A/N: Again, let me apologise for the late update, but my muse went on holiday -_- anyway, here's the next chapter ^_^ slight spoilers for 3.05
This one is the first one that kinda justifys the 'M' rating- there's a little bit of gore at the end of the chapter and, just as a heads up, this is just the start- it will get a whole lot worse. So if you are grossed out at the end of this chapter, I suggest you stop reading- this story will not be for the squeamish! I don't want people flaming, telling me I have a sick mind and that they are disgusted.
For everyone else, enjoy!
Merlin walked quickly through the corridors of the castle, tears still coming thick and fast. He felt ridiculous and hung his head so passers by wouldn't notice his puffy, red eyes.
He reached his chambers and pushed the door open roughly, then grabbed it and slammed it shut. Merlin turned and rested his head against the wood, closing his eyes, sighing whilst sobbing softly.
"Merlin?"
He snapped his eyes open and spun around. Gwen and Gaius were sat at the table looking concerned. Merlin groaned; he hadn't wanted anyone to see him like this.
Gwen rushed over to him. She took his hand in one of her own and cupped one of his cheeks in the other. "Are you alright?"
Merlin felt his lip tremble and fresh tears started to well in his eyes. He found he was crying again. "Arthur… is such… a prat!" His shoulders were shaking with the force of his sobbing.
"What happened?" Gwen asked softly. She guided him to the table and helped him sit on a chair that stood facing the stairs to his bedroom.
After a few deep breaths, Merlin rubbed his eyes and looked up. He was still crying softly. "Arthur… called me… fat!"
Gwen rubbed his back gently. "I'm sure he didn't mean it."
Gaius moved closer to the young warlock. He took the seat next to him and rested a wrinkled hand on the young man's shoulder. "Didn't you tell him about the side effect?" Merlin looked up at him with red eyes, a blank expression on his face. "I thought that was what we were to tell Arthur, in order to explain your weight gain."
Merlin frowned and sniffed angrily. "I would have done, but he made fun of me! And I started crying and…" Fresh tears fell onto his cheeks.
Gwen put her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Well, this sort of thing is to be expected Merlin," Gaius said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
Merlin frowned and looked up at him, offence written all over his face. "You mean I can expect people to start calling me fat?"
"No," Gaius said soothingly. "I just meant that you're experiencing what is most likely the fifth month of pregnancy. It won't be unusual for you have erratic mood swings caused by hormonal fluctuations."
Gwen nodded. "My cousin got very emotional when she was expecting her first child."
"I am not emotional," Merlin said sulkily. He pouted and folded his arms, resting them on his protruding stomach.
"It's a normal part of pregnancy," Gaius assured him.
"There's nothing normal about this!" Merlin exclaimed, pointing at his bump.
"… True."
There was a smell pause.
"I'm just sick of it!"
"It'll all be over soon," Gwen said, taking a hand and squeezing it gently.
Merlin frowned, before realising what Gwen was talking about. "Not this," he said, pointing at his stomach, "I meant Arthur!"
"What about him?"
"He's such a prat!"
"Merlin-" Gaius started.
"He just takes me for granted! I do everything for that arrogant dollop-head and I don't even get a 'Thank you', or 'Well done Merlin'!"
"Uh… Merlin?" Gwen asked quietly.
"I'm not finished," Merlin said, holding up his hand. "I get treated like muck when I'm working for that stupid clot-pole and on top of that I've been hit with this spell- not that I'd change anything if I could turn back time, because the Gods know you don't deserve to go through this," Merlin added, directing his attention toward Gwen briefly, before resuming his rant. "And now this thing has started kicking, or stabbing me with spikes or talons, and it hurt! It felt like I was being ripped apart! Although I suppose it'll feel one hundred times worse tomorrow night!"
"Merlin."
"I'm still not finished. I-" Merlin stopped. That last voice hadn't come from either Gaius or Gwen. It had come from behind him.
"Turn around, Merlin." The voice belonged to Arthur.
Merlin grimaced, but didn't turn around. "How long have you been standing behind me?"
"Since you called me a dollop-head."
"Well… you are," Merlin said sulkily, sticking out his bottom lip like a child having a strop.
"So that's the thanks I get for coming to apologise?"
Merlin frowned and shifted his weight so he could turn to look at Arthur. "You… what?"
Arthur looked down and shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "I came… to say sorry." He looked at Merlin. "I was wrong to call you fat, although now I believe I have an explanation as to why you reacted the way you did." Merlin's cheeks flushed slightly and he looked at the ground, embarrassed, his arm moving to hide his stomach from view.
Gwen moved to stand behind Merlin and rested her hands on his shoulders. "He did it to save me." Merlin looked up at her and smiled thankfully.
Arthur frowned. "To save you?"
Gwen returned his frown. "Of course. You wouldn't want me to go through all of this… would you?"
"Well… you do so on a regular basis- not that you should," he added hastily, "it's just… it's your job." Everyone gave Arthur a quizzical look, causing Arthur's brow to crease further.
"We are talking about the same thing aren't we?" Merlin asked curiously.
"Of course," Arthur said, slightly exasperated. "You feeling underappreciated as a servant… right?"
"Uh… no."
"Well what are you talking about then?" Arthur asked, folding his arms across his chest.
"Well…" Merlin hesitated. He looked to Gaius for help and guidance, but the elderly man had the same look of uncertainty upon his face as he did.
"He did it to save me," Gwen repeated. When Arthur frowned again, she began to elaborate, explaining what Merlin had heard and how he had been there to push her from harms way when Morgause cast the spell and what was going to happen to him as a consequence.
"Morgause is in Camelot?" Arthur asked furiously.
"Was," Gwen corrected. "We haven't seen her since."
Arthur shook his head. "That doesn't mean she's gone. Did you see her accomplice?"
"Morgause left them in the woods," Merlin said, answering before Gwen could open her mouth. "I couldn't see who they were and I didn't recognise their voice."
Gwen and Gaius looked uncertainly at Merlin, not sure as to whether they should go along with the lie, or tell the truth about the events of that night. Merlin hoped that they would follow his lead. Arthur was unaware of that Morgana possessed magic and that she was his half-sister. He was also unaware of her lust for power and her wishes of claiming the throne for herself by destroying him, physically or mentally.
"Are you sure?" Arthur asked.
"Yes," Merlin told him. "Morgause was controlling Gwen with some sort of enchantment, but by the time the connection had been severed, Morgause had fled. She conspired against Gwen with the person in the woods, but she acted alone."
Arthur looked at Gwen. "Do you remember anything?"
"I remember hearing Morgause's voice," Gwen invented, continuing Merlin's story, "but I didn't hear, or see, anyone else." She sat next to Merlin and squeezed his hand, smiling. "He saved my life. Well," she looked at Arthur, "he saved both of us, really."
"How so?"
"Well, if you were to see that I was… expecting, you would think that I'd given myself to another." Arthur looked down and clenched his jaw, but Gwen smiled. "I never would," she told him softly. He looked up and caught her gaze. They smiled warmly at each other for a few moments, before Gaius thought they'd best continue.
"So if you had thought Gwen had given herself to another, your heart would have been broken. We suspect that Morgause would be able to take Camelot for herself. A broken hearted Prince would be in no frame of mind to protect the Kingdom."
Arthur looked shocked and a little humbled. He turned to Merlin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Merlin," he said with a small smile.
Merlin returned the smile. "Don't mention it."
"I mean it," Arthur told him gently, "thank you. You've saved both Gwen and I from a terrible fate. Putting your life on the line for us isn't something I shall forget… I am in you debt."
Merlin smiled warmly at the young Pendragon. He felt a prickling behind his eyes. "I'll hold you to that," he said jokingly, in order to cover the fact that he was close to tears… again.
Arthur frowned. "Are you alright Merlin?"
"Yeah," he replied, sniffing. "I'm fine." He wiped his eyes. "I just need some water."
He tried to get to his feet, but Gwen stopped him. "I'll get it for you," she said kindly. He smiled and sat back down, still sniffling slightly.
Arthur frowned at Gaius inquisitively. "He's experiencing what would be classed as the fifth month of pregnancy, so mood swings are to be expected," he explained to Arthur.
The Prince nodded, now realising that Merlin couldn't have helped his earlier outburst if he'd have tried. "I'm no expert on this sort of thing," he said, shaking his head, "but doesn't pregnancy last for nine months?"
"Normally, yes," Gaius said. "But there is nothing normal about this pregnancy."
"Like the fact that I'm a man?" Merlin piped up.
Arthur found himself grinning slightly. "You know all those times I said you were a girl, Merlin?"
"Yeah?"
"I didn't actually mean it."
Luckily, Merlin took this joke well, causing laughter to echo throughout the chamber.
"Oh," Gwen said, after they'd calmed down, "I've brought your clothes back." She handed Merlin a bundle, containing the altered shirts and trousers.
"Thanks Gwen," he said, smiling. He placed the bundle on the nearest surface and struggled to his feet. "I'd better put them away."
"Whoa." Merlin looked round to see Arthur goggling at his stomach, which had grown since he'd seen it last. The Prince flushed slightly as he saw Merlin staring at him. "Sorry, it's just… you're so… big."
Merlin sighed and looked down at his stomach, which could now be seen protruding from underneath his shirt, which was stretched taut against his abdomen. He nodded. "I know… and I'm only going to get bigger."
"Maybe you should give him the day off tomorrow?" Gwen suggested, as she handed Merlin the wad of clothing. Merlin looked at him hopefully.
"Well," Arthur said, a playful tone in his voice, "I was wondering how you'd go on cleaning my armour with such a large stomach…" He smiled warmly. "But I think a day of bed rest is more appropriate."
Merlin breathed a sigh of relief and laughed softly. "Thanks Arthur."
Arthur smiled back. "It's the least I can do."
"I should be back to work the day after though," Merlin said.
Arthur frowned, but Gaius nodded. "He's nearing the end of his second trimester and he's only been pregnant for two days," he told Arthur. "At this rate, the creature will be born tomorrow night."
"Three days in total," Merlin said.
Arthur was shocked. "… Three days?"
Gaius nodded. "That's what we predict," he said.
He shook his head. "That is unbelievable."
"Tell me about it," Merlin said. He placed his hands on his lower back and groaned, his face twisted into a grimace of pain.
Arthur looked at him. "If there's anything you need, don't be afraid to ask."
Merlin managed a smile. "Thanks Arthur."
"Right," Gaius said abruptly. "I think it best if we let Merlin get some rest." Gwen and Arthur both nodded.
"Of course," he said. Arthur nodded at Gaius and Merlin, and smiled, almost shyly, at Gwen before leaving.
"I'll come and see you in the morning," Gwen told him.
"Thanks for the clothes," he said as she left. She smiled as she closed the door behind her.
"I think you'd better get to bed," Gaius told him. "Your ankles are starting to swell."
Merlin tried to peer beyond his stomach to look at his feet, but it was proving to be rather difficult, so he gave up. He sighed. "I really don't envy women," he told Gaius as he started making his way up to his bedroom.
Gaius smiled. "The amount of women who have said they'd love to see a man go through their pain," he mused.
"Too bad that this male pregnancy has to be kept under wraps for the safety of the Kingdom," Merlin said dryly. "If the circumstances were different, I'd be very popular with expectant mothers."
They reached the top of the stairs and Merlin hurled the bundle of clothes onto the nearest chair, then made his way over to the bed. He sat down awkwardly.
"Is there anything I can do for you?" Gaius asked.
"I'm alright, thanks." Merlin sighed as he lay back on his bed, relieved that his weight was off his feet. He was surprised that just walking up stairs was becoming an arduous task. "I think I just need a little sleep."
"Well, you are going to need your strength for tomorrow."
Merlin sighed again. "I just hope this thing doesn't escape after it's born."
"Don't worry," Gaius said soothingly. "I'll be right by your side."
Merlin smiled. "Thank you."
"Get some rest." He smiled and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.
Merlin rubbed his face and sighed. He tried, and failed, to sit up. "Great," he muttered to himself. He stared down in the direction of his feet and muttered a few magic words. His boots un-strapped themselves and flew off his feet, landing near his wardrobe.
I feel like an invalid… I shouldn't be using my magic like this, he thought. But I can't sleep in my clothes, so…
A few minutes later, Merlin had gotten himself magically undressed and into his nightwear and was just settling down, when he was struck with a sudden urge.
Without even knowing he'd done it, his eyes flashed gold and a series of events occurred in quick succession. The window flew open, allowing a large crow, which just happened to be flying in the right direction, to fly in before swinging shut again. The crow then flew into the opposite wall. Merlin heard a crunch as it hit the stone, signifying that its neck had been crushed. Ordinarily, Merlin would have been slightly sickened by this; who would want a dead bird on their bedroom floor? But, due to the circumstances, he began to feel ravenous.
His eyes flashed gold once again and the bird materialised onto his knee. Unable to control himself, he began ripping feathers from the birds carcass and tossing them aside. When there was a bald patch big enough for his mouth, he raised the frail body to his lips and sank his teeth into the flesh, feeling the bones crunch in his mouth and the blood ooze over his chin.
He was disgusted with himself.
This isn't me! He thought desperately, as he took another bite from the dead bird. I don't want to be doing this! This monster is taking over me!
He ripped through the crow, gulping down chunks of meat and hungrily supping blood from his fingers in a manner that would suggest he hadn't eaten in a month.
When he was done, he flung the chewed remains into a corner of the room. It was at that point that he came back to his senses. "Oh God!" He muttered. Fortunately, the basin he'd used to throw up in was still at the side of his bed. He leaned out of bed and brought up the monstrosity he'd just eaten, the crow flesh and blood burning his throat as it left his body and hit the bottom of the bowl. When he'd finished, he flopped back onto his bed, shaking and wheezing.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his stomach. He gasped and brought his hands up to the point where he'd felt the pain, just below his belly button. The stabbing sensation shot through his stomach again. It was as if the creature inside Merlin was furious that he'd thrown up what it had been craving.
Merlin stared down at his stomach and glared. "You just wait until you get out of there," he said in a soft, dangerous voice. "You may be some kind of hell beast, but I will still tear you apart. I will not let you harm Camelot, or its people, and if that means I die in the process… I'll die knowing that one day, Albion will be born."
Just a little side note, Merlin is supposed to be about four months gone in the morning and about as big as a woman in her sixth month at the end if the night, in case anyone was confused =)
Please R&R and tell me what you think =)
