ok can we talk about season 2 ep 4 of merlin when they have to save gwen from that guy bc she’s pretending to be morgana?? and merlin and arthur are by the river and arthur goes on a long speech about how he can’t admit his feelings for gwen bc nothing could ever happen between them and it’s too painful.. but the whole time he stares at merlin like That and merlin acts all clueless but stares right back at arthur w the same look
i’m suing you for making me go back and watch that scene but here is the distressing alternative that i saw:
frankly, i don’t think arthur’s talking about merlin in that scene. he doesn’t ever look at merlin for long but he keeps staring off into the distance as he worries about whatever’s happening to gwen. i think he’s genuinely fallen in love with gwen, and merlin, poor boy, is trying to help arthur admit his feelings for her because he just wants arthur to be happy. however, it’s very difficult for him to hear arthur talking about marrying a servant and how it can never be because it would be the exact same situation between him and arthur.
this is also evidenced by the heartbroken smile merlin wears in morgana’s dream in s3 ep 10 as he watches arthur marry gwen because my god,,,even morgana’s conscience knows merlin’s hopelessly in love with arthur,,,,,which means everybody else knows, too,,,,
i’m not saying arthur doesn’t love merlin. clearly, he does because i’ve already sat through 563497 hours of these 2 being dumb asses in love while hoping to be invited to their wedding. but i think there’s a little bit of an angsty love triangle in that particular scene because i’m also seeing the love between gwen and arthur as completely valid and true.
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