See Chapter 1 for info & warnings
Author's Note: Here be het, so consider yourself warned. And I am going through slowly and reformatting to take care of the wonkiness of it. That's what comes of copying and pasting from a Yahoogroups archive, I'm afraid.
Morena felt her heart flutter when she looked out the window and saw Arthur
riding up the lane. The Prince looked tired even from a distance but as handsome
as ever. He must have ridden all night to be back so quickly, and she noted that
he was still alone. Though Morena felt for Arthur's loss, she could not help but
feel a sense of pleasure at the idea of continuing to serve the prince herself.
The young woman hurried downstairs, hoping to meet the young man as he came in
to aide him however she was able.
Arthur was in a foul mood. Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, he
failed to even acknowledge the stable-hand who rushed forward to take the reins
of his horse. His eyes stung from the cascade of hot tears that finally ceased
to fall when the spires of Camelot appeared during his journey home. Leaving
Merlin behind had been torture for the prince, even as he constantly reminded
himself he was only doing it to keep his former servant safe from his father.
Not wanting to see or talk to anyone, he started toward the stairs...
Morena's smile of pure pleasure dimmed the moment she saw Arthur. He looked far
more than tired. His eyes were red and his whole demeanor defeated. "Sire, are
you well?" It was the closest that the young woman could respectfully come to
asking what was wrong. More than anything Morena wanted to reach out to Arthur
and offer him some comfort. Long exposure to the prince had taught her that kind
though his heart was, however, Arthur did not always appreciate interference in
things he considered private.
Arthur very nearly snapped at Morena. But, when he realized he had no reason to
be angry with her, swallowed down his words. "I've had a long ride and I do not
wish to be disturbed," he told her, albeit more gruffly than he had intended. It
should have been Merlin waiting for him, and it was all Arthur's fault for
having driven him away in the first place. Now he had separated himself from the
other young man again. But, this time, it would have to be permanent. No matter
how much it killed him.
"Of course, sire," Morena answered at once. "Is there anything that I can do to
help you settle down for the night?" The prince seemed to want little but his
privacy, and yet it hurt her to see him in such a state. "I could draw you a
bath, sire... or something warm to eat? Surely you cannot sleep in such a
state." The tension rolled off of the prince in waves. Arthur would find no rest
until he could find a means of relaxing.
Arthur paused, then decided, "Bring me the largest bottle of wine you can find."
He ached for oblivion. If there was anything to dull the pain and help him
forget how he had left Merlin, then he would gladly take it. Tumbling into a
chair in his room, it took every ounce of willpower for the prince not to get
right back on his horse and charge back to Sir Robert's estate. It was only the
fear of his father discovering Merlin's secret that prevented Arthur from making
a move.
"Of course, Sire." Morena went down and found a bottle of wine that the cook
assured her was both fine and potent. For a moment she considered opening it and
slipping something in. Surely it would be better for Arthur to sleep than to
drink, but... /I won't leave him alone./ At least she could keep an eye on the
prince and see that he did himself no harm. The young woman mounted the stairs
with new resolution and knocked gently on Arthur's door. "I have brought your
wine, Sire."
"Thank you," Arthur replied, which was a damn sight more than he thought he
could manage in his present mood. He snatched up the bottle without waiting for
Morena to pour him a glass. Arthur slugged down the wine, drinking heartily in
an attempt to wash away the pain he was feeling. "You might have to bring me
another," he told Morena, inadvertently spilling the drink his throat and onto
his shirt as he swallowed another mouthful.
The young woman would normally have found the sight of the liquid trailing
rather suggestively down Arthur's throat to be distracting. As it was, Morena
only felt the pain that the man was in. She knelt just before the prince and
dared to reach out gently to touch her hand to his. "Sire... I wish that I had
the words to heal your wounds, but they lie too deep for me to touch. Whatever
you wish of me, it is yours."
Although Arthur appreciated Morena's willingness to serve him, his heart bled
and his entire being ached for Merlin. How he wished to hear the other young
man's voice teasing him out of his mood, or awkwardly stumbling into the room.
"Thank you, Morena," he finally said, downing another swig of wine. "It's not
that I don't want your help... but, right now, I just want to be alone."
The young woman understood very well what Arthur was saying, but she could feel
the sadness pouring off of him in waves. More than anything Morena longed to
lift the mood. There had been whispers about Merlin, about how close he and
Arthur were, but now she knew that they were more than simple gossip. The
realization that Arthur might not be of an inclination to ever return her
feelings was a harsh one. /The future king will still need heirs,/ she
thought, swallowing her own disappointment. The best thing to do would be to try
for friendship at the very least. "Sire, perhaps the time is wrong, but would
it... I have few close confidants here, and I have been told that you are a man
who can be trusted. May I confess something to you?"
Arthur glanced up from the half-empty bottle, his expression one of genuine
surprise at Morena's request. His first instinct-given his current dark
mood-had been one of supreme prattishness. But, Arthur suppressed the urge to
dismiss the girl and, instead, gave her leave with a wave of his hand. "If
you're sure you'd like to confide in me, then go ahead."
"I'm sure that I can trust you." The words were true. The part that made Morena
uncertain was as he had mentioned - whether she was sure that she should confide
in Arthur at all. /He needs distraction, and even if there was a chance of us
having some sort of friendship, I will not do it with lies between us./
"Sire, I wish nothing more than to remain your servant. I should like to know
you better than I do now. I will not do that without you knowing the truth. I
was taught from a young age things very different from what the laws of Camelot
allows. I... I was older before I realized how dangerous it was to know a few
small spells, to have enough sight to conjure images in water and... I have hid
this well from everyone." Morena's heart beat faster, and she met Arthur's gaze
evenly at last. "I will not hide it from you, and if it is your desire that I
confess to your father, I will do that, but I must first tell you that I would
never, never harm anyone. I have not and would not do so."
Arthur tensed, the wine bottle nearly slipping from his grasp. If he had been
told such a thing before discovering the truth about Merlin, then he would have
surely called in the guards to take Morena straight to the dungeon. Instead, he
gaped at the young woman for the longest time, and then Arthur took another long
swig from the bottle. It amazed him that Morena was being so upfront with him,
whereas Merlin had deliberately hid the most important aspect of himself.
"This goes no further than this room," he told her, adding, "and I thank you...
for trusting me."
Morena let out a sigh of relief and dropped her gaze, gratitude washing over
her. "Thank you, Sire. It troubled me to keep it from you this long. I simply
wished to see that you were the man I believed you to be." Morena's lovely dark
eyes raised to Arthur's flushed face. "I am grateful for your allowing me this
confidence. I know that it puts you in a difficult position, Sire. I know that I
am only a servant, but, please, know that you may ask of me any favor."
Arthur gazed at her for what seemed like a long moment. Then, he dropped the
wine bottle and asked her with all sincerity, "Are you able to mend broken
hearts? Because if you can, then that is the favor I would ask for." He half
hoped that whatever powers Morena had at her disposal could obliterate the
terrible ache in his chest. But, somehow, Arthur knew that would not be
possible. Only being with Merlin again could conquer the pain.
Morena's expression showed her own sadness at hearing Arthur in such turmoil.
She reached out boldly to touch the man's cheek and draw Arthur's gaze toward
her. "I cannot replace the heart that you have lost. Nothing can do that, Sire."
Knowing that the next words she spoke could soothe Arthur or infuriate him,
Morena added more quietly, "I can only offer you another heart too ease your
pain, and that I give gladly."
Arthur wasn't sure what came over him in that moment. Maybe it was the wine or
perhaps his intense sorrow, but he accepted Morena's comforting touch by taking
her small hand and sweeping her up into an abrupt embrace. Arthur's mouth was
seeking Morena's out in the next instant, kissing her and crushing her against
his muscular frame. /I want to forget... I just want to forget.../
She knew that it was the wrong time, the wrong way to let it happen, but there
might be no other time. Morena silently prayed that she wasn't making a terrible
mistake and leaned into the embrace, rising on her knees to meet the kiss. The
kiss itself alleviated some of the young woman's fears. Though it was perhaps
more awkward than it might have been thanks to Arthur's inebriation and her own
lack of practice in the skill involved, there was beneath it all some true
passion. The servant's hands rose to touch the prince's face and twine into his
hair.
His mind whirling, Arthur was hoisting up Morena's skirt without thinking and
tugging at his own trousers. He backed himself and Morena toward his bed,
falling forward and crushing the servant beneath him. Groggily Arthur realized
he was simply using Morena to mask his pain. But, the prince found her open and
ready for him. And he was pressing himself forward... sinking deep inside,
accepting Morena's invitation.
Morena let out a gasp at the penetration. She had been prepared mentally, but
the reality still came as a momentary shock. Arthur paused for a moment, and the
brief respite was enough for her to catch her breath and draw her legs up, skirt
falling free of them as her thighs came to rest against Arthur's. The warmth of
the prince's body scorched her inside and out. Soon the shock gave away to a
pleasant fullness, and Morena opened her eyes to look up into Arthur's flushed
face, wondering if he could even really see her through the haze of his own
pain.
Arthur plunged mindlessly into Morena, his long, thick cock swallowed completely
by her inviting sweetness. But, the prince was far too blinded by pain and loss
to fully register what was happening. He needed release and solace, and Morena
was the closest warm body he could find. Even as he kissed her, all he could
think of was Merlin. Merlin moaning and writhing beneath him, giving him more
pleasure and contentment than he had ever thought possible.
Morena had no idea what Arthur was feeling, but his movements held all the
passion she could have hoped for. The young woman cried out softly as Arthur
plunged deep only to withdraw and begin once again. She sought his lips from
time to time, but the kisses were fleeting. It took concentration to remember to
breathe as it was, and Morena's thoughts were less on kissing than on trying to
move naturally. Her own experiences with men were few and brief. Certainly none
of the boys who had pursued her before were terribly impressive compared to the
prince of Camelot. Soon enough the thrill of holding Arthur after thinking of it
so long as much as the sex itself brought the young woman panting to the peak.
"Arthur!" she cried out, fingers clutching his muscular back reflexively.
The cry of his name erupting from Morena's lips momentarily shocked Arthur out
of his stupor. In that brief moment of clarity, he started at the realization of
what he was doing and who he was doing it with. But, then Morena was clenching
frantically around him and the Prince was helplessly caught, groaning as he
spilled himself deep inside of her shuddering body.
When the moment was past, Morena wondered what would come of it. Did Arthur
truly feel any fondness? The idea that he might not wrenched at her heart, but
she knew that her course was set. That he had taken her into his bed spoke
volumes. If she were to conceive... Morena tried not to think too hard about the
possibilities lest she lose sight of the moment. Instead she continued to hold
Arthur tight against the time when he would draw away again.
Arthur continued to draw in great lungfuls of breath as the shudders began to
subside. His alcohol-hazed mind was dulled and the prince, only vaguely aware of
what he had done, groaned softly as he shifted against Morena. "Ssssleep," he
slurred out, terribly exhausted. Arthur wriggled free of her grip, turning on
his side and eventually finding slumber as he pillowed his head on Morena's
breasts.
Morena sighed and stroked her fingers through the man's hair as Arthur drifted
off to sleep. Only time would tell what might come of their connection. Morena
knew that it might yet take magic to hold Arthur at her side, but if that was
what was needed, she was willing to take that step. She simply prayed that she
did not have to.