And like the cycle of the year, we begin again by katherynefromphilly

Title: And like the cycle of the year, we begin again
Author: katherynefromphilly
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur Pendragon
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Genres: First Time, Romance, Drama, Angst, Super Epic (200k+)
Word Count: 209,186 (entire series is 318,359 words in 4 parts)

Summary: For many long years Merlin waited.

For the other part of his soul, for the other half of his life. He was born to serve Arthur. So that meant he was also born to wait. Even if it took a thousand years. Even if the wait seemed never to end.

Until one day, suddenly, it did.

When Arthur stumbles from the Lake of Avalon 1,500 years after his death, he finds a world unlike the one he knew. Faced with the loss of everyone he loved, and the threat of impending prophecy, Arthur must learn what it means to be not just a king, but the Once and Future King. Merlin does all he can to guide him, even as he struggles to hide his love for his king, and his fear of losing him again.

Why You Should Read This: I’m doing something that I’ve never done before, and that’s rec something before I’ve even finished reading it (though I’m about 80% complete). I did skip to the end to make sure that there is a HEA, so if you were worried (like I was, a little bit) then there’s no need to be.

I’ve just gotten into Merlin in the last couple of weeks. And even though I knew the story of Merlin and Arthur, and that I knew Arthur was going to die at Camlann, the way that the characters developed throughout the series, with Merlin having to say goodbye at the end nearly broke me. But just as the final episode of Merlin ended, that’s exactly where this story picks up. We find Merlin still near Camelot, owner of huge chunks of land, doing his part to keep the story of King Arthur alive. He’s lived 1,500 years waiting for his king, and as an old man, watches as Arthur emerges from the lake, alive again. Spoilers: Merlin is able to de-age himself, so this is the continuation of Merlin set in modern day, with Merlin and Arthur the same age as the day Arthur died.

This is probably also the longest slow-burn that I’ve ever read. But the payoff is just so amazing. And I’ve never read this author before, but they write a hell of a sex scene – something I usually skip over, but just not this time. Woof.

While the TV series was good, this author’s writing is probably better than what we had on the show. And it’s compelling me to get into Arthurian legend even more.

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