#Uther ships Merthur
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Uther: I'm grounding you. Your grounded.
Arthur: What about training?
Uther: Fine, except for training. And no hunting trips.
Arthur: I have to take the new knights on hunting trips.
Uther: Fine, then...No Merlin.
Merlin: Wha - NO MERLIN?
Uther: NO MERLIN!
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I need a Merlin fic that takes place after the picnic in Queen of Hearts but instead of Uther being all ticked off and banishing Gwen, he’s very confused about Merlin & Arthur…
Uther: But what about the boy? I’ve always thought you an honorable man, Arthur. How could you do this to him?
Arthur: What boy?
Uther: Your servant. The one with the mental affliction where you both try and die for the other. I even gave him my permission to court you.
Merlin & Arthur: WHAT?!?
Uther: What did you think I meant when I said that you were extremely loyal and to look after him!!? Must I spell out everything?
#Uther ships Merthur#merlin#bbc merlin#merthur#merlin incorrect quotes#gwen pendragon#arthur pendragon#uther pendragon#ITHVmerthurprompt#ITHVmerthurficlet
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I may or may not have just added a smol redemption ark for Uther… worst part is I don’t hate it???
Like it’s oddly nice???? (Definitely a last minute decision tho)
Uther also had noticed that his son and his manservant where constantly together, so it makes sense that when separating them they’d be uncomfortable. Now that he’s seen how they are together he grudgingly accepted the manservant to stay. After all if a Prince couldn’t accept the person who was by his side every day, then how will he accept others.
Contrary to popular belief he was not blind to his sons antics, he noticed they spent a large portion of their time together in Arthur’s chambers, he noticed when they left Arthur seemed to be in a better mood, and he noticed they where practically holding hands everywhere they went. They seemed to always know where the other was, the snuck out often, bickered all the time, but at the end of the day they where found smiling and joking around. He’s heard the gossip and rumors of ‘Merthur,’ as they call it, and can’t find it in himself to put an end to it.
Then I forced him to see fluff..
So the next time he found them sneaking off, while he was on a walk he decided to observe them. His son was leaning back against Merlin, who had his arms wrapped around his middle, they where whispering to each other and smiling at whatever the other said. Then Merlin pointed at the sky and Traced a shape, Arthur looked at it and smiled, nodding back at him. They continued to stand there and point at the sky even as Uther was leaving.
After that Uther decided he’d let them be, so whenever they snuck off or guards found them, he instructed the guards to leave them alone.
He may have been a terrible father but she wasn’t going to take away his son’s happiness, especially when it was helping him.
Whenever he saw them leaning on each other he ignored it. He would rectify his mistakes of the past but being more understanding now. He made same sex marriage legal and gradually tried to reconnect with his son.
Now I think he ships it..? And now I’m thinking of having Gaius ship it… idk 🤷♀️
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Uther Ships Merthur - Fic Rec
I love fics with the trope where Uther isn't horrible, because it just means a life for Arthur that is so much happier than it was. Here's my favorite fic where Uther isn't all that bad:
For Your Information by reni_days: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24086596
Summary: When Arthur comes out, Merlin somehow ends up as Uther's tutor in "the way of the gay".
Notes: This was hilarious and sweet and incredibly endearing. It's one of my comfort fics that I reread all the time.
Bonus fic:
I lOve fics with big, crazy families! In this fic, Arthur has one-and again, Uther isn't all that bad:)
No Matter How Far Away You Roam by lady_ragnell: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1069420
Summary: "In which Merlin gets conned into spending Christmas with Arthur's family and pretending to be his husband, because somehow this is his life." - lady_ragnell
Notes: This was so funny and absolutely adorable. It was exactly the kind of chaos I'd expect from Pendragons:)
Happy reading!
#merthur fic rec#merlin#merthur#uther ships merthur#big family#reni_days#For Your Information#lady_ragnell#No Matter How Far Away You Roam#rheasrecs
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Another love potion au but with a twist:
Uther: it's no use. Now you have to court him until the spell is broken.
Merlin: *Arthur hanging off his neck* WHAT?
Uther: he's the crown prince. He can't be rejected by a servant and then be heartbroken over it. What will the people think?
Merlin: at least you don't think I'm responsible for this.
Bonus:
Uther: True love's kiss can break the spell?
Gaius: yes, sire. There is no love potion that can't be broken by it.
Uther: goddamn it, Gaius, you should have told me that BEFORE i drugged him!
#bbc merlin#merlin#merthur#merlin bbc#arthur#concept#Uther#uther ships it#because that's hilarious af
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Since Merlin is trending today, thought you should all see another example that proves my 'swords are a metaphor for the heart' theory
#bbc merlin#merlinedit#mine#bbcmerlinedit#merlin#uther pendragon#colin morgan#anthony head#will i continue to make parallels with merthur and every single other thing I have ever shipped ever? you betcha
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I have discovered #uther ships it and y'all... What if Uther is actually ✨concerned✨ about not just Arthur's ability to potentially sire children but also what would happen if he did? He's made from magic, who knows what constraints that comes with? Or if any kids would inherit magical abilities somehow!? So like, when he sees the chemistry between his son and the SUPER NORMAL MANservant who seems to have been the catalyst to his son really growing up and coming into his own and caring about people more? Perfect solution. There's enough nobles and extended family that there's no real want for heirs with some claim to Pendragon blood. And Merlin is already smart enough Gaius took him on as an apprentice despite all the candidates he's turned away over the years, imagine what some time with the best tutors the crown can buy would do! Yes, this makes sense. The boys are already annoyingly devoted to each other and are always flirting in the hallways like lovesick schoolchildren.
Now he just needs Arthur to pull his head out of his ass and make a move, mark his claim, get that little fucker locked down cause too many people are also noticing that Merlin is smart and brave and loyal with pretty eyes and a quick wit and he will not have them stealing his future son-in-law! He wants Arthur married cause a married king is better than a single one (especially with such a well chosen spouse like Uther has picked out for him) and he will sacrifice ever being a grandfather for the good of the realm (and maybe Arthur's happiness).
#rambler's thoughts#uther ships it#merthur#rambler writes#fic ideas#someone take this from me#bonus points if there ends up being Merthur kids from the 2 just really wanting one so Merlin's magic gives them one#Poor Uther would get the grandkids he secretly wants but now his son-in-law is illegal along with his grandbabies#the lolz the angst the potential of this abounds
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I DONT CARE HOW MANY PARALLELS THERE ARE BETWEEN THEM AND MERTHUR! DONT! AND I REPEAT DONT MAKE ME READ FANFICS WITH UTHER AND GAIUS TOGETHER
Thank u for coming to my ted talk
#no#just ship uther with the troll honestly#gaius has alice#if it has to be someone then uther and Balinor#bbc merlin#merlin#arthur pendragon#merthur#merlin emrys#gaius merlin#bbc uther#uther pendragon
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Next up today is Morgana Pendragon!
I’ve done some for the canon universe and some for the modern universe.
This woman is a lesbian.
She doesn’t actually know the term but she has never been attracted to men and only ever flirted with them for fun.
The first girl she ever fell for was Gwen when they were children and her feelings grew stronger when Gwen became her maid.
She used to be a little jealous of Leon because him and Gwen were close friends due to Gwen’s mother being a maid in his household. At the time she was young and didn’t understand that she was jealous because she had feelings for Gwen all she knew was that whenever she saw Leon talking with Gwen and Elyan she felt upset.
She likes to give Gwen kisses on her forehead whenever no one is looking. This always makes Gwen get really flustered which Morgana thinks is adorable.
Whenever she’s had a bad vision that leaves her too scared to sleep she’ll sometimes ask Gwen to stay in the room with her because Gwen makes her feel safe. She has on occasion asked Gwen to lay down with her so she can hold her and wrap around her. It makes her feel safe enough to fall asleep knowing she has someone she loves with her in her arms.
Modern Headcanons:
Morgana goes to many pride parades and always has her pride flag colours painted on her nails. She always asks Gwen and Merlin along with her since they’re both Bi and occasionally Arthur will come along too.
She is a fan of a lot of Queer artists such as Tegan and Sara, Dodie Clark and Girl in Red. She is also into a lot of rock bands too.
Arthur was the first person she ever came out to because she felt like he’d understand. She’d seen the way he was with Merlin and knew that this was what she felt about Gwen. Arthur was accepting and they both talk about things all the time.
She doesn’t really talk to Uthur unless she has to because she’s sure he would be bothered by it. The only reason she actually sees him at all is for Arthur’s sake because her brother isn’t ready to break away from him yet.
#a lot of this is about gwen lmao#I just ship them a lot#I’ve mentioned merthur but I also ship merlin with all the knights#so I guess merlin is also poly#merlin#bbc merlin#morgana pendragon#bbc gwen#gwen pendragon#guinevere pendragon#merlin emrys#arthur pendragon#sir leon#uther pendragon#bbc elyan#sir elyan#morgana x gwen#gwen x morgana#morgwen#merlin headcanons#queer headcanons#pride month#happy pride 🌈#lgbt#lgbtqa
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Uther definitely spoke to Hunith about merlin and Arthurs "special relationship" when she came to Camelot.
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Arthur: *does something stupid*
Uther: Merlin how could you let him do this?
Merlin:
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I have polls now so I get to make that everyone else's problem sate my curiousity. So tell me:
#i've always seen them as a parallel to merlin and arthur#so i figured folks ship them#but i saw someone on here surprised about the idea of them together#and i realised i never saw any fics about it#so now i need to know#also for what it's worth i totally think gaius is pining#why else would he go against his own kind#him and merlin are birds of a feather#everyone with magic is automatically gay sorry to break it to you#merlin#gaius#uther#any attempt at a ship name is awful#guther??#merthur#polls#bbc merlin#merlin bbc#don't mind me
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Of all the ships I have in my WIPs folder, none has a stranglehold on the gigabytes like Merthur. So many WIPs.
A fair portion of them are Royal!Merlin fics. Most fics that I've read either have Arthur and Merlin switch roles, or have them both be royals and doing the whole enemies to lovers or aranged marriage tropes. No, the Royal!Merlin WIPs I have were HIDDEN royal.
The basics were all the same. Balinor is a king, and because of the threat from Camelot, keeps Merlin hidden from any kind of public eye. Citizens don't immediately recognize Merlin as the crown prince, and most knights, unless serving directly under Balinor, don't know Merlin is prince unless presented with Merlin's seal. So no one in Camelot (Uther, Arthur, even Gaius) have no idea Merlin is royalty.
How Merlin ends up in Camelot was always a toss up. Sometimes, Hunith and Balinor were separated due to Hunith's discomfort in court. Merlin would either go visit her, being encouraged to take the months he had free to adventure, or lied to say he was going to visit his mother. In these, Merlin's true identity is usually revealed when they go to stop Kanan.
There's a few were Merlin sneaks out, leaving someone (usually Will) with potions to make them look like Merlin and act in his place. One of these had ended in a battle confrontation, where Camelot and Balinors kingdom go to war, Arthur not aware that Balinor things Arthur has kidnapped Merlin. The outline ended with Merlin holding Arthur back from a one on one duel to decide the war, and walking out himself, asking if any dare to face him.
There's some where, after decades of war, Arthur becomes king and offers Balinor a treaty. A couple of these over lapped with Merlin having snuck out when Balinor isn't looking. A few had Arthur reaching out to Balinor, asking for someone to come to Camelot to discuss magic to change Camelot's law, only for Balinor (thinking Merlin is either in the capital or at his mothers) to send Merlin. These had Kilgarah with Balinor rather than under Camelot, so Balinor knew that Arthur and Merlin were meant to change the world.
I think my favorite WIP was where Camelot and Balinor had a peace treaty and Balinor sent Merlin to Camelot on purpose, with Merlin's personal knight, Gwaine. Because of an accident, everyone (Arthur, Uther, all of Canelot) thinks that Gwaine is the prince, and Merlin is his servant. Merlin, having been under preasure to be the best prince, greedily takes the opportunity to relax and gets "permission" from Gwaine to become Gaius apprentice. The last scene I had planned out had been for Balinor to come to Camelot, only to nearly loose it when he realized Gwaine had been pretending to be prince (even though it made a lot of letters from Uther about tavern brawls make more sense), and that Uther had NO IDEA where the real prince was.
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WAKING UP IN A COLD SWEAT HAS ANYONE DONE MORGANA/GWEN YET BECAUSE THEY ARE EVERYTHING TO ME
Lmao no one’s done it yet and I’m LOVING THE ENERGY!!
You’re in luck because I am definitely a shipper of these two. I fucking LOVE the idea that both of Uther’s children are in love with their servants and LGBTQ.
Morgana and Gwen make such a cute couple. They are sweet to each other and they’re there for each other in ways that aren’t exactly normal for a servant and royalty, much like Merthur. They are both badass, beautiful, kind women. I wish more had been done with them before Morgana becomes evil. I wish Gwen knew about her magic. I wish we could’ve seen Gwen try so hard to steer Morgana on the right path.
I’m very much into this ship, but I think the show did them a bit dirty. But anytime I’m reading a Merthur fic that also has a Morgwen ship in it, I cheer.
Morgwen: 91/100
Feel free to send me ships to rank :)
#thank you very much anon!#I hope you’re satisfied with my answer 🤭#bbc merlin#merlin#merlin bbc#asks#ship ranking#morgwen#morgana x gwen#gwen x morgana#morgana pendragon#guinevere
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SNEAK PEEK! (Coming.... somewhen?)
Summary: Prince Arthur Pendragon, Captain of the Llamrei, would far rather spend his days patrolling Camelot's waters than assume his place on the throne. Yet when he finds the wreckage of a vast ship and one lone survivor on board, nothing can prepare him for the path his life will lead.
Nor the demands his heart will make.
(A 4k word first chapter to a Merthur age-of-sail fantasy AU, because I'm weak for world-building)
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The waves boomed against the Llamrei's hull: a steady rhythm like the heartbeat of the ocean. The breeze hummed through the rigging, plucking tunes upon the sheets and swelling the sails. Under Arthur's palms, the wheel rested easy, their bearing steady and sure: homeward bound, back to Camelot.
They had been at sea for two long months, patrolling the boundaries of their waters, seeing off pirates and incursions alike. Their hold lay heavy with the loot of those ships who had surrendered their cargo in recompense for trespass. All-in-all, their voyage had been a success.
He knew his men craved solid land, good company and a drink with more flavour than the mead ration or water, but for him there was little joy in his home-coming. More and more, his father expected him to put his sea-faring days behind him and take on the burden of his role as Crown Prince. He thought a kingdom could be ruled from a throne and was content to let others ride the waves.
The thought of that, of land-lock and narrow horizons, made Arthur's breath catch in his throat. He understood his duty, the one he had been born to. He would not shirk it when the time came. He only wished he were free to rule how he wanted, rather than being forced to follow his father's edicts. It was not as if the man had any intention of letting go of his power in the near future. Uther Pendragon would live forever if he could.
'You could always hope for war, Captain.' Leon Delgrace narrowed his eyes against the sun, his hair bleached bright bronze and his face scattered with freckles. 'That would see us back to sea soon enough.'
Arthur huffed. 'And with whom should we fight? Lot, fat and useless to the east, but with more ships to his name than most? Bayard, to the North, who rules his waters with an iron-fist, or Caerleon to the West, who would block trade and starve us rather than raising a finger towards our annihilation?'
'Any one of them would shit themselves to face down Camelot's fleet,' Gwaine said from where he was adjusting one of the sheets, shifting the angle of the sail to better catch the breeze. 'Lot's got more ships, but half of them are in splinters. Bayard's men are in a constant state of revolt against his admirals and Caerleon… All right, Caerleon's a swine who's got every other kingdom by the balls since he's got control of the Strait of Caerdor, but he won't hold it for long. Not against the Wildwash.'
Arthur glanced down at his bosun where he stood on the quarterdeck. Gwaine wasn't wrong. The Albion Sea existed in a constant state of teetering balance. At the moment, there was a reluctant truce, each kingdom too busy dealing with their own strife to turn their mind to war. Still, all it would take was a tiny shift to send it all plunging into calamity.
Caerleon was an obvious target. The other kingdoms looked upon his control of the strait with greed because it meant he could restrict and tax the flow of trade along the Southern Way: a rare safe route of good water. It was a ripple-road that led to the MittelMer, the sea that was encircled by the remnants of the old-lands, where the Romans had once dwelt.
They conveniently forgot, however, that he also bordered on the Wildwash, the vast stretch of open ocean to the west that brimmed with legendary creatures, roaming sorcerers, mad gods and vengeful spirits. The sailors who ventured out into those waters rarely returned, and if they did, they came back changed.
Worse, the denizens of that vast, fathomless ocean – lawless and unruled – were constantly encroaching on the Albion Sea, finding their way past the towering reefs and ocean mountains that had once protected them. They sought the relatively tranquil, warmer waters and the wealth they had brought the Five Kingdoms, and they sowed death and destruction in their wake.
'I do not envy him being so close to the frontier.'
'I fear that, one day, we will hear the news that he is overcome,' Leon admitted, raising his voice to call out an order before resuming a more normal volume. As Quartermaster, he was of almost equivalent rank to Arthur's Captain: his right-hand man and, in the event of a calamity that took Arthur's life, his successor – at least where the Llamrei was concerned. If Arthur died at sea, Camelot would fall to Morgana. Sometimes he was tempted to abdicate and let her have it. He suspected she would do a better job than he.
Except that Uther would never permit it.
'No, we pray Caerleon holds fast against the Wildwash. Let some other political strife call us back to the waves. The goddess knows my father is good at stirring up conflict when it suits. Or even when it does not. We will enjoy our time back in Camelot. I will play the obedient prince, and in a week or two, he will grow bored and we'll be back at sea.'
'Better be,' Gwaine muttered. 'Don't think there's enough beer in all Camelot's taverns to keep me happy on land.'
'Captain!' Elyan's cry was as clear as a sea-bird, carrying with ease. He had a spyglass pressed to his eye. A sextant hung from his belt and one foot was braced on the top of the crow's nest, as if he were about to take flight. Arthur hated it when he did that. A fall from that height, onto deck or into the water's embrace, would be the death of him. If the grief of that did not gut Arthur hollow, then Guinevere's pain at losing her brother surely would.
'What do you see?'
He squinted, noting the way Elyan swayed, a shift of his weight back and forth. He was too high to make out his expression, but that small tell had lost Elyan many a card game. It meant he was uncertain and questioning himself.
'Wreckage, Captain, off our port bow. Sharp turn!'
Arthur picked up the order, calling it out and watching the crew come alive as they set about their duties, tending the yard-arms and spanker as they tacked the Llamrei, altering her course in a stately sweep. The sails slackened as they turned through the eye of the wind before filling anew, the thick cloth swelling as they caught the edge of the breeze.
Almost immediately, Leon gave the order to reef so that they could slow as they approached whatever it was Elyan had seen. They could circle if they had to, scouting the area in large sweeps. Arthur would rather not bring the ship to a full stop until he was sure what they were dealing with.
'Bugger me,' Gwaine breathed as he squinted at the water. His unease was a living thing among the rest of the crew as they took in the flotsam: broken spars and tattered sails like bridal veils upon the waves. It covered a large area, yet it had not dispersed with the currents, and Arthur surrendered the wheel, moving to stand with Gwaine and Leon as they stared.
The Llamrei was a Destrier class, a medium sized warship with good manoeuvrability perfect for patrols and privateering. Whatever had once sailed the waves before them was far bigger, and the possibilities spilled from the lips of the men around him.
'Too much wreckage for even a first-class Charger,' Leon pointed out, speaking of the behemoth four-deck war ships that were the jewels in any kingdom's fleet. They carried more than a hundred cannon each: floating fortresses.
'Not much left that's bigger than that,' Gwaine muttered, folding his arms across his chest and making room for Lancelot. The ship's surgeon's hands were white-knuckled around the rail. Where they saw the carcass of a mighty vessel, Arthur knew that Lancelot would be thinking of the souls lost on board.
Arthur ducked his head in agreement, looking over his shoulder as Elyan's bare feet hit the deck. His quick stride brought him to the rail, and he took up the space to Arthur's left. The only one not with them was Percival, and that was because he would not leave the cannons until he knew he would not be called upon to put them to use. No doubt he was watching out of the hatches as the debris drifted by and the Llamrei continued her steady circling.
'A merchant Draft, maybe?' Elyan sounded doubtful even as he said it. He was fully aware that he was wrong. They knew what this was, but none of them wanted to say it out loud.
This was all that remained of A Stables – a colony ship. They were huge, used for moving large numbers of people: evacuations, refugees – that sort of thing. There weren't many left, any more. One fewer, now. The last resort of the desperate. This was all that was left of the sort of event that went down in the history books.
A Desolation: a wreck that was akin to an extinction. One that wiped out hundreds, if not thousands of lives at once.
Arthur swallowed down the low nausea of heartbreak as he stepped back, calling out commands to bring the Llamrei to a complete stop. Those who were not tending the sails and rudder instead watched the water, searching both the surface and its depths for any dangers.
'Colours!' Someone cried. There was a flurry as they reached for poles to pull the pennant from the sea's clutches. It hung, sodden and torn, squelching as it hit the deck. Immediately, the men got to work unfolding it. They clustered around, Arthur with them, the chill biting at his fingertips as he straightened out the flag.
'It was Lot's,' Leon murmured, indicating the black serpent on the white shield that represented the kingdom of Essetir. 'A long way from home.'
'In Camelot's waters.' Arthur grimaced, a trickle of horror rushing down his spine. This was a political powder-keg, and suddenly their jokes of war seemed like a poor showing. 'If we're not careful, we'll stand accused if its destruction.'
'The Llamrei couldn't take down a Stables alone, even Lot would know that,' Lancelot murmured, shaking his head. He looked as if he had aged five years in moments. 'They're too big. Base crew to manage a ship that size is more than a thousand souls.' He pressed a curled fist over his heart, this thumb pointing up towards his collarbone in a traditional symbol of mourning: a mute plea to whatever gods might lurk beneath the waves to carry them safely into the afterlife.
'Where are the bodies?' Gwaine asked, shifting back to the rail and peering around. 'That many crew, plus whatever refugees and passengers they carried… there should be some afloat. Even if the hull dragged them down as it sank, there should be some trace of 'em.'
Arthur caught the glance Gwaine shot in his direction, one grim and shadowed with fear. It was enough to make him turn his eye back to the water, reading the evidence that wrote itself in the wreckage.
Some bits of wood showed evidence of cannon-fire: round shot, the kind used by raiders. They'd disable the ship, take its cargo grab those they could to sell as slaves and kill any who put up too hard a fight. Raiders were like wolves; they gave chase in packs, and a Stables ship was a gold mine for them – a slow, easy target.
But that didn't answer the question of why it was out at sea in the first place. Many of the colony ships were in dry dock and had been for decades. There had been no conflict or boundary change that would mean people needed to move en-masse. It didn't make any sense. Not unless these people, whoever they were, were chased out of port by some threat – but what?
Arthur sighed, shaking his head. That was the problem with being at sea. As much as he relished the freedom, it left him disconnected from news of the kingdoms. Answers probably awaited him in Camelot, though whether he would wish to hear them was another matter. A Desolation was the kind of thing that would have the Five Kingdoms at each others' throat, eager to place and dodge the blame in equal measure.
'Spread those out to dry,' he ordered, indicating the colours on deck. 'We'll take them back with us as proof. Man the row boats, set up a search.'
'What are we looking for?' Elyan asked, raising his voice to be heard over the cries of the crew carrying out Arthur's orders, reaching for ropes and pulleys as they prepared to winch the twelve-man row boats down towards the surface.
'Survivors.' Lancelot did not sound hopeful, but he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin as he crossed his arms over his chest. 'Bodies, if not. We need to know where these people came from. Their families…'
'People deserve to know what happened.' Arthur rested a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. 'Anything that can tell us what fate had in store for this ship will be of benefit. A figurehead, if we can find it.'
All ships had unique carvings upon their prow, something to mark out their identity so that even the illiterate would know what vessels lay at harbour or had gone to sea. Some were panels with carved symbols, others were creatures, flowers or objects, each with its own significance. The ships of royal houses, like the Llamrei, stood out amidst any fleet thanks to the gold paint that coated their prow and flared back along the hull in sweeps and whorls: a blessing for strong winds and good tides.
The ship that had sunk here had a name, once, Arthur did not wish for it to be forgot – lost to the obscurity of the ocean depths.
'Leon, the helm is yours. Gwaine, you take the other boat. Keep your eyes peeled.'
'Aye aye, Cap'n.'
The boat eased into the waves, the oar tips pressed briefly to the Llamrei's hull to ease them away from her embrace before they set forth. This close to the water's surface, the ocean was a living, breathing thing beneath them. Brine flavoured Arthur's top lip and roughened his hair as the wind caught in the linen of his shirt and plucked at the laces of his collar like an eager lover. On a better day, he would have relished it, but he was too absorbed in the carnage before him.
It was every sailor's nightmare: a risk they all took but prayed to forever avoid. Wrecks were a messy affair, made worse by the voracious hunger of the sea. Within a day, all sign of what had happened here would be scattered, carried off by the currents or pulled beneath the waves. Death, he fancied, rode the breeze here, and he reached into his belt pouch for a gold coin before tossing it overboard: payment for the ferryman.
Behind him, he heard his men do the same, keeping one hand on their oars as they gave up whatever trinkets they may have: copper, silver or stone, it mattered not. None of them would leave a debt standing.
'Captain!' Pellinor's pointing finger thrust out to the east, and Arthur narrowed his eyes against the sun, taking in the section of hull that bobbed like a cork off the starboard bow. It was a fragment not much smaller than the craft in which they currently sat, but that wasn't what mattered. He knew what had caught Pellinor's eye. This debris did not bear the scars of shot that splintered the other pieces of wood he had seen from the Llamrei's deck. Instead, gouges raked the planks, parallel lines that sheared through the wood, exposing the timber beneath.
Arthur swore. Bandits and cannon-fire were one thing, but this?
'Leviathan. Keep a sharp eye.'
'In these waters?' Pellinor's voice was faint, and Arthur could not blame him. Leviathans were meant to make their homes in the Wildwash. They were huge creatures of the deep, bigger than any ship that rode the waves. According to the old salts, those few who had made it back from beyond the western horizon, they came in many shapes, but they were all monstrous in size and temper. They lived only for their hunger and sated it with neither thought nor conscience. There was a bounty, never claimed, for any sailor who could bring back the eye of one such beast.
No one had ever managed it.
'Watch the depths. Hold your tongue.' He could not risk a panic, not among the rowers nor aboard the Llamrei. Yet if there was a Leviathan that had made its home in the Albion Sea, then all Five Kingdoms needed to know of it. It would care not for the boundaries of their realms. If vengeance took its fancy, it would drag down any vessel that crossed its path.
Arthur scanned the water before him, looking for anything moving down in the murk as they rowed, slow and cautious, past the floating piece of hull. A thick silence lay over the men at his back, tar-black and gilded at its edged with the flash of fear, but they were stout souls all, and they did not forget their purpose. Not that their search yielded much to speak of, at least not until the rise and fall of the ocean pushed them closer to the centre of the wreckage, and Owain gave a bellow from the port side.
'Survivor!'
Arthur whipped his head around, scanning the flotsam until he saw it: a flat piece wallowing in the water, threatening to go under with every wave that washed over it. The figure sprawled upon it did not stir, and Arthur wondered if Owain was too optimistic. From here, the man looked dead, pale and limp, yet he had clearly had the strength and savvy to climb atop the makeshift raft. He lay on his back, insensible to the cold water that still threatened, even now, to grasp him in its clutches.
'Haul him in!' Arthur ordered. 'Be quick about it!'
Some of his men reached for hooks and poles while the others tilted the oars, guiding their boat as close as they dared. Arthur lifted a foot onto the boat's side, braced and ready to jump in if it were necessary. Dead or alive, he could not lose this soul to the seas. At least one deserved to be buried with proper rites, if that was all he was good for, and if he yet lived?
Perhaps they'd get their answers after all.
He reached out and down, tangling his fingers in the sodden fabric of the man's tunic the moment he could reach. The others joined him, half the crew shifting to counter-balance the craft as they wrestled with the suck and swell of the tide. Arthur tried to ignore the coldness of the body beneath his touch as they manhandled him into the boat, laying him on the deck as they panted from the effort.
'Back to the Llamrei. Double-time!'
Arthur's fingers pressed to the hollow of the man's jaw as the oars dipped and splashed, his crew grunting as they threw their all into skimming back towards the safety of their Destrier. It took a moment, but at last a flutter of life stirred against his skin, thready and weak, but there all the same. It seemed Owain was right. They did have a survivor after all.
'Hey.' Arthur tapped the man's cheek, noticing his youth: younger than Arthur, if he had to guess, though perhaps only by a year or two. He had the rangy, lanky look of someone who'd lived a life on the uncomfortable cusp of not enough to eat, and the wet fabric of his clothes was simple and home-spun. 'Hey, come on. Open your eyes.'
Those dark lashes didn't so much as flutter, and Arthur whispered a curse as he patted down long limbs, checking for breaks and blood. The sea could batter a person to a pulp in a heartbeat, but there was no trace of harm. Not until he pressed his fingertips to the wet, black hair and drew them away to find a crimson stain. There was an impressive knot there, up high behind his ear. Something must have struck him, though he was otherwise in one piece.
Arthur only hoped it hadn't addled his wits.
The ropes were secured to the prow and stern, the pulleys squeaking their protests as the row boat was winched back up to the main deck. Lancelot was there immediately, thrusting the spyglass back into Elyan's grasp before he reached out, helping Arthur and Pellinor get their human salvage to safety.
He wasted not a moment, checking for a pulse as Arthur had done as others hurried to find a stretcher. Honestly, Arthur thought he was light enough to carry without breaking a sweat, but on a shifting ship it was all too easy to overbalance, and he had no wish to drop the newcomer on his already brutalised head.
'Well?' he demanded.
'Doesn't look too bad,' Lancelot decided. 'Skull seems sound, though he'll probably wake with a nasty headache. He's chilled through though. We'll get him out of these wet clothes and under some blankets, see if he doesn't come back to us before day's end.'
'See it done. Come and get me the moment he wakes.'
'Aye, Captain.'
Arthur stood back, watching Lancelot and Elyan lift the man's lax body onto the stretcher before bearing him away, a strange, still figure amidst the bustle of the Llamrei's crew.
'Your orders, Captain?'
He turned, blinking his way free of his thoughts to stare at Leon. Over on the starboard side, Gwaine's row boat had just settled into its cradle. Their time here was done. The remnants of the ship that had once sliced through the waves had given up all its secrets, and in Arthur's mind, none were so intriguing as the survivor.
Questions itched at him, but they would have to remain unanswered for a while yet. Until he awoke to tell his story, the newcomer would hold his silence, and Arthur would have to bear it as best he could.
'Resume our course for Camelot,' he said at last, tapping his hand on the ship's rail. The ring he wore chimed against the hardwood, and to Arthur's ears at least, it sounded like a death-knell: a final farewell to all who had found their watery grave here. All souls, it seemed, but one.
'Let's go home.'
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Is the other s-tier ship Arwen? O.o I could see it because they're just so adorable, even if Merthur will always have my heart and soul
Arwen my beloved!!!!
God they're just so good. The pining!! The forbidden romance that never feels hacky or unjustified! We witnessed an entire season of Uther behaving like a shit head, and know exactly why Arwen wouldn't work with him in power, before we ever got arwen!
The chemistry is unparalleled! The way Arthur looks like a kicked puppy whenever he has to walk away from Gwen. His willingness to endanger himself to protect her. He was willing to give up his place on the throne to be with her! And normally that would make me roll my eyes, but because the writers gave us two seasons of longing looks and glancing touches before Arthur reached that point, it feels real and raw and desperate.
They are so good for each other too! It's obvious the ways Gwen's influence changes Arthur from stuck up and arrogant, with a hidden heart of gold, to primarily a heart of gold with the thinnest veneer of prat. But! Arthur is good for Gwen too! She gains so much confidence in herself from being with Arthur! She goes from someone who quavers before the king and begs for her life while sobbing, to someone who stares the king down and says "I don't expect someone like you to understand" !! How can you be normal after that!
How can you be normal about the way they look at each other? That moment in season four where Arthur cups her chin and reminds her of the first time he kissed her, just to get her to smile one last time before he goes off to certain doom! Agh!
I am merthur shipper, and write primarily merthur fic. However! I think arwen was the perfect choice for canon! Whenever I watch them interact, I literally clasp my hand to my heart because I am overwhelmed by the romance of it all.
Congratulations, you have discovered the only other ship ranked:
S-Tier
Send me a Merlin Ship and I’ll rank it on a tier list. Note: This is a subjective ranking and a low ranking in no way means that I am shaming you for your taste in ships.
#bbc merlin#merlin#merlin bbc#arthur x gwen#arthur x guinevere#arwen#gwenthur#arthur pendragon#gwen merlin#guinevere pendragon#gwen pendragon#arthur/gwen#gwen/arthur#merlin ship tier list
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