#walk in on merlin and arthur being shifty as fuck and he tells you he's teaching the king poetry in the middle of a random hallway? sure

[lonesomedotmp3]

i love how little character depth/proper screentime sir leon gets almost entirely because he just knows when to mind his fucking business. king.

#immortal army? runs the fuck away. gets magically revived by druids? returns back to the castle and never thinks about it again. #walk in on merlin and arthur being shifty as fuck and he tells you he's teaching the king poetry in the middle of a random hallway? sure #whatever who even gives a shit. freaks. see u at training tomorrow i guess #and THAT my friends is how you survive the deathtrap that is being a knight of camelot in bbc merlin <3 final girl swag #merlinposting

[merlinficreview]

The Student Prince Chapters 21-25 Review!

The Student Prince by FayJay

Word Count: 145222

Chapter 21

This chapter starts with Merlin complaining about how what he and Arthur are doing is stupid. I feel like a lot chapters start this way. Find another kind of transition. Merlin seems to be carrying all the bags. Which is stupid, but Arthur says that Merlin lost Rock, Paper Scissors. “’You are not my lord and master, Arthur,’ Merlin grumbled. ‘Oh, I am, though,’ said Arthur, in an appallingly sexy voice that almost made Merlin trip over his feet. ‘And you know it. I own your arse, Merlin Emrys, and don't you go forgetting it.’”

I mean, how else is Merlin supposed to take that? I have literally never in my life said something like that to someone, especially in a platonic sort of way. “Merlin swallowed hard, and didn't trust himself to answer that for a moment or two. He really couldn't imagine how Arthur could hope to pass that particular assertion off as anything but flirting, but here they were still officially doing the platonic dance.” See, Merlin agrees with me.

Apparently Merlin and Arthur are doing whatever it is that they’re doing, because Morgana dared Arthur to. There’s some banter and we finally learn what they are doing, “You want to bet Morgana did it in summer? Because I'm here to tell you there's no bloody way she's dim enough to freeze her shapely arse off at the top of St Rule's Tower to impress somebody.”

Merlin asks Arthur what it’s like to fly in a plane and Arthur offers to take Merlin up in his plane on Sunday. “Merlin's jaw dropped. ‘No, I – sorry, I wasn't angling for any favours,’ he said, suddenly mortified. ‘I didn't mean...’ ‘I know you didn't, you ass. But come with me anyway? You'll love it. There's plenty of space in the plane. Say yes?’ ‘Well – I – well, okay then – yes,’ Merlin said, awkward and pleased. ‘Um. Thank you?’” That’s kind of sweet of Arthur, wanting to share his personal private time where he actually gets to do the one thing he likes with Merlin.

They lay down to sleep, which seems like their whole trip was for nothing if they were just going to go right to bed as soon as they got to the top of the tower, but whatever. “’Jesus, it's fucking freezing,’ said Arthur, after a few minutes, sounding chastened, and Merlin laughed out loud. ‘If you say “I told you so”, Merlin, I'm going to throw you off the top of the tower.’ ‘Okay,’ said Merlin, grinning even as he shivered. ‘I'll just lie here thinking it, shall I?’”

Ahahaha. I love Merlin.

Merlin magically heats up his blanket so he isn’t cold and Arthur continues complaining, saying if they had whiskey he wouldn’t be so cold. I mean, yeah you won’t feel it, but you’ll still die! “’Mmm,’ he said. ‘So, just out of curiosity, what would you give for a wee dram of Glayva right now? Hypothetically speaking? I mean, I know it's more of a liqueur than a whisky, but...?’” Damn, Merlin is on top of it.

Merlin asks Arthur for the magic word, banter ensues, “’Merlin, if I have to wrestle it out of your cold dead hand, I will do so.’ Merlin couldn't help thinking about Raisin Monday; he realised, with a sudden flush of shame, that he'd been kind of hoping to provoke Arthur into doing exactly that – had been angling for some more mutually enjoyable grabbing and writhing and wriggling, with plausible deniability provided by the bottle of Glayva. But once he realised what he was doing, he handed the bottle over straight away.” That’s actually some pretty impressive self-awareness and a great reaction upon the realization of what he’s doing. Good job, Merlin.

Merlin asks Arthur what he would do if he wasn’t going to be king and Arthur says he would be a firefighter or a fighter pilot because he wants to do something that matters. Then he goes on an awkward rant about how the monarchy is useless nowadays.

Arthur is still bitching about being cold so Merlin tells him to come over and share body heat. Arthur notices that the stones are hot where Merlin is sitting. “’Why do you think I chose that spot?’ asked Merlin, cheerfully dishonest. ‘All to do with molecular energy, heat conduction, surface temperatures – Physics stuff, not your cup of Darjeeling.’” Arthur believes him because he’s stupid.

Arthur cuddles up to Merlin and they spoon. Even Merlin realizes this isn’t plausible bro friend platonic behavior.

“’It is a bit of a stupid adventure,’ Arthur admitted, his breath brushing warm against the nape of Merlin's neck. ‘But it's nice getting away for once. From everyone.’ ‘You didn't get away from everyone,’ Merlin said, shaking with laughter. ‘You brought me along! I'm part of “everyone”, you great numpty!’ ‘No,’ said Arthur, quietly, and his arm tightened around Merlin's waist. ‘No, you're not.’ Merlin swallowed. ‘Oh,’ he said, staring unseeing over at the moonlit stones across from them. ‘Oh.’” Aw that’s sweet.

Chapter 22

“’Oh my God, you've got to be kidding me,’ said Merlin, his jaw dropping. ‘This? But it's huge!’ Arthur's mouth twitched. ‘I get that a lot,’ he said, waggling his eyebrows.” Get your mind out of the gutter. Merlin is clearly looking at Arthur’s plane. Arthur starts talking about plane stuff and like Merlin, my eyes kind of glaze over.

“’I seriously cannot believe that this thing belongs to you,’ said Merlin, feeling completely insignificant, and a little intimidated, as his attention returned to the sleek black Learjet before him, with its name written in silver on the side. ‘Jesus. I don't even own a bicycle.’” This made me laugh even though it’s sad. Imagine being Merlin with your super fancy rich friend who regularly takes out his personal plane for funsies while you have to walk everywhere.

“The cockpit was, as it turned out, rather dauntingly full of screens and buttons and dials and gadgetry, and Merlin was more than a little worried that he might accidentally lean on an ejector seat button, or sneeze near something vital, or in some fashion manage to bugger up the appallingly expensive equipment in front of him, so he stayed in the doorway with his hands folded carefully behind his back, his eyes like saucers.” This is exactly what I would be feeling and doing in Merlin’s situation. Ain’t nobody got the money to buy someone a new plane when I inevitably break it.

“’I can't believe that they let you up here alone, without Leon or Val or anybody.’ Arthur's face took on a distinctly shifty expression. ‘Well, technically they don't,’ he admitted. ‘I'm supposed to have a copilot – they can all fly, my bodyguards – but, er, Val and I have reached an understanding, and now when he's on babysitting duty he stays in the car with Pell, and I get a bit of time to myself.’” That seems safe and not at all like something that is going to come back and bite Arthur in the ass.

Merlin has a super fun time flying with Arthur who shows him a barrel roll.

“And of course that was when a sudden shift in the harmonics indicated that something had just gone rather badly wrong with one of the engines, and everything went to hell in a handbasket.”

And that’s how the Price of Wales and the most powerful sorcerer who ever lived died.

Chapter 23

Just kidding. Or am I?

Arthur tells Merlin they are about to crash because for Reasons, both engines have decided to stop working. Arthur freaks out and tells Merlin he’s sorry. “Sorry our super fun trip is about to end in our deaths!” “’No,’ said Merlin, firmly, unfastening his seat belt – and everything stopped.” Damn straight, Merlin. I like how, even though it’s not super obvious, Merlin’s magic is starting to improve and he’s really developing a good sense of control.

Merlin has a pretty brilliant idea, “He held it in his mind like a wisp of smoke trapped in a jar, and felt his eyes glowing golden as he scrabbled in his pocket for a marker and started to scribble the dragon's image onto the door. When it was finished, he took the prisoned pattern of magic and self and pushed it into the fabric of the door, feeling a sharp, electric click as it slotted into place and like called to like across the miles, and Arthur's precious jet became a part of the Great Dragon's corporeal form; spooky action over a distance, Einstein would have called it, and he'd have been right.”

Merlin tells the dragon that he is giving him this body for safe passage for him and Arthur back to their dorm. “’Do you trust me, young warlock?’ the dragon asked, blinking catlike eyes. ‘Are you prepared to open a door in the sky and step through, confident that your feet will find land awaiting you on the other side?’ ‘Yes,’ said Merlin, looking straight back, yellow-eyed and dangerous. ‘Because if you betray me, Kilgharrah, I will drag you out of existence so thoroughly that not even the faintest memory of you will linger on the earth.’ As he spoke, he pulled his magic around him like a cloak of light and shadow, and knew that he could be as good as his word.” YES, MERLIN! Take charge!

Merlin starts time again and seems to have disappeared out of nowhere to Arthur. “’Look, Arthur,’ he said, taking a deep breath. ‘This is going to sound crazy, but I'm a wizard,’ he continued, without much hope. Arthur looked up and met his eyes then, and Merlin flinched at his expression. ‘Yes. I realised that when you disappeared,’ he said, and his voice was icy. Merlin goggled at him. ‘You're not – I mean, I was expecting this to be a harder sell, to be honest. You believe me? About magic? Just like that?’” Oops, Arthur’s mad.

Arthur grabs Merlin’s hand takes him to the door that has the dragon on it. “’Prince Arthur,’ said the dragon, in a rusty voice that gave way to a creaking laugh. ‘It's been a very long time indeed.’ It took a particular kind of mindset and upbringing to be able to treat a magically animated icon of a dragon like a panhandler, but apparently Arthur had it in spades. He ignored the dragon completely, keeping his eyes fixed on Merlin, clasping his fingers tight around Merlin's hand as he opened the door.” This made me laugh. Props to Arthur for being able to ignore the dragon.

They make it back to their room and Arthur gets a bit scary. “’So you're a bloody wizard,’ Arthur said, blue eyes fierce and bright in his flushed face. There was an awkward pause. ‘Er – well, yes,’ said Merlin, helplessly. ‘Because, um, magic is real, and...’ ‘I know that,’ Arthur said, cutting him off. ‘Do you think I'm an idiot? Obviously I know that magic is real.’ ‘You – do?’ Merlin felt the ground beneath him turning into quicksand. ‘What?’ ‘Of course I bloody know, Merlin!’ Arthur snapped. ‘What, you think they don't tell the bloke who's going to be king this kind of tiny little titbit? That they were planning to wait until my father popped his clogs, and then drop the whole “magic is real” thing on me when I was dealing with bereavement? OF COURSE I know that there are wizards and all that weird shit. I just. Didn't. Know. You. Were one.’” So, I like that Arthur knows that magic exists. I find it unnecessary for him to be in the dark about Merlin being his wizard guardian though. If he knew magic was real, he would have had to have known that he would have a sorcerer protecting him too because that’s the tradition. It makes the entire plot of Merlin keeping his magic a secret from Arthur totally pointless.

Arthur pulls on the heartstrings a bit with his confrontation, “’You lied to me,’ Arthur said, very coldly. ‘I trusted you, and all this time you've been lying to me.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘Have you been playing at bodyguard too, along with Val and Leon and all the rest of them? Have you? Were you told to follow me around, like my own personal guard dog?’” Yikes.

“’But it's no coincidence that we're sharing a room, is it? It wasn't just for a joke, because of your daft name; they put you in here to watch me. To pretend to be my friend, and – and, my God, I am such a fucking idiot,’ he said, shaking his head in disbelief. ‘It's so bloody obvious, now.’ He turned and walked away, and began pacing up and down the little stretch of space in between their beds. ‘You were assigned to me,’ he said, hoarsely.”  That sucks. I feel like Arthur probably thought Merlin was the only one who actually hung out with Arthur without it being part of some sort of duty. Surprise!

“I never pretended to be your friend. At least with Leon and Val and the rest, I know it's about work – that they're being paid to shadow me around. I don't go imagining that we're friends or that – or anything else. God. God, I can't stand to look at you right now, you duplicitous fucker.” Yeah, that’s kind of what I suspected. Poor Arthur. Then he packs a bag and tells Merlin he never wants to see him again.

“’I'm not your mate,’ Arthur said, his tone thoroughly withering. ‘I'm not even a fucking acquaintance. I don't know who the hell you are, and I don't want to. Now get out of the bloody way.’” Ouch. A + for that realistic reaction though.

Chapter 24

Merlin calls Gaius and explains what happened. Gaius actually doesn’t yell at Merlin or call him useless and says he’ll figure something out.

Merlin calls Gwen at her nightline job and tells her everything. “’But – but it's because I lied to him, Gwen. He thinks I was just pretending to be his friend,’ said Merlin, his throat closing up. ‘Because I was supposed to watch over him and keep him safe – I mean, that's why they put me in with him in the first place, but that doesn't mean I was just protecting him because of that, or that I was just spending time with him to protect him! He's got it all wrong, and I don't know how to make it right again. And I – I – oh, Gwen,’ his voice hitched, and dropped to a whisper. ‘I bloody love him. Actually. Love him. Quite a lot. In a probably-permanent sort of way.’” Poor Merlin. That sucks.

Merlin goes for a walk along the beach, wearing Arthur’s hoodie and sits down on a bench, “And he was still sitting there alone, staring miserably out to sea, red-eyed and snot-nosed, when the kraken showed up to try and comfort him.” Aww I like that the kraken likes to hang out with Merlin. He feels better and gets back to his dorm, “All of which, of course, came to a rather abrupt end when he got back to his room and found Arthur waiting for him.”

Chapter 25

Merlin is excited that Arthur is back, though Arthur is still being hateful. “’Are you wearing my hoody?’ Arthur asked abruptly, looking startled and wrongfooted. ‘Oh! Er - yes. Er. Sorry?’ Arthur digested this piece of information. ‘For some kind of magical reason?’” This is cracking me up. Does Arthur think Merlin is using it like a dog who smells a sweater and then goes and picks up the scent of the person it belongs to?

“Arthur raised an eyebrow. ‘Morgana trusts you, which is the only reason I'm here. She told me about Sophia,’ he said. ‘And about the potion Trickler put on the tablet.’ He flushed. ‘And something about a pair of vampires?’ ‘And an oversexed selkie, a small flock of ghouls, a gargoyle, and the ghost of Patrick Hamilton,’ Merlin added, since apparently the secrecy ship had pretty much sailed now.” You know, I’m so glad Morgana straight up told Arthur what was going on rather than pulling that bullshit, “go TALK to him!!!” nonsense you see so often in media.

Arthur tells Merlin he’s clearly earning his salary and Merlin tells him he doesn’t get one. . “’Well, I'm getting the Camelot scholarship, obviously, because I'm a wizard – we all get that, to get us up here. So there's that. But that's now why I've been keeping you safe, you stupid stupid man.’ ‘Why, then?’ asked Arthur. His voice was surprisingly quiet, and he sounded sincerely desperate to know. ‘Because I love you, you twat,’ Merlin said, taxed beyond endurance. ‘All right? Not just because Gaius nagged me into it – because I bloody love you. How can I not want to keep you safe, when I've got the power?’” God finally.

Arthur tells Merlin to tell him all the spells he cast on him and to undo them. Which I think is fairly reasonable. Merlin tells him about knocking him unconscious and the memory spell, leaving out that it was Merlin who kissed Arthur. “’Right. Well – I thought you probably wouldn't want to remember that,’ Merlin said, blushing red as a pillar box. ‘Um. Sorry.’ Arthur's expression became very set. ‘That really wasn't your choice to make, was it?’ he said. He looked at Merlin expectantly.” I told you Arthur wouldn’t be happy about that one.

“’Right – well, I'm sure you'll be okay with using this, then,’ he said, tersely, producing a pale chunk of crystal from his pocket and eyeing it with an expression of distaste. ‘Morgana says she's charged it up, whatever the hell that means, and that if we're both touching it at the same time it will neutralise the effects of whatever magic you did on me, and glow with a blue light to show it's done.’ His expression grew colder. ‘Unless you cast something on me that's too powerful for it to deal with. Something dark. Then it glows red.’” The crystal turns blue. Arthur thought that Merlin had cast a spell on him to make Arthur fall for him. Then Arthur kisses Merlin and they have sex.

Later, Arthur asks Merlin to tell him about the dragon/plane. Then he calls Merlin his boyfriend. “’Only – only we'll have to keep it secret, of course,’ he added, awkwardly. ‘Oh,’ said Merlin, feeling his heart drop. Which was stupid, because of course he'd known that Arthur wasn't going to bound out onto the street and proclaim himself a raging poof too all and sundry. Nothing had changed. Arthur was still the Prince of Wales, and still expected to act the part, and so it was utterly ridiculous to feel disappointed. He swallowed hard and tried not to mind. ‘Right.’” Poor Merlin. “’I love you too,’ Arthur said, the words pressed into Merlin's skin like a secret. ‘I never thought I could have this. Have you. But - I love you too.’” That’s sweet and all, but I’ve got my eye on you, Arthur Pendragon.

So I liked all of these chapters. My only complaint was the whole, “if Arthur knew about magic why did Merlin have to protect him in secret?” because really, it just served to create drama later when Arthur found out. I like that Merlin can count on the kraken to show up and hang out with him when he’s sad. I also liked that Arthur’s reaction was realistic and not written in a way where Merlin could have totally been like, “umm this is what I did and let’s solve this right now.” I find that often times, these types of scenes are written where one person could have easily said something to fix the situation before the other one leaves or a misunderstanding is created. You know, drama for drama’s sake. I also liked that Morgana was not fucking around and actually told Arthur everything he needed to know, even if we didn’t see that scene. Not a fan of Arthur’s “we have to keep our relationship a secret,” though I totally know where he’s coming from. Three cheers for Kay not being in any of these chapters.

Until Next Time:

#Merlin #bbc Merlin #merlin fic #The Student Prince #Review #Drama for drama's sake #kraken #Magic reveal #no Kay for once