Author's note: Sorry this took so long to update. I had this story all planned out and then decided to rework most of it. And then...school came into play. I am preparing for finals but hopefully after that, I can begin to update and write more. Enjoy Chapter 3. P.S Don't know what is up with the font change either. It looks different to me, but oh well.

Previously….

Leon left, closed the door behind him and Arthur heard the door lock.

Now he was tied up in his own prison, just like Merlin. He looked up at the stars above and after a while, he fell asleep.

Merlin hung by his arms, alone in the cell. His magic wanting to be free constantly drained him of energy.

Someone came to the cell door. It was Uther. Uther walked in red eyed, and a whip in hand. He told the guard to leave and shut the door behind him. Uther turned his eyes on Merlin and Merlin knew he was in trouble.

"Now, it's just you and me, sorcerer."

Merlin had known Uther would not keep his word. "Where's Arthur?"

"He has been confined to his chambers, under guard. He's not coming down until I say so."

"You made a promise with him, Uther. No harm would come to me."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, considering he is under your spell."

"He is not...

"Don't deny it!" Uther cut him off. "I know how magic works. Now, just get rid of the enchantment on him and I will let you go."

"There's no enchantment."

"Well, I will get it out of you one way or another." He walked over to Merlin. "You've chosen the hard way." He grabbed Merlin and turned him around so Merlin's back faced him. He lifted the whip and it hit Merlin.

Uther kept going, with no end in sight. Merlin knew he was going to die tonight. Right here in this cell. His magic and his mind called out to the one person who thought could save them. Arthur.

"Arthur….help me!" a voice whispered in Arthur's head. Arthur woke up instantly. He jerked up and almost fell when he realized that his hands were still tied in front of him. It was still dark and nobody had woken him up. Suddenly, an echo of a scream trickled into Arthur's room. Arthur had heard that voice too much to not know exactly who it was.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled through his window.

When he realized that shouting was not going to do him or Merlin any good, he turned to his thoughts. Merlin and Arthur had been experimenting with his magic and the one thing Arthur and Merlin had tried to do was communicate telepathically. It was hard, but it was doable.

"Merlin…" Arthur asked. "What's going on?"

A couple minutes later, Arthur was considering giving up on the communication, when suddenly he heard Merlin respond.

"Arthur…" Merlin whispered faintly.

"Merlin?" Arthur responded.

In an instant, Arthur seemed to be chained to a wall looking at the scariest thing he had seen and had never hoped to see in his life.

His father, red-faced with a whip in hand, walking towards him, hate and murder in his eyes.

"And now, sorcerer, you will pay for your crimes!" Uther sneered, while he lifted the whip to prepare to strike.

Sorcerer? Arthur thought. I'm no sorcerer…..but Merlin…..

"What crimes,... Sire?" Merlin breathed out. Arthur could tell that Merlin was already in pain. "Everything…. I do…... is…... for Arthur,...keep him safe." Merlin gasped out.

"Lies!" Uther yelled. "You've enchanted him! He could never be friends with a sorcerer." Uther turned around. Merlin lifted his head to look at the retreating figure ahead of him. With power in his voice that surprised Arthur, Merlin said "Arthur is a better and more worthy King than you will ever be."

Uther stopped, and turned his head towards Merlin. "How dare you!" he growled. He grabbed the whip again. He approached him and put the whip under Merlin's chin, forcing Merlin to look at him. "It will give me great pleasure killing you!" Uther growled. He backed away from Merlin.

And then suddenly Arthur was back in his room. He might have been hearing things, but he thought he heard a scream echo across the courtyard. Arthur got up and ran to his door. He needed to get to Merlin. He had almost made it when his leash caught up to his hands and his feet slipped out from under him, landing him on his back. Arthur, once he got his breath back, called for Leon.

Leon burst into the room. "Sire? What's wrong?"

Arthur got back up from off the ground, pulling at the rope tying his wrists together. "It's Merlin! I need to go to the dungeons!"

"But Arthur, your father….."

"Is breaking his END OF THE DEAL" Arthur yelled, interrupting Leon.

Leon was taken aback at Arthur's outburst. Arthur had not shouted at anyone like that, since well, since Merlin came into his life.

Arthur saw the look on Leon's face, and walked to the window to cool off. He pointed out the window with his ties up hands. "He's screaming, Leon!"

"I can't hear anything, Sire."

"I saw my father whipping him Leon. I promised him he wouldn't be hurt and now he is and I can't do anything about it."

"Arthur."

"NO!"

"Think about what you are doing. Will this really help Merlin if you go down there?"

"Leon, he's your friend too. Are you really going to let him suffer just because of that?" Arthur asked.

Arthur knew he had won when Leon face showed a little guilt.

"Take me to the dungeons." Arthur said, "please."

Leon looked up at that. Arthur, for as long as he could remember had never said please to him after he gave an order. Leon walked over and began untying Arthur's lead rope from around the bedpost. He began to untie Arthur's wrists but Arthur stopped him.

"No, my father knows how to play this game, he's trying to show me who's still in charge here. Well, I will play his sick little game. Lead me to the dungeons."

Arthur put on his most dignified face and led by Leon walked down to the dungeons.

They walked in and walked down to Merlin's cell. To Arthur's dismay, his father was indeed in the cell, interrogating and berating his friend.

He then looked to Merlin and his blood boiled. He could see blood and lash marks on his friend's back. All pretenses of playing the meek and broken son flew out his mind.

"MERLIN!" he cried, running to the bars, his tied hands trying to reach his friend through the bars..

"Arthur." Uther said, motioning for Leon to open the door. "What are you doing down here?"

"Making sure you were not going back on your promise to me, which it looks like you are…."

"You are supposed to be in your chambers." Uther rebuttled.

"I promised Merlin he would not be hurt by you."

"Which is null and void, because he is a sorcerer."

"He had no choice!"

"Everybody has a choice!"

"Father, he has saved me more times than I can count."

"That's doesn't matter."

"Doesn't MATTER!?" Arthur asked, "I would not be here without him. Your…..our kingdom would not have an heir without him."

"Arthur, you being down here breaks your end of the deal with me, meaning I can give out the punishments I seem fit."

Arthur was about to say something to that but then….

"Arthur….." Merlin gasped out.

All thoughts of his father gone, Arthur ran to his friend. "Merlin." Arthur said, relief evident in his voice. He grabbed his friend and turned him around so that Merlin was facing everyone. "It's ok, Merlin…."

"Arthur, step away from the sorcerer."

"No!"

"My son…."

"I no longer consider myself as your son." Arthur growled out, turning around to face his father.

Uther's rage snapped. Uther walked up to Arthur. What happened next surprised everyone.

*SLAP*

Arthur fell to the floor with a grunt.

"Arthur!" Merlin said, pulling at his chains.

"Shut up, Merlin" Arthur said, and Merlin knew that Arthur was being deadly serious. Merlin pursed his lips together promising his master not to make another sound. Arthur brought his hand up to his to his now tender cheek. There was a scratch from one of his father's rings, but Arthur didn't care. He stared up at his father, surprise and anger mixed on his face. His father had never hit him. Had never physically punished him in his life. His father abhorred that kind of punishment.

Uther bent down, towering over his latest victim. Arthur did not move. He looked straight into the eyes of the man above him. A man with only one focus on his mind. To rid the world of sorcery.

"Guards!" Uther yelled. "Restrain my son over there."

Arthur stood up ready for a fight.

Uther walked up to Merlin. He raised his hand as if to slap Merlin too.

Arthur walked through the guards to stand in front of Merlin. "I won't let you hurt him again."

The guards had stopped behind Uther, not knowing how to proceed.

"Move, Arthur!"

Arthur just stared his father down, daring him to make his next move, provoking him to his next action.

Uther yelled in rage and his fist meant for Merlin was deflected to his son. The closed fist hit Arthur's diaphragm. The air knocked out of him, he collapsed to the floor. Uther backed up and the guards took the initiative. They grabbed Arthur and dragged him to the wall opposite Merlin. Arthur fought in their grasp. "No! I won't let you! I won't let you hurt him!"

Uther walked over to Merlin. He pulled a dagger out from his belt and it found a home underneath Merlin's chin.

Arthur fought harder. He was rewarded as a well placed kick hit a guard and he released him. Uther was watching and pushed the dagger into Merlin's throat drawing blood.

At the sight, Arthur stopped dead. The guards came, but he shook them off. He was not going anywhere.

"Father?"

Uther turned around.
"I have heard of a way to find out if I am under an enchantment. The sorcerer's power will fail if the person under the enchantment is subject to pain."

Merlin could see right through what Arthur was trying to do. "No, Arthur!"

Uther rounded on Merlin. "Is this true?"

Merlin looked to Arthur. He had his stubborn prat face on that just said Just go with it idiot! I'll be fine!

"Yes." Merlin said finally. "Pain gets rid of the enchantment and because of it, the sorcerer also loses their magic."

Nice touch, Merlin Arthur thought. "Father. If the sorcerer feels any pain after the enchanted person has been freed, the magic comes back to the sorcerer double what he had before."

Uther stood there, contemplating what to do.

"It's your choice Father. I believe and Merlin has attested that I am not under an enchantment. However, if you so choose, I will submit to the cleansing pain that will get rid of the enchantment, on one condition. Merlin remains my servant."

"What?" Uther gasped.

"Merlin remains my servant. He will lose his power and so he will no longer be a threat. He is still my friend and I trust him more than anyone, sorcerer or not."

Arthur could see the wheels turning in his father's mind, but he also didn't recognize him. Gone were the grey eyes of his father and Arthur stared into the red eyes of a tyrant.

AN: I hope you all enjoyed that. I forgot to mention earlier that one fan of this story wanted to translate this story to French and they did! I never would have imagined that something I wrote would be in a different language. For all you French lovers, you can check out her profile (Smiiky) and read some other good French Merlin stories! As always, leave a review if you enjoyed or even if you did not enjoy! Thanks and see you (hopefully soon) for Chapter 4!