Potion of Love Chapter 13: Merlin Fanfiction
Title: Potion of Love Chapter 13
Rating: NC17
Pairings: Merlin x Arthur
Summary: Arthur was the most eligible bachelor in Camelot. A village girl wants to become queen and with the help of a sorceress she sets her plan in motion slipping him a love potion, but what will happen if it doesn't go quite as expected? Slash ensues Merthur
Note: Disclaimer, don't own Merlin or any of its characters. Ok have to put the slash on pause for a moment to move the story along. But don't worry I will try to include some cute fluff in the next chapter after this one. Updated 4/16/12 Forgive me, I missed the ending of this chapter. I already posted it up!
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Potion of Love
Chapter Thirteen: The Alliance
Merlin slowly stirred underneath the sheets. He sleepily raised a hand to rub at his eyes and, after a few seconds, finally opened them. He moved to sit up; Arthur was still fast asleep next to him in the bed. He lazily looked around, but could barely see more than a few inches past the bed. The curtains had not been closed so they provided some moonlight, but it wasn't much. Merlin moaned slightly as he moved towards the edge of the bed, his body ached all over and muscles he didn't even know he had were completely sore.
Throwing the sheets off of him, he gently pressed his bare feet to the cold floor. Merlin ignored the chillness of the room and moved to the nearest piece of clothes that belonged to him. He stumbled on one of Arthur's boots and landed flat on the floor. Cursing under his breath, he quietly rose and looked back to the bed. Arthur didn't even stir an inch; he could really sleep through anything at times.
Merlin smiled at Arthur's sleeping form and turned back to his clothes still on the floor. He began to dress, making sure to tighten the bandages on his arm. Once he was fully dressed he made his way carefully to the fireplace. After a few attempts, he managed to light it and then he made his way around the room lighting the candles.
Tripping a few more times he made his way to the window. His legs were still wobbling, the reason for that made his cheeks turn a slight red color. He then looked around the room again to inspect it and he cringed. The room was a mess; the plates were still sitting on the table half uneaten. Merlin moved about the room setting things upright. Arthur had managed to knock quite a few things down when they had been in the heat of the moment. With the reminder of their love making still evident in the room and his body, Merlin couldn't help but stare back at his sleeping King one more time with a worried look on his face. What was he to do now? He had really complicated things.
Arthur's clothes were also still scattered all over the room, he managed to gather them up and drop them into a basket located in a corner of one of the walls. He then laid a new set of clothes near the edge of the bed and made his way to the door. Merlin wanted to see how Gwaine and Percival were doing. Also a bath wouldn't be half bad, he really craved one after spending a night stuck under a tree and another one unconscious. Before heading out of the room, Merlin managed to gather his coat and with one final look back at his King he closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor.
After a few turns, he found himself completely lost. He walked into another corridor, with yet not a single guard in sight, and hesitated whether he should try to find his way back or continue forward. After a slight pause, he decided on the latter and walked further down the empty corridor. There was bound to be a guard he could ask for directions at the end of it.
Suddenly, Merlin stopped and quickly turned around; he looked down the corridor trying to make out if any of the shadows cast by the lit torches on the walls belonged to actual people. He was sure he had heard someone else. Then when he was about to reach the end of the corridor, Merlin heard two sets of voices, he recognized them for some reason. He couldn't remember why they sounded so familiar but they were coming from behind one of the doors.
Merlin glanced around again and spotted a vent that looked like it could provide a good means to peek inside. He moved towards it and climbed onto a small table, located just underneath it. He pressed his hands against the wall for support as the table was barely wide enough for his feet. After balancing himself, he slowly raised his head to peek in. Inside he could barely see two figures.
The two figures moved closer to where he was and Merlin gasped. He quickly covered his mouth and moved back towards the vent when his reaction had gone unnoticed. It was the two men who had jumped him in the woods; they seemed to be arguing about something. What where they doing in Lord Godwyn's castle? Merlin's mind was filled with questions and curiosity. Arthur hadn't mentioned how he had found him or how he had ended up in Lord Godwyn's kingdom. Had he run into them? The last thing he remembered was passing out in front of these two men. If he was here with Arthur maybe they weren't as bad as he thought they were.
He then heard one of them address the other by the name Ivor and Merlin leaned further against the wall trying to make out the rest of their conversation. "He is here to discuss a trade treaty, his people are starving and the carriages he had with him contained the items he wished to trade with." Ivor said. "And you let him reach Lord Godwyn's kingdom with them." Roderick angrily stated as he moved closer to Ivor and glared at him, pushing a gloved finger against the man's broad chest. "Remind me why I still keep you around? You are drunk half the time and this time your taste for alcohol and gambling lost us the chance to steal the carriages from right under Arthur's nose." He continued to glare at Ivor as he struggled to keep his voice under control.
"I am sorry Sire, but it wasn't my fault. That knight, Gwaine, got me thrown in the dungeons. I didn't know he was a knight." Ivor replied as he turned towards the table and then back to Roderick. "We can still bring Camelot crumbling from within. The young man, who we found in the woods, is Arthur's manservant. It appears that he is currently resting in the King's chambers."
Roderick frowned at the mention of Merlin and looked at Ivor, who looked quite content with the secrets he had uncovered. But Roderick had already known where Merlin was, he had stumbled across that little information earlier today. "And how do you intend we bring Arthur to his knees?" He asked, wondering if Ivor did in fact have a reason as to why he was still in his service.
Merlin moved back from the vent as he started to make sense of what he was hearing. His foot knocked over a vase, sending it crashing to the floor. The sound it made as it broke alerted the two men inside and Merlin quickly jumped off the table knocking it down as well. He ran down the corridor as the door started to open. He turned down a corner and pressed himself against the wall, covering his mouth with both of his hands in an attempt to muffle his breathing.
Ivor and Roderick emerge from the room and look at opposite directions, trying to see who or what had caused the noise. "Do you see anything Roderick?" Ivor asked as he walked down the corridor and back towards the door. Roderick looked at the overturned table and back up at the vent with an angry look on his face. Someone had spied on them; it was kind of ironic since he had done the same thing earlier today. Fighting a sly smile that threaten to replace his angry gaze, he raised his head back to the corridor and narrowed his eyes as he saw a shadow at the far end of it move and disappear.
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Merlin managed to find his way back and was almost at Arthur's chambers, this castle was very different from Camelot. He reached the door and was about to open it when someone grabbed him from behind. He twirled around totally surprised and scared out of his boots that maybe he had been followed and discovered by Ivor and Roderick. His frightened eyes met Gwaine's laughing ones and Merlin relaxed.
"Gave you quite a scare, huh Merlin?" His friend asked as he patted Merlin on the back and moved him down the corridor. "Our Royal Highness has been selfish enough. I think you should join me and Percival. We are much more fun and I promise I won't make you do chores." Gwaine grinned even more as he looked at Merlin's face. He had finally decided after much debate to come see how his friend was doing. He hadn't had much time to see him after the physician had finished attending to him. Arthur had been worse than a mother hen and had demanded Merlin be put in his chambers and that no one bother them. Gwaine had to practically dance around Percival to get out of his room to come find Merlin.
"Cheer up, we might be leaving back home if everything turns out to her royal's satisfaction." Gwaine continued to tease as they walked out into the courtyard and to the other wing. "By the way how is your head?" The knight asked as his grin was replaced with a worried look.
"I'm fine. Thanks." Merlin replied as he rubbed his head and realized that he no longer had the bandages on. His cheeks turn a slight pink as he remembers what could have caused them to come off. They went up a set of stairs before finally entering a room and were met with angry stares from Percival. Merlin cheerfully greeted the grumpy knight and moved to sit on a bench across him.
Gwaine entered and closed the door behind him. He looked at Percival and sat down next to him. "Relax! Arthur isn't even aware that his little baby chic is away from the den." Gwaine laughed as he poured a glass of wine and jugged it in one go. "So who is up for a game of cards?" He asked as he slammed the glass on the table and moved his hands up and to the back of his head.
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The door to Arthur's chambers slowly opened and Evelyn stepped in, she quietly moved farther into the room and stopped at the end of the bed.
Evelyn gasped as her eyes made out Arthur's naked form under the thin sheets and noticed the empty space on the bed next to him. She quickly covered her mouth to muffle it, her face became bright red and then her features contorted to that of pure disbelief. She rushed out dropping the flowers she carried and stumbled right into Roderick.
"What are you doing here? You're a servant of Arthur's aren't you?" Roderick asked Evelyn, who blushed and tried to move around him. "I was just cleaning his chambers. I thought since Merlin was hurt that I might help with his duties." Evelyn lied as she tilted her head to the side and tried her best to look very appealing.
As she managed to move past him she was suddenly pushed against a wall. Her feet were already a bit shaky due to what she had just stumbled on that she lost her footing. "Ouch, you are hurting me!" Evelyn accused her attacker as she nervously gained her footing again. She was cursing herself for thinking this man handsome.
"What did you see in there?" Roderick asked, his voice a tone too low, as he squeezed tighter. He wanted to know if he could use this servant in his plans or not. She didn't seem to be close to Arthur and he had noticed that one of Arthur's knights had been giving her an odd look all the way to Lord Godwyn's kingdom, one that resembled too closely the look he had given him.
Evelyn didn't know what to say. Roderick moved his face closer to her and groaned into her ear. "I asked you a question, servant. Do you know who I am? You will answer at once when royalty demands it of you." Evelyn's eyes went wide with surprise. "I saw nothing, sire." She managed to answer as her arm was already going numb and breathed in relief as the fingers grasping her arm loosened and finally let go.
Evelyn moved off the wall and made a run for it. Roderick reached for her arm and brought her to a halt. "Wait! There is one more thing I wish to know." He said as he grinned at Evelyn. "Was Merlin in there?" Roderick asked as he observed the servant carefully. "No! His manservant wasn't in the room." Evelyn spat with anger as she pulled her arm away and stepped back. This royal was trouble, but the mention of the person that had ruined everything for her drove her to lose her composure and she acted without caution.
"That poor excuse of a servant is probably getting drunk somewhere." Evelyn said a little more confident as she was rewarded with a smile from him. "Really, and I take it you don't like him very much." Roderick stated as he moved closer to her and led her down the corridor. "Maybe there is something we can do for each other." He offered, the glint he had seen cross the female servant's face told him more then she would ever admit. He had found a very useful tool to get his hands on Merlin.
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A new day fought to shine though the closed curtains. The candles had long gone out as well as the fire; all that remained in the fireplace was burned ash. Arthur stirred noisily in the bed and slowly moved his hand from under his pillow and across to Merlin's side. He picked up his head when his fingers meet only sheets. "Merlin…?" Arthur groggily called out as he turned on the bed to look around the room. He took in the cleaned room and the clean set of clothes laying at the edge of the bed and frowned. Where was Merlin?
He moved off the bed and his eyes stopped on a bundle near the bed. Arthur smiled as he noticed that they were flowers and gathered them up, setting them on the bed. He quickly dressed himself, buckling his belt he looked around for his boots. Merlin had obviously forgotten about that part of his attire. Arthur moved around the room to gather them up and then sat back on the bed to put them on.
He couldn't stop smiling as he remembered how well everything was going. Merlin had accepted his feelings and even showed interest in continuing their relationship back in Camelot. He was very happy indeed and once the blasted treaty was signed by those present in Lord Godwyn's kingdom they would return home. Arthur moved to the washing stool and cleaned himself up. Drying his face and hands he ran his hand through his hair and exited the chambers to look for his ever disappearing manservant.
Posted 4/16/12 (Sorry I missed this part of the chapter)
Arthur decided to check with Gwaine and Percival first. He knocked on their door, but received only silence and then very faint ruffles of movement coming from inside. Arthur sighed and opened the door; he stepped into the room and moved his gaze to the farthest corner past the sleeping Percival. His eyes landed on Merlin sleeping soundly on another small bed, but as he took in who was next to him Arthur lost it.
He stomped towards Merlin and his jaw went ridged, his mouth a thin line as his eyes rested on Gwaine's bare arm on Merlin's stomach. Gwaine's face was resting on Merlin's neck and the unaware knight even had one leg partly over Merlin's. Arthur struggled with pushing Gwaine off of Merlin and dragging Merlin off the bed so he did what he thought was safer. "Merlin…" Arthur screamed angrily as he made his hands into fists beside his sides.
Merlin jolted up on the bed at the mention of his name and raised a hand to his head. The pounding alone was making him dizzy. He looked around unaware of what was going on and then looked up at Arthur when his eyes landed on some very familiar brown boots near the bed. His eyes met Arthur's darkened ones and he smiled sheepishly. "What? Arthur…?" Merlin started to say when he was jerked from the bed by Arthur's hand around the back of his neck and shirt.
Gwaine stirred from the commotion and looked up at Arthur. "Ah, the mother hen is here to collect her chick…" The drunken knight teased, as the alcohol he had consumed the night before banged viciously inside his head. The sight of his bare chest made Arthur even more infuriated. "Arthur it's not…" Merlin struggled to say as he stood next to Arthur helplessly still held by the back of his neck.
"Not another word Merlin. And you…" Arthur pointed at Gwaine, "Are walking a very thin line." And with that he dragged Merlin out of the room and across the courtyard. Merlin could do nothing, but drag his feet as Arthur led him towards his chambers.
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Author's Note:
I am so very sorry for the crappiness of this chapter. I wanted to include some Gwaine/Merlin time here and show that he was worrying over Merlin and had planned to reveal who Roderick's father is, but that got moved to the next chapter. Overall I wasn't very happy on how it turned out; I only worked on it 3 days out of the week. Been swarmed with tons of things to do so I didn't have much time to work on it, I hope to make it up to you all in the next chapter with some cute fluff and by making it a double one. Don't forget to review, but please be gentle with me. Once again so sorry for missing the ending. Hope it made the chapter much better.
Chapter Fourteen