Sorry for the delay with this story. A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks-new job, moving, and a new car. But the most exciting news, I'm engaged!

However, things have calmed down some and I wanted to keep trucking with this you enjoy this chapter's sexiness. Finally living up the rating!

Chapter 3

He was in desperate need of a bath. He smelled foul. Rancid. Disgusting. He had been mucking out Arthur's stables for near on 3 hours. It would've taken him less time if he hadn't been constantly plagued by thoughts of Morgana.

Gauis was right; it had gotten worse. He had moments of sanity throughout the day, times when it seemed like everything was normal. Well, normal for Camelot and normal for him.

But then it would happen. Almost like a trance. He would see one reminder of Morgana and he was gone The stupidest things- a color she once wore, window pane through which he once saw her, places where they walked by each other-and sometimes nothing at all. She dominated very his thoughts. Countless minutes later he'd find himself at a standstill. Literally standing in the middle of the hallway. Or with a pitchfork in hand. Morgana and this bloody ritual had delayed his entire day.

But the worse part about this new connection was the feeling. Not just feelings but feelings. He knew all day that she wasn't near. Yes, Gauis had suggested she leave the castle for "exercise". But it was more than that. He could feel it. The lack of her presence made him feel strange. Empty somehow. Like he had felt this morning in his "search" but more so.

Yet as soon as she came back to the castle he felt it as well. And that's when the became even more difficult. His feet had a mind of their own, they kept directing him towards her room and towards her. He smelt her delicate scent in the hallway, the same vanilla and lavender essence from earlier. Her scent was like a waft from a hot pie and he was starving for a taste… Zigging and zagging, his body ached to meet her and his brain prayed to avoid her. He must've looked rather strange going down one hallway only to return the same way. If the guards noticed, they didn't let on. Then again they were used to strange behavior from him. Several years he had lived in this castle and it had never taken him more than 15 minutes to get anywhere. His walk from the stables took 45.

Finally he opened the door to the physician's quarters, glad to be in the small sanctuary of the chambers.

Gaius' nose crinkled at the stench coming off of him, "Merlin, you're home later than usual and smellier than I remembered."

"Yes, well, if I weren't fighting my own primal need to be near Morgana, I would've been home earlier. And as for the smell, Arthur's price to get rid of Morgana this morning," he replied annoyed. He knew that Gaius was serious about the "affliction" both Morgana and Merlin had. That didn't mean he wasn't just a little bit amused.

"You're right, I'm sorry. I often forget how demanding your life can be. I'm sure that this…situation doesn't help."

"No. Not at all," he said, "Look, all I want to do is wash the stink off of me and go to bed. Can we tell Arthur that I'm ill or something? Morgana wanted to speak 'privately' with me after dinner. I'm doing the best I can since I'm the one who knows what's actually going on here but I need some help to fend her off."

"It's intensified then?"

"You have no idea. I can feel her. I knew exactly when she came back to the castle this afternoon," he said, unnerved again by the depth of the connection. It was tolerable right now but he knew it would get worse.

"I'll speak with Arthur. Tell him you're ill and should be excused from duties for a while. We wouldn't have Morgana ravishing you at the table, can we?" he replied.

"My body says we would. My head, the part that Uther would cut off, says we wouldn't want that."

Twenty minutes later he was safely ensconced in his room in the bath. He wasn't one to leisure in the bathtub (he wasn't a girl despite Arthur's taunts) but today it felt necessary. While he needed to remove the awful stench of stables, he also needed to relieve some of the pent up sexual frustration.

He didn't usually "beat his meat" as the knights were fond of calling it. But he was a man and he had certain urges that had not outlet. Well, not an appropriate one at least. There were always willing serving girls or tavern wenches but they would've been a poor substitute for Morgana. Ever since he realized his feelings for her, the deep, genuine, overwhelming kind that both terrified and amazed him, he knew nothing would compare. His mother had also instilled into him a strong sense of the "right person". A touch girlish? Sure, but true.

So he fed himself the same lies he fed Arthur about "when things change" and visions of a new Camelot, knowing full well that his feelings would likely go unrequited. And that he would be polishing his own sword.

But he could polish his sword with fantasies. And today just the thought of Morgana made him half hard; his current state seemed to make everything more vivid.

Hand on his member, he began to stroke, his mind already digressing…

She was naked. Her skin glistening, her dark hair blue black in the moonlight. Her hands ran over his chest, marking his skin slightly with her nails.

She brushed her breasts against his chest, the hardened nipples grazing his pecs, his stomach, and his hips as she erotically slid her body down.

She was kneeling before him, her soft red lips slightly parted, inches away from his throbbing penis. Her eyes looked up as she gave him the slightest smirk before closing her mouth around his shaft. Heat coursed through his body. Her mouth was pure sin-warm and wet. The bobbing motion she was making already sent him careening towards release.

His body was on fire. The water sloshed in the tub with his vigorous movements and he bit back moans. Polishing his sword had never felt like this.

The sound of the rickety front door shattered the near silent oasis of pleasure. It was likely Gauis returned from delivering the message of Merlin's "illness" to Arthur. He had two choice: stop or finish up quick. Wanking with his mentor around in the next room seemed…perverted.

But release still beckoned just out of reach. Really, he needed to relieve this growing tension if he was ever going to be in proximity to Morgana again…

Just then a voice interrupted his debated pleasure. And it wasn't Gauis at all.

"Merlin?" asked the temptress and he knew the debate had just become trivial.

Out of the water his body shot, his every sense teeming with her presence. Again, her smell was intoxicating. The door stood between them but it was no match for the pheromones of a viral Morgana.

His left hand was pulling him towards the door, his right hand reaching for the cloth on his bed. It was like a tug of war with his own body. Left—- sweet, blissful passion. Right-dignity, modesty, and some protection from his libido. His right won out. Barely.

Grabbing the rough fabric (and hoping it would chafe and quiet his raging erection), he wrapped it around his waist and flung his back against the door just as Morgana jingled the handle.

"You can't come in, Morgana. I'm…" don't tell her you're naked, don't tell her you're naked, he thought and then remembered his earlier excuse, "ill."

"That's what Gauis told Arthur. Can I be of any assistance?" she offered sweetly.

"No," he said firmly. He already felt his hand reaching to open the door, "Is there something else you wanted, my lady?"

She must've been pressed up against the door because he could feel her body heat. Was that even possible?

"You," she replied huskily.

"Me?" he managed to get out. Being near her was addictive.

"Well, for some odd reason I've been wanting…no, needing to see you. It's strange but I can't stop looking for you everywhere…Are you sure I can't come in? It would only be for a minute.." she replied breathily.

Or an hour or days. He heard the tacit promise in her voice.

"No, I'm highly contagious" he said. And likely to ravage you senseless…

But he couldn't deny the effect her words had on him. He knew she was feeling the same peculiar longings of the ritual. It was magic, their magic which was drawing them to one another. But the urges, the wanting, she felt it too. And that was downright arousing. His rogue hand found its way beneath the fabric and began to stroke his unspent hard-on.

"What are your symptoms? Like I said I've been feeling rather…odd of late. Maybe I have the same thing," she asked. Her words weren't seductive but her voice was. She might as well of been whispering fantasies with the effect she was having on him.

Wanking to her voice felt slightly wrong. And dangerous. And necessary. Anything to keep him from opening the door and releasing magical mayhem.

"Fever," he choked out, feeling the same strong reaction.

"What else?" she said.

"General feelings of…discomfort and frustration, "he whispered. He stroked faster.

"What else, Merlin?" she said. His name sounded like a prayer on her lips.

"Little control over your limbs," he managed to get out through gritted teeth. He stroked hard. So good. He was so close.

"Sounds like I might have the same thing. My whole body has been feeling rather sensitive of late, part of me…tingling…" she said. She sounded aroused, as aroused as he felt.

"Yeah, it's like that," he said. A moan slipped out.

"Are you sure you're alright, Merlin?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Yes. I'm fine," he said, another moan slipping out, "Look, my lady…I need to rest. I'm starting to feel…faint." He was so close to release. A couple more strokes and he would be there. He needed her gone.

"Are you sure, Merlin?" she said, so close to his ear he swore he could feel her breath.

"Please…Morgana…please," he begged. He didn't know how much longer he could take this torture and not scream her name.

"Alright," she said dejectedly, "Feel better, Merlin."

He heard her reluctant steps and then the door to the front chamber close. And he could prevent his release no more.

Pleasure held at bay swiftly amplified. He withered against the door, his back arching as he stroked faster and faster. Waves of the most intense pleasure he'd ever experienced racked his body-demanding and torturous. Then finally, it all came crashing down. His body went taut like a bow and white heat coursed through every nerve.

He couldn't prevent himself from whispering her name, over and over as euphoria spread through his body.

He sagged against the door, sexually and mentally spent. Resisting Morgana and the calls of his own body were damned difficult. And it would only get worse.

Cleaning himself up, he got dressed and emptied the bath water. Just as he started to feel somewhat normal, he felt the stirrings of desire once again.

His body might be clean, but his thoughts were not. This was going to be a long two days.

FINIS

What did you think? Was Merlin's masturbation too scandalous? Please review!

For the record, Morgana will become more aggressive as things progress. I doubt doors will be able to keep her from Merlin. She doesn't have the same sexual knowledge (thus these tingling feelings cause confusion) or knowledge about the fertility ritual. Knowledge is power and for Merlin, he can relieve the sexual tension while she might not know how or why she feels the "frustration".