#the crazy things Merlin makes up to hide his magic from Arthur? he always goes through with it.

[babygirldilf]

Merlin is... the most iconic and complex and interesting character. He is the good hearted -never had the privilege of being naive- young man, he goes through so much pain and suffering and insane decisions he has to make, and gets tasks with responsibility and destiny and fate from such a young age. He never gets a choice and yet still chooses it, chooses to be a savior and an unknown and unrecognized hero. No one knows, and even those who do, do not understand and could never understand him fully. He constantly faces countless moral dilemmas where he has to choose between two unthinkable possibilities, and it kills him more and more every time he buries a friend. Every time he lies to a loved one. Every time he understands, yet again, that he is alone. Really, truly, alone. No one understands. No one sees everything he goes through.

No one but us.

We are the only ones who know, and see, and feel, and even we have no choice but to stand on the sidelines and watch as his heart grows colder and his walls are built higher and his smile falters as he struggles against everything that is thrown at him and pulls him in different directions and eventually becomes a stronger, yet colder, sort of hero. He never got the privilege that Arthur got, to be truly gold hearted for the rest of his life, because the only reason Arthur even got the opportunities to make choices that paint him as the hero is that Merlin had to make the rougher, more ugly decisions that paint him as the villain.

He never had the chance to stand in the light side of things because he kept being dragged into the darkness.

And there, everything is not pretty and pink, and he doesn't get a crown for his hard choices. No. He is standing on ancient ground, roots growing into it without his knowledge, and his skin is damp, the air is crisp, there is blood dripping from his hands, and everything smells of earth and rain and is unavoidably real. This is real. The pain he feels in his bones and has been feeling for years now, the thick, warm blood, the pouring rain, the green wilderness, and the ugly, painful truth that this is his reality. This was always going to be his reality. Here, buried knee deep in the dead bodies of his enemies and his loved ones, watching Arthur rise up while he guards him from behind his back.

And then, even years into his journey, he is forced to remember again how it felt like to first save someone using his magic. How it feels like to create the image of butterflies and strawberries out of thin air. To feel the gold shines in his eyes while he creates a path for his love, for his king, to walk upon, towards what is supposed to be a new Era, one where he himself doesn't have to hold his breath anymore. One where he doesn't have to constantly hide.

And then, after everything he sacrificed for this future, and even more importantly to him, for this man, even that gets brutally taken away from him, and he is left alone again. Only this time, he is cradling the love of his life in his arms, one last time, knowing he has to be the one to bury his dead body, too.

Insane, crazy story. I hope they bring him back.

[junemo10]

Merlin: and by the way, part of me was like “whatever”, you know? You know those days when you’re just like “this might as well happen”. my life is already so goddamn weird.

[seawolvesanddragons]

Merlin Swan Princess AU

Ok, Merlin Swan Princess AU. So, in this AU Uther died instead of Ygraine when Arthur was very young (YAY) and Balinor, as a powerful Dragonlord, is one of Ygraine's closest supporters, and she becomes close with Hunith. About a two years after Arthur is born, Hunith dies in childbirth) and Merlin is born. Balinor is very upset, obviously, but does love his son. However, he and Ygraine are both concerned about the current political climate - Camelot is seen as weak because of its Queen Regent and two year old heir, and Ygraine fears that enemies will fall upon them or go after Arthur, or that Arthur will inherit a dying kingdom. Meanwhile, dragons and dragonlords are getting a bad rep in other kingdoms b/c kings mistrust their power and dragons are scary, and Balinor fears his kind will be hunted. So Ygraine and Balinor come up with a beneficial deal - they will help each other out. They dismiss the idea of them getting married b/c Ygraine still loves Uther and Balinor Hunith but Balinor pledges his support, his clan's support, and Kilgharrah's support to Camelot. In return, Ygraine declares Camelot a safe haven for dragonlords, druids, etc. To keep this arrangement fresh in the minds of the people/other kingdoms, Balinor decides that every summer, he and Merlin will stay in Camelot. If he had to travel on business, than Merlin would still stay with Gaius. 

The deal is great - it gives Ygraine some extra security, and Balinor is pleased that Merlin will have some semblance of a permanent home and a maternal figure at least 4 months of the year. Plus, they both privately hope that if the boys become friends, then the truce will continue. Well, private to each other. They stress to Arthur and Merlin that they really SHOULD get along, for the good of the kingdom/the dragonlord clan, etc. Except, well...Arthur and Merlin? Do NOT get along. Seriously. While Merlin adores Gaius and likes Ygraine and ok Camelot can be pretty cool, he still dreads the summers when he is forced to try and get along with Arthur, who only cares about knights and sword training and riding horses. Merlin doesn't get the big deal about riding horses, he can ride dragons and that is MUCH more exciting. Arthur, meanwhile, is frustrated that this kid (yes, Mother, KID, he is only 5 and I am SEVEN. I am old enough to be a page!) is his responsibility to entertain, especially when Ygraine lets on that it is so Arthur can have the support of the dragonlords in the future and yeah, Balinor is cool and all but Arthur is going to be the King of Camelot, what kind of King can't defend his own people. (Plus there's a jealousy thing b/c Arthur doesn't have a dad and Merlin doesn't have a mom but they are both too emotionally young to really understand that.) So they spend their summers trying to avoid each other, Arthur with the knights and Merlin by learning with Gaius and practicing magic. Morgana, when she arrives, splits her time between the two of them, but she always gives a little extra time to Merlin (she sees Arthur ALL YEAR) and Merlin makes Gwen less uncomfortable, so that also tips the scales. Arthur dislikes this because Morgana is HIS friend. When they both turn out to be magic, well, that's even more annoying. As they get older, more issues are cropping up among dragonlords and Balinor leaves Merlin in Camelot alone during the summer more and more, which Merlin does NOT like. And okay, they probably share and adventure or two, but they do NOT like each other at all, not friends, ok, so shut up Leon. And Gwen. And Morgana. Then one summer when Arthur is 17 and Merlin is 15 and Merlin wishes Arthur luck before a tourney and Arthur sees Merlin practicing magic for a few peasant children who came to Camelot during the famine and distracting them from their hunger, and okay, maybe they other isn't so bad. And they are both old enough to sit in on the Council meetings now and do so regularly, and find themselves working together to solve a crisis or something. So they are not friends - they snipe and everything at each other, but things are at least slightly more cordial to each other. So the end of the summer comes, and Balinor returns on Kilgharrah (who always is giving Arthur strange looks, no one understands it) in time to literally spend one day and then pick up Merlin. He and Ygraine watch the boys barely interact at the farewell feast and Arthur doesn't say goodbye to the next morning, he is already at training so the two sigh and give up on those two ever actually being friends, and Balinor mentions that they will be back next summer, but Merlin is also going to start accompanying him when he leaves to smooth things over. Unbeknownst to them Arthur is lurking behind the palace wall, trying to decide whether it would be awkward or not to say goodbye again, and doesn't know how he feels about that and boom then they are gone. And everything returns to normal in Camelot for about a day. Then Morgana wakes up SCREAMING from a nightmare and Arthur, as the only one who can calm her down besides Gwen, is trying to help when she gets out enough to say that Merlin and Balinor are in danger and woah who knew Arthur could run that fast? And within a half hour, Arthur, Leon, Elyan, Lancelot and Percival are out searching for the Dragonlord, the Dragon, and his son. Its past daybreak when they finally see Kilgharrah flying away in the distance, no riders, crying mournfully. They go to where they saw him take off of and find a dying Balinor. Merlin is nowhere to be seen. Balinor lives just long enough to tell Arthur "the beast..it has Merlin. It’s not what you expect." and then in true unhelpfully vague dying plot device fashion, dies. For a month, Camelot and the dragonclan search, Arthur and his knights leading the fray. But as time passes, and Kilgharrah fails to return, and Morgana sees nothing, they all assume Merlin is also dead. Except Arthur. Arthur is convinced that Merlin is still alive, that he is counting on their rescue. He goes to Gaius, who admits that it would be hard to kill a warlock of Merlin's abilities, but also hard to hold him captive. He goes to Morgana, who says yeah maybe something is blocking her Sight, something is off, but Arthur have you eaten anything today you need to slow down. And Leon and the Knights find themselves suddenly training WAY more than usual, and patrols increased and still going on search parties, which ok they are fine with, they liked Merlin, Lancelot was especially close, but let’s be realistic here. But Arthur refuses, because Merlin is a kind and decent kid and he swore to Balinor he would find him. Merlin, meanwhile, is being held captive by the Sidhe, who want Merlin to use his dragonlord/magic powers to help them conquer all of Albion, including Camelot and the dragonclans and the druids. Merlin said "hell no" , refused to summon any dragons and great,the sidhe have crazy powerful magic and now Merlin is cursed to be an actual merlin, like, the bird, during the day (Alvar thinks he's SOOO funny) and only be human at night, and they used some ancient Sidhe dark magic chain to keep his magic bound. At least he has Gwaine, the captured knight errant whose blood the Sidhe keep using for their "noble blood needed rituals"  and Mordred, a druid changeling who is SO not up for this Sidhe nonsense but is also 10 and scared to leave on his own, to keep him company. A whole year passes. Arthur is supposed to become king soon but is ignoring the coronation preparations because he has to find Merlin. Finally, FINALLY Kilgharrah answers Arthur's persistent call to COME HELP YOU GIANT LIZARD and gives him MORE vague instructions on Merlin and how to help. When Arthur is king he is outlawing vague statements. So Arthur and Leon go on a "hunting" trip where Arthur sees a merlin. Like, a really magnificent merlin. Leon is about to strike it down when Arthur is like wait MAYBE THIS IS THE SIGN KILGARRAH MEANT and follows the bird, Leon wandering behind him wondering wtf is going on. They follow the bird for fucking miles. Until they reach a really pretty looking lake with a convenient rowboat to get to the island in the middle and Arthur uses it and good lords above, the BIRD JUST TURNED INTO MERLIN. Arthur, who has spent a year trying to find Merlin, suddenly isn't sure what to do (do they hug? They never hugged before but Arthur really really REALLY wants to hug him right now) and Merlin doesn't know why Arthur has crossed his mind so much in the past year (its because its too painful to think about his father, and Kilgharrah, and Camelot was some of the best times of his life, and Arthur was undeniably part of Camelot. That’s all right? No other reasons...) but now they are both kinda awkward around each other. Leon is still recovering from the whole bird thing. So, Leon thinks, ok, found him, didn't even need to fight beast, weird that he was a bird but we can go now right? But Arthur feels this was too easy, and yep, now Merlin is talking about a curse, and this fellow Gwaine (...why does Arthur suddenly feel jealous) is backing it up, and now there's a ten year old staring at them while hiding behind a tree, and essentially Merlin is cursed and can't leave the island unless in bird form and according to Mordred the only way to break a Sidhe curse is with something so powerful and true even magic can't withstand it. "A Great Sacrifice" he calls it. Helpful kid, really. Arthur is determined to not leave without Merlin but now it is daylight and the Sidhe are coming and Arthur go NOW and Leon is dragging him off when a wild burst of magic transports them both to the other side of the lake right as the Sidhe arrive and Merlin is let wondering "wait was that my magic? Since when can I do that again? " The Sidhe aren't stupid, and figure out what is going on, and are going to go after Arthur when Merlin tells them to wait. Tells them he's changed his mind, he'll call Kilgharrah and give them use of his dragon and his warlock blood willingly but they can't go after Arthur. The Sidhe agree, and it is decided the ritual will take place at midnight. Gwaine and Mordred are NOT okay with this plan and Gwaine decides he has to escape to get Arthur to help. He is caught in doing so though and Mordred has to summon up his courage to escape and find Arthur. He gets to Camelot and after finding Arthur and being overwhelmed by all the people (Arthur's coronation is the next day) he tells Arthur what Merlin has done. Arthur leaves, essentially blowing off his coronation, with the help of Morgana and Gwen, who he leaves Mordred with. He also tells Morgana that if anything happens, he knows she will take care of Camelot. Arthur is halfway through the forest on horse when Kilgharrah shows up, asking Arthur why suddenly the future was going dark, and hey, apparently Arthur has a freaking DESTINY to unite Albion. Arthur would really like to be kept in the damn loop on these things. So Kilgharrah takes Arthur to the island, Gwaine helps him fight their way to the ritual, and they get there right before Merlin is about to call Kilgharrah already and be ritualistically sacrificed. So Arthur offers himself in Merlin's place. Blood of the once and future king, tempting right? Conceived of magic and the blood of kings and destiny running through his brain, that's way better than anything else. (somewhere above them, Kilgharrah is muttering "this is NOT why I told you about your destiny you idiotic prince"). Merlin is shouting that he can't DO that he has a kingdom to run, he had Camelot and his mother and Morgana and Arthur just responds that Morgana and Ygraine can take care of Camelot, but he made a promise to Merlin that he would save him and that was what he as going to do, because his life is not worth anything if he can't save Merlin.   The Sidhe are like, fine, whatever, blood of kings lets go, and prepare to ritual sacrifice. Arthur lies on the table, prepares to die, and ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Turns out, that whole "true sacrifice thing" needed to break the curse? Apparently, Arthur giving up his kingdom and his life to save the one he loved fits the bill. Merlin's magic is back. And Merlin? yeah, he's PISSED. There are not many Sidhe who escape his wrath alive, and those that do return straight to Avalon. Merlin, Gwaine, and Arthur return to Camelot on Kilgarrah, missing Arthur's coronation by hours, but hey, they can just reschedule it tonight right? (Ygraine is not amused but is also so happy at seeing Merlin she can't really be angry. Morgana is delighted as well, and when she sees how Arthur keeps looking over at him, whispers to him smugly "I saw this in my dreams, you know.") So Arthur is crowned King, and Merlin is right there to witness it, and the first thing Arthur does is knight Gwaine. Later, Merlin and Arthur escape the festivities to a balcony for some quiet, where Merlin pledges Arthur the loyalty of his dragonclan, but Arthur says he doesn't need any armies or dragonclans, as long as Merlin stays by his side. (Kilgharrah, Morgana, Gwen, and the knights all groan loudly from where they are hiding and eavesdropping.) Arthur and Merlin then go off to unite Albion and everything is happily ever after!

[aprettyaveragestudent]

#6-A passing Good Lady

This is a little piece of fanfiction featuring two women named Eleanor and Lillith, titled ‘A passing good lady’. The story opens up a little while after the incident with Gawain, Sir Pelleas, Lady Ettard, and the Lady of the lake. 

(It’s not my best work)

“I never thought it would come to this, I mean I guess I always knew someone would get hurt, but not quite like this.”

“But if it had to happen, it had to happen, we can’t control destiny”

“I blame that fool Pelleas, he ruined everything with his doldrums. What was the need to get Gawain involved in his problems I ask? Him and his passing fits of fancy. And ultimately Pelleas ended up happy, but what about me? The entire plan failed, we’ll have to follow Gawain for longer now, what a pain. I hope he doesn’t suspect anything.”

Ten days ago

“Alas”, said Sir Gawain, “It is great pity of him! And after this night I will seek him tomorrow in this forest, to do him all the help I can.”

Eleanor sighed and smacked her head. “Of course he would want to help this buffoon”, she muttered under my breath. 

“What”? asked Lillith, looking up from the bag she was rifling through.

“Did you hear that? That idiot Gawain just agreed to help that other idiot, Pelleas”

“He’s a pretty good knight isn’t he?” Lillith asked distractedly, still rooting through her bag.

“Yeah, but this has RUINED the plan, he’s going to spend another ten days dealing with this, then we won’t be able to lay our trap!”

“Oh, stop whining, Ellie, we’ll figure it out. Plus traveling is quite pleasant isn’t it? We get to leave the castle on our own so infrequently”.

“I guess”, I admitted grudgingly. “But I’m not helping his idiotic posterior when he lands in even more trouble”.

“Ah, I’m sure he’ll be able to get himself out of this one, he’s managed before”

“Barely...Quick! He’s looking here, hide!”

Lilly quickly muttered a charm and touched the bark of the tree behind her, as Eleanor did the same. Both women turned the color of the tree and waited silently while Gawain passed by.

“Okay, I guess we’ll wait and see how he goes about this”, said Eleanor sighing again.

Ten days later

“Well, that was a disaster”, blinked Eleanor

“At least I got a chance to perfect the age advancement potion, it just needed a pinch of frog’s leg”, said Lillith, writing in her potions book.

“Wonderful”

“You don’t have to be rude, you never know when it could help!”

“I know, I know, you’re right, I’m just trying to figure out how we can fix this”

“What if we call Nynyve? She’s usually good with this sort of thing. Much better with broken hearts than us”

“Hmm, not a bad idea, said Eleanor, fiddling with a lock of brown, curly hair that had fallen out of the circlet on her forehead. 

“Should I?” asked Lillith eagerly, “I miss her”.

“Yes yes, go ahead”, waved Eleanor before looking down at the small tattered diary in her hands.

“Greetings, children”, Nynyve emerged from behind a tree, almost gliding along the forest floor.

“Oh! You scared me”, said Lillith, who had jumped almost two feet into the air. She spoke while slowly floating back to earth.

“We’re only two years younger than you, calm down”, grumbled Eleanor.

“I missed you too, sister”

“Thanks for coming”, interjected Lillith, before her two sisters began to bicker like always.

“So what seems to be the problem?” asked Nynyve.

“Well, we seem to have gotten ourselves into a little bit of a mess on our latest assignment”

“Did father send just the two of you? No knights? Squires? Nothing?”

“No, we convinced him to let us come alone”, grinned Eleanor.

“Risky decision”

“Nyn...”

“Anyway”, Lillith cleared her throat, “The problem was our task concerned Sir Gawain, but he’s gotten himself involved in an affair with Sir Pelleas and Lady Ettard...”

“The idiot”, added Eleanor.

“So we need a way to get him out of this situation so he can continue on his questing”, finished Lillith.

“Hmm, I see, I think I can take care of this” muttered Nynyve.

“What do you mean you’re going to marry him”? asked Eleanor, flabbergasted.

“I love him!” vehemently proclaimed Nynyve.

“This is ridiculous Nyn”, added Lillith.

“It’s my life, I’m old enough”

“You’re not that much older than us!” Eleanor said exasperatedly.

“I’m old enough to know what I want”

“And it’s this? asked Lillith.

“Yes, he completes me”.

“Makes sense for two idiots to be together” whispered Eleanor

“I heard that!

“You were meant to”

“Can’t you just be happy for me? I know it seems like a hasty decision, and that I’ve rushed into things but this is something I really want. Especially after that horrible ordeal with Merlin”, shuddered Nynyve.

“I mean, we are, we want you to be happy. But what are we supposed to tell father?” asked Lillith.

“The truth”

“I still think this is a mistake”, Eleanor crossed her arms and leaned against the rickety table in their small hut.

“Look, I don’t expect you to understand, you haven’t felt love like this, and I know I sound a little crazy and romantic, but somehow he makes me feel like that”, said Nynyve, coming closer to Eleanor.

“What about work?” asked her younger sister.

“I’ll keep going on assignments of course. no one would find it suspicious for the wife of a highborn Knight to travel if she wants to see marvels, or whatever it is that those ladies travel for”

“I guess...”

“I’ll still always be there for you, you know that right?” Nynyve took her sister's hands in hers and held them for a minute, blinking back tears.

“I know”, whispered Eleanor, “I guess I just didn’t expect this day to come so fast”.

“Before you know it, you’ll be here as well”.

“Unlikely. Have you met her?” scoffed Lillith.

“So are we invited for the big wedding?”

“I can’t believe we’re a full month behind schedule”, moaned Eleanor

“I still can’t believe we just attended Nynyve’s wedding”

“Yes, father was surprisingly happy about it. Do you think he knew this would happen?”

“It’s possible, it’s hard to tell with him. He was also quite understanding about the time lost, so you never know”

“I guess, I wish he would stop giving us such half-finished pieces of information. Even with this assignment, all we know is Gawain is going to meet somebody in the green fields of York who’s going to test him, and we’re supposed to protect him when that happens. That’s so vague! And do things change now that his questing has been delayed?”

“We’ll just have to wait and find out”

Thirty days later

“Why is he traveling so slowly?!” moaned Eleanor.

“I know, does he really need to stop and help every random shepherd and lost maiden? It’s a little ridiculous.

“He’s such a flirt, too. And not quite as good looking as all these lost maidens are making him out to be”.

“Ah, I think he’s okay, perhaps a bit cocky”.

“A bit? Try extremely”

“You’re quite annoyed with him, Ellie”

“I’m just bored”

“Quick! There’s someone up ahead, look!”

An old man on a horse trotted up to Gawain and bowed down to him before leaning conspiratorially towards him.

“Are you a Great Knight?”

“I’ve heard that I’m passing good”, responded Gawain.

“Of who’s court?”

“I’m Sir Gawain, of King Arthur’s round table”, answered Gawain, drawing himself upwards haughtily. 

“Showoff”, muttered Eleanor.

“Well then, good Sir, you’ll definitely be interested in this curious tale!” exclaimed the old man.

“I’m interested in all tales of adventure and curiosity, do tell me”

“Well, it involves a Knight with only an upper body and the ghost of a horse”

“How strange! Show me!”

The old man and Gawain rode off, with the two women close behind.

“This is where you’ll draw your final breath,” said the nameless Knight with just a torso. “How dare you try and face me?”. He moved his sword for the final blow, as Gawain lay panting. The Knight’s magic had made Gawain unable to retaliate to his crushing blows. 

Although everything about the situation, and everything the old man had told him, had made Gawain think this task was beyond him, his pride won out. It always did. He had faced the Knight alone and woefully underprepared, and if this is how he was going to die, then so be it.

“I am a better and more just Knight than you’ll ever be!” Gawain bit back, wanting to know his last words would be worth something.

“Bah!” The Knight brought his sword down towards Gawain’s throat.

“Enough!” Eleanor burst out of the woods with Lillith close on her heels.

She drew a sword from a scabbard at her side and deflected the blow that would have ended Gawain.

“This is not a fair fight, and you are not a true Knight!” she shouted while muttering incantations under her breath.

“And who are you? A rhyming Witch?” Laughed the Knight while parrying Eleanor. “I don’t usually fight women, but for you, I’ll make an exception”.

Lillith went over to the wounded Gawain and began helping him up to his horse, all the while muttering healing incantations of her own.

“I’m no lady”, Eleanor spoke softly.

“Who...who” Gawain whispered before fainting. Lilith snapped her fingers and floated him onto his horse. 

Eleanor parried with the Knight, shouting unladylike curses (both magical and ordinary).

“You have a tongue on you, for a lady”.

“I told you” Eleanor gritted her teeth. “I’m no lady!”, she pushed back, causing the Knight’s horse to stumble and the Knight to loosen his grip on his sword. 

“The spell won’t last long, we must hurry out”, shouted Lillith, holding the reins of hers and Gawain’s horses.

“I’m...almost...done” panted Eleanor, still parrying. She finally pushed his hilt out of his hand and pointed her sword straight into his heart.

“Surrender or be killed”

“Never”

“Then you leave me no choice”, Eleanor pushed the sword into his heart and twisted it. “He won’t die so easily though, I need time to set the spell”.

“We don’t have time”, urged Lillith. “Look, there are more coming along the horizon”.

Eleanor turned to see where she pointed and saw a horde of Knights, all missing legs and all on ghostly horses.

“I just...need...a minute” Eleanor grimaced, still twisting.

“Hurry!”

“Done!” Eleanor sealed the spell with a flash of light and a shower of ice.

“Let’s go!” She clicked her fingers, and she, Gawain, and Lillith all disappeared from the field, just when the horde of Knights reached them.

“Has he woken up yet?” asked Eleanor, standing outside the tent they had set up in the clearing.

“Not yet, can you go and check on him? I have to let father know what happened. This is what he was talking about, right?”

“Probably. But this is much worse than I thought it was, I didn't realize the Nameless Wind’s were back or involved”.

“Neither did I, I think father will want to call the Council”.

“Do you think this is a Council issue?”

“Seems like it might be, this is above even our capabilities”.

“Hmm, you’re probably right. Anyway, I’ll go check on our ‘noble warrior’“.

“Try not to be too rude to him”.

“I make no promises, sister”.

Eleanor walked into the tent as Lillith began muttering a summoning incantation.

“Who is this lovely vision who approaches?” A heavy voice filled the tent.

“My name is Eleanor, daughter of Tritan”.

“Oh, now I recognize you! You’re the one who got involved in my fight, and you’re also one of the three witches! I’ve heard of you sisters, stay away from me!” muttered Gawain, sitting up and wincing as he did.

“Oh, calm down. I saved your life”

“I was faring fine before you showed up, I would have managed”

“He would have killed you!”

“I don’t need help from the daughter’s of Tritan. I’ve heard about his deeds”. Gawain attempted to get up but collapsed back onto the makeshift bed after failing to stand.

“He’s a much better and nobler wizard than your precious Merlin”

“Merlin was a good and noble Warlock, God rest his soul”

“Do you want to know what that “noble” wizard did to my sister?”

“I’m sure she deserved whatever it was”

“You men, you’re all the same, you only trust other men!”

“Women are inherently untrustworthy, my good lady”

“Oh, please don’t call me Good Lady, we all know that’s not what I am”

"Either way, I never needed your help, please let me leave”

“I want nothing more than for you to leave, but unfortunately our lives are going to be entangled for a while”, sighed Eleanor. “Plus, your wounds aren’t yet fully healed”.

“Oh, what have I got myself involved with?” Gawain moaned and lay down on the bed.

“Something greater than both of us”, Eleanor whispered before sweeping out.