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♔ video ||
[Arthur Pendragon, prince of Camelot, is wearing a very wrinkled version of his usual shirt, and someone has done up the laces crookedly.
actually, he looks a general mess. he's clearly made the effort to appear slightly presentable--his hair has been recently smoothed down with some water, though not as flat as it usually might lay--but his shirt looks like it was trampled beneath a horse's hooves and the room that he's in is a little hazy with smoke from some old fire. or hopefully it wasn't an actual fire, because it was meant to be dinner.
but he's here to make an official announcement, and so he's composed himself as best as he can--all slightly rumpled clothing and bad hair and smudges on his face aside--and he stares grimly into the camera. this is a dare to anyone to comment, to make any smart remark.]
I must speak with the witch Morgana. She can deliver herself, but I do not expect her to come when she is called upon. If there is any of this city that knows her location, send word to me, and you will be rewarded.
[he's not learned how to send messages privately, so here it is, curt clipped, and that might be all there is to it, but then he glances away, his face tightening into a small glare.]
I would speak, too, with anyone that can be counted honest enough to make a delivery. Your reward will be a smaller sum, but your service will be counted valuable.
[without Merlin, what choice does he have? the smoke seems somewhat thicker in the room now, and it's a good thing you can't smell over the devices, because it would smell strongly of burnt food now. Arthur spares the air an irritated glance and now, finally, he reaches to flip off the video before this gets any worse.]
[[ any roommates, feel free to notice the smoke/horrible smells/et cetera! ]]
actually, he looks a general mess. he's clearly made the effort to appear slightly presentable--his hair has been recently smoothed down with some water, though not as flat as it usually might lay--but his shirt looks like it was trampled beneath a horse's hooves and the room that he's in is a little hazy with smoke from some old fire. or hopefully it wasn't an actual fire, because it was meant to be dinner.
but he's here to make an official announcement, and so he's composed himself as best as he can--all slightly rumpled clothing and bad hair and smudges on his face aside--and he stares grimly into the camera. this is a dare to anyone to comment, to make any smart remark.]
I must speak with the witch Morgana. She can deliver herself, but I do not expect her to come when she is called upon. If there is any of this city that knows her location, send word to me, and you will be rewarded.
[he's not learned how to send messages privately, so here it is, curt clipped, and that might be all there is to it, but then he glances away, his face tightening into a small glare.]
I would speak, too, with anyone that can be counted honest enough to make a delivery. Your reward will be a smaller sum, but your service will be counted valuable.
[without Merlin, what choice does he have? the smoke seems somewhat thicker in the room now, and it's a good thing you can't smell over the devices, because it would smell strongly of burnt food now. Arthur spares the air an irritated glance and now, finally, he reaches to flip off the video before this gets any worse.]
[[ any roommates, feel free to notice the smoke/horrible smells/et cetera! ]]
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[he spits it at her--the word that represents that which changed her so deeply; the word she swore to give up, to turn from her ways--]
Or would you name yourself a liar again? You swore.
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[ For intents and purposes she hasn't used it since then, keeping that promise without honestly meaning to. ]
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[not as a scared girl. that was a lie, and it had been for-- months, perhaps, without him knowing. a witch, that was all he was allowed to see. a witch and a sorceress. ruthless. evil, but that does not come so easily now.]
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I am a product of my upbringing, of betrayals and abandonment... [ You abandoned me, you all abandoned me. She trails off, shaking her head. ] You will not see me differently than you do now Arthur, why bother even asking that question.
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[he has been struggling to keep his tone neutral, at least, but at that, he sharpens. and perhaps he should take issue with abandonment too, but he carries some small guilt over that which he will not readily admit--not to himself and certainly not to her. betrayal is a different crime.]
You knew the laws of Camelot. You knew, and you persisted, and you turned treacherous. Do not pin your crime on us--we never betrayed you. I never betrayed you.
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[ She chokes on her words, anger and hurt flickering onto pale skin. She could say so much, she could spit truths at him that would send his world reeling. ]
You did, you abandoned me just like the others. [ Yet she also had a hand in this, she distanced herself from them. But none of them, none even reached out a hand to her. ] Where were you when I was alone and afraid? Where were you when I─ [ Swallowed poison given by a friend. ]
The laws were wrong, the laws would have seen me dead. And you all abandoned me a long time ago.
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[it comes out near a shout, and any hurt that he feels is covered up by that, by his anger. he has done many things, but he never abandoned anyone--not until he had no choice; not until her magic made the decision for him.]
For a year, I searched the kingdom for any sign of you--I wanted you back, Morgana, and I would have given-- [even the thought stings. he was so ready to save her, but she never needed him. she had her magic. could she have been saved from it.]
I never abandoned you. I never gave you up for dead. You turned from us. You chose your path, and if it is a lonely one, you can only blame yourself.
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But she didn't reach out, she couldn't. And neither did they.
I never abandoned you. I never gave you up for dead.
It stings, it stings so much. She hates it, she hates that he gives her pause, she hates that as much as she tries to summon up the hate she knows she should feel it does not come.
Sister, I no longer know what to do. Help me. ]
It only turned lonely when you and yours condemned the only person to truly care for me to a slow and painful death.
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[and he means that question, honestly. he cannot think of who she would mean. Gwen cares for Morgana, he knows that--even now, she still cares. and there are feelings lingering in Arthur still, feelings that were dredged up and stirred around by her brief return to sanity, to herself--but once, not so long ago, he would have admitted that he cared for Morgana, and more--]
Who do you speak of, Morgana, because there are those at Camelot who cared for you--and I never harmed any of them. I am no murderer.
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[ It is said through gritted teeth, through still present grief and anger. She was the one who saved her, she was the one who cared and never turned from her. Morgause was always there, with soft words and tender hands. She loved her sister more than words could ever explain. ]
You think she took me but you are wrong, she saved me. If not for her, I would be dead.
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What did you need saving from? You had everything at Camelot! You were under no threat--
[except the threat of death, but only if she used her magic. to avoid that was simple, wasn't it? don't use magic.]
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I had been poisoned, while you fought a fool's battle. [ Merlin poisoned me, your precious servant. The fool we all thought harmless. He betrayed me, he tried to kill your own flesh and blood. ]