In a land of myth and a time of magic...

bbc merlin - 03x08 The Eye of the Phoenix

bbc merlin - 03x13 The Coming of Arthur, Part II

to go along with the final chapter of my merlin rewrite ‘the once and future kings’ - here is an artwork i did to accompany it

read the fic here on ao3

and read my authors note for the final chapter below the cut 💕

Yet another Merlin rewatch: 1x03 The Mark of Nimueh

Bonus: Arthur’s reaction

These are the tiny moments I love. It’s the way Arthur’s eyes don’t leave Merlin after he looks away. Not only do they not leave him, but you can literally see his eyes flick around Merlin’s face.

It’s a moment just for Arthur. To observe and appreciate his friend up close. He even does a little gulp as he’s taking in his side profile, his cheekbones, his chin. His Merlin.

I think it’s so special because he’s giving Arthur the choice of what he wants to do. He can leave Merlin there and be alone or he can ‘wake him up’ and have a friend. He knows Arthur might not want to engage with anyone after an entire night spent with his deceased father. It’s a beautiful, understated act of consideration, love, and empathy.

Arthur is dying. And yet he gets this incredibly fond look on his face when remembering the day they first met.

Arthur is dying. And yet he looks at Merlin, the person who’s only just revealed his decade long lie regarding this thing that Arthur’s been raised to hate, and he jokes that Merlin cheated during their first meeting.

Arthur is dying. And he doesn’t really care that Merlin has magic. Only that he lied to him.

"Your first battle wound." *Wraps Merlin's wound in ripped of fabric of his shirt*

There is something so adorable about that happening so late in the series. Because it's true... Merlin's previous battlewounds have been burns, poison, etc. But never blood. And most of these things Arthur doesn't even know about.

And Arthur's mind instinctually goes: I've been watching you, always. This is your first wound and maybe you're freaking out about it, so don't worry it's cool actually. I don't care that I've had worse wounds. We're not moving until we took care of it! I won't move until I took care of you.

(how lucky am I to finally take care of you?)

Merlin: seriously? The good shirt!!!!

Arthur:(internally: why is he so calm? He should be freaking out! That's a serious wound! Have embarrassed myself? I imagined this moment differently) don't worry, you can mend it.

Arthur's definitely spend sleepless hours at night imagining how to react if Merlin ever got hurt. And now he's confused af because it didn't go as planned.

Meanwhile Merlin:

end of scene:

bbc merlin - 03x08 The Eye of the Phoenix

Merlin: I wish I *hic* could

Arthur: gosh, this is going to be so annoying

Merlin: I could leave

“He’s dying…..A man he loves is dying, so he’s holding him.”

The way Arthur cradles Merlin’s head so gently - if it’s for the sake of it, or a reminiscence to the way he sometimes used to put his hand on his neck instead of the hug he couldn’t (bring himself to) give; or maybe it’s one last, weak attempt to pull him into a kiss after all that he doesn’t quite manage anymore. 

Or maybe it’s that last, silent ‘I love you’ that he can’t say out loud - because maybe he’s still terrified of rejection despite everything, or maybe of not being good enough, OR - and that’s my personal theory - he didn’t say it because it seemed cruel, because he knew Merlin would have an even harder time of moving on if he finally, finally heard it and then lost him. Arthur already told him ‘I don’t want you to change,’ (no matter what happens, Merlin,) because he knew that for Merlin it would be near-impossible to not break over his death as it would’ve been for Arthur. 

Right, and then - look at Arthur, look at him. He looks.. content. Like he’s exactly where he wants to be, sees what he wants to see in that final moment. I’m convinced that he knew he would die for longer than Merlin wanted to admit, and all Arthur wanted was to be right there, in that position with that one person, and his only concern was to maybe offer some comfort to Merlin as well. Like. I don’t mean he’s in any way content to die, but he found peace. He told Merlin so, said ‘We finally brought peace,’ talked about ‘The Kingdom we built,’ and Arthur was always ready to die in battle and yeah, if he has to die, then like this. 

There are no more secrets, no more barriers between them. Arthur doesn’t need to worry about being king anymore, about what’s appropriate or possible consequences, and the last little distance between them that - I’m simply convinced of this - both could always feel because of the secrets Merlin had to keep is finally gone. Arthur finally knows what it was that ‘he never could put his finger on,’ and Merlin finally knows that Arthur ‘really sees and accepts him’ and you can read that in every single line of their faces in this scene. 

Seriously, both their acting is so good in this, and the whole last episode to be honest, I could probably write rambling interpretations to every single scene in The Diamond of the Day, though I’d probably break my heart even more than I’m already doing. 

Pas de Deux by @schweet-arts​

Created for Merlin Bingo 2022 (@merlinbingo) square M1 (”Dance AU”) and June’s monthly theme (Pride). Inspired by Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake.