Merlin stood outside the King's door, feeling an uncomfortable lump in his throat. He didn't know what he was supposed to say; 'Good morning, Sire, I am not shagging your son, I hope you like your biscuit.' That sounded better than anything else he had thought up all morning. He hated Arthur, he really did, why did Merlin have to deal with this? This was Arthur's Father and Arthur's problem, Merlin was already talked about enough, why should he care if people thought they were lovers? He was already Arthur's clumsy servant and the man who is constantly sent to the stocks, just for breathing...and had big ears and looked goofy...and for the love of all the Gods, he was a sorcerer! He didn't need this kind of pressure, he had enough with his appending destiny. Not to mention this man would probably stab him with a fork, just to kill him, if he dare find out what Merlin really was. The less amount of time Merlin spent around Uther, the better. Merlin couldn't stand there any longer, someone passing might find him crazy, so he had no choice, but to knock, though he never did that for Arthur, and then walk in. Uther was sitting at his table, sipping on what might be wine, even in the morning and seemed very surprised indeed, to see Merlin there.

"You will be serving me today?" he offered, in a soft sort of voice, one Merlin never was offered, Merlin normally only spoke to Uther if something was wrong or if he was being shouted at. So, that would mark the second time in less than a weeks time that Uther had spoke kindly to him. Merlin nodded, all the same, and walked over and set his breakfast in front of him. "And what of Arthur? He isn't in need of you?"

"Ar-" Merlin stopped, because he had almost said Arthur's name, which was his name and they were speaking of him, but royals were weird like that. "The Prince knows I came, one of the maiden's..." this was the part where Merlin started lying, and there was little looking back now. "She was sick, I offered to take on her load for the day."

"That was good of you," said Uther, and then added, in pretty much indifference to the made up girls health. "I hope she is well soon."

"She will be fine," said Merlin, because she didn't exist anyway. Merlin stood there now, with no real business to be doing so, but he knew if he didn't speak to Uther about this, and set it straight...very straight, that Arthur would probably start throwing more things at him again. "Sire..." he bowed his head, and couldn't think of what to say next. Oh my god, Merlin thought to himself. You are as dumb as Arthur says you are...

"You best return to Arthur, I wouldn't want him to think I have stolen you away too long," said Uther, and Merlin wanted to throw up. "You must have many duties to preform for him."

Merlin felt his ears turn red and he swore to the Dragon hidden underneath this castle, if this destiny thing wasn't worth it...

"No," said Merlin, slowly, shaking his head. "Sire...I don't think I do."

Uther looked up at him, with a raised eyebrow and Merlin smiled, almost painfully so. Why was is so hard to say? No, I am not romantically interested in your son, he's a prat, he is worse than a prat, he is a horrible, angry, rather muscular toad-

"I care very deeply for my son, Merlin," said Uther now, seriously, and Merlin's thought's stopped, right at Toad, though he had a few more good ones left. He looked down at Uther, confused. "I want what is best for him, and I do hope you know...if you should hurt him, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Merlin's mouth formed an O, as he took in these words and didn't know what to do with them. He wanted to say he had saved his life more times than he should have ever had to, or that maybe Uther should take his own advice, and not hurt Arthur, or maybe Merlin would kill him...well, then that would be treason, so he wouldn't. But Uther, with his cruel words, and his unrealistic expectations of Arthur, was doing a lot more hurt than Merlin's casual clotpole or prat ever would...

"I would never hurt Arthur," he admitted, because it was true, he wouldn't ever intentionally hurt Arthur. Even if he did hate him just a small bit...but he didn't really though, he cared about Arthur very much, so why would Merlin ever hurt him? Uther nodded, with a small smile and looked down at his food.

"I am happy to hear it," said Uther. He seemed to think of something else and looked back up at Merlin again, and just when Merlin thought it could end, it didn't. "But you must remember your place, you are meant to serve him...and since you two have brought it upon yourselves to take it to the next level, you must remember your place even more so."

"My place?" asked Merlin, even though he knew it was not proper to say anything right now, while the King was pretending to know what he was talking about. Uther didn't react to it though, he just continued.

"You must give him what he desires of you," said Uther, eyes dropping away from Merlin and looking at a spot just directly over Merlin's shoulder. "You may...take pleasure in it too, if you must, but remember you serve Arthur, you do as he says. If he asks you to do something you are unfamiliar with, you may not deny him."

Merlin was dumbfounded, he stare at Uther for several seconds after he said this. His mouth was once again in an O shape and he felt his breath stuck in his throat. He could not have heard that right, had he?

"I'm not sure that's how it works...Sire."

He added on the sire at the end, to save his own ass, but he was pretty sure Uther was ready to let Arthur do the exact opposite. Uther glared back at him now, making eye contact with him once more, to drive the point further. "It is," he said, darkly. "You are but a servant...a bed warmer until Arthur finds a wife. You must remember that."

"Oh, I do know that, Sire," said Merlin, though he didn't really care, he just really couldn't care less. He wanted to leave. "If that will be all..."

"I can feel your love for him, and I am sorry...I truly am, for whatever my son might tell you, in the heat of the moment," said Uther, still, and Merlin really wished he would shut up. "I am sure, Arthur even thinks it himself. He loves too easily, he trusts too easy, he is a foolish boy, who still has much to learn. But it is the sad truth of the matter; The two of you are on borrowed time."

Well, you can have it back, Merlin thought, as he tried, very hard to leave. "I understand, I cannot possibly have Arthur forever, I didn't ask for him..."

"No one asks to fall in love, I never thought you forced it."

Merlin wanted to die, just die, right here, right now. He wished the Great Dragon would just eat him and take him out of his misery. He was stuck in a cave...he was probably hungry anyway. "Thank you, Sire," Merlin muttered, as Uther began to look sadly now, down at his food and Merlin moved toward the door.

"I was very young when I fell in love with Arthur's mother," he said, and Merlin stopped, closing his eyes, because he just wanted to leave...really bad. But Uther never mentioned his dead wife. "Seeing Arthur in love...even with the likes of a serving boy, it makes me think of a time long gone."

"I'm sorry," said Merlin, and he really did mean that, even if Uther was a foul, gross human being, who was just really dumb. He did understand what it must feel like to lose the love of your life. Well...maybe he didn't, but he could understand it enough to feel bad. Uther nodded and looked around the room, as if looking for something to distract him. Merlin just stood there now, and watched.

"That will be all," said Uther and Merlin nodded, giving him a soft smile, before turning and leaving the room. He realized he had failed, just as soon as he had left the room, but there was no going back now, he was just going to have to leave Camelot, possibly forever...

He walked down the corridor, not really heading in one direction or another, he was just walking, thinking of the conversation he had just had with Uther, it was bizarre. He wondered if his mother still had room for him at her home, because how could he face Arthur after this?

"Merlin!" A voice shouted from behind him and Merlin didn't stop, he knew it was Arthur, but he just couldn't look at him right now. He started walking faster, turning a coroner quickly. But Arthur was a lot faster than him and he ran to catch up with him. "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Must have missed it..." said Merlin, as he continued to walk and not look over at Arthur.

"Did you talk to my Father?"

Merlin nodded, but did not stop walking still, nor looked over at him. "Oh...I talked to him."

"And?" asked Arthur, as they neared some stairs. "Did you set him straight?"

"Not exactly..."

"What does that mean?" said Arthur, because it wasn't really a question, and he grabbed hold of Merlin's arm tightly, and stopped him from going down the stairs. "Why not exactly? What did you say?"

"Not much," said Merlin, and he was feeling very annoyed, he could feel his magic bubble just under the strong grip Arthur was holding him with. "He was too busy telling me I am to let you do whatever you want to me..."

Arthur's eyes widened a little and he let Merlin go, apparently physical contact at the mention of sex was too much for the Prince to take. Merlin rubbed the spot where he had been holding him. Arthur's jaw set in a tight line and he studied Merlin for a moment or two. "Why?" he finally asked, Merlin rolled his eyes.

"Because I am servant, which means I must be your sex salve...because we are not meant to be in love, and one day you will marry and I am to get over it, or something..."

After Merlin's word vomit, literally, he said the words faster than anyone had the right to speak, Arthur only closed his eyes and with closed eyes looked, up to the ceiling, possibly for strength, he needed it. They both did. "I am sorry, I didn't think he would speak to you like that..."

"Well...he did," retorted Merlin. He wasn't really angry at Arthur, or even Uther, he just didn't like this situation. And what did Uther mean he could feel his love for Arthur? When had Merlin ever given off the impression he was in love with Arthur? Yes, he cared for him, but still-

"I would never do anything to you that you didn't like..." said Arthur now, and it brought Merlin out of his thoughts, and he pulled a disgusted face at Arthur. Arthur stared back.

"You throw things at me all the time!" complained Merlin. "You call me an idiot...I don't like that and you still do it!"

"That's because you are an idiot."

"And?" retorted Merlin. "So are you..."

Arthur smiled at this, be it, a small one. "Shut up."

"See, there it is," said Merlin, off on a rant, but Arthur didn't really seem to care, because he was walking down the stairs now. "You're always mean to me, how Uther thinks we're in love-"

"He doesn't think we're in love, he thinks we're..." Arthur paused, in his words, and Merlin could not see his face, but he could imagine it. His eyes were wide and a slightly grossed out look was upon his face, Merlin knows, because he felt much the same at the idea. "Well, either way...he's wrong."

"And it's your turn now to tell him he is," said Merlin, as he walked a little faster to walk next to Arthur, instead of behind him. "I don't fancy another round of it."

"Me neither, to be perfectly honest."

"Then...what will we do?" asked Merlin, and Arthur stopped, looked at him and shrugged.

"Maybe you should get a wife."

Merlin glared at him. "Maybe you should get a wife!"

"You're right, Merlin," said Arthur, as if Merlin had said something completely different, as he patted him, quite hard, on the shoulder. "No woman would want you anyway."

Merlin continued to glare, as Arthur walked off, outside. "Prat!"