With All My Sense
A\N: This last episode was particularly interesting and so I got a tad inspired. I wasn't planning on doing another chapter of this but then this got written. I almost posted it separately but I decided that it'd fit better tacked on over here. I hope it works.
For anyone who hasn't seen 'With All My Heart' yet, do it as soon as possible. Seriously, watch it before you read this, you really don't want this spoiled!
Something happened that I'd never thought possible, we now have a cannon fem!Merlin. Oh. Dear. I'm afraid of (extremely interested in) what the fanfics are going to look like for the next few days. Granted, he was also old!fem!Merlin which I haven't seen before but still... IT WAS COMPLETELY HILARIOUS!
Anyways, this is another chapter- a short series of drabble-y things that may or may not connect to each other but all pertain to this week's episode (5X09). In other words, short and funny stuff.
The royal tailor was puzzled at the recent order that her royal highness had put in recently. Black? The tailor knew the Queen loved color, she always wore pastels or, now that she could afford it, rich colors. Black was not Queen Guinevere's style at all.
The tailor would have thought that it could be for morning her brother, but the Queen had only done that for his funeral. The Queen had not worn so much as a black ribbon in his memory since. That eliminated the only sane possibility.
The tailor could see no reason for the Queen to desire a black dress and a black cloak. There was only one thing that people could do in black- skulk around the castle and\or make mischief. The tailor recognized the signs. It had happened three times before.
The first time it happened was with Morgana. Morgana decided to commission a lot of cloaks before her first takeover of Camelot. Those were mostly bright red, which was common in Camelot, so they hadn't raised much suspicion. However, Morgana had ordered a single black dress right before she was suddenly the Queen of Camelot. The tailor didn't actually see the dress on her until her next invasion of Camelot so she didn't realize it at first. That time she had ruled out the dress as some odd irony.
The next time was when Agravaine had come to Camelot. He came with a pure black wardrobe and only asked for more black. The tailor had found it interesting but nothing more. She found it suspicious that he took to taking fast rides into the bandit infested forest and that he was always creepy but she hadn't known enough to see it for what it was.
Lancelot. Just, Lancelot. Came in pitch black, only wore raven for the rest of his life- already dressed for his funeral. This was what had raised the flag.
When Agravaine's true allegiances came out, that was when the tailor knew. Anyone wearing black would be evil.
She had ignored the truth for too many times. It was time for the tailor to do her duty. The tailor would warn the King like any good citizen would. She knew he wouldn't believe her, not with so little evidence, but the tailor had a plan. The next time the Queen dressed in black, the tailor would get the King to go to the forest and see it for himself.
The plague of evil clothing would lose it's foothold in Camelot if it was the last thing that the tailor would ever do!
...
"I don't smell like enmity!" Merlin pulled away from the Dochraid as fast as his old bones could jump, "I took a bath yesterday. And besides, you can't smell something like 'enmity'. What do you do, label anyone who smells your enemy? What's with all these crazy sorceresses!" He asked the world,
"You are Emrys." The weird woman-thing said, "You are no friend of Morgana Pendragon. You shall never succeed in freeing your queen!"
"Are you even a sorceress?" Merlin ignored her, having heard the villain speech to many times before,
"I am the-"
"Oh, a 'the'. Another one. The Cailleach, the Disir, the Great Dragon..."
...
"One the most powerful of sorcerers would ever dare attempt the spell."
Merlin had to smile, "So it's just right for me then?"
...
Arthur watched Merlin ride back into Camelot, staring unhappily out the window. Merlin and Gaius were devising the plan and until after that, Arthur was stuck waited. He was the king of Camelot and he was absolutely powerless without his manservant and the court physician. There was something strangely poetic about that.
Then again, Arthur had always hated poetry. Especially after Leon thought he loved it.
That was when Arthur noticed something. He checked his belt and practically jumped when he found it empty.
Why had Merlin taken his sword?!
...
"I think you are plotting against me."
"What? Merlin, why ever would you say that?" Gaius raised an eyebrow,
"I just told you I don't think I can do the spell, especially when I'm trying to hold an aging spell. What if it gave out on me? I don't think Arthur would take it well even seeing the Great Dragoon again, much less see him become me!"
"You will find the power Merlin, you must have faith."
Merlin gave him a lot look. Gaius's eyebrow went even further up and Merlin had no chance at winning the staring contest.
"You are already expecting me to depend on the power of true love." Merlin reminded his mentor, "Now you want me to depend on getting a power boost out of nowhere?"
"What is this really about, my boy?" Gaius asked,
"I found a black dress, your size, today. You're just as spelled as Gwen is, aren't you?"
...
"Do I want to know why you know this sorceress?" Arthur's nose twitched slightly as he looked at Gaius. The king noticed that ever sense the sorceress's identity had been revealed, Merlin had started squirming and death glaring Gaius.
"It would be best not to go in to details, sire." Gaius evaded, sending a meaningful look to his ward. Arthur didn't want to know what about.
Merlin made a face that would have scared off an angry Morgana.
...
"You are trying to kill me!" Merlin declared to Gaius.
"My dear boy, I would never do that to you."
"Then you must have a grudge against me or are really bad at coming up with stories. The tavern was one thing, but this? It's almost like you want me to reveal my magic to Arthur in the worst way possible!"
...
The tailor looked at Merlin extremely weirdly when he requested an old black dress.
...
Arthur was glad that Merlin had decided to stay silent for the rest of the journey and didn't look behind him for another two miles. Even when his eyes saw that he manservant wasn't with him, it didn't process through his brain.
He left Merlin, yet again, without a thought.
And the fandom screamed.
...
"I need to stop falling off cliffs!" Merlin told himself, "What is this, like the third time in a few months?"
"Hey Merlin," Arthur calmed, a smirk declaring trouble was coming, "Just because you're a Merlin doesn't mean you can fly."
Merlin grimaced as Arthur smiled, obviously proud of his quip.
"Yes, sire." The servant made his displeasure very clear,
"You get it?" Arthur continued, "A merlin is a bird and birds fly."
"I am well aware that birds fly Arthur."
"You have no sense of humor Merlin," Arthur complained,
"It's more like you can't make a good joke."
"Shut up."
...
"Why don't you trust me?" Mordred finally asked, tired of Merlin acting awkward around him,
"Oh, I trust you." Merlin told him,
"No you don't. You treat me like I'm a danger to Arthur."
"Exactly."
"You trust that I'm dangerous?" Mordred looked slightly like a hurt puppy.
"You will do something very big in the future." Merlin said vaguely. Then he got an idea. "It is your destiny to be the ivy to Arthur's tree, the dusk to the light of the future dawn."
"What?" Mordred looked extremely confused, "Tell me what I'm going to do."
"You will be the closing of the forest, wrapped in flame." Merlin felt his lips move into a light smile,
"Stop with the riddles, just tell me plainly!"
"Look kid," Merlin said, "You don't get to find your destiny out without wading through the same riddles I did."
Mordred didn't look happy about this and Merlin suddenly understood Kilgharrah more. No wonder the dragon never said anything clear. This was fun.
...
"I'll go handle the dragon." Merlin volunteered, already running for it.
"Wait," Mordred protested but the warlock just continued on his way. Merlin yelled a few words at the small dragon and the creature flew away like a scolded child. "Or not..."
Apparently Merlin could control dragons. That was sure handy.
"Could you teach me how to do that? It's so cool!" Mordred asked him when Merlin got back,
"Nope."
"Please?"
"Not a chance."
"But it's so cool!"
"Mordred," Merlin groaned, "Don't."
"Please? I'll do your chores for a week."
"Mordred!"
...
Arthur watched Merlin disappear with the dress with faint amusement. Merlin sure was rather defensive. Arthur had to wonder about his manservant sometimes. He was a quirky one to be sure.
Someday, Arthur would ask why.
Tomorrow he'd tease him about them.
...
Mordred walked away from Morgana, a frown on his face. He didn't like causing people harm but he had to protect Arthur. He sighed.
Suddenly a large-ish blue box appeared and spat a younger Merlin out.
"You're stealing my lines!"
...
Mordred was glad that Arthur was safe. He was about to look for Merlin when the oddest person he had ever seen appeared. An old woman who was familiar somehow...
Even Arthur noticed. Who was this Dolma?
Then Mordred had to ask where Merlin was.
Oh.
What?!
...
"Why is a little pond called a caldron?"
...
"Remember, remember when I asked you to marry me," Arthur looked into his wife's eyes, "And you said with all my heart. There was no subterfuge there."
Gwen blinked and her conviction wavered, the spell weakening. Then it snapped back.
"And then you banished me out of the only home I'd ever had!"
"Arthur!" The Dolma groaned, shaking 'her' head,
"I didn't want to." Arthur pleaded,
"And I don't want to get wet." Gwen glowered.
...
Merlin stared at Arthur, kind of hurt. The king was going to leave him again. That just wasn't right.
Arthur must have gotten brain damage over the years. That was seriously the only explanation. He had memory problems and probably needed spectacles, because no one could be that oblivious.
Otherwise, the greatest king ever born was really stupid.
...
"You did that back there, didn't you." Mordred said, "I admire you for it."
Arthur looked behind him, not sure what to say. He had heard too much to hold in anymore.
"I have ears you know!" The king finally reminded them,
Merlin blanched, remembering that Mordred had very explicitly called out that he had magic.
"Arthur, I can explain!"
"Oh really?" Arthur's eyes were big and wide, he cut quite an imposing figure on his horse.
Merlin was going to kill Mordred.
"I can't wait to hear this," Arthur continued, "It looks like you really are a girl after all!" The king chuckled.
Merlin was left speechless.
"But, but, my magic!" Merlin protested. Arthur was more concerned with how he had turned into an old woman than the fact that he was a warlock?! That was just... Horrible!
"What does it really matter? Gaius has magic too and he's never done Camelot any harm." Arthur brushed off, "But this? This is priceless."
Merlin was going to kill Mordred.
"And I have to ask; Mordred? Why would you admire Merlin for turning into an old woman?" Arthur glance at the young, reddened knight.
"Err..." Mordred looked around nervously,
Merlin felt a little better.
A\N: And that's all folks! I don't know if I'll do one for next episode but I might. Maybe. I don't know.
So which little drabble-y thing was your favorite this time? (I need a better name for these then 'drabble-y things', does anyone have any suggestions? I think, for now, I'm going to call them drababbles. I have no idea why.) I personally kind of liked the black clothing ones, because we all know the wardrobe is what turns characters evil. I think my other favorite drababble was the first one with possibly-evil!Gaius.
Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed Filling the Hollow Moments! I'd go through and thank you all individually but unfortunately it's Sunday night and I don't quite have the time to squeeze it in at the moment. Instead I'll just do it in a mass thank you that will answer questions and other stuff.
We all know that Morgana's largest flaw is her flair for the dramatics. She could have taken over Camelot a long time ago if she actually killed people.
I have read The Evil Overlord list off of Tv Tropes, I'm not sure of the differences between that and Peter's Evil Overlord List but I'm sure they're similar. I suppose if Morgana had read either of the lists then she'd be a much better villain. Although, I do admit, I didn't take any conscience inspiration from the list. This is just my brain being my brain.
Merlin has to be cursed just like Arthur's cursed with obliviousness and Morgana is cursed with overdramatics.
I have no idea why Merlin seems to bend over backward to keep bad guys covers for them, it's just silly.
That would be a very interesting way for Morgana and Gwen to solve their Merlin problem, it makes me crack up just to think about it!
Leon and crossbows just go together like Gwaine and apples.
And then plot-hole poking and gifting characters with common sense it always funny. For some reason, it seems that as a rule, TV characters have to be somewhat stupid for the plot to work. Oh, well. At least we get a laugh out of it :)
Thank you everyone and hopefully you can find the answer\agreement thing that matches your review. I gotta go downstairs and eat some cookies.
Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Remember, reviews are appreciated and I'll try to answer back more comprehensibly than the above :D