"Merlin? Merlin, look at me?"

Merlin just about registered the voice with a groan, blearily forcing his eyes open. For a moment, he could only blink in disorientation at the face swimming in his vision. Another blink however brought the face into focus and Merlin tried to sit up sharply.

"Easy now, boy." There was a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him from sitting up properly, and with his vision clouded, Merlin fought against the hand for a moment. All he could feel was the pain from Bromley's attack and the man's hands all over him again. He tried to suck in a sharp breath, but it was as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the room to get through to his protesting lungs. He couldn't be here, lying in some noble's bed whilst his senses danced teasingly out of his reach.

"Can't...go...have to..."

"Merlin, calm down before I have to get the physician."

Physician. Gaius. No! Gaius couldn't see him like this, couldn't know what his ward had almost gone through. Merlin knew in the back of his mind that he had put his mentor through enough over the last year or so, his desperation at trying to find Arthur stretching their relationship to almost breaking point as he had refused to listen to sense. Arthur's rescue had bridged the gap that had sprung up between them, and Merlin was so grateful for all that Gaius had done the last thing he wanted was for there to be another gap between them. Not now, not after everything...

Knowing only he had the power to stop Acrotus from going to Gaius, Merlin sucked in a sharp breath.

"That's it, boy, and another nice deep one." Feeling Acrotus' guidance, Merlin finally managed to calm himself down, sitting up and shakily leaning back on the pillows.

"I should go..." He muttered, making to swing his legs off the bed. Even though Acrotus seemed to be helping him, Merlin couldn't help but wonder how long he too decided that he desired the servant to pleasure him in the way Bromley had. It was one of the reasons why all the servants loathed the nobles changing over each month. Just as they got used to who to avoid, everything changed again.

"Merlin. No harm can come to you here. Take your time. You were raped. You are beyond your master's protection and Bromley exploited that. No one expects you to just be fine with it. Rest for a moment."

For a humiliating moment, Merlin felt his eyes fill with tears at Acrotus' kindness. Scrubbing the back of his hand across his eyes, the warlock sniffed, finally relaxing back properly and letting the pillows take his full weight for the first time since waking up. Blinking, Merlin suddenly realised he had no idea how he had ended up on the bed in the first place.

"What-?" He didn't even need to finish his sentence before Acrotus smiled sympathetically. He was sitting on a chair by the side of the bed, watching Merlin closely. For a moment, he didn't speak. Instead, he leant over and poured out a goblet of water from a jug near the bed, handing it to Merlin. He still didn't say anything as Merlin gratefully sipped at the cool liquid, his hand giving the odd tremor. The noble didn't mention it though, and Merlin gritted his teeth as his body betrayed what it had gone through. Arthur had gone through worse, and didn't sit there and shake like a leaf.

"You fainted, Merlin." Acrotus said gently, taking the cup back from Merlin. It was unnerving how he could look the boy straight in the eye as he lied. "We were talking about what had happened, and it all got a bit much for you. One moment you were talking back, the next you were flat out on the floor."

"Sorry..." Merlin muttered, feeling the tips of his ears going red. Now he was glad Arthur was not around. What would the prince say to him fainting like a girl? Feeling slightly more steady now he had drunk, Merlin once again swung his legs over the side of the bed. This time, Acrotus let him, pushing his chair back to make room for the warlock.

"What do you want to do now?" He said gently, watching the boy's every move. He had never seen anyone pass out from that drug before, he had no idea what Merlin was going to do next. If his magic was that powerful to react in such an extreme manner, would it be able to sense what had happened? Luck was on his side as Bromley's attack meant Merlin was so shaken up, he wasn't listening to the warnings his magic was trying to give him. He just put it down to what had happened rather than what was still happening.

"I don't know," Merlin muttered, moving across the room and leaning against the wall near the fireplace, staring into the depths of it with unseeing eyes. "The King gave me to Bromley, but I can't go back there, not now. I can't go after Arthur, much as I might want too. I guess that I'll just have to go back to Gaius and hope Uther doesn't find out."

He didn't want to consider what the King might do to him if he found out he had been taken from Bromley's service within only a few days. He had made it quite apparent that Merlin was to do as he was told for once and just act as a normal servant, no matter what the consequences.

"There is another option." Acrotus said quietly, his ever-active mind whirring overtime as he realised how he could use this to his potential. He would have thought getting close to Arthur again was going to be awkward considering how much the protection of the prince had increased, especially with the royal not even in the city. But Acrotus had been invited for a whole month, and no hunting trip could last that long, no matter the reasons behind it. In fact, the longer Arthur was away for, the better. By the time he returned, Acrotus would have the servant well under his control.

"What?" There was hope and a sense of innocence in both Merlin's voice and eyes as he glanced towards the noble. Acrotus found that he was forced to remind himself that this boy was the reason why his plan had gone wrong, he was the one who had attacked the building and freed the prince just as Acrotus was getting the results he wanted. It was true that Dunran hadn't helped, claiming that he could get Arthur back and then proceeding to try and pleasure himself rather than just delivering the goods as promised. But it was still Merlin's fault they had lost Arthur to begin with. Acrotus was going to make him pay – by making sure the warlock was fundamental in his plan of getting Arthur back in his grasp.

"You could stay with me." He said almost hesitantly, knowing that he had to win Merlin's trust in order for this to work. It was obvious the servant was more than protective over his true master, Acrotus had seen their interaction when he had sent his bandits after them. There was a friendship there – something that was going to make this harder, and yet all the more pleasurable when his plan worked.

"You mean..?"

"Work for me, Merlin. Uther doesn't have to know the reason behind your master being changed, it's not that uncommon in the first few days of nobles arriving, you must have noticed that. We stake claims, and then find the one we picked was not suitable. Surely as long as the King sees that you are still serving, he would not concern himself with a matter so trival?"

Merlin flinched slightly at the truth behind Acrotus' words. Uther wouldn't care that Acrotus had saved Merlin from being abused by Bromley, he would just care that his nobles are being kept happy.

"But don't you have a servant?" The last thing he wanted was to turn someone else out of their job.

"I never got around to picking one. What do you say, boy? Will you allow me to be your temporary master until the prince returns?"

Acrotus could see Merlin biting his lip, clearly thinking it over. He was partly curious as to whether Merlin would reject it simply because of the way it had been worded. Would his fear of Uther and the threat of what could happen to him if he disobeyed another noble overcome his pride? Would it allow him to call Acrotus "master", even if it was a temporary thing. Or was his bond with Arthur too strong to allow even that? But even as the youth's eyes flickered towards the door and then back to Acrotus, the man knew that he had won. Merlin couldn't turn down that offer. It would be so easy for a noble to go with a complaint to Uther about the servant. It would be even easier for Acrotus to simply hand him back to Bromley, and he knew that Merlin knew it. He may have posed it as a question, but both the noble and the servant knew there was only one answer Merlin could give.

"Yes." Merlin whispered, turning back to face the wall as if he hated himself for admitting it. In a way, Merlin did. Bromley had been different, he had no choice in the matter after being picked in front of Uther. But by saying yes to Acrotus, he had deliberately made a choice that would have him serving another other than Arthur, even if it was just until the prince returned. No matter how he looked at it, Merlin couldn't help but feel that he had betrayed Arthur.

"Come, Merlin, I'm not a bad master," Acrotus said with a laugh, moving across the room and sitting down. "You don't have to look so terrified. Believe me, I will never do anything to you in the way Bromley did."

Merlin let out a shaky laugh, moving away from the wall and standing by the table. For someone who had never mastered the proper etiquette around Arthur, he seemed to know what he was doing around a noble he didn't know. To Merlin's mind, it was quite simple. He was never going to simply submit to Arthur, but knew that it was a sense of self-preservation that had him bowing his head slightly and studying the floor in front of Acrotus.

"How about you get us some breakfast?"

"Yes, Sire." There was a slight hesitance in Merlin's step as he headed towards the door, and Acrotus wondered for a moment whether he had pushed him too far by asking him to leave the safety of his chambers already. But then Merlin's hand closed on the handle, and he seemed to steel himself as he stepped outside.

Acrotus sagged in relief as Merlin stepped out into the corridor. He knew he had to play this carefully. He had to make the warlock trust him in order to be able to neutralise the threat of the boy's magic.

Whilst Merlin was fetching the food, Acrotus moved around his chambers. Some things were hidden under lose floorboards, things he didn't want the boy finding and becoming suspicious about. A few bottles were hidden on his person, the noble wanting to make sure that he always had something up his sleeve (literally) to be able to protect himself. Besides, one of the potions he was going to need almost immediately. The tricky part would be getting Merlin to look the other way whilst the man drugged his food. The wine was easy, the warlock was so shaken up he hadn't noticed anything. But Acrotus knew that he was going to have to be cautious. This was the warlock who had torn that building apart to get to Arthur.

By the time the food was on the table, Acrotus was sure everything was ready. Merlin was once again standing hesitantly by the side of the table, and the man kicked out a chair towards him.

"Why don't you join me? I can't imagine Bromley made sure you had enough to eat, and you have been with him a few days. Please, take a seat."

Merlin smiled tightly and dropped uncertainly into the chair, the nerves written on his face. Acrotus couldn't blame him. After his treatment at Bromley's hands, the boy wasn't going to simply trust him. It was ironic that he had every reason not too.

"Oh, wait, I'm sorry...the water jug is still by the bed, do you mind..?"

Merlin grinned, seeming to relax a little more as he stood back up. As soon as his back was turned to the table, Acrotus' hand shot out. The bottle slid from his sleeve into his hand and he effortlessly opened it, spilling the contents over the plate of food Merlin had cautiously picked out. It was odourless, colourless and tasteless. This amount would barely have any effect on the warlock whatsoever, but Acrotus knew that he needed to take it slow in order to stop Merlin from becoming suspicious.

Even so, he was hard pushed not to smirk as Merlin put the water on the table and turned back to his food. It was obvious the boy was hungry, and it didn't take long at all until he had eaten everything on his plate, including the drug.

A few more doses of that, and Merlin's magic would be long gone.

For the first time since the warlock had turned up, Acrotus felt as if things were beginning to go his way again. He would get to finish what he had started with Arthur, of that he was now certain. But when the prince was dead, he would have a warlock helplessly in his grasp. Once the drug wore off, Merlin's magic would be back, and it would be angry. But Acrotus had no intention of letting the drug wear off until he was far away from Camelot with his prize.

With knowing that he had failed Arthur, Merlin would be unstoppable. But he would have nowhere to run, no one to lash out at. He would be the perfect tool. All Acrotus would have to do would be to break the boy's will – something that wouldn't be too hard when he had just watched his best friend be murdered – and then unleash him back on Camelot.

They wouldn't know what had hit them, and Acrotus' revenge would finally be complete. They would all pay.

But for now, he simply handed Merlin a list of chores that he wanted done and strode from the room, saying something about wanting to make sure his horse was settled. If there was one thing Acrotus was good at, it was waiting. He would wait for weeks if he had to, slowly drugging the warlock into submission whilst Arthur gallivanted around the countryside. Move too quickly, and Merlin would immediately be back on his guard. Acrotus noticed the way his eyes darted around, and knew that he couldn't make the boy suspicious. He had to play this carefully.

But this was a game he was going to win, he was sure of it.