Summary: 5 times Uther sees Merlin's magic and 1 time he is forced to confront it.
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I
The first time Uther discovered Merlin’s magic, it was quite by accident.
He had decided to pay the dragon under his castle a visit. Perhaps to gloat, or perhaps to simply have a mere chat. The castle was quite empty, with Arthur gone for another hunt and his bumbling servant at his heels.
The point was, that Uther was on his way to the lower dungeons and came across his guards snoring on the floor. He really ought to behead them all, considering how many of his enemies have escaped the dungeons. Or at the very least, flogged. It would be a very messy affair if he had to burn several heads.
He walked around them, his robes not so accidentally smacking them in their faces. That didn’t rouse them even a little. He lifted his nose a little in indignation, and towards the stair gates. There, he met with another surprise.
The gates were wide open.
He stifled a gasp. Nobody was allowed in this part of the castle. Even the guards, as stupid as they were, knew better than to venture that way. And yet, someone had managed to sneak past his defenses and reach his biggest enemy. He dreaded to think of all the consequences of this action. If his enemies did form a pact with the Dragon, all of Camelot would be in grave danger.
He unsheathed his sword, and climbed down the stairs slowly, one step at a time. As he reached close, a familiar sound reached his ears. He wasn’t close enough to hear what the traitor said, but the next thing he knew, a booming voice grated through the dungeons.
“Young Warlock, you have all the means you need in your grasp.”
Means? What means? Means to kill Uther and his only son? Or perhaps torture them and take over Camelot? But first, Uther decided, he needed to have some heart palpitations over the fact that the bloody Dragon could talk.
He crept closer, trying to figure out who the creature was talking to, and heard a well-known voice.
“You haven’t given me any answers, you stupid lizard!” Merlin screamed, for that was the voice of Arthur’s useless and incompetent servant. Uther could barely contain his rage. A sorcerer, right under his nose. He paled as a thought came to him. He had placed the vermin in Arthur’s service. He thought that being Gaius’s nephew would’ve been enough to think him a decent servant, but clearly he was wrong. The boy continued to scream curses at the Dragon. “I can’t let him die over something as stupid as this!”
So the boy practiced magic for someone he held close. Gaius himself, perhaps? Or his mother? Hadn’t she come to his court one day for help? Uther’s grip on his sword hardened when the creature replied.
“It is not his fate to die today, Merlin. I have given you all the answers you need.” Uther heard a loud flapping sound, indicating that the creature had taken to flying away to wherever he lied miserably in the cave. It should’ve been a relief, but all it did was arouse more suspicion. What was the sorcerer planning? What was the dragon planning?
He ought to run the boy through where he stood right then, but something stopped him in his tracks. If he executed the boy, Uther would have no idea about the plans of the dragon. The attack would throw him completely off guard.
Merlin muttered away in the background as Uther inched closer, straining his ears to hear. “Stupid, old, lizard. Given me the answers, as if! And what was the prat thinking, running off to danger like that! I told him, it was a bad idea going after the bloody Phoenix. But does he listen to me? No!”
With a start, Uther realized Merlin was talking about Arthur. What he was saying, however, made no sense to him. Phoenix? The boy absolutely insane, Uther realized, his eyes going wide in alarm. And a mad sorcerer was the worst one of them all. And then he realized, that if Merlin were here, that would mean Arthur would be back too. He needed to confront his son and inform him of the traitor which lay right beneath their noses. But he also needed more information.
With that thought, Uther turned and strode back to his chambers silently, to brood about how to go about it. For now, he would have to keep a close eye on his son’s servant.
II
The next day, Uther made his decision. Instead of confronting his son first, he would have a talk with Gaius. In his court, there was no one he trusted more. And he was sure that Gaius would not have harbored Merlin in his house if he knew the boy practiced magic. Gaius would not betray him like that.
He marched to Gaius’s tower and put his hand on the door handle, with all intents and purposes of barging in and demanding to talk to him, when he heard voices from inside. It was Merlin.
“Gaius, I don’t know what to do.”
Uther paused, leaning in to hear what the old physician had to say to this. This would confirm any previous doubts he held regarding Gaius’s loyalty towards him.
“Merlin, my boy, you’ve done all you could. He only needs time now. The blast of the phoenix’s power had burned him from the inside. Even though your magic repaired most of the damage, the rest is up to the body to fix.”
So the phoenix creature had burned someone close to the sorcerer and he was using magic to heal them. Nevertheless, if he was consorting with dragons, that meant he was definitely up to no good. The only question was who he was healing. It must be someone he and his son met while on their hunt. Or perhaps one of the knights. Sir Lancelot? They do have an unusual relationship.
From inside, the sound of a chair scraping slightly against the floor echoed and the boy spoke again, his voice cracking, “I know. But I have to do something, Gaius. I can’t just sit here and wait.”
“Merlin, that’s all you can do right now.”
There was silence for a while before the boy spoke again. “Wake up, clotpole. Don’t be such a lazy arse.”
Uther decided he had heard all he needed to for now. If the servant was using magic, he had no noble intentions towards Camelot and no respect for her laws. He went back to his chambers and thought long and hard about what to do.
He should probably alert his son about this now. But something stopped him.
The boy's nefarious plans were still unknown to him. And Arthur was quite…. Attached to the servant. Any drastic actions might lead him to lose his only son and heir to the claws of sorcery.
So Uther decided to bide his time and collect proof.
III
Uther had almost all but forgotten about this incident when it resurfaced again, months later. He blames it on the stress that comes with being King and of course, old age.
The King was merely going about his business and wanted to speak to Arthur regarding the petitions that had filled his court when he opened his son’s chambers’ doors to find him missing.
Instead of finding his son, he found the servant boy, asleep on Arthur’s bed. That wasn’t what warranted his shock, however. No, it was the fact that the mop was dipping into the bucket and cleaning the floor, and the rags were wiping the dirty windows, and Arthur’s sword was being polished two feet off the ground. All of this happened on its own.
Uther pinched the edge of his nose in frustration. Granted, the boy was a sorcerer, and thus, inherently evil. But he was just so utterly stupid. It was a miracle that Uther hadn’t caught him sooner.
He glared at the sleeping form of the servant, trying to ignore the magic in the room. He should behead him. Immediately. Arthur would get over it. Eventually. Hopefully.
But then again, he did not know of his plans yet. Uther looked around the room, contemplating his next action. The boy did seem to be too stupid to concoct an elaborate and wicked scheme to topple his throne. With that in mind, he walked out and closed the door softly.
And then, he knocked three times. Loudly. When he heard the booming clang on metal hit the floor, he knew the boy had awoken, and thus, gotten his magic under his control. So he walked in.
Merlin was on his knees, scrubbing away at the floor. His hair was an obvious mess, and his shirt was completely crumpled. The bed covers were hanging off the floor, indicating that the boy had fallen from the bed in his haste. Arthur’s sword lay gleaming on the table and the windows were wide open, sunlight flooding into the chambers.
“Your Majesty!” Merlin exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, and bowing without an ounce of grace. Uther sighed deeply. Why he endured the antics of a sorcerer, he had yet to figure out.
“Where’s my son? Find him, and tell him to come to my chambers,” he ordered. The sorcerer nodded his head frantically, eyes wide with fear. Good, Uther thought. He should be afraid. Uther walked out of the room, clearing his mind.
His magic did not seem evil, but that must be a part of his malicious intent. Magic corrupts, and even if the boy did not look to be corrupted yet, he would be in the future. Uther needed to figure out what to do.
IV
Someone reported Merlin to him. Uther jumped up from his throne in glee when one of the servants had come to tell him how she caught the sorcerer in the act.
“What exactly did you see?” he demanded, trying to ignore how the girl trembled at him.
“My lord, he- I saw him playing with water.”
Uther stopped his internal dance of victory at those words. Merlin was doing magic to play with water?! Of all things-
“He made tiny hearts with magic, sire. His eyes glowed,” she continued, eyes wide with a faked fear.
Uther looked towards the roof and counted till ten. Gaius had once taught him this trick to get his temper under control. When his rage went from butchering everything on sight to shrieking at the top of his lungs, he spoke, “Did anyone else see him?”
The girl was startled at his question. She no doubt expected him to order for the execution of the boy. Uther had half a mind to do just that, but something about the girl stopped him. Merlin was loved by almost everyone in Camelot. Uther couldn’t see why, but apparently, he had a ‘charm’. So he figured that even if someone caught him using magic, they would not report him to the King. Perhaps to Arthur, but surely not Uther.
This alone picked on the doubts in his mind. This girl had an agenda of her own and probably wanted the boy out of her way. Rivalry amid sorcerers wasn’t uncommon after all.
“You’re not going to execute him?!” she shrieked flabbergasted. Uther frowned and sat down.
“Clearly you’re undergoing a severe case of hysteria. I suggest you take some days off. Merlin is utterly loyal to Arthur.” Uther did not add his own suspicions, but he saw how her eyes narrowed into tiny slits. She bowed stiffly and ran out.
During dinner, Uther enquired about her to Morgana, who looked at him weirdly.
“There’s no such servant girl, Uther. Are you sure that’s the right description?”
Uther looked at Merlin, who seemed to have gone rigid at the topic. Upon closer inspection, as the boy hobbled to serve Arthur his watered-down wine, he noticed how he walked with a limp. So Uther was right then. She did want to kill Merlin.
Uther shook his head and finished his dinner. He needed answers. It was time for a confrontation. He headed off towards Gaius’s chambers and was once again stopped by voices from inside.
“What did she want?”
“She wanted to kill Arthur,” Merlin said, his voice hard and solemn. Uther concealed his surprise.
“And that was because…” Gaius prodded, and Merlin sighed. He sounded tired, Uther noticed. “Uther killed her son. She wanted revenge. Something about a son for a son.”
They didn’t say anything after that for a while, and Uther wondered if the conversation was over. And then, Merlin spoke again.
“I mean, I don’t get it. Why kill Arthur? He’ll be a good king, I know that. But to go after him for what his father did… I don’t see the logic.”
“My boy, grief knows no logic.”
“Yeah. I’m just glad I was there in the nick of time.”
“Here, I made your favorite,” Gaius said, and a plate scraped across the table. Uther assumed that must be the boy's food. “I know how hard you work, trying to keep the Prince alive.”
Keep Arthur alive? Did Merlin use his magic to save Arthur? Uther recalled the first day he found out about the sorcerer. Something about a phoenix? As realization dawned on him, he could barely stifle his distress. That would mean that it was his son who was injured so heavily. And Merlin had used his magic to save Arthur.
Uther recollected the day he put the boy in Arthur’s employ. That was the first time the boy saved his son’s life. He probably used magic then too. Just how many times did he save Arthur? And why? Why stay in Camelot, knowing his magic would get him killed?
…Oh. Arthur. Of course.
Uther cursed himself for not noticing it sooner. The boy was besotted with the prince. That’s all he used his magic for, apparently. Uther supposed he could turn a blind eye to that. If Merlin ever showed signs of turning against the Kingdom or harming anyone, perhaps then he could act. Until then, he would give it no heed.
V
Sometimes Uther wondered how his son managed to be so oblivious all the time. He knew Arthur was equally in love with Merlin, and showing it the only way he knew how. By bullying him and piling him with so many chores that the poor boy had to resort to his magic to finish them on time.
But the height of his complete obliviousness came to light when he was placed under yet another love potion. This time, he was besotted with the Lady Regina, who showed equal enthusiasm in Arthur’s attempt at courting her.
Uther was not having it. At all.
He rounded upon Merlin and glared at him. The boy gulped, visibly afraid. He pointed a finger at the servant and ordered, “Fix this. The Prince cannot resort to canoodling with a Lady. Talk to Gaius and figure out a way to rid him of this enchantment.”
Merlin nodded and scampered off. Uther thought that must have been enough to set things in motion. So when he went to check on Arthur that night, he was not really surprised with what he saw or heard.
“Do you think she likes cheese?” Arthur asked with a dreamy expression, and Uther saw Merlin take a hesitant step forward.
“Arthur… I’m sorry about this,” he said, and then he kissed Arthur.
Uther could do without the image of his son and his manservant, who was a sorcerer, of all things, snogging like the world was ending. But he wasn’t that lucky. The image would haunt him for years to come.
When they stepped apart, Arthur looked at Merlin quizzically.
“Merlin? What’s going on?”
Merlin’s eyes were as wide as saucers as he replied, “Sire, you, well, you hit your head really hard. You’re probably experiencing some memory loss.”
Uther sighed. There was no way Arthur would believe-
“Huh. Okay. I do remember you’re my servant, and that it’s dinnertime. So where’s my dinner, Merlin?”
Uther facepalmed. Arthur was a lost cause. How he kept his head on his shoulders without Merlin, Uther didn’t know.
“Right. Yes. I’ll get it right away, sire.”
Uther scrambled away from the door and into the dark of the corridor to avoid running into Merlin. At least his son was no longer under an enchantment. Lady Regina would have to be content with banishment for now.
+1
He should’ve known feasts were a pathway to getting almost killed.
Uther was happily drinking his ale and enjoying the entertainment when one of the performers stepped in front and threw a knife towards him. The next moment, his goblet had slipped from his hand and the knife had stopped mere inches from his face.
The sorcerer, Merlin stood only a few feet away, hand outstretched and eyes a burning gold. No doubt it was him who stopped the dagger.
It only took a second for Uther to get his beings together.
“Guards!” he bellowed and pointed at the performer, who stood with his head high. “Arrest him immediately!”
When he turned towards Merlin, he saw Arthur standing in front of him, pulling the boy behind him. Like he was protecting him. Morgana stood next to Uther with wary eyes. Uther just then realized that everybody was staring at him with cautious looks.
Uther struggled to not sigh deeply. Just how oblivious did everyone think he was?
“You, boy!” he said, pointing at Merlin. Arthur shuffled further, concealing the sorcerer. Uther paid it no mind. “You’ll spend the night in the dungeons for using sorcery. You can resume your duties tomorrow.”
“Huh?” Merlin looked at him in disbelief. Nobody dared move.
“Are you deaf as well as dumb? Do you want to make it two nights in the dungeons?!”
Merlin shook his head furiously, stepping out from behind Arthur. Arthur kept shooting him careful looks, and Uther now visibly sighed. This time, he bellowed to the guards. “Take him and put him in the dungeons for tonight.”
That got them moving, and in no time, Merlin was out of there and safe in the dungeons. When the feast resumed, Arthur looked at him curiously.
“You need him, and he needs you. He’s good for you,” Uther said, shrugging. He wasn’t going to elaborate further. They’d figure it out, eventually. For now, Uther had certain laws to discuss with the sorcerer in his dungeon.
By InTooManyFandomsRay on ao3