Merlin (TV BBC) - Febuwhump 2024 / Mini Fic Challenge

Day 4: Obedience

Summary: Cenred has kidnapped Merlin and keeps him locked up in his chambers.

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Merlin heard the doors opening but he couldn't see them. He heard the footsteps approach, heard the chains attached to his collar rattle as his hair was grabbed and his head forced back. He wasn't able to see until the blindfold was removed. Tugged off him. A few strands of his hair pulled out with it where they were weaved into the knot.

"Morning my pretty birdy," the king of Essetir drawled up in his face, right before he licked the side of Merlin's face. Marking his territory as he has done for as long as Merlin has been in his chambers. His trophy. Cenred nipped at Merlin's ear before easing away.

Merlin couldn't do anything about it; his body limp, his muscles wasting away, his magic dwindling. The drugs in his system doing what they were made for, but not touching Merlin's mind. He was tired but he was clear of mind, just had no power over his own body. A worst kind of torture. Unable to flinch away when a blow landed, or squirm away from the king's tongue or over parts of him. He internally screamed when Cenred was particularly in his bad or devilish moods. The rest of the time he just imagined being back in Camelot, in Arthur's chambers, in his true king's bed, in his arms...

"Are you ready for your daily poison, birdy?"

Cenred never denied what he did to Merlin, never flowered it up to make it out to be something it wasn't, he said it as it was. Every morning, he would make Merlin drink the only water he would get that day—not an ounce of food in sight. The water, however, was always laced with the drugs that kept him lucid. Or as Cenred liked it: obedient, docile.

Every time it was the same, as it was about to be again.

"Open up that sweet mouth of yours for me," he said, grinning, as he brought a full goblet to Merlin's lips. It poured into Merlin's open mouth, but as always, Merlin couldn't shut his mouth to swallow. Honestly, he wouldn't swallow the water even if he could, he didn't want anything given to him by Cenred. He knew he had to keep up his strength but the stubborn part of him wanted to rebel. So, the laced water dripped down his chin, splashing his bare chest.

Cenred tutted. "If only you hadn't disobeyed me at the start of all this then maybe I wouldn't need to do this to you, but you brought this onto yourself," he said sounding disappointed. He put the goblet down and clamped his hand over Merlin's mouth and nose, blocking his airways. Unable to breathe his body twitched on its own and his throat constricted on its own, making him swallow the content in his mouth. Cenred moved his hand to pour in more water and repeated the process of placing his hand over his mouth and nose. The drugs were at their strongest when they first hit his stomach. The world starts to spin and contort. Cenred lets go of him and he lays there, hoping for a rescue he fears will never come.