#Competent Merlin

[keitorin3]

Short: It's Merlin

Random Knight: *Witnessed Merlin calling Arthur a prat* Sire, are you just going to just let him talk to you that way? 😤

Arthur: It's Merlin, what can you do. 🤷🏼

Noble: *Upset with Merlin's presence during court and used his now absences to complain* As King you should have more sense then to let some farm boy advise you in such delicate matters of court! 😤

Arthur: It's Merlin. He who takes care of the castle servants, who is the apprentice physician that sees to the people downtown off duty and who is well acquainted with the merchants by name. That Merlin. 🤨

Noble: ...

Arthur: Any other questions? Good, let's see about lunch. Someone call Merlin back from town, he knows how I like my sandwiches made. 🍞🥪

Princess: *Trying to be seductive and pretty* I hear your looking for a Queen? 😉

Arthur: *Not interested and wishing to strangle a court elder* Apparently... 😒

Princess: I could be your Queen~ *Tries to touch his arms sensually*😘👑

Arthur: *Disgusted and Panics* 😬 Sadly you don't meet my requirements.

Princess: Well, what are your requirements? I'm sure I can more then meet them~😘

Arthur: Black hair, large ears, calls me a prat and male.

Princess: *Flabbergasted*

Arthur: *runs*

Knight on the side: It's Merlin. Just so you know.

Gwaine: So is anyone gonna tell him or should I?

Leon: It's been over a Decade and sadly the King has yet to admit it.

Percival: It's just Merlin. The guy doesn't even hides how devoted he is to Arthur.

Leon: Unfortunate really. Arthur was never able to place a label on what he felt for Merlin. Anything that boy does is instantly just categorised as "Merlin".

Gwaine: He gets his own category? Where do we go under.

Leon: "Merlin's Knights" apparently. He said as much while drunk and wistfully talked about retiring into the countryside and buy a farm where he and Merlin can own a cow and some chickens. He especially wanted the chickens.

Gwaine: *Laughs*

Percival: Damn, he's got it bad. And I can't even deny it. We basically did come together thanks to Merlin. But why chickens?

Leon: Said it was a engagement present for Merlin.

Percival: ...

Gwaine: ... Called it.

Knight: *Sees magic near Merlin* Sorcerer! *Arrests him and goes to the King*

Arthur: What is this?

Knight: Sire! I witnessed this servant doing Sorcery! *Points to Merlin*

Arthur: It's Merlin.

Knight: Yes Sire. He was doing magic.

Merlin: Arthur I can explain-

Arthur: *Raises his hand up to pause his words* You sure of this?

Knight: *Says smugly* Yes Sire!

Arthur: Right then. *Proceeds to go to his desk and picks up something before signing them with his seal*

Arthur: Hand this to Geoffrey, from henceforth the Magic Ban has been lifted.

Knight: WHAT!? 😱

Merlin: WHAT!? 🤯

Knight: B-but- my King?! WHY!?

Arthur: *Casually shrugs* It's Merlin.

[cortex-rampage]

I find the way that BBC Merlin set up Merlin's powers in the first episode to be quite funny. I mean, we see this sort of lanky guy and it is established that he is Merlin and (according to our own common knowledge) therefore he is the most powerful warlock ever. Okay, cool. One might assume that he has come to Gaius to develop his powers, that maybe he's only in the beginning of his magical journey. But instead the exposition shows Merlin, in the pilot episode of this 5 series show, stop time and employ levitation to save someone's life with magic, and then it is announced that prince Arthur is essentially his soulmate, and their joint power will create the most glorious age Camelot has ever seen. Quite an exciting set-up. And then for the rest of the entire show this man who we know possesses TIME-ALTERING POWERS mostly uses them on-screen to do common chores and annoy and prank THAT SAME Arthur. Like that one post said, "All of it's destiny and all of it's his fault." :p

[thedaselcor]

Sunanday, the 7th of Aprilis, 524

“Are you seriously mad at me?” Arthur burst in to Gaius' workshop, already tearing into the argument. He was honestly relieved that Merlin was inside--it would have been awkward if his assumption had been wrong and he’d just started a random argument with Gaius.

Merlin looked up from where he was shining a set of Arthur’s boots, manually. “Sire?”

“Don’t sire me, Merlin,” Arthur seethed, grabbing Merlin by the collar as he walked by and pulling him bodily into his room, leaving Gaius in the workshop with a raised brow.

“After everything I did for you, everything I decided,” Arthur continued with a force that really undermined the privacy of the door, finally releasing Merlin’s shirt. “After everything, you get better and you start, start--I leave lists of tasks and the tasks get done. I wake up and my breakfast is there. Everything’s shined and buffed. I didn’t even ask you to muck out my horses and the stable was clean when I got there and now you sire me?”

“I was trying to show you how grateful I am, you idiot . I figured it would be awkward for you after everything so I kept out of your way but I did everything as a thank you . Are you saying I’m only good at my job when I’m mad at you?”

“You are only good at your job when you’re mad at me--usually. Wait, you were” Arthur’s voice suddenly dropped to a reasonable talking volume before he continued. “You were trying to thank me?”

[nextstopparis]

kilgharrah looking at arthur in 2.13 like he wants to inspect him under a microscope isnsndbsjs

[archies-litterbox]

imagine you wake up from an almost-a-millenium-long coma and then like. Some Time Later you finally reach out to your son apprentice who was this silly airheaded and honestly kinda incompetent kid the last time you saw him literally almost a thousand years ago and maybe you start to wonder how he's changed in the last nine centuries and literally within the fucking hour of getting back in touch and meeting back up he sets a multiple rampaging monsters on fire in a bookstore. on purpose. with full confidence. like. don't get me wrong you'll never see me defend Merlin's Fuckass Parenting but can you fucking imagine

[ilkao3]

Nsfw Prompt: Arthur finds out (and has a very unique reaction😏)

“Any chance we can pretend that didn’t happen?” Gods, Arthur couldn’t believe he found this fool handsome.

“No, we can’t pretend that didn’t happen, Merlin. How did you- what…” the blond groans as he shakily sits down, adrenaline running out. Leave it to Merlin to dispose of a group of bandits like it was child’s play and have the nerve to get shy afterwards. If he wasn’t reeling over the implications of him using magic, he’d die of embarrassment from the way his cock swole at the display.

“Before we decide if it’s best that I leave, I feel like I need to impress that I technically didn’t break any laws. Well, to your knowledge. In this moment. Today.” Arthur blinked.

“… Merlin, you just used magic.”

“Well, yes, but I didn’t learn it. I just have it! It’d be a bit mad to punish someone for using a gift they were born with. You don’t see me with a pitchfork, running after your father when his natural charm is on display.” Arthur blinked again before plopping on his back with a huff. Merlin grinned.

“You’re bloody insane, did you know that, Merlin?”

“Your cock certainly disagrees, sire. You aren’t wearing your chainmail in case you weren’t aware. Those smalls hide absolutely nothing.” Arthur groaned again and considered asking the menace to use those powers of his to end him.

[escespace]

Merlin and Arthur BUT...

An undercover reconnaissance mission has gone wrong. Not just one, but three knights from Camelot's elite group are wounded, and after a night in the woods, they're out of medical supplies so Merlin has started looking for herbs that serve specific functions such as antiseptic or analgesic, if possible he also looks for muds that Gaius taught him and other useful elements to mix improvised poultices. He has made improvised bandages and immobilization splints, and even more impressive, improvised thread and carved a wooden needle in case stitches open.

But no one seems too worried, even though they are facing a return trip of almost three days. Arthur is on the edge of his nerves (although he doesn't show it because kings don't do that) and he's not the one with the multiple lacerations of Gwaine, or a nearly fractured ankle as Elyan, or that bleeding head bruise that made Percival vomit even what he ate as a child. Instead, whenever they are not resting or too far gone in their pain, the knights joke and chatter as if it were just another hunting trip.

Arthur doesn't understand it, but he's not one to look down on his men keeping their morale high even in bad times So he makes a comment about how everything will be okay and that they shouldn't worry, which is responded to with:

«Of course, there is no one else who would take better care of us» Placing a hand on Merlin's shoulder to playfully shake him

And they may say it in a light-hearted way, but It is evident that they mean it and sue him! But Arthur is surprised.

Somehow that comment paved the way for the anecdotes to start flowing. Like the time Gwaine ended up splitting his head open trying to escape from an engaged lady's room jumping from roof to roof and as Gaius was treating a family outside It was up to Merlin to sew it, and there was no scar left after that !

Leon also contributed his own story of a time when a rabbit It didn't sit well in his stomach during a mission through the woods and if it hadn't been for Merlin it might have ended up compromising the success.

Stories came and went and Arthur couldn't stop thinking. Because his problem wasn't that he couldn't reconcile the fact that all his most trusted men were praising Arthur's ability to cure them, no. His problem is why the hell he can't reconcile that idea. The boy has been studying with the best physician in Camelot for almost a decade It would be hard to believe if he didn't learn anything, right? RIGHT????... Damn! But he's not even a boy anymore. When did that happen? What's even happening? Merlin does not change, Merlin is Merlin, he is his only constant, he is a force that ground him.

Anyway, this idea is in my head as a kind of 3+1 that I'm not sure I can develop. If anyone is interested in writing it, feel free to do so BUT TAG ME PLEASEEEEEE. i want to read something around this lines...

The other scenes I could think of have to do with taking care of some children while Arthur thinks Merlin is in the tavern and he is looking for him then late arthur embarrassed himself through a series of comments In front of someone (possibly Gwen or a courtier) who does know where Merlin is thinks Arthur is making reference to sick children... And a snippet of Arthur being a baby for just a minor cold and Merlin being the only one he allows to take care of him even though he continues to underestimate his medical knowledge until suddenly damn! Merlin knows what he's talking about BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, he is the only one he would let see him in such a state and that is why he only allows him to help him and it's not only out of convenience as he first thought ... It would end with Arthur defending Merlin in front of some older people (perhaps) who doubt his ability because they see him too young.

[jon-sedai]

Melisandre and Howland Reed two sides of one discount Merlin coin. One side (Mel) is quite OP in terms of magical ability, is driven by a very desperate need to find and guide King Arthur in these perilous and dark times, but is rather incompetent at her job because she identifies the wrong dude as the king and when she meets the real one, is in too deep to change course. The other side (Howland) isn’t all that powerful as far as we know, but he actually knows who the king is and he actually knows where the king is and he could actually get to him quite easily….except he doesn’t. He instead chooses to help some other kid live his best surrogate King Arthur life while real King Arthur flounders and fucking dies. Really, both of them should be considered fail witch of all time since they do absolutely nothing to help poor Arthur Jon on his hero’s quest. And that’s why Bloodraven is the best because he knows who the king is, doesn’t give too much of a fuck just yet because he’s too busy helping his little brother, and yet he still finds time to terrorize and give cryptic but helpful advise while in the form of Arthur’s pet bird. Truly the wizard of all ages.

[keitorin3]

Short: Finding Merlin

Arthur: What do you mean you can't find Merlin?

Leon: I mean we can't find him, Sire. We've asked all the servants and before you ask, yes we've checked the Tavern.

Arthur: *Paces* Then search the forests I want him found understood!?

Leon: Yes Sire. *Walks out the door but hears the King mutter*

Arthur: *mutters* Idiot thinks he can escape this marriage... Ha just wait until I show him his wedding robes, he'll look like a noble and absolutely hate it. 👰🏻‍♂️

Leon: *suffers and leaves quickly*

Gwaine: So what did the princess do this time?

Leon: Apparently he gave Merlin his mother's sigil awhile back and Merlin only just found out, thanks to Gwen, what a noble offering a sigil means to their intended.

Gwaine: No way! The princess proposed marriage to Merlin without even telling him?!

Leon the long suffering: Indeed. Merlin is a commoner and while he has improved since he first arrived here, he still doesn't know all the intricacies of nobility.

Gwaine: So Merlin got mad and went off to who knows where?

Leon: It would seem.

Gwaine: How long do we have before his royalness starts going off to find Merlin himself?

Random Servant: *Shouts* The King is gone!

Gwaine: ... 😅

Leon: ... 😭

Merlin: *Returns dragging an unconscious and dirty Arthur on horseback*

Gwen: Oh, what happened? Did you get attacked? Are you both OK? Where have you been Merlin? Everyone has been looking for you.

Merlin: I'm ok Gwen, I went to talk about something important. Nothing bad happened, I left a note with Gaius on where I went.

Elyan: Ah, he got called on an emergency birth with one of the down town ladies, hasn't been back yet.

Merlin: *Huffs* And so that was reason for this idiot to go off and start a kingdom wide hunt for me? The Dollphead...

Gwen: *sigh* We did try to tell him he was being a bit paranoid. But he thought after your argument on the sigil he might have scared you off... *Looks to the unconscious King resting on the horse* What happened to him?

Merlin: Pfft, *smirks* the King fainted.

Elyan: He... Fainted...

Merlin: Yup. I found the idiot riding like a madman and when he finally calmed down enough to actually listen to me I told him I just went off to talk with Kilgharrah and Aithusa.

Gwen: Ok, that explains where you went, but then what happened to make Arthur faint?

Merlin: Aha, well... 😅

[BEFORE, IN THE FOREST]

Arthur: So what was it that you need to talk to dragons for? Did you get your answers? *Trying and failing not to stare at Merlin while walking beside him*

Merlin: Hmm I did *Reaches out to grasp Arthur's hand and paused their walking*

Arthur: Merlin?

Merlin: *Breathes deeply before taking something from his pocket and into Arthur's hand*

Arthur's heart dropped when he felt a round shape of a coin and it showed in his eyes what he believes this to be.

Merlin: *Noticed Arthur's sudden sad mood, rolled his eyes* Dollphead, opened your hand before jumping to conclusions! 🙄

Arthur: *Opens hand* Wait, is this...

Merlin: *Squirms and fidgets* I wanted to ask Kilgharrah about Dragon Lord Courting triditions. And well, he wasn't too informed in that but knew of Dragon Lords giving a Dragon scale as gifts and I asked Aithusa for one of hers, being her Dragon Lord after all... And well he said I could shape it, so I used my magic to carve it and well, being a dragon lord and you a Pendragon I thought why not Twin dragons?

In Arthurs hand was a white-silver sigil that shines faintly with Twin dragons circling each other and behind them he recognises the druids triskel symbol.

Arthur: *In Awe and too speechless for words*

Merlin: It also is embedded with my magic and acts like a... Connection between us. I'll be to find you as long as you have it and you'll be able to find me. My magic would guide you. Maybe then you won't have to go on a kingdom wide search for me. *Laughs*

Arthur: *Smiles* Heh, so a Merlin Finder? About time, do you know how hard it is to find idiot warlocks lately?

Merpin: *Smiles fondly* Prat.

Merlin: *Looks serious* That's not all either. Arthur, your a prat and a dollop head. I know I tell you you're always a bit thick in the head but I never knew how much until I realised the significance of your mother's sigil. You had to go about proposing to me in the most infuriating way without even telling me.

Merlin: But I know more then anyone how good of a man you are, how much you work to be fair to your people. And the thought of you having those kind of feelings for me was too good to be true. Because I would have said yes. Always I'd say yes. I feel like I was born to love you Arthur. Prophecys and destiny may play a part, but I would always chose you.

Arthur: *Dumbfounded*

Merlin: *Rolls his eyes* I'm proposing cabbagehead. I'll marry you. ❤️💍

Arthur: ... 😳🤯💞 *Faints and falls into a puddle*

Merlin: ...

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Merlin: *Blushes with a laugh* I accepted his proposal. He ended up going into shock after and fell over into a small puddle.

Gwen: Oh! 😃 Merlin I'm so happy for you!

Elyan: Yeah, cheers mate. *Mutters to himself* Thank god all the pining is over.

Arthur: *Wakes up* I had the most fantastic dream! Merlin gave me a sigil and accepted my proposal~!

Merlin: *Speaks from the fireplace* It wasn't a dream Arthur!

Arthur: 😍 You love me! 💖

Merlin: 🙄❤️ *Walks up and kisses Arthur* Yes I do.

Arthur: 💘🥴💕 Merlin Loves me~! Merlin will marry me~

Merlin: *Fond and in love* 🥰

The (Merlin's) Knights: FINALLY!

Castle Servants: FINALLY!

All of Camelot: FINALLY!

Kilgharrah: The two halves have finally become one.

Aithusa: *Chirps*

[madebypointlesswords]

Gwaine's morning mantra

Gwaine: Ah, ready for another fantastic day of being better than Arthur Arthur: fuck you

[cortex-rampage]

Me and my friends on our way to the skeleton party

[lilfrogfella]

hello fellow ao3 enjoyers lookin at that top 100 ships and i have to say for a show that ended in fucking 2012 (obama was in the first year of his second term to make you all feel old) merlin still being in the top 100, never mind tied for fifty fucking first, is an absolute feat also mad respect to everyone writing mauraders fics love u all (esp because joanne's in a fucking tiff about it and i love pissing her off more than my existence already does) and ur work is excellent

anyways gay people real! goodnight ❤️

[beemaya]

Everytime i think some two guys couldn't be more obvious about their feelings for each other i accidentally run into some merthur gif of them staring at each others lips and i'm like: nope, they're still the worst.

[sirtaliesin]

The Demon (1972) - Issue #5

[princelawarrior]

I kinda want an episode where Uther realises how useful Merlin is as a spy and just uses him to spy on royal guests.

The poisoned chalice episode and then later the whole thing with the Dark Knight proved to Uther that Merlin is trust worthy, so he approaches Merlin and offers him that job.

Merlin: okay ... That actually works well for me, but I have one condition

Uther: Let me guess, you want more money

Merlin: no. You can't use me to spy on Arthur. He trusts me and I'm not going to abuse that trust.

Uther: ... What would Arthur have to hide from me?

Merlin: that's not the point. I want Arthur to be able to tell me if he like, wants to vent about a royal he's annoyed with without me having to tell you that he's annoyed by them. Or if YOU annoy him.

Uther: do I do that?

Merlin: no comment, but let me tell you something about that: any child is annoyed by their parents sometimes.

Uther: hmm ... Okay, I think I see your point. You're awfully loyal to him

Merlin: he's my friend.

Uther: I see... And that's your only condition?

Merlin: yes actually.

Uther: It's going to be interesting to work with you

Merlin: yeah, also wildly ironic

Uther: what?

Merlin: i said mildly iconic

[escespace]

Comments:

This is simply one of the most memorable fics I've ever read! It has everything my heart desires and more!

The reactions, the real and internal dialogues, the way Arthur's mind is strategic at the beginning and so human and sensitive at the end...Everything is so well done that it captivated me from beginning to end, I wish I could never finish reading it. 

I'll give a special mention, before I forget, to George with that revelatory dialogue. IT ALMOST MADE ME CRY! It was raw and real and a lot of what he said, I would say to Merlin too if I had the chance. The part where he says that Merlin taking pride in his work has been important to him even though he was in a position of servitude was so profound to think about.

And I still can't stop analyzing Arthur when he finds out because I definitely want to stick with that version of him. Everyone portrays him as so angry and I give him that because he deserves his space to feel, to express themselves, to vent, and they construct it in a very human way. But this reaction was fresh and creative, and he attributes to it the cunning that THE KING deserves.

Merlin is a total badass without losing his sensitivity and that is the greatest achievement because it is what makes him stand out and his purest essence. He is also an excellent leader in his own way that although It complements what a good leader Arthur is too. competent Merlin and Arthur are my greatest loves in merthur fics (we don't portray them like that enough)

Great fic

Chapters: 5/5 Fandom: Merlin (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin) Characters: Merlin (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius (Merlin), Lancelot (Merlin), Gwen (Merlin), Gwaine (Merlin) Additional Tags: Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Protective Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), King Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), POV Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Pining Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Caring Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Soft Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Tension, Awkwardness, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Crush, Idiots in Love, Court Advisor Merlin (Merlin), Minor Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Past Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Boys Kissing, Some Plot, Merlin Revealed as Emrys (Merlin), Merlin is Emrys (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon is Bad at Feelings (Merlin), Bisexual Disaster Arthur Pendragon, Bisexual Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Fate & Destiny, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Horny Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Had to add that tag gods forgive me, Merlin's Magic Loves Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin's Scars Revealed (Merlin), But give it a moment, Crack, Fluff and Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, I was informed that i needed to crack this egg, horny merlin, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Sex Series: Part 90 of Merlin's magic Summary:

Arthur witnessed Merlin's stand off against Agravaine. The question is only, if a traitor of Camelot defeats a traitor of Camelot, what is Merlin's motif? And if his devotion to Arthur is actually genuine, then what does that mean for Camelot? In truth, none of these (very reasonable) questions matter anymore when Arthur realises he has a massive crush on Merlin.