You Remember The Scene Were Knights "pranked" Merlin By Giving Him Endless Chores So He Didn't Have Time

You remember the scene were knights "pranked" Merlin by giving him endless chores so he didn't have time to it and pretending they didn't leave him some stew? Can we just have Lance rise from the dead for the sole reason to yell at them bc it's fucking not funny, the guy grew up in a village that didn't always have enough food. I just really needed someone to kick their arses in that moment. Especially in moments like that I wished that Lance was still there. I can't believe GWAINE went with it

ya know... that actually did not occur to me. I took it as more of an older siblings/little brother dynamic type prank, but you bring up some good points.

My guess is that 1) really only Arthur knew about Merlin’s upbringing. The others hadn’t been to Ealdor (I think... Gwen and Arthur were recently there at the end of s4 but i don’t... think... the knights were. That could be wrong tho) nor did Merlin ever talk about that stuff with anyone outside of Arthur that I remember and 2) the others probably thought since they (par Leon and a bit of Gwaine) had all been commoners at some point that they would have all shared that sort of thing in common. Since they might not have struggled with that as commoners they wouldn’t have realized Merlin did. Lastly, 3) since it has been some years since Merlin lived in Ealdor he certainly didn’t look scrawny and starving like he did in earlier seasons. Without the visual prompting it might not be something they considered.

All of that being said, I can still see how that might be an asshole move. I also can’t picture Lancelot going along with it. Honestly, my guess is the SECOND he saw what was happening he would have gotten up and given Merlin his bowl before taking over in chores lol. Then if anyone complained he would have brought up Ealdor and everyone would have shut tf up immediately.

Canonically he was probably in Avalon with Balinor...

Lancelot: no. I - damnit. Merlin, just... take some... damnit.

Balinor: do they always treat him like this?

Lancelot: um. well. they won’t ACTUALLY let him starve.

Balinor: they’ll just let him think he’ll starve?

Lancelot: ....i swear I raised them all better than that

Balinor: These assholes are on a quest to kill a dragon egg and now they’re trying to kill my son?!!?

Lancelot: this must be a stressful week for you, huh?

Balinor: i fucking hate Arthur Pendragon. He does not deserve the dragon in his name. Now he is just Arthur Pen. Actually. You know what? He makes my son write all his speeches so he doesn’t deserve the Pen either. He’s just Arthur. And nobody likes him.

Lancelot: huh... I suddenly see how you and Merlin are related so much more clearly 😧😧😧