At last! The microfics I collected words on Tumblr for is complete! I'd meant to have this up a few days before, actually, and sorry it's late, even if you didn't know it was late? I don't know. I feel bad for making you guys wait for stuff sometimes. Anyway, thank you all for the words, and I hope you enjoy this third set of slices of life!
1. End
It infuriated Gareth and tickled Gaheris that, rather than taking one of his own brothers for his squire, Gawain had found some random boy with no last name who according to early reports barely knew one end of a horse from the other.
2. Haggis
Lynet loved the highlands. She loved the mountains and the gorgeous islands she and her new husband managed, she loved the people and the farmlands, even the weather.
The only thing she hated was the food, and if Gary tried to convince her a sheep's stomach passed as a meal again, she was going to stuff a sheep's bladder in his mouth and leave for Camelot.
3. Star
Stargazing became something special Lynet and Luneta did together, one of the few things they could enjoy together without soon being at each other's throats. Those sleepless nights were some of her fondest memories of her mother. When Morgana woke crying silently for the third time in so many days, Luneta took the girl by the hand, took her out to meet the stars. They both cried together.
4. Lisp
Gaheris had had a lisp as a child, a fact he'd hoped to keep from Lynet and all the teasing it entailed. That plan fell to pieces when Luneta began speaking and shared his old impediment. (His wife laughed at him, as he knew she would, and he had to tell his daughter at least three times that she'd grow out of it)
5. Drapes
Life was hard and money was scarce shortly after the Fall of Camelot, though most bellies were kept from hunger by kindly neighbors. When winter came and an empty stomach was no longer the only threat, Luneta tore down every curtain in her manor and made clothes for all children within five miles.
6. Trickster
Robin bounced onto Bifrost with all the restraint of a toddler and somersaulted up to the gates of Asgard. Heimdall looked down at the imp, hiding a smile. "What do you want, Celt? We've already got one trickster, and we haven't room for another."
"Yes, how is Loki lately?"
"Standing clear of trouble, without your help. What do you want?"
7. Fjord
… "Access to Alfheim, that's all," Robin declared. "I'm here formally. Island business and such. Will you shave me off a piece of bridge, or shall I make my own Gate?"
Heimdall grunted. "Last time I denied you access to anywhere, you carved out a new fjord and I was weeks mopping."
"Sorry. We're all water-based. Comes with the Island part." He offered Heimdall a charming grin.
8. Yodel
… "Oh, go on, then," the god said with a roll of his eyes. He waved his hand, twisting part of Bifrost away from the rest and into Alfheim. "And don't track puddles everywhere you go."
In lieu of a thank you, Robin gave a mocking salute and slid down the bridge, whooping and yodeling as he skidded downward.
9. Throne
…He landed exactly where he hoped he would, falling into Freyr's throne room and almost into his lap. "Robin!" the Vanir shouted, jumping to his feet. "What are you doing here? How much cleaning will I have to do later?"
Robin chuckled, smoothing his pointed beard. "Don't worry. No messes made. Yet." He drew himself up to full height and cleared his throat, holding up a hand to stop any other interruptions.
10. Kin
…"From Ganscotter the Enchanter to Freyr, Lord of Alfheim and our kin in the North, Greetings," Robin began with a bow. "It is my pleasure to inform you that His Grace Lord Terence, Duke of Avalon, High Prince of the Seelie Realm…and so on…and his Lady, Duchess Eileen of Avalon, and so on, are expecting their first child in about five months' time. The Realm is with heir."
11. Hearth
…Freyr smiled a toothy grin and clapped his hands at the news. "That's wonderful, Robin. I'm sure you're all very pleased. But…couldn't His Excellency have just sent a missive?"
The imp, who had been prancing toward the giant fireplace to warm his hands after his chilly slide, paused and snapped his fingers. "Oh, he did send a letter," he said, pulling a sealed envelope out of his jacket. "But I stole it from the messenger and thought I'd deliver it in person. More family-like that way."
12. Smorgasbord
… "And that's not going to get you into trouble?"
"Who cares?" Robin said with a wink. "I think I deserve to skive off every once in a while. Come and visit old friends. And maybe enjoy a nice meal?"
Freyr sighed. "I'll have a table prepared."
13. Farce
Romantic pantomimes and other performances fell into fashion one winter. At the queen's hinting, Dinadan wrote a play—a one-act farcical comedy that ended in the hysterical death of the two romantic leads. The less regal knights howled with laughter, and even the courtly stiffs hid snickers under disgusted snuffling. Guinevere had him thrown out of Camelot for a whole season. Dinadan called it his greatest success.
14. Necessity
Terence armed Gawain for battle from his head to his feet, slipping Galatine into its hilt last, and with every strap tied and buckled fastened, he wondered how Arthur could, so long ago, have forgotten anything as important as Kai's sword.
15. Bubble
Nimue taught Ariel how to blow soap bubbles one lazy summer afternoon. Merlin taught her how to draw floating globes of water up from the river a few springs later. After the Fall, Piers probably taught her the importance of keeping metal from bubbling too much in the forge, but she was paying more attention to the way the muscles in his arms bunched and flexed as he hammered his work.
16. Purple
Guinevere braided her hair up with violet ribbons on the day she was married, and wore them under her habit after Arthur's death.
17. Hair
Eileen never thought herself especially pretty—she was too short and had too many freckles—but her red-gold hair was her pride and joy.
18. Stay
Every time Terence visited home, someone drew him aside and obliquely asked him to stay. He always refused, and never told Gawain.
19. Ice
Lot loved contradictions, opposites, the symmetry of opposing forces. When he met the woman with a smile like fire and eyes like ice, he knew he didn't stand a chance.
20. Glory
When Lancelot first came to Camelot, he thought he was fighting for Arthur and the side of the right. It wasn't until he'd buried his sword and lifted an ax that he understood his true motivations.
21. Truth
Gawain never forgot the old priest who'd heard his confession at Sir Bercilak's home. The old man's words on false modesty haunted him.
22. Courage
Griflet's hands were shaking as he turned back to lead the charge by the sea.
23. Compassion
Morgan wasn't the sweetest of individuals, but there was something in a child's voice that undid her every time. Children would be her downfall.
24. Honor
Ywain was so tortured in his attempts to stay righteous after breaking his word to Laudine. Gawain felt for him, poor lad. He'd learned his shame at a stone, as Gawain had from an ax edge.
25. Scar
When Kai and Arthur were very young, Kai stole daggers from Ector's armory and the two of them had played at being knights. The smaller, younger Arthur bested Kai, who threw his weapon at his brother and cut a deep gash in his left arm. The scar was still visible when Arthur donned shorter sleeves—every time Kai saw it, he blushed and Arthur grinned.
26. Owl
Merlin liked picking on people. When he was bored, he'd do some scrying into Camelot. He ordered a snake under Terence's bed, sent a raven to chase Guinevere's handmaidens, and enchanted a tree outside the castle to drop every leaf at once on Kai's head. But he also sent an huge snowy owl into Arthur's personal mews with an apple blossom tied to its talons, letting the king know he wasn't forgotten.
27. Battle
Making Luneta eat her vegetables was the most fearsome war Gaheris ever waged.
28. Systematic
Mornings in Gawain's chambers took on a routine in just a matter of weeks of arriving in Camelot, and falling back into the rhythm was instantaneous no matter how many weeks or months or years they were away from court. Gawain called it muscle memory in front of guests and coming home in front of Terence.
29. Ford
Gawain quickly began using Gates as shortcuts to get from Camelot to Orkney without going through the hassle of actual travel. Pop into Avalon from the moat and out in Scotland in no time, as long as Ganscotter didn't notice. Ganscotter did notice, though no amount of sharp scolding and traffic lectures or even stolen weeks could deter his son-in-law.
30. Beautiful
Nimue once brought spring to a section of the Seelie Realm that had been stricken by a fight between frost sprites. It was the loveliest bit of magic Merlin had ever seen. It was the moment he fell in love.
31. Postulate
The continental knights never did learn to get along with Arthur's inner court. Parsifal said it was because their fundamental beliefs on knighthood were too different. Tor insisted it was because they were all a bunch of dandies afraid to get their armor bloody.
32. Bequeath
Trevisant left the snare behind the door to the young man who held his hand as he died. He was proud of himself for managing to get the words out before it was too late. He didn't know who the man was, and he didn't know what the ragged old broken snare was for, but they both seemed important. Important things belonged together.
33. Audacious
Some knights thought Terence was an impudent whelp who had thoughts high above his own station. Some squires despised that he was never knighted and kept occupying a serving space that could have rightly belonged to three others by now. Both parties hated him furiously.
34. Indecorous
Some condescending, fatherly lord once pulled Sarah aside at Camelot and gently chastised her for her unladylike attitude. She smiled sweetly at him before drawing his own dagger on him and literally handing him his silly hat, with a nice clean whole where the feather used to be.
35. Quench
Piers knew very well Ariel didn't listen to him while he was explaining smithing technique, even if she did ask about things. He wasn't sure why she came in in the first place, or why she liked watching him work. But she was quiet, for once, and she made sure any water in the forge was always the right temperature, and he was glad for the company when his father was out.
36. Sinister
The prospect of facing Morgause didn't seem nearly as frightening after meeting true evil in the form of Hecate.
37. Cream
There were few pleasures Guinglain counted greater than a warm afternoon, a visit from a friend, and the taste of fresh cream butter on warm bread.
38. Useless
Dinadan was called useless by many, but not by any who had seen him end fights before they'd begun.
39. Insecure
Gawain had to laugh at how uncomfortable Terence acted the first time he formally donned his crown. He would have looked every inch the prince he was if he would have just stopped bringing his hand up to touch the antlers on his brow before looking around for someone with more authority than him.
40. Theology
Arthur wasn't much for showing off his religion and barely tolerated the more theological scholars' visits, but Guinevere knew well the strength of his faith.
41. Crazy
Rhience and Luneta kept Lass after Ywain died. Neighbors called them mad for keeping the beast that close to their newly adopted young daughter. Luneta sniffed and told them all lionesses made excellent nursemaids.
42. Boots
In his life, Terence polished more boots than he ever wore.
43. Oracle
Luneta was occasionally called a prophetess or seer of some kind for her inner ear. She wondered if her mother ever did anything with her own strong inner eye.
44. Moor
Palomides showed Dinadan the desert, and Dinadan showed Palomides the fen. Neither was particularly impressed.
45. Snapdragons
When Nimue said she wanted a bouquet of snapdragons on the table, and Merlin took her literally. After that, she grew more careful with her wording when he was feeling playful.
46. Jump
"When what happened?"
Kai jumped at the sudden voice, swore, turned around, and threw his goblet at the newcomer before he even realized what he was doing. Gawain roared with laughter as Terence ducked, a singularly offended look on his face while the remnants of Kai's wine sailed over his head.
"Stop sneaking up on people," the seneschal growled, clutching at his pounding heart.
47. Cross
Ganscotter's anger was not easily stirred. On the rare occasion it was, the palace became rather empty rather quickly.
48. Crown
Parsifal was a king, but he refused to wear a crown. A circlet, perhaps; a garland of flowers his wife braided together, of course. But crowns belonged on more regal heads than his.
49. Quail
A resplendent banquet of roast quails was the centerpiece of the feast Arthur had thrown for his inner court on a whim one fall. He was feeling generous and sentimental towards his favorite knights and courtiers and wished to celebrate the dying year at their side.
The king did not anticipate, however, the inner children in his inner court, flushed into the open by falling leaves and chilly rivers.
50. Muffin
…It started with Kai and Bedivere, and really he shouldn't be surprised. The two have been playful for the last week, Bedievere leaving a rotting fish in Kai's chambers and Kai retaliating some fast duty reassignment. Now Kai said something gruff and dour, and swiped a corn muffin from Bedievere's plate. Bedievere gave him withering look and attempted to snatch it back, to no avail. Instead, he reached for a quail wing Kai had been saving.
51. Cheese
…Arthur frowned at the two squabbling friends, not noticing Tor snickering at them from the other side of the table. In his chuckling, he almost didn't notice Dinadan—from two seats down, no less—sneaking his own knife towards Tor's plate, aiming at a piece of cheese as he'd run out of his own and was too lazy to call a page. Dinadan was retracting his knife when Tor caught him and protested the stolen bite, knocking over the wineglass of Gawain sitting between them.
52. Apple
…Gawain had ignored vegetable courses in favor of several apple-based things, and had been sneaking them to Squire Terence when he topped off Gawain's glass and tossing apple slices over under his arm for the peaked-looking squire to eat. It had been going on all dinner, according to the smug look Terence was shooting a disgruntled Plogrun, Arthur saw as the commotion from the three knights drew his attention away from his ridiculous foster brother.
53. Crystal
…Gawain was more alarmed by the loss of a good wine than the possible breaking of the kitchen's finest crystal glasses, judging by the harsh words he exchanged with Tor and Dinadan at the spill. Terence muttered something to them as he and Plogrun blotted the mess that made Dinadan and Tor laugh and Gawain grumble, flicking a few drops of wine into his squire's hair. Arthur cast them a disapproving look.
54. Thighs
…Parsifal, seated on Bedivere's other side, took the distraction as an opportunity to swap his plate for Bedivere's with a wink at Guinevere, trying her hardest to maintain regality. Bedivere looked down from Gawain and Tor at his plate and growled when he saw nothing but a half-eaten quail thigh. He picked up the bones and tossed them at Kai, positive he was the guilty party.
55. Chest
…The thigh bounced off Kai's chest and that was the end of all semblance of civility from the seneschal. Bedivere looked down at his friend's plate, then at Parsifal's, and started to apologize profusely to Kai while righting the switch. Kai would hear none of it.
56. Hit
…Arthur turned away from Gawain's side of the table, just missing Dinadan sticking his tongue out at Tor and Plogrun snatching the apple slice meant for Terence from Gawain's hand. Instead he focused on his brother, who had grabbed the remnants of Arthur's own quail and thrown them toward Bedievere. The meat pitched over Bedivere and Parsifals and hit the innocent Lancelot on the top of his head.
57. Food Fight
…As Lancelot struck back with a gravy-sodden piece of bread at Kai, Terence shoved Plogrun for stealing his treats. Plogrun fell into Tor, who thought Gawain was responsible and lobbed an apple in that direction. He ducked and Terence accidentally hit Dinadan in stopping the fruit from taking out the knight's eye. Dinadan, ever overdramatic, lobbed his full wineglass at them, soaking Tor, Gawain, Terence, and Griflet on Tor's other side. The whole hall descended into chaos.
58. Cake
…Arthur gave up trying to control his unruly knights and settled for sitting upright in his chair, attempting to give Guinevere his best "I disapprove of this turn of events" look. The servants wove in and out of food flying across the room to bring out more dishes, and the dessert course only set them off more. All fell ominously silent, however, when a thick slice of cake splattered onto the queen's shoulder.
59. Pie
…Arthur winced as Gwen flinched at the chilly frosting against her skin, her imperious expression not changing at all. "…I think the festivities have come to an end, now, my dear," he said, looking coldly at his knights, who didn't dare look him in the eye.
The queen sniffed, her hand going behind her husband's head. Before anyone could react, she shoved him face-first into a pie.
60. Light
Guingalet, used to Gawain's hefty weight, was at first not sure what to do when situations demanded the willowy squire to climb into his saddle.
61. Glitter
Early morning patrols were the worst in winter, according to Dinadan. Not even the sparkling of the snow at dawn was a good enough excuse to be up so ungodly early.
62. Lend
Kai and Gawain have an agreement—if Gawain falls behind on things he's supposed to do in Orkney, Kai handles the paperwork and gets to borrow the best squire in Camelot for a week or so.
63. Game
The one "knightly" act Lancelot allowed himself to love when he returned to court were tournaments. Especially ones that ended between him and Gawain at just before noon. That's where the real challenge lay—the rest was just child's play.
64. Dress
Lorie took her wedding dress apart. Since she'd never have cause to wear the dress again, it didn't make sense to let so much fabric go to waste. The ridiculous train eventually became nightgowns for her infant daughters, the dress itself cut and refashioned into a wedding gift to Eileen, and the lace around the neckline as a favor for her husband to wear when he beat up all the other knights in tourneys.
65. Bell
There was only one bell in Camelot, a heavy, brassy thing hanging in the cathedral steeple. That is, if you didn't count the bells on Griflet's shoes.
66. Cup
Connoire was more likely to throw Kai's cups at him than keep them filled. That's what he loved about her.
67. Immovable
Ganscotter didn't believe in soul mates, and he would adamantly defend his position to anyone who tried to argue against him. If anything, he believed in fate tugging the right people together at the most opportune time. It didn't mean they were meant to be.
68. Betwixt
…This wasn't just because he couldn't choose between his two great loves, either. When Ganscotter was young and his marriage to Marine was arranged, he couldn't have fallen in love with a woman like Evelyn. Likewise, when he met Evelyn, he couldn't have fallen in love with a woman like Marine.
69. Predict
…It didn't mean he wouldn't have loved Marine anymore. Had she lived, he would have loved her more than ever. Their time together would have changed and shaped them both, and like trees planted too close, they would have tangled into each other as they grew. It was what they had intended. No one could have predicted Marine's death.
70. Mourn
…But as much as he mourned Marine's passing every day, he mourned Evelyn's as well. If Marine hadn't died, he never would have had opportunity to meet his second wife, much less fall in love with her—and perhaps he would even be a diferent sort of man than he was now. And Terence would never have been born, either, and he couldn't imagine life without either one of his children.
71. Miss
…He refused to believe he was only destined to love one of the two, that one was somehow better suited to him than the other. It demeaned them, cheated one of them out of a soul mate, and undermined at Ganscotter's capacity for love. He had loved them both while they lived, and after, and he missed them both so much it hurt. That was all that mattered to him.
72. Sift
The first time Terence asked for Sophy's apple tart recipe, she refused point-blank to give it to him. The second time, she was annoyed, and refused again. The third time he caught her while sifting powdered sugar onto a full plate of said apple tarts, and she threw a cup of flour at him.
73. The Local Flavor
Faeries and apples went hand in hand. They were a dietary staple in Avalon. Terence hadn't minded in the beginning, having no particularly strong feelings for the fruit, but within a year of frequent back-and-forth traveling, he grew to hate them.
Sophy's baked apple treats weren't only palatable, they were still delicious, even after long trips home. She did something different with them, somehow. He wasn't sure what, but he was determined to find out.
74. Exquisite
Morgause surrounded herself with beautiful things, when she could afford a semi-permanent home. She was a queen, after all, and The Enchantress, and she demanded her surroundings be as exquisite and extravagant as befitted her rightful title.
75. Mollycoddled
Gawain became embarrassingly clingy when Terence was ill or injured. Every one of their friends—including Eileen—teased both of them mercilessly about it.
76. Toil
Everyone who didn't know what Terence did with his time in Camelot was surprised when the duke began fiddling around with the way the staff was organized in Avalon.
77. Kraken
In his youth, Parsifal had once sheltered an injured and slightly sentient serpent from a band of hunters in the Other World. As a grown man, he found that serpent again—as an Unseelie-born sea monster over ten times its previous size now guarding part of the border between the Realms at Ganscotter's behest.
78. Burglar
So Morgan occasionally stole things such as candlesticks and ledgers and Excalibur. What were siblings for, if not for squabbling and teasing?
(And she gave them all back, anyway. She didn't see what the big deal was.)
79. Jest
"You're joking," Gawain said, shaking his head.
"Why would I joke about that?" Terence insisted. "Look, does it really matter all that much?"
"Everyone should know the day of their birth."
80. Tattletale
…When Gawain discovers the identity of Terence's father, he pulls Ganscotter aside and informs the Enchanter of Terence's disregard for his birthday. From then on out, Terence was dragged to at least three annual celebrations of himself, growing more ridiculous and grandiose with each passing year.
81. Pitter Patter
Ganscotter remembered Lorie's small toddler steps as being much softer and childlike than the elephantine galumphing of his granddaughters.
82. Pop
Kai didn't care what Arthur said about magic. There was no such thing as faeries.
And he staunchly believed that, until one solo patrol some little green-faced man appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Kai's favorite boots, and disappeared into thin air again with a loud pop after babbling something about the fate of the Realm relying on his footwear.
83. Waterfall
With every new quest, Tor took to checking every millstream and wet-weather waterfall for…something. He was never sure what. He guessed it didn't matter anyway, since he never found it, whatever it was.
84. Perfidy
In Morgause's care, Mordred was only ever punished for lying if he got caught.
85. Castle
Gawain had ordered some remodeling done to better suit the new state of finances after Orkney stopped being its own country. The castle, while not impressive to begin with, now resembled more of a manor house. Gaheris was nervous about moving Lynet from Castle Perle into the smaller home, until she cuffed him on the ear and said she'd always hated those stuffy halls anyway.
86. Crushing
Camelot was stifling. Galahad felt sin and darkness smothering him in the city, forever crushed by the weight of all the impurity around him. The quest for the grail was a godsend, in more ways than one.
87. Dust
Sarah often felt too settled when she stayed in one place too long, as though she was a figure on a mantle that no one remembered to dust. When that feeling came, she gathered up her things and set out for another adventure.
88. Belie
Lancelot and Guinevere refused to let their sullied past defined them. They plowed through all awkwardness and continued sharing an innocent friendship after Lancelot's return to court. Arthur was pleased despite himself.
89. Capture
When Gawain was young, he occasionally feared that his greatest accomplishment would just be catching and taming an aughiskey. He never dreamed it would be his lowest triumph.
90. Kerfuffle
Eileen had no idea a child could cause such a fuss before it was even born, until she and Terence made the mistake of publically discussing baby names. Apparently the naming of an heir was more complicated than simply picking something nice.
91. Snib
He tried to keep a handle on his wit and tongue, really he did, but sometimes he just forgot himself.
"You should hold your servants in closer check," the stuffy visiting lord said, looking down his nose at Terence, who watched the floor and tried to ignore the burning in his cheeks.
"Or perhaps you should be a more cordial guest," Kai said, his eyes flashing dangerously as he pushed Terence back toward his work.
92. Dearth
There was a distinct drop in production in Trebuchet's forge when Piers and Ariel finally started formally courting.
93. String
It wasn't long after the Fall that Guinglain's humble hermitage began receiving visitors again. Individuals at first, then strings of three and four, then whole families. It was amazing how much hope he could spread with just a smile and a cup of tea.
94. Hornswoggle
Gaheris was embarrassed to admit how many times his wife and daughter managed to trick him with some elaborate magical prank. He frequently attempted to get them back. He failed every time.
95. Rotund
Lioness grew fat and happy in her old age. No one had the heart—or the courage—to walk her as much as she probably needed.
96. Stone
Merlin was quite upset when he heard of the razing of Camelot. He'd put a lot of work into building that city, charming each stone of the castle by hand. You couldn't get that kind of workmanship nowadays.
97. Parapet
Morgan liked to sit on the edges of the parapets in Camelot and watch the sunrise. When he knew she was staying the night, Arthur sometimes rose early enough to join her, and brother and sister would sit silently together and greet the new day.
98. Dancing
One thing Bridgette and Lottie looked forward to most about their father's visits is waiting for him to teach them the dances of the human courts. Lorie taught them Avalon's usual waltzes, yes, but there was something thrilling about dancing to music unique to a part of their heritage they hadn't had a chance to explore yet.
99. Labyrinth
Even with all the laws and magic that helped people find what they were looking for in the Seelie Realm, there were times it was less like a country and more like a giant maze. It took Parsifal a long time to find landmarks that would stay still, and even after he settled in Belrepeire, he made sure to pop into the Realm every once in a while so he remembered where everything was.
100. Begin
"Start at the beginning," Palomides said helpfully, glancing over Dinadan's shoulder at the empty parchment.
"It's hard to tell where that is," Dinadan said with a sigh. He paused, then hesitantly picked up his quill.
The moor dropped a hand onto his friend's shoulder. "You're not doing this alone, you know."
"I know." He took a deep breath and touched quill to paper. In the days of old, when magic flowed through the rivers of England and dragons ran rampant across the land, there was a young boy named Arthur…
