Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin unfortunately.
Here is chapter three, sorry for the long wait and merry Christmas, as usual I hope you enjoy and please review.
The thin stick that had been holding Arthur's share of the rabbit was snapped in half as the prince's fists clenched together; Merlin was only twelve when it started. Twelve. A strange strangled sound escaped Arthur's throat as his eyes welled up, turning away from the boy he pushed his fists violently into his eyes, willing the tears back. Arthur couldn't help but compare their lives; as future king the worst thing that happened to him was the death of his mother, but that still, that didn't effect him that much as he never knew her. The most painful situation the twenty four year old could remember being in was when his bloodhound had been killed on a hunting accident when he was fifteen, that was the last time he could remember crying. His father had told him to 'grow up, no future king should cry over something entirely replaceable.' He hadn't wanted to argue with his father and so didn't venture the point that the friendship that he shared with the animal couldn't be replaced. But this boy, broken inside and out had faced more than anyone ever should, violated and beaten, the prince couldn't even begin to imagine how that would feel. To be degraded like that, to be all alone in the world, comfort only being found if you were left alone for the night.
A had on his shoulder drew him out of his musings as he drew a shaky breath into his lungs, "Sire?" Merlin's unsure voice drifted towards his ears.
"You were only twelve?" Arthur asked for conformation, unsure weather or not he wanted an answer. He turned around to face the boy, taking in all of the silvery healed scars littering his body, the faint red lines of cuts a couple of weeks old and then the angry red lines of cuts that couldn't have been more than a day or two old. There were hand shaped bruises of purple and yellow littering the boy's collar bone and neck before disappearing down under the edge of the cloak, (indicating that as the wounds had healed they had been afflicted again).
"I can't remember it ever being any different, sire." Merlin said looking down at the ground, ashamed. No one had ever thought so badly of him before. "I can't remember having a family or a home or a village." He added hoping that if the prince realised that it didn't bother him, that he would let it go. But as he spoke those words Arthur seemed to become even more distressed.
"How did you get these?" he asked tugging the cloak down to the boy's bellybutton. Arthur watched his fingers as they traced the outlines of the blotches, the contrast of the unharmed parts of Merlin's pale skin was beautiful compared his own tanned calloused hands, weathered form fighting with his knights. The dark haired boy shivered, having never received a touch that portrayed so much emotion or that was so tender; Arthur, mistaking this for a reaction to the cold wrapped the cloak around the boy's shoulders once again, muttering an apology.
"Beatings mostly, if I refused or if I was ill behaved." Merlin said truthfully, tying to miss out the details as not to upset the blonde any more than he already had.
"Refused what?" Arthur asked cringing, he already knew the answer. Merlin paused unsure weather he wanted to share such intimate details with someone he didn't even know, what if he hurt me too? He moved back to sit next to the fire, waiting until Arthur was sat next to him before starting.
"My master, Valiant, he used to… err… he- he would force me to, to service him," Merlin hoped the prince had caught on as he couldn't bring the word to form in his mouth, but by the paleness on the prince's face told Merlin that he had indeed understood the meaning of his words. "The first year or so I fought every time, but he was too strong, he would bribe me with food if I was being 'particularly difficult' as he liked to say, but you must understand sire, I was so hungry, sometimes he wouldn't feed me for days. It would feel as if my stomach was trying to claw it's was out of my body. The bruises meant nothing if he fed me."
Merlin paused for a second, wiping the tears that he hadn't noticed falling from his cheeks before continuing, "But then he started inviting people to his little 'parties'. There were too many of them, I couldn't do anything, he bound me, they all had knives and there was no way I could have gotten out with the bracelets on, they stopped my magi-" Merlin stopped when he realised what he was about to say.
"I'd be left bleeding and broken on the floor and as they left they would just throw money at me. Master would pick it up and just leave me there until the next morning, then I do my chores and in the evening it would start all over again." Merlin looked over at the prince, shocked to see tears winding their way down his face. "The times I fought back I got it the worst, so I just stopped, stopped fighting and caring; I just shut down, found my own way to deal with it. I don't know how much longer I would have been able to survive if you hadn't have found me in the forest" He finished, longing for a way to express to the prince how grateful he was to him for saving him. Merlin knew of only one way to make his previous master happy and he hoped that it would also make his new master just as happy; leaning towards the blonde Merlin dropped the cloak, moving his lips against the prince's and draping his naked body over his lap.
Arthur groaned at the feeling of the boy perched on his lap. Arthur rested his hands on the boy's slight hips, grinding their erections together; heat flooded every part of his body as he moved his tongue along Merlin's lower lip, loving the electricity that coursed through every point of their contact. "Sire." Merlin gasped pulling the price back out of the moment; he couldn't let their relationship be built on this, he couldn't be like Valiant and use Merlin like that. Merlin only wanted to have sex because he thought it would appease him, with reluctance Arthur pushed Merlin violently back sending him tumbling to the ground.
It took Arthur a few moments to calm his breathing, and after accepting that nothing could be done to calm the situation in his breeches he knelt down next to the now crying boy. "I'm so sorry Merlin, " he whispered as the boy flinched from the comforting hand that Arthur tried to place on his shoulder, " I'm sorry that I hurt you, I'm sorry that he hurt you and most of all I'm so sorry that you think that the only way to win my affection was by offering me sex." Arthur reached for his cloak wrapping it around Merlin before pulling the boy onto his lap and allowing the sobbing teen to curl into his chest, comforting him the only way he could think of.
"Sleep well Merlin, it'll all seem better when you wake." Arthur hushed the boy, rocking him back and forth as he drifted off into what seemed a blissful sleep.
Arthur had been holding Merlin for about ten minutes when he realised that his raging erection hadn't ebbed, although he knew that the sound asleep boy couldn't feel it he moved Merlin off his lap out of respect. The teen whimpered when Arthur lost contact with him, and fearing that he would wake Arthur lay down on the forest floor before allowing the boy to connect to his side.
As Merlin slept, Arthur worried. As he thought back to his first kiss with Merlin and it dawned on him why he wasn't attracted to any of the women his farther wanted him to marry; and more so why he paid such good attention when he was training with the knights. Being homosexual, in his father's books, was just as bad as sorcery. It went against everything natural and normal. But as Merlin slept half lay across his body Arthur couldn't think of anything more natural. Ignoring the nakedness of the boy Arthur pulled him closer to his chest, before he rested his lips and nose against Merlin's head, pressing a kiss to his hair before taking a deep breath in. he wasn't sure of his feelings for Merlin but he knew whatever they were, his father wouldn't approve, and with disaster imminent he drifted off to sleep with Merlin wrapped comfortably around him.
Merlin was the first to wake in the morning, shivering from the cool of the morning air. The teen was at first confused, feeling a weight wrapped around him, but it wasn't uncomfortable, the feeling of being held; being held by his previous master had promised pain, embarrassment and violation, but being held by Arthur was warm, inviting and promised something huge that Merlin couldn't quite pin point.
He lay there, with his head on the prince's chest for a while longer, counting his heart beats. When he reached one-hundred-and-sixty-eight he could no longer ignore the way the cold clawed his naked body, and so, pulling away from the blonde and wrapping the cloak around him he stood shaking out his tired muscles. Staring at the dwindling fire Merlin pondered his choices, spend an age searching for wood or whisper one word? The fact that Merlin had been denied the chance to use his Magic for so long made up his mind and not noticing the now awake and alert prince, he whispered a very timid "Forbaerne." he watched, relief flooding him, as the flames roared to life once again. The relief however, was short lived as he heard the distinct voice of the prince laced with disbelief,
"You're a sorcerer."
So, what did you think? Review