#fatheredlegend

Another pirate? she thought to herself, it made Cleo raise an eyebrow.. it had been a long time since she met another. Truth be told Cleo wasn't one to be in castles, usually she was in a tavern when on land or otherwise she was on some sort of ship. Kindness hadn't been around for Cleo, or at least not much and yet this Merlin set furs on the bed and insisted if she needed anything to call.

She placed her hat down on the bed, removing her jacket, the rune tattoos now evident upon her neck, upper arm and shoulder. Most had naval tattoos, but not Cleo. "Thank you Merlin" She replied setting herself down gently at the edge of the bed as if to test it out, months of sleeping in a hammock would do that to a person, and it indeed felt alien. "Another pirate you say?" she couldn't help herself, she was too inquisitive.

Feet stepped lightly on the ground as Merlin steadied his bow. He had his sights on a deer. One that would feed him and his mother in the coming winter. Not resorting to magic, he was using his own wits. The hunt was keeping him preoccupied. His heart hurt. Arthur had cast him out of Camelot after finding out about his magic. Instead of understanding, he exiled him. Trying his best to rid himself of the feelings he had for the king, he tried to focus. His face danced in his mind. Seeing how Gaius reacted was enough to kill him instead. When he was told to leave, he begged Pendragon for - forgiveness. Finally, he told him how he felt. “I love you more than life itself, Arthur. Cast me out and you might as well kill me.” It took the guards to drag him out of his sight, sobbing heavily. 

He thought he ran all the way home, with tears running down his face. Choked up, when he saw his mother come out of their home, he dropped to his knees, weeping more. Now, almost a week later, he was just starting to get back into the rhythm of things. Having no clue what was happening in Camelot, he was forced to move on with a heavy heart. At first, he thought he would die with a broken heart. In his room, he curled up for days until his mother told him to go find dinner. Seeing the doe come in his line of sight, he let go of the arrow. The deer flopped to the ground with it so did his heart. 

🌸  ┊ letter received from @fatheredlegend​      𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝐍𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍:  There is a long way between an agreement and altar.

          𝐃𝐔𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑      those words had been instilled upon her since childhood, the role of a woman made CLEAR to her by her father when he had finally chosen to speak to on such matters, after a ARGUEMENT with her step mother. the thought of an arranged marriage was not a new concept to her, the matchmaker often highly valued for her skills of setting a match between the couple due to their zodiacs and signs from the HEAVENS.

            she herself was once matched to a man she did not know, though it did not last long for she had FAILED her duty and the union was dropped before she had gone off to war. the emperor himself had SUGGESTED such a fate for her, before she had left his service in favor of travel, hoping to learn more of herself and of the world around her. but her heart could not deny that she did not     𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒,    for she had always hoped that if she were to marry, it would be for a hearts choice, rather that of convince.  

     ❝  perhaps so here, but the notion has never sat right with me. ❞   she confessed, body pressed against the wall of chambers, eyes glancing out the WINDOW to the training grounds below.  ❝  i know it is most likely foolish, perhaps even CHILDISH, but what gain is it truly to be with someone    𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄   ?   it makes for a bitter union, and even can cause a household to split, for how can you know the spouse chosen will not try to turn against you   ? ❞

              pausing, mulan took in a breath, her glance lifting until she half turned towards merlin, a question forming within her gaze.    ❝  i was matched once, but the matchmaker thought i was not    𝐋𝐀𝐃𝐘𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄.    the emperor i served, though i saved his life and my KINGDOM, thought i would make a good concubine used for political use... for i overheard the talks before i had decided to take leave of my ranks and leave my HOMELAND. ❞  her fingers touched the stonework before she turned her back all together from outside in favor of leaning against the frame. 

              the coolness of the wall helped calm her mind, her teeth biting down on her lower lip for a moment as she lost herself in thought. she HOPED that merlin, arthur and the others would not need to     𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖    all in the name of duty and honor, but instead could forge a PATH of their own choosing, and finding the one that called to their hearts. yet she knew better then to hope the same for herself, for she had already made up her mind not to return to her home, and instead try to find a purpose for her life. 

     ❝  if i may ask you, what does marriage within this KINGDOM entail  ?   i only know truly of my own culture, based off of what was TAUGHT to me as a child, and the one wedding i was able to see... do you preform the 磕頭   ( 𝔨𝔬𝔴𝔱𝔬𝔴 )  ━━   it is like a bow, to show our respects towards   𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐇    before bowing to the families then to the one we are to marry. i only ask because i am curious... and considering the more recent EVENTS. ❞

Arranged Marriage Starters   |  𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆.

@fatheredlegend​ said:  𝔦𝔱’𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔰𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔢𝔰 𝔪𝔢.

                ˜”*°•.      Silence .  A silence  thicker  than the  heaviest  of  armors .  A silence  deadlier  than the  sharpest  of knives .  Silence  could be  deafening ,  could  be  maddening , could  be  destructive . The  silence  that’d  spread  across halls  once  accommodating celebrations .  The  silence that’d  conquer  rooms  once  full of  people  and sounds .  It  was this  silence  that was  terrifying ;  the silence  that  allowed thoughts ,  self-doubt  and guilt  blind  an  otherwise  busy  mind .

Merlin was in Arthur’s chambers doing his chores or at least his magic was doing most of the work. When she came inside the armor and the bucket which was being used to wash the king’s tunic dropped to the ground. He smiled sheepishly. “Oh. Nothing. I learned a new spell and wondered if you wanted to see.” Climbing to his feet because he was scrubbing the floor, he wiped off his hands.

“You are doing this?” Marianne tried to contain her wonder but her voice was thick with disbelief she had no doubt she lost that fight before it even began. With the tip of her fingernail she tapped the armor as if testing if Merlin’s spell would hold. “Not to put a damper on your discovery but have you heard of the apprentice who cast a spell - like this - and flooded the entire dungeon?” she asked, taking a seat - because of course she would comment but not help with the chores.

     They had first met in the kitchens when Merlin stumbled in and the Head Cook slapped him upside the head for taking one of the pasties. Honestly, Agnes was too protective of her food. She shot him a sympathetic look and ever sense had made sure to slip Merlin Arthur’s tray whenever he came by, plus a little extras for him too. Agnes was impossible really. Merlin had permission to be there since he was Arthur’s personal manservant, but what did she know. She had been working there from her young teen years and was well on her way to becoming one of the main cooks Agnes turned to for help. For now, she specialized in the bread and pastries. They were some of her fathers recipes, which even the Head Cook had been impressed with.

     It was getting kind of late in the evening and Agnes had allowed her to stay behind to finish up the remainder to the bread that needed to be kneaded. She worked the dough with care, knowing that this might end up going to Arthur tomorrow. Uther was unwell, everyone knew it and she worried for the young Prince with a kingdom on his shoulders. And she could see Merlin growing more weary every day they they crossed paths. Her stomach fluttered whenever she saw him, but she tamed the feelings down. There was no way Merlin would be interested in her of all people, besides, she was pretty sure he was attached to the would-be-King.

It had been a while since Eilonwy had visited Camelot, before she had ventured into the castle as a maid, now? she ventured as a lady of Alagaësia. Camelot was now at a time when magic wasn’t outlawed, how her kind and others alike could wonder freely without prejudice or fear. Falkor landed within the forecourt, the people moved out of his way. Eilonwy jumped off her dragon, giving him a small pat. Bright blue hues looked around the familiar surrounding and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. 

               While Shannon was able to run her shop and live above it comfortably, she was well aware that she lived in a dangerous part of the sprawling city, whether it being the people who occupied the streets of the buildings ready to give way. While the site before her was something she was far too used to seeing, it didn’t mean it made it any less dreadful.