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Persistent hands were clumsily pushing at his tunic trying to get underneath. Merlin shoved them away and attempted to gain some distance from their owner. The alpha in question sneered and lunged forward to try again.
“Come on, omega, let’s go have some fun,” he cooed drunkenly laying his grubby hands on Merlin’s chest forcing him against the corridor wall.
He was going to have to use magic to subdue the man or knee him in the groin and run like hell. Being within the castle walls meant Merlin’s options were slim. Using magic was risky with Uther out to get him, but this stupid alpha wasn’t giving up. Forcing the man backward once more Merlin was unprepared when he lashed out and slapped him hard.
“Don’t fight me!” He yelled, roughly grabbing Merlin by the arms and shaking him, adding to the stars he already saw dancing in his vision.
The shock of being struck awakened his magic in a fearsome way. Merlin had to fight to keep it from acting on its own. Barely in control of his faculties Merlin kicked the alpha in the groin and ran. An ear splitting roar carried through the stone corridors, the alpha was pissed now and most likely sobering up. Needing to find safety Merlin instinctually headed back towards Arthur’s chambers.
Focused solely on one goal Merlin raced through the dimly lit corridors. His mind was on repeat chanting ‘get away, find Arthur’ but Merlin knew he couldn’t. His alpha wasn’t around tonight and now Merlin had to figure out how to evade the brutish alpha by himself. The sound of more yelling and pounding footsteps behind Merlin caused his heart rate to spike.
Whipping around Merlin saw the alpha running after him with his sword drawn no less, this man wasn’t going to play nice. Dueling visions of being skewered by the angry alpha or burned at the stake kept flashing through Merlin’s panicked brain. Get killed by the alpha or use his magic, he was fucked either way. Forcing his legs to move faster Merlin kept running.
His lungs were burning after a few minutes, the size of the castle and amount of stairs to traverse didn’t make it an easy place to navigate. However, Merlin was so close to reaching a safe haven. Arthur’s chambers had a sturdy door and lock. Skittering around a tight corner Merlin collided with something solid, something decidedly humanoid.
Any hope of assistance was instantly dashed when Merlin realized who he’d run into.
Uther.
A pathetic sounding whine escaped his throat as Merlin scurried away, stopping only when he’d hit the corridor wall.
“Watch where you’re going omega!” Uther hissed stepping closer. “You’ve nearly knocked me over stupid boy, why are you in such a rushhh--” the king trailed off as the sounds of someone else approaching became louder, the angry alpha, still hell bent on catching him.
“You foul, disgusting whore I’ll kill you!” The alpha spit out as he rounded the corner sword held high, eyes only for Merlin.
Merlin couldn’t think, couldn’t act. Using magic in front of Uther meant certain death; he had no way to defend himself without making the situation worse. Wincing at the force of his magic trying to release itself in some desperate bid of self-preservation, Merlin could only stand there frozen.
Before the alpha landed a blow, Uther, in one swift motion had unsheathed his sword and blocked the attack. Having never seen the king fight before Merlin was in awe at the raw power the older man displayed. Uther looked nearly as fast as Arthur while he forced the alpha to back down. He’d even acted quicker than his own guards.
Several more blows were dealt as the two faced off in the narrow space. It was almost as if the man didn’t know who he was fighting, surely if he’d recognized Uther he would have stopped. Merlin saw the same opening Uther did when the alpha left his right flank undefended. The king struck with deadly accuracy sending the alpha down on the hard stones screaming in agony. Uther had chosen restraint and only used the broad side of his sword to incapacitate the man.
“Take this idiot to the dungeons!” Uther bellowed motioning his two stunned guards forward.
For a moment Merlin worried he was going to be forcibly manhandled, but the two guards in attendance ignored him.
“You, omega, with me,” Uther snapped stalking away.
Pushing himself off the wall Merlin felt his knees protest. He was a walking dessert pudding; a small breeze would knock him over if he wasn’t careful. Taking a few steps forward Merlin grabbed a nearby table to keep from outright collapsing. His entire body was shaking, which made performing general motor skills near impossible.
“Now!” Uther demanded turning to scowl at Merlin.
Merlin’s patience with being mistreated for the evening was wearing thin. He already knew talking back to Uther was a bad idea, but he couldn’t stay upright with all the adrenaline coursing through his system. His body wanted a break, a long one. Giving up on saving any shred of dignity he had left Merlin nodded in response and pushed off from the table. Maybe the momentum would take over and he’d catch up.
Foolishly thinking his plan had worked Merlin managed two full steps before both his knees quit working. Crumpling to the floor Merlin caught himself with his hands. Kneeling on the cold stone he wondered if Uther would just give up and walk away.
Nope.
Uther growled lowly and stomped over, “Omega, do say something if you need help.”
A strong hand gripped his bicep and hauled Merlin upright. Uther hadn’t lashed out yet, Merlin was in uncharted territory. Stumbling along with Uther’s aid they went into an unoccupied room nearby. Once inside Uther slammed the door shut and pushed Merlin into a chair.
“Why do you always get into so much bloody trouble?!” Uther hissed as he paced the dark room, the only light being from the moon streaming through the open window curtains. This didn’t help the mood much; Uther looked ghostly cast in blue light. “Do you even think about the ramifications of your actions omega? Gods, do you crave attention so badly that you can’t obey the rules?!”
“No! I swear I – I didn’t want to get in trouble!” Merlin pleaded.
“You were expressly told to stay in Arthur’s chambers, and yet here you are.” Uther added sarcastically. “I know you’re upset at not being allowed to attend the banquet, but you’re not formally bonded with Arthur. I can’t allow an unclaimed omega with magic, running around with our guests. People will talk!” the king huffed.
“I understand that!” Merlin cried, “but I was only going to the kitchens, I wai--.”
Uther scoffed cutting him off, “You had food delivered so you wouldn’t have to leave, don’t lie to me!”
“I’m not lying, it never came. I waited and waited, and then decided to find some in the kitchens. I wasn’t out looking for trouble. Please believe me.”
“The servants were given express instruction to send food up to Arthur’s rooms, I don’t see why they wouldn’t comply.”
Merlin was so tired; everything was a battle in this place, why couldn’t he live a normal life? “I’m an outcast here, and an male omega. It’s hard to overcome that Sire.”
Narrowing his eyes Uther turned abruptly and walked over to the window. “Tell me why that drunkard was chasing you.”
“I was on my way to the kitchens and he spotted me. I think he was lost. He was holding one of the goblets from the banquet.” Merlin paused thinking back on how the alpha had touched him. Shuddering at the memory Merlin continued. “He said he could smell me and that I was -- ugh, ripe for the picking. I told him I was on an errand and couldn’t help him, but he kept trying to catch me.”
“Why not use your magic?” Uther asked carefully.
Merlin couldn’t help but let out a crazed laugh, “You’d kill me, or try to, and then you and Arthur wouldn’t talk anymore, and things would be awful, and it’d be my fault,” he rambled. “You told me never to use magic under this roof or you’d burn me, remember?” Merlin added feeling emboldened.
Uther hummed but didn’t respond immediately, sighing deeply he motioned with his hand to keep going.
“Um – the alpha wouldn’t leave me alone, and then he cornered me and started trying to get his hands under my shirt. I stopped him but he slapped me.”
“Yes, the side of your face is slightly puffy,” Uther added noncommittally. “Go on.”
“After he hit me I kicked him and fled, and then I quite literally ran into you.”
“I hear Arthur grumbling about you being all elbows and knees, I think I understand his meaning now.”
“Oh,” was all Merlin could manage. He still didn’t know if Uther would punish him or not. So far the king hadn’t shouted at him so maybe he’d survive this ordeal. The shaking had subsided but Merlin could still feel his heart racing.
“I need to know for when I question that complete fool later, did you use any magic in his presence?”
Merlin shook his head vehemently.
“I already know he will say you tried to seduce him. I know that to be untrue, considering how devoted you are to my son, clearly without any thought to your wellbeing.”
“He’s my mate,” Merlin offered.
“Yes, I’m beginning to realize how strong your connection is with him,” Uther sighed. “Also, if you’d been properly bonded with Arthur that alpha wouldn’t have behaved as badly.”
“I know that!” said Merlin in exasperation. “I don’t want to live like this, but right now my only other choice is to run away and leave this place, but we both know Arthur would chase after me,” he added glumly.
“Yes, he would, which would be most unfortunate.”
Hearing the disappointment lacing Uther’s words Merlin couldn’t help but respond. “Sorry, I’m so beneath you my lord, I didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t ask to be born with magic and to have Arthur as a mate, but here we are. I keep thinking I’ve got a chance at happiness but then reality comes crashing back down in my face. Arthur respects you enough to follow your orders but I can’t deal with this for much longer. If you don’t want us to be together you may have to murder me.”
The fatigue of being harassed by the wayward alpha and the questioning by Uther was wearing Merlin down. Arthur had been expressly forbidden from claiming Merlin by Uther himself, the threats ranging from imprisonment to death. The crown prince of Camelot wasn’t allowed to just claim anybody. The council needed to approve, the king needed to give his blessing, it was a whole to do. Merlin was doomed to a cursed existence, life wasn’t fair.
Merlin didn’t know when he’d started crying, in front of the bloody king no less. Struggling to breathe he tried mightily to calm down. Now was not the time to breakdown.
Uther cleared his throat loud enough to get Merlin’s attention through his sobs. “I fear the repercussions of such a brazen act Merlin. My son would never forgive me and I don’t believe I could live with that.”
“Then – then why can’t you – just leave us alone?” Merlin rasped finally in control of his tears.
“I still believe your kind to be evil,” he added seriously. “I’m merely conflicted since you were born with your powers. The choice was not yours to make, I cannot make sense of that.”
“What can I do to make – to make you not hate me?” Merlin asked, desperate for any kind of reprieve.
“Stop getting into trouble for starters,” Uther immediately fired back.
“I don’t seek it out!” Merlin shouted in return. “Sometimes a little help would be nice, like today for example. I thought I was going to die but you – um, you hate me why’d you help me?” he asked perplexed by Uther’s actions now that he had a moment to think.
“Your scent was telling; any notes of mischief or trickery were missing. All I could smell was raw fear. I suppose my inner alpha reacted stronger than I’d expected,” Uther admitted with a shrug.
“I don’t want to get my hopes up for something impossible sire, but I love Arthur and I want to be with him. Don’t make me fight you over him.”
Uther barked out a laugh, “Yes, that is true; I’m dealing with a sorcerer, and one that happens to be my son’s bloody mate. I need to think more on the matter, but I don’t want Arthur sulking around because things got out of hand.”
“I honestly don’t want to cause any harm sire, I only want to be with Arthur,” Merlin replied solemnly. Suddenly overcome with exhaustion, Merlin closed his eyes and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. He was still hungry and his head ached.
“We will continue this discussion another day, you need to eat. I can tell from your scent that you need to rest. Up with you,” ordered Uther coming over to gently pull Merlin up out of the chair.
Merlin remained quiet and was eternally grateful his legs had stopped shaking so badly. He could walk without the risk of falling over. When they exited the room two guards were standing nearby waiting for the king. One looked familiar; he was the knight that had accompanied them on the last mission out of the castle.
“Sir Tristan, escort Merlin to the kitchens and see that he makes it back to Arthur’s rooms in one piece.”
“Sire,” Tristan bowed taking his place next to Merlin.
“I’ll speak with Arthur before he retires for the night,” Uther offered before walking away, back toward the banquet.
The banquet he wasn’t allowed to attend since he wasn’t bonded with Arthur. Merlin hoped with all his heart Uther would allow the bonding to take place. If they had a formal ceremony and Arthur claimed him life would go a lot smoother.
A light tap on his arm brought Merlin out of his reverie. Tristan was smiling and with a small touch to his back, led Merlin to the kitchens. Grateful for the company Merlin easily got a full plate of food from the cook. Maybe having a knight escort him to the kitchens had done the trick.
The walk back to Arthur’s chambers was a bit of a blur; Merlin cradled his plate and let Tristan walk in front of them. Finally reaching his destination Merlin stopped and smiled. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“Anytime, Merlin, I’m happy you’re alright. I heard that awful alpha yelling up a storm as they drug him to the dungeons. Uther really whacked him good.”
“Yeah, it was impressive.”
Tristan hummed in agreement. “Well, go on inside. I’m not leaving until Arthur gets here,” he added with a smile.
“Won’t Uther need you back?”
“Don’t worry about it Merlin, go, eat and relax.”
“Yeah, hey, thanks again,” he said before waving goodbye and slipping through the door to Arthur’s rooms. Merlin all but collapsed into a chair at the dining table, he was ravenous and ate far too quickly but he finally felt safe.
Despite feeling better Merlin wasn’t able to fully calm down; he ended up pacing and trying to kill time until Arthur returned. Barely an hour had passed before Merlin heard footsteps approaching. Crossing his fingers he nearly cried for joy when Arthur came inside. His alpha didn’t say a thing as he closed the distance between them and engulfed Merlin in a bone crushing hug.
They stood, arms locked around each other for several seconds before Merlin realized Arthur hadn’t come alone. Peering over his alpha’s shoulder Merlin saw Uther looking around.
“That’s my plate I got from the kitchens,” Merlin admitted quickly, not wanting Uther to think he’d lied.
“I did believe you.”
“He did,” Arthur whispered in his ear finally releasing his death grip. “Are you alright? Do we need to go see Gaius for your face? It’s a little red.”
“I’m okay, I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to be wi—hey – what happened to your hand?!” Merlin asked noticing a small bruise on Arthur’s knuckles forming along with a few spots of blood.
“Uh, I – well.”
“Don’t sugar coat things Arthur, you pounded that fool in the face for touching your omega. Merlin is not a child he can bear to hear the tale.” Uther offered coolly.
“You did! Thank the gods,” Merlin exclaimed pulling Arthur back in for a hug. “Thank you!” Lost in the euphoria of having his honor defended, Merlin nearly missed Uther bidding them goodnight. When they were alone Arthur locked the door and led Merlin over to the hearth.
“Tell me exactly what happened,” Arthur requested sitting them both down on the settee across from the merrily burning fire.
Merlin began recounting his experience with the terrible alpha and how scared he been when he found Uther. The look on Arthur’s face almost made him stop as it was obvious his mate was extremely distressed hearing the story. By the end Arthur had snuggled so close their foreheads were touching.
“What did your father tell you?” Merlin asked curiously, relishing in the comforting contact from his alpha.
“The same thing, I needed to be sure he wasn’t leaving anything out or lying to me.”
“Do you think he will allow us to officially be together?”
“If he doesn’t, we’ll run away together. It’s not fair to force to you live like this, I only want to make you happy. If living on a farm together somewhere is the answer then I’m game.”
“You’d seriously leave all of this for me?” Merlin asked bewildered.
“Of course! We’re meant to be together, I’m not giving up that easily.”
Chuckling at the image of Arthur working on a farm Merlin could only nod his approval. “Your turn how was the banquet?”
Arthur whined loudly and curled his lip. “It was awful. Half of the guests somehow knew about you and kept asking me where my mate was. I had to tell them you were ill and resting.”
“Ouch, what about the other half?”
“They were worse! They kept trying to pawn off their sons and daughters to me like it was a fucking auction. Never again, if father asks me to go to another stupid banquet without you I’m refusing. He made it sound like it could lead to war if I didn’t attend this one, what a farce!”
“Oh, because Lord Farlawn is visiting?”
“Yes! Father told me if I didn’t go Farlawn would get suspicious that I was out on a secret mission to spy or something ridiculous. Turns out the man didn’t even know Uther had a fucking son!”
Merlin couldn’t help but laugh at Arthur’s exaggerated expressions. “I’m just happy your back, I missed you so much!”
“Sorry the servants didn’t want to bring you food, I’m going to check with Morgana to see if she can ask Gwen to find out why. I don’t like the idea of anyone here being mean to you on purpose,” Arthur sighed.
“It’s alright love, I’m used to it.”
“That doesn’t make it okay!” Arthur exclaimed. “You’re mine and I won’t let anyone treat you badly, not if I can help it at least.”
“Promise me, we’ll always be there for each other, okay?”
“Forever Merlin, I won’t let you go.”
“Thanks,” Merlin whispered softly, “I love you.”
“And I you.”
Unable to keep from smiling Merlin pulled Arthur even closer and rested his head on the alpha’s shoulder. “Tell me something funny from the banquet, anything, I don’t care.”
“Oh, that’s easy, it was full of drunk idiots tonight,” he quipped. Arthur’s voice continued on describing everything amusingly cringe worthy that occurred.
Merlin let his body fully relax as Arthur held him, he didn’t want to go to bed yet and simply being with his alpha was all he needed. Uther would cast a decision soon enough on their relationship but Merlin knew Arthur was on his side no matter what. They were in this together.