Chapter Text
Prologue
One thing Merlin knew for sure was that he was entirely blameless. It wasn’t his fault. This time it absolutely entirely was Arthur’s fault. He’d done nothing. In fact, he’d spent a good deal of effort to do nothing. The absolute last thing in the world that he could handle was a sexual relationship with Arthur.
Destiny was laughing at him and Arthur could just go hang. Merlin desperately wanted to hate him with all his might. He really, really did. There was no way he loved that conceited, arrogant, high-handed, Unimaginable Prat. He desperately, desperately hated him. He hated him! How could he have done this? Merlin covered his ears and shook as his eyes filled with tears. Merlin’s life was over. Everything was a complete disaster. This wasn’t meant to happen.
“MERLIN!” Arthur roared from behind the door. “Open the door Merlin! Open it now!” No matter what he did the door didn’t budge. “MERLIN!!!! You can’t hide forever!”
Arthur sagged against the door and sniffled. How had it gone so wrong? He scrabbled his fingers against the door that rudely kept him away from Merlin. His knuckles were raw and bloody from pounding on it. It was just wood, it should have given away by now. He didn’t stop.
They’d have to drag his cold dead body away from the door between him and Merlin before he stopped trying to get through.
“Merlin. Open this damn door! Merlin, please….” Arthur’s voice was hoarse from yelling. He just wanted Merlin to look at him again, to love him, to smile at him… to forgive him.
About six weeks earlier
The Lusty Barwench was a crowded tavern that night and Leon and Arthur were finishing off their fifth round. The conversation had eventually gone from bad to worse as it always did when Arthur was completely and utterly drunk and Merlin was nowhere around to ground him and so he was talking about the thing that drove him crazy. Merlin.
“NOTHING works, Leon.” Arthur’s head thumped on the table in defeat. “I could jump up on a table naked and he STILL wouldn’t notice it was for him. I know, I’ve tried that. Somehow he’s always conveniently looking the other way or in a rush to do something else or completely misreads or interrupts me, or runs away. Or…” He flailed. “It’s almost like he has a whole other life I don’t know about and he’s constantly thinking about that when he should be thinking about me. What’s wrong with me?”
“Have you considered perhaps that he doesn’t like men?” Leon patted Arthur on the shoulder. This drinking binge had been a regular occurrence lately and he was getting a bit concerned.
“He does like men. I’m sure of it!” Arthur said stonily. “He just doesn’t like me. I bet if you flirted with him he’d accept you.”
“I doubt it, sire.” Leon smirked. “I tried, he told me very firmly that he didn’t have time for it.”
“You…” Arthur glared at him.
“BEFORE I knew you had these feelings for him.” Leon said quickly. “I also know Gwaine and Lancelot both tried as well when they were here. I know there are others in castle interested who have tried to woo him. Let’s see, I can probably name about Twenty-five people in Camelot or who have visited Camelot who have tried and failed to flirt with Merlin in the past two years. It’s not just you Arthur, he does not favor anyone.”
“Twenty-five people.” Arthur’s head spun. “Gods, at this point I’ll pretty much do anything.” Arthur was at a loss. If Merlin truly had all of these opportunities who knew if he would just take someone and leave Arthur entirely! This couldn’t happen. Arthur would not LET it happen.
“For the love of god, Arthur, please no love potions. I won’t help you do anything like that.” Leon told Arthur flatly. “It wouldn’t be honorable, sire.”
“No, of course not. No love potions. That never ends well.” Arthur stared glumly into his drink. Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into his head. “Hang on. What if he hasn’t responded to anything because he thinks I’m something he cannot have?”
“Oh Gods,” muttered Leon, under his breath. This was going to go from bad to worse very quickly. Arthur really needed some more male friends who could reel him in. He cleared his throat, “Sire, perhaps you should think this through?”
“I’m going to get Gaius to tell him what other man-servants do for their Princes.” Arthur grinned. “It’s foolproof. He’ll start looking at me in a whole different light if he thinks he’s allowed to and then I’ll know for sure.”
Leon face-palmed. This really was not going to end well. “Sire, I think you should reconsider this course of action, I don’t think those are part of the duties. Where have you heard that from?”
“No, it’s perfect. I’ll talk to Gaius tomorrow. Thanks for the talk, Leon!” Arthur rose unsteadily to his feet.
Leon sighed and knew that if he brought up the fact that manservants weren’t actually required do that for their masters it was just a vindictive rumor by other servants in the castle it would fall on deaf ears. Manservants were higher up than other servants and of course there were such rumors. It was clear, however, that Arthur was not going to listen to reason at this point. He’d honestly thought Uther had drilled it into Arthur’s head long ago that one should not actually sleep with one’s servants. He wondered if he should warn Merlin.
***
And so, later the next day Arthur was talking to Gaius about these grand new possibilities that were rattling around in his brain.
Gaius stared at Arthur like he had two heads. “Sire.” He exhaled. “Merlin is just a boy. And in spite of that, he really does have a lot of things on his mind.” He couldn’t have looked more appalled if Arthur had just asked to bed his first born son.
Arthur shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. “I mean. I …” He flushed. “I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal?”
Gaius’s just looked at him with one of those expressions he dreaded. It was the kind of expression that made him feel five years old. “Sire,” he said patiently. “You have just asked me to inform your manservant, the boy I look upon as my own son, that you wouldn’t be adverse to some more intimate attention from him when he performed his regular duties. Am I correct in assuming that what you mean by intimate attention is that you would like him to agree to take care of your sexual needs?” Gaius’ tone was bland rather than harsh. He was a physician he said it in a very clinical manner and it still made Arthur’s ears red.
“Only if he wants to.” Arthur corrected nervously. There was something in Gaius’ tone that made him suddenly realize exactly how ludicrous his request had been.
“Just to be crystal clear.” Gaius’ tone was dangerous this time and different than anything Arthur had ever expected. “You want me to suggest to Merlin that he should think about expanding his duties to include actions one pays another certain specific type of individual to do? You do understand the stigma of it, do you not?”
Now Arthur realized just what Leon had been objecting to the plan the previous night. Realization set in and he paled. “Oh, gods I’m an idiot.” He slumped down in a chair.
“As you say, sire.” Gaius’ tone was clipped. “Merlin is a good boy. I sincerely doubt he has any such ideas in his head and I know that his attentions are not diverted elsewhere from you. They may perhaps have been once but that was very brief. You can rest assured that he cares only about you when it comes to his affections. As far as anything else.” He shrugged. “I strongly suggest not complicating it for him. His life is complicated enough.”
Crestfallen, Arthur rested his hands on his knees. “I don’t know what else to do.”
“Perhaps a visit to Silver Street might clear your head.” Gaius suggested. It was a district in Camelot well known to … cater to various whims.
“I’ve tried that, it doesn’t help.” Arthur spread his hands in exasperation.
“Doesn’t help what?” Merlin wondered cheerfully as he brought in a basket of herbs he’d been collecting for Gaius. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world and Arthur’s heart plummeted to his feet. “Did you hurt something during practice today, Arthur? Sorry I wasn’t there for you to beat up, but Gaius needed me today.”
“I don’t beat you up, I toughen you.” Arthur muttered. He couldn’t bear to banter today. His mind was too full of what he wanted to do with Merlin instead of what he should be doing with Merlin.
“Yeah, yeah.” Merlin snorted, unaffected by Arthur’s longing looks. He set the basket down and started to arrange the herbs on the table. “Anything I can do for him, Gaius?”
Arthur’s neck flushed and Gaius just rolled his eyes.
“He’s fine.” Gaius gestured to the door. “Just put some of the ointment I gave you on that for the next couple of days, Sire. You’ll soon feel the pain lesson and go away entirely once you stop thinking about it.”
Arthur didn’t want to leave because otherwise he wouldn’t see Merlin until lunchtime but Gaius was doing his best not to glare him out the door. He took one last look at Merlin and jumped to his feet. “I’ll see you later, Merlin.” He said breathlessly and stomped out.
“What’s with him?” Merlin gestured towards the departing Prince. “He’s been acting a bit funny lately.”
“How do you mean?” Gaius perused the basket of herbs deliberately as if the Crown Prince didn’t just ask him to see if Merlin would agree to sexual favors as being part of his duties.
“I mean, he’s been looking at me strangely.” Merlin shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s my imagination. Do you think he’s realized I have magic?”
Gaius exhaled. “Merlin, perhaps you should ask him directly.” The old man looked over the herbs and pointedly changed the subject.
***
Arthur sat by his table up in his chambers and grunted to himself. The problem of Merlin would not be solved today and probably not ever and he would probably drive himself insane thinking about it. He was just about to decide not to think about it anymore when Merlin burst in to his room to get him ready for bed.
“What’s wrong with you?” Merlin demanded as he walked in. “Why did you need medication from Gaius today?” He looked somewhat affronted and Arthur didn’t have a clue why.
“Why do you care?” Arthur demanded.
“Because I…” Merlin swallowed. “I’m your manservant, Arthur, it’s my job to care. I should know about these things.” He said huffily.
Arthur’s heart clenched. His job to care. As if he was paid to care. Arthur wanted him to care without being paid to. It hurt more than he was willing to admit. “Get out, Merlin.” Arthur snapped. “I can get ready for bed myself.”
“Arthur!” Merlin put his hands on his hips as he glared at the Prince. “I thought we were past this. I’m your friend, you can talk to me.”
“Don’t presume anything!” Arthur growled and petulantly threw the cup that he held in his hand at him. It hit Merlin on the shoulder.
“Ow! What was that for?!?” Merlin yelled back at him. “Why are you being such a stupid Prat?” His eyes blazed right back at Arthur.
“Did you just call your Prince stupid?”
Merlin rubbed his aching shoulder, “Yes?”
Arthur surged to his feet. “That is it.” He advanced on Merlin and grabbed his arm.
“Let go of me!” Merlin froze, meeting Arthur’s eyes with wild … terror?
Surely he didn’t think Arthur could ever really seriously hurt him? Arthur let go almost immediately. They stared at each other in mutual rage for a long moment and the Prince couldn’t take it any longer. He leaned forward and kissed Merlin. Heat filled his entire body when their lips connected and he wanted more almost instantly.
Merlin’s mind exploded and his lips parted of their own accord while he tried to process the fact that Arthur was kissing him. The rest of his body unfortunately couldn’t catch up to his mind and he was frozen in place.
Arthur took the open lips as a sign and suddenly his hands were on his servant anywhere he could conceivably touch.
Merlin was too shocked to respond to more than just the kiss. His mind was racing with so many reasons as to why this could not be possible and he was just about to lift his hands to grip Arthur’s shoulders when a voice cut through the silence.
“Arthur Pendragon.” Uther’s dangerous drawl was like a bucket of ice was just dumped on both of them.
Merlin, the frozen, petrified statue stared in horror at Uther.
Oh, no. What had he done?! “Father.” Arthur put himself between Uther and his stupefied manservant.
Merlin didn’t make a sound, he was rooted to the spot.
“When Gaius told me I didn’t believe him. I honestly didn't believe him when he pressed upon me to have a talk with you.” Uther said glumly. “Arthur, I am very disappointed in you that you would care so little for your reputation or your servant’s reputation. Merlin, you can go. This is not your fault. My son should have made his intentions clear instead. I apologize on his behalf.”
Merlin took one look at Arthur and ran.
“Father, I…” Arthur looked as though he was about to go after him but Uther grabbed his arm.
“If you want him as your consort there are steps to go through, Arthur, but first I think you’d best gain his consent. He didn’t look like he was enjoying your attentions.” Uther stated very carefully.
“Consort?” Arthur stared at Uther strangely. He’d never heard of such a thing.
“Of course, it’s not an official marriage but it is as official as it can be. There are old laws of Camelot that children born of Consorts can inherit the throne. Of course men can’t have children and the children of Queens take precedence, but.” Uther shrugged, the laws of the old religion were still ingrained in Camelot. He hadn’t been able to erase all of them. “In any case, you absolutely cannot expect ‘duties’ from him unless he is your consort. Do I make myself clear?”
“Consort.” Arthur repeated the term and exhaled again. “I had no idea there was such a law, father.”
“I didn’t think it would be necessary to tell you about it. It hasn’t been used in a while. Not since the old Kings. I believe one of them had five. How one manages more than one wife is beyond me.” Uther looked scandalized by the very idea. “The point is, Arthur. Servants are not for your pleasure, that’s what the Silver District is for. That’s why we have it. If you wish to bed a respectable member of my Kingdom you will do so under the law. Have I made myself clear? I will not have the Pendragon name dragged through the mud.”
“Crystal.” Arthur sighed as he mimicked Gaius. “How do I go about this?”
“It is generally announced at court.” Uther stared hard at his son. “The subject is usually willing, Arthur. I strongly suggest that if you ask Merlin to be your Consort, you get his consent first. I can’t afford Gaius’ enmity. He’s extremely useful. He thinks of that boy as his own son.”
“I’ll get his consent.” Arthur grinned. Sure, Merlin hadn’t really responded earlier but that was due to shock. There was no way he couldn’t run those defenses down. He was Arthur Pendragon! He always got what he wanted.
“And Arthur…” Uther said softly. “The contract between a Consort and a Prince or King is forever. The Consort must approve of your Queen when the time comes.” Uther turned and stalked out of Arthur’s room.
Arthur’s head swam with the news. He was giddy and excited. His father just said he could have Merlin as long as it was official. Now, now he needed Leon! Leon would know how to help him tell Merlin what was about to happen. Because who wouldn’t want to be Consort to a Prince? It would be a high honor. He wouldn’t be able to refuse and Arthur, Arthur could make Merlin want him back. He would take him apart until he was a quivering mass of nerves on the bed. Merlin would be his. All his.
TBC