More like withered branch. I'm obviously not sold.
Arthur's angry pic aw. His love for his dad is really touching.
Morgana seems like she's too depressed to care beyond her immediate circle for now. I hope it doesn't bite her in the back later. It's still a serious decision to leave someone to their fate knowing full well you have the power to do something about it. Again. My stance is that of the withered branch. It could probably simply be a fat blossoming olive tree with luscious fruits. And I completely missed it. c:
Morgana certainly could use a nice distraction in those potential lovebirds
I don't know what's going on, but I opened the new chapter and it starts out with a HUGE picture of Morgana and it's... kind of bad quality? I think something must have gone wrong there.
On to the actual chapter.
A lot of news in Camelot today. It's pretty sad how paranoid Agravaine is becoming because of the attack on him. I get that he has no clue it was actually Morgana and must think it's someone else, but he's going to get no reassurance that there isn't a traitor in the castle because of it.
I get why Uther would want to shield his children. I hope he's also looking out for himself and has a back-up plan to get out of there when things (inevitably) go wrong. This peace negotiation doesn't sound genuine because there's no obvious cause pointing towards it. Arthur isn't ready to become king yet, I'd say.
Morgana seems so lifeless after what happened to her. All of her sparkle is gone. She seems to get some sort of enjoyment out of teasing Guinevere but I only think it's cruel. Morgana knows nothing can realistically come of it. It's harsh to push Guinevere and Arthur together like that, making Guinevere fall more in love with Arthur when she gets to know him.
I like the mix of proper suspicion and genuine paranoia in Agravaine. Exactly what a man in his position should have. Suspect everything and everyone.
A negotiation in the fort on neutral territory. That stinks of a trap. Forts are just as hard to get OUT of as get INTO. Also - the symbolism has nanny meanings here. The war can be concluded in many ways, after all. Seems that Uther understands this...
Flustered maidservants. Adorable.
I understand Morgana's intent, but this is NOT a good idea. Seriously.
Overall, the chapter is a setup for next events and it does this job rather well. Not much top add, TBH.
I agree, this is a huge trap. At least Uther is being smart and sending his children somewhere safe. I think this is the last we may see of Uther. I also believe that somehow Richard is involved in the death of the king of Essetir. Perhaps this is just a huge plot to get Essetir, Nemeth and Cornwall together as allies, then eliminate Uther and his children and take over Camelot. Just my speculations on it.
Poor Guin, being teased. But I think this might be going somewhere. Normally I would say that there is no hope of a maidservant becoming a queen, but I'm predicting that Uther gets killed and Arthur becomes King (which I don't think he is ready for). He falls for Guin and marries her, which probably isn't the best move politically speaking. I do love all their awkward flirting. Of course these are just predictions and who knows, I might change my mind, lol.
Pffft, you’re all a bunch of pessimists, that branch is fat and blossoming and with giant juicy olives on it of course! Things in Camelot are always as they seem after all. Lying? Me? Naaahhh.
Huh, weird. It doesn’t show that way to me, but I edited it just to be safe. Thank you for letting me know!
Agravaine definitely seems to be spiraling a bit. If I was sent on a wild goose chase after a person that didn’t exist because they were secretly my niece in disguise, I’d lose a few of my sanity marbles, too, so to speak. And you have a good point regarding Morgana. She’s having fun with it, but it’s rather cruel, too.
It’s a total coincidence, but in-game Agravaine has been making crazy eyes at everything and everyone since then, too. I’ve given up on getting him to act normal outside of posing and keep him in the basement now.
Poor Gorlois. Nobody has even met him yet and you all think he’s a trap-laying potato already. Like I’ve said on wordpress, I can’t answer anything because of spoilers, but please refer to Mr. Bickers for any details! Bring toys.
I’m horrible at flirting myself – I can’t do it with a straight face, and get flustered when someone does it to me, so I can relate to Guinevere pretty well here, haha.
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Oof, Morgana is such a knockout in this chapter. Especially that picture of her on her horse with the full moon behind her She's too breathtaking. And you wonder why she'd me be snog choice before Lancelot
I also like that her horse is wilder than Arthur's, and the fact it chased Percival of all people made me smile hah.
The second to last picture really highlights the glisten in Guinevre's eyes, I always forget that you do the eye thing, but moments like this really make it stand out. She's so precious. I doubt Arthur will be able to resist her for long, now that he knows the truth.
I wonder what mess they'll end up getting to in Scarborough, Nimueh wouldn't just come along for no reason, after all, so I'm guessing she'll have her hands full...
I see what you meant by "Gwynevere having good awkward and shy faces" :-)
Excellent idea to acknowledge in story that Morgana does NOT by any stretch of imagination looks like a commoner. But then again, neither does Arthur. And TBH I am not sure who is more conspicuous.
"You're going to be a death of me" OUCH!
Considering that Arthur is Morgana's brother and she is a spellweaver, that moment with lack of reins for the horse could be explained.
Good catch. The best one, I'd say.
Of course it is not going to be a simple ride.
Logistical Error (?) How did Morgana end up behind Arthur if he's approached his horse and made a turn? He has to be facing them both. Why would he turn around again? He already could see them from this position. Minor detail, but it is there.
Ground IS rather soft to sleep on, I ill confirm.
'Are you a good mistress?" That is one heck of a question to ask :-) I thought royals were supposed to have better vocabulary :-) I get the point and the message, but for real - the wording is...interesting. In all seriousness, though - IRL royalty and nobility are notorious for their....uncommon practices.
It is all fun and games on the first glance, but Morgana IS setting up Arthur and Gwynevere. All that is saving that couple is the fact that they HAVE to end up together. Under normal circumstances there would a lot of consequence for Arthur for taking a commoner as a bride. Remove the fact that there is "Canon" story and this is exactly what it is - manipulation of two people for Morgana's amusement. How unsightly for Morgana.
I tried everything on this girl. A cowl. Hair in a bun. A bald head. A servant’s outfit. Rags. It doesn’t matter what she puts on. She still looks regal. Aaaah poor Lancelot, always second place. Even though he likes you so much.
Guinevere is basically the female version of Gawain in terms of eye glistening. She has it most of the time, if not always. In-game, she’s either grinning like a plum or being mortified about something. There’s no in-between.
Haha, true. I put the commoner’s shirt on him to make him seem less important, but all it did was make him even more buff. Oh, well. I just find it funny at this point how much they defy me.
Oh, definitely. Her manipulations are pretty cruel at worst. Then again, manipulating people is all she knows at this point. She’s been doing it for the entire story, the poor girl.
Okay, so I probably shouldn’t admit to this, but I’ve actually done the pie thing myself, when I was an awkward teenager. I went to the house of a person I liked with an apple pie, then changed my mind right when I rang the doorbell (oh my god, what if this is total overkill, they’re going to think I’m insane, holy cow I need to hide this thing). I ended up throwing it into the neighbour’s garden. Plate and all.
The pose was a tryout from one of the other simmers, I think. I’ll check if it’s still a thing.
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
This was such a nice light-hearted chapter. I really hope Guinevere will get used to being around Arthur instead of acting startled all the time. It's pretty cute but also gets tiring, honestly. It might not be getting any better now Arthur will probably act differently towards her.
Arthur is right, Morgana shouldn't play like that. It's unfair to both of them, although I do wonder if this will go anywhere at some point.
*Sarcastic* Aw, Morrie has discovered that some people are not wearing masks and that playing with feeling is bad. And yet she could not help it, right? Why is that, I wonder. Maybe because Morgana can't play with her own feelings? Jealous much?
When did you stop caring? Long time ago, Morgana. Your own kingdom taught you this. The real question is: Did you ever care?
That would be one heck of a twist if the there would end up killed by a dragon. Except there is no way that would happen. That is not when and how Morgana is destined to perish. TBH rather pointless sequence.
If anything, the chapter does good job at kicking one from underneath Morgana and Arthur. Morgana realizes that she is not exactly a nice person and Arthur realizes that he
NEEDS others. OR at least they are shown the way to these realizations.
And what was the point? To show that dragons are still real? To only three people in the middle of night? Mmmmkay.
To make Arthur face insurmountable odds? A rabid bear would have worked just fine, with all three working together to drive it off. With a Dragon, they were at its mercy. Defeating a rabid bear would have bonded them together. IN this case it is just that - bowing down and hoping for the best. CHOMP! and that is all. Tales of Camelot by Sims_Yimi , The end.
To make Pendragons stand against their principles? Against A DRAGON?! All it has to do it SNEEZE at them and they are all dead. Bowing down looks like them just accepting their fate. Okay, fine, Morgana is a mage, there is something mystical happening, symbolism of a woman, yada yada yada. But ARTHUR just...bowing down like this? It is DEFINITELY not something that a future king should do. For all he knows, they are dead anyway. In fact, him standing defiant against a dragon would have much better effect - hi willing to defend his people and die for them. Instead he simply gives up just because Morgana ( AKA Someone else) told him to. The best part - Morgana outright states that she was bluffing. If true - then Arthur followed a blind advice, if a lie - then Arthur followed a LIE.
To threaten the heroes? They are not destined to die anyway. Not yet.
For world building? I guess that works, but there is the original Legend.
And what was the point? To show that dragons are still real? To only three people in the middle of night? Mmmmkay.
To make Arthur face insurmountable odds? A rabid bear would have worked just fine, with all three working together to drive it off. With a Dragon, they were at its mercy. Defeating a rabid bear would have bonded them together. IN this case it is just that - bowing down and hoping for the best. CHOMP! and that is all. Tales of Camelot by Sims_Yimi , The end.
To make Pendragons stand against their principles? Against A DRAGON?! All it has to do it SNEEZE at them and they are all dead. Bowing down looks like them just accepting their fate. Okay, fine, Morgana is a mage, there is something mystical happening, symbolism of a woman, yada yada yada. But ARTHUR just...bowing down like this? It is DEFINITELY not something that a future king should do. For all he knows, they are dead anyway. In fact, him standing defiant against a dragon would have much better effect - hi willing to defend his people and die for them. Instead he simply gives up just because Morgana ( AKA Someone else) told him to. The best part - Morgana outright states that she was bluffing. If true - then Arthur followed a blind advice, if a lie - then Arthur followed a LIE.
To threaten the heroes? They are not destined to die anyway. Not yet.
For world building? I guess that works, but there is the original Legend.
Hm… So if it’s not Arthur overcoming insurmountable odds or facing a “destined” threat that leads to their deaths, that means that the chapter is meaningless? I’m not being aggressive – I’m trying to understand. What part of a gigantic dragon showing up, Morgana having visions of Nimueh watching them, Arthur being shown to blindly trust his sister against his better judgment and the dragon actively letting them go for some reason are pointless?
I cannot rely on the legend for prior knowledge, actually. There are readers that are unfamiliar with the story as a whole. It’s not necessary to know it in order to enjoy ToC - I alter many parts, and the legend itself has many different versions, anyway. But that also means that I cannot rely on readers having any knowledge outside of what I show them.
Hosting D&D sessions on the side. Interested in playing through some fantasy-themed shenanigans? Send me a message 😘
Chapter is not meaningless. That early heart-to-heart between Morgana and Gwynevere is not meaningless. Arthur's thought about how difficult it is to hold watch alone are not meaningless. The whole danger and standoff is not meaningless. What is meaningless is the Dragon. What's the point of including SPECIFICALLY a Dragon? To Show that our heroes just have to bow down and accept their fates? Because that is precisely how it looks like. In addition, Arthur may be a knight or knight in training, but he is also a future KING! He will have to bear a responsibility for ENTILRE KINGDOM on his shoulders, yet we see him simply taking a word of his sister, And no, familial relationships do not overrule responsibility and common sense. In fact, Arthur was 100% right in trying to get Morgana and Gwynevere to run. HE took the responsibility for his people as is fit for Knight and Future king. It does rob something from him that he simply bowed down.
In addition, Morgana having visions of Nimueh in this particular situation shows...what, exactly? And how would Arthur understand any of it? For all he knows, Morgana is in fear paralisiys.
The point I am making is that the appearance of the dragon is very forced. Something is off. Very very off. Had Arthur not bowed down and stood his ground defiantly, protecting his people - they have a CIVILIAN out there - this would have conveyed an image of him being ready to fight something he KNOWS he can't beat in name of his loved ones and people. Very very admirable for both king and a knight. Instead he just bows. A King, future or not, can not allow to take ANYTHING on faith. Responsibility is too high. In addition - that dragon appeared out of nowhere. Why not an Alien or Brundlefly? Effect would be the same.
The chapter is not pointless, but that dragon? Why? What's the point? What are you trying to prove here? It should not be there. When I first saw the images I thought that Morgana has fallen into water and began drowning, in all honesty. As in hypnotized of charmed into whatever by Nimueh. Also - exactly WHY and HOW does Nimueh command a dragon?
I’ll try to answer this to the best of my ability without getting into spoiler territory, because that’s where we’re headed. Sorry if it’s vague.
Why do you think I’m trying to prove something with the dragon? I’ve been working towards dragons for a while now. I could have added some more hints in the kid chapters, or flat-out pushed a story about their dragon-slayer ancestry in between other parts, but I decided to cut that out to keep the introduction chapter short. I did put it into the correspondence between Morgana and another story, but you could have missed that one if you don’t read it, yes. Point is - there was always going to be a dragon. From the very beginning, appearing more and more as the story went on. Were you not expecting a dragon at all? Or not until the last moment, for Arthur to heroically deal with when the time was right? If either of those are the case, then perhaps I should have added more dragon from the beginning. Hmm.
This one (Arthur) is a bit spoilery so I’ll hide it just in case.
You have a point about Arthur responding not as a king should. That, too, is deliberate. Think about the reason why. The voices that he had in his head - and the one that he ended up listening to above all others. Why do you think Uther has been so hard on his son, telling him he wasn’t ready to be King and even flat-out threatening to have him banished at some point? Arthur is not perfect. Arthur is flawed, makes mistakes, relies on his sister way too much and is only 19 years old, despite how rapidly everyone matures.
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To me, Tales of Camelot is a story adult Camelot and characters in it. Dragons could be missing altogether and nothing of value would be lost. A hint or two at their still vey real existence, maybe, but not actual presence. Dragons are simply not needed. There, said it. With what you have on the plate right now, that dragon appeared out of nowhere and went absolutely nowhere.
There WERE dragons - great. Fabled tales of Pendragons hunting Dragons - great. This is MORE than enough. But to actually get a dragon like this out of nowhere, for very very VERY vague reason? For all I care, Morgana was drawn into a lake by Nimueh and Arthur had to dive in and fight sirens for her life. I believe this one much easier that a dragon bursting out of the lake. They need to BREATHE, for Night's sake.
None of what you said is a spoiler. Have you ever heard of trope "What you are in the dark"? Basically, what do you do when n one is looking, when there are no consequences. This situation is not a perfect example, but Arthur in this moment of true need STARTED by acting as a true knight and king - serving his people, be it thousand or only two. By telling Gwyn and Morrie to run, he would seal his fate all while upholding the Code of the Knight, Chivalry AND what is expected of him by his heritage. By simply listening to Morgana he proved that he doesn't deserve any of it.
If THAT was the point you wee trying to make then great job. You did it. Except Arthur is now completely ruined. He will get away with it only because Morgana will not say anything and because no one will believe Gwyn. Amusingly, just like Uther is biased towards his children, so is Arthur biased towards his sister. I wonder if Morgana would listen to Arrtur in similar situation. If not - she should be queen.
This only leaves one character for me to care about, as Merlin is STILL doing Night knows what Night knows where...
To make it 100% clear and final - the chapter is good and not pointless. My phrasing was off, I admit. But that dragon should not be there. Its appearance is pointless. That is all.
I'm sorry to hear that you interpreted it as pointless. It was actually the part that I was most proud of this chapter and a massive pain to get just right in terms of pictures. Same with Nimueh's introduction. Can't win them all, it seems. I'm only human after all.
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Just to offer a counter opinion - not to say anybody else's opinions on this aren't valid, of course:
Personally I don't see how the dragon encounter would be pointless? At the very least, this is the first time Arthur faces one and indeed realises they are very real, and what that might mean for his future, surely that's very character shaping - though I'd imagine all three of the characters featured will be affected by the exprience, even though perhaps not as much as Arthur. Clearly dragons are being built up as an important factor, and from a character development point of view, Arthur boldly taking on a dragon the first time he sees one would be wildly unrealistic in my opinion. On the contrary, I feel like this chapter is much needed for buildup - if indeed an epic dragon showdown is where Yimi intends to go.
Not sure why Arthur as a character would be ruined either; ever since his childhood he's been established as an imperfect character that does indeed depend on his sister who sacrifices a lot in order for him to stay as wholesome and collected as he needs to be - this is hardly unprecedented behaviour. But of course my personal preference in any kind of fiction is following characters who are flawed, so I don't have a problem with this, I welcome it; makes Arthur more interesting and relatable as he overcomes obstacles as a future ruler.
Side note in case this is relevant - I am loosely familiar with the gist of the source material, although not to a level that I would find it so prescriptive that I can't judge ToC on its own merit.
Comments
Morgana seems like she's too depressed to care beyond her immediate circle for now. I hope it doesn't bite her in the back later. It's still a serious decision to leave someone to their fate knowing full well you have the power to do something about it. Again. My stance is that of the withered branch. It could probably simply be a fat blossoming olive tree with luscious fruits. And I completely missed it. c:
Morgana certainly could use a nice distraction in those potential lovebirds
On to the actual chapter.
I get why Uther would want to shield his children. I hope he's also looking out for himself and has a back-up plan to get out of there when things (inevitably) go wrong. This peace negotiation doesn't sound genuine because there's no obvious cause pointing towards it. Arthur isn't ready to become king yet, I'd say.
Morgana seems so lifeless after what happened to her. All of her sparkle is gone. She seems to get some sort of enjoyment out of teasing Guinevere but I only think it's cruel. Morgana knows nothing can realistically come of it. It's harsh to push Guinevere and Arthur together like that, making Guinevere fall more in love with Arthur when she gets to know him.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
A negotiation in the fort on neutral territory. That stinks of a trap. Forts are just as hard to get OUT of as get INTO. Also - the symbolism has nanny meanings here. The war can be concluded in many ways, after all. Seems that Uther understands this...
Flustered maidservants. Adorable.
I understand Morgana's intent, but this is NOT a good idea. Seriously.
Overall, the chapter is a setup for next events and it does this job rather well. Not much top add, TBH.
Poor Guin, being teased. But I think this might be going somewhere. Normally I would say that there is no hope of a maidservant becoming a queen, but I'm predicting that Uther gets killed and Arthur becomes King (which I don't think he is ready for). He falls for Guin and marries her, which probably isn't the best move politically speaking. I do love all their awkward flirting. Of course these are just predictions and who knows, I might change my mind, lol.
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@mercuryfoam
@Duvelina
Agravaine definitely seems to be spiraling a bit. If I was sent on a wild goose chase after a person that didn’t exist because they were secretly my niece in disguise, I’d lose a few of my sanity marbles, too, so to speak. And you have a good point regarding Morgana. She’s having fun with it, but it’s rather cruel, too.
@ArcherDK
@lone_cat
I’m horrible at flirting myself – I can’t do it with a straight face, and get flustered when someone does it to me, so I can relate to Guinevere pretty well here, haha.
Right, time to watch Lucifer and go to bed. Take care, everyone.
I also like that her horse is wilder than Arthur's, and the fact it chased Percival of all people made me smile hah.
The second to last picture really highlights the glisten in Guinevre's eyes, I always forget that you do the eye thing, but moments like this really make it stand out. She's so precious. I doubt Arthur will be able to resist her for long, now that he knows the truth.
I wonder what mess they'll end up getting to in Scarborough, Nimueh wouldn't just come along for no reason, after all, so I'm guessing she'll have her hands full...
Story Blog | Forum Discussion
Excellent idea to acknowledge in story that Morgana does NOT by any stretch of imagination looks like a commoner. But then again, neither does Arthur. And TBH I am not sure who is more conspicuous.
"You're going to be a death of me" OUCH!
Considering that Arthur is Morgana's brother and she is a spellweaver, that moment with lack of reins for the horse could be explained.
Good catch. The best one, I'd say.
Of course it is not going to be a simple ride.
Logistical Error (?) How did Morgana end up behind Arthur if he's approached his horse and made a turn? He has to be facing them both. Why would he turn around again? He already could see them from this position. Minor detail, but it is there.
Ground IS rather soft to sleep on, I ill confirm.
'Are you a good mistress?" That is one heck of a question to ask :-) I thought royals were supposed to have better vocabulary :-) I get the point and the message, but for real - the wording is...interesting. In all seriousness, though - IRL royalty and nobility are notorious for their....uncommon practices.
It is all fun and games on the first glance, but Morgana IS setting up Arthur and Gwynevere. All that is saving that couple is the fact that they HAVE to end up together. Under normal circumstances there would a lot of consequence for Arthur for taking a commoner as a bride. Remove the fact that there is "Canon" story and this is exactly what it is - manipulation of two people for Morgana's amusement. How unsightly for Morgana.
Guinevere is basically the female version of Gawain in terms of eye glistening. She has it most of the time, if not always. In-game, she’s either grinning like a plum or being mortified about something. There’s no in-between.
Maybe Nimueh just came over on holiday?
@ArcherDK
Oh, definitely. Her manipulations are pretty cruel at worst. Then again, manipulating people is all she knows at this point. She’s been doing it for the entire story, the poor girl.
@DeafSimmer
The pose was a tryout from one of the other simmers, I think. I’ll check if it’s still a thing.
Arthur is right, Morgana shouldn't play like that. It's unfair to both of them, although I do wonder if this will go anywhere at some point.
Too Good at Goodbyes forum thread
Too Good at Goodbyes blog
This one was fun. Oh, the things that you can do with CC.
When did you stop caring? Long time ago, Morgana. Your own kingdom taught you this. The real question is: Did you ever care?
That would be one heck of a twist if the there would end up killed by a dragon. Except there is no way that would happen. That is not when and how Morgana is destined to perish. TBH rather pointless sequence.
If anything, the chapter does good job at kicking one from underneath Morgana and Arthur. Morgana realizes that she is not exactly a nice person and Arthur realizes that he
NEEDS others. OR at least they are shown the way to these realizations.
@ArcherDK
Why is it pointless in your opinion?
To make Arthur face insurmountable odds? A rabid bear would have worked just fine, with all three working together to drive it off. With a Dragon, they were at its mercy. Defeating a rabid bear would have bonded them together. IN this case it is just that - bowing down and hoping for the best. CHOMP! and that is all. Tales of Camelot by Sims_Yimi , The end.
To make Pendragons stand against their principles? Against A DRAGON?! All it has to do it SNEEZE at them and they are all dead. Bowing down looks like them just accepting their fate. Okay, fine, Morgana is a mage, there is something mystical happening, symbolism of a woman, yada yada yada. But ARTHUR just...bowing down like this? It is DEFINITELY not something that a future king should do. For all he knows, they are dead anyway. In fact, him standing defiant against a dragon would have much better effect - hi willing to defend his people and die for them. Instead he simply gives up just because Morgana ( AKA Someone else) told him to. The best part - Morgana outright states that she was bluffing. If true - then Arthur followed a blind advice, if a lie - then Arthur followed a LIE.
To threaten the heroes? They are not destined to die anyway. Not yet.
For world building? I guess that works, but there is the original Legend.
I cannot rely on the legend for prior knowledge, actually. There are readers that are unfamiliar with the story as a whole. It’s not necessary to know it in order to enjoy ToC - I alter many parts, and the legend itself has many different versions, anyway. But that also means that I cannot rely on readers having any knowledge outside of what I show them.
In addition, Morgana having visions of Nimueh in this particular situation shows...what, exactly? And how would Arthur understand any of it? For all he knows, Morgana is in fear paralisiys.
The point I am making is that the appearance of the dragon is very forced. Something is off. Very very off. Had Arthur not bowed down and stood his ground defiantly, protecting his people - they have a CIVILIAN out there - this would have conveyed an image of him being ready to fight something he KNOWS he can't beat in name of his loved ones and people. Very very admirable for both king and a knight. Instead he just bows. A King, future or not, can not allow to take ANYTHING on faith. Responsibility is too high. In addition - that dragon appeared out of nowhere. Why not an Alien or Brundlefly? Effect would be the same.
The chapter is not pointless, but that dragon? Why? What's the point? What are you trying to prove here? It should not be there. When I first saw the images I thought that Morgana has fallen into water and began drowning, in all honesty. As in hypnotized of charmed into whatever by Nimueh. Also - exactly WHY and HOW does Nimueh command a dragon?
What was the reason to include a dragon?
Why do you think I’m trying to prove something with the dragon? I’ve been working towards dragons for a while now. I could have added some more hints in the kid chapters, or flat-out pushed a story about their dragon-slayer ancestry in between other parts, but I decided to cut that out to keep the introduction chapter short. I did put it into the correspondence between Morgana and another story, but you could have missed that one if you don’t read it, yes.
This one (Arthur) is a bit spoilery so I’ll hide it just in case.
There WERE dragons - great. Fabled tales of Pendragons hunting Dragons - great. This is MORE than enough. But to actually get a dragon like this out of nowhere, for very very VERY vague reason? For all I care, Morgana was drawn into a lake by Nimueh and Arthur had to dive in and fight sirens for her life. I believe this one much easier that a dragon bursting out of the lake. They need to BREATHE, for Night's sake.
None of what you said is a spoiler. Have you ever heard of trope "What you are in the dark"? Basically, what do you do when n one is looking, when there are no consequences. This situation is not a perfect example, but Arthur in this moment of true need STARTED by acting as a true knight and king - serving his people, be it thousand or only two. By telling Gwyn and Morrie to run, he would seal his fate all while upholding the Code of the Knight, Chivalry AND what is expected of him by his heritage. By simply listening to Morgana he proved that he doesn't deserve any of it.
If THAT was the point you wee trying to make then great job. You did it. Except Arthur is now completely ruined. He will get away with it only because Morgana will not say anything and because no one will believe Gwyn. Amusingly, just like Uther is biased towards his children, so is Arthur biased towards his sister. I wonder if Morgana would listen to Arrtur in similar situation. If not - she should be queen.
This only leaves one character for me to care about, as Merlin is STILL doing Night knows what Night knows where...
To make it 100% clear and final - the chapter is good and not pointless. My phrasing was off, I admit. But that dragon should not be there. Its appearance is pointless. That is all.
Yimi deems what is purposeful in her own story.
And I do not question this. Feedback is a feedback. Yimi needs not to follow it.
Personally I don't see how the dragon encounter would be pointless? At the very least, this is the first time Arthur faces one and indeed realises they are very real, and what that might mean for his future, surely that's very character shaping - though I'd imagine all three of the characters featured will be affected by the exprience, even though perhaps not as much as Arthur. Clearly dragons are being built up as an important factor, and from a character development point of view, Arthur boldly taking on a dragon the first time he sees one would be wildly unrealistic in my opinion. On the contrary, I feel like this chapter is much needed for buildup - if indeed an epic dragon showdown is where Yimi intends to go.
Not sure why Arthur as a character would be ruined either; ever since his childhood he's been established as an imperfect character that does indeed depend on his sister who sacrifices a lot in order for him to stay as wholesome and collected as he needs to be - this is hardly unprecedented behaviour. But of course my personal preference in any kind of fiction is following characters who are flawed, so I don't have a problem with this, I welcome it; makes Arthur more interesting and relatable as he overcomes obstacles as a future ruler.
Side note in case this is relevant - I am loosely familiar with the gist of the source material, although not to a level that I would find it so prescriptive that I can't judge ToC on its own merit.
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