#magic addict arthur pendragon

[how-the-feathers-have-fallen]

Arthur, born of magic 🤝 Merlin, a well of magic

Ya know how in hbo supernatural Dean is addicted to angel grace? Specifically Cas'?

I just think it'd be neat if Arthur was unknowingly addicted to Merlin's magic in the secret good merlin in our heads.

[yoonnamjin25]

Ok but I need a post canon, Arthur returns, slow burn, Merthur, kind of fic where we can acompany our beloved king through the different stages of grief he will go through when Merlin tells him he's been dead for over 1500 years so he lost his kingdom, knights, friends and wife. A fic where we can see Merlin introducing Arthur to the 21st century and its technology that he insists is just magic, Mer-lin, I know it, I'm no fool. I know magic when I see it. A fic where we can see Arthur still struggling to fully trust on Merlin again because yes, he forgave him and he doesn't really care about the magic (except he does because Merlin's eyes look so beautiful when they are gold and where did that come from, Arthur Pendragon? Merlin, beautiful? Ha! The clotpole must've been right when he told you you shouldn't drink a third cup of that dark, strong, addictive beverage) but he still can't get over all the years of constant lies and deceiving, and Merlin feels guilty af so he tries to win his trust once again day by day and keep the promise he made to himself that day he finally confessed his magic to Arthur to not lie to him ever again. A fic full of fluffy moments between merthur where we can see them fall for each other harder slowly but surely until one day, after 3 or 4 months since Arthur came back, he finally kisses Merlin. And then they kiss some more. And more. And they are so happy grinning like idiots between kisses because finally they are on the same page. And everything is perfect. And Arthur suddenly loses his shirt somehow and things are getting heated although everything is still so soft and sweet and tentative. And then the doorbell rings. They ignore it at first, Arthur's orders, but the person behind the door is insistent so they have to stop so Merlin can go and see who it is. And when he finally opens the door, his jaw almost hit the floor because the person in front of him is no other than the fucking Queen of Camelot, his first and beloved friend, Guinevere Pendragon, the long ago dead widow of Arthur Pendragon, king of Camelot, whom he's been making out with seconds ago. And then everything goes downhill coz Gwen sees her husband and Arthur is so shocked to see her again and then they are hugging and smiling and kissing and glowing with happiness and then there's Merlin, with tears in his eyes as he sees them reunite again. As he sees Arthur reunited with his true love. And when the king finally takes a moment to process everything that is happening while having Guinevere laughing crying in his arms, his eyes find Merlin, his Merlin, the one he had in his arms minutes ago and everything comes crashing. Reality hits him so hard he can't even breathe for a second. Because he was happy with Merlin and even though he hadn't yet admitted it out loud, he knew, deep in his soul, that he was in love with him, but then Guinevere is back! His beautiful, amazing, sweet and wonderful queen who he loves with all his heart is back from the death and how is that even possible???

Phew! A fic full of drama and angst and hurt/comfort and tough decisions that Arthur will have to make eventually because he loves them both, but he only can have one and that is breaking him apart because he is a righteous man at heart and he knows that as a married man, his choice should be clear as water, but his soul is screaming at him because it wants something else, someone else, and he doesn't know what to do as he knows whatever he decides, one of the two people he loves the most in his life will end up brokenhearted. But life is unfair and cruel to everyone. Even to legendary kings.

So.

Can someone please write it?

For me???

Pretty please???

[queerofthedagger]

two paper airplanes (flying, flying) by @nextstopparis

Pairing: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Rating: Mature | Warnings: None | Word Count: 8 633

Tags: Modern Era, Soulmates

Summary:

So there's this old wives' tale that no one actually believes.

Why I rec this: So I love soulmates in any and all variations, and I especially love when there is a bit of a unique spin put on it, and this one does it so, so well. I also just really love the writing style because it's so witty and on point (in this and their other fics tbh!) to Merlin's thoughts, it's such a joy to read. And that's not even starting on the dynamic between him and Arthur - there is such a gentle domesticity between them even as they are still bantering at each other as we know they would no matter how painfully in love with each other they are. And oh my god are they painfully in love with each other. There is so much pining, you could plant a forest to sustain the paper airplanes.... sorry. I do adore the pining though because let's be real; would it even be merthur if they weren't being utterly ridiculous?

Fave Quotes:

Still, though. They don’t feel like things easily erased or left in the past, his feelings for Arthur. They feel overwhelming and addictive and right; natural and big and insurmountable. He doesn’t know how he’s ever going to feel this way, let alone more, for anyone else again. He doesn’t know how feelings this big and important and heart-wrenching can ever just be things of the past. They feel neverending.

-

They lose their shirts, and then also where Merlin ends and Arthur begins soon thereafter. Merlin traces the endless expanse of golden skin that’s right under his fingertips - just a little bit like magic - and thinks, yes. It’s more than okay.

[thegeminisage]

Top 5 "i didn't think i'd like them but i dooo" about fictional characters

OHHHH this one is so hard. i think instead of ranking them on how much i like them i'm going to rank them on how dramatic the flip was, because that's a bit more objective. i am paranoid i am forgetting somebody but here we are:

arthur pendragon, whomst i wanted DEAD for being so shitty about hating magic and so shitty to merlin - and then i watched 2.08 where he snapped and tried to kill his own father for murdering his mom and it flipped my brain inside out. i'm sure there have been more dramatic flips in my life but if there have i can't remember them

cullen rutherford, who frustrated me in da2 and creeped me out during da:o (played them in that order) and finally won me over in inquisition when he was like "actually i am a recovering addict attempting to overcome my completely repulsive base nature." nobody come at me i know we can argue about how well they pulled off the execution but the secret good plot that exists for him in my head is incredible. it occurs to me at this moment that arthur and cullen are almost the same character and now i want to throw myself into the sun

susie deltarune!! she actually really scared me at first and i disliked having her along a lot because of what a big meanie she was. i even worried about lancer because she was on his team! but it only took until the next scene with them in it to realize she just needed someone to like her and not be scared of her. now susie delatrune is my favorite <3

d'avin jaqobis. i didn't DISLIKE him most of the time but i did initially think he was dumb and unnecessary and uncompelling and detracted from how fun and great dutch and johnny were. and then it turns out due to a military experiment he can be brainwashed. and you know. made to kill a bunch of people. and so with a heavy heart i wound up stanning him enough to remember to put the apostrophe in his name

castiel supernatural. spent the first 3.9 seasons as a deangirl, didn't hate cas so much at first either but again felt he was taking up too much screentime/replacing sam in the narrative as dean's deuteragonist. which ultimately did end up happening lol but whatever. like d'avin, i thought he was a little unnecessary!! his turn at the end of season 4 to dean's side somehow managed to surprise me and by mid season 5 when he defended sam against lucifer i was obsessed with him <3 which was sooooo bad for me on november 5 2020 <3

(send me top 5)

[earlgreyinpajamas]

merthur fic recs: spy!arthur

1. The Quartermaster Who Loved Him (The Bondverse Remix) by fifty_fifty

Merlin Emrys is a researcher and one of Her Majesty’s best and brightest at MI6 headquarters. His latest tech is a huge hit with the secret service and everything seems to be going swimmingly, until a hot new 00 agent comes along and messes things up royally.

Or how Merlin and Arthur met, and what happened next.

~~~

HELLO I LOVE THE BONDVERSE SO YOU CAN BET YOUR BUTTONS I LOVE THIS FIC. i love the bondverse jargon this author used so much and i adore how sassy merlin is in this fic. it’s a completely different universe, but somehow every character fits in like it’s their original world, so honestly this was just fantastically done.

2. Pendragon, Arthur Pendragon by aoigensou

Arthur Pendragon is a spy specializing in corporate espionage living all his James Bond fantasies. Merlin Emrys is a hot nerd that is messing up Arthur's current mission royally. Written for Kinkalot Challenge 4: Magic Made Them Do It.

~~~

i adore the bond references in this fic and arthur is literally a bond-obsessed child stuck in a grown man’s bond, which is so terribly cute and endearing.

3. License to Thrill by lady_ragnell (@theladyragnell)

Merlin's employees bet him the recipe for the most addictive cocoa in the world that he can't find out what the hot blond who comes into his chocolate shop does for a living within the month. He ends up getting far more than he bargained for.

~~~

this is my favourite fic on this list. it’s super cute and sweet and i love how each and every character is written and characterised in this fic.

[katieskeep]

WEEK #1 | #2 | #3 | #4| #5 | #6 | #7 | #8

71. Home is home, though it be homely by nyargles Summary: We follow Merlin's journey as he turns homeless for a while after a bad flatmate experience. After a while of camping out with various friends, he eventually ends up living with Morgana and her housemates. Featuring pimp!Arthur, stripper!Morgana, addict!Gwen and dealer!Lancelot. How does normal average Merlin even start trying to fit in here?

72. The Student Prince by FayJay Summary: A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...

73. Pole Dancing AU by bevinkathryn

Summary: Arthur's secretary is hell bent on getting him a life. He never expected that life to involve her pole dancing friend, Merlin.

74. I'll Be the World's Worst Possible Date by rotrude Summary: Arthur makes a living as "Mr. Fix It," a man who gets hired by people that have just recently been dumped by their girlfriend/boyfriend. Arthur dates the ex-girlfriend/boyfriend and becomes the worst date possible, sending the girl/boy back into his/her ex-girlfriend/boyfriend arms. But when Arthur gets hired by Lancelot to get Merlin back, Arthur, for the first time, starts falling for one of his marks.

75. The Future Soon by lady_ragnell Summary: Arthur sees a vision of himself and Merlin married and happy, but they can barely stand each other. They both start doing everything they can to avoid it happening.

76. Dead of Knight by jsea Summary: Merlin Emrys, supernatural expert and consultant for the local police, knows that going to the opening night of a vampire bar isn't a good idea, not with anti-vampire sentiments running rampant. So when he draws the eye of the bar's charismatic owner, and the new Master of the City, Arthur Pendragon, he's not exactly pleased. When a series of murders, seemingly the work of vampires, forces them to work together anyway, Merlin unwittingly finds himself falling in love. Suddenly, the lines between work and love are not as cut and dry as they seem.

77. Better to Have Loved and Lost by Anon Summary: And exactly three months, two weeks and five days from that moment, just when he had thought that he was finally ready to move on with his love life, Merlin had received a text message from Gwen telling him that Arthur had started dating someone...

78. Never Leave Angry by Anon Summary: "Anyway…I'll try to be better about that. But also I'm just...I'm sorry I've been taking it out on you and not…and not showing you how much you mean to me. Tonight when you said that thing about not knowing why I'm with you…god Merlin."

79. What Isn't Lost (My Memories Of You) by Chechilia Summary: After an accident, Merlin wakes up in a hospital. He feels fine, except he lost six years of his life. And then there's the matter of Arthur. Why would the bully he was terrified of in high school be at his side ? And why does his heart beat that much faster every time he sees him ?

80. Ashes, Embers, Flames by unpossible Summary: Merlin sees him across a crowded living room and promptly spills his beer down the back of the couch and over some hapless stranger’s neck.

[prue84]

Tumblann twitter: ArthurianaDaily, Maryluis

Fandom: BBC's Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU AU: The battle of Tumblann Series: Tumblann twitter Stand-alone pic: [Links under the cut]

After overdosing on "canon" works on him (most of the material giving him the creeps), Arthur has moved his attention to the BBC Merlin's fandom. That one is giving him much satisfaction.

———————————————————————————————

Happy birthday @maryluis​! Keep entertaining us with your arts. 'Till we can finally see each other again (my house is still hoping that it will be able to see you and @dragoneyes​, stupid 2020, fucking up all people lives), this is a small thing for you. Not sure if you deserve it, though. You're sooo behind with reading the docs! è_é

Split into three parts for easier reading. Reading order top to bottom.

More about the AU under the cut.

———————————————————————————————

About the AU It's the 21th century like we know it, but magic is widely spread and has long since become part of everyday life. The legend of the Once and Future King is real and the people of England are eagerly awaiting for his return. Officially Merlin (with the appearance of Dragoon the Great) is known to hide somewhere and it's said that he will reveal himself when his king will be back; for now Merlin lives his life as the young Professor Gaius de Bois, teaching Medieval History at the University of Avalon and being a renowned historian for his expertise in the Matter of Britain. When Arthur finally emerges from the Lake of Avalon, he can live his new modern life without changing name nor hiding his true identity, while Merlin returns and keeps his two identities: the official old warlock and the young Professor, claiming that the young Gaius is his nephew. Although the fact they are lovers is just a rumor, and they've never given any hint that the rumor is true, Arthur and Merlin are in a romantic relationship so they do share the royal bed. Intrigued by the fact people had told his story, Arthur - without a kingdom to rule and generally something to do with his time - embarks on the quest to read all books and see all movies and shows about him, to either laugh or wonder what exactly Merlin had done in all these centuries when people twisted the true story about Camelot into something that has little to do with the original. He eventually discovers social media and becomes pretty much addicted to it. He will go down the Hell path when he will eventually sign up to Tumblr, but that's another story for another graphic... For now he already dabbed in that endless pool that is AO3, while lurking around Tumblr.

About the graphic The Arthur of this specific AU would soon absorb the way of talk (and especially write) of the modern time, keeping his own (the not-Old English of the TV show) at the same time. By hopping between Twitter (his headquarters online), Instagram and then Tumblr (where else could he find metas and discourse about himself and his many incarnations while have the chance to troll the fandom at the same time?) he would soon adapt to the language of socials. Emoticons would become a fundamental part of his messages and the amount and use would degenerate with the growing of his time online. Picture Arthur Pendragon behaving like the more recent, self-quarantined Bradley James. (Not that I’d be able to imitate him - he’s way beyond us common mortals; I just aim at capture Bradley's general attitude toward his online followers). With too much time spent on his socials (and a peek at AO3 - Arthur never really learned that curiosity killed the cat) he eventually comes to appreciate the noble art of drawing fanarts. He welcomes artists tagging him if the BBC's versions of him, Merlin or Gwen are featured (Morgana not much; his sister is still a sore point) but nothing beats the old paper (or, in his case of medieval man, the NEW paper) so he encourages art sent his way to New Camelot. Additionally, he buys prints of his favourite on the artists' shops (because what's better way to encourage artists by allowing them to make some money from their hobby?). The fandom might be pleased; the postman who has to travel to the castle carrying the mail is not so much. To avoid playing favorites, he strives to comment as little as possible (unless he has something funny to add to a funny art) nor he retweets (he would need to make his presence online a job, to retweet everyone) but he set up a daily appointment in which every day he shares an art from a different artist to boost his fandom. He cares for his fandom, and it must be nurtured for it to be healthy and prolific. Plus, he doesn’t have his fave inner circle of knights to hang out with (and bash) and even the OAFK needs a pastime, else he will get bored - and a bored Arthur is a pain in the arse, ask Merlin! -> Now, that would be the perfect chance to take a look at Mary's Quarantinelot: a bored Arthur really is a pain

Notes about part 1 Arthuriana Daily is a daily appointment in which Arthur engages with his fandom (originally it was the BBC series fandom, but he reclaimed it; the series was inspired by Merlin's books that told his very life, so it is his personal fandom) by sharing a fanwork he liked (or both a fanart and a fanfic, depends on how much free time he got that day). One of the rules is that he picks an artist or a writer and then shares only one of their works. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes is not. That's why he started to resent the rule he set. Another rule is that he should try to not pick the same person more than once, but he as long since broken that specific rule (he just cannot remember all the people he reviewed in the past).

Notes about part 2 * Arthur likes to take pictures imitating the arts he liked, especially as his personal gift for the artist birthday. Merlin, the old grumpy fart, never indulges him though. Evil Merlin! * Professor Gaius is Merlin's disguise, a man in his thirties (because Merlin never really got old) who officially is known as Merlin's nephew. Arthur likes to bug Merlin about this and publicly toy with Merlin's biggest secret. In this AU the BBC series was inspired by a series of books written by Merlin himself (at the time under a pseudonym) in which he told his and Arthur's tale. Unknowingly, the Merlin authors (by changing the material a bit to make the story fit a series for the time slot and audience chosen for it) added few scenes that actually happened but Merlin didn't feel the need to write (they didn't add anything to the story). * After many calculations, including the span of time in which the tv series takes places and the established date of the Battle of Camlann, it turns out that Merlin should've come to Camelot between the 526 and the 527 AD.

Notes about part 3 This is the closer you will ever get to Arthur admitting he did shed a tear for his fellow king Mufasa and his unjust death. He might feel for Mufasa, seeing in the Disney story a bit of his own, with Morgana plotting to take the reign from him.

Goes without saying that Arthur refers to the 1994 animation movie. In this house, and in Camelot, we pretend the 2019 The Lion King never happened. Fight me! (ง'̀-'́)ง

———————————————————————————————

Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Originally, the gift planned was another manip but I never managed to find a base for it. Actually, I have one photo but never satisfied me, so the manip (that was to be Mary's 2019 gift) never saw the light. I had the idea of using this one only few weeks ago. The results certainly are below my expectations, but the quality of the pic was low in the first place, so I shouldn't complain much about my inability to do a decent job. A Tumblr link doesn't look like that when posted on Twitter. I changed it because... well, the "official" was ugly - to say the least. Twitter graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting. No template site. Since I created my own template, it doesn't reflect recent changes over Twitter (I have no intention of modify my template).

Crossposted Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/74034.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/66230.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/ArthurianaDaily-Maryluis-843385317

Stand-alone pic: Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/74034.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/66230.html

[oswinsdolma]

I posted 1,093 times in 2021

78 posts created (7%)

1015 posts reblogged (93%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 13.0 posts.

I added 343 tags in 2021

#green team 😎💚💚 - 95 posts

#bbc merlin - 80 posts

#merlin - 54 posts

#to read 👀👀 - 32 posts

#merthur - 17 posts

#albionparty21 - 16 posts

#fanfic - 15 posts

#fanfiction - 14 posts

#arthur pendragon - 12 posts

#green team 😎😎💚 - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#also arthur being born from his mother's death like a phoenix rising from the ashes; rising from destructive magic into bringing magic back

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

@albionparty week 4: green || i won't forget one day of this. not one line, I swear. i'll always remember when the doctor was me.

110 notes • Posted 2021-08-24 09:42:49 GMT

#4

@albionparty week 4: royalty || rulers of camelot

128 notes • Posted 2021-08-25 11:34:51 GMT

#3

Do you ever read a fic, and sure, it's not the best thing ever written, but you can literally feel how much someone loved writing it? Like, you'll read a passage that might have strange pacing or incorrect grammar, but you can see how much they wanted to get that down on the page and I think that's beautiful :)

178 notes • Posted 2021-06-24 14:31:21 GMT

#2

A detailed but by no means exhaustive list of things that Returned! Arthur Pendragon would do within his first month in the present day:

Challenge a Karen to a duel for being rude to a retail worker

Hold a toaster at the end of a sword convinced that it is possessed by an evil spirit

Get Merlin to open his Wikipedia page and painstakingly edit it, only to be outraged when it is changed back a few days later.

He would absolutely despise public transport for no good reason.

Scream at the shower

Take a breadknife to the shop because goddammit Merlin how am I meant to go out without a sword!? I'm the king!

Be terrible at Mariokart

Be disturbingly good at Wii Tennis

Absolutely despise rap music but love synth music

Go shopping for clothes with Merlin, and buys them all from the women's section. Merlin makes the guy who laughs at him trip and fall in the middle of the shop

Be addicted to true crime and try and convince Merlin that they need to apprehend each and every murderer mentioned immediately

Arthur: there was a man in Whitechapel murdering women!! Merlin-

Merlin: that was over a century ago, Arthur.

Arthur: so what happened to him.

Merlin, giving the computer Arthur is showing him a murderous look while gripping a spoon: he died.

Arthur:

Smash an alarm clock against the wall in panic at 6.30 in the morning

Try and learn modern English through Duolingo

183 notes • Posted 2021-06-24 14:44:16 GMT

#1

My hand slipped-

2329 notes • Posted 2021-10-06 06:50:12 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[camelotremix]

Camelot Remix 2020 - Week 3

FIC: Perfect 10 (The Affectionately, Adoringly Remix) for violeteyedhair / KimliPan (Gwaine/Leon – PG – 9.5k) Summary: Merlin works in Gwen and Lance's coffee shop. And what every coffee shop needs is a postcard exchange, obviously. In which Merlin tries a spot of matchmaking for lonesome Leon. Gwaine is not his first choice. And Arthur is absolutely not supposed to join in, whatever Gwen thinks. Of course, nothing goes to plan... FIC: Theatricality (Variation on a Duet Arranged for Two Lovestruck Imbeciles and Pianoforte) for awyvern / wyvern (Arthur/Merlin – M – 21k+) Summary: When Lord Arthur Pendragon, son of His Grace Uther Pendragon, 11th Duke of Norfolk, went to the Theatre Royal that fateful evening he hadn’t been expecting to become so enchanted with the lead actor, Mr. Merlin Ambrose. But Arthur is used to getting what he wants, and if he wants an actor then he will do what it takes to get him regardless of the societal norms that forces him to keep his desires hidden. Even if it means lying about his identity and obtaining work behind the scenes. Little does he know, Mr. Ambrose has a secret of his own. OR: The gay Regency romance fic nobody asked for. FIC: A Week in Your Shoes for ajsrandom (Merlin/Morgana – PG – 14.5k) Summary: When it all became too much, Morgana and Merlin just wanted a week off. No annoying nobles, no troublesome students. But they couldn’t afford a week off. However, they could come up with a clever way to trade responsibilities (and bodies). FIC: The Harvester Remix for excaliburstark (Merlin/Arthur – PG – 1.8k) Summary: Merlin can't wait for his husband Arthur to return from a weeklong family visit. ART: Remix of You've Made An Addict of Me for impala_chick (Merlin/Arthur – M – Art) Summary: Arthur can't stop thinking about Emrys, the King of the Druids, and the way Emrys had made him feel last time he visited the man in his cave. Emrys was no angel, he was magic, able to manipulate and manhandle Arthur, using magic to gods know what nefarious purposes, yet Arthur could not get him out of his mind. Arthur almost wished for clashes between his patrols and druids, so that he may request another meeting and fit his arms around that lithe waist and lose himself in taste, scent and otherworldly sensation again. FIC: Strength of the Land (The New Growth Remix) for linorien (Gen – G – 2.8k) Summary: Gwaine takes his promise as Steward of the land very seriously, as seriously as he guards his friendship with Merlin and his oath to Camelot. He fights for Merlin and the land until the very end. And at the end, the land is there for him.

FIC: Kilgharrah, If You Please for polomonkey (Merlin/Arthur – M – 12.4k) Summary: In which I, Kilgharrah the Great, give a fair account, noble and true, of the events that occurred in the story "Get Sick Soon", recorded by Polomonkey but experienced first-hand by me. Don't let any reports of the unreliability of eyewitness testimony sway you. This is what really happened. I was there. And I never misrepresent anything. Just ask Merlin. He'll back me up on this one. Or I'll scratch up his favourite woodcut. The one with the runes designed to ensure potency in bed.

(I know, I know, Camelot Remix is supposed to be an anonymous fest. But unless I claim my work, how will you all know that the narrator of this tale can be trusted? You have to understand that I was actually there. Surely the rules don't apply to someone as esteemed as I?)

[pbandcas]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Merlin (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin) Characters: Merlin (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana (Merlin), Gwen (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table (Merlin)

Additional Tags: Psychogenic Amnesia, Arthur Pendragon Returns (Merlin), Good Morgana (Merlin), Nurse Gwen, CEN Merlin, Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Bartender Merlin (Merlin), Immortal Merlin (Merlin), Only Arthur remembers, Will edit tags as the story progresses, Depressed Merlin (Merlin), Everyone thinks Arthur is crazy, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Fluff, Sexual Assult, not between Merlin/Arthur though, minor drug addiction, minor alcoholism Summary:

So that was it then. Last page, shut the book and shove it away on a shelf to collect dust for the rest of time. The End? The great story of the mighty Emrys and the great Once and Future King ends in a dull 21st century hospital with neither dead yet still not together? He thought their friendship was more than that. Went deeper than that. No. He wouldn’t accept that, couldn’t accept that.

Arthur woke to a world he didn't know, with memories he shouldn't have. To those he loved not knowing him. Why should he remember the past but no one else does?

[ao3feed-jily]

How to kill a King

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3pCPgYd

by Medea_Pearl

They betrayed and abandoned her. Now she must find her way into a new reality. Tied by an Oath with the Ministry of Magic, she must act when the Dark Lord returns. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix don't have time to prepare for the coming war, and one very curious lord wants to uncover her most kept secret. Vivian Lake knows it's not a good idea.

Words: 1911, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M

Characters: Sirius Black, Vivian Lake, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Andromeda Black Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Rufus Scrimgeour, Cornelius Fudge, Amelia Bones, Susan Bones, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter, Hestia Jones, Dementors (Harry Potter), Death Eater Characters, Narcissa Black Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy, Merlin (Harry Potter), Morgana | Morgan le Fay (Harry Potter), Uther Pendragon, Igraine Pendragon, Arthur Pendragon, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Charlie Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Percy Weasley

Relationships: Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks

Additional Tags: Sirius Black Lives, and has a new girl, Dueling, Fist Fights, Drama & Romance, cursing, Fucked Up, vivian - Freeform, Mental Health Issues, References to Addiction, Cigarettes, Smoking, Black Markets, The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, black magic, isn't that bad, Blood Magic, Blood Wards, Runes, Study of Ancient Runes (Harry Potter), Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), DMLE | Department of Magical Law Enforcement (Harry Potter), MACUSA, Wizengamot (Harry Potter), Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Torture, Blood and Gore, War, Swordfighting, Magical Tattoos, Magical Artifacts, Living Together

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3pCPgYd

[impudentmiscengenation]

The Day Magic Died - A Merlin Oneshot

DISCLAIMER:

I, Impudent Miscegenation, of Tumblr (dot net), do not own or have any affiliation with the creators of Merlin. All rights respectfully go to: Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy, Julian Jones, and BBC1 Entertainment. I don’t gain material profit from my works featured here, I write for my own amusement.

Full Summary: Merlin realized, too late, that the ephemeral nature of man leads to a blatant disregard of heritage. Further away from magic does humanity slip, and the world is made all the worse for it. (Modern Era)(Canon Compliant)

Author’s Notes: I’ve been thinking about the phrase “when Albion needs him most”, being when Arthur will return. This is the result of that line of thinking; I may continue but let’s just call it a one-shot for now. No beta, we die like men, even if I did try to edit it well myself. If anyone has ideas on how they would want to continue it, and adopt this plot bunny, feel more than free, just credit me and give me a link so I can read it! Also, if it’s in italics, it’s the character’s thoughts!

WARNINGS: Major Character Death, Mentions of Major Character Death, Illness, Petrification (turning to stone)

Story under the cut.

The Day Magic Died

If someone were to ask the warlock Merlin when magic went into decline, he’d probably say that it started with Uther Pendragon and his Great Purge of Magic. He would also likely mention that King Arthur was to have mitigated some of the atrocities committed against magic by his late father had his life not been cut short at Camlann.

The truth of the matter was that the fall of magic happened slowly over the course of a thousand years or so. The Purge was certainly a catalyst but the complete destruction of magic could not be done in just one human lifetime, or even two.

The dragons were the first to die out. They were followed swiftly by the griffins, wyverns, and hippogriffs. Then gone were fairies, dwarves, elves, gnomes and trolls. When creatures of magic became myth alone, the world’s shift from magical to mundane became much more dramatic in a short span of time (at least, short for the immortal Emrys).

Healers were known as doctors, pyromancers became pyrotechnicians, evocationists turned to theology, and history was rewritten by hands that didn’t trust in the magic of the natural world. The druids lost their way, disbanded, and joined the rest of magic as legend. Remnants of their clans scattered and the modern world dubbed the descendants of their gentle souls “hippies”. As the Old Religion grew older and was forgotten, Merlin realized that he may be the only true magic practitioner left in the world.

Humanity, callous and ever-marching forward, favored the development of their technologies, their industry, over the preservation of the natural world. Ambitious fires consumed lands of wonder for the sake of progress. The future was steel and concrete, after all, so who had the need for an enchanted forest, anyway?

Merlin realized, too late, that the ephemeral nature of man leads to a blatant disregard of heritage. Not that evolution as a whole was a bad thing, but did it have to come with such sacrifice? Try as he may to convince the strangers of tomorrow that magic exists, and has existed for all time, his labor yields no result. (“Your sleight of hand is amazing; do you give lessons? I’d love to be a stage magician!”)

Further from magic does humanity slip, and the world is made all the worse for it.

War and famine tear through continents, hate and lack of common ground inciting violence as the answer. Death and destruction rule over peace and prosperity but Merlin knows that he, alone, cannot bring magic back to this world.

He is magic given form, of course, and is well aware that magic is dying.

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Merlin stares at his haggard reflection through a dirty, cracked mirror.

He feels weak, his body like lead and spirit slowly breaking. Despite this, his magic chooses to youthen his appearance. Such a thing has happened previously, in his many centuries, and gives him little pause anymore. The difference is that, this time, it drains him. Utilizing any kind of magic tended to do as such these days, so Merlin made a point to avoid using his gift as often as was feasible.

Before him is a man of thirty or forty-some years. Untamed black waves, flecked with silver towards his ears and wet from a recent shower, are slicked back and reaching the base of his neck. He'd recently shaved his face; the first time he’d done so in perhaps seventy years, mind, and he bore the cuts to substantiate that fact.

Despite being more clean and groomed than he had been for a while, Merlin still looked like death. His complexion was so white it had a nearly translucent quality, blue veins pronouncing themselves starkly where they were close to the surface of his skin. The dark, almost bruise-like color surrounding his eyes wouldn’t go away regardless of the fact that he’d been spending most of the past few weeks doing nothing but sleeping. The deep blue that had once reflected light and happiness had turned a stormy gray that sluggishly pleaded for an ear to listen, a mind to open, a heart passed childhood to believe in magic.

The warlock grimaced at the corpse-like figure reflected back at him. I have studied, I have counselled and been counselled in turn, I have searched realms beyond ours for answers… For all that I have done, what have I wrought?

Over a thousand years of waiting, trying to spare creatures of magic, even those he’d fought against in his youth, if only to prevent the inevitable downfall of his kin. Centuries of searching for hints or whispers, making friends with those who still believed, when there was the occasional kindred spirit. (Merlin had later discovered that many of these ‘kindred spirits’ were also very much addicted to taking LSD, but he liked to think of their discussions more than that fact.)

Merlin had not been idle while awaiting the return of his king, that was for sure. He had been appointed various titles, given different jobs, and even has made himself entirely unknown in the many years of his unending life. Recalling a few brought a smile to his face. He had been a counsellor, a poet, a bard, and a spymaster. He had also been an artist, an author, a bartender, and a professor. All that time, and yet nothing he did seemed to help, or matter really, in the end. Magic was still dying.

He was so tired of being tired all the time. Not for the first time, Merlin cursed his druid name and with it cursed his immortality. What he wouldn’t give for the slumber promised by death’s kiss.

Merlin decided that he needed a walk, a long walk to some heavily forested area. He always seemed to feel better among the towering oaks that could relate, at least somewhat, to the inequities of long life. Perhaps he could shake off his melancholia with some good, old-fashioned isolation. Leaving the dingy motel room he’d decided to call home whilst staying in Inverness, Merlin looked to the dreary, gray clouds looming overhead. There were still no whispers of magic.

Avalon’s lake is still yet again, Merlin thought, crestfallen, as he did so every day, Albion must not need you yet, Arthur… I wish you’d come back; I need you, I don’t want to do this alone anymore.

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Merlin stopped in the Ness Islands, having stepped away from the trail and into the heavily wooded areas around it. A small stream of water cut through the earth at his left, winding carelessly through the trees and stretching beyond view. Merlin cupped fresh water in his hands and used it to clear the sweat and grime from his face, before taking a moment to ponder his reflection again.

He appeared even younger than when he'd left, an adolescent just approaching manhood stared at him from the clear water. He looked younger than his magic had ever made him appear before and Merlin wondered why that was so. He looked as he did when he arrived in Camelot for the first time.

The bone-deep exhaustion had only gotten worse as he walked, and Merlin suspected that this was due in part to his inadvertent age regression. Moving to lean against a large tree, the warlock drew his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Resting his chin atop his bony knees, Merlin sighed his weariness and his eyes, if not the rest of his face, betrayed his long years.

Merlin knew that he would wait however long he needed to for Arthur's return, would gladly do so, but his heart ached and his mind was now more than ever prone to wandering. Was destiny a lie? Was he doomed to wait an eternity for a day that will never come? He was always poised for the day that King Arthur would return to him, yet every day he would feel nothing from Avalon. The water remained irenic, despite his clever and colorful foul-mouthing of the few remaining Sidhe.

So he continued to wait, to move forward but never move on, and try to make the world a more magical place in the process. He'd failed, of course. Just as he'd failed Arthur, failed Camelot. He had failed everyone in his life, including himself. His most recent years were the most melancholic he had ever truly allowed himself to be, simply because… he was so tired.

He moved, his forehead on his knees, and was the perfect picture of grief.

Under a canopy of shimmering stars, Merlin wept for his years of loneliness, his truest friends long dead. He wept for the withering magic of this world, and for Arthur. He always wept for Arthur, the man who'd once told him never to cry over such loss. But, then, when had Merlin ever listened to Arthur anyway?

It was a while before the tears stopped but, even when they did, Merlin found that he didn't possess the strength to move from his position. He was only able to lift his head, watching the bright colors of the sunrise dance across the sky.

The world was still beautiful, the world still held wonder, and for those reasons alone, Merlin knew that there was some magic there, there just had to be. The warlock smiled to himself, half-delirious with the sudden wave of comfort that overtook him as the birds began to coo in the trees.

He leaned to the side, a leg tucked underneath him and propping his head up with his hand, elbow on his other, raised knee. In the palm that didn't support his head, he produced a small blue butterfly, its wings shimmering with gold as they flapped. Merlin hummed in contentment. Despite the fact that this measly butterfly had likely tapped his magical resources out for the next several hours, Merlin decided in the moment that it was worth it.

His fingers gently closed in on the magic butterfly and it fluttered in his loose fist. If the butterfly didn't dissipate by the time he woke up from a brief nap (thus returning the magic to his body), he would release it in hopes of the butterfly unleashing some magic into the world that so desperately needed it. Sapped of energy, Merlin closed his eyes and allowed himself to succumb to sleep.

The warlock never woke.

Starting with his lost, grieving heart, the immortal Emrys turned to stone.

Merlin’s true age caught up with the stone epitaph he left behind; hundreds of years worth of damage from the elements and plant growth spawned upon the almost unrecognizable statue.

The butterfly fluttered in its stone prison for a few moments more before settling, presumably to wait.

Hundreds of miles away, a lake whose surface had been placid for centuries began to ripple.

[ao3-rickylmerthurj2]

Act the way you feel [reworked] by <a rel="author" href="/users/bluevalentine69/pseuds/bluevalentine69">bluevalentine69</a>

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2UczZm5

by bluevalentine69

Merlin's a young, hot, wildly uninhibited artist. Arthur's a middle-aged, handsome, millionaire businessman. He bumps into Merlin on a train and decides to go with the flow and see what happens. Orgasmic, paint-splattered, very confusing shenanigans ensue. It's exhausting ... and completely addictive.

_________

This was an amazing WIP I found by an Anonymous author on KinkMe years ago (https://ift.tt/2FQ7Tmt). BUT - it wasn't finished! And that drove me CRAAAZY because I HATE my boys being left with unfinished business (no puns intended). So ... I took it upon myself to finish the story, hopefully preserving the original author's incredible characterisation and magic ... I hope she/he finds it one day and likes my reworking! <3

Words: 11085, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Merlin (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Merlin (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Will (Merlin), Hunith (Merlin), Gwen (Merlin), Morgana (Merlin), Mordred (Merlin), Lancelot (Merlin), Leon (Merlin)

Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Additional Tags: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Artists, Painter!Merlin, artist!Merlin, businessman!arthur, Bottom Merlin (Merlin), Top Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin is 22, Arthur is 40, Semi-Public Sex, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Hook-Up, Booty Calls, Light Angst, Fluff, Smut, Angsty Schmoop, Hurt/Comfort, Porn

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/2UczZm5

[prue84]

Tumblann twitter: Arthur's profile

Fandom: BBC's Merlin (post-canon, modern magic) AU AU: The battle of Tumblann Series: Tumblann twitter

Arthur's Twitter (no specific year, october)

Arthur doesn't live with the smartphone in his hand but perhaps he does, judging by the counter of his tweets. One would expect that the Once and Future King would have a very institutional Twitter, but Arthur Pendragon has never been a conventional king, so you get comments about fanfictions he read and complaints about his life of young man saddled with the duty to care to King of Snarkiness Merlin.

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Eventually, Magic allows the return of Aithusa, some kind of second chance for both her and Merlin (who failed her). Her egg pops up out of nowhere and Arthur and Merlin will raise her. Aithusa will decide on her own that Arthur is her "papa dragon". Arthur certainly doesn't spoil her because Pendragons don't do spoiling, everyone knows that.

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Yes, I did write a fanfic for Arthur and Merlin as dragon dads. Be my guest.

More about the AU under the cut.

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About the AU It's the 21th century like we know it, but magic is widely spread and has long since become part of everyday life. The legend of the Once and Future King is real and the people of England are eagerly awaiting for his return. Officially Merlin (with the appearance of Dragoon the Great) is known to hide somewhere and it's said that he will reveal himself when his king will be back; for now Merlin lives his life as the young Professor Gaius de Bois, teaching Medieval History at the University of Avalon and being a renowned historian for his expertise in the Matter of Britain. When Arthur finally emerges from the Lake of Avalon, he can live his new modern life without changing name nor hiding his true identity, while Merlin returns and keeps his two identities: the official old warlock and the young Professor, claiming that the young Gaius is his nephew. Although the fact they are lovers is just a rumor, and they've never given any hint that the rumor is true, Arthur and Merlin are in a romantic relationship so they do share the royal bed. Intrigued by the fact people had told his story, Arthur - without a kingdom to rule and generally something to do with his time - embarks on the quest to read all books and see all movies and shows about him, to either laugh or wonder what exactly Merlin had done in all these centuries when people twisted the true story about Camelot into something that has little to do with the original. He eventually discovers social media and becomes pretty much addicted to it. He will go down the Hell path when he will eventually sign up to Tumblr, but that's another story for another graphic...

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I haven't really decided in which year (or even decade) Arthur would return (either in this AU and generally in every return!AU of mine. I only have this vague idea it would be near the debut of BBC's Merlin, most likely after the Season 1 aired. To pick the joining date I just made an homage to Bradley James’ Twitter, from which I've also taken the numbers of "following" and the idea of the linktr.ee (because Arthur clearly has more than a mere Twitter account).

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Tec stuffs (aka Behind The Manip) Twitter graphic made all by-hand, with much moving/copy/pasting. I worked from a screencap of Twitter made in 2017, so this doesn't reflect later changes over Twitter. I liked better the square icons over the rounded (they are also easier to make) so I decided to keep the old graphic.

Crossposted Livejournal: prue84.livejournal.com/74889.html Dreamwidth: prue84.dreamwidth.org/67143.html Deviantart: deviantart.com/prue84/art/Arthur-Pendragon-Twitter-profile-858691163

[ao3feed-merlin]

You've Made an Addict of Me

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/30zK0bb

by Impala_Chick

Arthur asks to be taken to the King of the Druids, hoping to broker a treaty and protect Camelot. But a spell and Emrys' allure prove to be too great of a temptation.

Words: 2432, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Merlin (TV)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin)

Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Dark, Dark Merlin (Merlin), Sex Magic, Aphrodisiacs, Addiction, Altered Mental States, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Top Merlin (Merlin), Dirty Talk, King Merlin (Merlin), King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/30zK0bb

[artistiquereader]

Merlin Writer Month: Faves Week

So, I’ve been really looking forward to this week and I have a ton of recommendations. Hope I provide you with something new and that you enjoy it! This are in no particular order, they are just works that I love in equal measure for different reasons and that I feel everyone should read because they are amazing. Also, this is going to be long, so sorry (but not really) about that, so you’ll find everything after the cut.

Also, if the fic has a “*” beside it, it means it is a restricted work on AO3, so you’ll need to be logged in to read it.

The thing is, I need to start this list by putting my absolute favorite at the very beggining. After it, as I wrote above, they’re all equally beloved to me, but this first one is just it for me for various reasons.

The Sidewalks of New York by emmbrancsxx0 Lenght: 161,191 Summary:  New York City, 1925. Jazz, flappers, parties, and violence. In the midst of Prohibition, crime boss Arthur Pendragon and his gang, the Knights of the Round Table, arrive from London to open a speakeasy in Chelsea. Fearing they’ll lose their hold on Manhattan’s West Side, the Black Kings send Merlin Emrys to spy on the Knights. The two gangs quickly become rivals, and there is no place for love in war.

Comment: This fic is just absolutely brilliant in every sense. It picked my interest because of the time it is set in (which is my favorite time in history). I’ve always had a fascination with New York 1910-1930 and the whole Prohibition and gangs aspect of it. This is just so well balanced in every aspect that it offers: the romance, the betrayals, the rivalries between gangs, the characters and their personalitites and motivations are just fantastic. Arthur as a crime boss is just delightful as is Merlin as the charismatic bartender of the speakeasy (even tho he is so much more than that). It’s tense, it’s violent, it’s romantic and it has a happy ending, what more could I ask for? This author writes so freaking amazing and I love everything she’s written so if you like this one, you should totally check out all her other stuff because it’s just as amazing. Also, Arthur is known as the “Golden Knight” and for some reason that just made me love it even more. Arthur and Merlin are brilliant and she just gets the point across so well of how much they love and get each other and that’s one of the reaons why I love it so much, it’s just... they belong together and I love the journey (the hearthache and the love and everything in between) until they get to the point of actual happiness and understanding. 

1. True North by Kroki_Refur * Lenght: 6,752 Summary: Arthur is given a compass that is unable to tell north from south, but always points him to where Merlin is.

Comment: Oh, this fic. It follows Arthur and Melrin throughout the centuries, with Arthur always finding his way to Merlin. Soulmate-y of sorts and just lovely in the way this gets the point across that they belong together and that they’ll always find each other.  

2. The Reincarnation Situation by orphan_account Lenght: 16,591 Summary: My series finale gift to the Merlin fandom. Reincarnation. Merlin and Arthur only remember their past lives for one night a year - New Year's Eve. This is a quick tour (and it's not cracky like the title suggests, I swear). Merlin still thinks that perhaps the dragon was right and one day Arthur will return as a king destined to save the people of Albion, but that day has not yet come. Arthur has not missed a single moment of life since Merlin laid him to rest in the waters of Avalon but the lives he has lived have not been for his people or for the greater good, they have been just for Merlin.

Comment: SO, SO, SO much love for this one. Again, anothe bitter-sweet read but so worth it, it tugs at your heart but comforts you in the knowledge that they’ll always have each other. Fantastic narrative and I love each of the reincarnations shown. It also has a lovely podfic. Soulmates is something I’ve always been a sucker for and this fic is amazing in how it portrays them througout time and the intensity of remembering for one night, who they really are.

3. Tulips Are Better; Dragons Are Best by sweetiejelly Lenght: 58,627 Summary: Arthur loses a bet with Morgana and ends up on The Bachelor. As he identifies as bisexual, the pool of candidates is quite diverse and includes one Merlin Emrys, his ex. Arthur thinks it's fate. Merlin thinks it's bollocks. Thus begins (again) their courtship.

Comment: So delightful and fun and angsty. Arthur’s complete dismissal of anyone that isn’t Merlin is just so fun to read, how he wants to just send everyone home as soon as he realizes Merlin is there is just hilarious and shows how gone he is. A Modern AU with magic with boths sides wanting each other but with issues that need talking over and mending before they get together and Merlin’s magic being as in love with Arthur as he is, is just one of the things that make me love this as much as I do. Stupid and stubborn boys make my heart melt with their longing. The art is so lovely and adds so much to it. Read it, it’s fantastic. 

4. You bring music to my silent world by Balthamos  Lenght: 49,818 Summary:  Arthur and Merlin are thrown together as children when Merlin’s mother moves into the Pendragon Manor as the new housekeeper, bringing her deaf son Merlin with her. Arthur is a loud and obnoxious child, whereas Merlin is quiet but not as shy as everyone thinks. The two children become fast friends, but as they grow up together things begin to change, due to the pressure of wanting to be normal, and the growing lack of communication between the pair. Growing up is never easy and the graceful friendship they had as children gets lost as they reach their teenage years, but through their difficulties they develop a deeper, stronger relationship, one far more permanent.

Comment: I love, love, love, love this one. Like anything by this author is amazing, so you should totally check them out if you haven’t, but this one, gosh, it’s so lovely it hurts. 

5. Where the Hurt Is by undersomestairs Lenght: 12,349 Summary: For this Kink Me! Merlin prompt: They were childhood/teenage sweethearts but Arthur's family moved away (because Uther detested Merlin but Arthur doesn't know this) and they promise to write. After Uther's death Arthur finds all the letters from Merlin he never received. All the time he thought Merlin had forgotten him. Arthur seeks him out.   

Comment: Oh my god, this one made me cry. It takes your heart and stomps on it and then mends is back but not before it kind of destroys you. How you see Merlin losing hope, Arthur’s feelings after he realized Merlin didn’t forget him but that it was Uther and then his sorrow over what he thinks lost. Read it, it’s just beautiful. 

6. License to Thrill by lady_ragnell  Lenght: 14,174 Summary:  Merlin's employees bet him the recipe for the most addictive cocoa in the world that he can't find out what the hot blond who comes into his chocolate shop does for a living within the month. He ends up getting far more than he bargained for.

Comment: Arthur as James Bond (kind of) and Merlin as the chocolatier who steals his heart via his sweet tooth and shameless flirting from Arthur’s part because Merlin is lovely. So incredibly good and it has a podfic by wildwildwoods which is also incredibly lovely. Read/listen to it, you’lll feel better after.

7. Remember, Remember by winterstorrm Lenght: 16,480 Summary: Prince Arthur gives up the person he loves to do his duty, but Merlin's impossible to forget.

Comment: So, anything by this author is amazing (please, check out all of their other stories because they’re fantastic), but this one just breaks my heart. Arthur’s longing and regret is so palpable through every word. His love for Merlin is just so big and I always love to read something where I get to see how much Arthur feels for Merlin, how much Merlin means to him, how much he loves and needs Merlin. 

8. Mr. & Mr. Smith Series by Detochkina * Lenght: 101,837 Summary: Merlin Emrys is used to living life on the go. As an agent for the Agency of Magic, Merlin’s days are consumed by travel, exotic locations, and battling a faceless rival -- an officer from the competing Bureau of Corrections, who is always hot on his heels and ready to one-up him. When Merlin is sent on a mission to Las Vegas to secure a powerful artifact, he allows himself one night off. Just one, because he bloody deserves it. Drinks and foreplay lead to a bet with a hot financial advisor he just met. Merlin ends up as a newlywed. Oops.

Comment: This series has a special place in my heart because apart from being so bloody good it made my head spin and has me (still because it’s a WIP) on the edge of my seat, I was actually in Vegas and stayed in the hotel in which Arthur and Merlin are in the first two installments. Being able to read while on the locations described in it, made me feel an even bigger connection with the world. This is an absolutely addicting read that before you know it you’ll have read the 5 available works and will be eagerly awaiting the next.

9. So Are They All, All Honourable Men by seperis Lenght: 18,199 Summary: Considering Arthur's future wife will be chosen less for compatibility than for her political value, Merlin may be the only marriage he'll have that won't end in bloodshed or a great deal of fortifying wine.

Comment: Lovely, so very, very, lovely. SO many great lines and the old married couple dynamic and them being so in love is just brilliant. Canon Era, Magic Reveal and lots of love and pinining and getting together. Please do yourself a favor and read it if you haven’t, and if you have, do it again because it’s just amazing. There are moments here in which their love and worry is so palpable it hurts, I love it so much.

10. Oscilliate Wildly by suntipped Lenght: 11,246 Summary: Fucking Arthur, he thinks, pushing his head against the seat. It’s not so much that he’s breaking promises left and right by bringing up that thing between them in public again; it's just his ever-irritating sense of entitlement. It’s Arthur being a prick and thinking he can go around doing anything he wants sometimes, because obviously, obviously the entire world exists only to amuse him.

Comment: This is just one of my all time favorite fics ever. Oblivious, pining boys in love are my favorites. Also, pet-names. A lovely Modern AU with stupid boys who won’t talk to each other. I read this at least 3 times a year, yes, I love it that much.

11. These Feathered Breaths (a Handfasting remix) by Emjayelle Lenght: 3,580 Summary: There was at least a dozen reasons why Arthur, Prince of Wales, couldn't marry Merlin, bird-whisperer, but it didn't stop him from thinking it was the best idea in the world.

Comment: This is one of the most romantic, heart-wrenching and loved filled reads I’ve ever encountered. It’s so insanely beautiful and it tugs on my heartstrings because of the absolute love, devotion and longing that fills each word. The knights as little robins is one of the most adorable concepts ever and if there’s something I love is seeing Arthur not being able to cope with how much he loves Merlin and this conveys it in such a way that it puts fairytales to shame.

12. We Pull These Jobs To Make A Little Money (No One Gets Hurt If They Don’t Act Funny) by leashy_babes Lenght: 48,918 Summary: Arthur and his friends have been making their money this way for years. It's all they know and they're good enough to get away with it. Merlin grudgingly works in a bank, wishing his days away. Their worlds collide and everything changes.AKA: Bank robbers of the round table.

Comment: Arthur is so smitten with Merlin he almost forgets what he actually was there to do. If you haven’t noticied, besotted!Arthur is one of my most favorite things ever and this nails it. I love the concept and the development is fantastic, please read it if you haven’t it’s such an entertaining and lovely read and I love it a lot.