AN: many thanks: 32-star (thanks, I will try), Cassandrapendragon (thanks again), imagine2202 (um, there was a star wars moment- oh; you mean the 'I am your father' part?), xxtwilightfreak4everxx(Um, thanks, I found Uther the hardest to write, scared I was getting him all wrong), ruby890 (I know he is, I hate him, I agree with the dragon, let him die XD), Loopstagirl (thank you), ariacle (thanks, I didn't realise about the star wars thing till the reviewers told me ), ObviouslyAnonymos (Me either), FireChildSlytherin5 (thanks, I was worried no-one would like it actually ), Catindahat (Thanks, I thought so too)

By the way I did notice the mistake in the last chapter, 'clasps' should have been 'clasped'

Disclaimer: Yet again I do not own BBCs Merlin (because they still won't give it to me for my birthday, believe me I asked, I even said please). If I did: Uther would be long dead, as would Lancelot, Freya would be alive, cured and with Merlin, Arthur would be king and with Gwen, Gwen's father would be alive and Mordred would be dead. Magic would be returned to Camelot and Morgana would not be evil.

Chapter 6

Merlin...

The sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, illuminating the face of the boy who slept still, not for much longer though.

MERLIN!

Merlin shifted slightly and then woke suddenly, his blue eyes flying open just after gold flashed through them. The mirror which hung on the wall shattered abruptly as Merlin sat up in the bed. He looked at the mirror and bit his lip guiltily. It must have been the mixture of emotions he was feeling which caused him to lose control; he would have to be more careful.

He could scarcely believe what had transpired. Hunith was not his mother, she never had been. This knowledge hurt him more than anything, he had always loved his mother and now...He had no mother as she had died giving birth to him. He had lost a mother yet gained a father, the king of Camelot, the fearsome Uther Pendragon. Then Merlin became horrified, he was a warlock! He was a warlock and his father was Uther Pendragon, the king who had outlawed magic, on pain of death.

Oh God! How could he stay here? Would Uther execute his own...Merlin couldn't even think the word. It was all too unreal. He wished he were still in Ealdor. But he knew now that could never be. He turned his face to the door as he heard voices, then the door opened and Vyorn came in.

"Breakfast, My Lord."

He placed a tray on the table and walked over to the wardrobe to get Merlin some clothes to wear. Merlin got up silently and walked behind the screen, waiting for the clothes that Vyorn was going to give him. The young manservant couldn't be sure, but he thought that something had changed his master. There was something in his eyes which suggested he'd been hurt in some way, hurt or surprised, or both. Vyorn put it out of his mind; it was none of his business anyway. He placed the clothes over the top of the screen and took the nightclothes. Folding them and putting them away for the next night. Then he began making the bed as Merlin emerged from the screen. He was now wearing a blue tunic with a red jacket (they had obviously noticed the colours he usually wore) and dark brown trousers with his own boots. He walked over and sat down at the table, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the attire, it was a lot finer than anything he was used to. He started to eat, though he had very little appetite after yesterday. After he had finished he wondered what he was expected to do today.

"Thank you, Vyorn." He spoke to the servant boy, who had finished with his bed and came to take the tray away.

The boy just nodded and left the room as Merlin stood up from the table. The door closed behind the Vyorn and Merlin decided to go for a walk. He tried to open the door to his chamber yet found it locked. He frowned, had the king locked him in? He tried again and again, but then he heard a key scraping in the lock and moved away from the door. Nearly falling over something in the process, luckily he only managed to fall so he was sitting in the chair at the table.

A knight entered and Merlin tried to look as though he hadn't just fallen into his chair.

"My lord,"

"Um...yes?" Merlin wasn't sure whether they knew about his... parenthood, so he thought it would be better if he said nothing about it.

"Nothing, I was just supposed to make sure you hadn't left during the night for some reason, you can go out now."

"Um, thank you" So the king was keeping him in Camelot was he?

Merlin decided to go for a walk around Camelot. He wasn't actually sure where he was going, after about half an hour he stopped in front of a door and knocked, though received no answer. He walked inside, looking around; this was obviously a woman's chamber. He turned to go when he heard a voice.

"You know I've been thinking about Arthur,"

She was behind the screen, that meant she was changing, Merlin flushed. The woman continued speaking, as if she was talking to someone else.

"I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole."

"Just because I'm the kings ward doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast does it, well does it?"

Merlin was horrified and made a noise which he hoped sounded like a woman.

"Where are you?" asked the woman

"Here" Merlin held a cloak in front of him so she wouldn't see that he was not her maid. She turned back around thankfully and Merlin turned to go.

"Gwen I need help with this fastening"

Merlin's eyes widened and he walked backwards, trying to get out before he was discovered.

Seeing that a woman had come in, the lady's maid hopefully. She looked at him in surprise and he looked relieved, he gave her an apologetic, yet thankful look and made his exit.

He decided to go back to his room in case he walked in on someone else, or worse, met prince prat in the castle.

It took him fifteen whole minutes to find his way back there. When he did he encountered by guards, they were standing outside his room. One of them stepped forward

"My Lord," He bowed "The king has requested that you speak with him, he will come to your room shortly"

"Oh," Merlin was taken aback, what more could his...father...have to say to him? "Thank you"

He walked into the room to await the king. He looked at himself in the mirror, he was surprised by the person he saw. It was him, yet it was also someone new. He looked so different in his new clothes. He waited about five minutes before the guards head appeared in the room.

"My Lord the King is here"

Merlin just nodded, feeling nervous yet again. He gulped and flattened his hair as Uther Pendragon walked into the room. The king had obviously come straight from attending to court affairs, doing his job basically. Merlin could tell because he had his sword at his side, his crown placed on his head and his red cloak billowing out behind him. Merlin reflectively bowed to him, father or not, this was the king of Camelot in front of him.

"Rise Merlin,"

The King sounded tired; obviously this was not to be a long visit.

"My Lord" Merlin stood up and waited for Uther to speak, his mind working furiously, was there something Uther hadn't told him, like maybe he had a sister now? Or that Uther was mistaken and had called the wrong child to Camelot?

Merlin thought they sounded ludicrous even to him. Yet he could simply not think of any other reason for the king to be standing before him.

"How do you feel after last night?"

"I'm...coping," It was the truth; Merlin was trying to come to terms with the fact that his father was this man, Uther Pendragon.

"Look, Merlin, I wanted to apologise for not telling you sooner. I should have realised, you did not kill Ygraine; how could you have? No, it was the sorceress, convincing me yet again that all who practise magic are evil."

Merlin felt a squirm of discomfort. Yet he disagreed with the king, how could everyone with magic be evil? It's not as if they chose it, he after all, hadn't. He had been born with it. He realised he should answer the king.

"No My Lord, it is fine, I was happy enough in Ealdor" He made an attempt to smile at the king; the king returned it and spoke again.

"You haven't told anyone?"

"No Sire, not a soul"

Uther seemed to relax a little "Good, for the time being let us keep it this way"

"Yes My Lord" Merlin wondered if this was the reason for Uther being here.

"Now, if you are truly to become a Prince of Camelot, you must first become a knight."

"A...?!" Merlin could not comprehend what the king was saying. Surely he had not just told him to become a knight. Merlin could only gape as the king presented him with a sheathed sword.

"You will be under a false name, you shall know be Merlin of Ygrad, a country high in the north. You have come to Camelot to become a knight. Here is your royal seal."
He presented Merlin with a scroll, his fake royal seal confirming him to be of noble blood, just different blood to what really ran through his veins.

"We will fit you for armour later today, your manservant will inform you when. And you will start training with Arthur tomorrow."

Merlin could only gape after the king as he turned on his heel and swept from the chamber.

Training? With the prat? Oh tomorrow was going to be just wonderful.

AN: Well? How was it, is Uther too OOC? Please review, it makes this story so much more worthwhile. Next chapter, Merlin has to be trained by Arthur, how nice for him XD

Saymorian