Chapter Text
“Well,” Uther looked at his son. Almost a full turn of the seasons ago Arthur had seemed to finally realize what it meant to be a prince and started working on becoming that prince. Allowing a meeting with him, especially without a stated subject, was something he would have dismissed a few months ago, but with Arthur acting so much more the prince Camelot needed, Uther could allow little things like this to pass. “What did you wish to speak of?”
“Less than a year ago I was reminded that I am not just a high level knight, able to only attend to which royal duties I wish to and ignore the others. Since then, I've been working on improving myself.”
Uther nodded, “I’ve found myself… proud of the man, the prince… you are becoming.”
“I’m certain you wish to know the catalyst of the change,” Arthur looked down, pulling something from his pocket.
“I do.”
“I had this commissioned about a month after I realized I was letting my people down. That I was failing to be the prince they deserved.”
Uther narrowed his eyes, “What is it?”
Arthur held the pendant between his thumb and pointer finger, holding it up watching as the gem caught the light. It wasn’t an overly large pendant, but the Pendragon dragon was impossible to miss nor the bird, claws outstretched as if about to make a kill, within the curl of the dragon’s wing.
Arthur smiled, “I’m giving this to my Merlin tonight. He’s always pushed me to be a better man. I would not be the man I am today without his support, and no, I am not sleeping with him. Well,” Arthur chuckled, “Not yet. Hopefully, I will be changing that tonight, and I will have a real relationship with him, none of that bedwarmer nonsense. He is mine and I am his. We have been since before we even met.”
“A relationship?” Uther’s lip curled in disgust thinking of the peasant boy. “He can give you no heir and is a peasant besides.”
“I'll still have an heir,” He waved off his father’s concerns, “Perhaps a political match to someone who understands the situation. Merlin loves children and would adore having some to raise.”
“If you are so determined to make him your favorite, why tell me all of this first? He is not your favorite yet; I can still do something to stop this. You must know I will try.”
Arthur chuckled amused, “You so much as touch a hair on my Merlin’s head, and I will tear the crown from yours.”
Uther stared at him.
“I have allies,” Arthur’s grin was sharp with teeth that looked somehow sharper than they should be, “People like me, the smiling generous prince. The prince who walks through lower town every day to see his people. People owe me favors, father. And quite frankly I have Merlin, that wins me the servants, the guards, many of the knights and a few of the nobles. If I wanted, I could take the throne.” He paused and shook his head, “But I have no interest in usurping you. I still have much to learn before I should be king.”
Arthur shrugged after that, easily lying about his readiness to be king, he had already been one for years, he just didn’t want the role yet. He would have far less time to easily give to his Merlin when he was King, “All you have to do, to keep your throne, is to leave my Merlin alone. I don’t care if someone accuses him of murder or being a sorcerer of all things. Although if my Merlin does kill someone, they’d deserve it. You touch my Merlin, or have someone else touch him…” This time Arthur’s chuckle was far deeper, darker, somehow more powerful. Uther could feel it in his bones. “Well, it won’t end well for you.”
He smiled, his face turning bright and happy again, all of the darkness that had shown on his face gone, as he slipped the pendent back into his pocket, “Good eve father. I will be taking my dinner in my rooms tonight.”
Not waiting for a dismissal, he left Uther’s office and started walking back to his, and soon Merlin’s, chambers humming a song that wouldn’t be sung in Camelot for another decade. He had a few things left to get ready for tonight but then, well he’d finally have HIS Merlin.