Simple Words Chapter 17, a merlin fanfic

See Chapter 1 for info & warnings

The more time passed, the more Uther became anxious over Merlin remaining at
large. It increased not only the potential for his son's former servant to cast
his dark spells, but also the chance of Arthur learning what had happened. Uther
was convinced that Merlin must have been plotting against him all this time,
playing the role of a clumsy idiot so as not to arouse suspicion. He ranted and
raved when he was alone, and the only solace the king could find was with
Theoden. Now was one of those times. Uther returned to his chambers in search of
the boy.

Theoden was waiting there as he usually was between the king's visits. It was
usually under the guise of cleaning the room or organizing important documents.
Most of the staff suspected that he was doing nothing of the sort. When Theo's
room was moved next to the king's, they'd all looked knowingly at one another.
But, then, Uther was always calmer after the boy spent an evening in his bed,
and some respite from the king's fiery temper was one that few were willing to
tamper with.

"Sire!" Theoden's face lit up at once as Uther entered the room. Even when the
man was filled with the fury of the day, nothing made him happier than the
return of his lover. Indeed at times the passion of the nights when Uther was
working off his anger as well as his pleasure were the most satisfying.

Theoden's enthusiasm was infectious, and at the end of the day, it was exactly
what Uther needed when he retired to his room. Unfastening his cloak and laying
it aside on one of the opulent chairs, the King gathered his lover up into his
arms with one almighty swoop. Uther's mouth was covering Theoden's in a flash,
devouring those sweet lips with a relentless passion. "Did you miss me?" he
asked after a breathless moment to savor the kiss.

"Always. Always, sire," Theo answered, shivering and then seeking out another
kiss. He knew by now that even without permission certain contact was always
welcome. He'd learned just how to mold his lips against Uther's to make the king
shudder and feel the man's heart beat faster. It was like a drug constantly
striving to find new ways to drive his lover mad with desire. "I thought that
they would never let you go. So many meetings and hearings..." Theoden made a
sound of distaste and nipped at Uther's jawline.

Thoroughly distracted by Theoden, Uther only barely managed to murmur, "They do
seem to last longer than usual these days." With Theoden's slight frame filling
his arms, the King effortlessly carried his delicious bundle over to the
enormous high-backed chair situated beside one of the room's windows. He sank
down into the overstuffed cushions with a sigh, finding Theoden's weight on his
lap very pleasant indeed. "Now then, I do believe you and I have much to catch
up on," Uther said, dragging his fingers down the length of Theoden's spine.

Theo shivered with pleasure at the touch. "Yes, sire... we certainly do." He
smiled down at the older man and pressed a kiss to the king's lips. "Tonight,
let me do for you." As badly as Theoden ached for his own satisfaction, he could
see that his lover had been through worse than simply waiting. Theo slithered
down until he knelt in front of the king and ran his hands up over the man's
powerful thighs. "Shall I, sire?"

"You always have my permission," Uther assured Theoden in a husky voice, "remember
that..." He reached down with one large hand, gazing at the beautiful boy
kneeling before him with profound tenderness. Anything Theoden requested, and
Uther was helpless to deny him. Already he was spreading his thighs wider,
affording his lover all the access he could ever desire.

Theoden's mouth watered as he leaned in toward the true object of his desires.
He took the king's length into his mouth without further delay. Though he knew
that there were those among Uther's entourage who belittled him for being
nothing more than the king's lapdog. For Theoden, there was nothing more
enjoyable than knowing that the king looked forward to being with him as dearly
as he looked forward to it. Just giving the man pleasure thrilled him and sent
desire rushing through his body.

Uther hissed out softly, and brushed a hand through Theoden's hair. The boy's
mouth was exquisite, a luxurious silken glove surrounding and caressing his
aching manhood. His eyes, glazed over with pleasure, watched in awe as Theoden's
perfect mouth stretched to accommodate his girth, and soon, his length had all
but disappeared between those beautiful lips. The King arched with a groan,
gently carding Theoden's hair now while his other hand gripped one of the
chair's arms tightly.

Theoden watched the man looking down at him with obvious pleasure. He loved
knowing that he could have that effect on a man who had such power over others.
Uther ruled the kingdom and, in these quiet moments together, he ruled the king.
The boy drew back, almost letting Uther's cock slip free and then dove forward
again to take every last inch. The head pressed against the back of his throat
but he'd long since gotten used to the sensation.

How one boy could bestow such intense pleasure upon him mystified Uther. Theoden
was indeed a treasure, naturally talented at meeting his needs in ways no other
had ever dared. Between great panting breaths, the King's more tender side
emerged as he cooed and offered Theoden sweet words of encouragement. His hips
surged forward, but Uther wasn't concerned about the possibility of choking his
young lover. Theoden was proving more than capable of taking all of his royal
length.

Theoden opened his throat and gladly took every inch that Uther fed him. He
couldn't get enough. He wanted to show the monarch just how desperately he
desired to please the older man. Despite being hard as a rock himself, Theoden's
hand stayed away from his cock. He would be allowed release if he pleased his
master well enough. If he was lucky, Uther would see to the issue directly,
would touch him or take him, and the thought drew a low moan from the boy on his
knees.

Uther writhed in his seat, moaning and gasping, his hands reflexively tangling
in Theoden's curls. His swollen length throbbed deep within the boy's silken
throat, and the King realized how dangerously close to the edge he was already
teetering. Without warning, Uther's cock lurched and, crying out, he spilled his
royal seed deep inside of Theoden's wondrous mouth. Then, the older man fairly
jumped at a knock at the door.

"Father?" Arthur called out from the other side.

Theoden wanted to voice a protest at the interruption, but he knew the prince's
voice. If Arthur was seeking his father out in his chambers, then something was
amiss - or at the very least he thought so. The boy asked quietly, "Shall I
dress, sire?" There was no real opportunity to leave with Arthur at the door,
but he could at least be properly attired, and if he stood with something in
front of him until more obvious evidence of what they'd been doing subsided,
then the prince would be none the wiser.

"Yes," Uther said hurriedly, "and, I'm sorry, but... Can you stay in here?" The
King, wearing an expression of regret, indicated the curtains surrounding his
enormous bed. Arthur would never understand why he was spending so much time
with a servant-especially after his constant berating of his son for his
friendship with that fool Merlin. Once he and Theoden were dressed, and the
younger man was secreted away, Uther answered the door.

"Father, are you well?" Arthur asked, concerned over the King's flushed
appearance.

"Yes, yes... Only you caught me in the middle of something." Uther gazed with
surprise at the servant girl standing beside his son. "What are you doing here,
girl?" he demanded.

Morena did her best not to quail at the man's gaze. Though she had no respect
for his methods or his beliefs, Uther was her husband's father. More than that,
he was an imposing man. He'd fought and suffered for his role as king, and it
showed on his face, in his bright gaze. "Sire, we have come to speak with you
about that." She looked to Arthur, giving the Prince's hand a reassuring
squeeze. It was up to him to reveal the news to his father, and she knew that it
was no easy assignment.

Now Uther was definitely intrigued, and he arched a brow at the pair's joined hands. "Well?" he prompted Arthur, who averted his eyes and glanced at the floor.

"Father, Morena and I..." the prince began, his heart hammering. "...We are married."

Uther was stunned. "Married?" the king exploded. "What is this meaning of this?"

"What's done is done," Arthur tried to placate him. He took a breath, and then carried on, "We are... expecting a baby."

Morena could not remember the last time she had felt such fear. Though she had
no intention of allowing herself or her child to come to harm, holding that
resolve and carrying it through were very different things. Her heart hammered
in her chest like a bird trapped in a cage. "It is not... not the way in which
we would have liked to approach you, Sire, but there are plans at work beyond
our own."

Behind the curtains of the bed, Theo felt the blood draining from his face. How
could Arthur be so careless? That the prince so often and so thoughtlessly
caused his father pain hurt Theoden just as much. He was loathe to see the man
suffer such stings, let alone at the hands of his own son.

Thunderstruck by the news, Uther's features continued to grow an alarming shade
of red. He balled his fists until his nails dug into the palms of his hands. Had
Merlin's leaving affected Arthur in such a way that his son had turned to
another servant? None of it made any sense to the king and, if Arthur had not
been his only child, he very well might have banished him from the kingdom in a
fit of rage. "This will not do," he finally decided, capturing the pair before
him with his steely gaze. "Camelot cannot be allowed to learn that the prince
eloped..."

"But, father-" Arthur started, only to be cut off by Uther.

"We will hold a wedding here. A proper wedding." The sovereign exhaled heavily.
"And I shall not heard another word about it."

Morena felt for a moment as if she might faint. Her hand tightened around Arthur's to keep herself steady before she managed to bow, albeit somewhat shallowly. Anything more and the young woman knew she might end up on the floor instead of recovering with any grace. "Thank you, Sire. I am honored to join your family." That was true. Morena knew that the Pendragon name could stand for more than cruelty and tyranny, and with Arthur's help, she intended to prove it.

Uther barely regarded the girl. She was a servant after all, and it would not have surprised the King in the slightest if she had somehow tricked his son into marriage. He sighed to himself, feeling a heavy weight settling onto his weary shoulders. It was out of his hands now. The pair would be properly married, and then Arthur might just settle himself down. "Very well..." Uther nodded at his son, still ignoring Morena in the process. "Preparations shall be made. Until then, I want no word of your elopement. Understood?"

"Yes, father," Arthur agreed, fairly relieved to have come out of this unscathed. He tugged gently on Morena's hand. "Come, we should go."

Morena was willing to venture that not only should they go, they should run before the king had an opportunity to change his mind. She bowed low just the same and hurried along as Arthur led the way out of the room. Though she was rarely flustered by anything, Morena found herself catching her breath as they emerged back into the stone corridor. The young woman let out a nervous laugh. "I can't remember the last time anything frightened me so much," she confessed with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Me either," Arthur admitted, still amazed that both he and Morena had come out of it relatively unscathed. He glanced back over his shoulder at the door leading to his father's chamber. Arthur frowned, shaken and uncertain over the confrontation. "It's done now," he sighed, ticking his attention back to Morena. "We will have to be careful until the official wedding ceremony. If the servants get wind of what happened and it gets back to father..." He cocked his eyebrows knowingly, adding, "I dread to think what his reaction might be."

"I think subtlety would be best, yes," Morena agreed with a hint of a smile. With the worst task ahead of them done, she felt lighter, freer. Perhaps Arthur was more resigned than happy, but she hoped that in time he might come to see that they could make a beautiful life and build a wonderful kingdom together. "I will be the best wife that I can be for you. This may not be as anyone has planned it, but happy times can come from strange occurrences."

"Thank you, Morena," Arthur said, feeling decidedly awkward. "And I shall do my best to honor you as my wife." It was an easier promise to make than the prince realized. With Merlin gone he no longer had eyes for anyone. The mere thought of his former friend/servant brought an ache to Arthur's chest, and he was swift to distract himself. "We should both get some rest-especially you and the baby. It won't be long before the ceremony, then we won't have to hide."

"Of course. You're right. We both need to be prepared." Morena gave the prince's hand a warm squeeze and then lifted it to her lips. "Try not to worry." That Arthur's thoughts were on more than the wedding was no secret, and she only hoped that time would ease some of those worries from Arthur's mind. "Sleep. Sleep and dream of sweet things." The woman turned with a wistful smile and went back to her own room which would not be hers for much longer.