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; S2.10 "Sweet Dreams".
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 Eight: Dreams Soured
It had quickly spread that Camelot, specifically the castle, had been under attack by a sorceress. Everyone also knew she was targeting the royal family and had directly threatened Uther himself.
Fear of magic was at an all-time high and security was on high alert through the citadel and tighter than ever. It made Merlin extremely paranoid and even more unwilling to use her magic at all for any reason, and repeatedly worrying if she hadn't been careful back then against that sorceress and someone had seen her.
But she also wondered at the people and their fear and wondered if it was the influence of Uther and his own magic-hating beliefs. When she asked Gaius about it, on one of her visits to him and right before she was to set off and help him with his deliveries, he just gave her a sad smile.
"Merlin, you must remember…even before the Great Purge, there were a great deal of evil people who abused magic. Uther had been ally to the good practitioners before he met Nimueh and things happened that caused his hatred and fear of magic. In short, the war of magic had long started before the Great Purge and had been on-going up until Uther put an end to it, though at the sacrifice of those who weren't using magic for their own ends. But people still remember that time, and fear makes it easier to remember the bad more than the good."
"Maybe there should be someone to remind them of the good," Merlin said morosely.
"Perhaps," Gaius gave her a knowing look that she didn't see.
But ever since then, Merlin had been plagued with those thoughts, occasionally getting upset at knowing there were those that would abuse the precious gift of magic and were part of the problem and why so many people were against it.
"You have a brooding look on your face. What's the matter?" she heard Arthur ask in worry, and she turned from the fireplace to give him a wan smile.
"It's nothing, Arthur."
He didn't look like he believed her, so she tried to change the subject. He probably knew she had, but he didn't make an issue of it and continued on.
It was also something to note that he didn't mind her just calling him Arthur and even seemed pleased that she did so. It bemused her, but she didn't think too much on it. Arthur would probably smugly keep the answer from her and do his best to tease her into being frustrated if she asked.
"Well, make sure you have your pack ready. We'll be heading out soon," Arthur reminded her.
Merlin had almost forgotten that King Alined had invited Uther to his kingdom for peace talks, and that they were leaving today to start their journey there. It was a good thing that she'd already packed the night before, or else she would have been panicking and rushing to get herself ready.
"I'll go pick it up and meet you at the front of the castle with your father," she said.
Settling things there, she left and passed by Gaius' quarters, where she picked up her pack and then headed to go to Uther. At his door, she knocked and waited, hearing him call her in. Merek was already intside and looked to have just finished dressing the King, with the exception of his cape.
"Is there anything I can help with, Your Highness, Merek?" she asked patiently.
"Finish up here with His Highness," Merek told her. "I'll get the horses ready and strap the bags."
When he left, Merlin turned back to Uther to find he was watching her.
"How have you been?" he asked quietly, grabbing his cape and putting it on himself.
Merlin looked down, coming towards him. "Fine enough, Sire." But she pictured Valiant then and flinched, even as she reached him and went to help him fix his cape on.
"He's nowhere near," he assured her. "And he won't ever be allowed back into Camelot."
Merlin nodded, but she knew he was also with that sorceress and there weren't guarantees for anything. She wasn't sure if she was ever going to get over what Valiant did, but she hoped she would. She didn't want to think about him or what he did forever.
She didn't want to remember or feel like this anymore.
"Will Camelot be okay after that attack from that sorceress?" Merlin tried to change the subject, and yet cursing herself for picking something to do with magic and that particular sorceress, who she guessed seemed to be someone Uther hated.
She was proven right as she watched Uther's face darken and a mixture of anger and hate colored his face.
Before he could even say anything, her hands were already moving away from him as if she'd just burned her hands on fire or something. That made him blink and cringe, and his face turned into a softer and more gentler look towards her.
"I apologize," he told her, catching Merlin by surprise at his apology. "I'm not a very companionable person when it comes to magic or anything to do with sorcery. And Nimueh…" she recalled Valiant calling the other sorceress that, "she was someone I and…my late wife once knew and trusted. To know that treacherous woman still stalks around and flaunts her damnable magic infuriates me," Uther once again almost let anger overtake him.
Merlin swallowed slowly before tentatively reaching out and touching her hand to his arm, jolting him out of that angered state again. He sighed and shook his head.
"I do not want to frighten you. I'm sorry to have done so, twice at that."
Merlin bit her lip but dared to look him in the face. He was watching her cautiously.
"I understand," she said. "But you shouldn't let anger cloud you," she dared to say. And before she could stop herself, she added, "Besides, you are much kinder than you give yourself credit for, and much more handsome when you allow yourself to be kind and happy."
Then she shut her mouth and her cheeks pinked, even as she tried not to look mortified at him and had taken her hand back.
He threw back his head and barked out a laugh, making her feel even more embarrassed. Then he looked to her, smiling slightly.
"You are a wonder, Merlin. I shall remember your words and go by them as much as I can!" He chuckled. "As for Camelot," he remembered her original question. "Don't worry, Camelot has the best knights in all the Five Great Kingdoms. They will be more than enough for some troublesome sorcerers. We also cannot just back out of this and show weakness, especially in light of that attack. To do so would invite more enemies and show we are afraid and weak to those watching us."
"Y-yes, I see, Sire," she stammered.
Chuckling again, they finished adjusting his cape and he gestured to his doors.
"Shall we?"
Merlin blushed. "Of course, Sire."
The King and Prince were riding along together, with most of the knights behind them. This time, only Merlin accompanied them, as Merek was back in Camelot making sure that everything was in line after the mess of what had happened.
Merlin rode to the back of them, quiet as a mouse and a little bit unnerving to the others, who had grown used to her chatter once she'd become comfortable with them. Yes, she could be quiet. But that tended to mostly be when she was unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable with that person or people.
Uther had wanted to look back but was unable to as he understood that he couldn't simply openly show too much concern over a servant as King. And yet he wanted to, for Merlin wasn't a mere servant and he was deeply worried for her.
"Merlin, would you sing for us?" Brom asked lightly, and Uther discreetly shifted to look back slightly, seeing the knight having moved back to be a little closer to Merlin and looking kindly upon her.
But the answering saddened smile showed Uther more than ever that Merlin was still largely affected by what had happened.
"I apologize, Sir Brom, but I'm not…feeling too well."
And that closed the issue and she wasn't pushed to. By the look on Brom's face, he knew that Merlin wasn't doing okay and was almost as worried about her as Uther was.
They continued their journey in silence and Uther was hoping this trip to another kingdom would do Merlin some good and help her to move on, even if it was a little.
"They'll be here soon," his King muttered, all gruff and wrinkles and grumpiness.
Trickler may be a sorcerer, but he wished that he could be in Camelot than here. He was too handsome for this sort of annoying thing, forced to listen to King Alined whine and complain all the days long. Then again, he wasn't being put to death. That was something at least!
(Though, listening to Alined now, he kind of wished he was dead.)
Fighting off a yawn, he made himself look attentive as Alined continued.
"They'll be here soon!" Alined whirled around and looked at Trickler. "I want to humiliate Uther and Olaf, though what I really want is to put them at odds and hopefully lead to a war. Trickler! Why don't you enchant Uther's son, Arthur, to falling in love with Olaf's daughter? Olaf is known to be extremely protective of her –he'd never accept it. He'd rather kill that idiot prince. Ha! War would no doubt break out."
Trickler was mildly interested. While he didn't care much for war, the idea of playing a trick on two Kings was amusing and the Prince and Princess would be so embarrassingly sappy, and it would all just crack him up. Plus, he was secretly a fool for romance –even the sappy ones! –and this kind of thing made him giddy and swooning.
"Alright, I've got just the thing, Your Majesty," Trickler grinned widely.
Alined laughed, clapping his hands in excitement. And when the entourages of Uther and Olaf came, Trickler curiously watched them. He immediately spotted King Uther and King Olaf, and also the Crown Prince Arthur and Crown Princess Vivian. But it was the slender form of a young woman following Uther and Arthur closely that caught his eye.
He didn't know why, but his eyes had been drawn to her. And now his attention was hard put to move away.
But it was because of this that he caught something very interesting and odd to note.
The way this girl interacted with her king and prince, and the way they reacted to her. She was, now after watching for a time, obviously their maidservant. But she seemed familiar and casual with them, and it looked like they allowed it. They didn't even seem to mind! It was all subtle of course, but he was watching closely and so had noted all this.
The two, in return, did not disregard her or treat her in any unkind manner. They weren't brusque or demanding of her at all. King Uther even, if Trickler's eyes didn't deceive him and he was interpreting it correctly, seemed quite fond and even considerate of her!
"Please, Merlin, pour me some more wine."
Please! Since when do royalty say 'please' to servants! Uther in particular was known to be strict on class separation and, while not extremely on that or completely disdainful of the lower class like other monarchs (and compared to his notorious hatred of magic), he was still not going to be the first of anyone to be polite to a servant that was serving him!
But there he was and there it was happening. And the girl, Merlin, seemed to be oblivious to her difference in treatment as a servant than normal servants, kindly and attentively serving her two masters.
Trickler continued watching and thought to himself, more as he watched Uther and saw how he looked at Merlin (not just look but look), and something switched in his head. He gazed a moment longer on the King of Camelot and followed the man's eyes in the direction of Merlin and hummed to himself.
Why make Arthur and Vivian fall in love?
It would be much more interesting to have King Uther fall in love with his servant, and then to have King Olaf fall for her as well, citing rivalry that would most definitely come to blows. And all over a pretty servant!
Besides from making much more sense and more cause for a fight to come on than having their two children falling in love and the fathers overreacting, this would be much more amusing and interesting to watch play out.
Arthur would make a horrible choice to substitute in for Uther, so it had to be Uther himself. For one, it would be boring to Trickler and Prince Arthur was a boring matchup to Olaf. The two fighting over this Merlin would probably not nearly have the same excitement as having the two Kings do so. Plus, Arthur's looks and treatment of Merlin weren't quite on the same level as what he'd gauged from Uther and might be of friendship or even familial –Trickler was not quite so sure about it. However, Uther, if he wasn't sweet on the girl, was at the least very fond of her, which was unlike the man in the first place. Which meant a whole great deal, even if there was no infatuation involved!
Trickler chuckled under his breath.
"I would dearly like some entertainment," Vivian yawned, pouting churlishly. Trickler discreetly rolled his eyes. What a spoiled brat. And worse, he was going to probably be prodded into entertaining everyone with some 'magic tricks'. With a glance at Uther, he was just glad that he wasn't going to do real magic and be screamed at to be put to death.
"Merlin's got quite the voice," Arthur interrupted, cutting in cheerfully. He looked at the startled maidservant. "What about it, Merlin? Come sing for us? You really do have such a lovely voice."
The girl's eyes went wide, and she looked to her Prince and then to her King. Uther frowned at his son for a moment before looking to her, nodding slightly and paused before giving her a small, encouraging smile. That made Trickler's eyebrows nearly jump up.
Merlin gulped before moving away from the table and going to the performers with their instruments at the ready. After a hushed discussion, she moved away from them and moved back towards the table and standing near to her King and Prince, but in front of the long table now.
Then the music began and she waited a moment before singing. His own eyes widened.
Well, Prince Arthur wasn't wrong –she really did have quite the voice.
"He rode through the streets of the city,
Down from his hill on high.
O'er the wynds and the steps and the cobbles,
He rode to a woman's sigh."
Uther listened with rapt attention, eyes never straying from her. She sung with a gentleness and grace that she hadn't before, eyes closed, and she was lost within the rhythm of the melodious hymn. Her voice had always been pretty and had been one of the first things he'd noticed of her, but as she sung now, there was just something very different and enchanting to it.
"For she was his secret treasure,
She was his shame and his bliss.
And a chain and a keep are nothing,
Compared to a woman's kiss."
Strands of her hair fell forward and his fingers itched to brush them back. She swayed in place, in slow but somehow still mesmerizing movements, almost like how a flame on a candle moved. He felt like a moth drawn to a flame.
And this song –why, it made him feel quite odd and he couldn't help hearing it and watch her, thoughts inevitably hearing the words of the song and thinking of her.
"For hands of gold are always cold,
But a woman's hands are warm!
He thought of the beginning of their morning, where they had still been in Camelot and her hand touched upon his arm. How warm and gentle her hand had been then…
"For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm!" Merlin finished off, trailing off in the end as she opened her eyes to a pleased and cheering audience.
And even after Alined's Court Jester had begun entertaining the room with his parlor tricks and fake magic, Uther could not tear his eyes away from the slightly smiling Merlin…
He'd become such a cold, cold King, but he wondered if the warmth of this young woman had caused him to feel and be alive again.
Trickler was humming happily. The night was drawing to a close and everyone had gone to sleep. He had, after a careful infiltration of both Kings' rooms, slipped the love potions into the room. For Uther, he'd switched out the man's regular pain potion, though he knew not what it was for, and for Olaf he had left a "complementary" bottle of wine for him to enjoy.
By luck, he'd run into Merlin and had managed to steal two strands of her hair that he'd used to make the love potions with. Now he just had to wait for the two men to wake up from their sweet dreams of the beautiful maidservant and let the fun begin.
"For she was his secret treasure~" He chuckled. "Aye! A woman's hands are quite warm, aren't they, King Uther, King Olaf? May the coming days be in your favor and you'll have the luck of a beautiful woman to warm your beds!"
Yes, love potions were involved, but he was cheering for some sort of lovely love ending. He was a romantic in that way. Whether lust was spread or love was held, he was cheering for something other than war.
And as he stood in front of Alined, his King gave him a look and all he could think about was just relaxing and enjoying the coming events.
"Well?" Alined snapped at him. "Did you enchant Prince Arthur?'
Trickler grinned. "No, Sire."
"What? Then what are you waiting for!" Alined glared at him and he nearly quailed.
"Ah, but you see, King Alined," he recomposed himself. "I did you one better."
That made Alined curious. "Oh? How so?"
The sorcerer was back to his giddiness, though he didn't show it to his King. "I enchanted Uther."
He blinked at Trickler, giving him a strange look. "What? Why would you do that? Well, I suppose it would work just the same. I just thought it'd be less questionable and believable if it was his son, but this'll do. And of Princess Vivian?"
"I enchanted Olaf too," Trickler tacked on, still building it up.
Alined grimaced. "That is…going to be disturbing. That's his daughter, Trickler. He's known to be overprotective of her, but no one's ever thought of him like that."
Trickler's grin nearly split his face. "Ah, but it is not with Vivian that they have been enchanted with!"
This time King Alined got annoyed, even if he was showing his confusion. "Confound it! Then what do you mean? What have you done?"
"There is a girl here," Trickler started to reveal. "She is apparently a maidservant from Camelot and seems to directly serve under Uther and Arthur. I watched her the entire time during the feast, even before she sang."
"Oh! That girl," Alined understood who he was talking about now. "What about her? Why have you enchanted both of them with her? Well, I suppose any girl would do and making them fight each other over a woman would surely cause them to go mad and fight to the death, or even raise tension high enough to spark a war. And it would humiliate them both! With everyone to know they're fighting over a mere servant! No matter how beautiful. Then again, I suppose her beauty is enough to make men go mad with lust and desire and bring the best of them to their knees. It's not uncommon or unheard of, even with her lowly station…And enough to cause a war! Ha! Looks like we have a Helen on our hands."
Trickler stayed his tongue, not wanting to add on. For some reason, he didn't want to add in all of his thoughts to his King's beliefs.
"Yes, Your Majesty. It'll start in the morning," he said simply.
For it would, as soon as Uther and Olaf woke up and their thoughts were to be of the young maiden unknowing to what troubles lay ahead of her.
Merlin yawned, sitting up slowly in bed and scrubbing at her face with her hands. It helped to make her less sleepy, but she still wasn't fully awake. Getting herself ready for the day, she then went to Arthur and was quick to get him up and ready as well, before she would head to the King. As she entered Uther's room, she noticed he was still sleeping, so she went to get his clothes ready and set aside his food on a table. Before she'd wake him up so he could eat as she tended to everything else, she thought she'd let in a little light.
Opening the curtains, she hummed the song she'd sung the night before. Honestly, she didn't know what possessed her to choose and sing that song last night, but now that she thought about it she was glad that she did. Even after Valiant, she was still open to romance and intimacy, and she wouldn't let that bastard ruin that for her.
"Such a lovely voice," she heard Uther say and nearly had a heart attack from the suddenness. She whirled to face him and she was unnerved to find him sitting up in bed and watching her intently. There was something else on his face that was different than the usual way he looked to her, something a little more raw and a little more like…longing?
By the Three Goddesses, she must be crazy. Why on Gaia would he look longing right now?
"Sire," she curtseyed slightly. She was inwardly pleased that she didn't try to bow first. "Shall I bring your breakfast to you?"
He shook his head, already slipping out of his bed. "I shall dine there. Have you eaten yet, Merlin?"
Confused, she answered him anyway. "No, I have not, Your Majesty."
"Dine with me then," Uther said succinctly, his gaze boring into her.
She was gaping by then, unable to help her reaction to this strangeness. It was only compounded when he grabbed her hands and gave such a happy grin, she was almost tempted to ask if he was alright.
"Come now, my dear. Come sit with me," he pulled her towards the table and sat her down. He pulled his plate closer to him and began to use his utensils to cut and collect food, holding a piece of a sweetened apple to Merlin's lips.
Dazed and more than confused by then, Merlin automatically opened her mouth and allowed him to feed the piece to her. And then it went on and on, until he'd fed himself and her the entire plate until all the food was done.
Shaking her head to clear it, she stood up and was determined to get out of there and put this out of her mind. Maybe she was still asleep? It was the only explanation she had to account for Uther's behavior.
"E-excuse me, Sire. I'll bring this back to the kitchens."
She couldn't stay there now, not when she was all out of sorts!
Unfortunately, before she could make her retreat, Uther stood up hurriedly and grabbed her wrists, tugging her into an embrace that she more than was unable to comprehend.
"You're beautiful," Uther muttered into her hair. "You sing fair and you move like the waters bend through your body. Words cannot describe all that I see of you and all that I feel for you."
Merlin broke away and gave him a wide-eyed gaze that he returned solemnly for a moment, before it turned into the sappiest look she'd ever seen.
"Merlin," he murmured, reaching out to her with a dopey grin.
"I'll be back later, Sire!" her voice turned high-pitched and she turned and practically ran out of there.
Of the Valar, what was going on? She had no idea what on Gaia was happening.
Merlin tried to focus on her tasks, returning the empty tray back to the kitchens and then heading back to Arthur's room. As she entered, Arthur looked ready to go. But at the sight of her, he looked worried.
"Merlin? What's wrong?" he strode towards her.
Merlin gave him a weak smile. "N-nothing. It's probably nothing."
He raised his eyebrows. "That definitely does not sound like nothing. We're friends, yes?" he asked.
And he sounded so uncertain that she had to answer him. So sighing aloud, she began telling him what had happened with his father. At the end of it, he was staring at her incredulously.
"You're not kidding," Arthur stated and at her scowl, he held up his hands. "Okay, so Father's apparently gone mad."
She blushed. "N-not that I said anything of the like."
"Oh, don't be so worried," he gave her a grin. Then he grimaced and ran a hand through his blond hair. "Er, still. It does sound crazy. My father doesn't sound like himself."
"And that is what I say!" Merlin threw her hands up. "I don't understand what happened. I came in there and woke him up, and he was like that! It's like he's enchanted!" A thought uneasily crossed her mind. "You don't think he is, do you?"
Arthur cringed. "No, no, no. We are not bringing that up, especially to Father. He would go off on us and we won't hear the end of it."
"But what if he is…?" Merlin pushed.
He groaned. "I guess then we'll have to deal with it."
"We'll have to find out how is he enchanted and then we can figure out how to get rid of the enchantment on him," she said, starting to think.
He snorted and she looked at him in confusion.
"Obviously the enchantment is some sort of love enchantment," he said bluntly.
She blinked.
"Merlin, my father sounds like he's gone off the deep end for you. Obviously, this sorcerer enchanted him to be in love with you," he said.
She opened her mouth to deny that, but then remembered the events she related to Arthur. She shifted uncomfortably. "I suppose I see what you mean."
Arthur snickered. "Of course you do. Anyway, so I'll help you avoid him in the meantime, and hopefully he'll just focus on the peace talks with Alined and Olaf while we can try to figure out this mess."
"Right," she nodded determinedly. "Let's leave now and try to get started."
The two of them left Arthur's room and had barely left the hallway when Merlin felt something (someone?) tackle her from behind. Oh Goddesses, Uther had found her –
"My singing angel," she heard, of all people, King Olaf say.
Her eyes were probably bugging out as she looked to Arthur, who was freely gaping. As she turned and tried to escape the foreign king's hold, she saw a bemused Princess Vivian watching.
"E-excuse me, milord," Merlin wiggled out of the man's hold. "I, uh, have chores to do?"
"Then let me help," he smiled widely at her, grabbing onto her hands and holding them up.
Merlin's jaw dropped slightly, more so as Olaf kissed her knuckles. Before she could respond, she felt someone yank her collar and begin walking quickly away.
"Sorry! She's got places to be, things to do," she heard Arthur say.
She didn't understand what was going on?!
"Shut up," Merlin groused, playing dice with herself while Brom laughed under his breath. "It's not funny."
"It is. Just a bit," Brom told her, trying not to grin.
Leon huffed. "Magic has been performed. It most certainly is not."
"What? Seeing our King –excuse me –both King Uther and King Olaf following Merlin around like saps isn't funny?"
Even as he started to reply, Leon's lips were twitching up. "No."
Brom glanced at the other knights, all who were looking away and trying to hide their faces and most assuredly their laughter. "Yes, I see your point."
Merlin grumbled while Leon finally let out a small smile.
Just then Vivian walked onto the training ground, where they were all gathered and of where Merlin was hiding with them. After Arthur had dragged her off, he'd brought her to Camelot's knights and told them what was going on. As of now, Arthur and the knights had resolved to help her avoid both Kings. Fortunately, it had been working so far.
That is until apparently Vivian found her.
"There you are," the Princess smiled widely. "I have been looking for you."
Merlin blinked. "Me?"
"Oh yes," Vivian gracefully walked over to her. "There is something I'd like to ask you most seriously."
"Okay. What can I help you with, Princess Vivian?" she asked, hoping it wasn't about the girl's father and that she wasn't upset with Merlin or blaming her for his odd behavior.
However, Vivian looked far too happy and was smiling. "You see, my father hasn't been happy or been the same since my mother's death. He's spent most of his time and attention on being protective of me. I haven't seen him look alive or be so invigorated until seeing him with you this morning. To be honest, I was hoping you'd consider coming back with us and marrying him."
At that, Merlin nearly jumped up from her seat in shock. Surely Princess Vivian wasn't serious, was she?
But by the look on her face and waiting patiently for Merlin's answer, it seemed she was.
"Oh no, no, no –if there's a King she'll be marrying, it'll be our King. King Uther," Sir Pellinore, one of the other Camelot knights, said determinedly. He was stared at.
"What's this about marrying?" Arthur interrupted as he came in, much to Merlin's consternation.
As Vivian turned to him with a frown, Merlin chose that time to make her escape. While she heard bickering break out behind her, she was just grateful Leon helped with her escape, giving her a knowing look.
Still, it just meant that avoiding the Kings would be much harder on her, considering she no longer had a stable and secure hiding place to stay in. Plus, being on the move was dangerous and gave much to chance at being caught, especially if she wasn't paying attention –
"There you are," she heard Uther say and she inwardly winced. Why, by the Goddesses, was this happening?
She faced him like she was facing her execution, but he was already heading towards her with the biggest grin on his face that she thought she'd never see there.
"I have been looking all over for you, my dear," he was quick to grab her hand and hold tight to it. "I wanted to see if you'd take a stroll through the gardens with me."
"Uh…" Well, that was an elegant reply.
"Come, Merlin, dearest. It's a nice day out."
She found herself being pulled along and made herself dig her feet in, stopping Uther from moving further unless he let go of her hand. He turned to her in confusion, still looking utterly sappy and too much in love for her to be comfortable with.
"Sire!" she shouted. "This isn't you. You've been enchanted."
But Uther wasn't listening. Instead, he was reaching for her and Merlin's eyes widened as his gloved hands held her head and she was made to look into his eyes. If she looked closer, she could see that his eyes were slightly mismatched…
"Merlin," he murmured. "If I am enchanted, then it is with the utmost acceptance so that I may love you dearly and wholly."
And then he was closing his eyes and leaning towards her, and for some reason Merlin felt frozen in that spot, unable to move or push him away.
Before she knew it, his lips were on hers and for a King –for a man like him –his lips were soft, even as firm as they were against hers.
Uther was kissing her and she couldn't, didn't want to move away from him.
But then he stilled.
His mind was clearing up even while he felt his lips against another's. As he opened his eyes, he saw the shocked gaze of his maidservant staring at him. Uther moved away, but it had been too late to rectify the situation.
"…Uhn…Excuse me, Sire!" Merlin ran from him, but he stayed rooted in place.
"Sire! This isn't you. You've been enchanted."
Even as the spell broke on him, he could remember what happened as he was under that enchantment. He felt embarrassed, humiliated, ashamed…but most of all, he felt fury building up in him.
Someone had dared to use magic on him!
But even worse than that, was that everything he felt, everything he said had felt real and sincere, and to now have it all be the result of an enchantment made him want to find the sorcerer who did this to him and have their head.
He turned on his heel and searched out his host, intent on finding retribution.
He watched in satisfaction as the hall filled up with people, many of them whispering to each other. He was disheartened to see Merlin come in with his son but avoiding looking his way. Peering to his side, he watched Alined look uncomfortable and surly. Olaf, who his son informed him was inflicted by the same enchantment and for the same girl (while happy to have been caught up with everything, he felt especially unhappy at this knowledge though), had caught sight of Merlin and was watching her with a sappy expression. Olaf's daughter whispered something into his ear and Uther didn't want to know what it was.
Not if, as Uther had also heard, it had anything to do with marriages.
"Everyone, a grave matter has happened," Alined began to address everyone. "A crime was committed! To my dismay that this had happened under my watch, a sorcerer has performed magic on my most noble guests! Both King Uther and King Olaf were enchanted and made to be humiliated, but thankfully King Uther has managed to break out of this despicable spell. I demand the one responsible to step forward and reveal themselves!"
Uther looked around with a critical eye, hoping to catch something out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, he saw nothing and was about to practically spit out fire. He wanted to find the culprit out now.
"I believe I know who it is," Alined said and Uther's head snapped towards his direction. Alined shook his head before looking to who Uther recognized as his Court Jester. "I'm disappointed in you, Trickler. What have I said about playing around with sorcery?"
This Trickler reeled back before looking at Alined with a look Uther couldn't decipher, but strangely looked a bit like betrayal. And then Trickler was shaking his head but looking towards Uther now.
"Take him away, to await his execution tomorrow morning," Uther said coldly.
The guards came towards the sorcerer, who looked anxious and looking around for an exit. Too late, he was grabbed and then dragged away from there.
"No, please! I meant no harm! I just wanted to bring about love!"
That made him blink and frown, mentally shaking his head. What nonsense.
Still, the sorcerer's words stuck with him and he made to look at Merlin, who was still looking solemn and away from him.
He found himself feeling sorrowed.
"I will hear him out tonight," Uther's voice rang out in the hall. He paid no attention to the stares he no doubt was getting but noticed Merlin's head shoot up from the ground to stare at him in surprise. "If I find yourself unsatisfactory, then it will be your execution."
He addressed the sorcerer but he didn't look away from Merlin, seeing her watching him in astonishment.
Uther was not heartless. He didn't want Merlin to think of him as so.
Arthur and Leon were by his side when he went to see the sorcerer, so that Trickler would be unable to have an easy time to attack him with magic if he was to do so, like he probably would as an evil sorcerer.
Alined was supposed to come, but Uther managed to wrangle Olaf to unknowingly distract the man. He didn't want the other King there.
Standing in front of the sorcerer, who kneeled on his cell's hard ground and had his wrists chained, Uther waited for Trickler to look at him.
"Milord," the man flinched.
"What have you to say?" Uther demanded, for once hearing out a man that was already proven to be guilty of sorcery.
"Aside from the plot being King Alined's creation on part to humiliate you and King Olaf, and even hopefully start a war?" Trickler started out, but Uther ignored it. It was all lies, just desperation on the other's part – "I'm okay with death. I'm satisfied with the outcome because I saw something I didn't expect to see but had always hoped for in all the days I've lived. A true love's kiss."
Arthur could be heard snorting behind him. "What's that? That sounds so corny –"
Uther turned slightly and glared at his son, causing Arthur to shut his mouth and give him an apologetic look. Turning back to Trickler, he frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Trickler smiled widely. "The only way to have broken the enchantment on you and King Olaf was for one's true love to intervene –and it had in a way. You kissed your maidservant, the one you were enchanted with. And yet, here you are, broken out of the enchantment. Whoever that girl is, she's your true love. If she wasn't, you would still be enchanted and acting an open fool for her. As a true romantic, I can accept my role in all this just for that."
Uther stared, trying to process this new information.
"We're leaving," he told Arthur and Leon.
He began to leave first, not talking or looking at anyone. But that night he had trouble sleeping, and he thought over and over again on Trickler's words. And before he knew it, the morning had come and it was time for him to awake and face Trickler's judgement and the last day of the peace talks.
"Good morning, Sire," he heard Merlin greet him and he saw her entering with his breakfast.
"Good morning," he murmured, watching her move around the room after setting his breakfast onto the table.
He kept watching her, even as he slowly got out of his bed and headed to his breakfast and sat down. She looked solemn still, even as she moved around with a smile that wasn't entirely cheerful and a face that held no real joy. She started humming as she quickly tied back the curtains and let in light.
"Of golden hands and a woman's sigh," he muttered under his breath, staring down at his hands. They were cold and he wondered if Merlin's would be warm…
"What was that, Sire?"
"Nothing…It's nothing…"
He found his mind to be distracted all morning and up until he found himself standing outside and where Trickler and the other Kings were waiting with him at the executioner's block.
"This morning we have been gathered to witness this man's execution on account of committing the crime of sorcery," King Alined shouted out. He turned to Uther. "King Uther, anything you would like to say?"
"There is," he said. Uther turned to Trickler. "I said I would hear you out last night and if I found your answer unsatisfactory, you would face execution this morning. And hear you I did. You were a fool for messing around with magic to try to make happy endings and romance. Sorcery is not to be toyed with and is dangerous. However, I understand you just wanted to and tried to create happiness and…spread around love. I know that your intentions were not cruel or malicious, and so hereby grant you leniency. Instead of execution, you will be banished from your home country! Let this be a lesson to you to not fool around with the evils of magic."
His eyes moved away from the shocked Trickler and he paid no attention to the rapid whisperings around him. Instead, his gaze searched out Merlin and found her easily. She was watching him with wondering eyes.
Her hair shone in the light of the sun and her slender figure moved about with the same grace of calm waters. As she focused on her tasks, her long lashes hid her eyes as she looked down and worked on laying his clothes out on the bed. Her lips looked soft and plump, and he vaguely remembered the feel of them from when he'd still been enchanted.
His secret treasure. His shame and bliss.
Uther closed his mind to such thoughts and went back to his meal.
As he watched them unchain Trickler and lead him away to be shown the way out of the city, Uther turned around and went to walk back towards the castle.
"For she was his secret treasure, she was his shame and his bliss. And a chain and a keep are nothing, compared to a woman's kiss~"
And though he sung to himself, his son and his knights probably heard him.
He almost wished that Merlin had too.
Started 1/17/17 – Completed 4/4/18
A/n: Urk, this was a really long chapter. Which is good for you guys, but a pain to edit. But I figure I owe you guys after such a long wait and all the respectful patience and condolences on my dad's passing. I was tempted to end this chapter after the whole Uther's POV after Merlin sung to everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter and please remember to review!
Quick Points:
1. Fandoms: Two nods to two different fandoms. Can you catch them? (winks) Haha!
2. Episodes: Heh, see? Did you see what I did? Lol, I told you guys that I would switch up the episodes XD