The Art of Courtly Love (Part 2) [Merlin/Arthur - 18247 -R]
Title: The Art of Courtly Love (Part 2)
Author/Artist: CyrensSong / SirensSong
Prompt: All children of Albion enter the Long Sleep somewhere around their 18th birthday. They will sleep for 7 days as their body completes its maturation cycle which will show if they are alpha, omega or beta. Their status is speculated but there is currently no way to know.
Arthur is the Prince of Camelot and has already had his awakening, an Alpha as expected. Royal omegas are rare so Arthur is expected to take a commoner consort but to marry another royal.
Merlin, Prince of Ealdor, enters his long sleep and awakens not only as a rare royal omega but a male omega.
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 8933 (this part)
Rating: M/R
Contains (Highlight to view): Nothing of Note!
Disclaimer:Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Beta'd by the lovely RottenRice.
Title is the title of a 12th century French book about how love is suffering, and how love also only exists within extramarital affairs - the two theories that caused Lancelot to be created and given to Guinevere as her lover.
I was informed while writing that as Omegaverse has developed, the impact of scent within the trope has gone down significantly. Though I very rarely reference it in this fic due to being used to it being assumed to be there, I feel the need to add: scent is very important in this fanfic! Every person has a heightened sense of smell, as well as a somewhat unique scent. This unique scent, once they have presented, also carries certain hints that reveal whether the person is Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Also, when a pair bonds, they carry hints of their partner's scent on them, marking them as bonded even when they're apart.
Summary: Arthur's an Alpha. Merlin's an Omega. They're both princes.
Uther wants an alliance with Balinor. Balinor wants nothing to do with Uther.
Arthur and Merlin feel the same about each other as their fathers do, and thus this whole courting thing is a complete farce.
Right?
GO TO PART 1
The next morning, Hunith knocked on the door to Merlin’s chambers. It was early, but she wanted to make sure he was up and ready to get on the road. When she didn’t get a response, she knocked again, and after a third time let herself in.
Finding his room empty, she let her head drop, sighing heavily. “I swear,” she muttered, bringing up a hand to rub at her forehead.
---
Uther was confident that, despite all of Arthur’s screw ups, they had a decent shot at Merlin deciding on Arthur as a mate. He wanted to know how the previous night had gone, see if all the sweets had worked to win over the Omega prince, and he figured he might need to rouse Arthur anyway, so he let himself into his son’s chambers that morning.
“Arthur,” he said, but trailed off when he saw the mess the table had become. He certainly hoped the two hadn’t gotten into another food fight. The chocolate stains on the floor and the furs said that they might have, though, and he sighed to himself, hoping it hadn’t ruined their chances.
Turning to the bed, Uther started to say his son’s name instead, but froze when he was greeted not with Arthur’s red sheets and blonde hair, but with a long length of very pale skin. Merlin, he realized. Naked, and sprawled out on Arthur’s bed. Or, more correctly, sprawled out on top of an equally naked Arthur, who had an arm slung over his back.
Belatedly, Uther realized the sticky sweet scent in the room wasn’t just from all the sweets, and hurriedly ran for the door.
---
Mid-morning, Merlin stood rather sheepishly next to Arthur as servants ran about, finishing final preparations. Hunith and Uther were standing opposite them, looking like complete opposites. There was a smug air about Uther, as if he had known this would be the outcome the whole time. Hunith, on the other hand, was giving Merlin a look that said he had a lecture coming, and it would probably last the whole way to Annis’ castle.
Arthur had a hand on the small of Merlin’s back, and Merlin leaned back into it with a quiet hum. His body was sore in the very best of ways. Riding was going to be absolutely hell, but gods, it was worth it. Arthur hadn’t just adapted well to his new ability to put on muscle, after all, he’d managed to be very proficient with the less innocent aspects that came with being an Alpha. And with both of them still being fairly young, the night had allowed for three separate ties, each longer and better than the last. In short, Arthur’s knot was fucking wonderful. And the pillowtalk hadn’t been bad, either.
Finally, the staring contest he had been forced into by his mother ended, and Merlin turned to Arthur as Hunith started to thank Uther for his hospitality.
“I’ll write,” he promised.
“You’d better,” Arthur answered. “I won’t have Princess Pollentia stealing you from under me,”
“I’d be more worried about Gwaine, if I were you,” Merlin teased, laughing as Arthur’s expression wrinkled with obvious distaste. “Or Cenred. An older, more experienced Alpha, mmm,” he added, just to rub it in. It got the desire effect, though, Arthur shoved at his shoulder.
“Oh, shut up. You’re disgusted by Cenred, we already had that conversation. And what was it you said last night about Gwaine? ‘I’d as soon sleep with my own sibling’, was it?” Arthur answered, and it was Merlin’s turn to shove at him.
“Hush, you. You’re not allowed to bring up things I say while-” Suddenly remembering his mother’s proximity, Merlin shut up very quickly, cheeks coloring some. Arthur just laughed, and caught his hands at the second shove that followed.
“Travel safely,” he said, suddenly very sincere, and squeezed Merlin’s hands lightly before dropping them. “An idiot like you, there’s no telling what sort of trouble you could get into.” There was no bite under the insult, though, only a hint of genuine concern.
“We’ll be safe, don’t worry,” Merlin assured. “And I’ll send a messenger once we arrive at Annis’ castle.”
“Merlin,” Hunith called suddenly. She was waiting by her palfrey, and a servant was holding Merlin’s courser by the bridle. She had an expect look, and Merlin quickly turned to Uther, bowing.
“Thank you for your hospitality, King Uther,” he said, for once managing to sound genuinely respectful.
“Safe travels, Prince Merlin,” Uther answered, dipping his head in return before moving away to stand at the foot of the castle stairs, clapping Arthur on the shoulder as he passed. Suddenly, it was just the two of them again. Merlin shifted his weight, unsure if he should just offer his hand, or bow, or something else, but Arthur made the decision for him.
Leaning closer, Arthur slotted their mouth together, one hand barely brushing over his cheek, the kiss far softer than anything that had been exchanged the previous night. “I’ll be expecting an invitation to visit Ealdor as soon as you get home,” he said, once he’d pulled away, though he stayed close.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Merlin said lightly, though he was fairly certain they both knew it for the promise it was. He took a step away finally, toward his own horse, when Hunith cleared her throat purposefully. “See you then,” he finished, before turning fully and swinging into the saddle.
“Ready?” Hunith asked, her palfrey prancing slightly with impatience.
“Ready,” Merlin assured, nodding and giving her a smile. That didn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder as they rode out of the city, suddenly more eager than ever for his visits to be over and done with.
---
The time spent travelling to Caerleon was somewhat awkward, but not unenjoyable. His mother didn’t exactly seem pleased with him, but considering by the time they left basically the entire castle was aware he had slept with Arthur, he really couldn’t blame her. After the first night travelling again, she sent a messenger off in the morning, and Merlin just knew it was a letter to his father detailing exactly what had happened between him and Arthur.
Knowing how much Balinor liked Uther, he wasn’t looking forward to getting the response.
Thankfully, they arrived at Queen Annis’ castle before the messenger could return, which was unsurprising considering the distance that needed to be covered. Their greeting at the castle was just as opulent as the one they’d received at Camelot, though it went off with significantly fewer mishaps. Merlin was a little less prone to snapping, though, since he didn’t have as volatile a history with Pollentia as he did with Arthur. A few years older than both of them, she always seemed to view their antics with distaste, preferring to stick close to her mother. She was just as serious as Annis, too, Merlin quickly learned.
The courting was incredibly proper, down to the smallest aspect. They were never alone in a room together, always accompanied by a chaperone or one of their parents. Everything seemed rather subdued, which unfortunately made for a very boring two weeks. While there wasn’t the irritation that came with Arthur’s presence, there also wasn’t the amusement. Looking back, he couldn’t fathom how he had thought he’d be able to consider Pollentia for his mate. She was gorgeous and witty, and Ealdor certainly would have benefitted from such an alliance with Caerleon, but Merlin could not have dealt with her for any longer period of time. He’d have gone mad.
About midway through the visit, he did keep his promise and send Arthur a letter, borrowing one of Caerleon’s messengers to bring it to Camelot. It was just an update on the visit, mostly bemoaning how bored he was.
The day after he’d sent it, Balinor’s response arrived, and Merlin was forced to sit in the chambers he was sharing with his mother - because Annis had decided an unbonded male royal Omega was far too much temptation to leave in a room by himself - and listen to her read it aloud. It wasn’t quite as bad as he had expected, but his father was more than a little displeased that he had let Arthur coax him into bed with him, and even more displeased at hearing his son was honestly considering ‘The Pendragon Prince’ for his mate.
He figured then it was probably best to keep it to himself that he wasn’t really considering so much as decided.
When the time came to leave Caerleon and move on to Essetir, Merlin was both relieved and sick to his stomach at the thought. Of all the places he did not want to spend two weeks, Cenred’s court was the very top of his list. He had only met the Alpha King a handful of times, since normally he was more occupied with Balinor than the prince, but what he had seen of him was slimy and distasteful. He was handsome, in a way, Merlin would admit that. But his personality completely ruined it. There was no way he could ever be persuaded to even consider Cenred, but refusing his invitation would have been as good as a declaration of war. So, despite his reluctance, they moved on.
Things started out poorly, with Cenred being entirely too handsy, and only spiralled downward from there. Cenred was even more off-putting than Merlin had remembered, considering now he actually had the Alpha’s full attention, and he didn’t hesitate to make it abundantly clear that he didn’t want Merlin for a mate and partner so much as for a bedwarmer that was also a good political move. Apparently he had a thing for male Omegas especially, since they were much more rare than female Omegas, and was looking to add Merlin to his ‘collection’ to put in bluntly.
Midway through the visit, when Merlin started feeling ill, he was initially convinced Cenred was drugging his food. He wouldn’t have been surprised, considering he had made it clear early on Cenred’s advances were not appreciated and had continued to deflect them throughout the week. When it didn’t go away, rather became something that happened every morning, and then seemed to fade away for the rest of the day, he was more confused than worried.
Normally, he would have kept it from his mother and just gone about waiting for whatever it was to pass, but since he had decided the second night in Essetir that it was far safer to sleep in his mother’s chambers, it was impossible to hide it.
“Merlin, love,” she finally said, the morning of their tenth day in Essetir, after he had finished emptying his stomach. “I think perhaps it’s time we go see if Cenred’s physician will take a look at you.”
Though he was reluctant, he’d been sick for too long and had no other symptoms, so it couldn’t have been a simple stomach bug. Grudgingly, he agreed. Cenred’s physician was younger than he had expected, but was impatient and unfriendly, not at all like their physician in Ealdor or Gaius in Camelot. He made it very clear that he had better things to be doing than giving the visiting prince a look over.
While Merlin sat on the examination table and waited, Hunith spoke to the physician in tones low enough that he couldn’t make out what she was saying, no matter how hard he tried. The physician nodded along, and when they finally finished and he walked over, the examination itself was brief and thorough. He felt around Merlin’s abdomen in a surprisingly gentle fashion, used some sort of device to listen to his stomach, and then, much to Merlin’s embarrassment, took both a urine sample and a sample of his natural lubricant.
He didn’t say much of anything throughout the whole process, besides commands for Merlin to move in a certain way or do a certain thing, and once he had taken the samples he moved over to another table and immediately began separating everything into multiple vials, mixing it all with various chemicals.
Hunith was considering more tense than he was himself, Merlin noted quickly, while they waited for the physician to finish whatever it was he was doing. Whatever it was he’d caught, he was sure it would go away with time and the right medication. But while he was just somewhat impatient, Hunith was wringing her hands together and biting at her lips, both things she only did when she was truly nervous about something. It was starting to put him on edge as well, wondering what she knew that he didn’t.
Finally, the physician put down the vial he’d been swirling and holding toward the window and faced them again. “A tentative congratulations are in order,” he said. “The tests to guarantee it will take about a day to complete, but I feel it’s fairly safe to conclude that you’re pregnant, Prince Merlin.”
The world seemed to shudder to a sudden, jarring halt.
---
Barricaded away in their room, Merlin spent the remainder of the day laying in bed, alternating between staring up at the ceiling while trying not to think about anything and sobbing uncontrollably. He just didn’t know what to do, or what to think. He’d been so fucking stupid. The idea of becoming pregnant from the night with Arthur had never even crossed his mind. Hell, he’d never even really considered that aspect of being an Omega. He’d been so used to the idea of being a Beta, and actually presenting hadn’t really changed that mindset. He’d never considered being pregnant or having children. It was surreal and terrifying, especially when he let his mind drift to the reality that there was no way back now, he was going to have a child, and fuck, he had to tell Arthur.
That was probably the most terrifying part. Things with Arthur were still so tentative. He had received the return letter from him only two days before, and now he couldn’t help but think that was all going to come crashing down. This wouldn’t be something Arthur wanted. Hell, he wasn’t sure he wanted it. Maybe years down the road, but fuck, not right now.
Hunith did her best to soothe him, but it was fairly obvious that she shared his concerns, so for the most part it did very little to lift his spirits.
By the end of the day, Merlin had managed to collect himself enough to sit at the table and scratch out another letter to Arthur. He’d discarded the first few drafts, and broken down crying again in the middle of the third one, but finally he was as satisfied with it as he was ever going to be. His handwriting was loose and shaky, not his normal tight, neat scrawl, and there were obvious tear stains on the parchment, but there was nothing he could do about either of those. No matter how many copies he made, the only way to avoid those would be to have someone else copy it over, but he wanted it to be in his hand.
In the morning, two messengers left Cenred’s castle. One headed towards Ealdor with a letter explaining the situation to Balinor. The other carried a letter from Hunith to Uther as well as Merlin’s letter for Arthur toward Camelot.
The following day, despite it being two days ahead of schedule, they left Cenred’s castle and headed for Deorham. Officially, they were going to cancel the courtship that had been supposed to take place, but Merlin was more than happy to stop and visit with Gwaine, take his mind off things for a little while before returning to Ealdor and having to face his father’s wrath.
---
Gwaine had always been one of Merlin’s closest friends, despite the distance that separated them. Their father’s got along for the most part, so they had seen each other fairly frequently growing up, and Gwaine had always sided with him against Arthur during the larger group gatherings. They sent a messenger ahead to warn of their slightly early arrival, but not the circumstances surrounding it. Unlike with the other Alphas, Merlin quite happily fell into Gwaine’s arms as soon as he was off his horse, clinging to him and only pressing closer when the embrace was returned immediately. Gwaine always had been, and always would be, safe, and he only proved it by quickly ushering Merlin out of the public eye and into the castle, up to his chambers.
Though it took some coaxing, once they were alone, Merlin reluctantly relayed the whole story. He imagined his mother was currently doing the same to Gwaine’s father, though probably in a more collected fashion. As it was, Merlin couldn’t stop himself from tearing up as he finally got to explaining that he was pregnant, and frustrated with himself for crying yet again, the tears only got worse. It was humiliating, but strangely good at the same time, because Gwaine listened with genuine concern and wanted to do whatever he could to help.
“And if that means I get to cut Pendragon’s balls off, even better,” he finished, smiling as it drew a quiet laugh from Merlin. Gwaine had made it very clear what his reaction would be if Arthur didn’t step up and take responsibility. Even if he didn’t necessarily agree - because he had the option to run away, he would - it was still nice to hear. The next day, he almost felt like himself, and was starting to think maybe the situation wasn’t going to completely destroy everything.
Of course, his somewhat brighter outlook was immediately ruined when his father’s letter arrived, and he was as furious as expected. Merlin was more relieved than ever that they had stopped in Deorham and Balinor would have some time to cool off before they got home. He would cool off, though, Merlin was sure of that. Even if the situation was far from ideal, it could have been much worse.
Though he was managing to slowly collect himself and accept the situation, Merlin still hadn’t heard anything from Arthur, and every time he thought about that it made him nervous. He had to continually remind himself that it was a significantly longer distance from Camelot to Deorham than Ealdor to Deorham, so of course Arthur’s answer to his letter would take a few extra days to reach him.
Gwaine did his best to keep Merlin occupied and his mind off everything negative, and for the most part he succeeded. They rode out and went hunting, camped out in the forest for a few nights and just enjoyed being outside but not really needing to do anything, Merlin worked with Gwaine and the other Deorham knights on his very lacklustre sword fighting, then had the privilege of helping them to work on their archery. Gwaine stayed with him late into the nights to keep him from laying in bed and letting his thoughts get darker, and Hunith didn’t try to rouse him in the mornings when he slept late.
Eventually, the letters from Camelot did come, one for him and one for his mother. Terrified of opening his own letter and reading Arthur’s reply, Merlin put it off for as long as possible. He did read Uther’s, though, once his mother had finished with it. Camelot’s king was, as expected, more than a little pleased with what had happened. He saw it as an event that had secured Merlin for Arthur, because surely an Omega would choose to be with their child’s father. His letter never brought up how Arthur felt about any of it, though, in true Uther fashion, and that was far from a comfort. Merlin had seen firsthand how little regard Uther usually gave Arthur’s feelings on a subject.
In the end, he didn’t open the letter. Gwaine grew sick of watching him sit on the edge of his bed, just turning it over in his hands, and snatched it from him, ripping it open before Merlin could stop him. Heart pounding, he watched Gwaine’s expression as he scanned the letter, taking note of all the little changes. An arching of an eyebrow, a slight frown, an overall pinched expression… and then a quiet sigh. “Here,” he said, and offered the letter back to Merlin. He ignored the way his fingers shook slightly as he reached back to take it.
He would swear, before, he wouldn’t have been this upset about anything concerned Arthur. They had had fun, yes, and there had been tentative feelings, but he could have gotten over it easily enough if Arthur had decided to rescind his request for Merlin to consider him. Now, though, there was just so much more at stake. He would pick up his head and move forward if he needed to, of course, but… He would really rather not have to.
Merlin read the letters through twice before letting himself sigh, crumpling into himself slightly and wondering if people could actually cry from sheer relief. There was none of the teasing and insulting that had been in the first two letters they’d sent to each other, but considering the serious nature of everything, he wasn’t surprised by that. Arthur admitted to have had a bit of a break down as well and stalling his reply for a few days as he sorted himself out, because neither of them had thought about the possible consequences to fucking that night. It had been foolish and stupid, but they were both responsible for it.
At the end of his letter, Arthur repeated what he had said before Merlin left Camelot. To send word when he had returned to Ealdor so Arthur could join him. Before, he had imagined Arthur would be coming to wait around for his heat and see if they didn’t kill each other beforehand. He had been excited and nervous at the thought of it, wondering if maybe it could actually work between them. Some of the excitement remained, but mostly his stomach twisted with nerves, and not necessarily the good kind. There were too many possible ways for it to all go wrong.
---
Merlin managed to talk his mother into allowing them to stay at Deorham for a week and a half or so longer than the two weeks they had originally planned. The company was good, and Gwaine kept him from lingering too much on the turn his life had taken, and the possible ways it could get worse. By the time they did eventually pack up, Merlin was roughly ten weeks along, and finally started to show it. Though everything was easily disguised under one of the tunic that wasn’t fitted far too tightly to him, when he was barechested, the slight roundness to his stomach was all too obvious, and it was a source of both fascination and nervousness.
As they travelled back to Ealdor, Merlin tried to be conscious of it as much as possible, which he did by paying as little attention to it as possible. He purposely kept his hands away, wore clothing that kept it hidden, and generally tried to go about the days as if it didn’t exist. When he succeeded in forgetting about the swell, though, his hands drifted to it instinctively. Even if he didn’t always feel like it, he was an Omega, and his body responded naturally whenever he wasn’t paying attention.
The whole ride home, Merlin was dreading seeing Balinor and facing the disapproval and anger he knew he would be met with. He was beating himself up over it all enough, and he really didn’t need his father to add to it. After the initial week or so of disapproval, Hunith had softened entirely, and Merlin was counting on her to direct some of Balinor’s anger somewhere else.
When they actually did arrive home, Merlin’s worry over how Balinor would react got the better of him. He didn’t enjoy being an emotional wreck, but there was really nothing he could do to stop it, thanks to the child screwing with all his hormones. He was already tearing up before he even dismounted, not quite able to meet his father’s gaze as he approached him. This time, however, it worked in his favor, as it was apparently enough of a shock seeing his son cry that whatever lecture Balinor had been planning faded away in favor of embracing him, assuring him that everything would be all right when all Merlin could get out were apologies for fucking up so badly.
It was a bad day, but with the fear of how his father was going to react to him out of the way, things did get a little better. Whether it was the stress of the situation lessening some or his body just balancing itself out again, the sudden fits of hysterical emotion faded away until he had fairly good control of himself again. A few days after arriving home, he sent the promised letter to Arthur to tell him if he still wanted to come, now was the time.
---
Though it took roughly a month, between the time it took for a messenger to get from Ealdor to Camelot, organizing everything, and actually travelling, Arthur did manage to get to Ealdor as quickly as possible. He brought a small party with him, a few of his loyal knights and a handful of servants. Merlin and both of his parents met him in the courtyard of the castle.
With another month, Merlin liked to think he had complete control over his emotions again, and the morning sickness that had plagued him for weeks was finally gone. It had been replaced with a deep-seated longing for Arthur, though, and he knew it was coming more from instinct and wanting to be close to the Alpha that had fathered his child than his own desire. Or at least, that was what he told himself.
Though it was still faint, the rounding of his stomach was almost noticeable beneath his regular tunics now. He went out of his way to wear looser clothing, still somewhat embarrassed, but he hoped that would ease some now, with Arthur’s presence. It was either going to go incredibly well, or horribly bad, but either way he would have to pick himself up and stop regretting everything after this. He couldn’t be ashamed of the child once it was born, regardless of whether or not Arthur wanted to be in the picture.
Hands laced behind his back, he watched as Arthur dismounted and handed the reins of his courser to a servant that was waiting to take it to the stables. The Alpha stopped a few steps away and bowed to both Balinor and Hunith in turn, thanking them for allowing his visit, before he finally turned to Merlin. Though it took some doing, his mouth suddenly dry, Merlin met his gaze evenly, trying not to let how unsure he was show through his expression. He watched as Arthur’s gaze swept over him, the way his throat worked as he paused at the barely-visible swell at his belly. He seemed to get stuck there, so Merlin cleared his throat, and Arthur’s gaze snapped up to meet his own. For whatever reason, it was relieving to see the same fear in Arthur’s expression that he felt whenever he looked at himself in the mirror anymore.
Gods, but they weren’t prepared for this. Not that they really had any choice in the matter now.
“Merlin,” Arthur finally said, tipping his head in acknowledgement.
“Arthur,” he answered, returning the gesture, painfully awkward. There were a few more moments of heavy silence, then a sigh from Balinor.
“Go, both of you. Nothing is going to be figured out with you standing there staring,” he said, reaching up to physically turn Merlin towards the door to the castle, jerking his head to motion for Arthur to follow. “Since there’s no more damage to be done, there’s no point sending anyone to watch you. Put Arthur up in the chambers adjacent to yours, Merlin,” he added.
“Of course, Father,” Merlin said, before starting to walk, taking the hallways and flights of stairs up to his own chambers on reflex alone. He wasn’t sure when, but about halfway there, he realized Arthur was walking at his side rather than a step behind him, one hand almost brushing against the middle of his back with every few steps. Hoping that seeming desire for contact as a good sign, Merlin swallowed and slowed just enough that Arthur’s hand pressed more firmly against his back. The rest of the walk, it lingered there, never breaking contact for more than a moment.
Once inside his chambers, Merlin moved to sit in front of the fire, and Arthur took the other. The days had cooled in the months since he’d been in Camelot, though winter was still a little ways off. There was silence for a long few minutes, heavy and oppressive, but finally Arthur broke it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and Merlin was surprised by how thick his voice was. “This was- I didn’t even think. You were just so… I got caught up. It never occurred to me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Merlin hurried to say, though his cheeks had colored slightly at the unvoiced compliment. “I didn’t- I hadn’t even really processed that I was an Omega. I never thought about it, either. It was stupid of us both but hey,” he paused, shrugging. “Nothing we can do now.” There was another pause, before he laughed, though there was nothing pleasant in the sound. “Well, nothing I can do,” he amended. “You still have the choice to walk away. If you want to. I’m not going to try and guilt you into anything.”
“You really are an enormous idiot if you think I’m going to leave you to deal with this on your own,” Arthur said, without any hesitance, and Merlin finally looked up at him. The sincerity in his tone and expression was almost overwhelming, and the insult helped make things seem a little more normal. If Arthur could still insult him, then there had to be some chance of things working out. “Besides, I- well, I wasn’t joking when I said there were, you know, some feelings involved. I never thought I would, but I wanted you, and I still do.” He paused, let out a heavy breath. “If you still even want to consider me.”
They weren’t going get fucking anywhere like this, Merlin realized suddenly. Both convinced the other didn’t want them, feeling sorry for themselves, regretting the situation - it would just continue until they’d convinced themselves it was true, and there was nothing to try and salvage. And maybe it wouldn’t work out for very long, but Merlin was not going to sit by passively and not even try. He had never been the type to do that, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now.
“Do you want to see?” he asked, after steeling himself. Arthur’s brow furrowed at the question, head tilting slightly in silent question, and Merlin pulled up a small smile, letting of his hands brush up against the swell of his stomach. “Do you want to see?” he repeated, with more meaning in the inflection, and watched as Arthur swallowed before, slowly, nodding. Merlin stood, and in one smooth movement, pulled off his tunic and let it drape over the back of the chair he had been sitting in. It was difficult to bare himself to anyone other than the court physician, but Arthur had as much right to this as he did. Even if it had been one big, stupid accident, it was still his child as well.
Merlin’s cheeks colored as Arthur stood as well, approaching him slowly, almost hesitant, and started to reach out. “Can I?” he asked, gaze flicking up to meet Merlin’s as he asked.
“Of course,” Merlin said steadily, inhaling sharply when Arthur’s hand settled over his stomach. He hadn’t allowed anyone other than the physician to touch him, not even his mother, but as soon as Arthur made contact there was this fluttering under his skin. He had felt hints of it in the last couple weeks, but nothing quite that strong. “Oh,” he breathed out. Arthur frozen as soon as he inhaled and was looking at him nervously, as if afraid he had hurt him somehow - which he probably was, Merlin realized. “No, it’s- everything’s fine,” he assured, and this time a reassuring smile came a little easier to him. “The- it must have recognized you, or something,” he explained, not yet quite able to bring himself to refer to it as a baby out loud. “It shifted, when you touched me.”
“Oh,” Arthur answered, though there was something almost like wonder in his tone. “That’s- yeah.”
“Yeah,” Merlin echoed. He looked up and noticed Arthur was watching him, and there was something about his expression Merlin couldn’t help but smile slightly at. Noticing it, Arthur returned the smile, which for whatever reason caused something giddy to build up in Merlin’s chest. Before he knew it, he was laughing, unable to believe he had ever been worried that Arthur wouldn’t want anything to do with him or the child. Arthur was laughing as well, then, starting as chuckle and building into a deep, rich laugh as his hands slid over Merlin’s hips, sure in their grip, and Merlin leaned closer to him, the sheer relief of the situation making him feel lighter than he could remember feeling in ages.
Before he really knew what was happening, Arthur was kissing him, pulling him closer, and he was running his fingers through Arthur’s hair, nails scraping at the back of his neck. “You ass,” Merlin said into the kiss. “I was so worried-”
“You shouldn’t have been,” Arthur answered. “I wouldn’t- I’m not like that. And you, gods.”
Merlin chuckled and ducked his head, letting his forehead rest on Arthur’s shoulder as he just breathed, trying to process that things really might be okay. There was a chance, at least. They would try.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said when he finally picked his head back up. “Tell me more about how irresistible I am, how you wouldn’t be able to stay away no matter what.”
It got the desired effect, because Arthur let out a bark of surprised laughter. “Not a chance in hell,” he said a moment later. Merlin grinned.
If Arthur could still be an ass, then things were definitely going to be all right.
---
The evening, Merlin had managed to get through half of his dinner before nodding off at the table, and Arthur had helped him to bed shortly after it. He figured it was mostly how emotionally draining the day and even the past weeks had been and was glad to let Merlin sleep. For a few moments after Merlin was settled in his bed, Arthur considered just stripping and getting into the bed with him. It was still early in the evening, but he had been travelling and was more than happy to head to bed early. He technically had his own chambers, though, and wasn’t sure if Balinor and Hunith would take kindly to him sharing a sleeping space with Merlin, innocently or otherwise. On the flip side, he also didn’t want Merlin to wake up and worry that because he hadn’t stayed, he wasn’t genuine.
In the end, he’d far rather face the wrath of the king and queen than make Merlin worry even more than he already had. He would just go fetch one of his bags from the chambers that had been designated for him first. Since he’d been given the chambers right next to Merlin’s, it was a quick walk to collect his bag. When he started to return to Merlin’s with it slung over his shoulder, though, he noticed Balinor was lingering in the hall. “Sire,” he greeted, with a respectful tit of his head. “If you’re looking for Merlin, he’s asleep.”
“Arthur,” Balinor answered, though there was no warmth or even friendliness in his tone. “I’m looking for you, actually. Why don’t you come with me for a moment.”
“Of course,” Arthur said, knowing damn well that wasn’t actually a request. He couldn’t help but be nervous, though, considering how much he knew Balinor and his father disliked each other. Not that it really ought to have had any bearing on their children, but he knew how politics worked.
Arthur fell in step with Balinor, and for a few minutes they just walked silently. Arthur kept his head down and silently waited for Balinor to start up with whatever it was he wanted to talk about. They turned down a few more hallways, Arthur making sure to pay attention so he could get back to Merlin’s rooms. Finally, when they were in a secluded corridor with no one else around, Balinor stopped. Before Arthur could really process anything else, Balinor’s hands were twisted in the front of his tunic and he was being backed up against the stone wall. Technically, Balinor really wasn’t that much bigger than him and Arthur could have shoved him off fairly easily. He couldn’t risk getting kicked out of the castle, though, so he bit his tongue and stayed still, though he did pick his head up, no longer keeping it tipped deferentially.
“Listen to me, boy,” Balinor finally started, and Arthur relaxed a little bit. He was probably just playing the overprotective father, then. As much as he didn’t appreciate the rough treatment, he figured things would be smoother once Balinor had said his peace and felt like he’d done his job. “I know your father, and his manipulative ways. I also know what it’s like to be young. So if this is just some scheme of Uther’s, or if you’re here because Merlin is a flight of fancy, then you can turn around and head right back to Camelot. This has been hard enough for Merlin without you making it more difficult by either changing your mind, or having it come out that this is just been your father’s plot the whole time. The fact that the child is yours is not important, understand me? If you screw him over, you’ll never see him or the child.”
“All right, all right,” Arthur finally said, raising his hands up in surrender. “You’ve made your point. I swear on anything I hold dear this is not some plot of my father’s. He wanted Merlin to pick me, yes, but even he wouldn’t have gone this far.” He paused then, holding his breath for a moment, knowing the next bit was probably not what Balinor would want to hear. He wasn’t going to lie, though. “I can’t promise it’s not a flight of fancy, on my end or on Merlin’s. It’s too early to tell. We had planned on having months to spend together to figure everything out before, well, sealing the deal, so to speak. But even if it is, I’m still going to do my best to be here for him and the child. I’m never going to up and walk away.”
Surprisingly, Balinor stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze was narrowed, but it looked more like he was considering what had been said rather than deciding on the best method of torture. “Good,” he finally said, and Arthur blinked in surprised. “I’d rather you both be realistic about this. Just makes sure you don’t make any promises you’ll end up breaking,” Balinor finished, then turned and walked away, in the opposite direction from the way they had come, without waiting for any sort of response.
Arthur let out a breath of relief, running his hands through his hair. He hadn’t expected anything like that, but he was glad it was over with now, and hopefully there wouldn’t be any follow-up threats. Glad now that he had paid attention as they walked, he headed back to Merlin’s chambers, eager to get changed for the night and find out if he and Merlin could comfortably share a bed without fucking first.
---
Over the next few months, Arthur spent more time travelling than he ever had before, bouncing back and forth between Ealdor and Camelot. It really didn’t help that despite sharing a border, the castles were about as far away from each other they possibly could be. Uther wanted him in Camelot, but Arthur didn’t enjoy being so far away from Merlin. He felt like he was missing things he shouldn’t be. Despite his attempts to convince Merlin to just come to Camelot with him, though, Merlin refused to budge, preferring the occasional distance to having to leave his home. Considering he wasn’t the one constantly travelling back and forth, Arthur wasn’t surprised, and it did spark a fight or three. Most of the time, Arthur arrived back in Ealdor and his time there was pleasant, until he had to go back. Then they always fought, as he consistently tried to talk Merlin into returning to Camelot with him.
Consistently, Merlin refused. He was Ealdor’s prince, and he had as much duty to his father and kingdom as Arthur did, despite being pregnant.
At least, Merlin refused until a letter reached Arthur only a couple days after he’d arrived at Ealdor. He’d returned after only a week in Camelot, paranoid that he would miss the birth of their child, since Merlin was roughly eight months along. This time, he had plans to stick around for an extended period of time, at least a few months. Being there during the child’s infancy was important, after all; he refused to leave Merlin alone for such a critical time.
The letter changed everything.
It was from Gaius, urging Arthur to return to Camelot immediately. Apparently, something had happened to Uther, something to do with his heart. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t responsive, either. With the court physician fearing that the king might have been awake for the last time, Arthur was to come back immediately and take his place as temporary regent. Temporary, of course, because Uther wasn’t expected to wake up, so it was only a matter of time before he was crowned king in his own right.
This time, when Arthur started packing everything that he had only just finished unpacking, Merlin silently began packing with him.
“What are you doing?” Arthur asked, pausing in his own packing to watch Merlin drag out a bag from a chest at the foot of his bed and immediately begin throwing everything in his wardrobe into the bag, both his regular clothing and the newer clothing that had been made accommodate his stomach.
“What’s it look like? Getting ready to go to Camelot,” he answered, without even glancing up at Arthur.
Swallowing, Arthur let his hands drop. “Merlin,” he started. “You don’t have to-”
“Hush,” Merlin cut him off, straightening with only a little bit of difficulty. His tone brokered no argument, but his expression was soft as he moved over to where Arthur was standing, reaching up with one hand to curl his fingers around the side of his neck. Wanting the physical comfort more than anything, Arthur leaned into the touch. “If you think I’m going to let you go deal with all of this on your own, you’re a bigger idiot than I ever thought. As much as I wanted to have this kid here, it’s certainly not going to kill me for it to be in Camelot, and I doubt the babe really cares where it’s born. I’m not going to leave you alone through all of this.”
A part of Arthur wanted to argue, and under other circumstances maybe he would have, but at the moment he was altogether too relieved that Merlin was going to come with him and he wouldn’t have to be torn between the kingdom it was now his job to run and the Omega and child it was his duty to be around for. Having to face the inevitable death of his father was going to be hard enough without also having to worry about whether or not Merlin survived the labor, or if the child was healthy, or if there was any resentment at the distance. “Thank you,” he said, letting himself sink into Merlin’s open arms, pressing as close as he could with Merlin’s belly in the way. Merlin’s hands ran over his back and neck, occasionally shifting up to card through his hair, just letting them both stand quietly for a few minutes. Finally, having gathered himself some, Arthur pulled back enough to peck Merlin on the lips before moving away entirely. “Let’s get packed and on the road, then. The sooner we get you settled in Camelot, the better.”
Balinor wasn’t happy, but Hunith agreed with their reasoning once Merlin assured her that he would prefer she come along with them to assist with the birth. It would just be a comfort to him, to have his mother there during such a critical time. He figured she would also be the best person to help them adjust to caring for an infant, since Arthur’s mother wasn’t there to help.
They left for Camelot early the next morning.
---
Arthur spent most of the first week they were in Camelot sitting at his father’s bedside. Merlin didn’t blame him, especially since Uther had continued to show no signs of waking up, and was instead deteriorating quickly. It made for a very somber mood each evening when Arthur returned to their chambers. While Merlin understood Arthur’s dark mood, he couldn’t stand to just let it alone.
About a week after they’d arrived in Camelot, Merlin was sitting on the bed when Arthur came in, piece of parchment in his hand. There was a quill and ink pot sitting off to the side on the night table, but he hadn’t touched them in a little while.
“So,” he said, smoothing out the parchment against his stomach. “Since this kid is supposed to be here in a fortnight, we should probably think about names.”
Arthur grunted to show he’d heard, but beyond that, didn’t offer anything. Though he frowned, Merlin was far from deterred.
“I was thinking, if it’s a boy, we could name him Gwaine.”
That got him a reaction, and Merlin laughed as Arthur’s head snapped to look in his direction, glaring at him. “You’re not funny,” he grumped, but just before he turned away again, Merlin had caught the slightest upturn of his lips.
“What do you suggest, then?” he prompted. Even though he couldn’t see Arthur’s expression, he could guess that there was an eye roll to accompany the exasperated sigh that escaped Arthur.
“Well, for a girl, we could always go with Elena,” Arthur offered, and Merlin grinned to himself even as he forced himself to make an annoyed noise. Elena was a princess of another kingdom, and currently the only other royal Omega besides Merlin. A couple years before, Uther had almost managed to arrange a bonding between her and Arthur, especially since Elena’s father had pushed for it as well, but they had both been resistant to it, and eventually it was let alone.
“All right, jokes aside, come over here and help me think of some actual name options,” Merlin said then, patting the spot on the bed next to him. His plan to break through Arthur’s misery seemed to have worked, at least temporarily, since the Alpha did join him on the bed almost immediately and they set to picking out names they both liked together.
---
Uther officially passed away after another week in Camelot, his body simply giving out one night. Arthur spent the rest of the night and the majority of the following day grieving silently, and this time, Merlin didn’t disturb him. He made sure Arthur knew he was there for any physical or emotional comfort he needed, when he was ready for it, and then left the issue alone.
Even as Arthur grieved for his father, the castle was already in motion around him, preparing for his coronation to take place as soon as possible. The time between official kings was dangerous for a kingdom, after all.
Unfortunately, the morning the coronation was supposed to take place was also the morning the baby decided it was ready to be born. Arthur, being Arthur, wouldn’t hear anything about leaving Merlin to go through with the ceremony, no matter how fast it was promised to be.
Merlin had a sinking feeling this was their child setting a precedent for interrupting important events, but couldn’t really bring himself to be overly bothered.
Almost a week later, the coronation was finally held, and as Arthur was crowned King of Camelot in front of hundreds of people, Merlin stood at the front of the crowd with their newborn daughter in his arms.
---
“We can use the deposit of white stone they found nearby for the walls. There’s a river not far away, and the field is large enough to build an outside wall circling the town that will spring up around the castle. We’ll model the structure somewhat after this castle. The hidden siege tunnels have proved an asset time and again, and making sure they exist at the new castle as well is of the utmost importance.”
Merlin stood a few steps away, just watching as Arthur stood at the head of the table and explained the schematics he had spent the last few weeks drawing up to the court. For the most part, the murmurs going around were those of approval. There had initially been a lot of reluctance at the thought of building a new castle and moving there. It would shift the center of commerce in the kingdom, and that worried people. Arthur had been prepared, though. The new castle would only be a day’s ride from the coast, which meant more ease with trading goods that had to be done overseas. And eventually, Ealdor and Camelot would be one kingdom, he had reminded the court, sending a small smile to Merlin. They needed the castle to be closer to the center of the combined territories to make sure they could effectively protect all the borders.
“It will be a magnificent new castle, a symbol of the new age that will begin for the citizens of both Camelot and Ealdor,” he finished. “We’ve seen the way the white stone we plan to use looks when the sun hits it. It shines, unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. This shining castle will be the first step in building Albion.”
Arthur was finished, then, and though Merlin wasn’t sure who started it, within a few moments everyone in the council chambers was chanting ‘Long live the King.’ Arthur looked immensely proud of himself as he turned and walked back to Merlin, and the small smile broke out into a proper grin as Princess Alanna, now almost a full year old, reached out for him. Merlin handed her to Arthur easily, then let himself be pulled into a kiss.
As of a month previously, their bond was secure and Merlin was officially King Consort in the eyes of the courts of both kingdoms. The castle had been approved by Camelot’s court, and work on constructing it would begin within the month.
Whether or not Arthur would live to see it would be an entirely different story, because Merlin had been woken up that morning not by their daughter kneeing him or slapping him in the face with a stray hand, but by his stomach. This time, he had gone straight to Gaius, rather than speculating on whether or not he had been poisoned.
Two kids in two years was one too many, and while Alanna was the light of his life, and of Arthur’s, she was also completely exhausting and required all of their attention. There was no leaving her with someone else for a few hours, or getting her to sleep in her own bed. As soon as she realized she couldn’t see at least one of them, she threw a holy tantrum that wouldn’t stop until one of them returned for her.
Now, it seemed she would have a little sibling far sooner than planned, and Merlin smiled sweetly as he informed Arthur of it that night at dinner, while very purposely fingering the dagger he was using to slice his meat.
Castration was always an option.
And the fact that Arthur beamed at him like he’d just given him the best news in the world, well. That wasn’t going to sway him any. The warmth in his chest at the sight of it and the fact that his own lips pulled up in a smile had absolutely nothing to do with anything. After all, he’d had ages to build up an immunity to Arthur’s smile, and ages still to continue building it.
Author/Artist: CyrensSong / SirensSong
Prompt: All children of Albion enter the Long Sleep somewhere around their 18th birthday. They will sleep for 7 days as their body completes its maturation cycle which will show if they are alpha, omega or beta. Their status is speculated but there is currently no way to know.
Arthur is the Prince of Camelot and has already had his awakening, an Alpha as expected. Royal omegas are rare so Arthur is expected to take a commoner consort but to marry another royal.
Merlin, Prince of Ealdor, enters his long sleep and awakens not only as a rare royal omega but a male omega.
Pairing(s): Merlin/Arthur
Word Count: 8933 (this part)
Rating: M/R
Contains (Highlight to view): Nothing of Note!
Disclaimer:Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: Beta'd by the lovely RottenRice.
Title is the title of a 12th century French book about how love is suffering, and how love also only exists within extramarital affairs - the two theories that caused Lancelot to be created and given to Guinevere as her lover.
I was informed while writing that as Omegaverse has developed, the impact of scent within the trope has gone down significantly. Though I very rarely reference it in this fic due to being used to it being assumed to be there, I feel the need to add: scent is very important in this fanfic! Every person has a heightened sense of smell, as well as a somewhat unique scent. This unique scent, once they have presented, also carries certain hints that reveal whether the person is Alpha, Beta, or Omega. Also, when a pair bonds, they carry hints of their partner's scent on them, marking them as bonded even when they're apart.
Summary: Arthur's an Alpha. Merlin's an Omega. They're both princes.
Uther wants an alliance with Balinor. Balinor wants nothing to do with Uther.
Arthur and Merlin feel the same about each other as their fathers do, and thus this whole courting thing is a complete farce.
Right?
GO TO PART 1
The next morning, Hunith knocked on the door to Merlin’s chambers. It was early, but she wanted to make sure he was up and ready to get on the road. When she didn’t get a response, she knocked again, and after a third time let herself in.
Finding his room empty, she let her head drop, sighing heavily. “I swear,” she muttered, bringing up a hand to rub at her forehead.
---
Uther was confident that, despite all of Arthur’s screw ups, they had a decent shot at Merlin deciding on Arthur as a mate. He wanted to know how the previous night had gone, see if all the sweets had worked to win over the Omega prince, and he figured he might need to rouse Arthur anyway, so he let himself into his son’s chambers that morning.
“Arthur,” he said, but trailed off when he saw the mess the table had become. He certainly hoped the two hadn’t gotten into another food fight. The chocolate stains on the floor and the furs said that they might have, though, and he sighed to himself, hoping it hadn’t ruined their chances.
Turning to the bed, Uther started to say his son’s name instead, but froze when he was greeted not with Arthur’s red sheets and blonde hair, but with a long length of very pale skin. Merlin, he realized. Naked, and sprawled out on Arthur’s bed. Or, more correctly, sprawled out on top of an equally naked Arthur, who had an arm slung over his back.
Belatedly, Uther realized the sticky sweet scent in the room wasn’t just from all the sweets, and hurriedly ran for the door.
---
Mid-morning, Merlin stood rather sheepishly next to Arthur as servants ran about, finishing final preparations. Hunith and Uther were standing opposite them, looking like complete opposites. There was a smug air about Uther, as if he had known this would be the outcome the whole time. Hunith, on the other hand, was giving Merlin a look that said he had a lecture coming, and it would probably last the whole way to Annis’ castle.
Arthur had a hand on the small of Merlin’s back, and Merlin leaned back into it with a quiet hum. His body was sore in the very best of ways. Riding was going to be absolutely hell, but gods, it was worth it. Arthur hadn’t just adapted well to his new ability to put on muscle, after all, he’d managed to be very proficient with the less innocent aspects that came with being an Alpha. And with both of them still being fairly young, the night had allowed for three separate ties, each longer and better than the last. In short, Arthur’s knot was fucking wonderful. And the pillowtalk hadn’t been bad, either.
Finally, the staring contest he had been forced into by his mother ended, and Merlin turned to Arthur as Hunith started to thank Uther for his hospitality.
“I’ll write,” he promised.
“You’d better,” Arthur answered. “I won’t have Princess Pollentia stealing you from under me,”
“I’d be more worried about Gwaine, if I were you,” Merlin teased, laughing as Arthur’s expression wrinkled with obvious distaste. “Or Cenred. An older, more experienced Alpha, mmm,” he added, just to rub it in. It got the desire effect, though, Arthur shoved at his shoulder.
“Oh, shut up. You’re disgusted by Cenred, we already had that conversation. And what was it you said last night about Gwaine? ‘I’d as soon sleep with my own sibling’, was it?” Arthur answered, and it was Merlin’s turn to shove at him.
“Hush, you. You’re not allowed to bring up things I say while-” Suddenly remembering his mother’s proximity, Merlin shut up very quickly, cheeks coloring some. Arthur just laughed, and caught his hands at the second shove that followed.
“Travel safely,” he said, suddenly very sincere, and squeezed Merlin’s hands lightly before dropping them. “An idiot like you, there’s no telling what sort of trouble you could get into.” There was no bite under the insult, though, only a hint of genuine concern.
“We’ll be safe, don’t worry,” Merlin assured. “And I’ll send a messenger once we arrive at Annis’ castle.”
“Merlin,” Hunith called suddenly. She was waiting by her palfrey, and a servant was holding Merlin’s courser by the bridle. She had an expect look, and Merlin quickly turned to Uther, bowing.
“Thank you for your hospitality, King Uther,” he said, for once managing to sound genuinely respectful.
“Safe travels, Prince Merlin,” Uther answered, dipping his head in return before moving away to stand at the foot of the castle stairs, clapping Arthur on the shoulder as he passed. Suddenly, it was just the two of them again. Merlin shifted his weight, unsure if he should just offer his hand, or bow, or something else, but Arthur made the decision for him.
Leaning closer, Arthur slotted their mouth together, one hand barely brushing over his cheek, the kiss far softer than anything that had been exchanged the previous night. “I’ll be expecting an invitation to visit Ealdor as soon as you get home,” he said, once he’d pulled away, though he stayed close.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Merlin said lightly, though he was fairly certain they both knew it for the promise it was. He took a step away finally, toward his own horse, when Hunith cleared her throat purposefully. “See you then,” he finished, before turning fully and swinging into the saddle.
“Ready?” Hunith asked, her palfrey prancing slightly with impatience.
“Ready,” Merlin assured, nodding and giving her a smile. That didn’t stop him from looking over his shoulder as they rode out of the city, suddenly more eager than ever for his visits to be over and done with.
---
The time spent travelling to Caerleon was somewhat awkward, but not unenjoyable. His mother didn’t exactly seem pleased with him, but considering by the time they left basically the entire castle was aware he had slept with Arthur, he really couldn’t blame her. After the first night travelling again, she sent a messenger off in the morning, and Merlin just knew it was a letter to his father detailing exactly what had happened between him and Arthur.
Knowing how much Balinor liked Uther, he wasn’t looking forward to getting the response.
Thankfully, they arrived at Queen Annis’ castle before the messenger could return, which was unsurprising considering the distance that needed to be covered. Their greeting at the castle was just as opulent as the one they’d received at Camelot, though it went off with significantly fewer mishaps. Merlin was a little less prone to snapping, though, since he didn’t have as volatile a history with Pollentia as he did with Arthur. A few years older than both of them, she always seemed to view their antics with distaste, preferring to stick close to her mother. She was just as serious as Annis, too, Merlin quickly learned.
The courting was incredibly proper, down to the smallest aspect. They were never alone in a room together, always accompanied by a chaperone or one of their parents. Everything seemed rather subdued, which unfortunately made for a very boring two weeks. While there wasn’t the irritation that came with Arthur’s presence, there also wasn’t the amusement. Looking back, he couldn’t fathom how he had thought he’d be able to consider Pollentia for his mate. She was gorgeous and witty, and Ealdor certainly would have benefitted from such an alliance with Caerleon, but Merlin could not have dealt with her for any longer period of time. He’d have gone mad.
About midway through the visit, he did keep his promise and send Arthur a letter, borrowing one of Caerleon’s messengers to bring it to Camelot. It was just an update on the visit, mostly bemoaning how bored he was.
The day after he’d sent it, Balinor’s response arrived, and Merlin was forced to sit in the chambers he was sharing with his mother - because Annis had decided an unbonded male royal Omega was far too much temptation to leave in a room by himself - and listen to her read it aloud. It wasn’t quite as bad as he had expected, but his father was more than a little displeased that he had let Arthur coax him into bed with him, and even more displeased at hearing his son was honestly considering ‘The Pendragon Prince’ for his mate.
He figured then it was probably best to keep it to himself that he wasn’t really considering so much as decided.
When the time came to leave Caerleon and move on to Essetir, Merlin was both relieved and sick to his stomach at the thought. Of all the places he did not want to spend two weeks, Cenred’s court was the very top of his list. He had only met the Alpha King a handful of times, since normally he was more occupied with Balinor than the prince, but what he had seen of him was slimy and distasteful. He was handsome, in a way, Merlin would admit that. But his personality completely ruined it. There was no way he could ever be persuaded to even consider Cenred, but refusing his invitation would have been as good as a declaration of war. So, despite his reluctance, they moved on.
Things started out poorly, with Cenred being entirely too handsy, and only spiralled downward from there. Cenred was even more off-putting than Merlin had remembered, considering now he actually had the Alpha’s full attention, and he didn’t hesitate to make it abundantly clear that he didn’t want Merlin for a mate and partner so much as for a bedwarmer that was also a good political move. Apparently he had a thing for male Omegas especially, since they were much more rare than female Omegas, and was looking to add Merlin to his ‘collection’ to put in bluntly.
Midway through the visit, when Merlin started feeling ill, he was initially convinced Cenred was drugging his food. He wouldn’t have been surprised, considering he had made it clear early on Cenred’s advances were not appreciated and had continued to deflect them throughout the week. When it didn’t go away, rather became something that happened every morning, and then seemed to fade away for the rest of the day, he was more confused than worried.
Normally, he would have kept it from his mother and just gone about waiting for whatever it was to pass, but since he had decided the second night in Essetir that it was far safer to sleep in his mother’s chambers, it was impossible to hide it.
“Merlin, love,” she finally said, the morning of their tenth day in Essetir, after he had finished emptying his stomach. “I think perhaps it’s time we go see if Cenred’s physician will take a look at you.”
Though he was reluctant, he’d been sick for too long and had no other symptoms, so it couldn’t have been a simple stomach bug. Grudgingly, he agreed. Cenred’s physician was younger than he had expected, but was impatient and unfriendly, not at all like their physician in Ealdor or Gaius in Camelot. He made it very clear that he had better things to be doing than giving the visiting prince a look over.
While Merlin sat on the examination table and waited, Hunith spoke to the physician in tones low enough that he couldn’t make out what she was saying, no matter how hard he tried. The physician nodded along, and when they finally finished and he walked over, the examination itself was brief and thorough. He felt around Merlin’s abdomen in a surprisingly gentle fashion, used some sort of device to listen to his stomach, and then, much to Merlin’s embarrassment, took both a urine sample and a sample of his natural lubricant.
He didn’t say much of anything throughout the whole process, besides commands for Merlin to move in a certain way or do a certain thing, and once he had taken the samples he moved over to another table and immediately began separating everything into multiple vials, mixing it all with various chemicals.
Hunith was considering more tense than he was himself, Merlin noted quickly, while they waited for the physician to finish whatever it was he was doing. Whatever it was he’d caught, he was sure it would go away with time and the right medication. But while he was just somewhat impatient, Hunith was wringing her hands together and biting at her lips, both things she only did when she was truly nervous about something. It was starting to put him on edge as well, wondering what she knew that he didn’t.
Finally, the physician put down the vial he’d been swirling and holding toward the window and faced them again. “A tentative congratulations are in order,” he said. “The tests to guarantee it will take about a day to complete, but I feel it’s fairly safe to conclude that you’re pregnant, Prince Merlin.”
The world seemed to shudder to a sudden, jarring halt.
---
Barricaded away in their room, Merlin spent the remainder of the day laying in bed, alternating between staring up at the ceiling while trying not to think about anything and sobbing uncontrollably. He just didn’t know what to do, or what to think. He’d been so fucking stupid. The idea of becoming pregnant from the night with Arthur had never even crossed his mind. Hell, he’d never even really considered that aspect of being an Omega. He’d been so used to the idea of being a Beta, and actually presenting hadn’t really changed that mindset. He’d never considered being pregnant or having children. It was surreal and terrifying, especially when he let his mind drift to the reality that there was no way back now, he was going to have a child, and fuck, he had to tell Arthur.
That was probably the most terrifying part. Things with Arthur were still so tentative. He had received the return letter from him only two days before, and now he couldn’t help but think that was all going to come crashing down. This wouldn’t be something Arthur wanted. Hell, he wasn’t sure he wanted it. Maybe years down the road, but fuck, not right now.
Hunith did her best to soothe him, but it was fairly obvious that she shared his concerns, so for the most part it did very little to lift his spirits.
By the end of the day, Merlin had managed to collect himself enough to sit at the table and scratch out another letter to Arthur. He’d discarded the first few drafts, and broken down crying again in the middle of the third one, but finally he was as satisfied with it as he was ever going to be. His handwriting was loose and shaky, not his normal tight, neat scrawl, and there were obvious tear stains on the parchment, but there was nothing he could do about either of those. No matter how many copies he made, the only way to avoid those would be to have someone else copy it over, but he wanted it to be in his hand.
In the morning, two messengers left Cenred’s castle. One headed towards Ealdor with a letter explaining the situation to Balinor. The other carried a letter from Hunith to Uther as well as Merlin’s letter for Arthur toward Camelot.
The following day, despite it being two days ahead of schedule, they left Cenred’s castle and headed for Deorham. Officially, they were going to cancel the courtship that had been supposed to take place, but Merlin was more than happy to stop and visit with Gwaine, take his mind off things for a little while before returning to Ealdor and having to face his father’s wrath.
---
Gwaine had always been one of Merlin’s closest friends, despite the distance that separated them. Their father’s got along for the most part, so they had seen each other fairly frequently growing up, and Gwaine had always sided with him against Arthur during the larger group gatherings. They sent a messenger ahead to warn of their slightly early arrival, but not the circumstances surrounding it. Unlike with the other Alphas, Merlin quite happily fell into Gwaine’s arms as soon as he was off his horse, clinging to him and only pressing closer when the embrace was returned immediately. Gwaine always had been, and always would be, safe, and he only proved it by quickly ushering Merlin out of the public eye and into the castle, up to his chambers.
Though it took some coaxing, once they were alone, Merlin reluctantly relayed the whole story. He imagined his mother was currently doing the same to Gwaine’s father, though probably in a more collected fashion. As it was, Merlin couldn’t stop himself from tearing up as he finally got to explaining that he was pregnant, and frustrated with himself for crying yet again, the tears only got worse. It was humiliating, but strangely good at the same time, because Gwaine listened with genuine concern and wanted to do whatever he could to help.
“And if that means I get to cut Pendragon’s balls off, even better,” he finished, smiling as it drew a quiet laugh from Merlin. Gwaine had made it very clear what his reaction would be if Arthur didn’t step up and take responsibility. Even if he didn’t necessarily agree - because he had the option to run away, he would - it was still nice to hear. The next day, he almost felt like himself, and was starting to think maybe the situation wasn’t going to completely destroy everything.
Of course, his somewhat brighter outlook was immediately ruined when his father’s letter arrived, and he was as furious as expected. Merlin was more relieved than ever that they had stopped in Deorham and Balinor would have some time to cool off before they got home. He would cool off, though, Merlin was sure of that. Even if the situation was far from ideal, it could have been much worse.
Though he was managing to slowly collect himself and accept the situation, Merlin still hadn’t heard anything from Arthur, and every time he thought about that it made him nervous. He had to continually remind himself that it was a significantly longer distance from Camelot to Deorham than Ealdor to Deorham, so of course Arthur’s answer to his letter would take a few extra days to reach him.
Gwaine did his best to keep Merlin occupied and his mind off everything negative, and for the most part he succeeded. They rode out and went hunting, camped out in the forest for a few nights and just enjoyed being outside but not really needing to do anything, Merlin worked with Gwaine and the other Deorham knights on his very lacklustre sword fighting, then had the privilege of helping them to work on their archery. Gwaine stayed with him late into the nights to keep him from laying in bed and letting his thoughts get darker, and Hunith didn’t try to rouse him in the mornings when he slept late.
Eventually, the letters from Camelot did come, one for him and one for his mother. Terrified of opening his own letter and reading Arthur’s reply, Merlin put it off for as long as possible. He did read Uther’s, though, once his mother had finished with it. Camelot’s king was, as expected, more than a little pleased with what had happened. He saw it as an event that had secured Merlin for Arthur, because surely an Omega would choose to be with their child’s father. His letter never brought up how Arthur felt about any of it, though, in true Uther fashion, and that was far from a comfort. Merlin had seen firsthand how little regard Uther usually gave Arthur’s feelings on a subject.
In the end, he didn’t open the letter. Gwaine grew sick of watching him sit on the edge of his bed, just turning it over in his hands, and snatched it from him, ripping it open before Merlin could stop him. Heart pounding, he watched Gwaine’s expression as he scanned the letter, taking note of all the little changes. An arching of an eyebrow, a slight frown, an overall pinched expression… and then a quiet sigh. “Here,” he said, and offered the letter back to Merlin. He ignored the way his fingers shook slightly as he reached back to take it.
He would swear, before, he wouldn’t have been this upset about anything concerned Arthur. They had had fun, yes, and there had been tentative feelings, but he could have gotten over it easily enough if Arthur had decided to rescind his request for Merlin to consider him. Now, though, there was just so much more at stake. He would pick up his head and move forward if he needed to, of course, but… He would really rather not have to.
Merlin read the letters through twice before letting himself sigh, crumpling into himself slightly and wondering if people could actually cry from sheer relief. There was none of the teasing and insulting that had been in the first two letters they’d sent to each other, but considering the serious nature of everything, he wasn’t surprised by that. Arthur admitted to have had a bit of a break down as well and stalling his reply for a few days as he sorted himself out, because neither of them had thought about the possible consequences to fucking that night. It had been foolish and stupid, but they were both responsible for it.
At the end of his letter, Arthur repeated what he had said before Merlin left Camelot. To send word when he had returned to Ealdor so Arthur could join him. Before, he had imagined Arthur would be coming to wait around for his heat and see if they didn’t kill each other beforehand. He had been excited and nervous at the thought of it, wondering if maybe it could actually work between them. Some of the excitement remained, but mostly his stomach twisted with nerves, and not necessarily the good kind. There were too many possible ways for it to all go wrong.
---
Merlin managed to talk his mother into allowing them to stay at Deorham for a week and a half or so longer than the two weeks they had originally planned. The company was good, and Gwaine kept him from lingering too much on the turn his life had taken, and the possible ways it could get worse. By the time they did eventually pack up, Merlin was roughly ten weeks along, and finally started to show it. Though everything was easily disguised under one of the tunic that wasn’t fitted far too tightly to him, when he was barechested, the slight roundness to his stomach was all too obvious, and it was a source of both fascination and nervousness.
As they travelled back to Ealdor, Merlin tried to be conscious of it as much as possible, which he did by paying as little attention to it as possible. He purposely kept his hands away, wore clothing that kept it hidden, and generally tried to go about the days as if it didn’t exist. When he succeeded in forgetting about the swell, though, his hands drifted to it instinctively. Even if he didn’t always feel like it, he was an Omega, and his body responded naturally whenever he wasn’t paying attention.
The whole ride home, Merlin was dreading seeing Balinor and facing the disapproval and anger he knew he would be met with. He was beating himself up over it all enough, and he really didn’t need his father to add to it. After the initial week or so of disapproval, Hunith had softened entirely, and Merlin was counting on her to direct some of Balinor’s anger somewhere else.
When they actually did arrive home, Merlin’s worry over how Balinor would react got the better of him. He didn’t enjoy being an emotional wreck, but there was really nothing he could do to stop it, thanks to the child screwing with all his hormones. He was already tearing up before he even dismounted, not quite able to meet his father’s gaze as he approached him. This time, however, it worked in his favor, as it was apparently enough of a shock seeing his son cry that whatever lecture Balinor had been planning faded away in favor of embracing him, assuring him that everything would be all right when all Merlin could get out were apologies for fucking up so badly.
It was a bad day, but with the fear of how his father was going to react to him out of the way, things did get a little better. Whether it was the stress of the situation lessening some or his body just balancing itself out again, the sudden fits of hysterical emotion faded away until he had fairly good control of himself again. A few days after arriving home, he sent the promised letter to Arthur to tell him if he still wanted to come, now was the time.
---
Though it took roughly a month, between the time it took for a messenger to get from Ealdor to Camelot, organizing everything, and actually travelling, Arthur did manage to get to Ealdor as quickly as possible. He brought a small party with him, a few of his loyal knights and a handful of servants. Merlin and both of his parents met him in the courtyard of the castle.
With another month, Merlin liked to think he had complete control over his emotions again, and the morning sickness that had plagued him for weeks was finally gone. It had been replaced with a deep-seated longing for Arthur, though, and he knew it was coming more from instinct and wanting to be close to the Alpha that had fathered his child than his own desire. Or at least, that was what he told himself.
Though it was still faint, the rounding of his stomach was almost noticeable beneath his regular tunics now. He went out of his way to wear looser clothing, still somewhat embarrassed, but he hoped that would ease some now, with Arthur’s presence. It was either going to go incredibly well, or horribly bad, but either way he would have to pick himself up and stop regretting everything after this. He couldn’t be ashamed of the child once it was born, regardless of whether or not Arthur wanted to be in the picture.
Hands laced behind his back, he watched as Arthur dismounted and handed the reins of his courser to a servant that was waiting to take it to the stables. The Alpha stopped a few steps away and bowed to both Balinor and Hunith in turn, thanking them for allowing his visit, before he finally turned to Merlin. Though it took some doing, his mouth suddenly dry, Merlin met his gaze evenly, trying not to let how unsure he was show through his expression. He watched as Arthur’s gaze swept over him, the way his throat worked as he paused at the barely-visible swell at his belly. He seemed to get stuck there, so Merlin cleared his throat, and Arthur’s gaze snapped up to meet his own. For whatever reason, it was relieving to see the same fear in Arthur’s expression that he felt whenever he looked at himself in the mirror anymore.
Gods, but they weren’t prepared for this. Not that they really had any choice in the matter now.
“Merlin,” Arthur finally said, tipping his head in acknowledgement.
“Arthur,” he answered, returning the gesture, painfully awkward. There were a few more moments of heavy silence, then a sigh from Balinor.
“Go, both of you. Nothing is going to be figured out with you standing there staring,” he said, reaching up to physically turn Merlin towards the door to the castle, jerking his head to motion for Arthur to follow. “Since there’s no more damage to be done, there’s no point sending anyone to watch you. Put Arthur up in the chambers adjacent to yours, Merlin,” he added.
“Of course, Father,” Merlin said, before starting to walk, taking the hallways and flights of stairs up to his own chambers on reflex alone. He wasn’t sure when, but about halfway there, he realized Arthur was walking at his side rather than a step behind him, one hand almost brushing against the middle of his back with every few steps. Hoping that seeming desire for contact as a good sign, Merlin swallowed and slowed just enough that Arthur’s hand pressed more firmly against his back. The rest of the walk, it lingered there, never breaking contact for more than a moment.
Once inside his chambers, Merlin moved to sit in front of the fire, and Arthur took the other. The days had cooled in the months since he’d been in Camelot, though winter was still a little ways off. There was silence for a long few minutes, heavy and oppressive, but finally Arthur broke it.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and Merlin was surprised by how thick his voice was. “This was- I didn’t even think. You were just so… I got caught up. It never occurred to me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Merlin hurried to say, though his cheeks had colored slightly at the unvoiced compliment. “I didn’t- I hadn’t even really processed that I was an Omega. I never thought about it, either. It was stupid of us both but hey,” he paused, shrugging. “Nothing we can do now.” There was another pause, before he laughed, though there was nothing pleasant in the sound. “Well, nothing I can do,” he amended. “You still have the choice to walk away. If you want to. I’m not going to try and guilt you into anything.”
“You really are an enormous idiot if you think I’m going to leave you to deal with this on your own,” Arthur said, without any hesitance, and Merlin finally looked up at him. The sincerity in his tone and expression was almost overwhelming, and the insult helped make things seem a little more normal. If Arthur could still insult him, then there had to be some chance of things working out. “Besides, I- well, I wasn’t joking when I said there were, you know, some feelings involved. I never thought I would, but I wanted you, and I still do.” He paused, let out a heavy breath. “If you still even want to consider me.”
They weren’t going get fucking anywhere like this, Merlin realized suddenly. Both convinced the other didn’t want them, feeling sorry for themselves, regretting the situation - it would just continue until they’d convinced themselves it was true, and there was nothing to try and salvage. And maybe it wouldn’t work out for very long, but Merlin was not going to sit by passively and not even try. He had never been the type to do that, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now.
“Do you want to see?” he asked, after steeling himself. Arthur’s brow furrowed at the question, head tilting slightly in silent question, and Merlin pulled up a small smile, letting of his hands brush up against the swell of his stomach. “Do you want to see?” he repeated, with more meaning in the inflection, and watched as Arthur swallowed before, slowly, nodding. Merlin stood, and in one smooth movement, pulled off his tunic and let it drape over the back of the chair he had been sitting in. It was difficult to bare himself to anyone other than the court physician, but Arthur had as much right to this as he did. Even if it had been one big, stupid accident, it was still his child as well.
Merlin’s cheeks colored as Arthur stood as well, approaching him slowly, almost hesitant, and started to reach out. “Can I?” he asked, gaze flicking up to meet Merlin’s as he asked.
“Of course,” Merlin said steadily, inhaling sharply when Arthur’s hand settled over his stomach. He hadn’t allowed anyone other than the physician to touch him, not even his mother, but as soon as Arthur made contact there was this fluttering under his skin. He had felt hints of it in the last couple weeks, but nothing quite that strong. “Oh,” he breathed out. Arthur frozen as soon as he inhaled and was looking at him nervously, as if afraid he had hurt him somehow - which he probably was, Merlin realized. “No, it’s- everything’s fine,” he assured, and this time a reassuring smile came a little easier to him. “The- it must have recognized you, or something,” he explained, not yet quite able to bring himself to refer to it as a baby out loud. “It shifted, when you touched me.”
“Oh,” Arthur answered, though there was something almost like wonder in his tone. “That’s- yeah.”
“Yeah,” Merlin echoed. He looked up and noticed Arthur was watching him, and there was something about his expression Merlin couldn’t help but smile slightly at. Noticing it, Arthur returned the smile, which for whatever reason caused something giddy to build up in Merlin’s chest. Before he knew it, he was laughing, unable to believe he had ever been worried that Arthur wouldn’t want anything to do with him or the child. Arthur was laughing as well, then, starting as chuckle and building into a deep, rich laugh as his hands slid over Merlin’s hips, sure in their grip, and Merlin leaned closer to him, the sheer relief of the situation making him feel lighter than he could remember feeling in ages.
Before he really knew what was happening, Arthur was kissing him, pulling him closer, and he was running his fingers through Arthur’s hair, nails scraping at the back of his neck. “You ass,” Merlin said into the kiss. “I was so worried-”
“You shouldn’t have been,” Arthur answered. “I wouldn’t- I’m not like that. And you, gods.”
Merlin chuckled and ducked his head, letting his forehead rest on Arthur’s shoulder as he just breathed, trying to process that things really might be okay. There was a chance, at least. They would try.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said when he finally picked his head back up. “Tell me more about how irresistible I am, how you wouldn’t be able to stay away no matter what.”
It got the desired effect, because Arthur let out a bark of surprised laughter. “Not a chance in hell,” he said a moment later. Merlin grinned.
If Arthur could still be an ass, then things were definitely going to be all right.
---
The evening, Merlin had managed to get through half of his dinner before nodding off at the table, and Arthur had helped him to bed shortly after it. He figured it was mostly how emotionally draining the day and even the past weeks had been and was glad to let Merlin sleep. For a few moments after Merlin was settled in his bed, Arthur considered just stripping and getting into the bed with him. It was still early in the evening, but he had been travelling and was more than happy to head to bed early. He technically had his own chambers, though, and wasn’t sure if Balinor and Hunith would take kindly to him sharing a sleeping space with Merlin, innocently or otherwise. On the flip side, he also didn’t want Merlin to wake up and worry that because he hadn’t stayed, he wasn’t genuine.
In the end, he’d far rather face the wrath of the king and queen than make Merlin worry even more than he already had. He would just go fetch one of his bags from the chambers that had been designated for him first. Since he’d been given the chambers right next to Merlin’s, it was a quick walk to collect his bag. When he started to return to Merlin’s with it slung over his shoulder, though, he noticed Balinor was lingering in the hall. “Sire,” he greeted, with a respectful tit of his head. “If you’re looking for Merlin, he’s asleep.”
“Arthur,” Balinor answered, though there was no warmth or even friendliness in his tone. “I’m looking for you, actually. Why don’t you come with me for a moment.”
“Of course,” Arthur said, knowing damn well that wasn’t actually a request. He couldn’t help but be nervous, though, considering how much he knew Balinor and his father disliked each other. Not that it really ought to have had any bearing on their children, but he knew how politics worked.
Arthur fell in step with Balinor, and for a few minutes they just walked silently. Arthur kept his head down and silently waited for Balinor to start up with whatever it was he wanted to talk about. They turned down a few more hallways, Arthur making sure to pay attention so he could get back to Merlin’s rooms. Finally, when they were in a secluded corridor with no one else around, Balinor stopped. Before Arthur could really process anything else, Balinor’s hands were twisted in the front of his tunic and he was being backed up against the stone wall. Technically, Balinor really wasn’t that much bigger than him and Arthur could have shoved him off fairly easily. He couldn’t risk getting kicked out of the castle, though, so he bit his tongue and stayed still, though he did pick his head up, no longer keeping it tipped deferentially.
“Listen to me, boy,” Balinor finally started, and Arthur relaxed a little bit. He was probably just playing the overprotective father, then. As much as he didn’t appreciate the rough treatment, he figured things would be smoother once Balinor had said his peace and felt like he’d done his job. “I know your father, and his manipulative ways. I also know what it’s like to be young. So if this is just some scheme of Uther’s, or if you’re here because Merlin is a flight of fancy, then you can turn around and head right back to Camelot. This has been hard enough for Merlin without you making it more difficult by either changing your mind, or having it come out that this is just been your father’s plot the whole time. The fact that the child is yours is not important, understand me? If you screw him over, you’ll never see him or the child.”
“All right, all right,” Arthur finally said, raising his hands up in surrender. “You’ve made your point. I swear on anything I hold dear this is not some plot of my father’s. He wanted Merlin to pick me, yes, but even he wouldn’t have gone this far.” He paused then, holding his breath for a moment, knowing the next bit was probably not what Balinor would want to hear. He wasn’t going to lie, though. “I can’t promise it’s not a flight of fancy, on my end or on Merlin’s. It’s too early to tell. We had planned on having months to spend together to figure everything out before, well, sealing the deal, so to speak. But even if it is, I’m still going to do my best to be here for him and the child. I’m never going to up and walk away.”
Surprisingly, Balinor stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. His gaze was narrowed, but it looked more like he was considering what had been said rather than deciding on the best method of torture. “Good,” he finally said, and Arthur blinked in surprised. “I’d rather you both be realistic about this. Just makes sure you don’t make any promises you’ll end up breaking,” Balinor finished, then turned and walked away, in the opposite direction from the way they had come, without waiting for any sort of response.
Arthur let out a breath of relief, running his hands through his hair. He hadn’t expected anything like that, but he was glad it was over with now, and hopefully there wouldn’t be any follow-up threats. Glad now that he had paid attention as they walked, he headed back to Merlin’s chambers, eager to get changed for the night and find out if he and Merlin could comfortably share a bed without fucking first.
---
Over the next few months, Arthur spent more time travelling than he ever had before, bouncing back and forth between Ealdor and Camelot. It really didn’t help that despite sharing a border, the castles were about as far away from each other they possibly could be. Uther wanted him in Camelot, but Arthur didn’t enjoy being so far away from Merlin. He felt like he was missing things he shouldn’t be. Despite his attempts to convince Merlin to just come to Camelot with him, though, Merlin refused to budge, preferring the occasional distance to having to leave his home. Considering he wasn’t the one constantly travelling back and forth, Arthur wasn’t surprised, and it did spark a fight or three. Most of the time, Arthur arrived back in Ealdor and his time there was pleasant, until he had to go back. Then they always fought, as he consistently tried to talk Merlin into returning to Camelot with him.
Consistently, Merlin refused. He was Ealdor’s prince, and he had as much duty to his father and kingdom as Arthur did, despite being pregnant.
At least, Merlin refused until a letter reached Arthur only a couple days after he’d arrived at Ealdor. He’d returned after only a week in Camelot, paranoid that he would miss the birth of their child, since Merlin was roughly eight months along. This time, he had plans to stick around for an extended period of time, at least a few months. Being there during the child’s infancy was important, after all; he refused to leave Merlin alone for such a critical time.
The letter changed everything.
It was from Gaius, urging Arthur to return to Camelot immediately. Apparently, something had happened to Uther, something to do with his heart. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t responsive, either. With the court physician fearing that the king might have been awake for the last time, Arthur was to come back immediately and take his place as temporary regent. Temporary, of course, because Uther wasn’t expected to wake up, so it was only a matter of time before he was crowned king in his own right.
This time, when Arthur started packing everything that he had only just finished unpacking, Merlin silently began packing with him.
“What are you doing?” Arthur asked, pausing in his own packing to watch Merlin drag out a bag from a chest at the foot of his bed and immediately begin throwing everything in his wardrobe into the bag, both his regular clothing and the newer clothing that had been made accommodate his stomach.
“What’s it look like? Getting ready to go to Camelot,” he answered, without even glancing up at Arthur.
Swallowing, Arthur let his hands drop. “Merlin,” he started. “You don’t have to-”
“Hush,” Merlin cut him off, straightening with only a little bit of difficulty. His tone brokered no argument, but his expression was soft as he moved over to where Arthur was standing, reaching up with one hand to curl his fingers around the side of his neck. Wanting the physical comfort more than anything, Arthur leaned into the touch. “If you think I’m going to let you go deal with all of this on your own, you’re a bigger idiot than I ever thought. As much as I wanted to have this kid here, it’s certainly not going to kill me for it to be in Camelot, and I doubt the babe really cares where it’s born. I’m not going to leave you alone through all of this.”
A part of Arthur wanted to argue, and under other circumstances maybe he would have, but at the moment he was altogether too relieved that Merlin was going to come with him and he wouldn’t have to be torn between the kingdom it was now his job to run and the Omega and child it was his duty to be around for. Having to face the inevitable death of his father was going to be hard enough without also having to worry about whether or not Merlin survived the labor, or if the child was healthy, or if there was any resentment at the distance. “Thank you,” he said, letting himself sink into Merlin’s open arms, pressing as close as he could with Merlin’s belly in the way. Merlin’s hands ran over his back and neck, occasionally shifting up to card through his hair, just letting them both stand quietly for a few minutes. Finally, having gathered himself some, Arthur pulled back enough to peck Merlin on the lips before moving away entirely. “Let’s get packed and on the road, then. The sooner we get you settled in Camelot, the better.”
Balinor wasn’t happy, but Hunith agreed with their reasoning once Merlin assured her that he would prefer she come along with them to assist with the birth. It would just be a comfort to him, to have his mother there during such a critical time. He figured she would also be the best person to help them adjust to caring for an infant, since Arthur’s mother wasn’t there to help.
They left for Camelot early the next morning.
---
Arthur spent most of the first week they were in Camelot sitting at his father’s bedside. Merlin didn’t blame him, especially since Uther had continued to show no signs of waking up, and was instead deteriorating quickly. It made for a very somber mood each evening when Arthur returned to their chambers. While Merlin understood Arthur’s dark mood, he couldn’t stand to just let it alone.
About a week after they’d arrived in Camelot, Merlin was sitting on the bed when Arthur came in, piece of parchment in his hand. There was a quill and ink pot sitting off to the side on the night table, but he hadn’t touched them in a little while.
“So,” he said, smoothing out the parchment against his stomach. “Since this kid is supposed to be here in a fortnight, we should probably think about names.”
Arthur grunted to show he’d heard, but beyond that, didn’t offer anything. Though he frowned, Merlin was far from deterred.
“I was thinking, if it’s a boy, we could name him Gwaine.”
That got him a reaction, and Merlin laughed as Arthur’s head snapped to look in his direction, glaring at him. “You’re not funny,” he grumped, but just before he turned away again, Merlin had caught the slightest upturn of his lips.
“What do you suggest, then?” he prompted. Even though he couldn’t see Arthur’s expression, he could guess that there was an eye roll to accompany the exasperated sigh that escaped Arthur.
“Well, for a girl, we could always go with Elena,” Arthur offered, and Merlin grinned to himself even as he forced himself to make an annoyed noise. Elena was a princess of another kingdom, and currently the only other royal Omega besides Merlin. A couple years before, Uther had almost managed to arrange a bonding between her and Arthur, especially since Elena’s father had pushed for it as well, but they had both been resistant to it, and eventually it was let alone.
“All right, jokes aside, come over here and help me think of some actual name options,” Merlin said then, patting the spot on the bed next to him. His plan to break through Arthur’s misery seemed to have worked, at least temporarily, since the Alpha did join him on the bed almost immediately and they set to picking out names they both liked together.
---
Uther officially passed away after another week in Camelot, his body simply giving out one night. Arthur spent the rest of the night and the majority of the following day grieving silently, and this time, Merlin didn’t disturb him. He made sure Arthur knew he was there for any physical or emotional comfort he needed, when he was ready for it, and then left the issue alone.
Even as Arthur grieved for his father, the castle was already in motion around him, preparing for his coronation to take place as soon as possible. The time between official kings was dangerous for a kingdom, after all.
Unfortunately, the morning the coronation was supposed to take place was also the morning the baby decided it was ready to be born. Arthur, being Arthur, wouldn’t hear anything about leaving Merlin to go through with the ceremony, no matter how fast it was promised to be.
Merlin had a sinking feeling this was their child setting a precedent for interrupting important events, but couldn’t really bring himself to be overly bothered.
Almost a week later, the coronation was finally held, and as Arthur was crowned King of Camelot in front of hundreds of people, Merlin stood at the front of the crowd with their newborn daughter in his arms.
---
“We can use the deposit of white stone they found nearby for the walls. There’s a river not far away, and the field is large enough to build an outside wall circling the town that will spring up around the castle. We’ll model the structure somewhat after this castle. The hidden siege tunnels have proved an asset time and again, and making sure they exist at the new castle as well is of the utmost importance.”
Merlin stood a few steps away, just watching as Arthur stood at the head of the table and explained the schematics he had spent the last few weeks drawing up to the court. For the most part, the murmurs going around were those of approval. There had initially been a lot of reluctance at the thought of building a new castle and moving there. It would shift the center of commerce in the kingdom, and that worried people. Arthur had been prepared, though. The new castle would only be a day’s ride from the coast, which meant more ease with trading goods that had to be done overseas. And eventually, Ealdor and Camelot would be one kingdom, he had reminded the court, sending a small smile to Merlin. They needed the castle to be closer to the center of the combined territories to make sure they could effectively protect all the borders.
“It will be a magnificent new castle, a symbol of the new age that will begin for the citizens of both Camelot and Ealdor,” he finished. “We’ve seen the way the white stone we plan to use looks when the sun hits it. It shines, unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. This shining castle will be the first step in building Albion.”
Arthur was finished, then, and though Merlin wasn’t sure who started it, within a few moments everyone in the council chambers was chanting ‘Long live the King.’ Arthur looked immensely proud of himself as he turned and walked back to Merlin, and the small smile broke out into a proper grin as Princess Alanna, now almost a full year old, reached out for him. Merlin handed her to Arthur easily, then let himself be pulled into a kiss.
As of a month previously, their bond was secure and Merlin was officially King Consort in the eyes of the courts of both kingdoms. The castle had been approved by Camelot’s court, and work on constructing it would begin within the month.
Whether or not Arthur would live to see it would be an entirely different story, because Merlin had been woken up that morning not by their daughter kneeing him or slapping him in the face with a stray hand, but by his stomach. This time, he had gone straight to Gaius, rather than speculating on whether or not he had been poisoned.
Two kids in two years was one too many, and while Alanna was the light of his life, and of Arthur’s, she was also completely exhausting and required all of their attention. There was no leaving her with someone else for a few hours, or getting her to sleep in her own bed. As soon as she realized she couldn’t see at least one of them, she threw a holy tantrum that wouldn’t stop until one of them returned for her.
Now, it seemed she would have a little sibling far sooner than planned, and Merlin smiled sweetly as he informed Arthur of it that night at dinner, while very purposely fingering the dagger he was using to slice his meat.
Castration was always an option.
And the fact that Arthur beamed at him like he’d just given him the best news in the world, well. That wasn’t going to sway him any. The warmth in his chest at the sight of it and the fact that his own lips pulled up in a smile had absolutely nothing to do with anything. After all, he’d had ages to build up an immunity to Arthur’s smile, and ages still to continue building it.