Uploaded September 2015 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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[HD + earphones; for more info on the characters/storyline, scroll down description]

Dedication: to Elise aka MidnightPhenomenon aka Queen of crossovers/AUs – because she made me a jaw-dropping (and totally unexpected, but all the more appreciated for the surprise element!) birthday present this year; because she kept asking after this godforsaken video over time with the patience of a real saint; and because she's my #1 inspiration when it comes to this kind of videos with her otherwordly manips. If you don't know her channel yet...well, you're missing out and you ought to remedy that! youtube.com/user/MidnightPhenomenon

*exhausted af*
So...this video is almost 2 years (!) in the making, and it looked/sounded 3928465 times better in my head when I first started it in faraway 2013...but I was being *really* loathe to leave it unfinished because I didn't want to waste the already-done 80% of the manipping work. Also, it's been far too long since I posted a crossover on this channel; so at least have this, whatever the final result is (and despite me not being completely happy with it). I guess you can totally tell the sections where I've been lazier...

I had written a lengthy and detailed plot description, but YT says it's too long – so I'll just leave a few facts here to clarify some plot points instead. The story should hopefully be understandable for the most part (albeit probably unfolding way too fast since I stupidly chose so short a song -.-"). You can ask me more in the comments (you know I always appreciate them :3) if you are confused or curious (or both?).

-Video is titled after the tv show “The Borgias”; I thought the “game of want and wanting” line totally fitted these characters, for everyone here wants someone (or something) they cannot have.

-In the video, the York brothers are nobles and knights of Camelot. Morgana is Arthur's sister (as per canon), and her and George are officially courting; while Gwen is Anne's maid, and she is in a (secret) relationship with Edward. Elizabeth has been Arthur's lover for many years.

-My backstory headcanon for these Richard and Anne is that they've known each other all their lives and kind of always expected to marry (much like in TWQ), but when Anne's ambitious parents saw the opportunity to make her Queen they went for it. Richard has always harboured feelings for Anne, and tries to keep her company/make her feel better everytime Arthur publicly flaunts his mistress to the court. I would describe their relationship here as early medieval “courtly love”, where a knight chose a lady to swear himself to, to be gallant to and to fight for in exchange of her “favour”, but never actually consummating a relationship (although Richard breaks this scheme when he kisses Anne).

-Merlin, too, has always loved Elizabeth from afar, but being a servant he has never acted upon it aside from always being there for her. These two have magic like in their respective shows and they know about each other's “gifts” (also a reason why they are close and Merlin is a sorta confidant to Bess), but they use it little for fear of discovery.
[I actually would have loved to expand on this but didn't have the space in this already overcrowded video...T.T]

-Arthur notices Anne and Richard being close and reacts how he does not so much out of jealousy (he loves Bess and only married Anne because it was arranged), but because society is okay with a King being unfaithful and having affairs but not with a Queen doing the same (even though he's totally assuming that something more is going on with them, because at that point they are completely innocent of anything aside from Richard's buried feelings). He's basically being quite the hypocrite – wanting his wife to have an irreprensible public image while he's the first to ignore her for his own mistress ^^''
[sorry Arthur, you're always ending up showing your Jerkdragon alter-ego in my crossovers...]

-When (spoilers for the ending!) Edward takes the throne by right of conquest and crowns Gwen his Queen, Morgana is upset by this, as by dynastic right she should be the heir as Arthur's closest relative. This triggers her and George's ambitious side and thirst for power – which represents the titular “want” for them.

-In the end (spoilers again!), everything that happened seems to have just been a dream of Morgana's – which she realizes upon seeing Anne alive and well and worried about her crying out in her sleep. (Anne calls her “sister” because that was the use back then for in-laws too.) But was it a dream, or a seeing? And if it is, would Morgana want to stop the events from taking place knowing that a crown might be in sight at the end of it all? That is left up to the viewer to decide...

Song used: “With Eyes Wide Shut” by Blessthefall
Clips from: Merlin BBC, The White Queen, Reign
I don't own any of the material used in this video, which was made for fun purpose only.

#fanvidfeed #merlin #thewhitequeen #crossover