Disclaimer: I own nada, all right belong to the BBC.
Authors Note: Not my usual fandom but last nights episode was so fantastic that I just had to write this! Please let me know what you think!
Merlin had often wondered what it would be like to stand up to Uther. It was ironic when alive Uther was unwilling to bend and the type of man to think that fear was the ultimate form of respect. Merlin couldn't believe that even dead, Uther could be causing so much trouble. He hated it. He was Emrys, the eminent sorcerer, but because of Uther he'd been forced to hide in the shadows. It wasn't right but it had been the status quo of the time.
The spirit of Uther had pretty much gone after the usual suspects if you were an arrogant dead king. Percival the commoner, Guinevere the former servant and so on. Merlin had been detained which just irritated him. It was too bad that dragon's fire couldn't solve the problem. He suspected that Kilgarrah would dearly love the chance to toast Uther's ass.
He saw Uther striding towards Arthur - sword raised and something snapped. This was Arthur, his charge, and just like against Agravaine, Emrys came out to play. "Don't you dare take a step forward!"
It just went to show how stupid Uther could be, even Agravaine had tread carefully upon hearing that tone.
"What could you do, a mere servant." Uther hadn't lost the sneer even in death.
Merlin looked up, allowing the small satisfaction of letting his eyes show exactly what he was.
"You have magic ... I made you Arthur's servant." Uther stuttered, his anger affecting his speech.
Merlin shouldn't have felt so triumphant, but he let his frustration be known, "I was born with magic ... I had no choice." Merlin a little twisted couldn't rsist twisting the knife, "Even when you were in power. Magic was at the heart of Camelot!"
Uther paled, "No that's not possible. I stopped that destiny ... Arthur couldn't be the once and future king. I killed that future."
Merlin's resolve was strengthened, and he was so angry, angrier than he had been when facing Nimueh. "You are arrogant Uther, prophecies like that are not subject to King's whim." If anyone had heard Merlin at that moment they would not have believed it was the servant. He sounded too wise, wise before his time.
Uther hissed, and a spear went flying at Arthur. Merlin stuck his hand out to make it land harmlessly on the floor. Merlin may have been small, but he stood in front of his king and felt ten feet tall. "You shall not have Arthur, Uther. I won't let you, I have protected him from worse than the likes of you."
"Why it's not like you don't want to kill Pendragons?" Uther was truly confused. If the situations hadn't been so deadly Merlin would have laughed.
Merlin was exasperated and heartily sick of everyone thinking magic evil, "You know you're the reason sorcerers keep trying to kill Arthur. I have had to kill more of my kind thanks to your poison than any other reason!"
Merlin could see Arthur stirring and made a split second choice. He wanted Uther miserable in the afterlife. It was good that he had the power to help cause that disappointment. He only wished that he could immortalise the moment in picture.
Merlin stood up, "Amongst the Druids, I'm Emrys," he enjoyed seeing the fear in his eyes. "Yes, I'm Arthur's protector and will help him usher in a new age of prosperity. You know what I intend to do Uther just to spite you?"
The ghost was glaring, for many he would be terrifying, but Merlin couldn't explain it - he was too angry to be scared. "I will see magic return to this land. Arthur has grown into a good man and realised a peaceful path."
It was the truth and Merlin was grateful to have been given a chance to see it prosper. When Uther turned his attention back too eradicating Arthur once more, Merlin didn't think. He blasted Uther through the door with a blast of spectacular magic.
Arthur relieved to have the chance, used the horn and grinned in seeing his father disappear with a ear-piercing scream. It turns out that he didn't need his fathers approval after all. He was King now and it was his turn to rule, in his way. If one thing had been learnt from this whole debacle that was it. Okay, that wasn't the only thing, there was the small thing that his best friend was a warlock, who'd protected him.
"You know Merlin me and you need to have a long chat."
Merlin frowned wondering exactly what Arthur could have heard, he'd hoped that Arthur was unconscious, "Oh, like what your survival instinct. What kind of Warlock comes to live in a place where he could be executed?"
Sensing that he wasn't about to lose his head, "An under-appreciated and overworked one sire."
Arthur laughed, "Well given that we have much to change in these lands don't expect that to change anytime soon."
Merlin looked to a grinning Arthur and hope sprung up in his heart. Was it true? It sounded surreal, but again Merlin wished he couldn't be around Morgana when she heard the good news. It wouldn't happen over night but there was a real chance now that magic was returning.