(Uther's POV)

Groaning, I got out of bed to begin the day. I had a lot of training and plans to make. I also had a servant to keep an eye on. I was told that even with the truth spell cast upon him, he said nothing had happened with Arthur.

I didn't believe him for a second. He had only been here a short amount of time and already Arthur cared for him too much. That's why I had kidnapped him. I hadn't planned on him coming back and believed that Ethan would have kept his word.

Merlin wasn't supposed to have come back. What if he told everyone what happened? Wait... I'm the king. It's my word against his, who would believe him anyway? He was just a servant boy and there was nothing that he could say that could convince the townspeople that I did it to him and he knew that.

I stalked out into the hall, deep in thought, and ran into the boy I was just thinking about. Gritting my teeth I stared him down. I raised my hand and would have done something if Arthur hadn't turned the corner just then.

"There you are Merlin. You need to slow down. It's hard to catch up." he said panting.

Merlin chuckled and looked back at him. "Not likely Dollophead." I had to surpress my rage. No one called Arthur names ever. I wouldn't stand for it and neither did he.

"You better run..." Arthur replied playfully. So they have gotten close enough to be happy and call each other names.

"I don't think that's a wise choice."

"And why is that?" Arthur asked slightly annoyed.

"Because of your father." Merlin said gesturing towards me, keeping his head down. Arthur seemed to finally have noticed me and he straightened up. He pushed out the ruffles of his shirt. I gave him a nod and glared at Merlin before turning down the hall. 

They were to happy with one another. I needed to do something about this and quick. They needed to be seperated. 

(Arthur's POV)

I saw my father and visibly straightened. I was such a fool for not noticing him before and I felt like the biggest idiot there ever was. Merlin made a bold move calling me a nickname in front of him.

My father nodded to me and as he was walking away I caught the glare he sent Merlin's way and Merlin visibly flinched. My father smirked as he walked away from the cowering boy and I couldn't help but wonder why he was so afraid of him.

I chased Merlin around for a few more hours, the two of us only stopping to catch our breaths. "Wanna... get food?" he gasped. I nodded, to tired to reply. We started the walk towards the kitchen's, laughing as we joked around. 

A clashing sounded and I whirled around but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. So we kept walking. There was another one and I didn't bother turning around this time. "What do you want to do after lunch?" I asked.

Silence.

"Merlin?" I spun around and found myself alone in a hallway. I heard footsteps through the doors just to my right though so I made my way over and hid. I knew I was eavesdropping but I saw Merlin and my father in there and I wanted to know why they were there together.

Then a thought struck me. What if Merlin only pretended to love me because my father wanted him to? My heart broke into a million pieces and I nearly started crying but realized I was jumping to conclusions.

I sliently waited and watched as the two spoke.

"I do not want you with my son!" Uther yelled. Well that answered my question. 

"But why? What did I ever do to deserve this?"

"You stole my son away from me."

"He is still your son and will do as you wish but I love him and you can't change that." Merlin stated. I was surprised at his boldness. Twice now he did something in front of my father he knew he'd get in trouble for.

"You're right. I can't change that. But I can do something about it."

"Oh really? And what are you going to do? Just saying, he won't forgive you for it. And if he ever found out..." Find out what? What could be so bad that they are arguing over it? I know that I have something to do with it but I didn't know what.

"Well he isn't going to find out and you aren't going to tell him or so help me god, hitting you won't be the worst thing I'll do."

"And what could you do that could be worse than the beating I recieved? I mean that little spell, like I wouldn't know magic when I see it Uther, I could have fought it and you know I could have." The only way to counter a spell like that is through... but there is no way that he could have it... is there?

"I don't care if you could have fought it with your little magic tricks. You are lucky you are still alive in this kingdom. If you hadn't proven useful I would have killed you by now. Hell I still might if you get any closer to my son!"

"Why? What is so bad about magic? What is so bad about loving someone younger or older? What is so wrong about loving someone not of your ranking?" Merlin asked. He wished to understand but couldn't and I could see the hurt all over his face.

"Magic is evil boy. I don't care if it can be used for good, it will always be evil and there are no exceptions." I had no idea how magic came into this conversation but I was being drawn into this conversation more and more by the second.

"But if you just gave me a chance."

"I have and you got too close. You will leave my son alone or I will torture you slowly, painfully. Those bruises on your ribs and eye, the limp that you have, won't be the worst of it. You won't be able to get out of bed for fear of all the blood leaving your body. If that still doesn't work I will use magical ways and we both know that torture is enough to drive anyone mad." 

Merlin opened his mouth to say something back but Uther raised his hand and brought it down on Merlin's face so hard he was knocked off of his feet. Uther grinned evilly and stalked towards him with a predator like gaze in his eyes. He kicked Merlin in the ribs so hard that a crack resounded through the room.

Merlin scooted away, holding his rib and wincing at every  movement but his glare never faltered. He glared at Uther in a way that would get most people killed. "Stay away from my son or I will teach you a lesson and those scars will just be a reminder of how stupid you were to love a Prince."

I was so hurt by his words. He spat like I was nothing and Merlin cowered in the corner, in pain. I wanted to help but I knew that moving would only cause more pain for him. I didn't want to believe it but my father was the one who hurt him.

When Merlin came home yesterday, with scars and cuts and bruises... bleeding but still smiling, he hadn't said anything. This morning when I came looking for him and asked him what he was hiding from me, he could have said that my father had beaten him.

All that pain, all those tears for him, everything that happened was because of me. If I hadn't gotten close to Merlin, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be stuck in this situation right now.

I could practically hear Merlin saying that it was his fault not mine but I knew neither of us was to blame. My father had done it. My father had hurt everyone I cared about. My father had worked me to the bone. But most of all... my father beat the one person I truly loved and felt safe with, and was threatening to do it again.

Forgetting the consequences that could come of it, I bolted into the room and stood in front of Merlin. I couldn't let my father do this. It wasn't right. 

"Stop!" I yelled.

"NO! You two cannot be togther. He has magic. He will destroy this kingdom. He will destroy you like he already has been doing. Don't you see... you're just his idiot pawn in his scheme to hurt everyone?"

"No! I'm not listening to you. You hurt him. You beat him. You threaten and torture him and I will kill you myself. I don't care if you hurt me but leave him alone."

"Arthur please don't." Merlin begged.

"Merlin, I have to do whatever it takes to keep you safe because I love you."

"Aww... touching... now move over." Uther pushed me aside and whipped a dagger from his waist. He thrust forward, plunging it downward and suddenly time seemed to slow down. The look of panic was obvious in Merlin's eyes and Arthur thought about what he could do.

I could push the knife aside, but I wouldn't get there in time. I could throw something to knock my father out but that was too dangerous with the blade in his hand. I could use... could I... it could work but I didn't know if I could stop it.

I was scared and I knew something would happen afterwards but I nodded grimly. Time sped up again and I had a split second before the blade reached Merlin. I thought about all the hatred, anger, love, joy, sadness, every emotion I had felt in the last week flooded through me and it roared through my body.

A knot in my gut tightening as I forced the emotions out of me and the blade was knocked across the room. Uther reached for his sword but soon was pressed against the wall. He had hit his head and was bobbing his head trying to stay conscious. Once he understood what had happened rage flooded his vision and he roared.

The tightening in my gut released in a painful twist and I fell to the floor clutching my stomach. It hurt so much. Tears leaked down my face as I clenched my teeth in agony. My father staggered across the room towards me with his sword in hand.

"You traitor. You are a dishonor to the family!" Then he turned and used the hilt of his sword to make a blow to Merlin's head. He crumpled to the floor and then he turned back on me. "I can't believe you would do something like this. Magic is outlawed and yet you practice it. You must serve the same sentence as all others who do. There can be no exeptions."

He quickly cut low and my legs burned as the cuts made it hard to stand. Two guards grabbed my arms and hauled me to the dungeons with Merlin in tow. We were tossed into a cell and my father spit on the floor in front of it.

Merlin groaned and his eyes fluttered open. He took in the scene around him and his eyes filled with tears. I wrapped him in a hug and glared at my father. "No exceptions. At least you two can be together in hell."

Then he turned and left, snuffing the light out as he did so. I sat in the pitch darkness with a shivering Merlin in my arms. "I'm sorry." he whispered.

I leaned down and kissed his temple. "It isn't your fault Merlin." I brushed the hair out of his face and fell asleep with one thought on my mind.

Whereever Merlin and I go, Heaven or Hell, we'll be together and personally, I hope we go to Hell so that when my father dies I can torture and kill him over and over and over again and there is nothing he can do and no one to hear him scream.