"I'm dreadfully sorry for my son's behavior." Uther said gravely. "I really don't know what came over him."
Balinor smiled and Hunith chuckled. "It is quite alright Uther, you have nothing to worry about." Balinor said as he took another drink from his goblet of wine. "If anything, it was the best way they could start off with."
Uther lifted one eyebrow in skepticism. "Oh?"
Hunith nodded and smiled gently. "Our Merlin needs someone to pose a challenge for him, there aren't many people in our kingdom that are willing to ignore the fact that he is a prince and more so the amount of power he possess." She finished calmly, her smile never fading from her lips.
"What do you mean?"
Balinor smiled and wrapped his hand around Uther's shoulder. "Surely you have heard the rumors about my son Uther?"
"We may have heard a thing or two regarding your son." Gauis replied as he entered the room.
"And what exactly have you heard, court physician?" Balinor asked calmly.
"Please,just Gauis." Gauis said as he took a goblet of his own.
"We heard that his power is unmeasurable, that not even your own experts and seers could decide just how powerful he is." Gauis finished with a flourish and looked intently at Balinor while the king took another drink from his wine.
"You know far more than you tell Gauis, aren't you?" Balinor said and smiled at the physician. Gauis shrugged and smiled politely back.
"Merely repeating old rumors my lord, nothing more."
"I'm sure." Balinor replied quietly before looking at his wife, Hunith nodded with a strained smile on her face and Balinor turned back to Uther.
"We need someplace more private for this." He said meaningfully.
Uther nodded and they left the room in favor of Uther's private chambers.
"Well?" Uther said.
Balinor took a deep breath and started pacing across the floor.
"Before Merlin was born there were disturbings in Avalon-"
"Disturbings?" Gauis asked, one eyebrow raising with curiosity.
"Yes,the animals weren't quiet and our seers were having trouble understanding their visions until the druid's elders asked for a meeting." Balinor stopped his pacing and looked at the setting sun that sent her dying rays through the window.
"They told us that they had a vision concerning the destiny of our first son. His birth was foreseen in many prophecies beforehand and they warned us about the challenges he will face to prove himself worthy of his destiny."
Gauis looked troubled. "I haven't heard anything about this, never has an heir needed to prove himself worthy of his destiny, his title yes, but not his destiny."
Balinor nodded. "It was a first time for us as well, Morgana was accepted to her destiny as the head seer from the moment of her first vision, but Merlin..." Balinor shook his head and looked at his wife, Hunith nodded.
"The druids told us that Merlin, our Merlin, was going to be the first Warlock in Avalon after nearly two thousand years."
Uther looked confused. "Warlock? Aren't you all Warlocks? I mean-"
Hunith shook her head. "No, until our Merlin there weren't any Warlocks alive, only sorcerers and even though we are powerful you can't compare the power of a Warlock with that of a sorcerer, it's just,it's not the same." She finished quietly.
Uther nodded and looked at Gauis who looked more troubled now than before.
"And the prophecy?"
Balinor nodded and looked at them again.
"My son was chosen to decide the fate of the worlds."
Silence spread in the room as both Gauis and Uther took it in while Hunith remained silent.
"What is the meaning of this?" Uther demanded to know.
"Sire, let them explain." Gauis pleaded quietly.
Uther's mouth set in a grim line as he nodded quickly. Balinor took a deep breath as he took his wife's hand.
"Merlin doesn't know a thing about it, not about the prophecy nor the part he is to fulfill in it. As the time will come the three world's will be in a line to collision with one another, according to the fates the time is nearly upon us and then, Merlin will be forced to choose which two worlds he chooses to save." "You mean to tell me that your son, will be forced to choose between our world and the dark one? Because it is clear to me that he will choose his own world as the first one to save!" Uther was raging, he was pacing back and forth in front of the other occupants of the room before he stopped.
"That's what the fates meant when they told us to form an alliance with you! If Merlin or his sister will be married to my son he will be forced to save our world! We never had a chance! My son will be forced to merry one of your children to ensure the lifes of all in Camelot! You tricked us!"
Uther moved forward Balinor only to be stopped by an invisible force as Balinor's eyes faded back to their forest green.
"Sire please, let them finish!" Gauis begged. "There is more to that!"
Uther stopped struggling and sank down on the nearest chair.
Balinor didn't move as he opened his mouth again only to be stopped by Hunith.
"Uther," She started softly. "We didn't ask this fate for our son, we didn't want any of this, we would have been happy with a simple boy, even without magic," She stopped and hesitated. "But, he has this powers and he has this destiny and I assure you that my son will do whatever he sees best no matter what the cost. Your son will not be forced to marry one of my children, I can assure you that." She finished with force behind her words.
Uther laughed a mirthless laugh before he rose from his sit to look at the window. "Won't he? Can you promise me that your son will choose this world, a non magical one over the other world? Can you promise me that he will choose the world that nearly got his father killed if he didn't have any bonds to it? Can you promise me that queen Hunith?" Uther finished tiredly as he turned to look at her. Hunith hesitated for a second, but it was enough. Uther nodded. "I thought so. My son will be forced to choose from your children his future spouse in order to remain alive."
Once again silence spread through the room until Gauis coughed pointedly.
"Perhaps if we won't tell the kids about it just yet-" He started.
"What?" Three shocked faces turned to look at him at once and he raised his hands in surrender." Hear me out sires and my lady, What if we allowed the children to get along together without the weight of the prophecy on their heads? When the time comes, I'm sure that things will work out the best way, the fates know what they are doing." Gauis concluded.
Slowly the three dignitaries nodded their agreement.
"On one condition," Balinor started and looked at Uther.
"Which is?"
"Your son will apologize to my son for his behavior." Balinor said and burst out laughing, soon they were all laughing, the prophecy and destiny away from their mind.

Apologize. Arthur thought grimly as he paced up and down in his room. Why should he apologize to that idiot just because he made an honest mistake? And really, why would any self respecting prince will allow himself
to be seen like that?
Arthur sighed and opened his door, it wouldn't do to sit in his room and sulk, he'll just go out there and...Arthur gulped and shook his head.
He reached Merlin's door and was about to knock when he heard voices from the room, curiosity got the better out of him and he leaned closer to listen.
"Come on Merlin, it was an honest mistake!" Morgana's voice was heard through the door.
"Yea Mer. Doesn't sound like golden boy intended to insult you." Arthur's brow frowned. Why would there be a man in Merlin's room?
"Shut up Gwaine! You are just taking her side because it makes you laugh."
The man, Gwaine laughed and Morgana's laughter could be heard soon after.
"Come on Mer, you can't let one bad meeting be the end of it!"
Arthur found himself nodding along to Morgana's words.
"He hasn't even come to apologize or something!" Merlin protested and Arthur had to stop himself from wrenching the door open and call Merlin and idiot for thinking that.
"Do you want him to apologize to you my lord? Perhaps he could sing you a lovely poem or something." Gwaine smirk was visible through his voice and Arthur blushed when he thought about some other things he'd rather do for Merlin.
Merlin groaned from within the room.
"Remained me again why we brought you along? It can't be for your charming personality." Merlin added in a mumbled tone that had Arthur pressing his ear to the door in order to hear.
"I'm here to protect her royal majesty, princess Morgana from every evil that might pose a threat to her." Gwaine said and there was a moment of silence before the room filled with laughter.
"Right." Merlin said after a while and Arthur could picture him wiping tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes and down his cheekbones, cheekbones that Arthur wanted to trace with his finger over and over.
"So, Merlin, what are you going to wear for the feast tonight? Something to impress your prince I hope?" Morgana's voice was heard again and Arthur smiled, perhaps she could help him. Morgana was beautiful, Arthur wouldn't say otherwise but he always preferred men and Merlin, well, there was something about him.
"Why would I want to impress him?" Merlin replied and a second later something crashed to the floor.
"Ha! You are lying sire! You are always more clumsy when lying!" Gwaine cried with glee.
"I'm not!" Merlin protested and another thing crushed to the floor.
"You so too!" Morgana screamed with happiness. "You like him! I knew it!"
"Will you stop that?" Merlin cried. "I'm not- stop pulling my hair 'Gana!- I don't like Arthur!" Merlin yelled and everything went quiet for a moment.
Arthur leaned even closer and then- "You called him Arthur!" Morgana yelled and Arthur could see her jumping up and down on Merlin's bed in his mind's eye.
Gwaine laughter broke again and soon he and Morgana were singing some songs that Arthur was sure no other princess should know.
"Fine! I had enough of you! I'm out!" Merlin yelled and before Arthur managed to think about where to hide the door swung open, accompanied with Morgana's cry of: "Merlin! You can't go out like that!"

But it was too late, the door was open and Arthur found himself staring at a half naked Merlin who stood there with his breeches alone and nothing else.
Merlin flushed immediately and his eyes were wide when they stared at Arthur.
"What-" He started to say but Arthur stopped him before he finished, the sight of Merlin's half naked form doing some improper things to his lower parts.
"I came to apologize." Arthur said quickly. He had to get out of there before he did something stupid like snog the lights out of Merlin's open mouth.
At Arthur's words however the mouth was shut close and Merlin looked annoyed.
"Well, it's about time." He said and crossed his arms across his chest, causing Arthur's eyes to follow the movement and focus on Merlin's lean muscles and defined abdomen.
"Yes well, it's not exactly my fault." Arthur said before he registered what he was saying.
"Excuse me?" Merlin screeched and golden flashes flashed in his eyes, distracting Arthur from the mission ahead of him.
"Like I said, anyone could have mistaken you for a servant it was simply-"
"Anyone?" Merlin challenged. "And yet you were the only one to make this mistake!" Merlin took a step closer, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was half naked or to the affect he was having on Arthur.
Arthur gulped and took a step back, this was not good.
"Like I said before Pendragon, you are a PRAT!" Merlin said and smirked.
Arthur shivered, Merlin's smirk was doing some strange things to his breathing.
"Oh yea? Well then, you are an Idiot!" Arthur retorted and he wanted to smack himself over the head for that.
"Is this your apology?" Merlin asked again, angrier this time.
"Yes!" Arthur half shouted.
"Fine then, apology accepted, for this alliance sake!" Merlin yelled.
"Fine!"
"Good!"
"Idiot!"
"Prat!"
And with that Arthur turned around and walked away back to his chambers, trying to calm down his racing heart and raging erection.

Merlin closed the door calmly behind him before collapsing to the floor both to hide his erection from his sister and best friend and to support his weight.
"What was that?" Morgana asked cautiously as Merlin didn't speak for two minutes.
"He came to apologize." Merlin mumbled weakly.
"That was some apologize." Gwaine said with a smirk. "A couple more minutes and you two would have forced us out of the room!"
Merlin moaned and dropped his head to his knees. He was doomed!

The feast was a torment! The fates must be laughing at him right about now, Merlin thought glumly.
Someone though, and Merlin would bet his throne that it was Morgana, that it would be funny to sit him next to Arthur, which would have been okay because they were both behaving themselves near their parents if it wasn't for the fact that golden boy decided to act a bit too nicely for the sake of his father it would seem. He would smile charmingly at Merlin and ask him if he needed anything else and offer to pour him his wine even though Merlin had a capable servant right next to him and no, Merlin wasn't a girl no matter how many times Morgana said he was but these things were driving him mental! And the touches, don't let him start about the touches. Small, innocent ones but oh what they did to Merlin. Every brush of their fingers was sending jolts of fire through his body and Merlin hoped that he could blame the wine for his blush.
Yes, the fates were definitely having a laugh at him.

Arthur wanted to bang his head against the table. Nothing worked! Everything he usually did to make women swoon at his feet didn't work! And he wasn't even interested in these women! Merlin however, Arthur gulped and risked another glance at Merlin who looked like he wished to all heavens to have mercy upon him and kill him already. Arthur was at the end of his rope, nothing worked, he complimented Merlin and offered him more wine, he kept bumping their knees together under the table and he made sure to brush his fingers across Merlin's, that did nothing except worsening his state and setting his entire body on fire.
Arthur wished for the fates to end this.

At the head of the table the kings and queen watched with amusement at their sons behavior.
"It would seem like you have been right Gauis." Uther commented softly when he saw young prince Merlin blushing once again when Arthur's fingers touched his.
Balinor nodded next to him and Hunith smile was glowing.
"Indeed you have, it would seem like we had nothing to worry about, the kids have more brains than us." Uther and Balinor looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
Gauis smiled. "I'm pleased to see you are approving sire."
"Indeed I'm. Merlin will make a wonderful spouse for my son." Uther said and raised his glass slightly towards Balinor and Hunith in silent toast.
Balinor smiled and Hunith nodded. "We are pleased with this union."
Uther's smile grew. "Let's move things forward a bit shall we?"
He rose from his sit and silence spread in the hall.
"Dear guests, thank you all for coming tonight! I would like to welcome our dear guests from Avalon, King Balinor and queen Hunith and Princess Morgana and Prince Merlin!" Applause were spreading through the hall and Uther smiled brightly before lifting his hand once more.
"Now to honor our guests I have decided to set the first Zombie hunt of the season for tomorrow so that out noble guests could join us!"
Uther sat down and more applause were heard. Balinor nodded in approval and Hunith smiled in encouragement at Merlin who allowed his head to thump against the table.
"What-" Arthur breathed against his ear and Merlin shivered. "-not a fan of zombie hunting?"
Merlin mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like prat.