The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin (2026) s01e03 Episode Script

1
The treasure is my son, taliesin,
and in his voice will be
born a kingdom of summer.
I do not love the bard.
It's only his power I desire.
The supreme spirit, the lord of all worlds,
my lord reigns over them all.
You are young.
To your eyes, perhaps.
My people carry our years
more lightly than others.
Ave, Maria!
I would be your wife, taliesin.
Together we could build the world
more powerful than Atlantis itself.
Atlantis rests at the
bottom of the sea, morgain.
Taliesin, he has declared his love for me.
What have you found?
A hawk!
A Merlin.
I've seen a land shining with goodness.
It's the kingdom of
summer and I will be its king.
The baby's dead.
Jesu!
God in heaven.
My son has the eyes of a hawk!
Of a Merlin.
No!
They say that Merlin is mad.
They say he was a king in dyfed,
that his rule was just
and his hand was strong.
They say he was a bard,
the son of a Princess of lost Atlantis,
and a cymry prophet of great renown.
They say the future and
the past are known to him.
That the fire and the
wind tell him their secrets.
That the magic of the hill folk and druids
and daughters of bel come
forth at his easy command.
They say he slew hundreds.
Hundreds, do you hear?
That the world burned and
the ground trembled at his wrath.
Lord death thanked him
for his terrible harvest.
Death!
You have taken all of the others.
Why have you not taken me?
Go back the way you came!
Do not raise your hand
against me again, daned,
if you would keep it.
How do you know my name?
I know a great many things.
Silence! It's a trick!
A trick, iddec?
Is that what you believe?
Duach!
What is it?
He knows us!
He knows nothing you
haven't already told him.
And you! Do not test me!
I'm a powerful druid.
I would speak lightly of power, friend,
for I know whence your power comes.
Whoever they were, they've moved on.
You know well who they
were, son of vortigern,
the very saecsen raiders
You and your father
gave a foothold in our land.
You told him who we are!
No, my prince! I swear it!
I do not care for their manner, my lord.
Perhaps we should not go with them.
We have nothing to fear
from these men, pelleas.
And I am eager to meet the man
who has made himself
king over all others.
It's the quickest way I know
to announce to the world
that Merlin emrys has
returned to the land of the living.
My father will like you.
Perfect! There you go.
Provisions are being gathered,
but we need time to build a wall.
We haven't got time.
Up against the wall, right now!
You said it would be done.
And it will be, great king.
Riders approach!
Help you, my lord.
Open the gate!
We need to put a plug. Right there.
Right there!
My father and my king,
I bring you a great gift and
the answer to your troubles.
No! There must be some mistake.
The man I seek was
already old when I was a child.
This cannot be the Merlin.
They say Merlin is of
the faer folk, my king.
They call him emrys.
Immortal!
Is that so?
I'm known by many names, vortigern.
You will call him, "high king!"
Pascent!
And do you know
why I have sought you?
Work on your stronghold is going badly.
Your druids blame an
evil spirit for the failure
of your masons to build a decent wall.
Go on.
They tell you the blood of a
virgin-born man is required
to secure your foundations.
Is that not the way of it, joram?
Ready!
Is there any doubt this
is the man we require?
He is full of tricks, sire.
Do not let him confuse you!
My enemies ride against me.
I would fortify this position,
but each night my walls
Crumble and fall.
Are you indeed a fatherless
child, Merlin emrys?
Or perhaps just another
bastard without a father?
My father was taliesin
ap elphin ap gwyddno,
names that were once
lauded in this land.
Names of great renown
in cymry long, long ago.
But, sire, taliesin was no mortal.
He was an otherworldly being.
That will be news to my mother.
There are no evil spirits
at work here, vortigern,
and no man virgin-born, save one only.
Your problem is taking
council from liars and fools.
What proof do you offer
that the wall is not cursed?
Underground?
Oof!
Underground.
You sure?
I grow impatient, Merlin.
He'll spill your blood to build his wall.
Aye. Vortigern is a pitiless man.
And desperate.
But nothing will happen to me
that is not appointed to happen, pelleas.
You did not bring me
back to the world of men
to watch me die in this pit.
Enough! These men mock you!
And they waste what
little time we have left.
Pascent!
No evil spirits.
No underground dragon.
The spring washes the earth away
beneath the weight of your stone wall.
Traitor.
Traitor!
These men, whom I
entrusted with my life,
have shown themselves false before me.
These men were so eager for your blood.
Surely they will not
mind my asking for theirs.
No! No! No! No!
I am an old man, Merlin, and a fool.
You have my apology and
you will have my reward.
I'll accept nothing from
your hand, vortigern.
Am I so distasteful to your eyes?
Whatever you would give to me,
you have taken from another.
You have done much evil.
And much evil will be done to you.
He's gone home!
Have I not held the land
in peace these last years?
Given the saecsen safe
harbor to plunder our land
is not holding the peace.
I saw no other way.
You traded strength for peace,
but there'll be no peace without strength.
Father, you would free these men
after they humiliated
you in your own court?
I humiliated myself, as did you.
You just killed your own
counselors on the brink of war.
False counselors!
And an unwinnable war.
I had a vision.
A waking dream.
I saw the pit that Merlin dug.
I heard his pick
As it struck the stone,
only instead of water
A great cavern lay beneath.
In the cavern, were two
great stones like eggs.
Inside the eggs,
two dragons came forth
to battle one another.
The first was white as milk.
And the other
Red
As blood!
And they fought each other, the dragons,
and their battle was terrible to behold.
Sorely they wounded one another,
and when they could fight no more,
they dragged themselves
back into their eggs and slept,
but only to fight again
once they were rested.
What of this dream?
Merlin?
Merlin?
Master?
The dream, Merlin.
What of this dream?
Do you really want to know?
Flee, vortigern.
If you would live, you must flee.
The dragons you have
seen are your enemies,
white for the saecsen horde,
red for the true sons of britain
whose father you
murdered for your crown.
But they war with
each other, not with us.
The saecsen may still join
us after all we've given them.
Is there no hope for me?
Here is your hope and
the hope of our people.
From the events of which
you have set in motion,
a king will arise to hold
all britain in his hand.
A high king who will be
the wonder of the world,
a chief dragon
to utterly devour the
white dragon of the pit.
You?
I do not know.
He speaks of destruction!
I will ride this very night
to the saecsen shore
to rally our friends to our cause.
Ride!
Ride then, boy.
Ride and do not tarry!
Our doom is upon us.
Ride!
If this is to be vortigern's last stand,
let my son be well away from this place.
Put those arrows on high.
They'll be of no use to you down here!
It would be very helpful if you stayed.
My road lies another way.
Boy!
What's the matter?
What is this?
Bring it up! I'll bring it up.
If there is to be a battle,
I'll fight for my king.
Nay.
Nay! Not for another summer yet.
I'll do my part, my lord,
like every other man here.
Aid the archers at the top
of the tower, the very top,
you guard their backs.
Yes?
Guard their backs.
Yes, now.
Here, let me help you with this.
Stop your trembling!
Take heart, you people
of the island of the mighty,
for the soul of britain is stirring again.
Dafyd?
Merlin!
Dafyd!
My lord, you're alive!
To see you after all these years.
But you have not altered a whit.
Dafyd, what is this?
Why is this holy man in chains?
For treason.
We hoped to appeal to
the high king in jesu's name
to show charity for the women
and children displaced
by the raiding saecsen.
I will not be lectured to
by worshipers of some
sand-starved lunatic.
He was not persuaded.
Of all of your many sins, vortigern,
keeping this man from his
work is chief among them.
That's very doubtful.
Free these men if you
would save your soul.
Save my soul?
Keep it tight then!
I will not!
Then I will claim the reward
that you have offered me.
Free these men and our debt is paid.
You are a taxing man
Merlin emrys.
And yet there are few enough
who will speak plainly to me.
Thatching! Thatching!
Out past that gate.
Farewell, vortigern.
We will not meet again.
Goodbye, Merlin.
Daned!
Who's there?
Show yourself!
I wouldn't expect a warrior
to turn his back on an enemy.
And now?
And now we know you're no warrior.
Do I look too old to mount a horse?
I know.
I know!
But look at you, myrddin bach.
You are the flower of your race.
Praise god for your long life.
That is enough combat for today, hawk.
Why must you torment me with Latin?
Because the word of
the true god is sharper,
even than the two-edged sword.
Tell that to the picti!
Tell that to the Irish raider!
I will learn Latin when I'm old like hafgan.
How old do you think
me, myrddin bach: ?
You're as old as the oak on shrine hill.
Not quite as old as that.
But what is age to you?
You will grow to be as old as any oak
in the island of the mighty.
Does that mean I'll be king forever?
'Tis a great thing to be a king, hawk.
A very great thing indeed.
But there is authority of a
kind even kings must bend to.
Discover this, and whether
you wear a torc of gold
or a beggar's rags, you will
earn the name ambrosius.
What does that mean?
Study your Latin.
Stay!
Merlin!
We must ride.
Vortigern's end is upon him!
Where would you have us go, my lord?
Does pendaran still reign in maridunum?
King pendaran joined his
fathers many years ago, hawk.
Your grandparents too, my lord.
King elphin
Lady rhonwyn, cuall
And hafgan.
Fool.
Lurking up there in your hovel,
haunting the rock wastes like a wraith.
Did you not know that men
Mark their years differently?
Does custennin still rule celyddon?
His atlantian blood is strong!
But we would-we would
not be welcome there.
No, my lord.
Go back the way you came.
I'm not sure what that means.
Neither am I.
Cover!
Now!
Deserters already?
Let them fly.
The battle is before us.
And if one of them is
the usurper himself?
It must be me who takes the tower.
For justice.
For britain.
Archers!
They have come for blood!
Give them blood!
Where is the king?
Vortigern!
Yah! Yah!
Yah!
Vortigern! Vortigern!
Vortigern!
Hold the door!
I need help! Help me!
The cart! Bring the cart! Bring it!
Let the fox burn!
Thus ends the reign of vortigern,
high king of britain.
Hail uther, son of constans!
With me, thanks.
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Aurelius!
Hail, aurelius.
An ugly gash.
For britain.
I've never seen my brother
bested in battle before.
He fought well.
And my men?
Alive, sire, though
somewhat worse for wear.
Sire?
Fashionable honorific
for a high king, is it not?
You think me high king?
Do not all the kings of britain
sing your praise this day?
I can think of a few
singing their own praises.
Some men who marched
up with me only hours ago.
Well, what does it matter
what a few self-important
grumblers think?
Because I need every single
one of them to defeat hengist.
The saecsen king.
Those grumblers are
all that stand between
my rump on the throne and his.
Yours is the preferred rump, my king.
My lord brother, you've
only just met this man.
Only just met?
I think not, uther.
I've known Merlin a very long time.
Merlin?
That's impossible.
Merlin was a myth before
our father was even born.
And yet
Well done, aurelius.
Perhaps you have the
makings of a king after all.
Three of the southern kings
never returned to camp this morning.
Yet they're happy enough to
see you challenge vortigern.
Aye!
Doesn't mean they're
happy to see me high king.
It's worse than I thought.
700 men is not a man
too many to face hengist.
Traitor!
How quickly you trade
one master for another.
Meddler!
You know this man?
Aurelius, your prisoner is
prince pascent ap vortigern,
son of your fallen foe.
We thought him a mere scout.
You killed my father, bastard.
Your father killed our father.
The debt is now paid.
And mine?
Who will pay the blood price to pascent?
The devil pay you!
Uther, brother.
We came here for justice.
Really? Because I thought
we came here for britain.
And every day this scum draws breath,
he's a threat to your reign.
Your brother is right, sire.
Vortigern's son is not a forgiving man.
And yet I will not start
my reign a murderer,
as vortigern did.
I give to you your life, pascent.
Do not give me a cause to take it back.
You've made a grave mistake, brother.
And if so, it is mine to make.
He's coming!
How came you by this blade?
Grandfather!
Grandfather, he's coming!
Is he a king?
He's more than a king.
Boy has the eyes of a preying bird.
Stand up straight, lad.
You're being addressed
by the dux britanniarum,
commander of all the
Roman forces in britain.
I knew your father.
Tell me, boy,
what does the son of taliesin
see with those golden eyes?
I see a sword.
The hilt is silver
and bears a purple
gem carved like an eagle.
It's is an emperor's sword.
An emperor's sword?
That's enough, lad!
What else do you see?
I see a ring of kings
standing like stones in a circle.
A woman kneels in their midst.
She holds the sword in her hands.
She is speaking but no
one hears her, no one listens.
I see the blade
Rusting and forgotten.
Shall we have a song, hafgan?
Indeed we shall.
Be safe!
I never saw Maximus or his sword again.
A remarkable story.
Aye! If it were true!
The sword belonged to my father.
How he came by it, I cannot say.
I do know this.
The paths that brought us together
began long before this day.
I will trust you, Merlin ambrosius.
I would have you my counselor.
By the gods!
I need an advisor, uther!
We're not exactly
neck-deep in volunteers.
Very well, aurelius.
Let it be as you say and heed
the word of your counselors.
The southern kings will
continue to desert you.
Dismiss them.
The hell we will!
Uther.
Go on.
Let them return to their own
land and see for themselves
what the saecsen raiders have wrought.
Their own people will demand
to unite under your banner.
I have friends in the west and north.
I believe we can count
them among your supporters.
Master Merlin, I
I will ride to them and
rally them to your cause.
And what are we supposed to do
while you play king-making, Merlin?
I know a place you'll be
safe while we build our forces.
This is where it begins.
First, there is a sword.
The sword of britain
and the sword is britain.
It is the answer to many prayers, Merlin,
seeing you again.
It's usually you who sets camp
while I stare into the fire.
I fear this plan, my lord.
The cymry king will be
threatened by your return,
and the north will not help you.
Aurelius has the sword of
Magnus Maximus, pelleas.
The emperor's sword.
If you return north,
custennin will not help you.
This is how the summer kingdom begins.
My lord, custennin will kill you!
I've seen how you struggle.
I've never known your
awen to burden you so much.
I'm not the man I once was, pelleas.
Hafgan's harp!
Your own one was
I know.
I don't remember how.
Almost 50 years I've carried it.
Still haven't learned a note.
Pelleas, I
I am not worthy of your sacrifice.
God alone is worthy of such devotion.
As one cares for another,
does he not also care for god?
Listen to me carefully now.
You found me and brought
me back to the world of men,
and I thank you for that.
But Let others make their choice!
I have made mine.
Goodnight, my lord.
Goodnight!
My true friend.
Merlin.
Remember what they
did to you, my brother.
Ssh!
Come!
Behold your true enemy, o king.
The saecsen hengist.
I've never seen so many.
And this but a raiding
party fresh from his plunder.
You will not be able to repeal
the barbarian on your own.
Wouldn't you agree, uther?
I'd say we've proven ourselves
more than capable on our own.
Uther!
You slew the usurper vortigern. Not him.
I burned him alive in a tower, uther.
I never even met his blade with my own.
Right!
Well, battle isn't about
honor, it's about victory.
There will be no victory
without the kings of britain by our side!
Without Merlin by our side.
Myrddin?
Myrddin!
May the good god be praised.
What god could build such a place?
Not a god, a king.
Behold yns avallach,
hall of the faery king.
Praise the lord from the high places,
praise him in halls of light.
Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all you hosts of heaven.
Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you in the sky realms.
Praise him, you waters above the skies.
Let them all praise the name of the lord.
Ave, Maria.
Dafyd! You've come home!
Hello, mother.
Myrddin!
Aurelius's life is in danger.
Until the kings of britain
recognize his claim.
Aurelius has defeated
the usurper, vortigern.
He could find sanctuary here
while I ride to rally
what friends we have left.
While we ride to rally your friends.
Uther!
To ensure Merlin is not remiss
pushing your claim in other courts.
Fisher king sword.
The sword of a high king!
I do not offer it to aurelius.
Merlin, he will take
the torc from my father
and declare himself high
king before he is through.
Unless we stop him here and now.