#bbc will

All time ever does is pass and all you ever do is remember.

Episode: The “Moment of Truth” questions

Questions by @tansyuduri

Tagging: @miyriu

Books used as references: “The Magic Begins”, “Dangerous Quests”, “The Death of Arthur”, “Lancelot and Guinevere” and the “Heroes” Guide

Question: It was normally a lord's responsability to make sure raiders did not come and take food? I know it’s a border region in Cenred's kingdom, but it doesn’t seem to have a lesser noble of the kingdom ruling over it?

It also must be far from Cenred's court. Since Cenred would have more of an interest protecting villages that actually provided him food. (Thus kept up their side of the feudalism deal?)

My answer: When Merlin first came to Camelot, he noted the table in the great hall had more food then he’d ever seen in his life and that just this one feast alone could feed his entire village for a year.

Also, according to the Camelot maps, Ealdor is very small (barely a blip on the map) and the only houses on the map in that village seem to be tiny ramshackle huts.

If you look above Ealdor in the map, you can see Jarl’s castle, which is much bigger then the whole of Ealdor and therefore their likely isn’t any nobles anywhere near them (since everything nearby seems to be unoccupied land, caves and forests).

Considering how little food Ealdor has been mentioned to produce, it’s likely Cenred doesn’t even take food from them, since less then a tables worth of food at a single banquet is hardly worth taking and likely only taxes them to farm/live there.

Book description: Merlin enjoyed just looking at the great hall with its rich wall coverings and vast hanging chandeliers, at the beautifully carved wooden tables laden with more food than he'd ever seen in his life before.

This one feast would feed Merlin's entire village for a year - but he was in too good a mood to begrudge the guests their meal.

Question: Why didn’t Uther send only a few men as Arthur suggests. ESPECIALLY since there is little likelihood of any of Cenred's soldiers being in the area to know?

My answer: Uther himself admits that Cenred had never been openly hostile towards them without good reason and was therefore shocked when the mercenaries attacked without provocation.

(THIS 👆 could also be a major reason why Uther was not willing to send aid to Ealdor, even in the form of a few knights. He was not willing to risk starting a war with a neighboring kingdom who had so far never attacked with provocation).

(Source: “Traitor Within” book)

In the “Lancelot and Guinevere” book, Morgana muses to herself about how Uther always considered the ‘bigger picture’ and acted accordingly.

In many ways, Uther sending even a few soldiers to Cenred’s kingdoms would be a bigger risk and he would consider it not worth it, especially given how the ‘bigger picture’ is that he’d be risking war in order to protect a tiny village that isn’t even on his land.

1st Book description:

'We've had reports that mercenaries are streaming into Cenred's kingdom,' he announced to the assembled councillors.

Uther frowned. Cenred had never been openly hostile towards them without good reason. It seemed strange that the situation had changed. 'Do we know why?'

2nd book description: Morgana had been angry with Uther before, but this time her rage against the king's indolence left her physically shaking.

She had long ago recognized that Uther would always make an appeal to 'the bigger picture, but the least she expected was that Arthur would plead for Gwen.

(Source: “Lancelot and Guinevere” book)

Question: So from what we see, Merlin's diet growing up would have been milk, grains, eggs, and likely some fruits and vegetables as we saw those taken earlier. Perhaps every once in a while some meat?

My answer: Merlin mentioned that men would go out to trap animals for food when times were desperate and they were facing starvation.

As Hunith grew sicker as the result of the deal with Nimueh, Merlin recalled the countless times his mother had gone hungry so that he’d never once had to miss a meal.

Book description: “Dangerous Question” book

In the little village where he'd grown up, men would go out and trap animals for food. In lean times, it was a choice between that and starvation.

But the Crown Prince of Camelot sat down to a banquet every night - he had no need to hunt. This was just sport to him, the challenge of his wits against the beast's.

Taking the life of a feeling, thinking creature for fun? Merlin couldn't see how it could ever be right. Yet he knew that Arthur was a good man. It was very confusing.

Book description in “Dangerous Questions”:

Merlin remembered how she'd always been there for him when he'd got upset, unable to come to terms with the great powers that had been bestowed upon him.

The countless times she had gone hungry so that he d never once had to miss a meal.

Question: It seems like most of the Ealdor did NOT know about Merlin's Secret?

Book description:

As Merlin's childhood friend, William of Ealdor was the only other person, apart from Hunith, who knew Merlin's secret.

Question: What is Merlin’s relationship like with the other villagers in Ealdor?

My answer: Merlin admits to knowing people back in Ealdor, who thought they could get away with anything just because they were good looking and skillful. (Funny enough he thinks about this while watching Arthur throwing knives at his servant).

Book description:

Merlin watched with a frown as the boy scurried back and forth across the yard, the young knight throwing dagger after dagger at him - hitting the target spot-on every time. He would, of course.

Merlin knew the type - even back in Ealdor there had been people like that, who thought that being good looking and skillful meant they could do whatever they liked.

All the girls fancied them too. It was funny how girls couldn't spot how much of a prat someone was if that someone had big enough muscles.

Morgana never had that. He could have been that, but he was afraid. He was a coward, Merlin knew as much. Will wouldn't have poisoned his friend. He would have found another way. But Merlin didn't. He betrayed Morgana. She had put her entire life in his hand and he crushed it.

• When Merlin was born, his eyes were gold when he first opened them and he broke a plate when he cried. When the townswoman who helped Hunith with the birth came running into the room to investigate the noise, Hunith starting crying hysterically (she later said she was simply upset that Merlin’s father wasn’t there) and threw a cup against a wall from her bedside to cover up any evidence of Merlin’s magic. It worked; the woman was alarmed by her sudden and extreme actions and ran from the room before Merlin’s magic did anything else. The woman gave Hunith a bit of space for a while afterwards; Hunith didn’t mind, as it took a few years for Merlin to stop doing spontaneous magic when laughing or crying. 

• Merlin did in fact tell Will he had magic, Will didn't find out by accident. Between Will's reaction to Merlin not wanting to tell Arthur about his magic, and Merlin's strong desire to tell people in Camelot about his magic even under the threat of execution, there's no reason to think he didn't tell Will himself.

• Will knew for a year or two before Hunith found out he knew. This, combined with Merlin's lack of control over his magic, made her reach out to Gaius on Merlin's behalf. (She had to travel to the next town over to send the letter, but she was so upset she didn’t tell Merlin where she was going. He just thought she had had enough and decided to leave and was so happy when she came back home again)

• When Merlin was little and it was winter time, he used his magic to make crops grow from the seeds stored in his house so that he and his mother could eat. Merlin wanted to share his gifts with the rest of the village but his mother was adamant that he shouldn't .

• (This was endlessly frustrating to baby Merlin, who didn't understand why he couldn't just use his magic to help people. His mother assured him that maybe some day he could change how the world saw magic. She forgot these words as he grew older, but Merlin never did)

• Merlin is extremely sensitive to the cold after what happened with the dorocha. It's never directly addressed because of the grief over Lancelot that is associated with those memories, but on extended hunting trips Merlin always sits closest to the fireside even when it isn't that cold outside. Sometimes he falls asleep shivering and wakes up covered in a red cloak or five

• Merlin likes fire; it was one of the first magics he experimented with after telekinesis. He is not afraid of it because of its association with the pyre.

• No matter how afraid he is of Arthur reacting badly to his magic, he knows Arthur isn't cruel enough to burn him alive. Beheading, however, is a very real fear for him. That was the first type of execution he ever saw, and when Arthur asks him why Merlin never told him about his magic, Merlin didn't say "Because I didn't want to burn," he says, "You'd have chopped my head off."

• This is also why he continues wearing neckerchiefs throughout the series; in Ealdor it was just the style and a way to keep warm, but in Camelot Merlin feels more comfortable keeping his neck covered.

And the one that makes me saddest (sorry):

• Merlin never did find out that Arthur hugged him during the whole fomorrah incident; in his mind, the only hug they ever shared was Merlin holding Arthur as he died.