Chapter Text
Merlin was walking through the market one lunchtime enjoying his free time. He supposed he was luckier than the average prostitute, he could walk about the town without anyone batting an eye or recognising what he did. Perks of having powerful magic.
He was highly sought after by those who had the coin to hire him. You see, Merlin had the unique ability, due to his magic, to transform his face into that of another person. He could reach into a client's mind and extract the vision of the person they desired most, thus resulting in his high cost and popularity.
But because of his gifts he was also trapped more so than his coworkers, he wasn't really allowed to leave, he was paid extremely well but they exploited the fact that they knew he sent a fair amount to his mother, on top of paying board for staying in the brothel, and of course his was higher than most as he was given a luxurious room to entrain his clients in.
Then there was also the matter of his magic, the kingdom he was in tolerated magic, accepted it widely, but not those as powerful as he was. He was seen as a threat, a weapon, and the mistress of the brothel had ensured that he would always find a safe haven within the walls. She had always kept her promise, turning away a few men who tried to take Merlin away.
Besides, where else would he go? Here he had food, shelter, warmth, a bed, friends, and he didn't hate his job, most of the time it was ok, sometimes good, occasionally bad, the same as any job he supposed, and he was freer here than anywhere else.
Continuing his walk through the town stalls he saw an approaching group of knights, he supposed they were here for the tourney, he had seen a few more groups of armed men taking up residence in the inns nearby. It would be good for business.
As he moved closer he saw what he guessed to be the lead knight, a tall blonde man laughing with his friends.
The knight stood in the centre, tossing a small dagger to one of his companions with exaggerated flair. It spun through the air effortlessly, and the companion caught it with a flourish.
Merlin’s stomach tightened when the next toss went slightly off. The dagger flew just past a young squire who had been standing too close, and the boy jumped back with a yelp. The knights erupted into laughter, the lead knight’s golden hair catching the sunlight as he clapped his hands and grinned.
“Careful! You nearly made a new pin cushion!” he called. The squire scowled, but his embarrassment only seemed to fuel the knight’s amusement.
The men kept throwing the blades between them, jokingly aiming near the poor squire. Only when a particularly bold knight accidentally nicked the boy did Merlin step in.
He couldn't watch the men torment the squire anymore, he was clearly not having fun, not that the others seemed to care, and could get seriously injured if they kept egging each other on.
“Hey!” Merlin walked up to the leader, the one currently holding the knife, “You've had your fun, my friend,” Merlin said
“Do I know you?” The blonde knight asked.
“I’m Merlin.” He said, holding out his hand.
The blonde made no move to take it, “So I don’t know you.”
“No.”
He smirked, “Yet you called me ‘friend.’”
“That was my mistake,” Merlin muttered.
“Yes, I think so.”
This man was insufferable, “Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass,” Merlin snapped, turning to walk away.
“Or I one who could be so stupid,” the knight retorted after him.
Merlin stopped, turning around.
“Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?” The man teased.
Merlin went cold, he knew that this man couldn't know what he did for a living, not with him being new to town and no one really ever seeing his face, but the fear of them knowing was terrifying.
“No.” He replied, tensely.
The man seemed oblivious to his newly cold demeanour, “Would you like me to help you?”
He internally breathed a sigh of relief, so he didn't know. The man's response could’ve made him laugh, if anything he could teach him a thing or two, “I wouldn't if I were you.”
“Why? What are you going to do to me?” The man goaded.
Merlin huffed out a laugh, “You have no idea.”
“Be my guest! Come on! Come on! Come oooooon.”
Merlin couldn't help himself, he turned around and punched the smug man in his smug face.
Well, he tried to, before he could land a blow the man had his arm twisted behind him painfully.
Merlin hissed, stumbling against the knight’s strength.
“You shouldn’t assault a Sir Knight, love,” he breathed in his ear.
Then, just as suddenly, the grip loosened. The knight released him with a shove.
Merlin staggered back, brushing off his jacket and glaring, “Look, I've told you you're an ass. I just didn't realise you were a noble one.”
The other men accompanying this Sir Knight shifted, moving to hold the hilt of their swords.
“Oh, what are you going to do? Get your men to protect you?”
The man laughed, but waved his men off, “I could take you apart with one blow.”
“I could take you apart with less than that,” Merlin replied, giving him a sultry gaze.
Are you sure?” He asked, amusement flickering in his eyes.
Merlin shrugged and removed his jacket.
The knight laughed, “Come on, then. I warn you, I’ve been trained to kill since birth.”
“Wow,” Merlin said, grinning, “and how long have you been training to be a prat?”
“You can't address me like that.” The man seemed baffled that a peasant like him had dared call him names.
“I'm sorry. H-How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?” He said, giving a little mocking bow.
The man blinked at him for a moment, then shook his head. “There’s something about you… I just can’t quite put my finger on it.”
Merlin smirked, turned on his heel, and walked away, leaving the knight staring after him.
-
He was getting ready for a usual night working, prepping himself beforehand because not all clients wanted to wait.
The first customer was a man, the glamour taking place as the image of a random bloke. The usual routine.
He exited his little prep room, the one where he changed appearances to keep his real identity hidden, and began work for the night.
-
After the man had left, Merlin quickly cleaned the room with magic, re-dressed himself, and waited for the next client.
While the others usually went out to entertain and entice customers in the common area downstairs, Merlin didn’t.
His face not really mattering to the clients, and reputation preceding him, he spent his working hours in his room. Customers being sent up by the brothel owner instead.
He mostly preferred it that way, no one seeing his real face and not having to schmooze up with some of the rougher men who didn’t know when to stop ordering the ale provided.
But sometimes it sounded nice getting to eat and drink with company, a live band sometimes playing on the weekends, talking up a nice looking bloke to pay for his company.
-
Soon, Merlin heard the door open in the main room, his next customer for the night. Taking a deep breath he focused on probing the client's mind, using his magic to elicit the image of the person they desired tonight.
Feeling his magic wash over him, he opened his eyes, staring at the mirror.
It was still him.
Shit. He began to panic. Why wasn't his glamour working? He tried again, again feeling the glamour take effect but nothing physically changing.
Dammit, what was he going to do now?
He took some breaths, ok, ok, he was going to have to turn the person away, maybe give him a free future visit or a full refund. He didn't want to, he could use the money, but he doubted the person would be too happy to have paid for his fantasy only to be presented with him. But his magic clearly wasn't working and he needed to fix it before he took any more clients.
Exiting his little room, he walked into the bedroom.
He was about to speak when he took stock of the man before him. It was that blond prat from the market.
He sighed internally, gods he was going to be insufferable. First for the fact that he was a prostitute, and second, that his magic apparently wasn't working properly, and lastly, for paying money for nothing.
Before he could open his mouth to apologise for the situation, the blond prat spoke.
“Wow,” he breathed, “You look exactly like him.”
Wait, what?
“You-you are satisfied with this appearance?” he asked, treading carefully, confused.
“Yes, the resemblance is uncanny, even your voice,” he huffed in amusement, “it's amazing.”
Oh. So the glamour was working, it just so happened that the glamour was of himself.
Shit.
The man probably wanted to take some anger out on him for speaking to him like that the other day. It wouldn't be the first time someone had desired the same person they wanted to hurt.
He cleared his throat, “Well, I'm glad,” resigning himself to be of service to this man for the next few hours, “would you like to begin?”
“Oh- um, yes,” he said, shaking himself out of his staring.
“What would you like me to call you, sir?”
“Arthur, Arthur will be fine.” He hesitated, “Do I call you Emyrs or…?” he trailed off.
Merlin was a little shocked, this man didn't seem like the cocky knight he met before, without the eyes of the public or his friends he seemed almost… shy. He was still wary though, why else would this man be desiring the peasant from the market?
Merlin smiled, “You may call me whatever you want, Arthur.”
“Ok, but um- I’ve never… I’ve never done this before. Hiring a partner I mean.” He flushed.
Merlin couldn't help himself, “Why now may I ask?”
Arthur hesitated, “You, well um, him I guess. There's just something about him I can't get out of my head.”
Merlin couldn’t help the small flutter in his chest, despite telling himself over and over again that this knight probably just wanted some stress relief from the mouthy boy who told him off.
“Well then, let's get him out of your system,” he said in the sultry voice he used for customers.
He walked up to Arthur, putting his hands on his shoulders. Arthur stared at him wide-eyed as he approached. Standing stock still until Merlin brought his hands to his hair, tugging gently, the man then leaned forward to catch his lips in a kiss.
Arthur's inhibitions seemed to disappear the moment Merlin responded, gripping his waist firmly to bring him closer. As he grew more confident his hands began to wander downwards, gripping his thighs firmly causing Merlin to hop up, wrapping his legs around Arthur's waist.
“Bed Arthur,” he murmured in his ear.
He immediately found himself thrown onto the plush 4-poster bed, a perk of being the best entertainer, the knight's arms caging him in.
He was used to being treated better than the other workers, having the face of a loved one usually resulted in better care and affection. But it also worked the other way round as he had found out a long time ago.
He moaned as he felt Arthur’s lips pressing firmly once again to his. Letting his hands wander down the man’s muscles back, pulling at the shirt's hem to remove the material.
“Emyrs…” he heard low in his ear. He ignored the twinge in his heart, knowing the man was here for business not for Merlin.
With the knight's tunic finally off, his own included in the growing pile on the floor, he turned his attention to the man’s trousers.
But before he could divest Arthur of them, the man had made for Merlin’s, shimmying them down his long legs and quickly making work of his own until they were both equally bare.
Arthur had a thing for kissing and tactile touch Merlin soon figured out, it seemed jay any spare moment he had he had his lips on Merlin’s skin, hands roaming and touching his hair, neck, arms, back and thighs.
“Can I?” He asked as those hands made it to his arse.
Merlin’s breath stuttered, it was rare that clients asked for permission, after all they had paid for it.
He nodded breathlessly, watching as Arthur’s face twisted in surprise at finding him already loose and pliant.
“Did you get– oh,” he said.
He must’ve remembered Merlin’s job, and that he probably wasn’t the first client of the night.
Somehow Merlin felt a little self-conscious about it for the first time since he started. Why he felt that way with the blond prat he didn’t know.
Arthur didn’t fumble in his stride though, using the oil on the bedside table, he slowly reworked Merlin’s open, massaging that spot inside of him.
Merlin was a writhing mess, he didn’t often get the pleasure of this, clients not wanting to eat into their bought time by making Merlin come.
“Look at you,” Arthur breathed, pupils blown, “beautiful,”
Merlin blushed, it was the fact that this knight was calling his glamour beautiful, the glamour of himself beautiful, that made him go hot.
“Ready?” The knight continued.
“Yes,” he sighed.
Merlin felt the familiar press of arousal against him, breaching him, filling him.
Arthur went slowly, for some reason being careful despite the fact that Merlin had already been ready for the intrusion earlier that night.
Merlin didn’t urge him on though, no matter how much he wanted to. It was Arthur’s night, and he could have it however he wanted, as was the customer's right.
When he had bottomed out, Arthur stilled, watching Merlin’s face for discomfort.
“Please,” Merlin breathed, wanting the man who had requested his face to take him.
Arthur grinned, pulling out almost all the way then pushing back in, slowly but surely working up to a comfortable rhythm.
Arthur wasn’t a selfish lover Merlin discovered, the knight angling every thrust into that spot that made him gasp, letting his ankles rest on his shoulders so he could go deeper, and let a teasing hand brush against his cock every few seconds.
The combination had Merlin’s head lolling to the side, a position Arthur immediately took advantage of by attacking the skin of his neck with kisses.
The knight continued to hitch his hips into Merlin’s, speeding up as he neared completion. He was gasping low into his neck, muttering encouragements into the skin, his hand now consistently stripping Merlin’s cock.
“Gods, Merlin,” he cried as he came.
The sound of his own name coming from Arthur's lips undid Merlin. Shooting onto the knight's hand and chest.
They breathed heavily as they both came down, Arthur rolling his hips languidly to extend their pleasure.
When Arthur gently pulled out and flopped down to him, Merlin wanted nothing more than to curl up next to him and fall asleep, but he knew that wasn’t in the job description.
He sat himself up, smiling gently at the knight next to him. As he felt Arthur’s spend dripping out of him, cooling uncomfortably on his thighs, reality came back to him.
It seemed to hit Arthur too, his face falling slightly as he realised that this night was nothing but a fantasy, one that he had paid for.
They eventually said their awkward goodbyes, both gazing wistfully at each other as he left.
The knight gave him one more smile before descending the wooden stairs.
Merlin closed the door and sighed, falling face forward onto the bed, cleaning himself and the room up with nothing but a thought.
He wondered if he’d seen the man again, either as Emrys or Merlin.
He really hoped he did, even if he was a posh prat outside of these walls.