Rectober No. 2 - For Friends of Long and Funny Fics

[nia_kantorka]

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Title:The Student Prince
Author/Artist: FayJay
Pairing(s) Merlin Emrys/Arthur Pendragon, various others
Rating: R
Word Count: 145.222
Tags: modern AU, AU, Slash

Summary: A Modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love...
This story was inspired by the thought of Prince William of Wales (and indeed the current Max von Hapsburg) studying at the University of St Andrews; it is also, as the title suggests, at least a little inspired by the operetta 'The Student Prince'.


Why I loved it:
The Student Prince is a wonderful AU story of Merlin and Arthur. It’s funny, the characters are great (even the dickheads), and the mythology is interwoven with verve. It’s kind of an epitome of UST– because it takes ages for them to come to terms with their relationship. These boys will give you a hard time, especially Arthur who is a real prick at the beginning and whose sexual orientation is like a book of seven seals.
But, believe me, it’s so worth it. The humour is the leitmotif until they finally get their shit together. Just some random things I remember: Kilgharrah is having a soft spot for itunes, Morgana is using drinking games to her advantage, Lancelot is being more clueless than everybody else, getting really frustrated about all the UST- ups, I did mention that already – and a wonderful, brilliant ending.

Excerpt: I had really trouble to pick just one short scene from that first chapter because this fic is great from the start.

By the time they had reached the outskirts of London, Merlin knew that Gwen Smith was the first person in her family to go to University, like him; that she had no brothers or sisters, like him; that she had only one living parent, like him; and that she'd harboured a lifelong crush on the Prince of Wales, and was feeling more than a little bit hysterical at the prospect of spending the next four years attending University in a town the size of a postage stamp with the object of her teenage sex fantasies – also like him, although Merlin wasn't sure whether he felt like sharing that particular gem just at this moment.

Just some random stuff at the end: The operetta 'The Student Prince' takes place in the town I live. It's based on a play called after this town as well. Both terribly kitschy things. You are better off reading the fic.
Art by Ryuutsu.

Comments

[blithelybonny.livejournal.com]

This is a brilliant rec. You make me want to read this story, even though I don't even follow Merlin. <3

[nia_kantorka]

Ah, thank you!
I saw the first series ages ago and forgot about it... Until I read on a m/m-blog that someone would take it (out of three books) on an isolated island. Found some of the best books ever screening the answers. LOL

As I said to Birds. Just take a short glimpse. If that's not doing the trick, you don't need to bother. :)