Disclaimer: I love Merlin, but that doesn't mean I own it. Pure fan love here.
Story: In a strange twist, Uther decided to have Merlin serve him as well. How does Merlin get around saving these two royal prats, when she's busy doing royal chores and getting exhausted saving them and doing their dirty laundry? She says nothing on how affectionate she oddly becomes of the King and the loyalty she develops for not only Arthur but Uther.
Set as an AU, genderbending fic.
Spoilers: All seasons.
Warnings: Age disparity, cursing and violence for now…hm, just in case since I'm usually writing it, bit of crazy humor, perverted humor, morbid or sarcastic humor, and maybe some sexual situations…
Pairings: Eventual Uther/Merlin, Lancelot/Gwen, others unknown for now… (I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with Arthur –I don't like him with anyone but Merlin, male or otherwise!)

The Lion and The Lamb
Chapter Three: Battles in the Court

They were continuing the way finally, and Merlin just really wanted to get off her horse and stop being so sore. She wasn't sure she ever wanted to get on a horse again, and no matter what Merek said, she wasn't sure she would ever get used to it.

"Merlin, may I speak to you?" Leon, one of the knights –a good friend to Arthur especially –spoke to her quietly.

Given that she was all the way in the back, because of her lackluster horse riding, it was easy for them to have some privacy. She tilted her head in curiosity and nodded for him to go on.

"That song you sang," he started, causing her to feel uneasy. "I know it. I also know it's about magical creatures. Dwarves and dragons, right?"

Merlin sat up straight, looking at him in wide-eyed fright. But he just waved her off, grinning slightly.

"Good thing you sang the abbreviated version, since the whole version talks about all that," he said in amusement. "Just make sure to stick to the shortened form and don't sing the whole thing."

Merlin gave him a small smile, but she really should have realized that at least one of them would have recognized the song. She shouldn't have been so careless, and from now on, she should remember to watch herself and what she sung better. She should probably also not sing that song so much…

She sighed to herself and told herself to just focus on the last leg of their journey.

Eventually, they reached Nemeth and where they were quickly welcomed into the castle. From there, both she and Merek started to prepare the royal rooms provided for Uther and Arthur. She did her best on what she could, though she listened to Merek's instructions when she needed help. Between the both of them, both rooms were finished quickly.

"Merlin, I will be with the other knights and serving them while here," Merek explained patiently, once they were done.

She looked at him apprehensively.

"As the King and Prince have rooms right next to each other and you serve them both, you'll be staying here with them, in the attached servant room.

"But what if I have trouble or mess up?" Merlin blurted out, not really happy with the situation. Merek's helped her a lot, and she was worried that without him she'd make a mistake and make either (or both) Arthur or Uther angry at her.

"You'll be fine," Merek soothed. "Just be calm and take your time. His Highness and Prince Arthur both know you are new to this and learning, so even if you make a mistake they won't be harsh and may even correct you."

Merlin gave him a shaky smile and he left. She began fussing over the covers, hoping she fixed them right.

"The more you fuss over them, the more of a mess it seems to become," she heard the King say in amusement. She whirled around and he gestured to the bed, smiling (he was smiling) slightly. "Don't overthink your tasks. Sometimes it's best to just let it go."

She flushed red and nodded.

"I assume Merek has told you of the arrangements?" At her nod, Uther continued. "After you finish here, you may go to Arthur."

For the third time, she nodded. And when he gestured for some water, she was quick to go to the table and pour him some, giving the cup to him quickly and glad she didn't accidentally spill any on him.

"Where do you hail from?" he asked her, and she was both surprised and nervous to understand that not only was he talking to her but holding a conversation and asking about her.

"From Ealdor, Your Highness," she answered, feeling the need to twitch nervously under his studious gaze.

"Ealdor…that is close to Cendred's kingdom," the King mused aloud. "And yet you came to Camelot?"

"Yes, as Uncle Gaius was there and my mother wanted me to go to him," Merlin explained and Uther seemed like he just remembered.

"Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten that. Had you intended to apprentice under him?" he asked her curiously.

"No, not really," Merlin felt her cheeks flush red again. "My mother wished for me to leave Ealdor and stay with Uncle Gaius. She said I would live better and have more chances there than in Ealdor. There is also that it wasn't safe back in the village."

Immediately, Merlin clamped her mouth shut. She had forgotten who she was talking to, which was dangerous considering the reason it hadn't been safe for her in the village was because her magic was beginning to act up more than normal and people would've gotten suspicious. And she couldn't just blurt that out to Uther, with his magic-hating mindset.

"Not safe? How so?" Uther asked and Merlin had to come up with something quick. Luckily, she remembered the troubles the village had been having before she'd left.

"Bandits have been starting to come harass the village more often," Merlin said truthfully. "They've been making a nuisance of themselves more recently than they used to."

Uther frowned. "Does Cendred not come provide any aid? Ealdor is along more his territory, so he should have done something about that."

"Ealdor is along the border, so it is not a true concern for him," she admitted.

Uther's frown deepened, causing Merlin to anxiously shift. "That is…most unfortunate," he said, but thankfully said nothing more.

Merlin then decided it was best to get back to her original task. She was doing her hardest to remember how Merek taught her to fix a royal's bed, and had been fumbling with the sheets when Uther spoke up again.

"You'll be better with practice," Uther told her, sounding so very patient that it was hard to believe he was the king she'd had nightmares of. "In the meantime, I will instruct you."

When he started to tell her instructions, she quickly scrambled to follow and do her task.

But she was beginning to think that King Uther wasn't as much the monster under her bed as she feared.

The first day, everyone had been busy getting settled. By the next day though, everyone was slipping into the jobs and orders they were assigned or had set out to do. Uther had met with Nemeth's King, and she had followed Arthur and the rest of the knights to the training grounds, where they were good-humoredly sparring against Nemeth's knights. Merlin contently watched from the sides, sometimes cheering on the fighters. Both sides embarrassingly showed off for her, trying to earn the loudest cheers and 'her favor.'

"Merlin, come here," Brom gestured her over, sometime into the practice. She hesitated, but eventually came over to him. He held out a bow and a carrier filled with arrows. "I got you a bow. I think you'd be better suited to it, rather than a sword, at least until we find or have one made that's appropriate to your height and weight. As it is, I was already able to obtain the bow that's perfect for you already."

She was pretty skeptical, but he had taken the time and effort for her. So she didn't end up saying anything and went over to accept them from him, even if she thought it was futile. She still wasn't going to be rude and refuse him though, especially since he'd been so nice to her and had gone to all the trouble. She should at least try for his sake.

He beamed at her. "Excellent! Let's get you in front of some targets and give it a try."

She followed him to the archery range, where he set her in front of a target. First, he demonstrated how to do it for her. Then he showed her how to notch the arrow and then shot with her, wrapping his arms around hers and holding her hands, and she watched it fly off and hit the target in amazement.

Brom nodded. "Nice. Let's see how you do on your own."

Merlin was nervous at first as Brom stepped away, but somehow she settled into a state of calm as she strung up another arrow. She took a deep breath and her sight seemed to narrow down to the target. She pulled the strung up arrow back to her cheek and then let go.

Brom whistled in awe as it hit the bullseye. "Oh, you're a natural."

Merlin couldn't help grinning at him, feeling exhilaration at succeeding and being good at this.

She strung up another arrow and shot again. And she kept going it again and again, shocked at how well she was doing and delighted at her newfound skill. She was so happy and distracted, she hadn't noticed she'd drawn a crowd. Through the murmurs of the gathering, slow, loud clapping was heard and Merlin turned to look, finally noticing the watchers. She also noticed the handsome, dark-haired young man dressed in rich finery and smiling appreciatively at her. He'd been the clapper.

"My, what exquisite skill with the bow you have," he said admiringly.

"And it's her first time, Prince Mithian!" Brom cut in excitedly.

Prince?

Her face felt warm. "Thank you, Your Highness."

The Prince of Nemeth smiled kindly at her, making her flushed face darken. "Well then, I'm even more impressed."

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice cut through the thick tension that was growing between her and Prince Mithian. "I need help with my armor. Would you come here?"

Merlin blinked, remembering she had duties to attend to. She quickly handed the bow and carrier back to Brom.

"Thank you so much for trying so hard to fit me with a weapon." She smiled shyly at the knight. She turned to the prince then and remembered to curtsey at last minute. "Thank you for your kind words. I must be going now."

She then scurried over to Arthur's side, with Camelot's prince finally coming into view.

She followed him away, missing the withering glare Arthur tossed the other prince.

Merlin admitted she was frustrated. There were a lot of things for her to do and not enough time to do it. Arthur had asked her to clean his armor and polish his sword, then he'd asked her to clean his spare boots for use the next day. She also had Uther asking her to prepare his hunting clothes for tomorrow. At least she didn't have to attend the dinner feast and was allowed to stay in her room and eat there.

At the moment, she was using her magic to speed up the process, thinking she had the time since Uther and Arthur should be busy at the feast and be there for a while. But just then, there was a quick knock and then the door opened, revealing Prince Mithian. In shock, he stared at her while she was shocked still, as was everything she had in the air (Arthur's armor and sword being polished by themselves, Uther's clothes being straightened on their own, her plate of food in front of her so she could eat without a table in her room and her holding it).

How stupid had she been to just carelessly use magic like this?

There had never been a guarantee that either Uther or Arthur would stay away for long. They could have chosen to come back earlier. What if they had been the ones to catch her like this? She couldn't imagine it. It was bad enough Prince Mithian was here.

"I-i-it's not what it looks like," Merlin said weakly.

Prince Mithian looked back behind him both ways, before stepping into her room and closing the door firmly. "What? That you were not doing magic?" he asked softly. She flinched. "I don't mind it," he surprised her, more so by the fascinated look on his face.

"You don't?" she asked, caught off guard.

He smiled widely. "Oh no! It's amazing. How long have you been learning?"

"I was born like this," she said bashfully, stunned at his reaction. He looked even more astonished at that.

"That's remarkable," he said. "May I ask some questions? I promise I'll keep you secret."

She felt extraordinarily happy someone was so interested in her and her magic, and the fact he was willing to keep her and her magic secret.

"Ask away!" she smiled happily.

She felt so lucky.

Mithian knew she was special the moment his gaze had been caught by her on the training field, trailing after one of Camelot's knights like a shy deer. He couldn't help but be impressed with how she handled the bow.

He'd gone closer, wanting to watch with the crowd. Her face was beautiful and likened to the forbidden race of elves, glowing with happiness. She was slim and lean, like a willow tree, and moved elegantly (he knew now though, once she was nervous, fretting or upset, she moved like a skittish doe). Then Camelot's prince called out and he was surprised to learn that she was his and his father's servant.

But so it was, he found himself fascinated with a servant girl, who turned out to be…quite magical.

Started 9/27/13 – Completed 10/2016

A/n: Oh my god! It's been so long and it's taken me this long to finish this chapter. I'm so sorry –I've just been really out of the Merlin fandom and not motivated, especially since I don't see any other pro-Uther fics and I would really like to just be able to read something once in a while. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I can't remember if I was going to genderbend Mithian or have her have an older brother, but as you can see I decided to just genderbend her here XD Please remember to review! I really appreciate them and they are the hugest source of inspiration for me when it comes to writing. Without them, I don't feel like writing and kind of end up in a slump…

Anon reviews:

1. Guest 1: Aw, thanks! I'm glad to have made your day (however long ago it was), and yeah –I wish there would be more stories that gave Uther a chance to be a good guy.

2. Kagome higurashi: Ah well, I'm always writing. I have so many stories and I do my best, you know~

3. Nightleaf: Sorry it's taken me this long to update! But thanks for considering this one of the better fem!Merlin stories around.

4. ilya: Sorry, sorry! I'm happy you like this story though.

5. Guest 2: Wow, thanks! I'm trying very hard to keep this story much more in tune with show characterization, while at the same time making it a little more realistic and not over the top. The plot and pacing is also very important, considering the pairing and how I really would like to be careful meshing all that.

6. Merlslover: Ah yeah! Thanks a lot! That is a huge compliment I'm honored to have. I'm one of the few who do write Pro-Uther and I think the only one who does so more frequently than anyone. I would really like there to be more, but eh…What can you do?

7. Guest 3: I would like a happy ending for Uther with Merlin too :D Berry-picking Uther is cute, huh? You know, thinking back on that, yeah! I think so too~

8. Cutie Patoots: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate all your kind comments. And yeah, I wanted to do a pro-Uther fic that's realistic and a little in line with canon. I want Arthur to stay an important part, so I definitely wouldn't dismiss him, and smut isn't a focus. This is almost slow-burn because I want the pairing to come out realistic. I also already have a Merlin that's sort of like a cold magical expert in another story, so my goal for this one was to keep Merlin more like in canon. And I did indeed take Merlin out of the kingdom! I have plans on having that happen more in the future as well~ Ah, and I'm totally glad you noted and appreciate all the extra factors I've been picking at. Like I've been saying –realism! I want to really give it a big focus on this fic :D So definitely more of that in the future. I am sorry it's taken so long, but it is hard to keep interested in the fandom when the stories are all the same and I can't find other pro-Uther fics to happily read and feel motivated (and not alone).

9. Guest 4: THANKS!

Quick Points:

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