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cbk1000 · 4 months

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Hello, it's me, back with more of the vet fic sequel (yes I know it has a proper title now; yes I will continue to always and only refer to it as 'the vet fic').

He did not have a fabulous time, because people, including the one he had very clearly arrived with, began to dance all round him, and when jibes would not bring him into their midst, Merlin tried champagne. Arthur of course was not a lightweight; but he was not as hefty as he could have been. There was a little sizzling in his head after one glass, and a kind of creeping insanity, which thought that it might have been possibly a very little nice, to kiss Merlin all round his dumb face. He was currently in solemn consultation with a little boy over his hamster, who was called George, and had prompted a visit to the table with the vet, not because there was anything wrong with him, but because it was felt that Merlin needed to know about him. Merlin had taken off his jacket, likely because it was hampering his barbarity, which Arthur had barely tamed with the product which already four hours later was losing that hard-going battle. His hair was breaking out in little ringlets along his brow, and the piece at his nape which Arthur might have nuzzled, with more champagne in him, and less people round them, was kicking up off his neck. He had his hands clasped on the table, and was nodding along seriously to a rundown of George’s colour, age, temperament, and the time he had got his ball stuck under a wheelbarrow when the boy suddenly stopped extolling his whiskers, and said to Merlin, “By the way, who’s he?”

‘He’ was Arthur, who had been sitting across from him for five minutes before his presence had registered.

“That’s Arthur.”

“Who’s Arthur?” the boy asked; not, naturally, to Arthur himself, but to the keeper of all knowledge animalis.

“My boyfriend.”

“I thought boys had girlfriends?”

“Some of them have girlfriends, some of them have boyfriends.”

“Oh, ok,” said the boy, and then: “Why did the mother and father hamster never tell their babies a bedtime story?”

“Why?” Merlin asked.

“Because they didn’t have any tales!”

“Well, do you know why hamsters are afraid to get on sailing boats?” Merlin asked, after laughing appropriately lengthily at a small child’s bad joke.

“No.”

“They’re afraid of pi-rats,” Merlin confided in a whisper.

Arthur like any rational man was still suspicious of children, who like anything that small have to get by on their cunning; but seeing that Merlin was with the boy the way he was with animals, he felt (and this was not entirely his fault, since he was on his second glass of champagne) that same striking impulse for love which has always saved the race from ruin. As a sober man he would have been embarrassed at himself; but as a slightly pissed one, he put his chin in his hands and stared at Merlin not unlike the child was doing. They were both looking at him like dogs, full of stupid loyalty, and love; and Merlin, looking back at him, suddenly flashed the dimples unbearably, so that Arthur could see he had showed them in the same helpless feeling with which Arthur was receiving them. He was never very sure in his love, of where he stood in its estimation. For him it was a thing which he could never be sure of having, but which he could be sure of losing. But Merlin’s whole face was lit up with it across the table, with the small boy for witness. He was just unabashedly doing it, where anyone could see he was smitten.

Then someone else came round to ask Merlin why their cat went, “Bleugh” and the boy was taken off for his nap by his mother, and the look was turned away from him, though he kept it safe, and warm in his throat.

“You’re slightly pissed, aren’t you?” Merlin asked when they were alone once more.

“No,” Arthur said, which for some reason prompted a laugh.

“Yes you are, you big numpty. Want to go for a walk and have a bit of a drunken snog? I’ll catch up to you real quick. What, did you have a whole entire glass by yourself?”

“Two whole entire glasses,” Arthur replied crisply.

#preview #fic #merthur

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none-ofthisnonsense · 22 days

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Merlin S5E9, “With All My Heart”

Morgana? No, Gwen.

Oh she’s playing the Elyan card.

Didn’t expect Arthur to have seen that.

We have my favourite music track when Arthur meets with Leon and Mordred!

I love the large view of Gaius’ chambers.

Gaius did you know someone who went through that?

Colin Morgan’s acting is phenomenal.

I need fics that explore the Old Religion. Anyone have recs?

He IS the greatest of sorcerers.

Gaius: drug Arthur! :D

BAHAHA

The soft Arthur and Guinevere theme variation in the background of their conversation?..

Okay I couldn’t help myself I burst out laughing.

I love this scene.

A WHEELBARROW.

Gaius’ improv is the best.

So Mordred’s involved now!

Aithusa!

Merlin can at least use magic in front of Mordred if needed. I guess that’s somewhat comforting. But Mordred doesn’t necessarily know that he’s a Dragonlord.

Mordred you could at least take some of Merlin’s bags.

Morgana is fond of Mordred, so maybe that’ll help him.

Mordred’s absolute faith.

Mordred knows and is hiding it. He’s more skilled than I thought.

MORDRED DOING MAGIC!!

I like that lake.

What’s going on with Merlin’s hair?

PFFT

I like the sing-song tone of the spell used to wake Gwen.

I love Merlin and Mordred’s convos.

#Merlin #bbc merlin #merlin s5 #Merlin s5e9 #with all my heart #Merlin liveblog

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tiodolma · 1 year

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guinevere was so unhinged. first she got a wheelbarrow for merlin and did not ask questions when he stole a palace statue.

it's no surprise that she didnt think twice before giving merlin her father's best product.

like did her father not look for the sword??? how tf did guinevere hide the truth from him???

gaslight girlboss guinevere

#bbc guinevere #adventures of merlin #plot holes #s1

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xtruss · 10 months

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This wood-and-wicker wheelchair—photographed in a hospital room in Saint Remy, France—is an older design. Early wheelchairs were more cumbersome than sleek, modern wheelchairs that allow users to live independently and participate in everything from sports to travel. Photograph By Jim Richardson, National Geographic Image Collection

How the Wheelchair Opened up the World to Millions of People

Wheelchairs have existed since the invention of the wheel. But technological advances have revolutionized the way that people use them.

— By Erin Blakemore | July 14, 2023

Bath, England, wasn’t just the hotbed of romance and gossip depicted in Jane Austen novels—it was a place of freedom for people with limited mobility who sought the healing waters of its Roman baths.

These tourists often arrived in an “invalid” or “Merlin’s chair”—a predecessor of the wheelchair. These revolutionary vehicles freed them to participate in the city’s famous social life, usually with the help of servants who pushed them from place to place.

But though they offered unprecedented mobility, these wicker-and-wood chairs were seen as a sign of invalidism and dependence—and couldn’t have been more different from the modern wheelchairs that offer even more ways to move. How did wheelchairs go from clunky to user-friendly? Thank wheelchair users themselves.

'Merlin Chairs' and Other Early Wheelchairs

Wheeled seats have existed since the invention of the wheel, but it took centuries for the devices to gain traction with the masses. At first, people with mobility issues were pushed in wheelbarrow-like devices or wheeled furniture pushed by medical attendants or servants. When Philip II of Spain, who suffered from gout and arthritis, commissioned a wheeled chair in the late 16th century, it was known as an “invalid’s chair.”

It would take until 1655 for the first self-propelled wheelchair to emerge. Stephan Farffler, a clockmaker who lost the use of his legs in a childhood accident, created the device so he could propel himself to and from church in Nuremberg, Germany. His invention resembled a modern recumbent bike, relying on a hand crank to propel himself forward. Today, it’s considered a forerunner of the tricycle, but at the time, the unique invention hinted at the potential uses of self-powered, wheeled devices.

Farffler’s design pushed wheelchair technology forward, and a number of inventors created similar devices. One of them, Belgian impresario John Joseph Merlin, created a “gouty chair” that relied on gears and cranks to propel users. The design became so popular that wheelchairs were called “Merlin chairs” for more than a century afterward.

Still, even these early wheelchairs were mainly used by wealthy people with servants to push them. That’s because they were difficult to produce, heavy, hard to operate, and almost completely ineffective outdoors—more like indoor furniture than assistive devices. As art historian and disability historian Elizabeth Guffey writes, “It was a delicate chair for delicate people.”

The First Mass-produced Wheelchair

Wheelchairs became more ubiquitous as years went by, especially in the wake of the Civil War and both World Wars, which left hundreds of thousands of veterans with compromised mobility. But wheelchairs were seen as medical devices, not accessories for independent living, in part due to their size and cost.

In the 1930s, paralyzed mining engineer Herbert Everest complained about the weight of his heavy wheelchair to another engineer, Henry Jennings. Together in Jennings’ Los Angeles garage, the pair created a foldable wheelchair that weighed half as much and cost much less to produce. It would become the first mass-produced wheelchair—and the most popular design of its time. Suddenly, wheelchair users could propel themselves outside, get into and out of cars, and go where they wanted with little or no assistance.

Ironically, though, the advancement would go on to stymie wheelchair development for decades due to the inventors’ monopoly on the foldable design and prevailing attitudes about disability that suggested wheelchair users needed to be protected from the world. Even medical professionals objected to alternative designs that emphasized user independence.

“Perhaps [medical professionals] thought that they knew best,” says Nicholas Watson, Professor of Disability Studies and Director of the Centre for Disability Research at the University of Glasgow.

Wheelchairs Made for—and by—Their Users

Wheelchair use skyrocketed with the polio pandemic of the 1940s and the increasing toll of modern warfare—plus the development of antibiotics that allowed more people to survive spinal cord injuries, says Watson.

Once again, a new generation of wheelchair users clamored for more—and ended up revolutionizing the use and meaning of wheelchairs. Some weren’t content to simply sit in the chairs; they wanted to play in them, too. Starting in the 1960s, wheelchair athletes in search of better athletic performance started modifying their chairs to make them lighter and easier to use.

And the growing disability rights movement stoked even more demand for better wheelchairs from users themselves. “When people look at a disabled person, the wheelchair is the most outstanding trait, and they tend to forget that they’re a person,” athlete Marilyn Hamilton, who lost the use of her legs after a paragliding accident, told the Los Angeles Times in 1982.

Hamilton was one of the athletes who pushed for better wheelchairs—or made their own. Athletes reduced the chairs’ weight by removing the handles others once used to push them—a declaration of independence and a way to lighten the chairs. Then, they started modifying the wheels, adding speed and maneuverability with modifications that ran counter to designs created to “protect” users from the world outside.

Eventually, writes Watson, wheelchair athletes were all but making their own wheelchairs. By the 1970s and 1980s, wheelchairs with names like Quadra and Quickie were changing the way users experienced the world around them, giving them unprecedented access indoors and outdoors.

“Our chairs are so aesthetically pleasing that it helps break down [barriers between people of different abilities,” said Hamilton, who helped design the ultralight Quickie wheelchair. “It’s a tremendous asset for disabled people.”

Meanwhile, powered wheelchairs, first introduced in Canada in the 1950s, were increasingly available, too, allowing people with arm mobility limitations to use wheelchairs, too.

The Legacy of Wheelchair Innovations

These lighter, more maneuverable chairs didn’t just change the daily lives of the people who used them—they changed their self-perception. The history of wheelchair development “shows disabled people as active agents and directing their own lives,” Watson says—lives that are made more mobile and independent.

So what’s next for wheelchair design? Watson predicts that artificial intelligence will be increasingly used in wheelchair navigation. Engineers are also working on ways to prevent dangerous wheelchair tips, even bringing tech like radar and cameras on board. These days, everything from sit/stand wheelchairs to personalized rim design and custom wheels support users’ individual needs while adding a bit of flair to their ride.

Where will wheelchairs take their users next? The answer is only a matter of time, technology, and belief in the inherent abilities of wheelchair users.

#History #Culture #Saint Remy France 🇫🇷#England #Merlin’s chair #Wheelchairs #Mass Production #Innovation #Canada #Quadra and Quickie #Polio Pandemic of the 1940s #University of Glasgow | Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

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strawbeb · 1 year

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merlin flirting with gwen while escorting a nearly dead person in a wheelbarrow

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incorrectmerlinquotes · 5 years

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everything’s the same but Merlin finds out he’s immortal in S1 instead and the whole series is liberally interspersed with pointless scenes of him doing stupid shit for no reason except “Gaius, I’m IMMORTAL, I CAN’T DIE, reLAX”

#merlin #bbc merlin #I'VE BEEN. THINKING ABOUT THIS. ALL DAY.#merlin about to ride a wheelbarrow off the roof of Camelot castle: Gaius haha I can't die remember????#Gaius weeping: MERLIN YOU FOOL #not a quote

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donttouchtheneednoggle · 2 years

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WAITT where's that post that's like 2 people with brain cells but when they're together the brain cells cancel each other out and they're utter fucking dumbasses that's gwen and merlin

these idiots stole a palace statue in broad daylight with a wheelbarrow aided and abetted identity fraud without a second thought and nearly killed their father figure because they gave him poison then forgot what the antidote looked like 💀

#let gwen be a dumbass you cowards #bbc merlin #mergwen #it's canon babeyyy #merlin rambles #mine #oh and also them spying on/ogling the prince during his super private sacred meditation session #and helping him skive off his duties/commit treason half a dozen times #those were the days #goblins gold my beloved #merlin lets arthur have the brain cell for one minute to catch gaius #tries to share with gwen #it goes horribly ;')

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kitardene · 4 years

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Harry speaking to Ron and Seamus: Yeah! And then we had to go allll the way back because-

Draco dragging some random body into the house, covered in blood and holding a knife: I'm not in the blody mood for questions. Hide the body and leave me be.

Harry pausing mid-sip of his water and nodding seriously: Do we need fake IDs and a new Identity?

Draco, while walking out of the door: Keep the back ups ones in case. And, Harry, I don't want a magical signature! Merlin knows we cut it close last time!

Harry, totally unbothered: How many more are there?

Draco, looking sheepish: I was in a bad mood, okay!

*He drags in a wheelbarrow filed to the brim with bodies*

Draco: Yeah. *Then sees Ron and Seamus and gives them a murderous glare* You say a word and I'll make your life a living hell.

*Ron and Seamus practically piss themselves*

*and then Harry snorts*

Ron: Mate! You're boyfriend is a serial killer and you're LAUGHING?!

Seamus: YOU'VE DONE THIS BEFORE?!

*Someone knocks the door*

???: Hands up! This is the Auror division! We will note hesitate to shoot you!

Harry, cautiously: Draco is there an Unspeakable in that pile?

Draco, shrugging: Like I said. I was pissed off. We were also in my Lab soo...?

Aurors: You have 10 seconds to open this door!

Seamus, Jumping off the couch and swearing profusely: What the feckin heck-!

Ron: Harry, mate-!

Draco *checks his nails* I'm bored. This is boring, Harry.

Ron & Seamus: What the fu-!

Draco: You've been pranked. Happy Halloween. Fuck this, I'm out.

*Luna, Ginny, George, Dean, Hermione and Hannah jump out of the wheelbarrow*

Ron: HeRmIONe?!

Seamus: DEAN?!

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thepandragons · 4 years

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Rant: Merlin’s “The Mark of Nimueh”

A/N: Now that I’m rewatching Merlin I’m going to be making my analyses in chronological order so you get more accurate analyses with me understanding where the character’s development is.

Today’s episode is S1 EP3 The Mark of Nimueh. The episode starts with Merlin and Gaius discovering a dead body and attempting to transport it secretively. Gwen comes across them and their wheelbarrow inquiring what they were transporting but Merlin successfully deflects by asking if someone got her flowers, as she is holding a bouquet. She awkwardly laughs and denies it, offering him a purple flower cause purple “suits” him but then states that it’s not that the red top he’s wearing doesn’t suit him...I see you, Gwen. Merlin fans often forget that originally Gwen was crushing on Merlin...but then again, who doesn’t crush on Merlin at some point?

Anyways the bouquet was for Morgana, who hasn’t been sleeping well lately but Merlin accepts the flower albeit awkwardly. Arthur comes to call for Merlin in an entitled manner...what’s new. Then he looks at Merlin’s flower both bewilderedly and lowkey aggravated. Merlin tells Arthur it’s from Gwen and Arthur ignores it, leaving with the same nonchalant and (entitled) tone. I can think of 3 possible reasons for this A. Arthur is pissed that Merlin apparently has time to pick flowers but not to be on time for his work. B. Arthur is wondering who the flower is from or for C. Arthur is judging Merlin, a male, for having a flower in his clothing, cause of a wonderful (not) thing called gender roles. Personally I believe all of those options are just as likely.

There is a deathly sickness in Camelot that is supposedly magic, the same sickness found in the dead body that Gwen and Merlin flirted over before. Uther orders Arthur to find the sorcerer responsible. Uther seems more concerned with how his street cred will be affected by the sickness than the fact that people are DYING. Arthur is searching Gauis’s things as well as most of Camelot for magical artifacts and Merlin has to find a way to hide his magic book. He hides it thanks to Arthur calling Merlin over to pettily remark about the disorderly state of his room. Which to me proves that Arthur is both a b*** and doesn’t really view Merlin as a threat because he trusts him. Arthur is required to search Camelot so it’s not personal.

Gaius discovers the disease is spread through water so Merlin goes to collect samples. Gwen’s father has been stricken by the disease and she goes rushing to Gaius. Merlin once again has to face the decision of using his magic for good and surviving in a society averse to magic. Eventually, Merlin’s value for human life wins out and he breaks curfew to successfully cure Gwen’s father. Arthur searches Gwen’s home finding it suspicious how Gwen’s father is the only one to recover from the sickness and that Gwen was present. He discovers a magical artifact and Gwen is arrested much to Morgana’s anger. This no doubt adds on to Morgana’s distaste for Camelot and its laws hearing that her servant/friend is being sentenced. Arthur and Morgana try to reason with Uther but Uther is horrible so. It doesn’t work. Merlin comes to see Gwen, it doesn’t go unappreciated and Gwen asks Merlin to remember her.

Merlin confesses to using magic to save Gwen’s father and is ALMOST ARRESTED in her place. Arthur IMMEDIATELY jumps to Merlin’s defense (unlike when he arrested Gwen might I add) and insists that Merlin can NOT be a sorcerer and that Merlin saved his life. Even creating a cover-up saying that Merlin has a mental illness but then realizing that’s not much better-given history’s spotty history with mental illness-and stating that Merlin is just in love with Gwen. He’s trying so hard to look not upset at it, it’s sad. Don’t worry Arthur his real soulmate is you. Kilgarrah- the dragon guy in case you’re new here- told Merlin that he needs Arthur “his other half” to help defeat the creature responsible for the disease. With Morgana as company, Arthur and Merlin successfully defeat the creature, just a typical date night.

In conclusion: To me, the standout Merthur moments of this episode are Arthur’s supposed jealousy, his protectiveness over Merlin, his trust in Merlin, and the fact that Arthur and Merlin are referred to two halves of a whole (both emotionally and in uniting Albion). Although Arthur is still an entitled piece of sh**, as one might say, and he still vastly underestimates Merlin, he still cares about him.

#merlin #bbc's merlin #arthur #merthur #rants #analysis #tv show analysis #bbc #arthurian literature #arthurian legend #colin morgan #bradley james #gwen #morgana #katie mcgrath #angel coulby #thepandragon's rants

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differentasdayandnight · 4 years

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On that episode "With All My Heart" on season 5, what if it hadn't just been Mordred who had seen Gwen's arm come to view on that wheelbarrow? What if at that same moment Gwaine had turned to give Merlin and Gaius one last look, and he spotted Gwen's arm too? And that after looking at each other with a questioning look and making sure that they weren't just seeing things, they both decided to follow them?

Mordred was already forming a bond with Arthur plus he admired Merlin, and Gwaine had always shown concern for Merlin along with willing to help him in any situation, so the two of them could have easily agreed to go on this secret quest, right?

I just loved the dynamic between them so much in that one short scene. That "Oh, geez" look between each other after Gaius told them about the supposed "illness". Gwaine patting Mordred's shoulder as a "Come on, let's go". It left me wishing that we had gotten more of the two of them together.

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headmistressbandita · 4 years

Conversation

Gwen: You have to do something about this!

Merlin: *suddenly runs off and tries to pick up a random statue*

Gwen: ...wtf?

Merlin: Well are you going to help or not?

Gwen: ...

Gwen: *gets him a wheelbarrow*

#i just love how merlin will do something completely insane and everyone...just goes with it #bandita liveblogs #merlin rewatch #bbc merlin #bbc guinevere

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fanfictin · 4 years

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https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10672177/1/My-Son - Merlin is the son Gaius never had.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8759369/49/Hurt-and-Comfort-in-Camelot - Hurt and Comfort in Camelot

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9764973/5/Herb-Picking-and-Other-Dangerous-Exploits - Trouble never ceases to find Merlin, even when he's doing the most ordinary things. A collection of stand alone one-shots, featuring tons of Merlin whump and bromance

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9703044/1/Related-by-Blood - Someone from Merlin's past comes calling and they have nothing good to offer. His friends are concerned and he is in danger, but he refuses for them to help.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12730179/1/Last-Day-in-the-Stocks - When Merlin agrees to cover for Arthur yet again, neither the prince nor the servant expected it would be the last time.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12887737/1/Merlin-s-Boots - Arthur is fed up with his manservant always being late and intends to make sure he knows his place. Until Merlin's boots stop him dead in his tracks.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12873774/1/Doggone-Dilemma - Merlin has managed to save Arthur once more, exposing the enchantment on Valiant's shield. But what about the dog he enchanted himself? A hellhound, a recurring wheelbarrow, a suspicious king, and a harried warlock just trying to follow his destiny. What could possibly go wrong?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8174023/1/The-Best-of-All-of-Us - On their way back to Camelot, Merlin and Gwaine take a moment to mourn.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8167902/1/A-Smoke-Horse-and-its-Aftereffects - After the ordeal with the Witchfinder, neither Gaius nor Merlin can sleep.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12977996/4/Damaged - "…Does it hurt?" Silence. "Gaius says I might have this pain for the rest of my life." He lifted the spoon to his mouth, hemmed and hawed a bit over it, and then sprinkled some herbs into the stew. Scar Reveal fic, each injury getting its own story, and interactions with most of the cast.

#merlin fic #I go on ff.net about once a century when im rlly desperate #merlin

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badchoicesposts · 4 years

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In A Land Of Myth...

Chapter 6

Summary: When Selene, a young sorceress, arrived in Stormholt she had every intention of remaining anonymous. King Constantine Rys had strict rules on sorcery. The act itself was punishable by death, and she had no desire to be burnt at the stake for her “crimes”. However, it becomes increasingly difficult for her to remain unseen when she becomes Prince Liam’s personal maidservant, and it seems that it’s her job to protect him from everyone that wants to kill him.

Author’s Note: This AU is a cross between TRR and BBC’s Merlin. Merlin follows the tale of King Arthur and the sorcerer Merlin. Merlin comes to Camelot where magic is outlawed and is made Prince Arthur’s servant. This fic will also contain some elements of The Crown and The Flame, but things have been changed up a bit to fit the Merlin story line.

Disclaimer: You do not have to watch the show to understand this fic, but it is based on the BBC show Merlin so the story line will be similar, but there will be changes made to fit my story as well.

Pairing: Liam x MC (Selene), Drake x MC, Platonic!Bastien x MC

Taglist: @flowerpowell, @bobasheebaby, @alexintheskyy, @slytherincursebreaker, @kingliam2019, @furiousherringoperatortoad, @goldenbirdcrystalcage, @burnsoslow, @zilch3

Let me know if you would like to be added to or removed from the taglist!

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Lady Madeleine jolted awake as the dream she had just awoken from replayed in her mind in flashes. She saw the glint of a sword shining in the sunlight. She saw a flash of Neville’s shield. She saw Liam falling to the ground unconscious, dead. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest as she stood up from the chaise lounge she had fallen asleep on and walked slowly to her window. The sun was just beginning to set for the day. She had fallen asleep a few hours ago, having been tired from her lack of sleep the previous night. Her nightmares had been keeping her up more often than normal recently. Each night it had been the same thing. She had seen the glint of a sword, Neville’s shield, and Liam dead.

She briefly allowed her mind to wander to the possibility that Neville was actually using magic. She had grown up with Liam, he was like family to her. She knew that he was an honorable man. He wouldn’t accuse someone of using sorcery unless he actually believed that the person was guilty. Of course, the entire audience he had was Constantine and the council made it apparent that he was operating under the influence of his servant, so there was a small chance it wasn’t true. It didn’t take a genius to see that he was enamored with the woman. She smiled at the thought. Good for him. Liam carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He deserved to be happy.

She caught sight of Liam alone in the courtyard, dueling with an invisible partner as he prepared for the upcoming fight. Madeleine couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to him.

~~~

Selene had cycled through just about every emotion after Liam had dismissed her. She was angry. Angry that he had acted as if she was lying just because his father didn’t believe them. Then she felt a brief wave of relief. At least now it wasn’t her job to save Liam’s life anymore, she had thought defiantly. This was the second time someone had attempted to take his life in the past two weeks. If he wanted her gone, then so be it. Someone else could worry about his well being. These thoughts were soon replaced with pity. She couldn’t imagine the embarrassment he must have felt at being called a coward in front of everyone. It wasn’t fair to him either. He had just acted on the words of someone he trusted, and it had backfired for him completely. Selene then felt guilty about being angry with him. It had obviously been difficult for him to tell her to leave. He had been avoiding eye contact and speaking as quietly as possible, his voice full of pain and discomfort. She then fell back into anger, however, this time it was directed at Constantine and Neville.

Her emotions had been exhausting, and as she tiredly looked out at the sunset from the her spots on the castle’s front steps, she wondered what she was supposed to do. Selene was pulled out of her brooding thoughts by the feeling of someone taking a seat next to her. She looked up and was surprised to see Madeleine gazing at her curiously.

“Is Neville actually using magic?” she asked, getting straight to the point.

“Yes, I saw the snakes come to life myself. Twice actually. Once when it injured Sir Donald and again when I snuck into his room to get the venom to make the antidote,” she confessed, not realizing that she probably shouldn’t have until the words had already come out. However, much to her surprise, Madeleine simply laughed at her words.

“You’re going to make his life very interesting,” she commented, looking out at the sunset in front of them.

“If he decides to keep me around,” Selene mumbled, turning to face forward again.

“What?”

“He relieved me from my duties this evening. He said he needed time to reconsider my role as his servant. He needs someone he can trust,” she repeated his words bitterly.

Madeleine sighed.

“He’ll apologize once he realizes the truth,” she assured.

“If he lives that long. Neville is going to try to hurt him tomorrow. I’m sure of it,” Selene insisted.

“Then you have to stop him,” Madeleine stated as if it were that simple.

“How do you expect me to do that?” Selene questioned incredulously.

She looked around the courtyard, and her eyes landed on a stone dog statue nearby. A smile slowly made its way onto her face, and she jumped up quickly.

“I may have an idea!” she exclaimed, rushing down the steps, before realizing what she had just done.

She ran back up to where Madeleine was, curtsied to the woman, and ran back down again, quickly navigating her way through the town. She stopped in front of Drake’s door and began knocking insistently.

“Selene, what’s the matter?”

“Do you have a wheelbarrow?” she asked.

“Yes,” Drake replied slowly, looking at her with confusion.

“I need to borrow it,” she said, “And you.”

Drake raised his brows at her in question.

“Why?”

“Because regardless of what Constantine chooses to believe, Neville is using magic, and Liam is going to get hurt if I don’t do something to stop him,” she said.

“And why do you need a wheelbarrow?”

“If you come with me I can show you,” she said, urging him to hurry up.

Drake rolled his eyes at her insistence but walked around to his shop and wheeled out the tool that she needed. She took off into a brisk walk as soon as he emerged, and she could hear him grumbling softly as he followed her.

“I need help getting this up to my chambers,” she said, stopping in front of the dog statue and motioning towards it.

“You need my help stealing a statue?” Drake asked, looking at her like she was insane.

“Yes.”

“How exactly is this going to help Liam?”

“I can’t tell you.”

The two stood there staring at each other for a moment, Selene’s intense gaze silently challenging him, daring him to say no to her. Drake finally sighed tiredly and leaned over to lift the statue into the wheelbarrow. He grunted as he finally placed it down in the vehicle, and she motioned him to follow her into the castle.

Drake was painfully aware of the odd glances he was getting as he followed the crazy woman back to her and Bastien’s chambers. He had no idea how this as supposed to help Liam, but for some reason he couldn’t find it in himself to say no to her.

“What are the two of you doing?” Bastien asked, as he watched Drake wheel the statue into their chambers and place it on the floor.

“I’m going to use my… special skills to make sure everyone sees the snakes tomorrow,” she said pointedly, beginning to usher Drake out of the room.

“I still don’t-” Drake began to say as she pushed him out the door.

“Thank you for your assistance, Drake. You’re the best! Have a good night!” she said quickly slamming the door in his face.

Bastien raised his brows at her in amusement, and she shrugged uncomfortably in response.

“You said I couldn’t tell anyone about my magic,” she simply explained, running up to her room and grabbing her book on magic from the loose floorboard she had hidden it under.

“There’s a spell in here that’s supposed to animate inanimate objects,” she said, flipping through the pages as she came back down the steps. “Here it is.”

She studied the words for a few moments, attempting to sound them out. After a moment she looked to the statue repeating the words, only to be filled with disappointment as nothing happened.

“Try it again. Some spells can take years to master,” Bastien said.

“We don’t have years! We have a few hours.”

“Then I suggest you practice,” Bastien said, sitting down on the edge of his bed and motioning for her to continue.

Selene took a deep breath and repeated the words again, concentrating on the statue in front of her and imagining it coming to life. Once again nothing happened and she sighed. She moved closer to the statue, whispering the spell into the dog’s stone ear. The statue remained completely still, and Selene stomped back over to where she had rested the book down on the table. She read over the page once again to make sure that she wasn’t missing a step to the spell and sighed. She wasn’t doing anything wrong, but it wasn’t working.

“Take a breath and try again,” Bastien instructed.

Selene followed his instructions and muttered the spell under her breath again. She continued like that for hours, getting increasingly agitated as nothing changed. After a while she lay down on Bastien’s bed tiredly, her head dangling over the side as she looked at the stone dog from upside down. By now, she had completely memorized the incantation, having said it over a million times. She had even tried laying her hand on the statue, hoping that the object would transform if there was a direct line from it to her magic. Her eyes began to slowly shut just as the sun rose, her body finally succumbing to exhaustion. However, she was jolted awake a few moments later as gravity did it’s job, and she fell off of the bed and crashed down roughly onto the floor. A loud scream escaped her lips as Bastien jumped awake from where he had fallen asleep at the table.

“Are you alright?” he asked, quickly moving to her side and pulling her up to her feet.

“No. Liam’s going to die, and it’s all my fault!” she cried, leaning into his arms and fighting back tears of frustration.

Bastien sighed softly and pulled her to sit down on the edge of the bed next to him. He ran his hand down her back soothingly as she buried her face into his shoulder and cried.

“Selene, look at me,” he said after a moment of letting her cry out her frustrations, making her sit up and look into his eyes. “This is not your fault. You did everything you could to prevent this from happening. You’re still trying to prevent this from happening.”

“It’s not enough,” she protested. “And my magic isn’t strong enough to stop it.”

Bastien wiped her tears away with his thumb, and she laid her head back down on his shoulder.

“Your magic is extraordinary, Selene. You’re much stronger than you realize. You can do this. I have every faith in you, but you can’t give up,” he said.

Selene let out a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding in. She closed her eyes and mumbled the incantation under her breath softly. She tried again after a few moments, clearly picturing the animal coming to life in her mind. She repeated the words like a mantra, like they were the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

A soft whining slowly broke through her concentration, and she opened her eyes to see a medium sized brown dog looking at her intently, its tongue hanging out of its mouth.

“I did it!” she exclaimed excitedly, throwing her arms around Bastien in a quick hug before dropping down onto the floor to greet the animal.

The dog barked happily as she approached it, rolling over onto its back so she could pet its stomach. Bastien chuckled at the interaction, whistling to call the dog over to him.

“You should get some sleep. You must be up in time for the tournament in a few hours,” he instructed.

Selene nodded and made her way to the stairs. Before ascending them she turned to look back at the man as he played with the dog that had come to life and smiled. She hadn’t known Bastien Lykel for very long, but he already cared for her more than her real father ever did.

“Bas?” she called, causing him to look up at her. “Thank you.”

~~~

Selene woke some time later to Hana roughly shaking her awake.

“Selene! Liam’s fighting Neville!” she said, pulling her out of bed and rushing her down the stairs.

The two women ran through the palace halls and down to the tournament area to already see Liam and Neville locked in battle. It was brutal. Neville was being even more aggressive than usual, and Liam seemed to be matching his hostility, taking out his anger and frustrations on the man who had caused them. They continued to fight, and Selene looked for the right moment to cast the spell.

She needed to make sure that Liam was far enough away from his opponent not to get injured when the snakes emerged. She also needed to make sure that Hana didn’t see her using magic. She watched as Neville knocked Liam’s sword out of hand and backed him into a corner, the crowd gasping at their actions. Under the guise of getting a better gaze of the fight, Selene moved a few feet away from Hana, the other woman too absorbed in the battle to notice. The two men continued to duel, Liam now using his bare hands to strike Neville as he dodged blows from the other man’s sword.

Selene saw her opportunity as Neville held his shield away from Liam while he pushed the prince onto the ground. Selene closed her eyes and focused all of her energy on the snakes. She mumbled the spell under her lips and opened her eyes to see the two living snakes begin to emerge from the shield.

Everyone was completely silent, some rising to their feet to get a better look at the scene once they noticed that Neville was in fact using sorcery. The man himself seemed to pause for a moment, wondering why the animals were revealing themselves at the current moment. Time seemed to stand still for a little while, but everyone was soon pulled out of their trance by Neville’s loud command.

“Kill him!” he cried hysterically, causing the two snakes to slither out of the shield and move towards the unarmed prince.

Liam slowly began to back away from the venomous animals. He had no way to protect himself, and he couldn’t fight two snakes with his bare hands. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Lady Madeleine grabbed a sword from the scabbard of one of the guards beside her and called Liam’s name, throwing him the weapon. Liam smoothly caught the item and swung the sword quickly to the side, slicing off the heads of both snakes and causing them to fall lifelessly to the ground.

However, this action didn’t stop Neville from fighting. He resumed his attack on the Stormholt’s Crown Prince, not wanting to end things without a fight. Even though Neville continued to fight, he had lost some of his aggression. It seemed that having an enchanted weapon had given him more courage to fight, and without it Liam was easily able to overpower him. Selene watched as Liam ran his sword through the man’s chest, causing him to fall to the ground, dead amongst his snakes.

The crowd erupted in cheers, rising to their feet and applauding their champion. But, instead of looking happy, Liam simply appeared tired. He nodded to his father and began to make his way out of the outdoor arena, pausing when he noticed Selene standing a few feet away from the rest of the crowd. He inclined his head to her, wordlessly asking her to follow him and began walking back to his chambers. Selene followed obediently, watching as he tiredly sat down at the dining table in his chambers. He rested his chin on his hand and stared at the wall blankly before turning to her.

“Selene, I-” he began.

“Was wrong? Was an ass? Shouldn’t have spoken to me the way you did?” she offered, with a sarcastically sweet smile.

Liam genuinely smiled at her words.

“You have an interesting way of speaking to your future king,” he said with a laugh.

“Yes, well, you’re not my king yet,” she responded. “Besides, you like me far too much to actually punish me.”

She made her way over to him with a smile and began to help him remove his dirty armor.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” he said, quietly. “It was unfair of me to blame you for the way events transpired.”

“It’s alright,” she said with a heavy sigh, going to his wardrobe and looking for something suitable for him to wear to the closing feast tonight. “But, if you wanted to make it up to me, I would appreciate the rest of the day off.”

She smiled at him genuinely as he began to dress. She had lost a lot of sleep the past few nights worrying about the tournament, and it was finally beginning to catch up to her. Liam laughed in response.

“I think it’s the least I could do,” he responded, the two of them saying goodbye before parting ways.

Selene woke up the next morning feeling fully refreshed. She stopped for a moment to pet Chance before getting dressed. As a reward for saving Liam’s life, again, Bastien had allowed her to keep the dog she had created using magic. Actually it wasn’t as much of a reward as he simply got tired of her begging him to let her keep it. The small animal followed her practically everywhere. She slipped on her new armor and the pants that she had asked Hana to make her and smiled as she made her way down to Liam’s chambers. He was leaving for a patrol that day so he was undoubtedly already outside with his horses and the knights that would be accompanying him. She packed a bag of the few essentials that he usually took with him and made her way outside, fully aware of the surprised glances she was getting as she walked by dressed in full armor with a sword at her hip.

Leo caught sight of her first as she descended the front steps of the castle and confidently approached the men gathered there. He smirked at her and clapped Liam on the shoulder to get his attention. Liam turned to her next, his jaw dropping as he took in her appearance.

“Selene, you look-” he began to say before Leo cut him off.

“Amazing! I love a woman in armor! Don’t you, brother?” he asked Liam, causing the other man to blush.

Liam stuttered for a moment, before awkwardly clearing his throat.

“What are you doing here?” he finally asked.

“I’m coming with you. I would hate to make Drake have to keep carrying your bags,” she said, shooting both him and Drake a flirty smile as a stable worker brought her out a horse.

Drake had been staring at her since she emerged as well. He had seen her try on the armor of course, but he had not seen the full look: sword, pants, and all. She missed the way Bastien was smiling down at Drake knowingly from his place atop his horse as she began fastening Liam’s bag securely onto the horse’s saddle.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Liam asked, still staring at her in shock.

“Trust me, sire. Selene can take care of herself,” Bastien called, as she swung her leg over the horse’s back and settled herself on top of it.

She also missed Leo leaning closer to Liam and whispering, “You picked a good one, brother,” into his ear.

#the royal romance #the royal heir #trr #trh #liam x mc #king liam #liam #drake walker #drake x mc #bastien lykel #bastien x mc #trr bastien #my fics #the crown and the flame #playchoices #choices #choices fics #playchoices fanfic

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