#v: king of essetir (modern)

[kingcenred]

@beautiful-mischief continued from [x]

Fury surged through him, even as they left the heat and music of the nightclub. He hadn't caught all of the abuse the drunken man had been hurling at Mal, but he had most certainly heard enough. And then he dared to touch him! It was a shame Cenred had only managed to land one punch before his security team had launched into action - ordering them to leave - but, if the blood dripping down his knuckles was anything to go by, the man was now missing a tooth or two.

As they stepped out into the night, Cenred swallowed his anger sufficiently to focus on the most important thing: Mal. With a tenderness at odds with the rage clenching his jaw and stiffening his shoulders, he cupped his face and gazed across at him with evident concern that was not alleviated by Mal's reassurances. How could he be fine after that?

"Of course, the car is this way," he reached down to entwine their fingers together instead. "I'm so sorry, I should never have let you go to the bar on your own," he murmured, as he hurried them down the empty alleyway. "It's not - people are never usually like that."

[kingcenred]

@beautiful-mischief continued from [x]

Okay, fine, he'll admit it: Cenred knows he was overreacting. Mal didn't owe him anything; they weren't in a relationship - hell, they weren't even dating. It wasn't exactly a surprise that other men find Mal just as attractive as he does, but seeing the evidence of that just moments after unexpectedly flying in to the country was enough to send a surge of fury through him. With extraordinary self-control on his part, Cenred took a deep breath and managed to reel in his temper as he listened to Mal's explanation.

Dammit, he wanted to kiss that stupid smirk off his gorgeous face.

"Jealous? Of him? Don't be ridiculous." he scoffed, but he couldn't quite meet Mal's eyes. Anyway, why was he wasting time talking about another man? Instead, he stepped around the counter and pulled Mal's body flush against his. "Can you close up early, today? I'm only here two nights, and I'd quite like to see the presents I sent you, in action."

[the-lions-mouth]

my fave merthur fics, all first time/getting together

Come back to the source to reblog as it gets updated occasionally!

Long Canon Era: 

The World I Built For You: 32K, T, If I told you to execute Mordred, would you do it? Merlin wondered, losing himself in the blue of Arthur's eyes. Can I save you like this, even if it damns me? you didn’t think s5 could get any more emotional but u were wrong

Touch My Skin To Make Me Whole: 64K, E, The Kingdom of Essetir has once again fallen under new rule, and Arthur travels to visit its new king, determined to make peace. The new king is treacherous though, and he may have just found the one weakness that will force Arthur’s hand. Note: AU Post Season 4 the ultimate hurt/comfort

Short Canon Era: 

The Coming of Spring: 10K, E, Kings, even new ones, were not supposed to long for their menservants.

Golden Threads: 12K, E, When Arthur drinks enchanted water Merlin does everything that is in his power to save his king, even if it breaks his heart.

Visiting Hunith: 9K, T, Five times Ealdor had visitors.

Beauty in the Ashes of Our Lives: 22K, T, After Merlin is executed for Uther's murder, Arthur's world falls apart.

Apotheosis: 9K, T, magic reveal, love vs destiny

Dying to Return: 20K, T, after Merlin leaves, a mysterious sorcerer comes to Camelot

As a Sea Shell: 13K, T, When Arthur discovers Merlin’s magic, he banishes him from Camelot. But Merlin is destined to serve Arthur until the day he dies. sorry team i’m gonna shameless rec myself

Modern AU:

Serious Eyes, Suddenly Smiles: 11K, E, When you are young everything seems definite. You are either in or out. Finishing up at university or messing up your whole future.

Unsteady: 10K, T, merlin is a private investigator for arthur, who’s dating sophia (a bit dark at points, read tags)

Perfect: 15K, E, infidelity, internalized homophobia

Reincarnation:

Do Not Go Gentle: 5K, T, “Don’t you understand?” He shakes her. “I cared more about him than I did about his kingdom, more than I ever cared about magic...I didn’t care about Arthur the King of Camelot. I only cared about Arthur the man.” His chest is hurting. He can’t get enough air. “I fucked up, Gwen, and I’m sorry. Do you want that in writing?” 

The Heart You Call Home: 16K, M, Arthur writing about stories he can only barely remember, Merlin, depressed and with major survivors guilt, finds them, much angst

Historical AU (honestly i love historical aus, that’s why there are so many here):

Gaudy: 6K, G, political AU in the 1960s thru 1997, honestly the best characterizations of all time

A West-Country Romance: 91K, E, Poldark AU, the slowburn “Arthur as the lord, Merlin as his servant” historical au you deserve

True Heart of Wexford: 21K, E, Wexford, 1798, Merlin is the Catholic groundskeeper on a manor belonging to Anglo-Irish aristocrat Arthur Pendragon. While Merlin's day job entails looking after Arthur's property, he's also involved with the United Irishmen. Political upheaval is about to plunge the country into turmoil. In the midst of all this stands Arthur Pendragon, who's become Merlin's staunch friend in spite of everything that divides them: faith, class, position, and obligation.

Something Worth Fighting For: 21K, E, Set during World War II. Arthur is sent to the front lines to fight for Britain, while Merlin is left behind, struggling to cope with the absence of his best friend. Seeking to give Arthur some comfort, Merlin begins to send him pieces of a story, which tells of a legendary King and his devoted manservant.Through their letters, Arthur and Merlin grow closer, and perhaps begin to discover feelings that they could not put into words before. 

Yet The Man Would At Once Run Away With Your Heart: 4K, M,  Mordred comes to stay at Avalon Hall and takes a shine to Merlin. Arthur is most unimpressed by this turn of events.

High school/Teenage AU:

Out of Body: 53K, E, Finding out that his best friend is gay shouldn't be a big deal. But then, catching Merlin wanking to gay porn shouldn't turn Arthur on, either. With his plans for uni in shambles and his position on the high school footie team lost to injury, Arthur's determined not to disappoint his father any further. Running away from Merlin seems like the easiest thing to do, but his denial might cost him everything. the teenage au you’ve been dreaming of

Should You Choose to Accept It: 11K, T, so pure, childhood friends to falling out in middle school to falling in love in high school

A Personal History of Midwestern Running: 20K, T, hahah the ending kills me every time, the one where arthur teaches merlin how to run

Beyond the Neon Trees: 56K, M, Falling in love with your best friend is never easy; especially when you’re living in the deadbeat rundown Holly Street Estate in East London.

Canon Era AU:

Gadarene: 77K, E, Arthur is the regent but Agravaine has the power, merlin is sold to arthur, I was dubious of the set up but this is a v satisfying well told story

Smut:

Merlin’s Place: 3K, bath

Brighter When We Come: 4K, bath

Night Sky Changing Overhead: 5K, bath (there’s a theme here sorry)

What I Want You’ve Got, It Might Be Hard to Handle: 3K, magic made them do it (100% consenual tho)

The Dirty Little Things You Say: 9K, arthur gets so turned on from merlin’s dirty talk

At Our Best When It’s From The Hips: 13K, loss of virginity

Solace: 1K, bath

Love is a Doing Word: 4K, role reversal 

Embrocation: 7K, massage

For Want of Wreckage: 27K, the one where the druids give Arthur a tattoo that makes him wet and horny but highlight is the massage scene

Forgive My Thoughts When I’m Asleep: 4K, angsty huddling for warmth

[kingcenred]

@hacker-codeq continued from [x]

A mixture of confusion, fury and just a little hint of pain coursed through him. Cenred had thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Q over the past couple of weeks, and although they'd obviously not labelled their...interactions, he had expected a little loyalty.

"What the fuck?" he seethed; nobody dared to speak to him like this, and it was so utterly different to anything Q had ever been like...it was almost as though he'd turned into a completely different person. "So going on dates with me was all part of the job description?" sarcasm dripped from every word.

But Q didn't respond and when his face went rather slack, some of Cenred's angry slipped into concern. Was he having a kind of seizure? Would that explain this bizarre interaction?

'Um, no. Hold on," he grabbed hold of Q's wrist, not unkindly, but tight enough to stop him from bolting. "You need to explain what the hell is going on. Right now."

[kingcenred]

It takes all of his self-control to remain standing outside the cell until Logan's return, but he does so. As he opens the door, Cenred ignores the baffled comments from the prisoner for a moment and instead raises his eyes to meet his bodyguard's nervous gaze. "Thank you," he murmurs, sincerely, before he steps into the cell and closes the door behind him.

Only Cenred and the detainee will ever know exactly what happened in the cell that day. Although the king absolutely raises his voice at times, he does not yell or shout as one might have expected - his fury remains deeper, more potent, and far more dangerous. It is roughly ten minutes later when Cenred opens the door slightly, and beckons Logan to join them.

"He wants to talk to you," he informs his bodyguard, and the king's whole demeanour has miraculously changed in that short time. He's calm, almost peaceful, and evidently satisfied that he's reduced the bitter, prejudiced man into a sobbing mess. Still, despite the prisoner's rather unpleasantly bloodshot eyes, there is no broken nose or split lip. In fact, Cenred relied upon his excellently cutting tongue to do all the damage.

"I'm - s-sorry. I should - never have said those things," the man sniffles out.

Logan feels a bit nervous at the way Cenred is so quiet on the drive to the police station. He steals little glances here or there when he happens to look both ways at stoplights or crosswalks, his hands a bit white knuckled on the wheel for little comfort. But when they enter the station itself, the blonde reverts back to the quiet type, observing all of them in this space and how the King easily flips from one side of himself to another. Hands settle behind his back, parade rest whenever he stands still, listening. Wondering just how hot the fury sears up Cenred's throat.

They begin the walk from the superintendent's office amid a small cloud of officers, and Logan feels the weight settling around them. Surely they can tell something is up, like the nerves in his stomach can, they get worse and worse trying to escape the closer they come to the cell in question. The sound of the lock disengaging, followed by the swift exit of all the officers, Logan swallows and looks back to Cenred when spoken to, barely registering the squeeze to his hand.

"Yes, sir. Don't go in until I've verified it's off." Hushed tones, as if he doesn't want the man to hear them inside. Swiftly departing to the camera station they'd passed, Logan peeks his head in and asks for that camera to be disabled: he watches the screen go dark and ensures it will not be turned back on until he returns. Turning back to the hallway, Logan nods for Cenred to go in, even if he too wants to venture in himself, he grasps the knob to open it for his King. "I'll stand guard."

[kingcenred]

@noiranamnesis liked [x] for a starter. ACCEPTING!

"What are you doing in here? Guards!"

[kingcenred]

@hacker-codeq continued from [x]

"If you change your mind, let me know..." he offered, with a faux-serious expression, before he couldn't help but crack a smile. From Q's stuttered response, it seemed that he was under the impression that Cenred was serious. Alas, the death penalty had been abolished long ago. Besides, he wasn't quite as awful a King as some of the foreign media would lead one to believe.

"I suppose a drink and the balcony would be a more sensible suggestion," he admitted, scooping up two glasses from a passing waiter and handing one to Q as he strode across, through the double doors and onto the large balcony. "What was he doing to annoy you, anyway?"

[kingcenred]

@ssolessurvivor continued from [x]

The kiss has the desired effect, and Logan seems almost to melt against him - most of his agitation draining away. As they finally part, he gazes down at his beloved bodyguard with an expression mingled with fondness and exasperation: would he ever be able to stop worrying?

"I'm tired of hiding," he admits, as one of his hands moves upwards to cup Logan's jaw. "Besides, my reputation has been through a lot, it can take it. Some of the people I've been - associated with in the past... well, you'll seem perfectly tame compared to them," he offers a faint smile. His youth was far more publicised than most, and he made some questionable choices as he explored his sexuality and wrestled with his grief, all the while having the responsibilities of the crown suddenly thrust upon them. He drops his hand from Logan's face and entwines their fingers together instead.

"Whatever I do, whatever we do, there will always be people trying to frame me in a negative light. So I say we should do what makes us happy, forget about the rest of them, and let Henry and the PR team deal with the media," he presses a soft kiss to Logan's forehead. "If you were an official royal suitor, then it would at least put an end to the rumours. And we would be treated far more equally."

[kingcenred]

A gasp of mock outrage escaped him, and he pressed a hand to his chest as though wounded. "How dare you," he accused, but he couldn't keep the smile from his lips. "No, thank you. I've had quite enough near-death experiences already, it would be nice to meet someone who actually might like me," his tone was casual, full of bravado as usual, but the words revealed an underlying vulnerability. Despite all his casual hook-ups and highly publicised flings with various attractive actors...was he lonely?

"And here I was going to say that there's always an exception to the rule," he shot right back, grinning innocently and raising his now empty glass in salute. "Good man. I promise, I won't send you into the metaphorical lion's den... well, not unless you like that kind of thing."

[kingcenred]

But just out of curiosity, how do you feel about getting my name tattooed on your forehead?

@protectmypeople

He opened his mouth and closed it again, not quite believing that those words had really come out of his mouth.

"Now, why on earth would I consider doing that?" he finally retorted, an eyebrow curving upwards. "I do hope I'm not going to wake up to you one day trying to stab needles into my head. My security service really wouldn't be pleased about that."

[kingcenred]

@sapphircs gets a modern verse plotted starter

Cenred was definitely feeling better than when he'd first arrived in the hospital. Despite the fact his abdomen was still tightly bandaged after his emergency surgery to repair the damage Morgause inflicted, he was already becoming restless to return to his feet. And then to his home.

"Thinya, thank God you're here. You can talk some sense into the doctors, they're trying to imprison me here for at least another week," he complained, dramatically, as he tried to sit up to greet her. Wincing, he quickly regretted the movement and collapsed back against the pillows. "Don't they know I'm the King?" his pain was making him particularly petulant.

[kingcenred]

@ssolessurvivor sent in...

The building had been on lockdown for a few minutes and Logan just had a thought of where his King would be when he indeed rounded the corner and found him. Logan's anger is quick to take place of his relief, though. A quick confirmation into his ear piece before he's grasping Cenred by the arm and dragging him into a dark room, closing and locking the door behind them before turning on him. "What the hell do you think you're doing, dismissing your guard?" This would be the last time Logan allowed anyone else to stand watch over the King. His voice is quiet though stern. "What if I hadn't found you in time? You could've been-" Logan goes silent in an instant, turning to the door while simultaneously pushing Cenred against the wall, covering his mouth with one hand, to keep him shielded and out of sight of passing shadows. Mismatched eyes remain locked on the door, his free hand going to the gun concealed in his jacket.

A lockdown happened every few months. More often than not, a member of the public on a guided tour had wandered off and was no longer accounted for, so the security procedure was instantly put into place. Perhaps Cenred had become a little too relaxed about the whole situation, as he casually wanders down the corridor alone, in search for someone who may know what was going on.

"Ah, Logan -," he begins, with a smile smile - who would have thought just a few weeks ago that he would be pleased to see his bodyguard? - but he's cut off by the sudden firm grasp on his arm as he's dragged into the nearest room. "You know you can't talk to me like that," he reminds him, but there's no anger in his tone...just faint amusement. He's grown accustomed to Logan berating him, and although once it was endlessly frustrating, now he finds it rather endearing. A quiet oof escapes the king as Logan pushes him up against the wall, and - finally - a faint sense of unease settles in the pit of his stomach at just how concerned his bodyguard seems. Maybe it wasn't just a missing visitor...

All concerns vanish, however, when Logan presses his hand against his mouth and he can't stop the smirk that twists his lips upwards against his palm. He knows now is not the time to be thinking such inappropriate thoughts, but an image of them in far fewer clothing with Logan's hand pressed against his mouth to muffle the king's moans from passersby is brought to the forefront of his mind. Lately, such fantasies about his bodyguard were becoming a rather frequent event.

[kingcenred]

Early the next morning, just as Cenred had promised, a letter arrived at the Featherington's home requesting Penelope's presence at the palace for later that day. The wax was marked with Cenred's own royal seal, so there was no doubt of the authenticity of the invitation.

The stunt at the ball the night before had certainly been a success. Although he had returned to the guest chambers as soon as the second dance finished, Queen Charlotte had summoned him later for a 'chat'. There had been evident doubt in her face over his choice of partner, but he had convinced her that he was wishing to spend more time with Penelope - to see if she was a suitable match for him.

The King was perusing several letters documenting the events of his kingdom in his absence in one of the sitting rooms Charlotte had granted him use of, when Penelope was announced.

It surprised her that her answer seemed to please him-- she had to wonder what sort of people surrounded him that basic respect shocked him? Rather she suspected it was the woman who approached him and as she caught sight of all the women glaring at her she could see why that might be an issue. Suddenly she felt more like an obstacle than a suit of armor protecting him from the back biting Mamas and their idle minded daughters.

The second dance was over far too soon and she smiled once more, curtsying to him once he let her go, her eyes never leaving his. "I think it had the desired effect we wanted" she nodded, already there was another man waiting for them to part so he could speak to her. The Mamas however were keeping their distance and that made her grin a bit more.

"I look forward to receiving your letter and getting another chance to speak, your grace" she remained formal though her voice a little louder for his benefit as they were making it clear he would be sending for her. "I shall endeavor to finish your book before then and return it to you" with another curtsy she moved to address the rather shaky young man who was waiting for her next dance.

[kingcenred]

@ssolessurvivor continued from [x]

The meeting with the prime minister was fine - he was much more likeable than his last two predecessors - but Cenred couldn't concentrate. All that he could think about was his bodyguard: the image replaying in his mind was the look on Logan's face as he dared him to kiss him, and the feeling of their noses brushing together. Alas, there had been no indication that Logan's thoughts were similarly occupied. Ever the professional, it seemed to Cenred that he had gone about the rest of the day as if nothing had happened.

When they were finally alone again, Cenred found himself talking about something inconsequential to hide the uncharacteristic awkwardness he suddenly felt. Should he not have asked Logan to kiss him?

But the thought dies as his bodyguard suddenly strides across the room towards him with undeniable purpose, and at last their lips touch. Warmth surges through him and he can feel his heart thudding joyously in his chest as he eagerly returns the kiss...and yet, it is over far too soon. Reluctantly allowing Logan to pull back from him, he cannot stop the grin that tugs his lips upwards.

"I thought you were avoiding me," he admits. "Now, come back here, I haven't finished kissing you."

[kingcenred]

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent."

@ssolessurvivor

"They don't make me feel inferior," he scoffs, without even pausing to consider it. How could anyone make him feel inferior, when he was the king? Granted, his team of advisors had strong opinions that he rarely shared but usually adhered to...and his mother was also among them. "I'm the king," but his tone did not seem quite as convinced.

[kingcenred]

@liloulu liked [x] for a starter (open!) - gets one for Daisy Stewart!

The King didn't usually get so involved with all the details of his security, but since the recent terrorist attack on one of his properties - it was only sheer luck that he'd been delayed on his return home, and avoided the sudden shower of bullets - he'd taken more of an interest. As he strode into one of the palace's meeting rooms, a servant announced his presence to the waiting ballistic expert, and he reached out to offer her his hand.

"Ms Stewart? Thank you for meeting me. Tell me what you have found," he requested, all business, as he sat down on a plush armchair opposite her.