Work Text:
Stomping down the stone corridor Merlin openly glared at anyone who dared look his way. Despite being an omega he was not weak! If only Arthur would see that. Continuing on in a rage Merlin was surprised when he found himself standing in front of Gaius’ door. He was the closest thing to family Merlin had in Camelot. Arthur being his mate was only a matter of dynamics and stupid nonsensical bonds. Uther hated him, Morgana played nice enough but Merlin still worried she had an ulterior motive. It shouldn’t be so odd that he would seek out someone familial.
Knocking briskly Merlin waited, hoping that the old physician would be within. After several minutes Merlin sighed and started to back away, he’d have to find another place to sulk.
“Merlin? Is that you dear boy?” a voice from behind uttered.
Spinning around Merlin smiled even with his sour mood. “Yes, I was um – I --.”
“Are you hurt? What’s happened?” Gaius asked with worry.
“Not physically,” Merlin muttered. “Can we talk?”
Gaius nodded and ushered him into the chambers, “Sit down, I’ll make some tea.”
It didn’t take long to catch Gaius up on what had transpired that morning. There really wasn’t much to it actually, Uther had ordered Arthur away on a mission and his alpha wouldn’t let him come along.
“Surely, he’s concerned about your safety, I can’t imagine he wishes to be away from you,” Gaius mused as he sat opposite Merlin and frowned.
Merlin knew there was some truth to what Gaius had said; Arthur was close to tears when they’d argued earlier. Being trapped in the castle for nearly two months without a purpose was starting to wear on Merlin. If Arthur didn’t even have faith in him to accompany him on a mission then what good was he as a mate?
“I know he’s worried but it still doesn’t change the fact that he’s treating me like some breakable thing, instead of a real person,” Merlin sighed.
“He’s only just found you Merlin; do consider his point of view. Arthur is most likely still very on edge about putting you in potential danger.”
“What? And leaving me here with his murder bent father isn’t a danger?” Merlin huffed.
“Merlin, don’t, Uther isn’t going to simply come and kill you. He’ll only act if you give him reason,” Gaius chided raising his eyebrow menacingly. “Perhaps, when Arthur leaves on his mission you should stay with me until his return, I’ve plenty of things I need help with that you’d be perfect for.”
The idea that he was to be babysat didn’t sit well with Merlin, but Gaius did have a point, it was safer in the physician’s quarters. “I suppose,” he grumbled. “I don’t mind helping you just so long as you tell Arthur when he gets back that I was miserable the whole time!”
“Wait? He’s left already?” Gaius asked with alarm.
“Nearly an hour ago,” Merlin sighed.
“Oh Merlin, please tell me you didn’t part ways angry before he left?”
“He wasn’t treating me fairly Gaius, what should I have done, be quiet and pretend to be a bloody doll!”
“No, but you could have thought how it would make him feel on his trip, I do pray his minds not clouded by this setback. Arthur needs to be focused right now.”
“He should have been more understanding, I didn’t want to argue with him, it just happened,” Merlin snapped.
“It’s too late now to do anything about it; I do hope nothing bad happens.”
Merlin felt bad that they’d parted on bad terms but it wasn’t fair, he only wanted to help. Arthur needed to learn not to coddle him so much; Merlin wouldn’t break at the first sign of trouble. “Can we not talk about this anymore, what did you need assistance with Gaius?” Merlin asked feeling very much not himself.
Gaius thankfully did not continue on with the prior topic, instead he had Merlin help him make a few potions and do some cataloging of ingredients. They managed to spend most of the morning in silence aside from a few instructions being given here and there. Merlin was eternally grateful for the quiet. His initial anger at Arthur had now been replaced with worry. If his future mate came back injured Merlin would know he was the cause. He’d seen Arthur fight; the man was more than capable, unless his mind was clouded.
Since the morning had provided plenty of time for Merlin to stew over his reaction he felt guilty for his behavior. Wishing for the day to speed by, Merlin hoped Arthur would return that night. Sighing loudly he paused his task and stared up at the window. Was this really his life now? Merlin thought perhaps he’d been destined for greater things, but maybe he’d been wrong.
“Need a break?” Gaius asked as he stepped closer. “Why don’t you go down to the kitchens and grab some lunch?”
Merlin frowned at the idea, “I’d rather not risk running into Uther.”
“He’s not going to be in the kitchens Merlin, if you do see him, simply bow and stay quiet!”
“Nope, not going out right now, he’ll yell at me for something I didn’t do.”
“Very well, I have some things to make a soup with but I’m afraid you may not like it.”
Gaius’ cooking wasn’t bad when they sat down to eat thirty minutes later. Honestly, it reminded Merlin of home, in Elador. Overcome with a longing to see his mother Merlin ducked his head and fought against the emotions trying to choke him.
“Merlin what’s wrong?” Gaius asked softly.
“I miss home, I know I’m supposed to find a better life here, but so far I feel like a prisoner. Uther absolutely hates me merely because I use magic and Arthur won’t let me be his equal.”
“Change doesn’t happen overnight dear boy, don’t give up hope.”
“But why is Uther so upset over magic? Why does he seek to destroy everything good or bad?”
“He was touched personally by tragedy Merlin, one that took his wife from him. I fear he blames magic for her passing and has not given up his desire to turn all magic he encounters to ash.”
“Surely he must see that not all magic is bad though, right?” Merlin asked, now understanding his chances with Uther not seeing him as evil were getting worse.
“The man has been purging any and all magic he crosses paths with since that fateful day Merlin. His hatred even extends to magical beings as well. Uther will not rest until magic is gone from his sight. It’s even rumored he imprisoned the last dragon deep beneath this very castle.”
Merlin felt his eyes go wide at the very idea, “Even knowing that you really think there is hope for change?” he asked softly.
“Yes, I do. Arthur is different from his father and maybe with your guidance he will become an even better king.”
Merlin groaned and ducked his head catching it in his hands, “Why me?”
“You’re Arthur’s true mate Merlin, you are the most logical candidate.”
“Nooooo, I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Stop fretting, you’ll make yourself sick.”
Merlin went to say more when an alarm bell rang in the distance. Bolting up from his seat Merlin ran to the window to try and see what was wrong. Thick curls of black smoke met his view, fire. Remembering how destructive an uncontrolled fire was Merlin knew he had to try and help. This may not be his home but that didn’t mean he wanted anyone to get hurt.
“It’s a fire, I’ve got to go, maybe I can help!”
“Careful for your magic,” Gaius sputtered as Merlin ran from the room.
It didn’t take long to figure out where the fire was since everyone was running towards the courtyard. Following the group Merlin exited the citadel and gasped when he saw giant orange flames licking into the sky. Pushing to get past the onlookers Merlin ran towards the fire to see if he could help. As he got closer Merlin realized the stables had caught fire. Panicking slightly he sprinted forward; he had to see if they got the horses out.
The heat from the fire made going in via the main entrance nearly impossible. Skirting past the group of people valiantly attempting to put the fire out he ran around the back. A single fallen pile of burning debris blocked his path but a quick spell cleared an opening as Merlin dashed around the building. The second entrance was clear when he ran up. Touching the handle to gain entry scorched his skin due to the hot metal. Hissing in pain Merlin quickly cast a spell to protect his hand and ran inside.
The room was thick with smoke and he could hear the sounds of the horses shuffling about. Magic be damned he had to help. Using his magic Merlin pushed the cloud of smoke up and away. There were only a few horses left in the stable, he could do this. Stumbling forward he opened the stalls and yelled for the animals to move. They rushed out and went towards the still open back door.
Turning to leave Merlin heard a cry for help. Spinning around frantically Merlin finally spotted a figure through the flames. It was one of the younger stable hands, barely thirteen if that much. Rushing again into the smoke Merlin tried to see how to get the boy out. He was surrounded by fallen timber in a veritable ring of fire.
Wincing at the heat licking his skin Merlin knew he had to act fast or this boy would die. Focusing his magic, Merlin sucked the air out and away from the flames encompassing the boy; they flickered for a moment and died. Racing forward Merlin jumped over a fallen beam and held out his hand for the boy to take.
The kid looked like his eyes were going to bulge out of his head, “You – you used magic!”
“Yes, the king will kill me for it later, let’s go!” Merlin shouted desperate to get out of the building.
The boy nodded and took his hand ready to leave. However, the moment Merlin stepped away an awful splintering noise filled the air. Looking up Merlin could see another beam starting to fall. Dear gods it was going to crush them both! Without thinking Merlin threw his free hand up and held the fiery piece in place with magic. Unfortunately, this caused all the smaller bits of burning debris to rain down on them. Pulling the boy closer Merlin shielded him as best he could.
The sting of a fresh burn prickled the skin on his extended arm, along with the back of neck. Of course it was one of the days he’d chosen to not wear his neckerchief. As it’d been too hot! “Run!” he screamed a second later; this was their only chance to get out. Merlin wasn’t sure he was skilled enough to save them should the whole building come down on their heads.
Racing out they both ran until the inner wall of citadel halted their progress. Stopping and gasping for air, Merlin fell to his knees and began coughing. The smoke had burned his lungs and it was hard to breathe. Turning to check on the youth revealed much the same. “Are you – you hurt?” he rasped.
“M’okay,” the boy gasped falling to the ground to lie on his side.
“Thank the gods,” Merlin sighed as he collapsed and landed on his back. The sound of the fire roaring drowned out any other noise. Letting his eyes slip closed Merlin attempted to calm his racing heart. It’d be no good to die of a bloody heart attack after escaping the clutches of the flames.
Then, without warning Merlin felt something solid and cold poke at his neck. Opening his eyes revealed Uther standing over him with a look that could kill. The other thing of note was the sword currently about to puncture a hole in his throat. Moving his arm slightly only resulted in the king pushing the tip of the sword deeper into his skin.
“Don’t even think about it,” Uther growled. “One more move and I’ll run you through.”
Frozen in fear Merlin could only assume this was going to be his last moments on this earth. What a waste. He’d not even had a chance to say a proper goodbye to Arthur. The thought of never seeing the alpha again brought tears to his eyes.
“Wait! Sire, please --please, he s--saved me!” The boy cried out in a panic. “He helped the remaining horses escape –and -- and he r--rescued me from certain d--death!”
Merlin watched as the boy crawled closer until he was groveling right at Uther’s boots. The poor boy was sobbing and coughing. They must have looked like a right mess, covered in ash and burns, crying like a bunch of new born babes.
“He is not as he seems boy, get back and let me deal with him,” Uther huffed.
“I –I saw, I know, but he saved me!” The boy wailed. “His m-magic is good!”
Uther’s eyes went wide and the tip of the sword at his throat pushed even deeper, the point had yet to break the skin but it wouldn’t be much more before Merlin’s life force would be gushing out on the ground. Then, in an unexpected move the sword lifted away. The king was left glaring down at Merlin, conflict evident in his steely eyes. “You will say nothing of what you saw today boy, is that clear,” Uther demanded of the youth.
“Yes my lord!” he answered quickly.
“As for yo--,”
“Sire! Are you alright?” someone interrupted nearby. “Everyone is asking for you my lord.”
“I’m not done with you,” Uther seethed slowly backing away from Merlin, “Keep an eye on that one,” the king ordered of one of the guards standing close.
Uther stalking away lit by the otherworldly wall of flame still burning brightly was truly terrifying to behold. Shuddering at the sight Merlin attempted to sit up, his whole body ached and the burn in his lungs had not dissipated. Staring down at his hands Merlin became aware that he was shaking. Slowly pushing himself up on his knees Merlin tried to stand.
The guard approached and held out his hand, “You should stay down, you don’t look well.”
“M’not,” Merlin rasped. “At least take him to get some water,” he added pointing to the boy curled into a ball on the ground.
Merlin could only assume the guard had a family of his own based off his favorable reaction to the request. The man simply nodded and with great care helped the youth to stand and lead him away. Not wasting a second Merlin forced his battered limbs to cooperate. Fleeing was his only option, Uther was going to kill him, Merlin knew it.
The fire proved to be a useful distraction as Merlin ran back towards the citadel. He needed supplies if he was going to run away. Blindly sprinting off into the woods would only result in his premature death. Merlin wanted to have some kind of fighting chance.
Stumbling through the corridors the few people he passed paid him no mind. He looked the part, so they assumed he was helping. Rounding the last bend before Arthur’s chambers Merlin skidded to a halt. There was a collection of guards rushing his way. Panicking Merlin turned tail and quickly headed back the way he came. Fearful of running into any more guards he tried to find another way back.
However, in his muddled state of mind Merlin simply became lost in the labyrinth of passages. Desperate to leave Merlin didn’t care when he begun descending into the bowls of the citadel. The chances of escaping were becoming slim to none, maybe hiding in the dark would be the best option. Uther wouldn’t care, just so long as he was gone from Arthur’s life.
Thinking he’d come to a dead end Merlin was surprised when he spotted an old door tucked away. Trying the handle Merlin found the door unlocked. Though more likely the lock had rusted years ago. Pushing it open Merlin peered into the inky black depths beyond. The damp air that came slinking out felt like it was calling him. Guess misery loves company.
Flicking his hand Merlin summoned an orb of blue light. Might as well see what was down there, nothing could be worse than facing Uther.
The passage was long and winding as Merlin went down even further below the citadel. When he was about to give up the passage stopped and opened up in a vast cavernous space, the orb barely lit the confines of where he was standing. Shouting out into the abyss Merlin could hear his own voice echo.
Sighing heavily, Merlin stumbled backward and hit the rock wall. The rough surface irritated his burns but he didn’t care. This was the end, life as Merlin knew it was over. He could stay here and die in peace.
Closing his eyes Merlin let the orb of light dissipate, he let the cold surround him. Thinking he was truly alone the sound of something scraping against rock and the movement of air caused Merlin to flinch. There was something else down here!
Bringing back the orb Merlin shouted in panic. Not twenty paces away was a dragon, looking at him with golden eyes. “Look how small you are,” it rumbled.
This was not happening. Gaius had been right?! There was a dragon under the citadel. Feeling slightly faint Merlin tried to think of what to say. He hadn’t been attacked yet; maybe this great dragon wouldn’t hurt him. “Erm – I suppose, though I’m taller than the prince.”
The dragon did what Merlin could only figure was a smirk, “The princeling has grown then has he? I do hope you are able to keep him out of trouble Merlin.”
“How do you know my name?” Merlin asked in a rush forgetting his fatigue.
“You are the other side of the coin, half of what makes one whole,” the dragon answered cryptically.
“What? I’m Arthur’s mate, not a coin,” Merlin replied confused.
“Your magic is to aid Arthur in uniting all of Albion as the once and future king.”
“No, that can’t be right, I’ll be dead before that can happen!” he replied frantically. The part of Merlin’s brain in charge of self-preservation was not working well, the fact that he was arguing with a dragon had not exactly registered yet. “Uther is after my head as we speak! The man’s a tyrant!”
“I’m afraid I cannot change what is to be Merlin, it is your destiny.”
“I refuse to believe that, there must be another way. Is there another future king that needs help? It can’t be this Arthur, his father’s an idiot,” Merlin sighed.
“You know what you must do young warlock,” with nothing more than a toothy grin the dragon launched himself upwards and flew away into the darkness.
“Hey!” Merlin shouted, “What it is I must do exactly? I’m going to die soon anyway; you’ll have to get someone else to help.” There was no answer of course; slumping down further Merlin winced when the burnt skin on his neck pulled painfully. He couldn’t stay here forever; he might as well try to escape. Waiting to be found and killed was torture in of itself.
Struggling upright Merlin traipsed back up the corridor. Maybe everyone would still be distracted with fire and he could still get away. When he reached the door Merlin began coughing due to his abused lungs. Dismissing the orb Merlin blindly reached out and pulled the door open. Stepping out into the castle proper Merlin slowly made his way back towards Arthur’s chambers. He needed to pack a bag so he could leave.
Merlin never made it that far, once he’d reached the main level of building two guards rushing past stopped abruptly and pointed at him. Panicking Merlin ran away from them. His body wasn’t cooperating and he tripped stumbling to the floor. Still struggling to think clearly Merlin wasn’t quick enough to mount any kind of defense, magic or otherwise, Merlin felt hands on his arms pulling him upright.
When something clasped onto his wrist making his magic flare Merlin realized he’d been too late. The second cuff captured his other wrist just as efficiently and Merlin was helpless to fight back. His magic was sealed in cold iron.
The cuffs were tight and made his skin burn, being locked away from his magic made Merlin want to retch. The guards roughly shoved him forward and kept a hold of his arms as they wove through the halls. It wasn’t until he was led downstairs towards the dungeons did Merlin realize his fate was sealed. There was no going back now; he was as good as dead.
Instead of being tossed into a cell the men escorting him drug Merlin into the middle of the room and hooked his wrists to the chain in the ceiling. Oh gods, this was going to hurt, why were people so cruel? The chain went taunt a second later pulling Merlin’s arms over head until he was just standing on his toes. Crying out in pain Merlin tried in vain to use his magic. It simply fizzled the moment he called for it.
The imposing figure of the king swam into his vision a minute later, “I warned you did I not omega!” he growled.
Whining pitifully at the name Merlin shook his head, “I was only – only trying to h—help!”
“Help! By burning my stables down?! What kind of sick twisted person are you?”
Merlin didn’t understand, he hadn’t started the fire. “I –I didn’t start the fire my lord! I swear!”
“How do you explain a fire springing to life all on its own, it’s magic!” Uther accused.
“I only h—helped the horses get out and – and the stable boy, ple—please believe me,” Merlin begged.
“There are witnesses omega, they say the hay caught fire, like magic.”
“I wasn’t—I wasn’t even there sire, please ask Gaius. I – I was helping him.”
Uther paced the stone cobbles and shook his head, “You cannot fool me omega, I know your tricks.”
Merlin was beside himself, how could he get Uther to see that he didn’t do anything wrong. “I was only trying to help people,” he whispered. “Can you – can you at least tell Arthur I was falling for him?” Merlin asked quietly.
Uther paused and came up close to Merlin’s face, “You have no more fight left in you? Why?”
“I cannot win against your corrupted mind sire, I didn’t start that fire but – I,” Merlin paused and gasped for breath when a painful twinge ripped through his body. “I’m tired of this never ending battle.”
“How then do you explain hay bursting into flames with no source of fire?” Uther asked defiantly.
Merlin was about to shake his head in defeat when a distant memory came to him. Being only a child at the time, the sight of a ball of flame in a field back home was truly a wonder. Trying to remember more details about the incident Merlin’s eyes grew wide when he realized what might have happened. “The hay, was it wet?” he asked desperately, jostling the chain that held him up.
“What difference does that make?” Uther queried.
“If it was wet and then tightly bound heat can build u--.”
“Silence!” Uther snapped. “Take him to Arthur’s chambers and make sure he doesn’t run off again. Send Gaius to him as soon as he’s finished tending to any others injured in the fire.”
Too stunned to say anything more Merlin nearly fell to the floor when the chain holding most of his weight was released. The cuffs, dreadful things, stayed on his wrists as the guards took him to Arthur’s rooms. For better or worse the grip the guards had on his arms kept Merlin from falling flat on his face for the journey.
As quickly as he’d been cast in the dungeon Merlin was unceremoniously shoved into Arthur’s chambers and left alone. Taking a few steps Merlin waited to see if they come back in but it remained quiet. Sinking to the floor Merlin curled into a ball and cried. Having his magic repressed made him feel sick and the small burns over his neck and arm were stinging horribly.
He simply had to hold out until Arthur returned, unless he sided with Uther and thought Merlin caused trouble because he was angry. Praying for a swift death when the time came Merlin continued to quietly sob. This was not how he wanted things to go, caught between trying to be loyal to his alpha and using his natural given powers as he wished.
He could have put that fire out if Uther had allowed it; he could have fought off the guards when they found him after speaking to the dragon. What was the use though? Merlin would have only destroyed the one thing that had actually been going well.
Being with Arthur.
A force that could only be described as sharp and somewhat painful drew Merlin back into consciousness. A second feeling much the same jolted him before Merlin could get his bearings. Gasping for air only to cough roughly he tried to figure out what was happening. Waiting for the coughing fit to subside Merlin opened his eyes and realized he was still on the floor in Arthur’s rooms.
However, he wasn’t alone. Gaius hovered over him with an expression Merlin couldn’t quite pinpoint. The older man looked slightly pale but he wasn’t shouting at him so that was a good sign. “How do you feel? Uther gave me the key to the cuffs and I didn’t want you suffer any longer than necessary.”
“When’s my execution?” Merlin rasped.
“There won’t be one, can you stand?”
“I’ve already cheated death three times today Gaius, just make sure they kill me quickly.”
“Merlin!” Gaius huffed, “Now is not the time to give up. I’ve sent Gwen for supplies, but you need to rest on the bed.”
“Supplies?” Merlin asked confused. “Are you helping me pack so I can run away?”
Gaius merely frowned and carefully stood up from where he’d been kneeling on the floor. “Can you stand?” he asked instead.
Merlin knew he probably could stand but the very idea of moving his aching body seemed awful. Deciding Gaius wouldn’t like it if he tried to stay on the floor Merlin slowly pushed himself up. Once fully upright he began to wobble. The room wasn’t exactly spinning but it was close. Gaius’ hand was a gentle presence on his back leading Merlin to the bed.
“Oh no, I’m filthy I can’t get the sheets dirty,” he sighed.
“Here sit for now until we figure that out, hmmm?” Gaius steered Merlin over to a nearby chair and eased him down onto the cushion. “I’ll be able to treat your burns better this way, are you able to stay awake for now?”
Merlin nodded and closed his eyes, the sounds of Gaius preparing things kept him somewhat lucid. When Gwen appeared a little bit later, her shocked gasp drove away any vestiges of sleep. Listening to her and Gaius fret over him kept Merlin’s mind from spiraling. They may have been worried for him but he still didn’t know how Arthur would react.
Sometime later, after all his injuries and wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, Merlin was tucked into Arthur’s bed in a fresh set of night clothes. Gwen had kindly used a wet rag to wipe away all the ash from his face and neck. The spot where Uther’s sword had rested was tender and Merlin could tell she was curious about its origin. He wasn’t ready to dive into that topic yet, maybe later after he’d rested.
Exhaustion clung to Merlin as he tried, in vain, to ignore the slight pain from his burns. Gaius assured him it would heal fast enough. He’d been lucky apparently. Merlin didn’t think so.
With a gentle pat on the shoulder from Gaius and a soft squeeze of his hand from Gwen, both his friends left the room. He’d declined having either of them stay, Merlin wanted to be alone right now. If this was his last moment of relative calm he wanted to enjoy it. It was a small blessing that sleep claimed him so easily. One moment Merlin was staring up at the ceiling of the bed canopy, the next he was deep in a dreamless slumber.
--
The smell of burnt wood reached Arthur’s nose as he rode along the moonlit path back to Camelot. Leon was beside him a second later concern evident on his face. “Perhaps it was a good thing you wanted to get back tonight,” he offered gravely.
“I know my reason for pushing to get back home is purely selfish, but I can’t shake the bad feeling in my gut Leon, I can only hope this isn’t a sign of something truly terrible.”
“I can’t fault you for wanting to get back to your omega sire; you both seem to share a strong bond.”
Arthur hummed in agreement. The thought of Merlin being in trouble or worse wouldn’t leave Arthur’s mind. Leon didn’t comment as he spurred his horse to go a little faster.
When the white spires of Camelot came into view thirty minutes later, it was clear a fire had broken out at some point. The air was thick with the scent of burning embers even though no flames were visible. Arthur couldn’t help but gasp as he rode into the courtyard of the citadel. The smoking hulk of what use to be the stables rose from the ground like a gateway to hell.
A lone squire came running up, most likely left to make sure the fire didn’t spark up again. “Sire, I can still take your horse, we’ve set up temporary accommodations for the animals nearby.”
“What happened?” Leon asked as he dismounted.
“A bale of hay was improperly dried before it was bundled and caught fire.”
“You mean it caught on its own?” Arthur inquired curious about the odd phenomenon.
“Yes, my lord. No one noticed in time though so the stables were lost to the fire.”
“Was anyone hurt? What about the animals?” Arthur was worried about the workers, fire was dangerous.
“Only a few minor injuries occurred. There was an omega that ran in to save the remaining horses that had become trapped. He also rescued Markus, the stable hand on duty.”
“What did the omega look like?” Arthur asked in a panic. “There was no way his Merlin had gone and done something so reckless.
“Um – I think he’s your mate sire,” the boy answered sheepishly.
The trip up to his rooms was a blur after he’d jumped from his horse. Leon called to him about taking care of things before he was out of earshot. All other thoughts were pushed aside as Arthur ran. He needed to check on Merlin.
The halls were eerily quiet as he sprinted up the stairs, reaching his rooms Arthur wasted no time in ripping open the door and rushing inside. It was near on midnight so the chambers were dark. Unwilling to waste any more time Arthur called out to see if Merlin was there.
“Merlin! Are you here? Merlin!” Arthur frantically shouted going towards the bed and tripping over a chair in the process.
“R’thur? Is that you?”
“Thank the gods, sorry for waking you I – the stables – are you alright?” he spluttered finally coming to a stop besides the bed and fumbling with a candle.
“I’ll be okay,” was the mumbled reply.
The uncertainty in Merlin’s voice was too much to bear, “Merlin can you light the candle I need to see you right now.”
A small unassuming flame flickered to life illuminating the bedside. Arthur could feel his eyes going wide at the sight of his omega. The tears came shortly afterward, Merlin looked horrid. “What happened to you?” Arthur asked near hysterical.
“Got caught in a burning building,” Merlin replied quietly.
“I heard that much from the poor squire left to watch that burnt out mess.” Pausing to really take in all of Merlin’s injuries his eyes landed on the odd bruise on his neck, followed by the bandages on Merlin’s wrists. “What else happened?” he asked again wiping his tears away roughly.
“Um – I may have angered Uther.”
“No, no, what did he do to you? Were you tortured?!”
“Almost?” Merlin replied shrinking in on himself.
“I’ll fucking kill him, he said he’d leave you alone!” Arthur yelled.
The sound of the door opening again made Arthur tense up, he didn’t want to see anyone else right now. When his father came around the corner holding a candle and dressed in a robe, Arthur wanted to strike him down. “I must speak with you,” the king uttered.
“You tried to kill him, you waited for me to go away on a mission and you fucking tried to kill him. I will never forgive you for this!” Arthur seethed.
“Arthur, listen to me I understand that you are mad, but I didn’t know what had happened. I only did what I thought was best. However, your omega didn’t do anything wrong and I see that now.”
Frozen in place due to the shock of hearing his father admit such a thing Arthur didn’t know what to do next. “But you hurt him,” Arthur added with a wince.
“Yes, I admit to being out of line.”
“I – this isn’t over,” growled Arthur.
“Hmmm, you should rest we can talk more in the morning,” Uther commented before turning and leaving just as quickly as he’d come.
Following him Arthur quickly bolted the door and ran back to Merlin. His omega was shaking slightly and Arthur had never felt so heartbroken at the sight. “He’s gone love, I won’t let him hurt you again, I promise.”
“You can’t possibly keep a promise like that Arthur, he’s the king.”
“No, I will keep it, you’re my mate and I will not let you be abused by him,” Arthur said with conviction as he came to sit on the bed. “Can I hold you? I missed you so much.”
Merlin nodded and reached up to tug at his armor, “Turn around let me help you get it off and then you can use the wash basin to rinse the dirt away.”
Barely able to sit still to allow Merlin to work Arthur was soon free of his armor and shrugging out of his chainmail, leaving it in a pile on the floor. In a haze he managed to secure a clean set of sleep clothes before doing as Merlin instructed and cleaning himself with a rag.
Skirting the bed Arthur slipped in under the covers and scooted close to Merlin. “I want to hold you but I don’t want to hurt you. Is there a healing spell you can use to make it hurt less?” he asked only wishing for Merlin to be pain free.
“I could try, I’m not very good at those kinds of spells, otherwise, I would have tried to heal myself that day you found me in the woods.”
“I’m right here in case you need anything, give it a try and see what happens,” Arthur encouraged. Watching in awe as Merlin’s eyes glowed a brilliant gold Arthur worried something had gone wrong when his mate whimpered in seeming pain. “Did it not work?”
“Dunno,” gasped Merlin, “help me check.”
“Propping himself up on one elbow Arthur gently took Merlin’s arm and began unwrapping the bandages on his forearm. Fresh pink skin greeted his eyes. “I didn’t see it before but this seems like it could be an improvement.”
“Merlin glanced down and nodded smiling softly, “Yes, that is an improvement, that was the worst burn.”
“Let me check the rest of your injuries,” Arthur requested while maneuvering Merlin into sitting position. Thankfully, Merlin’s spell had worked. Most of the areas under the wrappings were freshly healed or far advanced in the healing stages. The bruise on his omega’s neck was nearly gone and for that Arthur was grateful. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the full story behind that mark, but they could talk about it later. Now, he was focused on caring for his mate.
The last area Arthur checked was Merlin’s wrists. Each one was free of bruising and cuts. Taking the slender hand in his own Arthur brought it up to kiss Merlin’s palm and kept going up his arm, turning it over and kissing his newly healed burns.
“I take it this means you aren’t mad at me for being awful this morning?” Merlin asked when Arthur had looked up from his kissing session.
Surging forward Arthur captured Merlin’s lips in a searing kiss. Breaking apart a minute later to breathe Arthur guided them back down to lie side by side. “Does that answer your question?” he mused.
“Gods I was so worried Arthur I didn’t want you to get hurt or worse, and the last thing we did was fight.”
“Me either. I can’t promise we won’t argue again in the future but we can at least try to make up quickly. How’s that sound?”
Merlin nodded and smiled, “I’m so glad you came back tonight. You make me feel better when you’re around.”
Arthur didn’t know how to react to that statement; Merlin was too good for this world. “I think I love you,” he blurted instead.
“For real? Or is that the bond talking?” Merlin teased.
“Idiot, you know I like you.”
“I – I think I’m falling in love with you too, no, wait,” Merlin paused and scrunched up his face, “I have fallen! Curse you and your irresistible charm, you utter clotpole!”
Despite the heaviness of the situation Arthur barked out a laugh and went in for another kiss. It wasn’t hard to coax Merlin against him when they parted. Drifting off to sleep with his omega safe in his arms felt divine. Nearly on the verge of sleep Merlin moved against him and mumbled something unintelligible. “Hmmm?” Arthur urged hoping his mate would repeat himself.
“Met ‘reat dragon t’day,” he slurred before his breathing evened out.
Arthur simply hugged his mate closer and relaxed. He’d have to tease Merlin in the morning for rambling on about children’s make believe stories.
Dragons weren’t around anymore.