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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 17, 2010 0:53:02 GMT -5
(...and maybe Gwen if her player chooses. Hunith only at the end, you'll see what I've got in mind.)
Although prisoners were held in the dungeon, the outside courtyard was used for the meting out of physical punishment. Aside form the obvious beheadings and burnings, it was occasionally used when Uther ordered someone flogged. It wasn't always a public affair, but anything carried out here tended to draw at least a few spectators. Aside from the necessary guards, a handful of the castle staff were watching the throng of guards near the pole that would be used.
Uther thought nothing of flogging the servant boy, but he did wish he had been able to avoid it with Arthur. The prince had to be taught a lesson, though, and if physical punishment and confinement were the only way, then so be it. He also ordered that the girl, Gwen, be there to watch as a way of hopefully imparting on her the seriousness of the issue. Of course, Uther wouldn't actually be doing the flogging, but he had something in mind for Arthur that might happen.
First one and then the other would be stripped to the waist and have their hands secure to restraints attached to the wooden pole. The whip was braided leather, ending in several strands with small bits of glass lodged in them, not unlike what the Romans used several centuries earlier. If the punishment were carried out properly, and the wounds treated properly by Gaius, both boys would recover, but the scars would remain and hopefully prevent them from acting in such a way again.
He ordered the prince brought out first, and started to speak.
"Prince Arthur, you have been sentenced to receive five lashes, after which you will be confined to the dungeon for a week's time. I take no pleasure in this experience, but it is my hope that you will learn from it and from the scars you will carry. Do you have anything to say?"
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 15, 2010 17:27:54 GMT -5
Uther listened to the two of them speak, first Merlin and then Arthur. The servant was pleading with him to take Arthur's punishment, and then Arthur's pleas were rather similar, to punish him but let Merlin go. Arthur was willing to accept his punishment, and had known better than to disagree with him. He hated to see his son hurt, and it would pain him greatly, but he had to be taught a lesson.
"I have half a mind to order the girl flogged as well, but I think she has learned her lesson. Hopefully we will not have to have this discussion again. It will pain me to see you hurt, but I know that it will make you stronger and the scars you carry will remind you of how important it is to control your actions.
"It is admirable, your devotion to your master." he told Merlin."Arthur does indeed have a valid point about the danger, and the risk of life. I wouldn't expect a servant to react to danger in the same way as a trained guard. Still, I cannot completely discard the idea that you may have been aiding him to escape. I certainly hope not, because you would be risking death.
There is still the matter of what I've been told about you apparently shirking your duties. If I were Arthur, I would have fired you long ago. I think he deserves better hired help. I do indulge him not forcing the matter. It is possible you may have some form of mental deficency, and you can't be faulted if you do. But I do not believe it is as severe as it seems sometimes, I just believe that Arthur has been a bit too lenient with you. I think that if you recieve some proper discipline for once, as Arthur should have done long ago, you will think twice before misbehaving again. I will not have embarrasment for myself and my son by inept servants getting drunk at the tavern. You will recieve ten lashes. And Arthur, see that you discipline him properly in the future. He is your responsiblity."
Uther didn't much care about Merlin, but he did hope that Arthur learned a lesson from this experience and thought things through better in the future. He nodded to the guards, anxious to get the phsyical part of the punishments over with as quickly as possible. He expected a bit of protest, although he had on an expression that said he wasn't in the mood to negotiate with either of them.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 15, 2010 0:51:47 GMT -5
Uther listened to her lecture, not greatly moved by it. He had heard similar comments from her before, several times by now. She was of course right, but it wasn't something Uther was ever going to admit. It had stayed in his mind and fueled his fires of hatred all the more over the years. In his mind, she was only affirming what he already believed to be true, that magic was evil and needed to be destroyed.
"Precisely why it is so dangerous. It corrupts and destroys. It kills the innocent as well as the guilty. And that is why it must be destroyed so it cannot endanger my kingdom." he snapped back. The truth was in the exchanged words somewhere, but Uther's mind was too stubborn and too twisted about by now to recognize it anymore.
The king was not unaccustomed to pain, but it had still been a surprise, and it had hurt. He wanted desperately for them to catch Nimueh, but he knew it wasn't going to happen. She was too powerful and tricky to allow it.
"I am being tormented by a sorceress...I would like you to seize her, but you will not find her. She is not easily defeated. She appears and then vanishes into thin air. Keep watch for anyone you see leaving, but the means needed to stop her will be greater than you have right now. Stay vigilant, but you won't be able to chase her. Fetch Gaius, I'll need some ointment for the burns on my hands."
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 15, 2010 0:37:49 GMT -5
"He was consorting with a sorcerer. He knew the laws of Camelot, and he chose to break them. And then, he attempted to escape. That was proof enough of his guilt. He left me no option but to take his life." said Uther. He had the small sack in his hand, studying it and the symbols on it.
"When I first stumbled upon you and Arthur, I was convinced that it was simply the foolish dalliance of a young man, acting as most youths do at one point or another. I am quite familiar with such things. But then, I find this in the prince's bed. Do you recognize it?" He held up the item for her to see, his eyes fixed on her. "I was left with no choice but to believe Arthur had been enchanted. And you are the most likely culprit, given what I stumbled on earlier."
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 14, 2010 17:27:12 GMT -5
Uther had begun to suspect more and more about Arthur's interaction with Gwen. Perhaps it was not entirely a spell. Perhaps it was only partially, so, and the spell had intensified whatever was already there. Uther could not stand for his son endangering all of Camelot to marry a mere servant girl. He would throw away the kingdom's chances for alliances and political standing all for a foolish emotion of love. And even if he were sensible enough not to marry her, he still had done this too many times. It was time to ensure it never happened again.
"I believe that there was an enchantment on you. Bit do not believe that your actions were entirely dictated by it. I believe that some of your feelings are real.This is the third time you have let your foolish urges dictate your actions instead of your head, and I have had enough of it.
You are more intelligent and capable than that, and it is time you were given a punishement that will stay with you longer than a simple day in the dungeon. You will be confined there for a week. And if you choose to argue with me, the time will be longer. You will also recieve five lashes, to ensure that the lesson stays with you. I will not hear of such foolish attachments happening again, or the punishment will be worse."
He did not order Arthur taken away yet, but waited to see what Merlin had to say for himself. He wanted Arthur to hear everything before he was given his punishment.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 14, 2010 2:19:51 GMT -5
Uther watched as the two came in. He had a lot to say to both of them, really, but some of his words to Arthur would be in private, between the two of them. He would only say here what applied to the two of them together.
" I've been informed of what happened earlier when the sorcerer escaped" Uther said. "...Merlin, is it? It's obviously the guards' job to chase down criminals and prevent escapes, but I am still unhappy with what I've heard. If the story is correct, you allowed him to escape? You say you gave chase, but he was too fast for you. I don't see how that's possible, since he was an old man and you are quite young."
To Arthur, he said "I honestly don't know why you even keep him around at times. I'd have gotten rid of him long ago if he were one of my servants. I assume you've done your best to get him to behave, and if he truly has a mental impairment of some sort, I cannot fault you as much as I would otherwise. But, this time, he's crossed a line, I believe. I am beginning to think that this time, a more severe form of discipline might be warrented than just another session in the stocks."
His eyes went between prince and servant. "Do either of you have anything to say about this matter?"
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 14, 2010 1:03:11 GMT -5
Uther had put up with Merlin's clumsiness, ineptness and making a mess of things for nearly three whole years now. He really had no idea why Arthur kept the boy around, he was a terrible servant who screwed up most of what he did and didn't even respesct his master. He'd heard him several times call Arthur by his name instead of 'sire' and Arthur yelling at him was a daily occurance around the castle. Arthur always promised to control him better, but somehow, it never seemed to happen.
This most recent incident, however, had been the final straw. It hadn't taken long for word to reach Uther about Merlin first shirking his duties, then letting a sorcerer escape. The king didn't buy the story about the old man being too fast for the boy, and suspected there was something more going on, though he wasn't sure just what. Whatever the reason, he had decided that Merlin needed a sterner reprimand than just another session in the stocks.
Because of that, Uther had ordered Merlin and Arthur both to come before him in the great hall, so that he could talk to them both. He waited, pacing now and then, already sure of what he was going to say when the guards brought the two of them in.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 14, 2010 0:27:03 GMT -5
Uther had not been expecting events to take the turn they had. He had not been terribly surprised to find Arthur dallying with a servant girl, most royals did it at one point or another. They were human and young men and given to normal male urges. Uther himself had done it in the past. Some would call him a ladies' man, and he'd had his share of indulgences, but he'd fortunately come to his senses quickly enough to stay out of trouble. Temptation still existed today-after all, he was king, and could do almost anything he wanted, but he refused to take needless risks that could shame him and the kingdom.
However, it was indisputable that this was more than a case of a prince's youth and virility, and the item found in Arthur's bed was the proof. It furthered Uther's belief that no one could be completely trusted, least of all those close to the royal family themselves. Morgana had thought this girl a loyal servant over the years, but it seemed that since her father's death,she had simply been waiting and biding her time for a chance to get her revenge on Uther through his son. Uther could not tolerate this and it would have to be severely punished.
He looked down at the girl who stood before him, hands tied, and began to speak.
"It makes a lot more sense now. Arthur is a sensible young man. He has made mistakes in the past, it is true, but he seems to have learned a lesson from those instances. He knows that his first duty is to Camelot, and that he cannot endanger the kingdom over a servant girl. I did not totally understand why he was doing these things, but an enchantment makes a great deal of sense. What was this, an attempt to take revenge for the death of your father?
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 13, 2010 20:40:01 GMT -5
I loved it, although it will be like ten times better on Syfy since Wisevid likes to stop every few seconds to buffer. Grrr.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 12, 2010 20:53:48 GMT -5
"Thank you...it is much appreciated."
Uther was much aware of Morgana's stubbornness and tenacity. She was so much like he himself, but that was a secret he alone knew and would take to the grave with him. Morgana had inherited his temper and strong will, and that was why they so often fought. He wondered if anyone else ever noticed it, but if they did, they did not say anything. Sadly, Gorlois had caught on. Uther still felt terrible about his death sometimes, but even the life of a close friend was not worth the great scandal that would erupt if Gorlois told the kingdom that Uther had bedded his wife. As much as he valued Gorlois's friendship, Camelot had to come first. He only hoped Morgana never discovered the truth, because she would certainly kill him for it. And Uther secretly feared the queen Morgana would become if she seized power.\
"She is a strong woman, every bit as formidible in some ways as many men I've met. I do not think she will stop fighting until she is safe here. And I am pleased that others have that same faith. I hope that more of Camelot does as well. But I will still not rest until Iknow she is safe. I cannot lose her."
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 12, 2010 20:36:58 GMT -5
"And you will pay if that is so. You may be powerful, but I am certain that some way can be found to stop you. I will not have you endangering all of my kingdom's people because you desire my death so badly. You have caused enough havoc among the people. You tell me how terrible it is that I have killed people you deem 'innocent', and yet you have little problem sickening and killing innocents yourself."
Uther didn't care what anyone thought about the people he killed. They were guilty of sorcery, and therefore a danger to the entire kingdom, just as the woman before him was. He did not execute innocents, regardless of what anyone thought. He was not a tyrant, and never would believe so.
"It was certainly not my fault! I accepted a risk, but I never baargained her life!! he growled. "She should not have been the one taken."
Uther really couldn't have expected anything less than her using magic against him. He started to yell for the guards, but the fireball grew it into a pained roar. The guards came in anyway, to see if he was all right.
"SEIZE HER!
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 12, 2010 17:28:40 GMT -5
Thanks. There is going to be some epic threads after this ep, I'm sure. For the rest of the season, probably. Me and Merlin, me and Arthur, me and Gwen maybe...Arthur and Gwen...perhaps Merlin and Gaius.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 12, 2010 17:25:49 GMT -5
"I would expect you to try something. That is why the peace was so unnatural. You take pleasure in runing everything...even my son's coming of age. I am only fortunate to have been able to slay that thing. But then, it wasn't ruined enough, I know. You wanted my death by the wraith's hand. And you still seek my life." the king retorted.
When Nimueh spoke of him 'rewarding' her for 'destroying' everything, he was incensed.
"I did NOTHING! You destroyed everything! I was willing to take a risk but I was NOT willing that my wife should die!!! I would sooner have forfeit my own life than hers."
That had been his hope, his expectation. He mourned the loss of the chance to see his son grow up, but at least Ygraine would still be alive, would raise him until he was able to take over as king. He had never meant for her life to be taken as the price, and it still made him sick, still hurt him terribly, even after so many years.
When she sat on the bed, hereached out and grabbed the sword that he always kept nearby. He pulled his legs under him and pushed forward, then lunged toward her, rational thought giving way to his raging temper once again. A snarl sounded in his chest, his eyes blazing with anger as he lashed out with the blade, heedless that she'd likely injure or kill him again.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 11, 2010 20:49:24 GMT -5
He didn't really like being patted much, and he brushed at her hand, trying to make her stop. He stood up straight and tried to be as tough as he could for a small child. Arthur was afraid, looking between him and Gwen, but he didn't say anything. Uther finally did.
"You shouldn't touch me. I could punish you for it. Or Arthur could. No one should touch the king. It's not nice."
He would not have comprehended fully what he saw if anything had been done, but they were not doing anything that could have tipped him off at the moment. Arthur seemed as confused and upset as he'd been, and it frightened the child-king. He didn't like being a kid again, missed being grown up. And he worried about what would happen if Arthur really didn't know.
"Maybe somebody else can fix it. Gaius maybe. He knows a lot of stuff. He doesn't do magic anymore, but maybe he can fix it. I don't want to be stuck like this and grow up again. "
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 11, 2010 10:43:36 GMT -5
Merlin and Arthur are sent on a dangerous mission to capture the Cup of Life, a powerful magical artifact that carries the gift of immortality.
But before they can retrieve the Cup, they are captured by unscrupulous slave trader, Jarl. A trusted friend comes to their rescue and they escape, but with Jarl's help the cup falls into Morgause's hands. With an immortal army at their disposal, will Morgause and Morgana topple Uther once and for all?
Merlin is played by Colin Morgan, Arthur by Bradley James, Uther Pendragon by Anthony Head, Gaius by Richard Wilson, Morgana by Katie McGrath, Gwen by Angel Coulby and the voice of the Dragon by John Hurt. Emilia Fox guest stars as Morgause, Tom Eliis as Cenred, Ralph Ineson as Jarl and Eoin Macken as Gwaine.
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Can Arthur (Bradley James) save Camelot from the evil Morgana?
Newly crowned Queen Morgana begins a reign of terrible evil over the innocent citizens of Camelot as the fantasy series concludes with a dramatic finale. With Morgause's immortal army at her command it seems there is no hope for Uther, who must watch his kingdom crumble under the unimaginable cruelty of his own daughter.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Camelot, Arthur regains his strength and, with Gwaine, Lancelot, Elyan and Percival at his side, plans a brave counter attack. But Merlin knows that even Arthur cannot vanquish an immortal foe. Can he reclaim the great sword Excalibur from the Lake of Avalon in time to save all those he holds most dear?
Queen Morgana is played by Katie McGrath, Morgause by Emilia Fox, Uther by Anthony Head, Arthur by Bradley James, Gwaine by Eoin Macken, Lancelot by Santiago Cabrera, Elyan by Adetomiwa Edun, Percival by Tom Hopper and Merlin by Colin Morgan.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 11, 2010 0:18:18 GMT -5
Uther was feeling the irritation of her illusion, the way she moved her body around while throwing her voice to another area. He was fairly certain now that it was Nimueh herself and not someone using her voice to taunt him. It was very like her, annoying and tormenting him like this, although her previous attempts were less direct-the Black Knight, the attempt to poison Arthur that had ended up poisoning his servant, the creature in the well that made so many ill. She was now taunting him more directly, coming into his own chamber.
"I cannot say that I missed you, witch. I took pleasure in the peace of the last few years."
His head snapped back to where she'd appeared, seeing her clearly now. He wanted to get the guards back in here, but it would do little good, she'd just vanish again. That was what annoyed him so much; only magic would stop her, physical attemps were nearly useless. And he would never resort to that, he would be a hypocrite if he did.
"Do not flatter yourself. The days of you being an 'old friend' are long past. I know now what you truly are, and I want only to see you destroyed."
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 10, 2010 19:34:53 GMT -5
Uther had nearly fallen back to sleep, convinced he was having a nightmare. But then, the voice started calling him again. Worse, there was no mistaking its owner, even though he didn't see her. Nimueh had been gone for some time, had not bothered Uther for a couple of years now. Uther had suspected she was dead, but nothing had ever been found to prove it. She had simply vanished. Now, however, there was no other who could own that voice except her. He looked around, eyes wide open now, sitting up in the bed.
For a moment, he saw her, like a ghostly apparition, in front of him. He roared, shocked. There was no Mandrake this time, the guards had been sure of it. They entered and searched again, and he had to tell them they likely wouldn't find anything. Someone was using magic, either Nimueh or another ,he did not know. He knew it would likely not cease until the magic was stopped. he hated it because he could not tell them to look into something he could not find. The person using the magic could be anywhere.
"Have you returned to torment me? You were gone two years, I thought you dead. I was relieved. BUt it appears you remain alive. If it is not Nimueh, whoever you are, you will pay!
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 8, 2010 0:36:28 GMT -5
At first, Uther stirred only a little, or at least not much beyond what he had already been doing. He was asleep, and believed the wind to be part of the dream. His arm brushed against his face lightly, not aware as yet that the wind was real and not something touching his skin. He turned over, still halfway asleep and in that state that made reality and dreamtime difficult to distinguish. He blinked, waking when he was more fully aware of the wind on his flesh and the movement of the drapes.
He did not fully wake at the sound of the voice at first either, but his eyes did snap open after a moment. He expected to see someone in his room, and was perplexed that no one was there. He called for the guards, and ordered a search, but obviously, they found no sign of an intruder anywhere. Uther hoped it wasn't the mandrake root again, and a check under the bed proved there was none involved this time. He sighed, hoping he wasn't beginning to lose his mind. It was all so *real*.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 7, 2010 17:51:29 GMT -5
He lay restless in his night's sleep, still unnerved by everything that had been happening. Camelot was safe again, but to Uther, it was never truly safe. There were always those who wished harm and destruction. Cenred's men had been run off this time, but would they return? Who was the traitor who was in their midst? That was what worried him the most, knowing that someone inside, someone close to him was seeking his death. Uther would kill that person slowly and painfully when they were found.
He tossed and turned, still suffering nightmares from the horrifying visions he'd seen and the raw fear and power of the battle that had nearly destroyed the kingdom. Gaius's draughts helped a lot, but they could not take away everything, and his mind was still often troubled. He wasn't aware that someone was about to play on his vulnerability, an old enemy, attacking him in a way that would show him just how vulnerable and exposed he was, even behind his castle walls and guards' protection.
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Post by kinguthersqueen on Nov 7, 2010 15:41:01 GMT -5
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