Summary: It started unexpectedly and it became alarming but it ended sweetly. Nakedness, teasing, kidnap, escape, rescue and comfort. Very mild dom/sub.
Look But Don't Touch (Part 1) by frostygossamer
It was the height of summer in Albion. The weather was beautiful and the sun was gorgeous. It was just a shame that it had to be so hot, when there was killing to be done.
Arthur was sweating mightily under his heavy chain-mail as he and his men scythed through the gang of robbers. Vicious bastards who had been infesting the Forest of Camelot for the last month, attacking vulnerable travellers and terrifying the local population.
Suddenly a scream cut through the uproar. It came from behind a clump of bushes.
Arthur cursed. That sounded like Merlin. He ran to his manservant's aid, to find him being assailed by two of the bounders. Arthur dispatched both miscreants with one swing of his mighty sword.
Merlin was lying slumped on the ground. Arthur sank to his knees and took his servant's head in his gauntleted hands. Merlin looked up at him with watery eyes and promptly fainted away.
With the robber leader captured and his men scattered, Arthur rode into Camelot triumphant, Merlin's limp body draped over his saddle. He had the boy carried to Gaius' chamber and, after updating his father on the successes of the day, he hurried there to check on his servant's condition.
Arthur waited calmly beside Merlin's bed, as Gaius bustled around his workroom gathering the ingredients of a salve for Merlin's many flesh wounds.
As he sat quietly by Merlin's sleeping form, Arthur noticed that the boy's clothes had been almost shredded by his attackers' blades. Between the rags of fabric, tempting strips of milky-white flesh were visible. Arthur was about to run a finger over the tender skin of his boy's thigh when Gaius ran in and interrupted him, just in time.
"Sire", the old man wheezed. "I think you can go. I will attend to Merlin. There's nothing wrong with him that my patent salve won't cure. He'll be fine by tomorrow. Just you see. I'll have him back to work bright and early in the morning."
"Very well", Arthur replied, relieved, and reluctantly left his servant boy to Gaius' care.
On the way to his room he fell into a reverie, in which Merlin's pretty skin played a disquieting role.
"That is something I can never do", Arthur told himself, a little sadly. "I can never touch him. He is innocent. It would be ignoble."
('o')
It wasn't so bright and early when Merlin first made an appearance in Arthur's chambers the next day. But after the previous day's events, Arthur didn't complain.
Merlin served him his breakfast as usual, but as he wandered about picking things up and tidying, Arthur noticed him wince once or twice.
"Let me see", he demanded, pausing from his meal.
Merlin shook his head. "It's nothing", he muttered.
"Let me see", Arthur repeated.
Again Merlin refused. Arthur felt a little annoyed.
"Alright then. Strip", he commanded.
Merlin was utterly shocked. "W-what?", he asked, his voice faltering.
"You heard me. Strip", Arthur repeated. "Take off your clothes. All of them. I want to see what state you're in."
Merlin was still for a moment, but the look in Arthur's eyes was stern. So slowly he began to peal off his clothes. First his jacket, then his tunic, then he looked back at Arthur, hoping that would be enough.
Arthur gesticulated with his knife. "And the rest", he insisted.
Merlin kicked off his boots and bent down, wriggling out of his breeches, then he forced himself to stand up, covering his private place with his entwined fingers. He grinned nervously.
Arthur swallowed his mouthful of food and looked at him, his head slightly tilted, appreciating Merlin's form as he might appreciate a new vase or candlestick. For it's artistic style.
He noticed that Merlin was still wearing his neckerchief.
"And the neck-wear, Merlin", Arthur said, a faint smile playing around his lips.
Merlin hesitated for a second, unsure about removing his hands from his genitals, but, well, it had to be done. He removed the scarf with a practiced flick and dropped it onto the pile with his other clothes. He hung his arms by his sides and tried to look nonchalant.
Arthur put down his knife and got up from his chair. Merlin tried not to flinch as his master circled him, examining every inch of his skin. The tiny cuts on his face, the defensive scratches on his forearms, the long fine score across his chest, scrapes running down his back to his buttocks, a grazed area on his belly and that deep gouge inside his right thigh.
Arthur didn't touch. He couldn't touch. He only looked.
Arthur turned away from Merlin towards the window, so Merlin couldn't see his face. He clasped his hands behind his back and cleared his throat. He was entitled to ask this of him. Of course he was. He was a prince and his master. It wasn't as if he meant to do anything more than look.
"From now on, when you're here in my chambers, I always want to see you like this. Unhidden", he commanded. "I want to be able to see every part of you, every day."
Merlin looked alarmed. "B-b-but", he stammered.
"No argument, Merlin", Arthur responded, coldly. "I am your master. You will obey me."
Merlin stared at his feet, his naked feet. "Yes, sire", he muttered, fidgeting. The things he had to do to keep his job at court.
Arthur turned back to look at him and smiled. "Very well then, Merlin", he ordered. "Get on with your work."
Arthur ran his eyes over Merlin's body as he resumed his dusting. The boy was beautiful. He commended himself for having such admirable self-control.
When Merlin finally finished his work, he felt relieved that he'd got that over without Arthur trying to have him. And he was also relieved that Arthur let him dress before he left his chambers.
When he returned to Gaius' study, the old man raised an eyebrow questioningly. Merlin said nothing. Gaius wouldn't have understood. Merlin didn't.
('o')
This continued for several weeks. Arthur would just sit on a chair or in his bed and watch Merlin, just watch him, as he busied himself around his chamber, starkers. Arthur had excellent self-control, and he never ever made any attempt to interfere with his servant, as he went about his duties. He just sat and watched.
After a while Merlin started to get used to it. In fact he would almost forget that he was naked. It began to feel so normal. Once or twice Arthur even had to remind him to get dressed before he went out of the room. That made Arthur chuckle. "Knuckle-head", he would say, affectionately.
There was never any touching whatsoever but, every now and then, Arthur would get up and come right up to him, without making contact, but close enough for Merlin to feel the warmth of his breath on his skin, against his back or his shoulder. But no touches. Merlin would become very still, waiting for his master to make a move, or move away. Arthur always moved away, and then Merlin would get on with what he was doing, gratefully.
As this went on Merlin began to feel irritated. If Arthur wanted to have him, then why didn't he just get it over with? He didn't want it to happen but, if it was going to happen, better it should happen right now, and then he could get on with his life. This was just annoying.
With that thought running around in his head, Merlin decided that he might as well stir Arthur into action. He started to do things like bend over provocatively, finger Arthur's things in a suggestive way or 'accidentally' touch himself in Arthur's plain view. Nothing happened. Arthur remained in control.
What Arthur did do was begin using the odd naughty word when he spoke to him. Instead of calling him an idiot, his favourite insult, he started to use words like flirt, slut, tease, trollop, even wanton. Always affectionately, always in good humour, and always with a gentle smile. But that was all Merlin got from him.
('o')
Gaius had noticed that Merlin seemed to be spending longer in Prince Arthur's chambers each day. He assumed that Arthur had been giving him extra work, as some sort of punishment. But, oddly, Merlin always avoided his questions. How could Merlin explain this weirdness to the old boy?
Arthur had taken to hiding Merlin's clothes and then going out for hours, ordering him to remain naked in his room until he returned, just for fun. Merlin didn't really mind, he had become so used to being naked by then.
After all there were clothes in the room, Arthur's clothes, and a bed, so he didn't need to remain exposed, but it was fine. Although it was autumn now, it was still nice and warm in Arthur's rooms. And it was a sort of challenge.
In fact today, when Arthur had been getting ready to go hunting, he had told Merlin casually, as Merlin fiddled, naked, with the laces of his jacket, that he suspected that Merlin had been wearing clothes while he was out, and that wouldn't do. He had wanted Merlin to swear solemnly on his life and his future crown that he would never clothe himself until Arthur gave him permission to do so.
Merlin hesitated. Arthur didn't appreciate that this was a very serious vow to him. After all Arthur's life and Arthur's future crown were the true reasons he was still here in Camelot. But he couldn't refuse. How could he refuse Arthur without explaining? And he would be back soon. Probably.
So that was why, when the villains broke in, he was alone and vulnerable and too damned embarrassed to summon his magic, and save himself, before they had flung a big sack over his head, and carried him away, out through the window, into a cart and away into the woods.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, who knows, the scoundrels had no idea what the Crown Prince of Camelot looked like. But then who but the prince would be alone and naked in the prince's private chamber? Obviously they had Arthur and they congratulated themselves on their success.
('o')
The leader of the band of robbers, who Prince Arthur and his knights had lately captured, and who was now languishing in the dungeons of Camelot Castle, had a brother. And that brother was less than happy when news of his fate came to his ears, in his hideout in the neighbouring kingdom of Cameliard.
He swore that he would free his brother, and hatched a plan to that end. First he despatched one of his girls to seek a position at Camelot, in the kitchens, and convince everyone of her trustworthiness, so she could be used as a way to slip his men past the castle's security.
After a fortnight he despatched a team of his best men to infiltrate Camelot Castle, and kidnap the person King Uther valued above all others, just as he valued his own brother. He would hold the prince hostage until Uther released his brother.
The team of picked men was on its way before they realised that they had forgotten to ask someone to describe Prince Arthur. But it wouldn't be hard to find him surely? The cook would let them in and they would just have to wait for him in his private quarters.
('o')
An hour later Uther sat on his royal throne mystified by the kidnappers' note, which had been handed to him by Sir Leon. Leon had found it pinned to the main courtyard door. He turned to his son, who had just lately returned from the hunt, and waved it in his face.
"What do you make of this, Arthur?", he demanded.
Arthur took the slip of paper from his father's hand and read it.
"WE HAVE KIDNAPPED YOUR SON AND HEIR", it read. "WE DEMAND THE RELEASE OF THE PRISONER CONFINED IN YOUR DUNGEONS IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS SAFE RETURN."
Instructions for the exchange of hostages were written on the back.
"Why would anyone think that they had kidnapped you?", Uther asked, confused.
An idea suddenly occurred to Arthur, and he flew to his chambers, where, as he had feared, he found Merlin gone.
There would be no prisoner exchange for Merlin, Arthur knew. He would have to rescue the poor boy himself.
TBC
A/N: Part 2 continues with escape, rescue, comfort and acceptance. Please read on.