Best Short Arthur/Merlin Fanfics
Arthur/Merlin novellas — 10k–50k words, perfect for a weekend. All curated from AO3 and ranked by kudos.
Top 7 Short Arthur/Merlin Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. Mid-length Arthur/Merlin fics — 10,000–50,000 words.
The Burden of a Gift
by EvocativeOpulence
A banquet, a drink, and one (un)fortunate mistake. Merlin awakens in Arthur's bed with little memory of the previous night, but with all of the physical reminders.While pretending it never happened works for Arthur, it's less easy for Merlin as he comes to realize that he is carrying more than just
Sunlight
by maryofmossandmoonmilk
In a world in which Arthur told Merlin to leave and never come back after finding out about his magic.A year later Merlin is back and ready to defend Camelot with his magic.....but he's not the same Merlin.
The Time to Rise
by viridianaln9
The side stories for I Will Not Bow. Any side story goes here.
Coming of Age
by dance_in_moonlight
Over the winter, Arthur slowly realises he's in love with Merlin - and has to find a way to deal with that next to preparing the yule ball and satisfying his father's expectations.
When Hope Withers
by Trialbyname
“𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘳, 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬!” No… he had been in it. “𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯? 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?” He had been in it. He was sure of that. “𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘢, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦.” And he had not been alone. “𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘺�
The Weight of What He Carries
by KillingButterlies88745
When Arthur starts sensing magic, he assumes the worst. After all, magic is evil. Magic destroys kingdoms. Magic killed his mother. At least, that's what he's always been told. But as Merlin helps him investigate the truth behind his strange new ability, Arthur begins to realise that magic, and perh
Le chemin vers la rédemption
by Tsubakichansan
Merlin a attendu le retour d'Arthur pendant mille ans, préservant sa jeunesse grâce à ses pouvoirs. Selon la prophétie du Grand Dragon, le Roi devrait revenir au moment où Albion aurait le plus besoin de lui. Alors que Merlin se dirige vers l'ancienne Avalon, il est la cible d'une agression. Arthur,
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Why Read Short Arthur/Merlin Fics?
Novella-length Arthur/Merlin fics — roughly 10,000 to 50,000 words — let writers fully develop a single AU, trope, or relationship beat without sprawling. Plenty of time for setup, payoff, and a satisfying ending; not so much time that you're juggling fifty bookmarks.
Great for trying a new author or testing whether you'll enjoy a sub-genre before diving into something longer.
About This List
This list of 7short Arthur/Merlin fanfics spans 159,114 total words. Kudos range from 2 on the newest entries to 347 on the most established. Most entries are ongoing works, so subscribe on AO3 for update notifications. The most common rating is Teen And Up Audiences (3 of 7 fics).
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