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xxlastoftheemosxx · 3 years

Text

The Dragon’s Call

Lady Harley watches the knights train while reading a book on herbs she borrowed from Gaius. That’s when she saw a boy her age, maybe a little older walking by. He had dark hair, was tall, and handsome enough to make Lady Harley blush.

“Where's the target?” Prince Arthur drawled out.

Morris, his current manservant, looks around for a moment before promptly answering, “There, sir.”

“It's into the sun?”

“But, it's not that bright.”

“A bit like you, then?” Prince Arthur laughs along with his knight’s.

“I'll put the target on the other end, shall I, Sir?” The boy sounded exasperated at this point, but there was no use dismissing the slight nervousness in his tone, picks up the target and begins to move it, unaware of the mutterings going on between his master and knights.

“Teach him a lesson. Go on, boy.” Sir Gaheris demands, Harley raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the comment, gaze still drawn to the book she was reading and not looking up.

“This’ll teach him.” Prince Arthur says before throwing a knife at the target. It lands with a thud. This gets the lady’s attention and she looks up from her book, finally shooting Prince Arthur a glare.

“Hey! Hang on!” Morris shouts.

“Don’t stop!”

Morris takes a step back, “Here?”

“I told you to keep moving!” Prince Arthur says, throwing another dagger at poor Morris.

“Arthur, that’s enough.” Lady Harley says standing up and setting the book aside.

“Come on! Run!” Arthur goads.

Morris drops the target and it rolls to a stop, landing by the handsome, dark haired boy’s feet.

“Hey, come on, that's enough.” The raven haired boy says.

“What?” Prince Arthur asks.

“You’ve had your fun, my friend.”

“Do I know you?”

“Er, I’m Merlin.”

Lady Harley runs up to the two. “ Arthur! Quit it!”

“Leave us alone Harley,” Arthur turns back to Merlin, “So I don't know you.”

“No,” Merlin replies.

“Yet you call me ‘friend’.”

“That was my mistake.”

“Yes, I think so.”

“Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass.” Merlin says before starting to walk away.

“Or I one who could be so stupid.”

Merlin stops in his tracks.

“Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?”

“No.”

“Arthur! Knock it off! I mean it!” Lady Harley says running up to Merlin, “Walk with me? He’s not worth a night in the dungeons.”

Merlin begins to walk with the Lady Harley. “The dungeons? Who does he think he is? The King?”

“The Prince actually.”

“Oh. And you are?”

“I’m Harley. Uther’s ward.”

“Nice to meet you Harley.”

“Likewise. He’s a bit of a prat, always picking on poor Morris.” she continued with a sigh.

“Morris, that’s the servant from the training grounds?”

“Yeah. You’re quite brave, not many commoners would stand up to the knights.”

“Huh! Umm.. Thanks.” Merlin responded, shooting her a sheepish grin.

***

Lady Harley was a royal beauty with fair skin, raven hair, and lips as red as rubies, and Merlin couldn’t get her out of his head.

“Merlin?” Gaius says, pulling the boy out of his thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“What did your mother say to you about your gifts?”

“That I was special.”

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

“What do you mean?”

“Well, magic requires incantations, spells. It takes years to study. What I saw you do was... elemental, instinctive.”

“What's the point if it can't be used?”

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

“Did you ever study magic?”

“Uther banned all such work twenty years ago.”

“Why?” Merlin asked, perplexed by the comment.

“People used magic for the wrong end at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything from back then, even the dragons.”

“What?! All of them?!” Merlin gasped.

“There was one dragon he chose not to kill, kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave deep beneath the castle where no one can free it. Now, eat up. When you've finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice. And another to Lady Harley for her fainting spells.”

“Harley has fainting spells?”

“I see you two have met.”

“Yeah.”

***

A knock sounded throughout Harley’s chamber, the maiden turning around from where she was sitting. “Come in!” She yells.

Merlin enters the room. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“I have your medicine.” Merlin says handing it over.

“Oh thank you.” Harley exclaimed, taking the bottle from the boy and cradles it close to her chest. She looked up at him, curiosity shining in her gaze. “Are you working with Gaius then?”

“Yeah, for now at least.”

“Are you new to Camelot? I haven’t seen you around before.”

“I just arrived yesterday.”

“Oh? Where from?” Harley’s curiosity is peaking higher now.

“Ealdor.”

“Where’s that?”

“Essetir.”

“Do they have magic there?”

“No.”

“Oh.” The maiden deflated slightly, earning herself a bemused eyebrow raise from the boy in front of her.

“You sound disappointed?”

“I am.”

“But.. isn’t magic outlawed?”

“Yes, but it shouldn’t be.” Harley continues, nodding with her head as an invitation for Merlin to step inside the chambers.

“You really believe that?” Although confused, Merlin obliges, the door closing behind him. To say the least, he seems surprised, and almost… hopeful by her statement.

“Yeah.”

“I do too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Harley pulls Merlin into a tight hug. He’s stunned at first, but quickly hugs her back.

“Are you okay?” Merlin asks.

“Just happy to have someone else that believes in magic.” She murmurs, closing her eyes contently. She hears the raven sigh, but feeling him relax his shoulders, indicates that it wasn’t out of malice.

“I’m glad as well.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah.”

They broke apart smiling and avoiding eye contact.

“Would you like to go for a walk through the lower town with me?” Harley asks, seeming almost shy now.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

***

Merlin and Harley were walking through the lower town, Harley rambling about the different colours herbs make and Merlin listening intensely. He thought it was adorable. They walk past Arthur without paying him any mind. They were smiling giddily as they walked, both focused on each other and happy to have found a new friend.

“How's your knee-walking coming along?” Arthur yells toward the two, more specifically Merlin. Merlin and Harley continue to walk, Harley barely suppressing an eye-roll at the comment, until Arthur yells at them again, “Aw, don't run away!” He continues taunting, emanating all his spoilt prince arrogance for the whole street to see.

Merlin stops prompting Harley to as well. “From you?” He quips, obviously unbothered by the status Arthur holds over him.

“Thank God.” Arthur continues goading, “I thought you were deaf as well as dumb.”

“Leave him alone Arthur!” Harley insists, turning to look at the prince.

Merlin turns to face the prince. “Look, I've told you you're an ass. I just didn't realise you were a royal one. Oh, what are you going to do? Get your daddy's men to protect you?”

“Merlin, it's not worth it,” Harley warns.

“I could take you apart with one blow.” Arthur boasts.

“I could take you apart with less than that.” Merlin snarks, obviously having not caught the hint thrown at him, that this could turn dangerous.

“Are you sure?”

“Come on, then,” Sir Gaheris goads.

“Fight,” Sir Erec demands.

Merlin begins to take off his brown jacket, and hands it to Harley, “Can you hold this?”

“Yeah, good luck.” Harley responds.

Sir Erec hands Arthur a mace, which he then throws to Merlin. Merlin fails to catch it and picks it up off the ground. In the meantime Sir Erec hands Arthur another mace.

“Come on, then. I warn you, I've been trained to kill since birth.” Arthur brags, swinging the weapon around over his head.

“Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?” Merlin asks, causing Harley to laugh.

Arthur snorts, “You can't address me like that.”

“Oh, sorry.” Merlin scoffs. “How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?” Merlin bows prompting Arthur to start swinging. The raven barely ducks the first shot, moving back and away from the mace. As much as he wants to teach this absolute prat a lesson, he sure as hell doesn’t have that big of a deathwish!

“Come on then, Merlin! Come on!” Arthur continues provoking, with every swing he takes at the commoner.

Arthur backs Merlin into a market stall and the younger boy falls down. A crowd starts to gather.

“You're in trouble now,” Arthur laughs.

“Oh god.” Merlin mutters before magically entangling Arthur’s mace with two scythes hanging in the stall. The blond manages to untangle his mace and attempts another strike at Merlin. However the latter had magically moved a box in front of the former’s shin.

“Ow! Argh!”

Arthur once again tries to attack Merlin, but is tripped by a rope Merlin made go taut, with the hidden gold that now faded from his eyes.

“You got this Merlin!” Harley yells in excitement, giving the raven-haired boy a slight boost with the cheering.

Merlin picks up the mace he dropped earlier when he fell and starts swinging it, “Do you want to give up?” he smirks.

“To you?” Arthur asks, insulted.

“Do you? Do you want to give up?” Merlin asks before Arthur steps back into a bucket falling. Merlin looks out at the crowd beaming until he sees Gaius in it. His moment of victory is cut short by Arthur attacking him with a broom until he falls to the ground. The castle guards go to pick him up, but Arthur stops them.

“Wait. Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one.” He comments, the guards grip going slack on Merlin’s arms. He watches the prince approach him, the blond shooting him a quizzical look, almost like he was trying to figure him out by just gazing alone. “There's something about you, Merlin.” He muses, “I can't quite put my finger on it.” And with a small shake of his head, Arthur left the scene, leaving a fairly surprised Merlin in his wake.

Harley rushes over to her fallen friend cupping his face in her hands and shooting worried question after question, “Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you too bad did he? Do you need to see Gaius?”

“I think I scraped up my shoulder a bit, but I’ll live,” Merlin smiles as Harley releases him, “I almost beat him.” he huffs.

“Didn’t even land a blow, just like you said.” Harley says smiling back before helping him up, “You better go see Gaius. He might be able to help with the pain.”

“Do I have to? He’s just going to give me a lecture.”

“Yes, for my sake if not yours.”

He sighs dramatically. “I suppose I must then.”

***

Merlin and Gaius enter the physician’s chambers, and the kettle, that was Gaius’ temper most likely by now, boiled over.

“How could you be so foolish?!” Gaius snaps, Merlin still walking towards the door that led to his little chambers, coming to a halt right at the steps.

“He needed to be taught a lesson.” He responds, still not turning around to face his guardian.

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

“What is there to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk!” Merlin retorted voice rising in volume as he turns back around and walks over to the older man.

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

“I don't want to!!” the raven snaps, the volume of his voice now matching Gaius’. “If I can't use magic, what have I got?!” His chest was heaving as he spoke, eyes shining with unshed tears. “I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I might as well die.” Merlin concludes sadly, before storming off to his chambers. He lay face down on the bed until Gaius enters with some medicine causing him to sit up.

“Merlin? Take your shirt off.” Gaius sighs.

Merlin does as he’s told, revealing a scraped shoulder. Gaius begins to treat him.

“You don't know why I was born like this, do you?” Merlin asks, tone sounding defeated, quiet.

“No.”

“I'm not a monster, am I?” Merlin mutters half-jokingly, the dull ache in his chest going unignored as he asks the question.

“Don’t ever think that.” The older man disputed, his tone firm as he spoke.

“Then why am I like this?” Merlin stresses, shifting around to look at Gaius. “Please, I need to know why.” he pleads, desperate for a reason.

“Maybe there's… someone with more knowledge than me.” Gaius sighs, earning himself a shaking of the head from his young ward.

“If you can't tell me, no one can.” Merlin mutters, shoulders sagging as he looks away.

Gaius pours a small bit of potion into a small cup and hands it to Merlin, “Take this. It will help with the pain.”

***

Merlin awoke from his sleep hearing a voice calling to him. This wasn’t unusual since he arrived in Camelot. Tonight though, tonight he decided to follow the voice. It led him down deep into the dungeons and into a cavern. “Where are you?”

A great dragon flies from the depths of the cave and nestles himself on a large rock, “I'm here!” The dragon announces, looking down at the boy with a slight bit of amusement. “How small you are for such a great destiny.”

“Why? What do you mean? What destiny?”

“Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason.”

“So there is a reason?” Merlin asks, hope fluttering in his chest.

“Arthur is the Once and Future King who will unite the land of Albion.”

“... Right.”

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

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

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

“No. No, you've got this wrong.”

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

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

“None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none of us can escape it,” Kilgharrah laughs. “No. No way. No. No. There must be another Arthur because this one's an idiot.”

The Great Dragon leans in closer, until he’s at eye-level with the boy on the ledge. “Perhaps it's your destiny to change that.” Is the final thing he says before flying off.

“Wait! Wait! Wait, stop! No, I- I need to know more!” The warlock calls out, but to no avail.

***

After swiftly knocking, Merlin enters Harley’s room.

“Hey, Merlin? Will I be seeing you at the banquet?”

He nods, smiling softly. “You will.”

“I’m glad. I like you Merlin, a lot.” Harley says before muttering, “If only you were Emrys…”

Merlin cocks his head to the side, perplexed by the murmuring. “What was that?”

“Nothing, It’s just… Do you ever feel as if achieving your destiny is your only goal?”

“No.”

“Well, I don’t recommend it.”

A knock sounded at Harley’s chamber door.

“Come in!” Harley calls out.

Guinevere, Lady Morgana’s maid, entered, “Lady Harley, I didn’t know you had company. Should I come back later?”

“No, I need to get ready for the banquet.”

“We could just skip it and you could show me around Camelot?” Merlin suggests.

Harley couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the suggestion. “As lovely as that sounds; I’m obligated to go, but we can spend time together there.”

“I suppose I’ll see you then.” Merlin says before leaving, shutting the door with a quiet click!

“Can you help me with my corset?” Harley asks, turning to Guinevere. “It’s gotten looser throughout the day.”

“Of course.” Guinevere states.

Harley strips out of her dress, and turns to let Guinevere tighten her corset. Guinevere then heads over to Harley’s wardrobe.

“The red and black if you will,” Harley says.

“Are we trying to impress someone tonight?” Gwen asks, brow raised up.

“Not particularly.” Harley shrugs.

“Not the handsome young man that just walked out?” The handmaiden continues, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to spread across her face.

“No.”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Go ahead and shoot your shot with him. I don’t care.”

“Not into commoners?” Guinevere teases.

“Just not into anyone right now, Gwen.”

“Alright.”

***

Gwen walks up to Merlin at the banquet, “I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid. I’m also filling in for Lady Harley’s maid for the week.”

“Right. I'm Merlin.” He reaches out to shake her hand. “Although, most people just call me Idiot.”

“No, no, no. I saw what you did. It was so brave.”

“It was stupid.” He huffs.

“Well. You weren't going to beat him.”

“Oh, I- I can beat him.”

“You think? Because you don't look like one of these big, muscle-y kind of fellows.”

“Thanks.”

“No! No, I'm sure you're stronger than you look. It's just, erm... Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save the world kind of men, and… well…”

“What?”

“You don’t look like that.”

Merlin looks around them for a moment, before gesturing to Gwen to come closer. “I’m in disguise.” He murmurs, earning himself a laugh from the maiden.

“Well, it's great you stood up to him.”

“What? You think so?” He asks, surprised by the statement.

“Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmhmm,” Gwen nods.

Morgana and Harley walk into the room. All eyes go to the pair including Merlin’s. Morgana drags Harley over to Arthur and his knights.

“They look great, don’t they?” Gwen leans in and says.

“Yeah.” Merlin agrees, eyes not leaving the pair.

“Some people are just born to be queen.”

“No!”

“I hope so. One day. Not that I'd want to be whichever sister he chooses. Who'd want to marry Arthur?”

“Oh,” Merlin laughs, “Come on, Gwen. I thought you liked those real rough, tough, save the world kind of men.”

“No, I like much more ordinary men like you.”

Harley had broken free of Morgana’s grip and wandered over to Gwen and Merlin.

“Gwen, believe me, I'm not ordinary.” Merlin says.

“No, you’re not. You’re too funny to be ordinary,” Harley points out, once close enough to the pair.

“Why thank you, milady.”

“The pleasure is all mine. What are we talking about?” Harley asks, looking between the two of them.

“Whether you or Morgana are going to marry Arthur.” Gwen answers.

“Gross! I’d never marry Arthur!” she grimaces.

“Good. Don’t want any of my friends married to a massive prat.”

“Me either.” Harley laughs.

***

Lady Helen begun to sing, “Dæg cyme be com us, dæg cyme, liðe ond deorc, dæg cyme se endaþ langne ond angsumne, hrawerigne dæg; swa gestillan... alæteaþ bodig ure, forgiefeaþlif ure.” Everyone started to get tired so Merlin and Harley quickly cover their ears. “Spiðran neaht cumaþ, spinnaþ seolcen webb ure. Spiðran neaht cumaþ, bindaþ hie in hira swefn. Spiðran nu neaht, spinnaþ! Bewunden in deadhrægl ure, gastlas worulde...soþ efen min hyse: gastlas, gastlas, gastlas, gastlas!”

Merlin uses his magic to break the chain of the chandelier and it lands on Lady Helen. With her last breath she threw a dagger at Arthur’s heart. Merlin uses his magic to slow down the dagger and pulls Arthur out of the way.

“You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid.” Uther says to Merlin.

“Oh, well…”

“Don't be so modest. You shall be rewarded.”

“No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness.”

“No, absolutely. This merits something quite special.”

“Well…”

“You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant.” The court erupts into a great applause. Merlin and Arthur however, watch the king leave in horror.

“Father!” Arthur cries out.

***

Merlin left the banquet hall late at night and Harley follows him, eventually catching up.

“Merlin. We should talk. Is there anywhere away from prying ears we can go?”

“Are you okay?”

“The better question is, are you? I saw what you did earlier.”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“Merlin, I’m not dumb. I saw your eyes flash gold.”

All the colour seems to drain from the boy’s face as Merlin quickly grabbed Harley by the wrist and rushed her to his room off of Gaius’.

“You can’t tell anyone!” Merlin says hushed.

“I wasn’t planning on it. We may have just met, but I feel a connection to you I’ve never felt before. I trust you Merlin.”

“I trust you too.” He sighs, the panic from earlier slowly ebbing away. “I guess I’m just nervous. It’s my life on the line.”

“I know, and I will do whatever it takes to protect you.”

“Thank you. You are the kindest, most beautiful noble I have ever met.”

“You can’t have met many nobles then,” Harley smiles.

“I haven’t but I doubt any of them could measure up to you.”

“I don’t know Mer, Gana’s the pretty, nice one of the family.”

“Mer?” Merlin asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you not like it? I can think of something else.” Harley quickly adds.

“No, I um, I like it. I actually really like it.”

#merlin #bbc merlin #morgana le fay #arthur pendragon #guinevere #gaius

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starrysnowdrop · 3 years

Text

Memories Like Scars

Part 2

Yume Aino x Cid Garlond

2,423 Words

Please read the first part HERE

Romantic Tension; Bonding; Expanded Cutscene

This is a retelling of the in-game cutscene where the WoL helps Cid regain his memories and gives him his trademark goggles via the Echo. Here, Yume and Cid relive Cid’s memories together and Yume and Cid discover that they have a strange bond they never imagined that they had.

A gentle breeze blew through Yume’s raven hair as she walked onto the Gridanian airship platform. She brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her right horn as she approached the white haired man waiting for her.

When Cid Garlond turned to face her, she could not help but smile. Just why he had this particular effect on her, she really couldn’t explain. She could not stop the butterflies in her stomach and her heart would flutter at the mere sight of him. All she knew was that he has the most brilliant smile, a strong jawline covered with a short, white beard, long, white hair, shining silver eyes, muscular arms, broad shoulders, and a sculpted chest that she always catches herself staring at for far too long... Yes, he was a beautiful man, there was no denying that.

Yet, what she admired most was not skin deep: his jovial nature, his humor, his intelligence, his determination, and most of all, his kindness. Cid helped her to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of the attack on the Scions, with his quick wit and endless compassion for others.

She couldn’t understand it herself, but she felt she could trust him... completely. Such a rarity indeed for the Raen ronin who had left everything behind in Hingashi.

“Yume, you have returned! And just in time too.” Cid smiled as he gestured towards the Enterprise behind him. “According to my tests, the device is now functioning in perfect harmony with the crystal─meaning we can leave whenever you're ready.”

Yume smiled back at him before gently nodding. “That is good to hear. I am ready to go if Alphinaud is.” She gestured to her fellow Scion, who was still talking to one of the airship platform attendants.

The Garlean man nodded in return, then sighed deeply.

“But you must understand: tests can only tell one so much.” Cid folded his arms and looked towards the Enterprise.

“Until we approach the Howling Eye─until we attempt to breach the barrier itself... I cannot be sure that this will work...”

Yume’s sapphire eyes grew wide as she realized what Cid was about to tell her. Not that she hadn’t been in life or death situations before; she had been in far too many for her to count. Still, her heart seized up with the thought of Cid and Alphinaud being in harm’s way. If anyone should be ready to die it was her... not either of her newfound companions.

Cid hesitated a moment before he spoke once more.

“I think it only fair to tell you that there is a small but statistically significant chance that the crystal could trigger a massive...”

Cid shook his head before he unfolded his arms and continued, “Hmmm... Mayhap it is better that we remain positive.”

“Yes, we should foremost be positive, and assured that we will make it through the barrier... then we will defeat Garuda. Doubt will cost you everything,” Yume answered with a calming intonation.

Yume giggled as she looked up to the sky in thought. “A great general once said, ‘Victory belongs to the most persevering’...” She then shrugged as she looked back to Cid, “...or so I have been told anyway.”

The Garlean smiled once more as he seemed to hesitate for a moment. Cid then breathed in deeply as he reached out his hand and caressed Yume’s ivory scaled cheek, while he placed his other hand on her shoulder. Yume’s breath caught in her throat as Cid’s silver eyes looked directly into hers.

“Yume, I want to thank you. For reuniting me with my ship, for trusting in me to develop this plan... for everything. You've helped me to rediscover a part of myself I'd forgotten. I am not the man I once was, and I do not know if I ever shall be... but I do know one thing: this feels right.”

Yume placed her hand over his as she leaned into his touch. Her heart was beating rapidly as she forced herself to stop shaking from the emotions that threatened to overflow.

“There is no need to thank me, Cid. I am glad... glad that we met.”

Cid’s silver eyes softened as Yume continued, “This feels right for me too... as if this was meant to be. I just know that if you are by my side, everything will be alright.”

Cid ran his thumb over her scales on her cheek and brushed his hand down the side of her face till he took his hand back.

He chuckled for a moment, “Ahem... My apologies for the sudden outpouring of sentiment. I would have waited until after the mission, but... well, you understand.”

Yume simply nodded in response before the short elezen in blue and white coughed loudly, finally catching everyone’s attention, “Well, if we are done here, then let us be on our way.”

Alphinaud squeezed himself in between Cid and Yume to step onboard the airship, exasperation set on his face. The two simply shrugged at each other in response before following Alphinaud onto the airship themselves.

———

Once the Enterprise took to the air, Cid was at the helm with Yume standing vigil right by his side. Alphinaud was standing a few fulms behind Cid, his arms crossed while staring out at the cloud filled sky.

Cid reached up and took off his signature goggles, revealing his Garlean third eye. He stared down at the goggles in his hand with a look of longing in his eyes. After a few moments, Cid grabbed his forehead hard, as if the third eye itself was hurting.

“Damn it!” Cid cursed to the winds as he turned towards the Raen.

“I... I once flew in this airship. And I was not alone,” Cid spoke slowly as his mind’s fog began to clear, “There were adventurers on board... adventurers like you, Yume.”

“Cid, are starting to remember something?” Yume inquired.

“I... I think...”

He then was interrupted by a sharp pain in his head. Grasping at his head in a fruitless attempt to stop the sudden painful attack, Cid then turns to Yume with a look of shock mixed with confusion.

Yume gasps as she reaches out to him, but it is no use. She knows what is coming.

A bright light envelops the both of them, as they are transported to an entirely different space. It was a vast empty space filled with a soft light. When Yume looked behind her, Cid was standing there exactly as he was moments before, seemingly stunned at what he was seeing.

“Yume? Is that you?”

Nodding back at him, Yume breathlessly spoke, “Yes... but... I do not know why you are here with me.”

“Where are we? What is this place?” Cid spun around in utter disbelief at the endless nothing around the two of them.

“This is the space where I view visions of the past. This is the power of the Echo.”

“The Echo? The Echo causes THIS?”

“Sometimes, yes... usually I am seeing events unfold already, of someone’s memories. Other times, this space appears while visions appear to me after a short time. I have had this power for as long as I remember, but I still do not know how to control it... or how it works entirely.”

Cid sighs in exasperation. “Alright, well, we must be here for a reason. Let’s figure out what that is then.”

Yume nodded before she answered him, “Cid, you had said that you flew on the airship with adventurers before, right?”

“Yes... though I had only remembered because I was holding my goggles in my hand.”

Cid held his hand out to Yume, the pair of goggles sitting in his palm. Yume stepped forward and looked down at the goggles. She studied them for a second before Cid spoke aloud his thoughts.

“Just how long have I worn these damn goggles?” Cid sighed as he shook his head. “Wait... I think I am beginning to remember something...”

It was mere seconds afterwards that a small boy ran up to them... a boy with white hair and a Garlean third eye. Yume knew instantly that it was Cid as a child.

Yume smiled at the younger Cid as the present Cid seemingly continued to voice his stream of consciousness aloud.

“Ah, yes. I fancied myself a trendsetter in my younger days. The young prodigy, admired by all... exactly like his father.”

The younger Cid sat down at a desk building a tiny version of what appeared to be Magitek armor. Cid continued, “I was born and raised in Garlemald...”

“It was only natural that the precocious young student should become an engineer. Had his father not done the same?”

Child Cid then got up from the desk, with a distressed look in his silver eyes. The boy walked away and faded away into the emptiness. Yume felt tears come to her eyes as Cid continued, “Father... When did we stop seeing eye to eye?”

Suddenly, the space went dark, then appearing from the darkness, the blood red moon Dalamud hung eerily above them.

Cid’s voice began to shake, “When did Meteor become your everything, and your loved ones cease to matter?” Yume turned to Cid and saw the pain in his eyes. “You abandoned us all. But he was there for me, Father─there for me when you were not.”

Yume turned around to see a large man clad in a rust red coat and black Imperial armor. He walked slowly forward and touched the shoulder of who appeared to be Cid a few years younger than he was right now. The armored man looked rather intimidating to be sure, but the younger Cid was not afraid of him. On the contrary, the young Cid seemed to look to the man with admiration in his eyes.

Cid’s voice floated to Yume’s horns as she watched the two figures slowly fade and the soft light return to the space. “Though he proved no better in the end. Gaius was just another man with an all-consuming obsession.”

The Raen’s gaze returned to Cid, who had closed his eyes in contemplation.

“And so I ran─left the Empire behind and came to Eorzea, where I built the Ironworks.”

Opening his eyes, Cid looked down at the goggles in his hand. Suddenly, the space erupted into light, and was replaced by the two standing on the deck of the Enterprise, but accompanying them were a younger Cid sans beard, along with Biggs and Wedge, Cid’s assistants that Yume had saved from the Garleans soon after joining the Immortal Flames.

“Eorzea opened my eyes. It was home to so many manner of people, each with their own hopes and dreams. People worth saving. And so I fought beside them. I wanted to prove that my knowledge could serve a nobler purpose. I wanted to prove that there was another way...”

Cid smiled at his younger self, who was looking out onto a night sky filled with stars, with the wind blowing through his white hair. “And it all began that day, when I found my new home...”

The peaceful atmosphere was broken when a burst of light appeared just over the side of the airship. Yume and Cid squinted their eyes as the younger Cid approached the light.

After Yume’s eyes adjusted to the change in brightness, she soon realized that the light was in the shape of a person. “What...?” Yume inquisitively stepped forward to see the figure more clearly. She gasped when she saw who the figure in the light was.

Cid mimicked his younger self and stared in awe at the light, clearly not quite believing what he was seeing.

“How can that be... I always thought it was just a dream...”

Yume shook her head. “This is no dream, it is one of your memories. But, how is it possible?”

Cid’s silver eyes smiled down at her and he laughed lightly, “Of course, that light─it was you, wasn't it? All along, it was always you...”

A deep blush adorned Yume’s cheeks as the two watched the scene play out in front of them. The light figure of Yume reaches out to the younger Cid and hands him something. She smiles at him before the light fades away. The younger Cid looks down in astonishment at his open palm and sees the goggles sitting there.

After a few moments, the younger Cid places the goggles on his forehead, clipping them to his third eye. He turned around towards Biggs and Wedge, whom both gave a thumbs up in approval.

Yume held her head with her left hand as she concentrated on the scene that had played out in front of her very eyes. “I gave you the goggles...? I must have used the Echo to give them to you... but when?”

“Well, I have had these goggles since I first came to Eorzea, before the Calamity. But I could never remember where I had gotten them from. I always thought that vision of you in light was a mere dream. I can’t believe it really happened.”

Cid looked around at their surroundings as the scene began to fade back to the softly lit empty space. “Then again, it’s hard to believe that we are standing here reliving my memories. But here we are.”

Yume turned to Cid, as she furrowed her brow. “I am just not sure when that could have possibly happened. Before the calamity, I was still in Hingashi... in Kugane specifically.”

Cid brought his hand to his chin in thought for a moment. “Yume, think back to that time... what happened five years ago? Or go back further than that—perhaps it will spark that particular memory.”

Yume closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew what will happen if she concentrated too hard on her memories... those times filled with pain and heartache.

Cid, the man she admired, the one who made her heart skip a beat just from one look, a dear friend who had been there for her when she needed someone the most... what would he think of her if he saw who she truly was? Would he turn away from her in disgust?

Her heart would be shattered if he walked away from her now... but she needed to know. She had to know... did she truly have this connection with Cid before they had even met?

((To be continued))

#my writing #ffxiv #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #ffxiv fanfiction #ffxiv oc #cid nan garlond #cid garlond #cid garlond x wol #cid x wol #yume aino x cid garlond #yume aino #oc: paint it black #otp: always you [ yume x cid]

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coinofstone · 4 years

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5x03 The Death Song of Uther Pendragon

Arthur went out to collect firewood while Merlin watched over the dying lady 🥺

They saved a woman from being burned at the stake for sorcery and she repays them with a super powerful magic artifact

"He's always like this at the anniversary of his coronation."

"I thought it was a cause for celebration?"

"It is, but it's also the anniversary of Uther's death."

I would like to refer everyone back to my 4x03 post where I point out that Uther was stabbed on Arthur's birthday, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death. Uther would've died a day or two later. So within the span of let's say, half a week, Arthur's got his birthday, his mother's death anniversary, his father's death anniversary, and his coronation. He needs a hug. It's gotta be the hardest week of the year for him, every year. Speaking from personal experience, I know I wouldn't be anywhere near as upright as Arthur is, for all his thousand yard staring.

It's a very nice sarcophagus but what is going on with Uther's left leg?

No srsly wut is this

Is it reeeeally swollen? Did he break his ankle in the fight or perhaps when he fell?

Ok I'll stop being mean

The ONE time Merlin knocks

You think this was a sex thing? I think it might've been a sex thing.

Spirit!Uther, while traumatizing in his own right, still isn't as frightening as actual King Uther could be.

Oooof I have Things To Say™️ about this. The reason Arthur chooses to use the horn, to use magic, is because, "there isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of the thing I wish I'd said to him." But when he gets to speak to Uther, he doesn't actually get to say very much at all, because Uther immediately begins criticizing everything he's done as king. Arthur doesn't get what he sought at all, instead of an opportunity to tell his father any of the things he wished to say, he gets spoken to, harshly criticized. It's a major blow. And he says as much, when the single man tear spills over and he says "this can't be the last time I ever see you" - yes the line is foreshadowing Uther's haunting of Camelot but it's also signaling that Arthur's been traumatized; he went from having had his father mortally wounded in saving Arthur's own life, to having seen his father 3+ years into Arthur's rule as King of Camelot, and point blank being told Uther is disappointed in him. Not proud of him - actively un-proud. We don't really know what exactly Arthur wanted, if he'd hoped his father would've seen all the good his way of ruling had done and praised him, but I think it's pretty safe to assume that was on the wish list.

Be careful what you wish for indeed.

I AMUSE MYSELF. (I spent two hours figuring out how to create this please appreciate me)

Merlin's angry face when Arthur tells goin what Uther said is literally all of us.

I feel terrible for this but when Percival is leaving Gaius' chambers and he stops to look at the wall-torch, I immediately flash backed to Alice Troughton on commentary in S4 saying "Percival's a bit of a wuss isn't he?"

This is also awful but this episode kind of makes me miss the castle-centric contained episodes of S1

Never any guards around when you're being attacked by the ghost of your husband's dead dad, typical.

I understand Merlin bringing Guinevere to Gaius but putting her in Merlin's bed??????

The way Bradley and Colin both convincingly jumped when they turned around and found Gaius had snuck up right behind them kills me every time.

"Poetry". What he means to say there is, 'why didn't you just tell him we were fucking, since that would actually sound less gay'

So. Merlin took the ghost visibility potion but he can't see Utter knocking over barrels and shelves and things to trap in that store room.

Also why is there a pigeon in a windowless store room? Now I'm wondering why there aren't more birds randomly flying into the citadel, cuz they do have quite a lot of open windows... you'd think that might happen now and again.

Mmmmmmmm

Hmmmmmmm

Ooooof I love a bamf husband coming through to deal with a shit-for-brains abusive father... ghost.

^^actual canon scene

Was Tony shot entirely on green for this? That unearthly blue glow even in close ups where he doesn't look like he's on a green scene makes me wonder.

The 'horseplay' scene at the end was so full of sexual tension and d/s undertones that I literally do not want to say anything lest tumblr flag this post for content.

Commentary is Angel and Rupert. The two regulars who were in the least number of scenes in this ep. Since this post is already crazy long I'll keep this brief.

Aaaaand it's the first time either of them have seen this episode 😂 wow.

They've made 'horn' jokes and Rupert's gone full on tongue in cheek dad jokes.

They are also cracking jokes on Colin being all jacked up for S5 compared to previously when he was so skinny hehe... personally I ain't mad at him 😂

Fifteen minutes into the episode and Leon makes his first appearance

The little bottles and decor things in Gaius' chambers are part of a static set so they pretty much just sit there... Angel says that some of the contents have started to go moldy and they found maggots in one of them 🤢

They're talking about Gwen's new hair and while Angel is being really diplomatic, I get the impression she's as annoyed as I am by it. It literally doesn't match her own hair at all. But she also said some people saw her without the piece on and just said 'omg you cut your hair' so I guess 🤷‍♀️

The scene where Gwen is knocked out by a vase smashing her head - Angel says she was hit with the heavier bottom piece of it, which hurt more than she was expecting, and she wound up with a bump on her head from it.

Not a word about Colin picking up Angel 😢

They're talking about childhood pets and a beverage called lilt? Anyway Angel is really clever and Rupert's corny af but he's funny and I love them both.

Oh this is interesting: Rupert says he and the director talked about having Leon walking through the corridor hand in hand with the cook when he stumbles upon Merlin and Arthur's 'poetry lesson', but they weren't allowed to do that bc it would've been just a little bit too much, or a little too tongue in cheek. Which I'm taking to mean, would've accentuated the subtext of 'poetry' too much.

Angel and Rupert didn't know how they got Uther all glowy either, though Angel said it was probably lighting

Rupert says the line where Utter got caught off, what he was gonna say was "Merlin has ... been to the gym!" 😂😂😂😂😂

They really are great together doing these things

Rupert's story was the horse he had been riding all season had a foal, and nobody even knew she'd been pregnant. They just came out one morning and saw she'd given birth, and he got a call to inform him. That's kind of sweet. I wonder if he sent them some apples or something.

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin spoilers #merlin #merlin spoilers #merthur #onceandfuturerewatch #5x03 #5x03 the death song of uther pendragon #bbc merlin 5x03 #merlin 5x03 #the death song of uther pendragon

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hayleysstark · 5 years

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Queenie emerges! Thank you for answering my asks! Don't worry about taking too long to reply, I know the Internet can be a pain sometimes lol. Sadly, I had to cancel my Netflix subscription, so my Merlin binge has come to an end for now. But, I absolutely adored watching the episodes and geeking out with you! Hopefully I can continue the series in the future. Speaking of the future, if you were able to write a season 6, how would you do it? I'd love to hear your interpretation!

Oh no I’m sorry you lost your Netflix subscription. That sucks :( I’m glad you enjoyed what you saw of Merlin, though, and thank you so much for letting me talk your ear off about it for the past few weeks lmao. I’m sure I’ve lost at least like,,,,,,,,, a hundred followers,,,,,,,,in the last two weeks alone. what can i say??? People don’t follow me to hear my thoughts and i honestly can’t blame them.

Season 6?? dfghjkytghnfgfd can i get uhhhhh a complete rewrite of S4 and S5 instead???? As much as I ADORE S4 ((Servant of Two Masters???? The Darkest Hour???? Aithusa??? The Sword in the Stone???? Lamia???? all EXTREMELY BLESSED thank you)) I can admit that it has its flaws for sure, to say NOTHING of S5 ((it was literally eleven goddamn episodes of how much filler can we pack in before Arthur has to die and it was,,,,,,,, just Objectively Bad like I can’t even.)) Like can we just. can we just talk. about S4 and S5?

S4 went all right for the first few episodes, objectively speaking - and more than all right, personally speaking. Absolutely adored the season premiere two-parter, and “The Wicked Day” was a perfect blend of solemn but hopeful, absolutely everything I could have imagined for Arthur’s inevitable ascension to the throne. I think, ironically enough, “Servant of Two Masters” is riiiiiiight about where I would have deviated from canon. Like right after it. the episode right after it.

4x07. “The Secret Sharer”. Whoo boy. You didn’t say whether you saw this one or not, so here’s the lowdown: Morgana’s been searching tirelessly for the all-powerful sorcerer Emrys, ‘cause the Callieach ((the gatekeeper to the world of the dead)) informed her that Emrys was to be her doom. She enlists the Lord Agravaine, Arthur’s slimy uncle and her personal spy within the kingdom, to try and help her find Emrys, as she believes he’s hiding in Camelot, close to Arthur. Merlin, of course, is Emrys, and when Agravaine questions Gaius in the absolute least subtle way he possibly can ((literally what the fuck Agravaine how have you survived as a spy this long)), Gaius lies like a rug. UNfortunately, Agravaine isn’t fooled, and remains convinced he knows something. Meanwhile, Arthur finally gets his head on straight and realizes there’s a traitor in his court. Give the boy a prize. Anyway, he suspects his slimy uncle Agravaine, but Agravaine turns Arthur’s distrust around onto Gaius instead, convinces Arthur to interrogate him, you know. Arthur continues to make terrible decisions and comes to the conclusion that, as Gaius never out-and-out condemns sorcery during the course of his interrogation, because he must be untrustworthy. Cue Agravaine taking this opportunity to kidnap Gaius because fuck the elderly right??? anyway, he brings Gaius to Morgana, who’s hired this dude named Alator to torture for information about the elusive Emrys. It’s really convoluted, just go with it. BUT, since Agravaine is the snake to end all snakes, he didn’t JUST kidnap Gaius, oh, no, he staged it so it looked as if Gaius ran away from the kingdom. Arthur thinks Gaius is a traitor who practices magic and scarpered at the first sign of trouble, Merlin of course knows Gaius is completely innocent, Arthur still refuses to send a search party, so of course it’s up to Merlin to find and rescue Gaius. Gwaine comes along for the ride, so go Gwaine, basically. Sir Gwaine is the real mvp and that is just the tea.

ANYWAY so now you’re up to speed. BUT. but. In the S4 rewrite, let’s make it so Merlin doesn’t rescue Gaius. Let’s make it so he can’t find Gaius. Let’s make it so he searches high and low, but Agravaine covered his tracks way too well. We can intersperse the remainder of the season with scenes of unsettling, even outright gory, if we want to go that route, torture. The viewer can see in horrific detail as Gaius’ imprisonment steadily grows more brutal and unlivable until they genuinely don’t think he’s going to last. Or, alternatively? Radio silence. Nothing from Gaius after that episode. The viewer doesn’t know if he’s dead or alive. The viewer knows nothing Merlin doesn’t. Either way, it would help set the tone they were obviously aiming for - the grim, grisly shit they never quite achieved.

And removing Gaius from the narrative changes very little about the rest of the season as a whole. Merlin and Arthur’s relationship grows steadily more strained as Merlin continues his quest to rescue Gaius from Morgana, and Arthur remains stubbornly convinced of Gaius’ treachery. Even better? Merlin is completely, totally alone, allowing the story to take progressively darker and darker turns, and the demands of destiny to weigh even heavier on Merlin’s shoulders than they already do. The next two episodes - “Lamia” and “Lancelot du Lac” - could still happen. Without Gaius. And a doubly painful blow to Arthur in “Lancelot du Lac” - the betrayal of Guinevere, his future queen, and Lancelot, his noblest knight, is just another ache to add to the pile at this point. Even if the viewer disagrees with Arthur’s decisions up til now, his pain would doubtless give their heartstrings a tug or two. And with his and Merlin’s friendship buckling under the stress, Arthur has, or is at least convinced he has, next to no one left to turn to.

“Herald of a New Age” serves as a major turning for Arthur’s character in canon, and I don’t want to hurt or minimize that at all, but at the same time, I would certainly change it in any way I could to make it less....... dull, I suppose? I feel bad calling it that, as it’s one of the precious few episodes that focuses on Elyan, who I love and adore and support with everything in me, and oh, how I wanted to like this one, but I was honestly bored out of my mind for half of it. Not to mention, Elyan just watched his king banish his sister from their lifelong home, and he’s????? okay with it???? what. what. what. Definitely would have added in a bit of tension between Arthur and Elyan for this episode, possibly even for the rest of the season as a whole, and a hell of a lot more focus on Elyan warring with himself, torn between his loyalty to Gwen and his loyalty to Arthur.

“The Hunter’s Heart” was another one I personally found dull, but I don’t necessarily think it was a failing in the narrative itself so much as an opinion. I hold no love for Princess Mithian, and the writers’ attempts to force their series to mesh as fully as possible with the mythology was,,,,,,,,, clumsy, to say the least. No thank you. Personally? I would cut this entire episode from the series, but I recognize and respect it wasn’t exactly bad, just not to my speed.

“The Sword in the Stone”? SHIT GETS REAL SON!!!!! At the end of “The Hunter’s Heart”, we receive a small glimpse of Gaius, but it’s far from reassuring - he’s not dead, but he’s damn near close, and he’s just broken under Alator’s torture, and revealed Emrys’ true identity to a furious Morgana, who swears to topple Camelot and exact her revenge on both Arthur and Merlin, and she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve this time to ensure it happens.

Morgana marches on Camelot, and takes the kingdom, with Agravaine by her side, and as in the episode, Arthur and Merlin manage to get out of the citadel and into the relative safety of the woods, but the knights aren’t so lucky, and wind up imprisoned in the castle dungeons.

And while Morgana obviously didn’t plan on Arthur and Merlin slipping through her grasp yet again, she’s not as shaken as she could be by the thought of Emrys and his king out there working against her - we’re gonna be doing some serious switching around here, and taking the Eancanah from the S5 finale and setting it loose on Merlin here instead. Thus, Merlin is on the run with Arthur, and without his magic.

Arthur can’t know this last bit, of course, but Arthur’s having his own issues. His uncle’s betrayal has completely shattered him at this point. He’s at his absolute lowest here, out of confidence, out of courage, out of the tenacity that’s seen him through every other trial. So many have turned their back on him, after all. What’s wrong with him, he wonders, that makes them betray him? What’s wrong with him, he asks Merlin, that those he cherishes most don’t care for him at all?

The friendship between Merlin and Arthur that’s been crumbling all season faces the ultimate test here. While Merlin struggles to restore Arthur’s self-confidence, he’s hard put to keep himself going, as well - his magic defines him, his magic is who he is, his essence, his lifeblood, and what is he without it? Who is he without it? If he can’t use magic, what good is he? If he can’t use magic, what does he matter?

On their journey to regroup, and retake Camelot, Merlin and Arthur find and rescue Gaius, badly injured and in desperate need of medical attention, and of course, Gwen as well, who Arthur realizes he can no longer live without, in spite of her perceived betrayal. He’s still got a long way to go before he’s completely back to his old self, but the restoration of his relationship with both Gwen and Gaius buoys him, and it sets him on his path once again.

Merlin absolutely falls apart upon seeing his mentor in such a state, of course - look, the father/son feels would be STRONG, I’m just saying. Merlin does everything he can to save Gaius - he’s sure magic is the answer, a bit of magic would do it, if only he had his magic. He’s forced to resort to the old-fashioned way, for now, and to his own intense surprise, manages well enough to keep Gaius going for far longer than he ever would have if Merlin hadn’t stepped in at all. In fact, Merlin does a lot of things like that - things he didn’t even realize he knew how to do, things he didn’t even realize he could, and slowly starts to see that yes, his magic is a part of him, but that’s all it is. A part. A piece of the whole. And he’s the whole. And he matters, and he’s good for something, and he’s a badass, without magic, because magic is NOT all he is goddamn it!!!

Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone, as in canon, and I like to imagine Merlin gets his magic back when - and ONLY when - he accepts that he’s a whole and complete person without it, because that should have been a thing at some point. ((”you cannot lose what you are” fhrfhgfggfgfdfd mY ASS. Merlin is PURE BADASSERY and UNDYING LOYALTY and y’all can leave if y’all try and say magic is all he is.))

Anyway, Arthur and Merlin and co. retake Camelot because we gotta give these kids SOMETHING, and Morgana is killed in the struggle, because let’s face it, by S5, she felt really fucking STALE as a villain. So. Arthur stabs her with Excalibur - or maybe that should be Merlin, because “Emrys is your doom” anyone? also not sure Arthur could bring himself to kill Morgana, to be honest.

Onto S5!!!! can you believe how fucking long this is already but I’m gonna keep going, because I’m really in my stride at this point. Okay, with Morgana dead, and Arthur and Gwen on the throne, Camelot has officially hit its Golden Age. Arthur has slowly begun to change his views on magic, with some small, inevitable steps backward here and there. He’s making peace with the druids, relaxing his stance on sorcerers in his city, uniting Albion, all the good shit. Gaius survived, at the end of S4, but barely, and even now, he remains weakened and frail, and everyone kind of knows he might not see the end of the year. Kilgharrah continues to give cryptic advice. Merlin wants to tell Arthur about his magic but is also a dumbass and can’t bring himself to do it even though the opportunity is RIGHT THERE and we as the audience scream at him to get a move on.

ANYWAY. With Morgana dead, no one’s left to threaten Camelot, right? Everyone’s gone, right? Merlin has all the time in the world to tell Arthur about his magic, and Arthur has all the time in the world to grow into the king Kilgharrah says he will, right?? lmao. no.

Because - wait for it - MORDRED GONNA FUCK SHIT UP SON. MORDRED’S JUST. OUT HERE. FUCKING SHIT UP. Mordred is MAD tbh, he’s really fucking sick of waiting around for Emrys to get his ass in gear and free magic and be the savior of the druids and all that shit. Mordred’s sick of it. He doesn’t care WHAT the prophecies say, it’s OBVIOUS the Triple Goddess chose wrong, and as far as he’s concerned, it’s up to HIM to fix it. So Mordred, with his ladylove, Kara, are raising a literal ARMY of sorcerers, witches, ex-druids, and the like, to exact their freedom from Emrys. They don’t care about Arthur. They’re not after Arthur. In fact, they’re pretty okay with Arthur. He’s not the man making pretty promises edged in gold and not delivering.

Mordred and Kara deliver an ultimatum to Camelot, threatening to tear the kingdom apart, brick by fucking brick, unless King Arthur gives Emrys up to them, and lets them have their way with him. Poor Arthur is like ??????????? I’m sorry????? who is this Mr. Emrys???? what did he do to piss y’all off???? can i interest y’all in a peace treaty?????

Arthur fails to comply with Mordred’s demands, and deliver Emrys to him, so the attacks begin, growing progressively more violent as the weeks go by. Of course Arthur doesn’t take it lying down - he and his knights go out to counter every assault, to try and intercept every threat, but they’re losing, and they can’t pretend otherwise. They rely on steel and sinew alone, whereas Mordred’s army uses magic in spades. They summon deadly magical creatures, they kill the crops, they manipulate the weather to bring about droughts. They do everything they can to topple Camelot. Merlin is almost sick with the guilt and shame of it all, as he watches his home torn apart, razed to the ground, all because of him. He tells Arthur the truth, and gives himself up, and Arthur’s so furious with Merlin, he doesn’t even try to stop him from heading into Mordred’s clutches, but Gwaine gets wind of what’s going down and he’s just like FUCK NO and goes after Merlin because he’s the Real MVP aaaaand this,,,,,, sounds like a bad fanfiction doesnt it ANYWAY Cue The Battle of Camlann FOR REASONS!!! and utter heartbreak. but with more time for Arthur to adjust to Merlin having magic, and working things out with him. jUST!!! more than one episode where Arthur knows the truth about Merlin!!! pls!!!! pls!!!! thats!!!! all i ask!!! also Arthur’s conscious when he meets Kilgharrah and wants to know why the FUCK Merlin is friends with the DRAGON that ATTACKED his kingdom. talk your way out of that one, Merlin. I fucking dare you.

fghytghbfdfhgfg GOD i’m,,,,,,, so sorry,,,,,,, this got,,,,,,,, so long,,,,,,,, dfhytghnjhgfghgfghgfrty if you made it to the end,,,,,,, thank you,,,,,i’m so sorry,,,,,, i talked,,,,,, so much,,,,,,,

#merlin #bbc merlin #ask #queenie #Anonymous

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coinofstone · 4 years

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3x12 The Coming of Arthur pt 1

The title is such low hanging fruit I feel bad cracking a joke about it.

It's a quest episode! I love a quest episode. Srsly feel free to send me any and all Merthur quest fics. I can't get enough 😂

This is the episode responsible for the lovely Leon fanon headcanon that he's immortal. Always handy in an Arthur Returns fic.

Uther: you must go on this mission alone

Arthur: *brings Merlin*

I do love Merlin being being a smart alec and nagging Arthur while packing. Excellent banter.

Arthur said

Arthur threatening a young boy like this is such an ugly and uncharacteristic action it makes me angry.

Merlin tending to Arthur while he's sick and injured 🥺

Also I'm sorry but Merlin shows fuckin Gilli his magic but he's hiding it from fuckin Gwaine while Arthur is suffering? Silly.

Cenred's massive army makes me wonder if it's a result of his tolerance of magic or lower standards than the knights of Camelot, or some combination of both.

Poor Leon, though. He's just got back from near death in that forest and Uther sends him right fuckin back in 😂

Looks like they snuck in to Camelot via the dragon's cave. I doubt that was the intention but I still approve 😂

Knowing he's on a suicide mission, Arthur gives Merlin an out, knowing he'll never take it, knowing he doesn't even want him to: he still presents him with the choice.

How come literally everyone else gets a crown that fits them but Arthur walks around looking like he's wearing hand-me-downs?

Morgana might be evil but she looks damn good on a throne.

3x13 The Coming of Arthur pt 2

There's a post going around Twitter about ppl who nitpick at TV shows... this comment falls into exactly that category 100% but I'm sorry, I cannot just ignore the fact that Morgana's got these massive banners and an entire army's worth of uniforms, I mean look:

Every guard with the sigil on his uniform and half a dozen banners in the council chambers alone. That's to say nothing of the ones outside. I mean look at the sheer fuckin size of these things:

Look how tiny the ppl are next to em! They've gotta be at least 15 feet long, at least. Where did they come from? Were they all magicked into existence? Who designed that sigil? What does it represent? Is it Gorlois' banner? I HAVE QUESTIONS.

Leon isn't someone I've ever been particularly attracted to, personally, but his defiant shout of "Long Live the King" in the face of Morgana's threats, is sexy as hell.

Depressed Arthur is such a mood.

So. Gwen. Originally in 3x12 when Morgana essentially invited Gwen into the fold (insofar as a Queen's servant can be), it seems to be a set up, because Morgana has been treating Gwen like shit for ages, why would she suddenly want her friend back? Especially since Morgana knows something is going on between Gwen and Arthur - there's no way she believes that they were actually under the spell of some random sorcerer, that just doesn't make any sense. So you kind of assume - or at least I did - that Morgana is keeping Gwen close knowing that she'll be useful as bait or a hostage, just essentially as a person of value to Arthur. She's known Gwen for too long to actually believe she'd cross Arthur, there's just no way someone as machiavellian as Morgana doesn't see Gwen's 'loyalty' as a simple survival tactic. All of this is to say, when Morgana and Morgause eavesdrop on Gwen's conversation with Sir Leon, Morgana is just like, 'welp, she's betrayed me. Guess I'll kill her in the morning.' as though she was actually expecting Gwen to do anything else?!?! Like, why? It would've made so much more sense to just cut that line entirely and go straight to something like

Morgana: it's as we suspected, she's betrayed me

Morgause: yes, now she can lead us straight to Arthur

And it would've made so much more sense than the weird sort of purgatory they've implied where Morgana changed her mind about Gwen very suddenly the night before she took the throne. It's not a super important detail in the overarching story but it's another example of how carelessly their story has been handled.

Me rn:

I do love that they made Freya the Lady of the Lake, and that she kept her promise by telling Merlin how to defeat the army of the dead.

How Merlin really sees Kilgharrah:

Gwen really is the smartest of all of them.

I do love that Merlin's first undead kill with excalibur is entirely an accident lol

The subtext between Morgana and Morgause is really gross. I haven't said anything before because I generally don't approve of ship shaming but the not so subtle subtext gives me the heebies.

This is such a great shot

Everything about it, his woman at his left and his man at his right, his romantic rival opposite him on his wife's side, as directly opposite her as possible at a round table with an uneven number of placements. It's a really beautiful shot, fitting for an equally beautiful scene. It's a very moving scene, the music really adds the exact emotion you'd expect for this moment we all recognize... and I feel like the knights' oaths are very well matched. The snarky part of me wanted to make a 'call me maybe' joke about Percival, but he's so sincere I just can't do it. The moment of levity added by Merlin's banter with Arthur is really, really well paced. Honestly I think it's probably the next perfect, iconic scene since Gwen and Arthur's first kiss. Hats off to this crew.

(Don't worry dear reader, I'm sure I'll get back to complaining shortly)

Santiago is so dreamy. I'd share his bedroll any day.

I like that despite all the talk of equality and doing the thing Uther wouldn't approve of, Gwen still worries about the company seeing her and Arthur kiss. Like, he's planning an insurrection with a bunch of commoners and two dudes who've been officially banished from Camelot, but she's internalized the classism and the rules of royalty so deeply that even amongst friends she instinctively keeps their relationship hidden. I'm not sure how intentional that was but it's brilliant.

The fight big fight scene with Merlin just barely missing the cup while the knights are cornered, and Gaius showing up like the brilliant deus ex machina that he is, honestly makes the previous budget-slashed episodes more bearable. Because this really is great, even knowing it's great at the expense of those others.

Morgana's screeching is eerily similar to Aithusa's.

I wonder if they knew they were getting renewed for a fourth season when they wrote this. Because you know, it really could've worked as a series finale as well. An open-ended series finale, but a series finale all the same.

As a Queens kid, I cannot explain to you the joy it gives me to watch Arthur and Merlin just chillin on the steps to the castle as tho it were a stoop, which I suppose, in a sense... it kind of is. Ahhh youthful days.

Commentary is Jeremy Webb and Julian Murphy.

And this kids, is why we're watching with commentary! They've just explained that Morgana's sigil is supposed to symbolize the Rowan tree that's supposed to be at the heart of the Isle of the Blessed. That suggests she designed it herself, so there's at least one of my earlier questions answered.

They talk a lot about how Emila Fox was very pregnant when they were filming her in this season, and they shot entirely around it - and I can't help but feel anger toward Joss Whedon and his 'handling' of Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy during S4 of Angel.

One of them called the round table scene 'curiously moving' and I think that is really fitting. They'd had this in mind for about two years, which is probably why it's so extraordinary. That's a great gestation period for a scene as iconic as this.

One final tidbit: the sword in the stone was filmed in France, and made it back to Wales intact. I guess nobody wanted to take it out. That's kind of an interesting thought, like a little set superstition or something. It's kind of cute.

The DVD extras/special features will get a separate post if I feel I have comments worth sharing.

#bbc merlin #bbc merlin spoilers #merlin #merlin spoilers #merthur #3x12 #bbc merlin 3x12 #merlin 3x12 #3x13 #bbc merlin 3x13 #merlin 3x13 #the coming of Arthur #the coming of Arthur part one #the coming of Arthur part two #the coming of Arthur pt 1 #the coming of Arthur pt 2 #i cannot believe that's the actual title of this episode #onceandfuturerewatch

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