#damn you uther

[kessilover]

[dollopheadsandclotpoles]

Merlin learned a lot of things from Gaius... magic, healing, the way the Kingdom works... but truly the thing he learned the most from him is how to be sassy as all hell

[emrys-merlin]

I noticed the “forgetting the previous episode” thing really heavily when Uther's ghost basically tells Arthur he sucks and then the next episode Arthur is trying to avenge his father and saying he must protect what his father built as if Uther's ghost didn’t try to kill him, his wife and best friend the episode before

[justaz]

okay but have we considered morgana x freya?? two women who believed themselves to be monsters, hunted by the same man and his loyal followers, cursed, doomed to death the moment someone finds them out, alone. they wish for freedom, somewhere where they can be themselves, where they dont have to hide, where they can embrace their power and who they are without fear or without harming anyone.

[repmet]

Still can't get over how Arthur knew there was a traitor in S4, narrowed it down to Agravaine or Gaius, cleared Gaius completely then went 'damn guess we have no more leads :/'

[alstrawb]

Every episode of Merlin after season 2 I watch I think the situation in Camelot cannot get worse and then it gets so so so much worse omg what is happening

Next episode Merlin goes into town for an errand, the sun explodes, 10 billion causalities, will be resolved in two episodes

[arthurslesbian]

no but the poisoned chalice may be one of my favorite eps ever 😭

[mothmage]

me when a new (god-tier, galaxy-brained, divinely-inspired, etc) fic gets slapped into my merlin-rotted brain:

[earlyspringtranscendence]

finally (finally, ive been reading this for like half a year) got through the scar and jesus fucking christ. jesus christ.

[katnissgirlsmakedo]

it’s just like. oh goddamn my pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand taking mine but it’s been promised to another oh i can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland my house of stone your ivy grows and now i’m covered in you…. so yeah it’s a fire it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it you started it so yeah it’s a war it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it you started it oh i can’t stop you putting roots in my dreamland……

[maplemind]

Seriously, the way we watch Arthur's whole world change from the very first second he comes into contact with Merlin is so. damn. cute.

There's no doubt why Arthur let him get away with outright "disrespectful" and borderline treasonous comments and behaviour the first time they met.

I mean, look at the way he instantly lit up at the concept of verbal and physical sparring with this elfin looking dude with the real "couldn't give a sh*t- try me" attitude. Someone who not only took on a knight of Camelot in mid training, but didn't change his attitude one little bit when he found out he was addressing the goddamn prince of Camelot, in fact he doubled down and got worse.

And Arthur loved the challenge, loved the defiance, loved the concept of spending more time with this guy, especially time spent doing something he loves - sparring. There's nothing Arthur loves more than a physical activity - we see it throughout all five seasons. Search the whole castle on a wild goose chase? Absolutely. Train 15 new knights in a single day? Sign him up. Ride out to battle a magical beast? He's already out the door.

And even though he knows (thinks) he can beat Merlin into submission in two moves, he's finally going up against someone who doesn't give a flying f*ck who he is and will square up to him and give his absolute best. And he hopes this will be a regular occurrence.

And the dismay when Uther declares Merlin to be Arthur's new servant isn't because he doesn't want Merlin around - it's because he's afraid it will change the relationship they've already begun to establish. That Merlin won't develop into the one person he can trust to be real with him, and instead he will become reserved and "yes-sir-no-sir-three-bags-full-sir" like every. other. damn. person.

And you can't miss the way his eyes absolutely light up that first time Merlin does his servant duties and continues being defiant, honest, real.

I love these characters so damn much, and I couldn't love Colin and Bradley more for how incredible they are.

[betafreud]

FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GET INTO MERLIN BUT DONT HAVE TIME TO WATCH THE SHOW: this is how every episode of merlin goes.

--------

bad guy: (in a dark forest outside camelot) ARGH uther will PAY for what he has done to me

SCENE CHANGE

merlin: im gonna do my chores with magic

gaius: merlin dont do that. now go clean the leech cage. and check on arthur. and fetch me a plant.

merlin: UGH my life sucks

SCENE CHANGE

merlin: hi arthur wake up

arthur: i actually hate you. leave. but wait actually nvm come with me on a quest im gonna be the king baby. we ride at dawn

merlin: ok

gwen: hi merlin hi m'lord im not important in this episode. but im here to cut the homoerotic tension.

arthur: merlin get out

SCENE CHANGE

bad guy: (still in the woods) im making an evil plan

SCENE CHANGE

kilgarrah: psst. pssst. merlin

merlin: wtf do u want

kilgarrah: arthur needs u theres an evil guy. also can u set me free. and morgana is evil

merlin: what no arthur doesnt need me. and no sorry. and what no kys morgana is my friend

kilgarrah: ok fuck u then

merlin: wait no what where r u going

SCENE CHANGE

bad guy: (via magical telepathy) haha i captured morgana

uther: oh no

arthur: we gotta rescue her. merlin u idiot lets go. i hate u.

SCENE CHANGE

arthur: (in front of a campfire) ykow merlin ur pretty cool

merlin: thanks. ur a fucking asshole.

arthur: lets run away together

merlin: ok-omg look a bad guy

bad guy: im gonna kill u

arthur: (swinging his sword and missing) nuh uh

merlin: (laser eyes) yay hes dead

arthur: UGH merlin ur so useless why didnt u help me.

merlin: kys.

SCENE CHANGE

gaius: whats wrong merlin

merlin: i feel like arthur hates me. i wish he could know how powerful i really am.

gauis: damn that sucks. anyways have u cleaned the leech cage yet

(ROARING LAUGH TRACK)

[vladimpale]

damn the villains have a point

[spritelysprites]

saw this post with that bradley james quote about how merlin and gwen are probably the only two people who, if they told arthur they had magic, arthur would make a genuine attempt to understand. and then I started thinking about morgana, because I think in the earlier seasons, she would have been one of them, too.

arthur and morgana's dynamic drives me crazy. when she's angry, she forgets he's not his father, because for her everything is so immediate. if something is wrong you do something about it now, or else you're a coward and a fool, and if she's locked up for speaking the truth so be it. meanwhile arthur will offer a protest, and when it's not well recieved he'll nod along and say all the right things and look for the next opportunity where he can act. she needs to be right and damn the consequences, and he needs to be free to take action.

think about what happened when gwen was kidnapped in 2x04, lancelot and guinevere. arthur publicly agreed with uther for the sake of presenting a unified front (another thing morgana doesn't seem to understand the importance of), and then starts making his own arrangements to solve the problem without undermining uther's authority or compromising on what he thinks is right. then morgana storms in and doesn't bother to look at what he's doing before she starts chewing him out. this happens over and over through the early seasons. another notable time is in 1x12, to kill the king, when she is in the dungeons, and before she realises arthur is there to release her she starts taunting him for apparently siding with uther. then as soon as she sees he's trying to help her and get her back in good standing with uther, she turns around and says, you're a better man than your father. always were.

this feeling of needing to have her way immediately is the core of why she and uther had such a mercurial relationship (because he's the same way!), and why arthur could weather it better (he's used to playing the long game to get what he wants). this constant, deliberate misreading of other people's actions is the core of arthur and morgana's conflict and how they grew so far apart. morgana never stops and looks at arthur's actions. she only hears his words. and in the same way, she never stops to consider her own actions, and wraps herself up in righteousness and rhetoric until she has completely lost sight of what she intended to do.

[larluce]

Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

Tagging @aceauthorcatqueen , @fallenxjas , @smileytrinity ,@lucifertookmyshoe , @an-entity-i-think , @thecornerofbelu , @griffonskies , @odinjm , @cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu , @thelady-mary , @bennedict , @nightninjaboy , @st8-of-grace Thank you for your beautiful comments! And for the ones that gave me ideas, trust me, I'm taking them into account ;)

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS AU HERE: PART 1 , PART 2 , PART 3 , PART 4 , PART 5 , PART 6 , PART 7 , PART 8 (You're here) , PART 9

A little more of "The Dragon's Call"

Arthur: (at the feast waiting anxiously because Merlin is supposed to save him from "Lady Helen" to become his servant today and he isn't there yet)

Uther: Are you alright, Arthur?

Arthur: (too quickly) Yeah, right, excelent, never better.

Uther: You've been acting strange lately.

Arthur: (thinking) Well it's not easy to act normal around your dead father and your dead sister who wanted you dead. (says) I just haven't been sleeping well. I had... nightmares. Very long nightmares.

Uther: I see... (Thinking) I hope Morgana's condition isn't contagious.

Merlin: (Finally arrives with Gaius at the feast)

Arthur: (turns and his eyes find Merlin's almost immediately)

Merlin: (Thinking, while he looks at Arthur in the distance) Why is he looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?

Arthur: (Noticing Merlin is without his neckerchief, and he is so young and so beautiful, and he doesn't have his neckerchief on!) Gods have mercy!

Morgana: (enters in her breathtaking dress)

Merlin: (stares at her, but with a mix of longing and guilt)

Gwen: She looks great, doesn't she?

Merlin: (smiling sadly) Yeah...

Gwen: Some people are just born to be queen.

Merlin: (almost shouting) NO!

Gwen: There's no need to sound so disturbed.

Merlin: (composing himself) I'm sorry just... I think she could do better than Arthur that's all. (Thinking) And with someone that is not her brother.

Gwen: He's not so bad.

Merlin: (confused cause Gwen was supposed to agree with him) What do you mean? He was bullying a servant only a few days ago!

Gwen: I remmember. You confronted him about it.

Merlin: See? A total prat.

Gwen: And he also recognised his mistake and apologised. And he didn't arrest you for insulting him in front of his knights though that's technically treason.

Merlin: Okay, maybe not a total prat, but still a prat. (Thinking, worried) He was too nice indeed. Perhaps I was too harsh on him this time?

Morgana: (seeing Arthur is watching in Merlin and Gwen's direction) Have your eye on someone?

Arthur: (Cold) No.

Morgana: (playfully) Is it Gwen? or perhaps-

Arthur: Let's sit. Lady Helen will arrive at any moment (goes to his sit)

Morgana: ... Sure (thinking, while she goes to her sit) What's wrong with him?

Uther: (making an announcement) We have enjoyed 20 years of piece and prosperity....

Arthur: (thinking, resentfully) 20 years of genocide and lies.

Uther: ...It has brought to the kingdom and myself many pleasures but few can compare to the honor of introducing Lady Helen of Mora.

Lady Helen: (enters while people clap)

Arthur: (looks at Merlin in the distance)

Merlin: (very concentrated with his eyes on the chandelier, waiting for lady Helen to stand under it)

Arthur: (smiling to himself, thinking) So that's how you did it.

Everyone falls asleep, except for Arthur who does feel sleepy but is still slightly awake for some reason, so he gets to witness when all the room is filled with spiderwebs and Merlin uses his magic to make the chandelier fall over Helen, who is soon reveal to be Mary Collins.

Arthur: (confused) What... (thinking) Why didn't I fall completely asleep?

Merlin: (whose magic hasn't been able to freeze time since he traveled back in time, but he doesn't know why) Come on, come on! (Tries again to stop time but doesn't work) Damn it! (Shouts and runs to Arthur) ARTHUR!

Mary Collins: (throws the knife at Arthur)

Merlin: (covers Arthur with his body on time and the knife stabs his back)

Arthur: (horrified) NO! (Holding Merlin as they fall to the floor) No, no, no, no! You idiot, what were you thinking?!

Gaius: (running to Merlin) Merlin!

Uther: Who is this?

Gaius: My ward. (checks Merlin) We need to move him to my tower as carefully and quickly as possible. I can't pull the knife out here, he'll bleed to death.

Merlin: (smiling weakely at Arthur) I did it. (Tears of happiness) I did... (Starts closing his eyes).

Arthur: (panic mode) No! don't you dare die on me! (carries him as Gaius instructed) You're going to be okay, you're going to be okay. Stay with me (thinking) Please, don't leave me again. I just got you back. I can't lose you again.

Time skip. Merlin wakes up in Gaius's tower and with his wound bandaged. The knife didn't puncture anything important, but apparently the blade was poisoned. Fortunately, it was a pretty common one and Gaius took care of it rather quickly. Gaius scolds him for scaring him as expected but then hugs him gently and tells him he must not do any effort for at least 2 weeks and rest. Just as Gaius leaves for some herbs, Arthur enters to check on him.

Arthur: Better do as he says. I can't have my personal manservant injuring himself.

Merlin: Personal manservant?

Arthur: My father, the king, decided to reward you for saving my life by granting you a place at the royal household.

Merlin: (happy inside, but pretending to be annoyed) As your personal manservant? Couldn't he just give me gold or something?

Arthur: (playing along) Most would consider it a great honor.

Merlin: Well, I'm not like most people.

Arthur: (laughs a little) You certainly aren't. (Gets close and checks him out little, cause he's never seen Merlin without a shirt before and damn it! is hard not to stare, but as soon as his eyes land on the bandage, he turns serious) What you did was very brave... and stupid. You shouldn't have done that.

Merlin: (still mocking) If that's your way to say "Thank you for saving my life", well, yeah, I'm starting to regret saving your royal ass.

Arthur: I'm serious. Now you're my manservant, therefore my responsability and my concern. You're not allowed to put yourself in harms way, ever, not even for me. (Thinking) specially for me.

Merlin: (bewildered at the sudden concern) Is that a rule?

Arthur: It is now. Do I make myself clear?

Merlin: (touched, he smiles) Yes, my lord. (Thinking) I would die for you a hundred times over.

Arthur: (Thinking, a wave of nostalgia invading him) "My lord"... how much I missed that. (says) Good. Now get some rest (starts leaving, but stops and turns) And Merlin.

Merlin: Yes?

Arthur: Thank you for saving my life. (Makes a small bow, smiles and leaves)

Merlin: ...

Merlin: Did he just bow to me?!! 😨

...

Some explanation: Arthur is now, not immune, but a little more resistant to some mind spells since his mind is from the future and has already passed for all those spells before. Merlin's magic is kind of weak, because the ritual Arthur did used the magic from the tree, therefore Merlin's magic to do the time travel thing, so lets say his magic is a little exhausted and needs recovering, but it just last a few days.

[katherynefromphilly]

There are very few things in modern media that hit me quite as hard as the episode of BBC Merlin “Sins of the Father”, when Bradley James as Prince Arthur Pendragon delivers this line in his confrontation with Uther:

“You are nothing but a

HYPOCRITE

and a

LIAR”

Gives me goosebumps every damn time. Exceptional acting right there by Bradley James. Our boy deserved all the BAFTAs for that scene.