The Heart Of Camelot

official discord server for r/merlinbbc & r/merlinfic

[the-heartofcamelot]

February is the month of Love, so for the whole month the Heart of Camelot community will be running the Sweet or Spicy fanworks event!

Create whatever your heart desires, whether that be fic, art, edits, or something completely off the wall. We only ask that fic is a minimum of 300 words long. Whatever you create should fit your chosen flavour (or both at the same time!).

Sweet works should be filled with fluff and happiness. Your chosen characters could get together, there might be a proposal or wedding, a new family member, or your work could simply show a slice of life from someone who is happily single. However you want to create, as long as it’s sweet, we want to see it!

Spicy works are for after dark. They should turn up the heat, and can be a little (or a lot!) more raunchy. Maybe they involve a first time together, trying something new, some solo action, or even just a fantasy. This event is just for fun, however everyone who creates a work will get a themed badge they can post with pride depending on the sweetness or spiciness of their work!

Works can go in our server collection on AO3, or posted to our tumblr with the hashtags #sweetorspicy2026. Simply post your work, and then specify whether the work is more sweet OR spicy to earn a badge!

We’d love to see what you come up with ;)

Technical information below the cut

Running from Wednesday, February 4th to Saturday February 28th!

Please tag your posts as #sweetorspicy2026 or tag @the-heartofcamelot directly so we can reblog them!

Our Ao3 collection: Heart of Camelot & server link

If you have any questions, concerns, or just wanna chat, please reach out to our fest mods this year, @bebravedearheart and @groundbreakingdot872!

[imagine-dragonlords]

Merlin & Arthur | Power Over Me

so... i accidentally made a merthur fanvideo while technically on a hiatus 😅❤️

Submitting this for #sweetorspicy2026 (this is obviously sweet with a hint of angst because IT'S MERTHUR OKAY?!)

[swdraws]

Made for #sweetorspicy2026 event hosted by @the-heartofcamelot

[bebravedearheart]

For @the-heartofcamelot Sweet and Spicy fest, I have a decidedly spicy mer-per-waine fic to share!

Summary:

Gwaine rolled over, looking at Percival in profile in the dim moonlight. "What he needs is a good shag, but I can't give him that," he said with a smirk, prodding Percival in the side, gentle and affectionate.

"Why not?" Percival hummed, smiling.

"What?"

"Why couldn't you give him that?"

Merlin is struggling. Gwaine has ideas. Percival is more than happy to go along with them both.

[the-heartofcamelot]

SPICY BADGE ACHEIVED -> @bebravedearheart

[the-heartofcamelot]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Cherry Wine by troubleshootsback

Ship: Gaius/Uther Pendragon (Merlin)

Main Characters: Gaius (Merlin), Uther Pendragon (Merlin)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Major Tags: Angst, Canonical Character Death, The Great Purge (Merlin), POV Gaius

Summary: Gaius' relationship with Uther, told through the excuses he makes. Inspired by the quote: "I am half agony, half hope..."

[magicalmischel]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

my very first uther/gaius fic! Posted for the Merlin Prequel Fest by @the-heartofcamelot !! 🥳 it also has some ygraine/nimueh including some mild smut ✨

wc: 7.5k

prompt used: "I am half agony, half hope…"

summary:

The whole Camelot is celebrating the engagement between Uther and Ygraine de Bois. There is music, food and entertainment, the great hall filled to the brim. Yet the only ones not celebrating are the king himself, his court physician, his future wife, and the court sorceress caught in the midst of the unfortunate love square. That is until Ygraine notices that just like her eyes are glued to Nimueh across the table, so are her future husband’s eyes glued to Gaius. With that in mind, she makes Uther an offer he cannot refuse.

I hope y'all like! 🥰 And thanks for reading!! 💖

[the-heartofcamelot]

High honors were achieved today in this stunning combination of Ygrainueh and Utherus, written together in the holy matrimony of ficcing. Utherus with a slice of Ygraine/Nimueh, and angsty parallels drawn between all four involved?! YES YES YES

And for that, @magicalmischel we are happy to award you the UTHERUS badge for your contributions to mankind and the field of Utherus. Our love for this fic is anything but unrequited ;))

CONGRATULATIONS UTHERUSSY @magicalmischel ✨

[cheesybug6]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/5 Fandom: Merlin (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Gorlois & Leon (Merlin) Characters: Leon (Merlin), Ewan (Merlin), Balinor (Merlin), Gaius (Merlin), Agravaine (Merlin), Tristan (Merlin), Geoffrey of Monmouth (Merlin), Gorlois (Merlin), Leon’s Mother (Merlin), Vivienne (Merlin), Leon’s Father (Merlin), Nimueh (Merlin), Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Ygraine de Bois (Merlin), Morgana (Merlin), Uther Pendragon (Merlin) Additional Tags: Slice of Life, Suspicions, Young Leon (Merlin), Pregnancy, Injury, Canonical Character Death, mention of miscarriage, Secrets, Young Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), The Great Purge (Merlin), mention of child death, Mention of Animal Death, Suicide Series: Part 1 of A Merlin for a Prince Summary:

Various scenes from before and after Arthur’s birth.

[cheesybug6]

Chapter one of my entry to the @the-heartofcamelot prequel fest is now up! 🙌 Can’t wait to see the other entries 👀

Day one prompt: gen dynamic.

[pigeonshitposts]

for @the-heartofcamelot 's Merlin Prequel Fest, Day 1

Quote: "I am half agony, half hope..." from Jane Austen's Persuasion

Below, please find a 1000 % authentic film poster and, under the cut, Uther's extremely romantic letter to Gaius, which absolutely is a direct quote from the book, I promise (I'm lying).

Dearest G--

I can wait no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. If it were anyone less trustworthy, I'd suspect them of enchanting me. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own than when you almost broke it, more than twenty years ago. (Yes, technically I broke your heart by marrying someone else but I needed a wife and you're a man so...)

Dare not say that a king forgets sooner than a subject, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you (and maybe my late wife but that's beside the point right now). Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been (or so someone might claim if they wanted to be found guilty of treason), but never inconstant.

You alone keep bringing me to the physician's tower. For you alone, I think and plan. (And for Camelot of course, the kingdom must always come first, as you will understand, but you can be second. Morgana is third. And I remember I also have a son, he's on that list too somewhere.)

Have you not seen this? Can you fail to have understood my wishes? I can't believe I have to spell it out for you, I should not have to do the emotional labour in this relationship. I had not waited, could I have read your feelings, as I think you must have penetrated mine. I can hardly write. Usually I have a scribe for writing letters, but this is personal and none of his business.

I am every instant hearing something which overpowers me (hyperbole, I cannot literally be overpowered, I'm the king). You sink your voice, but I can distinguish the tones of that voice when they would be lost on others. Too wise, too excellent creature! You do us justice, indeed. You do believe that there is true attachment and constancy among noblemen. Believe it to be most fervent, most undeviating, in U. P.

I must go, uncertain of my fate (I expect though that you shall, as always, heed my wishes and follow my every whim); but I shall return hither as soon as possible. Please make sure that your idiot boy is somewhere else by then, send him to the tavern if necessary. A word, a look, will be enough to decide whether I enter your chambers this evening or never.”

[the-heartofcamelot]

We have the huge honor of awarding our FIRST UTHERUS badge of the fest to @pigeonshitposts, for this beautiful!! manip of Utherus remixed as Persuasion (2007) and a love note from Captain Pendragon to Gaiusnne, expressing his heartfelt desire for his beloved, body and soul.

CONGRATULATIONS UTHERUSSY @pigeonshitposts ✨

May Gaiusnne raise an inviting eyebrow at Captain Pendragon tonight, so our two lovebirds are persuaded to spend some colicky I mean, time frolicking together in bed ;))

[the-heartofcamelot]

Hi mods! Just wanted to clarify – do the fics for this fest need to occur pre-show? Or can they be based in any time period, as long as they focus on characters from that era? (i.e. Gaius, Uther, Nimueh etc.) For example, would a Gaius POV fic set in canon era count? Or a modern AU about Uther, as another example?

Thanks for the question!

To clarify, so long as your fanwork centers one (or more) of the prequel characters, it qualifies for the fest. So both of your examples, a Gaius POV fic set during the events of the show, Uther in a modern!AU, or even a spicy fic about utherus set in space, would count towards the fest.

This also includes chapters of a fic that may be otherwise unrelated to the prequel characters (all other chapters are dedicated to non-prequel POVs) but so long as the chapter(s) submitted mainly focuses on our prequel people, it counts!

[the-heartofcamelot]

Sorry for being a complete fool 🫠 does this mean we can start writing now and then just post on the specific days?

Absolutely!

If you have ideas already brewing for the prequel fest and want a head start (especially if it’s a longer fic), we’d definitely recommend getting everything ready to publish well before our posting weekend. That’s why we’re getting the word out about the fest early! :))

[the-heartofcamelot]

Running from Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th!

General information, rules, and prompts below the cut:

General information

This is a fest primarily focused on the prequel characters of BBC Merlin! Prequel meaning “pre-season” or set before the events of the show.

All sorts of fanwork are welcome! With examples such as: fics (including single chapters of an unrelated fic), digital/traditional art, gifsets/edits, photomanips, fanvideos, moodboards/photocollages, crafts/textile art, playlists, etc.

Our Ao3 collecton: Merlin Prequel Fest 2025

Characters (including but not limited to):

Agravaine

Balinor

Gaius

Geoffrey of Monmouth

Hunith

Kilgharrah

Nimueh

Tristan de Bois

Uther Pendragon

Ygraine de Bois

Rules

No AI allowed

NSFW welcome, just please be sure to tag appropriately

Please tag your posts as #merlinprequelfest2025 or tag @the-heartofcamelot directly so we can reblog them!

PROMPTS

Day 1: Quotes from Set A OR QPR/platonic/gen dynamic OR Camelot Red (Hex: #A30000)

Day 2: Quotes from Set B OR romantic dynamic OR Camelot Gold (Hex: #FFD700)

Day 3: Free Day!

Quotes (Set A):

“I am half agony, half hope…” - Jane Austen, Persuasion

“I have spread my dreams under your feet…” - W. B. Yeat, He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

Quotes (Set B):

“I have built a you within me, or you have. I wonder what me there is in you.” - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose the Time War

“Then love is sin, and let me be sinful.” - John Donne, The Repentance

“I believe in what is gentle enough, despite what we have done.” - Joanna Klink, Some Feel Rain

UTHERUS BONUS BADGE

If you create content for the Uther/Gaius pairing (colloquially known as “utherus”) you will receive the “utherus shipper foreva” role on our discord server as a prize, and will be awarded the ✨Utherus Badge✨ on Tumblr when we reblog your fanwork.

If you have any questions, concerns, or just wanna chat, please feel free to reach out to our fest mods this year, @samwinjester and @groundbreakingdot872!