My friend Mell demanded a second chapter for you guys ;P
Thank you so much for your reviews, they make me so happy XD!
This is set up sometime after S3 by the way… just saying as Uther doesn't seem all that broken here… I can't picture him broken and he wouldn't be nearly as easy to hate anyways :P
Hope you enjoy.
The knights of Camelot thundered in to the citadel at full pelt. Arthur hadn't stopped to explain their hurry to the others, his heart was racing as fear played up and down his spine.
"… said you were a complete prat but a good man"
From that moment he knew, knew through all the horror and denial that something unthinkable had happened to his friend.
"His name was Merlin Sire"
Arthur practically threw himself from his horse when he saw the fires. There was nothing but burning embers left, dark coal marring the usually clear court yard. His father was no longer standing at the balcony, the people had cleared but that just made it even easier to make out the small huddled group at the embers edge.
Gaius was on the floor, head bowed and shoulders shaking while Gwen crouched by his side tears streaming down her face. Huddled around them a small group of servants Arthur knew vaguely. The stable boy who helped Merlin with the horses, the kitchen maid and the chef, all people Merlin had regular contact with. The fear in Arthur intensified and he felt his heart clench uncomfortably but he couldn't give up hope not until he was sure he couldn't believe-
"What the-" he looked round to see Gwain's confused and worried face but past him who grabbed my attention was Lancelot his eyes were wide as he struggled to blink back tears, mouth pushed in to a thin line. He knew, somehow he knew. Arthur dragged his eyes from his friends running forward to the huddled group.
He was at Gwen's side in an instant and had barely touched her shoulder before she flung her arms around him burying her face in his chest.
"Arthur-" she broke off with a sob, " Arthur its- its-"
"Merlin." Gaius whispered
"Emrys is dead."
The voice echoed through the dark cave startling the two young women sat at the table.
"What!" one of them asked in disbelief. In a moment the two were standing and marching to join their sister by the scrying pool.
"Executed by the tyrant king." The dark haired woman whispered her voice shaking slightly.
"How is this possible?" Asked the older willowy sister hands hovering tentatively over the water's surface.
"The prophesy- this wasn't supposed to happen." The youngest a light haired slim girl stared in disbelief at the fire. The dark haired sister was quickly working over the scry, her eyes slipping shut the image in the water began to change.
"What are you doing?" the younger sister asked fear in her eyes.
"We must find him, we can't lose this." She replied in a steely voice.
"But sister-" the younger tried to interrupt but the older stopped her.
"She's right sister. Emrys is still needed." And with that she placed her hands on the edge of the pool her eyes fell closed. The younger hesitated fidgeting nervously with her sleeves before she to mirrored their movements.
Uther sat at his throne in silence. The room was empty and dark, the usually open windows had been closed steeping the place in darkness. Closing his eyes Uther waited. Waited for the confrontation he knew was to come.
"Father!" the doors to the throne room slammed open but Uther didn't open his eyes he waited listening as they swung closed. He expected shouting, screaming maybe even a sword to his throat. He didn't open his eyes not yet.
Silence stretched but he knew his son was still there. This was only confirmed when the soft footsteps plodded to the middle of the room, and then in a soft broken voice,
"Why?"
"He was a sorcerer." Uther finally opened his eyes to see his son. The broken voice was nothing, a shadow. The pure fury in his eyes and the exertion of his heaving chest showed the true depth of his feelings. The servant had been his friend; nothing his father could say would pay for his death.
"He would never-"
"He was a sorcerer!" Uther repeated shouting now, his son didn't believe him the anger and skepticism in his eyes shone clearly, "Beyond a doubt, he was a sorcerer long before he even came to Camelot. He fooled us all-"
"He fooled no one! You have killed an innocent man! Merlin could never- did never." Arthur closed his eyes forcefully holding himself in place and biting back the tears that were again threatening to fall, "How could you do this." He finally whispered.
"I did what was best for Camelot." Uther replied, this was no need to ignite his sons temper he needed to calm him. "He betrayed us all."
"No." Arthur replied eyes opening, "He would never."
"Arthur the evidence was irrefutable; there were witnesses, a bounty hunter-"
"A Bounty Hunter!" Arthur roared, "You did this on the word of a bounty hunter!"
"Arthur." Uther said firmly getting his sons attention, "I witnessed his actions myself, the hunter merely drew him out. He was a sorcerer Arthur do not doubt that I left no stone unturned determining his guilt. The evidence is irrefutable."
Arthur stared at Uther for a long moment eyes glistening with tears and fury, his chest still rising and falling at a fast pace.
"And what of Gaius?" he asked "what did he have to say when you sentenced his ward to death?" Uther stared levelly at his son a tense silence filling the air.
"Gaius is excused of his actions in defending the boy, he is forgiven, he-"
Arthur was walking out the door before Uther could finish his sentence. "Where are you going?"
The heavy slamming of the door was his only reply. The tense silence hung in the air like a shroud, thick and impenetrable. Uther leaned forward and buried his face in his hands. It wasn't his fault, Arthur would forgive him. The servant boy had betrayed them, he was a spy the whole time or maybe simply and assassin waiting for the right moment to strike.
No, Uther decided, he had done the right thing, for the good of Camelot as well as his son. Sometimes you must be cruel to be kind and sending his son away before this unfortunate business could be dealt with was the right thing to do.
Camelot would not fall to a sorcerer while he was king.
"I supposed I ought to stick around." The high voice sliced through the air making the king jump in his throne as he sought out the speaker, "You never know when you'll need someone to track down your wayward prince." Uther's eyes snapped to the broad figure folded carefully in the shadows of the hall.
"How long have you been standing there?" growled Uther glareing at the bounty hunter. There was a flash of a crooked smile.
"Ow not long." The hunter stepped out, an average sized man with dirty blond hair and a scrawny beard. He didn't look impressive in the slightest with only the numerous scars littered over his skin to give away his profession. "I could bring him back?"
"That will not be necessary." Uther said gruffly, standing to leave.
"I wasn't talking about the prince." Uther froze, ",Your majesty." Very slowly the king turned back to the hunter, eyes cold and unforgiving as steal.
"The sorcerer."
"Merlin, yes, well or Emrys I suppose." The hunter smiled touching a figure to his lips, "I hear he has many names though my particular favorite is 'Traitorous-Pendragon-Mongrel' if I remember correctly." He smiled fondly as one might over a pet. He looked up at the frozen king, "Ow you do recall my informing you he on many occasions risked his life and used his magic to save Camelot?" there was a long grating silence before Uther said quietly as if having to dredge his voice up from deep inside.
"I do recall." The hunter grinned brilliantly making a soft humming noise.
"And then you said 'burn him!'" This was followed by a soft chuckle as the hunter gazed wistfully off in to the darkness.
"What is this about Pelenor?" Uther demanded temper wearing thin. Pelenor blinked up at the king a mock look of surprise on his face.
"Ow no, nothing my Lord." His twisted smile slipped back in to place, "Just for you to bear in mind, should you ever… regret your decision to execute the Warlock Emrys I would only be to glad to return the boy, or what is left of him, to your complete control."
Uther stared at the man levelly for a moment before he swept from the room. No one would know it, nor would the king admit it but he had not come so close to running from a room in years.
Pelenor smirked hands idlely playing with the coins in his pocket. He would stay in a good inn tonight, with food and beer and anything else his heart should desire. No need to move on with the promise of further bounty ahead. Pelenor smiled and walked away probably the only man in Camelot castle with a spring in his step.
On the boundary of Camelot at the edge of a clearing a great scaly burning mass threw its head back and roared.
"MERLIN!"
I can just about hear the Merlin theme tune right now… that last bit may have been a bit vague but hopefully you got who it was.