#Uther at this point doesn't even try to fight his son

[dead-inside-pt2]

*Merlin gets banished from Camelot for being a funky little magician*

Arthur: Go, If you ever return it would be on the pain of death

Merlin: Okay *Exits the gates* Merlin: *Immediately turns back around and runs into Camelot again*

Arthur, who would never allow his death: You are the stupidest person in all the five kingdoms

[sapphickittykatherine]

i just wanna talk for a sec about arthur. disclaimer: i adore him. he's my blorbo boy. however, he definitely does get prince privilege with regards to both the narrative voice of the show and the fandom. i'd like to point to this post as a jumping-off point:

if you're anything like me, you might need cw: lancelot slander

ofc my bias towards lancelot has affected my view of this in absolutely no way whatsoever lmao

i understand that arthur was raised by a power-hungry tyrant - although, one who was said to care for his kingdom even before his own son... - and that being brought up with privilege goes to someone's head. this is why i excuse his dickishness in early seasons. he's going to grow! that's what merlin is there for! by season 5, however, when he has not only not grown but actually gotten worse, you have to question why everyone - including merlin - still praises him so much. he still oppresses magic. he still upholds the inequality of the monarchy. (another disclaimer: i adore fictional stories about monarchs and royalty etc. nothing wrong with liking them!) yet still, people praise him for the absolute barest of minimums. this man will be like, "yeah i don't think we should leave our citizens to die actually :)" and everyone will act like this is some incredibly brave moral stance. "we shouldn't tax our citizens to the point that they starve, or execute innocent people without a fair trial. probably." and the crowd goes wild!

basically every character who isn't a stuck-up noble with their head in the stratosphere thinks this. yet arthur is the one who gets praised for it. why? because he has the power to actually do something about it? the guy actually fights alongside his knights rather than hiding in his castle, which makes him better than the other knights. bc logic. "he's such a great guy!" he's bordering on a mediocre guy with bare-minimum moral stances. and that's okay! he's allowed to be a stuck-up royal prat! he's a medieval prince with a tyrant father, for goodness' sake! but this worship of him - not just by characters, but also members of the fandom - is weird tbh.

how the aforementioned post ties in to all this exactly: lancelot. there is a reason, dear pinterest user, that lancelot is the bravest and most noble of them all, rather than arthur. arthur fights to defend his kingdom, first and foremost. he is the crown prince, and later the kin. if not for the seemingly infinite supply of knights and citizens of camelot, thanks to this being a show, he would have no kingdom to rule if he let everyone die and all structures be destroyed! he wants peace among the kingdoms - great. again, a highly bare-minimum stance, though. you remember when uther signed a peace treaty with a bunch of other kingdoms, even though another king was mad he couldn't get rich off war if that happened? uther the pure-hearted. on the other hand, people like lancelot are just commoners. he wants to risk his life not because he's defending the kingdom over which he presides, but because he doesn't want a bunch of people who, honestly, have very little to do with him, suffer or die like he saw happen to the people in his village. "arthur risks his life for his friends!" the guy has, like, three. i should hope so. not to mention lancelot does the same 💀 for arthur (1x05), for gwen (2x04), for merlin (4x02).

lancelot is literally just one example. if you don't want to, it's chill - it's literally just a work of fiction lol - but maybe try to assess arthur sans privilege. even once. do i think that arthur is better than uther and other tyrants? obviously! do i think that's a particularly high bar? ...

he's a dick with a heart of... bronze. maybe. good for him.

[emachinescat]

My Merlin One-Shots

*Crossovers, tags, character studies, and crack not included in this list. All links go to AO3 stories.

1. The Day that Camelot Forgot | Rating: T | Words: 6,444

A vengeful Morgana casts a powerful curse on Camelot on the day Merlin is named Court Sorcerer, making everyone in the citadel forget that Merlin – and his impact on their lives – exists. She can only maintain the spell for one day, but twenty-four hours is more than enough time for the warlock to get himself into some serious trouble. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 24: memory loss

2. The Masks that Most Suit Us | Rating: T | Words: 6,152

After Uther's death and a mishap on the training field, Merlin chooses to suffer in silence in an effort to allow Arthur to grieve unburdened. But everyone has their breaking point – even the newly crowned king of Camelot. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 13: hiding injury

3. Chilly Confrontations | Rating: G | Words: 5,905

Sequel to Frozen Revelations. After a near-death experience in a frozen river, Merlin's secret, unbeknownst to him, is revealed to the king, queen, and a small band of knights. Arthur finds himself facing off against himself and one of his own knights as he struggles to come to terms with Merlin's magic - and accidentally makes things much worse for the warlock in the process.

4. Pain Has an Element of Blank | Rating: T | Words: 5,019

Sequel to “I Should Not Dare to Leave My Friend.” Merlin is captured by slave traders who don’t need a magical artifact to contain his powers. After all, even the most powerful sorcerer in the world can’t run away if his legs are broken. Even contained, though, Merlin’s a force to be reckoned with – and he is determined to make it back home. Back to Arthur. TW: broken bones, slavery. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 16: broken bones. Sequel: I Shall Have Lived a Little While

5. He Should Wear Armor | Rating: G | Words: 4,904

AU tag to 'The Crystal Cave'. While running from bandits, Merlin is fatally wounded by an arrow. An old man appears with a solution, but will Arthur turn to magic to heal his dying friend? How far will he go to save Merlin? "Merlin was dying..." 3x05

6. Frozen Revelations | Rating: G | Words: 4,783

When a stir-crazy Arthur decides to go on a hunt right after the biggest blizzard Camelot's seen in years, he doesn't realize that his flippant decision could hurt of one of the people he cares most about - in more ways than one. Requested by secret-identity-revealed. Reveal fic, whump. Sequel: Chilly Confrontations

7. The Neglected Neckerchief | Rating: T | Words: 4,701

A group of bandits torture Merlin in front of Arthur for their own entertainment, using Merlin's beloved neckerchief against him in the cruelest of manners. Now, Arthur must struggle to come to terms with a traumatized Merlin, whose neckerchief has been replaced by a ring of bruises. TW: strangulation, panic attacks. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 21: torture

8. Knock | Rating: T | Words: 4,621

It is common knowledge in Camelot that one should never, under any circumstances, enter Sir Owen's chambers without knocking. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell Prince Arthur's new servant. TW: PTSD. Febuwhump Day 10 - "I'm sorry, I didn't know"

9. Prince Dollop-Head and the Bear-Faced Monster | Rating: G | Words: 3,986

Merlin tells a bedtime story to a little princess, and Arthur is not amused. Pure fluff, with tons of bromance and fluffiness!

10. Ransoming... Myself? | Rating: G | Words: 3,786

Merlin needs Arthur to know about Morgana's betrayal, but is afraid Arthur won't believe him, so he cooks up a plan. How far will go to make Arthur see? Kidnapping himself seems like a good start...

11. I Shall Have Lived a Little While | Rating: T | Words: 3,661

Sequel to "I Should Not Dare to Leave My Friend" and "Pain Has an Element of Blank." The knights bring a broken Merlin back to Camelot, and he and Arthur are finally reunited. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 26 - recovery

12. Between | Rating: T | Words: 3,656

When Uther finds out about Merlin’s magic, Arthur has already known for some time – and Arthur has no intention of letting his father kill his servant. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 17: identity reveal

13. Not an Idiot | Rating: G | Words: 2,851

When Arthur jokingly requests Merlin's help with something important, Merlin takes it as a serious opportunity to prove that he's not an idiot. Unfortunately, Arthur's foot is in his mouth (again), and through his pratishness, Arthur learns something new about Merlin that helps him view his "idiotic" manservant in a whole new light.

14. And That Would Be Enough | Rating: G | Words: 2,752

In a moment of grief, Arthur says something to his newly appointed Court Sorcerer that he instantly regrets. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 27 - “I wish I had never given you a chance”

15. Not Alone | Rating: G | Words: 2,749

Shortly after Merlin's father dies, an understanding Gwen comforts him.

16. The Great Rabbit Rescue | Rating: G | Words: 2,638

Spin-off of "In the Back of Our Minds." A creature in need, a selfless young warlock, and a big secret to protect - and Will is there to witness it all.

17. I Should Not Dare to Leave My Friend | Rating: G | Words: 2,174

An injured Arthur is desperate to go after Merlin, who has been captured by bandits. It doesn't matter that the knights are already out searching for the servant. He trusts them, but this is Merlin that's missing. Too bad Percival's his bodyguard and Arthur's as weak as a newborn foal. Written for Febuwhump on Tumblr. Day 2: "I can't take this anymore" Sequels: I Shall Have Lived a Little While, Pain Has an Element of Blank

18. Servants Are People, Too | Rating: G | Words: 1,982

Morgana gives Arthur a piece of her mind about how he treats Merlin.

19. It's a Zoo Out There | Rating: G | Words: 1,828

Merlin gains the ability to talk to animals for a day.

20. The Last Night of the Kings | Rating: T | Words: 1,653

"We are the folk and we have the right to stand up and to fight for an independent life." When does trying to free your kingdom from tyranny go too far? How many innocents must be killed, how many prophecies undermined? Based on the song by Van Canto.

21. First Impressions | Rating: G | Words: 1,562

Merlin's arrival in Camelot... with a slight twist. AU

22. The Royal and the Restless | Rating: G | Words: 1,554

Arthur can't get to sleep, Merlin helps him out in an unexpected way.

23. Different | Rating: G | Words: 1,192

Little Merlin's mother talks to him, trying to explain to her young son that he is different and special.

24. Nothing | Rating: G | Words: 1,155

"The scariest thing about Arthur's reaction to Merlin's magic was that he didn't react at all."

25. What's In a Name? | Rating: G | Words: 1,050

Arthur tires of Merlin always calling him a prat, so Merlin takes it upon himself to remind Arthur of all the other names that he's called the prince over the years. Arthur is not impressed.