Lancelot (Shade)


 * This article is about the Shade version of the knight, Lancelot, for the original Lancelot, see: Lancelot.

"This man's a shadow of his former self. A shadow with ill intent."

- Gaius to Merlin about Lancelot (Shade)

The Shade Lancelot was a version of Lancelot that Morgana summoned from the Pool of Nemhain. She sent him to Camelot to seduce Guinevere and prevent her from becoming Queen.

Biography
When Morgana learned that Arthur was going to make Guinevere his queen, she became determined to stop their union once and for all. At the Dochraid's advice she traveled to the Pool of Nemhain and used a magical coin to resurrect Lancelot as a Shade, then spent the next few days carefully molding his mind.

Morgana told Lancelot all about Gwen and their former feelings for one another, how she'd loved him before she'd loved Arthur and how she would soon be his again. His will enslaved to her own, the Shade Lancelot accepted Morgana's story without question and followed her instructions to the letter. When he was finally ready to play his part, Morgana sent him to Camelot, where he revealed his identity during the jousting tournament that Arthur was holding as Gwen's engagement present.

The other members of the Round Table were shocked and overjoyed by Lancelot's return and were eager to hear how he'd survived his encounter with the Cailleach. Though in reality there was no story to tell, the Shade smoothly covered his lack of details by claiming that he remembered little of what happened after he'd stepped through the veil. He told them that he'd been found by the Madhavi people on one of the Silk Road passes, high in the Feorre Mountains. They'd nursed him back to health, providing him with food and shelter until his strength returned, and when he was well again he worked his way back to Camelot, arriving just in time to enter the tournament.

Most of his friends accepted his story and welcomed him back with open arms. Merlin, however, was more suspicious. He'd noticed several oddities in Lancelot's behavior and was alarmed to discover that he had no memory of his magic. Though Gaius initially dismissed his concerns, pointing out that Lancelot was probably just out of sorts because of his recent ordeal, Merlin decided to follow his instincts and began researching necromancy. Later, he used a pentacle to determine that the man who'd returned to them was not Lancelot but a Shade, presumably sent by Morgana to harm Arthur.

Unbeknownst to Merlin, however, Lancelot's target was not Arthur, but Gwen. He went to visit her the morning before the tournament to wish her well in her marriage and give her a bracelet, which he claimed that he'd received from the Madhavi people. In reality, however, he'd gotten the bracelet from Morgana, who had enchanted it with a powerful love spell to reawaken Gwen's feelings for him.

Gwen initially struggled against the bracelet's control, appearing confused and quickly withdrawing when she found herself in Lancelot's tent, but after he forfeited the final round of the tournament in favor of a badly wounded Arthur she was unable to stop herself from seeking him out. Meanwhile, Lancelot's decision to spare the King greatly puzzled Merlin, who couldn't figure out what Morgana could have sent him for if not to kill Arthur. However, his suspicions were soon renewed when he spotted Gwen sneaking into Lancelot's tent rather than her injured fiancée's.

That night, the Shade met with Morgana's ally, Lord Agravaine, and reported his progress. He told the noblemen that he'd arranged a meeting with Gwen and that she was already on her way. Agravaine replied that Morgana would be pleased, then they went their separate ways, unaware that Merlin had been spying on them. Determined to stop Lancelot, the warlock attempted to knock him out with his magic, but the Shade caught him off guard and knocked him out instead. He then proceeded to the council chambers without any further interference.

Gwen arrived soon after he did and found him waiting for her behind a column. She was somewhat uneasy about their escapade, asking if he was sure that it was safe for them to meet there, but relaxed when Lancelot assured her that no one visited the council chambers at that time of night. Meanwhile, Agravaine woke Arthur and told him that there was something he needed to see. He then led the King to the council chambers, where they arrived just in time to see Gwen and Lancelot kiss.

Hurt and betrayed, Arthur flew into a rage and attacked Lancelot with his sword. They fought furiously for several minutes as Gwen tearfully pleaded for them to stop. Eventually Merlin arrived and disarmed Lancelot with his magic. Beyond reason, Arthur charged forward to run the Shade through and likely would have killed him had Gwen not thrown herself between them, forcing him to stop. She and Lancelot were then arrested and taken to the dungeons, where they were imprisoned in separate cells.

Later that night, Agravaine snuck into the dungeons and gave Lancelot a letter from Morgana ordering him to commit suicide. He promptly followed her command, and his body was discovered by the guards the next day. Melancholic on hearing the news, Arthur immediately concluded that Lancelot had killed himself out of guilt, noting that, "In all ways but one, Lancelot was a man of honour." He then gave orders that the knight was to receive a proper burial.

Merlin took the task upon himself and took Lancelot's body to the Lake of Avalon, where he placed it in a boat made of twigs and covered in flowers. The warlock stood over him for a moment, then placed a hand on Lancelot's forehead and incanted a spell to free his soul from Morgana's control.

Much to Merlin's surprise, however, the spell also brought Lancelot back to life for a moment. Restored to his true self, the knight looked at Merlin and said three final words: "Merlin. Thank you." Smiling, he closed his eyes and breathed his last, after which Merlin tearfully pushed the boat out onto the lake and ignited it with his magic (Lancelot du Lac).

Abilities
The Shade Lancelot appeared to possess the same abilities as the original Lancelot. He was a finalist in the jousting tournament and likely would have defeated Arthur had he not forfeited the match to the injured King. When he later dueled Arthur in the council chambers, he quickly gained the upper hand and likely would have won had Merlin not disarmed him with his magic.

The Shade Lancelot also seemed to be resistant to magical attacks, as he was able to withstand Merlin's stunning spell.

Gallery
Lancelot (Ombre)