#gaels

Say he's not actually from Essetir, but Ireland (from research I think it was called Hibernia during the medieval ages, or maybe Alba? I'm not sure, so I'll just stick with Ireland), and Balinor ran a little further afield before meeting Hunith, and then returning once things had settled down to live in that skanky cave, so he can keep an eye on how Camelot was doing. Hunith and Merlin travel to Essetir when Merlin is maybe twelve or so?? So the accent and customs (and even the language) is like... heavily embedded. (To cover plot holes... uh... Gaius is also Irish, but travelled over with... relatives(?) when he was so young that he doesn't have an accent, or even really any memories of home. He has however visited and been visited by his sister enough to have a good relationship with her, and they exchanged letters regularly before and after she moved to Essetir. There. Don't think about it too much.)

HOWEVER!! When he moves to Camelot, he covers it up, because Camelot already hates Bastards (check), Sorcerers (double check) and also Gaels (check again). So to make his life easier, he gives himself a generic Essetirian/Camelot accent, and no one really notices, Maybe he has a bit of a lilt here and there, but people chalk it up to him spending lots of time with a diverse set of people, and/or maybe just being a country bumpkin. The lilt definitely comes out more when he's angry, the angrier he is the stronger it is, but, what the majority of Merlin's friends don’t know, is that they've never really seen him truly angry. Annoyed, frustrated maybe, a little pissed off, but not properly angry. Not for the first few years at least, so again, no one really notices.

Sometimes he rants to himself under his breath in Gaels, more so when he's with Gaius because it's not like the guy doesn't already know, even if he can't actually understand (Gaius does mourn the loss of his heritage sometimes, especially because, when delirious, Merlin's accent comes back full force, and Gaius can't understand a word he's saying).

Anyway. I do have this scenario in my head of some poor page running into the Throne room all "Oh CHRIST, My Lord, there's a woman in the courtyard who claims to have killed Morgause and rescued Morgana!! BUT!!! She says she'll only speak to Myrddin??" And the whole room is in uproar and Merlin just rolls his eyes at them and goes "What does she look like?", at the description he just goes "Oh shit" except in Gaels and runs out. All the gang follow to see him embracing this woman and speaking fast Gaels to her. She's introduced as his sister or an old childhood neighbour/friend or something. She couldn't give less of a shit about Camelot's anti magic laws if she TRIED, and fully admits to defeating the two witches with magic, because she herself is also a witch, and basically dares Arthur to do something abut it whilst Merlin despairs. Once the shock passes, someone, probably Gwaine, just goes "Hey, Merls, what's with the accent?? And the name??" and the woman just raises her eyebrow and goes "Aye, Merls, what's with the accent and the name?" And he has to admit that he's Irish and his real name is Myrddin (I know it's actually Welsh but let’s pretend just for now) and talks in his normal accent and everyone just... blue screens.

At least three times a day for the next few weeks, if not months, he has to explain the "new" accent to friends whom he hasn't spoken to since before the incident. Overall it's very funny, and everyone in Camelot suddenly finds Merlin ten times hotter. Arthur is struggling to cope. Leon openly drools. Gwaine is so wowed he can't even flirt right. Gwen trips over every time he speaks.

His accent is naturally really toned down, from years of hiding it and just being around people who don't have that accent, but it still gets strong when he shouts, and is nigh impossible to understand when he's concussed/drugged/suffering from blood loss/exhausted to the point of delirium. He also starts using words like "aye" to mean yes, and "slán" (the original of Sláinte, meaning good health, or cheers), when he says goodbye, and it's very endearing but also very confusing.

Our man is just so much happier being able to be himself and share his culture with no backlash, because Uther's been gone a while, and Arthur made peace with the Gaels ages ago (Merlin was basically just in too deep to back out then and kept clutching straws until the sister/friend arrived and blew it all wide open). Now he just has to do the same with the magic thing.... But then again!! Sister/friend not giving a fuck has maybe done that already. So. Maybe he's already set?