#because he tells Arthur magic can never be allowed in Camelot bc he is too busy trying to save Arthur to save himself | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fishoutofcamelot · 4 years

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Hi there! I hope you’re well. I just wanted to send a message to thank you for the elyan content 😍 he is my favourite knight but for some reason I never see much of him on tumblr! So it’s awesome to see him on your blog. I hope I didn’t bother you with this ask 🙈

I AM doing well, actually! And you didn’t bother me, asks will probably never bother me <3

I could go on for a million years about why no one makes content about Elyan - and sometimes forget he exists altogether - but I don’t wanna start drama so we’ll just. Not touch that topic with a 10-foot pole

BUT! Elyan IS a fantastic knight, and the fact that he is your favourite knight too is very iconic and sexy of you. Elyan fans/stans are the sexiest members of this fandom. That’s not even opinion, that’s just science

So! Here’s a list of Elyan headcanons, because he’s worth it:

Elyan is ace. Them’s the facts

He’s also gay but in that stage where he’s questioning if he might be bi. Unfortunately, he died before reaching an answer

I hate to talk about Hogwarts Houses in 2020, but he is one hell of a Hufflepuff. Elyan is his name and protecting his loved ones with life and limb is his game. It is very easy to earn his loyalty, and once you have he will ride straight through Hell for you

Elyan likes hoods. He wears hoods whenever he can (i mean c’mon, that outfit in season 3 was serving some killer looks)

He’s just a protective older brother to literally everyone in Camelot. Yes, even Gaius

Gwen, Elyan, Leon, and Merlin have family game night once every month. They all gather in their old house in the lower town to get drunk, play some dice games, and spend the whole night goofing off

Only a few people know about game night. Even fewer people have seen it with their own eyes. Arthur and Gwaine frequently try to sneak in to see game night for themselves, but somehow never succeed

Elyan loves swimming. They don’t get many chances for it, but whenever they do, Elyan is the best swimmer out of all the knights

He’s also like. Really good at sneaking up on people. Consistently rolls high on stealth checks

Out of everyone in the Round Table, Elyan is the most easily spooked. He hates it when they gather around the fire to tell ghost stories, bc he will NOT be able to sleep the rest of the night after that

Why do people think there’s no dynamic or chemistry between Elyan and Gwaine??? Those two had a SOLID friendship and I will not stand for this disrespect (also, Perelyan is good but Elyaine is godtier imo)

Elyan is bad at blacksmithing. Like really bad. No one even understands how that works, considering he spent his whole childhood training under his father. All the blacksmithing talent apparently went to Gwen somehow

He likes bugs. When he was a kid he would go out in the woods and collect beetles and stuff to stick in little terrarium jars. He’d even give them names and backstories and personalities. Sometimes he would sit under a tree and tell Gwen stories about all these adventures his bugs would go on when no one was looking

Leon HATED bugs, and got creeped out by them, which meant Elyan was legally obligated to harass him about it

Elyan doesn’t get much chance to catch bugs anymore, but he’s also the only member of the Round Table who can put up with spiders

Spider in the armory? Everyone is freaking out while Elyan just calmly picks it up and lets it outside - but not without lots of snark and eye-rolling, of course

The reason Elyan ran away from home was because his mother had died and he saw it as a personal failing. He felt that it was his fault she was dead, because he couldn’t protect her, and left Camelot because he couldn’t bear the shame of guilt

In the last few years of his time away from Camelot, Elyan fell in love and lived out an mlm cottagecore fantasy where he and his lover raised wyverns together. But when Morgause came to capture him, she killed his lover and burnt their wyvern farm to the ground

Elyan tries not to let his grief be known, though. Not just because he doesn’t want to burden Gwen with his pain, but also because his lover had magic and he could get arrested for having fallen in love with a sorcerer

Morgause had Elyan captive for a while before Gwen showed up. She even used the nathair on him in small increments; not long enough to kill him or damage him irreparably, but enough to make him suffer. It’s for this reason that Elyan was able to bounce back from being tortured by Morgana whereas Gwaine didn’t survive it, because Morgause had already microdosed him with that kind of pain two years ealier

Still traumatizing, though. Like. This boy is EXTREMELY traumatized, can someone please get him some therapy???

Moving back to Camelot with Gwen was simultaneously healing and harming. Healing, because he visited his dad’s grave, rebuilt his relationship with Gwen, and his companionship with her, Merlin, and Leon helped him move on from the pain of his loss. But harming because of all the anti-magic prejudice that surrounded him, and every time someone said magic was evil it was like another dagger in his heart. That was his dead lover they were talking about and calling a monster. Someone who was kind and compassionate and funny, who didn’t have a lick of evil in them, who would have burned at the stake by Camelot’s laws

Elyan didn’t think about what it meant to be a knight of Camelot when he agreed to be knighted. But he was just so determined to fight and kill Morgause, the woman who had killed his lover and his wyverns and abducted him from his home, that he didn’t even think about it. He just wanted Morgause dead. It wasn’t until a few days later when he realized that being a knight of Camelot meant enforcing Camelot’s anti-magic laws, and this realization naturally caused him distress

Instead of abandoning his knighthood, Elyan found a compromise. He would support Arthur in everything, until magic got involved. If Arthur ever captured druids or put sorcerers to death, Elyan decided he would smuggle them out of the city. He would never actively kill or capture those with magic, and would sometimes even try to sabotage efforts in capturing harmless magic-users

Elyan knew full well what Dragoon was doing. He knew that Gwen and Arthur’s love was true and required no enchantment, meaning Dragoon had simply framed himself to get Gwen out of a jam. He appreciates Dragoon, and even though he supposedly killed Uther, Elyan can’t even fault him for that. Elyan wanted to kill Uther too

Merlin is the little brother Elyan always wanted, and Elyan is the older brother Merlin never had. They act so much like siblings it’s not even funny, and some people question if they were actually raised together

He and Merlin like to team up and tease Gwen. They’ll walk behind her and chant stuff like “Gwen and Arthur sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G”. They’re like children, and it’s both very funny and very annoying

Gwen gets her revenge, of course. She always gets her revenge

They also team up to be like. Super protective of Gwen. The vetting process Arthur had to go through - between Elyan, Leon, AND Merlin - in order to date Gwen was ridiculous

Arthur: Merlin I’m literally your boss. Your friend. You've been my personal manservant for like six years now

Merlin: Yeah, which means I know exactly how much of a dick you are

After being possessed by the druid ghost, Elyan is a lot more in tune with the supernatural

Am I suggesting that Elyan can now see, talk to, and interact with ghosts, and even starts a little agency where he goes around helping them complete their unfinished business? Why yes, yes I am

When Gwen was banished, Elyan wanted to go with her. But she asked him to stay behind and keep an eye on Agravaine, as she suspected him of treachery, and to stop him from taking over Camelot should Agravaine make a move. And, well, Elyan has never been able to say no to his sister

Elyan and Merlin decided to try and find a way to prove Gwen’s innocence. There’s no way she was acting of her own accord, after all. There was some kind of enchantment at play, there had to be. Merlin doesn’t tell him about Shade!Lancelot directly, but does propose it as a theory regarding how Lancelot had come back from the dead. Elyan supports the theory 100%

About two months after the wedding, Merlin and Elyan locate the enchanted bracelet, and Gwen and Lancelot’s names are finally cleared

In Avalon, Elyan, Freya, and Lancelot spend the whole time watching/narrating the events of season 5 like sports commentators. They are all mutually exasperated at Merlin’s antics

When Arthur shows up in Avalon, the only reason Elyan doesn’t punch him in the face is because he’s too busy restraining Lance from doing the same

He does, however, give him a strong talking-to about how “all your magic and you still can’t save my life” is a horrible thing to say actually

Lancelot, however, is more upset about the “I guess I was wrong” speech

Gwaine shows up in Avalon like. SUPER traumatized. He died while being tortured by a nathair, died in a way that he perceived to be failure, and he’s kinda messed up because of that. Elyan, who has already had a few years to cope with nathair torture, is the one who helps Gwaine heal from his trauma

In the 21st century, Elyan gets reincarnated along with everyone else. His childhood is plagued with weird dreams, dreams that terrify him. Snakes and pain, wyverns and fire, all of it. He meets an old man who calls himself Merlin, who helps Elyan through the pain of remembering his past life. For once, Elyan gets to be taken care of instead of the other way around. For once, he is allowed to be vulnerable and weak and struggling. He doesn’t hide his tears. He gets the help he needs and works through his trauma

And one day, many years later, he is walking down the street when he sees someone who looks oddly familiar. The face of an old lover, perhaps

Thanks for the ask! <3

#Merlin Fandom Stop Forgetting About Elyan Challenge #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merlin #bbcm #ask #fish post

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bellamyblakru · 4 years

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“I have you, it’s okay.” + Merthur 💛 also omg I'm so glad you want to get into writing I can't wait to read it!

thank you so much🥺, you guys have been too kind😭😭 im so excited!! i really love writing, but i learned from that first one that it’s exhausting 😂 gah i love merthur, lets do this (also, the knights are all alive bc i love them//shade lancelot did happen but merlin brought him back for good good) ALSO, this drabble really ran for more than i was actually going for lmfao im sorry its so long

Merlin didn’t know how he wanted Arthur to find out about his magic. Most of Merlin’s recurring nightmares consist of the possibility that Arthur will react the wrong way. After all these years, Merlin dying on the pyre wouldn’t be the worst situation. What Merlin truly dreaded the most was the inevitable betrayal that he would see in Arthur’s eyes, the look he gets when someone he loves hurts him in the most personal way. The look where Arthur thinks he is the problem, not those betraying him. Agravaine, Morgana, Gwen, and even shade-Lancelot made Arthur vulnerable enough for him to love them just to be stabbed in the back one way or another because of it. Arthur blames himself when his people turn their backs on him, and Merlin refuses to get that look from Arthur.

Killing Merlin, as horrible as it sounds, would probably be kinder. Merlin cares more for Arthur than words could describe. It wasn’t because of prophecy, or because Arthur was a good person and an even better King, it was because Merlin loves Arthur. It is as simple as that. Merlin loves the way Arthur smirks when bantering, the way he smiles when he is helping someone in need, the way he fights for his people, the way he never gives up hope no matter what happens or who they face, the way his eyes light up when sparring with his knights. Imagining Arthur shutting him out, away from his light, was a staggering enough thought that kept Merlin quiet.

At first, it was because of Uther. Merlin wouldn’t make Arthur pick between them, even if Merlin always thought that Arthur would always pick Uther. Then it was Morgana, then it was every little excuse that allowed Merlin to push back the truth further behind his happy facade. Arthur expressed his hatred of magic enough to let Merlin understand that he wouldn’t be accepted...even if Merlin was magic itself.

There has never been a person more devoted to another human than Merlin to Arthur. Without one, there was no other. The castle knew this, as did the knights. Gwaine and Lancelot would tease him relentlessly about his love for Arthur, but even they did not know the half of his dedication to the Once and Future King.

Merlin is the most powerful warlock to ever walk to earth, and he was terrified to tell his best friend his two deepest secrets. The warlock part, of course, and the part where Merlin’s entire existence was to serve, protect, and love Arthur to his dying breath. Merlin believes that Arthur might have an inkling that Merlin is truly in love with him, but Arthur never let too much show between them if he does know. Servant and King. The one born because of magic and the one born made of magic. Two sides, one coin (if the large reptile had a say in this). They were like the sun and the moon, destined to rotate but not touch. Arthur was Merlin’s sun, his light, his hopes, his destiny.

Today was hunting day for Arthur, which meant Merlin pretended to grumble the whole morning about spending time with the knights and the king simply so he could see Arthur’s eyes light up with that playful glow. The Knights of the Roundtable were with them today, to Merlin’s delight. Gwaine and Lancelot were finally getting closer to each other through Merlin, and he couldn’t be more enthusiastic about it. They were the closest to brothers he ever had, and he was so grateful to have them in his life. Lancelot was welcomed back after the whole scandal since Morgana was outed, but Gwen decided to permanently end things with Arthur. Merlin was upset they weren’t together anymore, but Arthur did not seem too distraught about the news. Arthur probably sees the way Lancelot looks at Gwen and figured he couldn’t compete with that love, which made Merlin’s heart clench painfully.

Merlin was riding beside Arthur when the unimaginable happened. The forest was quiet in the way that made Merlin’s magic crawl, but no one seemed concerned with his fears. Merlin knew better. Right before the army ambushed, Merlin simply looked at Arthur. Arthur looked like he was bathing in sunlight, with a golden halo and his sparking sword hanging by his side, laughing at something Gwaine was talking about. Merlin’s life was Arthur’s well-being, and if it meant Arthur hated him for the rest of his life, then so be it.

The minute they entered the clearing, the laughter died. The knights reacted immediately with their King leading the way, swinging off their horses and preparing for battle. The army wasn’t too big, but it was Morgana’s—meaning magic users of different degrees everywhere. Her army did not look impressive, but the true power was in the hidden fact that each one of her soldiers wielded some magic. Merlin could feel it in the air. He could almost taste the potential power these people had, and he knew today was the day he has been dreading since he realized his love for Arthur.

Today was the day of Merlin’s betrayal—but it was the only choice. Arthur’s safety goes beyond what Merlin wanted..it always would, no matter how this ended.

Merlin didn’t waste any more time. He spelled the knights and his king to the ground with one look, saw the shocked expressions on different faces (he didn’t dare look at Arthur yet), but he did not let himself ponder them for too long. He thought up a shield then, putting those he loved in a bright, golden bubble of protection. Knowing they were safe allowed Merlin to relax for a second before turning his attention to the problem coming at him. He counted thirty sorcerers, with Morgana leading the charge. He took a second to truly look at Morgana. Her hair was matted, her clothing ripped, her eyes were darkened by the nightmares she is no doubt plagued with. He felt such pity and sorrow at that moment, a feeling so intense that time itself stopped around him.

He walked up to Morgana, whose eyes were frozen gold with fury. He saw Aithusa in the back, and allowed time to continue for her alone. He spoke quietly to her, telling her how he is sorry for letting her stray so far and how he wasn’t there for her when she needed him the most. Aithusa, although weary, came closer to Merlin and let him pet her nose. Through the connection, she could see why Merlin wasn’t there for her, or more precisely, who Merlin had to protect above everyone and everything else. Aithusa, by command of Merlin, left then to Kilgharrah who would see to her recovery. Feeling better that his kin would be seen to after this, he focused his attention back to Morgana.

He then unfroze her. She, unexpectedly freed, fell to the ground. She was petrified, Merlin could tell. Her destiny, her doom. He was who she feared at night, who kept her awake after the nightmares, the one who poisoned her for the love of Camelot. Morgana was many things, but a coward is not one of them. She stood her ground, as regally as one can manage after falling, and looked Merlin in the eyes. What she wasn’t expecting was the pain she saw, for her. She started, not understanding his emotion. Quickly, too quickly for anyone to comprehend, Merlin grabbed both sides of her face and chanted with such sadness and despair. He pleaded to the earth’s magic to take her powers, and to use them for good, to help those in need. The earth responded kindly to his request, and it did what was asked of it. Morgana quickly fell asleep in Merlin’s arms, while Merlin was slowly crying over his lost, hurting friend.

Time unfroze. The army halted, seeing Morgana’s magic flowing into the earth, and decided that a retreat would be more beneficial than attacking Emrys. Merlin could feel the magic leave Morgana, leaving behind a broken girl who’s heart has been hurt too many times to be fair. She deserves another chance, Merlin pleaded once more, and with that thought, the earth healed her enough to be able to live without her powers. She will live, the ground whispered to Merlin, and he tried to choke back a sob. Arthur could have another chance with his sister, and Gwen could finally have her best friend back—if Morgana wished, of course. Gwaine came behind Merlin and slowly peeled her away from him. Merlin staggered up, never using that much raw power before in his life, and started swaying.

“I have you, it’s okay,” Merlin thought he heard Arthur quaver to him. Strong arms picked him up, and although Merlin was slowly fading, he swore he saw an angel lift him up, crying about how much Merlin meant to him. He passed out before he could make sense of it.

What isn’t said here is the simple fact that Arthur loves Merlin. Arthur loves the way Merlin smiles when he knows he is being sassy, the way his nose crinkles when he disagrees with something Arthur has said, the way Merlin’s eyes look when he says something abnormally wise to Arthur. Arthur is who he is because Merlin believes in him and magic isn’t going to throw it away. Arthur may not understand what just happened, but it wasn’t destructive, or cruel, or evil. It was pure, beautiful magic that only aimed to save the people around it—and wasn’t that who Merlin was at the end of the day? The magic felt like home, like love, so like Merlin that Arthur’s breath caught in his throat.

He didn’t feel betrayed, surprisingly. He was hurt that Merlin couldn’t trust something so vital, so beautiful about himself because Arthur’s father was a tyrant and drilled something so wrong into Arthur’s mind. But never again will Arthur be swayed by his father’s ghost. Merlin saved him, probably more times than he could count as he continues looking back on their adventures.

Arthur loves Merlin as much as Merlin loves Arthur, so he knows that no matter what happens after today, that fact will never change.

#merthur drabble #this was really fun to write #bamf merlin is MY KING #thank you for sending a prompt!!!#you are a queen my friend #sentence starter #i hope this is okay #its late here and i did it in one sitting #merthur #ashley writes

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generallynerdy · 5 years

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Our Little Secret Part 7 (Merlin & Child!Reader)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6

Summary: (Y/N) and Mordred reunite. Spot and Mordred reunite.

Key: (Y/N) - your name Warnings: this entire chapter is fluff fuck you, mentions of injuries Word Count: 2,260

Note: okay now happy reunited times. Also some fun fluff bc i want more mordred content and if no one will give it then i will make it

(Y/N) could not believe her eyes when she entered the throne room, helped onwards by Percival. It was not the ceremonial one in which she had been knighted, but rather the throne room where Arthur held private audiences.

She spotted the regular crowd; the knights, Arthur, Gwen, Merlin and Gaius in the corner-- but there was a new person. Black locks covered the back of his head, seeing as he was turned away from her, but she knew by instinct alone that it was Mordred. She could have sworn he was a figment of her imagination at first.

Everyone turned to look at them as they entered, which made Percival feel small. (Y/N) ignored most of them, but the gentle giant couldn’t escape the glares.

When Mordred turned, his bright eyes were wide as was his stance, unsure of her presence before he processed the fact that she was there. He almost tilted his head out of confusion, looking her up and down.

“Mordred!” She exclaimed, pushing away from Percival to put her arms around the young man’s neck.

He hesitated at first, but smiled and hugged her back.

Meanwhile, everyone gave Percival dumbfounded looks. He shied away from their glares. “Sorry,” he muttered. “She threatened me.”

As they all considered the concept of such a giant being threatened by (Y/N), the young woman pulled away from Mordred just for a second, to look at him with a small smile. She put her hand on his cheek, which made him flush red, though he would never admit it.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “Are you alright?’

He nodded. “I’m fine-- but you’re not. You should be resting,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Yes, you should!” Piped up a voice beside them.

They both turned their heads to see the disappointed expression of Gaius, who crossed his arms and glared at (Y/N) specifically. Merlin followed behind him, sharing a similar look, though his was pointed more at Mordred, for whatever reason. (Y/N) could understand Gaius being upset at her, but Merlin’s face confused her.

“This is ridiculous. You couldn’t have waited until he came to see you?” Gaius huffed.

“No,” (Y/N) answered firmly. “I absolutely could not have.”

Merlin rolled his eyes violently and stepped up to her. “You’re going to kill him one of these days. C’mon.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to protest, but Mordred got there first. “Er-- I’ll take her.” He sheepishly looked to Arthur. “If you allow it, my lord.”

Arthur glanced at the others and Merlin sent him an exasperated look, but he nodded. “Of course. I think we’re finished here.”

Everyone watched with great interest as Mordred held out his arm for (Y/N), which she took gladly. They left the throne room, chattering like children. It made a few smile to themselves, but others were simply befuddled. Merlin, Arthur, and Gwen had yet to share the story of Mordred in the castle, or at least mention that (Y/N) had been included in the boy’s rescue.

“Tell me everything,” (Y/N) gushed. “Where have you been?”

Mordred helped her up a staircase as he shook his head. “It’s nothing interesting. Travelling, mostly.” He gave a sweet smile. “Things have been exciting here from what I’ve heard.”

“You have no idea,” she laughed. “It’s been too exciting if you ask me.”

“So...first lady knight of Camelot?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. “That’s quite the achievement.”

She avoided his gaze slightly, rather awkward yet proud of herself deep down. “It took ages. Greatest accomplishment of my life.”

His voice lowered to a whisper. “What about your magic?”

“Well, I know the basics,” (Y/N) said, sure that no one was around to hear them. “Merlin’s taught me well.”

“And is he still the only one that knows?” Mordred inquired as they entered the young warlock’s chambers, where (Y/N) would be staying as she healed. “Besides Gaius, I mean.”

She sighed. “Lancelot, one of the knights of the round table. He died a while back, though. Morgana-- Morgana knew. She saw me move a boulder for his memorial with my magic.”

“Did she know about Merlin?” Mordred’s eyes were wide as he asked.

“No,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head. “She couldn’t get it out of me.”

“Speaking of Morgana,” Mordred said as he helped (Y/N) climb into bed. She hissed in slight pain, but was comfortably under the blankets in no time. “You should rest. You need to heal.”

(Y/N) shook her head again, this time more firmly. “How can I rest with you here?”

“I could leave--” Mordred teased.

“No, wait,” she whined. He sat back down in the chair beside her bed with a fond smirk, letting her continue. “I’ve just missed you, that’s all.”

He tilted his head. “We knew each other for barely a week, (Y/N).”

“It felt like years, didn’t it?” She stared off into space for a little as he nodded, agreeing with her. “You were the only other child in the castle, the only friend my age.”

Mordred leaned onto her bed with his elbows, eyes bright with reminiscence. “You were my only friend period. You saved my life. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for that.”

(Y/N) scoffed. “I didn’t do any of the work.”

“Not the heavy lifting, no,” he chuckled. “But you kept me company. You were the only one I would talk to. I think I needed that more than anything.”

“Well,” (Y/N) smiled shyly. “If it makes you feel any better, I think you just saved my life, too.”

Despite Mordred’s insistence that she should rest, he couldn’t force her to do so. He didn’t have it in him to stop her from talking, telling him about all he had missed after he left. They had known each other for merely days back when they were children, but reunited as adults, it felt like they had been friends for decades.

Eventually, as the sun began to set that night, he bid her a quick goodbye upon Gaius’s instruction.

“How do I know you won’t be gone in the morning?” (Y/N) questioned.

He smiled at the fact that she hadn’t heard his earlier conversation with Arthur. “I have a feeling I won’t be leaving any time soon.”

“Promise?” She asked him in a whisper.

He kissed her hand in a gentlemanly way, squeezing it reassuringly. “Promise.”

For the next few days, (Y/N) was still resting in Merlin’s room, since she had yet to be released by Gaius. He claimed that she needed extra rest because of her ‘expedition’ the first day back. During these few days, Mordred was there more than Merlin himself. He and (Y/N) would talk for hours and when she went down to sleep, he would disappear to continue getting settled in the city.

When (Y/N) found out that he was going to be a knight, she was ecstatic, as everyone assumed she would be. The day Arthur came to check on her, she could not help thanking him profusely. He thought her excitement was quite amusing.

For the ceremony itself, (Y/N) wore what most of the other knights did; ceremonial armour. It was a bit of a pain, but it was required of them. Arthur said she could be exempt due to her injury, but she refused to go in regular clothes.

As a knight, she liked to be prepared and dresses were not ideal for that, so she kept a collection of men’s clothing. To be honest, she had swiped most of them from her friends, though they didn’t care. Percival’s were too big for her and Leon’s slightly so, thus she mostly took Elyan and Gwaine’s, considering they were of the smallest stature. Her nicest set of men’s clothing was from Sir Leon, because he had the best taste.

Mordred’s ceremony was just like her own. Gwen sat on her throne while Arthur stood, putting his sword to each of the young man’s shoulders.

“Arise,” he said. “Sir Mordred, knight of Camelot.”

As soon as it concluded, Mordred departed to a back room to remove his ceremonial garb. (Y/N) did the same, donning regular clothes before taking off to find her friend. Percival was attached to her by the hip, trying to make up for earlier by keeping a close eye on her for Gaius.

“I'm so proud of you!” (Y/N) said as she hugged Mordred.

He couldn't wipe the grin off his face as she gushed to him all about the duties of a knight and all the training he would have to go through. They talked for a long time before Mordred suggested something else.

“I haven't seen Camelot in forever,” he said as he glanced out a window. “I barely remember it.”

(Y/N) gasped as if he had committed a heinous crime. “Oh, now I'll have to show you around!”

“Absolutely not,” Percival spoke up. “Gaius will murder me.”

“A walk won't kill me,” she protested. “Besides, I have Mordred to make sure I get home. And I need to find Spot before he starts to worry. I haven't seen him since we got back.”

With all the convincing she did, Percival had to give in. He warned her to be back by sundown and Mordred made that promise for both of them.

So, they wandered about Camelot, stopping by all the must see places. Mordred remembered some from his visit as a boy, but most of them were unknown to him. (Y/N) knew the place like the back of her hand.

When they made it down to the lower town, (Y/N) had them turn a corner to an old house that she knew well. Before moving to the castle, she had lived next door to this house. Whenever she was on a trip because of her knightly duties, the old woman who lived there took care of Spot. He loved that little old lady and her cat, who was ironically named Stripes.

Barely two seconds after (Y/N) knocked on the door, a scuffling of paws could be heard and violent barking sounded from the other side of the door.

Mordred grinned at the sound, turning to his companion. “Is that who I think it is?”

The door creaked open a bit and Spot came tumbling out. With a single sniff at Mordred, he leapt at the young man, burying him in affection.

“Oh, (Y/N), you’re here!” The old woman, widowed Mrs Miller, crooned.

(Y/N) nodded between laughter at Spot’s reaction to Mordred. “I’m so sorry I left him here so long, Mrs Miller. I--”

“You’re fine, sweetie. Sir Leon came by when you got back and he told me you were hurt. He wanted to take poor old Spot to see you, but Gaius wouldn’t let him.” She pinched (Y/N)’s cheek almost painfully. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“You’ve gotten old, Spot,” Mordred muttered.

Looking down at Spot, one could tell he was an old thing. White hairs were spread amongst the grey ones on his muzzle and the brown spot around his eye was faded. He had as much energy as he did when he was a puppy. (Y/N) expected him to never die, seeing as he was fed and taken care of so well by the royal kitchens. The cooks there adored him.

“I guess he remembers you,” (Y/N) laughed, looking at Spot lick Mordred’s cheek.

Mordred gently shoved the dog away, wiping at the point of impact. “Disgusting.” He couldn’t help smiling at Spot, whose tongue lolled out of his mouth.

“He never forgets a face, I tell you.” (Y/N) interrupted their little bonding moment. “Saw Gwaine for the second time ever and tackled him.”

“I would have loved to see that,” Mordred laughed before glancing up at the sky. “It’s getting late. We should get home or Percival will kill both of us.”

He stood and let (Y/N) take his arm before they strolled toward the palace again. Spot followed loyally at the latter’s side, yipping happily as he went. On the way there, they spoke of many things, most of which they didn’t care to remember when they made it back, except one.

“Arthur wants to throw a ball,” (Y/N) said casually.

Mordred looked over at her with wide eyes. “No. No, he doesn’t really. Does he?”

“He wants to celebrate our safe return and your knighting.” She laughed when his expression failed to change. “You look terrified, Mordred!”

“I’ve never been to a ball,” he whispered.

“No! You must have!” (Y/N) gasped.

He shrugged. “I’m a druid, remember?”

“Oh, this will be so much fun,” she gushed with a devious expression. “I’d suggest getting one of the knights help for outfits, but luckily they require you to wear your armour.”

“I’m glad for that,” Mordred laughed. “But...what do you do at a ball?’

(Y/N) tightened her grip around his arm in her excitement. “They’re wonderful! You dance, you talk, you eat, you drink-- anything your heart desires.”

“What if my heart desires sleep?”

She hit his arm lightly, though she could not resist laughing. “You’ll have plenty of fun once you get there. I promise.”

“I’m trusting you,” he warned. “Just don’t tell the others I’m so clueless. I don’t need more hazing.”

(Y/N) reached down, taking Mordred’s hand in hers. “It will be our little secret.”

Merlin Tags: @pearlll09

Part 8

Masterlist

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nimueriesa · 7 years

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PELLEAS’ CHARACTERIZATION !!

If you smoosh various source materials together, you get a pretty sympathetic ( and yet simultaneously tiresome ) character in Pelleas. He doesn’t come from some great house, he’s not noble or rich. You’re also led to believe that he’s on the slower side, he’s not quick-witted the way some other knights are, he’s not charming or elegant like all the greats of his time. He stutters and stammers, which is one of the things that kind of puts Ettarde off of him. I’m also laying down the idea that he probably doesn’t know how to read or write either ; he’s never had any formal education because he’s never had any option but to be a serf or fight his way into being a knight.

What he does have is incredible strength and resilience. I mean, this guy fights off ten knights a day for god knows how long, trying to catch Ettarde’s attention. ( Mind you, once he’d proven he could beat them, he allowed them to tie him in MANY, MANY embarrassing ways to his horse to be brought to Ettarde, just so he could see her. ) He ALSO initially met her at a tournament where he came out first place among FIVE HUNDRED participants. You could argue that he leans heavily on his strength bc it’s the greatest weapon he has in his arsenal. Even the other knights don’t take him seriously.

Obviously he’s a determined sort, and there’s the argument to be made that he does have a one-track mind because he really isn’t the brightest crayon in the box, BUT there’s evidence to suggest that he’s one to hold a grudge. Referred to as The Gentle Knight, he can’t bring himself to kill Gawain and Ettarde when he finds them sleeping together but he also doesn’t forgive them either. Every time he crosses paths with Gawain afterwords he wants to fight him and when Ettarde ( by way of Nimue’s magic ) finally falls in love with Pelleas, he’s just like: Nope, too late. I hate you.

Even though finding them together in bed made him tell his servants that he was going to lay in his own bed until he died and they could take his heart, half it up, and give it to Ettarde on a silver tray. Sooo, he’s also dramatic af.

WHY MY VERSION OF NIMUE WOULD ADOPT THIS STRAY !!

It really does pretty much boil down to him being a big sad puppy, and her feeling bad for him.

First of all Nim knows better than anyone else what it’s like to feel helpless and unwanted, before Avalon and Merlin she was basically right there in the same bit of mud. She was made fun of because she was ‘foolish’ but the idea of wanting to better herself was so gd preposterous that she was actually punished for it. ( Not to mention one of the variations of legend where Nimue gets kidnapped right in front of king and court and all they can do is fucking laugh about it...so there’s really no love lost between her Camelot’s finest despite her begrudgingly helping Arthur out post-Merlin. ) And I think she’d enjoy trying to teach him some of the things he doesn’t know, honestly.

LOYALTY is also another big factor, I think it’s safe to say. Obviously he’s a great guardian and he’s diligent af, which are traits that Nim would cultivate for her own purposes but also already admires and respects in other people. So, basically it sets them both up to have someone on their side. ( BC let’s not fool ourselves and say that loneliness doesn’t have a major part to play in this. ) But post-marriage to Nim, Pelleas becomes a member of the Round Table and supposedly achieves the Sangreal, so make no mistake that there’s some teamwork going on there.

Like, maybe he was/is a joke to the other knights but he’s the one that’s married to the Lady of the Lake. And that marriage simultaneously provides her with some small level of safety from other knights that would have otherwise tried to chase after her / pester her / whatever for glory and conquest. ( Also in some situations I’m ngl and say that I don’t see Nim tying herself to Pelleas through a ceremony that she doesn’t even really believe in just to keep herself from taking up with a less safe choice in potential partners bc AGAIN she’s also loyal af and that’s a pretty good psychological deterrent. )

And then there’s the whole thing about her ‘keeping’ him from most fights. Which easily translates to Pelleas seeming like a kept man ( which he kind of is lmao ) , but I would also set down the idea that things aren’t what they seem on that front either? Nim definitely keeps his hot headed ass from fighting with Gawain and she has a LOT of reasons to keep him from fighting Lancelot and from joining in the final battle, but as for the rest --- I think it’s just that the need to fight to prove himself isn’t as strong as it once was. Why uselessly spend that energy now that he doesn’t have to? And he doesn’t have to show off to Nimue or prove himself to her either because she already believes in him/knows what he’s capable of.

tl;dr --- he’s safe, they’re both lonely, maybe she doesn’t love him but they are good together and they are good for each other, which maybe means more than fireworks.

#long post for ts #HC┊▌❝ ˢʰᵉ ᵘᶰᵈᵉʳˢᵗᵒᵒᵈ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ˢʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵐᵉʳᵉˡʸ ᵃ ᵖᵃʷᶰ ᶤᶰ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵒʳˡᵈ ❞ ┊► ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴛᴀɢ #HC┊▌❝ ˢʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵃ ᶜʰᵃʳᵍᵉᵈ ᵛᵉˢˢᵉˡ ᵒᶠ ᵖᵒʷᵉʳ ❞ ┊► ᴍᴇᴛᴀ #( i could write more about the actual ship potential of them as they progress throughout the years #as well as pelleas' use as a shield/hiding place for nim in other ships #but then this would be EXTRA EXTRA gd long sooo )

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