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Meeting someone when you are a child, then re-meeting them later on in life can change how you see them.
When Mordred first saw Merlin, he saw a strong Beta. He, an unknown alpha, was interested in warlock. Saw the older boy as something odd, something strange. He grew up hearing stories of Emrys, but there was something about meeting him that changed everything.
Meeting him again years later, him now a strong alpha, was far different. Emrys was still something interesting, something strange, but he knew why now.
Emrys- Merlin- was suppressing his Omega roots with magic. He could tell the moment the other said his name after he helped Arthur up.
One could-in theory- suppress their A/B/O nature with magic for a short time, but 10 years? That was unheard of without strong medical help, and even that wasn't fool proof.
After being knighted, the Omega helped him out of his cloak. He could smell the unmated Omega sent under layers of hidden magic. He was tempted to call the other out on it, but there was no need to start a fight. He'd call the other out if needed to protect him.
It happen far sooner then what he was expecting.
Merlin's sent was driving him crazy. He could smell Emrys' magic in the air, but him being a magic user also, he could smell the hidden Omega sent.
Merlin was trying to suppress his heat during a bloody hunting trip. The other Alpha's could smell something off in the air, making them all tense, but not enough for them to go sex crazed.
It probably helped that most, if not all were mated. Mordred hadn’t been with them long enough to know for sure, but he was pretty sure he was the only one of Arthur’s elite that wasn't mated.
"Are you okay there Mordred?" Gwaine grinned at the other with a tease in his voice. Mordred stayed sitting up straight, tense.
"I'm fine Sir Gwaine"
"Quite a lovely sent in the air. How are you not going into a sex crazed haze? Omega's in heat, a man's true weakness"
"I have more respect for Omega's and their needs then you"
He got a punch in the arm for that one, making him snap and growl at the older man. It made everyone stop in their tracks. Merlin curled a bit into himself at the sound the unmated Alpha made.
"Touch me again, and I'll rip out your bloody throat with my teeth" He hissed at Gwaine.
"Sir Mordred" Arthur gave the other an unimpressed look. "I don't care if that faint sent is driving you into attack mode, you will not threaten your elders that way. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes my lord" He tried to keep the hiss out of his voice. He could smell Merlin's heat; it was making his Alpha blood go into protection mode. He wanted nothing more than to grab the Omega, make a good nest and just drown in the smell that was the warlock.
"Very well. Do not touch Mordred, we were all in his shoes at one point- all of us besides Merlin- so we know what it's like to be unmated and smell an Omega" He flushed at his lord's words. It wasn't his fault. He shot Merlin a look, Merlin's eyes widen.
I'd suggest you keep down wind from me.
Merlin nodded once, moving his horse so that he was behind Mordred. Not that this really helped Mordred, he was consistently looking over his shoulder to make sure Merlin was alright. It was hard to protect someone when they were traveling behind you.
As they turned around a bend, they saw a group of travelers camped out on the side of the dirt road.
It took a second, but a foul sent came their way. An omega in heat, not Merlin. Something was wrong with the sent; it could have been a medical induced heat.
"See Mordred, Once we past these men, you'll calm down. Just don't run off to mate with the poor Omega"
"I wouldn't dream of it Sir Gwaine"
As they passed the group Mordred got tenser. Something wasn't right with this group. 15 men in all. 4 Females. All seemed to be dazed, and in heat. Sex trader’s maybe? The others didn't seem to notice the Omega’s. Maybe trying to be polite to mated in heat Omegas.
Arthur nodded to the men in the group. There was a fire burning, the smoke wafting over the road. The king went through the smoke no problem, Leon and Percival going after. As Mordred neared the smoke, he finally caught the sent.
Barrenwort. A plant from far away, the druids used it to help with hard heats. It would put Omega's in a daze, but it also changed the smell of the heat so that unmated Alphas wouldn't be interested.
It could also be used as a rape drug. Make an Omega go into heat, rape them, make them have your children. It was a horrible plant.
Once it all clicked in Mordred's head, he jumped off his horse, and tackled Merlin right off his.
"Cover your face, now" He hissed, shoving the warlocks scarf over his nose.
Arthur came over to them, Mordred letting out a long growl sound as people started getting closer to him and Merlin. He pulled Merlin into his lap, holding him tight; making sure the other's face was covered.
"Barrenwort, my lord. It's a plant that can cause Omega's to go into a dazed heat, or cause severe sickness in Beta's" That last bit was a lie, but he knew the other didn't wish to be outed.
The king turned to the men at the camp. He looked to the women and few men. Some looked dazed as Mordred said.
"Slave traders." It wasn't a question. The knights got out their swords. Mordred stayed on the ground, holding Merlin and growling.
"Mordred, take Merlin away from here. I don't need my manservant sick, and you are in no state to be near Omegas. We can deal with these men" Mordred grunted once, then helped the scared Omega onto a horse.
He got in behind the other, and took off, away from the Omegas, away from the smoke.
He went back the way they came, coming to a stop ten minutes later. He hopped off the horse, leading it to a tree near a small stream.
"Mordred?" Merlin asked softly, in the same breathless way he did mere weeks ago.
Mordred glared at the other. "I'll keep your secrets Merlin, but when we get back to Camelot... You are staying in your room. We’ll go with some smoke did make it into your lungs and that you are too sick for others to see, but you are resting."
"How do you know I'm not...?" Merlin made a hand motion gesturing to himself.
"Your magic can block the scent to some, but not to other magic users, Strong magic users. I can smell that you are suppressing your heat and it's driving me crazy." He walked closer to the other, fists tightening. He lifted his hands up, Merlin backed away thinking he was being threaten, but Mordred just covered his own face.
He felt a ping in his gut for scaring the Omega. It wasn't something he wanted, he felt the need to protect the other. To hold him tight and to feel the warmth of the warlock.
"You stink Merlin. It’s for the best that I stay away from you the next few days"
Did he? No. Not at all.
They cut the hunting trip off short, the knights dragging the sex traders to Camelot, the Omegas getting treatment from Gaius.
The physicians room was quiet, Gaius out doing rounds when Mordred walked in. His arms were full of blankets and pillows he nabbed from here and there.
He made his way up to Merlin's room, kicking the door three times. Merlin opened it a bit, staring at the grumpy looking druid.
"The king has requested that I look after you. I'm not to leave your side since he’s convinced the slave Omegas are making my... instincts go haywire. You, being a 'Beta', are the only one I'm safe around."
Merlin's eyes grew wide.
"But I'm-"
"I know. Take these damn blankets, make a nest, rest." He dropped them at the door, and then promptly walked down a few steps before plopping down on the stone floor. He was told to take care of the so called Beta. He'd guard the other until being told otherwise.
"Are you really going to-?"
"Yes"
Merlin slowly closed the door to his bedroom, leaving Mordred grumpily huffing on the floor.
Not long had past, Merlin's sent making him irritable, which probably wasn’t a good thing when the king showed up.
He raised an eyebrow at his youngest knight.
"What are you doing?"
"Protecting Merlin, like you asked"
"I see. Well, I'm going to go check up on-"
Mordred was to his feet seconds later, jumping up the few steps leading to the Omega's room. He growled at the king, teeth bearing.
"Really?" The king crossed his arms looking unimpressed at the other.
"Back off, Sire." He started taking up a fighting position.
"I am your King; you will listen to me or spend time in the dungeon until this whole drugged Omega thing is over. I can understand instincts, but I will not be treated this way by one of my own knights. Do I make myself clear, Sir Mordred" He started moving forward, standing at the base of the stairs.
Mordred was two seconds away from killing the king to protect Merlin. He knew it was his instincts going into overdrive, but in that moment he didn't care for the future Arthur was trying to make. All he cared about was protecting his Omega, and this Alpha was a threat.
The door to the bedroom open seconds before Mordred was going to attack. The scent of magic, heat, and Merlin filled his nose.
"Sire?" Merlin poked his head out; his face was sweaty, skin pale. He was sickly looking, and Mordred couldn't tell if it was magic or real.
"Merlin, you look like death has washed over you" The king looked concerned at the manservant.
"Sire...Please...go. Your sent, it's sickening" The king took a step back at that, then a few more.
"Is this a side effect of Barrenwort?" Mordred nodded.
"In some cases, Beta's will get sick off the scent of mated Alphas. It's best that all mated Alphas stay far away." At those words Arthur backed up so that he was at the far door to the chamber.
"Very well then. We will talk about your behavior later Mordred, but for now, take care of him"
Mordred didn't know if his lies were working, or if his king was really that dumb. The room was filled with the scent of magic and an unmated Omega in heat, and somehow the King didn't notice. Or if he did, he seemed okay with the idea of his Omega servant being mated to one of his knights.
"I won’t leave his side" The knight replied. The king nodded then turned to leave.
"Get better soon Merlin, I can only handle George for a few days" The Omega grunted in the reply, leaning hard onto the wall.
The door to the camber closed.
Mordred didn't move, feeling high off the smell that was swirling around the room.
"Mordred?" He looked over at the omega, eyes wide. He wanted to sent the other. He needed to feel him, skin to skin.
"Mordred, please?" The man turned fully around at that, looking at Merlin. He was starting to flush.
"What do you need?"
"Oh god- something, someone- just- hold me?"
Mordred swallowed hard and walked into the room. Merlin stripped down to his small clothes and curled up tight onto the nest he made. It wasn't a very good nest, but Mordred could try to work with it.
He struggled for a moment, should he strip down like Merlin? Or should he keep his chainmail on?
"Mordred, please" The other sounded so sad and hurt. Mordred was stripped down into his small clothes not 10 seconds later. It was the fastest he'd ever gotten out of the chainmail.
He got in behind the other, hugging him tight into his chest, spooning him. Merlin was a little taller, but the way he curled up made them both fit well together.
Mordred put his nose to the other's neck, drowning in the smell. Merlin relaxed completely.
"Don't leave me?"
"I won’t"
"...I don't want to be mated" He said softly after 20 minutes of being held.
"I won’t make you. I'll hold you and sleep with you here." Merlin nodded and snuggled back into the younger.
"Alright."