After Arthur had left Merlin went to bed, but his mind wouldn't let him sleep he kept thinking about the offer. His mother needed treatment at a quicker pace than he could afford it. With Pendragon's offer she could have the treatment at the best time for her. And it would only cost him five years of his life. What's more he could continue his studies, alright not in Harvard, but there were good medical schools in the UK. He love his mother she was all he had left besides Gaius, he knew he would do anything to save her. Even marry a prat! He had no choice. All he would need to do was keep the pretence up for his mother; she must never know what he was going to do. His mind made up he fell into an exhausted sleep.

Merlin didn't call Arthur for two days, he wanted the clotpole to worry just a bit, but when he went to see his mother he knew he had to act soon, he had spoken to the doctors who told him they needed to start then next treatment as soon as they could if she was to stand a chance. He had already borrowed all that money he could, he just wasn't earning enough to keep up so he called the number on the card.

"Mr Pendragon, its Merlin Emrys I would like to talk some more about your business proposition. Can I meet you again?" he asked.

"Of course when are you available, I don't really want to discuss this again at midnight if at all possible." Arthur said trying to keep calm.

"I have tomorrow off from my day job, where would you like to meet?" Merlin asked him.

"Somewhere private, would you object to my hotel suite at the Crown Plaza, Times Square? At ten tomorrow morning."

"That would be fine what room are you in?" Merlin asked.

"I will meet you in the lobby." Arthur told him and put the phone down, hoping he wasn't making a mistake. But he couldn't see a way out of it. At least Merlin wasn't a troll, he was pleasant to look at and it shouldn't take much to convince people they were a couple, once the rough edges had been smoothed out a bit and he was provided with some decent clothes. At least the boy must have a brain, and once he had finished his training and the five years was up he would be able to support himself. Arthur was intending to give a generous amount of money as well but he didn't want any chance of Merlin coming back for more. After all he was leaving himself open to blackmail if he wasn't careful. But it was hardly likely given Merlin's choice of profession.

The next morning at ten Arthur walked down to the lobby and found Merlin waiting for him. Arthur was pleased at the younger man's appearance he was dressed in a suit and tie which made him look for more presentable, even though the suit wasn't of the best quality. As he looked at Merlin his confidence increased, this whole thing just might work.

"Good morning Mr Emrys" Arthur held out his hand. The handshake was firm and confident, although Arthur did detect dampness, Merlin was obviously nervous. That Arthur felt was a point in the other mans favour. "Come on we will go up to my suite and discuss this in private."

Merlin followed Arthur back up to his rooms. Once inside Arthur turned to Merlin. "Please take a seat" he gestured to a sofa. Then he sat in the armchair opposite before speaking once more "I assume you wish to accept my offer?"

Merlin looked Arthur in the eye determined not to be cowed "In principle yes, but I do have some stipulations of my own. I would want to be sure that you would guarantee any treatment my mother needs and it must start immediately. Also neither my mother nor my great uncle must ever know that the marriage is not real."

"That's reasonable, you would be happy to deceive your family?" Arthur sneered.

"You are!" Merlin snapped back "My family would never accept my doing this, mum has enough to cope with, and she needs all her energy to get better. She does however what to see me happy and in a relationship so if she thought it was real it would also help her."

"I understand. My conditions remain as I told you yesterday. Marriage within six months and five years before a divorce, like you I want no one to know it is a sham. The only people who will know will be my sister and her husband who is my lawyer." Arthur looked at Merlin "You would have to move to the UK, but I will pay for you to finish Medical school there. The rest of your medical training would of course have to be delayed, I couldn't have you moving away to work."

Merlin looked disappointed "That will make things difficult, but I suppose I have no choice. One other thing, my want my mother to move to the UK so I can keep an eye on her, once her treatment is finished, she could stay with Uncle Gaius, but I would want to visit her whenever I wanted to."

"That will be acceptable, you won't be a prisoner Merlin, I just need you to a convincing husband and moving from hospital to hospital as a junior doctor would be too difficult." Arthur explained "I have a certain lifestyle to uphold. I will of course pay all the bills as well as provide you with a suitable wardrobe, which is yours afterwards; I will also sign a pre nuptial agreement giving you one hundred and fifty thousand pounds as long as our marriage lasts five years, nothing if it doesn't. However should you leave me before I will expect you to repay all the medical expenses immediately you leave. So in essence you are getting your mother's fees, all living expenses and thirty thousand year cash, in return for a realistic depiction as my husband."

"Another words I can't leave. I accept that and I won't let you down." Merlin said wondering if there was any other way of getting his mother her treatment.

"Should you do so I would have to inform your mother of our agreement and I would use my influence to ensure you never finish your training, do I make myself understood?" Arthur said in a threatening tone.

Merlin gasped "You don't need to threaten me! If I give my word I will keep it. You really are a self-righteous prat aren't you? I wouldn't do this but my mother needs treatment and now, I have borrowed all the money I can as well as working every hour I can, I have no choice!"

"Then I will also pay your loans, do we have a deal?" Arthur asked.

"Yes we have a deal." Merlin glared.

"I will contact you in the next few days to arrange payment of money to continue your mother's medical bills, in the first instance it will be in a form of a loan that won't be traceable to me. After we have established a relationship I will pay direct to the hospital. But it mustn't look like I am buying my marriage. My uncle is an astute man if he has any idea what I am doing I will lose the company. At the same time I will arrange how and where we will 'meet' and then we can start 'dating'."

Merlin left the hotel wondering what he had let himself in for. He knew he had no choice; his mother's life was worth any sacrifice, he just wished that Arthur Pendragon's personality was as good as his looks. It would be a long five and a half years.