It has been a while since I updated hope you enjoy
Arthur stood with his hands clasped respectfully behind his back. In front of him, his father was pacing slightly, cracking his knuckles. Arthur just waited for the volcano to explode. He would take any punishment his father threw at him - he did deserve it. To have disappeared for almost a month after being directly ordered not to...well. Arthur would have to be crazy to not expect any repercussions.
It helped to know that Merlin was, at this very moment, getting closer and closer to Gaius and the help he desperately needed. It helped to know that, right now, Percival was up in Gaius's tower helping the old man prepare for Merlin.
It helped, but not much Arthur was still worried.
Arthur and Percival had ridden full speed into Camelot. It had taken all of the knights to force him to leave Merlin behind. But the two had barely had time to dismount off of their horses before a brigade of guards was upon them.
"The king requires your presence in the throne room immediately," said one.
"I'll be there as soon as possible," said Arthur, leading his and Percival's horses towards the stable. The large knight was already jogging up the stairs and inside the castle, straight for Gaius's chambers.
"He said you might say that," said the guard, shrugging apologetically, "King Uther said that you were required to come right now."
Arthur handed over the reins to a stable boy, and nodded, saying, "Very well I will come."
He allowed the group to walk him into the throne room. Uther was standing, waiting for him. "Father," Arthur had said, bowing. He was ignored. With led him to now, watching as the king paced around and cracked his knuckles, silent and ominous.
Arthur could feel the dread pooling around in his stomach.
"Have you taken complete leave of all your senses?" Uther said, stopping in his pacing to glare at Arthur. Ah, Arthur thought, it's going to be the 'you're the only heir to the throne and he's just a servant' speech. Having found his footing, Arthur braced himself, and dug in for an emotional and mental beating.
"No, father I haven't."
"Then why, pray tell," said Uther, leaning on the back of his chair, "Do you have this insatiable need to throw your life away for nothing?"
"My manservant is not nothing. He has proven his loyalty to me time and time again, has saved my life more than either of us, I think, care to think about. You yourself have acknowledged that. It is only fair that I returned -"
"You are above fair, Arthur," Uther yelled, and raised his voice for the first time since the conversation started. Inwardly, Arthur let out a sigh of relief. A yelling father was something he was used to , but that quiet, lecturing, calculating father that he had been led to stand before scared Arthur more than he cared to admit. "You are the heir to the throne. But it is not the boy's loyalty that is the issue, here. He is your subject, it's only right that he - "
"He would be dead by now had I not gone after him. You may think that Merlin's life is worthless," Arthur snapped, the anger bubbling up in his chest violently and without warning, "But I don't."
"Don't you dare interrupt me!" Uther said, his voice deadly low again. Arthur snapped his mouth shut and stared stalwartly at the floor. "No life is worthless, Arthur, but in comparison to yours, there are many that are worth less. How many times do I have to try and teach you this lesson? You cannot just go gallivanting about, risking your life for that of a servant."
Arthur didn't respond. He just kept glaring at the stony ground of the throne room. To disagree at this point would only dig an even deeper hole.
"You're to be confined to the dungeons until I say otherwise, and you've had time to think about your priorities," Uther said, sitting down and waving a hand. "Take him now."
