So. Today I want to talk about these two and the gift that bbc Merlin gave us, which is when they showed us both boys in love.
Arthur is a prince. He's arrogant, stubborn, condescending, I can go on but I don't want to, because he's also kind, and gentle, and he cares so much for the people he loves it actually hurts me to see it.
When he's with Gwen, he's completely vulnerable. He's playful, he's devoted, he wastes no opportunity to tell her how he feels about her.
What I love about Arthur in love is this, how he shows his affection with words of affirmation. We see him trying to do various acts to show Gwen how he feels about her (trying to cook dinner, breakfast in bed, for examples), but they always come short. Why? Because he doesn't get it. He knows Gwen would appreciate these things so he tries, but he always ends up telling Merlin to do the hard work bc he doesn't really get the importance behind these things.
He's a man of words, we can see this when Uther tells him he's precious to him (back in s1) and he's confused, bc Uther had never told him something similar, so he assumed his father didn't love him. He needs words of affirmation, which is why I think he trusted Morgana and Aggravaine so much. Obviously there was also the family factor, but these two showered him in compliments when trying to get him to trust them, they told him over and over again how they loved him, and he drank it all up, desperate for love in the way Uther never could provide.
We even see this with Merlin. When Merlin doesn't want to talk, that's all Arthur does. He tries to cheer him up in any way he can tries to comfort him by asking what's wrong, willing to listen. Obviously this doesn't work, bc if Merlin were to talk about his problems, he would have to tell Arthur about his magic so when Arthur tries to cheer him up he usually smiles at him, he jokes and plays the part, just so that Arthur will be satisfied that his friend is better.
But let's see Merlin, shall we?
Merlin in love melted my heart for a few reasons. The first is how much of a caretaker this boy is. I am 100% sure that in modern times he would be a nurse or maybe a teacher. He cares so much, and he loves unconditionally.
So when Freya arrives, a scared lonely girl, traumatized and distrustful of the world around her, Merlin pours his heart and sould into caring for her. Everything he does, it's for her, he's thinking of her in every second of that episode, it's painfully obvious how happy he is to have someone to love.
The second thing I love about him is how gentle he is. Arthur in love is decisive, he's passionate, unafraid to show his affection. Merlin is so gentle, he kisses her with care, like she's priceless and fragile. He always hesitates, always looks at her before any sign of affection, just to be sure she's fine with it.
When I'm telling you I cried during her death scene. What brought me to tears wasn't the death itself, it was how Merlin acted. When he sees her on the floor, naked and hurt, he immediately gives her his jacket, just to let her be comfortable. His gaze doesnt linger, he's not even uncomfortable, he looks at her eyes, his only concern is caring for her. In the lake's shore, she's wearing the dress he stole for her, and I get a little teary eyed just thinking how careful he must have been when dressing her, so respectful and loving.
Third thing I love about him: he's so reassuring. He keeps telling her that he'll be back, that she's not alone, that he's going to look after her. He never gets tired of saying it, always says it with love in his eyes.
I think that's why Arthur and Merlin work so well together, why Arthur gravitates towards Merlin whenever something goes wrong. Merlin is never afraid to tell him when he's fucked up, but he's also the one who tells him when he's doing well, that's he's being a good prince (and later King).
Arthur thrives when he's encouraged, when he's assured he's a good person, a good King. Merlin is always telling him this. When Morgana invades Camelot, who spent days trailing after Arthur, telling him he's a good King, telling him not to listen to anyone else? Merlin. Arthur loves him so much because Merlin always tells him the truth, he can trust him to not be a suck up, to tell him when he's right and when he's wrong.
Even when he doesn't ask it, Merlin reassures him. That scene (I've been searching for like twenty minutes and I cannot find it somebody help me) I'm which Merlin wakes Arthur up and he drags him out of bed (again it's my favourite scene please someone help me), Arthur doesn't even say anything, but Merlin tells him what a good job he's been doing.
(Am i even discussing love and these two if I don't add a gif of their intense eye-fucking?)
So yeah, thats my tiny thesis on these two. I wanted to add how all this contributes on merthur's romantic relationship (bc this is all canon) but I'll reblog this with that bit just in case someone wants to reblog this part without merthur.
If anyone reached the end of this, I thank you and I'm sorry you had to read my ramblings I've just been thinking about these two a lot lately.
