This is so cool. Great start. I can really feel Arthur's frustration here. I'm hooked now, looking forward to the next 36 chapters :)

Brilliant absolutely brilliant

I just finished reading this story, am begging you to please write more Arthur and Guinevere story

okay, last review. i wanted to say that I did wonder if maybe Gaius suspected Arthur was telling the truth, at any point. He’d be in a unique position to be able to recognize Uther in his son, and Ygraine also – which Uther would definitely not be looking for, and resist seeing – and he knows enough of magic to know such a thing was possible.
like i said, i totally enjoyed this story and the unique treatment of different events quite common to fanfiction now. i guess the only critique i would make is, i still wonder how morgause found out about merlin being emrys, how she decided that it was worthwhile, to do this spell and spend months with him as a 'stranger' trying to gain his allegiance - rather than simply kill him b/c he didn't know who she was and wouldn't be on his guard, and move forward with her plan for morgana. i think she would be more wary of emrys' destiny working out in spite of her plan, maybe even taking the opportunity to kill arthur before anyone remembered him, to prevent that happening...
but anyway, congratulations on a very well-written story - and thank you!

I think it was subtle, but very nicely done, that Morgana did get a taste of what it was like anticipating the throne. The feelings of responsibility and connection to the knights and the people. And she got to experience Uther’s love and sole attention, rather than competing with Arthur for it. And she got to meet and get to know Arthur as a person, a man, a friend, rather than the spoiled brat prince she must have known growing up.
conversely, uther gets to see more objectively, what sort of man he really is... and this hint of /changes/ is absolutely beautiful.

i remember being nervous for several chapters, after arthur got his information from the druids, during his time in camelot where he's got to adjust to 'maybe it won't go back', but then, after merlin said morgause's name to arthur. to think, Arthur might have forgotten about the powerful magic-user who is intending to profit off this change, who they are and their motivation… he didn't connect the dots until he saw morgause and realized she remembered him...

I kind of wanted some greater immediate reaction from Merlin, not only Uther. Spell is broken, but I guess they still remember what they’ve done and what’s happened, during these months? I would have thought Merlin would have a moment of horror that he’d revealed his magic to /the crown prince/, before realizing/remembering that Arthur had accepted him…

I’m not sure what I think about the spell being broken involuntarily, as Arthur fights Morgause. I guess I like the idea of destiny stepping in, perhaps, that Arthur was always /meant/ to be prince and king. But I think I also would have liked him choosing to shoulder his duty, again, in spite of the freedoms of his ‘new’ life…

Absolutely love Morgana and Arthur in the dungeon, Morgana figuring it out before anyone else – and then being on his side! Because she’s really /for/ Camelot, and recognizes that Morgause’s tactics are all wrong (like she ought to have done in-series!)
Also love Arthur including Gwen in the throne room action at the end, rather than asking her to sit it out in safety.

Nice use of Merlin’s magic (and ingenuity) circumventing Morgause’s magic – and that blue ball of light! And Merlin’s magic is revealed to Gwen – it’s lovely that he’s awkward and she’s already understanding.

i appreciate...
Arthur’s refusal to become a palace guard, and his reasons. His marriage to Gwen – making provision for the possibility of memory recovery, being honest with her about where he was mentally with the ‘who am I’ question.

i love that...
Merlin’s magic reveal, is not as significant, when he thinks it’s just to another ‘lancelot’. And his outpouring of information after Arthur’s acceptance, is just friend to friend, not subject to prince. there's not the self-consciousness that's basically inevitable, when merlin is aware of exactly who he's confessing to (though obviously it wouldn't be specifics about what he's done for arthur).

I love Arthur and Merlin getting to be friends anyway, especially as Arthur still remembers what they were before. He gets to see another side of Merlin (even before the magic comes out), the way Merlin treats a regular guy, not just ‘prince of Camelot’.

i think...
Your Uther finding out about Morgana pretty nicely mirrors the typical 'Arthur finding out about Merlin'. And I’ve always wondered what exactly Uther would have done with morgana… followed the law initially, maybe even felt angry/hurt/betrayed. But I do think he would have tried to find a way around it. An explanation, another solution to execution. And I think, Arthur would react like this to this sort of reveal from Morgana, something accidental or not completely controlled, he would be sympathetic and help – but when she’s using it /against/ them and he finds out, that’s much harder to understand or forgive…

the first things i loved about this story:
Arthur’s conflict over whether to keep on the lookout for a sorcerer, or not. Whether this is short-term and he ought not pursue or encourage a relationship with Gwen, or whether to accept things as they are. I love that it’s his choice, and there’s no sense that the people depend on him or he’d let anyone down. I love him getting to see what life is like for a common person, the hard work and the short funds and the lack of official responsibility (I like how this affects his acceptance of Merlin’s magic, too).