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larluce · 12 days

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Arthur thinks Merlin was raped (but he wasn't)

This is kind of a prequel to this post, click here if you want more context -> LINK

Tagging @cinnabon-sweetroll-tiramisu , @odinjm , @hssmaureader , @daniella0 , @stressed-but-chill , @smileytrinity

When Arthur finds Merlin in the woods after being lost for 3 weeks, he feels so much joy. He doesn't remember feeling so much joy in his life. Merlin is dirty, his clothes riped and with dry blood, but alive. And that’s all he cares right now.

Arthur: (more than happy and relieved) Merlin! I thought we lost you (goes to him to give him a hug, thinking) That I lost you.

Merlin: (Backs away quickly before Arthur can hug him, wide eye and terrified)

Arthur: (confused) Merlin?

Gwain: Merls, it's us, relax (extends a hand)

Merlin: (shakes his head, frantic, and goes limping to hide behind a tree)

Lancelot: (worried) Merlin... (aproaches carefully) Merlin, it's okay. You're safe now (extends his hand, gently, with a reassuring smile).

Merlin: (shakes his head again and tries to say something but he can't, so he whimpers quietly)

Lancelot: No touching, alright. (Lifts his hands in surrender) No one is going to touch you.

Arthur: (approaches as carefully as Lancelot did) Do you recognise us? (Thinking, begging) Please, say you do.

Merlin: (Nods and tries to speak again, but closes his mouth, frustrated)

Arthur: (realises, heartbroken) You can't speak.

Arthur and the knights can only imagine the horrors Merlin endured. It's obvious he was tortured but they didn't know how much of his new behaviour is result of physical damage or trauma. For example, is Merlin too traumatized to speak or is he physically unable? Did his tortures cut his tonge? Damaged his vocal chords? And what the hell have they done to Merlin to make him so afraid of human touch?

With a lot of reassuring and patience, they manage to bring Merlin back to Camelot. It was difficult not to touch him when he kept limping and falling. And Merlin refused to use a horse for some reason, no matter how much they insisted, so they had to get a cart to transport him. When they finally arrive, they bring him to Gaius immediately so the physician can check him, but Merlin doesn't let him touch him either and he locks himself in his room. It takes days for Gaius to have a formal diagnosis for the prince.

Gaius: (reports painfully) He was starved, beaten, cut, whiped and burned several times for what I could see.

Arthur: For what you could see?

Gaius: He wouldn't let me see all the wounds (sighs). He was also immobilized with chains by the wrists, ankles and neck. He must have struggled a lot because the marks of the chains are actually worse than the torture itself.

Arthur: (his heart aching for Merlin and burning in fury for the bastards who did this, composes himself just enough to ask again) His voice... did they...did they cut his-

Gaius: No, sire. He's physically able to talk He's just too traumatized to do it. It might take a while for him to talk again.

Arthur: (sighs releaved, but still fill with sorrow) Why? Why would they do this to him? Merlin never hurt anyone, who would want to- (stops when he sees Gaius apprehensive expression) You know something.

Gaius: (hesitantly) Merlin can't speak but he can still write, sire. He... he managed to write me some things.

Arthur: (raises his voice, angry) And you tell me this now?! What did he write?

Gaius: ...

Arthur: (demands) Gaius, I order you to tell me.

Gaius: (sighs) Apparently the bandits that captured him wanted... information sire. To know all the weak spots of the castle... and everything related to you.

Arthur: (open his eyes wide, horrified and devastated, and sinks in a nearby chair) No...

Gaius: He didn't say a thing, sire. You don't have anything to wo-

Arthur: (explodes) I know he didn't! That idiot! He should have told them everything! I wouldn't have blamed him, but of course he didn't. I whish he had (breaks down and cries) This is all my fault.

Gaius: (comforting him, a hand on Arthur's shoulder) This is no one's fault but theirs. You can't prevent every conspiration, attack or attemp murder directed at you. You're the king. It's expected.

Arthur: I should have protected him better, found him sooner. I should-

Gaius: Dwelling on what if scenarios won't help you. And it definitely won't help Merlin. What he needs now is for you to be there for him, be strong for him

So Arthur does just that. When Merlin keeps locking himself in his room and refuses to leave, Arthur visits him at the door and slide pieces of paper through the door crack so Merlin can write the words he can't speak and they can have a small talk at least once a day. Arthur can hear things being thrown and broken constantly and, the first days, Merlin doesn't even pick up the paper. When Merlin finally does, the paper is returned with a short messages along the lines of "Go away", "Leave me alone" to which Arthur reponds firmly he won't, he never will, every single time. Then Merlin's messages turn longer little by little and Arthur's one sided conversations with the door are over.

The day Merlin finally leaves his room and resumes his duties is a blessing as much as it is a curse. Arthur is glad and greatful at Merlin's progress, but seeing him doing his chores silently, just noding or shaking his head when asked something, and without sharing a single smile is painful. Merlin still doesn't let anyone touch him, which everyone respects, but is specially difficult for Arthur since, he realises, he used to manhandle his manservant a lot. They still comunicate through papers when necessary, but is just not the same.

A particular day Merlin almost falls down the stairs and Arthur, forgetting his manservant boundaries for a second, catches him in reflex.

Merlin: (separates from Arthur in full panic mode, screaming) NO!

Arthur: I'm so sorry, Merlin! I didn't mean-wait (open his eyes wide in surprise) You talked?

Merlin: (unsure, repeats) No? (brings a hand to his mouth in surprise and repeats, fearful) No? (his hand goes to his neck, nervous, as if expecting something bad to happen, but then he smiles brightly and shouts, very excited) No!😃 NO!😄

Arthur: (laughs in excitment, so happy he might cry) Your voice is back! You can talk again! (about to go for a hug)

Merlin: (lifts his hands, warnly) No!😠

Arthur: (lifts his hands too, quickly) Right, sorry. (They both lower their hands at the same time) Ahm... Is 'no' the only word you can say?

Merlin: (shrugs)

Arthur: Come one, try something else.

Merlin: (hesitanly) Ar...thur?

Arthur: See? You can talk.

Merlin: (smiles softly, and says fondly) Arthur. (tries to say something more elaborated, but in the end only manages to say again) Arthur. (Purses his lips, frustrated)

Arthur: (smiles at him fondly) One word at a time, don't force yourself. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's good to hear your annoying voice again. (thinking) And hearing you saying my name and smiling. How much I missed that smile.

After that, Merlin is able to give short answers. First from 1 to 3 words and later one sentence or two. He's also more expressive now with his features, not as much as he was before, but he makes small frowns and gives small smiles from time to time. Arthur craves those moments. Even if Merlin's face contorts in fury because Arthur tried to exclude him from going on trips with him to protect him, or because Arthur doesn't do things like throwing things at him anymore because he believes Merlin's made of cristal. Arthur can’t help feeling happy because Merlin's face is finally wearing some emotion.

Then comes the day Arthur sees Merlin having a nightmare.

Arthur finds Merlin fallen asleep in his bed. Before Arthur would have get mad, but he knows through Gaius that Merlin hasn’t been sleeping well so he lets him. He starts checking his informs when suddenly he hears Merlin crying for help. Arthur runs to him inmediatly.

Merlin: (begs in his sleep, moving and crying desperatly) No! Anything but that, please.

Arthur: (tries to wake him up without touching him) Merlin, it's just a nightmare. Wake up.

Merlin: (doesn’t wake up and cries more painfully) Please! Hurts too much! Please! Stop!

Arthur: Merlin-

Merlin: Arthur! Arthur, I'm here! Please! Arthur!

Arthur: (shouts) Merlin!

Merlin: (wakes up abruptly and checks desperatly his wrists and neck)

Arthur: (comforting him) You are safe. You are in Camelot. You are safe.

Merlin: (wipes his tears and looks around) I fell asleep in your bed. I'm sorry.

Arthur: (smiles) It’s okay. (Wants to put a comforting hand on his shoulder but restrains himself) You were having a nightmare.

Merlin: I... I don't want to talk about it.

Arthur: Alright. But if you ever want to. Just know that I'm here to listen.

Merlin: (Nods in understanding and sighs) I'll get back to work. (Stands up)

Arthur: (complains, but not really) As you should. Those chores aren’t going to make theirselfs, you know?

Merlin: (smiles a little, cause he knows what Arthur is doing) Right away, sire. (Leaves)

After that, Arthur asks Gaius if he knows what Merlin's dream are about exactly, because it seemed there was a especific type of torture Merlin dreaded the most, but while Gaius seems to know, he refuses to tell him, even when he commands him. "It's not my place to tell" It's all physician says. It bugs Arthur the rest of the day. It's not until Arthur leads a trial of a rape victim that devasting realisation hits him.

That girl, that poor girl acts just like Merlin. Not letting anyone touch her, barely speaking. There are marks on her wrists of ropes the inmobilized her while she was... Just like Merlin's chains. "He must have struggled a lot because the marks of the chains are actually worse than the torture itself" Gaius had said. Merlin's nightmares. Merlin limping when they found him in the wood. Merlin not wanting to ride on a horse.

Arthur's world crushes all over again. His Merlin, his best friend was raped. Arthur can see his knights came to the same conclusion, because of the devasted expression they have when he meets them in private.

Elyan: (still in denial) It can't be... not Merlin.

Leon: It does make sense though. If none other torture seemed to work...

Percival: And Merlin has always had... very delicate features for a man.

Gwaine: Those sick bastards!

Lancelot: (no quiet believing this theory yet because he knows Merlin has magic to defend himself, but he can't share that so he just stays silent) ...

Arthur: (with deadly and serious expression) As soon as we find them, we'll make them pay. For now I want you to keep taking turns in watching over Merlin.

All knights: Yes, sire!

By month 3, Merlin talks almost as frequently as he did before, maybe with less jokes and smiles, but he's getting there. Arthur is glad some of their usual banter is back.

Merlin: (asks, shyly) Arthur? Could you... it's just I want to try something, but... you don't have to if-

Arthur: (throwing whatever he's doing inmediatly) Of course, anything. Just ask.

Merlin: (blushes a little) Could you... give me your hand?

Arthur: (his heart stops with emotion for a moment, but composes himself) Sure (he extends his hand)

Merlin: (slowly but surely joins their palms and smiles. After a moment, he says relieved to himself) Nothing happened.

Arthur: (joyful at feeling Merlin's touch again, but his heart breaking at Merlin's words) Of course nothing happened. I would never hurt you, Merlin.

Merlin: (smiles a little) I know. (Lets go of Arthur’s hand)

Arthur: (missing his touch already) If you need to... you can ask me to help you again, you know? With the whole touching thing.

Merlin: (surprised) Really?

Arthur: (nods) Whenever you want.

Merlin: (smiles a little) Thank you.

And Arthur finds himself craving those moments too. He always waits for Merlin to initiate the touch. Arthur doesn't risk doing it, fearing he could scare Merlin. So he waits. First Merlin just asks to join their hands from time to time. Then, one blessful day, Merlin tell him is okay to touch his arm or his shoulder like Arthur used to do. Arthur does it gently though, enjoying and appreciating it as he never did before. Arthur feels sense of achievement when Merlin stops tensing at his touch completly, at easy with him again.

Gwaine: (while training, sighs) I miss Merlin's hugs.

Lancelot: (sad) Me too. He's making a great progress with touch though. And he smiles more.

Percival: Remember when he asked me if I could carry him in my back?

Elyan: And you said "I could carry you with a single finger!" And then you picked him up (All the knights except for Arthur, laugh)

Arthur: (suddenly very sternly) stop chatting and get back to training.

Gwaine: Relax, princess. We were just talking about all the times Merlin-

Arthur: (raises his voice, mad) I said get back to training!

Leon: (worried) Are you alright, sire?

Arthur: (harshly) I'm fine.

Gwaine: (realising) Wait... you've never hugged Merlin before?

Arthur: ...

Gwaine: (laughing) Oh, gods! That's what it is. You're jealous!

Lancelot: (warns) Gwaine.

Gwaine: What? Is not my fault mister I'm-too-great-to-show-affection didn't get to hug Merlin before.

Leon: (seeing Arthur's increasinly furious face, warns too) Gwaine, stop.

Gwaine: And he doesn't get to be mad at us just because he'll never get to hug him now.

Arthur: (shouts and launches himself at Gwaine and they start fighting)

The rest of the knights: (try to stop them but is useless).

Arthur: (about to throw the finale punch)

Merlin: (enters the training ground and aproaches, confused) Arthur? Gwaine? What's happening?

Arthur: (gets distracted at Merlin's appearance)

Gwaine: (takes advantage and makes Arthur trip)

Arthur: (Ends with his face in a puddle of mud)

Gwaine:... 😨

Elyan:... 😧

Lancelot:...😓

Percival: ...😰

Leon: ...🤦‍♂️

Merlin: (burst out laughing) OMG! Your face! I can't! 🤣😂

All the knights, specially Arthur: (stunned but mostly mesmerised cause Merlin hasn’t laugh, properly laugh since they found him in the woods and they have missed his beautiful laugh so damn much)

Merlin: (wipes his tears of hapiness) Sorry. I'm done now.

Arthur: (Thinking, almost in panic) No, you aren't! (Turns to Gwaine and orders) Gwaine, give me your face.

Gwaine: What-

Arthur: (smashes mud in his face)

Merlin: (starts laughing again, but not as hard as before)

Lancelot: (understanding what Arthur is doing, thinks) Is not enough. (Makes a ball of mud and throws it at Elyan's face)

Elyan: Hey! 😠

Lancelot: (pointing at Merlin) Look!

Merlin: (is laughing harder)

Percival: (shouts) Mud fight! (And everyone starts throwing mud at each other)

Merlin: (still laughing) What are you doing, you idiots! Now I'll have to wash all your armors!

Arthur: Don't be dull, Merlin! Join us!

Merlin: (giggles) You're worst than children, I swear. (shakes his head but joins the fight)

Arthur's finally got his Merlin back and he'll never lose him again.

#merlin bbc #bbc merlin #merlin #merthur #merlin fanfic #merlin fic #merlin prompt #merthur fic #arthur and merlin #merlin and arthur #merthur prompt #Arthur thinks Merlin was raped

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merrilinie · 4 months

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TW: mentions of torture, talk of scars

Merlin who doesn’t like it when people touch his back. Arthur and Leon notice it first and near instantly when Leon gives him a friendly pat and the boy tenses so hard it’s a surprise his shoulders didn’t pop out of place.

Elyan and Gwen notice it when they invite him over for a late dinner once he and Gwen are finished with their duties and he refuses to press his back to the chair.

Gwaine figures it out on the first day, with it being him who tells Lancelot and Percival about it. Lance tries to ask the other if it has something to do with his magic, but upon Merlin’s face going cold and a shadow of fear crossing his eyes, he promises not to bring it up again.

They all just know not to touch his back or anywhere on his torso or even his upper legs, there’s bo need to question it both because they respect his boy dies and, well… they’re scared of what the answer might be.

It’s when Merlin gets hit in an ambush that the truth of it is revealed.

The gash along his side is not all that deep, but the cowardly bandits who attacked had laced their blades with poison. With no choice, they remove his jacket and shirt to properly clean out the wound as best they can.

There are a few gasps, a lot of purposeful ignored tears, but they all steel their nerves and pretend not to see the vicious scars on his body. None of them could deny the sight, try as they might, not when the scars were big and jagged and so clearly from some kind of whip. They tried not to look at the ladder like lines across his stomach, going up to his lower pecks before turning into vicious swirls that seemed to mock the Druid mark.

It was useless.

Merlin was conscious enough to tell them what to put on his wound, to order them to make him drink as much as he could so wash what they could out of his system. He told them to find a river for him to lay in as the fever broke, which they did.

No one said a thing about the burns littering his legs.

When he awoke with full consciousness, he knew instantly that they had seen even though he had been given clothes. If they weren’t different to what he had been wearing, maybe he wouldn’t have.

Alas, their saddened eyes gave it away.

It’s Arthur who asks, “Merlin… who did this to you?”

Merlin cries openly, always refusing to hide his tears unlike every other man, he spews apologies over and over. Even as Lance and Gwaine hold him close he continues, ignoring their assurances that it’s okay until eventually he answers.

“It was Uther. He found out my father was a dragon lord. He only spared me because he wanted to see a dragon lord become a slave.”

Arthur’s tears join his in the soil.

#bbc merlin #merlin emrys #merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin x arthur #merthur #bbc merlin angst #knights of camelot #merlin angst #dragon lord

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ink-through-her-veins · 1 year

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Arthur isn’t sure what’s going on but something is. On Monday, Gwaine is ill, which isn’t unusual because he’s usually hungover. The oddity is Gwaine isn’t in his room or the tavern nursing his hangover in one way or another.

On Tuesday, Leon can’t train due to a sprained ankle. He’s back to training the next day. The next day, Elyan’s sidelined by stomach trouble. Thursday Percival is absent. Friday it’s Lancelot.

Arthur sneaks away from practice on Friday to figure out what’s going on. He follows the sound of voices to the armory.

“Widen your legs,” Lancelot instructs.

“I am,” Merlin whines.

“It’s about balance.”

“This is torture. Just get it over with.”

There’s some grunts and pained sounds. Arthur isn’t sure what’s happening but he doesn’t like it. He shoves the armory door open.

Merlin, dressed in armor that Arthur’s outgrow, is sparring with Lancelot. They both have maces though Merlin’s hangs limply at his side while he rubs a sore spot on his shoulder where Lancelot just hit him. Both men turn quickly when Arthur enters.

“What are you two doing?”

“Sparring,” Merlin answers as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

Which it is, when looking at the scene.

“Why?”

Merlin huffs. “It was meant to be a surprise.”

And three weeks later when Merlin manages to disarm a bandit and wield his sword, Arthur is quite surprised.

#merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #arthur pendragon #merlin bbc #the knights of the round table #knights train Merlin #merlin emrys #fanfic #merlin fanfic #merlin headcanons #ITHVmerthurficlet

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summertimeroses · 4 months

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just came across a fic where aithusia is still a dragon but is disguised? can shapeshift? into a human form (smol child) with merlin as her father and now i’m obsessed with the idea of this dynamic, so consider:

- dragonlords all have dragon forms. merlin has a dragon form

- dragons all have human forms. kilgharrah as a man, bitter and cryptic and scarred from the purge, angry for being chained. aithusia, a young child, bone-white hair flowing long over her shoulders. her arms bend wrongly at the joints and tiny, paper-thin scars cover her body, from her time with the sarrum of amata

- there’s a distinction between the magic of dragons and the magic of dragonlords. the markings of dragons are different. their eyes in human form are all amber-gold, something in their teeth not-quite human. dragonlords are the natural leaders of the dragons, often more powerful in certain magics, especially in human form.

- in books of magical creatures and sorcery, dragons and dragonlords are put side by side, but categorised separately, for the difference in their appearance and abilities in magic. the sketches all show men with a beastly shadow, enormous and scaled and expressions set equally angry.

- the dragons are all kin, so culturally they all have a responsibility over the young. this counts doubly for dragonlords, protectors of the dragons. this makes merlin the natural guardian of aithusia.

- merlin, after rescuing her from the sarrum, returns to camelot with a tiny, fragile girl in his arms, bundled in rough blankets. the only explanation he gives is my daughter before he’s pushing past arthur to take her to gaius, get her injuries seen

- alternatively, merlin approaches arthur asking for time off to go retrieve his daughter, the same way he asked it for his mother. he’s pale and shaken but there’s a steel in his expression that arthur doesn’t know what to do with

- also, merlin sired a child. his manservant.

- there’s about a million different magic reveals in this. too many to list, but the ideas are exploding in my brain. arthur, clocking on to the fact that aithusia is so obviously a magical child. arthur, heartbroken that merlin didn’t trust him. arthur, initially scared of what he sees as a beast. arthur, in awe of the dragon form, realising the power merlin has.

- the angst of merlin trying to hide her magic in camelot when she’s such a powerful child. the angst of him bringing her to camelot and revealing her existence to arthur only to immediately make plans to send her away to someone trusted, maybe hunith, and arthur doesn’t understand what he means by ‘she’s not safe in camelot’ until he does.

- gwen being so gentle with her. arthur being scared to break her. leon picking her up and letting her curl into the crook of his neck as he carries her back from somewhere she’s wandered off to.

- all the knights being doting uncles (most especially gwaine)

- arthur learning of what the sarrum did to her and why, and rethinking his stance on magic. arthur thinking of all the magical children killed too young, first tortured or persecuted. thinks of all the fear and grief they did not deserve to carry.

- merlin educating arthur on magic after the reveal. taking him to lessons with aithusia to teach her control of her magic, the pair of them watching her fly free in her natural form in the woods for a while. her injuries are healing, slowly, with the help of gaius and merlin’s magic.

- mordred, despite merlin’s suspicions, working hard towards earning trust he isn’t sure how he lost, and starting with proving he can be trusted with aithusia. he is, admittedly, really good with her and she loves him, so merlin can’t completely begrudge it. it leads to conversations that change all their fates.

- aithusia’s first language being the tongue of the old religion. the language of spells. she knows not to speak to avoid getting caught (merrlin tried his best to explain) but once, she slipped up around arthur. all of them freezing, even though arthur knows. the guilt he feels at her terror.

- kilgharrah’s anger at camelot manifesting again somehow. an attack of some kind. arthur being confronted with the question of the magic ban repeal and how to balance keeping his people safe from magic and reparations for decades of the oppression of magic users.

the fic that fuelled this is called The Darkest Dawn by spacegirl7 and quite a lot of the above takes elements directly from the fic, so definitely go read and check it out, it’s so good. i have been thinking about it and its premise for days.

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arthurpendragonssassydaggers · 10 days

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Gwaine died to take revenge on Morgana not to “protect Arthur” and by this he revealed Arthur's destination to her. He is the reason Merlin and Arthur didn't make it to Avalon.

”tell me where the king is.”

“I rather die”-gwaine.

Gwaine is then tortured until he can no longer take it and I’m guessing he tells her.

Now one can assume he was trying to resist it as long as possible which lead to his death, because if you remember elyan was tortured with the same thing in season four but lived afterwards probably giving in faster then gwaine.

which probably means, longer snakes do what every they do=higher chance of you dying.

he was resisting as long as possible until it reached the point where it would kill him trying to keep Arthur’s location secret which was at least to me, protecting Arthur.

yes he went to Morgana for revenge but died trying to keep where Arthur’s location was a secret he also mentions how he fails which I doubt he was talking about the revenge.

And yeah he is the reason they didn’t make it but ,I knew that already he was trying to protect Arthur I didn’t say he succeeded.

It also ties back into the whole no king is worth dying for thing, but that may not have been thought of when the wrote his death.

maybe I’m wrong and he was doing something else idk what but in my eyes he was Trying to protect Arthur 🙏🏽

I need more opinions.

#bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin #gwaine #There are probably mad spelling mistakes in this #I also don’t know if this makes sense #but oh well

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rapha-reads · 2 years

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do you have any merthur fic recommendations that have happy endings?

Do I ever ! Strap on, I've got quite the list.

Tagged Angst With A Happy Ending :

Take A Letter, Merlin by Caledonia/@iamcaledonia (7870 words, Modern Era)

Arthur is an emotionally repressed workaholic who is unhappily married. Merlin is his loyal and competent personal assistant. One Monday, Merlin comes to work to find that, over the weekend, Arthur has dictated a letter for Merlin that is about to change both of their lives. A song fic inspired by the 1969 classic, 'Take A Letter, Maria' by R. B. Greaves.

Kiss Today Goodbye, by Cithara/@citharaposts (5337 words, Canon Era, Divergence from s02e13)

When Arthur regains consciousness in time to hear Merlin confront the dragon, his world is turned on its head by the revelations that follow.

Turning the Page, by @schweetheart and @queerofthedagger (19050 words, Canon Divergence, Epistolary)

Without intending to, Arthur pushes Merlin just one step too far. Now he's left without his manservant but a hundred questions, a world of hurt, and guilt that clings to him like a shadow. Well, and a notebook filled with drawings because apparently, Merlin can draw on top of being a sorcerer. No matter how often Arthur tells himself that he just wants to forget, he can't help but come back to the collection of sketches and notes, a chronicle of all that Merlin has done.

Maybe their story isn't quite over yet.

The Knights of the Table, by DrJackAndMissJo/@drjackandmissjo (9198 words, Modern Era, Food Critic and Chef AU)

'Can you even believe this guy?" Gwaine asked, offended and almost breathless as he popped himself on Percival’s counter. There was no need for any of the other men to ask who he was talking about. Everyone knew about the devilish creature that wrote the restaurant and food reviews on Camelot Weekly. “What makes you even think it’s a guy?” asked Lance as he took the newspaper from the Irish man, “I’m pretty sure that it is a demon sent straight from hell to torture all of us!”

Tagged Happy Ending :

Hope On A Tuesday Afternoon, by arsenicandsunshine (8985 words, Modern Era, Housemates, Idiots in Love, Getting Together)

Arthur likes his life. Why wouldn't he? Nice flat, all to himself, stable job. Friends. Yep, he's set all right. Or, he is until he ends up with an unexpected flatmate. Merlin certainly does have a knack for turning Arthur's life upside down.

a long, long day, by @oncefutureemrys (1237 words, Canon Era, Secret Relationship, baths and massages)

Merlin was beyond tired of it all. He just wanted one moment where… it could be just him. Just him and Arthur, just the two of them, without the rest of the world interfering. But alas, Merlin was no normal person and neither was Arthur, and the chances of them having a regular day were almost as likely as Uther deciding to stop hating magic. So, he walked into Arthur’s room, ready for more late night chores, a slight slump in his posture. To anyone else, it would seem as if he was perfectly fine, usual Merlin just slightly tired from a long day’s work. But Merlin knew it was a bit more than that. And so did Arthur, apparently, because when he stumbled in, he found the idiot sitting casually behind his desk, an air of amusement and playfulness surrounding him, a teasing grin forming on his stupid, stupid (handsome) face. Or: Merlin's had a long day, so Arthur takes care of him.

Suffering in Silence, by TheCourtSorcerer/@tcs-main (3205 words, Canon Divergence, Sir Leon-The-Long-Suffering, POV Leon)

He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to say something. He couldn’t keep silent anymore. Day in, day out… The constant borderline scandalous looks, the barely concealed innuendos, the incredibly unsubtle touches, all of it! He was going to lose his mind. How could two people be so blind?! So, that’s what led him to the tavern that night, across from Gwaine, a hint of regret tugging at his mind that he steadfastly ignored. “Okay… How do we get them together?”

Secrets & Lies, by LiGi/@little-ligi (13333 words, Canon Era, Divergence, Arthur Finds Out, Protective Arthur, Friends to Lovers)

Arthur had finally put his finger on it. The thing that had made Merlin stand out, the thing that had intrigued him about the boy ever since the first time he’d met him. The thing that was going to get him killed… Merlin had magic. Not only had it, but used it freely all the bloody time. It was only a matter of time before someone saw him do it, and then they’d report him to the king and Merlin would be dragged out into the courtyard and executed. Well, not if Arthur had anything to do about it. Mid series one, Arthur, for once not being totally oblivious, discovers that Merlin has magic. The problem is, having magic gets people killed and Arthur very much prefers Merlin alive. It turns out making sure nobody sees Merlin do magic is rather a full-time job however...

A Universe Which Freely Gives, by @psychotic-fangirl369 (26455 words, Post Canon, Reincarnation, Arthur Returns, Getting Together)

Arthur returns… but because of a series of unlikely events (and perhaps a bit of morose dragging of feet because he can't bring himself to believe the signals), Merlin misses the boat. By the time he makes it to the lake, signs of Arthur abound but Arthur is nowhere to be found. Magical tracking being less reliable than one might think, when Merlin finally does manage to find him Arthur is bizarrely well-adjusted, living in a flatshare in London with roommates who think he's batty but mostly harmless, and working an improbable job. Enter: Merlin, who Arthur absolutely is not expecting to still be alive.

So Where Are My Flowers?, by @tehfanglyfish (1365 words, Canon Era, Pining, Flowers, Magic Reveal)

A question asked as a joke leads to years of fresh flowers waiting for Arthur each morning until the one day he almost screws things up.

Balancing the Scale, by sunsetmoonrise (20528 words, 5+1, Canon Era Divergence, Slow Burn, Pining)

Five times Merlin didn't realise Arthur was protecting him, and the one time he did.

Alright, that's quite a lot already! These are the latest in my bookmarks, don't hesitate to ask me again if you want more!

#replies #2012throwback #merlin #merthur #merthur fics #merthur fic #merthur fic rec #fic rec #happy endings #happy fics #angst with a happy ending #rapha talks #rapha reads

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adhd-merlin · 2 months

Text

a moment of reprieve

Written for the @merlinmicrofic prompt "Hunger." Gen, Elyan & Gwaine (& Gaius), words: 544 (I invoke the margin of goodwill 🙏 I've read the FAQs! I know my rights! /jk) Set during ep 4x13, when Morgana was making Gwaine fight for food shirtless after torturing Elyan "to the limit of human endurance" (did you remember that? Because I didn’t.)

There’s a bruise blossoming on Gwaine’s left cheekbone.

“I could take your place,” Elyan says – again.

The truth is, the thought of facing Morgana again fills him with dread, and he’s not sure he could endure it. But having to watch Gwaine be dragged away and be brought back covered in bruises, barely able to stand on his feet, is also unbearable.

Gwaine doesn’t open his eyes. “You wouldn’t make it past the first round.”

“Thanks,” Elyan says, trying not to take it personally, because Gwaine did see him stare dumbly at a wall for two days, even though he’s gracious enough not to mention it.

“‘s not about the fight.” Gwaine's head lolls against the wall. “She enjoys watching men dance to her tune. I can put up a good show.”

“Not for much longer,” Gaius interjects feebly from his cot. It’s a wonder he can still speak. “If you refuse to eat.”

Gwaine cracks an eye open. “I don’t really fancy stale bread.” He scratches his throat. “I’ll take some water though, if there’s any left.”

Elyan passes him a half-empty bowl. When Gwaine's hand trembles too much to hold it steady, he lifts it wordlessly to his mouth to help him sip.

Gwaine leans back after a few gulps. His head hits the wall with a soft thud, and he laughs a little.

“What?” Elyan asks, confused.

“Of all the ways to go…” A thin smile stretches Gwaine’s cracked lips. “I’ve always thought it would be too much drink.”

“Yeah?”

“Or a tankard to the head in a tavern brawl.”

“So, the ale either way,” Elyan jokes weakly, but it still earns him a smile.

“What about you?”

“Me?” Elyan puts the bowl on the floor. “I’ve never really thought about it. Old age, I suppose.”

Gwaine snorts. “Come off it.”

“It's true. I thought I would settle down somewhere. Live a quiet life.”

“That why you left? Peace and quiet?”

“Something like that.”

Gwaine hums. “Can't go around chasing peace though, can you? It’s not how it works.”

Elyan looks at Gwaine, slumped against the wall with his eyes closed. It occurs to him that for all his talks about his travels, Gwaine’s never mentioned what he ran from. That he still doesn’t know whose ring it is that Gwaine keeps on his necklace. It feels like something he should know, if they’re both to die here.

Elyan opens his mouth, and Gwaine’s stomach growls. It’s loud enough to make Elyan wince.

“Gwaine–” Gaius starts, but Gwaine interrupts him: “Gaius, if we let you starve, Merlin will kill us himself.”

The moment passes.

Later, while Gaius sleeps, Elyan says: “Probably weak lungs.”

Gwaine looks at him as if he’s lost his mind. “What?”

“Same as my grandfather. It’s the smoke of the forge, you see. If you had asked me back then, I would’ve said that.”

Gwaine’s frown smooths out. “We’re not going to starve in this cell. You’ll get to die in your bed, or with a sword in your hand. Or in a tavern, if I can get you to join me more often–”

Elyan laughs. “Deal,” he says, even though he does not believe a word.

When he falls into exhausted sleep later, it is mercifully dreamless.

#“what is this?” ¯\_(ツ)_/¯#literally don't even worry about it. idk #*

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thee-bat-boys · 6 months

Note

Always interested in an imagine with Sir Leon ;)

*if the gif is yours please let me know and I'll credit you/take it down*

warnings; eludes to some kind of torture but not explicit

a/n; i hope you like it! Let me know what you think, I love writing for Leon!

sir leon x reader.

❃❃❃❃❃

Imagines flashed in y/n's mind; Morgana with an unkempt appearance and eyes full of hate. Of Merlin, arms attached to chains and strung above him. Gwaine with sweat dripping from his face as he struggled against rope. Leon, eyes focused on her but instead of love they were filled with concern and a look of betrayal plastered on his face. Y/N fought for a moment, eyes shooting open to see the canopy that sat above her bed.

Feeling frantic as she fought to sit up, her eyes scanned the room until they landed on a familiar man. "Gaius, what happened?" She was met with silence, the older man tending to her before attempting to help her get comfortable. "Gaius." Her tone was firm, a sigh coming from the physician.

"What do you remember?"

"Nothing." It wasn't a lie, y/n would never believe that her dream might have once been a reality. Such a thought was quickly shattered as Gaius described the events that had transpired the past few days. There was silence, y/n not daring to look Gaius in the eyes. She hadn't realised he'd left until the door clicked and a flash of red met her.

Y/n took one look at Leon, his face bruised with a cut lip, and burst into tears. She'd caused this, even if she had been enchanted it had still been her. As Leon moved to comfort her, y/n shook her head and held her hands out to stop Leon in his tracks.

"Y/n...please."

Through her tears she looked at Leon. "No, you shouldn't be here." Leon looked confused, just as he had in her dream, wondering why his wife of merely a week didn't want him to comfort her. "I did that," she gestured to his face "I'm not a safe person."

It quickly dawned on Leon what y/n was talking about and he moved forward despite her protests.

Leon took a seat beside her on the bed, taking y/n's outstretched hands in his own. "That wasn't you." His voice was soft as he spoke, as if he was trying not to spook her. He brought her hands up to his mouth and kissed each one gently.

"The woman i love is in this bed. You, my darling wife, are safe in this bed and you are a safe person. I promise."

Y/n seemed to visibly calm down, allowing Leon to move closer to her. As he did so he kept his eyes on her and made sure their hands remained entwined. He was trying as hard as he could to remind y/n that she was safe, that he felt safe around her - it seemed to be working.

"I'm just happy to have you back." Leon tried to stop his voice breaking as he spoke, failing. "The bright light in your eyes that I fell in love with was gone, there was no laughter to be heard down the halls of Camelot and I thought you were lost to me. I thought i had lost the one good thing I have."

Y/n, hearing the pain in his voice, leaned over and kissed Leon as passionately as she haf on the wedding night. Leon winced, cut lip hurting, but he didn't dare pull away from his wife until she was ready.

"I don't know where I went or what happened but I'm back, I promise." She repeated his earlier words, keeping a hold of his hands.

"I'm back."

#bbc merlin #leon #sir leon #knight of camelot #wife #imagine #ask #writing #leon x reader #leon x yn #leon merlin #merlin #leon x you #angst #comfort #romantic #sir leon imagine #bbc merlin imagine #merlin imagine

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merlinrarepairfest · 5 months

Text

Round Up 4

With Week 4 coming to a close, we're now a bit over halfway through the posting period! You can find this week's fills beneath the cut <3

Title: A Lifetime of Promises Writer: eachpeachpearplum | @eachpeachpearplume Rating: M Warnings: No archive warnings apply Medium/Word Count: fic, ~50k | Chapter 1/14 Pairing/main characters: Gwaine/Merlin/Percival, established Gwaine/Percival, past Gwaine/Merlin Up to 10 tags: Modern AU, polyamory negotiations, fluff, slow burn (for the poly ship), falling back in love, hurt/comfort

Summary:

When Gwaine bumps into his ex, Merlin, in the pub one night, he doesn't realise quite how much it's going to change his and Percival's lives.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/52010989

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Title: fade away never Writer: SlantedKnitting | @slantedknitting Rating: General Audiences Warnings: none Medium/Word Count: 1,186 words Pairing/main characters: Leon/Merlin Up to 10 tags: Regency Era, Queerplatonic Relationship, Immortal Leon, Immortal Merlin, Ballroom Dancing

Summary:

Leon and Merlin attend a ball.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51031786

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Title: [ART] Still Yours Artist: Mischel | @magicalmischel Rating: G Warnings: none Medium/Word Count: 0 Pairing/main characters: Gwen/Morgana Up to 10 tags: Digital Art, Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angel Gwen (Merlin), Hugs, Wings, Fallen Angel Morgana (Merlin), Demon Morgana (Merlin)

Summary:

Morgana/Gwen fanart for Rare Pair Fest 2023. Prompt: Angels and Demons au. They were together when they were angels. Then Morgana fell.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51384040

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Title: The Shop at the Corner's End Writer: Cassius_theCorrupterofSouls | @twisted-shipper Rating: M Warnings: Creator chose not to use Archive warnings Medium/Word Count: 12,456 Pairing/main characters: Morgana/Mordred Up to 10 tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Lovers, Witchcraft, Wicca, Autumn, Halloween

Summary:

Drawn towards a local occult shop that lies on her route to school, Morgana Pendragon takes it upon herself one Saturday afternoon in September to visit the store, hoping to purchase with her meager allowance a book or two on witchcraft, a practice she has been secretly reading up on online but has no hands-on experience with due to her father's no "nonsense" stance on all things supernatural. Entering the shop, she finds it to be as magical and sublime as her expectations, but what she doesn't expect is the confrontation she is about to have with one of its employees, a young man by the name of Mordred, who may just possess the secret to helping her realize her dreams of forging her own path and become more certain of herself in the process. Or, based on the prompt: Modern AU. Mordred works in an esoteric Wicca bookshop. Curious, Morgana visits the shop secretly because her conservative and stern father doesn't like her "unscientific, silly" hobbies. Romance, initial dislike for each other, find themselves drawn together.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51253924

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Title: golden thread (clasped weft woven) Writer: AgapantoBlu | @agapantoblu Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Medium/Word Count: 20.766 words Pairing/main characters: Freya/Merlin; Arthur Pendragon. Up to 10 tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Freya Lives, Magic Revealed, Implied/Referenced Torture (though it’s just in dreams), Nightmares, It’s hard to live your cottagecore fantasies when destiny won’t stop banging at the door.

Summary:

“It was so close. They barely made it out of Camelot and even then, Merlin was ready to watch her die. He'd held her and cried and screamed and begged whatever force had made him, every ounce of his magic, to please. Just not her. Not at Arthur's hand. Fate must have worried about the latter more than the first, but the waters had risen nonetheless, and the waves had washed away the blood and the wound alike. Merlin had been hit with a strange feeling of melancholy and sorrow and the weird relaxation that happens when a pull that seemed unnoticeable before suddenly stops. Just like that, Camelot didn't seem so enthralling anymore, and Arthur's actions not so easily pardoned."

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51364060

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Title: her sorrowless salt self Writer: greenforsnow | @m-b-w Rating: T Warnings: no archive warnings apply Medium/Word Count: fic, 6k Pairing/main characters: Gwen/Morgana Up to 10 tags: Pirate Morgana, Mermaid Gwen, getting together

Summary:

Morgana looks for freedom in the ocean; she finds Gwen.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51389305

#bbc merlin #merlin rare pair fest #round up post

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mslaevateinn · 1 year

Text

Here is @eachpeachpearplume and I's collaboration! A big thank you to the @bbcmerlin-reversebang mods for organising the event! It was a blast and I loved working with Peach the entire time!

About the collab that you can find on AO3:

Title: All the Way Back You Held Out Your Hand Creators: eachpeachpearplum and Laevateinn Pairing: Gwaine/Percival Rating and length: E, 14.4k Tags: Curses, Werewolf Gwaine, Angst with a Happy Ending, Kidnapping, Animal Transformation, Getting Together, Canon-Typical Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arm Wrestling, Tournaments

Summary:

It's not that Gwaine's complaining, not really, because this is definitely the friendliest conclusion he's ever seen to a kidnapping. It's way better than torture and starvation followed by either a dramatic rescue or his untimely demise, but yeah, being knocked unconscious, tied up in a shack, having gibberish chanted at him and then being let go again is very definitely strange.

Or: Gwaine gets kidnapped and cursed by an evil sorcerer, but it's okay

#Bbc Merlin #Merlin reverse big bang #Perwaine #Gwaine x Percival #Gwaine BBC #Percival BBC #Fanfic #Fanart #Moodboards #eachpeachpearplum #Laevateinn

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morri-draws · 2 days

Text

Gwaine x Reader - 'The Threads That Bind Us' - Chapter 9

Story Summary:

You, a humble dressmaker from Camelot’s lower town, are commissioned to make a new gown for Queen Guinevere. Impressed by your skills, she offers you the position of Royal Clothier. During your time in the castle, you catch the eye of one of the knights of King Arthur’s inner circle, Sir Gwaine. What starts as a sweet courtship is turned upside down when misfortune strikes and you must deal with the aftermath, as well as an unwelcome visit from Gwaine’s unpleasant sister.

Rating: Mature

Tags: Female Reader/Gwaine, set between seasons 4 and 5, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

Words: 2,699

Read Chapter 1 | Read Chapter 2 | Read Chapter 3

Read Chapter 4 | Read Chapter 5 | Read Chapter 6

Read Chapter 7 | Read Chapter 8

Read on Ao3

Gwaine’s mind is a mess of hurt, anger and sorrow, each blow to the training dummy serving as an outlet for his intense emotions.

“You alright Gwaine?” Percival asks as he looks on with a teasing grin. “Did the dummy insult you in some way?”

Gwaine scowls in reply as Arthur announces that it is time to swap to sparring. He pairs Percival with Leon, and Gwaine with Elyan. They begin trading blows, changing between offence and defence, blocking, parrying and striking. Gwaine’s style is particularly aggressive, giving Elyan hardly a chance to defend himself, let alone strike any blows, before Arthur calls an end to the bout.

“Bloody hell, Gwaine, are you actually trying to kill me?” Elyan pants, eyes wide.

“Apologies, my friend,” Gwaine replies, patting Elyan on the shoulder gruffly. “I’ve got a lot on my mind,”

Gwaine crosses the training field to return his sword to the rack, where Merlin appears next to him, a training dummy under one arm.

“Are you alright?” He asks, frowning concernedly at his friend.

“Yeah,” Gwaine answers automatically, forcing a smile. He glances at Merlin, who’s grimacing back at him, clearly not convinced. Gwaine drops the smile. “No, not really. Have you got a moment to talk after this, in my chambers?”

“Of course,” Merlin nods. “Once I pack all this away, I’ll be there,”

Gwaine paces the length of his chambers, deep in thought and face set in a frown, until there’s a knock at his chamber door.

“Enter,” He says.

The door swings open and Merlin steps inside, latching it behind him as he looks at his friend with concern. Gwaine gestures to a small table behind him, and he and Merlin both sit down.

“It’s (Y/N),” Gwaine begins. “I’ve finally managed to speak with her. It’s bad, Merlin,” He sighs, running a hand over his face. “It seems my sister has been running her mouth, spreading nasty rumours about me, and (Y/N) came to hear of them. She’s been led to believe that I’m some kind of skirt-chaser and that I don’t care for her at all,”

“Did you tell her it’s not true?” Merlin asks.

“Of course I did. I told her that she can’t believe a word my sister says, but I don’t know if she believed me. I was too angry to say any more so I left,”

Merlin frowns, crossing his arms. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know… I thought maybe I should give her some space to think things over. Then she can decide what she wants to do… whether she wants to speak to me again,” Gwaine turns his head away, hair falling in front of his face, hiding the emotion beginning to show itself.

“So, you’re going to wait for her to come to you?” Merlin asks.

Gwaine shrugs.

“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Merlin says. “(Y/N) seems like the kind of person who might find that difficult, especially since I’m sure she’s feeling pretty terrible right now. She might wait for you to make the next move. Then you’ll both be sitting around, waiting for the other, torturing yourselves in the process,” He shakes his head. “No, you both need to talk this out, and the sooner, the better,”

“I don’t know, Merlin. I don’t want to harass her. She might not want to talk,”

Merlin’s chair scrapes back as he stands. “I’ll go and talk to her,”

“No,” Gwaine stands so swiftly that his chair falls back with a loud thud. “I don’t want her to think I’m sending someone else to fight my battles,”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make it clear that you haven’t sent me. I’m a concerned friend, that’s all,”

Merlin smiles reassuringly before exiting Gwaine’s chambers.

You begin applying gold trim to the king’s doublet, the garment having reached your favourite stage of creation (besides the finished result), which is when it actually starts to look like something. If only you could feel the satisfaction that you usually would at this stage, but your mind is clouded and unfocused. No matter what task you set yourself to, always in the back of your mind is guilt and heartache.

You take a step back to inspect your work when there’s a knock at your chamber door. Your stomach drops. It must be Gwaine. You’re not ready to speak with him yet. Even though a full day has passed, you haven’t thought up anything you could possibly say to him. But now’s the moment, whether you’re ready or not, you have to answer that door.

You cross your chambers and open to door, surprised to find Merlin looking back at you.

“I waited this time,” He says with a lopsided grin.

“Indeed,” You reply. “The king’s doublet is not yet complete. I’m just working on it now,”

“Hmm?” Merlin raises his brows. “Oh, I’m not here about that,”

“Alright… why are you here?”

You open the door wider to admit him and he steps inside, a thumb and finger on his chin, brow furrowed in thought.

You cross the room to the dining table. “Would you like to sit?”

You gesture to the chair opposite you and Merlin nods. You take a seat as he does, clasping his hands in front of him.

He clears his throat. “You know, Gwaine is a good friend of mine,”

You avert your eyes guiltily, steeling yourself for a tongue-lashing.

“He told me what happened,” Merlin continues. “But he is afraid to speak with you again, in case you don’t wish to speak to him, and he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to come here and ask you to please speak to him as soon as you can,”

“Does he not hate me?”

“No,” Merlin shakes his head. “He’s just hurting. He’s extremely upset with his sister and… I think he’s afraid he’s lost you,”

Tears prick your eyes and you reach into your pocket to retrieve a handkerchief, dabbing the moisture away.

“I’ve spent the last day trying to think of what to say to him, but I just can’t find the words. All I can think of is how dreadful I feel,”

“In situations like these, it’s impossible to think of the perfect thing to say, because there isn’t one,” Merlin’s blue eyes look earnestly into yours. “You just need to speak from your heart. When you see him, you’ll know what to say,”

You sigh, fiddling with the handkerchief in your lap. “I don’t know about that,”

“Well, I know this,” Merlin straightens. “Gwaine is a good man, one of the very best. There was a time when Gaius was framed and accused of treason. Everyone believed he was guilty, but I knew he would never betray Arthur. I was angry and I was afraid, and I felt that I had no one to turn to. I returned to my chambers one night and there was Gwaine, waiting for me. He wanted to see if I was alright, and when I told him that Gaius had not fled to avoid punishment, but was kidnapped, he believed me. He came with me, no questions asked, to find Gaius and to save him. Gwaine found Gaius and brought him home,” Merlin’s eyes glisten with the emotion of the memory. “He is a true and loyal friend. I’m afraid I overlooked that for too long. Don’t make the same mistake as I did. He has been, and will be, true to you as well,”

You nod sombrely as hot tears fall down your cheeks and into your lap. “I can tell you speak from the heart, Merlin,” Your voice wavers as you force out the words before standing and walking to the nearest window, looking out at the sky. “Do the knights have training this evening?”

“Of course,” Merlin replies.

“Then I shall speak with Gwaine after that,”

“Excellent,” Merlin stands with a smile. “Speaking of training, I need to make sure Arthur’s armour is in order,”

You leave your spot at the window and approach Merlin.

“Thank you for coming to speak with me. You’ve given me courage,”

“You’ve found that courage yourself,” Merlin smiles. “Good luck for this evening,”

You spend the next few hours continuing work on the king’s doublet, then swap to Gwen’s gown. The plan is for them both to be completed at the same time so they can be revealed together. Your body feels tight as you work, full of nervous tension for your upcoming conversation with Gwaine. While there is no certainty about how it will go, there is at least a small sense of relief in knowing that he is open to talking. You had worried that you’d hurt him too badly.

You sew until the sunlight filters through your window in that particular way, and you know that the time has come. You briefly check your appearance in the glass, tucking away any fly-aways and smoothing your skirts, before heading out.

You arrive in the wing of the castle containing the knights’ personal chambers and realise that you’re unsure which room belongs to Gwaine. You overheard his and Erika’s voices from one of the rooms those weeks ago, but weren’t close enough to discern exactly where they came from. You decide to just try one of the doors, and if another knight answers, you can simply ask for direction to Gwaine’s chambers. You knock on the door closest to you. Receiving no response, you move onto the next door, but also receive no reply. Your make your way down the passage, knocking on each door, until you’ve tried all, and do not receive a single answer.

You pace for a few moments, flustered. You’d worked up the courage to do this, your stomach twisting itself into knots in anticipation, and now… nothing. Taking deep breaths to calm yourself, you think what to do next, when the idea strikes you to find Merlin and ask him if he knows where the knights may be.

You arrive at Merlin and Gaius’ chambers, knocking on the door firmly.

“Enter,” Gaius’ voice calls from within.

You unlatch the door and step inside. Gaius stands up from behind a desk and removes his glasses, placing them atop the pages of an open tome.

“How may I assist you, (Y/N)?” He asks with a friendly smile.

“I was just wanting to speak to Merlin,” You reply.

“I’m afraid Merlin is not here currently. Is there something I could help you with?”

You consider whether or not to be open with the physician, and ultimately decide that there is no reason for secrecy.

“I was meaning to speak with Sir Gwaine actually, but he wasn’t in his chambers. None of the knights were in fact, so I came here, hoping Merlin might know something,”

“Ah,” Gaius’ eyes brighten with understanding. “The knights were called away on an urgent mission with the king. Merlin has gone with them,”

“I see,” Your anxiety flares. “Do you know when they are expected to return?”

“It is hard to say,”

You nod. “Thank you, Gaius,”

He bows his head in response and you exit the physician’s chambers.

You begin heading back to your own chambers in a sort of daze. You were already anxious when you headed out to see Gwaine, but now, not only are you unable to speak with him, he’s off on an urgent mission, and surely urgent means dangerous? You need to know more, so you change direction and head for the royal chambers.

You receive and answer immediately after you knock, and let yourself inside. Gwen turns to greet you from in front of the antechamber’s window.

“(Y/N),” She smiles. “This is a pleasant surprise,” Upon seeing your expression, her smile falters. “Is everything alright?”

“I went to speak with Gwaine,” you say, closing the gap between you and joining her by the window. “But he’s away,”

“Yes, Arthur and the knights have set out on an urgent mission,” Gwen replies.

“I heard such from Gaius. Do you know what they’re doing?”

“Villages on Camelot’s borders have been attacked,” Gwen speaks in a low voice, as if worried of being overheard. “Arthur wants to know whether it’s simply raiders, or whether it’s enemies crossing the border,” She turns to gaze out the window. “I shouldn’t say simply raiders. There’s nothing simple about them for the poor people whose homes are being targeted,”

“What happens if it’s raiders?”

“Arthur and his knights will defeat them,”

“And if it is enemies crossing the border?” You ask.

“Then it’s an act of war,” Gwen frowns.

“Then for the kingdom’s sake, I hope it’s raiders,”

“So do I,” Gwen turns back to you, her expression troubled. “Though I have seen first-hand the damage raiders can do. Those poor villagers,” She shakes her head, as if to dismiss the unpleasant thoughts. “Have you eaten yet?”

“I have not,”

“Then will you dine with me tonight?”

“I would like that very much,” You answer truthfully. You would prefer not to be left with only your own thoughts tonight.

Gwen smiles before heading to the door, opening it and poking her head out to speak with the guards outside. She closes the door again and gestures for you to sit at the dining table and she takes the seat adjacent to you.

“I’ve arranged for two dinners to be brought up,” She says.

You thank her, but find yourself not knowing what else to say in the moment. You can’t seem to think of anything conversational. You strain to think of something, anything to talk about, when Gwen breaks the silence.

“I feel I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t bring this up. I knew there was something wrong when you conducted my fitting the other day, and Gwaine hasn’t been his usual cheerful self either. Has something happened between you?”

You certainly hadn’t planned on unburdening yourself tonight, but when Gwen looks at you, the question in her eyes as well as friendly concern, you reveal all, every wretched detail, your composure completely lost as she holds your hand in hers.

“And I went to try to fix things tonight,” You continue your story. “But now he’s gone on a dangerous mission and he doesn’t know how sorry I am,”

“You talk as if tonight was your only chance to speak with him. He’ll be back,” Gwen smiles reassuringly.

“I’m just so worried something terrible will happen while he’s away,” You sniff. “Do you not worry about the king?”

“I worry for Arthur every time he leaves on a mission,” Gwen says. “And Elyan too. But I also have faith, in Arthur and his knights. They’ve been through so much together and look out for one another like brothers,”

You nod along to Gwen’s words, trying to find in yourself the same faith that she has.

“How about this,” Gwen says. “We can dine together every night until they return. We’ll keep each other from worrying too much,”

“I like that idea,” You wipe your eyes. “Thank you, Gwen,”

The dinners arrive soon after and you periodically remind yourself to slow your eating, since the meal is so delicious.

“Perhaps I should spend more time on my own cooking,” You remark. “I only make very plain meals. But it hardly seems worth the effort to make something like this for just one person,”

“Perhaps you’ll soon invite someone over for dinner, and you can put in a little extra effort for the occasion,” Gwen replies suggestively.

You feel a warmth in your cheeks at the thought. How you long for things to go back to how they were before, to feel easy in Gwaine’s presence and to laugh with him again.

You and Gwen spend the rest of the night chatting about a number of topics, until drowsiness kicks in, the conversation lulls and you decide it’s time to go to bed. You head back to your chambers feeling much lighter than you did before. Your anxiety for Gwaine is still present, but you feel as if you can bear it a little better now.

#gwaine x reader #gwaine #merlin fic #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #sir gwaine #reader insert #bbc merlin fic #reader x gwaine #my writing

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merlinisnotover · 6 months

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“No one will find you”

Whumptober day 11

Tw: violence, kidnapping, torture

Gwaine struck a bored pose in the cell where a man — some deposed lord, he thought — was monologuing how he would torture him and break him and defeat Camelot once an for all.

“You can put up a front all you want, but you are captive here until you tell me what I want to hear.”

Gwaine pushed off the wall and walked up to the bars. He leaned an arm against them and looked down at the man.

“I am a knight of Camelot. We take care of our own. And we don’t spill secrets. You would think people would understand that by now.”

“No one will find you here,” the man spat. “And you will tell me, or I will break you.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Gwaine scoffed and turned to return to the wall, leaning against it casually.

“Guard!”

A large man appeared, keys rattling on his belt.

“Hold him.”

The man grunted and unlocked the cell. He approached Gwaine and wrestled his arms behind his back. Gwaine struggled but the guard was stronger than him and had the upper hand.

Lord Whatever approached and stared at Gwaine. “You will break. They always break. And I will enjoy it.”

Quick as a snake, he punched Gwaine in his unprotected stomach, knocking the wind from him. Again and again, the man beat him, Gwaine gasping for breath under the onslaught.

The guard held him firm and as he began to sag with the pain, the guard yanked him back to his feet. He felt a rib crack on one hit, another broke skin and blood began to drip down his side. Over and over, the blows came.

Finally, the lord seemed to tire and grabbed Gwaine’s chin with his hand.

“You are mine, Sir Gwaine. Do you understand me?”

Gwaine spat at him, unsurprised that his spit was red with blood.

The lord wiped his face with a sleeve. “Tie him to the wall.”

The guard hauled him to the shackles attached to the wall and wrenched Gwaine’s arms up into the cuffs. Exhausted, Gwaine only managed a wince in pain.

“Sleep well.”

Gwaine managed to wait until their steps receded down the hall before he groaned in pain.

He would never break. And Merlin or the knights would find him soon. They had to.

But strung up on the wall, his stomach bruising and each breath painful, all he could hear was the lord’s taunt.

No one will find you.

#gwaine #bbc merlin #whump #whumptober

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amyreadsandstresses · 1 year

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AMY'S DAILY FIC REC

Starting the year with a bang :) here we go. Today, BBC Merlin, BBC Sherlock and Teen Wolf

*Co-Dependent - harsassypotters

8k, 3/3, Merlin & Arthur Friendship, Humor and Crack, Knights, Uther Pendragon, Sir Leon the Long Suffering, Magic Reveal

As punishment for Arthur's disobedience, Uther bans all contact with his manservant for a week.

It works out about as well as you could expect.

*"I've always wanted a pet" - InTooManyFandomsRay

1k, 1/1, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Humor and Crack, Aithusa is adorable

Merlin adopts a baby dragon and convinces everyone that it's a bird. Meanwhile, Arthur is sure that the universe holds a grudge against him, and Uther just gives up on questioning everything.

*One More Secret - orphan_account

11k, 9/9, Merwaine, Implied/Referenced past and non-graphic R/Ncon, Mpreg, Implied/Referenced Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Magic Revealed, Aithusa, Magic Revealed

Merlin's now got another secret to hide from Arthur, but this one attracts more attention that he'd like.

*We Daren't Go A'Hunting - wryter501

14k, 1/1, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Fae Magic

"We daren't go a'hunting, for fear of little men..." ~ "The Fairies" by William Allingham On Samhain the veils between various worlds thin, and strange things can pass through - beings who wish to assimilate Arthur, and Merlin, into their troop... but for very different reasons. And Merlin's magic doesn't work on them... Takes place in-canon after season 2, does not reveal Merlin's magic - but it does reveal other secrets.

*Overlooked - Smcstrav

48k, 13/13, Merlin, Arthur, Gaius, Knights of The Round Table, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic

Arthur is well on the way to becoming the type of leader Merlin had always hoped he'd be - one who cares for all of his people. But even so, preparations for Yule festivities along with some unforeseen circumstances result in Merlin taking on too much work. Unfortunately nobody notices until it's almost too late.

*Temple of Magic - nlpiersee

6k, 5/5, Arthur Pendragon & Merlin Friendship, Protective Gwaine, Knights of the Round Table and Merlin and friends, Merlin's Magic Revealed

With magic being freed from persecution, Arthur decides to journey to a temple that magic users have begun trekking to. Their pilgrimage, Leon called it. Merlin can't place why he thinks it's a bad idea, but feels like they shouldn't go. Naturally, where Arthur goes, Merlin goes, and so the King, his servant (read: friend), the Knights of the Round Table, all ride out to investigate the temple in hopes of proving that magic is truly free and not a ploy of the Pendragons to instigate another purge.

*Take A Break - TheGameIsOn_Geronimo

3k, 1/1, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Merlin Whump, Everyone Loves Merlin

Merlin keeps falling asleep in random places as he's working so hard. His friends stage an intervention.

*The Great Tavern Conspiracy - N16

4k, 1/1, Merlin & Arthur Pendragon, Knights of the Round Table, Humor, Friendship, Fluff

Arthur knows that Merlin isn't at the tavern. That's just a lie Merlin used to tell, back before Arthur knew he had magic.

So if Merlin isn't at the tavern all those times he disappears, where the hell is he?

*Summer tales of family and lovers - Veruca_Cruz

2k, 1/1, Coming Out, Soft, Siger Holmes, Violet Holmes, Future Johnlock, Teen Sherlock

Some insight on the relationship between Sherlock and his father.

*You've Arrived at Panic Station - Phia

20k, 15/15, Sherlock Holmes/Original Male Character, One-sided Johnlock, Mary Morstan/John Watson, Moving On, Domestic, Sherlock-centric

Fifteen chapters based on fifteen different emotions. John is married and oblivious, and Sherlock pines but moves on.

*Plus One - saintscully

5k, 1/1, Johnlock, Fix-it, Humor, Happy Ending

More precisely —and more to the point— Sherlock was staring at the man’s arse, hanging mid-air like a denim-clad piñata.

*A Study in Sentiment - C4t1l1n4

1k, 1/1, Johnlock, Fluff, Cats, Soft Sherlock, Everything is cute and soft and fluffy

Sherlock gets a kitten, and John wants to know why. The answer is cuter than either of them could've expected.

*the suffering that is weatherd - scullyseviltwin

8k, 1/1, Johnlock, Season 4 fix-it, First Kiss

The magnitude of what they’re discussing seems as though it shouldn’t fit within the walls of 221B.

*Strangers When We Meet - sunken_standard

19k, 1/1, Sherlock Holmes/Victor Trevor, Gloria Scott, Drug Addiction, Abusive Relationship, The 90's, Internalized Homophobia, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Sherlock tells John the story of his first case, and his first love

*whose war is it anyway - nefariosity

11k, 2 works, Johnlock, A/B/O, Omega Shelrock, TW: Attempted R/Ncon, No smut

Sherlock's refusal to relinquish control to his hormones and let his partners reap the reward had proven to be the death knell for both of his previous relationships. He had hoped, had even begun to believe that it would be different with John, that their relationship would survive without Sherlock having to give over to his base nature for John's pleasure.

Foolish to ever think otherwise, thought Sherlock bitterly.

*Not The Hands That Kill - You_Light_The_Sky

6k, 1/1, Johnlock, Wingfic, Canon Divergence

Having wings does not make Sherlock Holmes a guardian angel, not in the way that John Watson is his.

*5+1 Times Sherlock Let Someone See His Wings - wendymarlowe

6k, 1/1, Johnlock, Wingfic

Sherlock could count on one hand the number of times other people had seen his wings. John was the only one of significance.

*It Takes A Village - kitthekazoo

49k, 35/35, Sterek, Mpreg, Dad Stiles, Dad Derek, Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Cora Hale/Isaac Lahey, Family, Hurt/Comfort

Stiles's used to yogurt handprints on his shirts from where he picked her up, and he's used to snot on his shoulders and neck from where she cried after a bad dream. He's used to her legendary tantrums when she doesn't get her way, her eyes glowing ferocious gold. He's used to being the village it takes to raise her, and the pack she longs for.

Except, he needs the pack's help, and Derek's protection when a particularly power-hungry pack wants his cub. And he isn't used to sharing.

#amy's fic rec #bbc sherlock #sherlock fic rec #johnlock #bbc merlin #merwaine #merlin fanfic #sterek #stiles stilinski #derek hale #john watson #sherlock holmes #arthur pendragon

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