Chapter One
"If I weren't a price, you and I could get on," Arthur argues as he lies back in the bed beside Merlin.
Merlin swallows hard. "What?" He's not sure he heard that correctly.
"I mean, we could, you know what I meant," Arthur huffs indignantly before hitting Merlin in the stomach. "Would you tell me what was wrong if I wasn't a Pendragon?"
"No," Merlin replies in falsehood, knowing that if Arthur wasn't Uther's son he still would find the prince perhaps as his closest friend since William had passed back in Ealdor.
Arthur sighs. "Why? I tell you just about anything and everything."
"You have nothing more to lose," Merlin says as he curls into his makeshift blankets, hoping that Arthur will just let him rest already.
Arthur gets up and moves over to sit on Merlin's bedside before shoving his servant's shoulder. "Please, Merlin, I can tell you've been shaken since we've started this journey. You can't fear magic that much."
Merlin feels like he may cry from frustration. "Goodnight, Arthur."
"What if I swore for the next few minutes, I am no longer Arthur Pendragon. I could just be Arthur, your prat/dollophead/clotpole best friend that is utterly and completely concerned about you," Arthur offers, shaking Merlin's shoulder to bring back his attention.
"If it will make you shut up," Merlin says, turning over to look at Arthur hesitantly. "You promise?"
"Solemnly swear," Arthur says, sarcastically holding up his hand to his heart for a moment before letting it down again.
"The man we are looking for, I talked to Gaius," Merlin says hesitantly. "Balinor's my father. He doesn't know, I didn't know until told, I didn't want to say anything because-"
"Because you are the son of a sorcerer," Arthur offers quietly, reaching down to tussle Merlin's hair. "Really, you think I'm that pathetic?"
Merlin lets free a half-smile, not fully believing yet that Arthur won't take out a dagger and kill him in the night for consorting without knowledge. "It's the law."
"And you are Merlin," Arthur whispers before leaning down to peck Merlin on the lips.
He's away before Merlin can respond, headed back to his own bed and curling up on it. Merlin stares in blatant shock. "What was that?"
"If I wasn't a prince, Merlin," Arthur says before letting his eyes flutter shut.
It's not until the bandits that everything comes back to both of them. Arthur tries to fight them away, as does Merlin. It's not enough because one turn away from Balinor and Merlin's lost his father. Merlin finds him and pleads with everything for it not to be true, to not have lost the last family he had left.
Arthur sees him once the bandits are finished with. He sees the limp body of Balinor in his friend's arms and there aren't words, he couldn't imagine what he would do if his father were to perish. "Merlin," Arthur offers, stepping forward once and trying to comfort him by putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm deeply sorry."
Merlin shrugs off Arthur's hand like its venomous, because in a way it is. Merlin blinks back his tears and gently places Balinor to lie on the ground before turning to Arthur. Arthur looks like he wants to say something, to ask why, but Merlin stops him short. "Don't, okay? Please."
"Why?" Arthur asks incredulously, trying to keep Merlin's attention. "My friend has lost his father and I wish to aid his grief, yet he looks at me like I'm the one who stabbed the dagger through him."
"Well, you might as well have," the words leave Merlin's lips before he can help them. "Because you've caused all this and I can't hate you for it," Merlin says before kneeling on the ground at Arthur's feet, burying his face in his hands.
"Is this about the ban on sorcery, Merlin?" Arthur asks hesitantly, not sure what the hell is going on.
Merlin shakes his head. He talks again, muffled by his hands trying to muffle his tears. "I do all of these things for you, lose all of these people, and you don't bloody know or care."
"What are you talking about?" Arthur asks indignantly, not sure where his servant is going with this.
Merlin looks up at Arthur, and just for a second in his grief his eyes glow yellow. Arthur stumbles back, tripping over a branch and falling flat on his arse. Merlin realizes what he's done, but he can't be bothered to care. "I lost my best friend, my mother, my girlfriend, and now my father. I sit every day in fear that I'm next, or that I get connected to someone new and they're next!"
"How am I responsible?" Arthur croaks out, not sure when his voice became so hoarse, not aware he's crying.
"I am responsible for you, it's this weird two-sides-of-the-same-coin connection," Merlin says slowly as he moves to sit up, waiting for Arthur to sit up across from him before continuing. "I'm in Camelot to protect you. I realize it's against custom to believe me."
"You're Merlin," Arthur says in a small voice, before clearing his throat and letting his voice return to normal. "I don't believe you'd lie to me now."
Arthur isn't first made aware of his own tears but Merlin's as the sorcerer has to turn away from him. "No man is worth your tears," Arthur offers as he pulls together his gear for the upcoming fight before they leave camp, they all blur together in times that Arthur has almost died, so it seems near null-and-void.
"You're certainly not," Merlin says back before he can think of anything else, he needs to not believe that Arthur could die again. He's already done enough for the prat, he can't do anything more. He can't lose anything more. All Arthur can do is smile weakly, drop his gear and pull Merlin into a weak hug. Merlin laughs softly. "I thought we only did handshakes. Last time I went in for a hug-"
"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur coos as he holds his grip around Merlin tighter. "I don't know how I'm responsible, or why you believe yourself responsible for me…but I am sorry that you've lost so many."
"Freya, she was cursed and put to death by Camelot's knights," Merlin began as he pulls out of Arthur's arms, feeling that accusations such as the ones he put forward should be explained through his tears.
Arthur takes a deep breath. "The creature attached to her was a threat to Camelot – there was nothing that could be done for her, Merlin. I'm sorry if you-"
"You have just seen what's happened to my father, you know what happened to William to an extent," Merlin explains as he begins to clear away his tears, knowing what explanation will have to follow.
"He was a good man, even for a sorcerer," Arthur exclaims, knowing Merlin will tell him the rest soon enough.
"No, William was a good man," Merlin says, taking a deep breath before making a show of his magic. Letting his eyes glow yellow, he shifts away several pieces of armor from the camp to scatter. Simple, but it proves his point. "I am a great sorcerer, and likely other things due to my father's death."
Arthur stumbles back. "You are…I mean, but you're Merlin! You can't be a sorcerer."
A deep breath sharply pulls in and out of Merlin's throat before he can speak again. "I was born this way."
Arthur tries to compose himself, but most of his form is taken over with disbelief. "I'm sorry, I just, I can't…I don't understand."
"I'm a sorcerer that is destined to protect you and make sure you make it to your rightful place on the throne, no matter the consequence," Merlin says as gently as he can, trying to keep his composure as he thinks of all of the things and freedoms he's traded for Arthur's life.
"You've almost died yourself so many times," Arthur ponders, remembering. He frowns. "Does that mean that my fighting skills…?"
"Not often enough against threats? Yeah," Merlin replies as he walks closer to Arthur again. "The last death, my mother, in case you'd like to know – a life must be traded for a life. The fates had determined your poisoning from that one magic beast your end. I didn't know the price. It was too late when I found out."
"Merlin," Arthur tries to start to speak but cuts himself off, not knowing what to say to amend these wrongs.
Arthur doesn't get the chance to say any other words as Merlin reaches forward, tangling his fingers in Arthur's hair and pushing their lips together with so much force that it has Arthur stumbling backwards into a nearby tree. Arthur doesn't understand but he responds in kind as well as he can until Merlin parts from him, completely apologetic. "I'm – I'm sorry, Arthur, that was out of line. I just…wanted to show you that I hate you because to me your worth anything and I've been forced by our destinies to prove that."
Arthur takes a few breaths. "Merlin, we can't…"
"I know," Merlin says, turning away and leaving a dumbfounded Arthur leaning against the tree. "We're not doing this. We're going back to Camelot."
"I didn't mean," Arthur tries before getting cut off again.
Merlin sighs as he walks past it all. "I know, Arthur."
"No you don't know, wait up," Arthur calls out to Merlin as the sorcerer uses all his willpower to stay ahead of Arthur. "How much have you hidden from me?"
"A great deal," Merlin answers, finally slowing down when the subject is changed. "I've lied to you as well, one time I am particularly ashamed of because I didn't want you to act upon vengeance."
Arthur took a moment to recall. "My father really did those things the sorceress accused him of, didn't he? That really was my mother talking to me?"
"You saw as well as I did," Merlin answers. "Did you know, even after stepping so boldly to save his life and lie through my teeth to protect him – at least that's what Uther believed as he applauded my feat against sorcery, and then your father threatened to kill me."
"He's never been the best father or king, Merlin, as his son I've come to terms with that much," Arthur replies. "Why would you lie – I was ready to abolish all bans on sorcery."
"I know you were," Merlin says, quickening his pace again. "It was for you, Arthur, I didn't want you to have to face that guilt for the rest of your life if you were the one to kill your father. You are a good man, and we both know that would have destroyed you the way your mother's death destroyed him."
"I guess I should say thanks," Arthur remarks none-too-sincerely.
Merlin sighs. "You really should, but you won't, because you are Arthur and a complete prat."
"May I point out that you were the one to pull away," Arthur says, a smile slowly rising on his face as he notes Merlin stopping in his tracks.
Merlin takes a few breaths before running to catch up. "I'm not sure if I heard that right."
"Do you recall what I said to you just a few nights ago?" Arthur asks, turning to Merlin and studying his features.
"If you weren't a prince," Merlin says, stopping alongside Arthur and looking right back into his eyes.
"Precisely," Arthur replies, smiling even brighter now as he reaches out to clap a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I'll soon be king," Arthur finishes with a wink before moving to walk away.
Merlin grabs the prat's arm and pulls him back, smashing their lips together once more. Both immediately fall into the embrace, kissing one another with the fervor that had been waiting around for far too long. When they release, Merlin's smiling ear to ear. "Will that make me your queen?"
"Don't push it, Merlin," Arthur jokes as he begins to walk again, not even noting that he's holding Merlin's hand as they go along. "Although, I do think you would look fetching in a dress. Do you still have the purple one you took from Morgana's room?"
"Just as well, I'm sure you would hardly tell if I sent you out in a dress in the morning," Merlin remarks, smirking as they go along. "With how much you know about dressing, I'm sure you wouldn't notice until somebody gasped."
Both of them were set off in a fit of laughter as they walked along, knowing that when Arthur was no longer a prince that they could be like this always. It was enough motivation to set Arthur towards combining all the kingdoms in peaceful order as prophesised. Things became much easier when the Sorcerer and the King became one two-sided coin.
"Wait, you're going to end the story there – really?" Arthur asks.
The narrator, a disgruntled writer from Canada, rubs her temples. "Isn't that the important bit?"
"How come you didn't include more intimate scenes?" Merlin asks, laughing.
"Because this story – I didn't, fine, have it your way then," the narrator answers, resuming the story.
Merlin was persuaded not too long after their engagement to wear the dress once, as an early wedding present for Arthur…
"I TAKE IT BACK I DON'T WANT THAT STORY TOLD," Merlin exclaims.
They all lived happily ever after.
The End.
Author's Note: I got really inspired by, well, by my own ways of communicating the characters that they would get frustrated that I end the story on such a classic note instead of handing them their smut scenes, in which telling the wrong one would make Merlin flush. I just very much like the idea, for this story, of them getting the chance to read them in a new incarnation. Honestly, I don't include myself in these stories as a rule but I thought this might be a nice exception to the rule. I could work from here and write what they would be like as I picture them when they'd be reading over this story/editing it after the writer finishes writing with all their story information at their fingertips. I really…this story could take a while. Let me know. I won't be very involved if this story continues as a character, it might not even be me, it's more just a writer that is responsible for this story (which while in real life is me writing this fic/this interpretation of their story, may not be portrayed as me) and more focused on how Merlin and Arthur have progressed through the eras. Please enjoy, let me know if you enjoyed this snippet, and then I will see what I can do about moving forward with this story if it's well-liked.
With Love,
Auttzthoughtz
Chapter Two
A/N: SO SHE'S ACTUALLY A CHARACTER. Here it goes. Mercury Helm, aka actually Miranda Kellan under a fake name, is the writer. Totally not me, but that's much more comfortable for me to write. I'm hoping you like her. She's not meant to be a Mary Sue so if she turns out that way tell me and I promise I will do my best to fix it. Also, for the last installment Merlin and Arthur would have been in her published piece and the readers could have thought it a joke. If they are actually within the story this chapter, they will be bolded and italicized. For this particular chapter, I've decided to italicize the story being published and normal-font the conversation simply for length purposes. Enjoy!
Merlin and Arthur have been through far too many lives together. Far too much, far too many things to explore through even one novel perhaps. That's why I've chosen this magazine to publish a story per week of these characters you may have only once known from legends to learn about them on a personal level. I give you the series: The Adventures of Merthur
Series by: Mercury Helm and friends.
"That sounds cheesy," Arthur says, looking over Miranda's shoulder.
Miranda looks up at Arthur. "You are ridiculous. How else am I supposed to introduce it?"
"Not with Merthur. Why is it not 'The Adventures of Merlin'?" Merlin asks, earning a smack on the arm by Arthur.
"You realize you are a mythological figure, do you not? That title's been done to death," Miranda replies as she continues to type. "So, what story next?"
"Good question, Arthur?" Merlin asks, plopping onto his bed. They're all roommates in a small apartment by their college. You see, Miranda is a History major and English minor that specialized in Arthurian lore. The fact that Merlin and Arthur were roommates in the vicinity of her college didn't escape her notice. At first Merlin tried to deny it, but Arthur asking 'how would you know' at the same moment gave it away and she promised to show them all the Arthurian legend she has stocked up if they would share their stories of how they got to where they were.
"Let's be chronological about it, then? How about the story with the dress? I particularly like that one. Give something fun for the readers," Arthur says before tackling Merlin onto the bed and kissing him.
Merlin shakes his head. "That's ridiculous, not only is that embarrassing but nobody would read that."
"Actually," Miranda says, wincing. "The first story's reviews are out. A lot of people wanted the rest of that story. Let me tell you, quite the response for smut these days."
"Urgh, alright, tell the story," Merlin says, diving his face into a pillow.
Merlin was persuaded not to long after their engagement to wear the dress once, as an early wedding present for Arthur…
Merlin waited one night on the bed in a long, flowing purple gown.
"Kill me now," Merlin says, wincing as he reads over Miranda's shoulder.
Miranda laughs. "Keep in mind, these people won't know you are real."
Arthur walks in and instead of the positive reaction that Merlin expected Arthur bursts out laughing. "What on Earth are you wearing?"
"I, uh, shut up," Merlin says, standing from the bed and tripping on the bottom of the skirt, falling back down onto the bed sheets. He groans. "It was supposed to be a nice surprise, but I'm not tall enough for this piece or I just can't walk in it without heels and I wasn't that dedicated to the idea."
Arthur stops laughing and walks over to the bed, sitting beside Merlin and reaches out his arms to grab Merlin, pulling him up. "You're even wearing a corset."
"Gwen had to help. Being a girl would be ridiculously tough, or dressing one for that matter. I'm lucky you're not Princess Arthur," Merlin claims as he reaches up and runs his fingers through Arthur's hair. "Is it not appealing at all? Should I have not bothered?"
"Merlin, you always look appealing to me," Arthur replies, leaning down to kiss Merlin.
"For accuracy reasons," Miranda begins as a question.
Arthur smiles brightly, wrapping an arm around Merlin as Miranda's finally resolved to sitting with her laptop on the bed beside them so they don't have to continually read over her shoulder. "Yeah, that's how I said it."
"So I could have just waited here without clothes? That would have been good to know before all the handiwork that went into this," Merlin says with a groan, going to move away and strip.
Arthur pulls him back closer, pushing him onto the bed lying down. "That does not mean this isn't a pleasant surprise. Give me a minute."
Merlin waits patiently as Arthur takes his time running his hands over the fabric of Merlin's gown.
"I feel like I'm being intrusive now," Miranda says, flushing bright red as they're describing this part of the story to her again to write it accurately.
Merlin laughs softly. "It gets worse."
"It gets better," Arthur replies, smiling against Merlin's neck before continuing the story.
Arthur pushes up the bottom of the gown and dives down, smiling at the fact that Merlin's went all-out for the ensemble and worn satin panties underneath. "Merlin, you're too good to me."
"Yeah, I am," Merlin says, taking in shallow breaths as Arthur's breath hovers over his lightly-covered member.
Arthur slowly, torturously slowly, slides the offending satin garment off of Merlin's legs before he dives down and sucks Merlin's member past his plump lips. It's all Merlin can do not to thrust into the touch as he moves Arthur's hands to hold his hips in place. Due to the ensemble at play, Arthur is holding bunches of fabric over his hips as he sucks and hums around the member, all simultaneously driving Merlin insane. Merlin moves his slender fingers to thread through Arthur's hair when he's close.
Arthur pulls away.
"Really, you did?" Miranda says, raising an eyebrow.
Merlin laughs and Arthur rolls his eyes. "The story goes on. It's not – whatever, anyhow…"
Merlin groans, missing the feeling immediately from his member intensely. Arthur takes the skirt harshly in his hands from its place under the corset and rips at its hems, only leaving the top half of the dress left on Merlin's pasty skin. "Sorry, I, not being presumptuous I just thought."
"Fucking please," Merlin says, sitting up and wrapping his legs around Arthur's torso, rutting furiously as he topples Arthur to be the one beneath him. He rips away at Arthur's garments too quickly and rips some of them apart as well in his quest for nakedness.
"Are you telling me the story I think you are?" Miranda asks as her eyes widen, her fingers freezing on her keyboard.
"Yeah, and it continues as such," Merlin replies as his cheeks turn bright red.
Arthur quickly is undressed underneath his servant and they rut against one another with fervor. Merlin's eyes glow yellow as he prepares himself. He spreads his legs out wide, only to be shocked by Arthur ripping off the top half of his ensemble as well. Arthur smiles at Merlin's confusion. "If this is going to happen, it's going to be only us. No illusions this time."
"Finally," Merlin says as he resumes his open-legged position as before, displaying his entrance to his king and fiancé. Arthur lines up quickly and shoves his way into the available entrance quicker, eliciting a low hiss from Merlin. "Wow, uh, one second."
Merlin's eyes glow yellow again, wondering if he hadn't prepared himself enough the first time. He had, it just wasn't what he was expecting. There was still a lingering burn from being stretched. "Merlin, are you okay?"
"Fine, ah-ah, fine, don't move yet," Merlin says in a breathless voice.
Arthur holds still as a statue, dipping his head in Merlin's neck as his member is made privy to the adjusting cavern around it, sending waves of pleasure he couldn't have expected. Arthur latches on to Merlin's neck to keep from moving, sucking and kissing around until Merlin's putty in his arms.
"Move," Merlin breaths out, not as much a word as a gasp as Arthur moves the second he's given the opportunity to do so. Arthur's hips snap closer and farther sharply, viciously. The motions get faster when he notes he's hit a certain spot that makes Merlin make funny noises.
"Funny noises?" Merlin asks Arthur.
"Have you heard what you sound like during sex? Seriously, Merlin, it was a kind downplay of description," Arthur teases as he plants a gentle kiss on Merlin's neck. "As we were saying," Arthur says before continuing the story with Merlin.
It felt like ages until they were finished in the best of ways. Merlin was done first, exploding over both their chests in uneven streaks before the clamping of Merlin's entrance over Arthur's member drew him over the last edge, filling Merlin to the brim with his seed.
"We're going to do that again," Merlin says breathlessly as Arthur slides out of him.
Arthur lies on the bed, sprawling out beside him and leaving an arm on Merlin's side stretched out for Merlin to curl up beside him in. "I'd hope so."
"Often," Merlin replies, taking the offer and curling up in Arthur's embrace and cushy side.
Arthur laughs softly. "I love you."
"As I love you more," Merlin mumbles as he drifts off to sleep.
"I did love you more, especially because I had to deal with the next part," Merlin says as he yawns, not actually feeling tired but more rowdy and wanting Miranda to leave so that him and Arthur could take on the promise of often.
Miranda closes her laptop for the day, packing up and heading to the door. "What's the next part?"
"Pregnancy," Merlin replies, leaving a very shocked Miranda on the other side of the door, excited for what the next day would have to offer to have that word make sense for the story.
Chapter Three
"Excuse me – last time I was here I thought you said something about getting pregnant?" Miranda asks as she plops into a chair across from the boy's bed, a week following the last short story.
Merlin nods. "It's not, well, I had no idea it could happen."
"Merlin here is a sorcerer of nature, of the natural balance. Apparently, unbeknownst to him, he was connected to every type of life including the ability to bear children. We hadn't the slightest idea that was the case. I just thought Merlin was getting fat at first," Arthur says as Merlin smacks him on the arm. "What? You thought so too!"
After the wedding and an extravagant honeymoon not filled so much with travel as with coitus, they come home with Merlin being ill. At first he'd sworn it on food poisoning, something rotten he must've eaten upon a picnic. Then, as the symptoms got worse and Merlin continued to gain weight without eating, Merlin took it upon himself to go to the court physician and his older friend in Camelot.
Gaius ran every test he could think of but only yielded in one result. He made Merlin sit down for the news. "Merlin, if I'd had known I would have told you this was a possibility."
"What is? What's wrong – oh no, am I dying? I just got married and I'm dying," Merlin says in horror.
Gaius shakes his head. "It's much more complex than that. You're pregnant."
"I – wait, no, you're joking – why would you say such a thing? Did Arthur put you up to this?" Merlin asks, clearly a bit hysterical by the notion.
Author's Notes: Pausing for a moment, three chapters in one and all – what do you think? Continue this? Ah, gimme a shout.
Love,
Auttzthoughtz