SDS

Fandom: BBC Merlin

Link to fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/88560746

Up to this point in his life, Arthur has had the belief that sorcery is the darkest, most corruptive force on the face of the earth beaten into his mind through lectures, speeches, and grief-filled days where his father would all but lose himself to rage and despair. Though, all the hatred of sorcery had always been in theory. In practice…

Well…

It hadn’t been so bad, watching the soldiers carry the accused out of the castle, iron chains wrapped tight around her wrists. Seeing them bind her the pyre, stacked high with firewood from the castle’s store. Observing as they removed the gag from her mouth, offering her the chance for last words, though she did not elect to take it.

The boy watched with morbid curiosity. For goodness sake he jeered along with the crowd, clapped when his father spoke the sentence one final time, and stared, transfixed at the flickering torch in the knight’s hand before he lit the pyre.

And then the screams started.

Or

8-year-old Arthur Pendragon watches someone burn for the crime of sorcery for the first time.

—

I high key blinked and suddenly had a 2,500 word fic on my laptop, so I’m probably gonna publish that tomorrow but here’s a teaser.

—

But the one thing that set the prince of Camelot apart from the rest of crowd, besides his royal blood of course, was his childish nature. For he was only 8 years old.

Up to this point in his life, Arthur has had the belief that sorcerery is the darkest, most corruptive force on the face of the earth beaten into his mind through lectures, speeches, and grief-filled days where his father would all but lose himself to rage and despair. Though, all the hatred of sorcerery had always been in theory. In practice…

Well…

It hadn’t been so bad, watching the soldiers carry the accused out of the castle, iron chains wrapped tight around her wrists. Seeing them bind her the pyre, stacked high with firewood from the castle’s store. Observing as they removed the gag from her mouth, offering her the chance for last words, though she didn’t elect to take it.

He watched with extreme curiosity. For goodness sake he jeered along with the crowd, clapped when his father spoke the sentence one final time, and stared, transfixed at the flickering torch in the knight’s hand.

Their justice system SUCKS

Like every single time without fail someone is accused of a crime against the kingdom it’s like

“You’ve been accused of treason, do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“I literally didn’t do that. I wasn’t even there.”

“Mmmm unconvincing. Death penalty!”

And then Merlin’s like

“You know this wrong Arthur/Gwen”

And there just like

I LOVE THAT MAN

If I’m not mistaken (tumblr historians fact-check me) Merlin was just given a shit ton of jobs he absolutely would not have to do in a properly functioning castle.

Like

Arthur’s laundry? Laundresses.

Mucking out stables? Tacking horses? Stable Master and Stable Boys.

Scrubbing floors? Housemaids/Maidservants.

Delivering messages? Pages.

Sharpening weapons? Squires and Blacksmiths.

Taking care of Arthur’s wardrobe? Chamberlain.

Not even to mention that as the literal Prince’s Personal Servant he had wayyyy more power in the staff hierarchy than I think he ever realized.

Arthur just looked at this poor farmer-boy peasant who had never even seen a castle before in his life and decided to give him the work of 6 different people, just to be petty, correctly assuming he wouldn’t know any better, then proceeded to keep that up for like 10 years.

Merlin: *slams open Arthur’s door*

Arthur: Merlin? You alright there?

Merlin: I’ve just had a lovely conversation with Elizabeth, the Laundress

Arthur: *with fear* …Okay?

Merlin: You know what she said to me?

Arthur: Do I want to know?

Merlin: She said “Oh Merlin, I just don’t know why you insist on doing all that extra work for Arthur!”

Arthur: *eyes widen*

Merlin: When were you going to tell me what The Prince’s Manservant actually does???

Arthur: Uh… You see…. But you’re just so good at it all!

Merlin: *eyes glowing* You should run.

-Arthur Pendragon and Merlin

-Ahsoka Tano

-Everyone in the original 3 Descendants movies

-Loki (in all iterations)

-Nico di Angelo and Will Solace

-Nimona

Fandom: BBC Merlin

Link to fic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/82767731/chapters/217905676

“Arthur-!” Lancelot tries, but Arthur doesn’t listen, standing up, towering above his supposed friends.

“What?! Am I wrong? Like- like what? Were you all going to abandon Camelot when we found him?!” He gestures angrily at Merlin “Or were you just going to kill me?”

“Ohhhh! That’s rich! Like you weren’t going to kill him, like you wouldn’t have killed any of us if we were in Merlin’s position!” Gwaine responds quickly and without much thought.

The words stab at Arthur’s chest “I- I wasn’t- I wasn’t planning on killing him. I was going to-“ But Gwaine does not allow for an explanation, and does not care about the way his Prince’s word spill out with horror and guilt.

“Oh you weren’t? You just hunted him like an animal for fun? Tell me then Sire what were you planning on doing wi-“

“I DON’T KNOW!”