[Third Person's PoV]
"Could those memories potentially awaken within me? Could she take over my body or something because of it?" Arthur asked warily.
Merlin shook her head. "You don't have to worry about that. The memories only awaken in the female members of the family, which is why the Le Fay lineage was primarily considered a matriarchal household—where women ruled over men, unlike the usual norm."
"Wait… then how exactly do I possess both the Le Fay and Pendragon bloodlines at the same time? Isn't it usually the case that one bloodline dominates the other?" Arthur wondered aloud. "I just have so many questions…"
"I'll answer some of them," Merlin replied. "However, for others, you'll need to research and find the answers yourself. I won't hand you everything on a silver platter."
Arthur sighed but nodded.
"As for why you have both bloodlines," Merlin continued, "it's simple. One of your parents was a descendant of the Le Fay, and the other was a descendant of the Pendragon."
Arthur groaned. "Merlin, I could have figured that out myself."
"Then why ask?" Merlin tilted her head in confusion.
"Just… never mind. Go on," Arthur urged her.
"As for how both bloodlines coexist within you… Let me put it in a way you'll understand." Merlin tapped her chin thoughtfully before explaining, "Think of the Le Fay bloodline as Yin and the Pendragon bloodline as Yang. They are opposing forces, constantly clashing. However, because of that conflict, they also push each other to grow stronger."
Merlin then smiled. "In your case, because of you, a once-diluted bloodline—one that had weakened over the eons—has become quite pure again. I suspect this is also why both your parents were squibs. Their bloodlines had become too tainted due to generations of inbreeding in an attempt to 'keep the blood pure'—when in reality, that kind of practice weakens it. But that's neither here nor there." She waved it off, noticing Arthur's disgust at the mention of incest.
Arthur sighed—an action he found himself repeating a lot lately. "Just how pure is my bloodline exactly?"
Merlin pondered for a moment. "Hmmm… From what I can sense, I'd say it's as if you were a direct descendant of the original ancestors—as if you were their own child."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "That pure, huh?"
Merlin nodded.
Arthur took a deep breath before asking, "Alright, so what exactly does the Le Fay bloodline do? And while we're at it, what about the Pendragon bloodline?"
"I won't say anything about the Pendragon bloodline," Merlin said with a mysterious smile. "That's something you'll have to discover on your own. But don't worry, it won't be long before you find your answer."
Arthur frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Merlin simply kept smiling, refusing to elaborate.
Arthur huffed. "Fine. Since you won't tell me about the Pendragon bloodline, what about the Le Fay's?"
"Well, since you've already started to awaken its abilities, I'll explain," Merlin said. "To understand the Le Fay bloodline, you need to understand Morgana herself. In your previous world, there were two versions of her story: one where she was King Arthur's half-sister, and another where she was the Queen of Avalon, the Fairy Kingdom, and a fairy herself. In this case, both are true."
Arthur listened intently.
"The Le Fay bloodline is also known as the 'Fairy Bloodline.' It was what allowed Morgana to be recognized as a fairy and become the Queen of Avalon. This is also why the Le Fay and Pendragon bloodlines are opposing forces—fairies and dragons were considered natural enemies."
Merlin continued, "Through this bloodline, Morgana became a master of Dark Magic, wielding magical power equal to my own. Because she was a Fay, communicating with magical creatures was as natural to her as breathing. Casting and creating spells also came effortlessly to her due to her bloodline. Believe it or not, her greatest talent was actually in Healing Magic—though that may have just been her personal specialty."
She then smiled knowingly. "The Le Fay bloodline is adored by magical creatures. They will see you as a treasured friend and companion."
Arthur looked down at his hands in awe. "So to summarize, the Le Fay bloodline grants:
Affinity with Magical Creatures
Communication with Magical Creatures
Enhanced Magic Power
Enhanced Spell Creation
Potential Healing Magic"
"Don't forget Dark Magic Affinity," Merlin added seriously. "To the Le Fays, Dark Magic was their signature. They were among the most fearsome magic users the wizarding world had ever seen."
"Right…" Arthur muttered, staring down at his hands. Then, looking up at Merlin with confusion, he asked, "Why aren't you advising me to stay away from such magic? Shouldn't you be warning me to be careful and never to try Black Magic or something?"
Merlin scoffed. "Pfft, why the hell would I? That'd be pretty hypocritical of me. I use both Black and White Magic. Black Magic isn't inherently evil—it's the people who wield it for their own selfish gains that are.
"White Magic can be just as destructive as Black Magic in the wrong hands, just as Black Magic can be used for righteous and just purposes when placed in the right ones."
"I see," Arthur murmured, nodding to himself. "Mighty is neither the pen nor the sword, but the hand that wields it." As he spoke, he idly ran his hand over Cosmos's ears.
Merlin blinked in surprise before grinning and clapping her hands together. "Well said! Exactly! In the end, it's all about how you choose to wield it. Arthur, just know this—I'll never stop you from doing what you want. If you decide to become some evil overlord or use Dark Magic to conquer the world, I won't interfere.
"The decision is yours alone. I'm not here to dictate your life—I'm here to guide you, to offer advice. What you do with that advice is entirely up to you."
Arthur nodded in acknowledgment. "Well, I'd be the world's biggest idiot if I didn't take advice from Merlin the Wise."
Merlin smirked. "Damn right."
Arthur chuckled before growing thoughtful. "I do have another question, though. Is the reason I was able to create the magic circle so easily because of my Le Fay bloodline?"
"Easily?" Merlin scoffed. "If I recall correctly—and I saw it with my own two eyes—you were struggling quite a bit when you first started."
"Yeah… but even so, I feel like it came to me faster than it should have. This is something that would normally take years to master."
Merlin tilted her head from side to side, as if debating how much she should reveal. "No, it's not entirely because of your Le Fay bloodline. But... it does play a role. That's all I'll say."
Arthur blinked, surprised by the shift in her tone. There was something she wasn't telling him—something serious.
He exhaled softly, closing his eyes for a moment. 'I'll find out when the time comes…'
Merlin raised a questioning brow. "Satisfied?"
Arthur shrugged. "For the most part. I still have some questions, but I doubt you're going to answer them, so I won't bother."
Merlin leaned forward and ruffled his hair with a smirk. "Look at you, growing wiser and wiser. Looks like all my good traits are rubbing off on you."
Arthur shot her a deadpan look as she chuckled to herself.
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