#emrys - god of magic and life and death

[justaz]

thinking about emrys, god of life, death, and magic, who saw the atrocities being committed against his people and traveled to the realm of humans to be born to mortal parents and live in the flesh to rescue his people and find what it means to be human. thinking of emrys, now merlin, feeling joy, feeling sorrow, feeling pain, feeling love and marrying arthur to rule camelot together and unite albion. thinking about merlin reclaiming his throne in the realm of the gods and raising arthur’s soul to rule alongside him above as he ruled alongside arthur below. merlin and arthur raising their court to their realm and continuing on their journey now gods rather than mortals

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

Here's a continuation of my "Arthur becomes Emrys's familiar" au since that's what won the poll!

You can find part one of this au here!

A quick recap if you didn't see my previous post: the basics of this au are that Arthur performed a ritual with the help of the druids to lift a curse that was placed on Camelot by Morgana, but in doing so, he bound himself to Emrys, the god of magic, as his familiar and servant. Because of this, Arthur can now physically see Merlin's magic as strands of golden dust and can hear messages telepathically given to him by Merlin. Merlin, meanwhile, tried to stop Arthur from performing the ritual and is now just desperately trying to keep his magic a secret from Arthur, who misinterprets the magic he sees swirling around Merlin as a threat from Emrys to keep him complacent.

Alright, now that I've finished the recap, onto the new stuff!

After Arthur spent a few months in Camelot under Emrys's control and seeing the threat of magic everywhere around him, he felt like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. Emrys still hadn't even told him what his plans for Arthur were, which led Arthur to believe that the god no doubt had some heinous plan that would be torturous for Arthur. After all, what other plan could the god of magic have for the king of the land that had eradicated his worshippers for decades besides pain and death?

The longer Arthur waited for Emrys to reveal anything about his plans or to give Arthur some terrible order that would set in motion Camelot's downfall, the more nervous and paranoid Arthur became. Because did it seem like the buzzing in his head was getting louder each day, or was that his imagination? Was Emrys slowly taking control of his mind without Arthur even knowing?!

All Arthur knew for certain was that Emrys wanted him alive to do his bidding. Now that Arthur could see Emrys's magic, he could see how the golden dust strengthened his armor, enhanced his weapons, and attacked his enemies. On certain occasions, it even protected Arthur's loved ones.

(Arthur swore that he was never as close to a heart attack as he was when he saw those golden strands of light bind themselves around Guinevere and roughly pull her from her chair. Arthur had thought for a terrible moment that Emrys had found some fault to punish Arthur for, and the horrible god was taking it out on his wife. However, Arthur was relieved beyond words when he saw an arrow hit the back of Guinevere's chair, where she had been sitting only a second before. Emrys wasn't punishing him through Guinevere, he was saving Arthur's wife. Why would he do that though? Did the god also need Guinevere alive for his plans?)

Merlin had also been acting strangely after the ritual. Arthur could see that Emrys's magic curled itself tightly around Merlin, like a large snake poised to strangle its prey. Arthur knew that this was a ever-present threat from Emrys, that if Arthur took one step out of line or disobeyed in any way, Merlin would be the one suffering for it.

Since the ritual, Merlin had been even more fidgety than usual, if that was even possible. It was like something was causing him an unusual amount of anxiety. Arthur just knew that Merlin's constant state of discomfort was because of the magic surrounding him, perhaps Merlin could sense the danger that was always around, even if the other man couldn't see it? Still, Arthur didn't want to tell Merlin about the magic constantly surrounding him, it would give poor Merlin a heart attack! His loyal manservant always looked scared, just for a split second, when magic was even mentioned, and Arthur didn't want to give Merlin the fright of his life by telling him that he was now being targeted by the god of magic because of Arthur's actions.

Emrys truly was a wily and devious god! Of course the nefarious god of magic wouldn't put Arthur's burden on Arthur's shoulders alone. No, it was the way of magic that it targeted the innocent, threatening people that had nothing to do with the ritual in the first place! This curse was Arthur's to bear alone, but of course Emrys would not abide by that!

Arthur tried to keep his cursing out of the god in his own thoughts to a minimum, just in case Emrys could hear his thoughts, which was entirely plausible given their mental connection. Eventually, it all becomes too much for Arthur. He fears that he'll be ultimately used as a tool to aid Emrys in the destruction of Camelot, so he makes plans to secretly give the crown to Gwen and resign all of his power. He still has to physically stay in Camelot, who knows what evil Emrys would rain down upon the kingdom if he realized that his pawn had left, but at the very least Emrys couldn't manipulate Arthur into ruining Camelot of Arthur wasn't in charge of Camelot.

Merlin, having spent ten years convincing Arthur that he's a great king and will lead Camelot into the golden age as its king, hearing that Arthur is planning on abdicating the throne in order to foil Emrys's plans: YOU FUCKING WHAT?!

Merlin, during all of this, has been using his connection with Arthur as sparingly as possible. He knows how much of a toll this who "familiar" thing has been for Arthur, and he wants to make it as small of a burden as possible, only giving Arthur life-saving and non-invasive commands.

But Merlin absolutely will NOT allow Arthur to give up his throne, to throw away their destiny, over a threat that isn't even really a threat! So, with a heavy heart, Merlin decides to use his "Emrys voice" to give Arthur a stern talking-to.

Merlin was hoping for his mental lecture to come off as a parent gently guiding a child away from making a terrible mistake, but on Arthur's end, he has a pissed off and sleep deprived deity shouting at full blast inside his mind about "abandoning his destiny" and "not trusting in fate".

For Arthur, it's the most terrifying thing he's ever experienced, and he can see the golden threads around Merlin flashing brightly around him when his manservant comes to wake him the next morning. Arthur gets the message: he has displeased Emrys, and Emrys is only going to give him one warning before Merlin bears the punishment for Arthur's disobedience. And however much Arthur wants to ensure that Camelot is protected from Emrys's plots, he cannot lose Merlin. So, Arthur calls off his plans to abdicate, in accordance with Emrys's commands.

(Arthur hates it like nothing else in the world. Not even following Uther's orders made rage and frustration flare up in his chest as it did now. Emrys knew exactly where to apply pressure to make Arthur break, and the villainous god had done exactly that.)

However, Arthur's attempt at abdication and Emrys's subsequent rage still did not answer Arthur's question: what plans did Emrys have for him? For what purpose did the evil god need Arthur alive and on the throne for?

Arthur wouldn't get any answers until the next battle against Morgana. Arthur's army was poised to battle against Morgana's Saxon hoarde in the morning, but Arthur couldn't get any sleep. Arthur knew that it was imperative for him to lead from the front lines as a strong and noble king, fighting alongside his loyal knights. However, Arthur couldn't shake the doubts rising in his mind. He was the familiar to the god of magic now, how did he know that he would not be forced by Emrys to betray Camelot in the heat of battle? Surely Emrys would be favoring Morgana in this battle?

So, in the privacy of his tent, Arthur knelt down and prayed for the first time since the ritual. Arthur had tried every other possible way of communicating with Emrys, but their mental connection either seemed to be one-sided or Emrys was ignoring all of mental messages for him. However, Arthur knew that Emrys couldn't possibly resist hearing what made a Pendragon so desperate that he would humiliate himself in such a way to the god of magic.

That night before the battle, Arthur prayed for Emrys to please help him protect his home and his knights. Arthur told Emrys that regardless of Emrys's feelings toward Arthur, his knights were good men who deserved to live to see another sunrise. Arthur begged for Camelot's innocent citizens to be spared from Morgana's wrath.

To Arthur's shock, he heard Emrys respond through their bond. His voice was softer than Arthur had ever heard it. In fact, the voice was so soft and gentle, Arthur swore that it sounded like Merlin's voice for a split second: I will be with you.

Arthur felt only slightly comforted by that. It could have been a sly trick from Emrys to get Arthur to lower his guard before the battle, but for some reason, Arthur didn't think that it was.

During the battle itself, Arthur is surrounded by complete chaos. At one point, he surrounded by at least eight enemies, having been cut off from his knights. He readies himself to either cut down his opponents or go down fighting when, all of a sudden, the strings of golden dust that had been knocking enemy soldiers off their feet rushed towards Arthur. Arthur braced himself, but when the light touched Arthur, it simple diffused itself into his skin, like it did at the end of the ritual that landed Arthur in this whole mess.

However, this time, the golden light that clung onto Arthur's skin didn't simply fade. Instead, it grew brighter and brighter, nearly forcing Arthur to close his eyes against the luminosity of it! After the light had grown to a blinding glow, it flew off of Arthur's skin with a blast, violently knocking away any Saxons that it hit. When Arthur's sight cleared and he looked around, he could see that all of Morgana's front lines, encompassing at least a thousand fully-armed Saxons, had been decimated by the blast.

Arthur stood alone, still separated from his men, and looked all around him with awe and horror in equal amounts. He could still feel the golden light on his skin, a slight tingling sensation that made the hair on his arms raise. Did... did Arthur just perform magic?! Had he blasted away all of those soldiers?!

Oh god, this was Emrys's plan all along, wasn't it! To turn Arthur into some power-hungry sorcerer corrupted by magic!

As Arthur's panic worked its way deeper into his chest and up his throat, Emrys spoke to him once more: That was my doing, Arthur, not yours.

With hysteria still gripping his chest, Arthur tilted his head to the heavens and shouted: "Give me more of an explanation than that for once you bastard! I need answers!"

And, shockingly, Emrys responded to him: I merely used you as a conduit for my magic. I was channeling my power through you. Be at ease, young king, for you are no sorcerer.

(Merlin, hidden nearby, mentally gives himself a pat on the back for both sounding sufficiently god-like and successfully channeling his magic through Arthur to make it drastically more powerful for the first time, since he was saving that particular ability for a real emergency, like that Arthur getting surrounded by angry Saxons. He'd wanted to avoid freaking Arthur out with that ability, but he'd take a panicked Arthur over a dead Arthur any day.)

After they return to Camelot victorious, Arthur is morose once more. How can his loves ones even be safe when they're in the room with him if Emrys could turn him into a living magical weapon at a moment's notice?!

(And one time skip and a dramatic magic reveal later, followed by a tense and emotional confrontation between Merlin and Arthur, Arthur would be pissed beyond words that he'd been made into a servant FOR HIS OWN DAMNED SERVANT!

Once Arthur works through his anger towards Merlin, he realizes that the whole ridiculous situation does make for some fun banter though.

And if Merlin's able to save Arthur from a fatal wound after Camlann thanks to their magical connection, then the prophecy would just say that they were truly two sides of the same coin: each a king and a servant to the other.)

Phew! That was a long post! Well, I hope that everyone enjoyed this au idea! I'll see you all again soon!

And, as always, thank you so much for reading through my ramblings! :D

[lolazoel]

Merlin's Titles!

(How accidentally revealing your status as a king and god may help you marry your boyfriend)

Perchance I read too many fanfics but, consider, if Arthur and the knights have found out about Merlin's magic but unaware of the extend. Let's say... they know he's a warlock and dragon lord. You know what? For the fun of it, let's make it Merthur too.

Imagine a scene, Arthur's at a banquet, already king, not married to Gwen, Lancelot is alive. The knights are joking around, drinking, Lance goes up to Gwen and Merlin who lean against a wall, chatting. Lance asks Gwen for a dance. She blushes and lets herself get dragged away. Gwain takes her place, flirting with Merlin who snickers. The song ends, Lance and Gwen return, grinning and in love. Gwain pushes himself off the wall.

Gwaine: Well, now that Gwen is back she can take care of your tasks for a moment, right?

Merlin: *nods*

Gwaine: *bows* allow me this dance, Lord Merlin?

Merlin: *blushes* That's not my title...

Arthur (who came up to them because he got jealous and also wants to ask Merlin to dance): Oh? What is your title then?

Merlin: *blushes harder* really?

Gwaine (who orchestrated the entire situation): of course, Merls, you gotta tell us the full title. How else would we know how to address you?

The room: *slowly getting quieter as more and more people listen in on the king's conversation*

Merlin: *groans* i hate you

Arthru: spit it out. Don't pretend to be interesting.

Merlin: Fiiiiineeee... Well, we got Merlin Ambrosius, Lord of Dragons... I think after Nimueh I also got Master of Life and Death... according to prophecy also Emrys, King of Druids, God of Magic... *he smiles at Arthur* and completion to the once and future king

The room: *blue screening, buffering, very silent*

Arthur: *kisses Merlin*

Gwain: Lance... did you know Merlin's a god?

Lancelot (very glad he made friends with the kid who almost got eaten by a griffon): I didn't even know about the Life and Death part... though it makes sense... his mortality was always unsure

Geoffrey Monmouth: *frantically searching for laws that make hurting Merlin illegal and make a marriage between Arthur and Merlin legal.*

According to the law loopholes define Merlin as a genderless entity, therefore marrying a god is actually legal. Attacking a noble, especially a Lord and King, is super illegal, making Merthur legally supported and haters imprisoned or dead.

I just really like the thought of Merlin revealing his titles like a collection of scout badges... especially because I hc Arthur to have a competency kink, so finding out his boyfriend technically outranks him is a turn on. Don't tell me i'm wrong, you all saw the show. Arthur definitely has a thing for powerful people

[neptunesyellowsands]

I don't know if this has been done before, but I've got a Merthur alt ending/prompt boring holes into my brain and I can't let it go. So, in DotD:

Merlin, realizing they won't make it to the lake in time, decides to try one last thing to save the king: to trade his own life for Arthur's via the power of life and death, a la Nimueh. It's a bold move, and it's unpredictable, but Merlin is both desperate and slightly ruthless when it comes to Arthur. Because he loves him.

However, since he wants to sacrifice himself, he needs a third party to work the magic. So when Morgana finds them, Merlin doesn't kill her. She's a High Priestess, like Nimueh. She could wield the magic herself. She might be the only one who can, actually, because Merlin has killed the only other two High Priestesses we know of - Nimueh and Morgause.

So he asks her to do it. He makes a convincing argument. She could be rid of him, Emrys, the bane of her existence, and they both know that he's the only thing keeping her from defeating Arthur. Once her army is rebuilt, she could return and take the kingdom for good, if she wanted. If not, she could live the rest of her life in peace, knowing she has defeated the greatest sorcerer of all time.

But Morgana is a seer. She sees that Arthur now knows about Merlin's magic and is accepting him. That Arthur is accepting Merlin, magic and all, because he loves him. That Arthur would likely, if he survived, return to Camelot and legalize magic, now that he knows. For Merlin. Because he loves him. For the first time, she looks in Arthur's eyes and believes he actually might have turned a corner, and in a wild fit of nostalgia and hope, she agrees -

But it doesn't work. The gods won't kill Emrys. It goes against the prophecy. Arthur and Merlin are to build the Golden Age together. One cannot exist without the other. They won't make the trade.

Instead, she explains, they demand something else in exchange for Arthur's life. Something that will allow them to replenish the dwindled population of magic-users without draining the earth's coffers and throwing off the balance once more. They will restore Arthur's life, but in return they will accept only one thing:

Merlin's magic.

In the end, it's not a hard decision for Merlin to make. Of course, he agrees. Of course, he would die for Arthur. He would kill for Arthur. But when he sacrifices his magic, it's something different altogether. As Morgana performs the spell, as the gods take back what they gave, as the golden magic pours out of Merlin's hands and ears and skin and trickles back into the earth to be dispersed elsewhere, Merlin gives away a part of himself he never thought could be separated. A connectivity that tied him to the ground. It's like going blind. It's like coming apart, atom by atom, and then being put back together with only half the pieces.

And Arthur watches it. He’s glad, at first. This will be easier anyway. None of them have to die today, and Arthur can keep Merlin’s secret. They can forget about the magic. They can go back to the way things were before. It might be hard, but their friendship might survive. And Arthur won’t have to protect Merlin. He’ll be safer, really.

He’ll be normal.

But then the thing happens, and Arthur watches, and he’s horrified. He's seen death. He's seen injury. But he's never seen this rending of a person from their essence, never seen the torment and pain of someone's magic being ripped from their body. He's never seen Merlin looking so gray as he does now. The golden light that he was taught to despise flickers in Merlin's eyes, like it's alive and trying to hold on, like it wants to stay, and then it's gone, and Merlin's tears aren’t rivers of gold anymore. They run tired and clear, and Merlin is a shell on the ground, fragile and hollow.

As the pain in Arthur's side begins to fade, as he takes the fullest breath he has in days and feels the vitality come back to his body, Arthur feels like he’s the monster here. Not Merlin. Not even Morgana. Him. His father. Everything he was taught to believe in.

Because he’s seen now what his father’s Purge did to his land. He’s watched Uther’s great vision for Camelot come to pass in the body of his best friend. The stripping away of magic. The destruction of this special, beautiful part of a person. 

And he’s seen what’s left. The shell. The empty gray.

Morgana disappears into a cloud of smoke. There is no place in Camelot for her now, but she has at least accomplished her goals. She's safe. She's free.

Arthur rises from the ground and picks up his sword. Merlin lies unconscious, and Arthur does the obvious: he carries him home.

Once he's back home, and Merlin is asleep in bed, and Gaius is digging out spellbooks and potions and all manner of incriminating truths, Arthur learns a few things:

Merlin is still Merlin. The magic was a tool, not his personality.

For those who possess it, magic functions like a sixth sense. Everything is learned and experienced through it, like any other sense. Everything. Moving through the world, seeing it, understanding it. 

Merlin was never actually clumsy.

Merlin was only ‘accident-prone’ because he had to suppress his magic so often. Sometimes, he played it up for his own advantage, but sometimes he just tripped because it wasn’t natural to walk around without reaching out with magic to find the floor first.

Now he has no magic.

Merlin is crippled, physically, once he wakes. He can move his body, but he can’t figure out where to put it.

He has no magic, but he is still Merlin. He’s still prone to fibbing, overwork, and sitting up late into the night to read. Still holds onto hope when he shouldn’t. Still tries and tries. And when he gives up, Arthur tells him he needs him, and he tries some more.

Because Arthur does need him. He wants to heal the rift in his land. He wants to stitch the wounds of his people put there by Uther. He never wants to see what happened to Merlin happen to anyone else. And he wants Merlin to be there, because he trusts him. Relies on him. Loves him.

Merlin has no magic, but he used to. He knows what’s needed by the people, the Druids, the land. When he drafts the documents needed to legalize magic, Arthur asks for Merlin’s help. And Merlin gives it. Of course he does. He’s still Merlin. He’s still too ready to give himself away. Still cheeky, to Arthur’s delight. 

Still wise.

Over time, Merlin learns to use utensils again. Two crutches come next, then one. Over the years, he is able to reduce it down to a staff, which he uses to find the floor. He trains a bird to go longer distances for him, across town or even just down the many flights of stairs in the castle. His mind rewires itself, relearns, but he will never have the wrist strength to buff armor again. 

Arthur wouldn’t have had him as a servant anyway. He makes him an advisor to the king, and he sits at the round table, at Arthur’s right hand. 

He sleeps, of course, in the king’s bed.

They call it the Golden Age, because all the magic Merlin poured into the earth comes back to the kingdom in waves. You can almost see it sparkling in the air sometimes, when the light hits it just right. Harvests are full and free of blight. Orchards blossom and hang heavy with fruit. More babes are born with magic in three years than have been in the last thirty. It’s Merlin, woven into every inch of the kingdom. It’s his gift to Arthur. To Camelot. To himself.

Merlin becomes a legend in his own right, known for his far-seeing eyes, his trusty staff, his surprisingly robust beard (Arthur is astonished and openly jealous). The kingdom benefits from his kindness and his ability to judge risk vs. reward. And the dragon helps, too, occasionally. 

Above all, Merlin is known for his wisdom, his council, and his unwavering love for Arthur.

Is it sad that Merlin had to give up his magic? Yes. But he never actually wanted it to begin with. Not really. Not to the extent he had it. He never wanted the burden of the prophecy. Like Arthur and his dream of relinquishing his reign and running off with Merlin to live on a farm, Merlin wanted to set aside the burden of being Emrys and return to himself. He wanted a life surrounded by love and peace. That was why he came to Camelot in the first place. He never, not once in his life, actually wanted power. He wanted the Golden Age. He wanted Arthur.

And he gets him.

[ceo-of-merleon]

HELLO NEW BEST FRIEND, I JUAT GOT THE IDEA FOR A NEW MERLEON HEADCANON!!!!

The Purge began with the death of Queen Ygraine and the birth of Arthur. Before that, magic was legal and quite well-known amongst the nobility and common people, just a part of everyday life.

Leon would have been about 5 at the time magic was banned. Maybe six, as it took time for laws to be implemented across kingdoms.

There is a possibility there were people in his household who had magic. Maybe a servant who could clean his muddy clothes in a split second, so he didn't get into trouble. Maybe a nanny, or a tutor who could make the figurines in his storybooks come to life.

If Leon's father is half the man Leon is, there is a real possibility that his morals would have overshadowed his loyalty to the crown. So when the word comes by the King's messenger that all magic users are to be burnt alive, he send him back with the assurance that it will be done.

But instead, he start plotting.

Those who learnt magic and could stand to give it up did so. Those who couldn't, born with the innate ability, got help from a mysterious source to flee in the middle of the night, across the border to Dyfed and take a boat out of Albion, where magic was still welcomed.

And Leon, who is a curious little child, and confused as to why his father is disobeying the king, asks him knew night. And his father tells him "A man's loyalty to his morals must come before his loyalty to the crown, or he is bit a man at all, but a puppet with a sword."

And Leon remembers.

Leon obeys the crown. He joins the knighthood like his brothers, he serves his king, and he carries out Uther's orders without question.

And nobody but him notices when his blade cuts through grass or just tents instead of people. Nobody but him notices when his coin bag mysteriously falls a few feet away, conveniently right in front of the druid child hiding in the bushes. Nobody but him notices when he helps a child escape up a tree.

But the druids notice.

They notice when the child starts talking about the noble Knight of Camelot who helped them escape. And them another, who told them the same, and then another. It adds up.

So when their beloved Knight is dying, of course they will take notice. Of course they will pray to their goddess. Of course they will use the most powerful tool they have, the cup of life, to bring him back.

Even Gods listen when so many pray. They grant him the gift of immortality.

The druids aren't the only ones who notice.

The servants notice. They clean his armour, and his weaponry. Each and every time, it comes back bloodless. And if it doesn't, it's certainly not bloody enough to have been in a massacre.

Servants talk. Eventually, word reaches Gwen. And then, in her adorable way, she blurts it out at the most inopportune moment.

And Merlin finds out.

OOOO THIS IS SO COOL

ima add some thoughts to this….

Merlin would either immediately tell Leon about his magic like and idiot or not tell him anything and just get really close to him.

Everyone, including Leon, was heavily confused at to why Merlin was trying to get so close to Leon, he was practically stalking him.

Once Leon bumped into some Druids on patrol and was talked to them, Merlin, who was following him, tried to hide and hoped that none of them would notice him.

Of course, the Druids noticed and called him out, thinking surely Leon knew about Emrys and who he was.

And obviously, he didn’t.

Merlin realizing he had been caught, stepped out from the trees.

Leon was confused and terrified of Merlin being there.

Why was he here? Was he following him? Why? Would he tell Arthur what he saw?

Then he realized that the Druids had called him Emrys.

From being around the Druids so much Leon must have heard about Emrys, which only made him more confused,.

Why were they calling Merlin Emrys? Wasn’t he almost a god to the Druids? Merlin wasn’t a god. He was Merlin.

Apparently Merlin was not just Merlin, he was Emrys.

Leon and Merlin had a long talk after that, both having to explain the full story to each other (mostly on Merlin’s part)

They both grew very close after some awkward few days of processing what they learned about each other, so much so that people started to suspect they were courting.

Their denies of the accusations were not taken seriously, thinking they were just trying to keep their courtship secret.

Eventually, Arthur found out, who was not happy about two of his best friends courting.

Arthur demanded answers they couldn’t give, especially when Arthur wouldn’t take them just being friends as an answer.

So, as a last resort, they bought into the lie of them courting. Saying that they just realized their feelings over time.

This lie worked for a while, people still asked questions but most of them accepted the fact they wanted to keep their relationship lowkey.

This worked until they actually started to have feelings for each other.

[browneyesandhair]

Non-Exhaustive List of Soulmate Fics: Merthur

Okay, I'm bored so I'm compiling my favorite soulmate fics. Here's the Merthur edition:

True Love by platonic_boner

Summary:

AU where soulmates can’t lie to each other. (That’s okay, Merlin wasn’t planning to lie to Arthur anyways! Haha.. ha.. ha…)

Don't Know You by platonic_boner

Summary:

Arthur can't wait to meet the voice inside his head.

Sharing is Caring by platonic_boner

Summary:

Arthur hadn't really given his soulmate much thought, until he beat a peasant with a broomstick and every blow hurt like he was hitting himself.

Thousand Times Worse. Or Better? by elirwen

Summary:

Forced by Morgana's nagging, Arthur visits soulbond guidance office. Merlin Emrys is asigned to be his guide. That's where the simple ends and complicated begins.

Deeds by the5leggedCricket

Summary:

Arthur is coming of age, and that means he’s about to get Deeds—marks on his body telling him of his soulmate’s greatest accomplishments. But as he tries to find his soulmate, he also makes some worrying discoveries about the kind of person his soulmate is.

Take Your Pain Away by BlueGrassSax

Summary:

Merlin was young when he came to realise that his soulmate was either really clumsy or lived a chaotic existence. Being able to take on the injuries of your soulmate is just a fact of life, a fact that Merlin happily accepts as he learns the ins and outs of his healing magic. But coming to Camelot has disrupted his long held trust in the Fates, for how can someone as bull-headed and arrogant as the prince wear his mark?

Now I Will Unsettle the Ground Beneath You by nu_breed

Summary:

Merlin's dreams have always fuelled his art, but they've always been abstract and removed from reality. Soon after he meets Gwaine, he starts to see vivid images of a past full of death and magic and love for a King who was ripped from him. Things only escalate further when he spends a weekend in the country with Gwaine and meets his group of friends, which includes aristocrat and It Boy, Arthur Pendragon. Merlin soon realises that no matter how hard you try, one thing is certain, you can't fuck with destiny.

Heart Lines by PeaceHeather

Summary:

Everyone is born with a heart line, a pigmented mark running from the heart down the left arm to the palm, which turns color when the person comes of age, telling them when it is time to seek their soulmate. Red indicates a romantic love, while blue is for platonic "heart-friends", as the minstrels called it. Uther had always told Arthur to ignore his heart line, that it wouldn't matter who his soulmate was; princes did not marry for love, after all. If was lucky, he'd be able to keep her as a mistress, so long as he did not get any children with her. Uther hated magic and would have urged Arthur to ignore the heart line anyway, if he could. Arthur wasn't sure his soulmate was really a woman despite Uther's assumptions. But Arthur's heart line hadn't even come into its full color yet, which meant he hadn't come of age in the eyes of the gods, despite being named crown prince by Uther. So it really didn't matter: whoever his soulmate was, he wasn't yet ready to meet them. Then one day his heart line comes in, and it's neither red nor blue.

the gold of you that can't be seen by Fleetling

Summary:

Arthur grins at him, waves his chubby hand. "Father!" he says, because he knows he should be formal with his father. There is no Pa here, no Dad or Da. There's something shiny on his father's head. He points to it. "What's that?" "Prince Arthur!" hisses the woman holding him, but his father only chuckles. The woman relaxes, just slightly. "It's a crown, my son. One day, you will wear one just like it." Arthur tilts his head, curiously. "What colour is it?" He thinks it's grey, just a shade off of the silver of the swords. It's the same silver-grey as half of the household's shiny jewelry, a not quite true silver. He doesn't think he likes it. "It's gold," says his father. "There's a lot of gold here in Camelot, my son." Arthur nods his head, and labels that silver-ish colour gold in his mind.   (Or: in a world where you can't see the colour of your soulmate's eyes until you meet them, Arthur can't see gold, and it makes his life as a prince much more difficult.)

Of All The Planets In All The Galaxies, He Walked Into Mine. by supercalvin

Summary:

On Camelot, the base planet of the Albion Intergalactic Alliance, the people have a unique gift where the name of their soulmate appears on their arm. Finding one’s soulmate could be as easy as taking a shuttle over to the next planet or it could take years for destiny to find its way to their side of the galaxy. Ten years ago, Ambassador Arthur Pendragon found out the name on his arm wasn’t from any known language in the galaxy. He hadn’t had much faith in love ever since.

The Druid Consort by bluevalentine69

Summary:

27-year-old Alpha Prince Arthur has been married off to 16-year-old Druid Prince Merlin to unite their kingdoms. Meeting for the first time at dawn to be handfasted by the customs of Merlin’s druid people - and expected to mate that night by the customs of Arthur's wolf-people - neither prince is best pleased by the situation. Tomorrow they will belong to each other in body and soul. Turns out, married life's not so bad ...

Four Days To Fall In Love. by CupCakezys

Summary:

In a world where everyone has a soulmate (or two or three), Arthur Pendragon knows he is destined to be alone. For Arthur can see his heartstring, could follow it to where his soulmate lived, and that could only mean one thing. His soulmate had magic, and should they ever meet, Arthur would have to kill them.

the world entire by schweet_heart

Summary:

The world is very still, and it occurs to Arthur suddenly how quiet it is. The bells don’t toll for dead manservants, only for princes and kings, but that just makes the clamour of his heart seem louder.   “Very well,” he says, pushing himself to his feet. “Then I’m going to have to save him.” Episode 1x13 AU. Nimueh accepts Merlin’s offer to exchange his life for Arthur’s. Arthur does not.

Hear Your Heart Sing (Love, Love, Love) by schweet_heart

Summary:

Merlin used to like the idea of finding The One – until he fell in love with Arthur Pendragon. Now he has a boss he can't date (but can't stop thinking about), a soulmate he can't find (who has terrible taste in music), and a best friend who can't believe he still hasn't got his act together (even though it's seriously not his fault). Sometimes, life is unfairly complicated, even without your soulmate singing painfully catchy tunes in the back of your head.

Dreams Don't Turn To Dust by goodluckgettingtosleep

Summary:

In a world where every person starts dreaming about their soulmate on the day of their 16th birthday, Prince Arthur is expected to be the soulmate of a beautiful princess. But when the big day finally rolls around, it turns out that his true soulmate is as far from a beautiful princess as one could get... a peasant boy with magic.

Let it be you by amithia

Summary:

This is all Gwen's fault. Merlin never wanted a stupid smartphone in the first place. Now, he has a smartphone and a supercilious, posh git bullying him on Whatsapp. He really should block the prat. or The one where Merlin doesn't block the prat and finds out that, maybe, smartphones aren't so bad after all.

Feather and Fang by 0hHeyThereBigBadWolf

Summary:

Everyone knows that magic users have magic dæmons. Creatures of myth and legend. Some appear normal but have hides in unnatural colours. It's a way to pick them out of a crowd, find them, even when they try to hide in plain sight.

The Worst Wizard by bluevalentine69

Summary:

Merlin is the worst wizard in wizarding school: his spells are accident prone and he is generally a walking disaster. When the time comes for his class to summon their familiars for the first time, many of the students summon powerful magical creatures. However, upon Merlin's turn, he summons a very unamused, regular human as a familiar: Arthur. Based on this prompt: https://kinksofcamelot.livejournal.com/1806.html?thread=557070#t557070. Now with original artwork!

Strangled by the Red String of Fate by idlestories

Summary:

“It has its roots in a legend from the east, sire. I believe it’s called the red string of fate.” “Fate?” Arthur said incredulously. “What, is he going to be the one to kill me?” “Getting more likely by the minute,” Merlin supplied. “Shut up, Merlin.” Gaius held up a weary hand. “Legend has it that the string connects people to the person with whom they are most compatible.” There was a beat of silence. “You have got to be kidding me.”

octarine by schweet_heart

Summary:

Merlin isn't Arthur's soulmate, and Arthur isn't Merlin's, yet somehow in spite of themselves they're everything to one another. Which is why, when Arthur finally starts seeing in colour, he isn't willing to let Merlin go without a fight. Written for Merlin_Holidays Fest 2016.

you are my favorite mistake (it can only be fate) by muItifandomjess

Summary:

When Merlin accidentally creates a mental link between himself and Arthur, they discover far more about each other than they could ever have imagined.

[nuwanda24]

Take Me to Church - Merlin

Just realised how perfect Hozier's Take Me to Church fits Merlin:

"A fresh poison each week" - it's meant metaphorically, but we all know how literal that is in the context of Merlin. There's not a single week that goes by without some magical threat or someone trying to poison/otherwise assassinate Arthur

"We were born sick, you heard them say it" - Merlin was born with magic, he's magic incarnate; Arthur on the other hand only got conceived through magic, so they were both "born sick" from Uther's of view

"If I'm a pagan of the good times" - Merlin basically is a God of the Old Religion, a pagan belief that symbolises the "good time" in which magic was free

"My lover's the sunlight" - Arthur is, as is well established in the fandom, extremely sun-coded, not only visualy with his golden hair. He is the crown prince, later king, everybody looks up to him while noone dares to come too close (despite Merlin). He burns with an incredible brightness for his people, for Camelot, but in the end, he burns out, just as every sun will do eventually. Merlin, on the other hand, is the night or moon to Arthur's sun. He keeps in Arthur's shadow, never seeking attention or retribution for all that he has done. He has to work in the dark in order to ensure that Arthur and by extend Camelot can be safe. He hates it (remember his rant in S3E11 "I hate it, to be the most powerful person I know and to have to act like a shadow, to be special and to have to play the fool"), but he willingly and glady sacrifices his own light so that Arthur's can burn brighter.

"To keep the goddess on my side" - I don't remember if this is canon or just something that most of the fanfics I've read agreed on, but the Triple Goddess is presumably responsible for the whole prophecy regarding Emrys and the Once and Future King, and Merlin needs to keep her on his side, in order to fulfill his destiny.

"She demands a sacrifice" - this could either be the Cailleach in S4E1-2 The Darkest Hour who demands a life as sacrifice to close the veil between the world of the living and the dead; or it is about Arthur, who needs to die in order to be able to rise again in Albion's greatest time of need.

The Bridge is: "No masters or kings when the ritual begins / There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin / In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene / Only then, I am human, only then, I am clean". - that part is less concret, but it still reminds me of Arthur's death scene - only Arthur and Merlin are left to witness it, there are no knights, no Gwen, no Camelot, no titles or rank, nothing but the two of them and their love for each other, the bond they share. And I think that in many instances Arthur was the one who kept Merlin in touch with his humanity. Yes, he was also the reason why Merlin crossed boundary after boundary, making him hate himself more and more and making him believe himself to be a monster, but I don't think he's ever felt as human (and as powerless) as the moment he felt Arthur die in his arms.

And then there's the chorus: "I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies" - Merlin worships Arthur, there's nothing he wouldn't do for that man, no matter how much he insults him or how hypocritical his actions might be. Arthur can break any promise, tell any lie (not that he does that very often), Merlin will still be there. And in the end, like Odysseus' dog Argus, he waited and waited on the shores of Avalon for the day that Arthur might finally come back to him.

"I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife" - I mean, that's literally what happens. Merlin tells Arthur about his powers, and you can't tell me that he wouldn't have allowed him (after he'd have forced him to get healed and ensured that Arthur would live) to put any punishment upon him, even death, that he wouldn't have preferred to die by Arthur's knife than to have to live without him.

"Offer me that deathless death, oh, good God, let me give you my life" - how often does Merlin offer his own life for Arthur's? From the very episode on, he throws himself between his prince and everything and everyone trying to harm him, from knives over curses, to drinking poison and Dorochas. And there were so many instances where he should have died but didn't, suffering (or surviving) a deathless death.

The song just perfectly depicts Merlin's (unhealthy) devotion to his king, and how that feeds on his soul.

[starrstruck-xx]

i never found any merlin prompt / merlin month / merlin week (if they exist pls tell me guys i need ideas for content SJHFJK) so i decided to make my list of prompts, feel free to write/draw/do anything with them!!!!! (p.s. some of them are merthur centric, i'm sory for being biased :()

winter/summer/autumn/spring

episode themed

rain

college/high school au

hurt/comfort

the once and future king and emrys

modern au

crossover

genderbend

canon divergence

roadtrip!!

date

halloween/valentine/christmas

forest

magic

butterflies

dragon

everyone knows about merlin's magic

sassy/brat merlin

sun and moon

destiny

wedding

angels and demon au / gods au

embarrassed

longing

season 6

childhood

role swap

birthday!!

domestic

flowers

fruit

under a spell

mermaids / siren

fairy

druids

ring

fight

sunset

grass field

castle

home

wheat field

future

dreams

potions

knights / the roundtable

sword / excalibur

crystal

the triple goddess

revive that character from death

death

tears

soulmates

crown

jewelry

confession

kiss

jealous

pirate au

cooking

cleaning

gaius' chambers

throne room

pillowtalk

in another life

magic

strength courage magic

lion

ghost

chalice

poison

staff

secret admirer

beach

flower field

heart

lake / river / ocean

island

fire

flying

body swap

love potion oh nooo

leon long suffering

gwaine causing property damage every 0.5 seconds

sleeping beauty / fairytale

bullying

teasing

manipulated

wand

magic reveal

blind / deaf / disability

chains

jail

time

night

day

stars

roses

ruthless

Okay that's it for now let me know if you want part 2 :)

[sherlockruiningmylife]

My Merthur (Merlin) fics masterlist:

Decided to redo this list from scratch because I hadn’t updated the original in an age. Listed from my newest works to my oldest. All fics are linked to via the title. Should just be able to click to open them.

-Bleeding Gold (T | 3,865)

Merlin bleeds gold. Every time he is injured he has to hide it from any prying eyes.

Small excerpt: It's a simple cut that wouldn’t require more than a few stitches. If it were on one of the knights it would be no big deal. But on Merlin… The problem is, Merlin isn’t quite human in the way the others are. He’d been aware of this for a long time and it always irked him. But now it was especially apparent. As blood dripped from his arm in the shallow cut. It dripped gold.

-The servant god (G | 3,275)

When Merlin and Arthur get into an argument, Merlin reaches his wit's end. He blows up and confesses to Arthur before storming off. Now it is Arthur's turn to try and win him back

Based off of a post I had drafted on Tumblr but never actually published. Not used entirely verbatim in here but almost the same lines are there: Merlin gets frustrated one day and explodes into a rant about how Arthur treats him. Merlin: Do you even know who I am?! I am Emrys, Arthur! I am a God! Arthur: (scoffs and crosses arms) God of ineptitude maybe. Merlin: (glares then storms out leaving a trail of flames behind him)

-Becoming a god (G | 6,367)

The knights and Merlin stumble upon a shrine to Emrys in the woods. Merlin realizes, too late, that it may be more than just a simple shrine.

-How to pick a fight with your soulmate (G | 2,353)

Soulmate AU where your soulmate shares your pain every time you get hurt. This is how I imagine the market fight in the first episode would have gone had soulmates existed.

Small excerpt: “Do you want to give up?” Merlin yells. “To you?” Arthur asks as he backs away. Hoping sooner rather than later that this foolish man would hit himself with the mace he is swinging so wildly. “Do you? Do you want to give up?”

-Till death do us part (E | wip currently 50k+)

Stuck in an arranged marriage contract, struck before either were old enough to have a say, can Merlin and Arthur find any happiness in their inevitable partnership? With one being a sorcerer prince, and the other raised to despise sorcerers it seems doubtful.

This one is my baby, my love, my passion. But she is currently on a little hiatus. Will be back once I quit getting distracted.

-To know all of him (T | 4,307)

When Merlin and the knights get captured by a sorceress, Merlin is forced to take a truth serum. After revealing his secrets, will Merlin be able to regain the trust of the king and his knights?

Short excerpt: The sorceress growled, “Enough games, now answer! What is your biggest secret?” Merlin frowned, trying to fight off the serum, after several long moments of silence Merlin looses the battle and says quietly, “I have magic.” Anthea grins, “there now, was that so hard?” Lancelot winces but Arthur looks puzzled. Arthur, who had been observing the interaction with confusion finally chimes in with a cut off laugh.

-Hidden Talents (T | 19,755)

Modern with magic - Aithusa/dragonlord fic. Merlin and Arthur are roommates in uni. Arthur likes to complain about Merlin's appalling lack of a social life, using this as an excuse to take Merlin with him everywhere he goes. This is convenient for when Merlin is needed to protect Arthur from his own misfortune, but it does make it difficult to keep certain parts of himself hidden.

I definitely tend to write for myself and this is a prime example. I reread this one often, it makes me happy :)

-A Grain of Truth (M | 12,179)

Merlin and Arthur travel to an outlying village in Camelot seeking a stolen amulet. What they find is a thriving magical community with druids wandering the town's market freely. Unfortunately for Merlin, he is recognized as Emrys. How will Arthur respond when he finds out? Set somewhere in the midst of season 3.

-Camelot’s Protector (T | 5,632)

Camelot is forced to battle Essetir when Cenred's men invade. Merlin does his best to stay at Arthur's side when the battle begins, but Arthur is insistent that Merlin get to safety. Both refusing to cooperate, they get themselves into trouble and end up revealing more than they'd planned.

-The Role of Servants and Masters (G | 3,476)

Thomas is a new servant in Camelot's castle. Before today, he had only heard stories of the prince and his manservant. He had thought them to be the result of the castles working rumor mill, blowing them out of proportion. He will soon find out first hand just how true those stories were.

Small Excerpt: So far, Thomas knew that the Prince, Arthur, and his manservant, Merlin, were a bit of an oddity in the castle. Their relationship could not be described as that of a servant and his master. Instead, people described it as… well no one was quite sure. Prince Arthur gave Merlin orders, but those orders were either ignored or done begrudgingly. From what Thomas gathered, Merlin did follow the law, he just didn’t seem to adhere to the spirit of it.

Another one I reread often :)

-The Trouble with Soulmates (T | 17,774)

Arthur Pendragon is a famous actor, Merlin Emrys is a maths teacher. The chances of their paths crossing are slim to none. That is until Arthur sets them on a rather frustrating journey. Who knew that soulmates could be so troublesome.

-Not According to Plan (T | 2,294)

While out on patrol, Merlin, Arthur, and Elyan are ambushed by bandits. In order to fight them off, Merlin must use his magic. When one of the bandits cries 'Sorcerer', Merlin is faced with a tough decision. Caution is thrown to the wind, and Merlin is a badass.

-The Legend of Emrys (G | 4,801)

As the king of Camelot, Arthur is seeking to undo his father’s laws against magic and right his wrongs. As the final step in this process he seeks an alliance with the druids. They inform him that he already has their allegiance because Emrys is at his side. There is only one problem with that, Arthur doesn’t know who Emrys is.

-Once and Future Merthur (T | 11,832)

While escaping from bandits, Merlin and Arthur find themselves transported to a different version of their lives. Throughout their journey secrets are revealed and emotions are uncovered. Will they be able to handle the truth once it is unveiled?

This one is a bit out there admittedly, but I stand by it.

-The Unwanted Gift (G | 5,649)

Merlin is, by his nature, a kind and gentle hearted person. When a young sorceress sees this in the warlock, she seeks to help others to be able to see this in Merlin as well. She gifts him with an enchantment that bears Merlin’s soul to the world, which leads to some rather unintended consequences for the warlock. Inspired by this artwork from 2018 by tumblr user @cypress-ess: https://cypress-ess.tumblr.com/post/177981059209/snow-white-au

-Visiting Home (T | 3,016)

Arthur and Merlin travel to Ealdor to take part in a harvest celebration. Arthur has known about Merlin’s magic for a while, and Merlin has been named the Court Sorcerer. Wanting to get to know more about young Merlin, Arthur asks Hunith for some stories. OR – tooth rotting domestic fluff

This is 2 years worth of my writing/my life which is quite crazy for me to think about. Hope y’all like some of these, I love this fandom so much!

[justaz]

god!merlin

druids can NOT speak in people’s minds. when they are before a high priestess, they can pray to her directly and she can hear them (hence the scene between morgana and mordred when he spoke in her mind).

merlin who constantly has this buzzing in the back of his head that he can never understand besides the occasional odd word which makes no sense. but when he’s closer to a druid or when their prayer is super strong, then he can make out what they’re saying.

merlin who brings up the fact that druids can speak into peoples minds to gaius who casually unfurls a scroll containing his ongoing list of reasons why merlin is/evidence of merlin being a god of the old religion.

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

Hello everyone! I'm back with another Merlin au idea! This story was actually supposed to be a part of my fic "What to do When an Eldritch God Decides That You're Friend-Shaped", but I decided that this idea didn't really mesh well with the rest of that fic and would probably be better off as its own separate story.

And I will say, in my opinion, that this is probably one of my best au ideas yet. I had so much fun just writing this! Also, heads up, this post is going to be very long because I really love this idea! So, I hope you all enjoy! :D

In this au, which is set post-Camlann, Morgana wasn't able to take Merlin's magic away before the battle, so Merlin was able to save Arthur and defeat both Mordred and Morgana without revealing his magic. He was also able to prevent Gwaine's death since he kept Morgana preoccupied in the battle. So, Camelot is saved, and everything is great!

Except, Arthur has some questions. He knows from Morgana's furious screams during the battle that she was killed by a sorcerer named "Emrys", but Arthur never saw him. And Arthur recognized that name from when Morgana taunted him years ago by saying "Not even Emrys can save you now."

Arthur knows that he owes his kingdom and perhaps his life to this Emrys guy, but he knows nothing about him other than that he's a very powerful sorcerer, more powerful than Morgana. This frightens Arthur, as he doesn't know what Emrys wants or why he helps Arthur. For all Arthur knows, Emrys could be just biding his time to take over Camelot and was simply doing away with his competition by killing Morgana.

After things calmed down after the battle of Camlann, Arthur decides that he needs more information on Emrys. Who he is, what are his motives, how can they find him, and a million other details that Arthur needs to ensure his people's safety. He first goes to Gaius for information, but Gaius can tells him that, according to the myths of the Old Religion, Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth and is held in high regard by the druids.

Gaius's answer only heightens Arthur's alarm, as the prospect of having to fight to most powerful sorcerer ever is terrifying to him. However, he still doesn't have any good information on Emrys, so he goes to the next best source: the druids.

Thanks to Arthur making peace with the druids after promising the ghost of the young druid boy and permitting them to use their magic for peaceful purposes only, there were a couple druid camps not far from Camelot. Arthur picked the closer one and took a day to travel there alongside Merlin and a few knights in the hopes of finally getting some answers.

When they arrive at the camp, they're met with worried glances and panicked faces, but the druid elders welcome them into the camp nonetheless, offering them all a seat by their campfire and warm meal. Once they got settled and Arthur exchanged some pleasantries with Iseldir, the druid chieftain, Arthur was finally able to ask what had been plaguing him for weeks.

"Iseldir, I know that your people hold a sorcerer named Emrys in high regard, and it's come to my attention that he was responsible for Morgana's defeat at Camlann and possibly on other occasions. Please, I need to know more about him and why he's chosen to help me."

Several people froze and tensed at Arthur's questions, including Merlin. Arthur sighed internally at Merlin's usual panic. He knew that Merlin could become easily scared in the face of magic, so he should have knows that his friend wouldn't approve of Arthur actively seeking out a dangerous sorcerer.

After a short, tense pause, Iseldir clears his throat and responds.

"I'd be happy to answer some of your questions about the god of magic!"

Wait, did Arthur hear that correctly? God of magic?! Arthur, in his shock, blurted out,

"Emrys is a god?! I had heard that he was a powerful sorcerer, not some deity!"

Iseldir chuckled a bit before responding,

"Emrys is indeed the god of magic in the Old Religion, the son of the Triple Goddess herself! He is not simply the master of magic, but rather magic itself, its very incarnation!"

That... was a rather frightening prospect, and it confused Arthur even further. Why would magic itself fight against Morgana? Why take Arthur's side? And, perhaps more importantly, was Arthur going to have to fight a god in order to protect his kingdom?!

Iseldir continued before Arthur's hysterical thought could bubble up to the surface.

"As I said, I'm happy to answer your questions, but please know that there are some secrets that Emrys has entrusted our people with that we cannot divulge, and there are some truths that might be... difficult for you in particular."

Arthur frowned at Iseldir's answer, unsure of what to make of it.

"What do you mean it might be difficult for me in particular?"

Iseldir winced a bit, grimacing like he didn't know how to respond without warranting a negative response.

"Well, there are some elements of Emrys's story that intertwine with your own life in some ways that you might not expect or be ready to hear at this point. Your life and Emrys's are highly connected, King Arthur, even if you don't know the extent of it yet."

Arthur's eyes widened at this admission. His life was connected to this mysterious god of the old religion? How could that possibly be true? He had didn't even know that Emrys was a god until a few moments ago! However, as curious as he was about what Iseldir could be talking about, he had more pressing matters at hand.

"We can discuss how I am connected to Emrys later. For now, I need answers to more important questions. Why does Emrys help Camelot? What is he hoping to get out of it?"

Iseldir looked much happier to answer this question, speaking calmly with a serene smile on his face.

"Emrys had many reasons to stand against the witch. She frequently hunted down and killed more peaceful magic users who did not share her taste for vengeance and bloodshed, including our fellow druids and even the Catha, a small sect of priests of the Old Religion that followed Emrys's will. Emrys fought against Morgana to protect these followers of his from her wrath."

Arthur nodded at Iseldir's explanation. As odd as it felt to have something in common with a god of the Old Religion, he could understand very well the drive to protect his own people. If Emrys's people were also in danger because of Morgana, it made sense for him to join forces with Arthur, even if Arthur was unaware of that alliance. Seeing Arthur's understanding, Iseldir continued with his explanation.

"Emrys also fought against Morgana in order to punish her for her hubris and use of dark magic. There are certain dark arts that take the power that Emrys grants us and twist it into a horrible force, bound only by the will of its user. Such arts are expressly forbidden by Emrys, and he cannot control what sorcerers do with such magic after its been corrupted so thoroughly. Morgana frequently used such forbidden arts and claimed the title of high priestess while ignoring the will of the gods, even the one that she drew her power from. Emrys is normally slow to anger, but for such transgressions, he became furious with Morgana and sought to punish her for treason against magic itself."

Arthur understood that a little bit less, but he could also relate to Emrys's reasoning as a king who had also had to punish some of his own citizens for treason.

"I can see that Emrys stood opposed to Morgana, but does Camelot have anything to fear from him? I can understand why he might not be very forgiving towards us considering my father's actions during his reign."

To Arthur's immense relief, Iseldir shook his head slightly before providing an explanation.

"No, Camelot has nothing to fear from Emrys. He knows that not everyone in Camelot agreed with your father's actions, and he can see progress that you've made since the end of your father's reign. In fact, Emrys has assisted Camelot many times even when Morgana wasn't involved!"

Arthur reeled backwards in shock at Iseldir words. The god of magic, helping Camelot freely? Despite everything his father had done?! Iseldir's explanation forced Arthur to re-evaluate what he knew of the Old Religion.

He had always seen the Old Religion and its gods as monstrous and barbaric. However, that wasn't the case, was it? Emrys had saved the kingdom that sought to destroy him. The Disir had shown Mordred mercy, even though Arthur had rejected their offer. The White Goddess had restored Guinevere's soul at the Cauldron of Arianrhod and healed her of Morgana's curse. Were all of the gods and goddesses of the Old Religion so benevolent and kind? Had Arthur misunderstood the Old Religion for his entire life?

However, Arthur was still shocked at Emrys in particular choosing to help Camelot, supposedly with no ulterior motives besides a common enemy in Morgana. That was how Camelot had survived against such odds? How could it be that magic itself was on their side?!

As Arthur looked at Iseldir again however, he noticed that the druid chieftain's face had pulled into a grimace again. Arthur certainly knew that look, he had seen it on the faces of his council members frequently.

"There's something that you aren't telling me, isn't there? I know that there are some things that you may be hesitant to divulge, but please, I must know everything I can about Emrys, for the safety of my kingdom."

Iseldir paused again, sighing deeply. He sat still for a moment, as if pondering how to proceed.

"Truthfully, there is another reason why Emrys assisted you, but it involves what I spoke of earlier, wen I said that your life and Emrys's are connected in ways that you may not expect. I am willing to tell you such things, but these truths might be hard for you to hear."

Arthur leaned forward, his curiosity piqued again.

"I have learned many uncomfortable truths about my own life through the years, so I will ask you: how could my life be connected to the god of magic?"

Iseldir nodded at Arthur's words and began speaking with a serious, nearly grim, voice.

"I assume that you are familiar with how life is exchanged in the practice of the Old Religion? For any life give, a life must be taken."

Arthur flinched backwards at Iseldir's words, already recognizing what topic was about to be brought up. He had come to terms with the truth of his birth years ago, but hearing it again didn't make it any easier. Blinking back tears, Arthur responded.

"Yes, I... I know. I'm aware that my father made a deal with the priestess Nimueh to secure an heir, and I know that my mother was the one who paid the price in the end."

Arthur heard quiet gasps coming from the knights around him, while Merlin silently put a comforting hand on Arthur's shoulder. Iseldir, after a moment, continued with his explanation.

"You are correct in your understanding, however, there is one part of the story that you are unaware of."

Arthur jolted in shock at Iseldir's words. There was more to the story of his birth? Frantically, Arthur started asking questions.

"What do you mean? What haven't I been told?"

Iseldir patiently and softly answered Arthur's questions, trying to soften the crushing revelation that he was about to tell Arthur.

"The balance of life and death is at the very core of the Old Religion. However, it is not the power of creation. The power over life and death was used by the high priestesses to resurrect and bring life to someone who has already passed. To magically create a new life, a new soul, from nothing is an act of creation, something that takes far more power than manipulating the balance of life and death. An act of creation takes the power of a god."

"I... I don't understand. What are you trying to tell me?"

"I am sorry that you had to find out this way, King Arthur. But in order to successfully ensure that your mother and father had an heir, Nimueh called upon the power of her patron god: Emrys."

This time, it was Arthur was gasped in shock at this information, hysteria rising in him once again.

"Are you telling me that Emrys was responsible for my very creation?! That it was his power that created me?!"

"More than that, I'm afraid. To create your soul, Emrys did more than just weave his own power into a life. He cut out a shard of his own soul and breathed life into it, thus creating you. While we don't know his reasons for doing so, Emrys created you from a part of his own being."

Arthur felt like his breath had just been punched out of him. What... what did this mean?!

Iseldir must have seen his panic, and further clarified.

"In the eyes of the gods, this made Emrys your true creator and, in the eyes of the magical world, your father."

At those words, Arthur stopped breathing entirely. Unbeknownst to Iseldir, who kept going with his explanation, Arthur entire worldview was collapsing in on itself.

Magic itself was his father?! What did that even mean?!

And oh god was he even a Pendragon? Did he even have a legitimate claim to the throne of Camelot?!

Arthur's panic was so strong that he could barely feel how Merlin's supportive hand on his shoulder was now clenching hard enough to bruise.

(Meanwhile, inside Merlin's panicking mind: WTF??! Oh shit I owed HOW MUCH to Uther Pendragon in child support?! Am I a deadbeat dad to my own best friend??)

"This is why you triumphed over any foe, magical or otherwise. Emrys forbade any magic from truly harming you, and he rose to protect you when you needed him. He will always fight by your side, as you are, in many ways, a part of him."

Iseldir paused, now noticing Arthur's hyperventilating.

"I assume that you have many questions following this news. Please, feel free to ask anything, there's no need to be scared by this!"

Arthur took a deep breath and tried to keep from laugh hysterically. No need to be scared?! His entire life had just been turned on its head!

"If... if Emrys is my true father, what about Uther? Do I even have a claim to my throne?"

"Ah, there's no need to worried about that. While Emrys might be your father in terms of your soul, Uther is still your father in terms of blood. Do not fret, King Arthur, you are still of Pendragon blood and have every rightful claim to your throne."

Arthur calmed down a bit at Iseldir's words, breathing much easier now. This explained so many things about Arthur's life, how he had survived in situations that he by all means shouldn't have. Still, he had many questions for Iseldir.

"If I am truly the son of magic itself, am I even human, or am I some sort of demigod?"

At this question, Iseldir shook his head.

"That, I truly do not know. I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone knows the answer to that question except for Emrys himself."

Finally, an idea occurred to Arthur. He stiffened as he blurted out,

"Can I speak with him then? Is there any way to summon him?"

As soon as the idea took root in Arthur's mind, he couldn't get it out. Emrys had to have been looking out for Arthur for many years now, using his power to protect him. This notion of having a secret father who had been caring for him for years almost felt like having a second chance.

Arthur never had the relationship with Uther that he wanted. There was no affection, no bonding, and no comfort to be found there. Only expectations and demands.

But Emrys had apparently been helping Arthur for years with no expectations and no demands. Arthur had fantasized as a young boy about what it would have been like to have a kind, caring father, the kind he saw doting on their children in the marketplace. Now, it almost seemed like he had another chance of having a father, one who truly cared about him!

So naturally, Arthur wanted to meet him! Both the druids and the knights look slightly confused at Arthur's excited outburst about wanting to meet Emrys, but the druids tell him that they have everything that they need to perform a summoning ritual, but they'd need some time to set it up.

Arthur asks if they can set it up for him, and they nod and walk away to begin preparations. Meanwhile, Merlin and the knights ask Arthur if he's just lost his mind. They know that this must be shocking for him, but does he need to summon a god?!

Merlin shows the most vocal opposition to Arthur's plan, saying that they still don't even know if they can trust Emrys. All they have to go on is the word of the druids, and they seem pretty biased in Emrys's favor.

Arthur smiles and tells Merlin that he appreciates his protectiveness, but this is something that Arthur needs to do. He needs this closure, this chance to connect with his last living parent.

Arthur does take Merlin's concerns into consideration though, and orders for his men to leave the camp and take Merlin with them, so they're far away and protected if Emrys turns out to be untrustworthy.

(As the knights drag a struggling Merlin away, Merlin is frantically talking with Iseldir in his mind about what the summoning ritual entails and what it looks like. If he magically pops up next to Arthur right as Arthur does a ritual to summon Emrys, even Arthur would be able to put two and two together!

Luckily, Iseldir informs him that the summoning ritual will summon his soul, not his body, and Arthur wouldn't be able to recognize him. Still, Merlin tried to talk the druids out of the ritual, because Merlin doesn't want his soul to get yanked out of his body! But there was little that the druids could do with Arthur insisting on the ritual.)

After preparing the materials for the ritual, the druids take Arthur back into a tent to get him ready. Arthur's heart pounded in his chest with both excitement and fear as the druids walked him through what he had to do.

First, they gave him some plain but comfortable robes to change in to. They explained that Emrys preferred his followers to come to him in the garments of peace, not war, so his armor, chainmail, and weapons would have to be left in the tent.

After changing into the robes, Arthur felt strangely both vulnerable and comforted. As the druids rubbed some flowery smelling oil into his arms and then led him to a small wooden altar, Arthur couldn't help comparing this experience to approaching Uther.

Whenever he was meeting with his father, Arthur was expected to show no weakness, no flaws. He had to look the part of the warrior prince, trained since birth and hardened by battle. However, here with Emrys, Arthur was dressed in comfortable clothes and told to simply ask for Emrys's presence before the altar. He didn't need a sacrifice or penance or any sort of challenge to summon Emrys. All that the druids told him was to "call for him, and Emrys will answer."

Placing one hand gently on the wooden surface of the intricately carved altar, Arthur cleared his throat wetly before saying aloud to the empty space in front of him,

"Emrys, I'm... I'm not sure if you're here, but I'm your- your son, Arthur. You probably know me already, though, since you've been helping me and protecting me for a long time now. I- I wanted to thank you for your help. So, I would appreciate it if you could appear, so I could meet you and thank you in person."

There, Arthur thought that was a pretty good introduction! This was his first time meeting his new father, so he needed to make a good first impression!

Arthur stood, awkwardly shifting on his feet as he tried to push down his disappointment with each passing moment that Emrys did not appear. Maybe Arthur did it wrong? Maybe Emrys hadn't heard him? Or maybe Emrys had heard him, but was disappointed in Arthur and deemed him a weak son, just like Uther had?

As Arthur tried to swallow down his hurt, suddenly, there was a bright flash of light above the altar. It was so bright that Arthur had to throw his hand in front of his eyes and turn away, but his heart leapt at the sight.

Was this it?! Was he about to meet his creator and have another chance at having a father?

As soon as he could, Arthur lowered his hand and opened his eyes, anxiously awaiting his first glimpse at Emrys! As the light died down, Arthur was able to make out the outline of something...

As the light slowly dwindled, Arthur could see a bright, glowing ball of golden light, very similar to the one that had saved him from that cave so many years ago, floating above the altar. His eyes widened as he realized what, or more likely who, this light must be.

Emrys was a god after all, Arthur really shouldn't have assumed that he'd look like a human. The god of magic taking a human form, what a crazy idea!

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Arthur called out to the light.

"Emrys? Is that you?"

At his words, the light floated down from the altar until it was hovering right in front of Arthur, an arm's reach away. Arthur fought the urge to reach out and touch the light, just to see if it was real and not just a product of his own wishful thinking.

After a couple seconds, the ball of light flashed, and Arthur heard what sounded like multiple voices coming from it, speaking in unison.

"Hello Arthur. I'm so glad to finally be able to meet you. I am Emrys."

(Elsewhere, Merlin mentally patted himself on the back for making his soul-self sound sufficiently inhuman and speak in a manner that was completely unlike his usual self. Arthur couldn't possibly figure his identity out now!)

Arthur let out a sound that was something between a joyful laugh and a sob. Emrys actually came! Clearing his throat, Arthur tried to calm down his excitement and nerves and put on his best diplomat voice. He needed to start off strong here!

"I'm glad that we could meet as well. It's come to my attention that I have many things to thank you for, including Camelot's victory over Morgana in our latest battle. You might have saved all of Camelot, and I owe you a debt of gratitude."

Emrys silently floated in place for a moment, making Arthur sweat with nervousness. Had he already blown his one chance of having a caring parent?

Finally, Emrys's... orb body (what else was Arthur supposed to call it?!) glowed again and spoke with his multiple voices overlapping in harmony.

"You do not owe me anything, Arthur. There are no debts between us. We are family, tied together by our very souls. You never have to feel indebted to me for protecting you and Camelot. I do it not for a reward or recognition, but because I care for you."

Arthur's eyes misted over as he took in Emrys's words. How many times had he wished to hear anything like that from Uther? How many nights had he lied awake wondering what unconditional love from a parent would feel like?

As tears started silently rolling down Arthur's face, Emrys drifted closer to him. Arthur was startled by this move and didn't really know how to respond. Hesitantly, he lifted his hands to ball of light, unsure of what to do.

Slowly, the light moved towards Arthur's outreached hands. Arthur almost expected to flinch back upon contact, but instead, when his hands finally touched the ball of light itself, he was only met with a warm, comforting sensation, and he instantly relaxed and leaned into it. The only thing he could compare it to were those warm hugs that Merlin gave him whenever he felt down, which he would never admit to Merlin that he enjoyed.

Arthur gently guided the light closer, until he was hugging it against his chest and that wonderful warm fuzzy feeling was spreading through his entire body. Arthur wondered if this counted as getting a hug from his father, and then immediately decided that the answer was yes. And his new father apparently gave very good hugs.

Arthur stayed with Emrys for several more minutes, until the sun was setting. From there, Emrys told him that he had spent too much time in the mortal realm and couldn't hold his form for much longer without taking time to rest. Panicking, Arthur asked if he would be able to see Emrys again, he couldn't lose his new father so soon after meeting him!

Emrys reassured him that they'd see each other again soon and that he'd be by Arthur's side the whole time, even if Arthur couldn't see him. Comforted by this news, Arthur bid his new father farewell, and the ball of light slowly dissipated.

Arthur then returned to Merlin and his knights, who had a million questions for Arthur. Arthur answered their burning questions as best he could, and they were relieved to see that Arthur was safe and not scarred by the experience of talking to the god of magic.

The next day, they returned to Camelot, and Arthur soon realized that even if he couldn't see Emrys himself, he could certainly the effects that Emrys had on the world around him.

Arthur never fell sick, his rooms were never too hot or too cold, his muscles were never sore from training, his attackers that snuck into the castle never managed to land a hit on him, his kingdom's crops prospered, and a million other things went right in Arthur's life, and for the very first time, Arthur understood.

Magic loved him. And, more importantly, his father loved him.

And it didn't escape other people's notice either. He had told the knights that he had brought with him to the druid camp to not discuss the revelation of his relationship to Emrys, but one knight got drunk at the tavern and told his friend, and someone overheard, and now everyone in the kingdom had heard the news that King Arthur was apparently the son of a god.

The fact that Arthur had secretly prayed for Emrys's help when Gaius reported about a deadly plague in the lower town, only for Emrys to immediately appear again as a ball of light in the middle of a council meeting in front of dozens of witnesses didn't help Arthur keep it a secret either.

(Meanwhile, Merlin hears all of Arthur's prayers for Emrys. He's able to take care of most of Arthur's concerns just as Merlin, but a very powerful/emotional prayer from Arthur actually summons him in his "Emrys" form, leading to some awkward moments, but he makes it work for Arthur's sake.)

On the bright side of Arthur's heritage being revealed, other kingdoms were now much more open to peaceful negotiations and trade deals.

And on one occasion where a very foolish king tried to declare war on Arthur, the enemy king's army only made it a hundred yards of Camelot's forces before the earth itself broke open into a wide chasm that started swallowing the leaders of the enemy army whole. No one was stupid enough to attempt an attack on Camelot after that.

Life goes on like this for about a year, until Arthur catches Merlin using magic for some mundane purpose. Arthur is shocked of course, but magic has been legal for a while now. When he questions Merlin on where he learned magic from, Merlin stammers and says "Well... uh, Emrys..."

Arthur cut Merlin off, yelling because apparently his father was teaching Merlin magic behind his back?! What was that about!

Merlin then decides to take this misunderstanding and roll with it, because there's no way in hell that he's looking Arthur in the eyes and telling him that he's actually Arthur's magical father.

Merlin spins a story about how Emrys had been slowly teaching Merlin magic so Merlin could help Arthur out and always have someone nearby with magic to protect him! Arthur accepts this story, but is secretly a little bit jealous. How come Emrys chose to teach Merlin magic and not his own son?

After Arthur asks Emrys about this, Emrys apologizes to Arthur, saying that he didn't know if Arthur would be interested. He then starts trying to teach Arthur magic (to pretty much no success). To further apologize to Arthur, Emrys gives him a gift! Emrys had apparently heard about how Uther had forbidden Arthur from having a pet as a child despite Arthur begging for one, so Emrys decided to remedy this by giving Arthur a baby dragon to take care of and to train to protect Camelot.

Everyone else is alarmed by this, but Arthur is almost moved to tears because he loves the little dragon so much already!

And this au is already wayyyy too long, so I'll cut it off there! I'm tempted to call this the "Arthur gets catfished into a healthy parental relationship" au lol!

I hope you all enjoyed this au! Sorry about it being longer than usual, but I had a lot that I wanted to write about this au idea! And if you want to see even more of this au, feel free to let me know if you'd like a continuation!

And, as always, thank you for reading through my (very long) ramblings! :D

[veryace-ficrecs]

Fics Inspired By Orpheus and Eurydice

This list will include fics that are retellings of, or inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Hope you enjoy!

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Supernatural

hold onto your voice, hold onto your breath by unicornpoe - Rated T

You won’t be able to stop me, Dean thinks into the silence. Just take me, please, take me instead— EYE FOR AN EYE, says the Empty. Dean is on his knees in his bedroom, elbows on his mattress like he thought he might pray. The voice fills Dean’s mind as slowly as cold oil, and drips down the back of his neck. TOOTH FOR A TOOTH. * Dean makes a deal.

saying goodbye (is death by a thousand cuts) by AsphodeleSauvage - Rated G

Cas died, and Dean didn’t say “I love you” back. And Dean is left alone, with his regrets and his unsaid words. Fuck fate, fuck curses, fuck God and the Empty and Death. He’s never let any of that stop him. He won’t begin now. Not when Cas needs him.

IT (movies)

so look alive, it's much cheaper by middlecyclone - Rated M

"You know Orpheus?" "Yes," says Ben, "Greek mythology, travels to the underworld to resurrect his dead lover, looks back at the last moment and loses her forever. What about him?" "Well, I figured if he can do it—" "Well, he didn't really do it, that's kind of the whole point—" "—why not me?" Richie finishes. "And it, well, it worked. Kind of."

Eurydice; The Original Comeback Kid by Vulcanodon - Rated M

Richie makes a deal with the devil and Derry pays the price. The Losers reunite to deal with the consequences.

"Behind him, almost imperceptible, he hears the footsteps. Richie’s heart jumps in his chest and he lets out a rush of air but before he can turn Pennywise is in his ear saying, REMEMBER RICHIE: DON’T LOOK BACK. “Okay, okay.” Richie says, every muscle in his body aching to turn around. "Old school, I can dig it.” "

Merlin (TV)

The Voyage of the Prydwenn by Mertiya - Rated T

Instead of trying to take his mother at the end of Season 1, Nimueh doesn't trick Merlin, and it's his life she takes. But Arthur isn't going to let a little thing like death take Merlin away, even if it means storming into the land of the dead and dragging him out himself.

Any way the wind blows by evie_everyday - Rated T

“Where is he?” Merlin manages to say to the not-quite-woman in front of him. “Albion’s greatest time of need looms on the horizon,” she says, his question apparently nothing to her. “It is time for Arthur Pendragon to rise again and fulfil his destiny. It is time for the Once and Future King to return.” “But where is he?” Merlin presses, his age-old impatience with magic and gods and whatever-the-hell-she-is being so damn indirect with him making his voice carry across the empty shore. “It is time,” she continues, leveling a glare that leaves his lungs empty, “for Emrys to walk the road to Avalon and retrieve Arthur from the place he has rested.” ** Post-canon, Arthur returns fic inspired by the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice!

Teen Wolf

Red Thread (The Descent) by sevenisles - Rated T

Stiles is dead. But he isn’t gone. (They are Orpheus and Eurydice, retold. It isn’t funny, but Lydia can’t help laughing.)

Of course it’s witches, it always fucking witches by orphan_account - Rated G

They exchanged two more kisses before Stiles groaned and buried his face into Derek’s shoulder. “We can’t let Erica find out,” he said in response to Derek’s confused noise. Derek let out a bark of laughter before hiding his face in Stiles’s hair, and his grin. “Oh absolutely. She’d never let us live this down.” “Orpheus and Eurydice? Please, that's barely one step above sleeping beauty. She’d never shut up,” Stiles sighed. Or: A witch accidentally plays matchmaker and for some reason it actually works.

The Hobbit (movies)

To Turn the Tide of Heaven by orphan_account - Rated T

(Based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice) Kili dies in the Battle of the Five Armies. Tauriel refuses to let it end there.

Over Your Shoulder by northerntrash - Rated T

The battle is over, and the lost have been counted. There is too much death, too much blood, and in the middle of it sits one small Hobbit, left quite alone but for a body on the ground and the memory of what might have been. But he is a tenacious creature, and if there is one thing that he has learnt, it is not to give up hope. In which Bilbo Baggins goes on one last journey, and doesn't come back alone.

Batman

Way down, Hadestown by orphan_account - Rated T

In which Damian's dead and Tim has lost one too many people to accept that. Platonic Orpheus-Eurydice not-AU set after Damian's canonical death (that I am still deeply bitter about). Likely throws Wonder Woman canon right out of the window.

What Eurydice Felt by Me_aGlorifiedPigeon - Rated T

Jason died too young. Bruce makes a deal with the gods of Death but his own doubtful nature has it falling through. No offense to Bruce but Dick's different.

passing / ghost by marquis - Rated G

"Don’t turn around,” Ra’s intones. His voice echoes off the stone façade of the hall. “If you do, the boy is lost. I’ll keep my word for as long as you believe it.” Again, Bruce nods. The entirety of the Underworld is spread out before him like a map, a trail of bones and debris and forgotten things. He will march, a soldier, following his orders until he and his son can see sunlight again. He can believe for just as long as it takes to get there. If not for him, then for the one dependent on him. Talia, as still and as silent as a statue, waits until Bruce is across the threshold to speak up. Her voice is leaves rustling in a fall breeze. “Goodbye, Jason.” No one answers her. (An Orpheus and Eurydice AU, of sorts.)

The Witcher

with lilies and with laurels he goes by magpiemouth - Rated E

Geralt has never known the gods or destiny or death to be kind, to show him mercy even if he begged for it. There’s no sense in it when he already knows the answer; bind it in a book or set it to a pretty tune, no story about a witcher will ever be more than a tragedy. (Before he died scared and alone and half the Continent away from anyone who could save him, Jaskier spent more than twenty years making Geralt out to be the hero of his stories. It’s the least he can do, Geralt thinks, to finally fucking act like one.)

Your Kind of Heaven by inexplicifics - Rated M

After Aiden dies, Lambert's vengeance is satisfying...but it doesn't get his Cat back. However, there might just be a way. It turns out it's more complicated than Lambert expected, but then, what isn't?

9-1-1

Both Blade and Branch by Daisies_and_Briars - Rated M

The chances of being struck by lightning twice are incredibly minute, but Buck still manages to pull it off. During a double date with Marisol and Natalia, nonetheless. Eddie manages to resuscitate him, but as Buck recovers from yet another trauma, Eddie can’t help but notice there’s something very different about him. He’s not quite sure what version of Buck he got back.

Dreadful Need in the Devotee by PhenomenalWoman - Rated T

Eddie wants to be capable of that kind of love so bad – of being loved like that. He wants it so much his teeth ache with the force of it. Slowly, Chris shakes his head. “I guess not,” he finally decides. He picks his pencil back up, thinks for a moment before beginning to fill in his first answer. Halfway through his sentence, he picks his head up to look at Buck. “You would look back,” Chris declares, like he knows this to be an unmitigated fact. He goes back to writing. He says it simply, like grass is green, the sky is blue, and Buck would look back. Eddie watches Buck take the words like a blow. His eyes widen and his chest physically stutters. “Yeah,” Buck says, the word cracking down the middle. Like he can’t help it, Buck turns his head back to Eddie. “I would.”

Anastasis by rowan_wood - Rated T

Buck and Eddie finally realize they’re in love. It just takes a couple of trips to the underworld before they figure it out.

Arcane

Hazardous Technology and the Minds Who Make It by ukulele_villian - Rated T

Viktor was instructed to remove any potentially dangerous materials from Jayce Talis’ apartment. He did not expect a child to be one of those things. An alternate universe where Powder was caught in one of the explosions at Jayce's apartment.

Orphic Sorrows by Fated_Despair - Rated M

Memories lash his brain of building this house for them to live in, of him and Viktor pouring through a multitude of catalogues to decide what furniture they wanted to fill it with. Them looking at baby clothes that booths were selling in the markets in town. Their cuddles turning into love-drunk kisses at the end of a long day in the lab. There would never be any more days like those. Viktor was gone and he had taken those tender moments with him, along with all the colors worth experiencing. Or Viktor dies and Jayce, unable to accept his new reality, travels to the Underworld in an attempt to reunite with his beloved partner.

[dykesynthezoid]

Comedy (and Merlin&Gwen friendship) heavy Arthur resurrection idea where Merlin only manages to wait patiently for Arthur to return for about five years and then he gets to impatient and is so disillusioned with destiny that he spends the next decade researching a way to bring Arthur back himself (and really bring him back, fully human) and it’s such a long con that he fully becomes buddies with the Lord of the Otherworld himself, to the point the Lord of the Otherworld owes him money bc Merlin keeps winning at dice.

And eventually when he’s finally ready he physically goes to the Otherworld himself to make the deal, insisting he and the Lord play one last game of dice and if the Lord wins Merlin will forgive all his debts! And if Merlin wins well :) guess :)

And ofc Merlin does win. And the Lord of Death is over here with his head in his hands like “Emrys I know what you want obviously but there has to be BALANCE I’m telling you” But of course Merlin is very stubborn so he just sits there arguing with him about it for several hours. And eventually the Lord tells him Fine. You can have him back. But it would actually be easier for you to take multiple souls at once. It’s like building an arch, you can’t just take ONE stone. If you’re going to do magic this powerful, you need more building blocks. And they all have to have had some sort of connection to each other in life. And they need anchors in the living world to keep them grounded there.

Merlin’s like yeah, sure, whatever, I literally don’t care what I have to do as long as I get Arthur. But the Lord of Death has one specific soul he’d like Merlin to take with him back to the realm of the living, one that’s been causing him quite a bit of trouble, and Merlin doesn’t like it, but again— He doesn’t care what it takes to bring Arthur back.

Now imagine you’re Gwen, and you’ve been ruling Camelot by yourself for the last fifteen years and it’s probably aged you (MILF Gwen alert). And because eventually she got tired of always being badgered to remarry, Gwen’s agreed to marry Leon, even if it’s just for convenience and they’re good friends. And she hasn’t seen her erstwhile court sorcerer for quite some time and she’s been wondering what he’s up to. And then one day a giant snake monster appears in one of the fields outside the city and she goes out there to see what’s going on, trying to get a better look even as her knights beg her to stay back, bc the snake isn’t attacking, it’s groaning and shifting— Until suddenly something starts to press at it from the inside, and out of nowhere it explodes and out stumbles a very naked and grimy Morgana who immediately starts yelling that she won’t be fooled by another of the Lord of Death’s nasty tricks, and then she promptly passes the fuck out.

So. You’re Gwen. And your evil (is she still evil??) ex homoerotic best friend has returned from the dead and burst out of a giant snake. And confused and in a daze you realize your erstwhile court sorcerer is finally returning; and thank god, he’ll know what’s going on with all this! And then Merlin arrives in Camelot with Arthur and more in tow and is like ah. So this is awkward. I did sorta bring your late husband, brother, ex bestie and ex lover all back from the dead without telling you. And you are gonna have to pick a specific one to ‘anchor’ to you. Sorry about that. Congrats on the engagement by the way! Oh and also Gwaine is here too.

And Gwen just. Breathes very deeply and tries to resist violence

[merlinrarepairfest]

Round Up 6

And another week of posting finishes; enjoy all these rare pair goodies if you need a break during the holidays if you celebrate, or to distract yourself from everyone else going nuts! <3

Title: smooth sailin’ Writer: masculinepeacock | @masculinepeacock Rating: T+ Warnings: none Word Count: 1.6k Pairing/Main character; Percival/Gwaine Up to 10 Tags; romcom elements, teachers, winter fair, gwen is mentioned, open ended

Summary: 

Percival meets Gwaine at a winter fair and the two hit it off. Is this destined to be a one off, or something more?

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51381598#main

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Title: A Disrupted Destiny Writer: sillydegu | @sillydegu Rating: General Audiences Warnings: None Medium/Word Count: 11 874 Pairing/main characters: Gwaine/Merlin Up to 10 tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gwaine knows about Merlin's magic, Merlin's magic revealed, Episode: s03e04 Gwaine (Merlin), Angst with a happy ending, Gwaine being Gwaine 

Summary:

3x04 AU. Uther is not convinced by Arthur, and sentences Gwaine to death anyway. Merlin uses his magic to break Gwaine out of the dungeons, revealing it to Uther in the process. The two of them go on the run together, and fall in love on the way.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51257899

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Title: Knighting Writer: cynthia1314 | @cynthia39100 Rating: Gen Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Medium/Word Count: 4670 Pairing/main characters: Lancelot / Arthur Pendragon Up to 10 tags: Episode: s01e05 Lancelot (Merlin), Episode: s03e12-13 The Coming of Arthur (Merlin)

Summary:

Arthur is finally king, free to knight whoever he chooses. Lancelot pledges his life, honour and devotion to him. (Prompt by kairennart)

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51135934

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Title: all the devils are here Writer: litinthyheart | @lit-in-thy-heart Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Medium/Word Count: 21,000 Pairing/main characters: Lancelot/Merlin Up to 10 tags: Enemies to Lovers, Fae Merlin, POV Lancelot, BAMF Merlin, Execution, Restraints, Intimacy, Internal Conflict

Summary:

In light of half of Camelot's knights being killed in a dragon attack, Uther Pendragon has been forced to broaden the eligibility criteria. Lancelot, who has wanted to be a knight all of his life, is given a quest to prove his worth as a final test before he is knighted. He must kill the leader of the Unseelie Court, Emrys.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51551500/chapters/130293436

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Title: Siblings and Soulmates Writer: Merthurallure | @merthurallure Rating: Explicit  Warnings: Incest Medium/Word Count: 1 397 words/fic Pairing/main characters: Arthur/Morgana  Up to 10 tags: sibling incest, first time, canon era, PWP

Summary:

Morgana and Arthur enjoy their first time together 

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51564880

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Title: Matters of the Heart Writer: The_Questing_Beast | @ummyesisthisjasongrace Rating: General Audiences Warnings: none Medium/Word Count: Fanfiction; 11,313 words Pairing/main characters: Mithian/Morgana Up to 10 tags: Canon Era, Canon Compliant, Arranged Marriage, Slow Burn, Good Morgana, Initial Mithian/Arthur, Fluff and Angst, Mithian really said 'thank god you introduced me to your sister'

Summary: 

It's all quite simple, really - marry the King of Camelot, fulfil her duty to her father and her country, become Queen. Or at least that's what Mithian thinks when she arrives in Camelot for the first time. However, things get complicated when the King's half-sister, the Lady Morgana, catches her eye instead. Turns out that no one, not even a Princess, has a say in matters of the heart.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51938515/chapters/131336134

[snirtsnirkarts]

OKAY OKAY HERE ME OUT!! The Sealing Merlin’s Magic troupe. So many different takes on this one, but one of my favorites is that it will seal Merlin away in some way. Like where he stops acting like himself, forgetting how or why he ever bonded with Arthur. Or just completely ragdolling. God, or the one where you literally would be unable to take away or conceal Merlin’s magic.

Also Human Aithusa or Parent Merlin(to Aithusa, human or not, or to others) underrated as fuck I’m going to read every story that’s written about this.

Oh my god, the kingdom loving Merlin or Merlin himself basically being in charge is my favorite. The Rules by Slayer_of_Destiny may be one of my favorite examples of this, I’m sure there are many more, but I actually don’t think I know of many more. But when everyone just knows Merlin, loves Merlin, or knows Merlin isn’t technically in a position of authority, but listens to him anyways. Because it’s Merlin! I do need to find more of those. Or and the gossip of Camelot ones, where all Servants and Knights just gossip constantly, or every castle worker knowing about Merlin’s magic but no one saying anything because everyone loves Merlin and Arthur would still be a massive ass without him.

Also very niche, by there’s a story concept I saw that’s unfinished by I love, Aithusa calling Merlin to help heal Morgana and Merlin like promises to help and regrets it. A tiny bit.(This story is called The White Sun Guilds Us Home (To Albion) by Coffee_Scribbles, if you’re interested, although unfinished and may have been abandoned) I love the concept and I love the different routes it can take. I just love any story that could have a redeemed Morgana, because I love her being good, but I do want her to have some time to be bad, because she is a queen and slays.(I don’t actually think the story I was reading planned for a redemption arc, but the concept has the possibility)

Oh my god and I am currently working on a story that I don’t even know how I’d try and look up if anyone has done this, basically my own spin on the trying to cage Merlin’s magic this. You can’t really cage Emrys per-say, since he’s made of magic, so it basically splits Merlin and Emrys apart, and Merlin is powerless, although still a Dragonlord, and Emrys without being held back by his mortal form per-say, is a little more powerful. But they kind of also split up some of his personality or things he may have learned over the years. Emrys is a great liar, Merlin is not even close. Emrys is the embodiment of the word Stressed, Merlin is not. Emrys is aware of the destiny and a lot more professional, Merlin is oblivious and took all of the clumsy nature. For this concept, I was thinking the only way to put them back together is for Merlin to go through every time he’s ever technically died. Emrys is immortal, Merlin is not. So Emrys has to lie to convince everyone Ermys is Merlin, and Merlin is a different person, in this story I made it that the first time he died was sneaking out to play with Will and falling out of a tree, so he’s a few years younger, he would convince everyone it was a relative or something. While also trying to keep this clumsy, brave, and accident prone child alive. One of the goals of it is to find the Cup Of Life, since some deaths Merlin has are basically incurable other then through that. Chaos ensues. I just kinda wanted to ramble about my silly little story ngl but I think it’s still pretty fitting to the question.

cat!merlin comic idea :]]] WIP (totally) IMPORTANT QUESTION! what's your favorite underrated (merthur) ff trope? (...asking for a friend) ((totally not cuz i might want to draw more of those funky tropes)) (((no no, i would never do that)))

[385bookreviews]

1.72.4 Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

SPOILERS

Pages: 569

Time Read: 10 hours and 27 minutes

Overall Rating: 4★ Storyline: 4.5★ Dialogue: 5★ Characters: 4.5★

Genre: YA Fantasy

TWs for the book: Death, violence, blood, murder, grief, death of a parent, gore, war, torture, slavery, fire/burns, injury/injury detail, genocide, physical abuse, su*c*dal thoughts, animal cruelty, emotional abuse, body horror, vomit, mental illness, confinement, bullying, colonization, cursing, panic attacks, toxic relationship, self harm, abandonment, classism, misogyny, racism, child abuse, child death, su*c*de attempt, drug use

POV: Third person

Time Period/Location: Varese, Doranelle, and Mistward on the fictional continent of Wendlyn; Rifthold, Adarlan, and The Ferian Gap on the fictional continent of Erilea

First Line: Gods, it was boiling in this useless excuse for a kingdom.

Two months after being sent to Varese to kill the King and Prince of Wendlyn, Celaena has made no progress and realizes she doesn't plan on it. Drunk and starving, she is confronted by a Fae named Rowan and taken by him to a fortress outside of the Fae city of Doranelle called Mistward. There she is confronted by her aunt, Queen Maeve, and she demands to know about the Wyrdkeys. Maeve says that because she is demi-Fae, she cannot gain access to Doranelle or the answers she wants until she trains in her magic and proves herself worthy. She instructs Rowan to stay with her in Mistward and train her.

In Adarlan, Aedion Ashryver arrives in Rifthold at the behest of the king. He is Aelin/Celaena's cousin, and since the fall of Terrasen has become one of the king's best generals. Dorian and Chaol dislike him immensely, especially after Aedion starts taking Chaol's guards away to parties. Chaol goes to search for him, but discovers that Aedion doesn't even attend his own parties. Chaol begins to track Aedion all over the city in order to get blackmail so he can tell him to stop stealing his guards. He sees him meeting with a hooded figure, and is then kidnapped. He discovers Aedion has been meeting with two of the rebels who were working with Archer Finn, Ren and his grandfather Murtaugh. Aedion is also a rebel, and Ren and Murtaugh are former nobles from Terrasen. Chaol tells them that Aelin is alive, and privately tells Aedion that she is Celaena Sardothien.

We are introduced to a new character named Manon Blackbeak, an Ironteeth witch, heir to the Blackbeak clan. By order of the King of Adarlan, all three witch clans, the Blackbeaks, Bluebloods, and Yellowlegs, are all required to gather in the Ferian Gap and train to ride wyverns bred by the king so they can be his new aerial cavalry.

Rowan instructs Celaena to work in the kitchens in the morning, where she meets Emrys and Luca, two demi-Fae. Rowan comes to get her to train and commands her to shift into her Fae form but she refuses. Growing frustrated, Rowan tells her to walk through a field full of barrow wights, grave robbing cave creatures, and if she can come out the other side she can go to Doranelle. In the field, she is attacked by a creature who looks human but wears a black stone collar. It makes her relive her worst memories and slowly begins feeding on her essence. She is rescued by Rowan, but he refuses to take her to Doranelle. After several days of not shifting, Rowan bites her, forcing her to shift. She can't do this again, and slowly bodies of demi-Fae begin to appear around the area, withered husks sucked of all life. Rowan and Celaena get into a fight, and she decides to leave Mistward. She treks off on her own and lights a fire, but is very quickly hunted down by skinwalkers. Rowan saves her, and the fear and panic makes her able to shift and use her fire magic, and she burns the skinwalkers alive. After another fight between them, Rowan takes Celaena to a cave under a mountain with a lake, and he freezes it completely with Luca chained in the center. Celaena makes her way across the ice and controls her fire enough to free Luca, but they are then attacked by a lake monster. After leaving Rowan and Celaena fight again, and Rowan promises to never involve anyone else in their training again, and they grow a bit closer.

Dorian is lonely since Celaena left, not trusting Chaol and Chaol keeping his distance so Dorian doesn't discover that Celaena is Aelin. Dorian gradually grows closer to a healer named Sorscha, and it quickly turns romantic. Aedion and Chaol meet in the secret tunnels to discuss everything Chaol knows about Aelin and the king and the Wyrdkeys. Dorian, who was already in the tunnels, hears everything and is angry with Chaol for keeping all of this from him. Ren, Murtaugh, Chaol, and Aedion begin investigating how to bring back magic so Aelin and Dorian can stand a chance against the king.

Manon begins training her covens, and the time comes to pick a wyvern. She has her eye set on the biggest and meanest one, Titus, but when he is put in the pit and set on the bait beast to show off his skills, Iskra, the Yellowlegs heir, shoves Manon into the pit. The bait beast defends her when Titus tries to attack her, and, with her help, he successfully kills Titus. Manon chooses him as her mount and names him Abraxos, much to the anger of her grandmother, as he has never flown. He is able to fly, but not able to pass the test of flying the Crossing, so Manon goes to the Ruhnn mountains and steals spider silk from the Stygian spiders to reinforce his wings. With this, Abraxos is able to make the Crossing and lead the rest of Manon's coven, the Thirteen, in battle.

Rowan and Celaena continue to investigate the murders of demi-Fae, and come across 200 Adarlanian soldiers and three of the creatures with the black collars hiding in caves. They begin to prepare Mistward for attack, even though no aid would be coming from Doranelle or Wendlyn. They set traps, and plan to flee down a secret tunnel if the fortress becomes compromised, but they are betrayed by someone in the fortress, and the soldiers infiltrate through the tunnel while the creatures attempt to break down the magical wards surrounding the fort. Celaena goes out and uses her fire magic to hold off the creatures, and the reveal themselves to be Valg demons that Elena and Brannon fought centuries ago, all being controlled by the king of Adarlan. A fourth Valg appears in the body of General Narrok. Rowan's warrior friends arrive to help defend the fort, but when Rowan tries to run to Celaena, Lorcan and Gavriel stop him. She begins to be consumed by the memories of the days leading up to her family's death, starting with a magical meltdown she had when the king of Adarlan arrived in Terrasen. She realizes he was using his dark magic to make her react like that so they would have to send her away and split up their family, making them easier to assassinate. She also remembered her mother's lady in waiting, Marion, who died to save her, and the fact that her family heirloom necklace that she had been wearing, the Amulet of Orynth, went missing that night. While the demons continue to torture her, she is given a vision of her younger self that tells her to get up, and she does, unlocking the true depth of her power and she begins incinerating the Valg. She slowly begins to lose power, and Rowan finally frees himself and runs to her. They cut their palms open to form a blood tie and combine magic to destroy the rest of them, making them carranam, magical soulmates. After the battle Celaena realizes the third Wyrdkey is in the Amulet of Orynth, and that Arobynn Hamel must have it. She doesn't tell Rowan this though in case Maeve tries to force it out of him using the blood oath.

Manon and her coven participate in the War Games to see who will be crowned Wing Leader. The Blackbeaks are winning, but Iskra commands her wyvern to kill Keelie, the Blueblood heir Petrah's wyvern. Petrah and Keelie begin to fall to their death, and instead of securing her victory right then, Manon saves Petrah's life. They win the War Games anyways, but Manon is beaten by her grandmother for saving the life of her rival. As reward/thinly veiled threat to stay in line, her grandmother orders her to kill a Crochan witch and take her cloak for herself.

Rowan and Celaena travel to Doranelle and Maeve gives Celaena what she wants to know, which isn't much. She tells her what the Wyrdkeys look and felt like and then asks her where the third key is. Celaena refuses to tell her, and Rowan doesn't know, so Maeve begins whipping Rowan. Celaena encircles the whole city in fire and threatens to burn the people in it if Maeve doesn't stop. When they were in the cave with the lake monster, Rowan found a sword named Goldryn and and a golden ring, both that belonged to Athril, Maeve's former lover. Celaena figured out the true story, that Maeve tried to keep the Wyrdkeys for herself, but Brannon and Athril fought her. When Athril died, she was so distraught that Brannon took the Wyrdkeys from her. Celaena bargains the ring for Rowan being freed from the blood oath, and Maeve relents. Rowan immediately kneels and takes the blood oath to Celaena, and they leave Doranelle.

Aedion, Dorian, Chaol, and Sorscha are called before the king. The king threatens to cut off her head if one of them doesn't admit to treason, and Aedion takes the fall and is arrested. The king reveals that Sorscha was actually a rebel spy this whole time, in contact with Ren and Murtaugh and feeding them information. He cuts off her head and Chaol tries to fight the king. He is almost killed with an arrow until Dorian uses his magic to save him and Chaol escapes the castle with Fleetfoot. Dorian is captured by the king and given a Wyrdstone collar.

Celaena, leaving Rowan in Wendlyn, sails home.

Celaena Sardothien (Aelin Ashryver Galathynius/Elentiya): Watching Celaena/Aelin's growth throughout this series makes her one of my favorite characters ever. Especially in contrast to The Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass, she has matured a lot, and her realizing that her parents' death wasn't her fault, and the memories pulled up by the Valg making her stronger, really shows her strength as a character and made for very believable character development.

Storyline: When I first read this series I didn't care much for Heir of Fire with the bouncing POVs, but after this second read through, this is one of my favorites. The series really starts to pick up and come together at this point, and a lot of growth happens, along with the introduction of Manon and the Ironteeth witches. There were a couple of slow parts, but I honestly didn't mind that much.

Representation: Emrys and Malakai, two the demi-Fae living at Mistward, are gay. I believe some of the demi-Fae are described as being POC, but no one major, and as much as I love this series, I would be remiss to not point out the lack of representation.

Summary: This book, along with Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, and Kingdom of Ash is some of SJM's best work as far as plot and character development.

Quotes: "See what you want, Aelin, and seize it. Don't ask for it; don't wish for it. Take it."-Rowan Whitethorn (p.234) "You cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love."-Dorian Havilliard (p.344)