When You Get This, List 5 Songs You Like To Listen To, Publish. Then, Send This To 10 Of Your Favourite

I just listened to this for the first time and my life will never be the same again- IT’S INCREDIBLE

If you are newish to the Merlin fandom and haven’t yet listened to it, let me HIGHLY recommend the audio performance of the Student Prince performed by the author. I am not exaggerating when I say it is one of the best audiobook performances, professional or otherwise, I have ever heard. You can tell the author has training as an actor and, since it’s her work, she is able to fully embody the emotions of every character and scene.

I listen to it every Christmas and you should too.

https://audiofic.jinjurly.com/student-prince

i do think merlin and arthur had the perfect dynamic. an episode would end with arthur being like merlin you're my closest friend and confidante and the greatest man i've ever met. and merlin would be like i'd kill and die for you we are two sides of the same coin. and then you'd start the next episode and it would begin with arthur smacking merlin upside the head and calling him an ugly peasant and merlin calling arthur a fat idiot.

i saw this and couldnt help myself

CHAPTER ONE IS UP!! I'm working on chapter two, so it should be up soon!

Tag list: (tagging people who interacted/ seemed interested but please let me know if you wanna be added or removed that's totally fine!)

@neptunesyellowsands @atlasflower @sibrino @221b-bitch-st @josephinthepast @sugar-coated-prat-dragon @incorrect-camelot @idk-anymore-mydudes @thedaughterofkings @toomanyfanficsbruh

ok i have a dumb Merthur fic idea: Farmer Wants a Wife AU

hear me out:

Arthur is a rich bachelor who owns a farm

Merlin is his farm hand who lives in the local town

He’s been working for Arthur for 3 years- they got off on the wrong foot by insulting each other but since then have become close friends (not that either of them would admit it)

Morgana secretly signs Arthur up to the TV show Farmer Wants a Wife

Arthur has to host 4 beautiful women on his farm and take them on dates (and everything is being filmed)

Arthur starts to realise he misses Merlin- that he would rather be mucking out the stables with him, than on a boring picnic date

Maybe he kisses one of the women and realises he’s not attracted to her and he’s like Oh Shit: Sexuality Crisis

Of course some fun banter between Merlin and Arthur around the farm when they’ve stopped filming for the day- Merlin teases Arthur about the whole Wife thing

Maybe one of the women is Gwen and she Notices how much Arthur talks about Merlin, and she Notices how awful it was when Arthur kissed her, and she puts the pieces together

Maybe Arthur and Gwen become close as friends, and at some point he confides in her (off camera) and she’s like “I know.”

MAYBE ALL THE GIRLS HAVE INDEPENDENTLY FIGURED IT OUT- and they compare notes “yeah, he was SUCH a bad kisser” “definitely gay for his farm hand” AND THEY WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GET ARTHUR AND MERLIN TOGETHER

Arthur doesn’t know what’s going on, but the girls keep calling in “sick” and he keeps ending up on romantic dates with Merlin???

Don’t really know how to end this, but of course they end up together, Arthur’s a good kisser when it’s Merlin he’s kissing, he remains good friends with Gwen and the girls, and they make television history

(Edit: I started writing it. Stay tuned)

Rewatching Merlin S1E2, when Merlin is dressing Arthur for his duel and just generally being incompetent because it's like his first day on the job, but imagine:

Merlin: *hands Arthur his helment* great, yeah, I think you’re all set

Arthur: Aren’t you forgetting something?

Merlin: *frowns*

Merlin: Oh, right

Merlin: *kisses Arthur*

Arthur: *turning red* No, you idiot! My sword!

Merlin loves Arthur how he needs to be loved. His whole life everyone in his life has love him how they wanted too, on their own terms. But not Merlin.

Where Uther would give him extravagant gifts and parties, Merlin gives him an extra roll with dinner, because he noticed he skipped lunch.

Where Leon and the knights congratulate him on a tournament well fought, Merlin asks if he'd like for him to get the healing balms tonight. He noticed he got hit pretty good in the left shoulder during the match.

Where Gwen, during their brief courting, would steal kisses, Merlin holds his hand, sitting with his back to the head of the bed while Arthur lays his head in his lap, and runs his fingers through his hair.

All his life he's craved the simple act of being known. The simple touches and the little things that mean the most. Without even trying Merlin gives him that and more. Almost like magic ✨

Arthur repeals the magic ban! Yay! Druids, Catha, and all others come to Camelot to live peacefully under the reign of the Once And Future King! Yay! The Golden Age is starting! Yay! Merlin still hasn’t told Arthur about magic! …He’s just waiting for the right time. Things have just happened so fast and he just doesn’t know how to bring it all up.

Well, as Arthur and the rest of Camelot get more comfortable with magic, Arthur makes a decision. He’s tried teaching Merlin every type of weapon out there, and he’s hopeless with every one of them. But, Merlin still insists on coming with him on dangerous quests. So, Arthur decides to have Merlin try his hand at magic so he has some sort of self defense.

Merlin: ...You want me to what?

Arthur: I know! I know, Merlin! Magic can be dangerous! But I found a wonderful teacher for you. Say hello, Wallace.

Wallace: Hello

Arthur: He's perfectly trustworthy! And, it'll all be perfectly safe!

Merlin: Arthur, there's something you need to know. About me and magic--

Arthur: I know what you're going to say, Merlin, and--

Merlin: I really don't think you know--

Arthur: --please, for me, just try this. I know you don't really like magic. But please, Merlin. And, you know, even if you're crap at it--which you likely are like everything else--you could probably at least get your eyes to do the gold thing. That'll probably scare off some people from hurting you. Like a rattle snake.

Merlin: Arthur, really, you need to listen to me--

Arthur: I'll even do it with you!

Merlin: Arthur, really...Wait what?

Arthur: I'll do it with you! To show you how not dangerous it is! You have no reason to be scared of learning it, Merlin. It'll be easy.

Merlin: ...You're going to try to learn magic?

Arthur: Yes. How hard could it be. You're going to learn it.

Merlin, crossing his arms: Okay, then. I'd like to see this. Let's see you do magic, Once And Future Prat, Mr. Magic King

Arthur, smug at getting Merlin to agree: Good. Our first lesson starts now.

They both look to Wallace. Arthur happy, Merlin raising a judgmental eyebrow. Wallace starts with the history of magic and the theories behind using it. They don't get to the actually magic using part of the lesson day. Wallace does give them both some texts to study.

Their next lesson does get to the magic part.

Wallace: You want to really feel into the magic of the world around you. Feel the earth. Feel the connection you have to that earth. Feel the power that runs through it.

Merlin's enjoying it, letting the magic wash over him, and also peeking at Arthur who seems to be struggling with it. When asked, Merlin says he doesn't feel anything either. He wants to keep watching Arthur struggle.

Their next lesson, Wallace tries to teach them some basic spells. Lighting a candle. Moving a small object. Merlin laughs at all of Arthur's attempts.

Arthur: Well let's see you do better, Merlin!

Merlin just keeps laughing.

Their lessons keep getting interrupted by this or that. Merlin also has a very busy job. One would think that he'd have less work now that magic was legalized, but no. Now he just has more magic beasts roaming the lands, and people freaking out and attacking those magic beasts, leading to fights and stuff. He's always having to slip away to resolve the matter. He has gotten very good at calming dangerous magic beasts and relocating them. But, relocating takes longer than just killing, so he's still just as busy and gone just as much as he was when dealing with vengeful sorcerers.

Every single start of magic lesson:

Wallace: Did you do the homework I assigned?

Arthur, proud: Yes, I did. I did all the reading, but I did have some trouble with the spellwork.

Merlin, who was up all night settling a griffin family into a new nest on a tall mountain: Uh. No. Didn't have time.

Arthur: Merlin, this is your lesson!

Eventually, Merlin has his fill of watching Arthur struggling with magic, and decides that this time is better spent doing other things. So, during one of the lesson, when Wallace tells them to make the flower bloom, without looking up from the report he's going over, he waves his hand and his pot explodes with the force of plants that grow out of it instantly.

Wallace: ...

Arthur: ...

MinorMagicalAbility!Arthur Prompt

Arthur has a minor magical ability: he can hear people’s thoughts when he touches them (unluckily for him, he never learned to control it so he gets this overwhelming and painful rush of thoughts whenever he touches someone… but as the crown prince he can usually avoid touching people and he always wears gloves).

BUT THEN he meets Merlin, his sassy and clumsy manservant. He doesn’t let Merlin dress him at first, too scared of the barrage of thoughts/feelings/memories/emotions. But one day Merlin trips and Arthur instinctively catches him, accidentally brushing his skin. He braces himself for a loud flood of Merlin’s thoughts, but instead all Arthur can sense is just a 'wall' and he can’t hear anything beyond it. So he starts becoming super handsy with Merlin to try and figure out why Merlin is different. Arthur has never had to wonder what someone was thinking before, but Merlin is a complete mystery to him.

Cue: Arthur watching Merlin closely to learn his mannerisms and facial expressions, Arthur asking Merlin about his life back in Ealdor, Arthur falling in love in the process.

BUT LIKE ALSO Arthur is touch-starved because of his gift, and suddenly Merlin is the one person he can touch without being completely overwhelmed with their toughts, and Arthur takes every excuse to manhandle touch Merlin because he's never been able to be physically affectionate before.

Chapter 3: Of Farmers and Wives

it's *finally* up

“So,” said Merlin not thirty minutes later as they were refilling the ewe’s feeders. “How was your night?” Arthur’s state of calm immediately shattered. “It was fine,” he said quickly– but he probably should have picked a more enthusiastic descriptor because Merlin, who’d been slumping about dejectedly over the feed mill, suddenly straightened up and twisted towards him with great interest. “Just fine?” he asked, eyes glinting.

read it here!

Tag List: @neptunesyellowsands @atlasflower @sibrino @221b-bitch-st @josephinthepast @sugar-coated-prat-dragon @incorrect-camelot @idk-anymore-mydudes @thedaughterofkings @toomanyfanficsbruh @ace-does-writing @luluzealand2565 @littlemackbranch @smileytrinity (as always feel free to let me know if you want to be added or removed from the list)