Chapter Text
Uther was having a headache; he didn’t know what to do anymore, so he had decided to sit in his throne and watch his son make a fool of himself.
Everyone in Camelot knew why Uther had a headache. Nobles, servants, commoners, knights, even visiting strangers—no matter their status, it was obvious. Everyone knew, except for Merlin, and that was the real problem.
It was no secret that the alpha heir to the Camelot throne had fallen head over heels for his omega manservant; it had taken a year after Merlin entered the prince's service for the royal alpha to realise this. Proof of this and that the prince feelings were reciprocate had been the report Gaius had told him about the kiss Merlin and Arthur had share in order to free the alpha form the enchantment the visitant King´s jester had put on him, unfortunately for the blonde one of the side effects of this enchantment was the memory loss of the events and the kiss, and Merlin being Merlin too shy (our eternal martyr) decided to kept that kiss a tight secret in his heart, only confiding to Giaus who later told Uther about it, that the boy believed that the enchantment had been lift because he truly love Arthur and not because he was Arthur´s true love.
Now the affections of the prince for his manservant were not a secret, nor his favour for the brunet; it was also not a secret that Merlin reciprocated those feelings, but even with those facts, they were not mates nor even in a courtship.
Uther having ears all around Camelot had hear the theories about that, some of them portraying him as the obstacle of that relationship, for example, some said Merlin never accept the affection in fear of attracting the King´s ire; others said Arthur was to loyal to his title and therefore had forfeit enter in a relationship with Merlin and instead wait for his arrange marriage, he even had hear some that both omega and alpha were waiting for his death to make their relationship known and with that legalize magic again, the more crazy ones, said things along Uther wanting the young manservant for himself.
The truth was that his son and manservant were idiots, that and the other truth, a very well hidden secret in all Camelot was that Uther knew about Merlin’s magic and that he had full intention of send the younger man to the pyre without considerations of his son feelings for the boy, but was stopped by an old friend, Nimue or more accurate what was left of her after she had summon the fury of the gods of the old religion trying to search revenge for his friend Ygraine and her own kind, taking the live of Arthur or Merlin, she had come to redeem herself by threaten him that if he ever hinted the pyre or mistreated Merlin, she would make sure to guide Morgana (the apple of his eye) in the hands of her half-older sister Morgause to learn about magic, and tell Arthur about the real story about his conception and birth; Uther knew he should better behave since he knew the real treat hidden in that words, his children against him, maybe not a patricide but for sure he would be overthrown, so he decided to turn a blind eye to the omega as he had done with Morgana when some of her nightmares had become true.
Since that fateful reunion, the King had done everything he could think of to bring the pair of idiots to see reason and start a courtship; now he knows he just wasted his time.
He had seen his son posturing during training, taking the boy to hunt to assert himself as a good provider, present jewellery and clothes to the boy, low his work load, and if the laundry women are to be believe convert his bed in a comfortable nest, but alas all of that had landed out of mark for he had also seen Merlin scolding Arthur after the training while treating with tender care the injuries of the knights, he had hear the knights reports about how Merlin scare every single animal in the forest during hunts and how he refuse to talk with Arthur the rest of the day if he catch some game, Morgana had told him about Merlin bemoaning to Gwen about how hurt he had felt when the prince had presented to him the jewels, for he had believed the alpha had shown him the courtship presents for an unknown royal omega to whom he would marry one day, or how insulted he felt when the blonde one gave him clothes, thinking the prince was pitying him and believing he was to poor to by his own clothes.
It was a miracle how the omega was so in love with the alpha, when he took every attempt from the blonde to start a courtship, a secret courtship, as a personal affront; no one could fully understand Merlin's infatuation.
Uther´s headache had not left him even when he had retired to the throne room and asked to be left alone; he was ordering his own manservant to send for Gaius when an ecstatic Sir Leon opened the doors.
“What’s the meaning of this, sir Leon?”
“His Majesty, the Prince has fallen victim to a spell,” said Leon with a merry voice that didn’t match the severity of his words.
“What?!?!?! What happened? Where´s Arthur?”
“Sir, the prince and the knights were training in the training grounds when a sorceress walked to them from the trees and did her spell. Merlin had taken Arthur to Gaius while the knights took the sorceress to the dungeons.”
“Has the sorceress said what her spell does?”
“No, sir, she only said she was doing a favour to Camelot and the rest of the world.”
“How is Arthur?”
“The spell has already taken the prince; Gaius thinks it was a spell to override the prince's herbs for his rut or just to make the prince enter rut.”
“Rut?”
“Yes, sir, before coming here, Gaius sent word that Arthur has at least a day and a half before he enters into his full rut.”
Uther was perplexed. Sir Leon hadn’t said anything explicitly, but had told him everything he needed to know. Now, he understood why Sir Leon was very happy. Arthur, without a doubt, would be cuddling, scent marking, and taking all the attention of the boy, a clear sign that an Alpha had an omega for his rut. “Is Merlin with Arthur?” he needed to be certain, maybe the sorcerer was right, maybe she was really doing a favour to the world, maybe his headaches would resign.
“Yes, sir,” said Sir Leon with a big, toothy smile.
“Good, bring both of them and the sorceress here.”
Sir Leon gave him a confused look but followed his order anyway.
Any alpha without an omega, with the exceptions of the ones still in courtship, would go violent and a little bit feral when in rut; that was the reason that a special part of the dungeons was adapted for alphas´ rut, but he was sure Arthur was not going feral. Now Merlin, as thick as he was when acknowledging the prince feelings toward him, would without a doubt try to convince himself that the all the attention that his son was bestowing in him right now were surely a part of the spell he was under and not the clingy and possessive behaviour display by an alpha to prepare his omega for their rut, that being the reason why Uther had call for the sorcerer, to make her explain in a mock examination of her crimes to make the omega understand finally that the prince of Camelot had romantic feelings toward him.
“Is it true?” asked Morgana.
He hadn’t realized when she had made her entrance in the throne room, too lost in his mind and the possibilities of the romantic tension being finally resolved.
“What is truth?”
“That Arthur is scent marking Merlin,” Uther raised an eyebrow to that statement since both had seen and smelled how Arthur had very subtly scent marked the omega, “publicly”, added his daughter for good measure.
“I do not know if he is publicly scenting the boy, but” He let a deliberated silence between his words only to play a little bit with Morgana's big pleading eyes, “what I do know is that Arthur had been hit with a spell that apparently had brought his rut out while in the presence of his manservant.”
He saw the exact moment when Morgana´s smile and pupils widened.
“I had summoned them here with the sorceress to do the examination of her crimes against Camelot. You can remain here if you so desire.”
Morgana also furrows her brow in confusion as Leon had but before she could ask him why he had summoned the tree of them, the doble door of the room open, making Morgana move quickly to stand beside him to his left of the throne.
The sight that greeted them was as expected, more or less. A smiling Arthur had walked into the room while carrying in one arm a very embarrassed Merlin, who was wearing his son´s red jacket and trying to hide his face, no doubt sporting a fierce blush, in the crook between the neck and shoulder of the alpha.
“Father,” said the blonde, as a manner of greeting, “Morgana,” and a little bow.
Uther decided to only acknowledge his son to spare the boy more embarrassment, “Arthur, I had heard about the attack in the training grounds, I ask you to be present in during the examination of the sorcerer to compare her words with the effects of the spell”, the king didn’t wait for an answer, for he knew his son has not pay any attention to his words since he was more interested in scent marking the back of the omega while whispering, what he suspected, were sweetnothings to the brunette, nonetheless he had . said the words loud and clear so Merlin could hear them. After all, this was solely for his benefit.
Soon, the double doors open again, this time to reveal the sorceress escorted by two knights, if he remembers correctly, Sir Percival and Sir Lancelot, and Sir Leon. If they noticed that the sorceress didn’t have her wrist bound by the “special” metal cuffs, no one said anything.
“You have been arrested and summoned here to examine your crimes against the crown of Camelot,” said Uther with the authority he talks to the court. “There are several witnesses who saw you put a spell on the heir of the throne of Camelot, Prince Arthur. Do you deny the accusations?”
“No, sir,” answered the sorceress.
“What kind of spell did you put on Prince Arthur? Explain it, and this court may be gentler in your punishment,” declared the king. No one interrupted to say that this reunion was not a court or that this was not the protocol to examine someone accused of magic in Camelot.
“The spell I casted on the prince was to bring out his rut and his pre-symptoms” explain the sorceress firmly, while casting furtive glances to the prince and his manservant, who at this moment was looking directly at her while the blonde was pouting at no being the centre of Merlin attention, “to make him violent and erratic, to show the people of Camelot?” the woman added to her statement while looking directly at the king searching for approval of her words, when a little bow was given to her she continued, “how aggressive the royal family really is” finish with a little more certainty.
“I see, therefore, you didn’t cast a spell to create a desire of love for the first omega he saw, or lock the spell to any specific omega,” the king stated with his eyes locked on Merlin.
“No, sir.”
“Really?” asked Merlin from the prince's arms, while flashing his golden eyes.
“Yes, I haven’t set the spell to lock in any omega; it was only a rut spell, it should pass as any normal one,” answered the woman automatically with a monotone tone.
Nearly everyone in the room was astonished by the blatant use of magic. Morgana nearly let out a whine after such a display, but stopped only by the pinch on her hand that Uther had given her. No one chastised the omega for talking out of place.
After everyone composed themselves, Morgana and Leon directed their surplice eyes to him, for they clearly now understood why he had called for the three of them.
Merlin was still watching the sorcerer as his namesake would a prey, so Uther decided to end this since everything should be clear to the boy now, Arthur in sincerity loved him and view him as an omega, his omega.
“Excellent, escort the sorceress out of the premises” Uther ordered, “Arthur” the king call, still ignoring the omega, but knowing full well he was the only listening to his words “At the events result I think is best if you are excuse of your duties as crown prince for the time being, unless a tincture with suppressant herbs would suffice to calm this rut down?” a statement lightly voice as a question directed to no one seemingly. Merlin's eyes had shone this time with something resembling hope.
“No remedy can revert the spell” shout the woman from the threshold of the double doors, the hope that had shine in the boy had been squash and quickly replace for a scold and flashing golden eyes directed to the prince, who at noticing that he was again the centre of the attention to the brunet, stopped his pouting and replaced it with a blinding smile.
Everyone was still for a moment, silence reigned in the room, waiting for what they were not really sure of. The silence was broken by everyone who let a loud gasp when Arthur just scent-marked Merlin again, passing his wrist on the boy’s forehead and starting purring. Arthur was still in rut to his rut.
“Well, if there’s nothing else we could do in this situation,” Uther was sure he would have to say it out loud, to the omega, for he evidently still was trying to find a way out of it, “it would be best if you, Merlin, stay near my son, since clearly he is infatuated with you.”
“Sir?” Asked the brunette.
“Of course, if you find this to be impossible for you held no feelings for him, I will not demand of you to do this since it is something very intimate and I would not like to tarnish your reputation, I could always ordered Gauis to brew a mild sleeping potion, so my son would let you out and send for other omegan substitute for his rut, I am very sure a lot of nobles would offer their help, now that I had voice this out loud, I think it is the best option” Uther said almost whimsically, ignoring the looks the knights and Morgana were giving him, even Arthur in his pre rut fog seems to have understood the implications of his words since he had let out a pitiful whine.
“NO!!!” had shouted Merlin, while guiding Arthur’s head against his chest, scent-marking the prince's hair and shoulders with his other hand, giving Uther the reaction he had been hoping for.
“Then?” asked the king.
“I. . . I will pass. . . his rut with him. . .sir,” said the omega once again red in the face, searching to hide himself in the crook of the neck of his son.
“Well, with that settled, everyone is dismissed.”
Arthur, who apparently had only understood his last words, was too happy to get out of the room without giving him a little bow, as normal court etiquette would demand.
He didn’t say anything, and let them go, after all nothing that had happened was normal, nothing had followed court laws or etiquette, there were no other nobles in the room to act as witness of the so call examination, Uther had never ordered to “escort out of the premises” someone who had been admitted to do magic in Camelot, he normally had yell for an execution, not had anyone let a peasant interrupted the session as Merlin had done today knowing full well a punishment will come, but this time there was no punishment, not even the “offer” to pass the rut with the prince was normal protocol, the normal protocol would have been as the king had said to search for a omega noble, but none of the normal proceedings would alleviate his headache.
In thanks for the cure of his headache, Uther had sent his manservant after the sorceress with a hefty sum of coins; he knew not to direct the young lad to the dungeons, since he knew none of the knights would incarcerate the one who also alliviated their sore bodies for all the posturing the prince did during their training.