Merlin is Just Tired

Just a Wee Merlin Blog

[merlinistired]

** DO NOT USE AI ON MY WORKS **

(Mergana Pic series below)

Camelot’s Shattering, AO3

Merlin and Morgana have fled a Camelot ravaged by Kilgharrah

Rated T on AO3

Magic’s Dream, AO3

Merlin and Morgana were once linked in childhood dreams, and they rediscover each other years later in Uther’s court

Rated T on AO3

Almost Enemies, AO3

Merlin remains Gaius’ apprentice solely, and maintains Morgana’s secret as her allegiances changes

Rated T on AO3

Killers and Traitors, AO3

Merlin and Morgana are allied together outside of Camelot’s grip

Rated T on AO3

Magic Lessons, AO3

Tender moments between Merlin and Morgana - only half of the fic is mine

Rated T on AO3

Revelations, AO3

Guilt drives Merlin’s tongue when Morgana turns to Morgause

Rated T on AO3

Passionate Night, AO3

Fallout from a scandalous affair

Rated M on AO3

Courting, AO3

Merlin teases Morgana

Rated T on AO3

Apprentices, AO3

Merlin and Morgana, and Gwen, make plans to find Morgause.

Rated T on AO3

A longer fic for this story is pending

Unraveling Love, AO3

Merlin flees Camelot when he is pinned as a magical traitor, but Morgana has a secret...

Has multiple parts

Rated T on AO3

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[I am missing a post I think but I don’t know where to find it aha, I know it had something to do with Merlin being more visibly Emrys and a Dragonlord tho]

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Above series was combined into one fic on SquidgeWorld found here

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(pride story below)

What’s in a Heart, SqW

Arthur has some stuff to work out

Rating: Teen and Up

Archive Warnings: None, but it does feature some amanormativity

The Crossing, AO3, SqW

First chapter of a discontinued fic where Merlin sacrifices himself to the Cailleach and is thrown back in time where he might be able to stop the Purge...

“It is my destiny,” Merlin stated as he locked eyes with the Cailleach. He would not let Arthur die - he would not let Albion die. The altar seemed to speak to Merlin - this was the right thing, it had to be. The Cailleach watched him with her sunken eyes in her pale gray face. Merlin focused on those eyes, as the woman - god - began to speak. “Perhaps,” the Cailleach replied.

or, Merlin dies to save Camelot, but finds himself whisked to the past. Destiny has stopped being solid under Merlin's feet and he has the chance to change it all. But why is his heart so confused?

Rating: Teen and Up

Archive Warnings: Major Character Death

** DO NOT USE AI ON MY WORKS **

[oldowlshollow]

a little tribute piece to anthony head. rip to a legend and the only uther in my heart

[oliveenjoyerdoesfanart]

their friendship>>>>

[1st-knight-of-camelot]

Anthony Head as King Uther Pendragon (BBC Merlin)

[princessnamora]

KATIE MCGRATH as MORGANA PENDRAGON Merlin (2008-2012) ☆ Episode 1.08

[knighteirian]

Guinevere & Morgana le Fay BBC MERLIN (2008–2012) 1.02 "Valiant"

[myrddinmerlin]

Something else I would have liked to see more of throughout the series is Merlin just using his powers on instinct before he can stop it like when he saved Gaius from that fall.

It would’ve been cool to see Merlin struggling to contain all this power especially at the start of the series while he’s still learning to harness his magic:

Like maybe Arthur throws something at Merlin while half paying attention but Merlin’s magic stops it midflight and he has to quickly unfreeze and take the hit to avoid suspicion

Gwen asks Merlin to pass her the washing but it’s moving before he can even get his hands on it and Merlin has to scramble after it to grab the basket midair

Merlin’s carrying a meal up to the princes chambers and trips, his magic catching him and the tray of food and quickly righting them both, and Merlin glances around to see if anyone noticed

Gaius asks him to light a candle and suddenly every wick in the room is lit before he can even finish his sentence

It’s only after Gaius gives Merlin the spell book that he learns any kind of control, but even then, there would still be moments of panic or excitement that cause his magic to flare on instinct

[koffeinkaos]

I know there are a lot of different opinions on how Arthur would have reacted if he found out about Merlin's magic earlier and I know many people say that in most fics he's to understanding and soft and I agree to a certain degree if we think about it realistically.

However: While I do think that Arthur would get angry and fall into his old coping patterns I honestly believe if he would have approached Merlin and Merlin would have flinched because he is scared Arthur's anger would have transformed into shame so quick. Arthur would not be able to stand Merlin being afraid of him.

[mistydaysofavalon]

we talk a lot about merlin losing himself in his devotion for arthur and how he's blinded by his desperation to fulfill his purpose in the later seasons.

but it's all set up from the very beginning! he feels like he's nothing without his magic and absolutely desperate to find sense in having all that power. he just had to leave his home because of his magic and here he is feeling even more ostracised for it than before and actively having to fear his life for the one thing he feels makes him exceptional.

he needed that purpose and answers so desperately so it's no wonder that once he found it there was no turning back for him.

[barbsart]

I GOT CSP WORKING ON LINUX have a Merlin doodle to celebrate <3

[lualuadraw]

servant of two masters evil duo possibilities

[maybemacdc]

the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy

[irishyuri]

dont try and save merlin hes exactly where he wants to be

[16th-of-a-twigg]

*violently shakes like a rattle toy* 😇✨ ☕ Ko-Fi tips

[poisonedfate]

bbc merlin - 04x11 The Hunter's Heart

merlin having a soft spot for people who can actually see through arthur and the performance he puts on? someone who, at least somewhat, sees arthur the way he himself does? well, colour me shocked

[vanyamire]

some quick morgana x gwen studies i did while experimenting with new brushes :]

[bookishwriter7]

Morgana deserved better

Hear me out on this—Morgana’s fall wasn’t inevitable. It was orchestrated, not by destiny, but by silence, neglect, and fear masquerading as protection. When she first discovers she has magic, what’s the immediate response? Gaius drags her away, insists she’s imagining things, and gaslights her into questioning her sanity. The very people who should have guided her instead isolate her. She’s not seen as someone in need of support—but as a threat in the making.

And then there’s Merlin. After swearing he “won’t abandon her” to the dragon’s face—a moment loaded with promise and emotional weight—he does exactly that. Yes, he helps her find the Druids, but when she finally feels safe, finally feels like she’s among people who understand her, he takes it all away. Why? Because Uther’s paranoia is triggered. Because the kingdom is in danger. Because, once again, her safety is sacrificed for the comfort of others.

And the worst part? Merlin gives her a smile as she’s torn from the only place she’s ever felt like she belonged—as if that could substitute for the support and honesty she needed. It’s not betrayal in the classic sense, but it’s abandonment all the same.

What’s baffling is the logic behind it all. Merlin and Gaius seem to believe that Morgana would somehow be safer spiraling alone, uninformed and afraid of herself, than being taught to control her powers. That teaching her magic would be more dangerous than letting it manifest uncontrollably. It’s a deeply flawed, almost negligent choice—especially since Morgana isn’t just any young woman in Camelot. She’s the king’s ward, someone constantly under scrutiny. The pressure to hide her magic is immense, and yet she’s given no tools to handle it. How is that safer for anyone?

Then the show moves on to filler—like the troll storyline, as if the gravity of Morgana’s struggle can be paused. When the Witchfinder arrives, the stakes become real again. Morgana is visibly unravelling, terrified of being discovered. She looks to Merlin, pleads with her eyes, hoping the one person who knows her secret will step in and help her. But he doesn’t. He saves her from the knife, yes—but not from the isolation, not from the psychological torment of feeling entirely alone in her fear.

And then comes Morgause—manipulative, yes, hated, yes, but also the only one who sees Morgana’s pain and does something about it. She offers relief, answers, and a sense of control. She treats Morgana not as a liability, but as someone worthy of power and belonging. Is it really so surprising that Morgana clings to her? Especially after Merlin—who poisoned her and was the last thread to her old self—proves she can’t trust him either?

From Morgana’s perspective, her turn toward Morgause wasn’t a power grab or a descent into evil. It was survival. Everyone else either feared her, ignored her pain, or were too caught up in their own worlds to notice she was drowning. Arthur, caught in his own conflicts. Gwen, unaware. Gaius, complicit in silence. And Merlin—burdened with his own destiny—too afraid to stand with her in the one way that could have changed everything: honesty.

So when Morgana finally turns, it’s not villainy. It’s a response to betrayal. Not a lust for power, but a need to belong. To be seen. To feel safe. She didn’t choose darkness. She was pushed into it by people who claimed to love her but couldn’t love all of her.

And yet, the show frames her as the antagonist in Arthur’s heroic tale. But what if she was the one failed by the legend? What if Morgana’s story isn’t a fall from grace—but a tragic example of what happens when power is feared more than it’s understood, and when women are asked to stay quiet about the very things that make them powerful?

Morgana deserved better—from her friends, from her family, and most of all, from the writers.