I walked into the hall, feeling slightly apprensive. I had a bad feeling, I was not quite sure why but I had a feeling that my father had not called for me for a social reason. His back was turned to me, as he leaned over the fireplace. He waved once and all the guards left the room, leaving the two of us alone, in complete and awkward silence.
"Father, you sent for me," I said and cleared my throat lightly.
"I know about you and your man-servant," he said in a cold and blunt voice.
Shock froze my system and my eyes widened slightly. My father turned around, his face hardened and his eyes filled my something dark and chilling. Something I had not ever seen in my father's eyes.
"I know all about your little crush and it's stopping right now. I will not have it." The decision of the King. What the King says goes and no one speaks against it. There was a determination in my father's voice and a finality that irritated me, as if he could dictate how I should live my life.
I took a step forward. "Father, he's not-"
"Do not even begin to defend yourself or him!" he bellowed angrily, taking a few steps closer, looking at me with completely new eyes, with disgust and shame. "I have ears and eyes all over this castle. Your bed-hopping ends now. He's an Achilles heel and he will not hesitate to bring you down with him. You're jeopardizing your entire future for a petty infatuation, for a mere servant boy!" I flinched at that. "It's a disgrace!"
Anger swelled in me, coursing through my veins like wild-fire, making me see red as I glared at my father with hatred at his ignorance. "You're ignorant. He's not an infatuation. You have not the slightest idea what you're talking about," I spit out fiercely, feeling both possessive and protective at the way he had spoken about Merlin. "Merlin means more to me than the Crown of Camelot ever will, he means more to me than anyone else and you could never possibly understand that!"
My father just stared at me for a few seconds, as I exhaled heavily, my chest heaving with anger. He looked at me in an odd way, as if he never before had seen me. "I will see him executed if this continues," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
Raw fear shot through my entire body and I tried to breathe but I was shocked to find my breath catching. I stared at my father and he stared back, I imagined he could see the naked fear in my eyes. "No," I said with a hard voice, my voice breaking only a little. "You can't do that."
My father towered over me. "I am the King of Camelot, I can do whatever I please." I staggered, to my own dismay, hating to show this kind of weakness in front of my father. "Arthur, it kills me to say this but I can not have a sodomite for an heir. The people of Camelot will force me to terminate you as well."
The complete honesty in my father's face shook me to the core. I could not believe what I was hearing. Was this man truly my father? I shook my head, hating myself for ever believing that my father was an honourable man. I had believed in a lie. Right here, in front of me, was not the man I thought to be my father, but a tyrant.
"You're a pitiful man," I whispered hatefully. "I am ashamed to call you father." And I meant every single word.
He seemed unfazed, but I could see the hurt glistening in his dark eyes. "Mark my words, Arthur, if you don't end this, I will end this in one way or another for you. I will make you watch him burn."
I swallowed down the petrifying fear I felt gnawing inside, turned my back on my father and King and walked out, not once looking back.