1 - 20 of 27 Bookmarked Items in essential bedtime stories (merthur)
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With King Uther’s health rapidly deteriorating, Arthur Pendragon must do what all kings before him have done: go on a quest to prove himself the next worthy leader of Camelot. But when his quest leads him to a mysterious tower with a rumored dark past, Arthur begins to question the things he’s been told.
There are stories about what lurks in the tower outside of Gorra. Some say it is the wellspring of evil itself; the beating heart of all magic. Others claim to have glimpsed a twisted creature through its single dirty window. They say whatever lives there is cursed—trapped forever in a labyrinth of rooms, and if you go in, you don’t come out. Nobody ever comes out.
Arthur is sure they’re all old wives’ tales. The building is clearly abandoned, after all. But as Arthur delves further into the tower’s past, nothing is quite as it seems. Is this place truly home to a monster, or is there something else afoot? And who is the mysterious man who wanders its halls?
Inspired by art by count-pudding . A merthur-shaped mystery for BBC Merlin Reverse Big Bang.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 71,930
- Chapters:
- 21/21
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 39
- Kudos:
- 155
- Bookmarks:
- 35
- Hits:
- 2,758
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Morgana looked at him, envy welling in her throat. Arthur had always gotten everything she wanted. The throne, Merlin’s loyalty, a family, Mordred’s faith, a father, the people’s love, and of course, Gwen. Naturally he also had what she had never managed to learn. Forgiveness.
“You can’t forgive me,” she said.
“Why not? We're dead," Arthur replied.
"We won't be forever."
~+~
"It will affect the other souls of Avalon," the Sidhe said.
“But you can do it?” Merlin asked. “My immortality for Arthur’s return. You can make it happen.”
“Yes.”
“Then do it."
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Arthur lies to his sister about bringing his boyfriend to her wedding, and so he finds Merlin who is willing to pretend to date him for a week with his family. Things get a bit more complicated than Arthur imagined they would.
Featuring infuriating sisters, amused friends, bed sharing, boat trips, and probably every cliche under the sun.
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British weather strikes again!
After the wettest December on record, grumpypants-with-a-heart-of-gold Prince Arthur and his totally-not-gorgeous-or-attractive PA, Merlin, get stuck in a little village on the way to a Christmas charity event, with no transport and no accommodation except for a small, cosy inn.
With all the other people stranded by the same flooding, there's only one room free.
And it only has one bed…
Whilst they wait to be rescued, Arthur has a Christmas to remember as he discovers the important things in life, and Merlin finds out that his surly, irritable boss isn’t half as bad as he seems.
A story of flooding, service, snowball fights, and love.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 68,566
- Chapters:
- 12/12
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 135
- Kudos:
- 332
- Bookmarks:
- 78
- Hits:
- 6,077
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At twenty-seven years old, Arthur is living in a new area, trying to make friends and trying to sort his life out. After confiding in Merlin that he has no sexual experience, Merlin offers him a 'friends with benefits' situation, which Arthur readily accepts.
Of course, nothing is ever so simple, and soon all bets are on as to when they will realise exactly what it is they have and whether they will choose to keep it.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 73,533
- Chapters:
- 17/17
- Comments:
- 490
- Kudos:
- 505
- Bookmarks:
- 118
- Hits:
- 12,961
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"You can take Daisy out to fetch the cloak-"
"How do you know that?"
Arthur closed his eyes, expression riddled with irritation before turning to look at Merlin expectantly.
"Know what?"
“The mare I use. You know I call her Daisy? I never told you that." Merlin explained. Arthur stared for a few moments. He could see the flicker of emotions pass easily over him. Anger, annoyance, exasperation, indignance, and finally acceptance...AKA the Five Stages of Grief (Pendragon Edition).
"You talk to the horse.” He pointed out. Merlin narrowed his eyes.
“I whisper to the horse."
"...am I supposed to not hear it?” Arthur asked. Merlin wondered how likely it would be that he also heard him whispering magical spells if he heard him murmuring to the bloody horse. “Also, only you would choose such a ridiculous name.” He muttered. Merlin swallowed. This wasn't a problem at all, right? Right.
Or
Merlin knows Arthur well. Better than he knew himself apparently. What he hadn't expected was for Arthur to know his servant just as well... This causes problems. (also known as "The Time Merlin Had a Mental Breakdown Over Arthur Being a Normal Human")
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 4,439
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Comments:
- 234
- Kudos:
- 14,176
- Bookmarks:
- 1,904
- Hits:
- 76,291
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So If You're Arthur and I'm Merlin, Who's Driving the Car? by watchriverdale
Fandoms: Merlin (TV)
22 Jul 2023
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After a clobbering around the head, Arthur spends eight weeks as a farm boy. Sort of, anyway. It's complicated.
Series
- Part 2 of memory magic standalones
- Part 3 of author’s faves
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This is the story of Arthur, a vet who has recently moved to Ealdor to get a new lease on life, and Merlin, the local animal lover who becomes Arthur's favourite client.
Warning - This story includes a drunk bunny, sad little guinea pig, ninja kitties and an evil chicken. Symptoms may include blushes, fluffy tails and twitching eyebrows.
This is also the story of Arthur and his love for his mother, as he tries to find his place in the world and someone to love him as he is.
But mostly, it's about the eyebrow twitching. Just ask Arthur.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 61,558
- Chapters:
- 9/9
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 790
- Kudos:
- 2,265
- Bookmarks:
- 667
- Hits:
- 29,329
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Celestial (We Were Made to Find Magic in the Smallest Things) by thesongistheriver
Fandoms: Merlin (TV)
04 Nov 2025
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A shop full of antiquities, a rare find at a Cornish dig site, and two men in love with the past who just might find each other for the future.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 38,510
- Chapters:
- 7/7
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 86
- Kudos:
- 205
- Bookmarks:
- 42
- Hits:
- 2,937
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Courtship in Camelot among the nobility has five well-known steps:
Flowers
Gifts
Time spent together (with a chaperone)
A favor (typically if a beloved was a knight)
And obtaining permission from their guardian
Unfortunately, Merlin is oblivious to these traditions. Thankfully, Ealdor has some customs of her own that Hunith deigns to enlighten Arthur about.-
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A Prat for Christmas (I Think I Must Be an Owl Because I Have a Twit To Woo) by Camelittle, LFB72 for LFB72
Fandoms: Merlin (TV)
08 Sep 2025
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Jobbing actor Merlin is despairing of ever getting his big break. With the acting world seemingly set against him, he takes a job as far away from London's glitzy theatreland as he can think of – at a down-at-heel castle in the far north of Scotland. There, he encounters a gruff, kilt-wearing shepherd with sturdy knees and the sort of Viking beard that Merlin would just love to bury his face in. After a rocky start, friendship blooms - and perhaps the potential for something more. But both men are hiding secrets that could blow the whole thing wide open.
In which BBC Merlin's characters get the Hallmark movie treatment. In Scotland. Because Arthur obviously needs to wear a kilt and strut around the highlands looking pretty.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 68,166
- Chapters:
- 26/26
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
- 91
- Kudos:
- 107
- Bookmarks:
- 31
- Hits:
- 2,279
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Perhaps he could have ignored the glittering motes of magic that danced through the room. He could have blamed this strange place of power for their presence, but he could not deny the truth that made itself plain before him, painted in blue eyes turned to bright, brazen gold.
Merlin was a sorcerer.
---
When Sir Leon is gravely injured, Arthur, Merlin and the knights seek shelter in an old Sanctuary cave, but the magic within is far from powerless, and the goddess is always watching. Can they overcome their fears and find their way back to freedom, or will they be lost forever in their own enmity?
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 60,606
- Chapters:
- 12/12
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 1,234
- Kudos:
- 1,985
- Bookmarks:
- 487
- Hits:
- 29,589
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Business magnate Uther Pendragon has died, and his son is horrified to learn that he had properties filled with furniture, art, and books. One property's library is filled with rare and antique books, prompting Gaius to call in Merlin Emrys, an expert on the matter who can help appraise the collection.
Arthur is forced to stay in the middle of nowhere in Belgium with Merlin and Gaius while this gets sorted. He can deal with his godfather, but the bookseller irritates him to no end. He is absolutely not at all interested in the insolent man.
--
This is a romantic comedy about Arthur dealing with grief, an egg-smashing bookseller, his batty godfather, and coping with being stuck in the middle of Belgium with all three of those things.
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Arthur Pendragon works sixty hour weeks and is devoted to his family name, until one night Uther goes just a bit too far. Restless and confused, Arthur gets into his car and drives until he can't. It is the middle of the night in a small village in Wales, and a helpful officer directs him to a B&B for the night.
There he finds a kindly innkeeper, his very weird historian gremlin nephew, odd people, odd situations, and even odder - himself.
A slightly absurd and very gentle story about coming back to yourself, finding a true family, and realizing that historian gremlins are actually really hot and rather amazing, and perfect to fall in love with.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 60,202
- Chapters:
- 21/21
- Comments:
- 675
- Kudos:
- 2,091
- Bookmarks:
- 614
- Hits:
- 37,643
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Arthur has known for a long time that Merlin means more to him than he thought anyone, or anything, ever could.
When everything he thought he knew about his manservant changes, Arthur has to decide if he really ever knew Merlin at all, or if everything he dreams of having is going to slip through his fingers.
~*~*~
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 22,380
- Chapters:
- 3/3
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
- 100
- Kudos:
- 666
- Bookmarks:
- 123
- Hits:
- 9,772
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Balinor is king of the Dragonlords and has conquered Uther in battle. In order for there to be peace in Camelot, marriage is arranged between Merlin and Arthur.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 71,354
- Chapters:
- 10/10
- Collections:
- 1
- Comments:
- 58
- Kudos:
- 336
- Bookmarks:
- 86
- Hits:
- 9,206
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Navigating life events that turn his world upside down, including his ascension to the throne and a revelation that rocks him to his core, Arthur's ever-evolving relationship with Merlin becomes the most important of his life. No one ever said love was easy.
“I would die before I hurt you,” Arthur said, his voice strangled. “I would kill anyone who ever tried to do you harm and it pains me to think that you could ever fear me.”
“I don’t understand,” Merlin said breathlessly. “You’re the king, you – ”
“I’m not standing here as a king, Merlin!” Arthur shouted, his voice breaking as he did so. “I’m standing here as a man, a man who believed he knew you completely, a man who thought you were the one constant in his life, a man who thought…who thought you were his,” he finished, horrified to feel tears pricking his eyes.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 102,622
- Chapters:
- 18/18
- Comments:
- 1,122
- Kudos:
- 5,197
- Bookmarks:
- 1,599
- Hits:
- 157,163
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“You, servant!” the man barks in a brisk tone. He’s pointing at Merlin, facing him from the side and bouncing on his toes as though he has somewhere better to be. “Go fetch my father! I have urgent news for him.”
Merlin looks at him dumbly from where he’s wringing out a soggy pair of breeches.
“What are you doing?” the man asks, outraged.
“Uh,” Merlin looks to the breeches, to the clothesline, then back to the man. He shrugs. “Laundry, I guess.”
“No, you daft idiot, why don’t you do as I command? I am your prince. Now, go fetch my father!” the man commands, then promptly disappears into thin air.
Well, that was weird.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 93,239
- Chapters:
- 16/17
- Comments:
- 205
- Kudos:
- 1,185
- Bookmarks:
- 258
- Hits:
- 23,909
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"Lancelot told me you were in love with me." Arthur's voice is steady, but his eyes are nothing short of bursting from intense emotions. Merlin lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. That was the tormenting issue! The simple, most evident fact that represents the love Merlin holds for his dearest friend?
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Though his manservant is useless at most things, he is quite adept at lighting fires.
+ Merlin and Arthur, a love story told through the kindling of many flames.
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 16,227
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Collections:
- 2
- Comments:
- 146
- Kudos:
- 2,921
- Bookmarks:
- 716
- Hits:
- 27,731
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