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dryadalisliv · 8 months

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“Arthur”

They were alone in the throne room, everyone had left a few moments ago. Arthur was sat upon his throne.

“You were just dismissed along with everyone else”

“Arthur” Merlin tried.

“Merlin, leave” Arthur gritted out of his teeth.

“No”

Arthur, who had pointedly not looked at the servant through the entire council meeting, now -finally- placed his eyes upon Merlin.

“What do you mean ‘no’, I am your king. You. Are. Dismissed”

“No” The warlock said, cheeks flushing with anger. “No, Arthur, we will talk. And we will talk now”

Arthur got up from his throne, standing a few steps over Merlin; towering as if the physical elevation was trying to prove what the king didn’t have when it came to Merlin. Yes he was his king, but he sure as hell did not rule over the warlock.

“You do well to remember who gives the orders here. Who the king is.”

“And you, Arthur, would do well remembering who here is loyal to you”

“Loyal.” Arthur huffed “Tell me, M er lin, I find it quite curious that the one who claims himself loyal to the king commits treason regularly in the heart of said kings kingdom, don’t you agree?”

“You, Arthur Pendragon, know nothing of what I have done for you” Merlin nearly screamed, the echo bouncing off the walls in the big room.

“No, and whose fault is that? Who is it that forfeited me of that information, I wonder?” The king yelled back.

“I would gladly tell if you would let me. I have tried for the past FOUR MONTHS!” The warlock roared.

“And what about before those four months, huh? You know, the TEN YEARS! Where you simply forgot to mention the fact that you practiced MAGIC! You know? THE MOST ILLEGAL THING IN CAMELOT! THE KINGDOM IN WHICH YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING IN FOR A DECADE!” Arthur spat, moving closer to the servant.

“You know I could not have told you while your father was alive; that would not have been fair to you. To ask you to choose between me and Camelot”

“I don’t care if it fair or not.” The king cried “And what when I was crowned? You didn’t think to tell me then?” Arthur asked, voice still laced with poison anger.

“Arthur” Merlin tried softly.

“Don’t ‘Arthur’ me” Arthur spat.

“That would be the exact same problem, don’t you see? It would just be a choice between your kingdom and me, instead of your father and me”

“And?” Arthur hissed “what gave you the right to take that choice from me?”

“Arthur, I was trying not to be cruel”

“Oh!” Arthur laughed, though his eyes were mirthless and the cackle was hollow. “You were trying not to be cruel ” he mocked.

“Did you ever think, that maybe, it would be crueller to keep this from me?”

Merlin was shaking, frustration crawling around his limbs, manifesting in his tightened fists and set jaw.

“I DONT KNOW” Merlin screamed after a moment of tense silence. “I don’t know”

“I think there is something else, about this, something you are not telling me!” Arthur accused.

“What?!” The warlock nearly begged “what? I don’t understand. I don’t understand!”

“Nor do I!” The king yelled back. “But there is something! Why wouldn’t you allow me the choice? Why keep this from me? You knew it would come out one day! Why?”

Merlin’s eyes were shining with unshed tears, body still shaking in despair and frustration.

“I DON’T KNOW ARTHUR! WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!” The raven asked desperately.

“The truth, for once” Arthur huffed.

“I don’t know what you want me to say?! That I was scared? That I didn’t know how to get the words out of my mouth, that I-“

Arthur was walking slowly further and further towards Merlin, as the warlock kept rambling, trying to find his thoughts.

“-didn’t want to see the betrayal in your eyes, or the hatred or-“

Merlin started letting the tears, he had so valiantly tried to keep at bay, fall.

“-or” his voice broke. “Or the fact that I knew, that in each case you wouldn’t chose me”

He whispered at last.

Silence.

“Oh Merlin” Arthur said softly. Reaching out and wiping away a tear from the warlock’s cheek with his thumb.

“I know I’m terrible at letting feelings show, but I had hoped you would know just a little how dear you are to me”

Merlin looked his king in the eyes for the first time since the tears overtook him.

“De-ar?” The warlocks voice broke at the questioning word.

“Very dear” Arthur said, maintaining eye contact, but showing a soft crimson heat over his cheekbones.

“Oh”

“Yes, oh” Arthur mocked fondly.

Merlin looked at his king intensely.

“Well- Well you are very dear to me too” he whispered after a few moments of silence, and if Arthur hadn’t been standing as close as he was, he probably wouldn’t have heard it.

“Seems we are in luck then” Arthur said with a smirk.

“Yes it would seem” Merlin grinned, still with Arthur’s thumb gently caressing his wet cheeks.

The king smiled and kissed his warlock.

#arthur pendragon #merlin emrys #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin #fanfic #merthur fanfics #merthur ficlet #merlin fanfic

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star-rie · 2 months

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when your servant is a little shite

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Then Merlin looks at Gaius, who’s sitting there, eyeing him as if he knows what Merlin is going to do.

‘Merlin, no’

‘Merlin yes’

Merlin tests the limits of Arthur’s patience.

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alternatively, ao3 link

original prompt

PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6 (you're here)

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After the thing with Arthur’s crown and the princess, Merlin decides that enough is enough. He already tests his theories out with varying outcomes. There’s no need to further embarrass both Arthur and his own reputation.

He just doesn’t want to drag Arthur with him, he doesn’t really care if people think he’s mental.

It was another feast. Royals sure do love feasts, Merlin thought as he poured the wine into a noble’s goblet. Tonight, they’re celebrating Sir Alexander’s ascension to knighthood.

A bright young lad he is, aspiring to protect Camelot and King Arthur. Merlin likes him already. In fact, Merlin praises the knights. They’re very loyal to Arthur, even following him to death. The knights are the only nobles worthy of their title.

“Lovely night, isn’t it?” Modred said beside him, He takes that back, he forgot this rotten thing is actually a knight.

Merlin immediately scowls, looking at the gremlin up and down. Mordred is probably already planning for Arthur’s next death trap.

"Yes,” Merlin said tightly, shifting away from him. Go away, please go away.

Mordred frowns, his face sad. “Do you still hate me?”

Merlin scoffs, “Why would I hate you?” he said as he aggressively takes Mordred’s goblet and pours him water. Obviously, Merlin is not giving alcohol to a child, but if he turns away for a second, maybe Merlin can–

“Merlin!” The sun of his morning sky himself comes to greet him, enthusiastically putting an arm over his shoulder.

“Is that for me?” He asks, taking the goblet from Merlin, Damnit, now he can’t poison the drink!

“That was Modred’s sire.” Maybe if he can get it out of Arthur’s grasp…

“‘Tis mine now! Sorry Mordred” Modred nods, pretending to be the good boy he is. Damn it, poison is out of the window then. Hmm, maybe if Merlin can somehow create a mass hysteria right now, then he can kill him.

Merlin stares at Arthur’s sexy throat, swallowing water like a sexy person. He feels warmth radiating from the arm draping over him.

Nah, not worth it.

“Go join the other knights, boy,” Arthur told him from his sexy lips.

"Okay,” Mordred said, joining the rest of the knights.

“So Arthur, you-OW!” Merlin cried when Arthur smacked him.

“You know, Merlin, your hostility for that boy is really getting abnormal,” Arthur said, gesturing to his empty goblet.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Merlin said, pouring wine this time. Arthur sighs.

“Merlin, Mordred is a good boy; can’t you see how sweet he is?” Arthur directed his hand towards Modred and the knights, who were gaping over Percival’s muscly arm. But all Merlin saw was Mordred’s vile smirk and evil face, trying to craft a plan for Arthur’s demise.

“He’s clearly evil, sire. Look at his face!” Merlin gestures towards Mordred’s chubby features.

“You’re delusional”

“Am not!”

So Arthur and Merlin spend the next 10 minutes arguing about Modred’s chubby cheeks and how he’s secretly sorting out an evil plan behind that sweet smile. But then he saw it—the dagger coming at Arthur’s face. Behind him, the same mother from that trial a few days ago, Merlin, was sure she was executed, but she looks alive and well.

Merlin would move himself in front of Arthur. He really would, and he wouldn’t hesitate to shield him even if the dagger might pierce his heart. But he had no time, the blade was already an inch from Arthur’s face, one more second, it would be stuck to his head. Merlin’s heart beats frantically, he has no choice.

Focusing his energy on the dagger, he stopped it right as it touched Arthur’s head. He immediately turns the knife and redirects it to stab the woman at the end of the hall.

She cries painfully, her hand clutching her stomach. And then she falls, blood running from her body. The court is silent, saved for Merlin’s harsh breath.

He knows now, Arthur knows.

He slowly looks at him, frightened of what he will see. Arthur is staring, particularly at his eyes. Merlin presses the ring that was on his finger.

Please don’t hate me, please don’t hate me, please–

“Magic is legal now." he meant to declare it to the court, but he ended up saying it to Merlin instead. The court was silent, it was Merlin instead who questioned him, “What...”

“Magic is legal now." Arthur repeats, staring at his eyes. Merlin shakes his head. “You can’t mean that; you’re supposed to hate me; magic is evil; it’s—”

“I mean it!” He shouts, silencing him. And he goes to grab Merlin’s hand, the one with the ring, raising it so the court can see.

“You see this?” He asks, pointing to the ring on Merlin’s hand, “This man has already become a part of Camelot’s royal house; he saves my life more than I can count, but most importantly, he always puts Camelot before himself; he stays as my servant even if magic is illegal. Believe me when I say we won’t stand if he’s not here.”

He said, before looking fondly at him, “We owe a great debt to you."

And then Arthur turns to address the court “I will write a decree tomorrow. Are there any objections?” He asks, and Gwaine starts very slowly, "Um, is it just me, or it’s very obvious that Merlin had magic since, like, I don’t know, before Uther?”

“I thought I was the only one.”

“Me too”

“No way”

"Wait, what do you mean? This is old news? this is new to me!”

And the court is now competing over which person discovers Merlin’s magic in the first place, which becomes very funny as the discussion gets more complex. Merlin looks at Gaius and Lancelot, who just shrugs. Merlin is perplexed.

“Wait..so you all knew that I–”

“I did say, Merlin, that you can’t keep a secret, even if your life depends on it.” Arthur cuts him off while Merlin is reeling over the fact that even Arthur knew.

…

ARTHUR KNEW HE HAD MAGIC!?

Arthur then smiles at the court and says, "Well, then continue on while me and my not-so-magical manservant—" Arthur held his hand tightens when he said that, which means that Merlin is in very serious trouble. “Clean this corpse from the room! Let’s go, wizard! Been dying to use that one." Arthur drags Merlin to the corpse, and they both carry her out of the hall.

Once they were far enough, when Merlin’s brain stopped short-circuiting, he started to chuckles at the absurdity of the situation. "Well, that was a—“ he starts, but is caught off guard when Arthur roughly pins him to the wall, trapping him under him.

“Arthur what--“

“Do you realize how dangerous that was?” Arthur spoke, grip tightening on Merlin’s jacket, “I had enough of you, trying to make a fool of yourself to the royal court; you think I didn’t notice, didn’t you? Your silly stunts of sitting at the throne and the time you sat at the table, and—wait, you’re doing this on purpose!” he realizes, shouting accusingly at Merlin.

"No,” Merlin said, avoiding Arthur’s eyes.

So he had noticed.

"Oh, stop lying, Merlin, you can’t even lie about your magic.”

“Well okay only some of them, the rest is because of the situation” he sighs, wiggling under his grip. When Arthur made no indication to move, Merlin finally voices the tiny thought that had been echoing in his heart.

“So you don’t hate me?” Merlin asks, not looking at him. Arthur had the right to look offended.

“Hate you?? Of course not! Why would I? No! Merlin! I’m mad at you!” Arthur said, pushing him further. “What if the court didn't agree with me back there?! What if they didn’t know about your magic?? What if they think that a king-servant relationship is not normal like my father? What then?? What if they separated me from you?!” Arthur asks frantically, and it finally clicks—all the things that Arthur did for him.

"Oh,” Merlin said, “I thought,“ and Arthur kissed him hard, awkwardly, their teeth clanking. And Merlin melts into it. Finally, he thinks, as he puts his hand on his hair, finally he gets to kiss him. And then they pull away from each other.

“Are we good?” Merlin asks

"Yeah,” Arthur said, before kissing Merlin again.

#bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin emrys #arthur bbc #merthur #merlin x arthur #arthur x merlin #merthur fanfic #merthur fic #merlin fic #merlin fanfic

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whataboutthreateninganass · 4 months

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merlin. 🫶 who to most of camelot was just a servant. but who was the most devoted and loyal of any person in the royal household. who had immense power, power to destroy, power to seek revenge. who instead used it to conjure butterflies, save the innocent, and work alongside a man who should have been his sworn enemy to build a better, more hopeful world.

arthur. 🫶 who was the son of a tyrant. who was arrogant and conceited. who was born of immense love, and immense sacrifice, and yet had never been looked at like he mattered, until said servant came along and gave him the chance to realise how deeply he wanted to CARE. who became the head of a kingdom built on violence and pain. who became merciful and gentle and HUMBLE to a fault. who fell in love with a man who should have been his sworn enemy, and by his side, tried to build a better, kinder world.

bbcs merlin is a show for the misunderstood. which happens to be all of us. we all have parts of ourselves we hide away, because we can’t or won’t let anyone see, or because we haven’t yet realised their presence within ourselves. we are human. ever-changing. constantly misunderstood, by ourselves and others. and yet we are always redeemable if we choose to be. the characters of bbcs merlin are excellent because they are too.

merlin. arthur. gwen. morgana. gwaine. lancelot. <3

#lots of words to say every person has contradictions #and that's what makes us interesting and loveable and human #please write for the other characters #I will love you forever #bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #merthur #merlin and arthur #merlin bbc #morgana #guinevere #sir gwaine #lancelot

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lenoirexv · 10 months

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It is i, Sir Crandall of Camelot, Loyal Servant To Her Serene Holiness, Saint Sybil the Unshod!, Madu, Thou Vile Sorcerer! For Thy Crimes Against Church and Crown, I Shall Have Thy Head!. - Clive Rosfield

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merlincersei · 8 months

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Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 13

The Meaning Of Pendragon In The TV Show

The 3 prominent characters in the TV show who bear the Pendragon last name are Uther, Arthur and Morgana.

The name has its origin in the Old Welsh language

The Arthurian legends were mainly written in the medieval age.

However Arthur's literary origins lie in the Dark ages.

The TV creators have already stated it was their intention to reinterpret Arthurian legends using a modern Smallville format which is modern American in its narrative.

Source:

Even though the TV show does not specify the time period it is set in, it uses a lot of medieval imagery such as plated armor, chain mail, carriages etc.. which were all medieval inventions.

So this dark age last name used within a medieval world but portrayed through a modern 21st century American narrative takes a whole new meaning.

The show also gives us a literal meaning to Pendragon as Uther even sent a dragon to the pen ( Kilgaragh is imprisoned underneath the cavern of Camelot )

Here the name takes the overtures of being a TYRANT.

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Uther:

He fits the classic definition of a tyrant.

I don't even have to list all of Uther's crimes because Merlin as Dragoon literally calls him a tyrant to his face listing all his misdeeds in the following clip:

youtube

It is Uther who lends his last name to Morgana and Arthur and all the baggage that comes with it.

______________________________________________________________

Morgana:

It is very telling that the moment Morgana realizes that Uther is her father, she rejects Uther as she does not want to associate with what Uther Pendragon represents.

However the Pendragon traits soon manifests within her as she undergoes the tragic transformation from being a brave and loyal friend who helped a lowly servant by going to his village and helping him defend it to being this embittered villainess who shows dictatorial traits.

Her struggle for self acceptance as a magical being and protesting against the persecution of magic users soon manifests as a crusade against the non magical users based on revenge.

The Pendragon legacy here acts as a genetic pathological mental illness that is triggered through grief and betrayal. Morgana being poisoned by Merlin being the trigger for Morgana as Ygraine's death was for Uther.

______________________________________________________________

Arthur:

Uther is the typical distant and repressive fatherly figure who has channeled all his hopes and emotions on his sole male heir i.e. Arthur.

Arthur had a strict military training who is only allowed to show his masculine, aggressive side

Unlike Morgana, Arthur constantly feels the pressure to live up to Pendragon name. The Sword in the Stone: Part 1 and 2 episodes perfectly highlights Arthur's insecurities.

Merlin who is privy to Arthur's psyche more than anyone in the series, has seen the Pendragon rage manifest in Arthur such as:

Arthur willing to kill Uther (Refer Episode: The Sins of the Father)

Arthur banishing Gwen under the punishment of death (Refer Episode: Lancelot Du Lac)

Arthur vowing vengeance against Agravaine (Refer Episode: The Sword in the Stone Part 1)

Arthur vows to punish Dragoon after Uther dies (Refer Episode: The Wicked Day)

In all the above situations, it is Merlin who provides counsel and/or emotional support to Arthur to exercise prudence and not give in to his rage.

IT IS ONE OF THE KEY REASON WHY MERLIN DOES NOT REVEAL HIS MAGIC TO ARTHUR UNTILL THE VERY END !!!

youtube

The dialogue in the scene above is very revealing.

ARTHUR: Why did you never tell me?

MERLIN: I wanted to but...

ARTHUR: What?

MERLIN: You would have chopped my head off.

ARTHUR: I am not sure what I would have done

MERLIN: I did not want to put you in that position

ARTHUR: That's what worried you

Merlin knows the trigger for Pendragon rage is betrayal and grief.

Merlin knows it was his betrayal of Morgana that lead her down a dark path.

Had Merlin revealed his magic to Arthur earlier he would never have earned Arthur's trust to be in a position to counsel him during his darkest moments.

Merlin being the other half of Arthur as stated by Kilgaragh acts a superego for Arthur trying to counterbalance his aggressive Pendragon tendencies .

Kilgaragh had told Merlin it was his mission to mold Arthur into being a great king. (Refer Episode: Dragons' Call)

Merlin's influence on Arthur is really exemplified in the episode "Death Song Of Uther Pendragon" , where Arthur confronts Uther:

youtube

Merlin then confronts Uther's ghost, reiterating that Arthur is indeed very unlike Uther.

This episode ends with Arthur rejecting Uther and what Uther stands for, by blowing the Horn of Cathbhadh and sending Uther back to the spirit realm.

______________________________________________________________

In Conclusion:

It was a masterful stroke by the series creators to have Morgana and Arthur introduced to the audience in contrasting light. (Refer Episode: Dragons' Call)

Morgana is shown distressed as a man is executed by Uther for being a sorcerer whereas Arthur is seen bullying one of his squires.

The audience is only privy to the information that Arthur is Uther's son and Morgana is unrelated to Uther resulting in the viewer sympathizing with Morgana and rooting against Arthur.

However as the series progresses and as Morgana's identity is revealed. We see her succumb to the Pendragon traits despite her abject hatred of Uther . Whereas Arthur ultimately rejects Uther and Uther's ideology despite constantly seeking his validation throughout the series.

Morgana ( Hero to Villan ) and Arthur's ( Villan To Hero) character arc ends up in complete opposite directions from where they began.

Both characters are scarred by trauma, loss and betrayals they have experienced compounded by the less than stellar parenting of Uther Pendragon.

It is very poignant that the series ends with Gwen on the throne and not a Pendragon signifying a new future for Camelot.

#bradley james #colin morgan #merlin bbc #merthur #lgbtqia shows #merlincersei #merlin meta

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nimrism · 21 days

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could you make this post? please, it's so fascinating i really want to hear your thoughts on it

"The Dark Tower" Morgwen Interactions Analysis

i've literally been waiting for someone to ask me this so i can go all out in answer, so you're literally my favorite- THANK YOU! i've tried to put all the thoughts swirling around in my head into one coherent post, so strap in and let's LOOK AT THE IMPLICATIONS (from my perspective)!

first and most importantly, i want to zero in on morgana's choice of kidnapee; she could've chosen anyone in camelot, any one of the knigts who were regularly privy to arthur's battle plans and schedule, but nope. if we're looking at it from the perspective of "she needs the closest person to arthur" wouldn't that be merlin? she could have kidnapped and brainwashed him; he would've made for a fabulous inconspicious mole in the court, and arthur literally goes to him for anything and everything. i actually think it would make for a really interesting au/fic if it were merlin who was kidnapped instead of gwen (love confession/magic reveal possibilities are ENDLESS), but maybe it's a little too close to the plot of "a servant of two masters" and the writers didn't want to be repetitive. i'm going to be biased and delusional in believing that morgana did choose gwen, in particular, for more personal reasons as well as for her nefarious ones.

the way i see it (and this is obviously very objective), by the time we get to this point in s5, morgana is LONELY, like, has-no-one-in-the-world-except-aithusa type of lonely, and her choice of allies has been lacking diversity as of late (why are they all men 💀), AND they all end up dying anyway. so, she needs a plan, and she needs a trusted ally (she also needs a bit of love and lip balm cause DAMN). BUT the thing is, why would anyone be loyal to her? she's never kept any allies (or friends) thanks to her wit and charm alone, she's only ever kept men loyal to her by striking fear in their hearts. it's the same for her friends and family, i think. she doesn't believe they even tolerate her existence, so she needs to be crowned queen to subdue them and FORCE them to respect her. the same goes for gwen. she was only morgana's friend when morgana was a naive and vulnerable girl, plagued by nightmares and unexplained fears, and the second morgana grew out of them (or learned to control them) gwen stopped being affectionate, stopped being open. that's how morgana sees it, and it only reinforces her belief that gwen would never understand the person she's become now, she wouldn't quite see what morgana was trying to do. unless morgana forced her to.

the whole kidnapping affair was to MAKE gwen understand, because she wouldn't do it of her own free will. gwen would never willingly be on morgana's side, so she had to jump through a few morally questionable hoops to bring her over. in the end, i do believe all morgana really wanted was a friend (maybe a little bit more, amirite ladies), though by this point her concept of friendship had become twisted beyond recognition, and in all the chaos, this was the only way she thought she could have one. throughout the episode, a lot of the old morgana shines through, even if it is portrayed as just manipulation, and i do think that was her either slipping back into old habits or forcing herself to, for the sake of the brainwashing and for the sake of their friendship that she's trying to rekindle.

a point that i've seen several people make is that between the niceties, the "real" morgana peeks through several times throughout the ep, but i kinda disagree. i don't necessarily think that just because her smile drops, it means that the niceties were a facade and her "evil" side pops back out. i read the sudden change in expression more as disappointment. gwen fights back with such vigour that it's probably painful for morgana to realize that her former friend sees her as nothing more than an evil witch who's hell-bent on hurting her, now. she's disappointed that gwen, who was supposed to know her best, believes what the others do, and doesn't believe that morgana is being sincere in her offer of friendship.

a small remark i also have is: why wasn't morgana one of the visions/hallucinations gwen had in the dark tower? it's interesting to see that the closest three people to gwen are her brother, arthur, and merlin, of all people. i feel like gwen's history with morgana has to have had a lasting effect on both of them, even if morgana is supposed to be "evil" now. you don't stop loving someone just because they've chosen (or BEEN chosen by) the dark side. morgana was one of the people gwen cared about most in seasons 1 through 3 (s3 is pushing it a little, but still), it doesn't really make sense for it all to be forgotten so completely like we see in this episode. i also think it would've been super interesting to see a hallucination of younger morgana in particular, partially as a reminder that part of gwen still cares about morgana and largely because i'd like to see how gwen would react to that vision... would it differ from the other three? what would morgana do? would she sneer and laugh like elyan and arthur? would she do a little rawr like merlin (😭)? i feel like a ficlet is in order for this concept cause i would like to see it but i have to imagine it first (but that's the hard part 😭)

NOW ONTO THE MOST DELICIOUS PART OF THIS ANALYSIS: THE QUOTES

M: "Would you prefer some chicken?"

i just found this one hilarious tbh like she's so out of pocket what are you doing offering your kidnapee some chicken and WHAT WAS THE OTHER OPTION, IF NOT CHICKEN?

M: "I know how lonely you must be, all by yourself in that room. At least you're not shackled, and there's daylight. You can move, you can see."

oof. she's obviously referring to her own capture and torture, pulling from her own experience. it's heartwrenching that morgana has been through all of this, traumatised beyond reason, but it's even more heartwrenching that she thinks she's doing gwen a service, like this. it might not seem like that to any sane person, but after everything she's been through, morgana's worldview is completely different. in her mind, however twisted and detached it has become, she's being merciful to gwen this way, giving her luxuries that she was never afforded when she was captured. (including a warm meal with chicken at miss havisham's table 🤩)

M: "I too have suffered, Gwen. I spent two years living in darkness. I spent two years chained to a wall at the bottom of a pit... You did not know."

goddddd this line... it's just so painful, so powerful, so indicative of SO MANY THINGS. it's EVERYTHING. every acting choice katie and angel made in this scene was brilliant but ESPECIALLY their facial expressions in this particular part WOAH. the way morgana's voice cracks on the word "pit" is DEVASTATING. i was floored. the way gwen's face falls as she processes her words and they properly set in... INCREDIBLE. the concern in gwen's eyes is palpable as she realizes the horrors inflicted on her friend. and the final "you did not know" was so, so powerful. morgana realizes that gwen didn't know about and clearly wasn't okay with what she went through. gwen had no part in it. morgana SMILES at gwen's reaction, but instead of it being a smile of malice or evil it's one of RELIEF, and one that she hides very promptly. she's reassured in the knowledge that gwen had no idea she had suffered so immensely, and that, more importantly, she wasn't involved in it. it's SO important to note that morgana has no idea whether arthur had a hand in her own torture or not. it's especially not a good look on him that he invites the sarrum as a friend of camelot so soon after the events of "the dark tower", so, as far as morgana knows, he could've been a "friend" when she was being tortured for years, too. i wonder what would've happened if morgana had kidnapped gwen AFTER the sarrum's visit to camelot... i feel like that would have complicated things with gwen much further, if morgana thought she was complicit in her imprisonment.

M: "I would have sold my soul for someone to show me kindness such as this."

only two points on this heartbreaking line: 1- FUCK the sarrum of amata. all my homies HATE the sarrum. s4 and s5 morgana might both be textbook cases of "evil", but they're two VERY different people with two very different worldviews and tactics. morgana's imprisonment turned her into the cold husk of a person she is by s5. and 2- this just further confirms that morgana thinks she's doing gwen a favor, dining with her and letting sunlight into her room and choosing not to tie her up etc.

M: "Your hands are cold... I have a warm fire going for you."

oh boy is this a MOMENT. the way morgana keeps her hand held out. the way gwen reluctantly puts her hand in hers (MORGWEN HAND-HOLD!) *ivy by taylor swift starts playing out of nowhere* {ohhhhh goddamn, my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand, taking mine, but it's been promised to another, ohhh}

um anyway i digressed. then the way gwen wriggles her hand out of morgana's grasp, while morgana grips her fingers with unwavering determination... it's just delicious.

M: "Anything you want, you can have. I'll give it to you."

idk about you but personally i'm SOLD. take all my money. i read this as morgana trying her utmost best to sell gwen on joining her, but i can also see the manipulation laced in it.

G: "Why are you doing this?"

M: "Because we're friends. We always were."

to me, this reinforces the theory that morgana's just trying to get her friend back on her side. by stating that they've always been friends, morgana reaffirms their friendship as much to herself as to gwen. she was her friend once, and she can be again.

M: "I'm helping you. I'm looking after you."

this sort of feels like morgana is telling herself that, more than she's telling gwen. maybe it's just part of the manipulation process, but i do believe that this was morgana's conscience reassuring her that what she's doing is in gwen's favor and that she's being kind to her.

M: "It's alright, I'm here."

UGH this line. morgana is being the person she needed when she was imprisoned. this scene is also a parallel to all the times morgana woke up screaming in the middle of the night and gwen was there to comfort her in s1/2. this time the tables have turned and it's morgana comforting gwen. simply delicious.

M: "My darling, I was wrong to make you suffer."

TEA! to say that this line was spoken from the bottom of morgana's heart might just be a bit too delusional, but i like to think there's at least some truth to it. torturing gwen had a lot of paralells to morgana's own imprisonment and torture, and she did want to make her suffer, at least in the beginning. but it was also different from what morgana went through. this is NOT to justify torture, btw, torture is BAD, but her "manipulation" tactics got a bit too personal at some point, and i like to think at least a part of it was genuine.

G: "No. Whatever twisted game you're playing, I want no part in it. I would rather stay here and die."

ouch. gwen's resistance to the last possible minute shows such strength on her part (cause me? i would've given in before she even dragged me through the desert tbh) and it gave us such a delicious performance from angel; the reluctance? the uncertainty? the distrust? the relief that morgana is there but also the FEAR of what she's doing? the contradiction between the morgana that gwen once knew and the morgana that everyone KNOWS is evil? but the morgana that gwen once knew is shining through now, and she's saying everything gwen wants to hear... grade-A angst.

IN CONCLUSION they're gfs your honor, this was all just a plot to snatch gwen back from arthur cause morgana didn't think seducing her herself would work. (this phrase could be in reference to this ep or the "lancelot du lac" ep i'm cackling morgana really is hopeless) there are also SEVERAL psychological layers to it, but describing it this way is just easier.

SO... this is possibly the longest post i've ever made. it got a little more comprehensive than i originally thought it would be, but THERE YOU HAVE IT! that's my take on the morgwen interactions in the dark tower. if i seem a little biased, that's because i 100% am :) i hope that clears things up. this is an open invitation to keep sending me asks (even if it's about the most random things ever) cause i love them and i love every single person who sends in an ask, and a public apology for how long these answers get sometimes 😭

#the fuckass sarrum is public enemy number one #hate that guy #morgana defender til the day i die #yes she's done some questionable things but have you considered that she's baby #can you tell i'm biased #save me morgwen save me #morgwen will probably be my undoing at this point #they're so special to me #the dark tower #this episode was a whole rollercoaster #morgana's gf might've been stolen from her but she stole her BACK #and now she's dragging her across the desert #now they're having a lil heart to heart #back to torture #fruity #HAND HOLDING #torture again #bunch of other stuff happens #FRUITY AGAIN!#that's pretty much the summary #anyway i hope this is coherent enough to be read #feel free to discuss #include me in the discussion too i'm making an effort to socialize #bbc merlin #morgana pendragon #morgana #guinevere #morgwen #merlin theory

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sneakyboymerlin · 2 months

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random ask inspired by your post about gwaine being merlin's ride or die and how he was the only knight who went to see merlin released in 5x07. first of all so many points being made. second of all your tags about how leon probably led merlin's arrest were validating for me personally as someone who has always found leon a bit annoying. or at least, who's always found the accepted idea that leon is like this beacon of morality and goodness as really boring, canonically unrealistic and unimaginative. this is an unpopular opinion but i do kind of feel like the fandom's idea that all of the round table knights love/protect merlin is somewhat exaggerated. and esp irt to leon, i think it's potentially interesting to explore the way his loyalty to the throne, his personal code of chivalry, and the ideals he likely grew up with as a noble-born child of uther's camelot interact with each other. then again i truly do understand why no one wants to give him much thought as he is basically just a piece of stale white bread.

Gwaine is Merlin’s ride or die! There’s truly no one quite like it besides Will or maybe Lancelot. But what makes Gwaine unique here is a combination of beliefs/behaviors:

Gwaine never knew about Merlin’s magic! He saw how special he was without his gifts and his destiny. He saw it before Arthur’s life was in danger, just from being around him under casual, non-life-threatening circumstances.

Gwaine’s loyalties aren’t divided—or at least, as far as they are divided, he’s already prioritized Merlin above his other loyalties (whether that’s Arthur, Eira, Gaius, and by extension, maybe the greater good…)

Gwaine always implicitly trusts Merlin, even when he himself doesn’t have all the information… even when Merlin admits to Gwaine’s face that he is lying to him. This is why he assumes that Merlin is right about Gaius in 4x07, despite having no evidence. It’s also why he lets Merlin go in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. And it’s why he was the only one who believed Merlin didn’t do it in 5x07, as evidenced by his appearance in the cells.

The only time Gwaine questions Merlin is when Merlin is potentially endangering himself. He doesn’t ask any questions about why Merlin needs his protection in the Valley of the Fallen Kings. He only asks what they’re there for when Merlin tries to send him away.

Gwaine is the only one who’s still alive when Merlin needs him 💀💀💀 so by deduction…

Anyways, 5x07 is one of those rare episodes where it’s actually interesting to look at Leon! (Non-canon events notwithstanding—I once played a good game of Merlin-themed DND where someone made Leon interesting which, in the spirit of this post, is an impressive feat).

Now, in my personal opinion, Leon’s significance is over-inflated by fandom in the sense that the attention and depth his character receives is highly disproportionate to what we see of him in canon. I think the reason that Leon isn’t included much in canon isn’t because he’s being screwed over but, simply, his characterization narrows down what roles he can fit into.

His unquestioning loyalty to the crown means that he’s unlikely to ever prioritize protecting Merlin, and it shows that he has no issue with the ban on magic. Therefore, he fits well in 5x04 when he worries that Arthur is risking too much on his quest, and in 5x07 when he has Merlin arrested on the word of his queen alone. These two episodes provide a great contrast to Gwaine’s respective roles in them, where he stays behind when Merlin is injured in 5x04 and releases Merlin from the dungeons in 5x07.

This is why I posit that Gwaine and Leon are the perfect foils to each other. Both of them are unquestioningly loyal, protective, and caring towards the person/people they prioritize. However, for Gwaine, that person is Merlin, a “mere” servant, while for Leon, it’s the royals.

Gwaine’s devotion is towards his best friend—one irreplaceable person—while Leon’s is more of a distanced loyalty that follows a line of heirs (though Leon does show some preference to Arthur and Gwen, despite his steadfast loyalty to Uther). Leon also strikes me as a very methodical, rules-adhering fighter, which contrasts Gwaine’s more resourceful, bar brawl-based style.

And let’s never let ourselves forget that Gwaine and Leon’s first-ever interaction was when Leon—under Uther’s orders—arrested Gwaine for protecting Merlin! It’s a miracle they can tolerate each other on quests and patrols.

This difference seems to be the source of their tension in 4x08 as well. Under Lamia’s enchantment, Leon calls Merlin “nothing but a servant,” which Gwaine apparently takes offense to despite also being enchanted against Merlin:

Leon: Why don’t you watch what you’re doing?

Gwaine: Why don’t you watch your damn tongue?

Leon: You’d do well to learn some manners.

Gwaine: Nothing I can learn from you, Leon.

At this point, Leon has said nothing in this scene for these remarks to make much sense. However, Leon’s last line before this is where he insults Merlin. And as we know, Gwaine is no fan of nobles who devalue people for being servants.

So, imo, if you want to bring out Leon’s full potential: instead of turning him into a clone of Gwaine, fans can take his loyalty towards the royals to the exact opposite extreme. As Gwaine takes Merlin’s side, Leon takes Arthur’s >:)

#leon critical #sir gwaine #bbc merlin #merlin meta

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witchmd13 · 8 months

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i'm going to complain childishly in this post in not so good english so you've been warned

using the word illogical to describe merlin's loyalty to arthur makes me so mad. you truly need to have no comprehension skills if that's your take on the central relationship of the show. like how can that be your take away from the show I'm losing my mind?? i get hating arthur but arthur's love (whatever kind you choose to believe it was) for merlin IS SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT MAKES US AND MERLIN SO CONFLICTED. the poisoned chalice. servant of tow masters. the moment of truth. the death song of uther pendragon. how was merlin not supposed to form some sort of loyalty to the man who did ALL OF THIS FOR HIM AND BESIDES (not mentioning the inherit goodness in arthur and his love for his people but that's besides the point). you're acting like arthur was out there gaslighting merlin. like?? arthur thought the man was a rambling servant at worst and a loyal reckless friend at best. merlin literally saw arthur at his worst and decided to stay loyal to him to arthur not destiny. like you really think merlin the most powerful sorcerer who could literally turn the entirety of camelot into dust if he wanted just sat back and just decided to serve the man just because he thought he was pretty?? merlin wanted to serve destiny at first then it became all about arthur. merlin loved arthur because arthur loved him back. merlin was loyal to arthur because arthur was loyal to him back.

THATS WHY ITS A FUCKING TRAGEDY

#also merlin turning dark in s5 is not arthur's fault like how do you even get there #arthur KNEW NOTHING #how can it be his fault that things got so bad

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gaiussleechtank · 1 year

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Just an idea that's trapped in my idea notes, but imagine if there was a magic reveal around the time Arthur became King, magic gets repealed and Merlin is generally accepted all round:

It was one of those days that, in Merlin's opinion, made the ego of the knights increase several times over. The sun was unfairly hot, increasing in heat as the day goes on, so obviously everyone had stripped every unneeded layer that was possible.

Everyone except Merlin.

Gwaine launches a punch at Arthur and nearly gives the guy a black eye. He swerves our of the way and staggers into the dirt just in time.

"Oi, Princess! What the fuck?" He mutters as he wipes the sweaty mud from his chest.

Arthur is staring at something off the field, following the King's line of sight directly to everyone's favourite manservant.

"Ah, of course." Gwaine smirked. "Merlin. Why am I not surprised?"

"He must be boiling." Arthur muttered, referring to Merlin's horrid lacklessness of clothes. There were way too many clothes on that man's body.

"Lancelot." Arthur snapped loudly.

"Yes, my lord?" Lancelot tried innocently as he approached the King warily.

Arthur grabbed Lancelot's arm and whispered, "You're closest to Merlin-"

"I don't agree with that."

"- so convince him to at least get him to take off his neckerchief, or even better his jacket."

Lancelot stared at Arthur with an unreadable expression before smiling. "Yes, sire."

The loyal Knight jogged over to Merlin, the servant looked up to his friend and they started to converse but then Merlin launched to his feet with a stricken expression. He grabbed Lancelot by the arm and dragged him into a tent.

#__#

"You know exactly why I can't take off my shirt." Merlin cried out as the flaps of the tent closed.

"Of course I know, Merlin. But you're not in hiding anymore. Arthur knows, everyone knows. And they know what you've done for the kingdom. They would understand where you got your scars from." Lancelot replied gently. "The others will admire your bravery and strength, I know I do. I know Arthur will."

Merlin stared at Lancelot, biting his lip. "They aren't pretty scars, they're ugly and nasty-"

"And show that against everything you've survived, you've beaten all odds." Lancelot stepped close to Merlin and took his hand, he would hug the warlock but he's sweating far too much. "Scars aren't meant to be pretty, they show the honest truth and the truth isn't always nice. But you're Merlin, you look the bad stuff in the face and tell it to piss off." Merlin snorted. "Look, I'm not saying to be shirtless, just take the neckerchief and jacket off before you get heatstroke and Arthur gets an aneurism."

Merlin's brow creased in confusion.

"Arthur asked me to since apparently I'm the one that's closest to you." Lancelot rolled his eyes.

"Bloody hell he's an idiot."

"You're the only one that can tell him that." Lancelot chuckled, heading towards the tent entrance. "Do something about your clothes because I'm sweating just looking at you."

"Yeah, yeah," Merlin waved the knight off. "Leave me in peace."

Lancelot left the tent grinning, going back to Arthur with a little congregation of knights and squires already forming.

"I did what I could, Arthur." Lancelot put his hands up in defence.

Arthur nodded distractedly in Lancelot's direction whilst keeping his eyes trained on the tent. When the tent reopened, everyone quickly dispersed, humming and talking nonsense as Merlin walks through the training field.

"Holy shitting fuck." Gwaine openly gawked at Merlin.

They knew he was lean, no longer the skinny twig he was when he first came to Camelot, but not built. Not this built. And gods, the scars that rippled over his muscles. Even through the mix of faded reds, pink and white, it took nothing away from Merlin.

Lancelot spoke the truth, the knights did admire Merlin, after learning everything that he had done over camp fires, nights at the tavern and the random comments. The squires looked up to him as a role model. The knights admired his strength in every aspect.

But right now?

The heat had melted every persons ability to think, and Merlin was scarred, sweating, and looking like the glorious god that the druids claimed him to be.

"Eyes up here, knight." Merlin motioned with his fingers.

"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking." Gwaine smirked. "Especially Arthur."

Arthur closed his mouth but continued to stare.

"Happy now, prat?"

"Y-yeah." Arthur managed to say.

#__#

"Five pieces of gold they fuck."

"You're on."

#I dont have my laptop #Is is obvious?#Will write further later #Arthur: awooga #Merlin is sex on a stick #Everyone is in love with Merlin #Or at least attracted #bbc merlin #bbc merthur #merlin #Accidentally wrote fanfiction #What is my life #Projecting a little because Merlin would be hot

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tozettastone · 3 months

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On Banishing Merlin

The day Arthur finds out about the magic is the day Merlin is banished.

A lot of stuff actually happens between those two events, but it's less significant to Merlin. Arthur gets saved from the glare of a gorgon and they cleverly turn her to stone, for one. There's also a lot of yelling—a lot of yelling—about the floating mirror that Merlin employs to help with this.

Probably the worst thing Arthur says is, "I thought, if you were a rubbish servant, at least you were loyal!"

Merlin is too aghast to have a good response to this, although in an hour's time it occurs to him that he could have yelled 'I drank poison for you, you royal pillock.' But Merlin rarely has the words he wants, when it matters most.

And then Arthur, Leon and Merlin all storm back to Camelot in grim glowering silence with a gorgon's head in a bag as the dusk grows dark in the woods around them.

So that all happens.

But also, Merlin is banished, which is the most important part in as much as he's concerned.

His recognition for saving the crown prince's life is a commuting of his sentence, which is only possible because nobody bothers to tell Uther about it in the first place.

Arthur doesn't kick him out of the castle at sundown to freeze, at least. Instead Merlin enjoys the hospitality of the dungeons all night, sick to his stomach and sleepless in a cold cell, and then he's got to leave at dawn. He wonders all night what Arthur is going to tell the king about his useless, hopelessly loyal manservant, who will now simply vanish—but perhaps he should rather ask if he'll tell the king at all. He might not. It would be safer for all of them if he didn't.

Uther probably won't even notice. One servant is much the same as another, to him.

In the colourless hours before dawn, Sir Leon comes for him.

"His sentence is banishment," he tells the guards, "I'm to escort him to the border."

And so, Camelot's first knight has been designated Merlin's personal watch dog. It's flattering and offensive in equal measure. He's the prince's sacked manservant, not a live dragon.

The guards give him up without even commenting, so presumably they don't know what he's been arrested for either. Huh.

That morning finds him in Gaius's cluttered chambers, shoving everything he owns into a bag by candle light. It's not much. Servants are paid mostly in room and board, and have few coins to spend on frivolities like... more clothes, or a second pair of boots.

Incongruous among the comfortable chaos of measuring instruments and cloudy glass bottles and hanging herbs, Sir Leon watches him pack awkwardly from just inside the door.

Gaius's craggy face is creased and drawn into an expression that would be ferocious if Merlin knew him less. These predawn hours are a strange, grey, still time, when only the watchmen and the bakers really ought to be up. Not to put too fine a point on it, but in the years since Merlin got here, Gaius has gone and gotten old. This morning, he's older than ever.

"You should count yourself lucky you're not dead." And yet, Gaius doesn't sound like he finds it lucky, because he sighs deeply. "What will you do?"

"No idea."

"Merlin."

He looks up. "No, really. I don't know. I've just got banished, haven't I? I haven't the foggiest. Visit my mum?"

He really should. She'll worry, otherwise, when she gets the next letter he will have to write her. He's painfully aware of Sir Leon standing there, stiff and still, listening to every word.

Merlin has found him comforting, before. He's a good knight: faithful, dutiful, slow to decide that violence is the answer and quick to act once he's decided. But Merlin doesn't know, now, if those characteristics of Leon's are, well, on his side anymore.

He does not know where Leon stands, personally, on the matter of magic. He's never asked. For obvious reasons, Merlin studiously avoids the topic.

And now he doesn't know if he looks grim because seeing a friend banished is a grim duty, or if he looks grim because he's watching Merlin, waiting for him to commit an infraction that's worth killing him over.

What a mess.

"You can't stay in Ealdor," says Gaius wearily. "Otherwise you would not have left it in the first place."

"Yeah. I know." He knows this better than anyone. "But it'll be good to visit while I—while I sort myself out. My plans."

His plans. His plans. What plans can Merlin make, really, when Morgana is right here in the heart of Camelot, poised to strike? Surely Uther won't last the year.

Uther might not even last out the rest of the month.

Arthur, though. Merlin has better hopes for Arthur. He doesn't have to be living in his pocket to protect him... although he'd prefer it. And Arthur is better liked and less unbending, anyway. Just because Morgana wants to kill him does not mean she'll succeed so easily as that.

Gaius nods, accepting.

Neither of them says anything for a long moment after that, and Gaius goes to collect several things he's determined Merlin must have, if he's forced to go off on his own. First is an old leather saddle bag stuffed with food, although Merlin has no saddle and certainly no horse. Then it's a linen envelope filled with tiny sachets of dried herbs. Then cloudy glass bottles of medicines, ones that won't lose their potency even if they aren't fresh. They're medicines that have been used since Roman times: autumn crocus for the heart, nightshade for the nervous system, poppy juice for pain...

Merlin sees Sir Leon watching him steadily from the corner of his eye, even as he accepts these familiar tinctures wrapped in rags right from Gaius's worn hands.

The knight is doing the job Prince Arthur has told him to do. It is a direct abrogation of the law as handed down by king and council. Merlin swings wildly between feeling personally offended and powerfully resentful—enough to make the candles flicker fitfully away from his temper, like it's a physical thing—and existing in the cruel grip of perspective. Banishment is the best Arthur can give him. Following his orders to watch him and make sure he really leaves at dawn is the best Sir Leon can give him.

And yet, Merlin is bitter.

His stomach is tight and his eyes sting at regular intervals, threatening furious tears.

...Merlin is frightened, too. But anger feels better than fear.

"This is for you, too." Gaius startles him out of his dark and spiralling thoughts with one last gift. "I have no misgivings about giving you this, now."

It's a roll of soft vellum enclosed in a little wooden tube. Merlin looks at him, and then unrolls it and reads, glancing up at him moment to moment. Gaius has put his own good name to it. Merlin, it says, is a physician whose skills and character are in good standing with the court physician at Camelot.

It does not say he's in good standing with the king or the prince, which is... good, probably. But it's skirting the edges of a lie. Especially with the little seal at the bottom: the Pendragon dragon, curled around the physician's staff. It's the seal specific to the physician of the court.

Merlin raises his eyebrows. Gaius only rarely even permits him to see a patient alone, because apparently he'd lose his head if it wasn't attached. "Really?"

Ealdor doesn't need a physician. It can't support one. Everyone in a village that small needs to be working in the fields so they all live through the hungry gap at the end of winter. And winters have been getting very, very long these last few years. A physician doesn't work in a place like that, although he may travel through. He works in an army or for a mercenary company, or at a fortified settlement like the castle here in Camelot, or the old Roman Londinium, off in Mercia.

"Just in case," Gaius offers, quirking a significant eyebrow.

Their goodbye is sentimental and teary.

Leon walks with him to the border, although he brings his horse. The animal's head bobs as it ambles along beside them.

Leon doesn't speak to him, at first, which is actually quite useful, because it gives Merlin the chance to provide last instructions about the care and keeping of Arthur.

"There are sorcerers trying to kill Arthur every other week," Merlin tells him. "You have to keep a look out. Anyone new. Anyone suspect. Make sure George gets my job—Arthur hates him but he's been vetted. Get someone else to open his gifts, even if you think they're from someone trustworthy." Like Morgana. "Don't let him get enchanted. Check for cantrips under his bed, in his pillows, in his clothes—you have to feel the seams. Don't—"

"Is this why you started?" Leon wonders, tipping his head back to squint at the sun rising, soft pink and burning red on the horizon. "Using sorcery, I mean."

Merlin stalls. His brain is full, but his mouth is empty. "Uhh..."

"Only, you don't seem like the type."

"The type?" Even in Camelot, sorcerers have never seemed to have much of a 'type,' to Merlin. They appear among the lowest and the highest in society, and use magic for applications ranging from regicide to healing blisters.

Leon reflects. "Desperate," he amends. "Or religious."

Oh. Well.

That.

"Can you think of any reason why all the sorcerers you find in Camelot might seem like desperate nutters?" he sighs. "But I'm not from here. I was born with it and my mum sent me to live with Gaius to learn how to control it."

Leon starts. "I wasn't aware one could be born with the... with magic. Stop that," he adds to his horse, who is taking advantage of the loose rein to snag grass from the side of the path. He takes her bridle by the cheek piece and brings her head closer, the better to keep an eye on her. "She knows better than to eat with her bit in."

Merlin thinks most horses actually know one thing and one thing only: how much they can get away with, under whose watch. He doesn't say that Leon's a soft touch with his horses. If he doesn't know by now, there's no point telling him.

"Most sorcerers learn it. You can be born with it. I was... struggling in Ealdor." Merlin is very tired. Funnily enough, spending all night in the dungeons and then getting roused before dawn hasn't left him with much energy for putting one foot in front of the other. It makes him more honest than he might otherwise be. Or perhaps he'd be this direct with anyone who knew. It's hard to say. He's been keeping it quiet for so long.

He puts one foot in front of the other and finds himself missing Lancelot powerfully. Maybe he will try to find him, he thinks, after he sees Hunith. But Lancelot could be anywhere by now.

"Is that where you're going now?"

"Seems rude to get banished from a whole kingdom, cross the border, and not even visit my mum, doesn't it?"

"Your mum," Leon says slowly.

"Yeah. Sorcerers also have mothers, you know. One of the first people I rescued Arthur from was a sorcerer's mum, actually."

"I recall. That was when the king made you his manservant."

"Uh-huh. Used magic for that, too." He's already banished—what can it hurt? It feels weirdly cathartic to be this honest, for a change.

"I was at that feast, but I noticed nothing out of the ordinary."

"Yeah. I slowed time."

"Slowed time?"

"Yep. No idea how. No training, you know."

Leon's face is a mix between deep alarm and wondering if Merlin is having him on, which actually makes telling him a lot more fun.

So on their two day walk to the kingdom's border, Merlin takes the opportunity to unload every bit of magic that ever saved Arthur right onto Sir Leon's dutiful shoulders. If nothing else, it will give him a really good idea of what sort of thing to look out for while Merlin's banished.

At the border—marked by heavy stones and the curve of a stream—Leon leaves him.

Merlin isn't sure if he's changed his opinion on sorcery. But he reckons he has at least impressed upon him the sheer amount of danger Arthur is exposed to in a citadel that refuses magical protection.

"Leon," Merlin says gravely. "Don't let Arthur get killed."

And now that he has the past two days as testimony to how bloody hard that is, Leon looks appropriately daunted by the responsibility. But he squares up, exhales, and says: "You have my word. I won't."

Which is all you can really ask for, Merlin guesses.

He wonders what Kilgarrah would have to say about this. Extracting this promise from Leon is a lot like outsourcing his destiny, really. Probably he'd have nothing particularly flattering to say about, but when does Kilgarrah ever say anything nice?

...Good thing Merlin isn't going to bring it up to him.

"Right," he says, watching Sir Leon mount up and turn his horse right back around towards Camelot. He looks very picturesque, a big strapping man on a shiny bay horse with his long red cloak. He could be a painting, framed beautifully with the sun rising over the landscape behind him. "That's that, then."

And Merlin shifts the weight of his bag higher on his shoulder and puts one foot in front of the other, on his way to Ealdor...

#merlin bbc #my fic #merlin fic

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merlinemrys · 11 months

Note

Hello there! I saw you giving some recs for Merlin fics and wanted to ask for some too if you don't mind 👉👈

Do you have any recommendations for Merthur gen angst hurt/comfort? Hell I need more angst in my blood stream

of course!!! idk if u mean merthur w a general rating or just gen fic that's focused on arthur & merlin, but just to play it safe im doing gen fic 💙 if u mean merthur fics that are gen rated then just lmk !

scorch marks and embers by southfarthing (rated t, 93k)

Summary: Everyone he trusted with his secret – Will, Freya, Balinor, Lancelot, and now Gaius – was gone. Arthur would never bring magic back to the land, and he would never let Merlin stand at his side the way Merlin had hoped he would. It was a cold awakening, years of baseless faith dashed against the fraying tapestry that destiny had made Merlin sew into his own skin, but an awakening nonetheless. Merlin is shaken out of his obsession with destiny and his blind faith in Arthur. Arthur just wishes he knew how to get his closest friend back.

New Beginnings by nsowlwrites97 (rated t, 33k)

Summary: Traitor. Merlin. Magic. Merlin. Traitor. Friend. Sorcerer. Merlin. The words seemed to lose their meaning the more Arthur tried to make sense of them, bleeding in and through each other like ink dissolving in water. The only fact he knew to be true – absolutely, permanently, irrevocably true – was that Merlin was dead.

go boldly by CaptainOzone (rated gen, 7k)

Summary: “It is not like you,” Arthur muses suddenly, and very, very quietly, “to lie to me.” Merlin’s lungs freeze in his chest. “What?” he chokes out. Or: yet another 5x05 The Disir AU.

New Duties by s0mmerspr0ssen (rated t, 17k)

Summary: With Uther’s death, Arthur ascends to the throne and officially becomes King of Camelot. Naturally, this means that Merlin is now the King’s manservant, not the Prince’s. What sounds like mere semantics turns out to be much more than that. As Merlin struggles to keep up with the demands of his new job, Arthur finds himself burdened by the realities of kingly responsibilities. Soon, the strain of stress puts their friendship to the test…

Treason by N16 (rated t, 9k)

Summary: Arthur knows four things: Merlin committed treason. Merlin is loyal to him. Merlin wants to tell Arthur the truth. Merlin is scared Arthur will kill him. All he needs to figure out now is what on earth his servant has actually done.

Loyalties by reelin_writer (rated t, 25k)

Summary: “Arthur.” “Merlin?” he said, instantly angry. He shoved himself into a sitting position, fumbling for the candle on the table by the bed, and blustered, “What on earth are you doing? It’s the middle of the night! I don’t know about you, but that’s when I sleep. Don’t you--” Finally managing to get the candle lit, he looked up at Merlin, fully prepared to continue his lecture. But the words died in his throat at the sight of the young servant, and he choked in the rush of panic that assaulted him. “Merlin!”

The Price of Loyalty by Obsessionist (rated t, 18k)

Summary: Uther activates a device that repels magic, but Merlin's loyalty to Arthur knows no bounds.

Loyalty Was Never A Question by ValiantGinger (rated t, 27k)

Summary: Morgana gets her hands on something that puts Merlin in very serious danger. When Arthur's manservant goes missing, he can't help but be worried about him - worry that becomes legitimate when it becomes clear that Merlin is being used as a trap to lure Arthur in. Still, it's Merlin. How can he do anything but go and rescue him?

Between A Rock and A Hard Place by LFB72 (rated t, 30k)

Summary: A visiting noble makes Arthur an offer he can't refuse, putting Merlin's secret in jeopardy. The warlock takes drastic action, risking his health and ability to respond when crisis strikes.

#shows #bbc merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #arthur #merlin #merlin fic recs #fic recs #je réponds #la poste #ask #anonymous #tais toi lys #*#*frs

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onceandfuturewarlqck · 2 years

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arthur 1x11 analysis

sort of

HERE to the other stuff i wrote about merlin

what i truly deeply love about merlin 1x11, the labyrinth of gedref is not merlin calling arthur out for killing the unicorn, or him telling gedref that he trusts arthur with his life, or merlin following arthur in the labyrinth against orders, or him being smart.

it's not even arthur wanting to sacrifice himself for the kingdom, or him taking the blame for what it's happening to his people and showing everyone that he will be a great, just king, or him not allowing merlin to drink poison in his place.

all these things are great, and beautiful, and they just say a lot about how great these two are, both as individuals and together, ready to sacrifice themselves for camelot and for each other.

no.

what truly gets me, what has my heart in a clench, what keeps me awake at night is this:

arthur saying that he is glad that merlin is with him.

"I'm glad you're here, Merlin"

this is the part of the episode that most leaves me screaming and crying and sobbing.

because arthur, at this point, already knows he is going to drink the poison. he knows is he the one that will drink it, no matter what self sacrificing merlin has to say.

arthur here is not saying he is glad merlin is there because merlin is going to take his place and die for him. no, even if what he says just before may make someone think.

"I had no idea you were so keen to die for me."

"Trust me, I can hardly believe it myself."

this may make someone believe that arthur is glad that merlin wants to sacrifice himself for arthur (not that arthur will ever allow it).

but the truth is that arthur is glad that, since he will drink the poison and most likely die, he will at least be able to talk to merlin one last time. he is glad that merlin is there with him because he didnt want to die alone. he is glad merlin is there with him because merlin will be the last person he will see and the last person to see him.

and ultimately, he is glad that merlin is with him because merlin gives him the courage he need to do this.

arthur is brave enough. he is brave because he loves camelot and would die for his people, because he loves them.

but arthur is also brave because he loves merlin, be it friendship or something more, whatever suits you.

arthur is brave and merlin makes him feel brave as well.

and so, arthur is glad that merlin is with him.

he is glad that it's merlin the last person he may ever talk.

his first and true friend.

his loyal and brave servant.

his other half, even if he doesn't know it yet, but I'm sure he can feel it.

if arthur were to die, he is glad to do so with merlin by his side.

and the next thing that breaks me the most is that, whenever arthur has to face danger, he tells merlin to go away and save himself. and merlin always finds a way to tell him that no, he won't leave him. like in 2x13, the last dragonlord:

"Are you really going to face this dragon with me?"

"I'm not going to sit here and watch. I know it's hard for you to understand how I feel, but... well, I care a hell of a lot about that armour, I'm not going to let you mess it up."

which leaves arthur staring at merlin with undeniable affection.

or in 3x12, the coming of arthur:

"Merlin, you should go with them."

"Nah, I've seen the woods already."

and i can go on and on about every time merlin refused to leave arthur's side, like any other servant may do, like even a normal friend could do. and every time, arthur looks at merlin with relief.

and i truly believe that, every time, arthur thinks: if i am to die today, I'm glad to die with you at my side.

he thinks, every time: I'm glad you're here, merlin

#merlin #merlin bbc #arthur pendragon #merthur #merlin and arthur #merlin emrys #arthur #merlin bbc 1x11 #merlin bbc 2x13 #merlin bbc 3x12 #im glad youre here merlin #character analysis #sort of #arthur character analysis

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the-king-and-the-druidess · 6 months

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@twisted-shipper on Dark Tower Armor Au

Morgana would kidnap Arthur while Merlin and Gwen were fetching water for a picnic, for example.

On the way to the Tower, Arthur would try to escape a couple of times, but Morgana would use magic to bring him back each time. At the place she would put him in a cage and they would talk, for the first time they would really talk of what happened to you.

The mandrake vapours bewitched Arthur, made him Morgana's loyal servant, and he would forgot for her what he stood for before. Imagine the words "it has always been you" said by him and the subtext of that?.. They would got closer after these words, because Morgana knew that under the spell Arthur wouldn't remember anything and would soon die anyway...

She wouldn't have killed him at that point because she wanted to make the laws she desired first, to prepare the ground using his own name and signature and, for example, send knights to distant outposts away from Camelot.

And it would be Merlin and Gwen who noticed Arthur was behaving strangely. He refused to sleep with Gwen. He killed Sarrum in Morgana's name. Signed the magic liberation and so on – and that's when Merlin realised there was something wrong with him. It would create a strange conflict for Merlin — here, the dream has come true, Arthur is doing what Merlin dreamed of for so long, but it is false and wrong, for the man Arthur has become over the years would not have done it, not like this.

And then Merlin would endeavour to free Arthur from Morgana's enchantment and break the evil bond.

#arthur x morgana #a work of mine again

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guhamun · 3 months

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Name: Percival

Class: Lancer

Noble Phantasm: Longinus Count Zero

Species: Human (Servant)

Gender: Cis Male; he/him

Height: 6'4’’ (195 cms)

Alignment: Lawful Good

Origin: Britain

———–

Personality:

+ Protective, loyal, trustworthy, chivalrous

- Can be a bit stubborn, sometimes things fly over his head

A sincere knight who values decorum, he has been described as pure-hearted on occasion. Acting calmly without doubting or losing his temper at others, Percival known well for his patience – a trait that must have been necessary for some of his more bullheaded comrades. Percival is well-liked by children and animals that meet him for the first time, though said person is unaware of this fact. When he was alive, he used to stand in Camelot's garden in the morning sunlight, letting little birds rest on his shoulders and arms.

It is during battle that he shows a harsher side of himself, but this shift is seen only during battle. He frequently fusses over his juniors, especially those younger than him as he has a tendency to take on a more guardian, or to some, big brother-like role. This extends to his fellow Servants as well as the Master whom he wishes to look after with the same tenacity. A genuine soul, Percival values honesty, and as such, does not conceal his thoughts or opinions.

History:

Percival, the Holy Knight of the Dove, was a member of the Knights of the Round Table led by King Arthur, holding the 2nd Seat. There are many tales of Percival’s birth, though if asked about his home, he will casually state that he was raised in a forest by his mother. The details after that are not important – so he would say. What was, was that he came to prove himself worthy of becoming a Knight of the Round Table. Eventually, in time, he embarked on a quest to find the Holy Grail with Sir Galahad and Sir Bors, a quest recalled most fondly by him as he was able to bear witness to its miracle. Though there are many versions of this tale, this Percival came upon a version of the Holy Spear, Longinus, perhaps guided by fate to do so as if chosen by the spear itself to be wielded by him. Through his journey, he became an enemy to a sorcerer named Klingsor who too sought to use the Holy Spear, albeit for purposes less than pure. Attempting to bar Percival from continuing, he sent his servant, Kundry, to him in hopes that he would be bewitched, and though her kisses had the power to enthrall men with the same ease of a Siren’s song, it did not work on the Knight of the Dove.

Bearing Kundry no ill-will for her attempts at seduction, he was able to confront Klingsor, and through that battle with the assistance of the spear, claim his victory. Kundry disappeared never to be seen again, but her flowers bloomed around the throne of Klingsor’s fortress, the beauty of them remaining deep within Percival’s thoughts even as he left and eventually returned back to Camelot. What happens after all of this? What other tales are there for this knight? There are many, just as there are many for the others as well. In the end, however, he eventually fell with his beloved kingdom, dying with no regrets in his heart for he had given his all to both his king and to the place he called his home.

#;m: percival #;v: chaldea days #[-CRIES- me trying to consolidate what's on the wiki with some things from #other sources too but also just DOING MY BEST #I like how I did a bio for Percival BEFORE Neuvi fdsfsddssf]#;;f.ate #;;f.go

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merlincersei · 10 months

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Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 2

The Gay Arc Of Our Protagonist and Antagonist

Using magic equals homosexuality motif, Camelot represents a homophobic society. Against this backdrop, is where Morgana and Merlins character arcs are formed.

For Morgana, the backdrop of an intolerant society is further compounded by a homophobic family dynamic. She is literally disowned I.e not acknowledged by Uther as being his child (a fear a lot of lgbt people have). She ultimately rebels against the society and her family by coming to terms with her sexuality. However all the oppression and the unpleasant coming out process (Merlin literally poisons her) has made her bitter and she lashes out in destructive ways namely against the token heterosexual couple of the show Gwen and Arthur. It plays into the homophobic stereotype of how militant homosexuals are a threat to traditional heterosexual society. Morgana is literally turned from a brave and loyal friend who helped a lowly servant by going to his village and helping him defend it to being this irredeemable shrew once she embraces her true identity I.e a goth lesbian ROFLMAO.

Merlin who has also grown in a homophobic society, however was lucky enough to experience a tolerant interpersonal dynamics. His mother and his friend are both aware of his identity and are supportive of him. However unlike Morgana, Merlin chooses to stay in the closet because, he has chosen to focus on his career of being this amazing sorcerer whose job is to enable a king achieve greatness. This parallels a lot of gay people who remain closeted I,e actors, athletes, politicians, even ordinary people who feel coming out will deprive them of opportunities.

To really understand why the tone of merlin tv series changes drastically in seasons 4 and 5 is to understand the primary motivation of our hero and villain.

Merlin character arc is driven by fear. Fear of being found out. Fear of being rejected. Fear of failing his destiny.

Morgana character arc is driven by hate. Hatred of Uther for not acknowledging her and forcing her to supress her true self. Hatred of Camelot for condemning her when she wanted to rebel against a system that vilified her for what she was.

In classic fashion, those who rebel against society meet an untimely end. Morgana just like Sal Mineo's character in the classic heavily gay Sub textual movie "Rebel Without A Cause" is killed off.

Merlin who plays by society’s rule by remaining closeted and denying his true feelings, lives to be an old man full of regret.

In a case of art imitating life, Richard Wilson, the actor who played Gaius, came out in his 80s and said that he regrets hiding all his life because he never got the chance to build a family with someone he loved. I think it’s very bittersweet how he played a role that frequently told Merlin to “be more careful”.

Article:

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

#arthur pendragon #bradley james #merlin bbc #merthur #colin morgan #queer coding #gay subtext #merlincersei #lgbtqia shows #youtube #katie mcgrath #morgana #lesbian #merlin meta

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