Chapter 1
Merlin
Faster, and faster. Higher, and higher. I throw the balls in the air, and smoothly catch them. The children laugh with glee, their eyes sparkling. They don't know what goes on when the show is over, the horror that ensues when I am back in the cage that I call home.
Still, I smile back at them, praying that they never meet the same fate. I see Uther, and the smile quickly leaves my face, but Uther see's it and scowls at me. Uther doesn't like his 'pets' to enjoy anything about The Carnival. It's bad for business, people like to see other people suffering. It helps them forget their own miserable lives, if only for a while. I will pay greatly for that smile, later. I focus on my juggling, making sure not to miss any. But I keep an eye on Uther, making sure he moves on.
He doesn't. I am his favourite, and it's not a good thing. Being his favourite means he has more fun torturing you. And having to suffer his unwanted advances.
After I am done juggling, I'm done for the night. It's my last act. I retire to my cage, and hope to get some sleep. I lie on the bare floor, and I wait for Uther, and for my punishment. If I am lucky, I will only get a simple flogging. If not... Well, I don't want to think of that.
Then I hear footsteps.
Uther slowly slinks to the front of my cage. He smirks at my pathetic form lying on the filthy floor, pretending to sleep. "I'm so sorry, Merlin." He says, knowing im not actually sleeping. "Your punishment will have to wait until tomorrow, my son is here, and I have to show him around. I hope you understand." He says sweetly, but his smile says something else.
"Of course," I gulp, "Master."
He smirks one last time before he leaves.
That might be the worst part of The Carnival, having to call that man, that monster, 'Master.' It makes me sick, having another 'person' own me. And the fact that he has a son! Who would want that with him?! I can't imagine anyone wanting him as a father, I feel sorry for that poor boy.
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Sleep eludes me. I toss and turn about all night, plagued by nightmares. At dawn, I rise, and splash my face with cold water. The guard sees that I am awake, and unlocks my cell door. Same as every morning.
As I walk out of the tent that holds all the cages, I look at the people in them. A strong man, a few girls who can't be older than eight, who can twist their bodies into the oddest positions. The kind of people you would usually see at a carnival. I see my friend, Gwen, still sleeping. Gwen and I met the day of my imprisonment. Uther had me put in the stocks, to make a spectacle of me. Gwen was kind to me, and we have been friends ever since. There was a time when Gwen want to be more than friends, but she realized that we were best as friends.
Gwen did nothing wrong. Uther caught her father consorting with sorcerers, and had him killed. He brought Gwen to The Carnival as punishment for her father's actions. She isn't forced to perform like the rest of us, she is the maid to Uther's ward, Morgana.
As I leave the tent, I go to meet Gaius, The Carnival's physician. I have been under his care since the day I was brought here. I enjoy working with Gaius, he is like a father to me, and why he is under the employment of a man like Uther is a mystery to me.
Lost in thought, I don't see the man in front of me, and knock us both to the ground. I get up and offer him my hand. He gives me a hard look, with icy blue eyes, and gets up himself.
"Watch where you are!" He says sharply, but a smile is on his lips. I can't help but wonder what it would be like to feel those lips on mine, to feel that body writhing above me. I blush, wondering where those thoughts came from, I have never thought about a man that way before.
Before I can stammer out an apology, Uther appears behind me, and grabs my shoulder. I freeze, and he sneers at me. "Merlin!" He barks, "What are you doing?" When I say nothing, he laughs and says, "Slacking off, I see! Twenty lashes, bare back." I gulp, my eyes wide.
Before I can say anything, he notices the young man standing in front of me. "Ah, Arthur, I see you have met your new servant." He says, with a smile.
"What?!" The man, Arthur, and I say simultaneously. "Servant? Father, you can't be serious."
"'Father,' I think, "But that means..."
"Arthur, meet Merlin." He turns to me with a sneer, "Merlin, meet Arthur, my only son."
(Author Note: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! For those of you who read my other story "The Girl With Two Hearts" I am sorry, but I'm taking a break for a while. I just cannot seem to think of anything to write! Anyway, thank you, once again. Stay tuned for the next chapter shortly!)