The Joining

**The Joining** is the fifth episode of the first season of *Cursed*. It is the fifth episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

Morgana urges Nimue to use the sword for leverage, Father Carden faces a bitter humiliation, and Uther loses patience with Merlin.

## Plot

Cumber the Ice King beheads a man, telling another that his men now belong to him. He tells the man to tell Uther, the "King of Lies," that the true blood heir to House Pendragon has come. In the Fey camp, Nemos, Nimue awakes and sees Arthur, who tells her that they don't like him there, being "Man Blood." Morgana greets her and they mourn the loss of the caravan leader, Dizier. They discuss Lenore's dying words to bring the Sword of Power to Merlin. Morgana tells her that Merlin is no friend to the Fey, but Nimue is set. She tells Nimue to claim her fate as the "Wolf-Blood Witch" and not get distracted by Arthur. She tells Nimue that she is in a position to bargain for her survival, with every king wanting the sword.

Merlin rides through the woods and is confronted by a group of soldiers, who tell him he's under arrest for treason to King Uther. He orders his horse away. Meanwhile, Father Carden of the Red Paladins meets with Pope Abel, who gives him a dressing down for not having captured and killed Nimue. He warns him he will make an example of him if he doesn't, and that his Trinity Guards will assume command of his army. Back outside the tent, Carden rages at the Weeping Monk for embarrassing him. Nearby, Sister Iris asks to join the Red Paladins, but is told that they only accept men. When she asks what she can do to get them to accept her, one tells her to bring them the head of the Wolf-Blood Witch.

Nimue considers a note she wrote to Merlin, to which Morgana has made several edits, such as "Refuse me, and I will water all the fields of your kingdom with paladin blood." She tells Morgana she can't send it, but Morgana is pleased with the wording. Nimue refuses point-blank to send it with that wording and Morgana takes it back to make more changes. Elsewhere, Pym is caught sneaking onto a Viking ship, where she is very nearly killed for being a Fey. However, the Red Spear decides to employ her services as a healer, based on Pym's lie that she was the healer in her village. Back in Nemos, Morgana takes Nimue to Yeva to send her message. Yeva tells Nimue that she doesn't "smell like Sky Folk" and seems to find something wrong about her. She tells her that when she thinks of her parents, there is pain. She says that her father was right to fear her blood, but Nimue begs her to send the message. Yeva replies that she curses Merlin, but Nimue tells her the message is vital to the survival of the Fey. Yeva finally agrees to use her bird, Marguerite, to find Merlin.

King Uther rages to his adoptive mother, Lady Lunete, about Cumber. They speak of Merlin and she tells him that he can't simply keep him locked away, because then he will plot. She tells him that Cumber and Merlin both have to do with his weakness. She tells him to send a statement by killing Merlin loudly and publicly and then ally with the Red Paladins against Cumber. Back at Nemos, Nimue and Arthur relax at a hot springs. She is reluctant to reveal her body to him, but he tells her that she doesn't have to hide her scars, that everyone has them. He shows her some of his own. The two discuss their pasts and Arthur tells her that he has to go away, that he doesn't want to see her hurt. Back on the Red Spear's ship, Pym removes arrows from a Viking's back. She shares a romantic moment with Dof, the man who rescued her.

King Uther chats with Merlin about omens. He tells him he is to be executed, saying he turned them against him with his disdainfulness, drunkenness and disloyalty. Merlin tells him not to execute him if he wants the Sword of Power, saying he has it on good authority that the sword is coming to him. Uther tells him he has until the morning to deliver the sword and then they give the mob his head. Merlin shouts after him, asking what he can do while he's chained up.

Nimue meets with a Fey woman named Cora, who tells her about a painting of the Green Knight, they protect her. She invites her to a ceremony called the Joining. Nimue is reluctant at first, saying they do too much for her, but then accepts. In the morning, Merlin is taken out to face his public execution, but just then the note from Marguerite arrives. Merlin is spared. At the joining, Arthur tells Nimue that he'll never be what his father hoped, but he might be able to find justice somewhere. Nimue suggests that he is perhaps running away, and Nimue says that he should accompany her in the Joining, that they can just be themselves for an hour. He agrees and the two take part in a merry festivity of singing and dancing. The ceremony is interrupted by the sudden arrival of the Green Knight and Squirrel. Nimue is thrilled to discover that the Green Knight is Gawain, an old family friend, though Arthur is wary, not knowing their relationship.

Merlin pays a visit to Lady Lunete, who offers him cake and wine. He tells her "The Story of the Midwife," as a warning that he knows that she is not Uther's true mother. Back in Nemos, Nimue catches up with Gawain and reveals the Sword of Power to him. He is very reluctant of the idea of giving to Merlin, calling it "wrong," but Nimue tells her that it was the very last words that Lenore spoke to her, "Bring this to Merlin." He tells her that she doesn't need Merlin's protection, that he'll protect her, but Nimue tells him there's more to it and she doesn't need protecting. He tells her to give it to anyone else, but that he will take her if he must. She replies that her mother wouldn't be careless about something like this. She figure the only explanation is that her mother somehow knew Merlin. Their discussion is interrupted by a sobbing Morgana, who has learned that Yvoire Abbey was burnt down by the Red Paladins with no survivors. The two chat, Morgana saying that they are now both orphans. Yeva replies with Merlin's message, saying that Merlin has given her work. She uses a magic spell to join Nimue and Merlin remotely.

Merlin is surprised by the surroundings of their "dream-world," asking what Nimue's connection to the place is. He says that the Between has found a common ground, one they share in memory, that otherwise they would be in an ordinary room or field. Nimue tells her that she's Sky Folk and the temple they're in is where her mother died. Merlin asks she's the daughter of Lenore. Nimue explains Lenore's dying wish. Merlin says that Lenore's instructions were very wise. Nimue asks Merlin to look at her and tell her what he sees. He tells her that she has Lenore's eyes. She tells him her name, Nimue, and says that she's asking why Lenore would ask her to bring the sword to him. He asks what her answer is. "Because... you're my father," she replies, and the connection is broken.

## Cast

### Starring

* Katherine Langford as Nimue
* Devon Terrell as Arthur
* Gustaf Skarsgård as Merlin
* Daniel Sharman as The Weeping Monk
* Sebastian Armesto as King Uther
* Lily Newmark as Pym
* Shalom Brune-Franklin as Igraine
* Bella Dayne as The Red Spear
* Matt Stokoe as Gawain

with

* Peter Mullan as Father Carden

### Guest starring

* Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Cumber the Ice King
* Sofia Oxenham as Eydis
* Andrew Whipp as Jonah (Nimue's Father)
* Nicholas Boulton as Sir Bedivere

### Co-starring

* Clive Francis as Pope Abel
* Emily Coates as Iris
* Marcus Onilude as Red Paladin 1
* Samuel Oatley as Red Paladin 2
* Jordan Turk as Germanic
* Carl Andersson as Somber Germanic
* Ben Manning as Wild Eye
* Nikolaj Dencker Schmidt as Dof
* Olwen Fouéré as Yeva
* Florence Hunt as Nimue (Aged 10)
* Polly Walker as Lady Lunete
* Ashley Bannerman as Cora (Faun Woman)
* Jasper Jacob as Sir Borley
* Billy Jenkins as Squirrel
* Adaku Ononogbo as Kaze
* Amelia Wheeler as Faun Girl
* Taighen O'Callaghan as Tusk Boy

## Quotes

"*Oh, my God! Some warning, please.*"

-Nimue to Arthur upon turning around to discover him with his clothes off