#merlinktober2025

[merlinktober]

October is ended and so is our challenge, I can now officially declare Merlinktober2025 closed!

This year we have seen once again how incredible the creations of Merlin artists are.

Keep up the good work, maybe checking out what's up during the rest of the year @merlinsfests and @merlin-fest-tracker

🖤 Thanks to all who created, shared and commented 🖤

[kiwihog]

@merlinktober 2025 day thirty-one: forge

[kiwihog]

@merlinktober 2025 day thirty: picnic

[kiwihog]

@merlinktober 2025 day twenty-eight: bone

[merlinmellark]

Forge

A continuation of my day 8 prompt: brave

Arthur stood in front of his council, making sure to keep his shoulders square and his back straight. Merlin was beside him, hands clasped behind his back, head bowed slightly. He looked a little awkward in his fine clothing, and every now and then he would tug at the neckline of his tunic. The nervous buzz radiating off him was hard to miss. 

Arthur sucked in a deep breath and started, his voice booming strongly throughout the Great Hall. “For far too long, this kingdom has festered in hate and fear.” Eyes watched him expectantly, and Arthur made an extra effort to meet all of them individually. He needed more than ever to make an impression on the council – to ensure that they trusted him. He needed them to know that he only ever did what he thought was best for his kingdom and his people, so that they would trust and accept the decision he was going to make. “Today that changes. Today a new law is to be passed. A law which states that magic is no longer illegal within Camelot’s boundaries. Magical people are not to be discriminated against.”

A few mutters bounced between the council members, an uncertain air crackling throughout the room, and Arthur knew he needed to shut down any objections or doubts as swiftly as possible. 

“I know my change in attitude towards magic has been a bit of a shock to everyone, but we cannot make history without making changes. Magical people once lived peacefully in this kingdom just as you and I did, but after the death of my mother, my father was blind to the goodness that can come with magic, and chose to only see the bad. I want to stress to you all now that it is not magic itself that is evil. It is instead a select few who use magic negatively. Just as a weapon—” Arthur lifted the sword at his side, the runes engraved on its blade glinting in the early evening light. “—can be used for good, for protection, in the wrong hands it can also be used for evil. Magic is no different. It should be the individual itself that is punished, not magic as a whole.” 

It was hard to decipher what the overall reaction from the council was: some looked uncertain, whereas others were starting to gently nod their heads, seemingly in agreement. Arthur focussed on those nodding heads, using them as motivation to continue. 

He turned to meet Merlin’s gaze, giving him a small, encouraging smile and holding out an arm to entice him to step forward. “Today I appoint Merlin as Camelot’s court sorcerer. He will work beside the rest of the council to guide us in making fair and just decisions when it comes to situations involving magic.” As the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, looking out across the council together, Arthur placed a hand on the small of Merlin’s back and felt the other man lean into him slightly. “Together, we will forge Camelot into a kingdom of equality and acceptance. Together we will forge this world into a better place.”

Arthur caught movement in the corner of his eye and he turned to find Merlin looking at him, brightness and hope flaring in his eyes, a soft smile curling the corners of his lips. 

“Peace at last.” Merlin whispered, and Arthur nodded his head. 

“Peace at last,” he repeated. 

day 31 prompt: forge for @merlinktober

oh my goodness!! I cannot believe that Merlinktober is over!! this month went by so quickly!! even though I wasn't able to write for every single prompt, I'm honestly so proud of the ones I was able to create! Merlinktober kept me motivated to write and kept my creativity flowing, and I'm so grateful for that.

I'm also so extremely grateful to everyone who read these microfics and supported me! you guys have honestly given me so much encouragement to keep being creative and to just have fun with my writing.

I've also started working on a long-form fic which I'm really excited to develop more, so watch this space ^_^

[merlinmellark]

Picnic

Arthur made sure to stand with his back straight and his chin held high as he apologised to the princess. He told her that whilst he was enamoured by her beauty, he was not going to be able to accompany her on that day’s picnic which had been planned for them by Uther. He was sure she would have looked confused, but he wasted no more time looking at her face, and instead turned to Merlin, telling him to saddle up his own horse and to follow him. The servant had looked a little hesitant – perhaps even cautious – but he obediently followed along anyway. 

Once they had reached the meadow, Arthur dismounted from his horse and gestured to the area. Merlin, who was still sitting upon his own horse, looked down at him in bewilderment. “What’s happening?” He asked, and Arthur barked a laugh, his grin feeling too wide for his face. 

“We’re having a picnic.” He declared.

Merlin’s frown grew more severe. “The one you were supposed to have with the princess?” He queried, and Arthur hummed in confirmation. Merlin slid down from his horse and took a tentative step towards the prince. “Are you feeling okay?” 

Another burst of laughter surged from Arthur as he headed towards the saddle bags on Merlin’s horse. “Is it really so suspicious that I invite you to a picnic, Merlin?” 

Merlin gave him a strong incredulous look. “Yes, it is, actually.” 

Arthur had to admit that he was rather enjoying seeing this side of Merlin; so flustered and baffled at what was going on. But still, after a few moments, his servant duties seemed to kick back in, as he moved to the side of his horse to help Arthur haul the equipment out from the saddle bags. 

They removed their horses’ reins and let them wander around the meadow as they set the basket of food in the middle of the blanket they were perching themselves on. As Arthur pulled fruits and cheeses from the basket, he tried to ignore Merlin’s straight back and vigilant gaze. 

Ten minutes swiftly passed and Merlin still hadn’t touched a single thing. He’d just sat there, carefully watching Arthur popping grapes into his mouth and taking huge bites of crisp red apples. 

“Are you not going to eat anything?” Arthur asked around a mouthful of fruit. “It’s probably not that often you get to eat food as good as this. You should take advantage of the opportunity.” 

“Arthur,” Merlin said, and the abruptness in his tone told Arthur that the conversation was heading towards sobriety. He swallowed and lowered his apple, raising his eyebrows at Merlin as a way of permission for him to carry on. “Why did you cancel the picnic with the princess?” 

Arthur sniffed, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked out across the meadow, at the horses grazing not too far away. 

“I’m tired of my father trying to find me a wife.” He said, and felt his chest start to constrict. These were thoughts that he had kept secret, close to his heart. He had never imagined speaking of them to anyone. But as they started to flow, he found that all he wanted to do was let go of them, to get them out in the open so he wouldn’t have to be trapped with them anymore. 

“Then why don’t you just tell him that?” Merlin’s suggestion forced another laugh out of Arthur, though this one wasn’t lighthearted like the others before had been. 

“I don’t expect you to understand, Merlin, you’re not—”

“Not what?” Merlin retorted, and Arthur glanced up to meet the other man’s blue eyes. He scratched his head for a moment, pondering how he could go about this conversation without offending him. He took a short breath and spoke the truth which, at the end of the day, was what he owed Merlin. “You’re not royalty. You could never understand the pressures an unmarried crown prince has to fulfil.” Merlin went to open his mouth – to argue against him, no doubt, but Arthur carried on before he could get a word out. “I’m not saying that my problems are bigger than anyone else’s. I know I’m privileged, I know I have a lot of things easy compared to others in Camelot, but when it comes to happiness, I don’t think it matters what your background is. You still have to fight for what you know is right for yourself. And marrying some princess to appease my father, or simply for the sake of the kingdom… well, that just isn’t me.” Arthur tossed his half-eaten apple towards his horse before reaching into the basket to grab another to throw to Merlin’s horse. “I would rather marry for love.” 

Silence hung in the air between them for a short while, and Arthur rubbed at a sticky patch in the center of his palm, too afraid to see what type of reaction his declaration had elicited from Merlin. 

“You know,” Merlin said eventually, and Arthur looked up at his servant through his lashes, glad to see that his smile was a soft one. “I think that’s the wisest and most honest thing I’ve ever heard you say. Since when did you get so…”

“So what?”

Merlin chuckled. “Emotionally aware?” 

Arthur will admit that there would have once been a time that he would have defensively brushed that away, but now he found that his grin came easily. “You must have rubbed off on me,” he said, and Merlin stilled for a moment before a grin of his own split his face in two. 

“I never knew a picnic could be so therapeutic for you, my lord.” 

“Me neither.” Arthur tilted his head to the side. “Perhaps we should do this more often, then.” 

Merlin’s smile was lopsided and beautiful. “Perhaps we should.” 

day 30 prompt: picnic for @merlinktober

[merlinmellark]

Research

A sequel to my day 21 prompt response, summon

Merlin was woken by the sound of thunder rumbling across the sky. As he cracked his eyes open, he jolted back in surprise. It appeared that, in his slumber, he had turned on his side so that he was now facing the king, their noses not at all that far apart. 

“Oh! Sorry, my lord.” He blurted, and Arthur himself looked a little dumbfounded, turning his face away from Merlin’s and clearing his throat. 

The two of them lay in silence for a few moments, the only sound being that of the storm battering the house. 

“Can’t you sleep?” Merlin asked, desperate to dilute the awkward atmosphere that had suddenly sprung up between them. 

“No. The storm is keeping me awake.” Arthur replied, his tone somewhat blunt. “Doesn’t help that you’ve been snoring your head off.” 

Merlin winced. “Sorry.” 

Arthur shook his head. “There’s no need.” His voice was softer now as he let out a long breath. “Sleeplessness makes me bad tempered, that’s all.” 

“Really? I thought you were like that all the time.” 

Arthur turned his own head back to face Merlin with an amused expression. “Very funny.” 

“Have I been asleep long?” 

“An hour or so. The storm seems to be getting worse.” 

And as if proving his point, another rumble of thunder echoed above them, and the sound of it sent a cold chill up and down Merlin’s body. “The offer still stands for me to go and find somewhere else to sleep.” He said, and he felt the bed shake at the strength at which Arthur shook his head. 

“Don’t be foolish. You’d probably catch your death if you went outside. If you weren’t struck down by lightning first.” 

“Then you’d have to lug my body all the way back to the castle.” 

Arthur looked at him with an eye roll, eyebrows raised, and a small chuckle. “Don’t be ridiculous, Merlin, I’d just leave you on the side of the road.” 

Merlin’s laugh joined Arthur’s. “Of course you would. Wouldn’t want to inconvenience you." 

Arthur grumbled something which Merlin couldn’t quite catch, so he considered turning over to try and get some more sleep, but found that it was suddenly impossible to tear his eyes away from Arthur’s. The king’s light blue eyes looked dark in the low light, though there was a certain sparkle to them. Merlin thought the awkwardness between them would return, but it didn’t. Instead, the air took on a certain frailty, and Merlin remained still, afraid of disrupting it. He blinked once, then twice, and sucked in a sharp breath when another rumble of thunder erupted across the heavens. 

And then Arthur was shifting next to him, nestling the side of his face further into the pillow as he opened his mouth to speak. “Can I try something?” He asked, and Merlin was surprised to hear that his voice sounded different from usual: it was flecked with a softness that reminded him of the finest silk. “Purely for scientific research?” 

Merlin swallowed before nodding his head once in consent. His eyes tracked Arthur’s hand as he removed it from under the scratchy blanket and raised it to Merlin’s face. With the utmost gentleness, he used his fingers to nudge a strand of Merlin’s dark hair away from his face. 

“That’s better,” he whispered into the dark, and his hand lingered on the side of Merlin’s face before he lowered his hand again. 

Merlin just looked back at him, his lips parted slightly, not sure what to say or how to react. Even though the storm was raging outside, Merlin could hear when his breathing increased. He felt something come alive within him; it felt like an agitated swarm of butterflies, desperate to escape. And though it felt strange, Merlin found that he never wanted the feeling to stop. 

[638 words]

day 29 prompt: research for @merlinktober

[merlinmellark]

Bone

During one of Camelot’s coldest autumns, reports came of a dark sorcerer moving throughout the kingdom, wreaking havoc and placing curses on some of the smaller towns. Uther had fiercely ordered Arthur and the knights to patrol the area with strict orders to apprehend the perpetrator when they found them.  

They’d been traipsing through the lands of Camelot for several days, hardly stopping for breaks. One evening, once the sun had slipped behind the horizon, sending the day into a chilly darkness, Arthur had ordered them to stop for a good night’s rest. 

He was shovelling some stew into his mouth when his eye caught on a flicker of movement at the edges of their camp. It was Merlin, sitting alone and slotting sticks into the flames of the fire he’d built, its embers billowing high into the darkening sky. Arthur put his spoon back in his bowl and walked over to the fire. Merlin jerked in surprise as Arthur sat himself down on the log beside him. 

“Just me.” Arthur said, and Merlin nodded his head once in acknowledgement before silently turning back to poke at the fire. Arthur studied his side profile for a moment, watching as Merlin lifted his gaze, eyes squinting suspiciously into the trees surrounding their makeshift camp. “Worried?” He queried.

Merlin glanced back at the fire, then turned his head to look at the prince beside him. “Just have a funny feeling.”

“Hm.” Arthur sniffed, shifting on the log a little and looking out into the trees Merlin had been transfixed on. “You get a lot of those, don’t you? Funny feelings?” 

Merlin said nothing. It wasn’t often that he went quiet like this, but when he did, it was a clear sign that something was wrong. Ever since news that a sorcerer had been moving through the kingdom, Merlin had embodied that strange quietness. He’d been looking rather pale and sickly too. Fraught was the word that came to Arthur’s mind. He nudged his servant with an elbow, startling Merlin again as if he’d already forgotten that Arthur was there. 

“Merlin, there’s no shame in being scared. These sorcerers scare the wits out of most of us,” He let a small smirk slide onto his lips, “Some are just better at hiding it than others.” 

A wispy laugh trickled from Merlin’s lips, and a spark of satisfaction quivered in Arthur’s chest at the sound of it. But the laugh quickly shriveled and Merlin curled into himself even more than before. “It’s not that.” His voice was quiet when he spoke, and Arthur almost missed it over the crackling of the fire.  

Arthur wanted to demand Merlin explain himself; it made him uneasy when he wasn’t completely transparent with him. Moments like these reminded him that even though he spent every day with Merlin, there were still so many parts of him that he didn’t know, and probably never would know. He didn’t like to dwell on it too much. 

Arthur nudged him again, and when Merlin turned to shoot him a glare, Arthur quickly pushed his bowl into his lap. “C’mon, you’re skin and bone. You need to eat something.” 

“I’m fine—” Merlin started to say, turning away from the offering, but Arthur cut him off. 

“Merlin.” He was stern, keeping hard eyes trained on his servant, who looked back at him with a certain apprehensiveness. “Eat.” 

One second, two seconds, three seconds went by before Merlin tossed his stick into the fire and accepted the bowl. “Thank you.” He mumbled and lifted several hearty spoonfuls of stew into his mouth. 

“It’ll be okay.” Arthur found himself saying, and surprise was reflected back at him in the glaze of Merlin’s blue eyes. Arthur wasn’t good with words – he wasn’t ashamed to admit that – but he had had a strong desire to reassure Merlin. Whether it was the sorcerer or… something else, he felt the need to offer him at least some sort of comfort, though he wasn’t quite sure why. 

Arthur was the first to break the eye contact between them, patting Merlin on the arm before standing back to his feet. “Get some rest,” he said, and turned to join the knights. 

[700 words]

day 28 prompt: bone for: @merlinktober