Tynan sat on his bed with the token that he'd gotten from Balinor when they first started courting. It was a pendant of a dragon. As he held it, he started to think about when exactly was the best time to strike. He had to get Merlin alone, but not so that he would be first to blame for when something would happen to Merlin. And then there were those pesky guards all over the place. He knew he needed a lot of people around, even if it would give the risk of being seen, and then it clicked. Merlin's birthday was coming up in just a few months, he knew because he was at his birth after all. It wasn't like he had always hated Merlin – his son, no in fact there was a time that he couldn't be parted more than an hour from him.
When Balinor first came into the village Tynan had taken him to his and Hunith's home. Hunith was surprised to find a stranger there when she came back from the market, but welcomed him nonetheless.
It weren't until a few weeks later that he and Balinor started to express their feelings and a month later Balinor announced to him and Hunith that he was pregnant. He couldn't be any happier… until four months later word came that Camelot knights were approaching, searching for the Dragonlord Balinor. He and Balinor packed their little belongings haphazardly, said goodbye to Hunith and moved away to a cave just behind the border. They made the most of the place, and Balinor used a concealment spell so passers-by wouldn't see any smoke from the fire or hear any noise when they would pass the cave.
It were nearly three months after that Balinor went into labour in that very same cave and after a difficult birth, he birthed this beautiful pale-skinned boy with dark hair. For a moment, Balinor's condition deteriorated and was weak for the following days and Tynan thought that he would lose Balinor and then had to raise this small boy on his own, something he was sure he wouldn't be able to handle. He tended Balinor as best as he could, as well as care for the babe. Balinor could only muster to give Merlin some milk before he was too exhausted to do anything more.
Tynan knew he and Balinor couldn't bring up a child like this, but couldn't leave the cave either. The search for Balinor was still very much ongoing and if knights would figure out that Merlin was their son, Merlin would surely put to death. One night he and Balinor decided that it would be best that Hunith brought up the child as her own, no one would expect it.
And so Tynan went in the middle of the night with his son in his arms towards his old home. Hunith was enlightened to see her brother in good health as to see her new nephew. Tynan explained the plan and Hunith agreed to raising Merlin as her own pretty much alone as Tynan wanted to stay with Balinor. She told him she would move to Ealdor since no one knew her there and they would believe her that the baby would be hers. Tynan promised he would visit her every once in a while before trekking back to the cave and to his lover.
Balinor was restless the first few days he was parted of his son, but he kept telling himself that this was for the best. Tynan travelled every so many months back to Ealdor to get an update on their child and was surprised to see Merlin using magic from quite a young age. Balinor was ecstatic when he learnt about that.
Years went by, and the hunt for Balinor finally started to thin out, but nowhere near being forgotten, there were still knights on the lookout for him.
When it was around Merlin's sixth birthday, Balinor and Tynan took the gamble and set way to Ealdor and when they arrived and Balinor saw his child for the first time in six years again, he started crying. Merlin had looked strangely at Balinor his big blue eyes, but smiled widely when he was picked up by him. Balinor saw a lot of comparisons to Tynan and was all too happy for that. When Hunith told Merlin that this was Balinor the first thing Merlin said was, "Daddy?", and that world only made Balinor clutch Merlin close to his chest.
Tynan had told Hunith to tell Merlin that he was just his uncle and that Balinor was his daddy, people would be looking weird if Merlin would accidentally start telling people that he was his daddy, since he and Hunith were twins and people wouldn't be happy for Hunith to live within Ealdor anymore. It pained Tynan to act like an uncle, but it was the only way.
Balinor and Tynan couldn't stay for more than a few days, it would be too risky of people seeing Balinor and they might inform Camelotion's Knights that were still patrolling.
The following years were going in quite the same way, Balinor sometimes came with Tynan, but often not. He was too afraid to be found. He learned a scrying spell and was now able to see Merlin grow without actually having to see him personally and he found peace with that.
When Merlin became sixteen, Tynan visited Ealdor again. He and Balinor had found out that they were expecting again and Balinor was around four months now. Tynan had wanted to tell Hunith as soon as possible, but he found it more important to support his lover in those difficult first months. Tynan stayed for his usual week before going back again, and when he entered the cave, he found Balinor in pain, clutching his stomach.
They lost the child that night and Balinor was in worse condition. His body never really recovered from miscarrying their child, and neither was his mind. Tynan never left Balinor's side and never travelled back to Ealdor, he faked a note and got someone to deliver the message to Ealdor, it was easier that way. Balinor sometimes had good enough days to use the scrying spell and they watched Hunith and Merlin go on with their life.
The day when they found out Hunith died nearly six years later, was one of the worst for Tynan and that was the only time he left Balinor to watch from a distance how Merlin placed Hunith's body in a boat and set it on fire once he pushed it into the water. He wanted to hug his son, but he thought it was best not to let himself be known after being absent for about six years.
When Tynan arrived back in the cave, he felt bad, but moved on with his life and both he and Balinor hoped that Merlin would go to his uncle Gaius in Camelot. It was a dangerous place for him, but their son was smart enough to not use magic in the open, and Gaius was the only one they trusted enough with their son. Hunith had talked about Gaius enough and had once told Merlin to go to him if something would've happen to her or Tynan.
Balinor were happy to find out through the scrying that Merlin indeed had set out to Camelot, and that he found his place with Gaius. They stopped scrying their son for a while once Balinor's condition worsened after a nasty fall when he tried to find some firewood. It were in the last few moments of his life that Balinor gathered up his strength to see his son for the last time in his life and both he and Tynan were shocked to see their son with the monster who caused them to hide for their entire life.
Balinor felt Tynan getting tense with anger and as his dying wish he pleaded his lover to not blame Merlin and let him live in peace. Tynan had conceded… then. But when Balinor died days later there snapped something inside him and there was no stopping him. He would somehow get revenge on his lover, and would let Uther pay. He would find out soon enough how it would feel to lose a love of his life and it didn't matter if he had to kill his son for that. The moment he found out that Merlin was in a courtship with Uther, he wasn't his son anymore, but a traitor!
Tynan was brought out of his thoughts when a knock interrupted him. "Sir? I came to escort you to the dining hall."
Tynan sighed and slipped the necklace with pendant over his head before he walked up to the door and greeted the guard. He then followed him to the dining hall.
Arthur had joined his father and Merlin at the dining table just moment ago. He had been on patrol this morning and afternoon and had missed the arrival of Merlin's uncle. But he didn't had to wait long for this mysterious uncle to arrive as the door opened as he had just seated down.
"Uncle." Merlin said with a smile and stood up as Tynan came towards them. He hugged him as he stood close. Tynan played along, but once he was in Merlin's arms his gleeful face fell and made room for that of disgust.
He had no idea that Arthur was watching him rather intently and Arthur was surprised at Merlin's uncle's reaction from the hug, especially when the man smiled brightly again when he drew back. He had no idea why the man had that reaction and would leave it for now, he wanted to know the man better first.
