Lay Your Head Down on the Shoulder of a Good Friend
Title: Lay Your Head Down on the Shoulder of a Good Friend
Author: skitz_phenom
Artist: siennavie
Pairings/Characters: Merlin/Arthur, Uther, Ygraine, Balinor, Hunith, Leon, Elyan, Lancelot, Percival, Gwaine, Guinevere, Gaius, Kilgharrah, Nimueh, addt’l
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: 97k
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Mentions of Animal Harm
Author's notes: I have a plethora of thanks to give out, as this fic would not have seen the light of day were it not for some very invested, very motivating and very special people!
- First - Siennavie, my ah-may-zing artist! 100% guarantee that I'd not have finished this without your gorgeous art inspiring me so deeply! You are a rockstar extraordinaire! And damn, that's some beautiful art! Speaking of art, readers, you'll notice this is front-heavy on the stunning pieces created by the ultra-talented Siennavie. That's due to my spectacularly poor writing habits. Siennavie made Merlin-level magic with what I got to her in any decent kind of time!
- Second - My beta, J. As ever, putting up with my aforementioned down-to-the-wire habits and not strangling me as a result. (Though we may need to revisit ‘helpful’ notes like ‘expand on this: show, don’t tell’ when it ends up prompting me to add 15k!)
- Third - The After Camlann Mods! *sheepish* Yeah... I'm quite sure I lived up to my rep as a pain-in-the-ass. (Or maybe that rep only lives in my head, but it's well-deserved either way). Thank you, beyond words, for your patience and for allowing this generous amnesty week posting. (It's still Oct. 30th somewhere in the world!)
- Lastly - Daroh! You're always there when I need to be talked down or reassured or even just need some good mental vibes. Thank you, mah dear!
Artist's notes: Posted in the nick of time! :D Thank you to the absolutely marvelous skitz_phenom for this incredible story that inspired art I didn't realize I was capable of. I surprised myself with how much I produced. When the story kept growing and growing, I just found myself needing to fill in as many places as possible with something-anything to reflect her beautiful story. If I could have done more, I would've. I hope you enjoy what there is and this epic page-turner, folks! ♥ I'd also like to toast literaltortoise and Eisbaerfussel for pulling beta duty and giving me invaluable pointers and suggestions. A HUGE thanks also to the ACBB mods for the opportunity to participate in this fandom staple 7 years down the road (and for granting us tardy folks with a much-appreciated amnesty week!).
Summary: With Camelot readying for the upcoming gathering of rulers of the Southern Kingdoms to discuss peace, Uther has tasked Arthur with an additional duty: befriend the Prince of Essetir and learn anything he can of King Balinor, and of magic, and of dragons, that might be of interest should the treaty not succeed.
That's easier said than done, as he and Prince Merlin don't exactly hit it off immediately. But, befriending Merlin and learning of magic and life in Essetir leads Arthur down the paths of discovering long held secrets surrounding his own birth, and his mother's ill health, and his father's hatred of all things magic.
Adding even more complications to the mix are rowdy knights, frustrating princesses, a possible traitor in their midst, and an overly-verbose dragon; not to mention the burgeoning and peculiar feelings for his fellow prince that Arthur struggles to put a name to.
Story link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21234635/
Art link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21244898