Chapter Text
Merlin blinked sitting up, he was in Arthur’s chambers on something soft… why was he in Arthur’s bed? He looked down why was he in Arthur’s bed… naked?
Flushing dark red realizing he was sitting in Arthur’s completely bare he grabbed the closest thing to him to cover at least his lap. Surprised by the texture of the sheet he looked down to find he had one of Arthur’s older tunics in his lap.
Realizing he was sitting in what look worrying like a nest his hand flew to his neck. Neither finding the comforting cloth of his neckerchief or the smooth vines that he had been wearing for far longer than he’d gone without. Panicking he felt over to his mating glans, starting to lose control of his breathing at the feeling of dried blood and the feelings of a strong deep bonding bite.
What had happened?
As the doors to Arthur’s chambers opened, he scooted back into the bed, into his next, further. He pulled the nest closer around him. The smell of his friends, and Arthur, offering some comfort.
It was Arthur, in barely more than his night clothes, carrying a covered tray, most commonly sent out with food from the kitchen. Some part of him he hadn’t realized was tense relaxed as Arthur closed and bound the door behind him.
When Arthur turned towards the bed a grin spread across his face, “Your awake! I wasn’t sure how long you would be in the daze since you put your first heat off so long. So, I got some food from the kitchen. I went myself to make sure plenty of strawberries and honey tarts were on the plate for you. I know those are your favorites so I wanted to be sure you had.”
“Arthur?” Merlin blinked, “What happened?”
Arthur dropped the plate on the table hurrying over, “Do you not remember?”
“Remember what?”
“Merlin,” Arthur reached the side of the bed but didn’t go further, “What’s the last thing you remember?”
Merlin focused, trying to see past the haze swirling through his mind, “You were practicing and… someone grabbed my arm?”
“Oh, you’re missing a good bit then. I can fill you in on everything but first can I come in?”
Merlin answered before he could even think out the question, “Wash you hands first and bring the tarts.”
Arthur quickly did as instructed as Merlin tried to understand why he had spoken it without a pause to think.
After placing the tart as well as a dish of strawberries and a flagon of what smelled like lemon water on the bed side table. Giving his hands and lowers arm a through wash, toeing his shoes off at the same time before climbing into the nest.
Merlin watched as Arthur entered his nest carefully and moved to where he was least likely to disturb anything. When Merlin pushed him slightly to the side Arthur went with his push and settled into the new spot Merlin had determined for him. Once Arthur was in place he reached out for Merlin, and Merlin let Arthur pull him into Arthur’s arms.
Arthur wrapping his arms around Merlin, “Do you want the tart or the explanation first?”
Merlin was very tempted to say the tart, which made him eve more certain he should be more interested in the, “An explanation.”
“Well, we were at the training field four days ago after I rejected which ever omega had shoved at me,” Arthur had to stop to try and calm the angry growling omega before continuing, “Hush, I can’t even remember their hair color, just that it was wrong.”
Merlin seemed to have come back to himself some, “Wrong?”
“Essentially it wasn’t like yours. Which looking back should really have been a clue about this as I always compared them to you and found them wanting for not being even close to you.”
Soothed Merlin relaxed.
“Suddenly someone grabbed you and called me to join you in going to my father’s office. Once in his office he demanded you remove your neckerchief. Which I told him was wrong to demand but..”
“Your father is the king and you couldn’t stop him from making such a demand.”
“If I had realized it was more than just hiding your scent, I would have fought harder but,” Arthur grimaced, “I couldn’t stop him.”
“And you’re saving any greater resistance to your father for more important things.”
“Yes, which with our paired mating bites wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Paired?”
“I wish we had time to talk about the mating bond beforehand, so you could actually consent but,” Arthur tried to send out a soothing scent knowing he was about to freak out his omega, “With your magic I thought it best to do the full bonding so father won’t be able to do anything to you if he finds out.”
“Magic?” Merlin laughed awkwardly, “What’s that about magic?”
“I know Merlin. It’s going to be okay.”
Merlin tensed before asking, “How?”
“Do I know? I first saw it when the vines fell off, your eyes flashed gold but luckily you were only looking at me so father didn’t see anything, and I can smell it now. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it’s easy to smell, at least to me. Also the first time we tied everything in the room started floating so that was rather confirming of what I was pretty sure was true.”
Merlin made a keening noise hiding his face in his hands.
“It’s not a bad thing Merlin. I know magic isn’t the evil father says it is for if you have magic, it’s can’t be evil.”
Merlin turned in Arthur’s arms to look at him, hope easy to see in his eyes, “Really?”
“Yes, and when I am king I am going to remove the ban and have the laws on magic from before the bans reinstated. Well, as long as you agree with them. I’d want you to look the old laws over to make sure they are fair as I have no idea if they were.”
Merlin pulling him into a kiss before pulling back only as far as he needed to be able to speak, “I wanted to tell you, about magic and being an unpresented omega.”
“I don’t blame you for hiding your magic. I wish you felt you could trust me with it.”
“I trust you! I knew you wouldn’t do anything, I-I just didn’t want you to have to have to chose between your father and me.”
“There’d be no choice, it would always be you.”
“I know. Which is why I didn’t want you to have to make that choice and have to lie to him for probably the rest of his life.”
“Some days it’s more obvious then every that you’re a better man than I.”
“Better? I-I’ve done horrible things. I’ve killed people.”
“So have I, but tell me of all the horrible things you supposably have done, have you ever done how many did you do purely for yourself. What horribly thing have you don that hasn’t been to help or protect someone else?”
“I… uh…um.”
Arthur chuckled, “That’s what I thought. You may have done horrible things but only for other people. I on the other had have done truly horrible things merely because my father told me to.”
“You can’t blame yourself for following the kings orders.”
“Can’t I? I led raids on druid camps. Where I know children and women were killed even when I said to spare them.”
“Against your orders. Your father said to kill all the druids but you tried spare some of them. Anyone who killed against those orders, those crimes are their own.”
Arthur sighed nodding, “Alright, but I will only accept that if you’ll accept your no worse then me.”
Merlin frowned but nodded.
“Alright, lets have those tarts and once I am king. Magic will be free.”