Author's Note: Very first Merlin/Gwaine fanfic. Warning this story could get very dark, very fast. If I write it well. I hope you like it.
There was very little that Gwaine could do about his current situation, not if he valued his life he figured. Cenred's men had an iron hold on his arms, enough that there was a tingling sensation in the tips of each of his fingers from blood loss, and they were dragging him so forcefully, he could do nothing but stumble along between them. The man couldn't figure out what he was there for, he hadn't actually done anything to wrong the king that he could think of. So why was he there? Why had he been dragged out of the tavern by the throat and taken to this castle.
He was thrown down to the floor, glancing up to see a pair of dark boots and the red hem of a dress. His eyes traveled up further to look into the face of his captor. "Lord Cenred? Well this is certainly a surprise," he said wiping is lower lip with the back of his sleeve. "Though I must admit the hospitality of your men is something left to be desired…Now why am I here?" he snapped, his dark eyes glaring at the king.
A loud crack rang out in the throne room as Cenred's hand came down against Gwaine's cheek, the rings on the man's hand cutting his cheek and splitting his lip. "I will not be spoken to like that commoner." Cenred replied smoothly as he bent down beside Gwaine and took the man's chin in his hand. "You're here because you have something that I want, something that only you and a certain servant you might know can provide."
Gwaine's mind spun, his cheek throbbing with pain. A servant…no he couldn't mean… "Merlin…" the name fell off of his lips in a soft whisper, almost as if he was praying that it wasn't true.
"Yes that's the one. Arthur's pretty boy, he does scream so beautifully," Cenred told Gwaine as he stood up and motioned for the guards to take hold of the man again. "Now you'll go visit him while we continue to discuss just how we're going to get what I want…Take him away." Cenred waved his hand and Gwaine once again found himself being dragged from the room.
That word…that one word made his blood run cold and Gwaine had begun to thrash about, trying to break free and go throttle the man who apparently hurt his good friend, his Merlin. It was useless, the guards easily managing to drag him to the dungeon and toss him into the cell. "Sleep tight pretty boy," one of the guards sneered at him as he slammed the door closed.
He rushed the door colliding with it with a loud clang, his arm through the bar trying to grab at him but the guard was out of reach. Gwaine let out a frustrated growl hands gripping at the bars until he heard the sound of something moving in the cell behind him. He turned around and his heart almost nearly stopped.
There on the floor, curled up in the corner with chains on his ankles and wrists, nearly naked was Merlin. Bruises covered his skin, dried blood matting his ebony hair. There was a look of panic in his eyes till the look changed to one of recognition. "G-Gwaine?" the boy asked, his voice so hoarse it had to be painful to talk.
Pain flooded Gwaine's eyes at the sight of his friend, and he was almost instantly on the cell floor beside him. He could see the bruises covered Merlin's pale skin, and he was thinner than before, since the last night he had seen him, the night they left together to go save Arthur's ass from the realm of the Fisher King. On that night, the words they had exchanged, had led to something more, something that he had longed desperately for, but because of his banishment from the kingdom of Camelot, made their love almost impossible.
Merlin…his poor Merlin…Gwaine's fingers gingerly brushed against Merlin's cheek and let the boy crawl into his lap, bury his face in his neck. "You're here…you came…" Merlin whispered into his neck, his fingers gripping at Gwaine's clothes. "My knight…"
The sound of the boy's voice nearly made his heartbreak, the fear and pain. But he wasn't there for Merlin he didn't know why he was there, had no idea at all, other than he had something that Cenred wanted. "I'm here Merlin…" he said softly to the frightened boy in his arms, his fingers soothingly stroking Merlin's back. "Merlin…what is it that they want from you…" he asked softly. If they were both there for the same reason then maybe…
Merlin only shook his head and curled up more in Gwaine's arms. Gwaine simply sighed and nodded, holding him more protectively. "I hate it here Gwaine…"
"Then close your eyes…let me paint you a picture of the past…of the future of what could be…The story of the traveler and the servant." He felt Merlin's nod against his cheek, his hair tickling his skin. Gwaine shifted slightly so he could cradle Merlin in his arms. He nuzzled the top of his head.
"There was once a traveler…banished from the land where the one he loved so dearly resided. The traveler met the servant when he helped to save the life of the servant's prince. During the time he spent with the servant they grew close, they fell in love, but framed for a crime he did not commit, he was banished from the kingdom. He would sneak into the town, found him giving him the sign by dropping his necklace beside his water bucket. His love, a servant in the palace, saw it and led him from the town, to a cabin they had just on the boarder of the kingdom. They would meet from time to time…kiss, fall asleep in each others arms until they had been apart for far too long. This time…it was too much…and they met in the cabin. It had been the first time he had snuck into the city. It was only moments…before they were in the bed, clothes forgotten. They kissed, they touched, they made love to each other for the whole night… It was in that moment that the traveler knew that he had no reason to travel anymore, that his love had given him reason to stay there. A reason to remain in the kingdom that did not want him. A reason to reveal his most sacred secret…"
By that point Merlin had pulled back to look into Gwaine's eyes a small frown on his lips, a look of uncertainty in his eyes. "Gwaine…?" The questioning tone to his voice reflected in his eyes, and Gwaine only smiled.
He took Merlin's face in his hands and held it, brushing their lips together. "Merlin…we will get out of this…and when we do I will march up to Uther…and present him with my seal of nobility…Just so I can stay with you."
"Gwaine…" Merlin said in a hushed voice, what seemed to be tears formed at the corners of his eyes as the younger male leaned forward to kiss Gwaine with his chapped lips. "You are…you're…"
Gwaine silenced him with another soft tender kiss to his lips. His words, his actions, he knew that they made Merlin feel better, brought a hint of a smile to his lips, and even that was enough. "This is the last night you'll spend alone Merlin…I won't let you go…I'll be what you need me to be…" he whispered against his lips.
"My knight…my savior…my strength…" was Merlin's whispered reply to him, before he buried his face in Gwaine's neck again, clinging to him.
The traveler wrapped his arms around the servant, his love, protectively, and didn't relax his grip, not even when he felt him drift off to sleep. His grip would tighten every time the sound of someone approaching caught his attention. There was no way he was going to let them hurt Merlin again…he'd die before he would allow that.
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