Hello! I'm Keitorin3, huge fan of certain Fandoms and Ships and thought of making a master list to kinda organise them so it'll be easier to find the right ones.
I enjoy writing my ideas and thoughts but can't write a book for the life of me, so short one shots it is. Lol 😆 I hope you enjoy them and that they give others ideas.
And Arthur wakes unable to, Merlin's immortality running in his veins.
Merlin had been lying there, prone, unbreathing, when Arthur woke up with the loudest yet least painful gasp.
Immediately, the very first thing Arthur noticed, was the weight on his chest.
Later... Later, After the flood of tears, after the hours of screaming himself hoarse until he no longer can, it will hit Arthur that Merlin breathed his last with his lips against Arthur's unbeating heart, his head tucked under Arthur's once-lifeless chin, his tears staining Arthur's armour.
What is the point of a love finally realized, Arthur thinks through his burning eyes burning heart burning soul, when the one you love is already gone?
He will agonize over it all the way to Camelot. Returning with Merlin's lifeless form in his arms.
When Gwen throws herself into his arms in the privacy of their rooms -after Leon and Percival had managed to pry Merlin from his arms, a struggle that ended in curses from a struggling Arthur (struggling against his knights as he never had against anyone before, not even trickster Death as it had taken him) and Merlin's body deposited in a tiny cot in Gaius's room in Gaius's devestated care- Arthur finds he does not even have the strength or will to lift his arms to return her desperate embrace.
Merlin and Gwaine are put on twin pyres a month later. A month Arthur had spent in denial and anger, shouting at anyone who as much as suggested he put Merlin to rest -which was all of them.
Something changed then ended between him and Gwen the day he told her to get out and leave him in peace, clutching to Merlin's rotting corpse.
A month Arthur looked high and low for the druids, hoping for a miracle to bring Merlin back to him. But none were to be found. They had retreated. Emrys was dead. It wasn't meant to happen. Yet it had. It was unthinkable. So they had retreated to where no kings and warriors and swords could reach them.
So after a month, Arthur, defeated, lit Merlin's pyre.
Watching Merlin's funeral flames burn through dead eyes, Arthur wondered if he should just throw himself onto it. Hold on to his dearest and only friend, his deepest love, until he too was dust.
Then he remembered it was a mad hope, he was now unkillable by all.
Merlin's last gift to him. And curse.
Why did you leave me, Arthur would think over and over for a whole year -a year without his soul's mate, to make fun of him and laugh at his jokes-
Why
Until the dragon descended from the heavens.
When the Great Dragon that had wrecked havoc and bloodshed on his land and his people, comes down from the sky, landing right in front of Arthur in his castle's courtyard, Camelot's king can only think, at last, and does not have the strength to feel ashamed of it.
But when the dragon opens its mouth, what comes out is not the fire Arthur prays for.
It is a premonition.
A promise.
Prophecy.
Merlin is Emrys, the dragon tells Arthur -Arthur so dead to the world he cannot even be surprised that it can talk- and Emrys is magic.
And magic is life.
He may have given up his immortality, and sacrificed this life, but he will have another life, a truly endless one, as he was always meant to, once he returns.
When will he return? Arthur asks, heart breaking and mending and breaking and mending and breaking and mending again and again and again.
Please, tell me!
Not for one thousand year and more, yet, the dragon answers, and Arthur's burning heart jumps into his throat.
You are the once and future king, the dragon goes on, You were meant to die. And Merlin was meant to wait for you. Because of you he was born. For you he lived. I should have known, then, all of us should have, that only for you he could die.
The wait ahead of you is long. Too long. Can you do it, Young King?
And how could Arthur not?
After the Great Dragon has flown away -the last time Arthur will ever see the creature- Arthur throws himself back into becoming again the king that Camelot deserves. That Merlin had always spoken he would.
And he succeeds.
Becoming the man of legends.
He rules for generations. After Gwen is gone. Gaius is gone. Leon, Percy. Everyone he grew up with. Fought shoulder to shoulder with.
Everyone he loved.
And, eventually, when the invaders grow so many and so strong that even an immortal king cannot hold them off -then
Everything.
Arthur watches Camelot burn.
His people. His land. All of it, gone.
Only hope remains.
Hope, as Arthur realizes over the long period of his seemingly endless wait, breeds both relief and utter misery.
In the deepest pit of despair, only the thought of Merlin carries him on.
As he watches the world change endlessly on, Arthur is always overcome with the thought that how, how he would have loved to tell Merlin he legalized magic in his name. If only doing so had been of any use.
After Merlin died, Arthur never came across a single magic user again.
With Emrys gone, they had left too. No longer concerned with laws of kings and magic-less men.
Arthur Pendragon lives through the rise and fall of empires.
He lives through such a plague as never seen before, which kills all but one inhabitant of his tiny Norfolk village, and half of the entire continent's population besides.
He lives to see men, evil men like his father, he admits now as he never had before -his people, drunk on the superiority of their skin color, their birth, their power- enslave far far away lands and countless people Arthur had not even known existed.
He lives to see people rise against these injustices, and fight back. And he is there fighting right beside them.
He lives and fights through two world wars.
As Arthur watches the world welcome the 21st century with spectacular fireworks from the roof of one of the buildings of his apartment complex in London, he says Merlin's name, and prepares himself for another century of agonizing unfruitful waiting.
The year is 2025.
Arthur lives in a large but silent house in Cheviot Hills.
The quiet suits him, after all that he saw, working as a nurse in the pandemic.
He goes out for walks. Thinks of Merlin. Cooks. Thinks of Merlin. Cleans. Thinks of Merlin. Reads. Thinks of Merlin. Writes. Thinks of Merlin. Sews. Thinks of Merlin. Hums while lying on the sofa by himself. Thinks of Merlin. Drives his beloved car around. Thinks of Merlin.
He really shouldn't have been doing that last one. Arthur can't help but think when he hits some poor sod with his car, on a road going over a small hill one fog covered evening.
Arthur stops his car and pulls the door open at speed of lightning.
So fast that his mind, overrun with worry, only registers the cursing voice as familiar -agonizingly beautifully so- when he's rounding the car's front.
On the ground lies a man on his back, in a blue shirt, red neckerchief, dark trousers, and russet brown jacket -
They called a war council. It was the logical thing to do
Rules: Post the last sentence you wrote and tag as many popel as there are words in the sentence.
I lowkey do not have that many people to tag. However non pressure tagging!: @emo-nova @apileofashandember @soulless-bex @luke-naberrie @song-of-fairies
Not to be outdone, Luka yanked his shirt off and tossed it aside before climbing under the covers and wrapping himself up in the girl who held his heart.
Rules: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic/original/anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence.
Clearly, I need shorter sentences. Here's a few tags in the spirit of it all
Omegaverse au where Merlin is hiding both his magic and his status as an omega, because, unfortunately for him, they are connected. While there are wizards of every presentation, all sorcerers and warlocks have always been omegas. Not only that, but Merlin’s magic is connected not just to himself, but would flow through his mate as well, granting inhuman power. But that’s neither here nor there, because Merlin doesn’t have a mate. And likely never will, given that uses potions to mask his true scent, to dampen his instincts, to suppress his heats. Merlin disguises himself as a beta, barely able to react to others' scents due to the suppressing potions, and just accepts it as another sacrifice he must make.
He could have never imagined the lengths a monster would go to claim what is not his.
First 1.3k (of 5kish?????) below the cut written in summary form, feat. gratuitous omegaverse tropyness with protectiveness and h/c, alpha arthur, omega merlin, pining idiots to lovers, tw for attempted non con in later installments (not between Merthur and the perpetrator is swiftly stopped and Dismantled). Takes place vaguely during Arthur’s reign, Gwen is not romantically involved with Arthur, don’t worry about the details we all know what we’re here for
part one ︱ part two ︱part three ︱part four ︱part five ︱part six ︱part seven (end)
Despite Merlin hiding and suppressing his instincts, by the time Arthur’s reign begins he’s well and truly fallen for the alpha. Merlin knows he’s only setting himself up for heartbreak, too. Even if Arthur didn’t hate him for having magic, even if Arthur let himself marry for love and not the crown, even if Arthur didn’t feel betrayed that merlin hid his status… Arthur would never fall for him. Merlin knows Arthur cares for him, but he knows it’ll never be love. And the wound inside of him that is both soothed and worsened by Arthur’s presence, his teasing smiles, his steady friendship, is merlin’s burden to carry.
Everything falls apart when King Cenred visits Camelot shortly after Arthur takes the throne, to recertify the treaties between the kingdom with the change in ruler. Magic is legal in Essetir - technically - but magic users, particularly strong ones, all serve under Cenred’s command and enjoy little freedom. The more gruesome rumors say that he controls sorcerers with special chains, abuses them until he gets what he wants.
There’s an unease in Merlin’s stomach at Cenred’s visit. His feelings don’t improve when he sees Cenred in person, either - he’s a tall man with a cruel look, and even though Merlin’s senses are dulled his scent is still vaguely sickening, like metal, and the damp of wet stone. Merlin wants nothing to do with the man, but it’s not like he can tell Arthur why. He steels himself and tries to act as innocuous as possible, but from the moment Cenred arrives his eyes seem to linger on Merlin.
Funnily enough, though, while Merlin was meant to serve Cenred, when he arrives Arthur instantly orders another servant to show Cenred to his rooms, an older alpha man who’s been a member of the royal house for decades. That evening at dinner between the two kings, Cenred slyly suggests that Camelot’s rejection of magic has left it vulnerable to attack, and that Cenred is willing to share with Arthur his method of controlling magic users - for a hefty price, of course. It’s only due to Merlin’s years of concealing himself that he’s able to show no reaction. He suppresses a sigh of relief when Arthur swiftly dismisses the idea.
He’s not as successful, however, when he’s refilling Cenred’s wine goblet and his hand brushes against Merlin’s inner wrist, and his scent is strong enough even to Merlin that it’s an effort not to gag. Cenred’s eyes are too sharp when they focus on Merlin, asking his name. When Arthur sharply says that he’s no one of any importance, and orders merlin to Arthur’s room to start a fire, Merlin’s too relived to wonder why Arthur’s so on edge.
But of course Merlin’s endlessly curious, and incapable of keeping his mouth shut, and so when Arthur returns to his room later that night Merlin can’t help but ask why Arthur sent him away. Arthur answers instead that he doesn’t want any of the omegas serving him, and he knows Merlin and Gwen practically run the royal household enough to ensure that happens. He can’t kick Cenred out without starting a war between the kingdoms, but something about the man bristles Arthur’s normally tightly-controlled alpha instincts. Merlin just stares at him, eventually daring to say “....But I’m not an omega.”
For a second he fears that Arthur has discovered his secret, even though that should be impossible - Merlin can barely detect his own scent, let alone anyone else’s. But Arthur just gruffly says he’s well aware of that, Merlin, and to just do as he says. The omegas stay away from Cenred. And Merlin does as well.
Arthur’s edict helps Merlin feel a little bit less like he’s got a target on his back. Still some survival instinct makes him exceptional careful as long as Cenred is in the castle. He doesn’t use any magic, not even to speed up the polishing of Arthur’s endless swords, tries his best to be an unnoticeable servant. Merlin tells himself that the chance run ins with Cenred are just that - there’s no way that Cenred should be able to know that he has magic, or that he’s an omega. But it doesn’t stop an instinctual fear from running down Merlin’s spine when he passes Merlin in the halls, casually grabbing Merlin’s wrist and asking for an escort to the training grounds.
But it’s fine. Merlin can deal with it. All he has to do is to keep his head down until Cenred leaves.
Of course, it’s not that simple. Because nothing in Merlin’s life ever is.
Merlin’s preheat symptoms start to flare up - sore muscles, a faint fever, an uncommon fatigue in his limbs. As he’s always done, he takes the potion he and Gaius have brewed for years now. It suppresses his heat to what feels like an entirely unenjoyable, but manageable, illness.
But something about this batch must have been less effective than the others, because Merlin enters Arthur’s chambers and Arthur immediately stiffens, looks at Merlin in surprise, and then fixes a scowl on his face. To Merlin’s utter bafflement, he asks if Merlin was seeing anyone, and clearly Merlin must be slacking off on his duties if he even has the time to do so. Merlin spits back a response before making a quick escape, using twice the scented patches as normal to hide his natural scent.
The next even more humiliating incident is when Merlin is helping Arthur review the treaty proposals between the kingdoms, and sees Arthur absentmindedly fiddling with a red piece of cloth between his fingers. Merlin stares for a second, until a shocked “Is that my scarf?!” blurts from his lips. He watches Arthur look down, as if he hadn’t even realized what he was doing, and then the King’s face blushes red. He replies a haughty “Well you left it in my chambers, which makes it mine,” and before Merlin can retort Arthur quickly places another huge stack of parchment on the desk.
Arthur’s odd behavior is quickly forgotten from the sickness of the suppressed heat, as Merlin tries to hide the sweat that keeps appearing on his brow, grits his teeth at the sudden cramp that runs through him as he helps Arthur into armor. Cenred leaving is a desperately needed breath of relief for Merlin, after a week of tense renegotiations of the treaty with Camelot.
Or at least it would be. Except that as the Essetir delegation is getting ready to leave, Cenred barks at Merlin to bring his horse over, and despite Arthur's orders that Merlin stay away he also can't openly defy Cenred. But as Cenred takes the bridle from Merlin's hands, he leans in and whispers something into Merlin’s ear that chills the warlock to his very core.
“I know your secret. Meet me in the forest after the moon rises or I’ll make sure your King knows as well.”
HI! LARLUCE HERE! More known as the author of "Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is form the future too AU" among other merthur prompts.
Unfortunately, Tumblr recently removed my original account, and with it, all of my posts. 😭😭😭😭
I have most of my time travel AU saved, as well as the "Merlin arrives with a baby in Camelot AU", but I'm afraid the rest, like my "Merlin as Arthur's familiar AU" is pretty much gone.
While I've submitted a recovery request, I'm preparing for the possibility that the account is gone for good, so I'm taking this opportunity to polish and transfer my saved works to my AO3 account.
However, if you somehow managed to save any of my work, please let me known. I would be eternally grateful for your help.
Arthur gets isekaied into a d&d world... or well, whatever the typical isekai world looks like.
Suddenly, magic is not evil, but part of the whole world building.
He sees many faces he recognizes, using magic as if normal, until finally, he meets Merlin. An elf who wants to become a wizard scholar but is deemed 'talentless' because he can't use any of the crystals that magic users need.
Arthur stumbles upon Merlin at the same time Merlin realises something about himself.
It's not that Merlin can't use the crystals... He doesn't need them.
And that might be a problem... because Merlin is therefore the incarnation of Emrys... the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived and...
in the words of iseakai's: the demon king
Arthur, who is already overwhelmed with the whole world, decides that this might as well happen and attempts to help the new found 'evil' in this world. He knows Merlin, and if this is his Imagination, Merlin can't be evil anyway.
The more their quests go on, the more Arthur begins to notice how lonely Merlin is. How much he loves nature. How much he loves magic. And because Arthur is there to see him, truly see him, Merlin is something Arthur can't remember him ever being. So fully, so wonderfully...
happy
'If it takes magic to make Merlin happy,' Arthur thinks foolishly, 'then I'd legalise it in a heartbeat.'
So as it's always been, I have a random idea. Again.
So here's me reading Merlin fics while Xena: the Warrior Princess is playing on the side.
You can see here where this is going pretty fast.
But I question myself, how can I combine these two shows when OCD mind keeps reminding me that Xena was in ancient Greece and Merlin is around the Middle Ages.
In this time of uncertainty I turn to my brother who bestows his great wisdom which is "What are you talking about now??" which then leads me to my sisters words of "I don't Know... Neither were historically accurate."
Which, was a very valid point that I can use to my advantage!✨
And now, now I've got it!
✨ ~ Merlin timetravels ~ ✨
So to have my idea of an epic crossover between two beloved childhood shows (yes I watch xena as a kid, my dad's a fan and got me into it. No Regrets.) Merlin must timetravel.
And the reason is fairly obvious.
Arthur is dead, and has been dead for quite a long time. Merlin is depressed and waiting for his beloved king until he can't wait anymore.
He caves in and trys to go back in time but in very Merlin fashion, over shoots his shot.
He ends up too far back and unprepared for the amount of crazy that was before his time.
He has to face all this wild magic and magic creatures that were basically extinct in his time along with the fact that gods had Alot more involvement with people then he expected.
And that he was unhappily one of them too.
Yeah, he did not like involving himself with other gods.
He couldn't find a way to move forwards in time, seeing as he kinda just erased everything with his stunt so, oops. The end result being the first solution, waiting.
Yup, waiting. At least this time Merlin actually knew when his King would raise, or born in this case. He just needed patience.
...
He gave that a solid century before saying fuck it, and stabbed Excalibar in a stone and told the people of The Once and Future King being able to pull the sword from the stone. With some major enchantments here and there, he packed his bags and was off Albion soil by the weeks end.
Seeing this as an opportunity to explore the familar but different lands, Merlin decides he'll extend his knowledge even further and understand his magic and more.
He ends up making a name for himself as a kind and miraculous healer. Going from town to town healing and aiding those in need wherever he can.
In Alot of cases, he butted heads with the gods in other regions gaining a reputation from the higher ups. They try to get rid of him, but know better that Emrys cannot be killed or rid of. Afterall, even the gods use a divine magic.
And it's in his very names sake, Emrys, Immortal, nothing can kill him, and he's tried before. Not even a blade forged in dragons breath.
So the gods can't get rid of him, but they have attempted to imprisoned, enslave, heck even seduce him.
None worked, but it always kept Merlin engaged and less bored. He forgot how much fun it was to be a nuisance to others. It's especially the topping on the cake with obnoxious gods and occasional magic users who've fucked with his life the first time around.
I was working on this and saved it, but when I came back again to spell correct it. It wasn't in my drafts!
I literally freaked out and was sobbing internally about losing my work for like 3 hours.
God, I'm so happy it's not gone. I didn't even realise I posted it.
Anyway, this wasn't supposed to be posted, but I think I'll leave it for now. I wasn't finished with it by a long shot. So if you're confused by its sudden stop, it's cause of that.
So as it's always been, I have a random idea. Again.
So here's me reading Merlin fics while Xena: the Warrior Princess is playing on the side.
You can see here where this is going pretty fast.
But I question myself, how can I combine these two shows when OCD mind keeps reminding me that Xena was in ancient Greece and Merlin is around the Middle Ages.
In this time of uncertainty I turn to my brother who bestows his great wisdom which is "What are you talking about now??" which then leads me to my sisters words of "I don't Know... Neither were historically accurate."
Which, was a very valid point that I can use to my advantage!✨
And now, now I've got it!
✨ ~ Merlin timetravels ~ ✨
So to have my idea of an epic crossover between two beloved childhood shows (yes I watch xena as a kid, my dad's a fan and got me into it. No Regrets.) Merlin must timetravel.
And the reason is fairly obvious.
Arthur is dead, and has been dead for quite a long time. Merlin is depressed and waiting for his beloved king until he can't wait anymore.
He caves in and trys to go back in time but in very Merlin fashion, over shoots his shot.
He ends up too far back and unprepared for the amount of crazy that was before his time.
He has to face all this wild magic and magic creatures that were basically extinct in his time along with the fact that gods had Alot more involvement with people then he expected.
And that he was unhappily one of them too.
Yeah, he did not like involving himself with other gods.
He couldn't find a way to move forwards in time, seeing as he kinda just erased everything with his stunt so, oops. The end result being the first solution, waiting.
Yup, waiting. At least this time Merlin actually knew when his King would raise, or born in this case. He just needed patience.
...
He gave that a solid century before saying fuck it, and stabbed Excalibar in a stone and told the people of The Once and Future King being able to pull the sword from the stone. With some major enchantments here and there, he packed his bags and was off Albion soil by the weeks end.
Seeing this as an opportunity to explore the familar but different lands, Merlin decides he'll extend his knowledge even further and understand his magic and more.
He ends up making a name for himself as a kind and miraculous healer. Going from town to town healing and aiding those in need wherever he can.
In Alot of cases, he butted heads with the gods in other regions gaining a reputation from the higher ups. They try to get rid of him, but know better that Emrys cannot be killed or rid of. Afterall, even the gods use a divine magic.
And it's in his very names sake, Emrys, Immortal, nothing can kill him, and he's tried before. Not even a blade forged in dragons breath.
So the gods can't get rid of him, but they have attempted to imprisoned, enslave, heck even seduce him.
None worked, but it always kept Merlin engaged and less bored. He forgot how much fun it was to be a nuisance to others. It's especially the topping on the cake with obnoxious gods and occasional magic users who've fucked with his life the first time around.
I had an idea I thought up where Arthur attends a magic school but sucks at magic.
In this universe it's basically one of those Manwha book settings. No connections to the canon plot, this is a whole different place with a kingdom of Camelot and it's royal family.
And our main protagonist is Arthur, the prince of Camelot. And he is of the age where he is to attend the most prestigious school, Avalon. A place for those of noble blood and the brightest minds.
Only problem, he's got no magic talent. None at all.
In the nobility he is kinda the laughing stock for this reason. Calling him the poor prince not blessed by the goddess unlike his half sister Princess Morgana who was a magic prodigy.
In this universe, it is the nobility and those in the Isles of the Blessed that have "supposedly" access to magic.
This became fact when a hundred years ago a purge came about that wiped out nearly all the magical population, leaving only a quarter of survivors left. This caused a drastic decline in the natural world, where food became harder to grow.
The Mad King who started that purge got beheaded by his own people who suffered due to his unjustified cause.
But his actions could not be undone or fixed so quickly.
Their were fewer magic born, so to save themselves and to keep the rights of power, magic born were made the new nobility.
And to keep magic from being forgotten they build a school. Established after the decades long war against magic and no magic. Avalon, the school for magic and nobility, and the very few who are born outside of the noble lines.
Arthur as Prince, attends this school and strives to make his kingdom and late mother proud. But sadly, he is the worst wizard there.
But this changes one day when Arthurs class is finally going to summon their own familiars for the first time.
Each student is called up to the summoning circle where they give a drop of blood and wait for which creature is deemed to help guide and complete them.
Then Arthur stepped forward, and it was instant, whispers surround him. Students questioning his place here and weather he could even summon anything with how little magic he has. Arthur grit his teeth and bared it all, the humiliation and ridicule.
When he was before the summoning circle and instructed how to do it. He sliced his finger, watching the blood rise before letting it fall. He thinks to himself, 'Please work, I don't care if your a rat or a stoat. Just anything is fine, as long as I'm no longer alone here.'
The blood hits the circle, and a moment passes, and another, before nothing happens. Other begin to laugh and the teachers starts to fuss. Arthur is devastated, tears cloud his eyes, a single drop falls.
That tear drop along with his blood.
The Circle flashes a brilliant Gold.
The room turns from laughter to sudden intrigue and fright.
The magic in the air pulses, physically visible as golden threads all swirling around and at the centre was the circle. Arthur pulls back in shock, almost blinded by the light.
The gold around him felt warm and comforting. The magic was beautiful.
Then one final pulse, stronger then any other, it blinded everyone and the winds burst, shattered the windows, causing screams.
When Arthur reopened his eyes, there before him stood a young man. Older then him, looking to be in his early 20s, wearing strange clothes and holding a cup of sorts, a satchel straped across his chest.
The young man's eyes were golden, and staring back into Arthur's blues.
"Ah," said the man with sharp cheek bones and raven black hair, "well. This is new." he drinks from his coffee cup.
Just the thought of an Immortal Merlin walking across the streets of Florence when he suddenly hears the laughter of a ghost.
He turns around and sees one who could be his King. But it isn't so simple, after hundreds of years Merlin gave up hope and wasn't eager to see ghosts again.
So he pulls his hood lower and walks away, or tried to...
Giuliano: *Walks passed a Hooded Merlin mid laugh*
Merlin: *Shocked but refrains from freezing to continue walking*
Merlin: *Trips over nothing*
Merlin: Dammit-! Of all the times....
Giuliano: You all good there?
Merlin: I'm fine! *Hastily trys to get back up, slips on nothing again*
Giuliano: *Suppressing his laughter while he takes hold of the stranger to help him up*
Merlin's hood falls off his head, revealing his face that turns to Giuliano in suppressed horror. Giuliano eyes widen by the sight of such a beautiful man.
Merlin: A-ah, thanks I'm fine. Just slipped on something.
Giuliano: Twice. 😏
Merlin: 🙄 Ugh, you don't need to be a prat about it. *Removes himself from Giuliano's strong grip, screaming at destiny for being a no good b***h-*
Giuliano: Do I know you?
Merlin: No. *He said too quickly* Anyway, I'll just be on my way-
Giuliano: I'm Giuliano, *He cuts him off* and you are?
Merlin: 🙄 No One you'll remember. *Turns away*
Giuliano: *Laughs, intrigued* You can't talk to me like that?
Merlin: *Looks over his shoulder with a 🤨 look* My mistake. I'm no one you'll remember, My Lord. *Bows before making a run for it*
Giuliano: ✨😍
Sandro: *Watched the entire encounter* ✨🎨🖼️🤩 I have been inspired!
[LATER WITH MERLIN & LEON]
Merlin: *Burst in* Leon! We've got a problem!
Leon: What did you do. 😑
Merlin: I tripped and caught the attention of a ghost! 😟
Leon: *sigh* I'll get the drinks. Just remember we have a meeting with the Medici family tomorrow, so behave, and remember your name is Myrddin de Bois, my half brother.
Merlin: *Makes a face* Fiiiiiineeee.
Leon: Don't forget the broach.
Merlin: Yes Mum. Now where's the wine?
Leon: *Signs long suffering*
And Yes, Leon is a part of this. Cause I don't want Merlin to be alone.
Merlin is a de Bois, thanks to Ygraine's sigil, after Leon tells him it's significance. They're in Florence for statesman business and to see the sights and art.
I can see Merlin encountering Giuliano constantly and running away. He constantly in denial, while Leon just watches and becomes friends with Lorenzo.
How I think the knights would react if they walked in on Arthur and Merlin kissing for the first time
Leon: Quietly closes the door and stands guard outside so no one else disturbs them. If he has to leave he puts up a sigh saying "Poetry in session - Do not disturb"
Percival: Quickly backs out of the room apologising the entire time
Gwaine: Asks to join, gets something thrown at him, threatens Arthur to treat Merlin right, and finally leaves while talking about all the people who owe him money thanks to this
Elyan: Calls out "THEY'RE KISSING" while running away from the room
Lancelot: Quietly closes the door and slowly backs away down the hall. As soon as he's too far away for them to hear he's running to find Gwen and tell her everything
Uther: To gain your honor back, find the Last Dragonlord! 😤
Uther: You have the week to prepare for your journey.
*Arthur goes to Gaius*
Gaius: *Hands over a map* Here. This is where I last heard Balinor to be. 🗺️
Arthur: Thank you Gaius.
Gaius: Think nothing my boy, just be sure to bring your father-in-law safely back.
Arthur: Of course I wil- Wait, what!? Father-in-law??! 😧
Gaius: 🤨 Yes, Father-in-law. You are afterall courting my nephew, it's only proper to ask both his parents for their permission. Tho Hunith likes you enough, it's Balinor you should worry about.
Arthur: Hold on! Merlin doesn't have a father! He said he's never met the man?!
Gaius: Of course he hasn't Arthur, his father is a Dragonlord in hiding. Left Hunith to protect her. He doesn't even know he has a son.
Arthur: What the hell?! 🤯
Gaius: Don't worry, as soon as you tell him about Merlin being his son, he'll come with you instantly. Dragonlords are very territorial and protective of their children, he'll come bounding back to make sure Merlin is cared for.
Arthur: 😨 And uh, what would he do, to me who is courting his son? *Sweats* 💦
Gaius: *Solemnly pats his shoulder* Don't fear. To win a Dragonlords favour, you must shower their child with treasures meaningful to them, to demonstrate that you are a worthy provider that knows their mate intimately.
Arthur: ... ✨
Arthur: ... Excuse me I have a Manservant to spoil.
[3 DAYS LATER]
Merlin: 🥰💐 *Stares lovingly at the wild flowers* 💕
Gwen: Oh what pretty flowers Merlin.
Merlin: ☺️ ❤️ Thanks, Arthur gave them to me before he left on that quest.
Gwen: Is that also a new shirt? ✨*Squeals in happiness*
Merlin: Yeah, Arthur said I could have it, since I looked good in purple he said. 👉👈 *shy*
Gwen: *Appreciates his look* 'Like a royal Fae prince' 😁✨
Gwen: You do Merlin. I always thought you'd look great in purple.
Merlin: 🥰 *Beams brightly*
Merlin: It's so strange. Arthur just suddenly went about giving me all these things that I like. Or even something really meaningful to him.
Gwen: Well, I think he was trying to shower you with as much love he could before leaving on his quest. What was it anyway?
Merlin: *shrugs* Said it was to find some important Lord, and that his future depends on making a good impression or something.
Gwen: Sounds more like an errand then quest, but who knows which Lord Uther tasked him to find. Must be really important.
[WITH ARTHUR, AFTER FINDING BALINOR]
Arthur: *Explains about him having a son*
Balinor: I see, thank you for telling me. But who are you and what is it you want of me. You can't have come just to tell me of my son.
Arthur: *Swallows nervously* 😅 I- I am Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot and I have come to gain honour...
Balinor: *Straightens with tension, suspicious of a Pendragon trickery*
Arthur: *sweats* ...the honour of your blessing for your sons hand in marriage! 💍
Balinor: ...
Arthur: ... 💦
Balinor: 🔥🔪
Arthur: 😅🏃💨
And so, the chase began. But not as we thought it would. Instead of Prince chasing the Avata- Dragonlord, it was the Lord chasing the Prince. Chasing him across the land, all the way to Ealdor, where dear Hunith reunited with her love, and saved the life of her future son-in-law from an over protective Dragondad.
ygraine gives birth to a quiet child. the babe does not scream, cry, or wail when it is born. one of the midwives take the bloody babe and holds it against her chest and she rubs its back and urges it to breathe. gaius is hidden beneath her dress and he tends to her wounds that sap her strength with every gush of blood. nimueh sits beside her, holding her hand as she takes in gasping breaths, recovering from the painful and exhausting ordeal of birthing a child. nimueh’s hand is running through her hair as she whispers praises in her ear that she cannot hear.
the room begins to darken as she leans against nimueh. her vision tunnels to a golden scene hovering in the air above her. she sees a young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes. he sits atop a throne with a golden crown nestled on his head. beside him is a figure that is obscured, their features hidden from her view but she can tell they are powerful. the image in the air shifts between the two people, flipping like a coin in the air, the golden king on one side and the cloaked figure on the other. the coin slowly picks up speed until the two figures blur together.
from the distorted image, three women appear and whisper a prophecy to her, a familiar one that has been told for millennia - more a fairy tale now than the words of a seer. as the women speak each line of the prophecy, one after the other, their voices combine into one as they whisper to her “behold the once and future king, arthur pendragon”
“do you see that?” she feels herself mumble as the three women disappear and the coin begins to slow once more. the two men come back into view, now side by side, “oh, its beautiful,” she murmurs, “look at him, nimueh. my son, my son…so beautiful.” arthur shifts his gaze to meet her own and suddenly the golden visage begins to rot. his regal robes fall apart, his crown rusts, the castle around him begins to decay and collapse into rubble.
arthur begins to cry like a child, unfitting for a man of his age. he shrinks to a young boy, perhaps seven, and stands next to his father, uther, as he addresses a crowd. he stands tall and proud though it is clear something has happened. his expression is cold and unfeeling until his gaze shifts down to someone in the square and pure hatred fills his eyes. the vision moves back and allows ygraine to watch as a young woman is tied to a pyre, screaming and crying and begging and pleading for her life.
“this woman has been found guilty for the crime of sorcery,” uther’s voice commands attention though his words make no sense to her. sorcery a crime? what nonsense. uther continues, “for such a crime, the punishment is and will always be death.” he nods down at the executioner who ushers forward and lights the wood of the pyre. knights follow suit and soon the woman is screaming in agony as flames engulf her.
arthur lowers his head and averts his gaze but uther grabs his chin and pulls his face up, “watch,” he orders him, “they killed your mother. they deserve this.” young arthur has tears in his eyes but he does not let them fall. he squares his shoulders and stares down at the woman as she is burnt to a crisp. when the screaming finally stops, young arthur shifts his gaze up to hers.
“i’m sorry,” he whispers, “please, save me.”
ygraine can hear her cries as the vision dissipates, her wails and denials. nimueh holds her close and whispers how she needs patience, her child will breathe yet. ygraine feels even more of her strength sap away and she understands. the deal uther made with nimueh, it called for a death to create a life. she knows now that it is her life that will be reaped in exchange. she does not have time to weep.
she turns to nimueh, “protect him,” she squeezes her hand, “you have to protect him.” she pleads. nimueh does not understand. how could she? ygraine squeezes her hand harder than she had in childbirth, “promise me, nimueh. you won’t let uther corrupt him. you won’t let him harm my son.” nimueh looks down at gaius who peeks over her dress, sorrow in his gaze and shakes his head. ygraine sobs once more, “promise me, nimueh!”
the high priestess turns back to her, “i promise, my lady, but rest assured king uther will not harm a hair on your child’s head.”
ygraine shakes her head, her body has gone numb, “you don’t understand. he will never be the same. you have to protect him. you have to protect arthur.”
nimueh nods, her expression trouble, “i promise, ygraine. i will protect arthur.”
ygraine smiles through her tears, the pain and sorrow fading as she grew weaker. nimueh’s expression grows panicked but the last thing she hears is her beautiful son’s cries.
nimueh didn’t understand ygraine’s wish until uther learned of his wife’s fate. she had expected sobbing, falling to his knees, or begging the gods. she didn’t expect the rage, though it was understandable, and she definitely didn’t expect the vitriol he spat at her, blaming her for ygraine’s passing. despite the protests that fell from her lips, she knew he was right. it was her magic from a deal she offered him that took her life.
her magic claimed ygraine’s life in her chambers. she held her in her arms as she died and could do nothing to save her. the last thing she saw when she died was nimueh, helpless to do anything to stop what she had put in motion.
uther called for his guards to round up all magic users and have them punished. gaius, a man who was always a bit selfish, surrendered to uther, denounced sorcery and magic and was forgiven for his past “treachery”. when he turned to nimueh, she knew even if she had denounced magic, he would never forgive her for what happened. he ordered his guards to have her taken to the dungeons in cold iron and spat that she would burn in the morning.
it didn’t take much magic to disappear from the throne room and reappear out in the halls. she strode through the castle up to the nursery where little arthur was to reside. something in uther shattered in that room, he cursed magic users and called them monsters, beasts meant to be hunted and killed. she wouldn’t know if he truly meant to go through with it until the first execution but she was not waiting that long.
ygraine’s last wish had been for her to protect arthur, to protect him from his father. when she had said that, she had assumed the queen was delirious from pain and blood loss. now she understood. the triple goddess had blessed her with knowledge before her passing. and with that knowledge, she begged nimueh to protect arthur from uther. nimueh would not wait until it was too late, she would not sit back and let fate have it’s way, she would not let ygraine down again.
nimueh greeted the wetnurse with a smile. the woman smiled kindly up at her and she politely requested arthur and asked her to leave. the woman was hesitant but a subtle spell over her mind guided her out and away from the room. nimueh stared down at little arthur’s face. he had thin strands of white hair that was sure to thicken and darken as he grew. he had ygraine’s nose and lips. when he blinked his eyes open it was like she was staring down at the late queen.
the sound of guards pounding down the hall alerted her of her precarious situation once more and she did not waste another second before fleeing. she held arthur tight to her chest as she fled the castle and wormed her way through the citadel. no one looked twice at her, the average citizen unaware that their queen had had a child and died just that morning.
nimueh traveled as fast as she could back to her island. she warned her sisters that resided on the island of what uther meant to do. they did not take his threats seriously until they scried and saw uther slaughtering hundreds of magic users in the coming weeks. nimueh and her sisters helped raise arthur until an attack was launched on the isle itself. she and arthur remained under the castle while the other high priestesses fought back against the armies storming their home. one of her sisters stumbled down into the room, beaten and bloodied.
“they’ve won,” she slurred, “the isle of the blessed has fallen. you must go, protect the child. do not let him fall into uther’s hands.” she cast her magic to form a gateway for nimueh and arthur, “i do not have much strength to hold this, sister. go now.” nimueh left her home behind. she heard two weeks later that the castle had been burnt and crumbled to rubble.
nimueh and arthur traveled the land, hopping from place to place and never settling for long as camelot knights were soon to follow. arthur grew quicker than she thought possible and she knew she had to settle down somewhere, yet she knew that if she were to settle in a village or town, it would only be a matter of time before camelot found them.
it took time and energy and lots of magic, but she created a cottage in the woods, hidden by wards to divert any visitors. she and arthur both learned to live off the land, to grow what they needed and survive on their own. he always found her magic fascinating and loved to watch her cast spells. since he was born from a deal she made, his very being was fused together with her own magic, marking him as hers.
he called her mama and she called him son. she told him of his other mother, ygraine, of how she gave birth to him but perished before she could meet him. she told him that she knew ygraine was proud of him because she was proud of him. arthur always wished to explore the world outside of their haven but nimueh’s paranoia kept him close.
it wasn’t until one day when arthur was ten that something changed. nimueh had been on her way out to tend to their crops when she heard arthur laughing and playing. she smiled to herself as she continued on her way. until she heard another voice, a higher voice belonging to what sounded like a child.
nimueh dropped her tools and rushed around the lawn to find arthur on the edge of their haven playing with a boy a couple of years younger than him with a mop of black hair and wide blue eyes. the boy was also inside their haven. he had gotten past her wards. he was dangerous. nimueh dashed forward and grabbed arthur, tugging him behind her as she assessed the boy. arthur complained behind her and begged her to let him stay. the boy stood up on shaky legs and didn’t bother dusting off his trousers.
“hi!” he waved a hand, a goofy smile on his face, “my mom’s busy at the market so i came to play in the woods. arthur and i were just about to play will and i’s favorite game, knight and princess. will always makes me be the princess but arthur wanted to be the princess this time so i really, really, really wanna play with him. do you wanna join? you can be…the dragon guarding the princess!! oh, you already are. are we playing now? hold on, let me get a stick so i can-“
“who are you?” nimueh finally cut off his rambling. she wasn’t sure how a child, or anyone for that matter, could talk so fast and endlessly without taking a breath. her fear eased as she recognized that he truly was just a child, but she still remained wary as he had somehow found his way past her wardings.
“oh, sorry! my mom always says i have to be more polite but i always am so i never understand what she means.” he blinked and shook his head before grinning up at her, showing off his missing tooth in the top corner of his mouth, “i’m merlin!”
I don’t know if i hallucinated this but i swear earlier seasons Bradley said something about hoping Arthur realises Merlin has magic on his own.
And i wish, i wish, that had been the case.
That Arthur, knocked out, bleeding, injured, awakes too early and sees Merlin, eyes golden and angry, bending the power of the earth in raw wrath and fury towards their enemy.
And Arthur is bloody fucking terrified. But Merlin screams ‘not him, never him, never Arthur’ and the earth shakes and… Arthur can’t even remember what poor soul or creature had thrown him from his horse, certainly not now their body is torn apart by Merlin’s words and his flaming gaze.
Of course Arthur is terrified. Is he hallucinating? Is this some malevolent vision? His head throbs and he can taste blood in his mouth and he can see Merlin, Merlin his incompetent and clumsy and funny and innocent and soft and gentle manservant who wakes Arthur with a brilliant smile and some drivel about lazy daisies, stood like a deep and dark and threatening shadow over what was left of a once-body.
Arthur’s breath comes in short gasps and tears prick his eyes. Panic. And Merlin turns to him as he clamps his eyes shut against the image of Merlin dripping with death and anger. But deep within his shattering mind a small voice whispers to him. The voice is soft and gentle, blonde curls and kind eyes and patient hands cupping his cheek. She reminds him of each time Merlin has looked at him with pure, unadulterated devotion - his eyes deep and blue, a tiny ring of gold-green swirling around his pupils. How each time Arthur’s lain on the brink of death, and Merlin has never left his side, tending to his wounds with such tenderness that Arthur has never felt before. How it was in Arthur’s name that Merlin’s magic, Merlin’s magic, raged.
Another voice, thick and real and worried, breaks through the soft whisper of Ygraine.
Arthur felt shaking hands - how could they be so gentle when moments before it was from them that such unbridled power was released - stroke his matted and sweat-soaked hair, wiping the blood Arthur felt trickle down his cheek away. Arthur forces open his eyes, meeting Merlin’s as the gold fades to the deep familiar ocean-blue.
Did Merlin know Arthur had seen? How much blood had soaked Merlin’s hands when Arthur had lain unconscious, how many victories has Merlin won in Arthur’s name?
And deep within Arthur’s heart he knows he is safe in this sorcerer’s hands. Knows in fact he’d choose these hands over anyone else’s.
But Arthur can’t say the words just yet. He can’t admit to himself that the man he loves is made from that which he hates. Hated. Has been taught to hate. A new wound has been torn in him, one not made of blood and flesh. Because if Merlin is magic, how can magic be evil.
So Arthur lets Merlin’s hands and Merlin’s words and Merlin’s soft smiles wash over him. He feigns ignorance of what he saw.
But he watches. His wounds sit quietly: clean and placid from Merlin’s assiduous care. His face is washed from blood and grime by Merlin, who had fussed and worried as he went. Now he watches. He notices the damp wood Merlin had collected whilst the rain has fallen burst into eager flames within seconds of Merlin’s attentive hands and wonders how he never noticed before.
When they return to Camelot, limping but alive, Arthur notices the stone-deep warmth that graces his chambers. Where his room should be chilled and still from his absence instead there’s a soft and humble feeling of life suffused throughout, and Arthur realises with a small, private smile it is the same feeling that radiates from Merlin.
The lessening part of him argues he should recoil. For why is he rejoicing at feeling the touch of a sorcerer all around him. But Arthur argues back. He’s felt the saccharin, sticky grip of dark, evil magic masquerading as sweet ladies or sycophantic servants. He remembered the groggy, aching return to his own mind after Sofia had dragged him under her spell. Merlin’s gentle, joyous presence is worlds away. His magic may be hidden from Arthur, but Merlin’s grinning insults and blatant disregard for any sort of protocol meant any fears for further hidden motive besides self preservation withered immediately.
Arthur keeps watching. He notices now the shine his armour has, beyond what weary hands and cloth could ever achieve. He notices, or rather feels, when Percival’s muscled arm brings down the practice sword and Arthur - his mind worlds away - notices too late, yet the ensuing bruise is not angry and mottled but timid and quickly fades, even though ordinary chainmail would never have warded off such a blow. He notices Merlin’s unbridled joy when the two of them leave Camelot for the forest. He notices the bird that lands on Merlin’s shoulder, the whispered smiles Merlin exchanges with the creature. He notices the grass grow a little taller beneath Merlin’s feet, the way the trees bend to him as if they’re greeting a long lost friend.
Slowly, magic - or at least Merlin’s magic - loses the rotten, sharp edge Uther had imposed. Arthur begins to yearn to see the flames of the fire burning in his room reflected once more in Merlin’s eye. Still he can’t quite bring the words lingering in his throat up to his lips. Guilt begins to fester. Arthur remembers the years of Uther’s reign, how the screams of burning sorcerers - some of them so young, so young - had echoed through the cold stones of Camelot. He remembers now Merlin’s pale face and wide eyes, ghosted with tears Arthur knew not what for. He knows now.
And so when his knights bring him talk of a druid camp away to the south, Arthur stands tall, facing the court, and tells them to leave it be. That there will be no more raids (not that he had issued any since his ascension to the throne, but no formal proclamation had thus far been made). He tells himself privately he will end the ban on magic. He will forge a Camelot where Merlin will not live in fear, in a half life. The faces staring back are curious, some wary. But the one meeting Arthur’s steady gaze, wide-eyed with a shocked, gentle, proud, smile and slightly trembling hands gripping the wind jug, is that which Arthur cares about. He gives a slight nod. Too subtle for anyone else to notice, but as obvious and clear to Merlin as it ever could be, the two of them long since having needed words to communicate.
Merlin has a lot of questions. Naturally. They tumble from him as Arthur undresses behind the screen. And Arthur knows now that he’s ready. Merlin has magic. Merlin is magic. And Merlin is good. Deeply good. The words don’t quiver and cower in his throat.
And I wish Arthur had then told him. Had taken a deep breath and met Merlin’s gaze and told him he knew. That he had been scared. But he had trusted. Trusts. Loves.
We deserved Merlin fighting beside Arthur, raw devotion and power and fierce, fierce love.
Merlin goes home for a little while, determined to enjoy a well-earned vacation;
Camelot immediately falls apart, with the sole exceptions of Guinevere and Gaius.
Merlin knows Arthur really well.
Which just means he knows exactly how to get him to let his servant go home for two weeks to visit his mother and relax a little:
“You just don’t want me to go because you know you can’t cope without me! Look, if you want to come with me, that’s fine, but you’ll struggle just as much there as you would here because I refuse to act as your servant in my own home.”
Arthur turns red, looking outraged as he loses the ability to speak. Merlin turns around before The King can see his satisfied smirk, tidying around the prat’s chambers with exaggerated annoyance as he just waits for the inevitable-
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