Drabblefic #4: Merlin/Arthur, "Crossing Lines" (Merlin fandom)

[gilpins_tales]

Title: Crossing Lines
Genre: General
Ratings & Warnings: PG-13
Word Count: 2479
Summary: Merlin thinks he’s really got the idea here, all right - put the annoying servant on the brute of a horse to teach him leaving Arthur’s favourite boots lying forgotten on the wrong side of the door to his rooms is a never-to-be-repeated mistake.
Author's Note:

Comments

[lady_bracknell]

Aww, this was perfect. I love how you captured the complexities of the relationships, how Arthur can't necessarily say what he wants and it takes Merlin a while to realise how much freer he is and interpret what Arthur does do. I really loved the scene with Gwen that illustrated that, and the way Merlin comes to see things more clearly by the end - it's like a distilation of the whole series in one fic :D.

And not too horsey at all. I particularly enjoyed the references to Arthur fiddling with his forelock and the idea of them both with their flowing manes, lol.

Thank you (although I appear to lack a horse-based icon, so this one'll have to do) ♥

[gilpin25]

That's a great icon for this, especially as I seem to have created Arthur/Horse, and several other possible ships along the way in this. Though I like to think that's in keeping with the spirit of the series? ;)

Anyway, it's nice to hear you liked it as it was nice to write. My favourite part was the Gwen one, so pleased you highlighted that - I was originally going to extend the scene with Gaius and have him, through his relationship with Uther, wake Merlin up to the fact that the master/servant relationship's a tricky one to express affection in for both sides - but it seemed more fun to try and do that, and hint at the Arthur, Merlin and Guinevere triangle along the way...

Glad I didn't overdo the horsey stuff. But now I've finally got horses into fanfic at last will I be able to stop?!

Thank you for the kind words. ♥ Next birthday, I'll try to make the deadline!

[shimotsuki]

So here I go again reading fic in fandoms I don't actually know, heh, but I've seen so many happy comments about this "Merlin" program on my f-list that I almost feel I know something about it. ;)

Anyway, canon familiarity or no, I really liked this tale -- Merlin's disgruntlement is very vivid at the start, and then it works so well to see him get little hints and clues as the story goes on that all is not what it seems.

I do like this Arthur, too, all blustery on the outside, but maybe something quite different underneath.

(This is my only horse-related icon...!)

[gilpin25]

I didn't expect to see your name next to this one, but it's a very nice surprise. :) (It was the horse lure, wasn't it? I could tell you were succumbing when you had Caz on that fine black mare.;))

And thank you for the very nice words. Merlin's great fun to watch - partly because you never know whether they're going to stick to the established legend or do something completely different, lol - but mostly because of the complex relationships going on under the CGI effects. They haven't really addressed the master/servant relationship like I've tried to in a light-hearted way here, but what's usually obvious is that there's hard-earned trust and unspoken affection, alongside a lot of mutual irritation, within the Merlin and Arthur relationship.

Thanks again for stopping by!

[duck_or_rabbit]

You are brilliant!

I love Merlin and Arthur's interaction being organized around equestrian arts, I love the middle section between Merlin and Gaius, I love how, overall, Merlin is so keen to please and winces at seeing he may be less important in Arthur's eyes than he'd like to be.

Honestly, this is straight out the series, in my opinion, and it's just beautifully written.

[gilpin25]

I love that we now have a series in common where we can talk men in chainmail and horses. ;)

Thanks so much, as always, for the kind words. I've tried to address the complexities of the master and servant relationship in a fairly light-hearted way, but, hopefully, trying to show that it does mean a great deal to them both underneath the snark and the painfully acquired bruises on Merlin's side. It seemed appropriate that as he spends so much time trying to protect Arthur, that the favour would be returned - in the most practical way Arthur can think of...

Thank you. And I hope you've had an inspired week with your own writing. ♥

[archaeologist_d]

This is really quite wonderful. I loved how Merlin doesn't really understand what Arthur is doing and that he's rather hurt to think that the friendship is one-sided. How wonderful for Gwen to spell it out for him. After all, he'd not really understand the ebb and flow of gossip or hierarchy. I loved, too, that Arthur does understand that and still wants to help/protect Merlin.

Bravo. Loved it.

[gilpin25]

Thank you very much for such lovely comments.

We see a lot of Merlin disregarding court etiquette in the series, but it did strike me that perhaps he wouldn't understand the constraints of it when things were the other way round, or how difficult it is for a king's son to be friends with a mere servant. I also thought it would be nice to show Arthur as the thoughtful one for once, who finds a practical way round the conventional boundaries that no one could take issue with. Which, eventually, Merlin did come to appreciate!

And talking of appreciation - thank you again. :) And I do like your icon.

[archaeologist_d]

I would agree. I think Merlin doesn't know a lot of etiquette and he stumbles around, trying to do his best. As the series goes along, he seems to have caught on to certain things (I love that he's doing chores while talking to Arthur) but also seems oblivious to the consequences of being friends with Arthur. I bet there was a lot of buzz after they came back from Ealdor.

Thanks about the icon. I'm pretty clueless on icon making but that's one of mine. :D Here's my other Merlin one. I think I need to make more!

[gilpin25]

If you can make icons at all, you're well ahead of me, lol. I rely on other people. That one's very nice as well.:D

but also seems oblivious to the consequences of being friends with Arthur. I bet there was a lot of buzz after they came back from Ealdor.

I'll be interested to see where they go from that in the next series. Surely Arthur must cotton onto the magic side of things at some point - Merlin mutters spells so loudly sometimes he must have hearing problems to miss tham. ;)

[crabby_lioness]

Lovely.

[gilpin25]

Thank you very much! :)