#merlin my beloved queen of camelot

[cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu]

Arthur: Merlin, come here.

Merlin: *sleepy* Nooooo

Merlin: *goes back to sleep on the floor*

Arthur: *walks over and gathers Merlin into his arms*

Merlin: Noooooo—*yawn*—ooooo...

Arthur: *carries Merlin to their bed and plops the warlock down*

Merlin: *instantly snuggles his dragon cat plushie* mmm...fank yew aaarrthuurr...

Arthur: *smiling softly* You're welcome, love.

[camelotfallen]

Tag post, ignore

[castelled-away]

Do you ever read a fic & then some random side characters that pop up again & again throughout the whole story do something together in the background while the main character is occupied with their own thoughts & just brushes over them like a fleeting, unimportant observation? And you’re like these two, I wanna ship these two. And then you keep your eyes open for more background interaction like those as a secondary goal besides reading & enjoying the fic (that’s when a fanfic really starts to live at least to me).

Though I’m all insecure & paranoid now bc the author surely didn’t mean to paint these two in a romantic light & just needed that side interaction as a description filler & im reading too much into this, but like…I ship it. Oops. How did that happen

Link is here: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1830772 (it’s actually Part 2 of a longer 5-Parter-Series & Part 1 was already awesome but it keeps. getting. better.)

[julia4today]

the return of arthur pendragon - angst?? PT. 1

this is basically purely backstory, i needed to get something outtt (merlin x arthur)

a/n: this is probably the longest thing I've ever written. +I wrote this on a computer so everything is capitalized n stuff. and i want to say that im really sorry this is delayed and also the first thing ive posted in like two months. that's really on me. additionally, i have a reader x hobie fic coming out soon.

if you have sent me a request I WILL get to it, some may require more research and brain power. announcments: i have an ao3 (i havent posted anything on it though) pendragonco

Most imagine the afterlife to be a wonderland full of radiant flora and a deity only decided by yourself. A place where you may live out the years you never got to experience. But you would be wrong.

The truth is far more complex. It is a realm where echoes of your past deeds and dreams intertwine with the fabric of eternity. Time flows differently, like a river winding through the core of memories and contrition, where every choice made in life reverberates on the very existence of the universe. There are no simple paradises or solitary deities here, but rather a tapestry of existence woven from the threads of every life that comes before and leads after yours.

However, to Arthur Pendragon, both definitions seem untrue. It almost taunts him with how easy they make being dead seem to a new generation of the dead and the living.

To King Arthur, the afterlife is a treacherous wasteland, where the dead seemed unnaturally content despite their recent quietus. All he could do was curse his demise and all the unfulfilled ambitions that haunted him. He wondered about his darling Guinevere, how she fared, now tasked with ruling Camelot in his stead. He thought of the fate bestowed upon Gaius, the man he had trusted implicitly, who now carried the weight of the living through Pendragon's legacy.

But above all, his thoughts always returned to Merlin. A man he had once known. A man he had once trusted. Arthur imagined Merlin. Perhaps Merlin was so grief-stricken he never used his power again? Maybe he avenged the death of his king. For all Arthur knows, Merlin himself could've died, he too could have been cursed to this desolate ether. 

In reality, the world broke. His world broke. The once and future king, the man destined to unite the land of Albion, through magic and none, is now dead. Merlin, day after day, ran his last moments over. Cursing himself for the way Arthur left this world. If he had just listened to Kilgaraah if he had heeded his advice. If he had disposed of Mordred the first time they had met, the King would stand before him long after. No war would have ensued, and Camelot would no longer be in strife with war.

The day his death was announced to the citizens was a dismal one. Clouds cast over the town square, and the whole of the city gathered to hear the words from the queen herself. Gwen and Merlin stand where Arthur had stood just weeks prior. Where Arthur had announced war, Gwen shall announce the outcome of such a thing. 

“My dearest citizens of Camelot,” Her voice wavers. “It is with a heavy heart that I make this declaration. Our beloved king, Arthur Pendragon, has fallen in battle. The king lives no more. His bravery and dedication to our kingdom will forever be remembered. Let us unite in mourning his loss and uphold his legacy with strength and resilience. May his soul find an eternal peace” A long silence befalls Camelot. The only noise was the occasional strangled sob. Coming from townsmen and nobles alike. The knights stood on only one knee. Taking their solemn oath to the King to heart.

In the months that followed the death of the King, Merlin withdrew into solitude, seeking solace in the quiet corners of Camelot and the vast expanses of the surrounding countryside. Memories of Arthur haunted him—laughter shared over campfires, battles fought side by side, and the unspoken bond of friendship that had defined their lives. He found himself replaying every moment, every decision, wondering if there had been a different path—one that could have spared Arthur's life.

In the privacy of his chambers, Merlin poured over ancient texts and scrolls, searching for clues, signs, anything that might point the way to Arthur's return. His magic, once hidden away in fear of persecution, now burned within him with a fierce intensity—a testament to the depth of his devotion and determination. He thought of his previous journey with Arthur, a trip in which Arthur came back fuming at Uther. A trip where they had met with Ygraine, Arthur's mother.

He wonders what spell Morgause had used to conjure the image. Whether or not the image was manipulated, didn't matter so much to Merlin. If he could only see Arthur one last time. One more day. If he could apologize for his secrecy, if he pledged his allegiance to the king, if he could promise to carry out whatever plan Arthur had for Camelot, he would be content. Merlin had believed that if he could just find the right spell, he could bring back the king. Even if only for a short period.

Deciding this was easy for Merlin. Evoking Arthurs image not so much.

----

OKAY, i promise i will get part two out soon. my hobie fic comes out on sunday so

@maumnuu - this is mainly for you :p

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

mordred through time (movies, tv shows, opera and musicals)

Part 4: From 2014 to 2017

Other Parts: Part 1: From 1949 to 1981 -> here Part 2: From 1982 to 2002 -> here Part 3: From 2002 to 2010 -> here Part 5: From 2018 to 2023

For this part I just wanted to talk a bit about sympathetic Mordred.

Through time we started to see a more sympathetic Mordred. I think the first iteration in audio/movies/tv was the the Blind Guardian's song in 1995. For the first time we have Mordred as a protagonist, mainly lamenting of regret, pain and lonliness. While I do not know why they decided to focus on Mordred, it is also notable that writing a more sympathetic Mordred was already happening in novels, around the same time. I used the arthurian list of novels I made so I might have missed any, but at this time we have 1956 "The Great Captains" by Henry Treece, "Sword at Sunset" by Sutcliff, "The Wicked Day" (the first novel focusing on Mordred as protagonist) by Mary Stewart, 1982 "The Idylls of the Queen" (Phyllis Ann Karr), 1983 "The Mists of Avalon" (Marion Zimmer Bradley), Persia Wolley's 1987 Guinevere trilogy, 1988 "The road to Avalon" by Joan Wolf and 1988 "The Book of Mordred" by Hanratty all depicting Mordred as a more round character, as someone the reader can feel sympathy too or even enjoy or relate to.

A slighty sympathetic but still villanous potrayal can then be found in 2001 ("The Mists of Avalon" miniseries) but we have to wait till 2008 ("Merlin", BBC) to have a tv Mordred who is actually shown trying to do the right thing (at least for a bit), and working with Arthur. I think this is more due to the fact that "Merlin" often tries to depict villains' origins and motivations than a real conscious attempt to redeem Mordred or make him less villanous.

Other following examples are the kid movie 2010 "Merlin and Arthur the Lion King" and the album 2014 "High Noon Over Camelot" that positions Mordred in a co-protagonist role and fully allows the listeners to empathyze with him. The Fate franchise (the introduction of Mordred should be around 2012 in the novels) continues on this trajectory, making Mordred a main sympathetic and beloved protagonist in many of the adaptations.

2014 High Noon Over Camelot album by The Mechanisms: The song I used is "Peacemaker". The album has multiple arthurian characters sung by different artists, and Mordred is interpreted by Ashes O'Reilly. This is also the first time we have an explicitly queer Mordred (outside of novels), as Mordred is a trans man in this retelling. The story is a Western reimagining of arthuriana, and another case of a sympathetic Mordred - this time Mordred is more overtly sympathetic and even reconcile with his father Arthur at the end.

2011 recording of Albeniz's "Merlin": Piotr Prochera plays Mordred. This is another recording (no dvd, this has been shared by Piotr Prochera acor himself on youtube) of the "Merlin" opera.

2015 recording of "Le Roi Arthus": This opera is probably my favorite arthurian opera. It was created by Ernest Chausson between 1886 and 1895 and it is sung in French. Mordred is a bass and a classic villain, here jealous of Lancelot and the attention Guinevere gives Lancelot. This 2015 version was a modernized edition, with the knights depicted as modern soldiers. Mordred here is played by Alexandre Duhamel.

2016 Rex, youtube webseries: This series is on Severe Chill Studios' Youtube channel, with 48 short episodes. The series is a vlog of arthurian characters living in modern times (no reincarnations, just reimaginings). It follows Rex (Arthur) a student who is dealing with his abusive family and the brothers Merlin and Lancelot. Moore (Mordred) is Arthur's spoiled and arrogant friend (played by Daniel O’Sullivan). He lets Rex crash at his place for a bit, and is often depicted insulting his mother and calling her slurs. If you decide to watch this just know the series has some pretty heavy themes (a part from domestic abuse it also touches on terminal illness). Youtube link.

2017 Fate/Apocrypha: This is one of the many anime adaptation of the Fate franchise. Mordred is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro. The Fate franchise is massive and deals with numerous spin-offs or even alternative realities to tell the tales of wars/battles for the Holy Grail mainly fought by Servants who are personification of historical/legendary figures. Fate/Apocrypha is based on a series of novel and is an alternative timeline to the previous Fate/Stay Night anime and also the first time we have Mordred in the anime. Mordred is here a Servant, they are the cloned-son of Saber (Arthur/Arturia, who is a woman) and Morgana. Their story is massive so let me just say I am using they/them for Mordred because the Fate series is very ambigous regarding theri gender. They are born as the close of a woman (Saber) and often referred with female pronouns through the series, they hate being called "a girl", and also hate being called "a boy". While I do not think the series was making an effort to actually depict a non-binary character, I do believe Mordred can easily be read as one.

2017 King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table: 2017 was a wild year for arthuriana but nothing was as wild as this movie. The movie follows the life of some arthurian characters' descendant living in Thailand. Morgana and Mordred (banished in arthurian times) ended up in space, working with aliens, and are now back to destroy the descendants. The movie is full over dramatic close up, Morgana turning into a mecha, fighting scenes and more. Interestingly, given how ridiculous the movie is, Mordred is depicted as a sympathetic (almost) villain. He is played by Russell Geoffrey Banks.

2017 King Arthur: Excalibur Rising: The scene I used in the video is right at the start, as the movie is set after Arthur's death. While Mordred might seem sympathetic there he is actually a pretty violent villain for the rest of the movie. The story is focused on Owain (Arthur's illegitimate son) trying to take back the crown from Mordred and Morgana. Here Mordred (played by Gavin Swift) is Arthur's incestuous son with Morgana.

2017 Legend, youtube webseries: A webseries you can watch on Tufts University Television's channel (link here). The series has 7 episodes and an epilogue and is set in a university. Each student is an arthurian character, with Mordred (Morty) as the overly joking, friendly guy who is hiding some deep hatred and jealousy towards Arthur. Unfortunately I do not remember if Mordred is Arthur's half-brother or just a friend. Mordred is played by Yuval Ben-Hayun. The story and production were pretty good, so I recommend it!

2017 Mordred La Revolte: I cheated a bit as this movie is the end of a long webseries. The series started in 2013 and run till 2018 with two season and can still be found here on youtube. The series was created by Tommy-Lee Baïk (who also played Mordred) and is in French. Unfortunately I cannot really tell how arthurian the series is, but the plot does not mention other arthurian characters. If I am not wrong, la Revolte is simply S2 turned into a movie.

2017 Fate/Grand Order The stage - Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot: Part of the Fate saga but in the Grand Order timeline, this is a stage adaptation of one of the events in the videogame Fate/Grand Order. In particular, it should be the same story shown in the later movie Camelot part 1 as the full title is Fate/Grand Order THE STAGE - Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot Replica; Agateram. I will explain more about it in the next part of this Mordred series. Chihiro Kai plays Mordred.

[queer-ragnelle]

do you have any arthur/guinevere/lancelot recommendations? if not, just stories where their characters were done justice and their friendship is explored and the love triangle comes to some satisfying solution.

i sure do! as always, with caveats. this list has two parts: films first and then books as i have suggestions for both! all of these movies can be watched here and the books read here.

TL;DR movies: Excalibur (1981), Camelot (1967), Knights of The Round Table (1953), Merlin and The Sword (1985), Sword of Lancelot (1963)

TL;DR books: The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey, Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger, Guinevere Trilogy by Persia Woolley, Guinevere by Lavinia Collins, Spear by Nicola Griffith, honorable mention to Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart

MOVIES:

Excalibur (1981): for me it has everything. we get to see young stupid arthur and clever curious guinevere fall in love, their wedding is gorgeous, then nicholas clay my beloved lancelot throws a wrench in it as he loves and respects them both so much, and they love him. he gets to be crazy about it too like running off to the woods to beg god to take these feelings away, dreams he's fighting himself and ends up impaled<3 meanwhile arthur/guinevere leave a cup out for him even when he isn't there. the crux of it comes when guinevere is accused of cheating (which she hadn't even at this point) and arthur won't champion her because his kingship comes before husbandly duties, so lancelot fights for her honor instead. at the end, after guinevere has gone away to a convent (lancelot is a wildman with a full beard lost to them all) arthur comes to retrieve excalibur from her and his speech is so romantic about finding her in the next life. i die every time. here is my review of that movie.

Camelot (1967): i adoooore this guinevere. jenny<3 she does whatever she wants and i love that for her. the whole may day queen aspect of her is muah chef's kiss. small wonder arthur loved her immediately. this arthur gets to wear eyeliner which is a plus. lancelot almost kills arthur on meeting him and then falls at his feet on realizing it, only for guinevere to be really cold to him at first, trying to get other knights to defeat him, but ends up falling in love with him. which arthur totally knows and turns a blind eye to btw. even when pellinore brings it up in as gently as possible, arthur bites his head off, knowing he cant even entertain the rumor or else the kingdom is in danger, and he just wants his two favorite people to be happy....cries forever.

Knights of The Round Table (1953): the biggest downside to this one is that lancelot has a horrible insufferable american accent. however his celebrity worship/instant friendship with arthur is soooo good. he breaks his own sword for threatening the king and then arthur gives him his own....is that even allowed to be so adorable? anyway so lancelot had met guinevere before they were arthur's friend and wife, essentially had a charming meet cute, and went their separate ways, only to formally meet at the wedding in front of everyone....god, the eye contact could turn someone to stone. arthur is extremely sympathetic and compassionate, to the point that when he catches guinevere sulking alone on the roof with a gift from lancelot, he says "i miss him too..." bruh???? my heart?? all around delicious food.

Merlin and The Sword (1985): huge disclaimer...this movie is ugly as sin lol the only version available is ripped from a vhs tape so it might as well be a crunchy gif at this point. it was also cut down from the 3 hour tv version to 1.5 hours which is a tragedy. (i've tried emailing the studio for a rerelease to no avail...) however it has the most insane arthur/guinevere/lancelot ever i'll never be the same. arthur is played by malcom mcdowell who always brings his a game to roles. he's a bit older than guinevere, but she apparently taught him to read? he dotes on her but he's somewhat emotionally stunted which gets in the way. this guinevere is gorgeous i'm obsessed with her she has this deep sultry voice and a simple elegance that completely shatters lancelot's resolve. i get it, it would work on me. lancelot meanwhile is this incredibly lanky sometimes mute shy guy who is besties with gawain and his meet cute with guinevere involves the mingling of their blood after they are both cut on some rose thorns? hello???? they're freaks just like chrétien intended. the blood. they share bath water and fuck in a dungeon. then after guinevere is rescued from meleagant, arthur asks merlin for some sort of potion to help guinevere recover emotionally instead of like.....talking to her? he's trying but so so bad at it<3 he then takes her to bed to "treat her like a queen." IT'S ALL GREAT IT MAKES ME FERAL ARGH

Sword of Lancelot (1963): this one is fun because cornel wilde wrote it, directed it, and starred as lancelot himself!! the other fun factoid is the woman who plays guinevere is his real life wife. how stinking cute is that? so obviously their chemistry is ridiculous. but arthur is a cutie too. he's older and tends to talk down to guinevere a bit, which makes sense why she befriends lancelot in her loneliness. lancelot gets a lot of development, taking young tor under his wing, besties with gawain and lamorak and gareth. being irl married to guinevere also makes their disagreements feel very real. arthur is counseled by a ton of characters, bedievere, merlin, even mordred is here giving his two cents. so you really feel that tug of war pulling the throuple apart. it hurts.

BOOKS:

The Birth of Galahad by Richard Hovey: this play is wiiiiiild but the take away here is that guinevere is the mother of galahad. like what a twist. meanwhile all the men are away fighting rome so you get this tragic back and forth switching of perspective between lancelot and arthur missing guinevere (plus galehaut is here as counsel which really kicks this up a notch) then it cuts to guinevere with a new baby and tormented by the prospect of whether to write to rome with the news but afraid it will cause an upset where she cant be.....hovey you mad lad you've done it again.

Arthur Rex by Thomas Berger: i hate i keep having to recommend this bigoted book but damn it this arthur/guinevere/lancelot are so good. why are they sooo goood???? this arthur is compelling since he loses his virginity to morgause and is forever messed up after that, so he struggles to connect with guinevere in the way she needs, not really understanding her even though he bends over backwards to please her. meanwhile there isnt a word for what she and lancelot have here they need to be studied under a microscope so history doesn't repeat itself they're so twisted it's wild i can't look away. and the friendship between arthur and lancelot is so powerful and enduring that even at the end while joyous garde is under siege, arthur sends in kay with food the moment he hears their stores are low, and has him serve them like old times. he doesnt want it to be the way it is....sick and twisted narrative choices.

Guinevere Trilogy by Persia Woolley: i admit this isn't my favorite guinevere, but credit where it's due, she's a complex and fully realized character. through her we come to understand both arthur and lancelot as deeply damaged men, who had their emotional states devastated by the fall out of sexual abuse, and how that impacts their relationship with her (and their sons, mordred and galahad, who likewise suffer as a result of their fathers' emotional states). as a celtic queen, guinevere has every right to take a lover if she so desires, and arthur is not ignorant of his own failings as a husband, but the tragedy plays out anyway as the orkney brothers are there to wreak havoc on the place as usual. (you might find that this has a movie adaptation Guinevere (1994) don't watch it, trust me, it's not even fun bad, just cursed.)

Guinevere by Lavinia Collins: this is technically part of a series so you'll also get a lot of arthur and lancelot in the other three (Igraine, Morgawse, Morgan) but for the sake of this list, the guinevere one will suffice. anyway what i like about this is the strong contrast in relationships with both men. lancelot is bisexual and guinevere is the first woman he ever sleeps with (but not the last...) so theyre very tender and sweet together meanwhile arthur sired mordred before marrying her he's overall more adventurous while keeping entirely faithful to her for the rest of his life......there is a threesome in this but ironically its lancelot/guinevere/kay and not arthur but you know what? he deserves a win. this still goes on the list.

Spear by Nicola Griffith: this is perceval pov so the focus on arthur/guinevere/lancelot is minimal, but its delicious. arthur is kinda cold and mean here (falling back on the celtic "bear" thing, same as woolley does) but its revealed that he, lancelot, and guinevere are in a throuple, the characterization of lancelot's shy explanation of this was so good, and he goes on the grail quest to try and heal guinevere's womb so she can have their children, as it's a point of tension that mordred and galahad both exist, but guinevere wants to have children with arthur and lancelot. there's literally a part she faints and they both carry her off to bed like....they dont even pretend its any other way. no homophobia or slut shaming or anything like that in this book which is a huge plus. palate cleanser after arthur rex lol

Arthurian Saga by Mary Stewart: this is more of an honorable mention, as the first three books are merlin pov and the fourth is mordred. but book two (the hollow hills) has arthur raised alongside bedwyr (who is lancelot in all but name, son of ban, eventual lover of guinevere etc) they are the best of friends its adorable, bedwyr gave him his dog cabal, which is cute on its own, then fast forward to mordred pov (the wicked day) decades later and arthur is picking out a new puppy and names that one cabal too, its like this long homoromantic ritual that every dog descended from the first calls back to his original gift....im pulling my hair out. guinevere here is underdeveloped at best, as merlin doesnt really know her well and mordred's perspective on her is that shes (respectfully) hot lmao but worth mentioning as mary stewart is the goat, highly recommend her books.

and that's the list. hope that gives you some stuff to chew over!

[wildlife4life]

WIP Wednesday

Tagged by @devirnis @exhuastedpigeon @daffi-990 @wikiangela @lover-of-mine @hippolotamus @jeeyuns and @disasterbuckdiaz. You are all so amazing and I cannot wait for all your works! Thank you!

I haven't really worked on any of the fics I dropped on tease bit tuesday, so I went into the vault of wips I have and pulled out the first buddie fic I ever started, buddie/911 in the Once Upon a Time verse. It was posted for a bit on ao3 but recently took it down because I wasn't all that happy with was posted and not having a sense of direction to take it in. But I'm looking back over it, and editing, adding. So I'm sharing a bit of it with ya'll today, test the waters really and see if its something I should keep working on. Hope you enjoy!

Once upon a time….

24 years ago, in the land of Misthaven, a cloud of dark magic thundered across the lands towards the Kingdom of Camelot. At the helm of a large round table sat Sir Robert, the kingdom’s noblest knight.  To his left was his beloved and soon to be wife, Queen Athena who cradled her two children to her chest. But no fear be felled her demure. No great evil could ever shake her resolve and it could be said for many of those that sat at the round table. Many who whose entire attention was on the enterically designed wardrobe that stood in the middle of the table. 

“Are we sure this is what needs to be done?” asked Howard the Hatter.

Sir Robert clenched his fist tight at the tables edge, “The dark curse is among us and there is nothing we can do to stop it.  All that is left is to secure the prince’s future.”

To his right, the great wizard Merlin nodded in agreement, “The magic of this wardrobe is powerful enough to send little Evan far away from his mother’s curse.  We must trust that the one with belief will return him home.”

“And what of the rest of us?” King Michael spoke what many were thinking.

Merlin looked to the man who held his very heart, “I’m sorry my love, but I do not have those answers.  I cannot see past the curse itself and the dark one won’t share his secrets.  We can only hope, and that in itself is powerful enough to see us through.”

The King of Camelot nodded and took the wizards hand, giving it a tight squeeze.

The rest of those around the table conceded with King Michael and Sir Robert took a deep breath, “Bring them in Henrietta.”

The warrior that stood at the opposite of the knight, dipped her head before turning and opening the large wooden doors.  “Princess Maddie, come along.”

A small girl no older than 10 with curling brown hair and wide brown eyes, slowly made her way into the room.  In her arms she carried a very small boy, just on the cusp of turning one.  Blonde curls sat atop his head and framed eyes as blue as the ocean.  But his most distinguishing feature was the pink mark along his left brow.  Many believed it was the mark of his prophesized power, that it told the world of the golden heart that rested within him.  The golden heart that would one day break any and all curses.

Maddie clutched her little brother tight to her chest, her lower lip trembling, “She’s coming for him again. The Evil Queen is coming for Evan.”

Sir Robert looked at the young girl he considered his own and tried to hold his tears, “We do not know why your mother has sent this curse, only that she intends to take the entire land with it and your brother is meant to save us all.”

“He’s just a baby!” the princess spits angrily, making the prince stir in her arms before Maddie quickly composed herself and soothed him with soft shushes.

Isabel, the eldest and wisest among the group rose to her feet, “No child should have the world on their shoulders and all we can hope is that you and Evan can be free of burden until the time comes.”

Tears streamed down Maddie’s face, “How do I do that when only I will know?”

Behind the little princess came a glowing blue light that grew brighter and larger before dwindling out to reveal a dark-skinned woman in a flowing blue dress and shimmery wings.  “Tell him our tales, instill the belief. But most important, love him.  Love Prince Evan as you do now.” The blue fairy answered before bending down and giving the two children a gentle hug.

Maddie returned the embrace with one arm then stepped and faced Sir Robert, “Will I ever see you again?”

The brave knight let one tear roll down his cheek as he gave the princess a sad smile, “We can only hope.”

The thunder of the curse rumbled in the silence and lower in the castle, the sound of battle rung out.  Their time was up.

Princess Maddie climbed atop the table and stepped towards the wardrobe.  Above the noise of battle and magic, the Blue Fairy’s soft lilt rang out, “The last child born to a queen of sorrow shall be given a heart of gold.  His heart alone can save those who are cursed.”

“And on the child’s 25th birthday, he shall return to those who have left, led by the one who has belief.” Merlin finished as the young girl sat within the wardrobe.

“Be safe and have hope.” Athena stated firmly then watched with the rest of those at the round table as the wardrobe was closed and the doors to the room burst open.

“It’s over.” The Evil Queen proclaimed stepping inside with the cloud of cursed magic behind her.

“What will happen to us?” Sir Roberts asked.

The Evil Queen cackled, “The worst imaginable.”

Then darkness.

Alright, I know its a lot, but this is basically the prelude to the whole story. If anyone wants an indication of who is who, just let me know I can drop a list of characters and their identities from the fairy tail world. Hope you enjoyed! (Also Captainswan stan! Its true love ya'll!)

Tagging (no pressure!): @bekkachaos @hoodie-buck @theotherbuckley @ladydorian05 @prosperdemeter2 @spotsandsocks @malewifediaz @elvensorceress @bigfootsmom @watchyourbuck @watchyourbuck @jesuisici33 @thewolvesof1998 @fortheloveofbuddie @giddyupbuck @eddiebabygirldiaz @loserdiaz @spaceprincessem @thekristen999 @lizzybizzyzzz @homerforsure @sibylsleaves @spagheddiediaz @try-set-me-on-fire @monsterrae1 @rogerzsteven @eowon @honestlydarkprincess @911onabc @911-on-abc @cowboydiazes @vampbuckley @brokenribsdiaz @buck-coded @housewifebuck @arthursdent @glorious-spoon @buddierights @athenagranted @rainbow-nerdss @gayhoediaz @gayedmundodiaz

[the-pen-pot]

Fangirling on chapter 40

'Mercy?' Lord Berhart managed, sounding strained. 'Your Highness, you have left him with nothing.'

'I have left him with his life. It is more than my father would have offered in my place, considering the nature of Vernell's crimes.' 

I can totally get that, even without seeing the whole show (I did see some snippets of Uther and recognised Giles from Buffy, the vampire slayer, that was a nice surprise.)

'Tom's still alive?'

Arthur inclined his head, aware that more than one councillor had taken notice of their conversation. He smoothed his face into an impassive mask and noticed that Merlin had done the same, erasing his shock. It itched at him, all the little differences they kept stumbling across. He wanted to find out what had happened to Tom in Merlin's world, just like he longed to hear about the scars that no longer stained Merlin's skin and the stories behind them.

It was not an idle curiosity, but a burning desire to understand more about this version of Merlin. The intensity of Arthur's own longing almost took his breath away. He wished to know him – everything that made him different and all the little ways in which he was still the same – but once again he told himself that now was not the time.

You know, it must be super fun for fans of the show to notice all the little (or/and big) changes in this story and this version of Camelot. It probably gives it an extra layer of meaning and in some instances delight or agony.... I am coming in rather blind (apart from the 'how long have you being training to be prat, my Lord', I haven't seen a lot more beyond that. I do know what the main characters look like and I also know that Morgana turned evil in the series. (She's that stunning actress Katie McGrath! 😍) But for me it's a whole new world and a whole new story and I'm really enjoying it!

'Would you then like to explain how you made a large sum of money selling grain across the border to Mercia?' Morgana arched an eyebrow as he spluttered. 'No? Then maybe you can tell the council why there is no evidence of a fire, nor any recorded births whatsoever among your working populace in the past five years?'

Arthur settled back in his seat as the Lord rambled through long-winded, meaningless excuses. Morgana's expression did not falter, but she emanated an air of icy disdain until Fennis' voice dried up like a stream in summer.

'Yours is not the only estate with inconsistencies,' she added at last, picking up the sheaf of papers and placing them in front of Arthur. 'Obviously, this is a matter requiring urgent investigation. For the sake of Camelot.'

OH! Morgana is so damn good! She is not taking any prisoners for sure! Those Lord's their lives will totally change for sure and they can all feel it now! I bet some of them won't sleep well from now on... Oh, being called out on their greed! I love it!

That's what I like about your stories, they are 'fully filled' stories. As in, it's not just about the main pair, it's not just about the romance or the leading up to the first kiss... It's about Everything in that world and with the people inside it.

'Neither your mother nor I truly knew the price, but it was not I alone who approached Nimueh for help. Your mother... She wanted to do her duty – to provide Camelot with an heir. It drove her every waking moment, and I could not deny her. When you finally flourished inside her, she was the happiest I had ever seen.'

As if, I don't believe him for one moment. From what I've read in the story so far he is the kind of man who totally knew what would happen and decided to do it anyway. 😡

He sucked in a deep breath, leaning forward to brace his hand on the back of Uther's chair. His position was awkward, but he did not care. He needed to look into those eyes and see realisation's dawn. 'Besides, if you knew you would lose your beloved queen to your quest for an heir, would you have stayed your hand, or would your ambition have outweighed your love for her?'

'How dare you!'

'Was I worth it, or not?'

Oh no, that must be one of the worst pains out there... knowing your parents don't think you are worthy, knowing they don't love you unconditionally, knowing you dissapoint them on an almost daily basis. Thank god Arthur as a close group of friends to counter all that poison.

'All right.' He glanced around the forge, taking in the frightened faces. 'Everyone out. We don't know what will happen. It could still go wrong, and if it does...' He didn't finish. They understood, but that didn't mean anyone was happy about it.

I love how they all would jump into the fire for each other and how they all worry so deeply for one another. Even over the smallest cut or bruise. Sometimes it's a bit funny, how they can 'overreact', specially Arthur and Merlin about each other. But at the same time it's precious and amazing and just warms my heart.

Oh wow, the ending of this chapter. I don't want to include the line because I don't want to spoiler it for future readers (alhought maybe I already did for some parts of the story?!) but I had no idea that was even possible?!

🤣 Knowing the same actor was Giles and Uther was a real experience. I adore Giles. uther? Not so much. And Katie McGrath is stunning!

I liek to think it's one of those fics where if you now the show, there's little easter eggs and things, but if you don't it's still enjoyable. You certainly seem to be loving it, which is brilliant 🥰

Thanks so much, as always, lovely!

(For those who want to try it out, Hiraeth is here)

[ellllsia]

What is really ironic is that the episode "Lancelot du Lac" is one I just can't get myself to watch, even though one of my most adored characters is coming back from dead. But the episode where the insufferable Uther comes back brings me actual joy.

They really brought Lance back to paint as this dishonourable homewrecker who would kiss the knigdom's soon to be queen literally the night before the wedding, ruining his reputation forever. They also made Gwen appear as a cheater who would betray her soon to be husband literally the night before her wedding day. The scene in which her and Arthur fight in the courtroom broke my heart. They don't explain that the monster was sent by Morgana as a shade version of our beloved Lancelot or even that Gwen was drawn to him because of the enchanted bracelet. Also, the fact that Melrin had to say goodbye to his friend again. The way I sobbed when Merlin performed the spell to free Lancelot from Morgana's control. The way Lance said "Thank you" broke my heart for he at least got to die as himself, next to his friend and peacefully.

Now for when Uther comes back, I just really like the fact that Arthur finally realises that his father has always been and will always be an abusive piece of $h!t, as well as a murderer. Arthur gets to let go of those expectations he had set for himself thinking that he could get his father's approval, that he would finally make him proud. He decides to set his own path, as he himself says "You've had your turn. Now it's mine.". Camelot is his to rule now and to command as he sees fit. He knows he can't please his father and has to be true to himself. What is also great is Merlin ,later on, says that Uther did what he thought was best for the kingdom (which i believe in his own twisted mind could be true) mainly trying to appease his friend, but Arthur just deadpans "It doesn't mean he was right." And I believe it stuck with me because it felt like the first time Arthur truly acknowledges his father's faults, especially in front of another person. I truly loved it. This episode is also so precious because of the poetry scene iykyk lol.

[tairona-is-taken]

So I finally finished Merlin ...

I had seen parts of the show over the last 15 years and loved the parts I saw, but for some reason, I never sat down and made an effort to watch it from beginning to end until last summer. Anyway, I finally got to the finale a few days ago. I knew what was going to go down already because I am a person who's alive and on the internet, but man, was that still crushing to watch. T_T

I have a thousand thoughts on the show and who knows if I will ever have time to write them up, so for now I will just dash out my immediate thoughts after the finale ended (aside from "I just had my soul ripped out and will never recover"):

The intense emotional bonding between Merlin and Arthur in the last episode, as well as Colin and Bradley's incredible acting in it, just swept me away. I have since read a review that points out all the logical holes and characterization issues in Diamond of the Day 1/2--and in retrospect, I agree that the finale has a ton of issues--but still, it hit me hard in the feels and I love that they allowed Merlin and Arthur to be so unabashedly ardent about what they mean to each other.

I was prepared for Arthur's death (or about as prepared as one can be), but what I did not know was that GWAINE was going to die, too. D: I have since read that apparently he is one of the knights who frequently dies in different versions of Arthurian legend, but still ... that one got me.

Gwen was a total badass at the end! Battlefield medic! Stabbing Saxons! Unmasking Eira the traitor! Figuring out Merlin's secret all on her own! And I love that Camelot is not actually going to fall with Arthur's death, because it has been left in her capable hands.

What really gutted me more than anything, though, is that we never get a denouement where Gaius, Gwen, and Merlin reunite, take comfort in each other, and mourn Arthur and Gwaine together--and that we never even see Merlin in the throne room scene when Gwen is crowned???? What the hell, show? I've seen the theories that--especially given the very last scene in the modern age--that Merlin never returns to Camelot, but I just ... refuse to believe that. So instead, I'm going to go with this excellent theorizing in an old LJ review by ravenya03 as my head canon for what happens after that coronation scene:

Though there’s been some speculation, I’m sure that Merlin will return to Camelot and Guinevere. How could he not? I assumed he already had, and that’s how they all knew that Arthur was dead. They’ll grieve together, they’ll talk about Arthur’s final moments, she’ll tell him that she knows his secret. She’ll legalize magic, she’ll appoint Merlin as her chief advisor, she’ll give him a seat at the Round Table, and she’ll make him her liaison to the druids (essentially, she’ll do all the things that Arthur was meant to do). She’ll arrange for Hunith to come to Camelot so that she can be with her son. Together, they’ll send out envoys to other kingdoms, creating an alliance of Queen Annis, Queen Mithian, Queen Elena and (a disenchanted) Queen Vivian which heralds in the Golden Age (I’ll consider this compensation for five seasons of rampant misogyny). Mithian will visit and comfort Gwen with what Arthur once said about her: that without her, his kingdom meant nothing. With Arthur dead, the love spell on Vivian is finally broken and she hooks up with Percival. Gwen will realize that she’s pregnant and give birth to a healthy child. Gilli will return so Merlin will have a magic-buddy that isn’t deranged. Gaius will die and be replaced by Alice as the new court physician. Guinevere will track down Sefa and make her peace with her. Merlin teaches her how to use the Horn of Cathbad so that she can talk to her father, brother and husband every year.

Anyway, I have now entered my traditional period of mourning that happens when I finish a beloved piece of media. Time to drown myself in fanfiction (and possibly start watching the show over from the beginning?) in an attempt to fill the Merlin-shaped hole in my heart.

[fluffypotatey]

Rowan: (i think you have an oc named Rowan, if not another freebie)

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

i think you mean Roland my beloved squire <333

Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts?

so, quick little trivia about Roland: she joins the Camelot knight’s in training regiment posing as a boy, and this later becomes one of the squires’ many worst kept secrets where everyone of them deny that Roland is a girl to King Arthur’s face. Roland’s weapon of choice is a beloved axe gifted to her by Gwen (before Gwen became queen). and Roland is Merlin official/unofficial squire/magical apprentice, helping him on his adventures s4 and onward

now to the question

gotta say, i have never considered something like this with Roland (tho i have not thought of her or the squires in months smh). i’d say her family life lingers over her since she’s not a noble nor a dude and playing knights with her siblings was one thing but actually leaving her home to become one? that took a lot of risk since there was still uncertainty of being accepted into the training.

there could also be the looming threat of Merlin’s destiny that grows to haunt her as she continues to insert herself as his aid and apprentice. she understands how much weight Merlin means to people with magic the more she is near him. she understands why Merlin will spend days lost in thought, eyes vacant as he himself is haunted by the past and future.

so that’s something

[shitakimooshrooms]

I HAVE FINISHED BBC MERLIN AND HOLY FUCK I AM SO SAD NOW WHAT THE HELL BBC!?!??!!

ok so my notes on season 4-5(I don’t think I did any for season 4 so yeah). Lancelot coming back made me upset. I did like the drama and we got to see that really nice dress Gwen wore at some point. Isolde and Tristan my beloveds. We got to see Hunith again! I don’t really have many notes on season 4. It was good. Definitely pushed my Arwen shipping to the max. Season 5; I loved evil Gwen but Elyan dying was really painful. I loved the use of Stockholm syndrome with Morgwen. Beautiful. Eira sucks and I hate that she played Gwaine. QUEEN GUINEVERE!!! More Leon screen time! KILGARRAH IS A BITCH!! I cried when Gwaine and Arthur died. The Dolma was an icon. Mordred and Morgana having a better sibling relationship that Morgana and Arthur. I honestly do feel bad for mordred. Like, if Arthur accepted magic into Camelot, would they come back to find him dead? Would he just no longer want to turn on Arthur because magic is free? Like what was the deal with that? BACK TO SEASON 4! HOW THE FUCK DID NO ONE WUESTION HOW MERLIN SURVIVED GHE DOROCHA!?!? ALSO WHAT THE FUCK WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY DESIGNED THE DEIMAR OR WHATEVER!?! ALSO IF UTHER KNEW THAT ARTHUR MARRIED GWEN, HOW THE HELL DID HE NOT KNOW THAT MERLIN HAD MAGIC??? CONTINUITY IS BULL!!! Also they did Kilgarrah and Aithusa dirty. Like, Killgarrah’s design had a lot of thought out into it but you never get to see any of that because he’s always in a dark dingy cave or in the dead of night. And I didn’t realize that dragons don’t have ears until aithusa showed up. Like they legit made aithusa look like a sick horse mixed with those white dogs with the red eyes. I’ll add more notes when I think of them.

[jasminedragonart]

So, I'm thinking about BBC's Merlin. As I sometimes do in my day to day life, and I was thinking about Sins of the Father where Ygraine reveals Uther traded her life for magic. And I'm just very confused about it.

So, we know Nimueh was Ygraine's friend. Bestie if you will. Like she says so in the first season. We also know Nimueh is the one who performed the magic to make Ygraine pregnant. But, that's what confuses me because Nimeuh would not want to kill her friend. Especially the queen who is very beloved and would end up having negative consequences of her death bestowed on the people of Camelot.

So how did Ygraine die? Nimueh wouldn't have allowed Ygraine to die, let's just state that now. But she also knew the magic had a price. So she must have had someone else in mind for the exchange. It's not like she can't pick anyone either. Like she chose Merlin's mother because she wanted to punish Merlin. Then she traded Hunith for Gaius. So she can pick who to sacrifice. And maybe it chooses in the bloodline. Maybe. But I'm not convinced it does because then Nimueh wouldn't have agreed to do the ritual in the first place.

My theory is that Ygraine wasn't going to die. I think someone else was planned to die. But, after watching House of the Dragon, I can't help feeling like there might have been some people who didn't like the idea of magic. Of someone being more powerful than them. Maybe some people in court. And that they could have messed with the birth. Maybe they said Arthur was breached and Ygraine needed to be cut to get him out. Not a full on c section, but women used to die from a lot of things during childbirth. Especially in old times where things weren't sterile.

Killing Ygraine might have been planned so they could set Uther down the purge path.

I mean we don't know how that birth went. We don't know if she died after Arthur was out of the womb or a few minutes after he was in this world. Speaking of, wouldn't Ygraine have been getting sick or died as soon as Arthur was conceived? That baby's life was tied to someone's death. He should not exist in the womb unless someone is dead. How is this possible?

I genuinely think it was meant to be someone else.

Anyway, conspiracy time over.

[itssowholsomicoulddie]

More Merlin Crossover 2

Takes place at a dinner after Jane foiled an attempted assassination. They wound up talking about how often it happens in Camelot and poisonings and such.

“Wha- Merlin! Do you mean to tell me-” “That I check all your meals for poison before they get to you? Yes. That’s part of my job.” “It most certainly is not!” “Is so. If there isn’t a personal manservant then that duty falls to the court fool but we can’t have you checking your own food now can we?” Gwendylin gasped and Merlin winced, sure that his accidental slip of the tongue in front of foreign royalty would impede Arthur’s alliance negotiations somehow. But no one from Kippernium was looking at him. They were looking at the bell studded boy playing his lute in the corner for ambiance music. Sensing their eyes he looked up and paused. Beaming he said, “I am proud to report that no one has ever dared try to harm our most beloved King and Queen, nor our precious Prince and Princess.”

Of course Pepper would never but the table is set before the royal family enters and anything could happen to it then.

Also, Jane is so put out about how easy it was to catch the assassin. In her words he was, "Utterly incompetent." The guy was claiming to be a new servant and her father is the steward for crying out loud. She walked away from the whole thing with nothing more than a small cut on her cheek. What kind of scar story would that make for? I hit an assassin over the head with a wall sconce and got this scar in the process. Whole thing took like, forty seconds. No grand battle. Just a dumb intruder. Never mind that Jane was actually super impressive and stopped a well known professional ASSASSIN by herself in under a minute.

[beautifulsnake2162020]

The Vitulation Cycle: An Arthuriana fanfiction (King Arthur x OC and Arthur x Guinevere x Lancelot [eventually]) CHAPTER 2: ARTHUR

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction I do not make any money from this. Cultist Simulator elements belongs to the Weather Factory, House of the Dragon/Game of thrones elements belongs to George RR Martin and Arthuriana while generally regarded as under the public domain, it comes from the culture of Britain.

Chapter 2 - Arthur

You take a breath as you finally allow your hand to rest.

How long has it been since you discovered she had died?

Five, six, or was it seven years?

You couldn't remember anymore.

You still remember her and now the memories the two of you shared brings both pain and pleasure. In some ways your time in the Valyrian commune was a dream. And you were awakened by Merlin telling you Daenara had died just shortly after she saved another wound that should have killed you.

"No - NO IT CAN'T BE!" Merlin looks at you with eyes that held no room for argument.

"You're coming home Arthur."

"Shouldn't that be up to me?"

"And waste her sacrifice in saving you?"

You had no reply to that.

You don't remember whether it was Merlin or Morgan who persuaded you into finally returning to Camelot. All you remember now was that you would not allow Daenara's sacrifice to go in vain.

She allowed you to simply be yourself, not the once and future king that Merlin and your father likes to proclaim.

"I think I've realized how important my job is."

You were more than aware of the importance and burden of being King.

"It's the small things that tends to brighten my day whenever I have a bad one."

And it was now when you finally had find yourself a moment to breathe and rest that you realize several things.

It had been many years since you find yourself leading Camelot to victory in both the battle field and in diplomatic affairs.

It had been three years since you've met and married Guinevere. Her parents were leaders of a significant region that could play a part in Camelot's victory or defeat. She was beautiful, charming, raised to be the partner of any noble. Her bright brunette hair made her the beauty of all of Camelot. You two got a long well, but you inside you knew that she deserved better. She deserved to be free from the constraints of court.

She also deserved to choose her own beloved.

She was your Queen and she has your love. She was a wonderful person who provided you strength in times when you didn't know you need it. She was much better in reading people than you were and was responsible for keeping your court from turning over.

You did not deserve her.

Which is why you were thankful for her presence and you do your best to be a good husband to her.

You weren't surprised when her love was not yours alone.

But then again who were you to speak of love being for one person alone.

It had been a year and a half since Lancelot came into your life, and how quickly you two became close. He saw the side of you that your not sure Guinevere would accept. The side that may give in to uncontrolled blood lust if you weren't careful. You remember how in one of your battles against the Saxons you found yourself in a frenzy wherein you found yourself in an area outnumbered. The other knights were dealing with their own battles.

You were partially in a trance as you fought and slew the soldiers who had surrounded you. By the time you were aware of your surroundings, they were either dead or on the ground wounded. You find yourself horrified. At yourself for finding some delight within your trance-like state. Horrified at what you've done.

"You aren't a bad person." Lancelot says as you two sit side by side on front of a bonfire while the rest of the knights dance around in delight with some of the ladies that will no doubt become their lovers for at least that night. You find yourself too exhausted to do anything beyond sitting on front of the fire. To your surprise Lancelot chooses to be by your side.

"I hate that this is necessary. I don't like the feeling of delight whenever I slay an enemy. Once I am outside of this trance, I immediately think of how their loved ones must react."

"If they know they were knights on behalf of their lord, then they know what a knight must do when they and their lord goes to battle."

"Still, I couldn't help but feel I have become nothing but a monster doing his best to make things better." Lancelot chuckles.

"If you think yourself a monster, then what does that make me and all other knights." You couldn't help but give him a small smile. You understand why Guinevere had fallen for him. He was charismatic, caring, confident, and loving. You could also understand why he would fall for her. She has a hidden carefree spirit that she finds other ways to express it so. She may have grown up trained to handle the matters of court but that didn't restrain her spirit in the slightest. There was also a hidden stubbornness that accompanied such spirit. Once Lancelot loves he becomes devoted. This applies whether it was the martial arts or to Guinevere.

You weren't sure if they have acted on their mutual feelings, or if they knew about them. But you did. And perhaps it's time to give them what they both secretly desired.

Despite being barren, Guinevere was a good and well beloved Queen. Despite being boastful, Lancelot was your right hand in the round table. He balanced out your brother Kay's need to protect you in battle.

It broke your heart to think that you have become an obstacle to their desire. If only you had any say with the circumstances granted to you by fate, you would have found another way to solidify the alliance with Guinevere's clan so that she may be free to wed Lancelot. If you could change your circumstances, Lancelot wouldn't be your knight but perhaps a village leader or whichever profession his heart desires. If Guinevere was to be his wife, you were sure that he would gladly take a task that wouldn't worry her to death. He may be a gifted knight, but even battle had its own risks.

Some of those risks were too great to take.

Just because your knights of the round table were some of the best knights in the realm, that didn't mean that the fear of death claiming them in the midst of battle didn't scare you.

After all it claimed Daenara, and death comes for all eventually.

You decided to tell them during the Beltane celebration. It was a chance for them to consummate their love with your blessing. Not everyone in your court wanted to participate in such feast, and those who usually attended would also be taking this chance to be with their intended lover anyway.

It would also allow you time to be in true solitude. Something that was a luxury for someone in your position.

Merlin had a distaste for Beltane. Too much indulgence on a person's baser instincts when he has seen people capable of so much more. And Morgan wasn't interested in anyone in your court and would rather stay in the castle than in the Beltane camps.

It reminded you of the Valyrian ritual ground. But instead of a stone platform of some sorts, the most sacred was the bonfire and the erotic dances in celebration of Beltane. It would be too impractical for the grandest of clothes. And many who came to this celebration would end up shedding their clothes as the night went on anyway.

Once the dances began, and the celebration began having a life of it's own. You were able to lead Lancelot and Guinevere into a private area where you are certain that no one could hear.

"Arthur what has gotten into you?" Guinevere's tone was one of surprise. "My liege -" "Please. You two are both so dear to me, I don't want you two to repress your feelings for each other. I know first hand when you ignore what the heart wants for too long." "This would be a betrayal to you." "Guin, it's not betrayal when you both have my blessing. My only request is that you two take care to be discreet." "My liege -" "Lance, we're in private. Please call me Arthur." "My li-Arthur, why are you doing this?"

You give them a smile. A smile you hoped that hid your sadness.

"Because you both deserve better. You deserve to be with your beloved."

Before they could protest any further, you grab one hand from both of them and bring them together. Uniting both as you secure them to each other.

And then after one last reassuring smile you turn and head to the woods to seek your solitude.

You find the rock, the tree, and flowing river nearby. You've been going to this place discreetly every time you were in this area.

And for the first time since Merlin told you of her death before he and your father threw you in to training and lessons on rulership without a second of rest.

You wept.

You finally allowed yourself to mourn for Daenara.

"Jorrāeliarza aō ozmijegan. (Dear/Beloved, I miss you)." You let out a sad sigh.

"Forgive me Daenara, for forgetting the language you and your family have taught me. I have no one to practice it with. Morgan refuses to speak it any longer, and I struggle to recall what the glyphs mean and how some words sound. Perhaps I'm already old and I don't know it yet."

The sounds of the forest gives you serenity. A reprieve from the Beltane celebration back in the camp.

"It must be startling to know that it's been so long and I still haven't mourned what happened that fateful day. You have embedded yourself so deep in my heart that the memory of that day causes me pain."

You feel the tears shed from your eyes. And on the rock you lay your head in the moonlight.

"I want to let you go. I want to keep whatever I have of you forever. Oh Daenara, you must be annoyed at me. My love, ñuha ābrazȳrys, teach me how. Will you not guide me from the after life? I more than anyone know that I cannot stay in mourning for long. I have dedicated my work to you. If only you were here to see it."

You allow yourself to cry even more before continuing.

"You would love Guin, I'm certain that if you two had met before you passed…I'm certain that you two would be close friends. Lance would entertain you, and so would my brother Kay. You may be annoyed with Gwaine sometimes."

You continued speaking to the forest. You didn't know if she could hear you. But you finally allow yourself to grieve and sit in the sadness of her loss.

By the time you've noticed that it was dawn and close to the sunrise, you take your animal skin which held your water and finished every drop. You take several breaths. For now the time for grieving was over. As the sun rose you felt your heart beat steadily and your mind become better.

Camelot needed it's King. Even if it was just the small things to be achieved today.

AN: Thank you for reading and don't forget to leave a comment :)

[the-king-and-the-druidess]

Bring forth ye shadow, a dark Armor AU

murder, major character death, dark magic, in*cest, dubcon, set in S4

Lady Morgana's plan in the Hunter's Heart has succeed and Guinevere was killed by Arthur'a arrow, but no one knew about it since the poor maiden was in the form of a deer.

Morgana, noticing her chance, then transforms herself into Gwen's form with the help of an amulet of Gwen's hair and blood. The witch starts her wicked pretending game.

Disguised as her former maidservant Morgana returns to Arthur, pleads for his forgiveness which he willingly gives her. Morgana was speaking from her heart, as if it was she herself who wanted Arthur's mercy and warmth back to her, not Gwen–her mere mask. Arthur hugs "Gwen", feeling relieved to see her again.

In honor of her returning in Camelot, Arthur arranges a feast at which that very deer is roasted. Princess Mithian, although acknowledging the love Arthur has for the "blacksmith's daughter" stays for the feast too, along with Agravaine who's ignorant about Morgana's presence.

Morgana, feeling triumphant but cautious arrives at the dinner hall and learns about the main course. The Gwen deer.

She almost vomited, but secretly she enchants the meat so that pale worms form inside of it, the course is spoiled and the courtiers eat ordinary dishes instead of the suddenly rotten venison.

This odd incident attracts Merlin's attention, but he has no idea that "Gwen" is not the real Gwen but Morgana. She smiles at him and gently strokes Arthur's hand, sitting in the center of everyone's attention. Before going to the bedchamber, Morgana drinks a glass after glass of wine to forget herself and not think about what she is going to do with Arthur tonight; with Arthur who desires his beloved fiancée to lie with him.

But loving Arthur turned out to be easier than Morgana thought. She wasn't even pretending, just remembering their once cloudless past, what they once had had, remembering her old self.

Agravaine goes to Morgana's hovel in the morning but finds nothing and no one there. However, Morgana soon secretly opens up to him, leaving even him shocked at what she was willing to do for the sake of her mission. Morgana, in exchange for his silence promises to praise Agravaine to Arthur so that the uncle would become even closer to the young king. He agrees to keep her identity secret.

So Morgana enters Arthur's life again, penetrates into the courtyard, fills Camelot with herself. Being friends with Merlin, however, turns out to be more difficult after all that he had done to her but Morgana copes with this.

False Guinevere lives like a queen, suppressing incest guilt in the depths of oneself—but the end justifies the means. Arthur does not suspect anything; and if he notices that "Gwen" has started wearing dark colours instead of her usual pastels, started to like walking in the woods or participate in council meetings as his fiancée and now titled lady, or kisses him as though it's the last time, he does not attach importance to this. He's busy learning to be the king of his dreams. He even likes her new self.

One night, while talking in bed, they remember about Morgana. She, as Gwen, asks him about his attitude towards his sister, waiting nervously for his answer. Arthur, with a sadness in his voice, confesses to her that years ago before Morgana became evil and he found out that she was his sister, he loved her.

"But not like you, Gwen, my love. Only you are my destiny," he says, stroking her curly hair.

Morgana smiles.

"Mysterious are the ways of destiny," she says and kisses him on the mouth.

So, in their conversations, "Gwen" sometimes cautiously begins to justify Morgana—herself, little by little, here and there, telling that she misses her and that all this evil happened because of King Uther. She even defends the magickfolk saying that she pities them and they did not deserve the lot Uther gave them. Arthur is surprised but does not argue with her, because Gwen has always been kindhearted, he understands this. He's listening, pondering.

Meanwhile, something strange is happening in the Camelot castle. Merlin and Gaius are poisoned, and the old man dies. Poor Merlin is trying to figure out what's going on when suddenly Sir Leon falls off his horse in a strange way. And Sir Elyan does not return from a trip to the cemetery. Bad things also happen with the Camelot's hangman and some of the counsellors that once had been close to the late King.

Merlin suspects that an enemy is hiding in their midst, perhaps some Morgana's man, although she herself has not been heard of for a long time–which is suspicious, but Merlin can do nothing and allows himself to relax and mourn the death of his tutor.

Peace reigns in Camelot, Arthur and "Gwen" seem to love each other dearly, and no one bothers the young king and his court anymore. And by the time of the wedding, Morgana had begged Arthur for a promise to liberate magic, convincing him to be merciful and wise and put an end to the war. He cannot refuse "Gwen" and presents her with such a wedding gift, the lifting of the Ban.

On their wedding night, after the ceremony of signing the Decree at the Council meeting, Morgana kisses a sleeping Arthur for the last time and raises her hand with a dagger over his heart...A momentary doubt...Was it possible that being with Arthur, in spite of herself, she's began to forget her hatred? Was it possible to leave him be, because he has liberated the magickfolk?

But then Morgana strengths her heart and still lowers the dagger and the last thing Arthur saw while the breath of life was leaving his body was the true appearance of his beloved. It was Morgana, his sister; and with her name on his lips, he dies.

For she could not live her whole life as a coward in lie, sleep with her brother as if it means nothing. In the eyes of the High Priestess, Arthur still deserves punishment.

Having experienced both grief and relief at the same time, Queen "Gwen" tells everyone that Arthur was killed by Morgana, and that she herself was wounded—Morgana secretly inflicts wounds on herself with the same dagger.

Mourning about his friend and king, Merlin starts to suspect something. "Gwen" does not behave as usual, she is reckless and bitter, but she cried at the funeral and the truth serum that he secretly applies on her shows that "Gwen" is telling the truth—Arthur was really killed by Morgana.

Morgana, still trying to act like Gwen sends him away to invite the kings and queens of Albion to her coronation. He is forced to agree and with Sir Gwaine leaves Camelot.

While he is away, Morgana finally throws off her disguise and finally reigns on the throne, conquering everyone, restoring the Old Religion's reign with the legitimate permission in her hands.

She is carrying Arthur's child in her womb.