Merlin/Gwen
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Merlin/Gwen |
| Alternative name(s): | Gwen/Merlin |
| Gender category: | Het |
| Fandom: | Merlin |
| Canonical?: | Not currently (appeared to be one-sided in S1) |
| Prevalence: | Low |
| Archives: | |
| Other: | Merlingwen |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Merlin/Gwen is a somewhat rare het pairing in Merlin fandom. Although there are few fanworks specifically dedicated to Merlin/Gwen, it often appears in multiship fanvids and as a secondary pairing in fanfiction whose main focus is a more popular ship such as Merlin/Arthur, Arthur/Gwen, or Gwen/Morgana. Similarly, few fans consider Merlin/Gwen to be their OTP, but it is popular with multishippers and often remarked to be the most "adorable" of pairings among the OT4 (Merlin/Arthur/Gwen/Morgana).
Canon Basis
Merlin and Gwen share a close bond because they are both servants and Gwen helps Merlin find his way when he first arrives at Camelot. In early episodes of series 1, Gwen cheerfully but awkwardly expresses her affection for Merlin, who appears friendly but fairly oblivious. In episode 1x04, after Merlin is revived from near death, Gwen kisses him on the mouth and then apologizes. Gwen and Merlin interacted less in series two but remain good friends.
In Fanfic
Reflecting the canon where Merlin and Gwen had an early flirtation that seemed to fade away, fanfics for Arthur/Merlin and other pairings sometimes mention a past history in which Gwen and Merlin hooked up early on but later decided to be just friends. Sex between Gwen and Merlin is often written as heartfelt, cheerful, and/or awkward.
Example Fanworks
Fanfiction
- Garden Ground by SignificantOwl is a short G-rated Gwen/Merlin fic
- Dwell in Possibility by Glimmergirl is a set of five Gwen/Merlin AUs
- The Timing Verse by Srin is a modern AU with Arthur/Merlin and Gwen/Morgana as primary pairings but Merlin/Gwen as a secondary pairing.
- Us Two Little Gods by Lastling is an Arthur/Merlin novel with with one abortive Gwen/Merlin scene
- Because a circle has no sides by Woldy is an example of an OT4 fic that includes Merlin/Gwen among other combinations.
Fan Vids
- Harbor by Kaydeefalls is a fanvid featuring Gwen/Merlin among Gwen's other ships.
Fanart
- rosebud with a flush by Yue_ix is a fanart portraying Merlin and Gwen in the style of CLAMP
Meta
- Like You : Merlin/Gwen, Archived version ship manifesto by ienablu (2010)
Communities
- merlingwen is the main LiveJournal community for the pairing and accepts all types of fanworks.
- Camelot_fleet is a multishipping community where some Merlin/Gwen fans hang out, especially on weekends.
Resources
References
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