Keep Your Secrets

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Fanfiction
Title: Keep Your Secrets
Author(s): lolafeist and new_kate
Date(s): 16 February 2011 - 02 March 2011
Length: 16,394 words
Genre(s): slash fanfiction
Fandom(s): Merlin
Relationship(s):
External Links: Keep Your Secrets (LiveJournal)
Keep Your Secrets (AO3)

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Keep Your Secrets is a Merlin/Arthur pre-series Canon AU by lolafeist and new_kate (~17,000 words). It was originally written for kinkme_merlin[1] as a WIP and the finished version was reposted to the lolafeist's journal.[2]

Summary: Arthur is captured and held for ransom. As he awaits his freedom, he slowly gets to know the prisoner being held in the cell beside him, a young man named Merlin.

In this story Merlin and Arthur meet under different circumstances. When they escape, they work together, using both Merlin's magic and Arthur's fighting skills, but the story neatly ties in with the beginning of the series so that Merlin still becomes Arthur's manservant.

Recs and Reviews

"Fantastic canon era AU. Absolutely fantastic. Pitch perfect characters in a heart-wrenching situation. But it was never hopeless and it was one of those prison fics that fill you with love of the human spirit and the honourable choices that people make under the worst conditions possible."[3]

"What a wonderful collaborative fic! A little dark and angsty that turned into something very devoted and so sweet."[4]

"H/c, a bit of angst for both characters, lots of character development... I loved that Arthur was always looking to think the worst of Merlin; just a lowely peasant, a coward, a useless idiot... And that slowly he became brave, worthy and quite powerful in Arthur's mind. And oh the intimacy! That was just gorgeous! Tender in its tentativeness and very sweet. [...] Shared body heat, slave traders, magic reveal... Pure win!"[5]

"I loved this AU. It's gritty, realistic and hurts in all the right places. The premise is intriguing- what if Arthur met Merlin the wizard, and not Merlin the bumbling servant?"[6]

I read this one a while ago, but since dark!fics are my weakness, I chose to look at it again. This will forever be one of my favorites - with Arthur’s concern for the stranger next to him and then Merlin’s sheer power. I’ll probably go read it for a third time.[7]

References

  1. ^ anonymous in kinkme_merlin. (1/?) Keep Your Secrets, 16 February 2011. (Accessed 09 March 2011)
  2. ^ lolafeist. [Fic] Keep Your Secrets (Part One) (R), 03 March 2011. (Accessed 09 March 2011)
  3. ^ marguerite_26. Recs, 05 March 2011. (Accessed 09 March 2011)
  4. ^ Eldee. Comment, 06 March 2011. (Accessed 09 March 2011)
  5. ^ lullabylily. Comment, 06 March 2011. (Accessed 09 March 2011)
  6. ^ lolitakun in epic_recs. Keep Your Secrets, by LolaFeist and new_kate (NC-17), 14 March 2011. (Accessed 15 March 2011)
  7. ^ "Jan 5, 2015 Tumblr post at avalonslibrary". Archived from the original on 2023-03-10.