Merthur

Merthur is the slash ship between Merlin and Arthur from the BBC Merlin fandom.

Canon
At first, Merlin does not think highly of Arthur, believing him to be a spoiled prince. This is due to their first meeting, where Merlin called out Arthur for bullying another kid; however, this ultimately leads to Merlin being thrown in prison for a day.

Later, Merlin visits The Great Dragon, who has been imprisoned beneath Camelot by Uther Pendragon. From the dragon, Merlin learns of his destiny to assist Arthur in fulfilling his role as the Once and Future King, uniting Albion.

Their friendship begins to grow after Merlin saves Arthur's life from a vengeful witch. Uther, impressed by Merlin's actions, gives him the job of being Arthur's manservant, much to both of their displeasure.

Throughout the series, Merlin protects Arthur from the foes which try to snuff him out before he fulfills his destiny. However, Merlin does much of this in secret since magic is outlawed in Camelot. Due to this, Arthur believes Merlin is rather useless, but he still thinks of him as a good friend. Their bond, for example, if evident in "The Labyrinth of Gedref", where Arthur must pass a trial to save his people from a magical famine and drought. During this test, he and Merlin are sat at a table, on which rests two goblets. One contains poison and the other does not, and one person can only drink from one goblet. Before Merlin can do anything otherwise, Arthur pours both concoctions into one goblet and drinks it all. His willingness to die for Merlin allows Arthur to pass the test.

At the end of the series, Arthur is fatally wounded, and Merlin finally reveals his ability to use magic. Arthur is surprised and somewhat betrayed, but he ultimately accepts Merlin since he used his magic for good. After Arthur dies, Merlin lays him to rest in the Lake of Avalon, awaiting the foretold day when Albion is in need and he will rise once again.

Quotes
Merlin: - "How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me?"

Great Dragon: - "The half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. Very soon, you shall learn that."

 – Series 1, "The Dragon's Call"

Hunith, to Merlin :  - ''“I’ve seen how much [Arthur] needs you. How much you need him. You’re like two sides of the same coin.”''

- Series 1, "The Moment of Truth"

Arthur:  - "One thing I tell all my young knights : no man is worth your tears."

Merlin, smiling fondly : - "You’re certainly not."

- Series 2, "The Last Dragonlord"

Morgause : - "You intrigue me, Merlin. Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot? You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why? Come on. Time and again you put your life on the line. There must be a reason."

Merlin : - "I believe in a fair and just land."

Morgause : - "And you think Arthur will give you that?"

Merlin : - "I know it."

Morgause : - "And then what? You think you'll be recognised, Merlin? Is that it? All this so, one day, you can be a serving boy to the King? No. There's something more. Something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

- Series 3, "The Tears of Uther Pendragon, part 1"

Arthur, to Merlin : - "Just... Just hold me, please."

- Series 5, "Diamond of the Day, part 2"

Julian Murphy : - "Well, he's dying, the man he loves is dying, so he's holding him."

Katie McGrath : - "I think you maybe just confirmed what a lot of people thought."

- Commentary track for "Diamond of the Day, part 2" (when asked about the finale ending).

Fanon
On AO3, Merthur is the most written ship for both characters. It is the most written ship in the BBC Merlin tag and the fourth most written in the Arthurian Mythology tag.

Fandom
FAN FICTION
 * Arthur/Merlin tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Arthur/Merlin tag on FanFiction.Net

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WIKIS
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Trivia

 * Although both characters appear in Once Upon A Time, many people do not ship them in that series, due to their limited interactions, and Arthur being evil in the series.