Chapter 11: New lives, new responsibilities

"Yes!" Arthur said through gritted teeth still cursing under his breath. Meanwhile he was tucking his shirt into his trousers, Merlin mimicking his actions.

Gwen walked in all happy and smiling because she knew what she just interrupted. She was laughing inwardly knowing how Arthur was raging inside him now.

"Merlin, I'm so glad you are alright."

"Thank you Gwen. I'm sorry for putting you in such a danger." The man said as they both approached to take a sit opposite her.

"Don't trouble yourself too much dear. You did the world a great favour ridding us of Morgause. Anyway that's not really why I came here to discuss..." She looked at Arthur, face troubled.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, obviously concerned.

"Should I give you some privacy?" Merlin asked, noticing this was a private matter.

"No, please, Merlin stay! You are, practically, family now with Morgana being your sister and my sister in kin and Arthur's Half, I don't see why you shouldn't know this."

Merlin nodded. Happiness bloomed inside him

"Lancelot's agreed date to turn him is tomorrow. I know a lot has happened lately, so I just wanted to know if we can go as planned."

"Of course! I don't see why there should be a problem there. As long as you have everything prepared." Arthur said.

"Good. I just came to see if Merlin was alright and ask you this. I'm sure I interrupted something so I will leave you to it."

Merlin looked down, hiding his embarrassment.

"You are making my little virgin blush." Arthur said quite serious but there was the obvious teasing tone in his voice. Merlin punched him on the knee, having no effect. the vampire laughed and Gwen smiled at the adorable sight. Then she rolled her eyes.

"Oh Arthur please, there is hardly anyone that left this room a virgin." Then she left.

Merlin looked at him with intention. "I have come to realise that you are quite popular in bed." He said. "Should I be worried?"

"Are you accusing me of promiscuity?" Arthur asked him.

"No, I'm warning you." He said throwing his head back to rest on the couch. His throat was exposed, so milky and ivory. Arthur could just see the veins that were filled with that delicious blood of his. Merlin knew exactly what he was doing and Arthur noticed his wickedness. "Because I'm yours, entirely, as long as you are mine as well." He stated.

Arthur laughed out loud. "Jealousy is not an attractive trait."

"I have never been accused of being jealous. It's you that is the jealous type! I am waiting till we get to the subject of my past lovers. I'm dying to see your reactions." He said looking at his face.

Arthur's face dropped and his eyes went shadowy and black. Merlin started to chuckle.

"See!" Merlin pointed a finger in his face. "That is exactly what I am talking about!" He was laughing freely now, eyes teary.

Arthur decided that he had enough of Merlin's teasing. He jumped on him and glued him on the couch. Pinning his wrists down.

"You can forget all about them. You are stuck with me now, for life."

"Prat!" Merlin said his eyes still glistening with laughter.

Arthur was leaning in to taste those red swollen kisses, ready to continue where they left off. They were so close, breath on breath.

But someone had to, of course, knock on the door.

Arthur had enough. Merlin too, if he were honest.

"For heaven's sake!" Arthur yelled.

"I think I'll go and see my sister and make sure Gwaine is not disturbing every female person here." He said sliding away from under Arthur. "While you figure out all of your business." He waved a hand in the air.

Arthur sighed in defeat as Merlin went to open the door. Percival was waiting outside, chest all out ready to fulfil his duty.

"Hello Percival!" he said with that genuine smile of his.

"Hello Merlin! Nasty business with Morgause wasn't it? I do hope you are feeling better." He told him kindly.

"Yes, much better! Thank you for your help." Merlin smiled. "I'll leave you to tend to business with Arthur. Do you know where I might find Morgana and Gwaine?"

"Ah yes! Morgana is in Leon's room I think." He informed him and Merlin raised an eyebrow feeling quite the protective brother. "But I'm not sure if I was supposed to say that." He said kind of nervous.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I would have found out anyway."

"The last time I saw Gwaine he was in the Common Room." He told him. "He was umm... having fun."

"Oh god! I'll see to it that he behaves!" Merlin said and stormed off while Percival entered the room.

He walked through the corridor of the many doors. Merlin wondered for a brief moment which room was Leon's. He vaguely thought that being the big brother. He should protect his sister's honour. But oh hell, they have lived almost a millennia in this world and they both knew very well how the pleasures of the night were. He was glad that she had finally found someone she was so infatuated with. Not that he wasn't glad for himself finding Arthur. He knew he found his home finally.

He finally found the grant staircase that ascended to the Common room. He stopped abruptly when he saw that there were people gathered around the sofa. Human and vampires alike. They were all around, whom else other than, Gwaine who was telling a very interesting story apparently.

"...in the Black Forrest, in Germany. That's where I met him. He was running from a pack of wolves that I was staying with at the moment. So I had to of course see what was going on, aye? So we charged in but he were fast! We managed to catch him, of course, and well then I somehow managed to escape with him. He was on his way to meet someone. I don't remember his name. Julian something..."

"Julius!" Merlin was heard behind the crowd and everyone's eyes were on him. "Julius Borden. And I wasn't looking for him, I was tracking him down until the pack took me captive. The story sounds a lot different when you say it, you missed out the point where you dishonoured the princess and they imprisoned you as well." Merlin said with a smile and the heads turned back to Gwaine.

Gwaine faked a smile to hide his panic, he was smooth.

"Merlin! My friend! I'm glad to see you are alright!" He said while he had his arms wide open and walked towards him. He brought a hand around his neck, taking him in a friendly hug.

"I need to talk to you." He told him and they walked outside.

They were pacing around the grounds for quite some time in silence, which was unnatural for Gwaine. When Gwaine wasn't talking he was drowning in ale, kissing a lady endlessly or sleeping. They nodded as some vampires on their nightly guard walked past them. It almost felt as if they are enemies, looking at them with their side-way, cold glances.

"You are quite tonight." He remarked.

"Well it was you that wanted to talk but seeing as you are not saying anything either, I'll go first." He stopped walking and looked at Merlin who did the same. "I'm going back to my pack, I'm taking over."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed. "Why the sudden change?"

Gwaine's face went serious, he was rarely serious and Merlin never saw it firsthand. "I went to the nearby packs while you were recovering to get all the remaining werewolves settled in packs. One of the pack leaders bowed and started calling me king and other titles, which was all kind of embarrassing." He sighed a meaningless laugh.

Merlin's face went blank because he understood what he meant. "Why were they calling you king?" he asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"My father died, my pack has been searching for me a while now." He said sadly. "I have to go back, take my responsibilities and marry Elena." His voice had a hint of disappointment.

"Is she that bad?" Merlin huffed a laugh.

"No, actually, she is quite the beauty." He said remembering the white wolf that she was. He raised his hand in the air. "But you know me! Can't settle down!" He joked.

Merlin looked at him with intent and a faint smile.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I was actually going to tell you that I am staying here..." He told him. "...with Arthur."

Gwaine couldn't help but smile. "Pendragon got you all tight up, eh?"

Merlin smiled embarrassingly. "Do you know about this Half business with vampires?"

Gwaine stopped walking abruptly. "Merlin! You don't mean..."

Merlin shrugged.

"Does that mean I don't get to kill him?" he joked again.

"If you try I will bow to you and call you your Highness." Merlin warned him.

"No! That's quite alright!" They both laughed.

...

He found Morgana and Leon walking around the Castle. His sister had an arm hooked around the other vampire and she was smiling. Her eyes were lit up and she looked very happy. As mile was drawn on Merlin's face as they walked closer to where he stood. They both stopped and looked at him. Morgana still smiling and Leon's face gone all nervous. When the question came Merlin couldn't refuse, of course. He was assured many times, by Arthur and Morgana both, that he was a good man so he knew that would make her happy. He could see it as well. He gave them both their blessing and a bit of a warning to Leon to keep her safe and not hurt her. Leon smiled cheerfully and that was that.

When he tiptoed through the corridor and saw that most vampires have retired for the night he went into the room hoping that no-one would be there. He hesitantly opened the door, very quietly as if he didn't want to disturb anyone. Thankfully, however, it was just Arthur sitting on his desk, working.

Arthur's head shot up by Merlin's presence.

"Anyone here?" Merlin asked peeking around.

"No."

"Work?" the sorcerer asked.

"Loads." Arthur replied abandoning his papers. "But I think I'm done for tonight." He stood up from his desk while Merlin approached. "What have you been doing?"

"I was talking to my sister and Gwaine, apparently he is king now."

Arthur snaked his hands around his waist. "Really?" he bend down to place small kisses on Merlin's throat.

"Mmmm..." He hummed in approval. Arthur inhaled Merlin's divine smell in. "I feel a lot better if you need blood."

He hugged Merlin tighter and breathed in deeper. "What is it with you giving me your blood so willingly?"

He threaded a hand in his golden hair. "I don't want you to suffer or hurt."

"Oh! I am suffering!" He exclaimed. "And I will stop suffering when these clothes are off you!"

He claimed his lips in wet kiss, pressing his lips against his until he made him dizzy. They started to undo each other's trousers, not once parting their lips. They fell easily on the ground pooling around their ankles. Arthur lead them towards the bed, turning them around until Merlin was sitting on it. It wasn't long till he climbed on top of him. Merlin grabbed the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.

"You know..." Arthur groaned. "...we need to get you your own clothes."

"Not now..." Merlin said kind of angrily.

"Definitely not now!"

It was well after morning until the fell asleep entangled in each other's arms, their legs one over the other. It was hard to tell which body was whose. Merlin's swollen lips were parted against his vampire's chest. Arthur had a strange, though mild, smile painting his lips which could be hardly seen as half of his face was in Merlin's unruly hair.

Sleep was very different between vampires and humans but there weren't that many differences. While humans needed sleep to regenerate and recover their energy, vampires slept because it was in their nature. If they didn't get any sleep during the day nothing would happen really but they wouldn't be all that powerful the next night. For a vampire as old as Arthur though it wouldn't have that much of effect.

After such a strenuous night, however, even Arthur would like some sleep. After all Merlin did say that they would try everything. He caught Arthur by surprise when by everything he really did mean everything. It was with great reluctance that he let him for once take charge.

The next night Lancelot was turned into a vampire. Merlin knew it was a painful procedure and Arthur warned him not to walk out of the room as were the rest of the humans. They were instructed to either stay in their rooms or not walk on the upper levels of the castle at all. When a newborn vampire is turned their instinct tells them to feed. Lancelot being the polite man he was refused to draw blood from any human feeding only from donated blood. Gwen was with him the whole time. As a maker should be.

She was nervous when she was about to turn him, visiting Arthur one last time for any final tips. Arthur saw many transformations before but he himself never turned anyone. His father of course never liked that fact but that made Arthur all the more stubborn.

He didn't fear his father, he truly didn't, nor did he hate him like many people did. He respected him but living under the same roof with him was impossible. They both craved for authority, each man in their own way and it wouldn't be possible for both of them to rule.

One particular night, after Merlin was done transferring his books of magic in their room, he looked at Arthur who had a deadly look in his eyes and sighed loudly over a piece of paper.

"Bad news?" Merlin asked.

Arthur squeezed his eyes shaking out that said look before looking at Merlin.

"Not really, a letter from my father."

Merlin understood. "Oh! What does it say?"

Arthur extended his hand with the letter offering it to him to read.

Merlin took the letter, surprised that Arthur willingly gave it to him. He read it out loud. "Arthur, Your latest letter has disappointed me, considering how childishly it was written. It is truly sad how you have a Half, I do hope for the sake of our name that she is at least a vampire..." Merlin smiled. "...I will expect to me her of course and know her status in her community, vampire or human. Finally, our visit will go as planned and we will start travelling very soon. Sincerely, Uther."

Merlin looked at Arthur whose expression was expecting with a hint of concern.

Merlin was still smiling. He found this letter very amusing. "Sad that you found your Half? A vampire? She?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Your father sounds lovely Arthur!" he teased.

"He is, isn't he?" He stood up and walked close to Merlin. "My father doesn't like the fact that I sometimes indulge in the company of men as well, he finds it repulsive or so he said. He was very disappointed when I broke my engagement with Gwen, furious if I were honest." He lifted a hand on Merlin's cheek soothing it with his thumb. "He is a difficult man. I'm not going to lie to you. He is not going to like you. But eventually, he is going to get used to you."

Merlin was surprised by Arthur's honesty. "Don't worry I've lived through worse."

A/N- Uther is coming...