Merlin War Fic and Art Recs
updated 09/11/18
As Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day) draws closer, I (with the help of some super sleuths) have compiled a list of war-related Merlin fanfiction and art that take place from WWI to the present. Spread the word!
In the order of which I found them:
FIC RECS
.
Blood Swept Lands
Author: Scotscookie
Rating: G
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: None
Summary: There is war. There is always war and each is worse than the last and still Arthur does not return. Merlin is always doing what he can to ease suffering, waiting for his King to return. In 1916 he's in France, and for the first time, he prays he doesn't see Arthur.
.
No Title (Tavern Tales Comment Fic)
Author: merlintimeshift
Rating: (None given by author)
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: (None given by author)
Summary: None supplied by author. But Arthur gets sent to war in 1915 and he and Merlin exchange letters.
.
In A World Called Catastrophe
Author: Leviathans_Moon
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: M
Wordcount: ~43k
Summary: While on duty in Afghanistan with the Royal Irish Regiment, Merlin is injured by a chlorine gas bomb. He returns home blind in his left eye and suffering from asthma attacks and neither he nor his boyfriend Arthur really know how to cope with this severe change in their relationship.
Warnings: PTSD, established relationship, violence, asthma, blindness, political incorrectness (or Gwaine being Gwaine, some of his comments might feel inappropriate)
This fic can no longer be found
.
One in Six
Author: riventhorn
Rating: T
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1,079
Warnings: None
Summary: WWII AU. Merlin is home on leave and telling his mum about the crew of the Lancaster bomber Excalibur.
.
The Nine of Wands
Author: sunawareness
Rating: R
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur.
Plot: In 1914 Merlin decides to indulge a demanding young soldier, Arthur Pendragon. In spite of himself he falls in love, only to find that when returning on leave the young Pendragon doesn't seem to want him anymore. Can their destined love over come the troubled times? A love story which takes the characters from 1914 to 1918, from London to war torn France. The account that hosted Nine of Wands has been purged. I don't know of any other link. Sorry!
.
Destiny That Darkly Hides Us
Author: nympha_alba
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17 to be safe
Wordcount: ~40,500
Summary: Historical AU with magic. It's 1913, the practice of homosexuality is unlawful, so is the practice of magic. When Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys meet as Cambridge undergrads, they are both hungry for a real and true connection without secrets. For a short time they believe they may have found it. But war breaks out and separates them, and it seems unlikely that they will meet again. After all, what are the odds?
Warnings: War, angst, minor character death, major character death (temporary/reincarnation) - and did I mention angst?
.
Men for All Seasons
Summary: Reincarnation story set in 1940. In Albion's hour of need Arthur is brought back from his rest in Avalon. He learns that the world is at war, and that the enemies have dark magic at their disposal. With the help of the mysterious Vril society the invaders are about to gain air superiority and become unstoppable. Only Merlin could fight the new magical threat, but Merlin has been missing for a long time...
Written for paperlegends Merlin Big Bang 2011.
Pairings: A/M, implied past A/Gwen.
Word count: 56K
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence, war, torture, disturbing historical references, implied character deaths in the past, mental disorder. Also flying saucers.
.
Poppies For Young Men
Author: rotrude
Rating: PG
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1,140
Warnings: War situation; medical procedure
Summary: Written as a fill for this kinkme_merlin prompt: Arthur/Merlin War!AU I'm about to lose my mind/You've been gone for so long /I'm running out of time/ I need a doctor/ Call me a doctor/ I need a doctor, doctor/ To bring me back to life
.
Knights of the Air
Author: riventhorn
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Length: ~30,00 words
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: It is the summer of 1940, and the Battle of Britain rages in the skies. As the Luftwaffe sends hundreds of bombers and fighters to prepare the way for an invasion, it is up to the pilots of the RAF to stop them.
.
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions
Author: writteninhaste
Rating: PG-13
Summary: On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. By October 16 the ghetto had been established and over 100,000 Jews died from starvation or disease. An underground escape route was established through the sewers. Until the liberation of Warsaw in 1945, many men and women risked their lives trying to help Jews escape Nazi persecution. Merlin tried to help as best he could and it was in doing so, that he was reunited with Arthur.
.
In War, There Are No Unwounded Soldiers
Author: giselleslash
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~4400
Warnings: WWI AU
Summary: Written for this prompt at the KMM: dog tags/'come back to me'
.
trrrnch (smile, smile, smile)
Author: joan_waterhouse
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: T
Word Count: ~2000
Warnings: WWI AU
Summary: And then was now and now was then, and all the ages were but one, and the pain that tore his heart to pieces ripped from his soul Magic.
.
Radioman (Loaded March)
Author: footloose
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: G
Word Count: ~35000
Warnings: Military Violence
Summary: The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can't keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur because none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn't good enough, either. Except he is.
.
Be Resigned
Author: franticsga
Rating: G
Warnings: pre-slash, AU.
Description: The first time Lt Arthur Pendragon properly met A1C Merlin Emrys, he was doing push-ups on the floor of the Fort Campbell weather station. The account that hosted Be Resigned seems to be locked. I don't know of any other link. Sorry.
.
One Last Time
Rating: NC-17
Warnings/Spoilers: Angst
Word count: 746
Summary: For the summerpornathon Challenge 2: AU, and to fill my quill_it prompt tense. WWI trench warfare fic. The day before The Big Push.
.
Tender Comrade
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit sexual content including rimming.
A/N: This is set during WW1. It’s much more angsty than my usual happy fluff for obvious reasons but there are no specific warnings.
See you on the other side
Author:leviathans_moon
Characters: Merlin, Arthur (not sure about M/A yet)
Rating: PG-13/M
Summary: They meet in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have one night. Christmas Eve, 1914.
Moonlight Serenade
Author: Magnolia882
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: Explicit
Word count: 21912
Warnings: This story contains references to the rape of one of the MCs (20 years earlier) but includes no graphic descriptions. The infidelity warning is included as precautionary but is is a matter of reader interpretation: though Arthur gets engaged during the course of the story, his relationship to Merlin remains central. There are also references to and general descriptions of war-related violence, serious injuries, and PTSD.
SUMMARY: Eve of WWII, London. Merlin Emrys has led a quiet middle-class life until the night he meets the son of his old school nemesis. Bold, gorgeous, and impossible to resist, Arthur Pendragon is wrong for Merlin in every way-not only is he twenty years too young, he’s engaged to be married. And he can never learn Merlin’s darkest secret.
Missing Armour
Author:leviathans_moon
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Word count: 1055
Warnings: Mentioned Character Death
A/N: This is set during WW1. It’s much more angsty than my usual happy fluff for obvious reasons but there are no specific warnings.
ART RECS
No Title
Artist: Whimsycatcher
Summary: Based on "A Testament of Youth"
.
Quis Separabit
Artist: Altocello collab with Amphigoury
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin and Arthur
Summary: "We will remember them." Merlin goes to the memorial to honor his ghosts.
.
Poppies
Artist: reni_m
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin and Arthur
Summary: Made for 11-11-11.
.
The Battle
Artist: PsychoRandom
.
In A World Called Catastrophe (Art)
Rating: M
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: PTSD, Graphic Violence, Spoilery art has an image of a PTSD-induced dream of major character death that never happened.
.
Ich Hatt Einen Kameraden
Artist: amphigoury
Rating: Mature
Characters: Arthur, Merlin, Uther, Hunith, Will
Content notes: Second World War! Graphic Violence, Blood, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH! Grief!
Summary: A fateful encounter between two enemies during the Liberation of Holland.
.
Knights of the Air
Artist: amphigoury
Rating: G to T
Characters/pairings: Merlin, Arthur
Five pieces of art for riventhorn 's Merlin WW2 AU fic "Knights of the Air"
.
11-11-11
Rating: G
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: War setting
Summary: Done for 11-11-11
.
11-11-15 (11-11-11 Remix)
Artist: spaceAltie
Rating: M
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: Fluff and Angst
Summary: In the trenches, during WWI, Merlin and Arthur share a bit of warmth and a cigarette.
As Remembrance Day (Veteran's Day) draws closer, I (with the help of some super sleuths) have compiled a list of war-related Merlin fanfiction and art that take place from WWI to the present. Spread the word!
In the order of which I found them:
FIC RECS
.
Blood Swept Lands
Author: Scotscookie
Rating: G
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: None
Summary: There is war. There is always war and each is worse than the last and still Arthur does not return. Merlin is always doing what he can to ease suffering, waiting for his King to return. In 1916 he's in France, and for the first time, he prays he doesn't see Arthur.
.
No Title (Tavern Tales Comment Fic)
Author: merlintimeshift
Rating: (None given by author)
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Warnings: (None given by author)
Summary: None supplied by author. But Arthur gets sent to war in 1915 and he and Merlin exchange letters.
.
In A World Called Catastrophe
Author: Leviathans_Moon
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: M
Wordcount: ~43k
Summary: While on duty in Afghanistan with the Royal Irish Regiment, Merlin is injured by a chlorine gas bomb. He returns home blind in his left eye and suffering from asthma attacks and neither he nor his boyfriend Arthur really know how to cope with this severe change in their relationship.
Warnings: PTSD, established relationship, violence, asthma, blindness, political incorrectness (or Gwaine being Gwaine, some of his comments might feel inappropriate)
This fic can no longer be found
.
One in Six
Author: riventhorn
Rating: T
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1,079
Warnings: None
Summary: WWII AU. Merlin is home on leave and telling his mum about the crew of the Lancaster bomber Excalibur.
.
The Nine of Wands
Author: sunawareness
Rating: R
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur.
Plot: In 1914 Merlin decides to indulge a demanding young soldier, Arthur Pendragon. In spite of himself he falls in love, only to find that when returning on leave the young Pendragon doesn't seem to want him anymore. Can their destined love over come the troubled times? A love story which takes the characters from 1914 to 1918, from London to war torn France. The account that hosted Nine of Wands has been purged. I don't know of any other link. Sorry!
.
Destiny That Darkly Hides Us
Author: nympha_alba
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17 to be safe
Wordcount: ~40,500
Summary: Historical AU with magic. It's 1913, the practice of homosexuality is unlawful, so is the practice of magic. When Arthur Pendragon and Merlin Emrys meet as Cambridge undergrads, they are both hungry for a real and true connection without secrets. For a short time they believe they may have found it. But war breaks out and separates them, and it seems unlikely that they will meet again. After all, what are the odds?
Warnings: War, angst, minor character death, major character death (temporary/reincarnation) - and did I mention angst?
.
Men for All Seasons
Summary: Reincarnation story set in 1940. In Albion's hour of need Arthur is brought back from his rest in Avalon. He learns that the world is at war, and that the enemies have dark magic at their disposal. With the help of the mysterious Vril society the invaders are about to gain air superiority and become unstoppable. Only Merlin could fight the new magical threat, but Merlin has been missing for a long time...
Written for paperlegends Merlin Big Bang 2011.
Pairings: A/M, implied past A/Gwen.
Word count: 56K
Rating: R
Warnings: Violence, war, torture, disturbing historical references, implied character deaths in the past, mental disorder. Also flying saucers.
.
Poppies For Young Men
Author: rotrude
Rating: PG
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 1,140
Warnings: War situation; medical procedure
Summary: Written as a fill for this kinkme_merlin prompt: Arthur/Merlin War!AU I'm about to lose my mind/You've been gone for so long /I'm running out of time/ I need a doctor/ Call me a doctor/ I need a doctor, doctor/ To bring me back to life
.
Knights of the Air
Author: riventhorn
Rating: R
Warnings: None
Length: ~30,00 words
Pairings: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: It is the summer of 1940, and the Battle of Britain rages in the skies. As the Luftwaffe sends hundreds of bombers and fighters to prepare the way for an invasion, it is up to the pilots of the RAF to stop them.
.
The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions
Author: writteninhaste
Rating: PG-13
Summary: On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. The Polish army was defeated within weeks of the invasion. By October 16 the ghetto had been established and over 100,000 Jews died from starvation or disease. An underground escape route was established through the sewers. Until the liberation of Warsaw in 1945, many men and women risked their lives trying to help Jews escape Nazi persecution. Merlin tried to help as best he could and it was in doing so, that he was reunited with Arthur.
.
In War, There Are No Unwounded Soldiers
Author: giselleslash
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~4400
Warnings: WWI AU
Summary: Written for this prompt at the KMM: dog tags/'come back to me'
.
trrrnch (smile, smile, smile)
Author: joan_waterhouse
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: T
Word Count: ~2000
Warnings: WWI AU
Summary: And then was now and now was then, and all the ages were but one, and the pain that tore his heart to pieces ripped from his soul Magic.
.
Radioman (Loaded March)
Author: footloose
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: G
Word Count: ~35000
Warnings: Military Violence
Summary: The reason SAS Captain Arthur Pendragon can't keep a communications specialist in Team Excalibur because none of them are good enough. And then Lieutenant Merlin Emrys gets assigned to his squad, and Arthur does everything he can to prove that Merlin isn't good enough, either. Except he is.
.
Be Resigned
Author: franticsga
Rating: G
Warnings: pre-slash, AU.
Description: The first time Lt Arthur Pendragon properly met A1C Merlin Emrys, he was doing push-ups on the floor of the Fort Campbell weather station. The account that hosted Be Resigned seems to be locked. I don't know of any other link. Sorry.
.
One Last Time
Rating: NC-17
Warnings/Spoilers: Angst
Word count: 746
Summary: For the summerpornathon Challenge 2: AU, and to fill my quill_it prompt tense. WWI trench warfare fic. The day before The Big Push.
.
Tender Comrade
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Explicit sexual content including rimming.
A/N: This is set during WW1. It’s much more angsty than my usual happy fluff for obvious reasons but there are no specific warnings.
See you on the other side
Author:leviathans_moon
Characters: Merlin, Arthur (not sure about M/A yet)
Rating: PG-13/M
Summary: They meet in the wrong place at the wrong time. They have one night. Christmas Eve, 1914.
Moonlight Serenade
Author: Magnolia882
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: Explicit
Word count: 21912
Warnings: This story contains references to the rape of one of the MCs (20 years earlier) but includes no graphic descriptions. The infidelity warning is included as precautionary but is is a matter of reader interpretation: though Arthur gets engaged during the course of the story, his relationship to Merlin remains central. There are also references to and general descriptions of war-related violence, serious injuries, and PTSD.
SUMMARY: Eve of WWII, London. Merlin Emrys has led a quiet middle-class life until the night he meets the son of his old school nemesis. Bold, gorgeous, and impossible to resist, Arthur Pendragon is wrong for Merlin in every way-not only is he twenty years too young, he’s engaged to be married. And he can never learn Merlin’s darkest secret.
Missing Armour
Author:leviathans_moon
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: R
Word count: 1055
Warnings: Mentioned Character Death
A/N: This is set during WW1. It’s much more angsty than my usual happy fluff for obvious reasons but there are no specific warnings.
ART RECS
No Title
Artist: Whimsycatcher
Summary: Based on "A Testament of Youth"
.
Quis Separabit
Artist: Altocello collab with Amphigoury
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin and Arthur
Summary: "We will remember them." Merlin goes to the memorial to honor his ghosts.
.
Poppies
Artist: reni_m
Rating: G
Characters: Merlin and Arthur
Summary: Made for 11-11-11.
.
The Battle
Artist: PsychoRandom
.
In A World Called Catastrophe (Art)
Rating: M
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: PTSD, Graphic Violence, Spoilery art has an image of a PTSD-induced dream of major character death that never happened.
.
Ich Hatt Einen Kameraden
Artist: amphigoury
Rating: Mature
Characters: Arthur, Merlin, Uther, Hunith, Will
Content notes: Second World War! Graphic Violence, Blood, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH! Grief!
Summary: A fateful encounter between two enemies during the Liberation of Holland.
.
Knights of the Air
Artist: amphigoury
Rating: G to T
Characters/pairings: Merlin, Arthur
Five pieces of art for riventhorn 's Merlin WW2 AU fic "Knights of the Air"
.
11-11-11
Rating: G
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: War setting
Summary: Done for 11-11-11
.
11-11-15 (11-11-11 Remix)
Artist: spaceAltie
Rating: M
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Content notes: Fluff and Angst
Summary: In the trenches, during WWI, Merlin and Arthur share a bit of warmth and a cigarette.