#i have more! thoughts about merlin&gwen being their respective preparers

[groundbreakingdot872]

I can see but one path, sire / It's like nothing I've ever felt before…

[sugar-coated-prat-dragon]

Title: Gwen hated magic for nearly killing Merlin in the Poisoned Chalice episode

Bonus: Gwen acknowledges that most people affected by the magic ban were old lady’s with cats 🐈

Episode: To Kill the King

Questions by @tansyuduri

Tagging: @miyriu

Question: Morgana's age is important because throwing a future noble in the dungeons with no real reason is just a stupid thing to do on Uther's part, if he wants to keep them loyal?

My answer: Uther views nobles as being the only ones to have any worth, but those of lower rank (which would be pretty much anyone under him) are entirely dependent on his whims.

We see this with Aulfric and Sophia, who he believes to be nobles. Yet, he has no problem threatening them.

Considering the fact that even some of the neighboring kingdoms decided to implement anti-magic bans in their own territories when he did, both out of fear and respect… such an example of his influence makes it clear that Uther has succeeded in making his kingdom the most ‘powerful and influential in the realm’.

It seems like there are few kings or queens who would dare to challenge him, never-mind lower ranking nobles.

Uther has a lot of power and influence.

…And he knows it.

Book description: To Uther, only nobles have any worth.

Those of lesser rank may become well regarded - Gaius, for example - but their fortune is entirely dependent on the king's whims.

CRUEL TO BE KIND: Uther thinks he's being cruel to be kind, helping Arthur and Morgana understand the evils of magic and the difficulties a ruler must face.

Question: Tauren: “Bribery is Rife At Camalot. I will use the corruption at the heart of his kingdom. And such abundance of gold will buy me into the kings chambers -- even to the king himself.”

This is the only time we hear about this. So why didn’t Morgana use it the kingdom when SHE turned against him?

My answer: Agravaine did indeed use bribery in season 4 when he tried to get Eoghan (the mapmaker's apprentice) to obtain the plans for the siege tunnels.

Gwen (when she’s possessed and working for Morgana) threatens Tyr, the stablehand to the king, in order to have him sabotage the saddle and he does so out of fear for his mother’s life.

Also, the assassin Myror used bribery to find out that Arthur and his knights were supposedly headed toward the Northern borders on horseback.

So bribery is alive and well in Camelot.

Book description: Myror was not, at that moment, on his way to Camelot. Over the course of his career he had found that he could get any information if he was prepared to pay for it, and he had already discovered that Prince Arthur was leading a small party towards the Northern Borders. It was the perfect opportunity.

———————-

Question: Does Arthur telling Gwen, "You'll have your home for life" mean she'll no longer have to pay taxes to her fudual lords for her home?

My answer: It’s possible that Arthur meant that, but I find that unlikely since the prince can’t control whether his father taxes people or not (the troll episode proved that even before he was temporarily disinherited).

Since Arthur specifically said, “your job is safe. And that your home is yours for life. I guarantee you that.”

I think it’s more likely that Arthur was referring to him making it so that her father’s house would be passed down to her without complications (since she was an unmarried peasant woman).

And that Gwen would be able to keep her job as a personal servant to a noble woman, despite the loss in income/status that would become her new normal.

Book description: After the death of her father, Arthur visits to assure Gwen that her home and job are safe and to offer his help - even through her grief, Gwen can sense that his compassion is genuine and heartfelt.

By the time Arthur lies dying from the Questing Beast's bite, Gwen is devoted to him - telling the unconscious prince that it is the thought of his ruling one day that keeps her going.

Question: Morgana: You sent him into battle, You promised him reinforments and them gave him none. You sent him to his death.

Was this like one of those very hard calls commanders sometimes have to make or just Uther being an ass as usual?

Was this before or after Vivianne (Morgana's mom) died. Because if it was before I am giving Uther some serious side eye, even subconciously he could have done it because he wanted the lady he hooked up with while her hubby was gone?

My answer: The “Magic Begins” book, mentions that Uther took Morgana into his care when her father died and since we know she was ten years old at the time, that implies that her mother was already dead by the time she was effectively orphaned and taken in as the kings ward.

Morgana also apparently grew up being torn between being grateful to Uther for raising her and at the same time blaming him gift his responsibility in her father’s death.

- I think it’s unlikely that Uther purposely caused Gorlois’s death, since the king clearly respected him, but I can understand why his daughter would feel resentment for him being unable to send additional troops.

Book description:

Magic Begins book: “Uther didn't like arguing with Morgana - after all, she was his ward, the child he'd taken into his care when her father died.”

MIXED FEELINGS: Morgana struggles with her emotions towards Uther. He has given her a home and cared for her, treating her as he would a daughter of his own, and part of her thinks of him as a father.

But she holds him responsible for her own father's death and cannot forget everything that has been taken from her. Morgana finds the king's attitudes frustrating.

Question: Merlin: “Everyone hates him” (referring to Uther)

I wonder how Uther's views on magic are seen by everyday people. We have hints that they don't like magic but never anything definative?

Merlin's comment of everyone hating Uther also needs to be looked at, because it means the people Merlin knows the opinion of DO hate Uther?

My answer: It seems like the monarch’s of neighboring kingdoms were relieved by the magic ban, because a powerful sorcerer could be a threat to a king.

Meanwhile, Gwen herself mentioned being able to hate magic as she watched Merlin suffer through the effects of the poisoned chalice that was killing him and the evil magic that had caused it. (Source: “The Poisoned Chalice” book)

In that same book, Gwen mentioned that the magic ban also caused terrible witch hunts in the kingdom that predominantly resulted in the accused being an old lady with a cat who was acting a bit ‘oddly’.

So I think it’s safe to say that even normal citizens were afraid of powerful magic, because they’d seen the damage it could cause and yet still acknowledge that innocent people were sometimes caught in the crossfire of magic related paranoia.

Book description: Uther has formed alliances with many other kingdoms, and out of respect - or fear - for Uther, their rulers have accepted his ban on sorcery and enforce it in their territories too.

To many, the decree came as a relief; a powerful sorcerer could threaten a king, but no rulers had previously dared to challenge the might of magic.

- Gwen frowned. She had seen the girl. So young and pretty and, if she was being honest, sweet-looking.

The idea of her being a powerful sorceress... it sounded like madness. It was like some of the insane accusations that were occasionally made in the villages, and even in the city, whenever some poor old lady - usually someone with a cat - behaved a bit oddly.

Uther had managed to instil such a dread of magic in his subjects that 'witch hunts' could flare up at the drop of a pointed hat.

- And the truth was, Gwen had no idea what a powerful sorceress might look like. The old woman who had sought to drive a knife into Arthur's heart - she had used her magic to transform herself, to disguise herself as Lady Helen of Mora.

Magic was a dangerous and powerful thing, and if magic had done this to Merlin, well, Gwen understood more than ever why Uther hated it so and had outlawed its use.

Question: I wonder at the dialogue that seems to suggest there was misuse of magic beyond just Ygraines death around the time Uther banned it?

My answer: Obviously, not all magic users were bad (in fact a vast majority of them were probably innocent), but there were many who used their magic for evil and believed that they should rule, because of their power.

Sorcerers also helped opposing chieftains to fight battles for more power and to the normal citizen, it seemed like the kingdom was in chaos, due to the magical power struggle.

However, Uther ruled over that same magical land with no desire to destroy it, until he had Gaius seek out Nimueh at the Isle of the Blessed to gift him an heir and he learned the hard way that no king could rule over magic (it had its own laws and repercussions).

Book description: Uther Pendragon once ruled over a land of magic, but when he loses his wife, his hatred of sorcery becomes all-consuming.

A KINGDOM IN CHAOS: Once Camelot was in chaos. Opposing chieftains vied for power, enlisting the help of sorcerers where they could.

The sorcerers, for their part, believed that magic should rule, and were happy to betray their patrons if it seemed advantageous. Dragons ruled the skies, bringing terror to all who saw them.

2. UTHER CONQUERS:

Into this land came Uther Pendragon, who made himself king through conquest and took the citadel of Camelot as his royal palace. He set about bringing order to the land.

Magic was tolerated - after all, it had always been part of the world; who could imagine a land without sorcery?

However, as many rulers had done before, Uther looked on magic as something that could work for him - and found out, as so many others had done, that this was not the case. Magic has its own laws, and cannot be ruled by a mere king.

3. Once the land of Camelot was a dark and dangerous place, a realm of sorcery and chaos.

Then Uther Pendragon drove magic from the land, and made Camelot an ordered and lawful kingdom.

[jellytamalies]

Dear lord. You have put significantly more thought into this than I have (respect my dude)

Okay so the original au was mostly a product of me getting atla brainrot and mushing Merlin characters the best I could into the same ish story and plot.

But, if I where to try having the au more similar to themes and plot in Merlin…

so in the original au:

For some reason a bunch of people are genderflipped. Why did I make this decision. Fuck I don’t know 🤷‍♀️ I felt like it? (So be prepared for flipped pronouns in random places)

Merlin is a water bender from the southern water tribe, (for some reason idk man) she’s sent by her mother to learn waterbending/healing in the northern water tribe, where she apprentices under gaius.

The chief and elders start feeling tensions from the fire nation (warning war incoming) and decide to start Merlin on her training 2 years early. She learns combative waterbending for about a year, then is shipped to the earth kingdom. (Btw her animal guide is aithusa :))

about 6 months later, rumors of an assault from the fire nation reach Merlin. Instead of sticking her training out she decided to try going back home to defend her people. (Bang bam storm rip)

key difference from ATLA: There are still some water benders left. Because let’s be real, tracking down and killing the pacifist monks with giant blue arrows on their heads is a lot easier than tracking down every single person from two tribes on opposite sides of the globe that probably spread all over the world via trading (not to mention other water benders like the swamp benders)

let’s speedrun the rest of the main characters

Arthur: Princess of the fire nation, sole heir to the throne due to her father being an only child and her mother dying in childbirth. Sent by the firelord to hunt down the avatar. (Ends up defecting)

Morgana: son of important general who dies in the war leaving him an orphan. Taken in by the fire lord. Revolted by general horribleness of the war. Challenges the firelord to an Agni Kai, gets half his face burned off, fakes his death and goes to earth kingdom and meets-

Gwen: Son of blacksmith. His brother is an earth bender who leaves to go do stuff. His father is taken by the fire nation (for reasons). Afterwords he meets Morgana. Then they find the avatar (wow. Don’t question how an iceberg got into the earth kingdom. Please don’t)

killghara (how do you spell that): The former avatar. Holds a grudge against all of sozins descendents. Suprisingly violent for an air nomad. Offers cryptic advice or tells Merlin to straight up murder people.

uther: Fire lord. Goal is to finish eradicating the water benders (and taking over the earth kingdom too ig) While bending does fit pretty well into the role of magic, There is a genocial dictator sitting right there. Don’t got to change what ain’t broken

Lance: non-bender warrior. Meets team avatar. Leaves. trains with the kyoshi warriors. Joins team avatar

So, how would I alter this AU to better fit Merlin?

the 100 year time skip has the unfortunate side affect of splitting a lot of characters (gaius, uther) into two pieces (one from the past and one in the present) so I would probably have to cut it out.

Honestly gaius or killghara both fit pretty well into the role of avatar Roku (similar to how gaius and Uther are mirrors to Merlin and Arthur, Roku and Sozin where like, the lamer version of Aang and zuko)

(And if I’m being honest. Having Morgana as the avatar would be pretty cool but whatever)

In this case the main setting would probably have to be cauldra or at least somewhere in the fire nation.

There probably wouldn’t be the looming threat of the comet (or at least it would be further away) to give more time for Merlin to make poor life decisions.

in general uthers motivations are very different from sozin and ozai’s. He doesn’t exactly want world domination as much as revenge.

okay here we go:

Uther (the firelord) and Ygraine are unable to have children. Uther goes to his great bestest friend in the water tribe (nimeuh) to help him out. -insert spirit stuff here- Uther gets +1 daughter and -1 wife. instead of facing the consequences of his actions. He develops his military, and invades the two water tribes.

the other two nations are like: Woah Dude! What the fuck??

and declare war (well it’s mostly just the earth kingdom for Obvious reasons). Uther kills the avatar (killghara) and starts fighting the other two nations.

At the same time, One person from the water tribe flees to the earth kingdom and meets Hunith. And wow the avatar is born.

fast forward a bit. Merlin can’t really learn waterbending from a master water bender. Instead she learns earthbending. Later she goes to the fire nation to learn firebending

okay so I actually really like the idea of gaius being an airbender (having him renounce his whole culture just to stay in the home he made in the fire nation is exactly the horrible thing that bbc Merlin would have done) but in this case it makes more some to make him a water bender, plenty of culture renouncing can still happen (rip. airbender gaius is going to the same box as avatar Morgana)

throughout this entire time Merlin learns waterbending from gaius in secret. She meets the aggravating fire princess. The significantly less aggravating ward of the fire lord. And a fellow servant who she becomes close friends with. this post is becoming very long. so just imagine that plot shenanigans happen. Kilghara spirit whispers in Merlin’s ear “hey you should totally befriend and manipulate the princess so you can control the fire nation” but Unfortunatly for him Merlin has selective hearing and instead hears “become best friends with the fire princess and protect her with your life”

uh does the war end? Does Uther die? Does Morgana have a villain arc? Does Arthur die? How does Merlin learn airbending?? Idk man up to you the world of weird crossover au’s is your oyster or whatever

Leon is in fact still long suffering. He is eternally long suffering. He can’t escape their shenanigans no matter the universe

2/?

(prev)

[bitsandbobsofwriting]

Soulmate AU Part 4 (final part):

Uther continues to be very OOC and Merlin is presented to the Kingdom; luckily enough, everyone already loves him. The Future starts to come together...

Part 1  Part 2  Part 3

The summer passed in much the same way the previous year had; awkwardly polite conversation between Merlin and Uther, Leon panicking at everything, Gwen being exasperated, Morgana and Merlin pissing about, and Arthur watching it all with exponentially growing fondness.

Eventually, it was Yuletide again. Yuletide meant Arthur’s 18th birthday. Arthur’s 18th birthday meant revealing Merlin to the Kingdom; announcing him as The Crown Prince’s Soulmate.

There was an odd mix of feelings surrounding the upcoming event. Both Arthur and Merlin were ecstatic at the idea of not having to hide and sneak around anymore, but Merlin was a foreign peasant boy. The common people would love him, Nobles and Foreign dignitaries? Not so much. Granted, Arthur had a powerfully intimidating presence, when he chose to display it, Morgana could glare anyone into submission, and even Leon was known to be passive aggressively threatening when it concerned Merlin’s safety and respect, but not all could be daunted into compliance. Merlin would surely face discrimination.

That, and the growing spotlight meant that it would become much harder to keep his magic a secret. With Uther’s insistence that Merlin be... part of the family, they’d already had a few close calls.

Thankfully, not much else had changed, or it had changed for the better. Arthur and Merlin still scared everyone else shitless when they popped up to each other, but Morgana’s visions seemed a lot less terrifying now. Leon still had heart palpitations when Merlin and The King were in the same room, but Gwen, Gaius, and Hunith relaxed more; the Physician especially could see the pride glowing in Uther’s eyes, and the awkward fondness he held for Merlin (even if that wouldn't protect him if Uther discovered his magic).

Nevertheless, no ones’ fears or aspirations stopped the passage of time (though Merlin, in his increasing power, had put it on his “List of Things to Try Before I Die”), and Arthur’s crowning ceremony crept closer, day by day.

Hunith, Merlin, Leon, Gwen, and Gaius were gifted front row seats to the event, and as annoyed as Uther was at having the front row taking by commoners, a servant, and a young knight, he didn’t dare argue; he’d learnt that it was pointless now. Morgana was stood behind Uther’s throne at her own seat, giving Arthur a rare smile, not a hint of teasing in her expression, and Arthur returned it easily, comforted by the dream she told him she had the previous night (of adoring crowds and a grinning Merlin) despite his nerves.

The ceremony of course went of without a hitch, a rare smile on Uther’s face, and tears on all the faces of Arthur’s front row.

After an uproarious round of applause and chants of “Long Live The King, Long Live The Prince!”, the room cleared, leaving only Uther, Arthur, Morgana, Merlin, and a few faceless guards.

(Gaius, Hunith, Gwen, and Leon rushed off, wanting to be at the front of the crowds in the courtyard when Arthur and Merlin were presented to the Kingdom.)

Merlin didn’t hesitate in rushing up the steps to Arthur, wrapping his soulmate in a tight hug and whispering his pride into his blushing ear. For once, Morgana didn’t roll her eyes at the display of affection; Arthur may have occasional spurts of arrogance, and the two of them still acted like immature children occasionally, but she loved them both dearly. Uther did roll his eyes, though he could not hide his fondness from Morgana, who raised (yet another) teasing eyebrow at him. He glared at her half-heartedly before clearing his throat, and the boys jumped apart with a start.

He wordlessly nodded towards the door of the Throne Room, and walked out regally, his steps fast and heavy and his cloak billowing behind him. Merlin and Arthur followed quickly, hand in hand, and Morgana walked closely behind them, the guards bringing up the rear. The group finally made it to the large double doors that opened out onto the balcony above the courtyard, though it was two corridors previously that they began to hear the cheering and festivities below.

Arthur could feel Merlin’s hand shaking in his own, and squeezes it comfortingly, giving him a reassuringly soft smile as he murmurs, so Uther can’t hear them:

“Don’t worry, it’ll only be a few minutes, then we’ll come back in. You’ll be introduced to nobles and such during the feast,-”

When Merlin begins to look even more distressed, Arthur rolls his eyes good-naturedly and continues before his Warlock can interrupt him:

“-yes, I know, we’ll have to mingle, but this evening, it’s just us and the others. We’ll take some food and wine back to yours, and we can have some fun and all fall asleep in front of the fire together. Alright?”

Merlin takes a deep breath and nods, but before he can say anything, Uther stops his conversation with one of the guards and abruptly turns around, his face tersely concerned.

He takes one look at the boys before tutting and stepping towards them. Arthur freezes in shock as Uther begins to run a gloved hand through his hair, neatening it out and flattening it properly under the newly placed crown before stepping back again with a satisfied nod of the head. Arthur’s wide eyes stare straight ahead, and Morgana (having snuck in front of them to watch the whole ordeal) has to stop herself from snorting at his face. If she thought that was funny... well.

Next, Uther’s eyes move to Merlin, where he gives an even more disapproving tut and steps forward once more. He removes one of his gloves quickly, wetting his thumb with his tongue before wiping it just a little too harshly along Merlin’s nose, muttering-

“How the hell are you always so Godamn grubby?”

-to himself. Morgana doesn’t manage to hold in her giggles at that, clamping a hand over her mouth as she dedicates this whole scene to memory forever. Arthur is staring at his father with not even an attempt to hide his bafflement, but at this point, Uther is too busy brushing invisible lint off of Merlin’s shoulders to notice the incredulous stares from the three teenagers (and all the guards).

He finally steps back, huffing out a sigh, and muttering-

“That will have to do, I suppose.”

-before turning back to the doors and gesturing to the guards. Morgana, and Arthur have only a moment to regain their composure before they are ushered out on the balcony; Merlin staying back as he had been informed to do that morning, though he can hear the cheers get impossibly louder as the three royals greet their people.

Arthur glances back, just quickly, giving him one last smile before facing his people and standing in support of his father’s kingly speech:

“My people! Today, on this year’s Winter Solstice, my son has come of age!-”

The crowds had quietened significantly when Uther began, but another cheer went up at his words, and he paused, holding a silencing hand up:

“-I now present him to you, as Crown Prince Arthur Pendragon, heir to the throne of Camelot, my successor!”

His hand moves to gesture at Arthur, and the Prince steps forward as The King steps back, a wide smile on the blonde's face as his people cheer for him. He waves back, eyes searching the crowd for Hunith, Gaius, Gwen, and Leon; they meet gazes just as Uther steps forward once more, holding his hand up again:

“There is other news! It is...-”

He looks to Arthur, settling a hand on his shoulder and giving him a small smile. His voice quietens a little, but it can still be heard by the crowd:

“-it is with great pride, that I announce-”

The moment ended as quickly as it had started as Uther turns back to the crowds below, raising his voice again:

“-that my son has found his soulmate!!-”

Arthur had been expecting loud cheers, but their audience grows quiet and still at the announcement, as if frozen in suspense. As he peers over the stone barrier, he can see almost everyone in the crowd pairing off slightly, pulling their soulmates closer as they wait with baited breath to see their Prince’s partner.

Inside, Merlin takes a deep breath, but relaxes slightly when he sees Arthur unclench his own nervous fist, holding it behind him in preparation, invitation, for Merlin to take it in just a few moments:

“-I present to you, a close family friend of the royals,-”

(Morgana scoffs and rolls her eyes, but thankfully no one is paying her any attention.)

“-a skilled physician in training, and a trusted citizen of this Great Kingdom,-”

He gestures towards the door behind him, and Merlin takes his first shaky step forward, coming into line with Arthur as Uther finishes:

“Merlin, of Ealdor!”

Arthur and Merlin walk to the front of the balcony, hand in hand, as the loudest cheers Merlin has ever heard explode from the crowd. Despite the thunderous noise, Merlin can still pick out the cheers of his mother, uncle, friend, and older brother, and the leisurely applause from Morgana behind him, and he smiles in spite of his nerves. Arthur squeezes his hand once more, and they raise their joined fists to the crowds as they grin, struggling to hold in their laughter at the sheer amount of joy on the faces of everyone (bar Uther, of course, he just looked marginally happy)  present.

Merlin has become even more recognised around the kingdom; normally seen trailing Gaius (who is also well-known, and well-loved) or, as inappropriate as it might be (at least according to Uther’s council), hanging around with Morgana and Gwen during the day. The castle’s servants and the majority of the knights had guessed that Merlin was the soulmate of either Prince Arthur or the Lady Morgana, what with how often he was with them and the way King Uther was apparently ok with that, and gossip spread like wildfire. But the loud cheers just drive home how well-loved Merlin is, and he tears up in response.

Merlin and Arthur finally step away from the edge of the balcony, and Uther continues his address of the people, though it passes by in a bit of a blur for Merlin, and he tunes out fairly quickly. He’s vaguely aware of Arthur running a soft thumb over his knuckles, and Morgana stepping towards him to clutch the edge of his tunic (loud crowds had never been her thing), but the speech and the cheering are drowned out by his racing thoughts.

~

Uther’s speech finally came to an end and the crowd dissipated. The King rushed off immediately, after sending what could almost be described as a respectfully fond nod in Merlin’s direction, but Morgana, Arthur, and Merlin luckily had nothing pressing to attend to before the feast, and had around an hour of time to waste (read: relax).

Despite Leon escorting the three of them to Merlin and Hunith’s home dressed in full armour, sword strapped to his hip, the journey took twice as long as it normally did, with various nobles and citizens alike wanting to stop them in the street and congratulate them. Arthur and Merlin were endlessly polite and extremely grateful for the support of their (now shared) people, but Leon’s forceful insistence that they “have somewhere important to be, My Lords, My Lady” went quietly thanked.

Hunith, Gaius, and Gwen met them at the house, and a round of tight hugs was shared; all staring fondly when Hunith wouldn’t let Merlin go for love nor money, whispering tearful exclamations of pride in his ear.

The hour felt like it passed in mere minutes, but it was enough time at least for Merlin to relax a little. Morgana and Gwen helped Hunith get ready, and Merlin definitely did NOT tear up when she came out of her room dressed like royalty, a string of Morgana’s pearls around her neck. Arthur and Morgana had deliberately stored a spare set of clothes here so they didn’t have to go back to the castle to change, and the Prince just about managed to force Merlin into a new jacket and cloak (”Why?!”  “Because you have to, it’s protocol, you have to be dressed differently.”  “That’s fucking stu-”  “Merlin, I love you, but shut up and get changed.”  “...Prat.” ) .

The seating arrangements weren’t too terrible. As per normal, Uther sat at the head of the table, with Arthur around the corner on the King’s right and Morgana to his left. Merlin sat in between Arthur and his mother; Leon was, unfortunately, on guard duty, though thankfully he was being assigned to Prince Duty (training, hunts, patrols, bodyguard, etc) more and more, meaning he was stood at the wall behind the two boys. 

Thankfully, the only stranger anywhere near Merlin was a respected Camelot noble seated opposite him, and he seemed far more interested in boasting about his son to the King in the hopes of winning him a knighthood than he was in Merlin, and payed barely any attention to him other than the occasional distasteful glare (they did not go unnoticed by Arthur, and simply guaranteed that his prick of a son wasn’t going to end up anywhere near a sword).

So all in all, the feast wasn’t too bad. Merlin’s stomach was turning a little, but Arthur’s hand on his thigh under the table and his mother’s shoulder occasionally brushing against his own calmed him right down, though he still kept well away from any alcohol or too-rich foods, worried about making a fool of himself or turning his stomach even more.

The Gang also had Gwen serving them. Morgana had given up on her pleas to have her join them at the table fairly quickly; she could argue with Uther endlessly on many things, but she knew she was never going to win this one. At Guinevere’s insistence that today wasn’t about her, and Morgana shouldn’t ruin Uther’s tenuous good mood on Arthur’s birthday AND coronation AND soulmate-reveal-day, she gave in. But Merlin appreciated the feeling of friendly eyes, both Leon’s and Gwen’s, on his back for the course of the feast.

Just like during the celebrations of Arthur’s knighting ceremony, the tables were cleared from the room to make way for music and dancing, though this time Arthur and Merlin didn’t have to hide their partnership.

Merlin’s stomach turned more at the mingling he was forced to do, answering awkward questions about the purity of his blood and where he came from and his education and his understanding of social etiquette, almost all of which were phrased in condescending and/or downright spiteful ways. But the way Arthur’s arm, looped through his, tensed, and the scowl the Prince sported when Merlin couldn’t bring himself to, partnered with Leon’s comforting shadow (and even Uther’s, when the question’s strayed into cruelty) made him feel at least justified in his discomfort.

Morgana, at the quiet request of Merlin, spent the entire night by Hunith’s side, shielding her from the malicious glaring of nobles who felt cheated by her accidental winning of a position in the royal family. She was granted at least a little respect due to her being a relation of Gaius, who was highly respected and close to the King, but that was about as far as her favour went, and she was eternally grateful for Morgana’s steadfast presence and silent-but-deadly brand of defence.

The night passed slowly, but not so unpleasantly that Merlin was too desperate for it to end, though that changed rather jarringly when he found himself without Arthur for the first time. The Prince and Merlin had been stood next to each other, though involved in different conversations; thankfully for Merlin, he had been having a rather lovely chat about country-life with the wife of a knight. It was when she was pulled away by her husband to converse with another that Merlin realised that Arthur had also been pulled away by whoever it was he had been talking to.

Merlin tensed when he couldn’t immediately spot his soulmate through the crowd, but took a calming breath when he did spot Leon stood dutifully against the opposite wall, Guinevere next to him. That was fine, it wasn’t Arthur, but it was better than nothing, and he allowed his anxiety to swirl in his lungs for only a moment before he began his soft-stepped journey across the hall. 

He caught Leon’s eye, thankfully, and the knight frowned slightly at the empty space next to him before sending a reassuring smile his way, nodding in encouragement and understanding.

Alas, he only made it halfway when he was stopped by a rather harsh hand on his shoulder.

He turns around, barely swallowing a gasp and a flinch, only to come face to face with the noble he had been sat opposite during the feast. The hand was uncomfortably tight on his shoulder, and Merlin wanted more than anything to push it away, but instead he forced a smile on his face and bowed his head respectfully, hoping beyond hope that Arthur would make a reappearance or Leon would see his discomfort and be able to come up with an excuse to abandon his post:

“Lord Otto, a pleasure to see you again.”

The drunken Lord let out a huff of sarcastic laughter, pressing his thumb even more severely into Merlin’s collarbone:

“Hmm, a pleasure indeed. Tell me boy, how is it that you, a peasant, think yourself worthy of such a magnificent soulmate?”

Merlin’s eyes widen in shock. No one had been so obviously disdainful, but the over-indulgence in alcohol, the Lord’s privileged seat at the table, and Merlin's lack of any sort of protector had evidently given him a boost in confidence. Merlin stuttered for a few moments, not quite sure what to say, before quietly coming out with:

“Well... I... don’t really know, I-”

He’s interrupted by a far softer hand on his other shoulder, but is even more shocked when, instead of Leon or Arthur, he found The King stood by his side, flicking an incredibly scornful gaze between Lord Otto’s hand and face. It does nothing to dissuade the Lord, and Merlin can’t disguise his wince this time when the hand once again tightens it’s grip.

Merlin had hoped he’d been subtle, but the clenching of Uther’s jaw tells him he had not been; before he can worry about what social rule he had broken and how Uther was going to punish him for it, The King finally settled his glare on Otto’s face:

“I must insist that you remove your hand from my boy’s person, and refrain from making such improper inquiries.”

His cold tone almost sends a shiver down Merlin’s spine, but the confusion of having Uther being in defence of him (a Warlock) stops the reaction before it even starts. The Lord glances up at the crown sitting strongly on Uther’s head, seemingly reminding himself of his company, before dropping his hand from Merlin’s shoulder as if he’d been burned.

He bows his head shallowly, making himself look as subservient as his pride could manage, and Uther gives him a barely restrained look of disgust when he looks up again, interrupting any quivering apologies he might have made:

“It’s getting rather late, and you’ve indulged enough for one night, do you not think? I suggest you end your evening here, Lord Otto.”

All three knew that it was not a suggestion, and Otto bows once more before muttering a humiliated, red-faced “Right you are, Your Majesty” and waddling out of the hall, towards the guest chambers.

Merlin let out a breath, his face just a little flushed as Uther spares him a quick, concerned glance before pushing him gently towards an on-going conversation between Arthur and a group of knights on the other side of the band. Merlin lets out a relieved breath when he sees his partner, but quickly frowns in concern when he then sees the tense line of Arthur’s shoulders and the way his eyes were darting around the room. He’s obviously paying only the shallowest of attention to the conversation at hand; but then they meet gazes, and the tension drains out of him as he sends a relieved smile Merlin’s way.

Arthur politely excuses himself from the conversation, using the blinding smile that only made an appearance when he was manipulating courtiers and nobles, before making his way through the crowd towards Merlin, evidently trying to disguise his desperation. Merlin was absent-mindedly aware of Uther keeping pace with him, the supportive hand on his shoulder-blade not leaving even when Merlin sped up slightly.

(If Merlin had been thinking about anything other than just being at Arthur’s side again, he would’ve found the odd mix of disgust and gratitude for Uther’s presence very confusing.)

They finally reach each other and Arthur grabs Merlin’s hand gently, pulling him to his side and landing a soft kiss to his cheek. Uther finally removes his hand from Merlin’s back, and it’s the absence of touch that reminds Merlin of The King’s presence. He turns quickly, hand safely in Arthur’s grip, to give Uther a flushed, timid smile:

“I... uh... thank you, My Lord.”

Uther gives him a tight smile, though you’d have to be blind to miss the slight fondness in his expression as he shakes his head:

“Hmm, I’ve been looking for an excuse to get Otto out of here for at least an hour, the man is intolerable, his incessant rambling about his unremarkable son even more so.”

Merlin nodded awkwardly and tightened his hold on Arthur’s hand, but before either boy can say anything, Uther lets out a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders and settling hesitant hands on one of their shoulders each:

“I... am proud of you both, and I wish you all the happiness in the world. One day, this Kingdom shall be yours, and it will be golden under your rule.”

Merlin almost manages to forget the whole... unforgivable genocide thing, and gives The King a weak, though grateful smile, running his thumb over Arthur’s knuckles when he feels the blonde shake slightly. Arthur tears up at Uther’s words, but thankfully manages to keep his voice steady as he quietly replies:

“Thank you, father, we will do everything in our power to live up to your legacy.”

(An utter lie, considering they plan on undoing pretty much everything he’s known for the moment they come into power, but Uther doesn’t need to know that, and the sentiment remains.)

Uther gives Arthur one last gentle smile, before lowering his hands and straightening his posture, going from awkwardly doting father to detached mighty King within a second. He nods at each of them before turning and walking regally away, his cloak billowing behind him and his golden crown shining atop his head.

Arthur tilts his head in question and tugs Merlin’s hand slightly when he sees the small frown on the younger’s face:

“Merls? What did Otto do? He didn't hurt you, did he?!”

Merlin looked up at him in shock before blinking away the surprise and chuckling:

“Ah, no, nothing like that, just asked how a peasant ended up with such a magnificent soulmate.-”

Arthur looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or offended on Merlin’s behalf, so he settled for an odd mix of the two:

“-That didn’t bother me though, it was... Uther called me his boy.”

Arthur dropped his chin slightly in shock:

“He what?”

Merlin shrugged:

“He said “I must insist that you remove your hand from my boy”. It was very... disconcerting, and oddly endearing considering what he’d do if he knew what I was.”

He whispered the last part quietly, and Arthur raised his eyebrows in surprise before chuckling quietly:

“Wow, never thought I’d see the day. My father being protective of a commoner and telling me how proud he is all in one evening, perhaps the world is ending.”

Merlin snorts, rolling his eyes and softly responding:

“Hmm. He may be a bit of a prat, but he does love you, and he has his moments.”

Arthur narrows his eyes at Merlin good-naturedly, a smirk dangerously close to breaking out on his face:

“You know Merlin, you may be right, but you’re still the only person I allow to say it aloud without sanction.”

Merlin just smirks and raises an eyebrow; Arthur laughs, and the world feels right.

~

It was late by the time Arthur and Merlin finally decided to call it quits. Morgana, Gaius, and Hunith had left around an hour ago, Gwen following them the moment her shift ended. Technically, someone had come to take over from Leon about halfway through the night, but he stuck around, patrolling the shadows of the room with one eye on Merlin always.

(The boys had insisted that he should go home and relax, but were quietly grateful when he stayed.)

They had been wanting to leave for hours, and normally they could easily get away with such an absence, but this particular celebration was in their honour, it wouldn't do to leave too early, so they finally made their way out of the hall when the crowds had halved and it was approaching midnight.

Uther gave them one last pat on the back when they said goodbye, and the tension practically melted off them when they stepped foot outside, despite the freezing temperatures of winter in the dead of night.

Leon stepped out just a moment after them, and the three of them make quick work of the journey to the house, not wanting to dally in the frigid air and just a little desperate to find themselves in the comforting presence on the family they had built.

They arrive just in time to find Hunith pouring out mugs of hot chocolate (a luxury that Merlin and Hunith never had in Ealdor), and Gwen adding another log to the fire. The next round of hugs was quicker than the last; everyone was tired and eager to settle down, to push the insensitive questions to the back of their minds and revel in the positive feeling of things moving forward.

Arthur had removed his cloak immediately upon entry, folding it precisely and leaving it on the table in the hall, his golden circlet following shortly after, cushioned by the soft fabric, but Merlin excused himself to their bedroom, changing into comfier clothes and washing his face. He had been looking forward to leaving all night, but now that he was home, he found all he wanted to do was collapse in bed and sleep, Arthur securely in his arms.

A knock at the door broke him out of his slow moving thoughts, and he frowned slightly, Arthur wouldn’t knock:

“Come in.”

It was Leon that opened the door, having rid himself of his sword and most of his armour (a pain in the arse, considering he’ll have to wake up early to put it all on again, but oh well), and he stepped into the room, quietly shutting the door again behind him. Merlin sent him a tired smile, but Leon saw through it and raised an eyebrow:

“You alright, Birdy? Anyone in particular you’d like me to embarrass during training or council meetings?”

Merlin laughed and shook his head:

“No, that definitely won’t endear me to people. Honestly, it was a lot better than I was expecting, and having Arthur scowling at people and Uther defending me was rather entertaining in the end.”

Leon snorted, muttering a quietly amused “yeah, I bet” before stepping forward and enveloping Merlin in a tight hug, one hand on his back, one in his hair, holding him close. Merlin melted into the embrace, clutching the back of Leon’s tunic tightly as the older man swayed on his feet slightly, murmuring:

“I’m proud of you, little brother. You handled everything just fine, the kingdom loves you; you’re doing great.”

Merlin lets out a deep breath and steps back, though was grateful to feel Leon’s hands still on his shoulders as he replies:

“Thank you. Honestly, I’m just exhausted, I don’t know how I’m going to deal with this for the rest of my life, and I... I don’t want to disappoint Arthur.”

Leon rolled his eyes good-naturedly and ruffled Merlin’s hair:

“You could never. He loves you more than anything in this world, Birdy, you’re made for each other, after all. He would abandon all of this in a heartbeat if he thought it would make you happy.”

Merlin frowns slightly, clenching his jaw:

“Yeah, I know, that’s what worries me. We’re meant to... bring about a golden age or whatever, and we can’t do that if we leave, but I’m not sure I’m going to be any good at the... politics, or the court manipulation or anything that comes with... with running a Kingdom. I know it’s a long way off but...-”

Leon nods in understanding and squeezes Merlin’s shoulder softly:

“You’ve got plenty of time to learn. And hey, if you want to stay away from the politics? Fine, Arthur and Morgana have plenty of expertise in that area. You’re a physician, Merls, not a courtier, and the kingdom already loves you, not because you’re a good politician or anything like that, but because you’re a good person, and you’re worth loving. Just keep being yourself and you’ll be absolutely fine. And besides, you’ll always have us lot to fall back on when you’re unsure; you’ll never be alone, little brother, I’ll make sure of it.”

Merlin nods and sniffles slightly at Leon’s words, giving him another tight hug. They step back into the hall, and Leon gives Merlin’s hand a gentle squeeze:

“Ready? I can tell them you headed to bed, if you just want some sleep?”

Merlin smiles and shakes his head, pulling Leon to the living room, where everyone is undoubtedly crowded around the fire surrounded by blankets and pillows.

~

From that day forth, Merlin’s life becomes a lot more... official.

He was officially given sword-fighting lessons by a few of the older knights, though thanks to the lessons Leon, Arthur, and Morgana had given him already, he held his own pretty well, and they were more than impressed with the skill level of someone they had assumed was a complete beginner.

He was officially invited to the occasional council meeting (at least the boring, everyday ones). He was always a silent spectator, his participation discouraged, though his presence expected; Arthur always made a point to ask his opinions afterwards though.

His new duties and lessons, on top of his pre-existing duties as the Physician’s Apprentice, AND having to keep his magic hidden and his reputation intact, was all somewhat overwhelming for Merlin, but the steadfast support of Arthur and Morgana when it concerns politics, and Gaius talking Uther down when The King wants Merlin to be more involved in court life, definitely help him in everyday life. Gwen’s hugs and Leon’s hair ruffling are certainly God-sends as well.

The oddest thing was the way people addressed Merlin now. He wasn’t even of age yet, but people were calling him Lord, and servants bowed at him in the corridor. There wasn’t much he could do about the nobles without making some incredible social faux pas, but he always flushed at the servants and insisted they stop bowing and just call him Merlin, at least when no one else is around. 

Thankfully, both visitors to the Kingdom and local nobles tone down the snootiness, especially when Uther publicly shows Merlin respect and rumours (correct rumours) spread of Arthur and Morgana’s protectiveness.

Merlin’s birthday was celebrated minimally, though there was, once again, a mix of feelings upon the realisation that he was now only one year away from being of age, and things would surely get even more intense when that happened. But they all tried to push it from their minds, at least for the time being.

As winter broke and the sun came up on what was undoubtedly a Spring day, Merlin felt the most refreshed he had in a long time, though his mood dropped instantly when he, Arthur, and Morgana were summoned to Uther’s private study... only to be given another mini, awkward “I’m proud of you” speech, and given a week off.

Of course, Arthur was still somewhat expected to keep up with his training at least a little, but really, there was nothing forcing him to.

They exited the study flushed with pride and excitement at the prospect of doing whatever the hell they wanted for a week, and met Gwen in the hall. She was worrying her lip between her teeth when they saw her, but she instantly relaxed and raised a questioning eyebrow when she saw the grins on their faces, and Morgana explained what had happened.

It was that evening, whilst relaxing in Arthur’s chambers, that Merlin heard the dreaded echo of “Emrys...” in his head.

He groaned, dropping his head in his hands, out of both frustration and the pain of another’s voice unexpectedly materializing on the inside of one’s skull.

It was just Arthur and Merlin in the room, and the Prince immediately moved from his own chair to kneel in front of his soulmate, running his hands up and down Merlin’s arms as he shakily asks:

“Merls? What’s wrong?”

Merlin just looks up at him blearily, one hand taking Arthur’s and the other rubbing his temple:

“Fucking... scaly arsehole.”

Arthur tenses and frowns as he answers:

“I thought he had given up months ago? Why is he calling you now?”

Merlin shrugs, slumping back in his seat:

“Who knows, he didn’t say, he just-”

“It’s important, bring your little... friends, if it makes you feel any better.”

“-never mind. He just said it’s important, and I can bring my “little friends” if I want.-”

He snorted in dry amusement before continuing:

“-as if I would’ve listened if he told me to go alone anyway. I really thought that me thinking “Fuck Off” as loud as I could helped him get the hint. Apparently not.”

Arthur rolled his eyes before looking to Merlin in concern:

“Well... do you want to go? Or do you want to just hope he goes away again?”

Merlin sighs, but before he can answer, the voice echoes once again:

“I will not go away this time, young Warlock. This is important, and I have very little else to entertain myself with, other than being an annoyance to you. Come.”

He huffs in frustration, standing abruptly and taking Arthur’s hand, dragging him to where their swords are kept as he grumbles:

“He’s not going away this time. Let’s fetch Leon and head down.”

Arthur dutifully follows, strapping his sword to his hip and locking the chamber doors behind them, not speaking until they were approaching Leon’s door:

“No Morgana or Gwen?”

Merlin halts, clenching his hands tightly as he thinks for a moment:

“Hmm. No, I don’t want to freak them out. We can tell them what happens later, but I don’t want Morgana to have to face him again.”

Arthur nods, and knocks quietly on Leon’s door. He opens quickly, and Arthur and Merlin are thankful that they didn’t wake him, though quickly notice his panic when he sees their grave faces and swords.

The explanation is quick, and within a few minutes the trio are making a stealthy journey down to the Dragon’s Lair. There are no dramatic appearances this time, the great lizard is already perched regally on the edge of the platform, waiting for them.

He tilts his head when he sees their tense forms at the gate:

“I’m grateful that you did not bring the Witch.”

Arthur and Leon look to Merlin in confusion as he bristles, tightening his grip on the sword at his hip as he speaks:

“Yeah, well, I didn’t fancy you trying to kill my best friend again. What do you want?”

The dragon does what the trio guesses is the closest to an eye roll and dramatic sigh that his great form can manage, before lowering his head and speaking in English:

“If you won’t listen to me, I suggest you use your new found, though temporary freedom to meet with the Druids. They have all relevant information on the prophecies, you can learn of your destinies from them. The closest camp is a day’s ride from the Eastern border of Camelot.”

Merlin raises an eyebrow, but Arthur beats him to it:

“And how would you know that? How did you know we had time off?”

The dragon tilts his head and huffs out a dry laugh, the hot air making the trio sweat under their thick cloaks (it may have been Spring, but it was still cold) :

“I know a great many things, young King.”

Merlin and Arthur can practically feel the way Leon tenses, even from a  few paces away. The man, ever the knight, was obviously incredibly uncomfortable with the idea that this dragon knew the goings on of the world, could listen in on conversations, all while being chained in the basement. Before either knight can say anything, Merlin tilts his head, a challenging look on his face as he regards the dragon:

“You... you keep saying destiny, but destiny is pre-written, the whole point is that it’s going to happen no matter what anyone involved does, no matter the interference. So why are you so desperate to have us know it, and work towards it? Us knowing or not knowing won’t alter things either way, unless it’s all a pile of shit and you’re manipulating us.”

Arthur smirks at Merlin’s quick mind and Leon looks impressed, the two of them turning their own challenging gazes on the rather thoughtful looking reptile. He mutters something along the lines of “you weren’t so bloody clever last time,” before lowering himself even closer to the ground, closer to Merlin:

“If I were manipulating you, then I wouldn’t send you to a third party known for being pacifist and unbiased, would I? Destiny isn’t completely certain, it is simply one of many likelihoods, the most... benefitting likelihood, is the destiny of you and your soulmate.”

Merlin scowls:

“Benefitting for who? Something tells me that one day you’re going to ask us for something, and we’ll be powerless to say no, thanks to all this... help you’re giving us, and it’ll be a mistake. So, benefitting who?”

The dragon shifts his jaw in such a way that resembles a smirk, speaking once again in the rasping language that Leon and Arthur don’t understand:

“Do you not want magic, yourself, your people, to be free, Emrys?”

He raises himself to his full height, stalking towards the ledge and stretching his leathery wings out. The trio manage to hold their ground in his dauntingly large presence, but their hands do tighten around their weapons:

“Go to the Druids, tell them Kilgharrah sent you.”

With that, he tips himself over the edge, falling for a second before snapping his wings out once again and shooting upwards towards the shadow-bathed ceiling, thick chain clanging loudly with the sudden movement.

Merlin huffs and turns to ascend the steps without another word, grumbling to himself about “stupid fucking dragons” and “my one week off and I have to deal with this shit” . Leon and Arthur look to each other with a shrug and a mix of genuine concern and mild amusement on their faces, before hurriedly following Merlin back through the castle.

~

Thankfully, it took almost no effort for Arthur and Morgana to get Uther to allow them to leave the Kingdom on their little vacation. It being under the guise of “visiting Ealdor” meant that it was perfectly within the realm of reasonable requests to have Leon tag along as “protection” as well. Guinevere was coming because they of course would need a servant whilst they were out and about (though Uther was definitely beginning to suspect that something more was at play between Morgana and the serving girl).

Unfortunately, Hunith was unable to get the week off work at such short notice (mother of the Prince’s soulmate or not), and there was no way they’d be able to justify asking The King for Gaius to tag along, so they didn’t even try. But they set out the next afternoon, having filled Gwen and Morgana in on Kilgharrah’s rather vague and annoying directions.

Neither of them were particularly happy that they had gone to see the Dragon without them or that they were just... doing what he said, but destiny or no, consulting the Druids on Morgana’s visions and Merlin’s magic was still a good idea, and they’d never get a better chance.

Just like Kilgharrah said, they found the Druid camp two days into their journey from the city, almost a day’s ride beyond Camelot’s border. They had to be careful, wear disguises, but they were travelling through virtually untouched wood so they didn’t run into anyone, not even a pesky group of bandits made an appearance.

When the first tents came into sight through the trees, the group stopped to take a breath and prepare themselves, giving each other one last round of dubious looks before beginning to walk again.

They barely make it to their third step when Merlin pauses and takes a stuttering breath, clenching his fingers around Arthur’s sleeve in a white-knuckled grip. The others crowd around him worriedly, but relax (only slightly) when he looks more confused than anything else. Before they can ask what’s wrong, he peers between them towards the tents:

“Uh... how are you- are you Druid? Is this one of you?”

Arthur’s eyes widen as he realises:

“Someone’s in your head again?”

Merlin nods distractedly but doesn’t move his gaze, speaking louder:

“Hello??”

Finally, a middle-aged man steps out from the camp; he wears floor length, dark green robes, and his silver hair almost falls to his shoulders. He gives the group a kind smile before finally focusing in on Arthur and Merlin, bowing his head slightly:

“My Lords. Our seers saw you coming some days ago, and we felt your presence the moment you entered our wood, Emrys.”

Merlin clenches his jaw slightly:

“Please don’t call me that, my name is Merlin... and... Kilgharrah sent us?”

He says it as if it’s a question and the Druid gives Merlin an assessing gaze, before nodding slightly. Before he can verbally respond, Leon steps subtly in front of the others. Morgana rolls her eyes at his protectiveness and Arthur huffs, but before they can challenge him, he asks:

“What do you mean, you felt his presence?”

He tilts his head again and smiles slightly, as though amused:

“Em- Merlin is rather powerful; we can sense him from miles away, his magic is incredibly... distinctive.”

Merlin frowns, holding Arthur’s hand protectively in his own as he side-steps Leon:

“What does that even mean? I’m not that powerful.”

The man shakes his head slightly and gestures behind him:

“Come. I imagine you have many questions about many things. The camp awaits your presence, My Lord.”

Merlin frowns at the title, but the Druid turns his back and begins walking back into the centre of the camp before he can challenge it. He gives a small shrug and a quiet “well, here we go” to the others before following his trail, Arthur’s hand still clutched tightly in his.

They all receive peculiar looks as they walk through the camp. Life seems to stop as everyone pauses what they’re doing to stare at the intruding teenagers (and Leon), but they keep their heads down, all letting out a relieved sigh when the man leads them to a tent, gesturing for them to sit around a table, and closing the fabric gently behind him.

He turns around with relaxed shoulders and an easy smile, not acknowledging that none of them are sat down and are instead gathered in a huddle by the table:

“My name is Iseldir. Druids don’t have strict hierarchies, but I’m considered the chieftain here, welcome.”

He looks at Merlin as he speaks, and the young Warlock nods slightly. He opens his mouth to speak, but shuts it again with furrowed brows; Iseldir raises an eyebrow and Merlin hums thoughtfully before trying again:

“I was going to introduce everyone, but something tells me that you already know who we are.”

Iseldir smiles again and nods, the expression on his face looking something similar to pride:

“Yes, I know who you all are. I see that you are learning to trust your instincts, My Lord.”

Merlin grimaces:

“It’s just Merlin, please. It’s bad enough that everyone at the castle calls me Lord now, I’m not even of age yet.”

The Chieftain’s smile widens in amusement as he nods, and Morgana is the next to speak up, her hand clutched tightly in Gwen’s as her voice shakes only slightly:

“We were sent here to learn about our... destinies?”

Iseldir nods, politely ignoring the way Merlin reaches behind him to grab Morgana’s wrist comfortingly, and how Leon and Arthur rest their hands near their swords:

“I have everything we need laid out here; it isn’t too complicated and we should get through all of it by this evening.”

The teenagers finally move to the seats, but make no effort to hide the way they shuffle the furniture to be sat closer together. Morgana and Merlin are sat in the middle, Arthur and Gwen flanking them protectively; Leon remains standing, a hand on each of his magical kid’s shoulders and a blank, though slightly challenging look on his face. Iseldir raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment, moving to sit on the opposite side of the table and shuffling a few papers around before looking up with a smile:

“Let us begin.”

~

The general mood of the room could be judged accurately by how tense Leon was at any one moment. Though he remained standing, he was relaxed and curious when Iseldir told them about the extent of Merlin’s powers (which Merlin looked incredibly dubious at), and he smiled proudly when they were told of Merlin and Arthur’s intertwined destinies (the nature of their soul-bond means he already knew they had some sort of great future, and this only proved it). 

It was when Iseldir hesitated slightly as he gave Morgana a pitying look that Leon tensed up, and tightened his grip on her shoulder.

“You must all remember that destinies are... tricky. They are incredibly difficult to avoid, but it isn’t impossible; the future is not set in stone.-”

Morgana takes a deep breath and straightens her back, taking Merlin’s hand in her own and settling her face into a determined grimace:

“Just come out with it. Just tell me.”

Iseldir gives her a comforting smile as he nods, turning a sheet of incredibly ancient looking paper over and pushing it across the table towards them. On the scroll is a old, rough charcoal drawing of a woman with long, dark hair, her clothes somehow elegant and tatty at the same time. Her face is covered by a hood, but her arms are outstretched and violent looking flames extend from her hands, burning and destroying all the foliage drawn around the edge of the paper.

Morgana reaches a shaking hand out to touch the drawing but withdraws her hand before she makes contact, ignoring the tears gathering in her eyes as she looks up at Iseldir again:

“That’s me, isn’t it? Burning things?”

Iseldir nods slowly before speaking, his voice low and gentle, understanding:

“It is said that if you come into your full power, you will unite with The Once and Future King’s Bane. Your heart will freeze over, you will become consumed by hatred and fear and bitterness, and you will work tirelessly to bring about the downfall of Camelot, the downfall of Albion.-”

Arthur interrupts:

“Albion?”

Iseldir moves his gaze to the Prince, giving him a tight smile as he explains:

“The Kingdoms to be united under one name, Albion, with yourself as King.-”

He looks back to Morgana, his smiles turning just a little encouraging:

“-Like I said, the future is not set in stone. Arthur’s Bane came into existence several years ago, we’re keeping close watch on him; he has yet to show any... troubling, signs, nor have you.”

Merlin scowls slightly in though, before slowly saying:

“Arthur’s Bane is... a person?”

Iseldir raises an eyebrow and nods, letting out a breath of subtle relief when Merlin seems more genuinely worried than murderous.

Gwen is the next to speak up, her voice strong and her face determined:

“None of that is happening,-”

She reaches forward and aggressively turns the scroll over, squeezing Morgana’s hand as she continues:

“-not ever.”

Leon’s gasp has everyone’s eyes drawn to the overturned sheet, only to see a colourful image appear on the paper. The first figure to materialize is clearly Morgana, though in this drawing she is grinning, hood down, eyes golden and flowers in her hair. Next, Merlin and Gwen appear either side of her, Merlin’s eyes also glowing as he summons matching flowers in Gwen’s hair, Gwen who is pressing a kiss to Morgana’s cheek. Leon and Arthur appear next, in full armour with bright grins, a golden crown on Arthur’s head.

Iseldir chuckles, looking up at Merlin who is giving himself a satisfied nod as the golden glow fades from his eyes:

“Trusting your instincts indeed; you didn’t even need an incantation, very impressive.”

Merlin shrugs before turning to Morgana with a grin. She returns it with a shaky one of her own, once again feeling not-quite-so-scared thanks to the ever-comforting presence of her family.

~

They slept that night in a large tent that had been prepared for them, and were woken up early the next morning. They were given a proper tour of the camp and introduced to a few people. 

Leon had questions about how the camp was run, in terms of enforcing rules and staying safe, so he was quickly introduced to a few of the elders. Whilst he had been reluctant to leave the others at first, Arthur’s teasing laughter and Morgana’s rolled eyes convinced him to spend the day away from them, learning about as much of Druid politics as he could.

Merlin and Morgana were quickly introduced to the strongest magic users, and whilst Merlin was taken aside to be given some lessons on healing using magic, Morgana was taught meditation techniques and breathing exercises by the camp’s most respected Seer.

Gwen sticks mostly with Merlin; whilst she had no magic to heal with, the herbal knowledge that was being shared was fascinating and she was eager to memorise as much of it as possible. She of course wandered over to check on Morgana occasionally, at first out of concern, but then out of pride, out of a desperation to never forget how relaxed and happy and at-home her soulmate looks.

Arthur spends the morning with Merlin, but quickly grows bored. Perhaps he should take more interest in healing considering how often he and the knights get injured, but he’s already got Merlin, Gaius, and now Gwen, so why waste the effort? Instead, he finds Morgana and the Seer. The sense of relief he feels to see his sister looking so at ease with such an easy smile gracing her face is almost overwhelming, but he doesn’t disturb them, sitting a little way away and silently watching them.

The Prince didn’t even realise he had fallen asleep until the tell-tale pop and the sudden shadow of someone stood above him jolts him from his nap. He opens his eyes blearily to see Merlin crouching next to him, an amused smile on his face and his hand out-stretched:

“Come on sleepy head, the others are waiting for us, it’s time to eat.”

Arthur takes a deep breath, allowing Merlin to pull him up before he stretches and rubs the sleep from his eyes. The sun was only an hour or so away from touching the horizon and he could see no one else in the little patch of woods Morgana had previously been sat in:

“Morgana?”

Merlin smiles softly, taking Arthur’s hand and leading him back towards the tents:

“Happy. She joined me a couple hours ago and we were practicing some simple spells, turns out she has more magic than just visions-”

At Arthur’s slightly affronted expression, Merlin chuckles and rolls his eyes:

“-You were exhausted, Arthur, don’t deny it. You got this holiday because of how hard you’ve been working, we didn’t want to wake you. We’ll show you a few tricks tomorrow alright?”

Arthur pouts and huffs slightly, fighting the smile trying to appear on his face as he nodded his agreement. Merlin just laughed at him again as they entered the meal tent, finding spaces with the other three.

~

The next morning was just as relaxed, though this time the five of them stayed together. 

Leon, Arthur, and Gwen sat against a fallen log as they watched Merlin and Morgana show their magic off. A small audience of Druids had gathered as well, on account of Lord Emrys’ presence, and whilst Morgana tired quickly, not used to having such free access to the magic that had been inside her for years, Merlin could go for hours. He used few actual incantations, manipulating water and flowers and floating lights with just a little concentration and some imprecise waving of his hands. 

Noon, unfortunately, came rather quickly, at which point Leon sighed and stood up, giving Merlin a sad smile before looking to Arthur:

“If we want to be home with a day to spare, we should start the journey soon.”

Arthur nodded in agreement and the rest of the group joins Leon in standing. The Druids disperse fairly quickly, but Iseldir stays with them, giving Merlin a pat on the back and a wide smile:

“It was a pleasure to have you here My Lor- Merlin.”

Merlin snorts in amusements but nods his appreciation, and the five of them wander over to their tent to gather their belongings whilst Iseldir collects the horses. 

It’s only half a candle mark before they’re riding back out into the forest in the direction of Camelot. The teachers and elders, including Iseldir, wave them off with proud smiles, and whilst Merlin and Morgana are sad to leave this sanctuary behind, they were grateful for the freedom and safety and lessons they’d had, even if it was less than two days. Their utter faith that things would change when Arthur took the crown, that one day Camelot would feel just as safe, gave them something beautiful to look forward to as well.

Their journey home was just as uneventful as the journey out. When they finally pulled up into the courtyard with a day and a half of their free week left, Leon took everyone’s horses to the stable and informed a servant to tell the King of their arrival, whilst the others headed straight to Merlin and Hunith’s house. They had to wait for Hunith and Gaius to finish their actual jobs, but soon enough the whole group was crowded around the kitchen table. 

Arthur and Gwen (who, though no one else would admit it, has the best memory of all of them) re-tell the prophecies and destinies.

Both Hunith and Gaius were furious once again at Morgana’s so-called destiny, but smiled proudly at her determined disposition, and the obviously magical drawing (the flowers seemed to move and the golden eyes definitely glowed off of the page) that Merlin pulled from his pocket. The others hadn’t even realised he’d kept it, but are grateful.

Next, Merlin and Morgana talk about their lessons. Gaius was intrigued by the healing knowledge Merlin and Gwen had gained, and after double checking that the door was locked and the curtains were drawn, they even showed off a few spells to their captive audience.

(There were times that Merlin showing off even the slightest bit of magic would give Hunith a heart attack and nightmares for days; she finds it doesn’t bother her so much anymore. She knows that Arthur, Morgana, Leon, and Gwen would never let anything happen to him, and the new stories of his apparent great power certainly helped ease her mind as well.)

Finally, Leon spoke about what he had learned from the elders; all bout how they keep camps running, their democracy, and how knowledge is preserved and passed on. It was a little boring, if any of them are being honest, but the bright grin on the knight’s face kept them from interrupting him.

Eventually, it came time for everyone to head to their respective beds and sleep. There was no denying that they’d had an amazing few days, but it was also a few days of constant activity and sleeping rough... they were all exhausted. 

As Arthur and Merlin curled up under the covers, grateful for the slightly chilled night making cuddling easier, they let out simultaneous breaths of relief.

Arthur ran a hand through Merlin’s hair softly as he quietly spoke, aware of Hunith asleep in the next room:

“You think we’ll be alright?”

Merlin sighs and Arthur tries not to let the anxiety in his stomach swirl too violently at the lengthening silence. Finally, Merlin turns over to face his soulmate, shuffling even impossibly closer and giving Arthur a small smile. Arthur doesn’t comment on the nerves in the younger man’s eyes:

“There’s all this pressure on us to fulfil our destinies, to save the world, it’s a little... overwhelming. My whole childhood I tried to forget the fact that being Prince Arthur Pendragon’s magical soulmate would mean... everything, in one way or another, some day. And now that day is fast approaching, I can feel it, and I still have no clue what I’m doing. And that’s not even considering Morgana.-”

Arthur’s hold around Merlin tenses at the mention of his sister, and Merlin presses a soft kiss to the underside of his jaw before continuing:

“-I would give up all of it, everything, to save her. To see her happy. But... do I really have the right to make that decision? My people are counting on me, but you and Morgana and Leon and Gwen, you come first, and you always will.-”

Merlin rolls onto his back again, staring at the ceiling with furrowed brows as Arthur watches him mournfully:

“-I’ve spent so long being terrified of the fact that I know you would give up your crown if I just asked you to, and now I’m close to making the same decision myself; giving up everything for one person, to the detriment of the world.-”

He turns his head to face Arthur again, tears in his eyes:

“-I don’t know what to do, Arthur.”

The Prince clenches his jaw, having to push down the swell of anger at... everyone really. Kilgharrah, the Druids, the Gods, whosever idea this whole destiny shit was. Arthur often thought of himself as a fully matured adult whose place in the world was clear, but at times like these, he’s reminded of how young he is, and how Merlin is even younger.

He pulls the Warlock into a tight embrace, tucking his dark hair under his chin and running a soft hand over his back:

“I will stand by you, always, and we’ll figure it out, we always do. The future is fluid, Merls, we just have to keep an open mind and push through. We’ve all been through a little bit of hell, but that day? That you can feel approaching? That’s the day we change the world. I’ll force my father from the throne if that’s what it takes,-”

Arthur feels Merlin tense to argue, but rushes on before he can say anything:

“-not just for you, but because it will be the right thing to do, one day. This Kingdom, and then the world, will be golden, and the five of us, and Gaius and your mum, will be together every single step of the way. Ok? You don’t have to do anything, Merlin, not alone, not ever.”

Merlin relaxes again, and Arthur can feel his sigh of relief across his collarbones. The room goes silent for a while, and Arthur only just hears Merlin’s quiet words before he slips into a sleep filled with peaceful dreams full of meadows and flower crowns and golden eyes:

“Yeah... I think we’ll be alright.”

~

THE END!!

After thinking about it for a few days, and re-reading the series, I’ve decided that I actually like the ending here!

I hope y’all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it, thanks anon for sending the idea to me all those months ago! :)

[supercalvin]

I have spent my day feeling sorry for myself with flu and reading your ficlets has made my day, thank you so much! I've loved your writing for so long and just want to say thank you for writing!! 💜 If you ever have the time and you'd want to, I have a prompt (I don't really know how to do this). Arthur is already king and it's the night before Merlin is also crowned. Just like a quiet love filled moment were Arthur quietly crowns Merlin just for the two of them, before the big thing.

YOU KNOW I’M OBSESSED WITH THAT GENTLE SOFT LOVE

(Also, I’m very sorry you aren’t feeling well. Hope you feel better soon! And there is no wrong way to do this, just message me like three words and I’d do it lol)

Prompts + Ficlets

***

Arthur had been wearing a crown, metaphorically, since the day he was born. It was a weight he had been trained to carry it. That didn’t mean it wasn’t difficult. Merlin always said it was more difficult for him than other Kings because he cared with his whole heart.

Over the years, they both had been through a great deal to say the least.

Arthur will never forget the night before his own coronation. His father had just died, Morgana had betrayed them long ago, and Arthur had let Gwen go because he knew that she had always loved Lancelot more than him. Arthur had never felt more alone than that night.

Then Merlin had entered his chambers, and Arthur had felt overwhelming relief for all of a few seconds, before he saw Merlin’s expression.

He had looked as if he might faint or vomit or perhaps run. But he had stood before Arthur, despite all this.

“I promised myself I would do this,” Merlin had said, voice shaking. “Even if it might be the worst night to do so.”

Arthur will admit, he often let his emotions get the best of him. He would also be the first one to point out that he had been under a lot of stress, that night in particular.

When Merlin had admitted to sorcery, Arthur had thought he had been admitting to betrayal. The words had always been synonymous to Arthur. His first reaction had been denial, unable to understand that Merlin of all people would betray him. Then he watched Merlin sob, his cheeks wet but his eyes firm on Arthur, as he swore to protect him. None of it made sense and Arthur was already too overwhelmed to handle any of it. He told Merlin to leave, too exhausted to yell or rage like he wanted to. The thought to arrest Merlin had never crossed his mind. Even in his worst moments, Arthur could never hurt Merlin.

The next morning Merlin arrived to work as if nothing had happened. He dressed Arthur for the coronation silently, deep purple circles under his eyes.

“Why are you doing this? Why are you still acting like my friend?”

Merlin had looked up at Arthur, his expression showing a deep sadness that Arthur had only ever glimpsed before. Merlin usually hid it well, and it was like a punch to the gut to see it there so openly.

“Because I am your friend. And I will be happy to serve you, Arthur. Until the day I die.”

The words echoed in Arthur’s mind as he walked down the aisle and as he knelt to be crowned. When he turned to face his subjects, newly crowned King, Merlin was standing in the front row. He looked straight at Arthur as he shouted, “Long Live the King.”

It had taken them months to understand each other again. Followed by even more months of rekindling their friendship. It had taken them over a year, after a few false starts, to fall into each other’s arms.

Arthur remembered kissing Merlin for the first time and thinking that it was too much. The feeling in his chest would explode and he would never be able to control such a wild thing. But then Merlin had pulled back, giving him a smile and letting a tear slip from his eye. As Arthur wiped the tear away, he remembered that they had been through so much together and that he would do it all again just for Merlin.

The following year the kingdom saw two major changes. The first being the return of magic to Camelot. The second being the coronation of the Court Sorcerer. For months, Arthur had been working on lifting the ban on magic. There was an alliance with the druids, treaties to be signed with neighboring kingdoms, and new laws to be enforced. Instating a Court Sorcerer was essential to not only solidifying the return of magic but also reassuring Camelot’s people that King Arthur trusted sorcery.

Crowning Merlin as his Prince Consort and instating him as his Court Sorcerer was as much a diplomatic arrangement as it was a personal one. Tomorrow, a crown would be placed on Merlin’s brow, and many things would change in their lives. But for now, they had only themselves.

Arthur was dressed in his white tunic and sleep trousers, looking over some reports at his desk. His feet were bare, and his hair was still a little damp from his bath earlier that evening. Behind him, Merlin was sitting at the open window in an old faded red tunic that had once been Arthur’s, looking out at the stars.

“Are you ready for tomorrow?” Arthur set down his quill, corking the ink so it wouldn’t spill.

“As prepared as I can be,” Merlin sighed.

Arthur stood to lean behind Merlin, dipping his hand over Merlin’s chest so it rested against his heart. “Are you ready to wear a crown?”

“As long as you don’t make me wear it often,” Merlin teased, turning his head to press a kiss to Arthur’s forearm.

Arthur laughed, but patted Merlin’s heart as he said, “No, that’s not what I meant.”

Silently, Arthur pulled away, turning to the cabinet across his chambers where he pulled out the crown that Merlin would be coronated with tomorrow. It was the circlet of a Crowned Prince, the same that Arthur had worn for many years.

Arthur could tell that Merlin was watching him closely as he approached him with the crown.

Merlin, with more grace than he usually displayed, slipped from the windowsill and knelt in front of Arthur.

In all the years they had known each other, Merlin had never knelt for Arthur. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it. He knew that tomorrow Merlin would kneel to be crowned, and that it was a sign of trust and respect. But that was not the point Arthur was trying to make at the moment.

So, he knelt in front of Merlin so that they were both on their knees. Here, they were equals in all things. From this angle, Merlin was framed by the window, the clusters of stars and streaks of shooting stars framing him perfectly. He lifted Merlin’s chin, so they were eye to eye.

“Tomorrow I act as King. Tonight, I act as a man,” Arthur said earnestly, “Merlin, you are the person I trust the most in this world. I will love you forever.” With reverent hands, Arthur placed the crown on Merlin’s brow, softly tucking Merlin’s hair so that it settled comfortably.

Merlin leaned forward and awarded Arthur with a soft kiss, his hands coming to gently cradle Arthur’s head.

Arthur pressed a kiss below the crown, right at Merlin’s temple.

***

Prompts + Ficlets

[bellamyblakru]

Hey, I saw your "I have you, it's okay" Merthur drabble and thought it was incredible and beautifully written ❤️ So could I please request "Please tell me you aren't dead..." + Merthur, thanks xx

THANK YOU SO MUCH IMMA CRY🥺😭this is so kind, of course you can request that!! id literally write anything anyone asks me🥺thank you so much for the request, i hope i don’t let you down!! (im doing canon era again because i live for them, with all the knights alive and such) (i also made merlin say the prompt instead of arthur this time to mix things up)

Merlin was going to kill Arthur...if he wasn’t dead already. 

Last night, the knights, the King and his servant went out to the tavern after sparring to try to enjoy the beautiful new spring weather that had finally arrived in Camelot—instead of sweating and beating each other relentlessly in the sun, Merlin thought unenthusiastically. This tavern trip, however, was different from the others. Instead of Gwaine leading the charge towards drinking unmercifully, it was surprisingly Arthur this time around. Merlin usually didn’t drink—just in case King Prat needed saving, but this time he couldn’t help himself. He was having a good day: Arthur was being unusually kind and tactile with him, Lancelot complimented his outfit, and Gwen stopped by today to give him his favorite sweet from the kitchens, so having a few drinks with his family would only top off his day. It is a known fact in Camelot that Merlin is a lightweight drinker—his abnormally low tolerance for alcohol made every knight howl with laughter, especially when he was hiccuping after drink number three. 

What drunk Merlin and company didn’t realize at the time was how little Arthur was drinking. While Merlin, Gwaine, and Lancelot were on drink number four, Arthur barely touched his first round. Arthur had a reason, of course, for going light today, but he didn’t want to let the others realize his lack of drunkenness. He played the part of drunk King, but he had different plans for that night. 

Earlier that day, a report came in from the south. The writer claimed to have seen a rare creature, one that only existed in the myths and legends, while pleading with the King of Camelot to conquer the beast before it can harm more of his people. Arthur refused to let Merlin read the report—which never happened. Merlin was hurt for a minute, but Arthur soon made it up to him by ordering two plates to be served for lunch (Merlin soon forgot about the paper after that). The reporter was convinced that the creature was a Necat Caritatem. They weren’t big creatures, and they didn’t look extremely threatening. They haven’t been seen in over a century--according to the library, that is. The name loosely translated to “love kills,” which is precisely what it does. It lures their prey with the scent of what or who they love the most, uses it to capture their victim, to slowly suck the love out of them. There are other stories that if the Necat Caritatem catches you with your love, they delight in witnessing one lover losing their love almost as much as the actual taking of the feeling. Arthur had believed they were all killed off--they were once the greatest threat in the land, and if this letter is to be believed, then his kingdom did face one of its biggest threats of their time. 

Killing love is killing hope, light, and freedom all at once. The essence of humankind thrives on the existence of this one single idea, hope. Existing in this world, that can cease to be at any moment, is arduous without optimism. Giving a seedling light allows it to thrive, it becomes one with the world, part of something bigger than itself. Refusing this light slowly kills it. Taking away this love, this hope in the world of darkness, is the worst kind of pain. Arthur refused to let Merlin see the report. He knew where that would lead: “Merlin, no, you can’t come with me” “Arthur, don’t be stupid, of course I’m coming. Who would protect you?” Every time it was the same conversation, with different threats, but this conversation will not happen today. 

This was different. This adventure could take Merlin away from Arthur, and he wouldn’t let that happen. Merlin was Arthur’s love, his hope, his life. Taking away Merlin’s unconditional love would be like stripping away the sun from the earth. Arthur knew that without Merlin’s love and loyalty, Arthur would amount to nothing. Merlin’s smile helped Arthur get out of bed in the morning and was the last thing he thought about before he closed his eyes. Merlin is too important to Arthur, to his kingdom he helped build. Arthur knew Merlin kept secrets, but he didn’t hold it against him. How could he? Arthur understood--he truly did. People keep secrets for a few reasons, but the only one Arthur could give for Merlin would be that Merlin’s secret could hurt those around him and Arthur knew Merlin went to great lengths to avoid hurting those he loved. Some would argue that Merlin kept secrets because Arthur was king, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Some things are safer kept to one person, but he hoped that Merlin would truly let him into his heart one day. 

So, back to the drinking. Merlin was giggling with Gwaine’s attempts at flirting when Arthur tried to make his escape. He was just about to excuse himself when Merlin turned his beautiful, blinding smile onto him, and Arthur had to hold the edge of the table to stop his knees from collapsing underneath him. He holds too much power over me, Arthur thought ruefully with a small returning smile for drunk Merlin’s sake. Merlin stumbled over to Arthur and swung his arm around his shoulders, “Want to retire, sirrree?” Merlin sang to him into his ear. Arthur’s first thought was, how does he understand me so hammered?, then out loud he laughed, “Yes Merlin, I do have a kingdom to run tomorrow, but let’s get you to bed before Gwaine gets you to do anything unlawful.” Merlin just smiled at that and bid his goodbyes to the group, stumbling fast on Arthur’s heels. As Merlin was dead on his feet, the minute they were out of sight Arthur picked him up bridal style to move this along faster. 

Arthur deposited Merlin on the king’s bed, taking care of him for as long as he could. When Arthur gave Merlin his mother’s sigil, he thought it would represent his love and respect for Merlin, but maybe it would help Merlin rise to be the leader he knew he could be when he is gone. Arthur could think of no one else better to lead his legacy. 

He quietly asked for a horse to be prepared so he could start his southern quest. In the candle light, Merlin looked to be softly glowing. Arthur tried to remember every detail of his best friend, but he would need to leave soon if he wished to get there by sunrise. At the last minute, he decided to write Merlin a quick note explaining what was happening, with the report underneath it, ending the letter with ‘Yours Always, Arthur.’ This was the right thing to do. If Arthur was going to go down, it would be fighting for a future where Merlin exists. 

Merlin woke up with a raging headache that doubled when he opened his eyes to the blinding light. The only thing he remembers from last night was Arthur’s lovely smile and the third drink. The softness underneath him, though, was a rude awakening. He jumped out of the bed but was immediately too dizzy to have a coherent thought. After putting his head against the cold wood of the bed, he decided he was stable enough to finally look around. The first things that drew his attention were the plate of food, Gaius’s hangover medicine, and a pile of papers that had his name written on top. Downing the cure, following that up with some bacon, he sat down to read.

Of fucking course he would, Merlin thought angrily, if there is one scratch on his stupid perfect blond head I’ll kill anyone who has ever threatened him. Merlin left the King’s room in a flurry of anger, love, and desperation. The servants quickly avoided this version of Merlin, knowing better, while he made his way down to the stables to go himself. 

The trip was fairly quick, but what Merlin saw when he arrived made his blood run cold. Arthur was surrounded and caked by blood, both silver and red. Merlin halted for a second, letting his heart slow down enough to get the physician in him to address the situation clearly.

 It didn’t work. 

Merlin walked unsteadily to Arthur, his breath coming in harsh puffs. This wasn’t the end. This couldn’t be the end. They had a kingdom to continue building, they had people to free, but, most importantly, they had their lives ahead of them to learn how to love each other, properly, that is--without one of them trying to die to keep the other alive. 

"Please tell me you aren't dead..." Merlin whispered when he bent down to Arthur’s body, tears already flowing down his face. 

Arthur’s breath was shallow but still there. Breathing, even this small, made the hope in Merlin’s chest burst. He could make it. 

Merlin put his forehead against Arthur’s, put his hands against his heart, and put his entire soul and magic into Arthur. Arthur took a gasping breath and opened his eyes to see his Merlin sobbing onto him. Snapping his head up, it took Merlin to realize that his eyes were still burning gold. Arthur, still breathing heavily, took Merlin’s face into his hands and kissed him. Merlin, still catching up on what was happening, hesitated and when he finally understood what this kiss meant, Arthur unceremoniously passed out again--looking healthier as time continued on. 

Arthur managed to kill the Necat Caritatem in a bloody fight. The creature tried to use a hallucination of Merlin doing magic against him to slow down Arthur’s fighting, but seeing Merlin with beautifully golden eyes, giving off such an auror of power only made Arthur fight harder. If Merlin truly had that power within him, then Arthur wanted to witness that power himself. He knew Merlin’s heart, and an evil sorcerer is not who he was--no matter what this creature showed him. Not expecting that reaction of pure love, the creature fought dirty and clumsily--since it’s main source of attack was usually against the mind. Arthur ended it with Excalibur through its heart, and with Arthur trying to remember when his vision started getting so blurry.

The next time he woke up, it was to Merlin crying over his body, glowing ethereally. Those eyes he was taught to hate was the only reason he was alive, and the golden fire seemed to complete who Merlin was to him: strength, power, wisdom, and love. Through that train of thought, Arthur’s only reasonable reaction was to kiss the ever-loving shit out of Merlin until the dark claimed him once more.

[iknownowmerlin]

merlin rewatch - 1x13: le morte d’arthur

a series of posts in which i record my thoughts and reactions as i properly watch all of bbc’s merlin for the very first time 😊

great end to a great season

season finale baby let’s do this

love that even now the knights just quietly stand behind merlin and arthur like yup,, there they go again 

uther you are going to get you, your son and all of camelot killed

gwen comforting morgana when she has nightmares 🥺

morgana really is losing it and it’s quite heartbreaking

arthur’s first instinct upon seeing the beast is to push merlin out of harm’s way

did merlin just defeat the questing beast just like that? he barely lifted a finger damn alright emrys

“we haven’t done all the things we’re meant to do” wanted to make some kind of shippy comment before i remembered that arthur eventually does die before they do all the things they were meant to do and now i’m crying

tbh despite it all it’s always nice to see the more human side of uther, the one that truly cares for arthur

HARRY POTTER IS DEAD vibes

kilgharrah my dude you’re really starting to get on my nerves

merlin has clearly felt bound to his destiny from day one but we’ve never seen him quite so desperate for arthur to live

i think it’s really interesting how his reasoning for being willing to do anything to save arthur keeps going back and forth between ‘it’s my destiny’ and ‘he’s my friend and i don’t want him to die’

hm bashful/nervous gaius, that’s a new one

arthur calming down under his father’s touch :( he’s just a boy

also hi merlin looks gorgeous

gwen’s talk to arthur is just lovely, as is she

arthur is already loved and respected, the people are preparing to mourn

“i don’t believe in miracles” >> immediate cut to merlin. i dig it

iiiit’s nimueh

“i willingly give my life for arthur’s” “his life is worth 100 of mine” 😢

merlin!! ily but at NO point did she explain or did you ask for the exact terms of this bargain you have already agreed to

everything’s going to be alright?? i can’t tell what merlin’s thinking. maybe arthur living is all that matters to him but everything certainly won’t be alright for a whole lot of people if merlin dies

merlin holding arthur i

morgana jumpscare

“i think there’s someone watching over me, keeping me from harm” the closest merlin will get to actual recognition from arthur until… well you know

what’s this? the first proper arwen scene and it actually really works for me?? holy shit why had i never seen this???? it’s super arthur and it’s super gwen and they’re adorable af?????? MORE OF THIS PLEASE

who tf is it??

HUNITH D:

this part with kilgharrah just makes me mad because it was merlin’s fucking destiny to help arthur bring magic back to the land so WHY didn’t that happen

merlin’s betrayal. i felt that

hey uh kilgharrah… wtf?

this is a good time to point out that we have never seen merlin do so much magic or be so in control of it

i know it sucks but your mother wouldn’t want you to die for her merlin

i don’t know how true everything merlin’s saying to gaius rn is but it’s sweet

this,,,,,, scene,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

merlin calls him a royal prat right to his face and all arthur does is laugh with overwhelming levels of fondness

“are you ever going to change merlin?” you KNOW what future line i’m thinking about 😭

arthur’s face when merlin says he’s happy to be his servant until the day he dies, i’m telling you shit’s going on there

arthur’s last words to merlin: “everything you’ve done, i know now. for me, for camelot. for the kingdom you helped me build. thank you” vs. merlin’s last words to arthur: “just… don’t be a prat”

merlin saying goodbye to gwen too 😢

gaius DID that

“you did not like the outcome” and you did??? was the outcome not the genocide of your people? isn’t revenge the whole point of all this?

well i say that, to this day i still cannot for the life of me figure out what any of nimueh’s actual goals are

yo this confrontation is pretty epic. worthy of a series finale

powerful merlin is my shit!!!! he just brought LIGHTNING down. amazing

LMAO “what did you do?”

yo that ending was cute

oh shit spoke to soon. ~drama~

[generallynerdy]

Belong (Arthur Pendragon X Reader)

Summary: Arthur and (Y/N) have been friends as long as they can remember, since they both grew up in Camelot together. While they would like to believe they only see the other as a friend, it takes an ambitious young warlock to finally get them together.

Requested by Anon: ArthurxReader where reader is the daughter of a noble in Camelot and was forced to be around the castle a lot and couldn't help falling for Arthur. Thanks a bunch!! <3

Requested by @kat-the-kit: Platonic!Wingman!Merlan, helping the reader and Arthur get together, cuz they both like each other but don't want to confess cuz they think the other only likes them as a friend!

Key: (Y/N) - your name, (L/N) - last name, (D/N) - dad’s name

Warnings: FLUFF

Word Count: 2,243

Note: i think this might be the longest thing i’ve ever written and holy shit do i not regret a word of it (also i hope it’s okay i combined two requests :D i just thought they fit really well together)

    “Merlin!”

    (Y/N) couldn’t help rolling her eyes. Sure, it was a common occurrence for Arthur to be yelling for his manservant, but it was still amusing every time. She had never heard of a pair so utterly disastrous, much less seen them. It was days like these the young woman knew she had to look out for trouble.

    (Y/N) (L/N) was the daughter of (D/N), a lord of Camelot. As such, she had practically been raised in the castle alongside Arthur and Morgana, making her one of their closest friends. While (Y/N) had to travel with her father occasionally, she was home more often than not and spending time with the child and ward of Uther Pendragon. If the three of them were not together, they would be soon enough -- or at least two out of the three.

    Arthur and (Y/N) were closer than they were with Morgana, though it wasn’t their fault. Morgana had a habit of being distant, no matter who with. Arthur, on the other hand, got attached rather easily.

    Speak of the devil, Arthur sprinted from his room into the hall, almost running into (Y/N). He was barely dressed and his hair was dishevelled, making the young lady giggle. Arthur wasn’t a put together person, that was sure, but he was especially worse whenever Merlin was missing -- an unfortunate recurrence.

    “Good morning, sire,” (Y/N) curtseyed slightly. He hated whenever she called him that, but she remained firm in her respect.

    “(Y/N),” he grinned boyishly at her greeting before he became stoic, “Have you seen Merlin? I have to prepare for the feast tonight.”

    “Well,” she said, “You didn’t hear it from me, but I believe he was spotted at the tavern.”

    “Bastard,” Arthur muttered under his breath. It seemed Merlin was always there.

    (Y/N) laughed, “You really should be kinder to him, you know. He’s not all that bad -- the best servant you’ve ever had by far.”

    Arthur shook his head, “Maybe, but you’ll never hear me admit it.” He started to walk away, turning to walk backwards as he said his goodbyes. “I’ll see you at the feast tonight, my lady.”

    (Y/N) waved almost dreamily, laughing again as he nearly ran into a passing patrol and struggled to regain his composure. He was such a klutz on occasion and, when he was, it was painful. Yet somehow endearing. (Y/N) shook her head.

    Just then, Merlin appeared from another hallway. “Really? The tavern?”

    “I was put on the spot!” (Y/N) huffed, turning to her friend.

Since Merlin’s arrival in Camelot, they had grown close, especially since they saw each other so often. Not as close as she and Arthur, mind you, but they were friends. Merlin was, in fact, the only one who knew (Y/N)’s little secret regarding her best friend. Then again, it was rather obvious.

“(Y/N)? Hello?” Merlin waved his hand in her face, waking her from her thoughts.

“Sorry,” She hummed, “Just thinking.”

He grinned devilishly, which made her regret her words instantly. “What? About how gorgeous Arthur is going to look at the feast tonight?”

(Y/N) slapped his arm, “I could have you beheaded!”

“Oh, but you would never touch Arthur’s servant,” He continued to tease. “After all, he would be furious. Never look at you the same way again. On the other hand, I doubt he’d be able to look away from you for a second to realise I was being executed.”

“Shut up, Merlin.”

He shook his head, “Honestly, you two are adorable. Disgusting, but adorable.”

“What do you mean us two?” (Y/N) scoffed, “There is no us. He’s just a friend and you know it.”

“Yes, but he could be a lot more--”

“Stop teasing.”

“I’m not, promise. He really does look at you like that,” Merlin said, “You should see him. It’s like he can’t even walk straight with you around. Almost took off my head once.”

“Merlin,” (Y/N) warned, but was interrupted.

He sighed, “Look, believe me, or don’t, but he really does love you.”

“You…” She paused, “You think so?”

“I know so,” He grinned all of a sudden, “He won’t stop talking about you. I think I know you better than you know yourself at this point.”

“Well, that’s not terrifying at all,” She said, sarcasm painting her tone.

Merlin sighed heavily and glanced around, sure that someone must have heard them by now. However, no one was around. This was his chance, he realised. He could convince Arthur and (Y/N) of their feelings for each other at the feast tonight. Finally -- finally -- they would get together and leave him alone.

“(Y/N), hear me out,” He eased into the conversation gently, “Arthur adores you. So much it’s disgusting.”

“Merlin--”

He interrupted, “No, wait. Just let me finish.” For the moment, (Y/N) was silent. She awaited his move, not exactly pleased. “I’ll prove it to you. Tonight at the feast. I have a plan. It’s not a great plan, but it will be enough. Please. For your sake, Arthur’s, and mine. Mostly mine.”

(Y/N) rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. Looking at Merlin’s pleading face and unable to resist her own feelings, she gave in. “Alright. But if it goes wrong, I will execute you.”

“You don’t mean that,” Merlin chuckled, but then saw her glare. “Okay, maybe you do.”

    Later that night, the stars emerged from hiding and so did the nobles of Camelot. It was a night to celebrate the return of the king from his journey to...somewhere or other. (Y/N) hadn’t paid all that much attention. Uther’s affairs were of no matter to her, especially if Arthur wasn’t talking about them. If she didn’t hear about them from him or Morgana, then they weren’t near important enough to concern herself with.

    Despite this, it was a mandatory affair. (Y/N) entered the hall proudly, attached to her father’s arm. A lord of Camelot, he was the only reason she was here in the first place, at least officially. In reality, she was here to see Arthur and to execute Merlin’s plan. God, she couldn’t breathe.

    Merlin wanted her to socialize with him, to dance with him even. Sure, she had done it plenty of times before, but that was long before she realised how much she cared for the prince. It didn’t help that Merlin wanted her to find a moment to drag him away -- alone -- to the balcony outside the hall. It would be empty, considering it was cold enough, and if it wasn’t...well, Merlin swore he would deal with it. (Y/N) didn’t know whether to believe him or not.

    Nonetheless, (Y/N) put on a facade of confidence. This was just a feast, just a party. She had done it millions of times before. This one wasn’t special. Yet, anyway.

    As she and her father entered the hall, they separated almost instantly, because her father was dragged away by a couple of lords. It didn’t leave (Y/N) reeling like when she was younger, as she simply made her way over to Morgana, who she spotted near the back.

    “(Y/N),” The king’s ward smiled, “Good to see you.”

    “You as well,” (Y/N) said genuinely, “I haven’t talked to you lately. Did Uther lock you away again?”

    Morgana groaned, “Twice since we talked last.”

    “Awful man,” (Y/N) said, “Next time I’ll break you out.”

    “I hate that there must be a next time.”

    For some time, the two socialized. (Y/N) kept an eye out for Arthur, but didn’t see anything. At one point, she spotted Merlin, who glared at her knowingly, though she could do nothing but shrug. She had no idea where the prince was.

    Speak of the devil, a voice from behind made both (Y/N) and Morgana jump.

    “Neither of you is dancing yet,” Arthur said, leaning in between the two ladies, who both nearly knocked him out in surprise.

    “Arthur!” (Y/N) gasped as he burst into laughter, “Where have you been?”

    “Delayed,” He said as if it wasn’t important.

    Morgana rolled her eyes, “You are a terror. I’m going to find Gwen. Have fun, (Y/N).”

    (Y/N) nearly died on the spot when Morgana winked at her and sashayed away. No. Merlin couldn’t have possibly told her...maybe she simply inferred (Y/N)’s feelings or Arthur’s or--

    “(Y/N)? Are you alright?” Arthur chuckled, waving a hand in front of her face. “You’re really out of it today.”

    “Hm? Oh, I’m fine,” She waved him off.

    He tilted his head, not sure if he believed her. Then, he realised something and groaned, “I hope you are. My father is giving us the eye.”

    (Y/N) followed his gaze and saw that Uther was indeed, as Arthur put it, giving them the eye. He glared at them from all the way across the room, motioning pointedly toward the middle of the feast. Clearly, he wanted them to socialise.

    “He wants us to stop sulking.”

    “We’re not sulking!” (Y/N) said, “We’re avoiding, there’s a difference.”

    “Well, I suppose--” Arthur stepped forward, ready to move, but (Y/N) grabbed his arm. She didn’t even think about it beforehand; it felt natural.

    She smiled, “Actually, I have a better idea.”

    (Y/N) pulled gently on his arm and led him to the middle of the floor, which made him tense up. For a second, he thought she was actually going to listen to his father. Instead, she turned to face him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Naturally, his hand went to her waist and he suddenly realised what she was doing.

    “Dance with me.”

    And so they did dance, twirling about the room slowly. They conversed like old friends reunited, though they had never left each other’s side. It left (Y/N) breathless, realising how easily she could make conversation with him.

She had been all worked up over nothing and, as much as she hated to admit it, Merlin was right. Arthur really did seem to adore her. His eyes never left hers for a second and he never attempted to move away. For what felt like hours, (Y/N) and Arthur danced. But after a while, the number of people in the room became overwhelming.

Arthur noticed her discomfort instantly. “Follow me,” He said, leading her away from the feast hall.

(Y/N) found herself being led to the balcony jutting out from the feast hall, the very one Merlin wanted her to bring Arthur to by the end of the night. It seemed she didn’t even have to try tonight, because fate was placing her right in Arthur’s arms. Little did she know, Merlin had orchestrated the entire thing, even going so far as to place the idea of the balcony in the young prince’s head.

Once outside, the pair leaned over the balcony, content with watching the nightlife of Camelot go about. It was calming.

With her arms resting so close to Arthur’s, (Y/N) felt an inexplicable pull to grab his hand, but she resisted it. For now, she simply spoke to him. “I miss this.”

“Miss it?” Arthur asked softly as if anything louder would break the peace forever, “We’re doing it right now.”

“I know, but…” (Y/N) sighed, “I miss doing this all the time. Like, when we were children.”

Arthur was silent for a moment and looked back at the sky, “I know what you mean.” Beside him, (Y/N) shivered. “Are you cold?”

When she nodded, he smiled and took off his scarlet cloak, passing it to her. She wrapped it around her shoulders, snuggling into the pre-warmed cloth and flushing, which she hoped he would wave off as the cold getting to her.

“Do you --” Arthur laughed suddenly, “Do you remember when your father was going to make you move?”

(Y/N) joined him in laughing, “And I hid in your closet for two weeks?”

“Father was terrified,” He said, “He sent out a near hundred search parties for you, you know that?”

“No, I didn’t,” She smiled thoughtfully.

Almost as if magic took hold of her arm -- thanks, Merlin -- she reached over and took Arthur’s hand in hers. For a second, it seemed like he would pull away, but he only readjusted and rested their hands comfortably against the balcony. In fact, he took lead by leaning in closer to her, both of them now shoulder to shoulder. The silence was comfortable.

“Do you remember,” (Y/N) tread carefully, “What you said when our fathers found me?”

“I was spitting mad,” Arthur chuckled, before he became silent again, eyes twinkling thoughtfully. It seemed he fully remembered what he said, just as (Y/N) did.

(Y/N) started, “You said I shouldn’t leave, because --”

“Because she belongs in Camelot,” Arthur whispered, quoting his exact words, “She belongs with Morgana. And she belongs...with me.”

He picked up her hand and turned his head to look at her, lifting her knuckles to his lips and kissing them gently. (Y/N) nearly fainted at the contact, but was too busy leaning forward to do so. Mutually, their lips became locked and they shared a beautiful moment under the stars, finally coming to realise that their friendship had always been far more than that.

Hidden away nearby, Merlin nearly knocked over a potted plant celebrating.

Masterlist

[xreaderandreaderinserts]

Quest - (Merlin x Reader)

Request from @milleniumxhan :Hey you! I'm back at it again with a Merlin x reader request! Would you possibly be able to do one where you're out on like a quest with the whole gang (Morgana, Gwen, and Arthur) and like you guys decide to camp out for the night and you get cold and Merlin gets all cuddly with you and the others tease you and yeah! Thanks I guess. Hope it wasn't too complicated!

Absolutely! So sorry it took so long. Here you go!!

“We have to go now!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Gods, Arthur. No need to worry so much.”

Morgana  was taking her time packing up her things as we prepared to go on a little quest.

“What’s the matter anyway,” Morgana  asked. ““It’s not even a real quest! We’re just trying to relax a little bit.

Arthur looked at Morgana. ““You should take this more seriously! Especially considering that we’re trying to avoid being infected by an unknown disease.”

Genevieve looked at her husband. “Don’t be silly, Arthur. It’s not that serious. We just need to head out to find a bit of a plant. And if we don’t, the illness is supposed to pass anyway. The thistle flower is just supposed to speed up recovery.”

Arthur grumbled a bit and mounted his horse.

You laughed quietly at the oddity of your friends. Everyone mounted their respective horses and started to head out.

After a few minutes you had made it into the forest. Arthur led everyone to a clearing where you started to unpack. You all had started late in the day and it was already beginning to get dark.

“Merlin,” you started, “Could you help me set up this tent?”

““Yeah. Absolutely (Y/N).”

The two of you worked in silence, walking around each other like clockwork. It was smooth and efficient and you were in two minutes.

You and Merlin had Kornylo each other for a while. You were working with Gaius before Merlin showed up. You didn’t become fast friends like many people assume. Merlin was a little on edge about having you around, you knowing his secret and all. It also had a bit to do with Arthur.

You didn’t really like that Merlin didn’t respect Arthur. You had grown up in the palace and absolutely adored Arthur. You had met as children and became close.

You thought about how you and Arthur used to play in the gardens until King Uther ordered a servant to fetch Arthur. They would always tell you to not play with the kind to be, but you never listened.

“(Y/N)?”

“Hmm?”

“I said we’re going to scout a bit. Can you and Merlin start a fire? Gauls is in his tent working on th e recipe for the recovery elixir.”

“Uhh. Yeah sure!”

“Okay.”

Arthur and the girls left soon after. Merlin looked at you.

“If you want, I can just set these logs on fire.” You looked at Merlin with wide eyes.

“Oh! Yeah, sure. That would be great, actually.”

Merlin smiled at you.

“Okay.”

His gaze shifted over to the pile of logs that Morgana had collected. He stared at them for a while. His eyes flashed a color you did t quite catch and suddenly the logs burst into flames.

You gasped a little bit to which you both chuckled. You moved around to sit on large tree truck that had conveniently fallen to make the perfect chair. Merlin moved around the trunk to sit next to you. He sat just a sliver too close than to just be friends.

If fact, he was so close to you that you could hear his soft breathing over the loud, ever present chirping of crickets. You shivered a little bit. One, because you were cold, and two, because it was so intimate.

Apparently, Merlin noticed how co,d you were.

“Are you still cold?”

“Uhh. Yes, actually. It’s a great fire, Merlin! It’s just freezing today.” He smiled a bit and moved closer.

You could feel yourself tense up as he put his arms around you. His fingers were so warm and his chest radiated heat. Eventually you relaxed and leaned into him.

You grew sleepy after a few minutes like that and shut your eyes. You put your arms around his waist and you felt him tighten his grip around your back. 

You dozed off with a calm expression.

“Ohh!”

You jolted awake when you heard someone yell loudly.

“Looks like Merlin is quite the lady’s man!”

It was Morgana.

“Ugh. Get a room, will you?” Arthur crinkled his nose, but you knew better; you knew he thought it was sweet.

You detailed yourself from Merlin and stood up. You chuckled a bit and looked at Merlin.

“Wanna come back to the tent with me?” You asked him.

He grinned and you and said, “Absolutely.”

Merlin stood up and you grabbed his hand.

As the two of you started to walk off, Arthur yelled to the both of you, “Keep the audio down will you?”

“Piss off!” You and Merlin said together.

You could feel the smile on Arthur’s face and heard Genevieve laughing. Today was a good day.

[merlinthoughts]

Season 1 Episode 2 - Valiant

- ik for a fact that this one is the episode with the asshhoole. not bc i recognised it from the title but perhaps it was because i recognised it from the title u got me there

- i always go to mr clean too when i want protection, val, ur not alone

- yeah, this is harry potter l ma o

- the next thing u know theres a stone that makes arthur live forever and the snakes start joining into one and growing bigger until a phoenix (im dibbing on kilgie here), pops their corneas out

- DAMN DON'T KILL UR DEALER WHERE U GONNA GET THE NEW SHIT FROM NEXT TIME SMH VALIANT

- okay but who names their son valiant

- he was probably named valerie and didnt like it so he said “woah imma be valiant like courage, thats sick”

- that was probably his superhero persona as a child ngl

- no, shev, no respect for val stop doing this

- merlin in armour, what a fucking bLESiSNG GIVING ME THIS RIGHT ON THE SPOT BBC KNOWS WHATS GOOD

- ok a y but hear me out, merlins a servant. i have not seen any of these servants been asked to train with the royals??? like in the sense where it helps the servant train as well?? and the FIRST thing arthur does with merlin as his servant is train with him. not only is arthur a huge JOCK, he’s not using his manservant properly

- neverfuckingmind “most servants collapse after the first blow”, so it seems to be arthur likes to train with his servants. now that in itself is a question to be asked, but is he the only royal who trains with his servants??? how did this man survive on his own without a personal servant until merlin??? did he have a personal servant??? was it just regular servants?? who are those other servants he trained with??? did arthur just say hey lets go to the field in the morning, put on armour and let’s have a fun time?? UNLESS merlin literally just took someones job away from them kmao

- also my mind went right to the gutter guys, ngl, it sounded like an innuendo. it had me quaking i wish i was one of those servants

- “we all have our duties, even arthur” “it must be so tough for him, all the *hesitates* girl, all the glory”

- so we probably get at least 1 out of every 2 episodes where there’s a scene with merlin dressing arthur in his armour. bring the popcorn, lads.

- MORGANA LOOKING LIKE A FRICKEN SNACK

- the reigning champion is arthur, wonder fucking w h y

- valiant is in fucking mustard, while arthur is fucking ketchup idk why i thought of that but it happened. my literature teacher always told me to look for symbolisms. guess we found one guys.

- merlin after hating on arthur for the past episode is literally just cheering arthur on like a good husband he is

- did ARTHUR JUST SNICKER AT MERLINS “CREEP” LMAO DON'T TRY AND HIDE IT BY HUFFING AT HIM AFTERWARDS YOU FUCKING GOOF

- omg he hid it by telling merlin to do a full novel of chores

- AND MERLIN DOES IT WITH MAGIC A PAIR OF GOOFS

-  “are you using magic again” “no” merlin ffs he just saw you use magic, while the items fell and landed right in front of him while you didn’t move at aLL. they are nOT BLIND

- “very aggressive style” I MEAN SURE UTHER

- valerie be fuckboying morgana lmao with a “i saw you watching” and a, “then i will give everything to win the tournament”

- i wish this show was set in the early 2000s so i can see val in low sweatpants, a backwards cap with gelled spiky hair and cheap neon sunglasses (maybe even some gold teeth just for kicks), while hes trying to rap 50 cents or make a mixtape of brit pop songs. bc yes.

- honestly im loving my 2000 fuckboy au. gonna make an ao3 after this.

- of course merlin would be the one to find out the magic shit in valiants room, it just lures him. AND OF COURSE VALIANT IS THERE

- i'm so fucking glad arthur looks confused as to how merlin did what he asked. when u have this kind of hubby, arthur, its amazing what things he can do.

- i dont know why theres dramatic music as merlin put armour on arthur but im living for it

- “is it my imagination or are you beginning to enjoy yourself?” merlin doesn't know what to say to that bc he’s turning gay and doesn't know if that counts as enjoying oneself when the one you are gay for is the asshole prince

- typically enough, valiant and arthur never fight except for the finale. like with all conveniences in place, youd expect them to have at least fought at some point with as much knights as there to determine the final two but no, just the finale. k.

- this poor fucking purple knighted bloke didn’t need to be fucking demonstrated on, val. like you didn't need to kill him?? that could have blown ur cover

- DID NOBODY SEE THAT??? DID NOBODY SEE THE FUCKING SNAKES???

- oooh merlin found out what happened everyone gonna be fucked. nobody harms arthur is he has something to say about it

- if someone starts off a sentence with “i just saw someones snakes on their shield come alive” nobody would fucking believe you, merls. but given the fact that magic exist… mhh maybe it wouldn’t be too absurd. but ppl apparently are thick as hell

- “why were you in his chambers” well i know how id explain if i was in valiants chambers ;)

- jk i dont fall for this toxic shit

- imagine getting paid as an actor just just lie down there like this poisoned kid. “yeah, id like to audition for ewan’s role???” “why are you lying on the ground?”

- i hate those tropes where it's like “i know how to tell someones bad, here’s proof” and then nobody believes you and tells you you’re lying and should die or whatever but then you kNOW IT'S THE FUCKIN TRUTH BITCH that trope gives me damn anxiety >:((

- yes merlin, fucking slash the shield with your sword. i'm sure that's how it works. im sure it will kill the snakes.

- HOWA RE THE SNAKES ALIVE WITHOUT VAL SAYING “ISHNAHASHAHI”

- i think val would know that you cut off the snake’s head, merls, just saying. ur were the oNLY ONE.

- TELL ARTHUR WHAT??? “I CUT A SNAKE”

- EXACLTY ONG THAT'S WHAT MERLIN FUCKING SAID I WAS RIGHT LMAO

- ARTHUR BELEIVED HIM I'M FUCKING LIVING BUT IK WHAT HAPPENS AND AHH

- uhhh the anxiety is rolling up boys

- ewan is mcfuckingdead

- snake be sliding in like a hoe on a business

- bfehfjdjfskf i hate this part

- arthur's pride, merlin’s pride, fuck me

- i'm not even gonna write this part, it breaks my fragile heart when arthur sees the look of people not believing him, especially his dad, and merlin seeing how arthur doesn't trust him anymore like prepare the eulogies girlies

- okay but if arthur is struck and gaius has the antidote?? arthur aint gonna die technically

- but now val knows merlin knows

- AND MERLIN INTERVENES

- why are royals so bitchy towards servants. like they do their best to help you??? they are loyal to you and are paid there to serve you and are often very kind, generous, passive, understanding people??? yet merlin interrupts uther and he fucking sends him to the pit

- VAL YOU ASS LMAO DON'T HURT MY SON’S PRIDE

- he said allegations like four times, yes uther we know ur vocab is shining with intellect but seriously, there’s other synonyms that could still be acceptable and still sound fancy

- quick search on google bc my mind doesnt roll fast enough: claim, assertion, charge, accusation, declaration, statement, contention, deposition, argument, affirmation. see daddy uther, not hard to look up.

- forget they didnt have internet whoopsies

- :((( arthur doesn't trust merlin anymore

- the husbands FIGHT

- not just a banter petty fight, this is a huge fight

- SACKING MERLIN DON'T FUCKING SACK MERLIN YOU GOOF

- TRUST UR HUBBY

- FUCK

- I'M GONNA CRY AND IT'S ONLY EPISODE TWO

- I'M HAVING EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS CONCERNING MY TWO BOYS

- GUYS IM NOT OKAy

- its been 2 minutes after i wrote that last sentence, and i am now okay

- “a half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole” iconic as hell. so many things could be said about that quote. either for innuendo purposes, love purposes, destiny purposes, how long it took me to say it right, just so many purposes man. it’s just iconic.

- merlin looks absolutely done with kilgaharama’s shit

- “just give me a straight answer” seems like kilgarass here is being too gay for merlin

- gwen already knows merlin’s the heroin of the series, saying everyone knows it's merlin who will save the day. but same tbh

- i dunno if this is like me or not but it says her nickname is gwyn in the subtitles but im typing it as gwen which i thought was how u wrote it, even if her full name is gwynevere but like gwen has a ring to it while gwyn sounds like gwin or smth and i dunno which one is right so ill just leave it alone ahjsjfk

- MORGANA HAS VISIONS WE ALREADY KNOW WHERE THIS GOES SHES MAGIC ISNT SHE HAHAHAHAUHD

- merlin trying one last time to convince his husband not to die, but at least this time arthur knows he’s up for val’s magic and is like “k iloveyou but i have to do this for the country not just bc of pride and thinking val is not magic”

- staring into the fire like he’s hoping it would suck him up into the void, not only is merlin a now confirmed emo, so is fucking arthur it seems. perfect for one another i'm telling you

- eerie music as morgana enters… wha suddenly i can't read

- i thought at first morgana and arthur were gonna end up together cause of the fucking weird tension going on and i was prepared to be disfuckinggusted but no! the show and producers actually put my expectations away and helped me see that it wasn’t going in that direction! thank fucking god! 

- k but arthur looks majestic in his gear im just a huge bi

- “don’t go into my room” he says then gaius peaks in and almost gets mauled by a large chihuahua

- me too val, id step on someone's toes then fuck them up with an undercut. thats the bad bitch way to go. unless it for arthur, then val hahaha you can go fuck yourself

- no one sees mErLin??

- but they now see the snakes smh fakes

- “what are you doing? i didn't summon you” i don't think that will work val cause you didn't say it with a serpent tongue, it has to sound more like “shhashhwhat ahhssare hiisssyou iisshhaadoing?”

- okay but i thought arthur was impaled for a half second until he started to talk then i screamed that he was aight and he would now believe merlin

- uther better give merlin an apology

- arthur just said he wouldnt

- but still uther BETTER APOLOGISE TO FUCKING MERLIN

- “yknow i wish valiant was escorting me” “me too” i thought for a fricken moment arthur wished valiant would have escorted HIM. i'm dying.OMG

- “i wanted to say i made a mistake. it was unfair to sack you.” “don’t worry about it. buy me a drink and we’ll call it even.” DID YOU JUST SAY WHAT I THINK YOU JUST SAID MERLIN YOU SLY DOG OMG

- “i can’t really be seen to be buying drinks for my servant.” so if he wasn’t ur servant?? you’d say yes?? they are so fucking gay i can't anymore

- yeah, i literally fucking can't

[azreadytodie]

The Secret of Magic Chapter 1

Chapter One

The Beginning of the Legend

No young man, no matter how great, can know his destiny. He cannot glimpse his part in the great story that is about to unfold. Like everyone, he must live and learn. And so it will be for the young warlock arriving at the gates of Camelot. A boy that will in time, father the legend. His name...Merlin.

Morgana watched cautiously from her window as her guardian and king spoke. His words were practiced and had been spoken many a time and she cared little about them, focusing instead on the man restrained below. Magic was illegal, she knew that but somehow the punishment that awaited the man made her nauseous.  She had never been comfortable with the idea of a death penalty and thought that in its own sense that would make the punisher as bad as the prisoner.

As the man was forced onto his knees Morgana looked down, the thought of actually watching the execution was intolerable but she almost felt just as bad ignoring it. then the axe came down and Morgana pulled away from the window, sickened by the noise as well as the deed that had just been performed. Eyes closed she drew in a deep breath, holding it until the anger subsided, though it had left a foul taste in her mouth.

“When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos. But with the people’s help, magic was driven from the land. So I declare a festival, to celebrate twenty years since the great dragon was captured, and Camelot freed from the evil of sorcery. Let the celebrations begin!” Uther’s words made the anger rise back up her throat and made her clench her jaw tightly. Then from the crowd came a high keen and Morgana’s head whipped back around to locate the creator of such a pain filled sound. The wailing began again and Morgana could clearly see the woman as the crowds moved away from her. White haired and dressed in rags, the woman’s face was masked by grief and even from her window Morgana swore she could see the pain in her eyes.

“There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic!” the woman cried, her voice raw and emotional, “It is you! With your hatred, and your ignorance! You killed my son.” Then her voice dropped to a whisper and Morgana found herself unsettled by the old lady, “But I promise you, before these celebrations are over you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. A son for a son!” At that moment, Uther, who had been still until then, leapt forward and cried,

“Seize her!” Uther’s sharp words unfroze Morgana who had been enraptured by the woman’s speech. Before the guards could seize her, however, she began to mutter in a language Morgana did not understand. She then disappeared leaving behind a wind that pushed back the crowds around where she had stood.

Blinking, Morgana closed her window and frowned, as much as the woman had deeply disturbed her, she felt some pity for the woman who had lost her son. Maybe there was some truth in her words.

Morgana had made up her mind some time that afternoon that she would in fact, refuse to celebrate the festival alongside the rest of Camelot. And so when she heard footsteps approaching that were clearly not those of her maidservant Gwen, she sighed.

“Morgana.”

“Yes?” she replied obediently,

“What is it? Why are you not joining us at the feast?” Morgana felt her face twist into a look of disdain as she replied,

“I just don’t think chopping someone’s head of is cause for celebration.” Uther looked away, “That poor mother…”

“It was simple justice for what he’d done.”

“To whom?” Morgana retorted, “He practiced magic, he didn’t hurt anyone!”

“You were not around twenty years ago. You have no idea what it was like.” Uther’s voice was dangerously quiet but Morgana chose to ignore it.

“How long are you going to keep punishing people for what happened then?”

“Until they realise there is no room for magic in my kingdom! You will be with me when I greet Lady Helen.” He said more calmly, Morgana fumed at the direct order as Uther began to walk away,

“I told you I want no part in your -“

“I am your guardian!” his voice was raised now and her had turned back to face her,

“I expect you to do as I ask. If you won’t show me the respect, at least respect our finest singer.”  

With that he walked away again and Morgana could not help but call out one last warning,

“You know the more brutal you are the more enemies you’ll create!”

  The next morning Morgana noticed that Gwen was standing idly at the window,

 “What’s the matter Gwen? Anything interesting happening?” she said peering out the window behind her maid,

“Oh! My lady, you startled me. As it so happens, there is something happening.” Gwen gestured towards the scrawny youth being dragged away by the palace guards,

“My goodness! What on earth could he have done?” Morgana gasped, surely a boy like that couldn’t need throwing into the dungeons? Then again, he could have been stealing, he had looked so awfully frail.

“He stood up to Arthur.” Gwen sighed, “The prince was bullying his manservant and that boy through a punch at him. It was awfully brave.”

“Brave or stupid?” Morgana wondered aloud, “I suppose it is nice to see someone stand up to Arthur for once. It’s intriguing…”

Merlin was unsure of what was happening. It was the second time that a voice had called out to him in his mind, echoing and emanating from deep below in the heart of Camelot. He was drawn to it as a moth was to a flame. And so it was without trouble that he navigated his way into the lowest bowels of Camelot, sneaking past the guards and following the voice that still whispered his name. There he came upon a cave. Filled with darkness, and an echoing voice that spoke only one word.

Merlin…

“Where are you?” he called out into the cave, his words clear and filled with more confidence than he felt.

As soon as he said it a great gust of wind pushed at him and the sound of wings filled the air as a mighty dragon lowered itself onto an outcrop of rock, not too far from the cave entrance. Merlin could practically feel that magic radiating off of it. The strength of it cause Merlin to wonder how on earth he had managed to go this long without standing face to face with the beast.

“I am here.” The dragon spoke, voice deep and wise. It looked at him, eyes piercing every layer of Merlin’s being, “How small you are, for such a great destiny.”

“Why? What do you mean? What destiny?” Merlin breathed,

“Your gift Merlin, was given to you for a reason,” the dragon’s words gave Merlin hope, more hope than he had felt in all his life, in all the years he had spent hiding his magic in Ealdor.

“So there is a reason.” The dragon chuckled,

 “Arthur is the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion.”

“Right…”

“But he faces many threats. From friend and foe alike.”

“I don’t see what this has to do with me.” Merlin blurted, his irritation at the royal prat obvious in his tone.

 “Everything. Without you Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion.”

 “No.” Merlin shook his head, “no, you’ve got this wrong,”  the idea that it was his destiny to serve Arthur, the arrogant spoiled son of a… with his good looks and fortune and terrible attitude. It was too much for Merlin to bear.

 “There is no right or wrong!” the dragon said incredulously, “only what is, and what isn’t.”

 “No I’m serious! If anyone wants to go and kill him they can go ahead. In fact I’ll give them a hand.” Merlin exclaimed, but the dragon just laughed in a way that was almost a giggle.

“None of us can choose our destiny Merlin. And none of us can escape it.”

“No, no way. There must be another Arthur because this one’s an idiot.”

“Perhaps it’s your destiny to change that.” And with those words the dragon spread its wings began to fly away. Leaving Merlin to call out for it to answer his questions.

By the time news of the scrawny boy reached her ears again, Morgana was already preoccupied with preparations for the banquet. She had long accepted that she could not avoid the duty and was deciding what to wear. Or more importantly, who would be taking her. As Gwen re-entered the room she began to speak,

“You know, I’ve been thinking about Arthur. I wouldn’t touch him with a lance pole.” She chuckled, walking behind the screen, “Pass me that dress, will you Gwen? I mean, the man’s a total jouster. Just because I’m the king’s ward doesn’t mean I have to accompany him to the feast. Does it?”

Gwen was quiet which was decidedly odd; she was use to her maid’s opinions. “Well does it?” she asked again, Gwen let out a sound which Morgana took as a no.

“If he wants me to go then he should invite me. But he hasn’t, so do you know what that means?” Morgana asked, Gwen let out another noise, but further away, perhaps she was preoccupied? “Where are you?” She asked, looking over the top of the screen. Gwen was holding a dress up in the middle of the room, presumably folding it.r

“Here.”

“It means I’m going by myself. I need some help with this fastening?” she was concerned again when Gwen didn’t reply, “Gwen?”

“I’m here.” Gwen called back, heading over and helping her with the fastening.

“So, it’s whether I wear this little tease. Or give them a night they’ll really remember.” Gwen let out a chuckle.

“Dresses aside my lady, I think you just scared poor Merlin half to death!”

“Merlin?”

“The boy I was telling you about earlier. I think he came in to give you your sleeping draught and you mistook him for me!” Morgana put her hands to cover her face,

“Oh goodness! I should have known it wasn’t you! That explains a lot. It’s quite odd. Merlin keeps popping up… I wonder if I will see more of him…”  

As Uther welcomed the Lady Helen, Morgana sat in anticipation. She had to admit that hearing the most esteemed singer in the kingdom excited her greatly. And Lady Helen was certainly a vision to behold, standing tall at the top of the banquet hall. As Lady Helen began to sing Morgana found herself enchanted by the music. It was powerful and seemed to relax her completely…

The next thing Morgana knew she was lifting her head off of the table. Quickly regaining her surroundings she saw the change in the room around her. Everything was covered in cobwebs and the chandelier which had one been hanging from the ceiling was now pressed on top of an old woman who was wearing Lady Helen’s dress. Morgana recognise the woman as the mother in the town square from days earlier. The woman who had been seemingly dead reared up suddenly and launched the knife she was holding at Arthur.

Just as suddenly however, Merlin appeared Grabbing hold of Arthur and pulling him out the way. There was something wrong about that in Morgana’s eyes. Something very wrong indeed. She had seen where Merlin had been standing, there was no possible way he could have made it to Arthur or time. Still, she was grateful and she stared at the boy in wonder.

“You saved my boy’s life.” Uther said, Morgana could tell he too was in shock, “a debt must be repaid.”

 “I… well -” Merlin stuttered,

“No don’t be so modest, you must be rewarded.”

“No honestly, you don’t have to your highness.”

“No, absolutely! This merits something quite special.”

“Well…”

“You shall be awarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur’s manservant.”

“Father!” Arthur cried, Morgana chuckled, what would normally be a great honour seemed to be displeasing to both Arthur and Merlin, though she felt more pity for Merlin in this case. Arthur went through his manservants quickly. Although, Morgana was beginning to see there was something quite special about Merlin. Perhaps, the combination of Arthur and Merlin could be the start of something…well, amazing.

 NEXT

So yeah, this is my first Merlin fic, yay! It’s one of 31 parts but I’m really invested in this so hopefully they’ll be out soon. I don’t know how to do that link thing with previous and next and stuff but I’m sure I’ll figure it out by the time I post the next chapter! Thanks for reading!