#mercelotweek2022

[southfarthing]

@mercelotweek day 3: gold/magic

MERLIN & LANCELOT | Bregdan anweald. I saw you; I heard you. Don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me.

[cabbageheadss]

Lancelot needed you and you needed Lancelot. Your destinies were entwined. <1>

for @mercelotweek | day 6: grey/angst

[personaje-fics]

For @mercelotweek day 7. Here on ao3

---

This is something Lancelot knew: Never fall in love with a god.

Because they're beauty incarnated. You'll take one look at a god and he'll ruin your eyes for everyone else. You can't avoid looking at him, though no one would blame you. It's not your fault, your gaze lands on him again and again, and it's out of your control.

Because they're appealing. There's something about him. He's the flame's light, and you are the butterfly lured by its brightness. It will end you, you know this, but you can't help it. It's almost as if being awed by him is part of your nature.

Because they're magic. He's gold and sunlight and the only thing you seem able to do is delight in his warmth. He'll show you things you've never seen before and you can't stop yourself from asking to see more and more.

Because you'll want to die for him. And you'll do it. You have no choice: Only one of you will die, eventually, and it would be a waste not to do it for him. This is in your control. This is something you choose.

That makes it more painful for both of you.

[nie-narzekam]

When the road gets dark

And you can no longer see

Just let my love throw a spark

And have a little faith in me

(John Hiatt, “Have A Little Faith In Me”)

// MERCELOT WEEK DAY 7: Gaia – Free Day //

[lemissingmask]

4. Icarus - Pushing Limits/Setting Boundaries

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-

"This is as far as you can go," Arthur said, stopping at the foot of the stairs and putting a hand out to tug Lancelot back slightly when he ambled ahead, "Any further and you're in my father's domain."

"That's the aim," Merlin put his hands on his hips, "Or were you not listening?  Nimueh stole the well.  If she's in there, we need to go in there."

"You may not be able to get back out," Arthur glared, "I will go in and find out if she's returned.  Wait here."

As the gatekeeper of the underworld vanished into the inky blackness of Uther's realm, leaving the unusual pair alone, Merlin rocked on his feet, tucking his hands behind his back in an imitation of casual calm.

“So, Lance…”

The sheep looked at him.

“Did I ever say I’m sorry? You know, for turning you into a sheep?”

Lancelot tilted his head.

“I am. Sorry.”

And it was the truth, but then, in spite of the vague guilt...

He smirked and looked down at Lancelot.

“Although, I have to admit,” he continued, “It has been pretty fun. Aside from the whole threat of Uther gaining all of Gaius’ knowledge of magic.”

Lancelot let out a quiet bleat.

“And you being a sheep of course. What’s it like? Being a-“

Arthur, almost fortunately, chose that moment to emerge from the darkness, before Merlin could finish that awkward sentence.

"She has yet to return, but she will have to come by this way.  If you wait here, you may be able to stop her from entering," the gatekeeper looked up the staircase, "Once in my father's realm, she will be able to shift form, and then you have no hope of defeating her.  You must stop her before she crosses the threshold."

"No pressure then..." Merlin sighed heavily then broke into a frown, "Wait.  We must stop her?  What about you?  You're not going to help?"

Lancelot looked up at Merlin and then to Arthur and bleated in echo.

"I cannot move against my father's will.  You two have only been allowed to come this far because you are not among those I am to bar from entering.  Were a more powerful god..."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"...such as Morgana or Morgause...or Guinevere...to try to get to his realm, I would be obliged to prevent it."

"So we're not considered a threat?"

"You're not considered at all," Arthur replied plainly, as if stating a known fact rather than throwing a rather insulting discovery in Merlin's face.  Not that he particularly wanted to be considered by Uther.

"Well, maybe we can change that..." Merlin grinned, "So, if you need to go, go.  We'll deal with Nimueh when she comes."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, looking from Merlin to Lancelot and back again, "Sure.  I look forward to my father's dominion over you all."

With that dry remark and a brief flicker of sadness, he turned and disappeared into the inky blackness of the underworld.

"I never know what to think of that guy..." Merlin leaned on the cold stone behind him and pursed his lips, "Can't tell if he's actually an ass or just likes to act like one."

Lancelot bleated and wandered off, going up a couple of steps.

"What?  You don't think he's an ass?"

The sheep returned, little legs nearly tripping on a rock in the haste to headbutt Merlin's leg.

"Sorry.  Didn't realise you were so fond of him..." Merlin smirked, "Don't tell me the god of beauty is involved with Uther's gatekeeper."

Lancelot stared at him then bleated again.

Twice.

Then returned to the stairs.

Merlin poked his head round the corner, following the direction that Lancelot was facing, and saw it.

A long serpent, deep purple with flecks of red and gold in the scales, slithering slowly down the stairs.

From what Merlin knew, Nimueh used this form for stealth - often stealthy attacks - rather than to be fast.  She couldn't move quickly, particularly when the realm fell cold, but few would notice her.

She also couldn't hear.

"Hide!" Merlin hissed to Lancelot, getting behind the sheep and ushering him towards the corner.

"We can intercept her as she gets down here," Merlin whispered, very unnecessarily, "And stop her from entering the underworld."

Lancelot bleated.

"Don't worry," Merlin crouched to be level with the sheep, "I have a plan."

Another bleat, longer this time.

"It should work..."

He peered round the corner.

Nimueh was approaching their level.

"I just need a distraction," Merlin mused, "Something to-"

Off the sheep ambled.

Right out into Nimueh's path.

"No!" Merlin yelled after him, grimacing as the snake lunged for Lancelot, fangs closing on his coat and taking tufts of wool with them, "Not that kind of distraction, you idiot!"

Lancelot bleated and stumbled back out of the way of another attack.

"You're a sheep!  Sheep don't fight snakes!"

Another, more urgent, bleat and Lancelot lost another snake's mouthful of wool to Nimueh.

"Fine!" Merlin sighed in frustration.

He had a distraction.

A stupid, reckless, absurd distraction.

But Nimueh was focusing on the sheep.

Which meant Merlin had time to work his special brand of magic.

The god of revelry might not be a fighter or a genius, a shapeshifter or a spell caster.  He could not command oceans or weather or armies of the dead.

But he could send other beings into states of total, stupefying, inebriation.

Breaking into a grin and flexing his fingers, he prepared to get to work.

It was time to find out if snakes could get drunk.

-

[dorochas]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin) Characters: Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin Additional Tags: Canon Era, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Pining, Spells & Enchantments, Fairy Tale Elements, Pre-Relationship, Hurt Merlin (Merlin), Ambiguous/Open Ending Summary: Later, Lancelot realized Merlin had been under some misguided apprehension concerning Lancelot’s feelings for Guinevere. He thought he was protecting Lancelot in that scenario, that Lancelot was still so wounded by his unreturned affections for the woman who was now Arthur’s wife and his queen.

Merlin had always been rather oblivious in that way.

for @mercelotweek prompt day one: medusa (curses/transformations)

[mercelot]

Since the day @mercelotweek posted their prompts I knew I had to do this, a mercelot orpheus au. It's finally here and I'm proud of it!

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[mercelotweek]

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