Chapter 3

Chapter Three

MERLIN

I slipped through the shadowed corridors of the castle, my footsteps silent on the worn flagstones. The weight of the day hung heavy on my shoulders, the image of Arthur standing on the stone, covered in blood, wielding Excalibur seared into my mind.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn't notice the figure detaching itself from the shadows ahead of me. Then a familiar voice spoke, low and amused. "You're losing your touch, Merlin. I could have stabbed you thrice over by now."

I looked up, a wry smile tugging at my lips. "Gaius. I should have known you'd be skulking about."

Gaius, the king's private sorcerer and my oldest friend, stepped into a shaft of moonlight, his face breaking into a smile. “Someone needs to keep an eye on you, especially now.”

“You know, then?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my eyes darting to the side. “About the sword and Arthur?”

He nodded. “I felt the magic shift when she pulled Excalibur from the stone. The prophecies are coming to life. The once and future king is back to unite the realms.”

I rubbed my forehead. “I thought I’d have more time to prepare. She’s so young, Gaius.”

“As a halfling, she’ll have centuries to figure it out,” Gaius said gently. “Arthur will have to grow up fast if she wants to survive what’s coming.”

“And what exactly is coming?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Gaius glanced around to make sure we were alone before continuing. “I’ve heard whispers from beyond our borders. Mordred is gathering her forces. She’s aiming straight for Camelot.”

My blood ran cold at the mention of that name. Mordred—the king’s estranged daughter, a powerful sorceress cast out of Camelot years ago for dabbling in dark magic. I always knew she’d return one day, seeking revenge and her birthright.

“How long do we have?” I asked, already mapping out plans in my mind.

Gaius shook his head, his face grim. “It’s hard to say. Mordred is good at hiding her movements. But the signs are there for those who know how to see them. The crows are gathering, Merlin. War is on the way, and it’s sooner than we’d like.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, the weight of the realm settling on my shoulders like a leaden cloak. For centuries, Camelot had awaited the coming of the Once and Future King, the one destined to unite Albion and Avalon and usher in an age of peace and prosperity. I had always assumed it would be a man, a great warrior and leader, born to privilege and power.

Never in all my wildest dreams had I imagined it would be my best friend.

"Then we have to be ready," I said, my voice steely. "Arthur will need us now more than ever. We have to make damn sure she’s equipped to face what the crown will mean for her.”

Gaius nodded, his expression softening with understanding. "Of course, my boy. I will do all in my power to aid young Arthur, just as I once aided you." He reached out, gripping my shoulder. "She is lucky to have you by her side. Your bond with her is a powerful thing. It will see you both through the dark days ahead."

I swallowed against the sudden lump in my throat, my heart swelling with a fierce rush of love and protectiveness. My Wart, my…queen. I would walk through fire for her. I would lay down my fucking life to keep her safe.

"I failed her, Gaius," I said softly, the old guilt rising up to choke me. "When we were children, when the village burned, I promised her I would always protect her, and I failed."

"You were a child yourself," Gaius said firmly. "You did all you could. And look at her now, Merlin. Look at the strong, brave, incredible woman she has become. That is in no small part thanks to you and your love for her. But there’s something else you need to know.” He tightened his grip on my shoulder. “The king has given Arthur a quest to prove she’s worthy of wielding Excalibur and taking the throne.”

I felt a chill run down my spine, a knot of dread forming in my stomach. “What kind of quest?” I asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Gaius’s eyes were grave in the flickering torchlight. “Arthur has to travel to the heart of the Wandering Wood and fetch the Holy Grail from the ancient stone temple. Only then will Uther recognize her as his true successor.”

My breath caught in my throat, my mind racing. The Grail. The most sacred relic, rumored to grant eternal life and healing to anyone who drank from it. People had been searching for it for centuries, often losing their minds or their lives in the process. King after king had failed, even Uther himself. And now Arthur, my Arthur, was expected to succeed where so many had failed.

“But that’s…that’s impossible,” I whispered, shaking my head. “The Wandering Wood is like a maze of magic and illusions filled with creatures. And even if she makes it to the stone temple, the Grail is poison to anyone it deems unworthy. How can Uther expect her to survive all of that?”

Gaius sighed, his weathered face reflecting my horror. “I’m worried Uther might be setting Arthur up to fail,” he said. “There are plenty of people at court who don’t think a woman should take the throne. They see it as going against the natural order of things. By sending her on this impossible quest, Uther’s giving them the perfect chance to question her worth.”

A surge of white-hot anger shot through me, and I clenched my fists at my sides. How could they? How could they try to bring Arthur down before she even had the chance to show what she could do? Excalibur chose her, and she had courage and strength that far surpassed her years. Yet they were ready to dismiss her just because she was a woman.

“I won’t let that happen,” I said, nearly growling it. “I’ll go with her and use every bit of my magic to protect and guide her. When we come back victorious, they’ll have no choice but to recognize her as their true queen.”

“Good.” Gaius nodded, as if that was exactly what he’d been wanting to hear from me.

I left Gaius in the shadowed corridor, my mind churning with plans and possibilities as I made my way through the labyrinth of passages in the castle. I reached the ornate door to Arthur's new chambers, feeling for her familiar presence, as I always did.

The guard posted outside was looking the other way, so with the wave of my hand, I sent a spell towards him. It took effect immediately, and he slumped against the stone wall, asleep. With another wave of my hand, the lock slid open, and I slipped silently into the room, the heavy oak door swinging shut behind me with a muffled thud.

The chamber was bathed in the warm glow of flickering candles and the dying embers of a fire in the hearth. Tapestries depicting scenes from Camelot's history adorned the stone walls, their rich colors muted in the dim light.

And there, standing in front of a full-length mirror, was Arthur. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her, in a tunic of deep crimson, the color of the Pendragon crest. Black breeches clung to her long, muscular legs, tucked into knee-high boots of supple leather. Her hair, usually a wild tangle of curls, had been tamed into a single braid that snaked down her back.

My cock hardened the way it always did when I looked at Arthur.

As she turned to face me, her large brown eyes widening in surprise, I felt my heart constrict with a fierce rush of pure desire. "Merlin," she breathed, a relieved smile playing at the corners of her full lips. "I didn't hear you come in."

Her face was flushed, her cheeks a light rosy tint and made the singular dark brown freckle under her right eye more prominent. It was the reason I’d started calling her Wart when we were kids, because I loved to tease her about it, despite it being my most favorite feature of hers. How many years had I imagined placing a kiss right there under her eye?

"I have my ways," I said, stepping further into the room. The air between us felt charged, as it always did when we were alone together. "I just spoke with Gaius."

She always loved Gaius. The moment we realized I could wield magic, Gaius took me under his wing. Arthur made it her mission to make sure I was in good hands. Gaius was amused by Arthur and sometimes even allowed her to sit in on a lesson or two.

Arthur's smile faltered, and she looked away, her shoulders tensing beneath the fine fabric of her top. "The king thinks I need to prove how worthy I am."

I crossed the room in a few long strides, grasping her shoulders and turning her to face me. "You have nothing to fucking prove. Not to me, not to anyone. You are worthy. You always have been."

She swallowed hard, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He chose the Grail for a reason. He thinks it’s impossible. Even he failed when he was our age, and so did his father and his father’s father.”

I tightened my grip on her shoulders, my heart aching at the pain and self-doubt I saw in her eyes. "Listen to me, Wart. You are not Uther, or his father, or any of the kings who came before them. You are something entirely new. Something Camelot has never seen before. A queen, yes, but more than that. A leader who will rule with compassion and wisdom, who will unite the land in a way no one else could."

Her eyes suddenly shone with familiar mischief, and her pink lips quirked up on one side, sending my heart once again racing. “Does this mean you’re coming with me then?” Her lashes fluttered dramatically.

A slow grin spread across my face as I looked down at her, my hands still gripping her shoulders. "Of course I'm coming with you, you idiot. Did you really think I'd let you go off on some deadly quest without me?"

She laughed, a sound that never failed to make my heart soar. "I don't know, Merlin. You're getting a bit old. Might slow me down."

I scoffed, releasing her shoulders to place a hand over my heart in mock offense. "Old? I’m three years older than you. I'll have you know I'm in the prime of my life.”

She snorted, shoving at my chest playfully. "I can still pick pockets faster than you."

I caught her hand, bringing it to my lips to press a soft kiss to her knuckles. "I’m sure you can, Wart. But I’d slay a thousand fucking dragons and go on endless deadly quests just to keep up."

Something in her expression softened, the teasing glint in her eyes replaced by a heat that made my breath catch. "Merlin," she whispered, her fingers tightening around mine.

Yes…Yes, yes, yes.

Suddenly she was kissing me, her lips soft and insistent against my own. I groaned into her mouth, my hands coming up to tangle in her braid as I pulled her flush against me. We’d almost kissed back in the barn, and being interrupted by those mercenaries had ruined years of tension that had been ready to combust between us.

I’d dreamed of kissing Arthur this way, of having her pink lips pressed against mine. I dreamed of feeling her supple skin under my calloused palms as I did things to her that would have her writhing for me.

Her tongue slid against mine as the kiss deepened, sending sparks of desire racing through my veins. I walked her backwards until her thighs hit the edge of the ornate four-poster bed, our lips never parting. With a gentle push, she fell back onto the plush covers, her braid coming undone as I pulled off the band, the curly strands spilling across the pillows.

I crawled over her, bracing myself on my forearms as I hovered inches from her face. "You are so beautiful," I breathed, trailing my fingers down the side of her face. "I've wanted this, wanted you , for so long."

“You should have taken what you wanted then,” she teased, nipping at my bottom lip playfully.

A low growl escaped my throat, and I captured her lips in a searing kiss. My hands roamed her body, sliding beneath her tunic and jerkin to caress the smooth skin of her stomach. She arched into my touch, a breathy moan escaping her lips as I cupped her breast through the thin fabric of her top.

“Say yes,” I gritted out through my teeth between kisses. My cock was so hard it wanted to burst. “Say it?—”

“Yes…” she said with a moan.

With a muttered word and a flash of golden magic, her clothes vanished, leaving her bare and flushed beneath me. I sat back on my heels, drinking in the sight of her. “We don’t have nearly enough time for what I’ve wanted to do to you.”

My eyes flitted to the chamber door. They’d come for her soon. The quest was to start immediately, and we’d be leaving the moment the sunlight touched the horizon.

Arthur gazed up at me, her eyes dark with desire. "Then we'll just have to make the most of the time we do have, won’t we?"

She fisted her hands in my tunic and pulled me back down to her. Our lips crashed together in a kiss that was all teeth and tongue, hunger and desperation. I ground my hips against hers, my hardness pressing insistently against her thigh.

"Fuck—" I groaned, breaking the kiss to trail my lips down the column of her throat. I nipped and sucked at the sensitive skin, reveling in the breathy little moans that escaped her.

My hands continued their exploration of her body, mapping out every curve and plane. I palmed her breasts, rolling her nipples between my fingers until they pebbled under my touch. She arched into me as her nails dug deliciously into my shoulders.

I kissed my way down her body, pausing to lave attention on her breasts before continuing my descent. I settled between her thighs, breathing in the heady scent of her arousal. "You smell so fucking good," I murmured, nuzzling against her inner thigh. "I bet you taste even better."

A breath later, my mouth was on her, my tongue parting her folds to flick against her clit. She cried out, her hips bucking up to meet me. I slid two fingers inside her slick heat, groaning at how tight and wet she was. I pumped my fingers in and out, curling them to hit that sensitive spot inside her as I lapped and sucked at her clit.

"Merlin, oh gods," she moaned, her fingers tangling in my hair, holding me to her. I noticed her thighs began to tremble, her inner walls fluttering around my fingers as she climbed towards her peak.

I redoubled my efforts, determined to make her come undone. My tongue swirled and flicked, my fingers thrusting faster, deeper. Her moans grew louder, more desperate, until finally she shattered with a cry of my name, her body shuddering with the force of her release.

I worked her through it, gentling my touch as she came down from her high. When the last aftershocks had passed, I kissed my way back up her body, claiming her lips in a deep, sensual kiss.

"That was…" she panted when we finally parted, a blissful smile on her face. Suddenly, she frowned and raised her head up, eyes meeting mine. “Why haven’t we been doing that the whole damn time?”

I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Because you were a bit busy picking the pocket of every wealthy man in Camelot, and I was a bit busy making sure you didn't get yourself killed in the process."

"Well, we've clearly been missing out." She leaned up to kiss me again, her hands sliding beneath my tunic to caress the muscles of my back.

I groaned into her mouth, my body responding instantly to her touch. But even as I lost myself in the taste and feel of her, a nagging thought tugged at the back of my mind. With great reluctance, I pulled back, looking down at her with a seriousness that made her brow furrow.

Softly, I brushed a stray curl from her face. "We need to talk about what this means. For us. For the future."

She frowned. "What do you mean? I-I love you, Merlin. I have for years. And now we can finally be together."

My mouth went dry and my heart clenched painfully at her admission, at the open adoration shining in her eyes. At the words that I laid awake at night for years imagining I’d hear falling from her lips. But the reality was far more complicated.

"Arthur," I said gently, "you're going to be queen of Camelot. And as queen, you'll be expected to take a consort. A king." I swallowed hard, the words like ashes in my mouth.

Arthur's eyes flashed with defiance, her jaw setting in that stubborn way I knew all too well. She sat up fully, and the sheets pooled around her waist as she glared at me. "I don't give a damn about expectations. I’m not going to let some archaic tradition dictate who I can and can't love."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "It's not that simple. The court, the nobles, they'll expect you to marry a prince. They’ll never accept a queen who takes a lowborn sorcerer as her consort. They'll see it as a weakness, a sign that you're unfit to rule."

She scoffed, crossing her arms over her bare chest. "Then they're fools."

I couldn't help the surge of warmth that flooded through me at her words, at the fierce conviction in her voice. But I knew I had to make her see reason. "Think about this logically. You're about to embark on a quest to prove your worthiness for the highest throne in all of Albion. How do you think it will look if you return with me as your chosen consort?"

Her eyes narrowed, a flicker of hurt passing over her face. "Are you saying you don't want to be with me? That you'd rather I marry some pompous princeling who cares more about wealth and status than he does about me? If that’s?—”

“You know that’s not what I’m saying. It doesn’t mean we can’t… indulge , but I don’t know how it can ever be more.” I cringed as the words fell from my lips like poison.

“Give me back my clothing,” she clipped, her eyes looking past me. My chest filled with pressure as I snapped my fingers, and golden magic sparkled around her body that was instantly clothed again.

She was off the bed in a flash, heading to where she’d left a small table laden with various daggers, small pouches, and a sack of what I assumed were provisions. She wouldn’t look at me.

“Don’t feel obligated to come with me, Merlin,” she said finally. “This is my quest, and I won’t ask you to risk yourself for me.”

“You can’t stop me,” I said, standing from the bed and striding towards Arthur. “We’re not done discussing thi?—”

A sharp knock at the door had us both going utterly still. I met her eyes in the mirror, filled to the brim with so many words we hadn’t said. As the door began to open and several servants let themselves inside, I waved a hand, and with a shimmer of golden magic, I was cloaked enough to slip past them and back out the door into the castle.