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Before Merlin was the bonding chamber, where he would be almost permanently connected to Arthur forever. Once he accepted the Alpha as his chosen mate, they would spend a week together in the chamber, curled up together to mingle their scents so thoroughly Merlin's Omega pheromones would be overpowered by Arthur's dominance.
"Eventually," Ellena explained, showing Merlin and Arthur around the elegantly decorated room. "This will wear off, as it is only scent marking. It must be maintained until Merlin reaches his heat. His first heat will be a critical time where he both becomes an adult, and fully blossoms in to his mated Omega role."
There were no scented oils for the lanterns or the bath, which was set up in a separate room, lacking heated water at the moment. Nothing in the room smelled like anything really, which was a surprise to Merlin. This room was the most elegant of all rooms in their den, with fine linens and exquisite furs. A massive hearth would heat the room at night, and beautiful lanterns adored the walls for light. A large, permanently closed window gave a picturesque view of the lake the den was situated next to, and nothing else but the wilderness.
Arthur stepped in the chamber without Merlin in tow, gently removing his boots and leaving them near the doorway. He stripped off a few of his outer layers, until he was left in only his fine linen shirt and a loose pair of trousers. Merlin was jealous of the finery a prince got to wear, maybe only an Alpha prince, he reminded himself. He himself was gifted with an itchy woolen tunic that came to his knees, and nothing else. His legs were bare from his feet to his groin, where a loose pair of shorts was his only protection from the elements.
"What are you doing?" Merlin blurted out, slightly confused by Arthur's behavior. He immediately felt the burn of embarrassment when Ellena shot him an exasperated look.
"Merlin!" She chided, but Arthur only laughed at the Omega's cluelessness.
"You have to enter of your own free will, my little bird. Entering room gives me consent to claim you as my own." Arthur explained carefully, situating himself in a large armchair near the hearth. The prince sunk down in the plush chair and closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the headrest.
"You'll have to forgive Merlin, he wasn't raised here in the den like the others. He has only been with us for a short while, but I assure you he has been trained better then this." Ellena sighed, letting her shoulders sag and frustrations show. Truth be told, two months was far too little of a time to train Merlin in proper Omega etiquette. It was a lifestyle he hadn't been prepared for, coming from living on a farm in a different kingdom to living in the den was a very different shift in focus.
"Where are you from, Merlin? You weren't raised here, so you must have come from somewhere." Arthur asked him, but he didn't open his eyes to look at the Omega while he spoke. Merlin noticed that though his body appeared relaxed, Arthur was truly a tight line of clenched muscles. A quick sniff of the room revealed Arthur's self-control battling with his desire.
For some reason or another, the knowledge that Arthur was trying so hard to give Merlin as much freedom in this was endearing, but he also felt guilt for causing such strain in the Alpha. He toed the line between the creaky wooden floors of the den and the polished floors of the bonding chamber. Entering would mean there was no going back, this man would become his life.
'He's a lot better then any of the other Alphas that have come...' Merlin thought carefully, worried that perhaps Arthur might pick up on his negative thoughts.
"I'm from Ealdor." Merlin finally answered, taking a small step across the threshold and in to the room. The Omega expected Arthur to rush over and collect him in his arms, cradling him like precious cargo, but Arthur's restraint remained. If anything, it had become more tense. Arthur needed Merlin to submit to him fully, but the Omega wanted to make sure the legitimacy of their match before he committed himself completely.
"In Cendred's Kingdom?" Arthur questioned, this time cracking open one eye to glance at Ellena.
"Their den wouldn't take him when he was discovered. They hold firm to the rumor that Omega's with abilities are... less valuable." Ellena reached out an placed a soothing hand on the back of Merlin's head, softly rubbing where his non-humanoid ears connected in to his hair. The furry ears, when rubbed, had a calming effect on juveniles of all classes, but Omega's held their ears and tails the longest.
Merlin could smell Ellena's fear that the Prince would reject him, though they iron cuffs around his ankles and wrists had been perfectly visible when Arthur had chosen Merlin as his mate. The den mother had explained to him over and over again though, after every failed mate chose another Omega, and after more and more of the girls left to noble estates, his abilities would always be looked down upon. It was better to suppress them then to express them, she would say.
Arthur was silent for a few moments, and in those moments Merlin paid careful attention to his scent. Never once did it stray in to disgust, or fear. He never once' wavered in his desire, and the heavy burden Merlin had been carried felt like it lightened somewhat.
"What power must be hiding beneath your skin..." The prince mused, opening his eyes fully to stare in to the empty fireplace now.
"What a strong mate you will be." Arthur's sentence was punctuated with a purr, and Merlin felt a coil begin to tighten in his stomach.
Ellena dropped her hand from his hair, and nudged him forwards towards the armchair. His body responded effortlessly, each footstep quicker then the last until he was standing immediately before the Prince. Less then an inch of space separated them now, and Merlin was quick to close the gap. He reached out and carded his fingers through Arthur's soft blond hair, dragging his blunt fingertips alone his scalp in gentle lines. He was pleased to find no traces of his mate's furry ears.
'A true adult.' Merlin gleefully acknowledged.
"You smell so beautiful..." Arthur mumbled, his face buried in the pale skin of Merlin's collarbone. A sharp inhale was followed with another soft purr from deep within the prince's body. The vibrations from Arthur made his skin tingle and his mind a bit soft.
"It feels like you were made just for me." The prince smiled, the soft purring building in intensity as Merlin enjoyed the softness of the Arthur's hair. A second burst of pheromones brought Merlin the same breathless feeling Arthur had experienced only moments ago downstairs before an entire crowd of Omega's, strong and enamored. It was protective and overjoyed, and the scent made Merlin's heart melt a little faster.
"Make sure this is what you want Merlin." Arthur leaned down and ghosted his lips over the curve of Merlin's fur-covered ears. The Omega's still strong tail reacted by twining itself around the prince's thigh, eliciting another low rumble from Arthur's chest. Merlin was beginning to crave that sound, and how it made him feel, more then he craved to be rid of the iron cuffs around his wrists and ankles.
"Once these doors are locked, no other Alpha can take you." Ellena interjected, the silver key hanging precariously on the chain around her neck. She kept the key close to her at all times, to discourage curious children from getting in to places they didn't belong. The bonding room was a sacred place in any Omega den, where powerful matings were forged.
"Once I claim you, I'm positive I will never be able to let you go." Arthur finished his sentence with an exaggerated growl, and Merlin could only mewl in response.
"I'm sure." Merlin whimpered, craving more contact with the prince then his current position allowed. Arthur's arms lifted him from the ground and cradled his small, lithe body against his chest, with Merlin's legs dangling over the arm of the chair.
The Omega ran his nose along the softness of Arthur's cheek, and down to the sharp curve of his shoulder, memorizing the scent of his mate as well as the landscape of his body. Merlin knew that so long as he was a juvenile, their contact could never break chastity, but when he reached adulthood and his first heat struck, everything would change.
"Sire." Ellena said in a moment of silence between the two, breaking the trance that had mentally sent them far away from the Omega den.
Arthur turned his head to face her, and in the process of doing so tucked Merlin's head under his chin. The fluffy black ear twitched against Arthur's cheek, but he didn't seem to notice the mild annoyance.
"Fresh food and drink will be provided each morning before you both awake. Only I will enter the chamber to deliver it. If you need anything from me, simply knock on the doors and I will come." Ellena bowed her head and her soft smile was once against in place upon her face. She took her leave quietly from the room and locked the doors behind her with a soft click.
After a few moments of contented cuddling, Arthur pulled back with his hands on Merlin's shoulders.
"Tell me about yourself, your history and life before here. I'd like to know, if you don't mind." Arthur draw Merlin back in, taking the corner of his fur-covered ear in to his mouth and nibbling on the corner. The boy felt his own purr rise up in his throat, vibrating his chest against his loose tunic.
"Anything for you, sire." Merlin mewled, running his smooth tongue along the collarbone jutting from Arthur's shirt.
"Arthur." The prince corrected, nipping the soft ear he held between his teeth in gentle punishment.
"Call me Arthur."