I don't know where this came from, I just thought it would be interesting to explore how Uther came to be king and everything that occured as a result afterwards. I don't own Merlin or any of its characters, only the ideas in this story. If you enjoy, please read, review and let me know, and if you don't, please review as well so I can work on it and make it better, thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you enjoy it!

"Soon, these lands will all fall under the one name, they will all be mine to rule over," Uther said, surveying the vast plain that lay beneath him, stretching out to the mountains that ringed the vast grassy expanse and beyond to the vast ocean that ran for miles across the earth.

"I trust that is not the only reason you are entering into this battle with Hanover," his sole companion muttered in response, his eyes remaining firmly fixated on the lush green grass that lay before them.

"You know what I mean Gorlois," Uther responded with a smile on his face as he turned to face his old friend, clapping him in the shoulder as he started to walk away.

"Remind me then," Gorlois replied, turning around to walk over to Uther's paused form to look him squarely in the eyes, "I want you to tell me exactly what it is that thousands of men are going to be giving their lives for. I need to know that what we are fighting for is not just some vanity project of yours," he finished, his eyes narrowing as he watched Uther carefully.

"You of all people should know that is not true Gorlois," Uther responded confidently after a moment's hesitation before taking a step closer to his trusted companion. "The men who are about to give their lives to this battle, are doing so to ensure the future of the greatest kingdom this world will ever know. When we are victorious, the lands and people of Camelot will prosper. Trade will once again flourish; people will be able to live in peace and freedom and never have to fear the hardships of slavery or the worry of constant death. Yes, many will die as a result of this war, but many more will be saved, and if that is the price that I must pay, then I will gladly pay it," Uther finished, the ghost of a triumphant smile on his face as his heart swelled with the thought of the kingdom he had dreamt of building since he was a little boy.

Continuing to watch him with his intense gaze, Gorlois finally allowed himself a small smile, sharing in Uther's hopes of once again restoring the kingdom of Camelot to its former glory. "You will make a great King one day my lord," he finally said, a large beam now crossing his face as he clapped his friend on the shoulder, "I have no doubt of it."

Nodding his approval, Uther firmly gripped his friend's shoulder, his fingers tightening as he spoke, "your friendship and support means everything to me Gorlois. Without them, I do not know if I would have gotten this far," he finished, before turning back to survey the rocky valley brimming with soldiers brightly dressed in the crimson red of the house of Pendragon.

"We will make history here Gorlois, I can feel it," Uther said confidently, his eyes once again shining with confidence as he started making his way back down to the enclosed valley they had chosen to fight in.

"Have Hanover's men taken the bait?" he asked, turning back to face Gorlois.

"Yes, they are sending troops to the mouth of the valley whilst the remainder are making their way around the foot hills.

"Good," Uther replied, his mind hardening as he prepared himself for battle. "Prepare the men to enter the tunnels and have the archers on the ridges ready, we will trap them as they attempt to catch us unaware," he said, striding confidently down the slope towards the awaiting troops as he readied himself for what he hoped to be the start of his victory in his war to unite the former kingdoms of Camelot and allow for a new reign of prosperity and hope.

"Yes, this is the day that everything will change," Uther said out loud, his confidence continuing to grow as Gorlois fell into step behind him, prepared to tackle head on the coming blood-shed.

(xx)

A lone figure stood high up on the battlements, the faded purple fabric of her dress billowing out behind her much in the same fashion as her long, unruly hair that blew freely in the wind. Breathing in deeply, she inhaled the smell of the crisp autumn air that carried with it the faint perfume of falling leaves and damp earth.

"I never did understand why you loved it up here so much sister," said a melodious voice behind her.

Turning, the girl turned to look at her sister who stood in the protected cove of the battlements that rose high above them, her pale hair pinned delicately above her fair head with not a strand out of place, the royal blue of her dress standing out brightly against the dulled grey stone wall.

"Because I can see everything up here," the brunette sister replied, a brief smile on her face as she turned back to look around the lush green countryside.

"And is there anything in particular worth seeing?" teased her sister, her voice light as she pushed gently for the answer she desired.

"There is much to see sister, you need only come look," came the simple response.

Sighing in defeat, the blonde sister allowed herself a silent chuckle as she shook her head and looked over at her sister, "so no riders then Vivienne?"

Stiffening slightly, Vivienne broke her gaze from the surrounding lands of the large fort and turned to look at her sister carefully, her face betraying a small sense of her wariness, "and why would I be looking for a rider Ygraine?" she responded cautiously, her head dipped slightly to the side.

"Because you dreamt of one coming," Ygraine replied casually, peering her head around the wall as she quickly scanned the large field in front of them for any approaching riders before quickly returning to her sheltered cove.

Mouthing at her silently for a second, Vivienne paused for a moment before lifting her head and turning back to look out beyond the fort's walls, "yes well, it was only a dream and it doesn't necessarily mean anything and in any case, how did you know about it?"

"If it was only a dream sister, then why are you out here waiting?" Ygraine replied, a knowing smile crossing her face as she looked over at her younger sister who was now refusing to look at her.

"I told you, I'm looking out at the beautiful plains that we are so lucky to be surrounded by, not waiting for someone," came the frustrated response as Vivienne placed her hands on the stony wall with bared knuckles, "and in any case," she added, her gaze now fixated firmly on the wall of mountains that lay far away in the distance, "how did you know about my dream?"

"I heard you talking to Agravaine about it," Ygraine responded knowingly, her eyes now carefully watching Vivienne's increasingly tense body as she waited for her to answer.

"That conversation was not for your ears," Vivienne replied in a forced voice, her grip on the wall tightening as she turned her gaze from the mountains in the distance to watch the progress of a swallow flitting amongst the trees looking for a meal, wishing that Ygraine would choose this moment to also flit away as she so commonly did.

"I did not mean to overhear it, it was by accident," Ygraine answered again in her casual tone that she knew Vivienne found so irritating, however it was this casual tone that made Vivienne realise that there was something more to her sister's seemingly nonchalant questioning.

"You are also waiting for a rider," Vivienne said, the truth dawning on her as she turned to look at her sister, her earlier annoyance forgotten as she surveyed her sister more carefully, this time taking note of the anxious way she was holding her hands and the anxious way she was standing.

"You're hoping for news of Uther," she concluded, walking over to grasp her sister's hands as she peered gently into her sister's eyes.

"It's been almost a month since we last heard about the war, and in that time he should have surely defeated Hanover and his men," Ygraine replied worriedly after a moment's hesitation, "why haven't we heard from him," she added, looking at her sister desperately for answers.

Grasping her hands tighter, Vivienne attempted to offer her sister a comforting smile as she gently brushed aside a strand of her Ygraine's pale blonde hair that had somehow broken loose from its bun, "I am sure everything is fine, Uther is probably heatedly negotiating a truce with the other lordlings and preparing for his next battle, you know how consumed he is by this whole war."

"Yes but…" Ygraine answered desperately before she was cut off by her sister.

"And in any case, I did not realise you were still so concerned about Uther's wellbeing," Vivienne added, mimicking her sister's earlier teasing voice.

Giving her little sister an annoyed glare, Ygraine turned away for a moment before looking back at her sister, "you know my feelings for him have not changed, father has promised him troops and Uther will repay him with an offer of marriage to make me his queen, an offer I will gladly accept because I know he would've made it with or without father's troops."

"I think father would offer to give him the troops in return for agreeing to not marry you," Vivienne scoffed in response, the words slipping out of her mouth before she had a chance to consider their impact on her sister.

"It would not matter," Ygraine answered angrily, pulling her hands out of her sister's grip and storming out onto the windy battlements as she determinedly took up position to wait for the rider that would bring her word of Uther. "Uther does love me, and he will make me his queen, you will see," she said resolutely as she warily scanned the empty field for signs of an imaginary rider.

"Ygraine I'm sorry but it was only a dream, I do not truly believe that there will be a rider today, and even if there is, there is no guarantee he will bring news of Uther," Vivienne said gently, walking over to try and soothe her now angry sister.

"No you're wrong, the high priestesses' may not have had faith in your abilities but I do, it was a vision that you had and I will hear news of Uther, I am sure of it," Ygraine shouted back angrily, now attempting to blink back tears that were beginning to fill her eyes.

"Ygraine…"

"What are you two doing up here?" the questioning voice of her twin brother caused Vivienne to jerk away from Ygraine as she turned to look at Agravaine who was standing in the shadow of the cove where Ygraine had been standing earlier.

"Nothing," Vivienne replied hesitantly after a moment's pause as she looked at Ygraine's tense back before turning back to her brother's questioning face.

"We were waiting for signs of a rider," Ygraine retorted, angrily, the tension from her displeasure at Vivienne's earlier comments filling the air.

"I think it is time you went back inside now," Agravaine said gently as he walked over to grasp Ygraine's arms as he led her away from the edge of the battlement, shooting Vivienne a questioning glance as he did so.

"Very well then, I shall go inside and prepare for dinner, I suggest you do the same," Ygraine said in a newly composed voice, sending Vivienne one last pointed look before disappearing down the spiralled staircase as Agravaine watched her retreating form disappear before turning to look at his twin sister with a small smile on his face.

"What did you do this time to upset her?" he asked teasingly, walking over to stand beside Viviennr on the wall.

"It wasn't my fault," Vivienne exclaimed lightly, her words starting to be snatched up by the growing wind, "she began it by eves dropping on our conversation."

"The one about the rider?" Agravaine replied, turning to look down at his sister who in turn was now avoiding his gaze

"Yes," she mumbled in response, "she wanted to know if there was any truth in my dream which was why she came up here, she wanted to know if he was coming or not. I told her that it was only a dream and that it meant nothing."

"Which is why I suppose you went out for a ride today," Agravaine replied, throwing up his hands to hush Vivienne's intended response as he continued, "and not just any ride, but one along the messenger's road to wait for your rider?" he finished, before seeing his sister's confused face and adding in, "I know you too well Vivienne, there is more truth in your dream than you care to admit. It was a vision, and you know it."

Gaping at him soundlessly for a moment, Vivienne took a second to collect her now jumbled thoughts as she surveyed the land below them before turning back to face her brother, "we receive many riders," she said confidently, titling her head upwards as she attempted to match her taller brother's height, "is it so strange for me to dream of something that is a common occurrence?" she finished, feeling proud of herself for formulating what she hoped was an adequate response to her brother's probing inquiries.

"It is when the exact rider that you described in your dreams comes riding along to our keep at the exact time of day that you talked about," Agravaine replied, leaning his arms against the worn stone of the wall as he watched the progress of a thunderous messenger riding along the dirt road up to their fortress.

"Impossible," Vivienne said as she spun around to follow her brother's gaze as the messenger rode closer and closer.

Turning his back to the field, Agravain paused to look lovingly at his sister as she watched in amazement as the rider she had dreamt of neared the gates and paused briefly to converse with the guards before riding on through.

"You should have more faith in yourself dear sister," he said as Vivienne turned to look at him, a light shining in her eyes before she set off towards the staircase Ygraine had departed down only moments earlier. Chuckling at her enthusiasm, Agravaine shook his head as he followed after her, his curiosity building as to what news the messenger brought them, and why it was so important that his sister had received a premonition of it.

(xx)

"It would seem then, that I have little choice," Hanover spat out, staring daggers across the bloodied mud to where Uther stood opposite him with his hand on his sword and half his face covered in blood from a gash to his head. Yet despite this, he stood tall and strong, surrounded by equally bloodied knights covered in blood and grime who were also standing tall and proud and glowing with the success of victory.

"Oh you do have a choice Hanover," Uther said back strongly, his voice brimming with assuredness, "you can choose to embrace the future and join me in Camelot, to swear your allegiance to my rule and remain lord of lands that were never rightly yours , or to spend your last hours wishing you had chosen otherwise."

"Those lands are MINE! They were given to me by my father," Hanover replied angrily, attempting to get up before being forced back down by Gorlois who stood behind him, watching the man like a hawk, weariness and discontent covering his face.

"And your father stole those lands from my forefathers so I do believe that makes us even," Uther answered in a level voice, his face a careful mask of emotions as he watched the struggling man before him angrily shake off Gorlois' warning hand as he looked angrily around at the surrounding knights before dropping his gaze down to the ground.

Tasking this as a sign of compliance, Uther walked over and stared down at his fallen foe.

"If you become a part of the kingdom of Camelot, you can ensure peace and protection for your people for the rest of their lives, and their children's lives and for all those who will come after them. Right now, you do not have enough men to adequately protect your lands and so those people you swore to protect are suffering as a result. Whether or not you decide to join me, your people will and so they will fall under the protection of Camelot. I am merely offering you the chance to do the same given your knowledge of the land," at this, Uther, paused for a moment, giving the man before him a chance to consider his words the offer he was making.

After what he felt was an adequate length of time, Uther decided to swiftly break the silence and offer Hanover one last chance, "I grow tired of this game and I am losing patience, the choice is yours," he said abruptly, sparing one last look at Hanover before giving a nod to Gorlois and walking away as Gorlois roughly grabbed Hanover's arms and pulled him up as two guards came to take the man away.

"Wait!" Hanover shouted desperately at Uther's retreating back, "what of my men, what will happen to them?"

"They will be given the choice to join the noble army of Camelot, or to surrender their weapons and return home to their families after swearing to never again raise arms against anyone in Camelot," came the swift response as Uther continued to walk away, ignoring Hanover's struggles.

"And shall happen if I refuse?" Hanover demanded, staring desperately at Uther's back.

"You will be executed," came the simple response from as Uther paused briefly to give his defeated foe one last look before exiting the tent.

"It is a very generous offer, and I suggest you take it," Gorlois said roughly to Hanover's gaping face as he stepped around him and followed Uther out of the tent, pausing to give the guards instructions before he too departed, ignoring the conflicted look that crossed Hanover's face as he managed to close his mouth as he was pulled away.