The blonde turned his head at the voice knowing exactly who it was. "Father, I didn't realise you would be back for tonight"

"Clearly! Now come with me" the demand was repeated

Rather than cause a scene Arthur stood to follow his father, as he did so Merlin did the same.

"No you" Uther Pendragon snapped.

Merlin's eyes flashed and his face changed from its normal happy one "Oh I think I will Sir, you see as I have every reason to believe conversation will concern me I consider I have every right to be there!"

Arthur turned to his fiancé "That's OK Merlin, I'll deal with this" He knew his father better than anyone and hope Merlin would back off. He was to be unlucky.

"No we well deal with it" Merlin glared at Uther "Unless you wish to say whatever you need to here."

Uther turned and walked away, Arthur followed as sis Merlin, who was determined to be involved. He had heard enough about Uther Pendragon to have a good idea what the man wanted to do.

Uther led them to a small side room and Arthur shut the door as they followed him in.

Uther sat behind the desk that was positioned by the window. He looked at his son and totally ignored Merlin. "I flew back the minute I got your call, unfortunately I was to ate to stop you making a fool of yourself! But I will not stand by and do nothing. For the last time I expect you to stop this rebellion and marry as expected"

Arthur looked at his father and took Merlin's hand in his. "I am marrying, and as I told you four years ago I am Gay! So it is obvious I am marrying a man. A man I love dearly. Now if you don't like that hard luck…live with it, nothing you can say will change my mind"

Uther looked at his son as if he had just grown two heads. "How dare you speak to me like that, you will stop this stupidity and get rid of your paramour immediately or lose you position in my company!" He was red with anger.

Merlin took a step forward and calmly spoke, he was so angry but his training allowed him to hide it "Sir you need to calm yourself, you have already had one heart attack, do you want another?"

Uther looked at Merlin for the first time, he clenched his fists "If I do it will be your fault, you have clearly corrupted my son, someone like you should never be allowed to work as a doctor. You are an affront to humanity" he spat.

This was too much for Arthur "No you are! You are living in the dark ages! As my father you should be happy that I have found my soulmate. As for 'your company' you turned it over to me, remember! I have 51% ownership! But if you want it back go ahead. I quit, I can start up my own business, I wonder how many key staff I will take with me? Make up your mind Uther"

Merlin once more spoke "Stop it you two, you are father and son! Arthur is right you should be happy for him! Listen to yourselves and stop. I don't believe for one moment you both wish your relationship to end like this!" he paused "I am sorry Mr Pendragon that I don't meet your approval, because of my gender, however we do love one another. Your son didn't chose who he is and it would be wrong of you to expect him to live a lie."

Uther ignored Merlin and looked at his son with disgust "Your mother will be turning in her grave, to think she gave her life to bring you into the world!"

Arthur reeled as if hit "I don't think that's true, she would have wanted me to be happy, you had your great love, why are you so against me having mine?"

"She was everything to me, don't tell me how she would have felt!"

No one had heard the door open and for the second time Morgana interrupted but this time it was in defence of Merlin and her brother's relationship. "How dare you use Arthur's mother in this way! If she was everything to you, why did you have sex with my mother, when your wife was pregnant! You hypocrite the only person you love is yourself! I have stood by and watched Arthur do everything in his power to make you love him and all you have done is browbeat and bully him. I for one am happy and proud of my brother and so should you be, if you don't apologise I will never speak to you again."

Another person entered the room, it was Hunith "Leave us all of you" she demanded quietly "I want to speak to your father alone Arthur"

Later Hunith re-joined the group at the table, Uther had left and they never knew what the couple had talked about. But Arthur remained at Pendragons and nothing was heard of Uther.

Epilogue

It was six months after the engagement and three weeks before the wedding that Merlin came home with news of an unexpected nature. The man that had assaulted Merlin had been given a custodial sentence the month before, but he had been bought to hospital that day with serious injuries. Merlin hadn't been on the team caring for him, for obvious reasons. It appeared he had been beaten up by some of the other inmates. One of the man responsible had discovered it had been Merlin that the man had assaulted. It seemed Merlin had saved his young daughters life after a car accident. Merlin was upset at the news, especially as the man had not survived.

"I feel guilty" Merlin had told the blonde.

"You have no reason to" Arthur had replied "He was a dangerous man, you heard what they said after the trial, it wasn't his first attack on someone with a knife. These things happen sometimes. It was nothing to do with you. Anyway he deserved it for what he did to you!"

"Arthur! Don't say things like that! No one deserves to die"

Arthur looked slightly chastised but not much, he shrugged "I still say he deserved it"

Merlin looked at Arthur "I sometimes wonder what you would have been like if you had been born centuries ago. You have a ruthless streak in you"

"Of course I'm a business man, anyway if I had been I would have been a knight at the very least and defended your life and honour to the death!"

Merlin chose to ignore the implication that he would have been a maiden.

At the wedding it was Merlin who spotted a lonely figure at the back of the room. He knew immediate who it was. So once the ceremony was over and before Arthur could speak to anyone else Merlin dragged him across the room. Arthur stiffened as he saw who it was. Uther looked at his son "She was right, she said I would regret it if we lost contact. I miss you son and if it is alright with your" there was a pause as Uther forced himself to go on "husband I would like to renew contact with you, I realise I don't deserve it and if you don't wish to I will accept your decision."

It was the first time Arthur could remember seeing his father less than composed, he looked at Merlin who nodded his encouragement "We can try, but I won't change my mind about Merlin and you have to accept him." Arthur's voice was less than sympathetic.

Merlin grinned at the pair of them "Good I'm glad that's settled, Mr Pendragon make sure you come to the reception. But for now I must take my husband away to change, Mum will be glad to see you as well."

As Merlin pulled Arthur away it was clear to everyone they wouldn't be back for a while. Uther looked around the room and saw his daughter who slowly approached. Uther knew it would be a long road back, but he had made a start. It had taken him a long time to come round but as Hunith had said it would be a lonely old age without his family and nothing but regrets, he had no choice. A stubborn as he was he knew his son wouldn't have ever made the first move, something he understood his daughter already knew. The raven haired man had captured his son's heart and it was clear he would always come first. So he Uther would have to learn to be in second place or have nothing.