#Beginnings of Merthur
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Merlin - Written in the Scars
[Arthur is king, didn't die at Camlann, and knows about Merlin's magic]
After some visitors arrive at Camelot and Merlin has a bit of a day, Arthur feels the need to check on him. He really should learnt to knock before he barges into Merlin's room (or not).
Notes:
Title taken from The Script's song Written in the Scars.
No specific Merthur, but definitely hints of it if you want to read it that way ;-).
Unbeta'd, all mistakes are my own (and I apologise)!
Angst, Whump, Emotional Whump, Mentions of Injuries (no detail), Mentions of Torture (no detail), Beginnings of Merthur.
Available on AO3 HERE!
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The hour is late and Arthur is moving fast through the corridors of the castle. Druids had arrived earlier in the day asking for Merlin’s help - Emrys’s help. They had a young girl with them who they discovered bound and gagged in a cave - she was refusing to speak, and what little information they’d managed to gather through telepathic communication wasn’t helping. She was clearly in possession of magical abilities, and it would seem she was abandoned to die by magic-fearing parents. Merlin had spent all day working with her and had reported back to Arthur and the Druids, but the king had sensed all the things Merlin wasn’t saying, and now he felt the need to check in with him.
The king doesn’t think twice as he strolls into Merlin’s chambers, heading for the dressing area where the man is likely preparing for bed. He’s just about to call out when he catches a glimpse of the man in question. Completely unaware of his friend’s presence, Merlin’s back is to Arthur as he pulls his undershirt over his head and drops it on the bed. The sight of the exposed skin of Merlin’s back causes Arthur’s words to die in his throat.
Arthur is expecting to see perfect, unmarred skin - maybe the odd mark from their many misdemeanours over the years. What he’s presented with is a collage of scars - some deep-set, some raised, large, small, stretching and criss-crossing and twisting. They come into stark relief and almost glitter in the candlelight as Merlin moves, stretching his arms above his head to work the stiffness out of his muscles and drawing Arthur’s eyes along the slender limbs.
There he finds more scarring. What looks like an old burn covers the whole of one shoulder, clearly continuing over the front of his body. Marks that look very much like rope burn twist around both of Merlin’s slim arms, culminating in a mess of ligature marks around his wrists. Arthur has a moment of sick recognition as he looks to Merlin’s back again - he can place the weapons that caused most of the marks. Whips, blades, fire, arrows… The rest he can only assume are courtesy of falling on something, restraints, and magical wounds.
He follows one scar - almost black in colour - from just above his bony shoulder blades, up his neck along the line of his spine, disappearing into his hairline. Arthur’s gaze catches Merlin’s face in the window, and finds himself locking eyes with him in the reflection.
Merlin whips around, the flash of gold in his eyes just dissipating as his arms instinctively move to cover his chest before he has the wherewithal to snatch his shirt up from his bed and vaguely hold it against his body. His startled voice comes out higher in pitch than normal.
“Don’t you know how to knock?!”
Arthur’s eyes are drawn to his friend’s shoulder, seeking that horrific burn that he’d seen a moment ago. He just catches sight of it before it finishes quietly fading into perfect, pale flesh. His response is instant.
“Stop it.”
“What-?”
“Drop the spell.”
Arthur’s words come out a mixture of commanding king and heartbroken confidante. Merlin freezes, and it occurs to Arthur that given the long history of prejudice against magic in Camelot, his words could have an unintended threatening undertone. He should have tempered his reaction. He deliberately softens his voice.
“I just mean… You don’t have to hide from me.”
Merlin’s searching gaze is anxious. Arthur fights to keep his face somewhere between neutral and softly encouraging.
Neither of them speak for a long moment.
Finally, the king’s quiet words fill the space between them.
“Your - What happened to you, Merlin?”
Merlin shifts, his blue eyes darting to the floor as they flash gold, his hands fidgeting with the screwed up shirt that he’s barely covering his torso with. Slowly, the scars fade back into existence. He clearly tries to be flippant but his voice comes out more sad than jovial.
“You’re going to have to be more specific.”
After a moment of indecision Arthur steps forward, gently liberating the shirt from Merlin’s grasp and tossing it back onto the bed. He stands for a moment appraising the man, who shuffles uncomfortably in his exposure to Arthur’s scrutinising gaze even as he raises his head almost defiantly.
Arthur’s eyes catch on the gruesome ligature marks around Merlin’s wrists. He finds himself reaching for Merlin’s forearm and softly holds it as he appraises the marred skin, the fingertips of his free hand tracing over the scars so tenderly it makes Merlin shudder. It occurs to Arthur that this is a somewhat intimate gesture, but the bond he and Merlin have makes them far more tactile with each other than people would normally expect.
Arthur looks up to meet Merlin’s eyes, a mixture of fear and pain in his own.
“I don’t recognise most of these wounds.”
Uncertainty twists Merlin’s face.
“No, you… You didn’t see how most of them happened.”
Arthur’s eyes close in regret. He takes a deep breath before he meets Merlin’s gaze again.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”
Surprise crosses Merlin’s face.
“No, Arthur, that’s not - none of it was your fault.“
“Either way, I’m sorry.”
Merlin doesn’t know how to respond. Silence reigns again.
“Tell me about them.”
Merlin’s eyebrows shoot up. “What?”
Arthur pours every ounce of sincerity into his voice that he can muster. “Please tell me. I need to understand - there have been so many times I wasn’t there to help you. After everything we’ve been through, I just want to know you.”
Merlin’s crystal blue eyes are wide, and there’s hesitation in his features.
“I’m not sure you want to know, Arthur.”
Arthur’s heart aches and the pain of distrust burns in his stomach.
“Why, because some of them are from magic?”
Merlin’s eyes widen even further.
“No! Well… I know you’re still getting used to the magic thing, but it’s mostly that -”
Merlin cut’s himself off, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as his eyes search Arthur’s face for something.
“What?”
Compassion floods Merlin’s features. His voice is gentle when he speaks.
“... Because I don’t want you beating yourself up about them.”
Arthur stares, dumbfounded. He eventually regains his composure enough to respond.
“Well there’s not much you can do about that. I already feel a world of guilt just from seeing them. I just really want - no, I need to understand everything that’s happened to you - to us. We’ve never actually spoken about everything, never really taken the time to process all the things we’ve been through.”
Merlin is quiet, doubt lining his features. Arthur realises what he’s truly asking.
“I’m sorry, I have no right to ask. But please, if you can ever bring yourself to tell me, I will sit and listen through every pain you’ve been forced to bear. I owe you the respect of at least knowing everything that you’ve been through, even if there’s nothing I can do to make up for it.”
The unshed tears in Merlin’s eyes almost make Arthur drag him into an embrace, but he knows that right now it would be more to comfort himself than Merlin. Instead he squeezes the forearm in his grasp and grips the man’s shoulder with his other hand - a gesture he has always used to indicate his support and respect.
Merlin studies him for a moment. Arthur prepares himself for another rejection when the man raises his head decisively.
“It doesn’t bother me. To talk about them, I mean. I just want to be sure it’s not going to push you into a bad place. You’ve got enough going on.”
Arthur’s heart clenches at the consideration Merlin is showing him. Always. Merlin is always about others - particularly Arthur - first and himself last. He raises his head to match his friend’s.
“Merlin, I promise you that this isn’t about self-punishment or whatever else. I want to know you. If you are willing to tell me, I’d be honoured to listen.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arthur wants to curl up in a ball. Both seated on the bed, Merlin had started small - “Arrowhead - you were there for that one.” and “No you didn’t know about those ones. I got the stuffing kicked out of me by some of your father’s fan club. Gaius patched me up.”
It soon progressed to “That was Aulfric and Sophia, the Sidhe? You were actually standing right beside me and watched it happen but you were too enchanted to notice anything. That took a really long time to heal. It sometimes still burns, even now. All the scars caused by magic do.”
And eventually they arrived at “I’ve lost count of the number of people who have tried to strangle me or cut my throat” and “Uhhh.. yeah. Those ones… I got taken by some of Morgause’s followers and, um, they didn’t just use normal weapons to make me feel their anger. Wasn’t sure I was going to survive that one, actually.”
Finally they reached the worst of the scars, still vaguely pink and fresh looking. At first, Merlin just shakes his head - “oh a lot’s happened recently” - until finally Arthur’s gentle-but-insistent prodding gets Merlin to release a resigned sigh.
“Do you remember when… um… When I -” Merlin's utter discomfort tells Arthur exactly the event he’s thinking of.
“When Morgana enchanted you to try and kill me?”
“Yeah.”
“You were missing for days.”
“Yeah… well…” Merlin’s distress comes out in his fidgeting. Arthur suddenly feels sick. Still gently holding Merlin’s arm, he runs his fingers along the scars on his wrist again.
“She tortured you.”
It isn’t a question, but Merlin’s eyes betray his answer. For a moment Arthur can’t find his breath. Eventually his voice cracks on a question he’s not sure he wants the answer to.
“How long?”
Merlin tilts his head, a sorrowful look on his face. “Arthur…”
Arthur speaks through gritted teeth. “How. Long.”
Merlin’s eyes dart away. “Not sure. I lost track of night and day in the end.”
Arthur slams his eyes closed against the storm of emotions twisting in his stomach. Anger. Sympathy. Regret. Grief. He swallows hard and allows himself a moment to breathe - but something is itching at the front of his mind and as much as he knows he has no right to make his friend relive these horrors, he has to know. He snaps his head up, eyes instantly connecting with Merlin’s when he opens them.
“How many times has it happened?”
“- What -?”
Arthur grinds his teeth as pain lances through his chest. He falters for a moment, then his voice comes out almost a whisper. “How many times have you been tortured, Merlin?”
Merlin’s broken look tells him everything he needs to know. Grief and pain tear a hole in Arthur’s chest. He chokes out his words. “I’m so sorry -”
Merlin cuts him off “- Don’t. Please don’t do that. It wasn’t your fault, and without all these scars you wouldn’t be here now. So…”
“I should have done better. I was supposed to protect you.”
“No, the prophecy was for me to protect you.”
Arthur glowers at the other man. “I should have done better. You mean more to me than you could ever know, Merlin. I should have done better.”
Merlin’s bright blue eyes are sad, yet there’s a hint of defiance there. His voice is strong when he speaks.
“No matter what they did to me, I always knew it was worth the pain. Because even though I couldn’t tell you, even though I hoped one day you could know the real me… Everything that happened to me meant that you got a step nearer to who you needed to become. And while they were busy hurting me, they weren’t hurting you.”
Arthur makes a choked sound, blinking rapidly as he looks away. He flounders for an embarrassingly long time before finding his words.
“Merlin, I… You’ve been all alone with it, all this time. I… I abandoned you. Somewhere inside myself I knew, but I still did nothing about it. I’m so sorry Merlin.”
Merlin knows there’s no response that would appease his friend, so instead he places his free hand on Arthur’s forearm and squeezes.
They lapse into silence. Arthur is almost unaware of the way he’s running his thumb over a deep scar on Merlin’s forearm, still in his grasp after all this time. He marvels that the man doesn’t shy away from touch after all he’s suffered, and after a moment’s thought it occurs to him that no-one else does touch Merlin. The only person Merlin is at all tactile with is him.
Something dawns on Arthur. He meets Merlin’s soft gaze. “That spell you were doing earlier - do you keep that going all day just so no-one sees?”
Merlin’s already shaking his head before Arthur’s finished speaking, his dark curls bouncing and a teasing smile playing at the corners of his lips.
“Not entirely, just my hands and wrists. Why do you think I’m always wearing tunics and neckerchiefs?”
It gets Arthur thinking. He’s only seen Merlin in any state of undress once. Maybe twice. Both times when they were on long journeys and stopped to bathe in rivers. Merlin practically hid from Arthur the whole time - keeping the water up to his neck. Arthur had only glimpsed Merlin’s bare torso for seconds as he entered and left the water. And his skin had been -
“When we’ve bathed in the rivers, you’ve always managed to avoid me seeing you properly. And the few glances I got, I thought your skin was too perfect for someone who’d been in as many scuffles and accidents as you had. I should have known.”
Merlin gives an embarrassed chuckle. “Yeah, I was only just learning about mirage spells at the time, so I tried to make sure you didn’t see anything. I could make myself look like a totally different person, but I was struggling with how to look like me, only better.”
Arthur’s heart cracks.
“There’s nothing about you that needs to be ‘better’, Merlin. There never has been.”
Merlin’s eyes are soft and sad. “Arthur, I’ve been hiding who I really am for my whole life. If people saw all this-” he wiggles his scarred arm slightly in Arthur’s gentle grip to demonstrate his meaning “- they would have questions. And people would fear me. A horrifically-scarred sorcerer doesn’t exactly scream ‘trust me’, does it? I mean, look what happened with Edwin -”
Arthur blanches as Merlin’s words. “- Don’t compare yourself to him -”
Merlin sighs good naturedly. “I’m not saying I’m like him, I’m saying that people were scared of him because of how he looked. We’re trying to build a new world here, Arthur, I’ve got to do everything I can to make people like me.”
“People love you, Merlin. You saw the reaction when you became court sorcerer -”
“- Arthur -”
“- Merlin.”
They lock stares, reading a multitude of unspoken words in each other’s faces. Merlin breaks the impasse first. He speaks quietly, his eyes so full of something that Arthur feels the need to gently squeeze the forearm in his grasp again.
“I’m sorry for not telling you - for not being honest with you again. I just -”
“- Merlin.” The way Arthur speaks his name makes the other man go still. Arthur suddenly feels the weight of what he’s put Merlin through this evening.
“I understand. It’s personal. I’m truly sorry I’ve intruded on something so private. I had no right to demand that you showed me any of this, and I especially had no right to ask you to relive it. ”
Merlin just shakes his head, waving off the notion that Arthur has somehow violated his privacy. Arthur takes it as an indication to continue, speaking just in time to cut off whatever Merlin was about to say.
“But I want you to know that you should be proud of your battle scars. They’re proof that you’ve survived unthinkable pain, that you’ve risked your life time and again to save myself and countless others. You’re the greatest warrior Camelot has ever seen -” Merlin scoffs, about to refute the statement until Arthur barrels over him “- you are. Please promise me you’ll at least never hide these things from me again?”
Merlin’s eyes search the king’s face. He finds nothing but sincerity.
“I promise.”
Arthur inclines his head in acknowledgement. After a pause, he voices one of the many things that are still bothering him. “You said the magic scars still hurt sometimes - is there anything I can do to help? Is there a salve I can help you put on or something?”
Merlin smiles softly. “No, it’s not… It’s not the scars on the outside, if that makes sense?”
Arthur nods slowly. He often still feels the burn of the Questing Beast’s bite. “Well, I want to help in any way I can. Anytime there’s anything I can do, whether it’s to listen as you rage against the discomfort, apply a salve, or help you to bathe - anything, you come to me. Agreed?”
A cheeky smile lights up Merlin’s features and Arthur’s heart glows. “Do you want to give me a bath Arthur?”
To Merlin’s surprise, Arthur’s answer is completely serious. “Yes. Anything you need.”
Seeing the stunned expression on Merlin’s face, Arthur continues. “Look, I’ve never had to deal with anything on my own. How many times have you tended my wounds, stayed by my side through the night so I could sleep safely, helped me to bathe when I’m hurt?”
Merlin goes to speak, but Arthur cuts him off. “ - Don’t you dare say it was your duty. You’ve always been so much more than a servant. And it works both ways. I’m always here for you, understand?”
Merlin’s smile is soft but so full of affection it almost hurts. “I know.”
Arthur grins back at him, the tension melting away as he snatches up Merlin’s shirt and throws it in his face.
“Now for love of the gods, put your shirt back on before someone walks in and gets the wrong idea.”
Merlin wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Wouldn’t want people getting jealous, would we?”
Merlin’s delighted laugh when the well-aimed pillow hits him in the face puts Arthur’s world back on its axis, even as he ducks the barrage of soft furnishings that magically hurl themselves at him.
#Beginnings of Merthur#Merlin Scar Reveal#Arthur knows about Merlin's Magic#bbc merlin#merlin bbc#Merlin#arthur pendragon#arthur and merlin#bbc merthur#merthur#merlin fanfic#merlin fan fic#merlin fanfiction#merlin fan fiction#merthur fanfic#merthur fan fic#merthur fanfiction#merthur fan fiction
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Friendly reminder that this conversation takes place in 01x03:
Note:
The ambiguity of his response to Morgana.
His choice of words. The right person to love. Not woman. Person.
And then, only one (1) episode later:
He didn’t even hesitate.
It seems he had, in fact, found the right person to love.
#listen this isn't coincidental#this is the writers telling us from the very beginning that this was a love story#tell me i’m wrong#Arthur couldn't imagine someone loving him so much#and then Merlin went and literally gave up his life for him#and he realised that he was willing to die for merlin as well#he realised he had finally found love#god im crying#bbc merlin#merlin#arthur pendragon#merlin x arthur#merthur
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and like the cycle of the year, we begin again ~ @katherynefromphilly
AAAAA i’ve been having merlin on my timeline again we’re so back! reread this fic again sobbing crying and now you can too 💪🥲⚔️
#merlin#merthur#arthur pendragon#fanart#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#sobbing#i saw you in the water#HE SAW HIM IN THE WATER#THIS SONG IS SO MERLIN ANGST#AAAAAAAAA
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And like the cycle of the year, we begin again ~ Mini comic (part 1)
Hi !! I finally come with the promised comic 😁 I started it several months ago, and although there have been days when I haven't known how to move forward, I have had a lot of support from @ineffablesbooks GRACIAS AMIGA!! We are both big fans of Merlin and especially of the INCREDIBLE fanfic that @katherynefromphilly wrote. I don't know what I would have done after finishing s5 without this story, so thank you so much, I love how you write Merlin and Arthur. Anyway, I hope you like this comic as much as I liked doing it. Stay tone, because this is only the first part!! So in a few days there will be part 2, I also don't rule out making more mini comics of other scenes in the future, so wait for it, I hope you like it and enjoy it!!
#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#arthur pendragon#bradley james#fanfic#king arthur#magic#merlin#merlin and arthur#merlin emrys#merlin x arthur#merthur#colin morgan#camelot#the once and future king
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Me (whispering to myself as I hit play on Merlin s1ep1 once again): And like the cycle of the year, we begin again
#Merlin#bbc merlin#arthur pendragon#merthur#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#is this how the format works?#idk#but this is all I could think as I was hitting play#because I JUST finished my last rewatch like a week ago#am I mentally well right now?#no#am I trying to watch Merlin to fix it?#yes#is watching the most devasting#heartbreaking#completely soul crushing show going to help?#ya know we’ll find out
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BBC’s Adventures of MERLIN 2008 - 2012
❧10th anniversary rewatch☙
#merlinedit#merthuredit#merthur#bbc merlin#.mrewatch#.rw2022#.mgif#.mstuff#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#katherynefromphilly#da king is back in town
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Though I’m still on a social media break, I HAD to log back into tumblr, specifically to share the link to this Podfic.
I never thought anyone would want to/be able to/have the time to transform the 209,000 words of “And Like The Cycle Of The Year, We Begin Again” into a Podfic. And indeed, it took this talented crew of people a few years to manage this amazing task. But here it is. Amazing, and heart-warming and oh. My goodness. I have no words.
The link is below for your listening pleasure. It’s multi-voice, and being posted regularly. Be sure to kudo, and/or comment, to thank the creative team who spent so long to create it.
And Like The Cycle Of The Year We Begin Agin Podfic: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49973797/chapters/126176071
#merthur#merlin fanfiction#merlin fanfic#merlin podfic#merthur podfic#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#altcotywba
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‘cause all of me loves all of you.
—for anon<3
#ive been in an editing slump for months SO this was really nice to do i got really happy seeing the ask this morning!!:)#even when i lose im winning bc the magic but at least arthurs safety ohhh anon youre a genius#ALSO ITD BEEN YEARS SUNCE ID LISTENED TO THIS SONG. also got a merthur brainrot (shocked silence)#(no one was shocked actually)#i also just adored the lyric ‘you’re my end and my beginning’ idk ithought it fit them i hope its ok that i includedt!!!#bbc merlin#merthur#merlinedit#merthuredit#shaking fist curse you 5.05
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Bonus:
#merlin#bbc merlin#arthur pendragon#merlin emrys#merthur#mergana#(< implied)#live action#gif#gifset#s2e03 the nightmare begins#im having a hard time believing this is actual unedited dialogue and im the one who made the gifs-#arthur ur jealousy is showing smh
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post magic reveal, post magic ban lifted, arthur gets to see merlin in all his glory and somehow falls deeper in love with him than he ever thought possible. merlin who is free and accepted and loved and ecstatic by it all, but there's that thought lingering in the back of his mind that only half of their destiny has been fulfilled. magic has returned to camelot but albion is still fractured in many different kingdoms, many of which are still holding onto the hate that uther spread which is seeping into the very fabric of the earth itself. druids and magic users and even magic creatures are still persecuted all across the realm and yeah camelot opened her arms to them but not everyone trusts it (justifiably).
arthur who is choking on the sheer amount of love he has for merlin and promising himself that he'll tell merlin, he'll confess, even if he feelings aren't reciprocated. merlin will know. merlin who has been chewing on an idea for some time now and is planning on bringing it up to arthur. its night as merlin is dressing arthur for bed and they're both quiet and tense. they break at the same time and end up speaking over one another. arthur allows merlin to go first since his nerves are eating away at him. then merlin speaks of leaving.
arthur feels his nerves rot and decay and fall into a bottomless pit. merlin is rambling about how every magical being in albion is still being targeting by various kingdoms and as the prophesied emrys, magic incarnate, druid king, should he not be doing more to help? he doesn't want to leave arthur's side, but he does want to help his people. he's seen only a fraction of the atrocities committed against them and he wishes to protect them, give them somewhere completely safe, a kingdom of magic so to speak. he promises that he'll only be gone for as long as it takes to establish a kingdom (a year? two? three?) but he promises to write and visit often...as long as arthur gives him permission and allows him to leave his service for the time being.
arthur of course agrees, half unhappy about it but completely understanding. surely, out of everyone, he is the one who can understand the weight of responsibility weighing on merlin's shoulders. he mentions that merlin will need someone with experience wearing the crown to guide him. plus, balance. merlin was always there for arthur, guiding him on how to be a better man, a great king, someone worthy of the praise he constantly spewed. it's only right that arthur gets to return that by helping merlin establish a safe haven and home for his people. and politically, camelot being the first kingdom to recognize merlin's and establish some trade agreement or treaty with them will strengthen merlin's kingdom's status and send a message that camelot stands with magic.
merlin smiles wide and asks what arthur was going to say. the king hesitates before biting his tongue and requesting that merlin bring up the honey cakes that had been prepared earlier that night. two of them. since merlin was no longer in his service, he didn't have to stand by and watch arthur eat - not that he ever did, the idiot loved to steal his food. shamelessly!! he never even tried to hide it. they both sat at the table in his chambers until late in the night, nibbling away at the sweets, chasing it down with wine, and chatting away.
arthur wasn't able to confess, but it did not change his feelings. if anything, merlin's heart and the decision he made only added fuel to the raging inferno of love and devotion within arthur. he knows that merlin will keep in contact and will return to his side one day. he gets through the tough days/nights by rereading merlin's letters and imagining seeing him again in royal garb and donning a crown.
#when they finally wed it completely solidifies that camelot is a safe space for magical beings#camelot and whatever name merlin settled on for his kingdom sort of merge together with the marriage as well#which is only the beginning to the prophesied unified albion that they were meant to build together#i just think that merlin shouldve built something for his people#like theyre being prosecuted at every turn#theres no safe place for any of them to reside#theyre always looking over their shoulder#merlin aka emrys aka magic itself should've looked out for his people#his devotion to arthur got in the way of that tho which ig is romantic but also like bro. cmon now.#plus king merlin>>>>#bbc merlin#merlin emrys#arthur pendragon#merthur#angst sort of#its a happy ending if you read my tags LMAO#fic ideas#fanfic#fanfiction#headcanon#head canon#hc
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thinking abt the fact that whenever anyone tries to tell merlin that he's just arthur's servant and he has no reason to care about him as much as he does, he's so quick to be like "no actually he's my friend" but then whenever it's the other way around and someone tries to tell him arthur cares about him too, he's all "no im just his servant"
these two are from the SAME episode
~~~
:((
#he cares about arthur SO MUCH but he genuinely thinks none of it's reciprocated :((#i SO wish he could have seen what arthur did in the poisoned chalice and the beginning of a servant of two masters#the only times arthur properly showed his care was when merlin couldn't be there to see it :((#they're the reason for all of my tears istg#bbc merlin#merlin#arthur pendragon#merthur#merlin 1x10
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Do you ever stop and think about the absolute merthur bliss that Merlin season 1 is?
Seriously. Consider:
First we have the gayest first meeting in history with lines like 'Do you know how to walk on your knees?' and 'I could take you apart with one blow - I could take you apart with less than that.’ We end the first episode with Gaius referring to Arthur as Merlin's destiny: 'Your destiny is calling. You'd better find out what HE wants.'
Then in the second episode a dragon calls Arthur Merlin's other half: 'A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole.' Soulmates alert!
3rd episode and the dragon calls them two sides of the same coin. Also Arthur says he can’t imagine giving up his life for someone because he hasn't found the right person to love. Which makes the events of episode 4 even more significant.
4th episode and they both try to die for each other. More than once. Also they are so soulmates that Merlin can see what Arthur is doing while he lays unconscious and sends a light to guide him while MOANING HIS NAME.
5th episode and Arthur is jealous of Lancelot because Merlin seems so enamoured with him but then he develops a crush on Lancelot too and tells him he needs him???? Merlin casually asks Gwen who she'd choose between Arthur and Lancelot like he has that very same dilemma.
Episode 7. Arthur shows some interest in a girl for the first time but only because he is under a spell. Merlin literally kills his love interest and then dives into a lake to save Arthur from drowning and holds him like he is the most precious thing in the world.
Episode 8. Merlin ponders leaving a child to die because he might kill Arthur when he grows up. He says that the boy dying would be bad, but the alternative (Arthur dying) is UNTHINKABLE.
Episode 9. Uther fucking Pendragon gives Merlin his blessing. 'There is a bond between us.' 'I'm glad. Look after him.' (They were so insane for this actually)
Episode 10. Arthur follows Merlin to his village and sleeps on the floor with him and asks questions about his childhood in the quiet of the dark. Merlin overhears Morgana telling Gwen about how much Arthur cares about Merlin. Merlin's mum tells him how obvious it is that Arthur likes him and tells him she has seen how much they need each other. So yeah she basically gives Arthur her blessing too :,)
Episode 11. They try to die for each other again. They literally argue about who is going to die for whom. Arthur wins and a curse is lifted thanks to the love he has in his heart. His love for Merlin saves the day!!!!
Episode 13. Surprise! Merlin tries to give his life for Arthur once more. 'His life is worth a hundred of mine.' He cradles Arthur's head in his lap while Gaius gives him the magic cure and then smiles and laughs filled with relief when he finds out Arthur will live even though that means he will die in his place. When Arthur recovers he says he has this feeling that someone is always watching over him and Uther tells him that he must have a guardian angel. Yes you've heard right they call MERLIN ARTHUR'S GUARDIAN ANGEL.
First season has no subtext it has bold underlined text and I love it SO MUCH.
#the writers wanted to tell a love story from the beginning#change my mind#season 1 my beloved#merlin#bbc merlin#merthur
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Summary: For many long years Merlin waited.
For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end.
Until one day, suddenly, it did.
When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and his fear of losing him again.
Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, & True Love.
Author: @katherynefromphilly
Submitter: @agayprince
Note from submitter: This is only part one of a series of fanfics where Arthur is resurrected and is reunited with Merlin once again. You don't even need to read the full series, just with part one it feels as if it's the Season 6 Merthur fans long for. It truly fits in so well with what might happen if it had been a continuation of the show, which this fic essentially is.
#official fic poll#haveyoureadthisfic#pollblr#tumblr polls#fanfiction#fandom poll#fanfic#fandom culture#internet culture#And like the cycle of the year we begin again#merlin#merlin bbc#bbcm#bbc merlin#merthur
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Sneak peak of a little comic I'm doing from the incredible fanfic "And like the cycle of the year we begin again" written by @katherynefromphilly thanks for this gem of a story 🙏🏼 it was quite an experience reading this after finishing s5 of Merlin (I still have a lot to do, but the mini comic is already taking shape!!)
#merthur#merlin x arthur au#merlin#arthur pendragon#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#fanfic#merlin and arthur#king arthur#merlin x arthur#the once and future king#magic#web comics#merlin emrys#colin morgan#bradley james
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So long story short I forced my sister to watch Merlin and even managed to watch the last episode on Christmas for the full experience. She was devastated. So, to help her cope, I introduced her to the Merlin fandom and the wonderful fic And like the cycle of the year, we begin again by @katherynefromphilly
I just received this video, thoughts and prayers for @bagmanunlucky are appreciated 🙏
#merlin#bbc merlin#arthur x merlin#arthur pendragon#merthurweek2022#merthur#and like the cycle of the year we begin again#merlin x arthur#merlin fanfic#merthur fanfic#merthur fic#merthur fic rec#merlin fic#for Camelot#young warlock#two sides of the same coin#the once and future fandom#once and future king#merlin bbc
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Merlin s05e13 spoilers
“But here’s what no one says—when it’s your child, a part of you, a very tiny but nonetheless unignorable part of you, also feels relief. Because finally, the moment you have been expecting, been dreading, been preparing yourself for since the day you became a parent, has come.
Ah, you tell yourself, it’s arrived. Here it is.
And after that, you have nothing to fear again.”
So that quote is from Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. It’s kinda self-explanatory, but I left out some context soo…
A father is talking abt mourning a kid and when they die you feel some relief bc the day you’ve dreaded since before they were born has finally come and it isn’t gonna happen twice (to the same kid lol.)
Now that we’re all on the same page, I just wanna mention something.
Merthur.
All throughout the show Merlin is told time and time again what he’s destined to do and how they’re counting on him to keep Arthur’s little butt on the throne and bring magic back to the land. Then surprise, surprise, the Once and Future King dies.
And yk obviously Merlin is… distraught. but do yall think j a tiny, tiny part of him just… relaxed?
Ik u have to make some jumps for this hc (?? ig?) to work but this is my post and i’ll do what i want. also ya they’re not father and son so… get to jumping
#Just to be clear i don’t actually think this lolll#but i spent too long looking for that damn quote#also steer CLEAR of that damned book#i am not a fan of the thing and i can’t believe im posting abt it but wtv#anything for merthur ig😒#a little life#bbc merlin#guess who got into merlin bbc lol#merlin#arthur pendragon#king arthur#merthur#plz dont be mad yall LOL#merlin bbc#i dont think a whole lot of ppl would agree w the quote#I haven’t actually finished merlin lol#so no spoliers#im on s5#beginning of the end
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