Morgana thought it was a good idea for him to make friends, so she told him to meet Douxie and talk, Mordred only accepted so as not to disturb her aunt. Douxie, having Mordred in front of him, felt really terrified because he knew that he was more than capable of killing him if he messed up. surprisingly for the two, they began a great friendship and Mordred and Douxie became very close.

pero todo cambió cuando Mordred y Morgana decidieron pelear contra Arturo y tomar Camelot. Mordred le propuso a Douxie unírsele, Douxie acepto pero lo hizo porque eso era parte de un plan de Merlín para detener a Mordred y sellarlo en su espada. Cuando Mordred descubre esto se siente muy furioso y traicionado, Mordred quería matarlo, Douxie trató hacerlo entrar en razón pero ya era tarde, Merlín logró sellarlo cuando estuvo a punto de matar a Douxie. Su espada fue escondida en un lugar secreto. Douxie obviamente se sintió muy triste, a pesar de saber que lo que hizo era por un bien mayor, se sintía culpable porque haber traicionado a su mejor amigo.

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but everything changed when Mordred and Morgana decided to fight Arthur and take Camelot. Mordred asked Douxie to join him, Douxie agreed but did so because it was part of Merlin's plan to stop Mordred and seal him in his sword. When Mordred discovers this he feels very angry and betrayed, Mordred wanted to kill him, Douxie tried to make him see reason but it was too late, Merlin managed to seal him when he was about to kill Douxie. His sword was hidden in a secret place. Douxie obviously felt very sad, despite knowing that what he did was for the greater good, he felt guilty because he had betrayed his best friend.

900 años después, Mordred regresa para cobrar venganza contra Douxie para hacer esto, Mordred posee a Douxie para estar mas cerca de sus amigos y así matarlos para hacer que el sufra......parece que Krel será el primero en su lista.

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900 years later, Mordred returns to take revenge against Douxie for doing this, Mordred possesses Douxie to be closer to his friends and thus kill them to make him suffer......it seems that Krel will be the first on his list.

Fin./ The end.

#tales of arcadia #toa wizards #toa 3below #toa morgana #Toa Douxie #toa krel #toa king arthur #toa merlin #krexie #hisirdoux casperan #krel tarron #toa mordred #my oc #krel x douxie #mordred!douxie

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akampana · 2 years

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1.You are burning up Gil/Art

@yolanda0211 @fate-inspiration I hope you don't mind I combined your asks since you sent the same request in at around the same time. :)

Anyway, here's Gilart!

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There are plenty of things to love about Arturia Pendragon. Enough that even Ninsun, his strict, cutthroat mother, had no qualms about Gilgamesh courting a foreigner from much younger money rooted overseas. Arturia was headstrong, unintimidated by the men in power that dominated her field. She was intelligent, quick-witted, had a temper that flared easily and zero tolerance for bull, which Ninsun could respect, since she had Gilgamesh for a son.

Of course, his mother did have doubts about the young woman’s age and whether her tiny body would be suitable at all for bearing an heir to the Uruk Conglomerate, but that never bothered Gilgamesh. After the man had spent the better part of three years trying to win over the young Pendragon in his own...unique way, he learned Arturia had a certain quality that he both loved and loathed. A quality that kept her climbing the corporate ladder despite her father's hindrances, that eventually landed her the job she had, and that currently made him feel like he was repeatedly bashing his head against an iron wall.

Stubbornness.

“I am warning you that this is not the optimal move to make, Arturia,” Gilgamesh repeated for what felt like the seventeenth time. Maybe the eighteenth. He’d lost the count somewhere between the truckloads of anger and disappointment she was tossing onto his plate.

He admired that she still found the strength to believe that wolves of wall street wouldn’t bite her fingers at every opportunity, but there were limits to their “goodwill”. There were more than a couple mongrels that wouldn’t hesitate to swindle all they could out of the short businesswoman’s wallet. Arturia wasn’t naive, but she was young, and she wasn’t all too familiar with the tricks of the trade. But he’d grown up surrounded by sly snakes, and he’d be damned if all those fools thought he’d let her fall prey to their schemes.

If only Arturia were a little less obdurate. A little more pliable. Maybe then, the creases between his brows wouldn’t be so deep and this hour-long debate could have settled in a few minutes.

To be fair, she wasn’t as argumentative today as she usually was, but perhaps she was realizing his point. Good.

“If this venture goes sour, the fault will lie with you and solely you,” Gilgamesh continued, sliding his own business proposal across the table. “Your prick of a father will find some way to twist the narrative to your disadvantage, you are aware of that, are you not?”

Gilgamesh suspected Uther had been trying to rid the Pendragon name of his “extra” heirs since they were born. Arturia refused to heed him, but when Gilgamesh had literally watched her struggle through every single business proposal she made to the C-listers in this damn international tea company, it was difficult to believe otherwise.

If that mad old mongrel hadn’t skewed his will in favor of Arthur while damning Morgana and Arturia to nothing, Gil may have considered scheduling an “accident”. But alas, he had, and so Uther still contaminated the earth with his every breath while Arturia fought to prove her worth in her own company. Uther’s daughter was a little too merciful to the man that paid for her adoptive parents to raise her, Gil believed.

Arturia glanced at the papers he placed in front of her and placed her hand at the corner. It was already signed, Gilgamesh’s large, elaborate signature inked on a line just below where hers would be. No doubt he had a notary ready to accept this as soon as she penned down her name. He was quite provident that way.

To Gil’s surprise, her immediate reaction wasn’t to shove it back across the table. Instead, she folded her arms, glared at him, then pinched the bridge of her nose. Her face flushed red. He knew he was being generous with the contract, but had he discounted his prices that much?

“That is a risk I am more than willing to take,” she rasped, clearing her throat. The usual bite was decidedly absent from her tone. “Gil, I have been negotiating this deal for weeks—”

“Lift that blindfold from your eyes, woman,” the Mesopotamian huffed, answering her closed off posture by crossing his arms. “Your father’s favor has never been with you. If he allows this project to go through at all, he will set you up to fail.”

His queen rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily, her shoulders drooping. Odd. That had been a direct gibe in her direction. She should be fuming. Not that he was purposely getting on her nerves, but he often found his word to be gasoline to her fire. Why should today be an exception?

“I implore you to take my contract instead,” Gilgamesh said. “It may be the conservative choice in this situation, but with the current state of the industry…Arturia?”

Arturia folded over her desk, no longer able to keep herself upright. Gilgamesh finally noticed she was panting, her weak breaths just barely moving her shoulders. Immediately, he reached over her desk, brushing her bangs out of her rapidly reddening face. Her gaze was hazy as he collected her cheeks into his palms, the woman swaying like her head weighed thirty pounds more than it usually did.

“Remind me how long you have spent on developing this proposal?” he ordered, finally seeing the signs of overwork he most often associated with himself. A high temperature, dark lines below her eyes cleverly hidden behind concealer, a stiff back, and an elevated heart rate he hoped wasn’t linked to her blood pressure. Gilgamesh glared at the four coffee cups in the corner of the room, realizing she probably didn’t have any guests in her office today.

“Not...long enough...to convince you of its worth, apparently,” she shot back, her voice less vicious, but her words as snarky as ever.

Gilgamesh scoffed, letting go of her for just a moment so he could cross to the other side of her desk. He slung her arms over his shoulders, picking her up with ease despite her protests.

All her kicking and thrashing hardly fazed the kingly executive, for in her state she was about as strong as a tiny puppy in a tantrum, and he was the caretaker waiting for the spell to pass. She may have permanently rumpled his shirt collar in the elevator, but at least that meant he could coax her into getting him a new one the next time they go out.

“If you do not put me down this instant, Gil—”

The man sighed, nonchalantly pulling his keys out of his pocket while he continued to hold her to his body with a single arm. He really ought to feed her more if she was going to bear their children in the future.

“If I permit you to return to work, I will make you quite the hypocrite,” he explained, gently placing her into the passenger’s seat. “You’re burning up, Arturia. How can you have the gall to neglect your health in front of me, when just the other month you manipulated Siduri into moving all my meetings back a week to give me ‘proper rest’? You can be quite unreasonable when you want to be, I see.”

The woman’s eye twitched. If she wasn’t so obviously running a fever, she might have already shuffled out of the Porsche and stomped into her office. Alas, all she could do was huff and cross her arms as Gilgamesh slinked into place by the steering wheel.

“For the record, I asked Siduri. I am not the one who subscribes to an unhealthy work ethic, have you thought of checking the mirror recently?” she retorted, flicking the reflective glass with her index finger.

This time, Gilgamesh snorted, unable to keep the smile from his lips. She really couldn’t stand to be beaten, even if he was clearly in the right in this situation.

Stubborn woman.

He looked over before carefully backing up the car, finding a slight curve to her lip as she curled up to the window. He was getting her some warm chicken soup tonight and several blankets. And he was making sure Arturia would stay in bed. For the next week. That text he just sent to Gawain should do it.

----

thank you for the ask! :)

Remember to take breaks, especially when work is a bit hectic. <-a gentle reminder to myself as well HAHAHAA.

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arthur-rex · 2 years

Text

MBTI + Arthur / Artorius / Artemis Pendragon

Arthur Pendragon - ESFP

ESFP stands for Extraverted, Sensing, Feeling, and Perceiving personality type. Being extroverts, they are social, outgoing, and spontaneous. Their cordial and affable nature makes them delightful and lively in social circles. They live in the moment and never think much about the future.

Arthur Pendragon is the son and heir of Uther and Ygraine. Extroverted, with a thrill for adventure and the hunt, he makes allies of others quickly, and maintains strong friendships among his knights and the people of Camelot. Not much of a planner, he says rather what he feels is right in the moment. Very cavalier with his life, he is bound to no man’s rules, committed instead to peace and true equality between friends and neighbours. He is a king wedded to Camelot and the ideals exemplified in the concept of the Round Table. Yet he also loves deeply and forms strong attachments to his loved ones. He is Ygraine’s son.

Artorius Pendragon - INFJ

INFJ stands for Introverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging personality type. They are reserved and discerning, thoughtful and imaginative, prefer planning and structure, and can precisely wade through the emotions of others.

Duality of Fate Verse Only: Artorius is Arthur’s identical twin brother, the elder by 7 minutes. More withdrawn than his outgoing twin, he nevertheless shares Arthur’s core values of peace, forgiveness, unity and justice. Better at hiding his feelings and true goals during negotiation with rival lords and kings, Artorius was able to successfully plan and execute a bloodless coup against Uther following the return of Arthur to Camelot after a long period of exile. His personality gives him the strategic edge when it comes to building alliances over the longer term than Arthur, however, lacking the more open-hearted nature of his brother means that some will never trust him as fully or readily as Arthur. He is nevertheless, a man of his word, caring much for his family. He is Uther’s son, though demonstrably less narrow-minded, thanks to Arthur’s influence.

Artemis Pendragon - ENTP

ENTP stands for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving personality type. They are resourceful, intuitive, and open-minded. At the same time, they are creative, spontaneous, and insightful. Possessing a fast-track mind that thinks quickly and delivers early.

The People’s Princess Verse Only: Artemis is the daughter of Uther and Ygraine. From the moment of her birth and the revelation of her sex, she was considered a disappointment. A dead mother and a father that shunned her, meant she grew up less in tune with her own emotions as her male counterparts, yet more empathic and visionary in her concept of a united Albion as a result. Still an extrovert, like Arthur, she enjoys the company of others and learning from them. As far as taking lovers is concerned, she decides when and how her relationships will both start and end. She does her best to ensure any breakups end on equitable terms. Her thinking mind is constantly evolving to find a unique pathway to peace. She will be remembered as neither her father or mother’s child, and will strike her own path instead.

( Personality types based on personal interpretation of Arthur and OCs only )

Tagging: @fatedestined @guinedear @magicitselftm @sorceress-queen @miladys-servant-gwen @thewritcrinme @thelonewendwater @ultimusdracodominus @promisedconfessor @forceawakend @shireentheunburnt @thewonderingsorceress @time-travel-muses

You’re already RPing with these characters, so this is just for reference.

Happy to RP these muses with others too, both female, male, canon or OC - you are welcome to apply :)

#Arthur Pendragon #Artorius Pendragon #Artemis Pendragon #Character Study #MBTI #//just a little something I've been working on :)

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loanmeadragon · 3 years

Photo

As a general rule, Arthur Pendragon had no qualms about paying frankly exorbitant amounts of money to sit in first class when he was required to fly anywhere. What good was money, after all, if one didn’t spend it? And comfort during an otherwise uncomfortable necessity for him was paramount. Unfortunately, however, the flight had been booked full when he went to purchase a last-minute seat on the BA website, except for a lone economy seat near the back of the plane.

A middle seat, of course.

Arthur counted his lucky stars that there didn’t seem to be any babies on the flight while cursing his father’s insistence that the trip out to Pendragon, Inc’s Tokyo headquarters couldn’t wait a day or two for when the planes weren’t quite so fully booked.

So he sat squashed between an elderly gentleman with long white hair in the window seat and a shy-seeming woman with lovely brown skin in the aisle seat who kept stealing glances at him and looking away in embarrassment when she was caught. Arthur kept his focus strictly on his laptop as soon as they reached cruising altitude and he was allowed to pull it out, to discourage any awkward flirting she might have worked the courage up to initiate. Arthur didn’t have the energy to tell her she would be barking up the wrong tree and face whatever disappointment fallout there would be.

As Arthur plucked away at his keyboard, halfheartedly revising the YTD financial report, he heard the clatter of the drinks cart being pushed up the aisle, stopping every row to murmur at the occupants about beverages. He ignored it until finally the grey cart jostled to a stop, apparently hitting his female seatmate’s foot.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed to the air host.

“Completely my fault,” he said in a friendly, sonorous voice that made Arthur look away from his work and up at the man who owned it.

“Oh,” Arthur murmured, awestruck at the handsome man in the silly waistcoat and red tie uniform in a way he’d never felt before. The man was tall and thin, with the most striking cheekbones.

“Hi,” the air host said, offering Arthur a smile that crinkled the corners of his blue eyes. “My name is Merlin and I’ll be taking care of you today. What can I get for you?”

Arthur had never before been so happy to be flying economy.

#merthur #photo manipulation #my writing #my manip #bbc merlin #flight attendant au #merlin/arthur

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ao3feed-merlinarthur · 3 years

Link

by Lolly047

“But you shouldn’t be alone, Arthur.” Merlin’s eyes are sad, so sad and disappointed, he never wanted to make Merlin disappointed, it’s even worse than when his father used to be- “You have your councillors. Sure they speak a load of bull, but they can be helpful occasionally.”

Arthur tries not to snort, glancing away, continuing to wipe at his face with the washcloth. He half-wishes Merlin would stop, but something tells him the prattle will soon turn interesting.

And sure enough, the next words out of Merlin’s mouth are, “You could get a Queen.”

In Arthur's humble opinion, Merlin comes up with the strangest ideas... But sometimes those ideas do turn into favourable outcomes. But this whole marriage thing may take it a bit too far...

Words: 3904, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 22 of Wondrous Women (And Other Assorted Beings) In Camelot

Fandoms: Merlin (TV)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin), Percival (Merlin), others mentioned - Character

Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Additional Tags: Episode: s04e05 His Father's Son, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, Angst, Fluff and Angst, emrys - Freeform, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Pining Arthur, Mutual Pining, Marriage Proposal, Smart Is The New Sexy, Pining Merlin (Merlin), Magic Ban Lifted (Merlin), (after this), Fix-It, Merlin is Emrys (Merlin), Percival has druidic background because plot convinience, Humor, Declarations Of Love

#AO3 works tagged 'Merlin/Arthur Pendragon'#ao3feed #merthur #ao3feed merthur #ao3feed merlinarthur

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fanfic-mind · 3 years

Text

Blood on my hands (all that i've gained and all that i've lost)

pairing: merthur

warnings: non

status: fanfic draft, Part 1/? (~ 2300)

It’s yet again an hour of need for Camelot. But the weapon they need to safe kingdom and people comes with a price. Only those who prove that they are powerful and wicked can receive it. The knights of Camelot don’t have enough evil deeds to be worthy of the sword. They think everything is lost - until Merlin speaks up...

A magic reveal story in which Merlin makes good use of being a morally grey character. Because, yea, Merlin-is-the-victim-reveals are swell and all but he is capable of making his own decisions and some of them are pretty shady. There is still a good amount of Uther bashing included.

Somehow they get into a situation that requires someone with blood on their hands - figuratively (otherwise it wouldn't be a problem because seeing how often Arthur and Merlin and also Gwaine get wounded by just existing they probably wouldn't even have to injure anyone)

Maybe a god of the Old Religion guards a weapon they need to kill the magic beast of the week or to destroy a cursed item.

In any case: they are really desperate. People are dying and this is their last hope, their last resort.

To their misfortune, this weapon is guarded by a very cunning and wicked god and they will only give their weapon to someone who has the power and the will to use it for evil deeds

There is a test that must be passed by the one who wants to receive the weapon. They must prove that they did enough evil deeds to be worthy of it.

Arthur quickly fails his test because despite some wrongs he's done he is way too just and noble to be wicked

The only knight that seems to get at least a few moments more of consideration is Leon who has done some terrible things - however under Uther's orders which isn't quite powerful enough

"Ahh, Uther Pendragon," the god muses, "Him i would have given the weapon. Such rage and blind hatred and, oh yes, so much blood."

Arthur grits his teeth and sets his jar. he wonders if his father would be disappointed in him for not living up to this legacy of his. he wonders - not for the first time - why he wanted to be like his father once and how he managed to end up being so different.

The knights discuss their strategy. non of them is wicked enough to pass the test. they have wicked people in Camelot's dungeons. But Camelot is three day rides off and their quest is really urgent.

They could separate and seek for wicked folk, but the chances seem slim and the risk of them keeping the weapon as they receive it seems too big

People are dying and they need to do something now.

"there must be another way to destroy it," Lancelot suggests, though they've been over this. His eyes stray to Merlin, but Merlin seems caught up in thought.

If there was an easier way to do this, Merlin and Gaius would have come up with it by now. asking the god had been their idea in the first place.

"What if there isn't?" Gwaine argues heatedly. "We can't have waisted six days for nothing. This is probably our last chance."

"so what do you suggest?" Lancelot interrupts somewhat irritated. They temperaments are heated at this point. And suddenly knowing each other’s worst deeds doesn’t exactly lighten the mood. "All of us failed the test. i wouldn't have thought that I'd ever be angry about being found too good and noble."

Gwaine shrugs with a grimace. He hadn't thought that he'd ever be deemed good and noble in the first place.

"maybe there's a way out of that," Arthur says. He hasn’t spoken in a while and all heads turn towards him.

"what do you mean, Sire?" Leon asks, looking uneasy as if he already knows and doesn't like it.

"If you're not noble enough, you proof your nobility by doing good deeds," Arthur starts matter of fact. "so, logically, if I'm not wicked enough, i prove my wickedness by doing an evil deed."

The god smiles a toothy smile.

"To murder just anyone obviously isn't evil enough" Arthur says, looking at the god with disgust. "so it must be somthing worse. murdering a friend, for example."

"My king, with all due respect, this is madness," Leon say carefully.

"sir Leon, that's the point." Arthur says sourly.

"is that really it?" Gwaine shouts at the god who watches his outburst unimpressed. "You want us to slaughter each other?"

the god laughs, distant and hollow and the earth seems to vibrate with it. "The weapon can only be taken by those of power who are wicked and cunning enough to wield it." the god repeats his earlier words.

"So there's not even a guarantee," Gwaine says, throwing up his arms. "Arthur, let's just leave and see if we can find something else."

"there is nothing else, Gwaine, you said so yourself!" Arthur returns. His expression is incredibly pained but determined in a way that makes them all shudder. Leon, Percival and Lancelot unconsciously get into fighting stance.

Gwaine takes a few steps to put himself between the king and Merlin who is the most vulnerable

Arthur nods to himself, seemingly coming to a decision in his head. Tehn he draws his sword . "If either of you kills me while i try to kill you, that might be enough too" he muses

They all stare at him in horror, unable to believe that he will go through with this.

"My people are dying," Arthur says, his tone pleading, "if i have to sacrifice my good conscience to help them - well, it is a price i must be willing to pay. I'm sorry. But all of you swore to protect Camelot at all costs too."

Arthur halts for am moment then nods grimly. "Don't try to sacrifice yourself. I'm sure that's not what he's looking for" Arthur nods towards the stony god who smiles.

"you can't be serious" Mordred whispers.

"I'm afraid i am. Now, it's been an honour. truely. and i hope - i hope I'll still have your respect afterwards. Though, i can understand if you can't trust me again."

"that's enough."

They all turn around. Partly, because they had forgotten about Merlin who has been uncharacteristically quiet the whole time. and partly because they have rarely heard this sort of tone from him. harsh and demanding. a voice more fit for a king than his manservant.

They stare at him and he makes short eye contact with Arthur before he steps forward, in front of the statue that the god is using as a vessel.

"test me." Merlin says. his voice is determined and his shoulders are set.

Arthur let's out a short laugh, because clearly this is absurd, right? Merlin is the best and kindest of all of them. Actually, coming to think of it, if he's really honest, Merlin probably is the reason Arthur is not like his father. Merlin makes him better. Merlin makes him want to be better.

A few of the knights share his sentiments, laughing slightly hysterical with tension but still perplexed over this development.

Only Lancelot steps forward with a frown as if to pull him back, but merlin raises a hand without looking at him and he stops in his tracks.

Arthur who was about to say something stops too.

The god looks more alive than before he seems to stretch himself to his full height as if he has waited for this

"welcome" he starts as he has with all of them. "young warlock, tell me your deeds."

lancelot tenses, casting a worried glance back at the king who stands there, sword still drawn, eyes fixed in Merlin as if he doesn't understand any of this

Lancelot doesn't either. Even if Merlin is a sorcerer - what evil deeds can he possibly have done? Saving Arthur's life over and over without ever seeking credit doesn't have a ring of evil to him.

"I am Merlin, and they call my Emrys." Merlin starts.

Some of the Knights gasp. Emrys is a name they know by now.

Lancelot wonders whether Merlin considers his identity an evil deed in itself. The possibility breaks his heart a bit.

"I was born with magic. I am the most powerful sorcerer there is."

Merlin takes a deep breath.

"i lied to all my friends. I let them think they can trust me, that they know me. But they never will. I could kill them just by looking at them. I am magic and i killed many behind friends backs and before their eyes, but never revealed myself to them"

"I am a slayer of my own people," he continues, his voice hard, "I killed many creatures and men of magic to protect their murderers - the king and his son. I did it out of self-righteousness and out of selfishness because...” for a moment, Merlin halts, but then he continuous with the same hard tone as before, as if something is forced out of him, but he wants to stand for it.

“I loved Arthur more than my own people. i let many of them die even though i could have helped them if i had revealed myself. But i couldn't bear the thought to be separated from him so i stayed quiet and watched them burn."

The god nods Merlin on. They all stand in shock. They know from before that Merlin won't be able to stop telling his deeds before the god thinks he is done.

"I killed the witch Nimueh even though she told me i have to pay with a life to save Arthur's. Instead of giving my life as i promised, i killed her."

"I killed Mary Collins, Afanc, Aulfric, Sophia, Cornelius Sigan, Myror and many more. "

Merlin's voice falters a bit, but he seems to pull himself together visibly, because his voice is clearer again when he keeps speaking.

"My betrayal to my people is so great, my wickedness so deep, i considered to kill a child on the mere possibility that he could threaten what was mine in the future."

Mordred makes a quiet stricken noise.

No one dares take their eyes off Merlin, but Merlin himself turns his head slowly.

There is a gasp of horror when they all see that his eyes are glowing yellow with magic.

Up until now, no one except Mordred and Lancelot had truly believed it.

"I tried to kill Mordred when he was a child and i wish his death even now though he is kind and serves Arthur."

Lancelot looks at Merlin with complete bewilderment as Mordred sobs.

Merlin doesn't answer Lancelot's gaze, he just turns around again.

They can hear him take in another breath and it sounds more halting than before.

"I knew that my friend had magic and i saw her turmoil and her fear of being killed. of being burned by her own kin like all of the others. but instead of helping her, i left her in the dark. I told her to trust me - she trusted my - and then i poisoned her."

Merlin stops for a moment, his voice sounds rough as if speaking becomes quickly more difficult.

"I gave Morgana poison in full intend and watched her as she died and i regretted when she was healed."

"Only i had the power and knowledge to save her, but i turned my head from her suffering, i killed her when she didn't know better than to turn to her sister, it was me that made her what she is today."

There is another short pause. Lancelot is desperate to see Merlin's face. To demand how this all really went. Because though he knows that Merlin is bound to say the truth by the power of the god, he still thinks there must be a mistake or a trick. This is not Merlin. Merlin would never...would he?

"I conspired with and freed the dragon that attacked Camelot which led to the death of many innocent people. I attempted to kill Arthur on multiple occasions."

Lancelot frowns. This one he knows to be untrue. Merlin didn't want to kill Arthur. it was Morgana's doing that he went after him.

"i saved Uther Pendragon's life - more than once. I let him live even though he slaughtered my people. I saved his life even though i didn't have to. I never killed him even though i had many opportunities."

Merlin pauses then, looking up at the god.

"Do i really need to go on?" he asks and it sounds almost indifferent. except they know Merlin and they know how his face looks when he sounds this way.

The god leans their head to one side slowly. the stone his vessel is made of groans.

"You are worthy, young warlock. More than you know. Into your hands i command my sword."

Suddenly, there is noise and light and they cover their eyes, everyone except for Merlin and Mordred.

They can't be sure but they think they can hear Merlin's voice through it all, speaking a foreign tongue. Then, it's over.

When the air clears, Merlin stands alone, the stone vessel of the god has crumbled to pieces, a big sword in his hand. For just a moment, when he turns around to face them, he looks nothing like Merlin at all. His eyes are golden, and his face is grim, lips pressed into a thin line. His posture is straight and majestic and he holds the sword like a warrior. His appearance strikes them with fear. He looks like power incarnate.

The others notice from the corners of their eyes that Mordred kneels before him. and even as they are completely bewildered, they have an urge to do the same.

The next moment though, it's all gone, and Merlin looks like he's never handled a sword before. His eyes are blue and his cheeks messy with dust and tears. He sinks to his knees and the weapon falls from his hands - is pushed from his fingers as if through magic, landing on the ground with a strange sound.

Merlin looks after the sword with disgust clear on his face. Then he looks up and suddenly he looks afraid.

To be continued

#merthur #magic reveal #merlin fanfic #merlin x arthur #merlin

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the-pen-pot · 4 months

Note

Love is never lost for the wip ask game (ps, I've been loving Hiraeth! <3)

So glad you're loving Hiraeth, lovely! And thanks for this! (WiP ask game is here!)

Love Is Never Lost is also called "The Flogged Merlin" one, where Arthur finds out that Uther had Merlin flogged because he decided that their friendship was not to be borne. (And because Uther's a bastard)

Arthur did intend to confront his father about it, but Merlin couldn't let him defend a sorcerer without Arthur knowing about his magic. Cue a magic reveal fic, an increasingly desperate Uther, and the future of Camelot's throne hanging in the balance.

Summary:

Uther Pendragon has never approved of Arthur’s friendship with Merlin. There had been disappointed sighs and whispered warnings, but Arthur had never thought it would come to this: scars on Merlin’s back and a manservant made hollow and thin by cruelty.

Much to Uther Pendragon’s horror.

And a snippet under the cut 😉

Arthur Pendragon sat at his desk, tapping his quill against a scrap of parchment as he stared at the report before him. He was meant to be giving it his full attention, and yet his mind dwelt elsewhere. Namely, on his manservant. Merlin had been distant, these past few days. Last week, everything had been normal. There had been the fond insults, the occasional gentle punch or ruffling of hair that marked the affection of their friendship, but now all that had changed. And he had no idea why. Maybe Merlin had seen the ill-hidden longing in Arthur's gaze. Perhaps he had realised that Arthur looked at him with more than friendship in his heart. As a servant, Merlin could not technically say no to his prince. It was one of the reasons that Arthur had never dared to breach the distance between them. He couldn't bear the thought of Merlin being with him out of duty, rather than desire. It was possible that Merlin had withdrawn in an effort to dissuade Arthur without having to voice anything out loud. He doodled absently on the parchment, his hand moving without any input from his mind as his thoughts whirled. Could someone else have laid claim to Merlin's heart? Arthur grimaced, a hot surge of jealousy rising in his throat. He considered his knights, always quick with their smiles and friendship when it came to Merlin. Gwaine, especially, was a merciless flirt, and Arthur clenched his fist at the thought that perhaps Merlin had fallen for his charms. Not that he had any right to feel that way, but it galled him all the same. Or perhaps it was one of the townsfolk, a pretty girl he had met on his rounds with Gaius? Except, wouldn't he be happy if he were in love with someone? If anything, Merlin seemed miserable, bleak and withdrawn in a way that made Arthur's heart ache. It hurt to see him like that, those once bright eyes downcast and his fair skin pale as chalk. There was something brittle about him, as if one harsh word might break him apart, and the not-knowing was driving Arthur to distraction. A rattle at the door made him look up, and he watched Merlin carry in his midday meal on a tray. Once, he would have been all smiles and jokes, kicking the door shut in his wake. Now, he balanced the tray on one hand and eased the panel closed on its hinges without a sound: the perfect vision of servitude. Arthur hated it.

#Merlin #Merthur #My fanfic

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merlinmeta · 3 years

Note

Honestly I think my biggest issue with Arthur in this show is that the narrative spends so long propping him up as this destined savior and it’s literally never even slightly shown. It’s especially egregious in the ending where he’s apparently supposed to come back to save Britain and honestly, he really doesn’t deserve to be resting in Avalon. He’s not very impressive nor an especially good leader. He just exceedingly ordinary, which would be fine if the stupid prophecy and the narrative wasn’t trying to pretend he was some otherworldly king. He either has to be average or exceptional and he certainly isn’t the latter. I do like him but it doesn’t feel like he is the one who HAS to be king, which isn’t good when Merlin ends up having to do some pretty horrible things to save him with the only reason being that Arthur must be king. It feels like Merlin is basically sacrificing his humanity for a guy who has done nothing to prove he deserves it. It’s also why Morgana and the other villains have to become such caricatures (though this is also a holdover from Uther since reasonable people don’t side with genociders so they have to make all the antagonists with justified griefs suddenly omnicidal). If they’re shown to have valid points then Arthur might actually have to confront this and become better but the story won’t allow it. Sorry for the random rant, I just needed to post this somewhere.

LMAO honestly you're right like. what could canon Arthur POSSIBLY contribute to literally any modern issue, political or otherwise? That premise only works if Arthur is like...a force of nature, driven to bring people justice and revolutionize broken systems no matter how hard it is or what stands in his way.

Though I disagree that "it's never even slightly shown," because we DO see that side of him in some of my absolute favorite scenes in the whole series! The problem is that the writers prove again and again that they are committed to maintaining the status quo above all else, to the extreme detriment of their characters and the story they promised to tell in literally the first episode. They don't make changes that really mean anything.

But there are a lot of Arthur scenes that could have laid GREAT narrative foundations for legend-worthy change, and that's really what makes him so disappointing to me. (Shameless plug: I'm writing a fic about one of those scenes, even if it's on break right now because Life.) Someone recently recced me a fantastic essay called "The Triumph of Uther Pendragon" by Araeph on AO3 with a chapter about how the showrunners had to literally, physically bludgeon Arthur into ignorance (aka knock him unconscious constantly) out of fear that he would change the narrative otherwise. To be honest, I think that's giving canon Arthur a little too much credit, because quite a bit of his ignorance is self-inflicted throughout the entire series. But I think that view of Arthur is exactly the character he SHOULD have been.

I think the legendary version of Arthur is someone who was raised in hatred and ignorance--but when something comes along to challenge his beliefs, he CAN'T ignore it. Even if it's easier to just listen to his father when he says magic is evil, even if he tries to go back to the way things were because believing otherwise would be complicated and guilt-inducing and hard, he can't hide behind his pride and arrogance for too long when people are suffering. Maybe he falls back into old habits; maybe his deeply ingrained fears and biases rear their head again and again. But he keeps trying to learn and grow because he can't be satisfied with anything less than the best he can offer his people.

Show me Arthur fighting the outdated mindsets of his people and his advisors as his beliefs become more and more radical--struggling to reestablish communications with Druids, learning about the Old Religion and the people who practice it, listening to the people who hate him, refusing to live in ignorance. Shattering Uther's whole system the moment he has the power to enact change and dealing with the consequences of doing so.

Arthur shouldn't have just been sorta better than Uther in some ways. He should have blazed his own path--not Merlin's, not Uther's, not Gaius's or Kilgharrah's or anyone else's, even if they guide him at times. He should have kept on surprising us (Merlin included!) all the way to the end with how hard he is willing to work and keep working for justice, how humble he could be when facing those he had wronged, how ready he is to challenge his father's legacy.

He should have been a revolutionary.

#anon #replies #i always gotta write posts in the Most Dramatic way i guess #and then answer additional points that don't fit the ~flow~ in the tags #arthur #additional points: what you said about making the main villains caricatures is SO ACCURATE #morgana's pain and fear were too justified and people had to hate her and root for the ''good guys''#so they set her villain switch to one million percent and gave morgause no discernable personality traits or motivations (that i can recall)#also i've definitely seen arthur fans try to defend him to me by basically saying he's human and we expect too much of him #he's allowed to be hurt and make mistakes yadda yadda #yes!! he is!! and i love his arrogance and pride and biases and obvious lack of social awareness or his own privilege #but he's also got a whole ass prophecy about how good and amazing he is so uhh #we're explicitly told we should be holding him to a higher standard than any other person #and i think that high standard shouldn't ignore his flaws but allow him the space to grow out of the ones that hurt people #and prove that coming from that place of hatred and ignorance doesn't define the amount of good you can put into the world #other arthur defenders are like ''but he fulfilled the prophecy about uniting albion by making peace with the five kingdoms!''#and point to the annis episode for good independent leadership #but like....the other kingdoms are so fucking unimportant in the overall narrative of the series #that most of them are unnamed #or are only known by the name of their ruler (''odin's kingdom'')#whereas uniting albion by bringing magic back to the land is a central theme in almost every conflict in the series #and is the core motivation of the title character #and arthur NEVER DOES ANYTHING ABOUT IT #he ''pardons the druids'' or whatever but the ONLY consequence of that is that mordred becomes a knight so he can betray him later #and they SPECIFICALLY bring in kara--a druid--to say ''hey that's bullshit. nothing is better for us''#she HAD valid points and instead of confronting that and becoming better #arthur just calls her a naive gullible child and executes her #(which is exhibit a in why i think that essay gives arthur too much credit as an unstoppable agent of change in canon lmfao)#anyway i hope this is a satisfying response #and feel free to rant some more or dm me if you've got more on your mind!! i love to hear it

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