Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.
Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. There are also references to canon events that are of a triggering nature such as nonconsensual drugging and the genocidal efforts to eradicate all magic users. Feel free to back out if need be.
Author's Note: Vague timeline placement is super vague. You're welcome.
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: Hogwarts (Post Term 16); Ministry (Fall Year 1); MC4A (Fall Year 5)
Individual Challenges: Burning Bright; All About Family; Red Dress; Red Bull; Pants on Fire; Behind Green Eyes; Red Wave (Y); Happy Birthday; Ruddy Nose; Bi Rainbow; Missing Rainbow; Liar Liar; Magical MC (Y); Magical MC (Y); No School MC; No School MC; Neurodivergent; Rian-Russo Inversion; Rian-Inversion; Ethnic & Present; Immortal MC; Immortal MC; Shifter MC; Zukes of Hazard; Booger Breath; Claimed; Knightly Era (Y); Fresh Fandom High; New Fandom Smell (Y); Short Jog; Green Ribbon
House: Slytherin
Ministry Challenges: Muggle Worthy [Lvl 1](Merlin)[x4]
Other Hogwarts Challenges: 365 [178](Zealous); Insane House Challenge [94](Lavender)
Other MC4A Challenges: FaB [5E](Family Meal); Set [3A](Circus); Chim [Up]("The Village" - Wrabel; Life/Death; Sienna); Hunt [Fa Con (Herbs/Spices; Nuts/Seeds; Turkey); Fa Items (Hair Tie; Locket)]; Fire [x3](Stand Alone); Garden [Network (Purple); Zinnias (Eggplant); Trellis (Kingdom)]; Harvest [A&B (Drinking; Talking; Burning); Relationships (Adopted Family); Items (Necklace)]; Hang [Phrase 02](n/a); Soup [N](Nuts/Seeds)
Representation(s): Pendragons; Merlin & Arthur; Gwen & Morgana; Fairy Tale Style Fix It; Celebrating a Win
Primary & Secondary Bonus Challenges: Cooler Yelp; Forked Path; Sitting Hummingbird; Second Verse (Ladylike; Not a Lamp; Persistence Still; White Dress; Found Family; Nontraditional; Zucchini Bread; Middle Name; Mother Hen; Spinning Plates; Unwanted Advice; Brooms Only; Deadliest Catch; For the Vine; Lovely Coconuts; Lyre Liar; Muck & Slime; Rock of Ages; Corvid Brain); Chorus (Pear-Shaped; Pocky Pockets; Wabi Sabi; Bee Haven; Machismo; Peddling Pots; Fire Song; Tomorrow's Shade; Eternal Boredom; Larger than Life; Unicorn; Creature Feature; Wind Beneath; Abandoned Ship; In the Trench; Surprise!; Turtle-Duck)
Tertiary & Generic Bonus Challenges: T3 (Toad); SN (Rail; Intercept); FR (Satisfaction; Liberation); O3 (Oath); Once (Santa Fe; Inchworm); War (Monomania; Obstruction; Sanctuary; Ennui); Mea (Zymurgy; Ennui; Bisect; Rampant)
Word Count: 1342 words
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Dragons
(^^)
It started very innocuously, as many things do.
Morgana had dutifully taken whatever remedy Gaius gave her to help her sleep for years. Rarely was she so obedient, at least according to her foster family members. Even she would admit that the opinions she possessed were far stronger and many than desired in a woman of her station. She couldn't help that there was a fire burning within her. It moved her as surely as the river turns the mill wheels.
That fire invaded her dreams, disrupting her sleep. That was why she needed Gaius to make her sleep remedies to begin with. As she grew older, his potions lost their efficiency, but Gaius had earned his position as court physician. He was constantly tweaking the recipe just so.
But there was something that Gaius did not think to even ask about. Morgana also did not think to volunteer the information. And it might not have mattered at all, or at least not for many years, except for a couple inciting events.
In a fit of desperation, a woman sent her only son into the belly of a very dangerous beast. All she had was faith that Gaius would be able to teach her child how to cage the power growing as quickly as he was. Merlin had to be hidden from King Uther's zealous hunt for all those with magic.
And not a full day after entering the city limits of Camelot, Merlin ran afoul of no less than the crown prince himself. That earned him the right (and punishment) of becoming the young man's servant.
The rules for what was considered polite conversation between members of the royal court with differing genders and ages were different than between two personal servants, regardless of gender. In hearing that Gwen was having harder than normal monthly bleeds, Merlin did not hesitate to offer up his mother's recipe for a simple tea that helped ease the cramps and bloated feeling. He had prepared for his mother often enough over the years that he made quick work of doing the same upon finding the necessary ingredients among Gwen's kitchen herbs.
Being a faithful handmaid, Gwen shared her new found trick with her lady. The tea did what it was supposed to do. Morgana's bloating eased almost immediately.
Without anyone being aware of it, the sage in the tea also flushed out the blockage on Morgana's powers that Gaius had been steadfastly creating with his potions. Years of effort was laid to waste in just a few days. And it was done without schemes or machinations, without plots or intrigue.
And like a river freed from a dam, Morgana's suppressed magic burst into existence.
(^^)
"And tomorrow," Arthur announced over their shared dinner (which was a whole turkey stuffed with seasoned vegetables and grains with a side of roasted chestnuts), "I wish to take a portion of the knights for a patrol through the eastern forests."
"I'm sure that the news of a white stag in those woods has no bearing on your sudden desire to fulfill your princely duty," Morgana teased gently as she played with the silver locket around her neck. Her dark hair was tied back with a lavender ribbon that complemented her aubergine gown. Behind her, Gwen did a passable attempt at hiding her smile. It was probably better than what Merlin could feel his own face doing. Arthur had mentioned wanting to try his luck at catching the rumored stag on their way to dinner, so Merlin knew just how close Morgana was to the truth of the matter.
"I resent that implication," Arthur protested, but it was clear to everyone that it was only due to it being expected. Even Uther was hiding a smile behind his wine goblet at the obviously fake outrage. Morgana took a careful sip of her tea, her painted lips curling into a smirk. The sienna liquid barely rippled as she set the cup back on its waiting saucer.
"If only because you resemble it so," she teased. Arthur did that thing that he would swear wasn't a pout despite how everyone knew that it actually was one.
Despite all the rumors that Uther intended to betrothed his ward to his heir, Morgana and Arthur had obviously cultivated a sibling dynamic between themselves. While that might have made for a solid union politically, it would not be as conductive for the production of future heirs. Perhaps that was why Uther still paraded various princesses and young ladies of the court through Camelot on a regular basis. Perhaps he was hoping that one would catch Arthur's attention.
"Will you be taking your manservant?" Uther questioned as he nonchalantly brushed an imaginary bit of dust off his scarlet jerkin. His cold eyes were distinctly not looking at Merlin. It was a delicate question, one that had Merlin tightening his hands on the pitcher of water that he held. It no more meant that Uther suspected him than Merlin knew which way he wanted Arthur to answer.
Staying would mean more time to work with Gaius or to study in the library or even sneaking down to visit the Dragon. But Arthur had a penchant for getting into situations that he needed Merlin's magic to solve. Even a day's trip from the citadel might be too much of a risk.
"Of course I am," Arthur answered. "I can't very well leave him here without me, can I? There's no telling what he will get up without my supervision."
'Oh, I could just hit him sometimes.'
The thought was similar enough to things that Merlin had thought multiple times since meeting the prince that it took longer than it should have to realize that it wasn't his own. By the time he had registered that there was a feminine lilt to the words, he had already replied with a hum of agreement just like he would have if they had been spoken out loud. That was the downside of instinctive magic that Gaius did not seem to grasp. Merlin could no more stop using magic than he could cease breathing.
'Hello?' the voice questioned. The tone of the mental voice was imperious, clearly used to being obeyed. 'Who is this?'
Worried, Merlin looked around the room. The silence hadn't gone on long enough that anyone should be expecting some kind of response from him. Arthur had his face tilted towards him, however, so he clearly expected some kind of response before too much longer. Not that Merlin could come up with one for him in the face of this new development.
The moment Merlin met Morgana's green eyes he just knew.
And so did Morgana.
'MERLIN?!' she screeched in his head. The impression of a flock of doves taking flight passed between them in a flurry of colors. Merlin's eyes ached even though the brightness was only in his head.
At least, he thought it was until Arthur let out a high pitched squeal. The leather bracer Arthur had worn to dinner had sprouted purple flames. Merlin reacted on instinct, no matter what Arthur would later whine.
He dumped the entire pitcher of water on the crown prince.
It doused the flames that Morgana had accidentally started in her excitement.
It also left Arthur soaking wet and looking as happy about that as a cat would be.
Luckily, Gwen was the one who broke into giggles first. It distracted Arthur just enough that he didn't start yelling about the weird situation. Somewhere in the chaos, Uther was also distracted enough to buy the lie that Merlin came up with to cover the accidental magic that Morgana had produced.
Everything had just gotten so much more complicated, but Merlin was going to try looking on the bright side. He had just gained a powerful (in multiple ways!) ally. Things might be more complicated with another person with instinctive magic in Camelot, but at least neither of them were alone in the viper's nest that was Uther's seat of power.