"You know, I was quite the charmer in my day," said Uther, as he sipped on his eighth or ninth goblet of wine. Arthur watched him pour himself his tenth, when it ran dry and then lean over and fill Merlin's as well. The boy, in question, looked rather rosy in the cheeks and his eyes looked rather heavy. Even Arthur himself was feeling the effects of the wine, but he refused anymore drink, someone had to have a sensible mind, and it was clearly not going to be the King. Arthur now, rolled his eyes at the King's words, as Merlin, the idiot, nodded and leaned nearer to the King, to hear more. "Well...I was very handsome, it's where Arthur gets it."

Merlin's face scrunched up at this and gave Arthur a look that said he did not find him very attractive at all. "I'm bet it is."

"I was very young when I became King," continued Uther, and completely missed that Merlin had just insulted him and his son, but Arthur surely noticed. "I had many very attractive, young woman after me."

"That sounds stressful," said Merlin, eyes widening a little, and Arthur continued to stay quiet, because the King was boasting, that was all, and Arthur found it annoying, not that he didn't do the same. He did, but not about girls, normally about swords, or battles he won. The King did it about all three.

"The only stressful part was not scheduling an outing with two girls on the same day!" said Uther, with a hearty laugh and Merlin smiled at him, but obviously did not find this funny at all. "But enough about me." Uther finished his tenth glass of wine, and poured another. "Let us talk about you, Merlin...where are you from?"

Merlin opened his mouth to talk, but left it open for a moment, clearly trying to remember words, as he was starting to look very drunk and Arthur thought he should probably intervene soon, and end this, before anything more not interesting would be spoke of. "Essetir," Merlin finally said.

Uther nodded, for a bit longer than he really should. Really, these people were drunk, why didn't they just want to go to sleep already? Arthur did. "Cenred's land," Uther said in return and Merlin smiled, innocently, because he could not know how Uther really didn't like Cenred, only because Arthur had never told him as much.

"Yes," Merlin nodded, seeming to understand the look on Uther's face, however. "He is not a very good ruler...my village, Ealdor, is very small, he doesn't care much about it. Sends Looters all the time, to steal from us..."

Uther made a Hmm noise, clearly displeased by this and took a long moment, before he replied. "And what of your parents?"

"My Mother is still there," said Merlin, and did not mention his Father at all. Arthur, who had not been paying that much attention, leaned forward a bit, onto the table, and looked Merlin over. Arthur had heard Merlin mention his Mother once or twice, not really to him, but to Gwen and Gaius, and even Morgana, but never his Father, Arthur wondered if he had died. If so, why wouldn't Merlin have mentioned this? Clearly Arthur would have understood, his Mother had died as well, and Merlin knew this, at least it would be something they had in common...

Not that they needed anything in common, necessarily, but they did always seem to be at odds.

"How about a walk?" suggested Uther now, as he stood up and nearly toppled over onto the table. "It is a lovely night, I would take my dates on walks on nights much like these..."

"You're not in any state to walk, Father!" Arthur finally spoke. Utther was drunk, he could hardly stand, and he thought he needed to walk? Arthur himself didn't feel much up for it either, he was much too full to dare consider going anywhere further than his chambers. But Uther wasn't in any state to think properly, he blew Arthur's thought off, with a wave of the hand.

"None sense, Arthur!" he said, and pulled Merlin up next to him. Merlin, for a half of a second, looked very scared, but then when Uther patted his shoulders gingerly, he only frowned. "Merlin would love a walk, wouldn't you, Merlin?"

"Eh..."

That Eh, was took as a yes, and then Arthur was being more than just politely shoved out of his Father's chambers, more like nearly punched in the back, three different times. They walked down a path just off to the right of the castle, where there were low, hanging trees, that nearly covered the path entirely. Also a bit of the river ran next to them, which allowed the moonlight to brighten the dark grounds around them. Arthur and Merlin walked on either side of the King, no one saying a word for a good long while, Arthur was just starting to wonder when this was going to be over, so he could go to bed, when his Father turned to him suddenly, and his widened eyes made Arthur almost fall, as his steps faulted, alarmed by it.

"Take his hand!" he seethed, through thin lips and gritted teeth, Arthur shook his head no. "Take his hand...NOW!" The now, was very much out loud, and Merlin jumped a little bit, looking over concerned. But Uther only smiled, took several steps ahead of them at a jog and went. "Oh...look at that!" And quickened his pace ahead of them, looking between the trees, as if he had saw something that interested him. Arthur watched him, concerned.

"What is he doing?" asked Merlin and Arthur sighed, rolling his eyes.

"He wants me to take your hand," he said, and did not make a move to do so. "But I refuse, I see no need-" Suddenly, Arthur's hand that hung between them had something very cold being shoved into it and he looked down to see Merlin's hand. He refused to grasp it and Merlin sighed, and grasped his instead. "Merlin, we shouldn't indulge him in this madness..."

"No," Merlin agreed, but he didn't let go either. "But, the way I see it is...is your Father is crazy, Arthur and if this keeps my head on then..."

Merlin shrugged, and Arthur rolled his eyes. "You didn't look very upset tonight, he seemed to charm you just fine."

"Charm me?" resorted Merlin, quietly. "I wanted to leave the whole time..."

Arthur should be offended by this, this was his Father, but he couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips. "Me too..."

Ahead Uther had stopped, at the parting of the trees, where you could walk to the river's edge. He did so, as he noticed them coming closer, and beckoned them forward. "Over here!" he called, and they followed, not dropping their hands from each other, so, at the very least, Uther could see Arthur had listened to him. Uther looked upon the water, with a small smile, and placed his foot on a rather large rock, he turned to them. "I used to take my woman here."

"It's very romantic," Merlin commented and the King grinned at him.

"I always thought so," Uther grinned bigger, almost proudly, and took in a deep sigh. "Now that I've shown you, perhaps Arthur will bring you here again."

"Probably not," said Arthur, feeling rather put upon, was this what his Father was playing at? He rolled his eyes, took his hand from Merlin and went and sat down, on the cool ground, under a tree. Both Merlin and Uther watched him, both with a frown. Merlin came and sat down next to him, after a moment, and raised an eyebrow at him, Arthur didn't look at him. He knew that Merlin wanted to play along, but Arthur found it all rather stupid and he completely refused to take Merlin here ever again. For what? Merlin was his servant...

"You know," said Uther now, eyes traveling away from the two sitting, to look out, into the night sky. "This is where I promised myself to Arthur's Mother."

"It is..?" asked Arthur, and although he had been annoyed before, that's how quickly it changed, at the mention of his Mother. His Father never mentioned his Mother, not ever, he said it was too painful for him. Arthur couldn't quite believe it. Uther turned to him and gave him a sad smile.

"Yes," he nodded and closed his eyes, as if remembering the day in his head. "It was a night much like this. How beautiful she looked in her dress...I will never forget it."

Arthur felt like crying, he wasn't going to, but he felt like he might, and he suddenly wished Merlin wasn't there, because this was a very tender subject for both of them. He looked over to Merlin, who seemed to be only staring at the King in some sort of awe. "I have always wondered what Arthur's Mother must have been like," he said, and Arthur wanted to slap him, to make him shut up, before Uther realized his words and got angry. "I always thought she would be very beautiful."

"She was," said Uther, but he didn't look very distressed, upset, yes, near tears like Arthur, yes, but not violent yet. Arthur knew his wrath, he had tested in many times before, trying to get any tiny bit of information about his Mother. How was it so easy for Merlin to pull it from him? "Her hair...was as light as Arthur's, her eyes too, it pains me so, that he looks so much like her, but yet it is a blessing, as I can look into his eyes and still see her. It is shameful...that he never got to meet her, yet her light in him can never be put out, it only grows brighter as time goes on. I see so much of her in him, in his heart...she would be very proud of the man he has become..."

Arthur tried, he tried very hard, to think probably, to speak words, but the shock of the words the King had just spoke shook him to his very core, and although he felt like crying before, maybe even in passing, it was beyond that point now. He felt the tears burn the back of his eyes and he blinked and blinked, willing them to go away, but they did not, they fell, right down his cheeks. He hoped neither of them would notice, but it was almost at once, that Merlin reached over and placed his hand over top of Arthur's. He knew, he knew the meaning of these words, probably just as much as Arthur.

"You must have loved her a great deal, to miss her like you do..." said Merlin now, and Arthur couldn't see Uther's face, he had turned, facing the water once more. But the way he lowered his head and sniffed, said he must have been crying, too.

"I loved her with all of my heart, there was not a single thing I would not have done for her," he said, quietly. "As I now love Arthur the same..."There was a long pause, and then Uther stiffened up and turned back toward them. "Listen to me, going on like an old fool," he said, and forced a smile onto his lips. He looked down and noticed the two of their hands together and the forced smile turned real. "Enough of this, the night is young...much still to be done," he lowered his head, almost as if he were bowing to them, and Arthur feared he must really be truly, desperately drunk. "I shall leave you two alone, to have better conversation."

"No, I think we will come back," said Arthur, his voice a little horse, from the tears he willed away at this point.

"Nonsense, stay," said Uther, in good nature, as he nearly fell over a rock, as he walked. "I can surely find my way back to my own castle."

He walked off then, almost going the wrong way, before remembering himself and stalked off. Arthur watched him, reeling from his words about his Mother, and how Merlin was right, and he really was crazy. Merlin sat quiet, next to him, his hand still laying over Arthur's. Arthur pulled his hand back suddenly.

"Alright, he's gone...let's go," he said, more sternly than he had actually meant to be. But it was awkward, Merlin shouldn't have heard those words spoken by Uther, they needed to only be heard by Arthur, and now Merlin would most likely judge him for them. "Listen...about what my Father said-"

"About your Mother?" asked Merlin, and he smiled, which made Arthur frown. "I thought it was very beautiful...she was very lucky to be loved so much. I only hope one day you are, too."

"I am what?" questioned Arthur, what he was going to say, the threat he was going to make, lost now. Merlin looked over at him and smirked.

"Loved like that."

This shocked Arthur, for some reason, why did Merlin care if he were loved? Arthur, could honestly he say, he had never thought about himself being in love, let alone Merlin. So, he could hardly return the favor. "I'm not very worried about that now," he retorted, and Merlin's smile and or smirk, whatever that was, fell and Arthur sighed. "Besides, I am only meant to marry for the Kingdom, I hardly think love will be the deciding factor."

"Right, well...whoever you are meant to marry, I hope she is very understanding," the smirk had returned and Arthur realized at once, that Merlin's kindness was over, and perhaps this was due to Arthur's own reaction to it, but even still, it was very predictable. "Because you are a very big Prat...who can't even take a compliment, or say thank you."

"I can say thank you..."

"Name one time you've ever said thank you?"

Arthur pursed his lips, thinking about this for a long time. "To you...?"

"I didn't mean just me, but sure..."

"Never," he retorted, and gave Merlin a dark smirk. "For good reason."

"Yes, the reason being, that you are a Clotpole..."

(A/N: Allllllright, so...I know that most of this story has been funny, or set up for humor, so far, and I don't want to ruin that, like things will be funny again shortly. But the next say like four chapters will be more serious. Stuff needs to happen for just like...the integrity of the story, so it can continue. Now, speaking of it continuing, originally I had no plot for this story, everything was just kind of...set up around Uther thinking they are in love, and he's still not wrong...but I have an idea for this story, and that means it could be very long. I want to know how interested you are in reading like...a really long story? Like, I have ideas to take this story all the way to season 3, if you all were interested in that, idk...I'd like feed back, if you guys want a super long story or want me to wrap it up after like 20/30 parts? Please let me know your thoughts!)