Uther looked between his husband and the man claiming to be family. His husband started to breathe quickly and Uther called guards and he saw Merlin gripping the armrests tightly, making his fingers turn white. "Guards!" Uther yelled. "Take this man away." Then he turned to a servant at the sides and called him forward for a goblet of water.

"Here, love, drink this." Uther said as he offered the goblet, but Merlin shook his head even though he was not able to catch his breath and he was pushing the goblet away with his hands. All the while he kept his eyes from the man who was led away by three guards.

Uther moved in Merlin's line of sight, but Merlin tried to look past him. "Love, you need to calm yourself. That man cannot hurt you, he's taken away." Uther tried again to make eye contact and this time succeeded. "Merlin, breathe with me." Uther breathed deeply in and slowly out and Merlin did the same for three times before bolting off his throne and towards the three guards and the man in the middle. They were almost at the door, but Merlin surpassed them and hugged the man in the middle. The guards released the man and looked at each other before turning to their King, who was looking shocked and slowly made his way to the group of people.

As he neared he saw Merlin's head resting on the man's chest and he heard him softly muttering, "I-I thought you were dead. H-how?"

Uther looked at the guards. "Leave us." The guards immediately bowed and walked away. Uther stepped forwards to his husband and reached out to touch his shoulder, his eyes connecting to the man holding Merlin.

Merlin sniffed and then inhaled deeply before turning around. Uther saw some tears still leaving his eyes. He swallowed. "Uther, may I introduce you to my uncle Tynan."

~oOoOo~

Uther, Merlin and Tynan sat around the table in Uther and Merlin's chamber. Uther thought it was for the best since Merlin had been quite emotional and had offered a chamber to Tynan to refresh himself at which they would meet after in their room. Merlin had calmed down more, but Uther saw that he was still on the verge of beginning to cry again.

Merlin sat next to his uncle and stared at him in awe. Uther cleared his throat once. "Merlin, can you explain how he is your uncle?"

Merlin nodded and with a shaking voice he began to explain. "He's the t-twin brother of my mother. H-he lived in Ealdor as well and helped my mom raising me, since my father had to flee again, because…" Merlin fell silent. He had not forgiven Uther entirely for what he'd done during the Great Purge, but he could somewhat understand Uther's reasoning for it, even if Ygraine's death and sorcery were two different things and not connected like Uther had always thought. But he couldn't keep a grudge against his husband now, not how Uther tried and succeeded to mend his wrongs.

Merlin inhaled deeply and shook his head. "It's not important. When I was about sixteen years old, I saw my uncle for the last time." Merlin looked at his uncle as he continued. "He had been traveling a lot in the previous years and could've gone for months at a time, but that day my uncle was supposed to get supplies, which normally takes only two days, but he never returned. Then my mom and I received word that he – he." Merlin buried his face into his hands and started crying again. Tynan wrapped an arm around Merlin and looked up at the King.

"I was captured, my Lord. I thought I was to be put to death immediately, but I was tortured first and then sold off as a slave. I escaped nearly a year ago from my master and found shelter with a group of druids near the Northern border and regained my strength there. My recovery took some time, but as soon as I felt well enough, I wanted to go back to my family, but when I arrived in Ealdor, I got the news that my sister had died and that my nephew had travelled to Camelot, and I believed he went to my uncle Gaius. I still did not know about your union then."

Merlin lifted his head from his hands and looked up to his uncle to hear the rest of the story.

"I neared Camelot and asked passers-by if they knew someone called Merlin in Camelot and they looked at me full of awe and told me that he was to be found in the castle." Tynan looked down at Merlin. "I still had no thought about you being Consort to the King, and thought you were just part of the Royal Household. Only when I came into the city I heard about how King Uther and Consort Merlin held audience for the people and I thought I misheard, but my curiosity took the better of me and so I entered the Great Hall but indeed, there I saw you. Not my little nephew as I remembered, but a grown man. And with child!"

The exclamation caused a smile to form on Merlin's lips again and he breathed out a laugh as his hands went to his midsection.

"I'm naturally interested how you entered an union with the King of Camelot, but for now," Tynan looked down and folded his hands together, "I'm now more interested to know how and when my sister had died."

Merlin placed a hand on Tynan's hands. It was still difficult to talk about his mother's death, but he had some years to come to peace with it. With a deep inhale, Merlin began to tell the story that he had told Uther in one of the first years of their courtship.

"I had just fed the few animals we had and was then milking the goats when I heard a huge crash and a loud scream coming from the house. I hurried inside the house and saw mother lying on the ground, a stool nearby, fallen on its side, and the table was moved. When I kneeled down next to her I saw a lot of blood dripping from her head. I tried magic, uncle, I tried!" Merlin gripped his uncle's upper arm, then he slowly released his grip. "But it was futile, the wound on her head was too deep and my magic was not strong enough to save her back then. In her last few second she looked up to me and said: 'I'm sorry, Merlin. Forgive me. You'll always be my son and I love you so much, but there's something -'. And then her last breath left her, she wasn't able to finish her sentence. And I also do not know what she wanted to say." Merlin shook his head, brows drawn together in concentration. "And I do not know for what I should forgive her for, she'd done nothing wrong, ever."

"It's alright, Merlin." Tynan said, drawing Merlin in a hug but made sure that his face was shielded away from Uther. His face changed in anger as his head was hidden behind Merlin's, and when he retracted, he made sure that his face was one of sorrow once more. "You did everything you could, Merlin. Don't blame yourself."

"But if I was in the house! I-I could've prevented my mother falling and hitting her head."

"Merlin," Tynan said. "It was an accident, and could've not been prevented."

"But –"

"Merlin, no. Don't do that to yourself or you'll make yourself unwell." Tynan said and after a few moments, Merlin finally nodded.

Tynan turned to Uther. "My lord, may I retreat back to my chamber? This meeting was hard for both of us and I think Merlin will need some rest, especially for the child. We can dine together tonight if that is what you wish."

"Of course," Uther said. "And call me Uther, family of Merlin is always welcome in Camelot. A guard will escort you to your chamber and will announce when dinner is served."

Tynan stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Sire." He squeezed Merlin's shoulder. "I will see you in the evening Merlin, rest for now." Merlin nodded again and stood up to hug his uncle once more.

As soon as the door to his chamber closed behind Tynan, he picked up a goblet and threw it with a growl against the opposite wall and then sat down on a chair around the table and muttered to himself, "That bastard! He might be our son, Balinor, but I cannot forgive him for being married to the man that made your life miserable. Your death will not be for nothing, Merlin will pay."

Yep, Merlin is Tynan's (and Balinor's) son. Motive to Tynan's words will explained in further chapters. Just FYI, Tynan's story about being captured is not true, will also be explained.

Spoiler alert: there will be a happy ending.