#katherynefromphilly

thank you @katherynefromphilly for writing such a great story, "and like the cycle of the year, we begin again" is one of my favorite fics of all time and it's been such a pleasure binding it!

I wanted to post this on the Summer Solstice, but I fell down an editing well. ;)

Anyway. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that I’ve begun posting the final story in the “We Begin Again” series. The bad news is that it’s going to be posted as a WIP over months.

I know, I know, it’s super aggravating. If you don’t read WIPs, just use the “Subscribe to Story” feature on AO3. You’ll receive notification when it’s complete. I’ll post updates here too.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy. The prologue is told a bit differently. But we’ll return to our regularly scheduled POV Arthur and POV Merlin shenanigans in chapter 1.

;)

Title: Into the golden age of Albion

Rating: Mature

Series: We Begin Again

Relationship: Merlin/Arthur

Characters: Merlin, Arthur, Other OCs - both existing from We Begin Again and new as well

Story summary:

Now that Merlin and Arthur have dealt with Arthur’s return from the dead, and with their mutual love for one another, and also with that mild inconvenience of having to save the Northern Hemisphere from an ancient magical foe, they're finally able to live their lives like any two normal people in love.

All they want is to forget the past, to have a long indulgent holiday road-tripping around the world seeing the sights together as a newly engaged couple, and to get married in Avalon the coming summer on the Solstice.

Surely, that’s not too much to ask. I mean, things always went totally to plan for them before, right?

Story contains: Banter, humor, misadventure, old friends and new friends, canon-level peril, fluff and feels, a happily ever after at the end, and love. Lots and lots of love.

AO3 Link:

And like the cycle of the year, we begin again

by katherynefromphilly

Rating: Mature

Fandom: Merlin (TV)

Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon

Words: 207,578

Chapters: 39/39

Published: 2016-02-23

Author summary:

Set after the Merlin Series 5 Finale "Diamond of the Day". Canon Compliant. In Character. Arthur Pendragon Returns. Cover art by Lao-Pendragon ------ For many long years Merlin waited. For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end. Until one day, suddenly, it did. When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and his fear of losing him again. Story includes sass, banter, horseplay, & True Love.

My thoughts:

This was one of the best fanfics I have ever read. I cannot express how much I loved it, and how it healed something broken in my heart all those years ago when the finale of Merlin aired that horrible Christmas in 2012. I cried a lot, I laughed a lot, and I felt so many things I couldn't describe to you right now. I will definitely read it again, because this was a masterpiece. This is the ending we all deserved of this series. The reunion and true love between Arthur and Merlin.

Ending quote:

i've recced @katherynefromphilly's We Begin Again series before, but yeah. read it!! SO worth your time. this quote is from Our Destinies Our Own (the sequel to And like the cycle of the year, we begin again): "That's the way I love you. Like the earth loves its magic."

makes my earth tremble, for me specifically. couldn't decide on one mood, so made two wallpapers for this one! i feel like the first one captures that earth shattering feel, while the second one is more peaceful, closer to the way it was said in the actual fic.

backgrounds are not mine + used canva!

"LIKE THE CYCLE OF THE YEAR" KATHERYNEFROMPHILLY??????

And liked my work???!!

I need to go lie down now.