#merlinwatch2023

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "Diamond Of The Day II" The Bad List ~ Masterlist [Prev <-]

#bbc merlin #merlinedit #merlinwatch2023 #viruscreates #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #guinevere pendragon #morgana pendragon #sir leon #sir gwaine #bbcm eira #sir percival #sir mordred #merlin 5x13 #merlin s5 #edit #🥲 i made myself sad while making this #i didnt finish doing my rewatch but i had to skip forward for todays because i matched the song perfectly #im gonna do another tomorrow and then ill do part one of dotd the day after... hopefully #happy anniversary everyone 😉❤️

[bellamyblakru]

✨merlin rewatch 2023✨

okay, with the way ive planned it, we can get the whole thing done right before the start of @merthurweek2023 !!!

here’s the deal: one episode every five days, unless it’s a two parter, then it’s both episodes within those five days. under the cut is the schedule i made. you can save them if you want to♥️

you can watch with the schedule, you can join for a few random weeks, you can pick and choose which episodes you want to watch or make a creation for—all up to you!!

(you can join my discord server, too, if you want to watch when others do & we can talk about it)

no rules. no stress. just a simple merlin rewatch in the year 2023🫡

the event: you can just watch along with us, or you can participate in this low-stake challenge opportunity that i made. either way is perfectly fine!! i had a few ideas, but these are just a few possibilities. the creative liberty is all yours, and you can do what you want to. just tag it with #merlinwatch2023 so i can see, reblog, and love on it pls

the challenge:

for gifmakers,

a gifset an episode (what i am personally doing. it’s gonna be hard but ill try)

a gifset every few eps posted during our collective watch time

a gifset after we finish a season as an ode to what we watched

for writers,

a coda to the episode during it’s watch time

a divergence au that follows after the episode

a fix-it of what you wished happened during the episode

for watchers,

a post about your feelings/thoughts during the episode

possible meta about what something could’ve meant

a possible fic idea that you want to suggest to the world

for artists and video makers,

for the schedule below, i used color coding for each season! you could explore an idea you had during an episode with the color of the season

any relationship between characters that you wished you saw more of during an ep/season

anything you want to capture in your style from what we’ve watched

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #bbcm #merlin #alielook #xuserann #userdorksinlove #merlin event #merlinfests #merlin fest #signal boost #merlin bbc #long post

[undermycoat]

A Question That Has Never Been Posed Before

“There’s something about you, Merlin - I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Arthur's not an idiot; he can see the glimmer of gold in Merlin's eyes. But he's hesitant to call Merlin evil, and he's even more hesitant to call Merlin out on his sorcery. He won't lose any more than a night's sleep over the boy, however, and he certainly won't try to figure out what it is about the boy that has him so captivated. He won't. [A sort-of fix-it to 1x01.]

Rating: G

Word Count: 1.1k

Full text and author's notes under the cut.

Or, read on AO3.

A/N: Written for Merlin Watch 2023! I’ll try to do something for every episode, but no promises, LOL. Thanks for suggesting this little challenge/event, @bellamyblakru! ^_^

Title taken from episode one, too. Not beta'd.

...

Despite popular belief, Arthur is not an idiot. In fact, it may be that he’s the smartest of them all, and everyone else is bumbling, absolutely dumb.

Because here is this Merlin, some commoner – no, some peasant! – with zero muscle mass (Arthur is surprised he can even handle the flail), looking like a twig always one strong wind away from breaking, words lilted and movements clumsy, and Merlin may be the stupidest of all because, contrary to expectation, Arthur is not an idiot, and he can see the glimmer of gold in Merlin’s eyes when he stumbles back, when he trips on a rope, when his foot gets caught in a bucket. It’s a shaded area, for God’s sake! Arthur can appreciate a good romantic description, but even he knows blue eyes don’t turn gold in the sun, and most definitely not when they’re in the shade.

But also Merlin hasn’t actually tried to kill him, and Merlin is clearly more of a threat to himself than to Arthur or anyone else, and Arthur is still physically stronger than him, and he knocks that confidence out of him easily, leaving the patch-up process to Gaius. Arthur doesn’t know what to make of it, and he doesn’t know what to make of the old physician, who levels Merlin with a glare that says… something, that suggests he knows of whatever it is that may make Arthur softer on the boy. At least, as soft as not immediately having him executed for sorcery is.

       ✶ ‎

That night, he finds himself hopelessly awake, thinking of the fool. He meant what he’d said – there was something about Merlin. Not just the magic, but his fire, that spark that had him standing up to Arthur in a way no one else ever had. Arthur liked to think himself not so easily swayed, he was more than a moth and Merlin was not an actual flame, but he found himself caught anyway. 

Logic said all magic is evil, and perhaps logic sounded an awful lot like Uther, but the man was king for a reason. Arthur rolls over, staring at the wall until the shadows all merge into one, a phantom figure dancing about the room. He squeezes his eyes shut, brows furrowing. He’d only met the boy a day ago. He’s met kings of distant lands, countless beautiful princesses dressed in the finest fabrics and draped with jewels, bards with tales of epic romance, of knights defeating dragons, knights whose descriptions tended to greatly match Arthur’s – Arthur has met a vast array of people, more than an ordinary man could hope of meeting, and none have captured his attention quite like Merlin.

God. He’d only met the boy a day ago!

Arthur grabs one of his many pillows and puts it over his face. He does nothing as undignified as yell into it, but he squeezes it rather tight and wonders if perhaps suffocation is the only solution to his insomnia. It would certainly put an end to his problems. If only for a little bit.

       ✶ ‎

Arthur’s not sure if it’s a sign of his intelligence or if it’s just another part of that something Merlin has that makes him hypersensitive to magic. Surely he hasn’t always been this aware of it? Then again, what magic has been performed around him before? 

He can’t do anything about the Lady Helen – or not Lady Helen, he supposes, as his father would surely never invite the woman to Camelot, no matter how good a singer, if he suspected she so much as asked about magic – but as it turns out, he doesn’t have to. Merlin is there, still shadowing Gaius, still just in Arthur’s periphery, and Arthur doesn’t know if his eyes were blue or gold or if he said something to have the chandelier be up one second and down the next, but he does know – suddenly – his actions are not caught up with his mind. 

He wants to look to Uther, to see if the king has any clue what sort of web they’re caught in now, but his eyes do not move, only his thoughts racing from one point to the next, and his muscles only catch up to his mind when he’s on the floor, tucked under one of Merlin’s twig arms, staring at the dagger embedded in the chair he’d just been in front of.

Arthur rolls away from the boy and pushes himself up from the ground. He does not help Merlin back up. Uther is saying something, praising Merlin in that roundabout way he does when someone is finally worthy of it, thanking the boy, but Arthur can’t give the exact words Uther uses because he knows Merlin has magic, he has felt Merlin’s magic, whatever it did to him and the rest of the hall in those agonising, extended seconds, and because he knows Merlin has just used magic to save him – magic saved him. He swallows, finally turning to his father, who seems completely unaware of just how exactly Merlin saved his son’s life. It’s hard to reconcile his father’s insistence in reward with the gold he’s seen in Merlin’s eyes, with the feel of his heart as it slowed its pounding in his chest. 

It’s only when Uther gets to the specifics that Arthur’s ears register what they’re hearing. “You shall be awarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur’s manservant.” His father looks proud, like he doesn’t know what he’s just allowed inside, like he doesn’t know the turmoil he’s set off in his son’s still-pounding heart. Arthur’s voice cracks as he protests, so strongly opposed to the idea he is, but Uther only nods decisively and strides off, certain that he knows what’s best.

As Arthur has just learnt, been forced to learn very quickly, he does not always know what’s best. He turns to Merlin, who looks equally unamused and extremely ungrateful, and Arthur swallows down a groan. Magic is not something he’s ready to get acquainted with, but it seems he has no choice. Perhaps this could be a blessing in disguise – there’s that something about Merlin, only intensified after his sudden bout of heroism. This new role could help Arthur figure out what exactly it is. Arthur watches Merlin stumble over air on his way over to Gaius. Or… perhaps some questions, no one is quite ready for their answers.

...

A/N: Is this OOC and puts way too much faith into Series 1 Arthur? Yes. Do I care? Yes, but I'm being so brave about it. But, like, sorry, but all of y'all townspeople are insane if y'all can't see Merlin's obviously blue eyes go gold out of nowhere. Like... be serious. I say this all in good fun, though; I love you, BBC Merlin, my beloved little comfort show. Thank you for the laughs.

Also, I'd consider it completely AU'esque as canon has proven it very untrue, but still, I love the idea of Arthur's birth leading him to pick up on nearby magic users or creatures. Gaydar? Nah, Arthur only has mage-dar.

Anyway, again, this is also posted to my AO3, so please consider giving it a kudos and a comment there if you enjoyed! And if you're reading it here, it would mean the world if you not only liked this post but also reblogged it. ^_^ Besitos!

#merlinwatch2023 #merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #merlin fanfic #merthur fanfic #my fic #my writing

[rainbowvamp]

so I made an every episode of SPN rating spreadsheet and after that monster, this was comparatively easy.

Space for your notes, also to rate multiple individual aspects of the show (change the column heads as it pleases you). I added a "Tags" section where I mostly put which characters are in the episode, but do you!

The "Rating" column will average whatever you put in the drop down boxes (color coded!). To add more ratings columns, "insert column" from one of the already present dropdown columns. Preferably in the middle so you don't run the risk of the column not being added to the "AVERAGE" function in the rating column. It should be added no matter what so long as you have a drop down column selected, but just in case, that's my recommendation.

#bbc merlin #merlinwatch2023 #I don't know if this counts as a creation for the event #but I thought y'all might like this #If you're a person who can't remember anything about the episodes #this is the tool for you! <3 #at least it's a tool for me #so... enjoy <3 #merlin rewatch #The appeal of this (for me) is being able to sort by higher rating at the end of the watch

[zykamiliah]

heeey i wrote a little coda for the dragon's call :DD

“I’m quite old, sire, so I’m glad to have a new apprentice to help me out with the work.” “I see,” Arthur replied distractedly, as Gaius applied a cool paste on his shoulder. Then he blinked. “New apprentice?”

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #merlin fic #merthur #zykamiliah-merlin #zykamiliah writes #merthur fic #the dragon's call

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "Excalibur" The Book Of The Dead ~ Masterlist [Prev <-•-> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #tristan de bois #uther pendragon #merlin 1x09 #merlin s1 #merlinedit #viruscreates #edit #the book of the dead #click for better quality #that first one was giving me problems #also all i could think about while making this was 'would you still love me if i was a worm?' and yeah... #dont think about that too much #this has been in my drafts since may...

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Poisoned Chalice" Metamorphoses ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #merlin emrys #bbcm nimueh #merthur #bbc merlin edit #merthur edit #viruscreates #ovid's metamorphoses #also 'juno' would be the greek 'hera' and then 'jove' or 'jupiter' would be the greek 'zeus' #the two myths being referenced are Ganymedes & Zeus and then Hyacinthus & Apollo #whose who when it comes to this parallel? i'll let you decide 😁 #bbc merlin 1x04 #i really like this one i'm proud of it 😁 #yes the second image is a bix pixely that scene is literally a milisecond long it was so hard to catch but it turned out good! #please click for better quality

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MerlinRewatch2023 ->"The Beginning of the End" Mabinogi: Manawyddan the son of Llyr ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#bbc merlin #merlinwatch2023 #sir mordred #morgana pendragon #arthur pendragon #merlin emrys #merlinedit #viruscreates #edit #merlin 1x08 #merlin s1 #i finally finished it!!!!! #i was so indecisive with this one its been in my drafts since may #anyways whala!! #awotc

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Dragon's Call" The Tiny Book Of Tiny Stories ~ Masterlist [-> Next]

#viruscreates #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #merthur #merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin edit #merlin edit #merthur edit #please click for better quality #inspiration from this beautiful little story that i love so much and also from the discord chat that i'm doing the rewatch with #as with the episode cane to the end that ending line of 'your destiny is calling' had everyone screaming XD #and i hope the lettering is okay i tried to make it look book/letter-ish like... if that makes any sense #anyways cheers!

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "Valiant" Henry V ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #arthur pendragon #merthur #merlin bbc #merlin edit #merthur edit #merlin 1x02 #1x02 valiant #bbc merlin edit #bbcm valiant #bbc valiant #viruscreates #the first two took me forever because im both valiant is getting all the light while merlin is getting all the shadow and it was a mess #shakespeare quotes #please click for better quality #i hope the metaphor gets across good i didn't spend two days looking for the perfect quote for nothing XD

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "Lancelot" The Canterbury Tales ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #sir lancelot #arlance #bbc merlin edit #viruscreates #bbc merlin 1x05 #i want everyone to know i had this title 'baby's first heartbreak' in my drafts #also rip lancelots skin tone... i tired i tried very very hard 😩 #dont look at the first image too closely 😅 its so pixely that scene is literally like 2 seconds long and took me like 20 minutes to get so #please click for better quality #tumbly really killed the quality on this one #the line is specifically from 'the knights tale' if anyones curious and i think its towards the end (?) i haven't read it in a bit

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Mark Of Nimueh" Book Of Job ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #viruscreates #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #uther pendragon #ygraine pendragon #ygraine de bois #bbc nimueh #bbcm nimueh #bbc merlin edit #merlin 1x03 #bbc merlin 1x03 #1x03 mark of nimueh #what tags does mostly eveyone use for episodes? i never know... #pendragon house #yes i know the colors are weird i tried especially with those blue scenes their just so dark #i hope the metaphor gets across on this one too... #like arthur being born from nimueh's magic under uthers orders that ends up bringing them all down in the end... or something #and i wanted to wait for a different episode to do this but then i decided to do it for this episode becaus its sorta the beginning of this #please click for better quality #anyways cheers!

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "A Remedy To Cure All Ills" Paradise Lost ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #viruscreates #bbc merlin #edwin muirden #bbc merlin edit #edit #bbc merlin 1x06 #a remedy to cure all ills #paradise lost #guess who forgot was doing this rewatch 🫠 #its fine its fine i can play catch up #this one was fun to make i love this episode so much #also for the thought that death to be a cure for all the magic users in the show because thats the only way out of what uther has done? #just ksbdjdjdjdjjdd I'm occasionally impressed with myself a good old pat on the back to me XD #please click for better quality #tumblr is killing my quality here

[undermycoat]

A Knight's True Nature

He doesn’t want to expose Merlin as a sorcerer – he still hasn’t figured out what that something is, he’s still trying to figure out if he wants to figure out what that something is – and he doesn’t want Merlin to burn, but Merlin is playing fast and loose with his magic, and Arthur needs to see how far he’ll go. He also now wonders how far Knight Valiant plans to go, what magic it is he’s performing, that he’s got on him, that has Arthur shifting in discomfort with every smarmy smile from the man. [A sort-of continuation of AQTHNBPB.]

Rating: G

Word Count: 1.1k

Full text and author's note under the cut.

Or, read on AO3.

A/N: Not even worried about this being late. It's literally no big deal. *sweats* Just kidding, it's really not a big deal; I'm more concerned about doing something for every episode over the fic actually being on time. Fic writing – [Dolokhov voice] this is serious business, a dangerous business. (For me, at least.) Anyway, written for Merlin Watch 2023! Thanks again, Ashley!

...

He tells Merlin he’s not nervous – he doesn’t get nervous – because he’s really not. But there’s been something niggling at the back of his mind, an awful prickling down his neck, that won’t leave him alone no matter what he does. It only started when a second round of foreign knights appeared at the keep, but the feeling is imprecise, and he can’t pin who exactly is setting him off – what about that person is setting him off – until Knight Valiant congratulates him on his wins and Merlin says, “Creep,” as he walks away.

Surprisingly, Merlin’s unsurprising disrespect has a laugh spilling out of him, a laugh of agreement honestly, and then he catches himself. He’s not Merlin’s friend; he’s Merlin’s master. Not only that, Merlin has magic and… ah. The last of Arthur’s orders falls from his lips as he leaves his manservant to clean up after him. 

The chore list is impossible for most to complete, especially for one servant as terrible as Merlin, but that’s the point. He doesn’t want to expose Merlin as a sorcerer – he still hasn’t figured out what that something is, he’s still trying to figure out if he wants to figure out what that something is – and he doesn’t want Merlin to burn, but Merlin is playing fast and loose with his magic, and Arthur needs to see how far he’ll go. He also now wonders how far Knight Valiant plans to go, what magic it is he’s performing, that he’s got on him, that has Arthur shifting in discomfort with every smarmy smile from the man.

When Merlin comes to him, an accusation burning on his tongue, Arthur wants to curl up on the floor and not get up for a very long time. But he does not do that; instead, he swallows down an of course you end up tangled in this, Merlin and puts that energy into rolling his eyes and hemming and hawing, feigning disbelief, at Merlin’s insistence. But the poor boy looks like he’s about to have a hysteric fit, so finally, Arthur leans back and says, “Valiant wouldn’t dare use magic in Camelot.” The words are both empty comfort and absolutely false, but there isn’t much else he can say.

Merlin doesn’t care about Arthur’s limited options, however, and Arthur wants to grab him, wants to shake him and demand why – why does he care so much? Why Arthur? Why can’t he see he’s playing a fool’s game? Arthur doesn’t wonder if perhaps Merlin knows he is, and he doesn’t wonder if maybe it’s not Merlin the fool, but him, jingling hat and all. 

“I know I’m just a servant and my word doesn’t count for anything,” Merlin begins, and Arthur’s grip tightens around the snake’s head, scales chafing against his fingers, as he looks sharply at his servant. Merlin makes sure to catch his eyes – ocean meeting sky. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

Distantly, Arthur hears the tinkle of little bells. He says, “I want you to swear to me that what you’re telling me is true.”

Merlin does. Arthur ignores the prickling that starts at his nape and how it fades not long after Merlin leaves.

       ✶ ‎

Arthur knew it wouldn’t go to plan as soon as he stepped into the hall. Still, when it's just him and bumbling, foolish Merlin in his chambers, he struggles to swallow down the bile that rises in his throat as Merlin gets that stupid, earnest look on his face – the one that says he’d rather die than back down. Well, it won’t be him Arthur is going to kill; no, it’ll be two birds, with one stone.

He knows the blame lies with himself; he should have shut Merlin down as soon as Merlin started waving that damned snake head in his face, but he didn’t, and now his father, and the rest of the court, for that matter, thinks him a coward. Not only a coward, but one who uses deceit and pointed fingers to weasel his way out. It’s his fault, but Merlin is there and Merlin refuses to back down and Merlin has magic. Burning with an awful cocktail of exhaustion and humiliation, Arthur dismisses him from his service.

It will make life return to normalcy, as normal as his life is allowed to be, and if he dies by Valiant’s trickery, then there will be no life to complicate anyway. 

Merlin leaves, boots scuffing the floor he likely didn’t get on his hands and knees to clean as other servants would, and Arthur listens as they quiet the further away he gets. He doesn’t let himself turn back, even after Merlin is gone, for fear that he’ll run Merlin through – it’s not exactly becoming for a noble to grievously injure their servant, but it wouldn’t be the first time – and for fear that he’ll make Merlin stay. Things will only get worse if the boy sticks around, for both of them, and Arthur’s had enough of this charade, that everything is fine when Merlin is completing impossible tasks, that there’s some type of camaraderie between them when Arthur is wondering why he hasn’t sent Merlin to the pyre, that there could be anything at all between them when Merlin knows nothing – cares nothing – of court etiquette and pride, the two things Arthur may know – and, at times, care – the most about. 

Arthur refuses to think any more on it when Morris knocks at his door later, reinstated and full of dread. He has the man dress him back up in his armour and debates the importance of sleep.

       ✶ ‎

Merlin returns, because of course he does, and Arthur gives up on trying to explain what it means to be Prince, and when Merlin leaves, Arthur wonders if perhaps Merlin’s given up on trying to save him. It would slot perfectly into place in Arthur’s life; what is another sorcerer turning their back on Camelot? This one certainly would be justified in doing so.

But then the snakes emerge from Valiant’s shield. But then Arthur passes Merlin on his way towards his tent. Because of course he does – it wouldn’t be like Merlin to let Arthur continue on his merry, if much shorter, way. If Arthur can’t keep Merlin away, he supposes it’s better then to keep the boy close. At least with Merlin around he’ll have a much sooner heads-up when his life is about to be in mortal peril from magic. Not to mention the cheers of the adoring crowd when unaware of a certain sorcerer’s aid were rather bittersweet. 

Arthur gives him his position back. Merlin grins. Arthur gives him another impossible chore list and hopes Merlin won’t be able to complete it.

...

A/N: Alternate titles – Under Pressure, Warrior or Coward. Uther's little speeches had some good title ideas, so. Maybe he should try his hand at fanfiction. Anyway, I know you're not supposed to tell your audience when you messed up, but man. This fic was ass. It was so hard to write! To be fair, I remember telling my roommate, "Damn. This episode was emotionally all over the place," and I think in reality it wasn't, but my brain was struggling to keep up with the ups and downs of it, so that might explain my struggle with this fic. Also, Arthur is just hella hard for me to write. We're the exact same but also we're so very different, plus I have "he's my favorite fucking character" bias, so I accidentally write him in a much nicer way than he should be written about at this point in the series. (I wanted to include something about Morgana rubbing it in that he was saved by a girl in this, but it just wasn't working, but like, look, he's still kind of awful, LOL.)

Anyway, despite me hating this fic (eh, I'll come back and edit it later maybe), I hope y'all enjoyed it! If you did, please consider not just liking but also reblogging this post and leaving a kudos and comment on AO3. If not, I've also got a coda in the works for episode two... too, and that's been a lot easier to write than whatever this was, so you can look forward to that instead. Going to watch episode three tomorrow and see what I manage to crank out. Ciao! ^_^

#merlinwatch2023 #merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #merlin fanfic #merthur fanfic #my fic #my writing

[undermycoat]

Fortune Favours... More Favours

Arthur isn't exactly content to play the fool, but at least there can be some joy found in it – not that the joy lasts long, mind you. For the most part, Merlin is a chore Arthur finds himself owing more and more too; owing so much, he worries that he might never be able to repay it all.

Rating: G

Word Count: 1.2k

Full text and author's note under the cut.

Or, read on AO3.

A/N: Written for Merlin Watch 2023! Even if it's a week and some late... sorry, everyone. >_< Title a play on "Fortune favors the bold," or however that quote goes.

...

It’s not an attempt on Arthur’s life. The disease takes indiscriminately, takes mercilessly, is much bigger than him, and he’s not so caught up in Merlin that he could turn a blind eye on magic’s corruptive power, its evil. Not that he wants to. And, Arthur runs his thumb down the feather of his quill, the short hairs tickling his skin, though he won’t deny magic’s capacity for evil, he doesn’t want to consider Merlin as a culprit, not at all. When Gaius had rushed into the hall with Merlin at his heels, a victim of magic on the floor, Arthur hadn’t spared any extra thought about his manservant, much less the possibility that it was him who caused this sickness. 

The boy has never used magic to harm – not really, not when it mattered. What happened during their fight, their second meeting, was self-defence and child’s play. Merlin’s not a killer. 

What Merlin is, however, seems to be an idiot. All those times Arthur called him one, he never meant it, not truly, and every time the word flew from his lips, it was so Arthur could see the crease between Merlin’s brows, the downturn of his full lips, but Merlin appears eager to prove the insult correct, and it makes Arthur want to rip out his hair and scream and it makes him wish he could send the stupid sorcerer straight to the pyre. But he doesn’t. Merlin lives another day. 

Another day clearly wasted, Arthur thinks when he’s later sent to search the physician’s chambers, meant to overturn every rock, sweep through every crevice, to find the sorcerer. He does not find the one behind the disease, but he does find the tremor in Merlin’s voice, the steady cadence of Gaius’, when he asks after the small chamber off to the side – Merlin’s room – suspicious. The damned sorcerer will continue to evade him, but Merlin might not. There is something in his room he must keep hidden. Arthur goes to the door. He can hear mutterings behind him, Merlin and Gaius, but he cannot make out the words. He pushes open the door. 

The book is impossible to miss. 

Arthur crouches, brushes his fingers along the spine, stomach churning. When he lifts it from the floor, his grip tightens naturally, a rush going through him; he knows what he’ll see when he carefully thumbs through the pages. He sets the book back down and marvels at how Merlin’s managed to survive, going undetected by everyone but Arthur, for so long. Then, he marvels at the absolute wreck that is Merlin’s room. He looks over to the empty cupboard, one of its doors swung wide open, and decides if he’s to constantly play the fool, he can at least have fun with it. 

He lets Merlin do his little tricks, thinking Arthur unaware and dumb, before he leaves the small room, satisfied at his debt being fulfilled (because that’s what this is, one favour owing another) and not regretful he’d missed the gold in Merlin’s eyes when the boy hid the book. 

       ✶ ‎

He does not think about the flowers tucked into Merlin’s neckerchief when he calls for his knights to arrest Guinevere. He feels a tug of pity at her cries, but he does his duty, and she is dragged to Uther’s feet, thrown down there on the cold floor. Arthur does not think about Merlin. However, this time, he knows it is him who is to blame. Even with their rocky first meeting, Merlin’s always been more of a lover than a fighter. 

Arthur finally gives the little purple flowers tucked sweetly into Merlin’s neckerchief some thought (though it leaves a bad aftertaste in his mouth to do so) when Merlin bursts in claiming he is the sorcerer, and Arthur decides the story is that Merlin is in love with Morgana’s maidservant, obviously – and perhaps it might even be true. He tugs Merlin under one of his arms, keeps him secure against Arthur’s side, and his reassurance of Merlin’s mundanity is as much of a threat to Merlin as it is a promise to his father. “There’s no way he’s a sorcerer.” 

Merlin meets his eyes, and Arthur thinks for a moment Merlin might understand, but what shines in the blue is not fear of a truth discovered but rather a ruthless blend of gratitude – idiotic, helpless gratitude – and derision. Arthur pulls away and hopes his disappointment is evident. Watching Merlin’s back, its tension, his rigid shoulders, as he leaves the hall then disappears past the doors, Arthur knows, to Merlin, it’s not. 

       ✶ ‎

He knows what Morgana is doing before the words are out of her mouth. Gwen is her friend; Gwen is practically her perfect shadow. Then, Morgana brings up Merlin. Merlin, who seems to catch the eye of every woman at court, maid or nobility – not that affection from or for the latter can go anywhere. Arthur straightens as Morgana continues her spiel on righteousness and chivalry. He entertains her words, entertains her, not that that’s hard, his lips retaining an amused curl at her seduction. 

Irritatingly though, it’s not the pink of her lips, the arrangement of her dark tresses around her chest, nor the way she picks her words with the same dexterity and cleverness of a bard with his lute that has him following her out his chambers and to the courtyard. 

Arthur comes out ahead of Morgana when they push past the heavy doors and he catches sight of his manservant, who studies the guarded pyre from a couple paces away. Of course Merlin doesn’t leave well enough alone. Of course Arthur follows after him anyway. Morgana continues on with them as they head for the tunnels, and her insistent presence has Arthur tense. 

He’s still chafing at the memory of the girl tossing him his father’s guard’s sword then gloating about it later, and now in the darkened passages, though she had quietly brought up the rear as they walked, her protests rattle in his head and he swears the ground shakes when she strides past him, coming to lead their trio. Merlin, meanwhile, keeps to his right, a steady presence at his side in comparison to Morgana’s eagerness to overtake him. Only when they come to a fork in the path can Arthur return to the front. Gripping his sword and torch tighter, Arthur pushes forward. Morgana and Merlin silently follow behind. 

Above them, the day had been completely still, as if the world had been holding its breath, aware of what will happen to Gwen, her innocent soul, should they fail. Arthur thrusts forward his torch when the awful beast lunges towards him and that’s when wind bursts through the tunnel, howling in Arthur’s ears and doing more than ruffle his hair, sending the flames of his torch high into the air, burning so bright that Arthur can hardly stand to look at the fire. Still, he knows it’s gold – a brilliant, beautiful gold. 

He doesn’t speak to Merlin on their way back out of the tunnels. Merlin goes off with Morgana to get Gwen from the dungeons, her freedom and innocence restored, and Arthur returns to his chambers. Favours adding up, each one owing another, that’s all everything is. 

...

A/N: Yeah, yeah, not my best work, I know, and late, but hey! There's something up with Arthur now, right? Weird to be a man noting another man's lips, getting mad about a flower in his neckerchief. Right?

Anyway, regardless of my own feelings about this, hopefully you liked it, and if you did, consider liking and reblogging, and leaving a kudos and comment on AO3!

As a PS, oh, it was so weird writing Arthur's half-attraction to Morgana, even with my own carnal need for her. Like, bro... that's your... dude... but whatever! It is what it is. Can't fault the guy for having eyes.

#merlinwatch2023 #merthur #bbc merlin #merlin #merlin fanfic #merthur fanfic #my fic #my writing

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Gates Of Avalon" Sidhe ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

#merlinwatch2023 #bbc merlin #arthur pendragon #sophia sidhe #sophia tirmawr #bbc merlin edit #edit #bbc merlin 1x07 #the gates of avalon #viruscreates #arthur x sophia #please click for better quality #poetry #tw drowning #tw nonconsensual touching #im not sure what else to tag as this episode deals with a lot of noncon stuff so ill leave it there for now