We’ve all heard the same au’s, I get it, OK, but, hear me out: Arthur isn’t as big as a dollophead as he is thought to be. Merlin only thinks he’s a big ass dollophead because he plays it as such.
Like, just imagine him seeing Merlin pass by while he’s on watch and following, thinking ‘who does this kid think he is?’ and discovering that Merlin has magic AND talks to Kilgarrah who, let us be real, is totally shipping Merarthur as Merlin speaks. And imagine Arthur liking Merlin from the offset and hearing him called a prat but knowing that he can’t change his ways.
Imagine him knowing everything to Gaius’ help to saving Merlin’s life because he knows that Uther, even if he is his father, is a bigger Dollophead and only views Merlin as an idiot.
Arthur following Merlin down to the dragon’s layer every time and knowing full well each prophesy.
Every time he falls down in a ‘faint’, he knows what’s going on. Knowing that Mordred is his fate but he can’t bring himself to kill anyone. Wondering if Merlin will bring magic into the kingdom.
And, the saddest, pretending that he didn’t know of Merlin’s magic until it was too late, giving him his credit even though he’s looped out of his mind from the loss of blood. Merlin misunderstanding everything that Arthur says because Arthur knew Merlin wanted to keep his magic a secret.
And if that’s not the chivalrous Arthur we know and love as well as melding quite well with his character, I don’t know what you guys are on.
