#he tells merlin that camelot was his kingdom too

[failing-thought]

I'm sorry, "For the kingdom you helped me build?" And they thought that was okay to write? My heart is shattered, SHATTERED I tell you

[whenyouhearthedoorcreak]

I have this sorta stupid headcanon about when Arthur tries to promote merlin to like court sorcerer or something, and Merlin has a moment of panic and refuses the promotion and is all "I don't want power Arthur,I've already told you I'm proud to serve you till the day I die" or sommate and Arthur is all "after all you've done for Camelot for me for our kingdom I can't allow you to lurk in the shadows anymore, besides this way you won't have to sneak away to do your magic what not and all that and you can actually take the time to work on it, just let me promote you" and Merlin is still refusing till finally Arthur gives him The Look™ and just asks finally "merlin, tell me, what's really going on?"

And Merlin just very sheepishly admits that he doesn't like the idea of someone else doing all the things he does now.

He doesn't like that someone else is going to Stoke the fire at night, because that's always when he find Arthur up way too late and asks what's wrong and they talk about the stress of running the kingdom and how he secretly misses Morgana and how worried he is about the Knight who hasnt returned from watch.

And he doesn't want someone else to be riding by arthur’s side or to help him dress in the morning or write his speeches, doesn’t want them there in all the simple moments that always bonded them

[larluce]

Merlin traveling back in time to save Arthur AU but with a twist!!

Merlin makes it to the sidhes, bringing a barely breathing Arthur with him. As expected, they ask for a price and Merlin offers his life, ignoring Arthur's protests.

Sidhe1: You're inmortal you can't die

Sidhe2: And even if you could, killing you would mean killing magic itself, therefore killing the earth itself.

Merlin: (crying desperate) I don't care! Take what you need! My blood, my magic, anything! Just save him!

Sidhe1: (smiling evily) I might know just the thing.

They never tell him what are they going to take from him, but he agrees. The sidhes start the ritual, while Arthur just keeps pleading weakely

Merlin: (smiling) If I somehow don't come back-

Arthur: (crying) Stop! Merlin don't do this. Please!

Merlin: I just want you to know that I love you.

Before Arthur can answer the ritual ends and Merlin blacks out.

When he wakes up he is in his way to Camelot in his old clothes and 10 years younger. He soon discovers he's been brought back to the very first day he met Arthur. He's confused. Have the Sidhes taken from him years of his life as a price? It doesn't make sense to him, but he decides to take advantage of this to prevent some things from happening.

Time goes by and while, in general, all events are repeating, not everything is happening as he remembers. Some people arrive in his live early, like Lancelot or Gawain. And Arthur treats him better? Like he says thank you to him more often and listens to him more. Merlin thinks it’s weird, but brushes it off thinking it’s due to the changes he's been making that some things are not quite the same.

Then the day comes when he finally reveals his magic to Arthur. He cries and Arthur hugs him telling everything its okey. Nothing its going to happen to him. Shortly after however Arthur also has a confession.

Arthur: I already knew.

Merlin: What?! Since when?

Arthur: the very start.

Merlin: How? I've been careful! More careful than before!

Arthur: Because you told me before. Well, not really before, but in the future. It’s complicated.

Merlin: Wait... you are from the future too?!

They are both surprised. They thought they were alone in this and it turns out they never were. Merlin cries all over again, apologazing for everything, for failing him, for not being able to save him, but-

Arthur: You did.

Merlin: ... What?

Arthur: You did save me.

Merlin: No, the sidhes tricked me. They sent us back in time-

Arthur: It was not them who did that. It was me.

Merlin: What... what are you saying?

Turns out what the ritual really did was turn Merlin into a small tree in exchange for saving Arthur’s life. A magic tree that would grow taller and taller and never die and whose ruts would expand making magic florish in the earth forever. Arthur of course was really upset after that. He demanded the sidhes to turn Merlin back but they only told him "what's done it's done" and that all he could do was pick the tree up before the roots growed if he wanted to move it elsewhere.

Arthur put the tree in a pot and brought it back to Camelot. Everyone was devasted with the news but they were also glad their king was alive and safe. No one blamed him, but Arthur always blamed himself. He repealed the ban as soon as he could and made sure everyone knew Merlin's involvement in the battle and later the other things he find out Merlin did for Camelot through Gaius. He made an anual event and a statue in Merlin's honor. Camelot slowly but surely welcomed magic again and became the most prosperous kingdom in the land.

Merlin: Oh...I don't remember being a tree.

Arthur: Yeah, I figured.

Merlin: But you repealed the ban! That's great! Magic was free again in the-wait... so why did you do all this if everything was fine? And how did you do it?

Arthur: Everything was NOT fine Merlin. You weren't there!

Merlin: (utterly confused) I was. As a tree.

Arthur: You know what I mean! You were there but you weren't. We mourned you but you were still alive. I kept you in that pot for longer that I should have because I wanted to keep you close all the time, yet looking at you was so painful... Gwen had to scold me into finally plant you in the garden so you could grow properly. I was broken inside, while trying to rule a kingdom. I kingdom we should have ruled together from the start!

Merlin: ...

Merlin: You're telling me you somehow traveled us back in time and throw away the golden age, your dream of uniting all Albion and all you worked hard for... just because you missed me?

Arthur: And because I couldn't say it back.

Merlin: What?

Arthur: That I love you too.

NEXT PART OF THIS AU HERE -> PART 2

[ramblings-of-a-chaotic-neutral]

I wasn't planning on posting this today, but this idea came to me today and I must share it! (I'm still working on my special au to celebrate two big tumblr milestones! Hopefully it'll be done by the end of the week!)

With all of the dehumanizing propaganda labelling magic users as "inhuman monsters" that Uther spread during the purge, people who are attracted to magic users are probably labelled as deviants. In Camelot, saying "yeah I'd bang a wizard" is considered completely taboo. But that doesn't stop people from fantasying about what they can't have.

This, of course, spawns a whole genre of steamy romance manuscripts featuring evil sorcerers kidnapping fair maidens and falling in love with them, powerful wizards seducing innocent princess with their dark magics, dark and broody warlocks tricking naive ladies into becoming their lovers through a devil's bargain, etc. These cheesy romance manuscripts are quite popular with the ladies of Camelot, as they have a forbidden aspect to them in both the owning of such stories and the material of the stories themselves. Plus, when you're a noblewoman trapped in a loveless political marriage, the fantasy of a dark and powerful magic user becoming enamored with them and stealing them away is quite the appealing fantasy.

To many people in Camelot, magic users become the ultimate forbidden romance fantasy, being (in their imaginations) secretive and powerful creatures who can use their magic to exert their will and their dark desires on their innocent victims.

The few people in Camelot who have actually slept with magic users don't help these rumors either, as they only add fuel to the fire. Gwaine certainly has plenty of stories to share about how much fun sorcerers and witches can be in bed with their magic, and the people in the tavern listen with rapt attention and furious blushing when he tells those stories.

But when tales of Emrys, the last dragonlord and the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, travel from the druids to Camelot? The wizard-fuckers in Camelot went wild.

Within a couple weeks, there were dozens of steamy (and VERY imaginative) romance novels and manuscripts written and passed around Camelot, all revolving around the mysterious and brooding warlock Emrys.

As people's dirty imaginations ran wild with what Emrys might be like, the general perception of Emrys became more and more ridiculous. According to some of these stories, Emrys was a seven foot tall brooding warlock whose magic made him irresistible, forcing people to succumb to his will.

Pretty much everyone in Camelot gets their hands on one of these manuscripts or hears about them. Gwaine has his own collection of them, which isn't too shocking to anyone, but, to everyone's surprise, Merlin starts collecting some of those stories too (to make sure that no one else gets their hands of such embarrassing material, but people just assume that he has some sort of kink). He even blushes whenever someone mentions them (out of mortification).

Eventually, Arthur finds out about his kingdom's dirty fascination with this Emrys guy because people kept teasing Merlin for his crush on Emrys. Arthur demands to know who Merlin has fallen for (for security reasons, of course, not because he's jealous). It's at that point that Gwen and the knights have to tell Arthur that his entire kingdom (including Merlin apparently) has been thirsting over a hot mysterious sorcerer that no one actually knows anything about.

Arthur almost blows up when he hears this, furious that his entire kingdom has been having dirty fantasies about a dangerous man who's most likely their enemy! And don't even get him started on how Merlin, his Merlin, has the audacity to be more attracted to this Emrys than Arthur himself! This is outrageous!

However, no matter how much Arthur tries to point out to Merlin that being attracted to Emrys is a bad idea and nothing will ever come of it anyways, he still keeps on catching Merlin with those dirty manuscripts about Emrys! (Because Merlin is still trying to secretly get rid of them all).

Eventually, Arthur gets frustrated enough that he'll try anything to get Merlin's attention away from Emrys. He thinks over how he could do that for a while, until one day he overheard two ladies of the court talking about how much they enjoyed it when their partners in bed roleplayed as a powerful magic user like Emrys, and Arthur begrudging came to a solution.

The next day, when Arthur catches Merlin reading a story about Emrys and blushing wildly again, Arthur clears his throat, looks a mortified Merlin dead in the eyes, and asks, "if I took you to bed and pretended to be Emrys while doing so, would that finally get you over your ridiculous attraction to this criminal of a sorcerer?"

Arthur was perhaps a bit too blunt in his delivery, as Merlin promptly started choking on air after Arthur's question in lieu of an answer, much to Arthur's annoyance. You see, as much as it would irritate Arthur to have to pretend to be another man, let alone an enemy sorcerer, in bed, Arthur had a plan.

Arthur obviously needed to rein in Merlin's lust before his servant did anything stupid (like fall into bed with an actual dangerous sorcerer), and what better way to do that than slake Merlin's lust himself? Truly, Arthur was the most generous king there ever was (ignoring his own rampant attraction towards Merlin). And once they were in bed, Arthur would prove to Merlin how great and how proficient a lover he is, and any thoughts of Emrys (or any man who wasn't Arthur for that matter), would be forgotten immediately in the face of how superior Arthur is!

Arthur mentally pats himself on the back for coming up with this genius plan as Merlin's coughing fit finally ends.

"Arthur, why on earth would you even ask that?!"

"Because you're clearly enamored with this sorcerer, so perhaps this will finally get that stupidity out of your system!"

They go back and forth like this for a while, until finally Merlin, to his own shock, agrees to Arthur's proposal. Arthur feels alight with victory for a few minutes, until he realizes that he'll have to learn how to act convincingly like a powerful sorcerer for one night. At that point, Arthur goes out to buy some dark robes for himself to hopefully get more into character, and even "studies" some of those spicy manuscripts to get an idea of what Merlin would be expecting.

Arthur barely managed to finish one of them from how scandalized he was at their contents. Why were these so popular with his subjects?! Still, Arthur soldiered on, reading more and more of the embarrassing romance manuscripts until he finally felt confident in what Merlin was looking for.

Of course, when the time came, Arthur was terrible at roleplaying as a sorcerer, but Merlin didn't mind one bit (most because Merlin was torn between laughing hysterically or being embarrassed beyond belief at at Arthur's poor impersonation of a poor interpretation of Merlin himself, so he decided to instead just enjoy being with Arthur).

And that's all for now! I'm thinking about doing a continuation of this later on, where Camelot (who's been thirsting over Emrys) learns that Merlin had been Emrys all along. Please let me know if you'd like to see that one day!

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

[justaz]

merlin convincing morgana to remain in camelot and bonding over magic. uther dies and arthur becomes king and merlin and morgana are eager for arthur to repeal the ban but it never happens. then arthur and gwen are courting and morgana and merlin are a bit upset but are happy for them (sorta) but mainly they’re waiting for the ban to be repealed. it never happens. then gwen and arthur get married and morgana and gwen (+ lancelot) are devastated but hanging on by a thread for the magic ban to be repealed. it never happens. morgana is growing angrier and angrier while merlin is growing more and more reckless. morgana picks fights with arthur while merlin sticks to the shadows and protects arthur from unseen threats like always but he stops putting up much of a fight. he keeps coming back beaten black and blue, bloodied, on the brink of death.

morgana finally snaps at merlin and is like “i’ve been waiting for the ban to be lifted like you promised it would be and nothings changed. i cannot stay in this kingdom and watch the love of my life be happy with my brother while hiding myself away! you can be fine with the lying and hiding but i’m done! i’ll make my own damn happy ending” and storms off to flee camelot. lancelot finds merlin and they talk about it and lancelot is like “honestly, she has a point. i’m in love with gwen and that’ll never change. it pains me to see them so happy even though i wish nothing but the best for them. the only reason i’m still in camelot is you, merlin. if you want to stay, i’ll stay with you. if you want to go, then we’ll go.” merlin unsure and lance goes “it was you and me in the beginning, it can be you and me again” and merlin tears up but is still unsure and lance compromises with “we don’t have to leave forever. just a month or two, a year or five. however long you need.”

merlin finally agrees and lancelot goes to pack while merlin finds gwaine and tells him his plan bc if he doesn’t tell gwaine then the man will hunt him down like a bloodhound. gwaine ofc immediately agrees to go with him and they all pack their things. merlin shuffles into arthur’s chambers and turns in his resignation from his service and arthur starts freaking out like “wait what?? what’s wrong?? what happened??? let me fix it. was it a nobleman? a knight? was it me?? please tell me it wasn’t me. what happened??” and merlin can’t handle it so he just restates that he’s resigning, bows and says it was somewhat of an honor, and then turns and leaves. he finds lance and gwaine in gaius’s chambers with mordred. merlin rolls his eyes but is also kinda grateful for his friends. arthur storms in and finds three of his knights also packed at they’re like “oh shoot we were gonna tell you in the morning but since you’re here, we’re resigning too”

now arthur is faced with three less knights and one less manservant than an hour ago (he has yet to find out about his sister’s fleeing). he questions them again and the room gives merlin and arthur some privacy for merlin to tell arthur that nothing is wrong but that they just need some time away. it probably won’t be permanent but they have to leave. arthur isn’t begging because kings don’t beg but he’s doing a damn good impression and merlin is on the verge of tears again and is begging arthur not to make things harder than it needs to be. arthur grows angrier now and is like “then tell me why. why are you leaving? why are my knights leaving? tell me.” and merlin can’t think of an excuse bc he doesn’t want to push his troubles of unreciprocated love onto arthur so he just stands there and arthur is like “i thought you were one of the bravest men i ever met. turns our you’re nothing more than a coward.” anyways they split on bad terms.

merlin, lancelot, gwaine, and mordred leave camelot and have their own little adventures and run into morgana again and they form their own little band of travelers. arthur, gwen, leon, elyan, and percival are still in camelot with gwen and arthur completely in the dark while the rest of the knights Know. it’s like a few months after merlin and them left and arthur and them are drunk and he brings merlin and them up and asks what happened. the knights are quiet and gwen sits up and asks elyan and her voice is desperate enough that elyan breaks and goes “morgana and lancelot were in love with you” and they all just stare at each other and elyan rushes to fill the silence with stuff like how they wanted gwen to be happy but couldn’t bear watching gwen and arthur be so in love all the time, he explains that morgana left on her own but lancelot followed merlin. arthur asks if merlin was in love with gwen too and the knights shift before percival goes “no, he was in love with you” and leon sighs before explaining the rest.

“morgana and lancelot were in love with gwen while merlin was in love with arthur. morgana left on her own and merlin was influenced by her choice to leave and lancelot and gwaine followed him. mordred followed both morgana and merlin, i’m not sure what he would’ve done had merlin stayed and morgana left. gwaine followed merlin bc he’s in love with him.” he rubs his eye bc he can’t believe the mess things are even though it’s been this way for years “morgana couldn’t stand it. lancelot was loyal to merlin. gwaine was loyal to merlin. mordred was loyal to merlin and morgana. and merlin…merlin has been protecting you for years, arthur. he’s charged into battle against the threats you can’t see, the ones in the shadows. i’ve kept an eye on him since he got here but he’s had it handled. but recently, after your wedding, he grew reckless. he came back from every fight beaten like a pulp. he stopped trying. not to let you die, but to let them get the upper hand over him. he was dancing with death. it wasn’t healthy for any of them. that’s why they left.”

the knights leave arthur and gwen in their chambers to stew in silence, drunk and guilty and missing their friends and wondering how they could’ve missed the signs. merlin and them on the other hand are traveling from town to town, village to village, kingdom to kingdom and protecting villages from raiders, protecting druids from raids, stepping in on executions and freeing sorcerers.

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Birthday!!! 🎂🎂🎂 Can I have a Merlin prompt? 🎂🎂🎂

a continuation of 1 2 3 4 5

Merlin manages to avoid the arrival of Nimueh and her kidnapped apprentice and it’s not even suspicious at all because everyone is avoiding them, and Tristan, because of the huge fight they had about the actual legitimate kidnapping of an unwed, barely of age lady from a neighboring kingdom.

“Does it count as kidnapping if they go along willingly?” Elyan asks, standing above Merlin while he polishes his armor and being no help at all despite being the son of a blacksmith.

He shrugs. “How would I know?”

That gets him a snort of laughter and a slap on the back that only has him stumbling a little bit. If nothing else, his time as Arthur’s servant running around doing chores, and usually running after Arthur and Elyan and their newest terrible idea, has made it so he sort of has muscles now. Access to the castle’s kitchens certainly hasn’t hurt either.

He feels sort of guilty about it. Sure, he’s barely earning any wages himself since it’s mostly going to Ealdor’s debt, but they’re out there working hard to irrigate the land and fix up the village and he’s eating well and sleeping in the nicest room he probably ever will, and sure, he’s working, but he also spends a lot of time just hanging out with Arther and Elyan.

“She’s pretty alright actually, for a noble,” he continues. He hasn’t been going to nearly the lengths Merlin has to avoid her. “Especially for one that grew up in Camelot.”

“You grew up in Camelot,” Merlin says.

For a moment Elyan looks a strange cross between forlorn and wistful. “Yeah, but me and my dad and my sister are just commoners. It wasn’t so bad for us, after the queen died and the prince went missing, but the nobles got it the worst. The king had never been the most comprising of men, but he really became something else after all that. I assume that’s why the de Bois left.”

Merlin startles. “The de Bois are from Camelot? They said that this was their grandfather’s castle!”

Elyan blinks at him. “What? Of course they are! And this was his castle, it’s just that familial relations broke down,” sometimes Elyan says things that make it so clear he spends too much time with Arthur, “and so their father’s was in Camelot. Is in Camelot, and still abandoned because no lord is willing to take up there and risk the king’s ire.”

“Why would the king care if someone else lived there?” he asks.

“Well, he took his brothers-in-law fleeing his kingdom a little personally, Merlin,” he says, rolling his eyes.

Wait. Wait – “Their sister was the queen of Camelot!?”

Elyan stares at him for a long moment then reaches out to rap his knuckles on the side of Merlin’s head. “What kind of schooling does that village have over there? I’ll tell Arthur to add it to the list.”

Better schooling wouldn’t be a bad thing, but, “I know her name was Ygraine! Ygraine Pendragon. No one told me her maiden name was du Bois!”

“Well,” Elyan says, looking uncertain, “maybe they just didn’t want it spread around. It’s not like they left under the best of circumstances. But I’m from the city proper, and everyone knows about the queen’s family there.”

“Right,” he says faintly.

How do things just keep getting worse?

He’s serving the king of Camelot’s nephew!

[churrochamp]

Let's talk about Merlin and lying. This isn't meant to be character bashing, but it might not be the most generous take either.

In All About Love, bel hooks writes: "In our culture privacy is often confused with secrecy. Open, honest, truth-telling individuals value privacy. We all need spaces where we can be alone with thoughts and feelings - where we can experience healthy psychological autonomy and can choose to share when we want to. Keeping secrets is usually about power, about hiding and concealing information."

(hooks has a lot more to say about the reasons why people lie in relationships, and our need for love and difficulty with love in general. Book is fantastic, highly recommend.)

The question is: was Merlin's years of lying about his magic, and all that he did in Arthur's defence, justified? Why'd he do it?

I've been trying to think through how the fandom generally interprets Merlin's character and choices in the show, and how this character makes me feel. It's really complicated and interesting (to me at least lol).

I often see the claim that Merlin lied about his magic for years out of fear for his safety, but it's never fully satisfied me as an explanation. Given that as a fandom we pretty much all agree that magic can be a metaphor for queerness, there's a natural alignment with the claim that queer people aren't ever obligated to come out, for any reason, but it's often said, especially if their physical safety might be jeopardized (which I agree with btw).

And it's true, given Camelot's genocidal laws, Merlin's life could be threatened if he revealed himself as a sorcerer. On the other hand, Merlin is basically all-powerful in the universe of the show, and I don't think the rest of Camelot could do much to him if he were prepared.

What's more convincing to me is the claim that Merlin's afraid of the potential emotional harm that could come from revealing himself. What if Arthur hates and rejects him? That's something his magic can't defend against.

I think Merlin's heart is in the right place. He believes all his work is done in service of Arthur and their joint destiny, which is the good of Albion. And he does save Arthur's life a whole dang lot.

The issue is, probably a good half of the show's major conflicts directly relate to Merlin's actions and inactions - usually, lies he's telling (Morgana, Mordred...). Conflicts that maybe could have been resolved with much less harm if Merlin, who often is the only one with crucial knowledge, had made different choices (and Gaius too oh my GOD). Dude is shooting himself in the foot. Merlin's lying isn't just about personal privacy and autonomy. It becomes a fundamental part, baked into his relationship with Arthur and his role in their prophecy (and the governing of a kingdom jeez).

In addition to plot SNAFUs, the way I see it, Merlin's lying has two major consequences for him:

His most important relationship, with Arthur, is deeply flawed and incomplete.

Merlin remains the most important, influential character in the show. His energies go to trying to keep the power for himself.

As bel hooks argues, there can't be true intimacy in a relationship if one or both parties withhold and deceive the other. This could look like lying to manipulate the other party to get what you want, or even lying to make the relationship go easier. Relationships built on untruth aren't fair to all parties - the deceived person can't make informed choices in the relationship, and the deceiving person robs themselves of the opportunity to be fully supported and loved for who they are. When Merlin lies to Arthur about magic, when he tells Arthur that magic is evil, even if it is for "his sake," he's taking choice away from Arthur often at crucial moments, for both their relationship and the well-being of the kingdom. Without knowledge of the truth about magic, and about Merlin, Arthur can't make fully informed choices as a king or a partner. Things go to shit, and it's terribly lonely for both of them, even if only one of them know about it. Merlin's reason for this might be fear of pain. However, when you don't give someone the opportunity to love or reject you for who you are, how can you feel held by that person? You deprive yourself of the chance.

Another reason to lie can be desire for power and control. By keeping the secret of his magic and their destiny, Merlin keeps all the responsibility and power to himself. This is the premise of the show: Merlin is the only person who can turn Arthur into a good king, save magic, secure Albion's future well-being--and he must do it all secretly. The show jokes about it, the characters joke about it. This premise is a kind of power-fantasy - being the secret power working from the shadows, using all your wit and guile to succeed despite the secrecy, risking life and limb for no recognition, but having the satisfaction of knowing that you are instrumental. It's very James Bond. Without the secrecy, what would be the point of Merlin? The secrecy might be part of what makes Merlin feel special, worthwhile.

As the years go by, the lies compound and the relationship becomes inseparable from them. The most significant on a personal level, probably Merlin's poisoning Morgana, Mordred, Ygraine, and Sophia.

Merlin can't control all the factors, he can't do it all by himself, he can't make Arthur into the ideal king and boyfriend of destiny, and from the start it's a doomed endeavour. Luckily Arthur loves him all on his own, and does get to see him at the very end, and they'll get a second chance.

So in summary, why does Merlin lie about his magic and his actions for so long? Fear, love, and power, is what I suggest. And ultimately it leads him and Arthur to ruin. It's not exactly exemplary behaviour, but it is very very human.

[theredneckerchief]

In which Melrin and the Knights are sitting around the campfire and Sir Percival is in charge of the story telling...

Percival: They call him...Emrys

Lancelot: *glances at Merlin*

Merin: *chokes on his soup*

Arthur: It's alright Merlin no need to be scared, Emrys doesn't actually exist

Percival: The Druids say, he was born from mortals in the time of the great purge, from a dragonlord who saught shelter and from a woman with a heart of gold. A child born from a love that could never be. The tripple goddess took pity on her peoples and gathered the lost magic of the dead felled by the Butcher King -sorry Arthur.

Arthur: *waves his hand for him to continue*

Merlin: *trying to catch Lancelot's eye and get him to change topics*

Lancelot: *looks at Merlin and nods* What happened next Perc?

Merlin: *mouths* traitor

Percival: Well, the babe was born with the lost magic of Albion coursing through his veins. A God in his own right. He can level any kingdom with a thought, create or destroy armies with the snap of his fingers.

Arthur: See Merlin? If he existed, I doubt "The Butcher King's" kingdom would still exist. *satisfied smirk at Merlin's pale face*

Percival: Ah you see Emrys was not born without purpose Arthur. He is the guardian of the Once and Future King. A King destined to usher a golden age of prosperity and unite the land of Albion under a banner of peace.

Gwaine: Sooo how would we know who this Emrys is? What if Arthur is that King?

Arthur: Whilst I appreciate the praise Gwaine, it's a children's story meant to scare people like Merlin. It can't possibly be true.

Percival: Well there is a way to test it... it is said that Emrys will respond to any prayer spoken sincerely by the Once and Future King.

Gwaine: Go on Arthur, try it *winks*

Merlin: I really don't think this is a good idea.

Leon: I agree with Merlin here, summoning a dangerous sorcerer is a bad idea...

Gwaine: We're not summoning him, just pray for something harmless, he can't refuse it right? So why not try? Or are you worried you're not this great King? *wiggles eyebrows*

Arthur: *growls* Fine. *closes eyes* As I sit here now I pray to Emrys to...uh...give Gwaine an apple.

Merlin: *Magics an apple infront of gwaine*

Arthur: *opens eyes* What? Why's everyone looking at me like that? *sees apple*...oh

Leon: Merlin...?

Merlin: *high pitched squeek* yeh?

Percival: I saw it too.

Gwaine: And me.

Arthur: What? What is it? I command you as the King of Camelot to tell me what the bloody hell is going on.

Leon: It's Merlin sire. His eyes... They blazed gold at your prayer...

Arthur: *laughing hysterically* Good one Leon.

*silence*

Arthur: You're serious? Yo- you mean Mer- *turns to Merlin, eyes fixed on his* As I sit here today, I pray to Emrys to sharpen my sword.

Merlin: *Eyes blaze gold*

*Arthur's sword unsheathes itself and starts sharpening itself mid-air*

Merlin: Um...tada? *jazz hands*

Elyan: *comes back from gathering firewood* So what was Percy's story about today?

(Inspired by this tumblr post:

)

[escespace]

Merthur prompt

Or rather, a long concept that has been going around in my head since I saw a tiktok but that I don't have the energy or time to write:

BUT LISTEN TO ME, I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYTHING LIKE THAT:

The king who seeks his warlock, the warlock who seeks his king. Two halves trying to become a whole again through two parallel growth journeys and a convergence between duty and hope.

So...

Merlin pretends to be heading for Camelot but he definitely isn't going there. I mean, IT'S THE KINGDOM KNOWN FOR ROAST BUNNY ON FIRE SEASONED WITH SORCERERS (he loved his mother but is that woman out of her mind?!)... However, he understands why she came up with the idea and agrees that his magical outbursts are becoming harder to conceal, so he wants to seek help (other than that of an ex-sorcerer who remains under the command of the chief butcher of his kind). He wants to find druids but he knows it will be a difficult journey, druids never stay in one place long enough and they distrust outsiders. Either way, he's already made up his mind and he never backs down when he does that.

Meanwhile Arthur's taking Morris to Gaius because the idiot moved at the last minute while he was practicing throwing knives.And it's totally his fault and not Arthur's. How dare him doubt the ability of his prince? Ha! As if Arthur could fail.

He knows he's going to be late for the banquet and his father will look at him in that way he does and well, it better not be that late, right? So he takes other routes and somehow ends up near where that magnificent entertainment is staying, that Morgana kept talking about but that he didn't listen to at all...

He hears the commotion in one of the rooms and ends up stopping a crime and finds evidence of a possible assassination attempt on the royal family. More or less, Arthur stops the whole fiasco with Lady Helen before it happens.

While they take her to the dungeons to burn her the next morning, she growls, attacks and curses the Pendragon ancestors... Above all, that night Arthur does not stop listening to her again and again claiming for the life of her son, burned that same morning :

«It wasn't Him, it was my magic, it wasn't Him »

And for the first time in his life Arthur asked himself a question related to magic...

Weeks go by and for Merlin things may not be going the way he thought they would. He has been living on just one meal a day and sometimes manages to pick up work in passing villages in exchange for lodging for a couple of nights; but mostly he tries to stay in the woods. It's not that he know much about living off the wild, but He has been through tough times before, not big deal, and for some reason there's something very comforting about being constantly surrounded by nature too.

Almost any discomfort would be acceptable if it weren't for the freaking unicorn that never stops following him. And aren't they supposed to be a sign of good fortune or something? Then why has it been the cause of all his calamities so far? First the overestimated horse tore one of his shirts while dragging him across the grass, and it's not like he's in a position to lack of anything without having money and with the cold nights he usually faces. Then the animal he fought with him until push him into a river whose watercourse rolled him around like a lady's garment during the wash. The last encounter ended when I lead Merlin towards some bandits Merlin did what he could. He knocked most of them down, causing branches to fall on them and their feet to get caught in roots. But one managed to get close enough to knock him until leaving him confounded, then the others who were not so bruised joined in the beating and Merlin could do nothing.

Intense emotions, deep reflections on his identity and self-worth until he is finally saved by an blonde woman. The lady said at most three words and all the bandits fell asleep.

An exchange of words that I can't come up with but ends with the woman telling him that she didn't do it for free, that he should pay with her neckerchief. Merlin doesn't understand but he's hurt and tired so he no protest

(Pause to say that in defense of the unicorn, he was just looking to steer Merlin in the direction of his destiny coughcoughArthurcoughcough, and Merlin didn't make it easy for him)

Days later the thing with Valiant and nobody suspects anything, nobody is there to save the ass of our favorite brat. But a Old lady follows him around like a duck all morning treating him like a adorable and helpful young man (much as a grandma style) until he bends to accept a ☆favor☆, yes that one... You and I know where she got it, Arthur doesn't and he doesn't know how unique and special that little piece of cloth can be.

No one sees anything strange in this favor because the old woman gave it to him in a very public place and everyone assumes that the prince is just being chivalrous

But the scarf ends up being what protects Arthur from Valiant's shield just because I say so and the magic of fiction stories and Merlin and his neckerchiefs have a special connection so its essence or whatever is still there

The story would extend to the first encounters between Merlin and the druids, Merlin and his father (a meeting before time to give them their due quality time and badass moments). He having the opportunity to forge his own identity and an independent path. On the other hand, Arthur discovering aspects of magic on his own to create his own criteria and value system. HE COULD EVEN BE THE FIRST TO TALK TO THE GREAT DEAGON!!!!

Forget that, Arthur is definitely the first to talk to the great dragon and learn of the prophecy. And listening to how it sounds, without many details and as critical as only Kilgharrah can be, plus the fact that he is only told about a certain Emrys and not about if is a wizard or witch or sorcerer or him or her...he comes to the same conclusion as us: That Emrys is his other half, "SHE" IS HIS SOULMATE... Oh man when they meet...

[star-rie]

merthur reunion in s4 of my fix it au:

merthur had just completed an epic battle, they're standing in the throne room, just like the end of s3 when arthur banished merlin 3 years ago

merlin: honestly i didn't think i will be standing here again arthur: me too (stepping down from his throne) why did you come back? merlin: (shrugs) i tried running away, but i can't...

'i can't leave you' hangs in the air

arthur: (sharp breath) you never left, even after all this years merlin: no

(silence)

arthur: why? merlin: i swear loyalty to camelot arthur: not that....(shakes his head)

(more silence)

Arthur: tell me emrys, why do you, the most powerful being ever walked on earth, continue to serve me, a lowly king with too many mistakes, too arrogant for his own good, isn't wise enough for his kingdom when i did nothing but to continue to treat you like dirt, banished your kind and family, sentenced you to exile for the last few years? merlin: (sharp breath) i live to serve you arthur: so the prophecy then? merlin: NO! (shocked at his own voice)

(merlin took a shaky breath)

merlin: no, it's not...it's not because of the prophecy...i don't serve you because of some destiny that's just ridiculous

(merlin looks to the ground)

merlin: you know arthur? i never expected to cross path with you when i entered citadel all those years ago….i thought that maybe i can make a change for myself, made new friends, maybe even become the new physician but

(merlin shakes his head)

Merlin: i never knew when i was involved in something greater than i can ever imagine, when i became magic, when i devoted myself to albion's future but…

(merlin looks at arthur)

Merlin: i think it’s you, you’re the one who changes me, and i’m not just talking about some destiny or some prophecy spewed by the great dragon. I…I serve you because you’re you. You’re not anyone else. You meant something to me. You have a kind heart, bigger than anyone else i’ve ever known, you shine like the sun when you’re fighting on the battlefield. I just- i don’t know arthur, i tried leaving, i really tried but i just cant-

Arthur is already hugging him, and merlin lets his tears drop to arthur’s shoulders, hugging him back. Arthur is crying too, nuzzling to the side of his head

Arthur: i missed you- Merlin: i miss you too Arthur: i’m sorry Merlin: it’s not your fault- Arthur: it is my fault Merlin: blame your father Arthur: i shouldn’t listen to him

They both look at each-other, seeing how much they’ve changed for the last few years.

Arthur: thank you for staying by my side merlin. i will try to make you the happiest man alive. Merlin: but i’m already happy when im with you, i’ll burn villages for you, i’ll do anything for-

Arthur kisses him, merlin kisses him back. Deep down inside, arthur realizes, he’s stupidly in love with the man standing in front of him, he doesn’t want to lose him again

Merlin: i love you, i love you, i love you... Arthur: I know...

Episode ends

[a-small-batch-of-dragons]

The Worst Part

Could I possibly request some anxceit (platonic or romantic) where Virgil rescues Janus from some kind of danger? In the imagination, maybe? – anon

Hello hello! This might be a strange request, but I am such a sucker for both your merlin & sanders sides fic. If it strikes your fancy, I would love to see your rendition of an angst fic of a merlin au of sanders sides, with Virgil as merlin and a side of your choice as Arthur? I think the angst implications of that dynamic would be LOVELY – anon

Read on Ao3

Warnings: none

Pairings: anxceit

Word Count: 2455

This is the worst part, honestly. It's not the frantic churning in his gut when he uses his magic, it's not the icy dread of what happens right after when he's trying frantically to avoid suspicion, it's not even the looks he gets when there's a few too many knights looking at him.

It's when they're back in the safety of Janus's chambers and Janus is swanning around like he's the one that saved the day, and he takes the opportunity to get as many insults into Virgil as he can.

Now, Virgil knows he's lucky: Janus's famous acid tongue isn't actually as sharp as he thinks it is, and he's in the unique position of being able to snipe back at the Prince of Camelot, but…death by a thousand cuts and all that.

"Oh, and of course, Virgil, you'll have to have one of the knights help you with that, I know you'd rather cut off your own arm than actually wield steel."

"Now, don't get all excited, this won't be nearly as fun as changing my sheets, but do try to pay attention…"

"—and don't worry, you won't be anywhere near any of the action, you'll be far enough back that your delicate little fingers won't see any specks of blood."

Some of them hurt worse than others. He can stomach the ones about him being unfamiliar with the castle and the citadel at large—he's from a tiny village, for crying out loud—and the ones about him being weak aren't the worst—he's seen the knights, Roman and Remus are terrifying when they want to be—but the ones about him being a coward?

Sometimes he wants to scream at Janus that he's braver than Janus could ever dream of being. That he's here, in the heart of a kingdom that's sworn to kill every single one of his kind, serving the Crown Prince that is determined to see it through, and he's still fucking here. He hasn't run for the hills, he hasn't turned tail and cowered in Logan's chambers, he's still here, taking those fucking insults, and he's damn proud of it. And, also, he's the one who saved Janus's royal arse earlier, so a thank-you for that and all the other times he's had to do that since coming here would be appreciated.

But that would be tantamount to suicide, and he's too much of a coward to get himself killed like that.

He's surprised, honestly, that Janus doesn't choose to poke fun at his obvious fear of fire. It's not as though he's very good at hiding it, not with the way he flinches from candles and does everything he can not to be responsible for lighting the prince's fire at the beginning of the night. Even when they're out in the fucking woods, making all the noise and light for any bandit to see, he shies away from the fire and shivers in the cold. Those are the only times he thinks he sees something like concern flicker in Janus's eyes.

"Virgil? Are you listening to me?"

"No."

Janus rolls his eyes. "Are you capable of doing such a thing, or have you just managed to guess your way through most of your duties up until now?"

"It's not as though you make it particularly difficult, 'here, do this stupid thing, now do this other thing I'm just making you do because I can.' Not exactly sophisticated things, are they?"

"Oh, well, if you're such an expert, perhaps you should try being the prince for a day, see how you like it."

"No, no, my head's not nearly big enough."

He hears a small scoff that could be a laugh as he continues folding the prince's laundry—he was listening enough to know what Janus was telling him to do. There's a pause as the quill scratches across parchment before there's a telltale rustle of paper and he ducks just in time for it to land harmlessly on the bed in front of him.

"How honorable, attacking a man while his back is turned."

"Of course you think having a ball of paper thrown at you constitutes an attack."

He manages to disguise the tensing of his jaw by reaching for it. His fingers brush the crumpled edge, scoffing when he sees the list of chores. "I did half of these things this morning."

"Well, that's the wonderful thing about chores, Virgil, you have to keep doing them as people live their lives."

"Or, maybe you could try not taking up all the space in the world for once in your life."

"Careful, you're threatening the prince of Camelot."

"Only you would view being told to take up less space as a threat."

This time Janus throws a roll of bread and he doesn't turn around fast enough, stumbling backwards as it hits him in the forehead. He flails, trying to regain his balance, only to hit the curtains and get tangled. He can't see, he can't move, and he ends up falling right on his arse.

Right in front of a laughing Janus.

"Magnificent performance!" He hears clapping as he swallows down his humiliation. "If you were auditioning for the part of a jester, I'd hire you on that alone."

"Very funny," he mutters through gritted teeth, just barely resisting the urge to throw the bread back. Instead, he stuffs it in his pocket and goes about fixing the curtains.

"Oh, come on," Janus coos mockingly when he doesn't let him see his face for a long while, "don't be such a petticoat, Virgil. A little fall now and then's good for any man."

Virgil grits his teeth and says nothing.

This. These insults he'd rather not deal with. He's still shaky from earlier, his senses on high alert, and Janus thinks it's funny to scare him and make him flush and generally feel unsafe. Not something he needs right now, thank you very much. But could he say any of this out loud? No! He'd be opening himself up to even more insults, more mocking, more jeering at his sensitivity because what sort of person—no, what sort of man would he be if he tried to say that he felt uncomfortable? He'd be lucky if Janus didn't call in the others just to laugh at him.

"You don't need to sulk," comes Janus's voice again as he goes back to silently doing the laundry, "I thought we were past this."

He keeps his mouth shut. He puts the laundry back in the closet and turns to start fixing the bed. He hears Janus sigh.

"The silent treatment's a bit childish for you, isn't it?"

"I'm not giving you the silent treatment."

"He speaks!" He sees Janus throw his arms up out of the corner of his eye. "What a miracle this is."

"I can just shut up again."

"Words I never thought I'd hear you say. It's a wonder you're even capable of it."

See, he seethes internally, this is why I wasn't talking. You just take every word I say as an opportunity to insult me.

But it seems like Janus doesn't actually want him to shut up, so of course that's exactly what he does. He doesn't say another word as he finishes doing all the chores on the list, no matter how much Janus needles him, no matter how many things get thrown at him—he doesn't bother dodging them anymore, he just lets himself get hit and swallows whatever pain might come from having a metal cup collide with his shoulder—no matter how many times Janus stares at him waiting for him to say something. Instead, he waits until there's just about nothing else he can do to stop, fold his hands behind his back, and bow slightly.

"Is there anything else, sire," he mumbles in that polite voice he and Janus both hate, "or will that be all for the evening?"

"Alright, you've made your point," Janus grumbles, getting up from his desk, "now stop it."

"Stop what, sire?"

"Stop it," Janus barks. Virgil doesn't look up and he hears a muffled curse before heavy boots are tromping across the room.

It's just Janus. They're in his chambers. In all likelihood, he's just going to get cuffed across the shoulder or the ear and told to knock this off, told to get out so Janus can see him bright and early tomorrow. That's what always happens, that's probably what's going to happen, there's no need for Virgil to flinch.

But part of him is still on the muddy ground, a bandit roaring as an axe lifts high in the air above him. Part of him is still shivering as his magic acts without his permission and forcing him to scramble for cover to choke down the panic at possibly being discovered. Part of him is still cowering on the ground as heavy footsteps race over to him, sword drawn and flashing like a torch in the setting sun.

So, as much as he screams at himself not to, Virgil flinches.

The footsteps stop abruptly.

Slowly, so slowly it almost seems like a dream, he watches a hand raise and settle on the nape of his neck. The prince's gloves are soft and buttery leather, warmed by his touch and by riding in the late afternoon. The touch is so gentle for a moment he's not sure if he's imagining it, but then there's another hand under his chin.

"Virgil," the prince says, and Virgil reels at how soft Janus sounds, "what's going on?"

"What?"

"You're upset," and who the fuck is this and what the hell has he done with Janus, because Janus doesn't talk to him this softly and he certainly doesn't ask Virgil if he's upset, "are you still afraid because of what happened earlier?"

"No!"

Janus tuts, gently chucking him under his chin. "Don't lie to me, sweetie."

"What the fuck is going on?" Virgil jerks back, trying to break Janus's hold but the prince is strong—far stronger than him, and he barely moves. "What are you doing?"

"You're upset, I can tell. I'm trying to help."

"Why?"

Janus chuckles, only to realize Virgil is most certainly not laughing, and he sobers quicker than Virgil could've thought possible. "What do you mean, 'why?' You're my Virgil."

"I'm your what?"

"My Virgil. My disobedient, lazy, cowardly manservant Virgil—" which hurts, but Janus is saying them so tenderly they almost sound like endearments, which is making his head spin— "and you're upset, which means I have to fix it."

Virgil just stares at him, mouth opening and closing wordlessly until the hand on the back of his neck squeezes gently. Then a mortifying wounded noise escapes his lips and he buries his face in his hands.

"Hey, hey," Janus murmurs, stepping even closer, "none of that, now. It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I don't understand."

"You're safe. We're back in Camelot, there are no more bandits here. You're in my chambers, everything's alright." Fingers card gently through his hair. "Are you still embarrassed about falling earlier?"

"…you threw bread at me."

"I know. That wasn't very nice of me, was it?" Virgil shakes his head. "Is that why you're still upset with me?"

"You keep insulting me."

"That's what we do, sweetie—" and Virgil shudders at the pet name— "oh, hush, now, it's alright. Here, come here—"

And before Virgil can say or do anything, he's being swept up into a hug. An actual, certifiable hug from the Prince of fucking Camelot and it's warm and safe and fuck he's going to start crying—

"Hey," Janus says sternly when Virgil starts fidgeting in his hold, "settle down, now."

"Let go—let go—I'm gonna—"

"Shh-shh-shh, don't fight me. You're going to cry, is that it? Shh, hush, it's alright, none of that, I don't care—oh, for the love of—" he's spun around and pinned against the prince's chest with an arm around his chest and his waist, a mouth at his ear, "there, now I can't see, is that what you wanted?"

"J-Janus—" Virgil claws at his arm— "Janus, I didn't do anything, I didn't do it—"

"Shh, shh-shh-shh, take a deep breath for me, Virgil. Yes, just like that…that's it, calm down. I'm not angry. You're alright, you're safe, I'm not going to hurt you. Just let me hold you." Janus coaxes him down to the floor when his knees buckle, leaned back against his chest. "There…that's it, calm down, calm down. It's okay. Everything's okay."

"I don't under—understand," he manages, "I'm—I—you—"

Janus's thumb strokes carefully over his chest, still shushing him gently. "I'm not going to hurt you. You're upset, I should've known better than to tease right after something like that. You're safe, you have my word."

"I—" tears start to bubble at the corners of his eyes— "I—"

"Shh, don't try and speak right now," he says softly, pulling Virgil more into his lap, "just let it out."

And, well, he's not sure he's ever going to have the opportunity to bawl in the prince's hold ever again, so he's going to take advantage of it while he has it. Still, it takes him a moment to wrestle with the sheer amount of blackmail he's giving Janus in this moment before he's properly sobbing, knees drawn up to his chest and all, while soft words are murmured in his ears and a hand strokes comfortingly through his hair.

"That's it, you're alright. Shh, I know, that was frightening. It's over now, you're safe, I won't let anything happen to you."

"Jan—Janus—"

"Shh, shh, shh, I'm right here. I'm right here, Virgil, I'm not going anywhere."

This is the worst part, honestly, the part right after everything's over and Virgil has to get all of the fear out of his body before it can get him into even more trouble. But, when he's done crying, Janus will smile at him fondly and tease him gently about his nose being bright red, and he'll think that maybe, maybe it's not as bad as it could be.

Janus could know about his magic, after all.

General Taglist: @frxgprince@potereregina@gattonero17@iamhereforthegayshit@thefingergunsgirl@awkwardandanxiousfander@creative-lampd-liberties@djpurple3@winterswrandomness@sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes@iminyourfandom@bullet-tothefeels@full-of-roman-angst-trash  @ask-elsalvador @ramdomthingsfrommymind@demoniccheese83@pattonsandershugs@el-does-photography@princeanxious@firefinch-ember@fandomssaremysoul@im-an-anxious-wreck@crazy-multifandomfangirl @punk-academian-witch@enby-ralsei@unicornssunflowersandstuff@wildhorsewolf @thetruthaboutthesun @stubbornness-and-spite @princedarkandstormv  @your-local-fookin-deadmeme @angels-and-dreams@averykedavra @a-ghostlight-for-roman @treasurechestininterweb @cricketanne @queerly-fluid-fan @compactdiscdraws@cecil-but-gayer@i-am-overly-complicated@annytheseal@alias290@tranquil-space-ninja @arxticandy @mychemically-imbalanced-romance@whyiask@crows-ace @emilythezeldafan@frida0043 @ieatspinalcords @snowyfires@cyanide-violence@oonagh2@xxpanic-at-the-everywherexx@rabbitsartcorner @percy-07734@triflingassailantofmyemotions @virgil-sanders-the-gay-emo@cerulean-watermelon@puffed-up-bees@meltheromanstan@joyrose-fandomer@insanitori@mavenmush@justablah65@10paradox10@uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous@cutebisexualmess@bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti@ultrageekygirl@raven1508

[futurepastme]

The king's war

Merlin receives some bad news. (Cannon au)

All the happiness Merlin had felt when he figured out how to get back to Camelot vanished the second he managed to actually get there.

Something felt wrong.

He wasn't sure what it was, or why it was, but the land itself felt wrong. The air seemed heavier and his whole body had goosebumps, even breathing felt weird.

He tried to shrug it all off as best as he could, attributing it all to his tiredness. After all, Merlin did spend four days stuck on an island at the middle of nowhere, and he did use a lot of magic in order to come back. So tiredness it was, and he continued his path back to the castle ignoring the goosebumps, the chills, the heaviness and everything else his magic and his instincts might have been trying to tell him.

He should have listened.

Merlin went to Gaius first, not because he was avoiding Arthur — and the likely punishment for disappearing — but because he wanted to discuss what had happened and make sure Gaius knew he's alright.

Turns out going to Gaius first was the wright decision, apparently Arthur was not in the Castle.

"What? Where is him?" Merlin asked a little exasperated. He did not want to go on a wild hunt after Camelot's prince. He was exhausted! And his bed was right there.

Gaius took a second too long to answer and that's when it hit Merlin. Gaius was acting weird. When he first saw Merlin entering, his face was flooded with so many different emotions that changed so quickly that Merlin couldn't register what any of them were. Even after he had closed the door, he could still see them dancing around Gaius’ face, and it was only now that Merlin realized that they were somber, too somber to be only concern for Merlin's well-being.

"Gaius, where's Arthur?"

Gaius let out a heavy sigh and sat at the table. "Maybe you should have a seat first."

The world seemed to slow down as Merlin moved to take his seat. He felt it all again, The heaviness of the air, the chilliness of the room, his heart beating so fast he was sure it would pop out of his chest.

"Two days ago, early in the morning, Uther made an announcement." He started as soon as Merlin sat down, not wanting to keep the boy waiting. "He made a big speech — you know how he is about those things — and the main focus was, of course, magic."

Merlin could tell Gaius was stalling. "Gaius, please. Where is Arthur?"

"Merlin…" He opened his mouth and closed again, he gave another heavy sigh and frowned his eyebrows. Both of them. The scariest part was that whatever news Gaius was sharing, he couldn't meet Merlin's eyes.

"Uther has announced that he is restarting the purge."

Merlin felt the air being stolen from his lungs as if he were punched at his stomach, he felt dizziness creeping up on him and a ringing in his ears that muffled whatever was it that Gaius was saying next. Suddenly, Everything he felt since stepping inside the kingdom, every weird feeling he had attributed to being tired, augmented tenfold and he finally understood. He wasn't tired, no, he wish he were because the alternative made him sick.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt. Not tired at all. What he felt from the beginning had been the land, the magic, everything around him, screaming.

Help Help Help Emrys

"Merlin!" Merlin fought his dizziness and tried to focused his eyes on Gaius. The ringing slowly subsided, and he breathed in — a long, deep breath as if he were holding it for days.

"Arthur?"

Gaius looked at him with concern and sympathy. "Arthur was sent by Uther to lead one of the search parties."

Merlin felt like throwing up again.

They were interrupted by a rapid knocking at the door. Merlin didn't know what was happening, his mind everywhere and nowhere, feeling both sluggish and too quick to follow. He knew someone was talking but he couldn't register anything, the ringing getting louder again.

"Merlin." Gaius' voice brought him back once again, and when he managed to get out of his daze he noticed that they were not alone. Joining them at Gaius' tower were a few injured knights that slowly were being placed on the various patient cots Gaius kept for emergencies.

"Arthur's back." Merlin looked up, meeting Gaius' eyes with his confused ones. "Maybe you should go check on him."

Merlin felt himself nod and stand up to get to Arthur's chambers, but he didn't register anything on the path there.

His body was flooded with feelings and he felt like he both floated all the way there and at the same time he was dragged down by invisible forces that made his feet drag through the floor. He has no idea how long it took him to get there, might have been a second or a week, a minute or a month, but somehow he got there.

He knocked.

(Pt.2)

So, the scene with Arthur is the bit I acctually sat down to write but I've been awake for almost 24h and my brain isn't braining anymore so we will all have to wait for it to reboot and hopefully by tomorrow I finish this. spoiler: it gets worse before it gets better and i might not even write the 'getting better' part anytime soon

[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 , @star-rie , @error-username-not-available , @dogberryrowan , @jamieweasley13 , @tansyuduri , @tercais , @robynnemrys , @evadne01 , @serasvictoria02 , @hairdryerducks , @hopeaha , @curiously-lazy , @ harriettesthings , @andrealux16 , @wacko-weirdo , @greatdonutenemy , @yougottobekittenme , @anxiousosaurus , @kinkforwings , @someweirdassnamee , @impracticalantlers , @miyriu , @hobipabo

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 , PART 9 , PART 10 , PART 11 , PART 12 , PART 13 , PART 14 , PART 15 , PART 16 , PART 17 , PART 18 , PART 19 , PART 20 , PART 21 , PART 22 , PART 23 , PART 24 , PART 25 , PART 26 (You're here), PART 27

In the throne room.

Gaius: (enters and bows) Sire.

Uther: (At a table, offers him to sit next to him) It have come to my attention your ward is now quite popular above the people.

Gaius: I'm guessing you're referring to The Unicorn Catcher song, Sire?

Uther: (nods and sighs) Did you bring some of your concoction? (rubs his temples)

Gaius: (pulls out a little bottle from his pocket and starts mixing it with the drink Uther has already there) Sire, you don't really believe Merlin crossed pats with a unicorn, right? Because I can assure you-

Uther: Whether it's true or not is not really the problem.

Gaius: ... What?

Uther: If it's a lie, then that boy did a marvelous job to create himself a reputation portraying as a saint. If it's true, then he's been tempting my son with his virginity! I don't know which option is worst to be honest! This seductive demon-! (his eye tics)

Gaius: Drink. (gives him his drink) Just to get this straight, you aren't worry about the unicorn at all then, Sire?

Uther: (drinks it all in one go) Why would I worry about a horse with a horn wandering in the woods when the actual danger is here between the walls of this castle in the body of a peasant boy?! (stands up abruptly and looks at his vase frustrated) This thing isn't strong enough! (throws it away and Gaius flinches when it breaks) I know his kind, he gained my son's favor so when he becomes King he will turn him into his puppet king, or worst, he wants my son to make him regent so he'll have all the power! This boy is going to steal my kingdom!

Gaius: Sire, I promise you, Merlin is not that kind of person.

Uther: Really? Explain to me then why he dared to humiliate my son infront of his Knights? Tell me how that wasn't him showing off how much influence he has over the Prince of Camelot!

Gaius: (sighs, thinking) Of course he learned about that too. (says) Merlin is impertinent, I won't deny that, but he's not ambicious. In fact, if Merlin indeed encountered unicorn, that in itself would be prove of that. These magical creatures don't only feel attracted to the pureness in body, but the pureness in heart too. If Merlin had any malice in his heart it wouldn't have aproached him at all.

Uther: Oh, please! Why else would that boy humiliate himself to accept the affections of a man if not for his lust for power?

Gaius: Didn't it occur to your Majesty that for Merlin that's not an humiliation at all.

Uther: (frowns, confused) What do you mean?

Gaius: Well, Merlin has never showed any interest in girls, Sire. And, his status as prince aside, Arthur is a very handsome and attractive man. He also posseses very good qualities as a person. He's compassionate, brave, just, a very chivalrous man-

Uther: Are you trying to tell me that your ward is actually in love with my son?

Gaius: With all due respect, Sire, is pretty obvious that Arthur's feelings are not one sided. But you've been so absorbed in only thinking the worst of Merlin since he came here that you haven't realise that! I know my ward. He can be too dense and insolent for his own good, yes, but he's not a greedy person, much less a villain whose porpuse is to conquer an entire kingdom. He wouldn't even think of it. Merlin's heart is incapable of any evil.

Guard 1: (enters and bows) Your Majesty, Sir Silfred is here. He says he has important news for you.

Uther: Let him in.

Silfred: (enters and bows) Sire.

Uther: I'm hoping there's been a progress in your investigation.

Silfred: We still couldn't find any traces of Lady Sophia and Lord Aulfric, Sire. Not of them specifically at least. But we did find some dry blood stains deep in the woods.

Uther: They could be of anybody.

Silfred: That's what we thought. But then we found this nearby. (pulls out a purple neckerchief) It has stains of blood too. (gives it to Uther) Does it look familiar to you, Sire?

Gaius: (pales)

Uther: (analysing the fabric, icy calmed) It does... Thank you, Sir Silfred. You're dismissed.

Silfred: (bows and leaves)

Uther: (turns to Gaius) Your boy can be all chaste, Gaius, but he's definitely not pure hearted. He's evil in his very soul! And this is the prove! (throws the neckerchief at Gaius, who catches it in reflex) I knew something was off when Aulfric and Sophia dissapeared so suddenly and now I know why! He murdered them! He knew Sophia would be an obstacle for his plans so he got rid of her!

Gaius: (composes enough and stands up, firmly) I think you're running to conclusions, Sire.

Uther: Don't protect him, Gaius! Or are you going to deny this is his?

Gaius: It looks similar to the ones Merlin uses, yes, but Merlin is not the only person in Camelot that wears neckerchiefs.

Uther: True, but what about a purple one? Only royalty can afford purple fabric and there are only two royals in Camelot. And neither Arthur nor I wear this type of clothing. But we do know who likes to give expensive gifts to a certain servant.

Gaius: Even if it was Merlin's, we can't really be sure the blood is from Sophia and her father. You said it yourself, sire, it could be from anybody.

Uther: You dare to contradict me!

Gaius: All I'm saying is that in a court that wouldn't be enough prove to condem a person.

Uther: (yells) I am the King and therefore the judge and I say this is prove enough!

Gaius: (yells back) And would it be prove enough for Arthur?

Uther: ...

Gaius: (composes himself) I just fear, Sire, that if you condem Merlin based only on this evidence, Arthur won't accept it.

Uther: (sighs) I'm not naive enough to believe that Arthur doesn't know about this.

Gaius: (a bit nervous) What... what do you mean, Sire?

Uther: Sir Silfred is the best at finding traces and yet he could only find this piece of clothing and some blood stains. Even the smartest and strongest men can't hide a body that well in such short amount of time, let alone a skinny peasant boy. There's only one posible explanation.

Gaius: That he didn't do it?

Uther: That he had help! And not from other than my son, nonetheless! If Arthur's already, not only favoring, but covering him, we're doomed! that boy could even murder me and Arthur would let him!

Gaius: (thinking, worried) He's not stupid. It's incredible that he discovered what happened with so little clues, but his level of paranoia is worrying. He's right, but he's SO wrong at the same time. (says in a soothing voice) Merlin is no murderer, Sire. But even if he was, Arthur would never allow something like that, no matter how much he loves Merlin. You're not only his king, you're his father.

Uther: (grunts)

Gaius: But if you are so worried about my ward, Sire, why don't you talk to him?

Uther: (in disbelief) Talk?

Gaius: If you could take the opportunity to properly talk to him, maybe you'd realize he is not the person you believe him to be, Sire. Now you have this bad image of Merlin, but you haven't actually bother to know him.

Uther: Of course I haven't bother. He's a servant.

Gaius: But you fear the influence of said servant, Sire.

Uther: ...

Gaius: It's just a suggestion, Sire.

Uther: (sighs) Fine. (calls out) Guards!

Guards: (enter)

Uther: Bring the Prince's manservant here inmediatly.

Guards: Yes, Sire. (bow and leave)

Gaius: You could have sent me for him.

Uther: So you warn him in advance? No, I want to see his genuine reaction when a question him about this. (takes the neckerchief from Gaius' hands)

Gaius: Wait...you're going to interrogate him, Sire? 😨. That's not what I meant with "talking"!

Uther: I'm giving him a chance to defend himself, so be grateful.

Gaius: Of course I am, Sire. (thinking) Gods help me! Merlin please deny that neckerchief is yours!

Short time skip.

Merlin: (enters, confused but chill) Did you call for me, Sire?

Uther: You're talking to your King.

Merlin: I know.

Uther: Then why aren't you bowing?

Merlin: Oh, sorry. (bows quickly) Did you call for me, Sire?

Gaius: (facepalms internally)

Uther: I did call you. I have a very important matter to discuss with you.

Merlin: (more confused) Me?

Uther: (turns to Gaius) You are dismissed.

Gaius: (pleades) Sire-

Uther: Do as I say.

Gaius: (sighs) Yes, Sire. (bows and leaves)

Merlin: (starts worrying) What's... going on?

Uther: (about to pull out the neckerchief to start the interrogation) You-

Arthur: (enters and smiles politely) Sorry I'm late. What's the matter at hand?

Uther: I didn't call for you.

Arthur: But you call for Merlin and anything that concerns my manservant concerns me.

Merlin: (hisses) Arthur!

Arthur: (ignores him, but walks a few steps forward to be infront of Merlin) So, what is it that you want to discuss with my manservant so urgently, father? (keeps talking and smiling politely, but somehow he also sounds threatening)

Uther: (thinking) This won't work if Arthur is here. The boy will be confident he'll come to his aid. (says) I was just wondering if you knew anything about this song that's beeen circulating around lately.

Merlin: (nervous and blushing) You mean the Unicorn Catcher song, Sire?

Arthur: You called my manservant here just because of a tavern song? You must know that story is nothing but the product of some minstrel's imagination.

Uther: I'm very aware of that, Arthur. But that song is tainting your reputation.

Merlin: (sighs in relief, though still confused) But the song hardly mentions Arthur.

Uther: It mentions him enough. Now it's a song and then, last I thing I know, everyone in Camelot is saying that The Prince only takes young virgin boys to bed.

Merlin: (blushes more furiously, feeling humiliated)

Arthur: (notices and swallows his anger for the hiding insult to Merlin in Uther's words)

Uther: (to Merlin, aproaching) So, if you had anything to do with that song...

Arthur: (puts himself between Merlin and his father) It was Sir Ewan and Sir Innprudence who spreaded the rumor, father. Merlin had nothing to do with that. I already got them arrested for talking nonsense while drunk and causing all this mess, so you don't have to worry.

Uther: I did hear they were arrested. (sighs) That's all I wanted to know. You're dismissed.

Arthur and Merlin: (bow and leave)

Uther: (thinking) I need to find I way to get that boy alone, but how?

Time skip. Merlin, Gaius and Lancelot in Gaius' Tower.

Merlin: He found what?! 😨

Gaius: Your neckerchief, Merlin. And with stains of blood. So it doesn't look good.

Merlin: But that's impossible! Lancelot burned all the clothes!

Lancelot: I thought I did. But it was dark, maybe it fell while I was carrying the pile. (very guilty) I'm so sorry Merlin, I should've been more careful.

Merlin: Don't be. You saved Arthur's life and we didn't have much time.

Gaius: Uther won't arrest you, I convinced him to give you a chance to defend yourself. So when he calls for you again you just have to deny that neckerchief is yours and show him you are not the villain he built in his head.

Merlin: I need to tell Arthur. (makes a move to leave)

Gaius: (stops him) No! Uther wants to interrogate you alone, if you tell him he will sneak in again.

Merlin: I'll tell him not to go.

Lancelot: And you think he'll listen?

Merlin: I don't know. But he was involved in this too and I won't lie to him more than I need to. (leaves)

Gaius: Wait, Merlin! There's something else I need to tell you. Merlin! (makes a move to go after him)

Lancelot: (stops him) Tell me and I'll give him the message. I'll get to him faster.

Meanwhile, in Morgana's chambers. Arthur and Morgana having some kind of tea party, while Gwen braids Morgana's hair.

Morgana: (laughing) You men are so inmature.

Arthur: I was not inmature. He hit me first, I just defended myself.

Mogana: And then you fighted over who was Merlin's best friend. Yeah, very mature.

Gwen: I thought I was Merlin's best friend (pouts)

Morgana: You are his best GIRL friend.

Gwen: (mocking) So that means you are not his best girl friend?

Morgana: (plays along) How dare you! I'll fight you! (makes silly fighting movements)

Arthur: (complains) Stop it! (but can't help but laugh)

Merlin: (enters sudenly)

Morgana: Merlin! Knock first! I could be changing my clothes.

Arthur: Now you know what I have to endure everyday (looks at Merlin expression and frowns, worried) Merlin, what is it? (stands up and goes to him) Did something happen?

Merlin: Arthur-

Guard 1: (interrupts) Sire, The King wants you to interrogate a sorcerer in the dungeons.

Morgana: (feels mad and sad for what's probably going to be another unfair execution, but doesn't say anything)

Arthur: (notices) Lets discuss this outside.

Merlin, Arthur and Guards: (Get out of Morgana's chambers)

Arthur: (closes the door behind him) Can't it wait?

Guard 2: I fear not. It's a very dangerous sorcerer, we had to put him in cold iron, so the King wants to execute him as soon as possible. But he also wants to get as much information he can from him. Apparently he was the leader of a group of renegate soreceres.

Arthur: I understand. (to Merlin) We'll talk later. (makes a move to leave)

Merlin: (makes a move to go with him)

Arthur: (stops him) Merlin, no. Stay. I have to do this alone. (thinking) I don't want you to see that, nor do I want to put you in danger.

Merlin: You can't stop me. (thinking) Like I'm going to let you alone with a dangerous sorcerer!

Arthur: (sighs) Merlin-

Lancelot: (arrives running) Merlin! (takes a breath) By the Gods, you run fast. (bows to Arthur) Sire, I'm sorry, but Gaius needs Merlin urgently.

Arthur: (releaved) It's alright, Lancelot. I have urgents matters to attend too. (follows the guards and leaves)

Merlin: (about to leave but Lancelot stops him) Let go of me! 😡 Arthur is about to interrogate a dangerous sorcerer I need to be there! Whatever urgency Gaius has can wait!

Lancelot: There's no dangerous sorcerer.

Merlin: (stops struggling) ...What?

Lancelot: There is no dangerous sorcerer and there is no urgency. That's what Gaius wanted to explain to you. Is part of the plan.

Merlin: The plan? What plan?

In the dungeons. Arthurs goes with the guards to a cell, but finds it empty.

Arthur: Where's the prisoner?

Guards: Here. (push Arthur inside quickly and close the cell)

Arthur: (stands up, furious) What do you think you are doing?! 😡

Guard 1: (very apologetically) Forgive us, Sire. It was King's orders.

Arthur: Why did my father order you to lock me up in the dungeons?! I'm not strange to this punishment, but normally I know WHY I'm being punished.

Guard 1: This is no punishment, Sire. Your Majesty just doesn't want you to interfere in... some matters.

Guard 2: It will be just for a couple of hours, Sire. You don't have to worry.

Arthur: Interfere? Why would I... (pales and shouts) Merlin!

Meanwhile in the throne room.

Uther: Has the prince been brought to the dungeons.

Guard 3: Yes, Sire.

Uther: Perfect. Now bring the boy.

...

Finally we get back to the request list!

Arthur has to protect Merlin from his dad ☑︎

An he will continue to do it for the next parts because this shit is far from over!

What do you think is going to happen?

What was the hiding insult in Uther's words the Arthur catched?

Also, credits to my best friend Rosangela, who helped me with some dialogues and situations, no only in this part, but several ones. Love you so much! ❤️

[that-bloody-witch]

L'amour et la Mort

Chapter 1

The years of King Arthur’s reign had been, so far, a largely peaceful time. Granted, the first half-decade or so after Uther’s death had been wrought with strife, remnants of his cruel regime which stained his son’s hands red. The battle of Camlann, and the defeat of Morgana, had marked a distinct shift in the balance of the world. Light began to pour where darkness had festered for a lifetime, seas too treacherous to sail once again gentled, poisoned fields were found to have nutrient-rich soil; nature itself had begun to heal. Some of the more faithful scholars, ones who still followed the Old ways, believe that this change had been paid for in blood, could have only ever been paid in blood. 

Followers of the Old Religion have held many beliefs throughout the ages, some less sensible than others. They preach that royal blood, truly royal, holds a certain weight against the natural order of things. One ruler’s death will plunge kingdoms into centuries of depravity, while another might pave the way for an age of enlightenment. After all, the weight of royal words, of royal actions, hold much more power in them than any other person’s. Where else should that strength come from, if not their blood? Camlann had soaked its fill of Pendragon strength, between Arthur and Morgana, and the world had flourished because of it. Even in the long, terrifying months of the king’s recovery, no attacks had been waged on Camelot’s borders, the other nations of Albion instead vying for favor with the young ruler. 

The first few days after Camlann were not easy for anyone in the realm. Merlin and Arthur had arrived weeks before the army returned, on a damned dragon. Only the sight of their wounded King being carried in thinly-muscled arms had kept the castle guards from striking against the creature. Several hands had tried to pry Arthur from his manservant’s grasp, none successfully, as Merlin carried his friend to Gaius’s chambers. 

“What happened,” the old man had gasped at the sight of his bloodied apprentice, seeing through the dirt and grime to the naked fear on his downturned face. He immediately motioned for the guard who had followed them to clear the workbench, knowing that the next hours would be long and uncomfortable for every party. 

“He was stabbed.” The words fell from Merlin’s chapped lips like a death sentence, eyes never leaving his King’s face. A single tear dropped onto Arthur’s cheek, trailing down his cheek as if produced from his own sorrow. Gaius raked his eyes over Arthur’s body, finding that the blood was covering too fully to see where the wound lay. He pointed a bony finger to the table, now cleared, a gesture which Merlin had never needed before. Usually, after so many years of working side-by-side, his apprentice moved almost before he even knew which direction to tell him. 

“Merlin, you must let go.” The words seemed to float by Merlin unnoticed, his focus on the King unwavering. “Merlin, I cannot help Arthur if you do not put him down.”

“I can’t,” he whispered, voice breaking over the syllables like waves on a rocky shore. “I’m not sure I can keep him alive if I let go.” Gaius felt a sharp intake of breath as wide, golden eyes met his. This was much worse than he had feared. 

“You must,” he pleaded, “set him down, hold onto him if contact is needed, but I cannot work if I cannot see the damage.” The words, at last, seemed to convince Merlin into action. He took short, unsteady steps to the table, and laid his King down without letting go entirely. Arthur’s gloves had been removed, at some point, and Merlin’s first clenched around limp fingers like a prayer. At once, Gaius began ordering the guard to help remove his King’s armor, cutting his shirt off entirely so as to not disturb whatever fragile stasis Merlin had upheld this long. “What happened, my dear boy?”

“Camlann was worse than I imagined.” His voice was still shaky, but seemed to steady itself as he regaled the battle. Gaius took his tale in stride, nodding along in encouragement as he cleaned Arthur’s skin enough to see the wound’s extent. He listened as graciously as he was able, barely pausing as Merlin recounted laying waste to Morgana’s army, and the lady herself, with lightning. His apprentice spoke of a sea of bodies, of barely arriving in time to be of any use at all, of being too late to help Arthur when he was most needed. “They’re dead,” the words shattered over thin air as Merlin spoke them, seeming to finally run out of whatever strength he had pulled out of himself. 

“This wound should have killed Arthur,” Gaius whispered, feeling every year of his life in contrast to his young King. He had birthed this boy, now a man, had held his squalling, naked body as Uther mourned his wife. The only thought which seemed to rise above the cacophony in his head was a prayer, to anyone who should listen, that his old hands would not carry Arthur into death as they had life. “Merlin, what exactly have you done to keep him breathing?”

Merlin let out a heavy, unsteady sigh, scrubbing his free hand down his face roughly. “I’m not sure, really. I called for Kilgharrah after Morgana found us in the forest. He brought us to Avalon, and Freya told me to place Arthur in the lake’s waters. It took all three of us,” he swallowed against the words, trying to push past the lump which had lodged itself in his throat at the sight of Mordred’s sword embedding itself into Arthur’s stomach. “He was just barely alive when I got there. If anything had held us for even a moment longer.” Merlin’s words trailed off, a haunted look marring his face. The gold still had not bled from his eyes, and it seemed, to the old physician, that the impossible magic his boy was performing had become second nature, much like anything else regarding Arthur’s safety. “We did what we could, but he was still unstable. Freya told me that I already had the power to keep him from passing, and then I just started keeping him.” Gaius’ eyes flicked up from where he had been examining the wound, now as clean as possible with the slow trickle of blood leaking onto the table. Merlin’s eyes were locked onto the gash across Arthurs gut, glowing impossibly brighter against the fading light filtering into the room. Gaius motioned for the guard to light the room’s plethora of candles, so that he may continue to work as dusk fell. Instead, every single sconce in the room burst into flame simultaneously, Merlin’s concentration on the King remaining unbroken. The guard flinched towards the door, nodding curtly at Gaius’s instruction to wait outside in case anything was needed of him.  His eyes once again fell to the injury, widening as the candlelight threw the wound into more clarity. The skin was slowly stitching itself together, vessels and musculature repairing itself in a shocking feat of magic. 

“Merlin, my boy, how are you doing this without an enchantment?”

“I don’t know. I can’t stop.” Another gulp, another shaky exhale. “Every time I think it’s better he starts fading away.” The picture in front of Gaius suddenly sharpened into a horrific reality. The wound, as Merlin had described it, was given days ago. Even the greatest sorcerer of all time, and Gaius had seriously begun to doubt that even those words were enough to encompass all of Merlin’s abilities, could not uphold this magic for long. His mind raced, coming up with contingencies and platitudes that might convince his boy to release his hold on Arthur’s life. 

“Son,” he began, “you-”

“I can’t do this for much longer, can I?” His words, more sobs than syllables, cut off Gaius’s explanation. “I can feel it, magic was never supposed to best fate.”

“No, my boy, I would imagine not.” The words lingered in the still air, riding the chill to sink into their very bones with the grim truth. 

“He’s not gonna make it, not just with medicine.” It wasn’t a question, yet Gaius felt the need to answer anyway.

“There is a chance, Merlin. Arthur is strong, and much has already been done.”

“Not enough.”

“It could work.”

“No,” he shivered, a brutish exhale ruffling rust-stained blonde strands. “I’ve seen better odds rob men just as strong as Arthur of their lives, I cannot risk that with him.”

“You cannot go on as you are, it is too slow, you could kill yourself in the process.” Gaius’s statement seemed to shake something loose in his apprentice, a prayer angering the gods. 

“It doesn’t matter, Gaius. I am nothing without him.” He did not shout, though Gaius had expected it. His words instead came like a wave, slowly building onto themselves until they grew strong enough to sink fleets. “Camelot cannot survive if he is gone. The Once and Future King, that’s what Kilgharrah had said. Gods dammit, Gaius, that future will come to pass in my lifetime if I have to kill Death himself. He doesn’t get to die like this, not here and not now. Arthur will die at the age of eighty, warm in this castle, surrounded by heirs, and he will not leave me.” Merlin finally seemed to break at the end, raking in a harsh gasp to keep himself from devolving into senseless wails of anguish. 

A moment passed, maybe an hour, in which the only sound was Merlin’s sharp inhales and shaky exhales. Gaius knew, as much as he knew his own name, that this was something he could not sway the boy on. Merlin had always been reckless in his care for the King - Gaius had often wondered if either of them would ever pull their heads out of their arses long enough to see why - and in this, Merlin was surely unmovable. His mind raced, finally landing on a solution which seemed most likely to grant both of his boys to keep their lives. 

“Okay,” he began, golden eyes once again snapping to attention. “You’re right, this wound is still too risky to try and heal with science. Magic is the only solution.” He raised a hand as Merlin opened his mouth, to protest or add his own opinion. “Listen to me. Whatever it is you’ve been doing these last few days is too slow, and it’s not sustainable. You need to fix as much as you can, as fast as you can, and let me do the rest. It will be a slow process, depending on how much magic heals, but I cannot see another way.” 

Merlin looked back down to his King, his friend, his Arthur, and visibly tensed when he realized the plan’s validity. He nodded, not breaking his gaze, and readjusted his grip on Arthur’s hand. His voice tore out of his chest, ancient words that he had never consciously learned filling the air like a dragon’s roar. A wind stirred in the room, sending pages of notes and vials flying into the tornado that had formed around the workbench. The light from Merlin’s eyes grew too intense for Gaius to look at, and he shielded his vision as his apprentice pleaded with Magic itself to save the man in front of them. 

As instantaneously as it had been stirred into chaos, the room fell silent once again. The candles, shockingly untouched by the vicious wind, lit the mess left in magic’s wake with vivid detail. Merlin had slumped forward, unconscious, his head falling just beside Arthurs, hand still clutching the King’s. Gaius immediately moved forward to assess the damage to Arthur’s abdomen, calling for the guard to move Merlin to his cot. It was nowhere near the first time either boy had been under his care, but having them both unconscious, splayed in front of him and injured, made his chest ache in a breath-stealing way. 

He could not afford to lose his focus, working with experienced hands to fix as much of the crevice in Arthur’s flesh as humanly possible. Merlin’s magic had done a lot of good, most of the dire internal problems repaired in an instant, but the blood started to trickle in steadier streams as arteries began flowing once again. Gaius flashed a look to Merlin, not liking the deathly pallor to his ward’s skin, or the apparent stillness of his chest. 

“Guard! Wash your hands! I need your help.” The young knight squared his shoulders, peeling off his gloves and following orders deftly. Gaius instructed him to press and cauterize where it was needed most, all the while thinking how Merlin wouldn’t have needed instruction to aid the physician. Gaius stitched muscle and skin back together, pouring tonic after tonic down Arthur’s throat in an effort to replenish as much blood as possible. He whispered a quick prayer to the Old gods as he worked, begging with the skies for the survival of both his sons. After several dozen minutes, seeing that the King’s wounds would hold for the moment, he moved to check on Merlin’s ashen form.

“Merlin! My boy,” Gaius wept, finding that against every science he knew, his body had grown cold in mere minutes. No breath filled his lungs, no pulse beat in his chest. Gaius allowed one solitary, earth-shattering moment to mourn the boy in front of him, pressing his wrinkled lips to a glacial brow, before moving back to the King.  

As Gaius worked, and weeped, the kingdom held bated breath for news on their sovereign. Kilgharrah had flown back into the forest, knowing that his master would call when he was needed, and every soul which lived under the castle’s shadow had flooded the city. Time had seemed to trickle through the citadel as molasses, peasant and noble alike holding constant vigil outside the palace walls. Hours passed, dawn enrapturing the skies in a beautiful background to one of Camelot’s darkest days, before an announcement was made.

Gaius stood on the dais where Uther had condemned thousands, looking over the tear-stained faces that matched his own, and made his proclamation.

“The King was mortally wounded in the Battle of Camlann. It is thanks, only, to his manservant, and my apprentice, Merlin, that he shall survive. He remains unconscious, but the blow dealt to his stomach would have killed any lesser man before the battle’s end. Merlin protected his King until his last breath, using the magic which the gods had given him to heal as much as he could.” Gaius paused, raking his eyes over the crowd to find familiar faces, who would all hold fond memories of his boy in their hearts. “Merlin has faithfully served the throne of Camelot since his arrival in the citadel nearly ten years ago, and has given his life to ensure the survival of the Pendragon line. King Arthur will have a long recovery in front of him, but he shall live.” Cries rang out, both in joy at the news of their King’s health and misery at the loss of Merlin, and Gaius felt his own eyes moisten at the thought of his body growing colder in the physician’s cot. He could see many faces of shock at the admittance of Merlin’s magic, though Gaius supposed that riding in on the dragon had already clued most in on the worst-kept secret in Camelot. 

The long walk back to his chambers gave Gaius time to adjust to the gaping void in his chest. He knew exactly how many years he had lived, how much loss he had endured, yet never before had the old man felt old. Now, in a world without Merlin, he could feel every second of his life weighing against his back, turning his movements sharp and painful. The council would need to meet, soon, to discuss how to proceed with the nation’s rule while their King remained unconscious, but Gaius did not dwell on these thoughts for long. He exhaled as he entered his chambers, still wrecked from the aftereffects of impossible magic, and abruptly halted where he stood.

“Will he live?” The corpse had pulled a chair over to Arthur’s side, once again grasping his hand in a white-knuckled grip. Gaius felt his heart stop and start in the space of a breath, and nearly fainted at the sight. Merlin, his Merlin, was sitting up, with enough life flowing through his veins to look worried over his King’s prone form. The physician held no reservations as he raced to envelop his boy in a bone-crushing embrace. 

“Merling, oh Merlin, you’ve come back,” he cried as Merlin’s arm came to wrap around him, hesitating for a brief moment of curiosity. 

“What do you mean, Gaius? I was on the cot the entire time.” Slowly, the old man released his apprentice, searching his face with a haunted look. “What? Is Arthur going to be okay?”

“My boy, the King will make a full recovery, in time, but you.” Gaius paused, not sure how Merlin would take the news that he had been dead for ten hours. “Merlin, you died. That spell, whatever you did, you were dead for an entire night and morning.”

Blue eyes widened, so large they might have popped out, and Merlin let out a noise of shock. “That’s impossible,” he whispered. “You must be mistaken.”

“Your body was cold almost immediately, Merlin. It was as if you had given your life to Arthur. You haven’t had a pulse, nor a breath, in ten hours. You were dead.” Gaius could see the cogs turning behind Merlin’s brow, processing what this meant for him. The old man’s mind suddenly threw a memory to the forefront, of treating Merlin for the deadly serket sting which should have killed him. Their eyes widened simultaneously as the truth of the gods’ will revealed itself to them. “Surely, you don’t think-”

“Oh, I do think.” A thunderous expression crossed Merlin’s face, his fist clenching even tighter around Arthur’s as he glanced at the unconscious King. “When has anything about my life ever been normal? Why should my death be any different?” Gaius winced in sympathy, reaching to offer comfort with a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder. They both fell into a contemplative silence, pondering the extent to which the gods would see their prophecies fulfilled, and watched as their King slept.

Suddenly, a chuckle burst forth from the physician’s lips, causing Merlin to shoot a wounded expression his way.

 “Are you laughing? I cannot die and you’re laughing in my face?”

“I’m sorry, my dear boy,” Gaius began, stifling the unbidden humor as much as possible and forcing a calm expression onto his face. “It does appear,” a smile cracked across his face, and he cleared his throat in a bid for sobriety. “I mean to say, that is, I might have just announced to the entire citadel that you nobly gave your life to save Arthur.”

A dumbfounded expression fell over Merlin’s face, before a sudden bout of laughter erupted, surprising both master and student. 

“I did!” They fell into hysterics, both men clutching each other until their sides ached. Merlin supposed, at some point, the court would need to be informed of his apparent immortality, but at the moment he could not care less. Arthur was safe, Gaius was strong despite his growing years, and Camelot faced no immediate danger. Surely, the coming weeks would reveal heartaches and wounds not yet scarred, but for now, as the laughter slowly died and the only father he’d ever known moved to brew tea, he was choosing to be optimistic. 

[justaz]

au where arthur is king but morgana never turns against camelot, merlin helps her with her magic and perhaps morgana kills uther but can you blame her? she’s a woman with hobbies. anyway, once every 25 years (bc traversing the perilous lands is so dangerous and they don’t want to risk the royals too much), the royals from the north/south travel through the perilous lands and all get together in once kingdom for a large feast. the host switches every time, once in mercia then deira then nemeth then bernicia etc etc. one year after arthur becomes king, camelot is to host the feast. most of the southern kingdoms are happy to come, but all the northern kingdoms are tense and a bit cold. arthur isn’t sure why until one of the northern royals who has been biting their tongue for days finally lets him have it and goes on about how uther started the anti-magic rhetoric and spread all this hate. the northern kingdoms prosper and thrive with magic running free while the southern kingdoms are entrenched in chaos, death, and destruction. the northern royal offers arthur the opportunity to come to their kingdom and see magic in all its glory if he leaves behind his father’s opinions and enters their kingdom with the open mindedness of a man born yesterday.

arthur, morgana, merlin, and the knights travel to their kingdom and are a bit wary (bar merlin, morgana, lancelot, and gwaine). a few days pass and arthur and them are coming around to the idea bc magic is not hidden or persecuted here and it is SO peaceful. merlin and morgana are missing constantly bc they are out in the town and experiencing life without the fear of persecution they normally feel. they get invited to a tavern and agree to sneak out later that night to attend. lancelot and gwaine go with them bc merlin told lancelot and gwaine was eavesdropping and was in when merlin said the word “tavern”. turns out the entire place is filled with magic users and magic swirls in the air freely, casually.

arthur runs into elyan, percival, and leon who are also in the process of sneaking out. they tell him that they were going to go see late night magic for funsies. arthur reminds them it’s still treason under camelot law. they tell him that they aren’t in camelot so technically it’s fine. arthur concedes and goes with them. they don’t wander for long before catching sight of a tavern where magic is practically spilling out of the walls. they enter to a huge crowd cheering and clapping. and merlin and morgana dancing on a table. they’re smiling wider than arthur has seen them do in a little over two years.

merlin and morgana are spinning around, holding one another’s arm, and laughing brightly. magical lights swirl around them, glowing in tune with their laughter - attuned to their joy. then they start speaking loudly to one another though it’s also meant for the crowd. they talk about being free and not being hunted. they they start moving the lights around and the cheering grows louder and their eyes are gold-

arthur leans on percival for support. the crowd calls back up to merlin and morgana, they talk of the home merlin and morgana could make in this kingdom, they won’t have to look over their shoulders, they won’t have to hide who they are, they won’t have to hide or lie, they could be truly free. to arthur’s horror, morgana is quick to agree and talks of a life she could build here happily. merlin is hesitant and his jubilant nature starts to wane. he refutes their point by mentioning arthur. morgana shoots back that arthur will never change anything, that he is his fathers son. merlin adamantly denies such a claim. they go back and forth for a bit before lancelot intervenes. fucking lancelot. and, oh, there’s gwaine. right.

arthur is glad and riddled with guilt that despite everything, merlin will remain at his side. arthur is terrified of morgana, his sister, leaving camelot and living in this kingdom hidden behind the perilous lands. the repeal of the magic ban is already being written in his head. he follows merlin out, merlin who grabbed one last drink and is now wandering the dark streets of this foreign kingdom drunk and alone. merlin smiles dopily when arthur finds him and arthur mentions how happy he seems. merlin, already a few drinks in and lost his filter around thirty minutes ago, just links his arm with arthurs and leans on his shoulder

“you make me happy”

[evadne01]

Merlin Masterlist part 1

New body and new boyfriend 

Trans-Gwaine and doctor!Lancelot

When you follow friend's advice and you got a boyfriend in the meantime.

Gwaine/Lancelot, Gwaine & Merlin

Friends like this

Unith's decision to send her son to Camelot wasn't easy.

Both for the magic of his son, magic forbidden in Uther's kingdom, and for her fear of sending him in a context too different from Ealdor.

Despite her fears, she had forgotten about Merlin's talent for making friends wherever he went.

Or:

Every time Merlin made a positive impact on someone and made a new friend.

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Percival (Merlin), Leon & Merlin (Merlin), Elyan & Merlin (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

YOU ARE MY POISON AND MY SALVATION 

Gwaine always looked for a home.

When he find one, he also find love.

If only Merlin loved him back

Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

sometimes you just need a little help

Merlin is wounded.

Gaius takes care of him

Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin)

Losing away from you 

The guilt was too much for Merlin.

His magic was revealed and he ran away.

Arthur can't lose his best friend

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Balinor & Merlin (Merlin)

Look at me ~ i burn when you look at anyone else 

Gwaine isn't a jealous person.

Until he saw Merlin and Lancelot.

Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Don't look back, it will be better ahead

Arthur and Merlin took a trip to Ealdor

Arthur learned something about Merlin's past

Arthur is not happy about it

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hunith & Merlin (Merlin), Balinor/Hunith (Merlin), Hunith & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Don't tell anyone ~ I'm still the same 

During a journey, The knights and Arthur found out something about Merlin.

The servant is surprise how they behave.

Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)

Always listen to the physician ~ especially if it's your boyfriend 

Gwaine was hurt by bees.

Merlin took care of him.

Fluff!

Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Turn off the electricity and turn on life

On November 9, 1965 in New York, there was a blackout for 12 hours

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Shine with a bright 

Merlin hated patrols and hunting.

The knights and Arthur have a surprise for him.

They will be very surprised by something he said

Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Feel like home

Merlin is hurt.

Merlin is surprise to be take care of.

Merlin shouldn't be surprised.

Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius & Merlin (Merlin)

I am your king ~ bring me to my knees for you

Arthur sometimes just doesn' t want to be king.

Arthur decides to ask Merlin for a big favor.

Merlin accepts and maybe he likes a little too much to see Arthur desperate for him.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

There are many things you don't know about me

Merlin laughed at a nobleman during a training.

The knights couldn't believe what they saw after that.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

It's not your fault

Camelot was take back from Morgana and Morgause.

Merlin and Lancelot talk

Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)

No lies, just me and you 

How could he sentence his king to death by advising him to save his prophesied killer?

How could he once again condemn magic in the eyes of his friend, when Arthur already believed that to be the cause of his mother's and father's deaths and his sister's corruption?

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Don't play with your food 

Merlin and Gwaine have some time alone.

Gwaine/Merlin

Don't look at me. I'm a disaster

Merlin has always had problems accepting himself.

Until he does

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Hunith & Merlin (Merlin)

A puppet in your hands 

Morgana kidnapped Merlin and controlled him.

What will happen to the future of Camelot?

Merlin/Morgana (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Mordred & Morgana (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

I am on fire for you

Merlin finds a room for potions making.

Lancelot helps him.

Lancelot/Merlin

I believe you

Why did Gwaine look for Merlin, when he was searching any clues for finding Gaius?

This is the scene we were robbed of.

Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Gaius & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Agravaine & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

A day together 

Gwaine and Merlin enjoy some time alone.

Gwaine/Merlin

If you love me let me hear you 

Merlin has a problem with notes.

Arthur has a problem.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Becoming Melody

Merlin is tired for all the jokes the knights made about him

Morgana had a simple solution

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Leon/Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Percival (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin & Morgana (Merlin)

The secret in the shadows

Merlin, while Uther is too sick and his servant busy with him, has to become the chamberlain and takes care of everything.

When the stress is too much, Lancelot is there for him.

Lancelot/Merlin

Please, be careful

Lancelot was never afraid for Merlin.

This was true till they discovered that the Dorocha couldn't be damaged by Merlin's magic.

Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Knights & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

If you don't fight for your love, what kind of love do you have? 

Gwaine helped Merlin and Lancelot.

By locking them in the armory.

Lancelot/Merlin

You had one job!

Merlin and Lancelot are lost in the woods.

Lancelot/Merlin

I see the real you

Collecting herbs should be safe.

If only bandits would stop trying to rob him!

Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Be always mine, never let me go

Arthur has an important question for Merlin.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

A broken ankle, a full heart 

Merlin saves Arthur's life again.

Gwaine helps him.

Arthur is jealous and worried. Not a good combination.

(Merlin thinks it is)

Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Call me your friend, treat me like one 

Gwaine had only had one great friend in his life, Merlin.

But had he been an equally true friend to him?

Gwaine & Merlin

Tell me a story

Merlin didn't chose to wait Arthur for all his life.

He choose to live, to make experiences he could tell his friends about.

He couldn't make best decision.

Lancelot/Merlin

Chaotic duo

Where Merlin ends up helping Morgana with her magic and they become some kind of chaotic magic heroes duo but with a bit of a plot twist

Merlin & Morgana

Lovers of the night 

Merlin and Lancelot after the Dorocha.

Lancelot/Merlin

Something that matters more than anything else

The veil.

Lancelot's decision

Lancelot & Merlin

One, two, three

The druids didn't want Mordred among them anymore.

Merlin didn't allow them to banish him.

Arthur is not impressed

Merlin & Mordred (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Freya/Merlin (Merlin)

I was enchanted to see you ~ but I had always loved you

Merlin drinks some love potion and falls in love with Arthur.

Arthur is in love with Merlin.

Merlin had always been in love with Arthur, but nobody knew it

In short: they are idiots in love

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin)

I don't know who you are, but you are my home

Lancelot wakes up and doesn't remember anything. He doesn't remember his origins, his family, his home. He has only a name: Merlin

Lancelot & Merlin

Dogs and boyfriends 

Merlin has a dog, Aithusa, and he doesn't like to talk to other dog owners.

Then Arthur made his appearence.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Leon & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon & Percival (Merlin), Elyan & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

I know what happened this summer

Merlin and Arthur just got married.

Clearly, the honeymoon shouldn't be chose by Merlin. Arthur should have thought before.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

In love and in war, all is fair 

Gwaine dislikes Lancelot. He is not worth to be Merlin's best friends.

Or maybe he is?

Gwaine & Lancelot (Merlin), Gwaine & Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)

Run, little boy

After applying for college, Merlin has to have at least one mark in PE.

He isn't happy about it. Fortunately, he has his two best friends with him

Gwen & Merlin & Morgana

You are not alone. I am here. 

Merlin has been used to be alone, he has all his life to be that way.

Now, he can finally stop

Gwaine/Merlin

Trust a friend, save yourself 

Merlin had tried to save himself, had tried to overcome the pain that the Lamia had caused him.

In the end, all he needed was a friend

Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)

I'll be there for you 

Merlin got hurt. Gwaine got protective.

Gwaine/Merlin

Stay away from him

Gwaine is captured by bandits. Merlin doesn't react well.

Gwaine/Merlin

Surprise me

Merlin shouldn't have listened to Arthur. Now he found himself spending the evening in the hospital, again.

At least the doctor was nice

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Merlin/Gwaine

Bring him back safe

Merlin has a choice. He chose being honest and a friend.

He chose to trust Gwaine.

Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Under the sky 

Merlin and Gwaine have a deep conversation under the sky. What if they can be whatever they wanted

Gwaine/Merlin

Locked in a cage

Freya had trusted them. She had hoped for the warmth of their embrace, and instead she had only the emptiness of hunger.

We could make a blanket forts

Gwen must deal with the awareness of Lancelot's departure and Merlin is there for her.

When it's up to Merlin to aware Gwaine's departure, Gwen is there for him.

Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Lancelot (Merlin), Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin)

Emrys' Island 

Gwaine wanted to be free.

He'd do anything to achieve that

Gwaine/Merlin (Merlin), Gwaine & Percival (Merlin)

Engage your enemy

Merlin and Arthur have been together for a couple of months.

Until they discover they are members of two opposing spy associations

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

IPUCA rule 

Merlin and Morgana discuss the best way to deal with the problems plaguing the castle. Merlin has a rule. Morgana isn’t a fan of it

Merlin & Morgana

How did you get my phone number? 

Merlin receives a message from an unknown number and complains about it to his best friend.

He should have known that Gwen was an accomplice

Gwen & Merlin, Gwaine/Merlin

Special fun

The owners of The Rising Sun had correctly assumed that his customers would require special caution. They didn't want to incur the judgment of other customers, they didn't want to be recognized by friends or colleagues, but they wanted to have fun. And the Rising Sun provided for their entertainment in many different ways.

Gwaine/Merlin

It was just an idea

Merlin smiled as he saw Lancelot dancing with Gwen, the two lovers smiling.

"They seem very happy, don't they?"

Gwen/Lancelot, Gwaine/Merlin

Lost in my mind

Merlin couldn't bear the heavy stares. He knew he already met those people, but he didn't know who they were.

Gwaine/Merlin

Walking in the snow

"If you had listened to me we wouldn't be in this situation right now." Merlin whispered urgently.

"I certainly couldn't leave you here, could I?" Gwaine smiled, a pained frown on his face.

Gwaine/Merlin

What do you mean is a secret?

Morgana smiled, finally feeling repaid for all the headaches that the boy had given her. “Merlin.”

Merlin sighed, bowing his head and saying. “Mordred has brought some druids to my house.”

Merlin & Morgana

King and queen 

Morgana could not believe what had happened.

Merlin, her best friend, had poisoned her.

Merlin had tried to kill her.

Merlin & Morgana, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

Hoping for a better future

"Mom always said you can see someone's kind heart in their eyes." The boy murmured, and Merlin nodded. “I think that's true. It's hard to miss the goodness in the eyes. They are the mirror of our heart, you know that?”

“Do my eyes say I'm broken?” The boy asked, and Merlin's heart tightened.

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin) & Original Character(s)

If I could save you 

She had studied medicine, and she wanted to help others. Deeply.

It was on one of these long and impossible work's hours that she met Arthur Du Bois.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Hunith & Merlin (Merlin), Balinor/Hunith (Merlin), Balinor & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin)

The Rise and the Fall

Camelot was recovering.

Merlin had never realized how strong its inhabitants were, but after seeing their ability to return to everyday life after the horrors Morgana had subjected them to, he had to realize it.

Camelot wobbled, tried to hold on, and it did.

They had defeated Morgana, they had won. And, now, they could reap the fruits of that victory.

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwaine & Merlin (Merlin), Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Leon & Merlin (Merlin), Elyan & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Percival (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

You are my wish

Merthur, yule, mistletoe

The new kid

He had already been the new guy, he knew the procedure that would await him.

The other students would study him to figure out what category he fell into, and then the athletes would bully him to get homework done.

The nerds would gather around him, creating a new sect, leaving him no time to create his own.

And then, it would all culminate in Merlin offending the most popular boy in some way, ruining his chances at that high school forever.

Gwen & Merlin

"You really had to do it?"

Merlin is so proud of what he did.

Arthur not that much.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

You are my world

Arthur never understood his father's decisions.

Then he becomes king himself and is convinced that he is making all the wrong decisions.

Luckily for him, Arthur has someone who loves him deeply by his side

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

I knew you'd come for me ~ But you did?

Merlin is kidnapped. They make a bet: do the knights care about him as a friend or is he just a servant?

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon, Knights of the Round Table & Merlin

"Stop, please" 

Merlin and the knights reach a cave that allows you to discover your greatest fears.

How I met your father

Merlin and Arthur first meet

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Aftermath 

Lamia is dead, but her shadows remain

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Gwaine & Merlin

I'll carry your heart with me 

Despite the war, there is always time for love

Gwaine/Merlin

The whole package 

Arthur is not a jealous man.

Except when it comes to Merlin.

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

Just us, you find out

When Arthur had been given the love potion, Gwen's kiss hadn't been enough to wake him.

Merlin panicked.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin)

You needed a break! 

Merlin ignores Morgana, the druids are still in her chambers and Arthur irritates the witch.

Solution? Kidnap Merlin, obviously.

Merlin & Morgana

Jealous of him, I want to be yours

Gwaine is jealous. Not of Arthur, because even if he and Merlin are basically joined at the hip, it's obvious that the royal numpty has no idea about Merlin's magic. No, Gwaine is jealous of Lancelot, because he's the only one who does know.

Gwaine/Lancelot/Merlin

They don't know you ~ not like I do 

Merlin is jealous of Mithian? Yes, he is.

Merlin thinks that no one except him knows Arthur that good? Yes, he does.

Merlin will definitely plan the perfect wedding for Arthur and Mithian.

PS: There is no wedding.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Leon/Mithian (Merlin)

I thought I had lost you 

Merlin has an infected wound.

Arthur is worried to lose his best friend (and something more)

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

How this all started 

Arthur and Merlin tell how they met.

Or, rather, Merlin tells how he met his husband while he teases him

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin), Knights of the Round Table & Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

He was an hero. He is an hero. He will be always a hero.

Merlin is mourning his friend.

Arthur pays him a visit.

Lancelot & Merlin, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

The seat at the Table

Merlin is an amazing and loyal friend. He is also a good servant.

Arthur just need to realise he is more than that.

Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), George & Merlin (Merlin)

What do you mean someone wants to kill the king? 

Merlin avoids the knights, hides his magic, and prevents the killing of the king.

Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin)

You never fathomed me out 

Arthur gives Merlin his mother's sigil.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

The god and the believer 

Merlin lived for century distrusting humankind. They did nothing to deserve his love and he didn't give it to them.

This, until someone stepped into his life. And Merlin felt alive once again.

Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen/Morgana (Merlin)

If you're getting this 

Merlin left a letter for Arthur

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

There'd be no distance that could hold us back

There is nothing that could make him break his oath

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

This means something ~ but I don't know what 

Giving to someone your family's sigil is like adopting that person as a brother or confessing your feelings.

Arthur tries to do the second one.

And Merlin, well, is simply Merlin.

Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)

Not again woodworms!

Arthur didn't know that Lancelot and Gwaine would have been dangerous.

Actually, it was Merlin's fault.

Like always

Gwaine & Lancelot & Merlin (Merlin)

There's no rhyme nor reason, just a sense of completion

Merlin and Lancelot talk.

Lancelot & Merlin

You deserve to be loved 

Being a servant meant being beaten and mistreated.

But was that really what they were meant to be?

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gaius & Merlin (Merlin)

The screams of the innocents

Merlino, an FBI recruit, is tasked by his boss with drawing up the profile of a dangerous criminal.

But it's never that simple.

Merlin / Arthur Pendragon

For Merlin

Arthur Pendragon avenges his best friend.

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

The list

Arthur starts his plan.

Gwen & Arthur Pendragon

Malvor 

Arthur confronts the king who wounded Merlin

The servants 

Some gossips in the kitchen.

The seat

Arthur finds someone else for the empty seats

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon

A servant at the table? 

The nobles disagree with Arthur's decision to have servants at the Round Table...

Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin (Merlin)

Wow, guys, I have a lot of Merlin fanfic, so, click here to go to the second part