He came out of the strange white-blue light, looking exactly as Arthur remembered him. "Father."

Uther Pendragon's face was a stern rock, unreadable. "Arthur."

Arthur struggled to keep his emotions under control. "I thought I would never see you again. There isn't a day that passes when I don't think of you."

"And I, you."

Arthur smiled bashfully, then cleared his throat. "There are times when I feel so alone. I wish more than anything that you were by my side."

"If I were at your side, I fear you would not like all that I have to say."

Arthur blinked and shifted his weight. "What do you mean?"

Uther's face held the look of disappointment that Arthur had seen many a time—a look he'd allowed himself to forget. "Many of the decisions you have made since you have become king go against all that I taught you."

Arthur had trained himself not to frown or how untoward emotion when his father chastised him, but the corners of his mouth tightened slightly. "I have done what I have believed to be right."

"You have ignored our tradition, our ancient laws," Uther replied. "You have allowed common men to become knights."

"They are some of the finest knights that Camelot's ever known," Arthur refuted. "They would gladly give their lives for the kingdom."

"They question your decisions. They make you look weak."

"Listening to others is a sign of strength, not weakness." Merlin had taught him that.

"How do you expect anyone to fear a king who does not know his own mind?"

Arthur frowned in earnest now. "I don't want my people to respect me because they fear me."

"Then they will not respect you at all. Your marriage should have served to form an alliance with another kingdom and you choose to marry a serving boy."

"I married for love," Arthur argued. "I love Merlin. More than I can express." He realized something. "Hang on, are you saying it's Merlin's station you don't like, not his gender?"

"There are some things that are more important than love," Uther went on, ignoring Arthur's question.

"You married for love," Arthur replied.

Uther ignored the obvious hypocrisy. "As if to add insult to injury, you have allowed a serving girl to become your heir. You have broken the Pendragon bloodline."

"Guinevere will make a wise and strong queen," Arthur stated. "She is honorable and pure of heart. I can think of none other who would better succeed me."

"It is your duty to strengthen and protect the kingdom," Uther intoned. "You have failed."

Arthur swallowed, striving to keep his voice even. "I have always strived to make you proud."

"How can I be proud of a son who ignores everything that I taught him? Who is destroying my legacy?" Uther was almost sneering, and his words cut deeply.

"I have brought peace to the kingdom…"

"At what price?" Uther questioned. "The peace cannot last. If you are not strong, the kingdom will fall." He turned away. "You must go now."

"I need more time," Arthur said, faltering. "There is still so much I wish to say."

"If you stay, you will be forever trapped in the world of the dead." Uther spoke in his do not question me voice. "You must go now. Go."

"This can't be the last time I will ever see you," Arthur pleaded.

"Think about everything that I have said to you," Uther told him. "It isn't too late. Now go."

Arthur turned away and began to head back, but his father called to him one last time.

"I will always love you, Arthur."

It was a condescending statement, a mark of pity after all that Uther had said before, but it was still his father. Arthur turned back and looked over his shoulder for a brief second, taking in Uther's face before stepping back into the world of the living.

"Arthur?"

Arthur blinked, feeling like he had just come out of a daze. Merlin was gripping his shoulders and peering into his face, concerned. "Do you want to talk about it? What happened at the stones?"

Arthur shrugged off Merlin's touch and started to walk back to where they'd left the horses. "It seems my father doesn't approve of the way I have chosen to rule his kingdom."

Merlin followed him. "You mean your kingdom," he corrected.

Arthur kept walking. "The things he said about the knights, about having Guinevere as my heir. What if he's right? What if I have weakened Camelot?"

Merlin ran so that he passed Arthur, then turned around so that he was standing directly in Arthur's path and placing his hands on Arthur's chest to stop him. "Do you really believe that?" He asked. "You have always done what you believed to be right. People respect you."

Arthur sighed, taking Merlin's hands in his. At least this was the one thing he knew his father was wrong about. Merlin made him stronger, kinder, and wiser. He could never doubt this. "Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin smirked. "Some people still think you're a foolish, arrogant ass."

Arthur blinked. "Who?" Then he realized Merlin meant himself. "Very funny."

Merlin kissed him. "Don't lie, I'm hilarious."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Come on, we should get some sleep."

"Poetry?" Arthur hissed.

"It's slang, you idiot!" Merlin replied. "It means we're—" He made a hand gesture.

Arthur pressed his fingers to his temples. "So Leon thinks we're in here to—"

"Yes."

Arthur glared at him.

"Oh, don't give me that expression. We've had sex everywhere else in the castle, why shouldn't we do it here?"

Uther smiled coldly at Merlin. "It will give me great pleasure, killing you."

"Father!"

Arthur's voice was deep and commanding, and Uther turned in surprise. Arthur silently held up the horn.

"Arthur! No! Please," Uther pleaded. "Whatever I have done, I have done for Camelot."

"You've had your turn," Arthur said, raising the horn to his lips. "Now it's mine."

Uther gasped. "Merlin has—"

He vanished like smoke sucked up through a chimney.

Arthur dropped the horn and ran over to Merlin, yanking him free and patting him down, checking for injuries. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I think so," Merlin replied. "Nothing's broken."

Arthur kissed him, hot and filthy and slightly desperate, like teenagers sneaking out when their parents were asleep. "I woke up alone and I thought—"

Merlin grinned. "Takes a lot more than your father to get rid of me. You should know that by now."

Almost despite himself, Arthur laughed.

Honestly, it makes so much sense. Uther attacks in ascending order according to his hatred. First a commoner knight, then Guinevere, then Merlin. Going by the creepy feeling Merlin kept getting throughout the episode, I have a feeling Uther was planning on killing him even before he learned Merlin had magic. So, why would he hate Merlin the most? Hmm, let me think…