Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13747110.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      M/M
  Fandom:
      Merlin_(TV)
  Relationship:
      Merlin/Uther_Pendragon_(Merlin)
  Character:
      Merlin_(Merlin), Uther_Pendragon_(Merlin), Arthur_Pendragon_(Merlin),
      Gaius_(Merlin), Morgana_(Merlin), Gwen_(Merlin)
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Canon_Divergence, Slow_Burn, Uther_Finds_Out_About
      Merlin's_Magic, Magic_Revealed, Merlin's_Magic_Revealed, Merlin_doesn't
      know_Uther_knows, Bottom_Merlin, Top_Merlin, versatile_Merlin, Bottom
      Uther_Pendragon_(Merlin), Top_Uther_Pendragon_(Merlin), Versatile_Uther
      Pendragon, POV_Merlin, POV_Uther_Pendragon, Mutual_Pining, Attempted
      Rape/Non-Con, But_not_between_Uther/Merlin, Wet_Dream, Bondage, Non-
      Consensual_Bondage, Sex_Magic
  Stats:
      Published: 2018-02-20 Updated: 2018-03-29 Chapters: 11/? Words: 13942
****** A Gift From The Gods ******
by MilenLaborde
Summary
     Merlin has just arrived in Camelot and has already revealed himself
     to Gaius by using magic to save him. But he didn't just out himself
     to Gaius. He has also revealed himself to King Uther, who was
     watching from the shadows. Will Uther decide to sentence them both to
     death? Or will he decide that Merlin was meant to be a gift from the
     Gods?
Notes
     Dialogue and spells taken from the show (which I don't own) are
     indicated in Bold.
     Enjoy! - Milena
See the end of the work for more notes
***** Chapter 1 *****
Chapter 1
At the sight of the stunning citadel, Merlin couldn't help but gasp. He'd heard
of Camelot's grandeur, but to see it in person was impressive, to say the
least. He shook himself out of his surprise. He needed to get to Gaius'
chambers at a reasonable time, and he had no doubt he would get lost in the
process.
Trekking into the citadel, Merlin was practically overwhelmed. He could barely
focus on where he was going. There were so many people, their voices combining
into a clamor. So many new smells assaulted his nose, no doubt coming from the
various vendors lined up along the streets. He had a hard time keeping his eyes
in front of him, too busy observing his new surroundings.
Walking into the castle courtyard, Merlin's curiosity was piqued by the sound
of trumpets. The people around him were all going in one direction, so he
followed them. The crowd was gathered in a circle and Merlin rose up on his
tiptoes to try to get a better vantage point. However, his curiosity was washed
away by the sound of heavy drums, and replaced by a feeling of anxiety. His
fear spiked when he watched two guards escort a man to the center of the square
and onto what Merlin could see now was a raised stage with a block in the
middle. An executioner's block.
He jumped when he heard a strong voice call out from the balcony above the
courtyard, "Let this serve as a lesson to all." The man was brought up onto the
platform. "This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to
use enchantments and magic. And pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther
Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death."
The realization of what was about to happen finally dawned on him. He gulped.
"I pride myself as a fair and just king," the man declared, "But for the crime
of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."
Merlin saw the King nod to the guards, who then brought the man, one of his
kin, to his knees. A wave of terror washed over him, but there was nothing he
could do. The King lifted his hand and then dropped it. The sound of the drums
couldn't cover up the sound of the ax being brought down. Merlin had to close
his eyes, but he opened them when he heard the King start talking once more.
"When I came to this land, this kingdom was mired in chaos, but with the
people's help, magic was driven from the realm. So I declare a festival to
celebrate 20 years since the great dragon was captured and Camelot freed from
the evil of sorcery." Merlin knew then and there, that the image of King Uther,
hands raised as he declares his satisfaction at the death of one of his kin,
would be burned into his head forever.
"Let the celebrations begin." The King turned his back on the crowd as he went
to leave. The crowd around him began to whisper to themselves. However,
everything went quiet again, at the sound of a painful wail. The King turned
back to the crowd as he realized that the woman who cried out was addressing
him. Merlin barely managed to hide his gasp when the woman continued on to
threaten the King and his son. He looked on in shock as the old woman then
disappeared in a whirlwind. He watched as the King sped off the balcony and out
of sight. The crowd began to disperse, and Merlin decided he needed to get to
Gaius as soon as possible.
===============================================================================
                                  Line break
Uther walked as quickly as would be acceptable for a king down the corridor. He
had to get to Gaius' chambers. This new threat was unacceptable. He hoped Gaius
would have some idea of how to find the witch, or at the very least keep her
away from Arthur. He finally reached the staircase leading to his old friend's
rooms when he heard Gaius cry out along with the sound of wood shattering. He
raced up the stairs. The door was wide open and he was about to charge in, but
he stopped himself in shock.
A young man with black hair, who was standing in the middle of the room, seemed
to stop time itself. Gaius was frozen in midair. The boy then looked at a bed
on the other side of the room and moved it under Gaius. Uther moved out of the
doorway. That boy had used magic. Granted he used it to save his friend,
but magic was magic, and no forms of it would be accepted in his kingdom. Uther
went to call for the guards but stopped himself once again at the sound of
Gaius' voice.
Gaius was asking the youth about his magic. The boy was doing everything he
could to deny his sorcery but Gaius insisted. Uther scowled. He knew that Gaius
had an affinity for magic and its practitioners, but by the gods, he should be
calling out for the guards right now. A thought dawned on him. Was Gaius
betraying him? He listened once more and was bewildered when he heard the boy
claim he was born with magic. As if such a thing was possible. He felt slightly
satisfied when he heard Gaius mirror his response.
Uther's mind was made up. He would continue to listen, to see if his friend was
indeed betraying him and his kingdom. And if Gaius was found guilty of treason,
he frowned, then they would both burn. He once again focused his attention on
the conversation happening behind him. The boy, Merlin, was introducing himself
to Gaius. His friend proceeded to tell the boy that he wouldn't tell anyone
about the magic. And that was all the proof he needed. He stormed away, making
sure he wasn't seen. He could've called the guards and arrested them right then
and there, but no. He needed to find out just how far Gaius was going to go in
his deception. And then, he would have their heads.
End of Chapter 1
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
                                  Chapter 2:
Merlin knew that tonight, his first night in Camelot would be remembered fondly
for the rest of his days. Nothing spectacular or of significance was happening,
but to him, it felt incredible. Gaius had let him get settled in what obviously
used to be a small storage room. A wooden bed had been moved into the room for
him to sleep on. Another might have thought the bed too uncomfortable and the
room too small, but Merlin was a simple man and he was content here. In fact,
he considered himself incredibly lucky to even have a room to himself. When he
was living with his mother, he would sleep on the floor of the small living
room. Tonight Merlin felt like a king.
However, the best part of the whole room wasn't the actual room or the bed. It
was the window. A large window towards the ceiling that he had to climb onto a
table to open. It was by far the greatest view he had ever seen. Camelot was
impressive by day sure, but at night it was even more marvelous. The noise of
people's voices and a combination of various other sounds like clanging metal
and barking dogs floated up towards him. The full moon was right above the
city, and to Merlin, it seemed like he could reach out and grab it. And for the
first time in a long time, Merlin thought to himself, This is where I belong.
===============================================================================
                                  Line break
Uther walked out onto an open walkway, just completing his morning rounds when
out of the corner of his eye he spotted his son and a few knights. He rolled
his eyes. Arthur was once again terrorizing the servants. Uther would never
scold the prince over his treatment of the castle workers, but he did wish his
son would treat them slightly better. They weren't slaves after all. Uther had
also found the Arthur had become increasingly arrogant, but he was worried and
at a loss over what to do about it. Either one day his son would be humbled or
his overconfidence would get him killed.
He shook his head and went to leave when he spotted a new spectator of the
scene that Arthur was causing. The sorcerer boy, Merlin. Uther had thought long
and hard about what to do with his two traitors. He hadn't come up with
anything new, however, and had decided to stick with the idea of watching for
now. The thought of letting betrayal go unpunished raged him, but his curiosity
had won out. He had to know if there was a larger plot at play. And then when
he knew what was going on, he would have his vengeance.
The boy, Merlin, watched the spectacle silently for a bit, watching Arthur
throw daggers at his makeshift 'moving target' until the servant tripped and
dropped the wooden target. The target rolled right to the sorcerer, who stopped
it with his foot. Uther looked on in shock as the boy rebuked his son. Arthur
approached the boy. Uther was slightly disappointed when his son didn't
immediately sense the boy's magic, but then, of course, the only way he himself
had found out was by chance. He was amazed though, at the pure stupidity and
audacity the boy had in order to speak out against his prince. He did know who
Arthur was, right?
The boy went on to call Arthur an ass. It would seem that he didn't know who
Arthur was. He must've come from far away, Uther thought, if he couldn't
recognize his son. His eyes widened when the boy actually threw a punch at
Arthur. The prince brought the boy's arm behind his back. He saw Arthur's mouth
move, but the words were out of earshot. Arthur brought the boy to his knees
and two knights took the boy away, most likely to a cell. Uther walked away
from the balcony, wondering how a sorcerer could be this stupid. Just when he
had to keep his head down, he got into a fight with the prince. But, Uther had
to commend him, he didn't seem like a coward. In fact, he seemed brave, if a
little naive. The king had to wonder how the boy would react if he was
confronted about his magic.
===============================================================================
                                  Line break
Later on that night, after he had greeted Lady Helen upon her arrival, he had
finally retired to his chambers. He was finishing up some paperwork when a
knock at the door brought him away from his work.
"Enter." He called out.
"Sire, there's something I wish to speak to you about." It was Gaius. Finally
come to turn in the sorcerer, he hoped. He nodded for the man to continue.
"My new apprentice, Merlin, has just arrived to the citadel. It would seem that
there has been a bit of an altercation between him and Prince Arthur."
Uther narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I'm well aware. Although I'm still not sure why
you're here Gaius."
"Well, Your Majesty, I'm here to ask that you mitigate the boy's punishment
sire. I assure you he had no idea who he was speaking to."
Uther managed to keep an air of indifference even though he was growling on the
inside. Gaius was not here to send the boy to jail, he was here to get him out.
But the king refused to lose this battle. He would find out what they were
plotting against him. He pretended to think for a few seconds.
"And what would you suggest, Gaius?"
"Perhaps a morning in the stocks would be enough to teach him his lesson?"
Gaius proposed.
Uther hid his smirk from Gaius. Yes, he had to admit, seeing the boy get pelted
with rotten fruits and vegetables would be amusing.
"Very well. He shall spend the night in his cell and tomorrow morning in the
stocks."
The old man went to leave but before he could, the king called out to him.
"And Gaius, you would do well to teach the boy some propriety. Lest the boy
find himself in a precarious situation."
Gaius nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
End of Chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Whoohoo chapter 2 done! I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I
     enjoyed writing. Feel free to tell me what you think! and as always
     thanks to everyone for reading -Milena
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter Notes
     Hellooo my awesome readers! Chapter 3 is here. All the dialogue taken
     directly from the show (which I don't own despite my biggest wishes)
     is in bold. - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 3
Merlin awoke to the sound of someone calling his name. Not out loud, but in his
head. He jumped up from the floor of his cell and backed himself into a corner.
Whoever it was called his name again. He walked towards where he had been
sleeping. It seemed like the voice was coming from the floor of the cell. He
jumped when the door to his cell opened suddenly and Gaius entered.
"Merlin," The man scolded, "You never cease to amaze me. The one thing that
someone like you should do is keep your head down and what do you do? You
behave like an idiot."
"I'm sorry, Gaius," He apologized.
"You're lucky," the physician replied, "I managed to pull a few strings to get
you released."
Merlin began to thank Gaius, but the man interrupted the string of thank you's,
when he added, "Well, there is a small price to pay…"
Line break
Uther laughed softly at the sight of the sorcerer boy being pelted by rotten
foods. Serves the boy right. The king had greatly underestimated how amusing
watching the boy in the stocks was going to be. He was currently watching from
a window at an angle where he wouldn't be seen but had a clear view of the
show. The boy was an enigma. He should've done everything possible to stay out
of sight. Instead, he starts a fight with someone who was clearly above his
station, as Arthur was in his Knight's attire at the time of the incident. Yes,
the boy was unique, and Uther was curious.
Of course, he was still suspicious of the boy and his guardian, but perhaps
there was no exterior plot. Perhaps the boy only had an insignificant amount of
magic. He had a hard time believing someone with an ulterior motive would draw
such attention to himself. But he couldn't rule anything out yet. And even if
the boy only had a small bit of magic, he would not allow such an evil in his
kingdom, and especially not in the citadel.
He spotted Gaius walk by the boy, laughing aloud at his ward. An interesting
thing. They seemed to be completely confident that no one was aware of their
treason. He would let them believe so for now, after all, a surprise attack
always works best.
Line break
Merlin was lost in thought on the walk to Lady Helen's chambers. He was sent to
give her a preparation elixir for her voice. He had finally cleaned himself but
the smell still lingered. It had been a pretty uneventful day. He had met Gwen
during his time in the stocks. Later on, during lunch, he had heard the story
of why Uther had banned magic and how he trapped a dragon below the castle.
Although Merlin had a feeling that he wasn't being told the full story.
But there had been something else. He had felt someone watching him, the entire
time he was in the stocks. At first, he had thought it was his imagination, but
when he was released he turned quickly towards the castle and saw a figure step
out of sight in one of the high windows overlooking the stocks. Perhaps it was
his imagination, but the sense of being watched was too strong. He would have
to be extra careful from now on.
Line break
Uther flipped through his stack of papers, not really paying attention to any
one of them. He had almost been seen when the boy had been let out of the
stocks. He would have to be more careful in his spying on the boy. As a king,
he would be noticed if he was watching them closely and constantly. A soft
knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He called out for whoever it was to
enter his rooms. Looking up from his papers he saw that it was his servant,
bringing him his dinner. He had a realization. Perhaps he could not watch the
boy all the time, but that didn't mean someone else couldn't. His servant had
been in his employ for years now, and Uther deemed him trustworthy.
He motioned for the servant to come closer. "I have a job for you that requires
the utmost attention and discretion."
The servant nodded and he continued, "Gaius, the court physician, recently took
on a new apprentice. His name is Merlin. I want you to follow this boy around
throughout the day and report back anything of importance to me. No matter what
you see or hear, you are not allowed to give any information you gain to anyone
but me. Am I understood?"
The servant nodded again, and Uther sat down to eat his dinner.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Hope you guys liked this chapter! as always thank you for reading!
     and feel free to let me know what you think - Milena
***** Chapter 4 *****
Chapter Notes
     Speech taken directly from the show (which I don't own) will be
     indicated in Bold.
     This chapter contains very slight smexy times towards the end.
     Hope everyone enjoys! - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 4
Merlin stormed through the corridor, not really thinking about where he was
going. His shoulder and his pride were both aching. He hated this. Earlier
today he had again encountered Prince Prat. If he had been able to use his
powers he would have beaten the prince without a thought. But instead, he had
to keep his abilities hidden and act like a useless peasant who couldn't defend
himself. If he couldn't use his magic then what was the point? Why had he been
born with magic, if it was just going to get him killed? Merlin stopped
walking, lost in thought. Gaius had told him that he wasn't a monster. But if
that were true, then why did he feel like one?
Merlin was brought back to reality when he heard a voice that he never wanted
to hear again. The sound of the prince laughing along with the voices of
knights reached Merlin's ears. Damn, he needed to get away. He wouldn't
survive a third confrontation. Merlin looked around quickly. There was a small
door on his right. He opened it and went through, closing the door behind him.
His heart was racing, but it eased once he heard the nobles pass and walk out
of earshot.
After a few minutes, he calmed down enough to observe his surroundings. He
seemed to be in a small passageway, perhaps a servant's entrance to another
part of the castle. He was curious to see where it led, and he wasn't anxious
to go back out into the other hallway where he might encounter the prince
again. He decided to see where it led. The hallway was dark with no windows,
only lit by a few torches here and there. He was walking for a few minutes
until the passageway ended in a dead end. At the end of the hallway, there was
another wooden door, this time bigger than the first but not as big as one
would expect a door to be.
He got closer to the door. It had a keyhole. Merlin hesitated but eventually
crouched down and looked briefly into the room. Merlin gasped and stood back up
quickly as his faced flushed bright pink. It was the King.
Line Break
Time lapse to a bit before
Uther walked into his chambers and found his servant waiting patiently for him
with his lunch. The king sat down and ate in silence, going over his to-do list
that had, by no surprise, expanded after the council meeting that had taken
place this morning. After he finished eating he poured himself a glass of wine
and finally acknowledged the servant who had just finished polishing his armor.
"Come here, boy." The servant stood up and walked towards the king. "Did you
learn anything during your observations of Gaius' ward?"
The boy seemed to hesitate before answering, "Well, the boy had another
altercation with the Prince this morning."
"Again?" He was in disbelief. Once might've been a coincidence, but twice? Not
likely. The sorcerer was definitely up to something, something involving his
son. "What happened?"
"The boy walked past the Prince and a few of the knights. It seemed like he was
trying to keep his head down and keep to himself, but the Prince called out to
him, sire."
So it had been Arthur that started this? "And what did he call out to the boy?"
The servant cleared his throat before answering, "The Prince asked him how his
knee walking was going." Uther nearly rolled his eyes. Of course he did. But it
changed things. If Arthur was the one to start things this time, then maybe the
sorcerer wasn't conspiring against his son. The servant continued to recount
the events of this morning when he said something that shocked the king.
"He said what?" Uther asked the boy to repeat himself.
"He said 'How long have you been training to be a prat." Uther shook his head.
The boy apparently had no sense of self-preservation. "And what was Arthur's
reply?"
"The Prince told the boy that he couldn't address his prince in such a way."
The king nodded to himself. At least Arthur had cleared things up for the boy.
Although he doubted things ended there. He motioned for the servant to
continue.
"The boy, he replied," The servant paused. Uther rose his eyebrows at him,
raising his goblet of wine to his mouth. "Well he replied with 'I'm sorry, how
long have you been training to be a prat, my lord."
Uther nearly spit out his wine. In laughter or shock, he didn't know. The boy
had some audacity, but in a way that was both amusing and surprising. He
certainly wasn't afraid to speak his mind. But at the same time, the sorcerer
had avoided Arthur at the beginning. A wolf in sheep's clothing Uther thought
to himself. The boy was dangerous, of that he had no doubt, but could it be
that he was only dangerous when cornered or confronted? He would have to keep
observing.
He asked the servant to go draw him a bath, and after that was done he sent the
boy on his way. Usually, nobles and royals would have their servants help them
in bathing, but Uther considered the action too intimate. His bathing was, for
lack of other words, his alone time. It was where he could organize his
thoughts and decide on how to handle certain situations that arose during the
day.
As soon as the serving boy was gone, Uther undressed and slid into the hot
water of the tub. The heat seemed to be the only thing that could relax him
these days. Well, that and one other thing. Uther sank down into the water
further and wrapped a hand around said other thing. His other hand gripped the
edge of the tub while he stroked himself. He was about to finish when he heard
a very soft gasp come from the servant's entrance.
Uther moved so that his body was hidden under the water, but he couldn't stop
pleasuring himself. He was so close. It was the sorcerer. Merlin. Uther knew
with every fiber of his body and besides, he had recognized the sound of the
boy's voice. But for some reason, the fact made his pleasure skyrocket. Just
the thought that there was someone watching him, someone who had the power to
walk in and completely dominate him, Gods.
Uther sunk into the tub as he spent into the water. It had been the best orgasm
he'd had in a long while. And all at the thought of being dominated by a
sorcerer. It was a fantasy he'd never had before. A few moments later he got
out of the bath. Once he was dressed he walked to the servant's door and opened
it. But just as he expected, the boy was long gone. He closed the door and got
into bed. As he fell asleep he couldn't help but wonder if the boy had put him
under a spell.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Hope you guys enjoyed my favorite chapter so far. Finally, we start
     to see some Merlin/Uther. Let me know what you think! and as always,
     Thank you so very much for reading! -Milena
***** Chapter 5 *****
Chapter Notes
     Here we go, Chapter 5, my longest chapter yet. I hope everyone enjoys
     reading, and again thank you so much to everyone who has been
     commenting, you guys give me motivation!
     Dialogue from the show (which I don't own because I was conned by a
     genie) is indicated in Bold
     Enjoy! - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 5
Merlin walked as fast as he could, almost running back to Gaius' chambers. His
face was completely flushed. The pink even went down to his neck. He couldn't
believe what had just happened. He had bent down to look into the room through
the keyhole, and he'd gasped at what he had seen. The king taking a bath.
Naked. Of course, he reasoned, he didn't expect the king to bathe fully
clothed, but knowing and seeing were two very different things. But the king
hadn't just been taking a bath, he'd been pleasuring himself.
When Merlin saw this he quickly looked away, but for some damned reason, he had
to look back. The sight of the king in such a vulnerable position was
mesmerizing. This man had terrorized him his entire life, had killed hundreds
of his kin, and here he was, no armor, no guards, no weapons, and no
protection.
Merlin had the power to kill the man right then and there. And that piece of
knowledge had impacted the young sorcerer in a way he'd never experienced
before. It was incredibly arousing, as was obvious by the tenting of Merlin's
pants. But along with the arousal was the shame. He shouldn't feel this way
over the thought of killing a man. But he did. And when he finally reached his
room and took himself in hand, the orgasm that followed was glorious.
Line break
A day later (the next night)
The very next day had been a slow one for Uther. Normally he liked his slow
days. They offered him some time to himself. But not today, not after what had
happened yesterday. Of course, he had fantasized about taking men to bed
before, but in all of those scenarios, he had been the one dominating his
partner. Never before had he thought about submitting to someone else. And to a
sorcerer(!) of all things.
He was supposed to be watching the boy to find out if he was part of some
conspiracy against Camelot, not watching him so he could fantasize about how
the boy would tie him up, blindfolded and spread eagle and at the sorcerer's
complete mercy. About how the boy would tease him, torture him, for hours upon
hours until he finally begged for release. Damn you, focus! He screamed at
himself.
The slow day had left him with ample time to replay last night's events on
repeat in his head. The only thing on his schedule was a dinner with Lady
Helen. A dinner for which he was supposed to be preparing for at this moment.
He could not allow embarrassment in front of such an esteemed guest of Camelot.
And with that thought, he steeled himself and entered the dining hall where
Lady Helen was waiting for him.
Line Break
Uther and the Lady Helen had just finished dinner and were now onto their
dessert when the lady broke the silence.
"Will everyone be there?" she questioned, referring to her performance that was
scheduled during tomorrow's feast. Uther quickly thought of Morgana, and how he
had had to force her into attendance. The girl had fought the last execution
fiercely and did not support the festivities at all. But he was sure the girl
would be there, if only to find a new way to spite him.
"Who would dare to miss it?" He replied. She followed by asking specifically
about Arthur. He told the lady that his son would be there and at that, she
looked pleased. Perhaps she was looking to be courted by him. A reasonable
desire, he thought, Arthur was the prince after all. However, he would never
allow it. Arthur would need to marry someone with a suitable class. But he
paused at the lady's next statement.
"Poor child."Uther looked at her in question. She clarified, "Poor child, it
can't have been easy to grow up without a mother. That bond between mother and
son, it's so hard to replace." He narrowed his eyes at her. Lady Helen had
never said such a thing before. But he nodded anyway.
"Hasn't been easy." It was true. Uther and Arthur had never really been close.
Sometimes he wondered if he had failed in raising him.
"I'm sure. Perhaps if you found someone? If you remarried?" She laughed, "I'm
sure you'd have the pick of any lady in the kingdom."
Remarried? Maybe. But he couldn't have. It took him many years to get over her
death, and even now it still hurt. And besides, who would he have married?
There was no one who piqued his interest. Until yesterday a small devil
whispered inside his head. He quickly dismissed the thought.
"Well, perhaps I'll find love again," The devil voice inside his head once more
whispering Merlin, "But I'm afraid it's too late to replace Arthur's
mother." Even saying the words made him cringe internally.
"Yes, it's certainly too late for Arthur." Lady Helen declared. And Uther
couldn't help but feel as though a threat had been given.
Line Break
Later on that night
Merlin was walking back towards his room in a mixture of shock, anger, and
frustration. There was a dragon underneath the castle. A dragon that had called
to him. A dragon that claimed he had a 'great destiny'. Of course, he had
always wanted to know why he had been born with his powers. The had always
looked for a reason, a purpose. But this? This had to be some type of joke.
Protect Arthur? The prat of a prince? The most arrogant man in the universe? He
scoffed. Great.
Line Break
The next night (At the feast)
The sound of horns interrupted the feast and announced his arrival. Uther
walked to the front of the room and addressed his guests. "We have enjoyed 20
years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many
pleasures, but few can compare with the honor of introducing the Lady Helen"
Merlin's eyes were glued to the king. He was dressed in the finest clothing he
had ever seen, but the most alluring thing was the crown on his head. The other
night he had imagined subduing the king, a thought that still made him blush.
But now, he didn't think he would mind submitting to him either. He looked away
when the Lady Helen, or rather the imposter Lady Helen, walked onto the stage
on the other side of the room.
Uther locked his eyes firmly directed towards Lady Helen. He would not look at
the person who was positioned to his right. The person who had been in his
daydreams for two days now, despite all logic and reason. The boy who was
probably planning to harm him or his kingdom. He instead focused on his guest
who began to sing in the most enticing voice he had ever heard, even compared
to her other performances. He noticed his eyes growing heavy with every passing
note until everything went dark.
Merlin stared in shock at the room. The witch was putting everyone to sleep
with her song. He covered his ears. The witch was looking directly at Prince
Arthur, who was slumped in his chair in a deep sleep. She was going to kill
him! His suspicions were confirmed when the sorceress took a dagger from her
sleeve. He had to do something. He looked around and his eyes locked on the
chandelier hanging directly above the witch. With a flash of his eyes, the
chandelier came down and crushed the witch beneath it.
The people began to stir, looking around in confusion. Uther slowly came to.
The first thing he saw was the witch from earlier this week who had threatened
his son after he had executed hers. She was wearing the dress of Lady Helen. An
imposter! He was alarmed for a second before he realized that she was crushed
under a chandelier. Had it been by chance? He turned to Arthur to make sure his
son was alright.
Merlin gasped when the witch lifted her arm and threw the dagger towards
Arthur. The king and his son were still in a daze and couldn't react in time.
Uther could only look on as the knife soared towards his son. Merlin slowed
down time once more, running towards the Prince. He grabbed him and pulled him
out of the way, before time sped up and the dagger slammed into the Prince's
chair, right where his heart would've been.
Uther stared in shock at the sorcerer boy. He had just saved his son. He
resisted the urge to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He walked
towards Arthur and Merlin, looking at the latter in shock.
"You saved my boy's life," he voiced. "A debt must be repaid." Uther didn't
know where that had come from, but it was true. The boy had saved his son's
life and he would be rewarded. And perhaps with this, he could find a way to
learn more about the abnormal sorcerer, who instead of killing his son, saved
him. Of course, it could've been planned. Uther doubted it, but he couldn't
rule anything out yet.
"Oh, well.."The boy shook his head, looking towards the floor. Perhaps too
afraid of being addressed directly by the man who could have him killed.
"Don't be so modest," He urged, "You shall be rewarded." Rewarded a position in
my bed the intrusive thought came to him. He banished the thought.
"Honestly, you don't have to, your highness." And gods did that do something to
him. Someone so powerful, referring to him by his title. At least this time the
scene that played out in his head was a little more usual, with him in control.
He came back to reality. Was this boy still denying him?
"No absolutely," He declared, "This merits something quite special." The devil
inside his head kept urging him to make the boy his bed servant. But he would
never do such a thing. He was against slavery of any kind after all. Unless of
course, it's the boy who wants me as his slave. Once more he banished the
thought.
"Well,..." The boy finally nodded his consent.
"You shall be awarded a position in the royal household." Uther finally took
notice of his son. His son who had yet to notice magic in his midst. An idea
was forming in his head.
"You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant." And then he quickly walked away,
regretting his words almost immediately. The regret was compounded at the sound
of Arthur complaining behind him, "Father!" This would serve as a necessary
test for his son. Let him see how long it would take him to notice the boy and
his powers. But he couldn't help but wish he had made the boy his own
manservant instead. Oh, how I wish I had been selfish with you boy.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Goodness, another chapter over. Thank you all for reading! Please
     feel free to comment, and stay tuned for Chapter 6! - Milena
***** Chapter 6 *****
Chapter Notes
     Chapter 6! This is the chapter where things start to deviate from the
     canon plot.
     Dialogue taken from the show, which is not mine, is indicated in
     Bold.
     Enjoy the Chapter!
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 6:
"Ready?" Prince Arthur called out to his manservant.
"Would it make any difference if I said no?" Merlin replied. He couldn't
believe his luck. Of course there was a tournament coming up only a few days
after his instatement as Prince Prat's servant. And of course said prince
deemed it necessary to dress Merlin up in mail and go at his with his sword for
"practice" on his very first day in the prat's employ.
"Not really." The prince swung his weapon around in a bunch of fancy maneuvers
while Merlin put on his helmet and raised his shield. Then the prince started
his assault.
"Body," Swing, "Shield,"Swing, "Body,"Swing, "Shield,"Swing, "Head,"
"Head?!" Clang, thump, "Oww."
===============================================================================
 
Uther rolled his eyes as he watched his son hit the poor servant over the head
once more, effectively knocking the boy to the ground. Arthur seemed to have it
in for the boy. His son didn't even know how much danger he was in. The
sorcerer could fight back at any moment. However, it didn't seem likely
considering how many things the boy had put up with so far. He sighed. The
investigation into the boy had come to a standstill. He hadn't been seen doing
anything out of the ordinary and had been acting like a completely normal
servant. Uther almost questioned if he had actually seen the boy use
magic. Almost.
And Arthur wasn't faring any better with his makeshift 'test'. A future king
needed to be able to spot a magic user, but it seemed that Arthur was too
blinded by his arrogance. This is the exact thing I was afraid of. He sighed
again. Uther was sure that the boy would soon show his true colors. Magic,
after all, never stayed hidden for long. And as soon as he proved himself to be
an enemy of Camelot Uther would finally be able to get rid of the horrid
infatuation that had been plaguing him for days. He nodded to himself and then
walked off. He had a tournament to start.
===============================================================================
 
Merlin struggled to put the armor on the prince. The tournament would be
starting soon and he still hadn't finished with Prince Arthur's armor.
"You do know the tournament starts today?" Arthur asked him. As if he wasn't
aware that this was Merlin's first time ever handling any type of armor (which
it was).
"Yes, sire." He nodded. A few minutes and many eye rolls later, the Prince was
finally ready and he walked away.
"That went well," Merlin said to himself sarcastically.
===============================================================================
 
That night after the fighting was done and he had spoken to each individual
knight, the king retired to his chambers. Uther was sitting by the fire
drinking wine from his goblet, his crown discarded on a nearby table, waiting
for the sleeping draught he had ordered to be brought from Gaius to arrive.
Most nights were insignificant, normal days. But today was not one of them.
Anxiety troubled both Uther the king and Uther the father. Yes, these were the
worst nights.
He was worried about his son. There were few who could compete with Arthur when
it came to sword fighting. But a new knight had surfaced during the tournament;
Sir Valiant. A formidable opponent. One who might just defeat Arthur. In the
knight's own words "To lose is to be disgraced." Words he wholeheartedly agreed
with. If Arthur were to lose it would be a complete disaster. Oh, how Uther
wished sometimes that things were different. He wished sometimes that he wasn't
king. That he wasn't forced to put such a pressure on his young one, slowly,
bit by bit alienating himself from his son. Gradually pushing the boy to the
point where he would hate his father.
But alas he was king. And he had to teach Arthur that he'd never be satisfied
because there would always be room for improvement. He had to teach Arthur that
losing was a humiliation that no ruler could endure. If he lost to another
knight, who's to say said knight would not then assume he was a better man than
his future king. Who's to say said knight would not start an uprising against
his future king. No, defeat was not acceptable. But it didn't stop him from
wishing. And now a new threat loomed over the horizon. A sorcerer, with an
unknown agenda. Just then a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Gaius.
"Enter," He called out softly. He heard the door open and a soft voice that
definitely wasn't Gaius address him.
"I've brought your sleeping drought, sire. Gaius was busy in the lower town, so
he sent me instead." Uther looked up in shock at the very person he had been
thinking of.
"Merlin." He cringed as the boy stumbled, no doubt surprised that Uther knew
his name. He rarely ever referred to servants by their names. He tried to cover
it up by putting out his hand for the drought. The physical contact that
occurred when the boy put the small bottle in his hand set his heart racing.
Uther caught Merlin's line of sight and for a few infinite seconds, they were
lost in each other's eyes.
The moment ended when Merlin bowed and left without waiting to be
dismissed. Although, Uther pondered quietly, I think I'll forgive him just this
once. That night the king went to sleep troubled by worry and haunted by deep
blue eyes that would, on occasion, turn gold.
===============================================================================
 
The next morning Merlin was walking to the armory to pick up Arthur's armor for
the second day of the tournament. He bumped into a few people on the way, as he
was distracted. Distractions of this sort weren't new to Merlin. Back in
Ealdor, he had been distracted by a few of the other boys, of which Will was
one. He had always known that he liked men more than women, and he had grown
used to admiring from afar. There were times when he cursed this as seemed the
magic wasn't enough, he had to be different in every way.
But this. This was different. This wasn't just any man. This was Uther
Pendragon. The man who had started the Purge, the one who had made magic
illegal, the one who Merlin should hate with every fiber of his soul but
by god the most attractive man in Camelot. For the past few days, Merlin had
been pestered by daydreams of him and the king in various obscene scenarios.
But the one fantasy that kept repeating itself over and over, was the thought
of him using his magic on the king. And Merlin was oh so tempted to do so. To
see how the king would react to being used in such a way.
He shivered despite the warmth. He had to stay in control. But how could he
after last night, when he found out that the king actually knew his name. The
man had looked up at him in shock. And at the moment of physical contact, his
magic surged, wanting to be used on the man before him. He had managed to just
barely keep it under control. And when they stared into each other's eyes…
Merlin shook himself when he realized he had arrived at the armory. Focus. As
he attempted to pick up all of the prince's armor, he heard a concerning sound.
The hissing of a snake. Quickly Merlin dropped the armor back onto the table
and looked around. After a few moments, he shook his head. The prince must've
hit him harder than he thought if he was imagining the sound of snakes. But
before he could turn back to His royal prat's armor, his eyes caught on
something. A yellow shield with green snakes painted on it. That's where the
sound was coming from.
He walked closer and knelt down before the shield to get a better look. He
jumped when the snakes blinked at him. Merlin reached out to touch the shield
when all of a sudden there was a sword at his neck. He looked up the sword to
see Sir Valiant standing next to him. He slowly got to his feet, the sword
following his movement.
"Can I help you with something boy?" The knight hissed at him. Merlin couldn't
help but be reminded of the snakes.
"Nope, I'm good," he nervously laughed, "I-I was just gathering my master's
armor."
"Then you'd best be on your way." The knight leered at him.
"Right, yeah." He picked up the prince's armor as fast as he could. The way the
knight was standing he had to squeeze past him to make it to the door. But
before he could get there he was tripped when the knight smacked him on the
arse with his sword. He almost went down but regained his balance. He ran out
of the room, but not before he heard the knight call out after him.
"I would watch out boy, this could be a dangerous place. Such a pretty arse
might catch someone's eye." Merlin ran away to the sound of Sir Valiant's
laughs.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Thanks so much for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.
     Feel free to tell me what you think!
***** Chapter 7 *****
Chapter Notes
     Here's Chapter 7, hope you enjoy reading! This chapter will be
     diverging even more from the canon plot.
     Dialogue and spells taken from the show (which I don't own) are
     indicated in Bold.
     Enjoy! - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 7:
Uther looked on from the stands with a smile on his face. It was the second day
of the tournament and Arthur was up first. His son looked a lot less disheveled
than yesterday, and he couldn't help but wonder if the sorcerer boy had
improved his armor skills or if Arthur had been dressed by another servant
today. He pushed the boy and all the emotions that came along with him to the
farthest corner of his mind. He would have to do something about the boy, and
soon, but not today. The crowd went wild when their prince walked into the
arena. And Uther struggled to cover his anxiety with a false air of excitement.
It wouldn't do for the people to see their king nervous. And then the fighting
began.
Line Break
Merlin watched the fighting from around the corner, yelling his support when
Arthur was in the arena, and controlling his fear every time Knight Valiant
savagely defeated his opponent. He was certainly a violent man, and his threats
from this morning echoed in his head. He winced when the knight's current
opponent was left unconscious on the floor of the arena after Valiant was done
with him. He watched Gaius walk onto the field to check that the knight was
still alive. Two guards carried the knight away to the physician's chambers.
Line Break
That night
"How is he?" Merlin asked the physician. He had just helped Prince Arthur to
bed after a long day of fighting.
"It's most odd." Gaius was crouched down over the knight, looking at his neck.
"Look at this," He beckoned his ward over. "See these two small wounds," he
said pointing at the patient's neck, "Looks like a snake bite."
"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in a sword
fight." Merlin questioned. It couldn't be. He had seen the knight go down
himself. There couldn't have been any snakes around.
"Yet the symptoms are consistent with poisoning; slow pulse, fever,
paralysis…" Gaius listed off.
"Can you heal him?" Merlin asked hopefully.
"Well if it is a snake bite I'll have to extract venom from the snake that bit
him to make an antidote" Gaius got up to get a washcloth from the other side of
the room. The knight was burning up. Maybe a cool cloth to the forehead would
help. But Merlin could see the look of dread on his mentor's face.
"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?" He asked the man, already
knowing the answer.
Gaius stopped and looked at him, "Then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do
for him. He's going to die."
No, that couldn't happen. They had to find out how the knight had been bitten.
How did snakes get into the arena? Valiant. The knight had been fighting
Valiant when he was injured. Valiant, the knight with snakes on his shield.
Snakes that just so happen to hiss and blink. Merlin walked out of Gaius'
chambers, the old man too busy with his patient to notice.
Line break
Merlin laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Valiant was using magic to make
the snakes on his shield come to life. He had gone to spy on the knight and had
seen him feeding the snakes rats. He had seen it with his own eyes. But what
could he do? Gaius was right. He was just a servant. What could he do against a
knight? If he accused Valiant, the court would probably punish him instead, for
the audacity to stand up to a knight.
The King would believe another knight but not him. But how could he alert the
king without letting him know the message was from a servant? He sighed. He
reached out towards his night table to blow out his candle when across the room
he spotted some parchment paper. Merlin smirked. He had an idea.
Line break
Uther was walking towards his chambers after a dinner with the remaining
knights of the tournament. He had never before seen his son so nervous. And
that made him even more fearful for his son. If Arthur went into the arena
doubting himself he would lose. He finally reached his rooms. As soon as the
doors were closed he took off his crown and threw the wretched thing across the
room. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Tomorrow would be the
last day of the tournament.
He walked to his bedside table to pour himself a cup of wine when he froze.
There was a piece of paper that had been slid under the servant's entrance. A
letter from a servant? He laughed softly. Uther walked over and lifted the
letter from the floor. He was amused until he read the contents of the letter.
Your majesty,
Knight Valiant is using magic to win the tournament. He is making the snakes on
his shield come to life to kill his opponents. The Prince is in danger!
Oh, he'd done it now. Uther grit his teeth in rage. A sorcerer accusing a
knight of using magic. He had no doubts that the letter was written by Merlin.
He was the only person in Camelot with the audacity. So this was his endgame.
Spreading suspicion and disorder in his city, and his first target was Knight
Valiant.
Uther stormed out of his chambers headed towards Valiant's rooms. He wasn't
entirely sure what he was going to do about the situation, but he knew he had
to do something. He had let the boy have free reign since his discovery because
he hadn't been sure what the boy was up to. Now that he knew, however, that
freedom was over. If he so much as touched one of his knights, Uther would have
him whipped and burned before he could open his mouth to claim innocence.
Line Break
Merlin was hiding behind a column, waiting for Valiant to leave his room. He
needed to get venom from one of the snakes so that Gaius could cure
the dying knight. Then the knight could go to the king and relay what had
actually happened. He winced when he remembered the note he had left for the
king earlier. What had possessed him to do such a thing? But Merlin stuck with
his decision. The king was the only one who could disqualify the knight from
the tournament. Although if Valiant is caught using magic, being disqualified
will be the least of his worries.
When the door to Valiant's room opened, Merlin pressed himself as much as he
could to the stone of the column. He heard the knight walk away and then waited
a few minutes. When he could no longer hear footsteps he snuck out from his
hiding place. Merlin went up to the door and pulled. Locked tight. He looked
around to make sure he was alone and then looked back at the lock
in determination.
"Aliese" His eyes flashed gold and the door was unlocked. Merlin opened the
door, flinching at the creaking sound. He went inside and quickly closed the
door behind him. He spotted the shield on a chair across the room. He looked
around for a weapon and noticed a sword on a nearby table. As he picked it up
Merlin almost wanted to thank Prince Arthur for all the practice. Almost.
He approached the shield with the sword outstretched and lightly tapped the
shield with it. He looked away in alarm at the sound of footsteps in the
hallway. He looked around for a hiding place when he heard hissing from behind
him. The snakes. They lunged at him but he dogged, swinging the sword down on
one of the snakes, cutting off its head. He grabbed the snakehead and
practically ran out of the room.
"You!" Merlin froze in the middle of the hallway when he heard someone scream
at him from behind. He turned around. Oh shit. It was the King. He was storming
towards him, looking like the very definition of rage. And he was holding
Merlin's note in his hand.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Hope you loved this new chapter. Let me know what you think! - Milena
***** Chapter 8 *****
Chapter Notes
     Yay! Another chapter out. I hope you enjoy reading it.
     Disclaimer: This chapter contains the start of a non-con scene at the
     end but not between Uther and Merlin, So beware
     Enjoy! - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 8:
Uther stormed down the hallway towards the sorcerer. The boy tried to hide
whatever was in his hand behind his back but the king wasn't having it. He held
up the servant's note.
"Accusing a knight of using sorcery, breaking and entering a knight's room
without permission, stealing, as I'm sure whatever you have in your hand does
not belong to you, boy." The king shouted in Merlin's face.
Uther watched the boy cower before him, wincing at the mention of his crimes.
If he hadn't been so enraged he would have pondered why someone with magic
would be so scared when the boy could easily overpower him with his powers. Not
even the audible gulp the boy gave was enough to appease him this time.
"Your hands, boy. Show me what you're hiding behind your back." He commanded.
"S-sire, I-"
"Now. Do not make me repeat myself."
The boy gulped again and then brought his hand out from behind his back. What
the sorcerer was holding was enough to give him pause. He stared at the
snakehead in the boy's hand for a few moments. The head of a snake. A type of
snake he had never seen before. A snake with an uncanny resemblance to the
snakes on Valiant's shield. Damnation.
"What is this?" He looked into the servant's eyes, looking for any inkling of
deception.
"It's from Valiant's shield, my lord." The boy spoke in such a tiny voice that
Uther could barely hear him.
"Show me." He gestured to Valiant's room. Merlin nodded quickly and led the way
into the knight's rooms. The boy then signaled towards the shield that was
propped up on a chair in the corner of the room. The king went to step towards
the damned thing when he felt Merlin grab him by his shirt.
"Be careful, sire." Uther stared at the boy who dared to touch his king without
permission, but the look of concern on the boy's face was enough to forgive the
fault. The king stared into Merlin's eyes, and once again they were lost in
each other. His attention was brought away from the boy, however, at the sound
of hissing snakes. He turned towards the shield in shock. Three snakes had come
to life off the shield and lunged for them. The king grabbed the servant and
quickly left the room, slamming the door behind them.
They stood there with their backs against the door for a moment, trying to
regain their breath. Uther's emotions were in turmoil. In other circumstances
he probably would've blamed the boy for the snakes, thinking that he made them
come alive with his own magic to accuse Valiant. But as it were, the king had
been staring into the boy's eyes before the snakes came to life. And besides,
the boy had gone to Valiant's rooms in secret.
"You were trying to get proof to strengthen your accusation?" He asked the
sorcerer.
The boy hesitated before answering, "Not exactly, sire. The knight Valiant was
fighting is dying from the snake's bite. I was going to bring the head to Gaius
so he can make an antidote. If the knight recovers then he can testify that Sir
Valiant was using magic."
Uther narrowed his eyes at the servant. "And why would you care?"
Merlin looked at him in shock, "There's a man dying right now."
The king nodded, realizing the situation. He could analyze the boy's motives
later. "Alright, take this to Gaius," He unsheathed his sword, "I'll take care
of Valiant. He should still be near the dining hall." And so they split up.
Line break
Merlin walked as fast as he could towards Gaius' chambers with the snake's head
in his hand, trying not to draw too much attention to himself. To say that he
was anxious would be an understatement. How did the king know it was him who
wrote the note? But more than that he was surprised. Uther had believed him, of
course along with some proof. And now he was going to find Valiant and arrest
him.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, someone grabbed Merlin by his
neckerchief and pulled at him, causing him to drop the snakehead in shock. He
was dragged into a nearby room and thrown against a wall. He heard the soft
click of a lock. Merlin tried to get up, but a punch to the stomach put a stop
to that. Then Merlin heard a voice he never wanted to hear again.
"Well hello there, pretty little boy," Sir Valiant sneered down at him, "I
heard the king was looking for me. And a little snake told me it was
all your fault."
The knight advanced towards him, while Merlin tried and failed to get back up
on his feet. Valiant grabbed him by the hair and pulled him upwards. Then
Merlin felt a hand grab his ass and squeeze.
"It's time someone put you back in your place, pretty little boy."
End of Chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Oh no! What will happen next? Chapter 9 will be out soon with all of
     our answers. Hope you liked reading and feel free to tell me what you
     think! -Milena
***** Chapter 9 *****
Chapter Notes
     Here's the long-awaited chapter 9! This is where things really
     diverge from canon Merlin plot (which I don't own), and we start to
     see a connection between Uther and Merlin. I hope you all enjoy! -
     Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 9:
Uther walked back towards Valiant's rooms. He had checked everywhere near the
dining hall but to no avail. It seemed that the knight hadn't been seen for the
last hour. And if he wasn't near the dining hall and he wasn't in his rooms
then Uther was at a loss as to where he would be.
The king arrived at Valiant's chambers but they were empty. He sighed. Perhaps
he would go check on the knight who had been suffering from the snake bite.
Merlin should've arrived with the snakehead a while ago, which meant that
hopefully, Gaius had already administered an antidote.
He was halfway to the physician's rooms when he froze. There in front of him,
only a few steps away, lay the snakehead that Merlin was supposed to be
carrying. He went to pick it up when he heard a commotion in a nearby room. He
unsheathed his sword and slowly approached.
Uther went to open the door but it was locked. Maybe it was nothing? He went to
pick up the snakehead again. It was urgent that it get to Gaius as quickly as
possible. But as he went to walk away he heard a sound he never wanted to hear
again. The sound of Merlin screaming for help.
His vision went red with rage. Someone was hurting Merlin. Without a second
thought, he slammed open the door with his shoulder, thanking his lucky stars
that the doors were thinner and older in this part of the castle. In the middle
of the room, Valiant had bent an unconscious Merlin over a table and was
running his hands over the sorcerer's body. Merlin had what looked like a
bleeding wound on his head, no doubt from Valiant trying to shut him up.
Without a second thought Uther took his sword and ran the sorry excuse for a
knight through, and Valiant collapsed on the floor, dead. Uther backed away
from the body. Shit. He had just killed a knight. Over a servant. How would the
council react to this?
The other knight. Merlin had mentioned that if the other knight recovered then
he'll be able to testify that Valiant was using magic. Which would show the
council that their king didn't just murder a knight without cause. Because in
their eyes Valiant raping Merlin would not be a just cause. But Uther couldn't
lie to himself. He may tell the council this was a matter of illegal magic, but
if it were then he would've killed Merlin too. No, Uther was well aware of the
real reason he had killed Valiant.
He went out into the hallway and picked up the snakehead, which he put in his
pocket. Then he picked Merlin up and draped him over his shoulder. Uther
frowned at how light he was. A boy of his age should've been eating more. The
king left Valiant's body on the floor. It would be handled once Merlin had been
taken care of. He hoped he had gotten there in time to stop the knight. Uther
shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to the boy if he hadn't
heard his cry. He walked off as fast as possible, hoping that no one would see
the king running towards the physician's chambers.
Line Break
The first thing Merlin remembered as he was waking up was the image of Valiant
sneering at him. He launched himself into a sitting position and then
immediately regretted it when a pounding headache assaulted him.
"Woah, hey," a familiar voice called out to him, "You're safe now. You should
lay down and rest."
Merlin looked up in shock at the king. He was in Gaius' chambers but the old
man was nowhere to be seen. His Majesty was looking down at him with a look he
had never seen before. It was softer than all the other times he'd seen the
man. Almost as relaxed as when he was in the bathtub... And that was a thought
he definitely shouldn't have been thinking at this moment.
"What happened to Valiant?" Merlin asked after a few moments.
Uther looked away from the boy before answering, "He's dead. And the knight he
injured has recovered fully. He will be testifying in front of the court today,
as will I, to confirm that Valiant was using magic to win the tournament."
"Oh," Merlin said simply. He laid back down and closed his eyes. He opened them
again when he felt the king caress his face softly.
"You did well today Merlin. You saved my son again, and this time almost at the
expense of your own life and virtue."
Merlin smiled at his king. "I am a simple peasant, your majesty. I do not have
virtue. I was only doing my job as physician's apprentice in trying to save the
prince and the injured knight."
Uther frowned at that. Yes, it was true that peasants technically didn't have
virtue, but that didn't mean they were allowed to be raped. Although many of
his court members would disagree with that opinion.
"Well, I only came to make sure you were doing better. Gaius stepped out for a
moment to bring up some water."
"You didn't need to, sire," Merlin responded humbly.
"Of course I did," Uther said forcefully, "I'm the one who put you in danger by
making you my son's manservant."
And Merlin didn't have anything to say to that so he kept silent.
"That's the second time you've saved my son and you haven't even been here for
a full fortnight."
Merlin shrugged. Uther scoffed softly. "You're so modest." The king said, once
again touching his face softly. Merlin closed his eyes and leaned into the
caress. Who knew that such rough hands could be so gentle. He looked up at the
king and they stared into each other's eyes. It seemed that they did that a
lot. Whenever it happened, everything else faded away into nothingness.
The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door and a servant poking his head
into the room. Uther moved his hand away from his face and he mourned the loss.
"Sire, your presence has been requested by the court."
Uther nodded and the servant left. He turned towards Merlin and sighed. "Duty
calls."
"Hmph," Merlin huffed, already missing the king's soft caresses, "You could
always ignore duty and stay here."
The king laughed at that. And wasn't that a joy. He couldn't remember the last
time he had laughed genuinely. "Alas, I cannot."
Uther nodded to Merlin, acknowledging him in thanks, and then left to perform
his kingly obligations once more. And for the first time, Uther wished someone
else was king.
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     Eeeeee aren't they so adorable together! But Uther still hasn't made
     a decision about Merlin's magic. What will happen next?
     I hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing. As
     always, feel free to tell me what you think. And thanks to everyone
     who reads and reviews, you guys are awesome! -Milena
***** Chapter 10 *****
Chapter Notes
     In which Merlin has a dirty dream and Uther might have found a
     solution to his predicament.
     I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
                                  Chapter 10:
“Father, you’re here.” Uther watched his son breathe out in relief as he walked
into the room. No doubt he had been attempting to calm the rowdy councilmen.
 
“The body of a knight was found in an empty guest room early this morning. It
was Knight Valiant.” Arthur explained the situation. It seemed that no one saw
him or Merlin near Valiant’s chambers. Maybe that was a good thing?
 
“Yes, Arthur, I am well aware since I’m the one that killed him.” He tried to
hide the anger that plagued him at the sound Valiant’s name. Valiant was no
knight. He was a pathetic man, and Uther would be glad when his name was erased
from everyone’s memory.
 
“You did?” Arthur couldn’t hide his shock and neither could the rest of the
council. Uther rose a hand to quiet the outcries of his nobles.
 
“Yes, I killed Valiant last night when I found him using magic on his shield.”
He looked at his son, “He was going to attempt to use magic to try to kill you
during the tournament.”
 
And at that, the council went quiet. Everyone knew the king’s stance on magic.
Although it seemed a certain blue-eyed servant had muddied Uther’s opinion on
magic. But his council members didn’t know that so he barreled through the
meeting without mentioning Valiant again. Someone would make sure his body was
burned and his remains buried in an unmarked grave. Uther couldn’t help but
think of Merlin suffering the same fate. He winced at the thought and
immediately asked himself what was wrong with him.
 
He had never hesitated to sentence a sorcerer to death before. He had to keep
Camelot safe. No one individual could have that much power without becoming
corrupt. But maybe Merlin was an exception? If only there was a way to
interrogate the boy while making sure he was telling the truth.
 
                                  Line break
 
Merlin looked up at the ceiling of his mentor’s chambers, slowly contemplating
his current situation. When his mother had sent him here she had told him to
keep his head down and stay invisible. Yet not even two weeks into his stay he
had been forced into a position in the royal household and the king had taken
notice of him several times. He sighed. He was never really good at keeping
himself hidden. His tendency to speak his mind had never before gotten him into
so much trouble as it had now. Although he wondered if he was really in trouble
or not. Yes, he had put himself in the spotlight, but maybe he could hide in
plain sight.
 
Another thing Merlin found himself reconsidering was his opinion of the king.
When he had first walked into Camelot’s courtyard only to witness his first
execution, he was simultaneously terrified of and angry at the man who dared to
kill his kin. For the first time, he had hated someone with all of his being.
But now? Now Merlin just felt confused. He had seen the king now in several
situations. Yes, it seemed he thought the nobility was more worthy than the
peasantry, but the man did save him from being abused by one of his knights. He
had killed one of his knights for him. And he was a caring father too. Not in
the traditional sense, no, but he did care about his son’s safety.
 
Merlin wondered if the man he had seen that first day in Camelot had been a
cover-up for the sake of his people. Maybe public Uther and private Uther were
not one and the same. It certainly seemed like a totally different man that had
looked into his eyes earlier. Merlin fell asleep, remembering the feel of the
king’s light caresses.
 
                                  Line break
 
“You wished to speak with me privately, father?”
 
Uther had dismissed the council but had held his son back. He had decided that
Arthur should know about what Valiant had done to Merlin. If anything he hoped
his son would take it easy on the boy while he recovered.
 
“Yes, I wish to tell you the exact circumstance in which I killed Valiant since
your manservant Merlin was involved.”
 
“Merlin?” Arthur asked, confused. Merlin hadn’t shown up this morning but he
hadn’t gone looking for him since he had been preoccupied with the discovery of
Valiant’s body.
 
Uther nodded, “After dinner last night I went to my chambers...” he started to
recount the events of last night, leaving out the part of Merlin’s magic.
 
“He left a note?” His son asked incredulously, “Accusing Valiant of sorcery? Is
he mad?”
 
Uther hummed in agreement, “It was a good thing he was holding one of the
snake’s heads when I found him, or else I probably would’ve arrested him.”
 
The king continued to recount but hesitated when it came to the very moment he
had killed Valiant. “I heard Merlin scream for a room nearby. Valiant was,
attempting to force himself on the boy.”
 
“That bastard.” Uther was a little shocked at the anger on his son’s face. He
thought Arthur had a strong dislike of the boy. Perhaps he was wrong.
 
“Bastard, indeed. Thankfully I arrived in time to save the boy from such a
fate.” He looked at his son, “He’s with Gaius recovering, I’d suggest you take
it easy on him Arthur.”
 
“Of course, my lord.” Arthur went to leave but before he reached the door he
turned back. “Father, have the vaults been checked?”
 
“The vaults?” Uther questions.
 
“Well I doubt Valiant gained access, but perhaps they should be checked
anyway?”
 
Uther nodded in agreement. “A very wise suggestion, my boy. You’re starting to
think like a leader.”
 
Arthur shook his head, “I should hope not.”
 
Uther hid his smile as his son left the room. Well if anyone was going to check
the vaults, it was going to be him. He didn’t trust anyone else. Uther left the
courtroom and made his way down towards the vaults.
 
                                  Line break
 
“Well, well, what do we have here.” Merlin heard his own voice call out. He
could feel his body step forward without his control. He could only watch,
feel, listen. He had no control over his body. It should have been
disconcerting, but he was soon distracted. The sound of muffled moans and
whimpers washed over him in a wave of heat that ran straight to his cock.
 
Merlin’s body stepped forward towards the bed again and he finally noticed what
was in front of him. And he almost came in his pants. King Uther was naked on
the bed, on his back, arms strapped to the headboard, legs up in the air, each
tied to a corresponding bedpost. A ball gag was keeping him from calling out.
But his restraints weren’t normal ropes. They were gold strings of magic, his
magic. Merlin could perceive the smell of sex from where he was standing.
 
“The king of Camelot all trussed up for me. How does it feel?” He put his hand
on the top of Uther’s leg and ran it down towards his taint, “To have a
sorcerer restrain you with his magic? To not be able to call your guards for
protection?”
 
Merlin teased his hole with one finger, reveling in the shudders that racked
the king’s body, “If I didn’t know any better I’d say you love this.” And with
that his eyes flashed gold, his magic relaxing the king, making him wet. All of
a sudden he wanted to hear Uther’s voice. Another flash and the gag was gone.
 
“Please,” The sweet sound of the King begging was absolutely euphoric.
 
“Please, what?” At that Merlin bent down and licked a stripe over Uther’s wet
pucker.
 
“Please, Merlin wake up.”
 
“What?” Then Merlin opened his eyes in confusion. A dream?
 
Guias’ voice called out to him, “Oh good, you’re awake. You gave me quite a
scare there, Merlin.”
 
Merlin hummed in agreement and turned the other way on his cot, not wanting his
guardian to see just how red his face was. My goddess that had been hot. He
wondered if there really was a spell to make a man wet. He shook his head,
trying to stop his line of thought. It’s not like he would ever need such a
spell.
 
                                  Line break
 
Uther checked off the last object on the second to last section in the vaults.
Inspecting the vaults was a grueling process, but it was worth it. Magical
objects were dangerous and he didn’t want them falling into the wrong hands. He
continued onto the next list and shelf but froze at the first item on the list.
A truth potion . Uther had wondered if there was a way to make sure that Merlin
would tell the truth if he was interrogated.

Whennotifhe was interrogated. Uther had no intentions of letting a sorcerer
free to reign terror on his city. This had gone on for far too long. He quickly
checked the item’s box on the checklist and pocketed the potion. Now all he had
to do was find a way to restrain the boy and slip him the potion. Uther
realized the irony of using magic to interrogate a magic user, but when it came
to magic, the ends always justified the means.
Chapter End Notes
     I hope everyone liked this new chapter. Tell me what you think! -
     Milena
***** Chapter 11 *****
Chapter Notes
     In which Uther invites Merlin to have dinner with him, and there's a
     confrontation.
     I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! - Milena
See the end of the chapter for more notes
Chapter 11:
 
Later that night Merlin was helping Gaius prepare dinner. Gaius had reluctantly
let him start walking about again after much prodding. He had already been
laying down for an entire day and he was getting restless, especially after the
dream he had had earlier, which never ceased to turn his face red. They cooked
dinner otherwise silently despite a few comments from Gaius about the
seriousness of head injuries. They were about to sit down when they were
startled by the King's manservant knocking on the door.
"The King has requested that Merlin accompany him tonight for dinner in his
chambers." Merlin and Gaius exchanged worried looks. Merlin had reason to be
concerned after all. He had had a few moments with the king, but he was still
the king. A king who hated magic. The servant left and Gaius took the
opportunity to express his suspicions.
"Why would the king summon you to dinner?"
"Maybe he wanted to thank me for helping catch Valiant?" He shrugged. Gaius
gave him his 'I don't believe that' hum.
"Let us hope." And with that Merlin was out the door, leaving his worried
mentor behind.
 
Line break
 
Uther stood in front of the small table at the side of his room. He had
strategically placed the wine jug and cups there, as well as the truth potion
and a pair of cuffs. The cuffs were cold iron, to stop the boy from using
magic. Uther for some reason had a hard time bringing himself to use iron on
the boy, to damage his skin in such a way. But it was all for his own safety.
Throughout the rest of the day, he wondered whether this was the right choice.
He was playing with fire, confronting the sorcerer this way. He should just
have his guards take him away. But he needed to know why. Why would someone
with magic save his son twice? What was his motive? He needed to know Merlin's
story.
Besides that, he needed to know if the boy had placed a love spell on him, for
surely these feelings weren't his. During the day he constantly thought of the
boy, of his smooth untouched skin, his long neck hidden by that blasted
neckerchief. Those eyes, holy hell, those eyes. It seemed as if they knew his
soul every time he caught their gaze. And at night he was restless. Plagued by
dreams of the boy performing all manner of acts upon him with his magic. Uther
shuddered, sickened with himself at his line of thought. This was a threat to
the kingdom that he was daydreaming about. A knock on the door interrupted his
thoughts. Merlin.
The chase was on.
Line break
 
"Sire?" Merlin peaked his head in through the door and then slid into the room
and closed the door behind him.
"Bar the door." He froze at the sound of the king's voice. He almost sounded
angry, which didn't bode well for Merlin. His worries were washed away when the
king turned to him with a soft look on his face.
"No worries," The king motioned for him to come closer, "I only want to be sure
we won't be disturbed."
Merlin nodded in understanding. Dinner had been served on a table that had been
moved to the middle of the room. It was a lot smaller than the table in the
dining hall, most likely made for more intimacy. And at the thought of
intimacy, a slight blush appeared on Merlin's face. After a few minutes of
eating, the king finally broke the peaceful silence with a slight smirk.
"It would please me to know more about our two-time hero." And the blush was
back.
"Oh please, sire, I'm just a servant." Merlin dismissed the compliment. The
king didn't say anything in response, he just stared at Merlin until he
realized that he hadn't answered the question.
"Um, well, I wasn't born in Camelot." Merlin gave while he picked at the
potatoes on his plate. I was the first thing of interest he could think of that
wasn't his magic.
"Really?" The king seemed to be showing a lot of interest in a servant than
what seemed to be normal. That fact didn't escape his attention but he
dismissed his gut feeling of concern.
"Yes, I was born in Ealdor, sire."
The king didn't quite manage to hide the sudden look of anger on his face.
"Ealdor? That's in Essetir isn't it? I didn't realize you were one of King
Lot's citizens."
Merlin scoffed, "Yes, it's unfortunately true. I was born in the lands of that
rat of a king."
The king looked shocked at the statement, "I don't think I've seen such a look
of disdain on your face before."
"Well, you haven't exactly known me for a long time, my lord." Merlin smiled.
The king laughed at that and Merlin was surprised at how much he loved the
sound. "Very true. Well, I do have one question for you, Merlin."
He raised an eyebrow at the king in question. "As a reward for your recent
services to the crown, if you could have anything, anything at all, what would
you want?"
Merlin thought about it for a short bit before answering, "473 gold coins
sire."
"That's a very specific amount of gold coins." The king responded in question.
"It's just enough to buy a new mattress for my mum. She still lives in Ealdor
and her current wooden bed has been causing her back pains for years. Now that
I'm not there to help around the house, things will be harder for her. It would
ease my worries to know she has a nice mattress to sleep on."
The king stared at him in what seemed to be utter shock, although Merlin didn't
know why he was so surprised. "But what about you? There must be something
that you want, just for yourself."
Merlin couldn't help but think of a world where he'd be free to use his magic.
Where he didn't have to hide and he could just be himself without worrying
about being put to death by the man sitting in front of him.
"There is something I want sire, I want it more than anything. But I'm afraid
it will never come to pass." Merlin reached for his cup of wine, only to
realize that one hadn't been set out.
"Would you like some wine?" The king offered, gesturing at a table on the other
side of the room where a wine jug had been placed. Although Merlin wondered at
what incompetent servant had thought up that inconvenience. He stood up to pour
himself and the king some wine but sat back down when the king beat him to the
table.
"No, no, I can pour our wine, please I insist." Merlin wondered at the sudden
behavior change in the king. He was certainly acting strangely.
"Very well, thank you sire."
Line break
 
Uther stood in front of the wine table, with his back to Merlin. As he poured
the truth potion into the boy's cup his mind was swirling with new revelations.
The boy had been born in Essetir. What were the chances that he was a spy for
King Lot? He had seemed to feel disgusted at Lot but that wasn't really so
significant. Uther was sure he had knights and nobles that hated him. That
didn't stop them from following his orders.
He finished pouring the potion into Merlin's wine and picked up the cuffs,
hiding them so Merlin wouldn't see them while he turned towards the boy. Uther
put a slight smile on his face. It wouldn't do for Merlin to get nervous before
he had cuffed him. He placed the cup in front of the sorcerer and sat on the
edge of the table so he would be close enough to snap the cuffs on after Merlin
had drunk the whole thing.
"A toast," Uther raised his cup, "To Camelot."
The boy smiled softly and raised his cup before downing the whole thing.
Without hesitating, Uther whipped out the cuffs and slammed one cuff onto the
chair and the other cuff on the hand that was raised. Merlin dropped his cup
and screamed in pain. Having his magic cut off so suddenly must've been
painful. Uther winced at the thought of causing the boy such agony, but it had
to be done.
He sat back down on the edge of the table, waiting for Merlin to calm down
somewhat as he got used to the pain. Uther couldn't look at the boy's face, wet
with tears and a hard gaze of betrayal. He raised his own cup of wine to his
mouth and drank slowly, trying to give off a composed air to his captive.
When he was finished he placed the cup down and turned towards Merlin once
more. The boy had put his head down on the table and was doing nothing to
conceal his tears. Uther reached out and lifted his head with a hand to his
chin.
"Who sent you to Camelot?"
"My mother." The boy was sniffling and Uther had to fight the urge to take the
cuffs off him. They weren't supposed to be so painful, only a bit of
discomfort. That could only mean one thing. Merlin had powerful magic, and a
lot of it.
"Why?" He demanded.
He noticed Merlin gritting his teeth and trying to hold back the answer. After
a few seconds, the words spilled out of his mouth without opposition.
"She wanted me to come here so I could learn to control my magic under Gaius'
instruction," Merlin gasped as his world fell apart around him and he put his
head down with a sob. Uther smiled in victory. The potion had worked. Chase:
successful.
 
End of chapter
Chapter End Notes
     What'll happen next? Chapter 11 will be out soon.
     Tell me what you thought of this chapter and what you think will
     happen in the next one.
     Hope you all enjoyed this - Milena
End Notes
     So what do you guys think? Tell me if you'd like to read more of this
     story, and what you think is going to happen next :) and as always,
     thanks for reading! - Milena
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