#all this talk about destinies and Merlin having to hide his magic

[pippin-katz]

Merlin Was Truly Willing To Die For Arthur From The Start

Okay, I know we talk about The Poisoned Chalice all the time, and how gay it is, but I don’t think any of us truly acknowledges how fucking insane Merlin is. Please consider this.

Merlin drinks the poison not knowing:

what kind of poison it is

how lethal it is

how fast acting it is

if it has a cure

if the cure is something Gaius can make

if the cure is something Gaius can make fast enough to save him

What the hell was Merlin's plan?

He would have died. It's arguable that he does die, but his immortality brought him back.

Gaius couldn't make the cure the key ingredient was in a dangerous location and difficult to get to

the poison was magically enhanced it was enhanced by Nimueh to act faster than normal, effectively cutting their timetable in half

Arthur could've been prevented from going after his fight with Uther, he only decides to go possibly hours later, after talking to Morgana

Arthur would've died without Merlin's aid, he would have died in that cave and the cure never would've made it back

it was already too late Arthur gets the flower back, but he gets arrested and locked up, the flower gets crushed, and only gets to Merlin after Guinevere sneaks in and Arthur hides it in the food

the cure required magic Gaius had to use magic to activate the cure, so if he couldn't have gotten Guinevere out of the room, he couldn't have used it, and there was a strong possibility that he wouldn't have had the strength to do it because of the lack of practice

Merlin possibly died anyway he's immortal, and his breathing and heartbeat stop for a significant amount of time before he wakes up; I've written about it being possible that he's able to die and come back to life

So if Merlin was mortal, he would have died, and there was no way for him to know that they would be able to cure him prior to drinking the poison.

He had known Arthur for maybe a month if we're being generous. They were still on rough, getting-to-know-each-other terms. Merlin was still adamantly opposed to the whole "destiny" thing. Despite all of that, he willingly drank that poison without any hesitation.

That is fucking insane.

[tiredcowboyy]

The treasures of my future

I cant stop thinking ab the idea of merlin one day post s5, where they all survived, becoming really secretive and protective of his room and not telling anyone at all whats inside. Not even gaius. He even gets a lock installed and whenever anybody asks he brushes it off with jokes like “its to stop arthur from finding me” or smth.

he also unrelatedly really hates any talk of destiny, going to war, and anytime morgana mentions her fear of her magic turning her merlin slightly freaks out.

That is until one day gaius manages to catch merlin off guard while hes rushing between the main room and his bedroom and walks in.

Only to see a whole bunch of stuff that hes never seen before.

Merlin freaks out, tries to play it off as some weird experiments and stuff hes been collecting but gaius can feel it, somethings different about these items, not wrong but not right. Not really magic either.

It takes 3 weeks of gaius pestering him before merlin breaks and explains to him that he IS A TIME TRAVELER. after the battle of camlan as we know it that lead to arthurs death, merlin did wait, he really did, but in the year 2020 when arthur didnt return for yet another global crisis, merlin broke and did spell upon spell until he figured out how throw himself back in time.

And holy shit did it work well. He managed to come back just at the perfect time to change everything that needed to be done to assure that everyone lives happily and safely, and when he realises hes done it, he decides to stay in this time. See his friends and family grow old as they should have. See arthur rule as he should have. Live the life he has been craving to go back to for centuries now.

Until a month in he realises how old everything is. Sure merlin can survive without his phone and stuff but theres a few things he really misses. Like his slippers, his potato peeler, his favourite hoodie, and especially his favourite tea flavours.

So once in a while he allowed himself to go back to the modern day and bring one thing back. He started with a scented candle, because candles exist in camelot and having one here shouldn’t mess up time right? Then moved onto a herbal tea that he knows if he traveled past the boarders he may be able to find similar ingredients.

Then he brings a new release of his favourite book series because he cant help it and realises small things like that dont change time.

And so thats what he’s been hiding away in his room, all of his modern day stuff. Ranging from trinkets hes collected over his life to his favourite scarf to his stuffed lion that he won at a fair in the 80s. He doesn’t go back often, only when his tea runs out or he really needs something, he tries to limit it he really does.

It takes gaius another 4 weeks to wrap his head around it all. Another 2 weeks after that to touch merlins stuffed lion thinking it may attack him at any moment.

He makes gaius promise to not tell a soul, offering him tea bags as payment. They have a nice system from then on, gaius would try a new flavour of tea everytime merlin returned, once in a while he would also bring a modern day snack (gaius yelled when he first tried salt and vinegar crisps).

A yell which led to leon finding out. And so a cycle began.

[sexy-sapphic-sorcerer]

1: Magic is a Metaphor < 2: Morgana is a Lesbian < 3: Merlin is Gay > 4: Arthur is Bi

Again with the whole metaphor thing, Merlin's entire character is about having to hide his identity and wishing that he could be free to be himself so that he wouldn't have to lie about how much Arthur means to him. So that's all very gay, but he's also just very queer-coded generally. There are so many jokes about him being more effeminate or wearing women's clothing, most notably in this episode where he dresses in full drag and then takes the opportunity to shamelessly flirt with Arthur. Unhinged.

Basically every other character seems to just assume that he's gay, at least towards the end, because Gaius and Arthur are in utter disbelief that Merlin would be 'seeing a girl'. And of course he isn't, he's actually sneaking around with that druid guy, leading Arthur to question how courting a girl would leave him 'walking with a limp.'

I also think it's very interesting how often Merlin has to pretend to be attracted to women to avoid people discovering his secret, like with Gwen in Series 1 or Morgana in Series 2. Or this scene, where Gwen and Merlin are the only people not affected by the Lamia's seduction charm and they're trying to figure out why. And Merlin says, 'it doesn't affect you because you're a woman'. And firstly, Gwen is like, 'so what?' So, bisexual queen. And then Merlin says, "it only affects men," and Gwen says, "so then why haven't you fallen under her spell?" And Merlin is just like, 'oh shit, I don't know. I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't be seduced by a woman.'

Now, you might be saying, "but Merlin is attracted to women! what about that one female love interest he had for literally one episode who immediately died?" Oh, you mean:

I'm sorry to all of the Freylin shippers out there, but this was so clearly just the writers' last-ditch attempt to make Merlin straight. If you think about it, Freya also 'has magic' if you catch my drift, and that is the only thing that she and Merlin have in common, and the only thing that they talk about. And if you look at their dialogue out of context, it really doesn't seem like it's magic that they're talking about. It's just gay/lesbian solidarity. Also, never forget when Colin Morgan accidentally referred to Merlin's potential love interests as "him or her." So who else could he have been thinking of?

Merlin definitely had a crush on Lancelot. From the moment that they first meet, he just keeps going on about, 'omg, isn't Lancelot so strong and brave and chivalrous? God, I hope he becomes a knight, he would look so good in a suit of armour.' And then he says to Gwen, completely unprompted, "so just for the sake of argument– Arthur or Lancelot?" Why are you thinking about that Merlin? Then that scene ends with Merlin and Lancelot getting drunk and stumbling home together and waking up the next morning having shared Merlin's single bed. So take from that what you will. I don't necessarily think that anything happened between them, not because I think Lancelot is straight, don't get it twisted, just because I think he's a fucking virgin.

But certified pansexual manwhore Gwaine on the other hand, oh they definitely fucked. And it's a very similar situation to Lancelot, Merlin's only flirting technique is just to find some buff guy who's just saved his life and be like, 'oh my god what can I possibly do to repay you? Maybe you could come back to my place and I could tend to your wounds and then we could go down to the tavern, have a few drinks'.

And it works. Merlin literally used his job as apprentice physician to the Knights of the Round Table as his own personal Grindr, and i love that for him. But, of course, these are just side hoes to Merlin's main bitch, Arthur.

You can deny everything else that I've said, but you cannot deny that Merlin was in love with Arthur. And don't even try to say, 'but it's just because it was his destiny'. Because, yeah, like that's any less gay. They're two sides of the same coin, destined to be together, Merlin 'uses magic only for Arthur'. Come on.

Also, it's pretty clear that Merlin cares about Arthur more than he cares about his destiny, throughout the entire show. But it culminates in this scene in series five where, because of very contrived plot reasons, Arthur has to choose between legalizing magic and saving the life of Mordred. And Merlin convinces Arthur not to legalise magic so that he will let Mordred die. He literally enables the genocide of his own people and condemns himself to a lifetime of suffering just on the off chance that he can spend a bit more time with Arthur.

And if that isn't heartbreaking enough, of course, every action that Merlin makes only confirms Arthur's fate. And after he very platonically dies in Merlin's arms, as dudebros do, what does Merlin do? does he go back to Camelot and live a full happy heterosexual life? Of course not. No, he spends the next one and a half thousand years just waiting at Arthur's resting place, waiting for the day that Arthur will be resurrected and they can be together again. What the fuck kind of Greek tragedy, Achilles and Patroclus level shit is that? That is fucking gay.

[churrochamp]

Let's talk about Merlin and lying. This isn't meant to be character bashing, but it might not be the most generous take either.

In All About Love, bel hooks writes: "In our culture privacy is often confused with secrecy. Open, honest, truth-telling individuals value privacy. We all need spaces where we can be alone with thoughts and feelings - where we can experience healthy psychological autonomy and can choose to share when we want to. Keeping secrets is usually about power, about hiding and concealing information."

(hooks has a lot more to say about the reasons why people lie in relationships, and our need for love and difficulty with love in general. Book is fantastic, highly recommend.)

The question is: was Merlin's years of lying about his magic, and all that he did in Arthur's defence, justified? Why'd he do it?

I've been trying to think through how the fandom generally interprets Merlin's character and choices in the show, and how this character makes me feel. It's really complicated and interesting (to me at least lol).

I often see the claim that Merlin lied about his magic for years out of fear for his safety, but it's never fully satisfied me as an explanation. Given that as a fandom we pretty much all agree that magic can be a metaphor for queerness, there's a natural alignment with the claim that queer people aren't ever obligated to come out, for any reason, but it's often said, especially if their physical safety might be jeopardized (which I agree with btw).

And it's true, given Camelot's genocidal laws, Merlin's life could be threatened if he revealed himself as a sorcerer. On the other hand, Merlin is basically all-powerful in the universe of the show, and I don't think the rest of Camelot could do much to him if he were prepared.

What's more convincing to me is the claim that Merlin's afraid of the potential emotional harm that could come from revealing himself. What if Arthur hates and rejects him? That's something his magic can't defend against.

I think Merlin's heart is in the right place. He believes all his work is done in service of Arthur and their joint destiny, which is the good of Albion. And he does save Arthur's life a whole dang lot.

The issue is, probably a good half of the show's major conflicts directly relate to Merlin's actions and inactions - usually, lies he's telling (Morgana, Mordred...). Conflicts that maybe could have been resolved with much less harm if Merlin, who often is the only one with crucial knowledge, had made different choices (and Gaius too oh my GOD). Dude is shooting himself in the foot. Merlin's lying isn't just about personal privacy and autonomy. It becomes a fundamental part, baked into his relationship with Arthur and his role in their prophecy (and the governing of a kingdom jeez).

In addition to plot SNAFUs, the way I see it, Merlin's lying has two major consequences for him:

His most important relationship, with Arthur, is deeply flawed and incomplete.

Merlin remains the most important, influential character in the show. His energies go to trying to keep the power for himself.

As bel hooks argues, there can't be true intimacy in a relationship if one or both parties withhold and deceive the other. This could look like lying to manipulate the other party to get what you want, or even lying to make the relationship go easier. Relationships built on untruth aren't fair to all parties - the deceived person can't make informed choices in the relationship, and the deceiving person robs themselves of the opportunity to be fully supported and loved for who they are. When Merlin lies to Arthur about magic, when he tells Arthur that magic is evil, even if it is for "his sake," he's taking choice away from Arthur often at crucial moments, for both their relationship and the well-being of the kingdom. Without knowledge of the truth about magic, and about Merlin, Arthur can't make fully informed choices as a king or a partner. Things go to shit, and it's terribly lonely for both of them, even if only one of them know about it. Merlin's reason for this might be fear of pain. However, when you don't give someone the opportunity to love or reject you for who you are, how can you feel held by that person? You deprive yourself of the chance.

Another reason to lie can be desire for power and control. By keeping the secret of his magic and their destiny, Merlin keeps all the responsibility and power to himself. This is the premise of the show: Merlin is the only person who can turn Arthur into a good king, save magic, secure Albion's future well-being--and he must do it all secretly. The show jokes about it, the characters joke about it. This premise is a kind of power-fantasy - being the secret power working from the shadows, using all your wit and guile to succeed despite the secrecy, risking life and limb for no recognition, but having the satisfaction of knowing that you are instrumental. It's very James Bond. Without the secrecy, what would be the point of Merlin? The secrecy might be part of what makes Merlin feel special, worthwhile.

As the years go by, the lies compound and the relationship becomes inseparable from them. The most significant on a personal level, probably Merlin's poisoning Morgana, Mordred, Ygraine, and Sophia.

Merlin can't control all the factors, he can't do it all by himself, he can't make Arthur into the ideal king and boyfriend of destiny, and from the start it's a doomed endeavour. Luckily Arthur loves him all on his own, and does get to see him at the very end, and they'll get a second chance.

So in summary, why does Merlin lie about his magic and his actions for so long? Fear, love, and power, is what I suggest. And ultimately it leads him and Arthur to ruin. It's not exactly exemplary behaviour, but it is very very human.

[shampnikki]

sometimes i think about mlp merlin au

i think merlin would be a unicorn, as strong as starswirl the bearded, but obviously merlin is stronger, because he is the embodiment of magic. all his life merlin used magic in his home village and everyone was quite okay with it, but suddenly he is sent to camelot, where magic is forbidden! there all unicorns have their horns cut off at birth or they themselves renounce magic, everyone is under total control.

merlin has to pretend that his horn doesn't work and that he is actually "too stupid and country to do magic"

merlin covers up his cutie mark, because it depicts one side of a coin and a magic splash, instead he draws a mop.

arthur's cutie mark is a sword, a crown and also one side of a coin, he never wondered what it means, thinking that it is a talent for ruling and chivalry. Arthur has no wings or horns.

He meets Merlin and they quickly become close friends.

One day, they went hunting, but because of Merlin, they accidentally fell into the water and the paint from Merlin's cutie mark washed off and the real mark was visible. Arthur was very surprised by this, not only did he hide his mark, but his mark was also very similar to his.

Arthur: Merlin... why do you have the same coin as me? We'll talk about you hiding your mark later, it's not against the law, but still...

Merlin says a little nervously: ...because we're two sides of the same coin?

Arthur: Are you saying that we're soul mates and have the same destiny for both of us?

Merlin: Wow, you got it quickly, I think so

Arthur: Now everything's clear.I agree to be your destiny.

Merlin, smiling broadly: And I agree to be yours

[samwinjester]

Merlin & Arthur | Song of Unborn

Hey guys! 🌟

Ok I am going to nerd out over Merlin/Arthur as well as this song. The The first time I heard it, it reminded me of these two. Below is basically a breakdown of the lyrics and the dynamic between Merlin/Arthur.

"Song of Unborn" by Steven Wilson

Let's look at the lyrics:

It's not what you'll possess

It's how you will express

The essence of you

I think this part can refer to many things. I was thinking 'possess' in terms of Merlin has his King and Arthur has his manservant. But that is not where their relationship stops. They are so much more to each other, and the way they portray their love (platonic and/or romantic) is unique. They both evolved together over the years to learn how to express themselves and their essences. (For Merlin, it's his magic. For Arthur, it's his kingship.)

It's not the wage you earn

It's about the things you learn

And the love that you feel

Also a friendship between a King and his Manservant? Initially this wasn't even heard of, but that is what made their relationship so precious and rare. Over time, Merlin and Arthur develop a profound bond that goes beyond their formal roles. They learn to value and care for each other in a way that transcends social status and expectations. Their relationship exemplifies the idea that love and mutual support are integral to personal growth and fulfillment. Without each other, neither would be complete. It's the whole 'two sides of the same coin' (wow I regret not adding that quote in the video).

It's not what you'll conceal

It's all that you'll reveal

That will make you be you

The perfection of you

This part...I initially thought of this as geared more towards Merlin, but now that I reflect on it, I think it applies to both of them! Both characters conceal aspects of their true selves due to their societal roles. Merlin hides his magical abilities, and Arthur hides his deeper insecurities and vulnerabilities.

And it is interesting because the more you think about it, the more you realize that Arthur also had huge secrets: his feelings for Merlin. They slowly begin to reveal more of their true selves to each other which fosters a deeper, more intimate bond and ultimately it leads to acceptance of the other but also of themselves.

Now the shadows are long and the cities are lost to rain

When you wake up every day to find nothing's changed

This part could symbolize moments of hardship or periods of doubt and struggle for both Merlin and Arthur. More often than not, they each felt their efforts were futile for trying to build the kingdom they imagined.

But before you can speak, you will learn that it's all the same

Now this line!!! This is where destiny comes into play. Merlin and Arthur both had to learn to accept fate and that many truths and destinies are beyond their control.

And the dreams that you will have are public domain

This I think talks about the fact that their personal dreams and hopes are intertwined with the broader fate of Camelot. Their ambitions and visions are not solely their own but are shaped by their responsibilities and the expectations of their roles. Merlin had expectations put on him by Killigarah, the Druids, ect. Arthur had his from Uther, but also from every one around him as well. And ultimately they had high expectations for each other and themselves as well.

And the country lanes are decked with the time to come

This line I feel is about hope, especially for Merlin. He knew the prophecy that Killigarah had put on him about how Arthur and Merlin would be The Once and Future King and Emrys, uniting the lands of Albion into a time of peace and acceptance for all...That prophecy was not fulfilled. Merlin was left brokenhearted, but the one thing that kept him going is the belief that Arthur would rise again, which leads me to the next few lines:

It's not the years you pass

It's about the moments that last forever in you

Now the time that is gone doesn't matter to anyone

When the country lanes are decked with the time yet to come

Well, the world is exhausted, the wreckage is all around

But the arc of your life could still be profound

Arthur didn't die. He is ALIVE because he lives in Merlin's heart. This part of the song (go listen to it. the guitar speaks in ways words cannot!!!!)...The past doesn't matter.

Don't be afraid to die

Don't be afraid to be alive

Merlin and Arthur’s relationship involves both profound moments of joy and the fear of potential loss. The lyrics suggest that they should not let the fear of eventual separation or the risks involved in their feelings deter them from fully experiencing their love. Instead, they are encouraged to live in the moment, embracing the full spectrum of their relationship.

What do you guys think? Agree/Disagree? I wanna know! I definitely have overlooked something.

---

I know a lot of editors will stick to popular songs, but I want to use my channel to share my music and artists while editing the shows/pairings I love.

[fanfic-recs-01]

Merthur Fics

This is just a list of all the Merlin/Arthur fics I like on AO3, if you have any recs for me feel free to send me some!

Updated 6/15/24

If I was a Wizard (I'd mess up all my spells) by reallyneedsalife 

~Magic is now legal in Camelot, a change which is widely embraced. But while there is happiness in the change, there is also hatred.

While on a simple hunting trip, Merlin and the knights run into trouble. Trouble that leads one of their own to die to the blade of another.

Well, kind of- anyway.~

Did You Know? by TheAsexualofSpades

~Merlin is…confused.

He’s doing his job as a servant—not that he’s begrudging his position that much, destiny is destiny, after all—and putting up with all the things that servants are supposed to put up with.~

If You Die, I'll Kill You by mamie_pink

~Arthur has the foolhardy idea while taking the knights and Merlin on a hunting trip to pass through the Valley of the Fallen Kings. He doesn't heed Merlin's cautions and needless to say things do not go well for them.~

Emrys the Really, Truly Terrible by lindenwaverly

~In which magic is legal and Merlin is still lying for reasons that are absolutely, totally 100% valid and have nothing to do with his love for Arthur~

Maybe the Hoard is the Friends we Made Along the Way by charcharizard5

~After Balinor dies Merlin inherits his Dragonlord abilities. Though no one informed him he would be inheriting dragon traits as well. It shouldn't be too hard to hide. Until his hoarding tendencies surface.~

Worst Fear by simple_shrimp

~A curse placed on Camelot reveals everyone's worst fear. ~

Don't You See? by TheAsexualofSpades

~It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, Merlin thinks, not like this at all.Granted, he hadn’t exactly been super picky about how his magic got revealed in the first place, seeing as he’d come to terms with the fact that it would just be his secret until he died.But this…this was far from ideal.

The Technicalities of Family by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

~While traveling from Ealdor, Merlin runs into some knights of another kingdom. Upon finding Ygraine’s sigil, he is assumed to be part of the royal family.Merlin isn’t sure what’s going on.~

Nobody's Fool by foxy_mulder

~Duke Ben-something-or-other clears his throat and looks Merlin up and down. “Apologies, my lord, I have not introduced myself. I am Duke Benedict Earl James the Fourteenth." He stands and bows.“And I’m Merlin.” Merlin scratches his armpit.Arthur rolls his eyes. “He means your title, idiot.”“Oh. I’m the Court Jester.”~

Change in Crowns by derekstilinski

~Arthur has traveled to sign a treaty of friendship with other kingdoms, when he realizes they've intended to set him up to marry as well. He doesn't want to marry for the sake of marrying, so he pulls a clumsy, crowned Merlin in with false talk that they married quietly.~

Thick as Sorcerers by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

~Merlin hates Mordred and Mordred is determined to put an end to that. Arthur is convinced that this child is after his man.~

Complement (Two Halves of a Whole) by greymantledlady

~Merlin dashes fiercely at the tears that have started to trickle down his face, and waits. Because if Arthur wants to take him back to Camelot as a prisoner, to a cold cell and death in the grey morning – if that is what Arthur wants, Merlin will let him, because he can’t deny Arthur anything.~

Fool Me Once by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

~Uther finds out about Merlin’s magic, but can’t seem to kill him. Merlin is just trying to protect Arthur. They become a begrudgingly effective duo. Arthur doesn't understand why they think he isn't noticing this.~

Damsel in a Phone Booth by Blackwidina

~“it’s the middle of the night and i’m walking home alone in the dark and there’s this guy following me and he’s starting to gain on me and i found this phone booth with a lock on the door and i tried to call my best friend but my hands were shaking so badly i accidentally dialed the wrong number and i don’t even know you but help me” au~

A Warlock's Worth by ella_bane 

~When a visiting prince sets his sights on Merlin, Arthur is not amused.~

No Harm Will Come to You Here by fancyh

~Merlin gets hit with a spell meant for Arthur and loses his memory. Revelations ensue. Set sometime after 5x02.~

Have you Heard by CaffeinatedFlumadiddle

~The knights keep hearing various (dramatic) rumors about the great and mighty Emrys. Everyone is such a gossip. Merlin is trying not to have a heart attack. Lancelot is loving life.~

[adhd-merlin]

I've read the Will post you reblogged, it's all very sweet, but: Merlin himself has said that the years before he came in Camelot were the loneliest years of his life. His mother, Will, the entire village of people not hostile to magic were less dear to him that his destiny service to Camelot. So, no: relationship with Will is secondary to him, there ficwriters are right writing them in such manner. This passage about loneliness was probably created by the writers to emphasize Arthur & Merlin's unusual kind of friendship, like they only have each other, but in fact it devaluated Will for Merlin and the knights for Arthur.

Hi anon! Cool glasses.

Yeah, I haven't analysed that post that deeply, I just thought there were some interesting points in there (as someone who's never given much thought to Will). And for the record, sometimes I might agree with 90% of a meta post and go "eh, I don't know" about the rest — I might still reblog it, because it's still food for thought, and I'm okay with not agreeing 100% with everyone all of the time. (Unless I think they are blatantly wrong about the remaining 10%). People can interpret things differently and that's alright. That's what makes things interesting!

That said.

Merlin himself has said that the years before he came in Camelot were the loneliest years of his life.

This passage about loneliness was probably created by the writers to emphasize Arthur & Merlin's unusual kind of friendship (...) but in fact it devaluated Will for Merlin

Merlin was always lonely. He might have been less lonely in Camelot than he was in Ealdor, just by virtue of being around more people and feeling like he was working towards a bigger purpose, but he was lonely. He is so lonely it's heartbreaking.

It's... lonely. To be more powerful than any man you know, and have to live like a shadow. To be special, and have to pretend you're a fool.

It's a loneliness born out of having to hide his true nature and, at the same time, being unable to befriend those he could be open with about his magic, people like him — Morgana and Mordred, of course, but occasionally also the Baddie of the Week — because fate and prophecies have set them on opposing sides. It's tragic.*

(Colin Morgan himself briefly touches upon Merlin's loneliness in his commentary to Ep 5x02, when he says "there's a sense of loneliness in all the magical characters, I think. [...] All united in the loneliness.")

So, personally, I don't think Merlin talking about his loneliness says anything negative or even especially significant about the quality of his friendship with Will. Merlin was (and remains) lonely because of his nature and of his circumstances. It's not really anything to do with Will.

His mother, Will, the entire village of people not hostile to magic were less dear to him that his destiny service to Camelot

Just because magic isn't banned in Cenred's kingdom, it doesn't mean that the people there are less hostile to magic. If people in Ealdor were tolerant towards magic, Merlin wouldn't have had to hide it the whole time he was there. He might not have been burnt at the stake for it, but it's very much implied he would've been (at the very least) viewed with mistrust or even ostracised by the other villagers.

And I don't believe S1 Merlin considered his mother less important than his destiny. He tries to bargain his life for hers in 1x13. (Even in 2x09 he is ready to give up his destiny to run away with Freya. Also almost killed Arthur, btw. And yes, in my book that is pretty much a murder attempt).

I assume you're saying that because he initially refused to use magic to defend his village? But like I said, Ealdor was only slightly less hostile to sorcerers than Camelot, and Arthur was right there. It wasn't just a matter of what was more important to Merlin, it was a matter of his own survival too. S1 Arthur wasn't ready to hear about Merlin's magic. He literally lectures Merlin about magic being dangerous while he's watching his childhood friend burn on a funeral pyre (dick move, by the way). The man who died saving his life. So that didn't leave Merlin with much choice, despite what Will's rebuke implies.

In the end he does use magic, and he's almost discovered — he only gets away with it because Will takes the blame. So his reluctance in using magic to defend his village wasn't completely unfounded.

Was Will more important than Arthur to S1 Merlin, or even equally important? I suppose that's a matter of interpretation.

The author wrote:

I feel that Merlin’s relationship with Will is something that is important to him, and something that he has never considered to be secondary or less important than the relationships he built in Camelot.

IMO, Will was clearly a dear friend to Merlin, regardless of his comment about feeling lonely in Ealdor. And I don't know if Merlin's relationship with Will was as important to him as the relationships he built in Camelot (in which I include people other than Arthur, like Gaius and Gwen), but it clearly was important.

Will was literally the only person who knew about Merlin's magic, other than his mother, before he met Gaius. The only person he didn't have to hide his true nature from. That's got to count for something.

And as much as Merlin cared about Arthur, he never had that with him. It was, tragically, a very one-sided relationship, until almost the very end.

I think you might still argue that Merlin's relationship with Arthur was more important — if you were so inclined — because of the whole destiny thing and how it gave Merlin a sense of purpose. But based on the friendship alone? Very one-sided, like I said. And I don't think Merlin was significantly less lonely around Arthur.

Sorry, I've just rambled on.

_____________________________________________

*I'm 100% sure I wrote a short meta post (well, random thoughts) about this because it's something I've thought about so much. And now I can't find it. Why do I even tag posts when I can't find anything half of the time!!

ETA: found it

[the-king-and-the-druidess]

I'm still thinking about the symbolism of the questing beast in the context of Armor. What if meeting It and healing would not have saved Arthur from loving Morgana, but on the contrary, would have pushed everything forward, sealing the destiny and thereby wounding him not physically, but spiritually — in the future when the truth about their true father would have surfaced and Morgana would have gone over to the dark side? A canon divergent drabble below :]

Arthur still couldn't get out of bed, but the deathly pallor had left his noble face and he breathed steadily. There was hope that the beast's wound had not destroyed him.

Morgana entered his sunlit chambers quickly, releasing Merlin from his duties.

"Arthur..." Whispered she, stopping at his bed and glancing at him.

She had spent the whole day in bed, suffering from a headache caused by a prophetic nightmare and fear for Arthur's life. But as soon as Gaius informed her that Arthur was feeling better, she got up and ran to his chambers, wearing only her ghostly white nightgown — she just didn't care.

Sitting next to the head of Arthur's bed, Morgana placed her hand on his hot forehead. If only she had real magic, not just nightmares, she would have healed Arthur. She would have done everything for him.

Morgana weakly smiled, looking at him.

"Or, Arthur," she thought, "If only you listened to me once...If only you weren't insufferable, arrogant, foolishly brave... and absolutely beautiful and loved."

She moistened the fabric in an herbal infusion and wiped his face, reducing the fever of his skin.

"I couldn't bear it if you died, Arthur..." she said softly, caressing his face, "I can't live without you. Don't you dare die. We need you. I need you."

Her voice became a barely audible whisper, and her eyes filled with tears. This time he survived, but what the future will bring?

When Morgana left, she did not notice that Arthur's eyelashes trembled and a light smile touched his pale lips.

The next day he was healthy and cheerful as if nothing had happened, talking to his father who was pleased that the monster had been defeated, joking with Morgana and Merlin and just being himself. With Arthur's return to the castle came light and hope.

Morgana said goodbye to King Uther in the evening and wanted to go to her chambers, but Arthur suddenly stopped her, touching the silk sleeve of her lilac dress.

"Morgana, wait."

"Yes, Arthur?" she turned around.

Arthur looked at her, smiling gently.

"What?" she skeptically raised an eyebrow, folding her arms across her chest.

"When I was sick and lying in bed..." he began, "I...I heard everything."

Morgana felt, to her shame, that her face and neck were flushed painfully. How could he hear her?

"I don't understand what you're talking about," she snapped. 

"Really? It seemed to me that someone came to my room, treated my wounds, and then said they needed me. Do you know who it could have been?" he winked at her.

"I have no idea. You were unconscious and imagined it all." Morgana shook her head embarrassedly, not knowing why she continued to deny the truth.

Her heart was beating like crazy when she cautiously glanced at Arthur, who looked touched and flattered at the same time.

He took a step forward towards her.

"It's a pity you don't know her," he looked almost sad, speaking slowly, "It was a beautiful, kindhearted woman. I wanted to tell her that I need her too. Always. And that she was right."

"Better later than never, yes, Arthur?" Morgana sneered.

Arthur hugged her waist, and Morgana felt her hands slide up and rest on his shoulders. Being close to him felt so right and easy.

"I'll tell her if I see her." She replied, barely holding back laughter, "She must be glad you're back."

Merlin, who had entered the dining room to clear the table, abruptly stopped, hiding behind a column.

Arthur and Morgana were embracing each other and kissing. They were so wrapped up in each other that didn't notice him at all.

Merlin always guessed that the prince and princess of Camelot were only pretending to hate each other when they secretly burned for each other. However, the beast changed everything, finally bringing them closer together. As if having been on the brink of life and death and almost losing each other, Arthur and Morgana finally realized the truth.

But still he shuddered, remembering how he heard that strange otherworldly voice in his mind: "This is just the beginning." And looking at Arthur and Morgana together, the young warlock couldn't shake off the ominous premonition he felt upon seeing this loving royal couple.

Something was coming.

[childofmagicmerlin]

Merlin's magic can be such a great metaphor for being any member of the LGBTQ+ community.

All your life the people around you are talking about how what you are is bad. Dangerous. That you don't deserve rights. Hiding who you really are from everyone in your life because even though they saw they love you, you don't know what will happen. Or the small comments that they make that you know mean that they wouldn't accept you.

How Merlin must felt his whole knowing that there are people who don't think that his existence is worthwhile. That it's criminal and wrong and unnatural. That so many people are willing to kill him for being born different to other people.

The lack of control.

He didn't chose to be born with magic but he still has to live with the consequences of being born. Knowing that trusting the wrong person will ruin his life. That he was 'outed' by someone he trusted enough to share that vital piece of information about his life, and that would lead to his death.

How his relationship with Arthur, no matter how close they are, that nagging feeling of never being able to be truly himself with his closest friend. That loneliness if never just having a friend to share it with without any expectations of greatness or responsibility or destiny. To just be himself instead of closing himself off with people; repressing a vital part of himself that is as important to him as breathing. That makes him who he is.

It's so similar to the queer experience. NOT knowing how someone closest will react to you. Comments about gay people, about trans people all whilst knowing that that is you and love these people so you know that you just can't risk it. How it is still dangerous for some people to come out because of the law and the society that they are in that would harm them and condemn them for they were born as. Something that they didn't have control over.

Those moments when your mum talks about how she doesn't understand why gay people need to act so gay and it doesn't need to shoved in everyone's face. When talks about the dangers of magic: no sorcerer can be trusted.

A weight settles in your chest that is so heavy that you feel it can't be lifted no matter how many cranes try to lift that boulder that is sitting on your heart.

Feeling othered. Alone. Unlovable because there is this thing that you were born with that you need to fix to be loved. It's heart breaking.

Merlin is strong for sticking by Arthur for all this time and I feel that he doesn't get enough credit for the emotional toll that his destiny requires. Not just the killing and the violence and the sacrifices he made along the way.

It's a different kind of suffering that is slow and suffocating and so smothering.

Lancelot should have lived. The only one who knew, who accepted him. He is a fantastic person who is kind and honourable and who Merlin needed most.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk, see you all next Wednesday

[tiodolma]

from @the-king-and-the-druidess

If Merlin was so afraid of royals, then why did he stick to Arthur for ten years? I know destiny healed fear, but still… If you don't trust the members of the royal family/despise them/fear them then it is inconsistent on your part to pin all your hopes on one of them(Arthur) and constantly help another (Uther) Besides, an ordinary person whom Merlin trusted could also go to the Purge Commission or whatever they have there and accuse Merlin in sorcery. But in the end, no one could kill Merlin or even drag him to the square if he didn't want to.

That's the fascinating and frustrating thing about Merlin.

I can try to headcanon him in so many ways:

If Merlin was so afraid of royals, then why did he stick to Arthur for ten years?

Because of the prophecy and his upbringing. Hunith raised him into believing that he has to hide his magic, treating him like a monster. Gaius believes in the same thing. Hunith wanted a purpose for his gifts/for his existence. Merlin arrives in Camelot and gets that info immediately: That he was part of this Big Prophecy that he is going to rule the Kingdom alongside the King of Everybody. He eventually accepts the mission. Plus he has seen potential in Arthur and have chosen to support him as his friend as well.

Every time he accomplishes something for Arthur, Merlin feels validated. It gives him the Purpose that was promised to him. The more he is trusted by Arthur, he feels that he is nearer to his goal. The more he is trusted by someone of higher social class than him, the more secure his role in kingdom building will be.

It's gotten so bad and desperate that Merlin has tied Arthur's approval to his own sense of self. He's gotten so used to feeling lowly and unworthy because of this tbh, especially when Arthur just keeps that absolute trust out of reach from Merlin.

He has to stick by Arthur because he can't risk the knowledge that he was Wrong to support Arthur. It's his ego talking (that's not love nor friendship anymore). If he doesn't stick by Arthur, then all the deaths, Merlin playing god, the manipulations,the lies, the tears he shed, the things he gave up on would have been for nothing. Merlin can't allow that. He has to stick with Arthur to the end in order to prove his ideology was ultimately Right. Merlin has to be right. Arthur's success will be the proof of Merlin's existence. If Arthur doesn't succeed then Merlin would be good as dead.

why then cant he just reveal his magic to Morgana or Arthur, like how he revealed peasants/slaves like Freya, Gilli and Daegal?

imo it's because Merlin would still be at a disadvantage. Royalty/nobility have public sway on their side. The Purge 20 years ago already proved that Magicfolk were still 2nd rate subjects in the church of public opinion and judgement. Royals like Arthur and Morgana could easily turn on him (and gaius) any time, just like how Uther turned on Nimueh on barely a fortnight.

This was already proven in the many times Morgana and Arthur pulled rank on lower class citizens such as him and Guinevere whenever whim fancied them. Outcasts don't really have political power. Nobility can just command armies and entire countries to turn tolerance to hate and paraonoia in a very short span of time. That is part of Arthur and Morgana's upbringing. It's part of their privilege. They were born to do that. They were trained for that. Merlin is too aware of that. That's the reality he gets slapped in the face everyday as Arthur's servant.

Meanwhile for someone that is landless and poor as Merlin, outwardly subjecting people to his power and will can be the source of awe, inspiration as well fear... And ...Fear ...is the best weapon for authoritarian rulers. It will only take just one suggestion, just one insidious rumor, that Merlin/Emrys is doom/end of humankind to turn Merlin's whole decade of work and sacrifice down the metaphorical drain.

Not only could Morgana/Arthur work with Merlin if they remained friends after an early magic reveal but they could have easily found magical/nonmagical allies and methods to bring Merlin down if they were instead enemies. They could capture and hurt his family, for example.

Merlin's fears were not unfounded.

Besides, an ordinary person Merlin trusted could also go to the Purge Commission or whatever they have there and accuse Merlin in sorcery.

I will push back on this. Merlin was very careful in his magic reveals. It's not like he revealed his secret to anyone he wanted. He made sure they were magic too and would listen to him. He did his fair share of scoping them out and weighing the pros and cons of revelation before showing what he could do. On a positive note, he has that innate ability to sway people with words. He knows how to inspire loyalty when he has to. So his secrets are usually safe.

But in the end, no one could kill Merlin or even drag him to the square if he didn't want to.

In hindsight, this is true. However he had been repeatedly told by Gaius to play fair with the non-magic folk. Gaius had drilled into his brain anything that disrupts the system of social order is Evil and Wrong. So even if he was aware that he was a powerful warlock he had to play by camelot's rules to make magic seem tameable and acceptable because he was taught that that was the Right Way. He can't act like one of those powerful warlocks that he defeated right?

If you don't trust the members of the royal family/despise them/fear them then it is inconsistent on your part to pin all your hopes on one of them(Arthur) and constantly help another (Uther)

That's the thing. He just pinned all his hopes on Arthur but he didn't have the step-by-step approach on how to actually make his dreams happen. It's like the kid whose goal is to be "the best soccer player in the world" yet not committing their time and effort to mastering basic skill practice or targetted muscle exercises. It's that kid who wants to be good at teamwork, dreams of them being able to play seamlessly with their buddies, yet never taking the time and effort to understand and trust their teammates by building rapport with everyone. And then the kid blames others why nobody understand them or why they cant be as good as the others. It is realistic but also very frustrating and self-absorbed.

What merlin needed to actually do:

He needed to be smart and politically savvy. But no! he kept on following Gaius' lead. He became content on being the shadow advisor behind the throne that rarely gets listened to.

There were many ways he could have done more work behind the scenes, even without Arthur finding out that he was magic, like

Start negotiations with the druids himself, broker talks, use the Dragoon disguise to his advantag;

find Morgana, not to kill her but to talk, this includes revealing himself. He already got the emrys/amoreus/dragoon disguise and tha was effective. , that would have been advantageous in making temporary peace with morgana (and eventually revealing his true self to her);

Get support from the knights like gwaine / elyan and lancelot especially after Arthur conveniently forgot that Merlin was in the original round table, use that voice to sway other people to his side;

Defy gaius for once in his life;

organize some underground railroad to help other magic users get in and out of camelot, etc.

I think Merlin could have done any of these btw. Why? He was a scholar. He read more books than anyone his age in Camelot. So I assume he got access to books abt histories and laws etc. He's probably 3rd next to Geoffrey and Gaius in knowledge. He had seen how the court works.

Merlin had to understand that decades of prejudice and persecution cannot be fixed by just one big magic act alone (like when he tried to heal uther). Prejudice wont magically whisk itself away with one heroic deed. There has to be grassroots/seeding action as early as possible. Usually changes are more politically effective if comes from both from the common people and from the aristocrats simultaneously.

will he actually do that though?

But maybe this is the problem. Nimueh, Edwin, Morgana, Morgause Sigan were all politically savvy/wise and cunning. Their work and planning took months to accomplish. They were patient but decisive, everything Merlin was not. Maybe he didn't want to be in the same league as them? Yes, I really think this was actually his mindset.

His refusal to see the positives from his opponents, to learn from them on how they turned Camelot citizens against the throne, economically and politcally, makes Merlin a prideful and egotistical guy.

Also why should he try to study them when he got the fates on his side? When he is on the "Good Side?" Why should he reason with them? They are obviously Evil and have no hope of redemption.

merlin is the tragic gifted kid lol

It also didnt help that Kilgharrah and Gaius always buttering him up and telling him

"you're the most powerful sorcerer,"

"morgana can never be as strong as you"

"Morgana is EVIL AND MUST DIE"

"no talk, only kill",

"as long as you are here camelot is safe"

"you are the doing THE GOOD thing"

"we are on the side of Righteousness"

"It is your duty"

"You and Arthur are just doing what is best".

That have already gotten straight to his head and have stunted his growth. Merlin has never allowed himself to be humbled by the other warlocks. Because they can't humble him in the ways they knew how. No one can defeat him. He knows this. So he won't listen to them and won't learn from them. Because to him they are Wrong, always Wrong. while he is Right.

This is why he's so egotistical to me. He just stuck to the "protect/serve arthur and be his guide" part of the prophecy and not much else. He thought that he was already enough. He was made to believe that was enough and that he was Correct and Right. He left all the manner of statecraft and actual nation-building to Arthur while he remained as the dumb shield/wall, giving suggestions from the king from time to time (and he's not necessarily listened to). Like all his solutions to the challenges he faced, he'd just expected things to settle themselves on as fate usually did for him.

I could say that he is a case of wasted potential. But maybe not. He made his choices, he gave his 100% to them. He listened to his superiors and did his duty. He performed excellently despite having a twisted mindset.

I wish he just had to suffer the consequences more.

[merlin-emrys-wyllt]

Timeskip

One year later

The surprise for Merlin had gone well, and both Hunith and her son were pleased to finally be reuinited. They spent the rest of his last day of freedom together, Merlin showing her around the castle and taking her for a walk through the gardens before dinner. They then returned to Gauis' chambers to eat together and talk well into the night. Gauis shared many stories about how mischievous Merlin was, with Merlin chiming in from time to time. By the end of the night, Merlin offered his mother a grand room in the castle, for if she wanted to stay or for her if she visited. In the end she decided to stay with her son. Her life would be much better here, and she couldn't bear to be away from Merlin anymore.

A lot had changed over the course of the year. Gwen and Hunith had both been offered important places within his counsel if they both wished. Hunith decided to take the role part-time. She wanted to enjoy her time in Camelot as well as helping her boy. The courtiers who opposed Merlin had been pranked by the knights and him and had then been very publicly fired.

Magic had, of course, been lagalised, and Merlin no longer had to hide his abilities. Though Merlin had remained secretive about just how powerful he really was. That was until the druids were invited over, and they had practically worshipped him. Merlin ended up having to explain everything to his friends. How he had a destiny to protect Arthur, and that is why he was born with his magic, and he had failed in his duty. They all had comforted him and told him that it wasn't his fault. He eventually went on to explain the belief that one day Arthur would return.

He had also brought around better protections for servants. Any mistreatment wasn't tolerated, and he ensured that all of his servants knew that they could come to him if they were in any sort of trouble. He didn't place anyone's birthright over another in such cases. It didn't matter to him if a servant was accusing someone with royal blood. Each case was investigated, no matter the allegations.

The people were happy. They loved their new king and the way he was ruling. A lot of his ways were similar to Arthur's, and they were glad for that. Even if he had made some changes to things. There were, of course, those who were unhappy, but they were vastly overpowered by those who were celebrating.

Currently, Merlin was sitting in the thrown room, wearing his new regular purple jumper. It had golden trimming, and the pendragon crest in the left corner of the chest. He, of course, was still wearing his usual scarfs. Today, he wore a blue one to go with his jumper. Since he refused to never not wear them, the seamstresses had insisted that he at least let them add some golden designs to them. To which he had accepted. All of his closest advisors were there, including all of the knights and his Mother who was standing beside him. They were discussing the possibility of war. It had become evident over his year of ruling that the bonds between some of their kingdoms had broken. Not all of the kingdoms were happy with him, having become king, and they were even less happy with the fact that he had legalised magic. They had to prepare themselves and the people for the possibility of an attack.

@indigoinformant

[caraspud]

Rambly reply:

I think Merlin would be cautious around Mordred, since he becomes very paranoid and colder during the later seasons. Perhaps Mordred brings some of the older Merlin back (for the merdred).

Merlin wouldn’t want Mordred around Arthur, not just because paranoia, but because he can’t bear to see someone else be killed for magic. By keeping him away it reduces the chance of him being found out. Merlin in my head has lived in a magic fearing community all of his life (both in Ealdor and Camelot), so he has a lot of trauma and has learnt to keep himself hidden. This is hard to overcome.

I think Mordred would be the more optimistic of the two. Merlin, though he does believe in destiny, I think he starts to lose faith that it would ever happen. Maybe mordred is the one to reveal his Druid nature to Arthur, Merlin being scared clutching a jug but ready to defend if necessary. Protective merlin. Merlin knows Arthur wouldn’t hurt Mordred, but he knows Arthur will regret it if he said anything to hurt the young knight. Overall Merlin has been hiding for too long to flip a switch and suddenly be ok with a lot of people knowing he has magic.

Mordred helps Merlin connect more with magic, years of self suppression difficult to overcome. Maybe after Arthur learns of his magic but Merlin still doesn’t use it making Arthur/knights question how powerful Merlin presumably is. Mordred doesn’t like this, makes them know how much merlin has done for all of them. If lance still alive au, Lancelot is very proud to welcome Mordred into the Merlin protection squad.

Early on Mordred is still worship-y about Emrys, this makes merlin very uncomfortable. So Merlin is distant with him about this as well. Eventually Mordred sees Merlin as a man who has the burden of destiny on his shoulders.

I think Merlin would give in and start going into the woods or abandoned room in castle or even the dragon cave to start practicing, this makes Merlin start to remember a time when he did magic for the joy of it. Not to protect, not to kill, not for destiny.

Maybe a grand magic reveal, merlin being a bamf. Mordred and the knights blushing messes at the show of power, and Mordred realising that holy shit he is Emrys. But realising that he is also just Merlin.

If the prophecy is still a thing that they don’t know about, that would definitely be a tension if they later find out after they become friends. I think Merlin would start building those walls again, Mordred trying desperately to get him to stop. But Merlin is just trying to protect himself. Maybe they discuss it, and Mordred shows how he wasn’t solely responsible for Morgana even if he did play a role. And that there were different points destiny could of changed. That destiny is not set in stone. This would also have Merlin spiralling into a whole “will Arthur ever play his part in the destiny I’ve been holding for us”. Answer either “I do not know” or “Your destiny is stronger as it has been told unchanged for far longer than any other”.

There was this one fic I read that had Merlin talk to Mordred about losing his own love to Arthur’s hand, and talks about Freya. It doesn’t get rid of the pain but it helps Mordred see he is not so alone and also of he sacrifice Merlin has already made. Merlin also talks of the prophecy, he does it to try to curb the prophecy.

Overall I think it would take Merlin a while to take his walls down, especially if this is set in a time where Lancelot still dies.

I always see people discussing the prophecies in Merlin about Morgana and the one about Mordred.

But now, what if [specifically right now] the prophecy about Mordred does not exist?

Or if it does exist, what if Merlin did not know about it and never found out?

What do you think could have changed?

What would have happened?

And for my Merdred shippers, what if the tension between them was this time not because of the prophecy?

[merthur-with-side-of-arthur]

hey guys it’s me back on my bullshit again!!! youuuuuu guessed it!! i’m watching! Merlin! again!!!!

in other news, Arthur got a crush in 0.2 seconds. boy caught some FEELINGS and he’s like ‘wtf is this i don’t like it’ please mate just pipe down “there’s something about you Merlin” yeah we get it you think he’s pretty no need to be SO LOUD ARTHUR

[the-kings-chambers]

The King’s Chambers Recs - October 2022

Hello, 

We are back again with another monthly rec list of some of our favourite fanworks recommended by some of our members! 

All of the recs are top/dom!Arthur with bottom/sub!Merlin unless stated otherwise.

Fic

Stars directing our fates | Camelittle | Explicit | 4,932w Summary: In which Merlin finds that his destiny is quite literally written in the stars.

The Fabric Of Your Flesh (Pure As A Wedding Dress) | orphan_account | Explicit | 2672w Summary: Arthur fucks like he fights, all raw power and brute strength and uncontrollable anger.

Like it really rough guy | MyKingdomComeUndone | Explicit | 1,500w Summary: Merlin has a secret fantasy he wants to try out, and Arthur is happy to lend a helping hand (or cock). Kinkalot entry for the Bingo prompt Rough sex

The One Where They Do It Over The Table | The_Alternate_Menu | Explicit | 1,429w Summary: If Merlin had been in a clearer state of mind, he might’ve made some blithe comment about Arthur liking the sound of his own name, but he was past mocking comments and wit, and moving fast towards 'mindless', towards 'used-thing.' Arthur is Merlin's alpha, and Merlin is his omega. Arthur likes to dominate, and Merlin likes it rough. You know the rest.

oh my god, dizzy from lovin' you | pinkpantherman | Explicit | 996w Summary: Arthur gives Merlin a hand job in a public bathroom. That is literally it. (Hand job, no sex)

Mating Call | orphan_account | Explicit | 15,326w Summary: After Arthur is wounded by a magical beast during a hunting trip, he starts displaying some odd changes in behavior. Not only is he even more of an insufferable prat than usual, but he also seems to have found a new and concerning affinity for his manservant's scent. Poor Merlin is in over his head...

You're Such A Girl Merlin | I_ran_out_of_books | Teen and Up | 2,579w Summary: Merlin has a very big heart and a dislike for dirt and that means he's what Arthur calls a giant girl. However, all of this makes Arthur melt, which he reluctantly realizes with the help of an injured butterfly one day after a hard patrol around the kingdom.(No butterflies were harmed in the making of this fic.) (First kiss, no sex)

For Love and Lingerie | Lyskari | Mature | 1,345w Summary: Arthur is coming home early and forgets to tell Merlin, leaving Merlin no time to hide away his little secret. (Prelude to sex)

Art

[Fanart] Merthur Art | icestorming | Mature | Digital Art Summary: My hands slipped please tumblr do not delete me

Bonus: the variant in which Arthur’s majestic profile to see

[Fanart] I have a little surprise for you merthur shippers… | itsmefromthatday | Gen | Digital Art Summary:  Forbidden love. Merlin and Arthur kissing in a hidden spot of the castle. (Gen fanart)

If you enjoyed these recs and want to see more, or talk about top Arthur/bottom Merlin, we would love to welcome you in our discord server. If you’re interested and of age 18 or older, please message us and we will send you an invitation.

Also, feel free to send us a message to let us know your fave top Arthur/bottom Merlin fanworks! 💕

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Oh shit, I never told you that Merlin isn’t my actual name??

Igraine reveals… one hell of a secret, and not the one you’re thinking of:

Part 2   Part 3   Part 4(final part)(coming soon)

TW: Uther being a Jackass I guess?

Arthur knows about his dumbass servant’s magic. He wasn’t best pleased, in fact, he was furious when he first found out; how is supposed to protect his servant-turned-best-friend-except-that’s-super-secret-even-from-himself if he’s off doing stupid shit like Sorcery in Camelot?!

He was a lot more sympathetic when Merlin explained that he’d been born with it, and that his destiny was, literally, tied to Arthur’s. That, mixed with the fact that Arthur tended to get himself into a LOT of trouble, without even realising it most of the time, means Merlin has no choice but to be doing stupid shit like Sorcery in Camelot.

Merlin is currently giving Arthur the silent treatment, not that Arthur seems to notice. The two of them were waiting for Morgause to finish whatever it is she was doing to, apparently, allow Arthur to speak to his mother.

She doesn’t take long, and though Merlin keeps his distrustful gaze on her the whole time, he still can’t quite tell what it is Morgause has done. She looks to them with a blank expression, though her focus is mainly on Arthur as she gestures him forward:

“It’s ready, Prince Arthur. Close your eyes, both of you.”

Arthur frowns briefly but does as told. Merlin raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms, and staring Morgause down; she rolls her eyes and huffs quietly when she realises that he isn’t going to take his eyes off her, but gives in, turning away and performing some sort of simple looking (though Merlin gets the distinct impression that it isn’t simple) ritual.

The Witch lets out a deep breath and steps back, and Merlin’s hard stare is finally drawn away from her when a shower of golden sparks materialises in a cloud in front of The Prince.

Arthur opens his eyes to see Igraine standing there, practically glowing, looking every bit the glorious Queen she once was. She gives him a soft smile, and Arthur can only stare, his mouth moving of it’s own accord:

“Mother?”

Merlin stares on in suspicion as Igraine’s smile grows:

“My son.”

She pulls him forward into a tight hug, and though Arthur had started off forcing himself to be wary, he falls into the hug easily, struggling to hold his tears in. They pull back after far too short of a time, and though Merlin was still distrustful, he wishes she had held Arthur just a little longer.

Merlin’s heart breaks as Arthur goes on to apologise for being born, but his feelings quickly turn to anger as Igraine explains the truth, how his people were being hunted, burned, vilified, all because Uther was too much of a hypocrite to admit his mistakes or listen to reason; but he couldn’t lash out now, this time was for Arthur, not him.

Igraine’s face falls even further, and she grips Arthur’s shoulders tightly:

“But we do not have time to talk of this, I can feel the other side pulling me back, I must be quick. Arthur, my son, you have a brother, and you must find him.”

Merlin’s eyes go wide and he tenses in place; this had better not be some twisted trick on Morgause’s part to destroy Arthur, because he would destroy her in return if it was. And he would do it in a far messier way. Arthur just looks shocked:

“A brother? How?!”

Igraine smiles mournfully:

“A twin. He was so small when he was born, I thought he wouldn’t make it, but though I can’t see his face, I know he lives, I can feel it. He had hair dark as the night sky, a complete contrast to your golden wisps-”

She lifts a soft, gentle hand, and runs it through Arthur’s hair with a smile:

“-but his eyes, oh his eyes were just as golden as your hair, before they faded to the colour of the sky.”

Arthur gasped but Merlin tensed even further, certain that this must be some sort of trick:

“He was magic?”

Igraine smiles again and nods:

“It’s not common, but not completely unheard of for people to be born magic. Your brother was, and it was beautiful.-”

He smile falls into something more angry, though she’s clearly trying to hide it:

“-Your father... did something. I do not know what; by the time my soul was restful enough to be able to look back upon the world, it was too late, he was gone somewhere I could not see. I know he still lives, your father was too much of a coward to admit his mistakes, but too much of a hypocrite to keep to his convictions and destroy the child, which I can be grateful for. I feared he had been sent far away, but you must find him, restore his heritage.”

Arthur nods vigorously, his eyes wide and desperate, and Merlin finds himself desperate to believe that this spirit is true and genuine:

“What else can you tell me about him? Do you know where he is? What he looks like now?”

Igraine’s face falls into a soft smile again, though she shakes her head mournfully:

“He is powerful, extremely so. I worried he was dead until I suddenly felt him; he appeared in Camelot, around three and a half years ago. His power is vast, I can sense it stretching for miles and miles, though I can not pinpoint the epicentre; he is somewhere within the Kingdom, you must find him.”

Merlin frowns in confusion, stepping forward to interrupt, though he desperately doesn’t want to:

“Did you name him? Your son?”

Igraine looks to him suddenly, as if she weren’t aware they had company, but quickly turns almost her full attention to Merlin with a soft smile:

“You. You looked after my boy, thank you. Thank you for all that you have done. And yes-”

She looks back to Arthur:

“-I named him, though I whispered it with my last breaths, Uther would certainly not have used it, and I do not know if Gaius heard me.”

Arthur responds quietly, his cracking voice heavy with too many emotions to name:

“What is it? What’s my... my brother’s name?”

“Myrddin.”

Merlin takes in a quiet gasp, and Arthur, always with at least one half of his brain focused on his manservant, turns to him:

“You know that name?! Merlin, do you know someone in Camelot with that name?”

Merlin just stares at Igraine, his eyes wide and his hands shaking:

“How... how do you think he got out of Camelot? How would Uther have sent him away?”

Igraine’s face is confused, but mostly curious as she takes a step towards him, still with one hand on Arthur’s shoulder:

“Gaius and Balinor possibly, perhaps Nimueh, though I imagine she fled rather quickly. They were Uther’s closest friends before the purge, and they all practised magic, they would have been... sympathetic, tried to help the child. Why? Are Arthur’s questions relevant? Do you know my son??”

Merlin’s eyes flickered between the two of them, but when Arthur says his name again, his voice nothing short of desperate, his gaze fixes on The Prince:

“Arthur, I... I never told you, because I didn’t think it was... relevant, but... Merlin isn’t my real name.”

Arthur recoils, shocked, and utters a dumbfounded “What?!”. Merlin gulps, and looks to Igraine briefly before resuming his fearful, and slightly confused, stare on Arthur:

“When I was young, my magic was still strong, but I had no control over it. I would subconsciously summon animals to my side constantly. Mostly small things, but the occasional stag or bear would wander through the village to find me. But... but what came most often where the birds; the village is essentially in the middle of a forest, and... and there were thousands of merlins. So I got that as a nickname, Merlin, and it just stuck.”

Arthur just shakes his head, caught off guard but mostly just annoyed:

“You heard my mother, Merlin, we don’t have much time, what is this-”

Merlin interrupts him:

“Just listen!! My real name.... it’s Myrddin.-”

Igraine takes in a quiet gasp, mumbling more to herself than anyone else “Gaius heard me.” but Arthur just stares. Merlin holds his gaze, but after a few moments, he looks back to Igraine:

“-My mother... she... she wouldn’t lie to me, nor would Gaius... this... it’s a mistake. It’s... it’s a common name, right?!”

Igraine responds in a hushed tone, though Arthur barely moves, still staring at Merlin as though he had gained a new head:

“Show me some magic, my boy.”

Merlin stutters and shakes his head, laughing incredulously before he notices her pleading face and looks to Arthur, almost for permission. The Prince gulps before nodding, just once, and Merlin lets out a deep breath. He holds his hand out in front of him, palm up, and without even needing to mutter a spell, a single flower grows; a Camelot-red Tulip, it’s petals dipped in gold.

When his eyes fade back to blue, he looks up to see the others’ reactions: Arthur is smiling softly, always eager to see Merlin’s magic, as if he had forgotten the situation at hand, but Igraine... oh, Igraine was staring at him with such wonder, tears slipping down her pale cheeks.

Merlin drops the flower without a second though and shakes his head minutely, but Igraine just nods, allowing the hand on Arthur’s shoulder to slip down to his hand so she could tug him forward, towards Merlin:

“Myrddin, my boy, my son. You came home all on your own.”

Merlin just shakes his head again and steps back:

“No. No this... this isn’t real, this is a trick, or... or something. How do we prove it? How do we know you’re not lying or some trap laid by Morgause?!”

Igraine sighs, but nods, understanding:

“Ask Gaius and your... your mother, and thank her for me, for raising you with so much love. The doorway is closing, I can feel it.-”

Her gaze moves lovingly between then two of them, and when she steps forward once more, she takes Merlin’s hand before he can move away, pulling the two of them into a tight hug:

“-I am so endlessly proud of you both, and I love you, always.”

She fades from the air, and within seconds Arthur’s arms are falling in on themselves, nothing under them to hold their weight and forceful pressure.

The Prince’s head whips towards Morgause, who until that point had been completely forgotten about:

“Bring her back!”

Her stare is fixed on a frozen Merlin, though she slowly looks to Arthur when he takes an intimidating step towards her and goes to open his mouth again:

“I can’t. The doorway closes of it’s own accord, I can’t bring her back again. But that was... unexpected. I apologise, you shouldn’t have had to find out like that.”

Arthur shakes his head angrily at her denial, but quickly refocuses and looks to Merlin, who still hasn’t moved an inch. He puts a soft hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly until the other man looks at him; Arthur isn’t quite sure what he was expecting, but Merlin’s eyes to be filling with tears definitely wasn’t it:

“I... this can’t be real. My mother, Gaius, Kilgharrah, they all would’ve known. Why wouldn’t they tell me?”

Arthur pulls him into a hug, silently vowing to stop Merlin’s suffering as soon as he’s possibly able, that they would discover the truth no matter what. Merlin’s arms just hang limply at his sides, though he does push his face into Arthur’s neck as The prince responds:

“I... I don’t know, Merlin. Maybe they thought it would get in the way of that destiny of yours, maybe they were waiting for my... for The King to pass.-”

He pulls back, but keeps his hands on Merlin’s shoulders:

“-Lets just... get back to Camelot, and we can figure it out. We can go downstairs to talk to Kilgharrah.”

Merlin shakes his head, stepping back and wiping his sleeve over his eyes roughly before walking purposefully towards the horses:

“No, he’s the least likely to be honest, we’ll talk to Gaius. Though if any of this is true... I’m having some bloody harsh words with my... with Hunith.”

Arthur flinches slightly at the anger in Merlin’s voice, but after a quick glance to a slowly retreating Morgause, he follows him to the horses and they start the fast paced journey back to Camelot. The only words exchanged, around an hour in, were Merlin’s quiet, humourless:

“Gwaine’s never going to believe this.”

And Arthur’s responding snort of derisive amusement.

~

They manage to stay out of sight when they arrive back in the city, which is good really. Arthur’s lowly simmering rage had been reaching taller and taller heights with every pound of the horses’ hooves against the hard ground. But before he confronts his father, they need confirmation, in the form of Gaius.

They stalk quietly through the castle, using servant corridors and hidden passages to avoid being seen, but all bets are off when they reach the Physician’s chambers.

Gaius looks up with a quiet gasp when the two men burst in, locking the door behind them. Arthur’s blank stare and Merlin’s barely concealed anger force his shock and relief to morph into confusion:

“Merlin, Prince Arthur, where on Earth have you been? The King has been panicking, sending out patrol after patrol to search for you.”

Arthur’s face remains blank, and when Gaius looks to him for an answer he just moves his gaze to Merlin, allowing him to determine the pace of this much needed conversation. Merlin’s dark gaze is now fixed on the floor, though his jaw and hands are tightly clenched, and his breathing is shaky in his anger. His voice comes out lethally quiet, and Arthur can tell that it’s only a matter of time before he explodes:

“Gaius, what’s my name?”

Gaius just looks slightly taken aback, like he hasn’t quite grasped Merlin’s meaning despite its plainness:

“My boy, whatever are you-”

He’s interrupted when Merlin looks up at him sharply, his eyes blazing and his face turning slightly red:

“It’s a simple question Gaius: What’s. My. Name?-”

Gaius’ eyes flicker to Arthur in confusion, but Merlin breaks from his near frozen stature, moving with a speed that Arthur had never seen in him before to slam his hand on the table:

“No, don’t look at him, look at me. What’s my name, Gaius?!”

Gaius nods, his eyes sad as he gulps before answering quietly:

“Myrddin, but you already knew that.”

Merlin takes a deep breath and nods, his fingers tapping rhythmically, though a tad aggressively, against the table. Arthur goes to step forward to put a calming hand on his shoulder but Merlin shoots him a withering look and he stays back. Merlin’s hard stare returns to the resigned physician:

“And my parents?”

Gaius gulps again but straightens his posture, putting up a confused façade, though it’s easy to see through:

“Hunith is your-”

Merlin slams his hand on the table again, much harder this time, and a voice in the back of Arthur’s head—the one at the forefront was spitting obscenities and planning rather gruesome ways to murder his father—makes a note to check his hand later, a hit like that had likely broken something, though Merlin was clearly too furious and confused and upset to notice:

“DON’T LIE TO ME!”

Gaius is taken aback at Merlin’s bitter yell, but he softens again at the tears on his ward’s cheeks; he collapses into a chair on the other side of the table, rubbing his eyes tiredly before looking up at the distraught man:

“Uther and Igraine Pendragon. You are a year older than your mo- than Hunith led you to believe, and you are Arthur’s twin brother.-”

Arthur turns away angrily, vocalising the curses that had been playing on a loop in his mind, and Merlin nods, pushing his injured hand into the table without even realising:

“-I am so sorry, my-”

Merlin shakes his head and holds a hand up to stop him but doesn’t say anything, not pulling away this time when Arthur steps into place beside him and puts a hand on his shoulder, waving the other one aggressively at the elderly physician:

“You had no right, no right to keep this from us. I grew up being taught to hate magic, miserable and alone, and Merlin grew up hating himself, just as miserable and alone, if not more so. You had no right to take us away from each other.-”

Gaius goes to respond, but Arthur stops his excuses before they even make it past his throat:

“-No. There is no excusing this, you and my father took my brother from me, and there will be no forgiving that. I’ve known about Merlin’s magic and our entwined destinies for over a year, you’ve had every opportunity to tell us, but you didn’t. That’s not even mentioning the nature of my... our mother’s death. You are a coward, and in your cowardice you have been cruel; I will not stand for it. Where is my- where is The King?”

Gaius nods slowly, standing on almost wobbling legs before gesturing to the door:

“The King is with Sir Leon trying to figure out where to look next, they’re in the council chamber. You are right, and I am sor-”

Arthur cuts him off with a sharp gesture and a dark look, taking Merlin’s uninjured wrist and pulling him towards the door. The servant (Prince?) follows easily, unable to meet Gaius’ gaze and allowing Arthur to drag him briskly through the corridors towards the council chamber.

By the time they reach the chamber, Merlin has broken out of his stupor, wiped his tears, and pulled his wrist from Arthur’s grip, instead walking alongside him and using just as much force when they both push the doors open and stride in.

Uther and Leon both look up rapidly, startled at the sudden intrusion, but whilst Leon looks relieved and sends the two of them a small smile, Uther looks angry:

“Arthur. Where have you been? I have had search parties out looking for you. Arthur?”

Arthur doesn’t answer for a few moments, but a glance at Merlin by his side gives him the confidence boost he needs and he straightens his back, draws his sword, and stares The King right in the eyes:

“I know what you did to my mother, and I know what you... what you took from me.”

Uther stands tall, glancing to Leon briefly as he announces:

“Leave us. No one is to enter.”

Leon looks between the three other men, but doesn’t make it to his second step towards the door before Arthur has his sword pointed at his chest, though The Prince’s gaze stays on his father. Leon knows it’s less of a genuine threat and more of a way of emphasising his words, but that doesn’t stop him from taking a slight, wary step back:

“No, Sir Leon, you will stay.”

Leon glances nervously to the red-faced King, but doesn’t move. Uther looks furious at Arthur’s denial of his orders, but The Prince pays him no mind, finally turning to look at Leon with a slightly softer look in his eyes:

“Sir Leon, do you bear witness?”

Leon frowns slightly, looking between Arthur, Uther, and Merlin once again, frown deepening as he spies the unshed tears in Merlin’s eyes and the purple bruise forming over one of his hands. He finally looks back to Arthur, moving to stand to attention with one hand held over his heart and the other resting on the hilt of his sword:

“My Lord Prince Arthur Pendragon, I, Sir Leon, bear witness.”

Uther just splutters angrily, but Leon pointedly keeps his gaze on Arthur until The Prince nods at him and is the first to look away. Merlin had stayed silent the entire time, but visibly relaxes when Leon swears to stay, and that just makes the knight even more curious; this seems to be just as much about Merlin as it did Arthur’s parents.

The Prince moves his gaze—and his sword—to be pointed at The King once more, and he takes a deep breath before forcing the words from his mouth:

“You used magic, against my mother’s will, so that you could conceive. Is this true?”

Uther huffs angrily, gaze dashing to the other two men before it settles on Arthur again:

“This is preposterous, Morgause has lied to you.”

Leon is practically holding his breath at the side of the room; he can clearly tell that Arthur is moments away from striking his own father down, but does he interfere? Does he let it happen? And he still has no clue what’s bothering Merlin so much, other than the obvious pain in his hand.

Arthur takes slow steps towards Uther, inching the blade closer and closer to his throat:

“You are the one that’s lying. You started a genocide because you insisted on blaming magic for your own mistakes, and that’s not even the worst thing you did.-”

Arthur lets out an incredulous laugh, and Uther takes a step back as Leon tenses and Merlin stays blank:

“-I had a brother, a twin born with magic. You were too much of a coward to admit your mistakes but too much of a hypocrite to stick to your convictions, so you sent him away instead of killing him.-”

Uther goes pale, taking another stumbled step back as Leon’s eyes go wide, his gaze jumping to Merlin with a sudden, dreaded clarity.

(Perhaps Leon had picked up on Merlin’s magic a few months ago, and perhaps he had come to the conclusion that the younger man was the best protector Arthur could have.)

“-Do you even know his name? Mother said you would likely refuse to use it, but do you even know what it is?!”

Uther quickly regains his anger, his fury snapping into place as he gestures threateningly and thunders:

“It was an abomination! A creature of magic that destroyed your mother and almost tainted you! I should have slaughtered it where it lay-”

Merlin takes in a sudden breath at his words and Leon clenches his jaw; itching to comfort the younger man, but knowing that he wouldn’t exactly be welcomed right now. He’s meant to be here as an impartial third party.

Arthur throws his gauntlet down before Uther can finish his aggressive assertion, and Merlin gulps, moving properly for the first time since he’d entered the room. He grabs Arthur’s arm and pulls him back slightly:

“Arthur you can’t, he’s your... he’s The King.”

Arthur glances to him:

“I don’t care, he took you from me, he had no right.-”

He looks back to Uther, who is now staring at Merlin with a shocked venom. No one notices the way Leon quietly draws his sword; impartial his arse, he’d protect Arthur and Merlin to his dying breath:

“-You are the abomination, and you will pay for your crimes. Perhaps you should’ve sent Myrddin, that’s his name by the way, further afield, perhaps I’d have been more inclined to keep you alive until I found him. Pick it up.”

Uther’s gaze doesn’t move from Merlin as his face grows redder and redder. He doesn’t look down to the gauntlet, nor does he look at Arthur, nor does he notice Leon creeping closer:

“You. You foul, hellish, beast!”

Without another second’s of hesitation, he lunges forward and draws his sword all in one move. Arthur reacts too slowly, not expecting The King to attack Merlin instead of him, and Uther pushes him out of the way, swinging the sword down harshly toward Merlin’s chest before Arthur can block him. Merlin is too shocked and angry and scared and upset to even think of using his magic, so just stumbles back helplessly, falling and landing harshly on his already broken hand, yelping slightly.

Before anyone can even blink, Leon is there, stood over Merlin with blazing eyes and his sword raised. He parries the King easily, and by the time Uther has processed one of his own knights turning against him, Merlin has scrambled back, injured arm held to his chest, and Arthur has moved to stand at Leon’s side, sword raised.

Uther can only stare in furious bewilderment, but it doesn’t take him long to concede that he has been outmatched. He calls for the guards, though once they’ve spilled into the room, six in total, they stutter to a confused stop when they see The Prince and The First Knight seemingly defending a servant (a well-loved, well-known servant), from The King.

Arthur, without looking away from Uther, speaks harshly, his voice controlled and forceful and, frankly, Kingly:

“Arrest The King and escort him to his rooms. Remove all weapons and bar the windows and doors, I want him under constant guard.”

Uther screeches angrily, both at Arthur’s words and the fact that the guards make no moves to detain The Prince and the knight, like he clearly wants. Before he can actually say anything, Arthur speaks again, his voice even louder than before, first to the guards:

“NOW!-”

And then back to Uther:

“-You will either be arrested for your crimes, both against our family name and humanity as a whole, or I will kill you where you stand.”

Uther tries his best to stare Arthur down, but there really is no competing with the fire in his eyes, and it only takes one short nod from Leon for the guards to step forward and confiscate The King’s sword before they pull his arms around his back and push him towards the door. He digs his heels in and begins screeching again, though they can only make out the odd word, it’s mostly just “BETRAYAL!” and “SORCERY!” and “HOW DARE YOU!”. Arthur pulls Merlin to his feet gently, frowning at his purple wrist and knuckles before sighing and rolling his eyes, nodding to Uther and muttering, just loud enough for Merlin and Leon to hear:

“I don’t suppose you could do something about that, could you?”

Merlin looks shocked, but huffs out a gentle laugh when Arthur just raises his eyebrow in question. He looks to Uther just as the guards struggle to open the door, muttering a quiet spell under his breath, his eyes flashing golden. Leon takes in a slow breath at the obvious display of sorcery; he’d been constantly on edge since he discovered Merlin’s talent, desperately fearful that someone would find out. Thankfully, the guards are entirely focused on the task at hand.

Uther quickly goes quiet, his head drooping, and Arthur grimaces as the guards struggle to hold his sudden dead weight. He has to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing aloud when they turn to him with questioning looks; he just nods and gestures regally for them to keep going.

Soon, the room is quiet again, only the three men remaining. Leon looks between them apprehensively but Arthur just takes a fortifying breath before focusing his attention on Merlin’s arm, holding it gently in front of him and frowning worriedly:

“I’m guessing you haven’t gotten any better at healing magic since the arrow incident?”

Merlin scoffs and rolls his eyes:

“That wasn’t my fault, you’re the one that yanked it out of my shoulder and left the damn head in. And for your information, yes actually, I’ve been practicing. But I really think we have more important things to deal with at the moment, like the fact that the council is going to freak out when they find out you had The King arrested.”

Arthur shakes his head, giving Merlin a firm look:

“Merls, I just found out that you’re my twin brother, you are the important thing right now. Heal your hand, I don’t care how long it takes. Leon will take care of the council until we get there.”

He looks pointedly to Leon, and the knight nods, clearing his throat with a confused frown as he replies:

“What... uh... what would you like me to tell them, My Lord? Before your arrival? And where would you like them?”

Arthur smiles, grateful that Leon knows to take cues from him, knows what to focus on, knows that he is being trusted:

“Take them to the Throne Room. Tell them that Uther has been forcibly removed from the throne, that I have discovered the existence of my magical twin brother, whom I intend to have announced as Crown Prince within the week, and that I plan to legalise magic.”

Merlin, already pale and shaky, flinches, starting up with a “But I don’t want-” but Arthur cuts him off with a harsh, though fond glare, looking back to Leon to see the knight’s face shocked and pale. He purses his lips, before humming thoughtfully and speaking again:

“Actually... that probably wouldn’t be for the best. Just inform them that it’s an emergency, reassure them we haven’t started a war or anything, and tell them I’ll be arriving shortly.”

Leon visibly relaxes and nods, giving Merlin a soft smile and ruffling his hair quickly before striding from the room. Merlin huffs at the affection, but Arthur can tell he’s secretly pleased and copies Leon’s fond smile. Merlin looks to him confusedly:

“Why will the council have to wait? It’ll only take a few moments to heal myself.”

Arthur raises an eyebrow, nodding at Merlin’s hand pointedly and crossing his arms as if he were expecting failure. Merlin just rolls his eyes before looking down to his injury and muttering a few words, grimacing as his knuckles realign, and the bruise recedes. It doesn’t disappear completely, but the bones and deeper muscle tears have obviously repaired themselves, and Merlin looks very proud of himself as he looks back to Arthur:

“That’s the best I can be bothered to manage-”

Arthur huffs disapprovingly but knows he isn’t going to get any better than that:

“-so why are the council waiting?”

Arthur sighs, putting a hand on Merlin’s shoulder and leading him to the door:

“Well, you look one stiff breeze away from keeling over, and I imagine you’ll want to speak to Gwaine?”

Merlin looks to him suspiciously, but allows Arthur to lead him through the castle towards where Gwaine was almost certainly pacing worriedly in his rooms:

“I thought you didn’t approve of Gwaine?”

Arthur grins wolfishly:

“Oh, I don’t, especially now that I know that you’re a Prince, and my brother, but it’s my duty as the oldest to threaten him more than I already have.”

Merlin stops suddenly in the corridor and pulls Arthur back:

“Hang on a minute you prat, first off, when have you ever threatened Gwaine? And second, who said you’re the oldest?”

Arthur’s smile just grows and he grabs Merlin’s uninjured wrist to start pulling him down the corridor again:

“Literally the day I found out he was attempting to court you, which was about a month before you figured it out by the way,-”

Merlin grumbles, but doesn’t argue:

“-and I’m the oldest because I said so, and mother said naming you was... was one of the last things she did, so you obviously came out second, idiot.”

Merlin rolls his eyes yet again, but doesn’t say anything as they come to a stop outside of Gwaine’s room. He takes a deep breath, and Arthur moves his hand up to his shoulder again, giving him a small smile and a supportive nod. 

The Warlock knocks on the door, and Gwaine opens immediately. The knight relaxes significantly when he sees that it’s the two of them back from God knows where, though he tenses again as his eyes run over them; he takes note of Merlin’s red eyes, injured wrist, and generally shaky demeanour. He also quickly catches on to the protective way Arthur is standing behind him, and the way The Prince’s loose hand shakes slightly with left over adrenaline.

Despite himself, Merlin relaxes and smiles when he sees Gwaine; with everything that had been going on he hadn’t really had a chance to think about how much he missed him, about how much he needed his support.

Gwaine pulls them into the room quickly, shutting the door behind him and turning around to see Merlin looking at him sheepishly, and Arthur staring at him with a predatory smile:

“What happened? Where have you been? Is everything ok?!”

~

End of Part 1!!

Hope y’all enjoyed this!! I probably could’ve fitted more in, but I figured this was a good point to stop. Part 2 and 3 are out (link @ top), part 4 won’t be too long!!

Drop comments and things lads, I love y’all!!