Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin!

So, this is like most scar-reveal fics, but it's also not. You see, it's about Merlin's scars, but it is not Arthur/Gwen/the knights that the scars are getting revealed to. It's dum dum dum dummmmmmm - UTHER. THAT'S RIGHT! MERLIN SCAR REVEAL TO UTHER. If you had read my Halloween chapter, you would have seen my little sneak-peek, so if you want to spoil yourself just a tad, go check it out! I've always loved scar reveal fics and all of the ways they played out. That being said, I decided to write one, but I didn't want it to be a replica with insignificant changes. So, I let my imagination dance in my subconscious mist, and it found its new partner. Uther. I mean, think about it. What if Uther saw Merlin's scars? You have Arthur's, Gwen's, the knights, heck, even Freya's reactions! But what about the magic-is-the-bane-of-my-existence king? 

Merlin was having a rough day. He had simply doing chores for Prince Arthur, and then bam! A guard started harassing one of the servant staff, and Merlin intervened. Let's just say...things got ugly. Merlin came out as the victorious but did not leave unscathed. Merlin had been slashed by the guard's sword, and so now he was on the guest table sitting up as Guias was cleaning his wound. It stung, but it wasn't nearly as worse as some other...past injuries he'd had. The wound was on his chest, and so all of his scars were on display. He didn't mind though, after all, he was alone with Guias and he didn't expect the cabbage head of a prince to show up soon. But then, someone walked in.

"Guias, when you have the time, I need you to do some..."

The man froze and stared at Merlin's scars. Merlin didn't know what to do. Guias was darting around the room to distract the unannounced man. The man just stared. Merlin gulped.

"My lord? Do you need something of Guias?"

For it wasn't Gwen who walked in.

It wasn't one of the knights.

And it was certainly not Arthur.

For it was the King of Camalot, Uther Pendragon, that was staring at a manservant with more scars than a seasoned knight.

And there was no way that Merlin could weasel his way out of his king's questions.

After the agonizing long silence, Uther spoke up. "You, servant. You're the boy whom I assigned to my son, Prince Arthur, correct?"

Merlin gulped. "Yes, Milord?"

"Tell me how a servant could obtain battle wounds more plentiful than an experienced knight, as well as have a body fit for a standard roman soldier. Has my son been training you in secret?"

"No, sire certainly not!" Merlin took a big breath of air before facing his king and answering fully. 

"I've gained these scars throughout my life, and they started when I was just a boy. I grew up malnourished and weak, but I learned to be swift and cheat on fights. I learned techniques to take down bullies, but never harm, even when they were four times my size. As for my figure, it only started developing after I came to Camalot, thanks to Guias for being able to feed me more. Mother always tried her best, but there was never enough in Ealdor."

"Eldor...that's in Cendred's kingdom, isn't it? The one my son ran off to help?"

"Yes, sire."

"Why did you start getting these lashes at such a young age, boy?"

Merlin felt really uncomfortable. He didn't like talking about his past, but he couldn't ignore a king's question, nor his mentor's blazing stare in the background. "Well, your highness, before I was born, my father left my mom because a dangerous man was hunting him, even when he did nothing wrong. He didn't even know my mom was pregnant at the time, and he wouldn't learn, for he wouldn't return. So, with that being said, sire, I grew up as the bastard child in a small village. They didn't like me. To them, I was a strange skinny bastard boy with big ears who didn't like to hunt or kill things like the others. They started blaming me, accusing me, calling me 'bastard, freak, monster, sorcerer!' "

Merlin locked eyes with Uther for a split second when he said: "I am no sorcerer, my king, I swear it, but when people don't like something, they often blame it."

Merlin started staring at the ground again and continued his story. "Whenever misfortune happened to the village, or if someone was upset over something, they blamed it on me. Even though we were a small village, we still did flogging milord."

Merlin thought he imagined it, but he could have sworn he saw the king shift a little after hearing this.

"I have been flogged, beaten, slashed, poisoned, shot, and tortured. It has happened here too, but not as badly."

"Have people been abusing you and others? Has this been happening in my walls? Has my son been abusing you?"

"No, sire, no of the sorts!" 

"Then what do you mean, boy. Answer fully, leave no details."

Merlin dipped his head a little and carefully worded his words as to not sound as if he was lying, but to also think of ways to leave out his magic.

"When you're a servant, you are like a shadow. Nobody notices you are there unless called upon or are in the way. Through a higher man's eyes, no offense milord, but we are viewed as mere expendables, and not worth noting. Through a servant's eyes-or at least mine, I see all ranks and threats. More than once, I have seen assassins and unloyal nobles pass by with unwanted intentions."

Uther started to get angry. "Well, why didn't you report them! Are you trying to help them succeed?"

Merlin lifted his head a little to look at the king but not look at his eyes.

"LOOK AT ME, BOY!"

"Forgive me, sire, but whose word would you believe. A lord who has been in good relations with your family for a number of generations, or a mere servant, who for all you know, just wants petty attention. Tell me, milord, who would you believe?"

Uther stared at Merlin for a while, processing what he'd said. Even though the king's anger was seeping away, Merlin couldn't help but start shifting his feet.

"Very well, you have made your point. So, instead of being disregarded, you took action yourself? This is how you got the scars here?"

"Yes, my king."

"Why haven't you ever come forth to collect a reward. From what you've done, any man would be coming to the courtroom demanding gold bars at his feet. What is it you wish for, boy? To pile up on so many assassins and demand to become a lord? What is your plan?"

Merlin was shocked. Uther thought that he wanted rewards and was planning something big. Maybe getting close to the royal family? Merlin shook his head and chuckled slightly. Uther straightened his posture and was about to declare what he was laughing about before Merlin spoke. "This was another thing that the villagers hated. I don't take ransom, and I don't demand attention. I just do what I think is right. So no, milord, I am not planning some sort of giant power ransom. I'm just doing what's right."

It was Uther's turn to chuckle. "You are a strange one. I'll make a deal with you. You can train to become an advisor for the royal court if you can continue unmasking betrayers."

Merlin was shocked. Uther? Offering him a position in his court? His mind was racing, but he settled on a single thought.

"Thank you, milord, but I am to refuse your gracious offer."

"Why is that, boy? Anyone would want this life. Plenty of food, riches, fine items, and influence. Why do you decline?"

"I will gladly keep doing what I have been doing, but if I become an advisor, assassins and betrayers will start noticing me, and it will be harder to identify and stop them. I will be stepping out of the shadows, and I won't have the darkness to be both my offense and defense. So, if you'll allow me, I'd like to keep my job as a servant, my king." 

Uther watched Merlin for a long time, before nodding and turning around and walking towards the door. Before Uther left though, he stopped and glanced at Merlin.

"I accept your decline. However, I will watch your progress. Don't disappoint me, Merlin."

Then he left. Merlin deflated and flopped onto the patient bed, only to wince at his forgotten wound.

Guias, who had been standing, respectfully, in a corner the entire time, chose now to speak up. "Well, that was something, wasn't it?"

Merlin only grumbled in response. He had been so scared that Uther would have found out about his magic but taken it...well. It was almost unnerving the way Uther treated him. Merlin was too tired from the sudden stress and blood loss to think about it and soon fell asleep.

Bonus:

Merlin bolted up from the bed.

"OH, MY LORDS. GUIAS, HE KNEW MY NAME! THE KING SAID MY NAME!"

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Yeah, may have turned out...not how you expected it, but it's still....different? Agh, I don't know. I don't know if I did well, or if I spiraled downhill. I wanted to show a new side of Uther because you usually get the same stoic face and voicings from him and because I thought it would be interesting. Oh well. If you have any comments/requests, please leave them in the comment section below, and I hope you have a lovely day/night!