So, to make up for the fact that I almost do something extremely horrid to Merlin in this chapter, I am giving you a slightly longer and one day earlier chapter in the hopes of bribing you to still like me. *big nervous smile* *laugh* Just kidding. You know you like this stuff. ;)
Plus, I needed something to balance out the almost sickly sweet beginning half of this chapter. Who needs Halloween candy, I almost got cavaties just writing Merlin and his mother scenes.
Sorry if it seems like it's moving super fast now. I need to finish this before I lose my inspiration and leave you all wondering what happened to the story. I'll shut up now so you can read it.
Arthur and Gaius moved to the other side of the room, watching as Hunith and Merlin sat down on one of Gaius' bench seats. Merlin curled into his mother's side, and she drew her fingers through his hair, rocking him gently.
"Gaius?" whispered Arthur.
"Yes, sire?"
"Why do you think Co-Merlin ran from his mother earlier?" asked Arthur. He turned to eye Gaius. "When I found him in my chambers, he seemed… scared."
Gaius stared at the mother and son, brow furrowed in thought. "I'm not sure, sire. I had expected some sort of reaction, but that was certainly not it. I feel only Merlin could tell you why he did."
"And he can't or won't," sighed Arthur, also staring at them. "Does Hunith… know?"
"That Merlin doesn't speak?" Gaius turned back to Arthur. "I warned her about it."
Arthur sighed again, rubbing a hand across his face. "No, I meant about… what happened to Merlin. What those men did to him."
Gaius studied him for a few moments. "Yes sire, I told her what you told me. That you rescued Merlin from a man who mistreating him."
"But, does she know about the…" Arthur found he couldn't say it.
Gaius frowned. "I'm sorry, sire, I'm not sure what you are asking."
Arthur groaned, slamming a fist down on a table. Merlin glanced up at him, startled, and Arthur smiled reassuringly at the boy. He leaned in closer to the physician. "Gaius, those men raped him," whispered Arthur.
Gaius' eyes widened in shock. "How do you know?"
Arthur stared at the floor, suddenly unable to keep eye contact. "Merlin keeps trying to… he thinks I want to do that. To him. And I asked him once if the others did, and he nodded yes." Arthur glanced back up Gaius.
The old man stared at Merlin, his eyes sad. "No, I don't think Hunith needs to know that detail."
Arthur nodded in agreement.
….
Arthur sat in his quiet chambers, staring into the empty fire pit. He had snuck out of Gaius' quarters while Merlin and his mother were distracted. He was sad at the thought of not seeing the boy anymore, but he knew Hunith would take good care of him. She was his mother, after all.
He only wished he had learned all the secrets, unraveled the mystery of the raven haired boy. Arthur was sure those unknowns would torment him for the rest of his life.
Arthur sighed as the door behind him opened. He buried his face in his hand. "Yes?" he asked wearily. "What is it?"
He received no response, only the sound of light footsteps coming closer.
Arthur sighed again, looking up and spinning around. "What do yo-" He stopped in his tracks, eyes wide. "Merlin?"
Merlin stopped a few feet away from him, a nervous smile on his face.
"What are you doing here?" asked Arthur.
Merlin cocked his head to the side, confused.
"I thought you would stay with your mother," said Arthur.
A sad look fell over Merlin's face, and he took a hesitant step forward.
"Don't you want to be with your mother?" asked Arthur.
Merlin paused for a minute, before nodding his head once and then shaking it twice.
It was Arthur's turn to look confused. "Yes and no?"
Merlin nodded again.
Arthur took a deep breath to stop his inward groan from coming out. This would be much easier if Merlin would speak. "You want to stay with your mother, yet you don't want to…?"
Another nod.
"You want to stay here?"
A more vigorous nod this time, with another hesitant step forward.
"Why?" asked Arthur, genuinely confused.
Merlin's sadness seemed to intensify, and then was followed by panic.
Arthur quickly took the last couple steps forward and grabbed Merlin's hands. "Hey, it's okay if you want to stay here," he soothed. "I would like that very much," he added, staring into Merlin's teary blue eyes. "I was just curious why you would rather stay here than be with your mother."
They stared at each other for a few seconds before Merlin slowly pulled his hands away. He drew in a shaky breath as he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Arthur and burying his face in Arthur's chest.
Arthur returned the embrace, running one hand through Merlin's silky hair. "Okay, okay. It's okay. You can stay here. For as long as you want," he muttered, smiling when he felt Merlin relax into the hug.
….
It had been two months since Merlin had been reunited with his mother. She had stayed in Camelot for a week, and Merlin had visited her every day, sat curled up into her side and listened as she told him stories of his childhood. She told him about his best friend, Will, how they used to torment the livestock and Old Man Simmons. She told him about how he used to try to help her cook, and how he always made a mess but she let him help anyways. She told him about how he used to snuggle into her lap at night, and she would whisper fairy tales to him until he fell asleep.
Initially, Merlin was wary of Hunith. His first master had told Merlin that his mother had given him away, that she didn't want him anymore. Merlin had cried for his mother every day for months, but she never came. And the day his master had finally become fed up with his crying and beat Merlin nearly to death, was the day he believed him. His mother didn't want him anymore.
But over the course of the week, doubt began to work its way into Merlin's mind. His mother held him, comforted him, wiped his tears on the few occasions he began to cry. She even kissed his forehead, just like she used to when he was little.
Merlin had been very sad the day his mother left to return home to Ealdor. She had promised Merlin could come visit her anytime if he would like. He had clung to her as she said good-bye, and he walked back to Arthur's chambers with tears in his eyes. Arthur had immediately pulled him into a hug, and all doubt he had of not going with his mother vanished. This was where he belonged. He couldn't explain why he felt that way, Merlin just knew he needed to be here, with Arthur.
He was grateful to Arthur for all he had done for him. He still couldn't believe the Prince treated someone like him so well, but that just made him all the more determined to make Arthur proud of him.
He would be the best slave his master ever had.
Merlin learned to do all the chores he possibly could, even venturing out every day to muck out the horse stalls. He went to the kitchens to bring Arthur his meals, he would go to the armory to collect his armor and weapons, he would run any errand Arthur sent him on. The only thing he never did was serve Arthur when the King was near. The Prince was still worried of Uther realizing who Merlin was. But on the few occasions Merlin had passed Uther in a corridor, the King had not even spared him a glance. It made him happy though, that Arthur seemed so concerned about his safety.
Merlin had even moved from sleeping on the floor beside Arthur's bed, to sleeping on a cot in the servants' chamber connected to Arthur's rooms. There was a cupboard in there for Merlin to store his spare tunic and the warm jacket Arthur had given him. Arthur had also given Merlin a few books, after he had returned to his chambers one night to find Merlin curled up in a chair, staring at a book with fascination.
He had been shocked, however to discover that Merlin simply flipped through them, looking for pages with illustrations. "You can't read?" he had asked.
Merlin shook his head no.
After Morgana had found out, she had talked Gwen and Gaius into helping her teach Merlin to read and write.
Merlin's sunburn had completely healed by now, leaving behind porcelain white skin with a dusting of freckles here and there. All his other injuries, the burns and little cuts, had healed as well. His hair had grown out a bit, and it gave him incentive to walk with his head up, otherwise the raven locks would tumble into his eyes.
Merlin couldn't believe how much his life had changed.
He almost felt human again.
….
Merlin was walking back from the training fields. Arthur had been working with his knights, and sent Merlin ahead to draw a bath for him. He was humming a random tune he had picked up from Gwen, when a hand suddenly shot out of a doorway and pulled him in, slamming the door shut.
Merlin squeaked as he was spun around and shoved up against the back of the door.
Sir Daniel, the one Knight who had not shown up for training, was staring down at him with a lecherous grin. "Well, hello there, gorgeous," he sneered, leaning down and burying his face into Merlin's neck.
The boy shuddered as the Knight drew in a deep breath.
"You smell…. Fantastic," breathed Daniel.
Merlin began to struggle, whines leaving his throat.
Daniel straightened up, running one hand through Merlin's hair, the other tightly holding his wrists together. "There, there, pretty little thing. It's alright. We're just going to have some fun together."
Merlin cried out as he was suddenly flung onto a table standing in the middle of the room. He began to panic, whining and crying, as the man started to tear the clothes from his body.
This couldn't be happening. Only his master was supposed to love him.
A sob tore from Merlin's throat as his trousers were yanked away. He began to claw at Sir Daniel, attempting to scream around the hand now covering his mouth. Tears were streaming down his face as Daniel wrenched his legs apart, before reaching down to unlace his own trousers.
"Sorry, boy," he chuckled. "No one is coming to rescue you."
"That's where you're wrong, Daniel," came a venomous voice from behind them.
The Knight pushed away from Merlin, and the boy collapsed to the floor, glancing up to find-
"Arthur?" Merlin croaked.
Happy Halloween!
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