fic: Days of Our Lives (Merlin) and Challenge
Title: Day By Day
Author: writteninhaste previously feathergirl89
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: blink and you'll miss it references to Episodes 1 and 12
Summary: 7 x 100 word drabbles in response to the challenge
Challenge 1 : Use the following rhyme to create seven 100 word drabbles. Assign whichever characters you like to each day of the week, but only one character should personify the virtue in each day. The drabble can contain a pairing or not as you like, and continuity is not necessary.
Challenge 2: Use the following rhyme to create seven 100 word drabbles about Merlin/Arthur, using each day's virtue as a theme/scenario. Eg: full of woe - write an angsty drabble.
Here is the rhyme:
Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is a disgrace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, and the child that was born on the Sabbath day is bonnie and blyth and good and gay.
My own contribution to Challange version 1 is below the LJ cut.
Day By Day
Nimueh
Monday’s child is fair of face
Her’s was a cold beauty. There was no warmth in her eyes. Grief and pain and fury had carved away all remnants of love and affection. She was a creature of the Old Religion now - wrought from snow and frost and ice - heartless and aloof; not chained by the rules of mortal men.
She had felt mercy once. She had known what it meant to laugh and love. She had once bathed in the summer sun and scorned the winter ice. All that had changed now - lost with the birth of a son and the death of a wife.
Morgana
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
The knights always told her she graced the court - that she graced them with her presence. As though grace were something she could bestow. They were blind, foolish - every single one of them. Did they not see that she was just a woman - just one woman in this court? Still only mortal, still so able to die - fighting to stay alive beneath Uther’s laws. Did they not realise that she could win them Uther’s censure as well as his favour? Did they not know that grace was something only God could give them? That all she had were dreams?
Uther
Wednesday’s child is full of woe
The grass surrounding Ygraine’s grave grows tall, save for the space before the marker that bares her name. This, Uther ensures, always remains clear. He traces the letters with a gloved hand, fighting the urge to weep and curse and demand God return to him his wife. Arthur has never seen this place - Uther only ever takes him to the chapel to pray his mother. He wonders if he is too harsh - denying his son a place to mourn. But this place is Uther’s alone - and it is private. And his compassion is buried in the ground beside Ygraine.
Arthur
Thursday’s child has far to go
The first time Merlin meets Arthur, from the second he realises this prat will one day rule a kingdom, Merlin pities the people of Camelot. The next time, Merlin sees something - a flash of a different Prince in Arthur’s eyes - accompanied by a command to let him go. When the Dragon tells him Arthur will be a great king, Merlin admits, silently, that he has seen the possibility. When Arthur apologises to Merlin, Merlin knows that Arthur will be a great king. As Arthur starts to list Merlin’s chores, he decides that Arthur still has a long way to go.
Gwen
Friday’s child is loving and giving
Everyone who met Guinevere knew that she was loving and kind. Hers was an open heart, willing to shelter anyone who needed to feel as though they were cared for and loved. Her first thought was so the comfort of other’s not herself. Even when wronged, she could not bring herself to hold a grudge - the mere thought of doing so was against her nature. But no one expected her to forgive Uther this. They would understand. But seeing Arthur’s earnest face, his soft horror at what had been done; Gwen found that she could forgive the king even this.
Gaius
Saturday’s child works hard for a living
Gaius winced, as his knees groaned in protest to his kneeling. His advanced age did not make collecting herbs easy, but it had to be done. Gone were the days when he could hope to use enchantments to heal those who needed help. Nowadays, he was forced to rely on science - forced to hope that it would be enough. Sometimes it was not. Gaius knows there have been times when a simple spell could have stopped the bleeding a simple plant could not. But he can do nothing - nothing except work harder, longer to build a new repertoire of cures.
Merlin
And the child that was born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe and good and gay
Watching as his servant ran through the autumn field, hastily flapping his arms in an attempt to teach a young bird to fly, Arthur sent up a silent prayer that Merlin never changed. Merlin was a bundle of hope and joy, wrapped up in gangly arms and overly-large ears. His eyes held the promise of spring rain and his soul seemed to soar higher than the castle walls. Arthur never wanted to see darkness enter Merlin’s eyes. He wanted to ensure that he was innocent forever. He wanted Merlin always to be free. He would not clip this falcon’s wings.
Author: writteninhaste previously feathergirl89
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: blink and you'll miss it references to Episodes 1 and 12
Summary: 7 x 100 word drabbles in response to the challenge
Challenge 1 : Use the following rhyme to create seven 100 word drabbles. Assign whichever characters you like to each day of the week, but only one character should personify the virtue in each day. The drabble can contain a pairing or not as you like, and continuity is not necessary.
Challenge 2: Use the following rhyme to create seven 100 word drabbles about Merlin/Arthur, using each day's virtue as a theme/scenario. Eg: full of woe - write an angsty drabble.
Here is the rhyme:
Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is a disgrace, Wednesday's child is full of woe, Thursday's child has far to go, Friday's child is loving and giving, Saturday's child works hard for a living, and the child that was born on the Sabbath day is bonnie and blyth and good and gay.
My own contribution to Challange version 1 is below the LJ cut.
Day By Day
Nimueh
Monday’s child is fair of face
Her’s was a cold beauty. There was no warmth in her eyes. Grief and pain and fury had carved away all remnants of love and affection. She was a creature of the Old Religion now - wrought from snow and frost and ice - heartless and aloof; not chained by the rules of mortal men.
She had felt mercy once. She had known what it meant to laugh and love. She had once bathed in the summer sun and scorned the winter ice. All that had changed now - lost with the birth of a son and the death of a wife.
Morgana
Tuesday’s child is full of grace
The knights always told her she graced the court - that she graced them with her presence. As though grace were something she could bestow. They were blind, foolish - every single one of them. Did they not see that she was just a woman - just one woman in this court? Still only mortal, still so able to die - fighting to stay alive beneath Uther’s laws. Did they not realise that she could win them Uther’s censure as well as his favour? Did they not know that grace was something only God could give them? That all she had were dreams?
Uther
Wednesday’s child is full of woe
The grass surrounding Ygraine’s grave grows tall, save for the space before the marker that bares her name. This, Uther ensures, always remains clear. He traces the letters with a gloved hand, fighting the urge to weep and curse and demand God return to him his wife. Arthur has never seen this place - Uther only ever takes him to the chapel to pray his mother. He wonders if he is too harsh - denying his son a place to mourn. But this place is Uther’s alone - and it is private. And his compassion is buried in the ground beside Ygraine.
Arthur
Thursday’s child has far to go
The first time Merlin meets Arthur, from the second he realises this prat will one day rule a kingdom, Merlin pities the people of Camelot. The next time, Merlin sees something - a flash of a different Prince in Arthur’s eyes - accompanied by a command to let him go. When the Dragon tells him Arthur will be a great king, Merlin admits, silently, that he has seen the possibility. When Arthur apologises to Merlin, Merlin knows that Arthur will be a great king. As Arthur starts to list Merlin’s chores, he decides that Arthur still has a long way to go.
Gwen
Friday’s child is loving and giving
Everyone who met Guinevere knew that she was loving and kind. Hers was an open heart, willing to shelter anyone who needed to feel as though they were cared for and loved. Her first thought was so the comfort of other’s not herself. Even when wronged, she could not bring herself to hold a grudge - the mere thought of doing so was against her nature. But no one expected her to forgive Uther this. They would understand. But seeing Arthur’s earnest face, his soft horror at what had been done; Gwen found that she could forgive the king even this.
Gaius
Saturday’s child works hard for a living
Gaius winced, as his knees groaned in protest to his kneeling. His advanced age did not make collecting herbs easy, but it had to be done. Gone were the days when he could hope to use enchantments to heal those who needed help. Nowadays, he was forced to rely on science - forced to hope that it would be enough. Sometimes it was not. Gaius knows there have been times when a simple spell could have stopped the bleeding a simple plant could not. But he can do nothing - nothing except work harder, longer to build a new repertoire of cures.
Merlin
And the child that was born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe and good and gay
Watching as his servant ran through the autumn field, hastily flapping his arms in an attempt to teach a young bird to fly, Arthur sent up a silent prayer that Merlin never changed. Merlin was a bundle of hope and joy, wrapped up in gangly arms and overly-large ears. His eyes held the promise of spring rain and his soul seemed to soar higher than the castle walls. Arthur never wanted to see darkness enter Merlin’s eyes. He wanted to ensure that he was innocent forever. He wanted Merlin always to be free. He would not clip this falcon’s wings.