To say Uther Pendragon was annoyed would be a gross understatement. He felt his son's actions recently had been in subordinate and without precedent. Firstly the spending of company money on building works, to pander to one member of staff, then the fuss made when Uther had done the sensible thing and got rid of the man. Now he was taking time off to visit the idiot in hospital, all because Arthur fancied himself to be in a relationship with the man. What nonsense, anyone looking at his son could see he wasn't a queer. Uther couldn't understand it at all. Especially when his son had taken to challenging his own father's decisions, and demanding all sorts of concessions. Then to cap it all, he dared threaten to split the company. Uther was sitting brooding in his office trying to work out how to stop all this nonsense once and for all.

The more he brooded the worse his temper became. Eventually, with his son not in the office, he demanded his daughter's presence. Perhaps he could get her to talk sense into to her brother. Morgana left her office and made her way to her father, dreading what was to come. She received a pitying glance from Nimueh, something unheard of before, Uther's PA usually relished the rows between father and daughter.

"Ah, Morgana sit down." Uther sounded fairly calm despite the rage under the surface. "I need you to do something for the good of the company, your brother seems to have temporarily lost his senses and we need to get him back on track."

"What do you mean Sir?" Morgana always called her father Sir if she was expecting to have a row with him.

"This stupid idea he has in his head about that boy, it has to stop, and he's getting carried away with it all. It's not good for him or the company."

"In what way is it a stupid idea? Before you got involved I hadn't seen Arthur looking so happy, Merlin is good for him. Arthur deserves a life and you need to accept that." Morgana wasn't in the mood to listen to her father's bigotry.

"My son is not a homosexual; he is risking his future on some silly whim."

"Arthur has been telling you for years he isn't interested in all the women you keep throwing at him. He's not going to change now. Why can't you accept him for what he is and be happy he's found someone to love." Morgana kept her voice steady hoping to get her father to see sense. "What is upsetting you most, that Arthur likes men, or that he's started to stand up to you at long last."

"You are as bad as him! I've given the pair of you the best of everything, and this is how you repay me. I suppose you support him in this silly threat of splitting the company as well do you?" Uther was getting more and more angry.

"The best money can buy as long as you didn't need to spend time with us. You only gave him shares in the company to stop him moving to Baynard's. And yes I've told Arthur I will go with him if he pulls away from you. Wake up father or you'll lose your son." Morgana stood up. "And I rather suspect you'll lose half your staff as well." Morgana walked towards the door.

"I give you until tomorrow to think things through, help me or go Morgana. You won't find it such a good life without your over inflated salary. Think carefully." Uther threatened.

Morgana turned as she went through the door: "You're going the right way to lose all your family, think carefully yourself." As she left she gave the astonished Nimueh a smile. The woman had obviously been listening in. "You might find yourself out of a job as well Nimueh, I'd get him to calm down if I were you."

Meanwhile a few miles away Lance was trying to talk to his wife she was getting very worked up about Merlin. "Look darling you can't run his life for him. I know he has relied on you a lot since his mum died, and then the accident, but it's good he's finding his own way."

Gwen had been crying "But Lance you don't understand. His mum asked me to look out for him when she found she had cancer. I can't let her down."

"You aren't, look he was only sixteen then, he's done a lot of growing since then, anyway I don't suppose she thought you'd take it quite so seriously you were only eighteen. Hunith would be pleased how well he's done."

"Don't be stupid Lance! How can you say that he's in a wheelchair! I haven't looked after him at all."

"That wasn't your fault and you can't keep him wrapped in cotton wool. I thought when you first met Arthur you were going to accept him. If you keep on like you are you will either make Merlin fall out with you, or ruin his chance of happiness. Don't force him to choose." Lance was worried about his wife and her reaction to Arthur.

"I can't help it Lance, what if he breaks Merlin's heart. I couldn't live with myself." Gwen started crying again.

Lance put his arms round his wife's shoulders "Look love he's an adult, he has to take risks sometimes. The best you can do is support him in his choices. He moved to London when you did because he loved you like a sister; don't push him away by being possessive."

"Is that what you think I am? I'm not, I want the best for him. You weren't with him when he watched his mum die I was! It broke his heart, then all over again with Cenred. How much can he take, how much can I do to help mend him?"

"You can't stop him living just in case he gets hurt again Gwen. Not only that, you're letting it control you. Stop it, and stop it before you do things you'll regret."

Percy was also thinking things through; he was also worrying about Gwen and her need to control Merlin. He knew their history, Merlin had told him and he didn't want the couple to fall out. He hoped Lance would step in as it was not really his concern. He had muddied the waters enough as it was. He was also wondering if he would be able to salvage his bidding relationship with Morgana. He wanted to, but thought he had he ruined everything. Percy called into a florist on the way home, and asked their advice, and sent Morgana a display of purple hyacinths, the flower that signified 'I'm sorry, forgive me'. He wrote a card with the same sentiment. For good measure he sent two dozen red roses as well. He now had to wait.

The plan to get back at Cenred was progressing well. Cenred had met with his mole from Pendragon's laboratories the week before, and had been given the research for their latest green nanotechnology project. It had been well worth the money. Cenred had just had a meeting with his head of department Valliant and his experts, and they advised to press ahead. He put as much as he dared of his budget into trying to beat his rivals to completion. It was a cut throat business, and he wasn't going to be left behind. He had also heard rumours that the Pendragon's were in the middle of a family squabble, which might make it even easier to take some of their trade. He had been approached by a firm from Eastern Europe about a large trade deal. They had tried to get hold of a large consignment from Pendragons but it seemed they hadn't made the deadline to reply, the younger Pendragon was really cocking up, and so the deal had come to him. Again it was a bigger order than he was used to, but too good an opportunity to miss. So his factory was already getting the order up together. It had meant delaying some of their smaller customer's orders, but they would have to put up with it. If this order was met and the new customers were happy, then they would be able to expand to meet all the incoming orders. Yes Pendragon's loss was his gain. At least he thought it was. The one thing he knew was that you had to take a few risks along the way, unlike his father, who had built the company up from scratch but had be far more risk averse.