#uther headcanon.

[mandoriana]

What if...Ygraine Returns as a Ghost to Care for Her Son

Servant: Sir, I came to inform you that the knights you sent to battle are all dead.

Uther (sitting on the throne, distracted): Well, send their belongings to their families and tell them they were heroes. And bring more cookies, I'm hungry.

Arthur (six years old, watching the scene with distracted eyes next to a very angry ten-year-old Morgana): Good people die young, so when I grow up, I want to be bad like mom. 😌

Morgana: What are you talking about, Arthur! Your mother was a kind and good woman! Where did you get the idea that she was bad!?

Arthur: Yesterday I heard mom say that her dream was for a manure cart to run over dad so he would die once and for all. 🙂

Morgana (eyes wide in complete shock): Your mother would never say such a thing, Arthur… 🫢

Ygraine (next to Uther, trying to strangle him but unable to because she is a ghost): Don't listen to her, baby, mom hates dad and doesn't support anything he's doing! I still can't believe I married this man, listen to what mom says, Arthur, don't follow in his footsteps!

Arthur (turns to Morgana): Mom just said she hates dad, she's also trying to strangle him, but her hands keep going through his body, I think she's a ghost. 🫠 *slowly losing sanity*

Morgana (realizing that the young prince might be crazy): Arthur, maybe she's just joking…

Ygraine (trying to make Uther trip by stepping on his own cape): I'M NOT JOKING! If I could, I would kill him myself! I just can't because I can't touch him!

Arthur: I don't know if the gods would like so much violence…

Ygraine: The gods don't like your father!

Arthur: Okay… 🙂 *takes a cookie from the tray the servant brought*

[justaz]

au where merlin pulled sigan’s spirit from cedric’s body and tries to shove him back in the jewel but fails and now sigan’s soul is stuck in merlin’s body and he’s just a voice in merlin’s head urging him to kill everyone. everytime uther enters the room sigan goes “oh gods this bitch again” or “someone hasn’t killed him yet?” when theres an assassin going after arthur, sigan is just like “why are we fighting so hard to save this asshat? he dumped a bucket of water on us earlier” or when arthur says something borderline sweet and merlin is lowkey swooning, sigan is just gagging in his head. when merlin gets annoyed and is insulting arthur but cant think of something particularly scathing, sigan chimes in and the words just roll off his tongue. sigan teaches merlin more powerful magic/spells that aren’t in any of the books.

they’re the epitome of

gaius: what do you want to eat

sigan: the souls of the pendragons

merlin: soup?

sigan: NO

merlin: and bread

[that-nerd-who-writes-fanfiction]

I’ve heard a lot of people say Merlin should’ve told Morgana about his magic, and I agree, love the idea and the fics are always great.

But I’ve not seen a lot of Morgana telling Arthur first. Maybe during the witchfinder episode.

Like, he sees her as his sister even before that’s confirmed (fuck uther). I can imagine Arthur changing his mind about magic because Morgana is too good for it to make her evil. Imagine him being a super protective brother and Morgana just done with it all, slightly regretting telling him but also super happy to have his support in that typical siblings way like “I’m going to curse you.”

And Arthur’s completely unbothered by the threat, looking through the several magic books he found for her: “You don’t even need magic to do that, your presence is enough. Now focus, I broke into the library for this so you gotta learn how to light the candle.”

But also them being supportive of each other would be amazing. We always need more pendragon siblings content.

I can imagine Arthur noticing magic going on around him and him thanking Morgana for it, then Morgana confusedly asking “did I do that?! I don’t know how!”

Meanwhile Merlin’s loosing his shit in the corner because Arthur is seeing magic and not reacting and he has no idea what that means. Morgana figures it out first when she finds Merlin on the edge of a breakdown and they start helping each other out.

I don’t know, I’ve never seen it before but if anyone’s found anything like this please please share it, I’m begging.

[hoarder-of-dragons]

[Merthur during a near-death experience]

Arthur: I think... you're my best friend.

Merlin: You think?

Arthur: Well, I can't know for sure because I'm realizing now that I've never had one.

Merlin:

Merlin: This would be a really sweet moment if what you just admitted wasn't so sad.

[stevenslittleshop]

Listen, I love going “the people of Camelot must’ve been so oblivious” just as much as the next person

But think about it

You’re living in a time of constant crisis. People are getting accused of magic, most of those people barely even know what magic looks like. People are killed, every day, just because they were accused of something they couldn’t disprove.

And in comes this young lad. This awfully cheery little man who takes his punishments with a smile and is slowly turning the future king into an actual person instead of some little spoiled twat. And everyone loves him. It’s the most joyous Camelot has been since the queen died.

And yes, maybe his eyes glow a little sometimes, and maybe things move on their own when he’s around, but he’s a good person and hes not hurting anyone, quite the opposite in fact.

So at a time where Merlin could’ve been killed if you said the wrong thing to the wrong person, nobody was gonna say a damn word because they did not want to see this boy, practically the one who kept the place running, the light of Camelot, burned at the stake.

They weren’t oblivious. They knew. They just refused to believe it, because if they did, then the great purge would most likely restart and Camelot could fall.

[nothankyoudear]

Arthur doesn't have many secrets, being the prince of Camelot and all, but he does have one that he's managed to keep from everyone but himself.

In the prince's royal chambers, underneath the bed, in a box that can only be unlocked with a key that Arthur carries by his side, there is a small brown journal.

Unlike the most common expectations for such a carefully secured book, what is inside this journal is - to put it plainly - not important at all. There are no secrets inside this journal that could bring Camelot to ruins. No ancient prophecies that could shift fate and history, and most certainly nothing of importance to Camelot and its people.

What is inside this journal is actually quite simple - There is a list.

But the fact that it is a list is not what deems its protection and security, it is the content of the list. It is the list of everything that Arthur has wanted since he was a mere child.

The list starts off simple with childish whims and demands. Things like a horse of his own and a sword that spans the length of the castle itself are not uncommon reoccurrences.

Then, as Arthur grows, the list of simple things begin to evolve. He writes that he wants a friend who isn't just friends with him because he's the prince. He writes that he wishes his father would look him in the eyes without some sort of judgement for once in his life. He writes that he wants his mother back.

He writes because he's not allowed to want or have, and at least this way he could fool himself into thinking that maybe - just maybe - one day he'd finally get what he wants.

Then, Merlin happens, and Arthur slowly realizes that he is writing about Merlin more and more often in this book that was supposed to be about his own selfish little desires.

He finds himself facing the fact that Merlin has somehow slowly slipped into every minuet crevice of his life, and has consumed the secrets that were supposed to be his own little safe haven.

But even with this knowledge, Arthur can't stop.

So he keeps writing.

He writes about how he wants to crawl beneath his blanket and cuddle up with Merlin on cold nights. He writes about how badly he wants to hold Merlin's hand in his every time he complains about the cold during one of their hunting trips. He writes about he wants to touch and kiss those ridiculous ears of his.

He writes about how he wishes he’s not the prince of Camelot so he could be with Merlin. He writes about wishing he had the confidence to just tell Merlin he loves him so desperately that it burns him from the inside out. He writes about how he wants nothing more than the chance to love.

And sooner or later, he finds himself picturing and writing about wanting a future with Merlin - a future where Merlin agrees with run off with Arthur to a small, remote village.

He's got it all written out - Arthur would feed the chickens and Merlin would pluck the berries they planted. They'd grow carrots and wheat and maybe even keep bees. They'd lean on each other and kiss as the sun sets.

Arthur would love Merlin, and Merlin would love him back.

But he knows that he's still not allowed to want or have, so he simply does what he always does: He writes in the journal, puts the journal in the box, and locks the box before returning it to the space underneath his bed.

Afterwards, he sleeps in his bed alone, hoping that he dreams of him and Merlin on their little farm tending to chickens.

And one day, as Arthur is feeding their chickens and Merlin is collecting ripened blueberries from the bushes they planted, Arthur will tell Merlin about the silly little journal that he wrote in about a silly little future just like the one they have. Merlin will smile at Arthur as they watch the sunset, and before they kiss, he'll whisper, “I know.”

[imagine-to-be-a-pike]

Sometimes a character is written so badly that He exhibits bpd syndromes

[greenorbluesposts]

Love how Merlin does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants all while breaking laws and social rules just because Uther sees Merlin as Arthur's greatest ally in the fight against magic

[mytwotragicgaymen]

Mini headcanons. A speedrun.

Both Merlin and Arthur are excellent at skipping stones. This is how they decide who collects the firewood for camp.

Besides Gaius, Gwaine knows the recipe for the best hangover cure. He gives them out in the morning after a night out.

Percival is really good at doing someone else's hair, despite having a minimum amount of it himself. He taught Gwaine how to braid his hair out of the way and sometimes helps the other knights as well.

Gaius has a journal where he writes about interesting/difficult cases of illnesses and how he cured the patients. He is very meticulous with every single one.

Uther is always up before everyone else. He does not like to be woken up by servants. He's also always the first one to go to sleep. Uther is very proud of his sleeping schedule and boasts about it to Arthur or whoever will listen.

Elyan and Gwen have a deal. Gwen sneaks treats from the kitchen for Elyan and, in return, he teaches her more sword-fighting.

Morgana, while she was still living in Camelot, always exchanged gossip with the other servants. There was a whole system developed and every new servant was informed about it and how it worked. Only Morgana and the servants knew about this.

Leon LOVES reading. He is the only person that Geoffrey can stand being in the library and the archives. Despite his busy schedule, he takes a book with him everywhere with the hope that he will have a moment to read it. This is why he was surprised/excited to find out about Arthur's "love for poetry".

Merlin is a bit of a plant mom. He keeps a few potted plants in his bedroom and vents to them about Arthur.

Arthur likes to hum tavern songs while riding his horse on patrol. Sometimes the other knights join in and it ends with a full-on concert where the whole patrol is singing.

[feral-and-chaotic]

Merlin ramble

Because I haven't really talked about it in years, a bit of background, I used to be absolutely obsessed with BBC Merlin. It was baby me's gateway into fantasy. I loved it.

Rewatching it now is fun cause most of the early seasons still hold up.

But the one thing I am furious about is how easily finished and badly handled the Nimueh plotline was.

Nimueh was such an interesting character. Arguably a lawful evil/neutral character who had tried to help her friends/allies to conceive a child. But despite her warnings and her help, not only did Uther turn on her but also used this as a justification to murder hundreds of people.

She is so angry about this she spirals into vengeance. She believes strongly in balance but Uther's actions push her over the edge.

Merlin helps Uther, so she tries to kill him but on realising who he is, she makes a last ditch attempt to reach out.

...

She's so fascinating. She's probably the only person with her specific knowledge left, who was... At least implied to be friends with Uther and Gauis (and I assume Ygraine too).

She mirrors Morgana, just as Merlin mirrors Gauis and Arthur mirrors Uther. And I wish wish wish we went into her more rather than just killing her.

There's a fascinating relationship between Merlin and Nimueh that could have been explored after they got over the initial antagonism.

ALSO!!

We know Morgause was brought up by the high priestesses... Does that mean Nimueh raised her? The idea of Nimueh trying desperately to school this child in the ruins of a temple she once lived in and still serves is tragic.

Can you tell I made up my own childhood lore headcanons based on the scraps we got🤣

This show will always be instrumental to me being interested in fantasy but it definitely has some gaping lore holes. (Affectionate)

[quinnoliver]

Uther: keep this conversation a secret

Gaius: of course

Guards: suppose we don't exist

Heath (12)'s diary

Today, a guard told me another secret. Why do people love this king?

[quotidian-oblivion]

For the Merlin ask game, number 25? Pre-Merlin headcanon?

what- what does this mean??? Is it before the timeline of the show? An Old Religion hc?? Before the Purge hc?? Before Merlin came to Camelot hc??

In any case, I have a li'l ol' Arthur hc. Baby Arthur was attracted to magic.

Hear me out.

Everyone knows that he was born of magic, right? That won't come without consequences and side-effects. Like, come on.

I believe that when Arthur was a little baby or toddler, perhaps up till the age of 3 or 4, Arthur found himself strangely drawn towards magical objects. Objects have a different calibration of magic than people because sorcerers' magic flows and shifts constantly because it is living. Objects are more dense and solid and set. It may become drained of magic overtime or tainted, but it doesn't shift constantly and fluctuate and move like people's.

So Arthur, a simple-minded child who follows his id and hasn't completely grasped his ego and superego yet, follows those objects because his dormant inner magic is drawn to the objects. I think the reason it's drawn is because of the prophecies. Arthur's magic knows that it is a part of a bigger vassal of magic (i.e. Merlin), and it wants to find it.

So at times, Uther or his nannies or the knights sometimes found little Arthur toddling to the vaults or drawn to jewellery some of the visiting royalty and nobles wore. No one knows why, they thought it was his adventurous heart, to be quite honest Arthur himself didn't know why, but he felt a sense of longing at times. Nighttimes were a nightmare for his nannies sometimes because occasionally, the magic got frustrated at its missing half, its missing piece. Uther ended up patting Arthur back to sleep during those nights when his nannies could not.

Then, one day, the sense of longing and the mysterious urges to walk down to the vaults or grab the ring from the visiting queen disappeared.

It was also the day Hunith held her small son with the odd stuck-out ears and raven-black hair in her arms for the first time.

When Merlin came to Camelot and picked a fight with Arthur, on a whim, the prince decided to let him go. He didn't know why, but there was something about the snarky and stupid commoner.

Little did either of them know, after two decades of searching, Arthur's innate magic finally found its missing piece.

[justaz]

arthur (prince of camelot) still has to study under a tutor bc yknow uther wants him to be very intelligent before becoming king or something bc its super important idk idc anyways merlin is doing chores in his chambers while arthur is squinting at a book and merlin eventually caves and asks him what he’s reading and arthur gruffly explains that its a collection of stories from greece that make absolutely no sense so merlin asks him to read them outloud to him. arthur of course teases him and calls him an idiot and asks how he could possibly help but does as he’s asked and reads the stories to merlin as he does his chores. merlin (being crushed under the weight of destiny and tormented by the prophecies that kilgharrah spews) understands the stories almost immediately and gets all excited and starts rambling about them with arthur. arthur is glad to have someone who understands so he can give something that reflects a hint of understanding to his tutor who accepts it and moves onto the next unit of education.

the thing is, arthur finds more stories in camelot’s library and brings them up to his room to read them aloud to merlin under the guise of completing his studies but really he just wants to watch as merlin’s eyes gleam when he understands whats happening and listen to him ramble on and on about them bc he’s gay. the stories stick with merlin though and he realizes that they’re cautionary tales, that the heroes who were told too much of their future doomed themself to fulfill them - that them fighting the prophecies led to their completion. merlin takes it to heart and gives a big “fuck you” to kilgharrah before forging his own fate and helping morgana with her magic and handing out an olive branch to mordred and now everyone can live happily and peacefully in an albion teeming with magic.

[mandoriana]

A friend of mine questioned if I had a playlist that I listened to when I was going to write Arthur and his family's interactions on some of my fanfic, so I decided to show the songs that I listen to and relate to Arthur, Morgana and Uther, as most of it is from Melaine Martinez, I did this first part just about the Cry baby album.

I hope you like it!

Part 1:

"You seem to replace your brain with your heart. You take things so hard and then you fall apart."

Cry Baby: Arthur, despite being a strong prince, has moments of vulnerability, especially in relation to his father, Uther. I firmly believe that Uther would scold Arthur if he saw or heard him cry as a child, calling him weak and perhaps referring to him in offensive ways, as he should be stronger and not "weak" and a crybaby. In the song, Melanie Martinez sings about how people see Cry Baby as fragile and weak, when in fact she is very strong. This song can also reflect Arthur's relationship with his knights, where he needs to hide his emotions to maintain leadership, but finds strength in his vulnerability.

"Everyone thinks that we’re perfect. Please don’t let them look through the curtains."

Dollhouse: The complicated relationship between Arthur and his family, especially with Morgana and Uther, can be compared to the perfect facade that hides dark secrets. Imagine being a boy who loves his family and wants to see them get along, but every time they are all together, an argument breaks out. Arthur loves Morgana and Uther, but they are always arguing with each other, and when Arthur sides with either Morgana or Uther, they turn against him as if he were to blame for their anger. They are always pretending to be perfect too, like in the case of the tournament where Arthur competes against Valiant. He knows he could die during the fight, but he goes anyway because maintaining appearances is more important to Uther than Arthur's word. The song can also reflect the pressure Arthur feels to be the perfect heir, hiding his own doubts and fears.

"Blood still stains when the sheets are washed. Sex don’t sleep when the lights are off."

Sippy Cup: I think this song fits Morgana more than Arthur, at least considering her dependence on the potions/remedies Gaius gave her for nightmares. The song can also symbolize how Morgana tries to hide her true nature *magic*, using the potions as a form of control.

"Round and round like a horse on a carousel, we go. Will I catch up to love? I can never tell."

Carousel: The constant battles and challenges Arthur faces are always the same endless cycle. He meets someone, that person hates him and tries to kill him or make him love against his will. It can also relate to Arthur's relationship with Uther, a toxic relationship where Arthur struggles to please his father to the point of almost dying, only to disappoint his father for something beyond his control. Arthur is in a cycle that revolves between being loved by his father or being a disappointment to his father. The song can also reflect Arthur's relentless pursuit of justice and honor, even when facing betrayals and repetitive challenges.

"Always aiming paper airplanes at me when you’re around. You build me up like building blocks just so you can bring me down."

Alphabet Boy: The dynamic between Arthur and Uther, where Uther almost never shows confidence in Arthur's ability to rule and belittles or underestimates his son. The song can also represent Arthur's struggle to prove his worth not only to Uther but to the entire kingdom, constantly facing doubt and underestimation.

"Think I got myself in trouble, so I fill the bath with bubbles."

Soap: The moments when Arthur needs to face his own failures and apologize, especially in his personal relationships. The song can also symbolize the times when Arthur feels overwhelmed by expectations and responsibilities, needing a moment to think and start over.

"I’m pulling on your heart to push my luck."

Training Wheels: Arthur's evolution from an impulsive prince to a wise king, with Merlin's help. The song can also reflect the relationship of trust and mutual learning between Arthur and Merlin, where both grow and develop together.

"It’s my party, and I’ll try if I want to. Cry if I want to, cry, cry, cry."

Pity Party: This song is about loneliness. Arthur was surrounded by people since he was born and yet only stopped feeling lonely after Merlin arrived in Camelot and became his friend. I like to listen to this song when writing Arthur's past, imagining him having a grand birthday party, but everyone there is present only because he is the prince, and most only talk about Ygraine's death.

"Running through the parking lot, he chased me and he wouldn’t stop."

Tag, You're It: Uther's persecution of sorcerers, but also the sorcerers' pursuit of Arthur. The song can also symbolize the constant sense of danger and persecution that Arthur faces, both from external enemies and internal conflicts.

"Ashes, ashes, time to go down. Ooh, honey, do you want me now?"

Milk and Cookies: The song evokes a sense of danger and manipulation, which fits well with Sarrum, the warlord who kidnapped Morgana and Aithusa. The lyrics about "staying away from things that aren't yours" reflect the possessiveness and control that Sarrum exerted over his prisoners. The song can also represent Morgana's struggle to escape Sarrum's control and regain her freedom.

"Someone told me stay away from things that aren’t yours. But was he yours, if he wanted me so bad?"

Pacify Her: Arthur's attempts to maintain peace in Camelot, even in the face of internal conflicts, are well represented here. The song can also reflect Morgana's growing hatred for Arthur, despite him not wishing her harm. The complexity of their relationships and misunderstandings are central themes.

"Don’t be dramatic, it’s only some plastic. No one will love you if you’re unattractive."

Mrs. Potato Head: I have a headcanon that Arthur is insecure about his appearance, and the song talks about aesthetic pressure and insecurity, something Arthur could feel, especially with the expectations of being a perfect prince. The song can also reflect Arthur's internal struggle to accept himself and find value beyond his appearance and social status.

"All the best people are crazy. All the best people are."

Mad Hatter: The magical and crazy situations that Arthur faces, especially involving Morgana and other sorcerers, are well captured by this song. The lyrics about "all the best people being crazy" reflect the chaotic and unpredictable nature of Arthur's adventures. The song can also symbolize Arthur's acceptance that madness/magic is part of his world, and that he must learn to navigate these turbulent waters.

[hoarder-of-dragons]

Arthur: Listen, Dad. I was wondering something. When was the last time that you said, "I love you" to anybody? Uther: "I love you"? Arthur: Yeah. Uther: What, do you live in a fucking fairyland or something?

[fluffypotatey]

Even in an "everything's fine and nothing hurts" AU, I just know that Arthur "Disaster Bi" Pendragon manages to give his dad an ulcer because that's just how he rolls.

Arthur: Father, I'm getting married-

Uther: Excellent!

Arthur: -to Merlin of the Dragonlords.

Uther: Less excellent!

Somewhere on the Isle of the Blessed, Morgana is laughing and doesn't know why.

And Balinor is working his way through the wine cellar realising he's about to be kin-by-marriage to Uther Fucking Pendragon. (Yes, they still hate each other, but their wives are besties. They think it's adorable.)

the horror Balinor must have felt when he realised what Merlin marrying Arthur meant for him lmaoooooo

Hunith: Aren't they cute! Balinor: Yes, sweetie, very adorable. Can't wait for the wedd- Balinor: WAIT