Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin
Sorry this update is a whole week late! I was so busy, I won't overload you guys with excuses, hopefully similar to this will happen in future, I'm pretty certain it shouldn't. I feel bad, I had actually finished this by mid week but I didn't get barely any computer access and only managed to type half of it up. But, here we go, it's done now. (And I watched Doctor Who!) I was too busy to watch it on tv last week :( Amazing! Can't wait until xmas! :D
Hope you like this chapter, I do!
Chapter 7
"Flirtatiousnessness!" I mean, I knew he was ridiculous but come on!
Merlin muttered under his breath whilst making his slow way to Gaius' rooms."I mean what did I even do?" Arthur had subjected his manservant to a rather long speech, most of which Merlin couldn't understand, the rest of which was nonsensical and ludicrous.
Since when was talking to the knights 'luring them in with your come-hither expression'.
"That stupid, stupid, stupid, idiotic, full-time prattish man!"
"Has someone upset you, Merlin?"
Tullus fell into step beside him.
"Oh, no, it's okay, really."
"Well, where are you going? I'll walk you there."
"Fine."
Still, at least I'm now on first name basis with all the knights and Tullus.
"I'm going to see Gaius on behalf of Arthur, he injured himself whilst we were out hu- W-what's going on!"
A troop of knights stomped through the stone corridor; they were travelling in the same direction as Merlin and quickly overtook him and Tullus.
The knights were panting and sweat shone on their brows. They were all still in full armour, minus their helmets, and walked in a crocodile line. Sir Erec detached himself from the group, grabbed Merlin's hand and tugged him forward to walk ahead of the group.
"Its Arthur's wound. He just fell, in the middle of our 'training', there's blood leaking through his tunic."
Merlin turned back and noted the prince was limp, the knights carrying him so it was as if he lay on a stretcher of arms. His golden head lolled until Bedivere drew it up and supported it against his stomach.
"Arthur!"
"Mmmm... Mer-"
"Y-yes sire, you'll be okay, didn't I tell you to see Gaius straight away? You absolute prat!~Ahh!"
Merlin felt a push and stumbled into Sir Erec's grip, the arms tightened around him until he found his footing but then merely loosened instead of releasing him. Merlin blushed.
He turned to find the source of a chuckle and met the eyes of Tullus.
"Well," he paused to attempt to stifle his giggles "we can't have you becoming too closely acquainted with another one of the tapestries, can we?" His thumb indicated the carpet-adorned wall Merlin had nearly walked into.
When Merlin looked back from behind them he caught Tullus wearing an expression frighteningly different to his flattering carefree laugh. Merlin shivered despite the warmth feeling sorry for whoever the icy glare was directed at.
Wait, warmth? Merlin started at shuddering against the arms encircling him, his face was cold and he was glad of his neckerchief in the cool castle air. He turned to ask Erec to release him and wondered at the satisfied smirk being sent over his shoulder, it was aimed somewhere in the direction of Tullus. Mmmm... strange.
The sorcerer shrugged it off, as well as Sir Erec's hold, to walk faster and open the physician's door ahead of the party.
"You knew where we were-?"
"It wasn't difficult to work out the destination with that big a clue." He said, gesturing at the unconscious heap of princely blondness.
They lay the aforementioned heap on a bench, foregoing the loaded worktable. Gaius descended the stairs clutching at a tome which looked far too heavy for carrying and impossible to move with.
"Well then," he started, ordering the table cleared, water fetched whilst himself leaning over to undo Arthur's sword belt. "What happened this time?"
Merlin proceeded to recount the tale of Arthur's injury by stray stick (leaving Bedivere to clear the table alone); he did so with, in Merlin's opinion, unnecessary and unhelpful additions from the knights.
Their details and speculations regarded, almost exclusively, Merlin's possible distracting thought processes which lead to his fall. Gaius stopped them when the speculations became rather descriptive fantasies, the old man smirked; it was obvious the knights had worked out Merlin's not-very-well-hidden 'secret' crush on the crown prince.
-oOo-
Gaius had sent the knights on their way before sending Merlin herb collecting while he cleaned the wound; if it wasn't for the knight's being due for patrol he was sure several would have been keeping his ward company.
Arthur woke with a groan looking down at his still bar stomach.
Gaius pulled his chair next to Arthur's "Yes, infection." He confirmed the prince's thoughts handing him a mild-smelling concoction. He hid a smile when the inevitable coughs and splutters came in reaction to the disproportionate taste and handed over a goblet of water.
"That will just help suppress the symptoms, not cure the source. Your wound was caused by a blunt, knobbly, quite-possibly splintered stick infested with who knows what and then left to fester in favour of training."
Arthur ignored the glare sent his way.
"I'll have to make a stronger mix than usual for the poultice, Merlin got me the herbs; it should be ready by tomorrow mid-morning, assuming he didn't forget an ingredient or two."
Arthur was too weak and soggy-feeling to follow up with a mildly derogatory remark about his manservant.
The physician frowned at the shiny red inflammation around the puncture wound before laying down a dressing of herbs, he could at least be thankful that they provided the only green he could see. He bound the wound to keep the herbs in, aware that the injury's condition would have little change as a result to them. Hopefully, it would at least help to numb the area.
Gaius opened the door for some palace guards to enter, Uther wanted Arthur in his chambers rather than the physician's quarters and they were there to transport him. The older male proceeded to tell the prince he would be staying in Arthur's rooms as well to keep an eye on him and to make sure he takes the second dosage of potion to keep the worst of the symptoms at bay.
He added that the blond was not to wash it down with wine "no, not even if it's watered down."
The guards lay down their prince and exited. They didn't stop at the door.
Well, at least I'm not being forcefully confined.
He looked over at Gaius chopping a suspicious looking root then adding it to the mess before going at it with his pestle and mortar.
It's still not forced confinement unless he's armed.
The prince frowned and the moments before the sleeping drug slipped into his potion took effect found him longingly staring at the jug of wine on the table.
He doesn't need weapons of metal with suspicious plants, laced drinks and... stuff.
Arthur's eloquence tended to suffer when he was sleepy.
-oOo-
Merlin lay on his bed, his high cheekbones were stained vermillion and his eyes flickered behind his lids.
He panted heavily, an active participant in the night's activities.
Merlin lay on his back; the cold crisp snow a direct contrast to his flushed skin. The dark man was straddling Merlin but he held himself off him, his elbows resting in the white powder.
When the man pulled away Merlin craned his neck to prolong the kiss. The man made an amused sound and indulged the wizard after pulling off the red fabric. The pale neck now exposed, the man kissed down it, marking him in a less permanent but more satisfying way that a seductress had the control for, well a real magick seductress anyway. There were some positively sinful women out there.
The man smirked against the porcelain flesh, feeling trembles and tentative touches down sides and back.
He bit into the skin then viciously sucked, doing his best to force a deep mark. Merlin's hands clenched in the fabric of the man's form-fitting top. He started to explore in earnest, the sorcerer's hands slipped under the cloth mapping the hard flat stomach, the toned chest. He brushed a nipple as he journeyed to the dark man's neck and feeling the suction intensify, pinched on.
Merlin felt another bite, it was higher up, where his neckerchief wouldn't cover it. His toes curled at the pleasure 'I want to know his name!' and then
It was over.
Merlin's eyes blinked open as his body was in mid-writhe.
The door downstairs shut softly as Gaius and Arthur, the only other occupants of the chamber, exited, Merlin didn't notice, but someone did.
He slipped out of bed, wanting to touch himself, ground himself to reality, but reluctant to lose the feeling of the nameless dark man on his hands. He traced the bruises forming on his neck with the very tips of his fingers and walked down the stairs. He paused only to look at where a familiar square of red fabric lay on the floor then carried on.
Merlin walked past Gwen as if in a daze, not hearing her greeting, he pressed harder on the growing mark.
He wanted more.
-oOo-
Merlin rode hard into the forest, heading north. He didn't think why one of the royal horses was already missing. He didn't think about how he knew which way to travel or how he hadn't met any knight's on guard duty.
Merlin didn't notice that his route followed in a set of fresh horse prints, nor had he noticed the absence of the beautiful blond haired woman in his most recent dream.
He only knew the burn.
He only knew he wanted MORE.
Heya! Please review! Oooh, who's seen Chicago? Just wanted to ask, tell me what you think of it in a review (? out of ten rating?), also you might want to say something about this story, too. Just a thought ;)