'In a land of myth and a time of magic,
'the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy.
'His name...Merlin.'
From the moment it touched my lips, I could feel my life return to me.
Cenred is our sworn enemy. We cannot risk him getting his hands on the Cup of Life.
Why does Uther fear it so much? The Cup can be used for evil AND good.
Not so great Cenred's got it, then.
It's worse than you can imagine. With the Cup, Camelot would soon be at our mercy.
You march with the mightiest weapon of them all - immortality.
I have always been loyal to you, Morgana.
I don't think you'll be needing this any more.
You have no right to the throne! No, she does not, but I do.
I am your daughter, after all.
Tell me, Sir Leon, how have you enjoyed the first week of my reign?
Speak up.
Are you and your fellow knights ready to honour and serve me?
I would rather die.
That can be arranged.
My loyalty is to the king and Prince Arthur.
There is nothing you can do to change that.
We shall see.
I'll get some more. It's too dangerous. What happened? Nothing.
We need to do something. Morgana's men are everywhere.
I will give you one more chance to pledge your allegiance to me.
Long live the king! ALL: Long live the king!
Perhaps this will help you change your mind.
WEAPONS FIRE, PEOPLE SCREAM
No!
DOOR OPENS
DOOR CLOSES Father...
Why are you doing this? Come, come. Surely you of all people understand.
Sometimes such measures are necessary.
Those people are innocent! As were so many that you put to death.
If you must kill someone, kill me.
You'll get your wish...
..but not yet.
I still want you to suffer as I suffered. To know what it is like to be alone and afraid,
to be disgusted with who and what you are...
Do you really hate me so much?
You cannot begin to know how much I hate you.
It's rat.
Oh, believe me, you've eaten far worse. I've served you things I would never have touched,
but you wolfed them down, no problem. Merlin, for once, leave me in peace. Please.
I understand.
Your father lied to you about Morgana - I don't know why, I'm sure he had his reasons -
but now is not the time for that. He is still your father. He needs you.
Camelot needs you. I've known her all my life.
How could she do this to us? I can't answer that.
But you have a duty to your father, to your people...
You can't give up on them now.
We cannot defeat an immortal army.
We don't know until we try.
I'm beginning to see the challenges that I face.
Being queen is not so simple, Gwen.
You're doing well, Your Majesty. You think?
The knights do not share your view.
They don't know you.
I need their allegiance.
Without that, the people will not yield to me.
My mother was a maid in Sir Leon's household. We grew up together.
I could talk to him, try to make him see sense.
You would do that for me? Uther killed my father.
Yes. I...I forgot you too had suffered.
Let me meet with Sir Leon.
I will arrange it. Thank you, Your Majesty.
We need to act before Morgana gets any stronger.
Have you sent word to Lancelot yet? I sent a letter to Haldor days ago.
He's probably moved on.
Give it time. We don't have time. We need to act now.
I know, Merlin. But how?
There was an immortal army before. How was it defeated?
The Cup of Life had to be emptied of the blood it contained. Once that had happened,
the enchantment no longer held.
Then that's what I have to do. They're immortal, Merlin.
You do not have the power to defeat a soldier, never mind an army.
Guinevere! It's all I could get.
I don't understand. What are you doing here?
Morgana sent me...to talk to you. To make you see sense.
Listen to me. I'd rather starve. ..Guard!
(I'm going to help you escape.)
FOOTSTEPS APPROACH
It's all right.
Get me some water.
The queen has instructed me to get the prisoner food and water!
You know what will happen if you're caught? We have to find Arthur. I have an idea where he'll be hiding.
Then I need to get you out of here. How?
It's impossible, surely.
I am a trusted member of the court.
THEY WHISPER
It's as we suspected. She has betrayed me.
I will have her executed at dawn. No!
Wait, this is good. Let her run to her beloved prince.
She will lead us straight to him.
Merlin? What are you doing?
Looking for something.
What?
This.
When I met the Fisher King, he gave me this.
He told me that in Camelot's darkest hour, when all seems lost...
..it would show me the way. Yes. But how?
That's what I'd like to find out.
Did you speak to Sir Leon? Yes.
And will he do as you asked?
It might take some time, but I think he will come round. Gwen!
This deserves a celebration. Why, Your Majesty...
To friendship and loyalty. To friendship and loyalty.
Gerihtljc me.
Fultumie me!
My Lady?
Morgause?
Geondlihte gesweorce min!
GLASS BREAKS
< Oh, sorry. Nature calls.
Oh, no.
Freya?
I've missed you.
You're... Merlin, we don't have long.
Is it really you?
I swore that one day I would repay you.
Now is the moment. I don't understand.
There is but one weapon that can slay something which is already dead.
A blade forged in the dragon's breath.
That weapon lies at the bottom of the Lake of Avalon,
Where you hid it.
But Morgana's army are not dead, they are very much alive.
Anyone who toys with the Cup pays a terrible price.
The moment they entered their pact with Morgause, they became the living dead.
You MUST come to the lake.
And you will give me the sword?
In your hands, it has the power to save Albion.
Thank you.
No.
It's given me the chance to see you again.
That's better.
You all right? You look like you've seen a ghost.
I'm fine.
Really.
Freya?
I have to cross 20 leagues of hostile territory. I need you to take me.
I am not a horse, Merlin. If you do not, then Morgana will have won. Unless that's what you want?
My allegiance has never been with the witch.
I know.
But is it with me? Yes, young warlock.
It is with you.
Thank you.
I warned you before that, in the wrong hands, this sword can do great evil.
You must promise me, Merlin, that once its task is done,
you will place it where none can wield it.
I promise.
Gesigle.
CLINKING
BELLS RING OUT
We haven't got time to waste.
You... You can't be serious. Just hurry.
Every guard in Camelot will be looking for YOU.
They won't be looking for two women courtiers.
HE SIGHS
Sounds like the wait's over.
Beo pu leohte bewunden!
The potion does its work.
Off you go. Hurry along to your beloved prince.
What's taking you so long? I'm a woman! Here, let me help you.
From here we need to take the path heading north.
There's a cave in the Darkling Woods, five minutes due east of the fallen oak.
It has a concealed entrance and fresh water.
My guess is that's where Arthur's hiding out.
Scin scir!
This way.
Having a little lie down, Merlin?
No.
Good, because the time for sleeping's over.
You seem better.
You're hopeless at a lot of things, Merlin, most things in fact, but occasionally, quite by accident,
you say something useful. Really? Yesterday,
amongst all your gibberish, you said something that... if I didn't know you,
I would be completely fooled into thinking you were... What?
..wise.
No!
DISTANT SHOUTING
SHE GASPS
Guinevere!
Sir Leon.
We've been found!
They're almost upon us. Get Gaius!
We need to get out of here! Run!
They've found us. We need to go. I will slow you down. It's Arthur you need to protect, not me.
I won't leave you. Camelot needs you.
Camelot needs us both. Go!
I'll be right behind you.
Look out! Who's that?
I don't know, but I'm liking him already.
Lancelot!
We need to hurry.
I take it that rock fall wasn't an accident.
This is Percival. It was his strength that brought them down.
Your Highness. Arthur.
Arthur it is. What were you doing here?
It was me.
I sent for him.
Well, we owe you our lives. Thank you.
He was lucky to escape. I'm sorry, sister. What can he do?
Arthur has but a handful of men.
We have an immortal army at our disposal. Yes. But whilst Arthur lives, the people will not yield.
Then we will make them.
Tonight we will have a gallows built, and tomorrow, one by one,
we will put an end to the knights of Camelot.
Are you sure we'll be safe in here?
This castle belonged to the ancient kings.
It will do for a while.
Can't be worse than that cave.
Search the place, see what you can find.
(INAUDIBLE)
They must have been left by bandits.
Here! Come and join me.
This table belonged to the ancient kings of Camelot.
A round table afforded no one man more importance than any other.
They believed in equality in all things.
And so it seems fitting that we revive this tradition NOW.
Without each of you... we would not be here.
My father has languished in prison for too long.
Tomorrow I make my bid to rescue him.
Are there any around this table who will join me?
You taught me the values of being a knight.
The code by which a man should live his life.
To fight with honour for justice, freedom and all that's good.
I believe in the world that you will build.
Even though I was a commoner, a nobody...
you were willing to lay down your life for me, Arthur.
It is now my turn to repay you.
I have fought alongside you many times. There's no-one that I would rather die for.
I think we've no chance...
..but I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Your enemies are my enemies.
If you need an old man...
You know the answer.
Merlin?
No, I don't really fancy it. You don't have a choice, Merlin.
OK.
I want to thank you all for staying loyal to me in Camelot's hour of need.
I'll do something that my father won't approve of.
Arise Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot.
Arise Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot.
Arise Sir Percival, Knight of Camelot.
Arise Sir Elyan, Knight of Camelot.
Tomorrow when you fight, you can stand proud...
..knowing you are members of the most noble army the world has ever known.
You're a knight.
At last.
But for how long? Who knows?
What are you planning?
And don't even think about lying. I know you too well.
It's too difficult to explain. You can tell me!
Morgana has the Cup of Life.
If I can find it and empty it of the blood within,
then the army will be destroyed and Morgana will be powerless.
Aren't you forgetting something? It's guarded. By an immortal army.
Aren't you forgetting something? I have magic.
It doesn't make you immortal.
No.
You know, Merlin, you're the one Arthur should knight.
HE SCOFFS
You're the bravest of us all, and he doesn't even know.
He can't.
Not yet.
That's why I need to find a way to get to the Cup without Arthur knowing.
Leave that to me.
There is a tunnel under the northern ramparts that brings us a few paces from the entrance to the dungeons.
It will be well guarded.
So if we are going to break everyone out, we must remain unobserved, we cannot let them raise the alarm.
We need to take out the warning bell. That way, they have no means of communication. Good idea.
I'll need someone with me who knows the castle. I'll go.
All right.
You'll stay here with Gaius. I want you to gather firewood and make bandages. There will be casualties.
All right.
Guinevere...
They'll see.
I don't care.
I want you to know...
..if I never see you again...
You will.
You will see me.
I watched you last night. You gave us hope,
something to believe in.
I saw the king you will become. I'm so proud of you, Arthur.
You need to be careful. I've got the easy bit.
The warning bell is nothing compared to the cells.
I overheard you, Merlin. If Morgause catches you, she will kill you.
I have no choice.
I remember the bungling idiot that came charging into my chamber all those years ago.
Who would believe it?
Gaius!
Good luck!
MERLIN GASPS
I can sense the Cup's power.
This way.
FOOTSTEPS
What is that?
It was forged in a dragon's breath.
HE WHISTLES
Now!
Stay there and don't move.
What do we do now?
Father, we have to hurry. SHOUTING
I'm sorry.
Please, Father, now isn't the time.
HE GROANS
BELLS RING OUT
What the hell are those two doing?
If we're to go down, we'll go down fighting.
For the love of Camelot!
KNIGHTS ROAR
HE GASPS
I have a feeling I won't be seeing you again.
< No.
You won't. Oferswinge!
SHE GASPS
SHE SCREAMS
Merlin! The Cup!
MERLIN GASPS
No! No!
SHE SOBS Sister...
It's over, Morgana.
No, you're wrong.
This has just begun.
No...
No!
MORGANA SCREAMS AND ROARS
THUNDER RUMBLES
You're safe now, Father.
Where's Gwaine?
Gwaine?
You still alive?
< What do you think?
And that's Sir Gwaine to you.
Have you seen the state of these boots? Yeah.
Well, go and get something to clean them. Why?
They're YOUR boots. Have you lost your mind?
I thought you believed in equality?
I'm sorry?
But at the round table, you said... Shut up, Merlin.
How's your father?
I don't know.
All this...Morgana...
..it's hit him hard.
Perhaps we're heading for a new time.
You may need to take charge, become...
Become king.
Who knows what the future will bring?
And they've searched through the remains of the rubble and still no Morgana?
Or Morgause.
They won't have gone far.
Merlin, no-one else is going to say this to you, but I will.
Well done.
I told you Camelot needed both of us.
We're going to have to tidy this place up.
Not now.
Where are you going?
Um...
What are you up to?
There's something I have to do.
'In the wrong hands, this sword can do great evil.
'You must promise me, Merlin,
'that once its task is done,
'you will place it where none can wield it.'
THUNDER RUMBLES
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