Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters should pray for their good fortune.
Title: A Sacrifice for a Friend
Summary: Merlin takes up a second job to help Gaius pay off a debt, but this job involves serving the desires of other men, especially the knights of Camelot. How will Arthur react when he finds out about this? Possibly slash Warning: violent sex
~[~
Gaius had given Merlin so much that Merlin wasn't even sure how he could ever repay him. Gaius treated him like a son, and always helped him out when he was in way over his head. However, Merlin kept so many secrets from him, like the Great Dragon for example, and he always felt bad at the end of each day that he couldn't be completely open with him.
Well, Gaius had been trying to expand his business and was doing well at first. But, soon the expansion was creating more debt, and before Gaius had a chance to turn things around they were swimming in it. Paying the bills was becoming harder each passing month, and Gaius was far too old to remedy this on his own. Merlin took this as his golden opportunity to finally repay all the kindness his mentor had given him, and so he decided that he would get a job and help Gaius pay off his debt.
Getting a second job when working for Arthur was going to be tough since the prince constantly demanded his attention. However, from a quick look at this month's necessary bill payment he knew that he had to find one fast. He could not simply ask Arthur for more money since he knew he would be denied. Arthur already thought he was paid too much, and so that was not an option. He searched throughout the town and wasn't having any luck. He even talked to some of the other servants in the castle. They didn't know of anyone looking to hire more help. Merlin felt horribly stuck.
At the end of the day he was feeling exhausted and even disheartened. That is when he was approached by another servant boy around his age. The boy seemed apprehensive about approaching him, but did so anyway. He whispered to Merlin about a quick way to make a lot of cash, and so naturally Merlin was listening intently. The boy told him of who he needed to see and gave him an address. However Merlin cringed when he got to the details of the work he was expected to perform and even felt sick at the thought. So Merlin had thanked him and told him he would consider it.
Honestly Merlin was not that desperate yet, and believed there had to be another way. He wasn't ready to give his body up to anyone yet, and the thought of sleeping with other men for money left him appalled. He decided to resume his search the next day.
When he reached his home he changed his mind. Gaius was being threatened by three very big and burly men. The sorcerer looked terrified but held his ground, and Merlin was proud of him for that. "You have three day old man. If you do not provide us with our monthly payment by then we will find you, and make you wish you were dead." At this point the man that was speaking reached out and grabbed Gaius's shirt front hoisting him off the ground. Merlin could see it all from his hiding spot behind some box crates near their door and couldn't believe how desperate the situation really was.
"Please I don't have any money to give you. If you gave me more time I'm sure I could…" Gaius's desperate pleading was cut off by a sharp smack to his face. The blow caused him to moan loudly as he was carelessly tossed to the floor. The men threatening him left at that point and Merlin heard soft sobs come from the doorway and Gaius rose to feet and shut the door. Merlin now knew what he needed to do, even if he didn't like it he was going to have to suck it up for Gaius.
~[~
Merlin approached the tavern that he was instructed to go to. He felt sick and afraid, but he was determined not to let that deter him. He had to help Gaius. When he went inside he almost felt comforted by the chaotic atmosphere and crazy drunkards traveling around. There were a lot of people in the tavern since it was such a late hour, even still there was more than Merlin expected. He also recognized some of the knights in the bar, and made a mental note to avoid them as best he could.
When he reached the counter he asked to see Valco, the man in charge of the tavern, and told the lady who had sent him. She nodded and pointed to a door telling him to enter it, and go in the first door on the left. He followed her instructions and was surprised to find an entirely different atmosphere behind the door. The smell of sex and beer mixed together unpleasantly and he wrinkled his nose, almost turning around. However he steeled his determination and knocked on the door. He entered when told and found himself in the man's office.
"Well hello there, and who do we have here?" The man pleasantly smirked at Merlin. This put Merlin on edge and he swallowed nervously.
"My name is Merlin, and a boy named Gregory sent me here to talk to you about working here." Merlin knew he mumbled a bit and that he looked like a nervous wreck. His eyes were downcast and he wasn't planning on looking up anytime soon.
He was greeted with silence for a moment and Valco stood and walked around him clearly checking him out. "Hmm… Well you are rather cute and a healthy young man at that. I'm very sure we can use you here. We have a very limited amount of young men willing to do this job and are always in need. Can you start tonight?" It was a good thing the man was behind him because Merlin's head snapped up and he looked frantic. He knew the man saw him flinch. "You really need money don't you? Well if you can't start tonight I'm willing to wait until you ready. I won't push you into this." Merlin felt comforted by this, but he knew that the man was right and that he did really need money.
Merlin signed and his shoulders slumped. "Yes I can start right away." He wished his voice conveyed a little less of his nervousness.
Valco walked around him and nodded solemnly. "Alright." He motioned for Merlin to sit in the chair in front of his desk. "I want to ask you a few questions first." Merlin nodded and looked him in the eye. "Are you a virgin?" Merlin flinched at this and felt sick again, but nodded. He was going to give away something so precious to a stranger, for a few pieces of gold. Now he really felt sick and loathed himself. Valco nodded and continued. "That's good actually because you can fetch a good price for your virginity. Are you willing to work each night, because I only offer one day off a week, unless someone is treated far too roughly and is injured?" Merlin also nodded at this, though he was not happy at the prospect of having sex every night just to earn some coin.
Valco looked at him very seriously now and Merlin felt more vulnerable than before. "I am going to be completely honest with you. Everyone that works here does so because they are desperate for money. It is a hard job, and it is painful, especially the first time. I try to make sure the customers are civil, but I can't control them in the end. Some are brutal and rough treatment is not uncommon. You will be expected to succumb to all of their desires regardless, but you can demand more money if you think you are not receiving enough from them. I decide how much they must pay, but you can charge for outlandish requests. I keep twenty percent of your profits and you keep the rest. Are you sure you still want to do this."
The serious expression did not waver, and Merlin looked him in eye. He thought of how bad Gaius needed him, and all the sacrifices Gaius had made for him. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Alright come with me then."
~[~
After a quick bath Merlin was lead into another room. Merlin realized that this was the room that the men chose their partner for the night. Merlin had been informed that the first night for virgins was different though, and he was slightly scared to find out how. He was told that he would make more than his average pay tonight, though the owner was not sure how much more. He looked at the impassive faces of the other workers and shivered when he realized that someday he would wear the same expression. The owner motioned for him to come along with him up on a stage and Merlin felt his blood run cold. Nevertheless he followed.
When he reached the top of the stage he felt horrified. The knights that he had recognized in the tavern were here, looking at him, and they knew what he was about to do. He instantly looked down and refused to look back up as his humiliation reached a new level. Then Valco began to speak to the crowd. "Welcome all, we have a special treat tonight. We are welcoming a new member to our staff, and this boy is willing to part with something very special, his virginity" Merlin now felt so embarrassed he couldn't even move. Yet he had willed himself to relax and looked at the sympathetic faces of the other workers, and the hungry faces of the customers. That sent his gaze directly back the floor. "The question is really, how much are you willing to give him for it?" It was like a twisted auction and Merlin instantly hated it. Numbers were thrown about and the price was rising quickly. Now it was down to only a few bidders, and two were the knights Merlin knew. The possibility to bed the king's loyal servant must have been quite alluring, and Merlin prayed they would not mention this to Arthur. Finally one man proposed a price far above them all, and Merlin's eyes shot open and looked straight into the cynical eyes of that man. He cringed immediately and knew that the night was going to be hell. The man was the noble Sir Raggor, and he hated Arthur and Merlin with a passion. Valco accepted his offer and lead Mwelin out a back door to a small room.
When they entered Valco gave him a sympathetic glance and said. "Usually we give virgins the next three day off after their first time. I will collect your money from Raggor and you can pick it up when this is over. He has offered three times your normal pay, which rarely happens. Good luck." With one last sorry glance Valco exited.
Merlin lay back on the small bed and thought about what was going to happen. He was still horribly embarrassed and his insides seemed twisted. Raggor hated him and would certainly ensure that this was a painful night. Merlin was unsure how he would get through it, and even more anxious for tomorrow. He prayed that his secret would remain just that, a secret. Performing his duties for Arthur tomorrow was going to be a challenge, and sleep was going to be impossible. It was going to be a long night, followed by a long day. Merlin closed his eyes gently one last time before the door was thrown open revealing the man he feared. He shivered at the gaze he got, and mentally prepared to be destroyed.
Merlin was not wrong, that was for sure. Raggor had a wild gleam in his eye and he quickly tore at Merlin's clothes. They were badly damaged and Merlin doubted he would ever wear them again. The man was already hard, but forced Merlin to give him a blowjob anyway, and swallow when he finished, making Merlin shiver with shame. It was disgusting and the taste would never stop haunting him. After that Raggor roughly shoved a finger up Merlin's ass and Merlin tensed and ached his back at the painful intrusion. That seemed to satisfy Raggor who positioned himself in place. Merlin's breathe caught and couldn't believe that this was really happening, that he was about to be roughly taken by this angry knight. Merlin closed his eyes and couldn't watch. The pain was unbearable as Raggor trust in all the way to his hilt tearing the delicate and previously untouched entrance, while also biting down on shoulder drawing blood. Merlin's scream must have been heard by all those around him, and blood trickling down his leg pooling on the mattress. Raggor set a rough pace and fucked Merlin several times that night. When he was finally finishing the last round he pulled out and came all over Merlin's face and chest. Cum was dripping from his hair and Merlin had to hold back the bile running up his throat. After that Raggor smirked at him while dressing, and then left him there alone.
Merlin was trying to sit up, but he only succeeded in falling backwards at the pain. He took a few moments to stare at the ceiling and soft sobs racked his body, increasing the pain. He cried for a few minutes before deciding he really needed to go. He pushed past the agony to sit upright and waited a moment to let the pain pass. It took him a while but he finally managed to get dressed. He could see the blood running down thigh, and the mess all over the bed was sure to stain. He had lost a lot of blood and was feeling lightheaded. He staggered to Valco's office and opened the door nearly falling inside.
Valco caught him as he entered and helped him into a nearby chair. He tried to convince Merlin to stay overnight since he was clearly in bad shape, but Merlin refused. He wanted to collect his money and go home. Valco handed it to him and said "I'm sorry. Take care now and I'll see you in a few days." Merlin nodded though he really wasn't focused, and he hurried out the door, and out of the tavern. He was moving as fast as his battered body would allow and when he reached his home he felt a sense of relief wash over him. He ran into room despite the pain, and collapsed on his bed. He threw the money on the table beside his bed and peeled his clothes off, shoving them under the bed. He could not let Gaius know about the sacrifice he had made. Changing quickly into new clothes, he quickly covered himself with his blankets and began to cry. He was unsure of when he fell asleep, but the rest was much overdue.
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So what did you think? I love Merlin and think Arthur and Merlin would be cute together, but I'm still unsure if it should be slash or not. I will write based on the reader's opinion, so slash or not?