When the door was pushed open, Uther didn't have to turn to know who was entering. He himself had summoned the young servant in the throne room to have a talk with him. Usually, he didn't care about servants, but there was something in that boy he couldn't ignore.
"You wanted to see me, Sire?" Came the small voice of the dark-haired man.
Uther gazed lazily the court outside the window, ignoring the servant some more time, so it was clear he meant nothing to the king; then he turned toward him. The young man looked terrified, although he surely was trying not to seem so, with big eyes fixed on the pavement, hands clasped behind his back and the body stiffed.
"Yes, Merlin. Come here."
The servant held back a gasp when the king called his exact name. He hesitated, glancing the king through his lashes, then he came forward, nearing him.
"How can I please you, Your Majesty?" The young boy asked with reverence, bowing lowly.
He surely seemed like he knew how to act properly with the royalty, although Uther had witnessed with his own eyes the disrespectfulness he usually reserved to Arthur and the way Arthur seemed not to care. He was sure their relationship was unhealthy for the future king of Camelot, but he knew things that kept him from separating them.
"I know things about you, Merlin." The king murmured, watching him intently.
"Things, Sire?" Merlin repeated and he was a good liar, keeping his frightened expression without making him understand he had really something to hide. Just a simple servant in front of his king. But Uther knew better.
"Things." He confirmed. "Things about your magic."
The servant gasped in shock, terror and dread draining colour from his already pale face. He gaped, searching something to say, then he gulped with difficulty.
"I'm… I'm not a sorcerer, Your Majesty." He murmured frightened.
Uther wanted to believe it was a proof of his guiltiness, but it was not: a simple servant, a non-sorcerer, would have react exactly in the same way. But Uther didn't need proof, because he knew. Merlin could deny his magic over and over again, it was useless.
"I know you are, Merlin." The king affirmed, stopping the boy's protests with a gesture of the hand. "I won't kill you, Merlin. I won't exile you nor I will put you in the stocks. No one apart us will know what we are saying in this room." He stilled silent for some moments, watching outside the windows, towards the area which Arthur was training in with his knights. "I know you're a sorcerer and I know… I know you've always protected Arthur. I know you're loyal to Camelot or to Arthur, at least. I know he's safe with you." He paused. He was not expecting a reply by Merlin, so he didn't care when no one came. He had to think some moment, decide if he really wanted to finish the speech he had in mind. He did. "I just want to ask you something, Merlin." He added, turning to face the boy, who was in the exact position he was before. "Did Arthur know about you?"
Merlin stilled silent for a long moment, biting his lower lip, gazing the king in his own eyes. Uther could almost read on his face all the thoughts that were travelling in his head. The boy licked his lips, finally coming to a conclusion.
"There is nothing about me Ar- Prince Arthur need to know."
Uther pretended he hadn't notice the slip of tongue and Merlin went on like it never happened.
"But… if I had something worth to tell… then surely Prince Arthur would been aware of it. I would tell him, because… he's my prince and my master and my future king and I have faith in him."
The king turned again his attention to the window and the outside. He was quite sure of Merlin's reply so he was not surprised, but he surely was relieved. Merlin seemed a powerful sorcerer ad he was one of the most –if not the most- cherished by Arthur. They were both reasons why he had chosen not to punish Merlin: he was not sure the boy would not react and he was even less sure Arthur would not react. But Merlin was loyal and he obviously cared about Arthur. It was good.
"You may go." He said.
When he didn't hear the noise of the door, he turned, seeing the servant yet still in the centre of the room, with his eyes on the king.
"It's an order." He added.
Merlin opened his mouth, trying to say something, then he thought better of it and he bowed.
"Your Majesty." He murmured, then he exited.
Uther watched the door closing behind the boy's back and he couldn't help but think about the usefulness of his powers. If that servant was as powerful as he thought, he could be an important weapon in every kind of war, both to defend Camelot that to attack their enemies; but he couldn't use his power. He could accept, with some reservation, not every sorcerer was evil, but he couldn't act out of this new realization: it was important to maintain coherency, for the people of Camelot. Maybe Arthur could have been the king who let the magic return on Camelot and Merlin could have been his Court Sorcerer, or something like it.
He turned his attention to the outside, just in time to see Merlin coming out of the castle and going towards the training area. When Arthur saw me, he halted the training so he could speak with him.
Uther saw them speak and the Arthur glanced toward him, toward the throne room. So, it was real Merlin told Arthur everything worth to know. It was good to know.
Uther could feel reassured, although the irony of the situation didn't elude him: he had spent his whole lifetime trying to protect his son from magic and now it was a sorcerer who was protecting him from all the dangers in the world.