Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, it is owned by BBC, SyFy and the creators of Merlin, I own Anne and Faston.

The basis of this part is from the First Season Epidose "To Kill a King" so the story plot and the dialogue that comes from that episode is not mine but Merlin, BBC, SYfy, and the episode writer's words and plot.

I looked up from where I was watching the activity in the courtyard as I heard footsteps drawing near and smiled softly at Merlin as he walked by me, he smiled back broadly, greeting me before he went on muttering about Arthur being hungry again. I chuckled and went back to watching people wander through the courtyard. It had been two weeks since I had learned Merlin's secret. I had watched him carefully, and had caught his eyes changing a few times, finally asking Gaius and Merlin about it while I was visiting Gaius in his quarters. After yelling at Merlin for "his stupidity" at using magic, Gaius than explained why a magic user's eyes changed. For the first few days Merlin had been tense around me at all times, but had finally believed that I would not betray his secret.

I felt arms slip around my waist, and a chin rest on my shoulder, "Care to share?" Uther's voice rumbled next to my ear.

"No, just thinking random thoughts." I turned sideways in his embrace, wrapping one arm behind him, and resting my head on his chest. He had been busy training with the knights earlier and was in his chainmail and tunic, his red cape fluttering softly in the wind that was flowing through the halls. How did training go?"

"It was fine. However, I believe you and I need to get inside as it is too cold for me and most definitely too cold for you." I cocked an eyebrow to remind him of the fact that I was raised in a colder climate than Camelot, "Especially as you are expecting and it is time for supper." He moved until he was lined up against my side using his arm around my waist propelled me forward.

During the middle of dinner, a guard walked in, "My Lord, there has been reports of people seeing Tauren around Camelot."

Uther looked at me and then looked at Arthur, "Find him, and arrest him for treason. If he doesn't come willingly, kill him." Arthur nodded and walked out motioning for several of the guards to follow him. Uther looked back at Morgana and I, "Morgana go to your chambers and remain there for the rest of the evening." He motioned toward Leon, who nodded and took hold of Morgana's elbow escorting her from the room at a brisk walk. Uther stood up, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword as he reached down to grab my hand and used it to pull me up out of my chair. He started walking off toward the doors, as I followed behind, walking as quickly as my body's condition would allow.

As we entered our rooms, Uther stopped just inside the door, taking his hand out of mine and barring the door from the inside, before pulling me over to the fireplace, he helped me sit down, and then paced the room, his hand always on his sword and his eyes constantly scanning the room around us.

"Uther, what's wrong? Who is Tauren?" I asked my voice sounded small and frightened in my own ears.

Uther stopped pacing at the sound of Anne's question and looked over her face showing her concern at his behavior. Uther grabbed a chair and pulled it up to where she was sitting, he sat down taking her hand, "Tauren is a sorcerer, a leader of a band of renegade sorcerers sworn to kill me. I do not doubt that if he had the chance he would kill you too, Anne."

"Will Arthur be all right?" Frowning at the thought that Uther had just sent his son out after the man.

Uther smiled at Anne, "Arthur is the best knight Camelot has to offer he'll be fine."

"Do you-," Anne stopped, and Uther watched her patiently, nodding for her to go on, "Do you ever wonder if we are insane bringing our child into such a dangerous world?"

Uther chuckled sadly, "Ygraine asked me something much like that when she was expecting Arthur. I will tell you, what I told her." He placed his hand on her stomach and stroked it with his thumb, before grabbing her hand and placing it on the one he had laid on her stomach and then covering hers with his other one. He smiled reassuringly as he brought himself up to her height, "The only way the world will ever be free of the danger it now faces, is for the children born today to be raised with a desire to change it for the better."

Anne gave him a wavering smile, as a tear slipped from his face, "Is it all right if I am still scared for our baby?"

"Yes." Uther replied pulling her close, as Anne wrapped her arms around him, and cried out her worry. Uther picked her up and walked to their bed, laying her against the headboard before he got on the bed and rested against the headboard, pulling her over to sit between his legs. As she laid her head back against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her, entwining their hands and resting them on her stomach. He leaned forward and began to softly sing in her ear waiting as she finished crying her worry out.

A few hours after Anne fell asleep, Uther heard a knock at the door, after reassuring himself that the knock had not woken Anne, he murmured. "Yes?" He replaced his chin on Anne's shoulder, as he began work on getting the tingling sensation out of his legs from holding them still for so long.

Arthur stepped in to the room and as he took in the scene in front of him he looked down, clearing his throat in embarrassment. "We found Tom the blacksmith with Tauren. He's been arrested and is waiting your judgment in the dungeons."

Uther nodded, and maneuvered from behind Anne, gently placing her head on his pillow, and making sure she was covered. He motioned for Arthur to follow him and ordered the knight with Arthur to guard the door. "Tell me everything." He ordered as he moved toward the council chambers.

Uther and Arthur had been in the council chambers for thirty minutes when Morgana rushed in, "What are you charging Tom with that he is being placed under arrest?"

"Treason," Uther growled, as he turned back toward Arthur.

"Treason?" the shock in her voice causing Arthur and Uther to look at her.

Uther started walking toward her, holding the goblet he had been drinking from while talking with Arthur in his hand, "Yes, Morgana, treason. The blacksmith was consorting with a known enemy."

Morgana scoffed, "Enemy. What enemy?"

"Tauren," Arthur murmured, looking uncomfortable with the situation. He took a deep breath leaning on the table for support, "The leader of a band of renegade sorcerers sworn to bring down the King." He looked up at Morgana, hoping she would leave that explanation and the conversation alone.

"And where is this Tauren now?" Arthur groaned inwardly at Morgana's insistence.

Uther looked over at her, a sour expression on his face, and then looked back at Arthur, the prince admitted, "He escaped."

Morgana sighing with relief without Tauren they would have a hard time proving Tom had conspired with him, she moved toward the two men in the room, "Then how can you be sure…"

"Because Arthur saw him with his own eyes," Uther growled at her, drinking from the goblet to keep from saying something he would regret.

"Even if the man is who you say he is, you can't sentence Tom to death for just being seen with him!"

Uther set the goblet down hard the sound of metal against wood reverberating on the walls, as he glared at Morgana, "We have reason to believe he was forging weapons for Tauren."

"Rubbish! He would never do such a thing," Morgana lifted her head in defiance, as Uther looked at her, an incredulous expression on his face.

He raised an eyebrow before telling her, "Every man has a price." He looked over at Arthur nodding to him and Arthur tossed down a huge circular chunk of gold.

"Found this on the blacksmith," Arthur whispered to her, his face full of disappointment in Tom.

Morgana shook her head in denial, "So he was paid." Uther's head jerked back as she defended the man, and he closed his eyes, pursing his lips to keep from yelling at her. Finally he opened his eyes and leaned a hand on the table as he leaned in her direction, she continued, "He's a blacksmith. He could have been shoeing Tauren's horse."

"In gold?" Uther asked quietly, doubting anyone would pay for shoeing a horse at that price.

"This is madness. You condemn a man with no proof!"

"I have enough proof." Uther grabbed his goblet, needing to squeeze his frustration out on something, as he turned and moved away from Morgana.

Morgana leaned over the table toward Arthur, whispering, "Arthur! Have you nothing to say?"

Arthur looked over at Uther, and then looked down trying to figure out how to say what he needed to without getting his father angrier. He finally looked back up, "Father, the blacksmith committed a crime." Uther pulled the goblet from his lips and focused on his son, but seeing the look on his son's face, he decided it would be best if he was not tempted to drink it and pulled it away from his face, "We don't know for certain he meant treason."

Uther nodded in acknowledgment of what Arthur had said, and turned away for a minute. He wished Anne was there to add in her thoughts. Thoughts of her and their conversation that evening came back and solidified his decision, he had to do something to protect her from men like Tauren. "No. You are right." He looked back and moved toward them, "Nothing's certain…save one thing." He lifted his index finger from the goblet to make sure he had their attention, and his face dropped into a glare, "The law stands or this kingdom falls."

Morgana faced him protesting, "But the law must give him a fair trial."

Uther nodded, "He'll get a fair trial, and he'll be found guilty, because that's what he is."

Morgana swallowed her rage and murmured, "You execute Gwen's father, and I will never forgive you." She turned to walk away, as Uther blinked at the venom in her voice. "Never." Uther quickly drank from the goblet to keep from yelling at her.

Arthur moved toward him, drinking from his own goblet, and hoping to get Uther's mind off what Morgana had just said, "Maybe we should investigate further."

"Tauren slept somewhere, fed somewhere. Find anyone who helped him in any way. They must be punished." Uther turned away, but not before seeing Arthur's look of frustration, "The people must see the laws of Camelot are not to be trifled with."

He heard Arthur accept his command, as he walked away. Uther stormed toward the castle battlements to walk around for several hours before his anger was calmed. As soon as he felt that he was safe to be around, he returned to his quarters and slipped into bed beside Anne.

The next night I sat glaring at Uther, who was responding to my anger with his own. I had woken up that morning to a distraught Morgana and Gwen. This had led to a shouting match with Uther in his council chambers before his meetings for the day. We had stayed away from each other throughout the day both furious with the other person. Uther was furious that I was "unable" to see how he was trying to protect me and I was furious with his "pigheadedness" when it came to Tom and the others that had been arrested for helping out a stranger.

As I sat on the bed, with my arms folded over my chest in an attempt to make him feel guilty, we both heard the warning bell ring. Uther stood up, drawing his sword, "Grab your dagger and stay there." I did as I was told, and watched as he moved toward the door. He opened it and sent the guard to find out why the warning bell had been rung. He shut the door and looked at me, worry etched on his face. A few minutes later the guard returned letting us know that Tom had escaped, Uther growled. "Guard the door, and let no one in or out, save myself." He took one last look at me, his eyes hard with rage, as he stormed out of the room.

"Oh, Tom, you idiot," I murmured in to the quiet of the room. As any hope we had of trying to reason with Uther to give him a fair trial and to listen to his side had become void with his escape attempt. I curled up on the bed and began to cry in anger at Uther and in pain at Gwen's loss and Tom's death that was sure to come.

I woke up the next morning alone, and slowly got ready for the day entering the dining room, "Where's Morgana and Arthur?" I asked as Uther looked up frowning at me.

"Morgana is being given time to calm down and think about where her loyalties lie. Arthur is busy taking care of kingdom matters." He said calmly, a frown already settled on his face.

"What do you mean Morgana is being given time to think? Uther, what did you do?" I swallowed down the worry I felt at what he might have done in the mood he was in.

"Morgana will be spending some time in the dungeons until she has learned her lesson."

"What?" I stared at him not believing what I had heard. He looked up at my shriek, his face darkening with rage, "Are you insane? You and Morgana both have the same temper do you really think that placing her in a cell will make her think calmly and rationally about the situation, because I know you wouldn't if you were in that situation."

"Anne, I would hold your tongue if I were you," Uther warned.

"Or what? Are you going to throw me in the dungeon as well? I warned you before Uther, your temper could result in our family being torn apart, and if somehow, miraculously, it doesn't what is gonna stop it from tearing the kingdom apart!"

Uther stood up, his chair flipping on to its back on the floor, "Take care what you say next, woman," I saw his hands whiten as they tightened around the tabletop. "I am not in the mood to have this discussion with you. Being my wife and the mother of my child does not give you any leniency when it comes to disrespecting me as your husband or as your king."

I fought back my anger and tried to calm my voice down, "I know it doesn't, Uther. But being your wife does give me an allowance for letting you know what I think, even when you don't think my advice is necessary."

I walked toward him cautiously, he watched my progress his eyes hard and his face harder, I reached out and placed a hand on his face, "I want you to succeed in ruling your kingdom Uther. I want people to see the man I see when you speak or think of your family. That is the man the people need, the one who would give of himself to protect the kingdom and the ones he cares about. What they don't need is a king that oppresses them and makes them fear that the wrong word or action, no matter how innocent, could be the one that leads them to the executioner's block."

"That's enough!" Uther growled, grabbing my wrist and yanking my hand down from his face.

I nodded, glaring at him, "Yes, my lord." I bowed my head and spun around walking out the door. As the door shut behind me I heard a feminine voice scream "Father". I jerked to a halt, and leaned back against the wall, as the tears that had threatened to form accomplished their wish and fell at Gwen's anguished cries.

Uther walked into his room that night frowning as he took in the empty room, he opened the door, "Go find out where Lady Anne is." The guard nodded, and Uther stripped to his shirt and pants, worrying about Anne. He heard a knock at his door, and opened it to find the guard he had sent to find her.

"The Lady Anne is sleeping in her chambers tonight, sire," the guard reported before waiting for Uther's orders.

"Very well. Post guards around her door, but let her sleep there for the night." Uther went and sat down at the desk, plowing through the paperwork in his frustration at his family's actions.

The next morning, Uther found himself eating alone in the dining hall, Anne having shut the door in his face when she had opened her door to find him there. Uther looked up as the doors opened, hoping to see Anne, and looked back down as Morgan walked in. He bit down his anger at his wife and at Morgana as he calmly said, "I didn't expect to see you. You wish to say something?"

Morgana stopped at the opposite end of the table, before continuing her walk toward him, "I came to apologize, my lord."

Uther glared down at his goblet, "Good." Then he drank from it wishing it was another brunette apologizing.

He heard a sarcastic snarl, "I didn't mean to rile you." He looked up at her glaring, as he took another bite of his breakfast, but looked straight at her to let her know he was listening, "I thought only of Gwen." Uther straightened up to face her, as she continued walking toward him, slowly eating his food as he paid attention to her words, "The poor girl is all alone in the world."

"It was not my intention to hurt your maid," Uther said softly, knowing that this was one reason his family was at odds with him and he understood their anger at the maid's pain.

"I know." She stood beside the seat Anne usually occupied, looking down as she traced the top of the chair, "But now she suffers, and I know how she must suffer." Uther frowned in response to her words. He did not feel like being given another guilt trip in addition to the one Anne was already giving him. He set the goblet down hard and grabbed his napkin wiping his mouth as he said her name, ready to give her a piece of his mind.

"I only meant…" she looked back down as she took a deep breath, "I know what it's like to lose a father." Uther felt his heart lurch in pain at her grief. He swallowed down in his own pain as she looked up at him.

He looked down at the table unable to look at her while he regained control of his emotions, "That was a terrible day. Your father was a great friend." He heard a noise of disbelief come from her, and he looked up growling, "I had no part in his death."

"You sent him into battle," she snapped, looking away from him, before she finally faced him once more glaring as she reminded him, "You promised him reinforcements and then gave him none." Uther glared back at her, but found himself worried about how long she had felt this way about him, but nothing prepared him for her accusation, "You sent him to his death."

"That is not true," Uther protested, his eyes widening as pain and sorrow filled him, "It was never my intention."

"But it happened!" She argued, before fighting down her rage, "And it keeps on happening."

"Morgana!" Uther heard the hurt in his voice and felt a wave of sadness at her belief that he would betray his friend, her father, in such a way.

"I'm sorry, my lord." She curtsied and hurried out of the dining room.

Uther watched after her confused at the abrupt end of their conversation and surprised himself when he murmured, "What?" into the silence of the dining hall.

Throughout the day Uther tried to talk to Anne, but she was refusing to open her door to him, no matter how hard he pounded on the door or yelled. Finally around supper time he gave it up as a lost cause and returned to his chambers, falling asleep in his chair in the middle of his paperwork.