yo yo yo! what up! so i have been hyperventilating with excitement at the return of the series tomorrow, chapter after this will be the penultimate one.
i still dont own merlin, but i own a tv which merlin is on, this makes me happy :D hope you like this chapter,
ballinors bride
"Gaius you need to rest!" Hunith was starting to get frustrated with her cousin and surrogate sibling. He had been working non stop with out rest for the last four days. Had people been paying more attention, they would have realised he was drawing on magic to keep him going. Hunith knew what the dangers of doing that were. But her cousin ignored her warnings and kept going she sighed and walked out of the infirmary.
"Hunith, uthur has asked me to escort you to the council chamber." She lumped a little at the quiet voice just behind her. Turning around she saw that sir Malcolm waiting patiently. She nodded and let him lead her through the citadel towards the council chamber it still surprised her how quickly her son had ingratiated himself to the upper Escalon of Camelot society, all without magical influence. It was a testament to his strength of character. She reached the chamber door and curtsied gently to Sir Malcolm who bowed his head in return.
"Sire, m'lords, Emrys" she curtseyed to the men gathered in the room but couldn't help the teasing smile that appeared on her face when she addressed her son by his title. "Hunith." Uthur said with a tired smile, one she returned ignoring the scowls she was getting from the gathered lords and advisors. Hunith knew that they already disliked her son for his position in the princes heart as a brother and friend, so she expected some animosity towards her. She fought not to laugh when she noticed her sons barely concealed glee at the reaction her indifference was having on the stuffy lords.
"I fail to see what reason there is for this woman to be here. She's a peasant from Cenred's kingdom." one of the gathered men said. Hunith admired that Merlin didn't jump to her defence. Admired it even more, when she realised why a second later, "this woman has a name, she is the mother of lord Emrys, my sons closest advisor and blood brother, I'd dare say if her council and tutoring is good enough for him, it is good enough for us." the room fell silent at the kings words, he took advantage of the silence continueing "my son speaks of her with the utmost respect. You would do well, to do so also." The lord went to protest again but Hunith cut across him in a quiet, humble voice. "If your magesty has called for me I imagine it is for a topic you feel requires a female perspective?" uthur nodded, "from the look on my sons face he has been recounting the covert 'mission' he went on with your son the lady Gwen and, your former ward." Silence met her words, partially due to her mention of Morganna, but also at how accurately she had read the situation with but a fleeting glance at the scrolls on the table.
She walked to her sons side before speaking again. "You are debating what to do with the growing number of enemies in the lower city, you want to know what the commoners should do. Sire I will repeat what your son said to the villagers of ealdor." She placed a hand on the table next to one of the scrolls containing names of lower town residents "these people have a right to defend their homes if they can. Those unable should be given refuge but those willing to fight should be allowed to. Including the women" "preposterous!" one of the lords shouted. In answer Hunith calmly drew a dagger she kept, for cutting suture's, from her dress and threw it across the council chamber embedding it in the centre of a heraldic shield. "You will hold your tongue when a lady is talking sir, it is ungentlemanly to interfere whether she is a queen or maid." the gathered lords stared in shock, While the king chuckled to himself. She continued speaking. "Do any of you know what it is to survive a quickening? It is a vulgar subject I know but I have been reliably informed it is similar to taking a sword to the heart and a branding iron to the eye, now tactically speaking would it not be useful to have people with such a high pain threshold fighting for you? Is it not for that reason that king Odin has his valkyries."
Sir Malcolm with drew the dagger from its target and went to stand behind Hunith. "sire, if I may?" Uthur raised an eyebrow at the knight but motioned for him to continue. "I have already seen the lady Gwen's friend Jane, a seamstress, take out two enemy soldiers, I have seen for my self that given the chance the women of Camelot would fight when and who they can." Merlin nodded stepping forward, the tension in the room shifted and the air hung thick with magic. "Malcolm has a point, it is mans greatest weakness that we underestimate our mothers and sisters, I have been a servant and a farm hand in my time I have seen the strength it takes to do their jobs I have seen then plough fields and heft laundry that is equivalent in weight to a horse, and they do it all with out complaint and with dignity, ealdor would have fallen to Kaenan and his bandit had we not let them fight." One of the lords scoffed at his words and with out looking at the lord his eyes turned gold as he stole the lords voice. "lord Frodren I am advisor and blood brother to your future king, you would do well to show me the respect due to one of such position. The lord tried to speak tried to shout but no words were heard, "oh don't be so petty M'lord you can still speak I have merely taken your negative words" uthur surprised those gathered by laughing at the blatant use of magic. "boy, I must admit your magic still sickens me but that! 'if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all' oh wonderful."
Merlin bowed his head "sorry sire I try to limit my magic when around you I know of your hatred for it," he turned to lord Frodren "but sometimes it acts of its own accord, M'lord I respect your judgement but you must learn to listen as much as you talk, it is through doing so that your already bountiful knowledge will grow" he bowed and with a flash of gold the lord voice returned. The lord nodded but said no more, an awkward silence fell before Hunith broke it "so it's decided then sire? those women and commoners who wish to fight for their homes and family may do so on the understanding that they do so at their own risk and are not to get in the knights and soldiers way? Good, sir Malcolm if you would be so kind as to escort me?" the knight in question looked to the king for permission to do as she had asked once dismissed he offered his arm to Hunith and lead her out of the room.
"your mother is a formidable woman Emrys, I can see why my son spoke of her with such high regard" uthur said to merlin quietly as the other lords left. "yes well it takes a certain kind of lady to wed a dragon lord, especially one who provides him with an heir." The silence that followed his words was palpable, uthur looked at the young man next to him and in that moment he realised just how amazing her sons friend and blood brother was, here he was standing alone in a room with the man whose hatred and mistrust of magic had killed his father and caused the young warlock many hardships, merlin had only known his father less than a day. Of everyone out there with magic the young man stood next to him had the power and motive to do so, but hadn't
"I'm sorry for what happened to your father, he was my enemy, I thought he was. He needed to be killed, that's what I thought" merlin looked across at uthur shocked to hear the closest to a heart felt apology he would get from the king. "it saddens me sire, that you learn one of the most useful tactics of war, in your last week of life." Uthur sat in his chair at the head of the table and motioned for merlin to sit on the one to his left one that used to be Morganna's. the king rubbed the bridge of his nose before speaking. "you are so certain I will die?" merlin clasped his hands together on the table in front of him. "this entire war has been a means to an end, Morganna and morgouse are powerful but with everyone on alert and Arthur by your side they could not hope to kill you and get away with it.
The warlock took a deep breath taking the time to find the right words. " with cenreds army keeping the knights soldiers and Arthur busy it has fallen to the older or out of action knights to defend the citadel. My magical defences will only last to long, they are slaughtering the fine men of Camelot just as a distraction. To lessen the amount of people left to protect and rebuild Camelot. Sire would you go through such lengths to fail?" uthur shook his head. "no I would not. So I'm going to die, well." The king went silent how do you react to knowing you will die before weeks end? It was a question uthur found himself asking.
"I wouldn't worry though sire. while you will never be my favourite person, that could never be after all you have done. I respect you and I care deeply for your son my blood brother, killing you will hurt him, and I do not take kindly to people hurting my friends" by the end of speaking Merlin's voice had become a draconic growl and uthur was reminded why he had feared the opposition of the dragon lords why he had had to trick them. And he sat near the last one. "more and more I am realising I should be extremely glad you are on my side." Merlin smiled a calculating smile. "and so we are back to my initial point about tactics."
Uthur leant forward. "go on then boy, I'm intrigued to hear what the mighty Emrys thinks I have over looked." Merlin laughed a hollow laugh. He clicked his fingers a ball of fire appearing, in his hand. He waved the hand and the fire became smoke. "its simple. Had you killed ballinor, he would not have met my mother, I wouldn't have been born I wouldn't have grown into the man who sits at your sons side and Kilgarrah would still be locked below Camelot unable to help. It was my mercy that stopped his attack on Camelot all those years ago. What I think you have missed is that sometimes it is best to leave the enemy alive in case they can be of use later, it's a risk but I believe sometimes it's a risk worth taking." While he had been speaking the smoke had shifted forming a timeline a web of happenings that ended in two dragons side by side. Uthur didn't need to ask which was which. the one standing proud and regal was clearly Arthur and the one flying serene and powerful was clearly merlin. Uthur dismissed merlin with a wave of his hand. merlin left leaving the two conjured up dragons fading slowly. As the door closed the king brushed a hand through the dragons and a single tear fell.
i made uthur cry D: so hunith isn't used nearly enough in the series. every time i see (caroline?) her on screen i want to hug her. but. you've seen balinor. do you really think he would fall for a weak meak person? also she hid emrys under everyones nose, she may not sound or look it but shes probably (in my mind) the biggest badass in the whole show.
next chapter will be posted late to night or early tomorrow. and then final chapter tomorrowafternoon/evening. review?