Uther woke up slowly from the light that was streaming in through the cracks of the curtains and while he was still only half awake, he could hear his husband taking quick short breaths and that was the thing that made him wake up instantly. His eyes fell on the bundle next to him; his husband was lying with his back towards him and had wrapped himself into the blankets and furs that were on top of the bedding, but Uther could still see that he was shivering and cursed silently about that. This ordeal still wasn't over.

"Merlin," Uther said softly and huddled closer. When he placed his hand on top of Merlin's head and hair, he immediately pulled it back when he felt how hot his husband felt and how wet his hair was. Uther didn't wait any longer and got out of bed, threw on a morning coat, and when opening the door, he yelled to the first person he saw to get Gaius.

Turning back to the bed, he went around it and sat down at the side of the bed and tried to pry the blankets away from his husband, because he was certain that his husband wouldn't be getting enough air when being bundled into those same blankets with only his nose and hair sticking out from above.

"Merlin, dear, come on. Open your eyes."

Uther managed to get some more breathing room for his husband and waited anxiously. This illness his husband seemed to have for the past weeks didn't seemed to get better any sooner. If any, it was only becoming worse.

Uther was at his wits ends at what to do anymore.

Slowly Merlin's eyes opened and he looked up to Uther with glassy unclear eyes, and his face scrunched in discomfort.

"Hey," Uther softly caressed Merlin's shoulder, still not liking the temperature his husband seemed to have. "Come on, let's have you sitting up for a bit."

Merlin didn't say or do anything, just let himself being handled into a semi-sitting position with his back against the headboard. He just felt tired and sick and he didn't know what was going on with him. He tried using his magic, but it seemed like it was cut off or something like that, like he couldn't quite grasp it. He knew it was there, he could feel it, but he couldn't use it and it made him feel anxious.

He whimpered softly when Uther left his side, but Uther returned quickly with a small bowl of water and a soft cloth, which he wet with the water before gently dabbing around his husbands face with it. He kept Merlin close to his side, who welcomed the comfort of his husband, and the coolness of the cloth.

Not much time later the door opened with Gaius entering. Uther kissed his husband on the hair before wiggling out from underneath him with the promise he would be back soon.

"And?" Uther asked when he was standing at Gaius' side and far enough away for Merlin to hear their conversation. "Did you find the cause of this… abomination yet?"

"I'm afraid not, Sire."

"But how!" Uther yelled, then pulled himself together… for his husband's sake. Merlin never liked ut when he would be raising his voice at other people and had admonished Uther many times already for that. Uther pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. "He isn't healing on his own, and he's telling me that his magic isn't reacting, at all. There must be something in your books about this, Gaius!"

"We are trying to find a cure, Sire."

"Well try harder than!"

Gaius bowed, murmuring, "Sire," before walking away.

Uther's attention was pulled back to his husband again when he heard another whimper and when he turned he saw that Merlin was already half-leaning over the side of the bed, deeply heaving. Uther returned to the bed with just a few paces and was just in time to put the chamber pot under his husband before he began retching the already little stomach contents. Uther gently ran an hand over Merlin's back, telling him soft reassurances.

Merlin placed his head on Uther's chest and silently wept, mostly at feeling so powerless. "It's going to be alright, love." Uther said while stroking Merlin's sweat-clad hair. "We're going to find a cure for this and we will find the ones responsible for this and execute them."

~oOoOo~

"Father," Arthur greeted, albeit somberly. "How's Merlin?"

Uther only shook his head and that was enough of an answer for him, he touched his father's shoulder with his hand, hoping it would send the message of comfort. He and his father were never ones to exactly extend touchy feelings to one another, but it seemed suiting for Arthur to do it at this point in time.

He knew how much his father cared for Merlin and he had eventually come to terms with it, after needing much time to actually adjust to it. Merlin had been his friend before he and his father had been getting involved with each other and he especially had been troubled about the part about Merlin becoming his step-father, but Uther, like Merlin, had told him that he actually didn't needed to see Merlin that way, and that they were happy enough with just his blessing. He had given him that and he and Merlin were still getting along just fine despite the switch in position.

And that was already years ago, his father and Merlin were already happily married for close to five years. In fact, their anniversary was just a few months away and everyone was getting excited for it, until Merlin seemed to get sicker and weaker all of a sudden.

It had started with a loss of appetite just three weeks ago, then came the fatigue and since about three days came the retching and the sweating.

And it weren't just Arthur and Uther who were worried, the whole castle was affected when they heard about the illness of their King's Consort and Court Sorcerer. Merlin was loved throughout the whole of Camelot and even beyond that.

Arthur was pulled out of his thoughts by his father's hand in between his shoulder blades, pushing him towards the council chamber.

Despite Uther not having a single span of attention because of his husband's situation, he also had to be King for his people. And he knew that Merlin wouldn't like it when he would find out that he had been neglecting those duties because of him. That thought brought just the tiniest amount that could resemble a smile to his lips, because he could already see Merlin standing in front of him with his hands on his hips and his foot tapping a steady rhythm on the floor stones.

Later that morning, after the council meeting, Uther was back in his chambers again and was sitting at his desk, trying to concentrate on the letters of State in front of him, but his attention kept being pulled towards the bed where his husband was struggling in his sleep and Uther had nothing that he could do to help him. Gaius had tried many concoctions to help relieve the pain, but it only helped for short periods of times and Gaius didn't knew what else he could do to make Merlin experiencing less pain.

Uther sighed deeply and took off his crown to run a hand through his hair. He and Merlin had been so happy these past five years, despite their rocky start, and Uther knew he couldn't lose another Consort, he wasn't sure if he would actually be able to cope if he would lose another love of his. It was hard enough after Ygraine had died nearly thirty years ago, and he blamed Sorcery for it. That was, until Merlin came along.

Surely, his viewing on magic wasn't turned within a snap of his fingers, but Merlin had been able to get through to him and let him see that magic itself wasn't evil… although it had taken him a lot before he had finally accepted that. He didn't even let Merlin explain, his mind was too clouded by his perception of magic and his reaction to Merlin telling him he had magic had resulted in Merlin running far away from him. And Uther still blamed himself for what happened to Merlin afterwards, if he hadn't found him when he did… who knows what would've happened to Merlin.

Uther puffed out a long breath. Their start was indeed not ideal, heck he would never thought that he would fall in love with a commoner, a peasant, and above all his son's manservant. His own father would certainly whack him over the head if he would've still been alive.

It had started about six years ago. At first he didn't even know the boy had arrived until Gaius brought it up that his nephew had come to stay with him after his mother had died and he did not had any other family since his father's whereabout wasn't known. Gaius asked for a position in the Royal household for his nephew and Uther had barely listened to Gaius, just hummed his agree and impatiently waved him of with the flick of his hand.

It wasn't until the feast the following week that his eyes caught sight of the dark haired, pale skinned slender boy. It wasn't that uncommon that a servant would caught his eye who he usually would bed not much time after that, but no one gave him that significant rumbling feeling in the pit of his stomach like Merlin did when he had first seen him. Neither did he know that this was the nephew Gaius had been telling him about.

He had been watching the boy all night, running around to serve wine to one Lord after another until he couldn't hold his urges anymore and beckoned the boy closer with the idea to let him top off his goblet, but mostly to have the boy near him. Merlin had responded immediately, pouring in the drink with great precision and then Uther had told him to stay with him the rest of the evening to serve him. His first intention was to get Merlin to follow him to his bedchamber at the end of the evening, but somehow he had stopped himself from doing so.

He was just struck by the boy, didn't know what it was but he knew that there was something special about him. He had been thinking of ideas how to keep him close without it being too obvious. If word got out he would be falling for a peasant, his reputation was gone and other Kingdoms would laugh at him.

But even so, it did hardly matter to him. He wanted to get to know the guy, so he made him Arthur's manservant so he would be fairly close at all times.

It even went as far as secretly watching him read in the library and that was the moment he knew that he was smitten.

It were a few weeks of pining later when there was an incident one night. Someone suddenly started to attack Arthur with a dagger, but Merlin had pushed Arthur out of the way at the last second, before Uther himself even had any time to react. Merlin had gotten hurt, his arm got slashed in the process and the wound was deep. Uther shouted the order to obtain the attacker and then didn't waste any more time; he fell down onto his knees and began to press his Royal cloak against the wound and scooping Merlin up in his arms to bring him to the physician. He did not care who saw him.

After Arthur's shock about almost being killed had died down, he had followed quickly to Gaius' chambers and what he saw there was a sight he had never seen before. His father had been pacing back and forth in front of the cot, his eyes watery from tears.

And suddenly Arthur's eyes opened and the odd behaviour that his father had shown in the past weeks were beginning to become all clear to him. He started to realis that his father had feelings for Merlin, his servant. He was… disgusted at first, and confused and had no idea what he should do with the information he had just enquired. So he went back to his room to think about it.

When Merlin woke hours later, Uther was there. Merlin thought that Uther had seen him using magic, the slowing of time, in order to stop or at least divert the attack and that Uther was now there because he would be sentenced to death immediately.

But all Uther had done was asking how he felt and then leave after Merlin told him that he was alright. What Merlin didn't know was that the only reason Uther went away that quickly because Uther didn't know how long he could keep himself in hand. All he wanted to do was the gather the raven-haired up in his arms and never let go of him.

Uther hadn't visited any more after that but had done everything he could to keep Merlin as comfortable as possible during the two weeks of bed rest and when Uther knew that Gaius would be away for most of the morning doing patient visitations, he took his chances and went to personally visit Merlin who was surprised, yet still scared, to see the King standing in his room.

He hadn't expected to hear the King pour his heart out.

He had noticed Uther's glances towards him, but every time he saw the King looking towards him, Merlin had been looking around him and saw a serving boy or girl standing close to him and he thought that Uther had been looking at them, not him. That having said, Merlin had started to secretly daydream about the broad-shouldered King because those piercing eyes were doing some things to him. He obviously knew nothing could ever come from it… until that day that the King decided to tell him the same thing he had been feeling for Merlin as Merlin did for Uther.

Their first kiss came that day, although it was filled more with desperation than anything else.

Over the following weeks Merlin and Uther had grown closer, and Uther had begun to court him, while still keeping their relationship of sorts a secret. Mostly due Merlin's request… and even though they were careful, Merlin did suspect that Gaius had known something about it.

Especially when Gaius had set him down one day at the table and had raised his trademark eyebrow and asking him what the hell he was doing. That Uther would execute him without blinking if he would know that Merlin was a sorcerer.

That night in bed, Merlin had lots to think about and he knew he couldn't hold his secret for Uther any longer, even if it would cost him his life. If Uther really loved him as he had professed so many times already, he would accept him for who he was.

But of course Merlin had been too optimistic when that time actually came. Uther hadn't been accepting, he was furious! He was first denying whatever Merlin had said, before throwing goblets against the wall. Merlin tried to reason the fact that magic itself wasn't evil but the wielder, but when he saw the King's anger he didn't stay, he feared for his life. So he ran, taking the small bag he had already prepared (just in case) with him and going to the stables where he had already saddled his horse beforehand.

He didn't thought he would ever see Camelot again.

Uther had been miserable ever since Merlin had left and when his rage had died down he saw the wrongs in his way. He trusted Merlin, with all his heart, and never did Merlin show any malice in any of his actions. Perhaps there was truth in Merlin's word about magic itself not being evil… it was just so hard to compromise after he spent nearly thirty years thinking otherwise.

After a week of not having Merlin around, and reflecting about magic and its user, Uther sent out search parties to look for Merlin. He couldn't be living without him, even his own son had told him so. Days after the incident and Uther moping around the castle, being aggravated, Arthur had come into Uther's room and told him that he knew about his infatuation for Merlin and that he had seen how Uther had changed when Merlin was in his life, even though it had been secret at that time.

Uther himself joined one of the search parties when weeks of no news came, and made Arthur Prince Regent in the time he was gone. When there went a month by and no sign of his love, Uther lost hope and told the men to get back to the castle. They were near the border between Mercia and Camelot, when they caught sight of bandits. And while finding bandits wasn't their mission,Uther couldn't let them run freely in his Kingdom and had instructed the party he was with to raid the camp and take all of them prisoners.

The bandits were caught by surprise and had no chance against the Knights of Camelot. When Uther and his men searched the camp for any other people they neared the tent in the middle of the camp. In there, Uther caught sight of the person he had spent looking so long for. Merlin had been tied with his back to a pole in the middle of the tent and had bruises all over his face and who knew what other injuries. Uther rushed towards him and fell down onto his knees next to Merlin and carefully cradled Merlin's face in both his hands. There came a whimper and Merlin's eyes had slowly opened, with a tear trickling down his cheek when he saw Uther in front of him.

Knights had already been busy to cut Merlin loose from the pole and when the ropes around his hands were slashed, Merlin fell forward like a ragdoll against Uther's chest, who held him tightly and kept softly murmuring questions about what had happened to him. Merlin hadn't answered, he was too exhausted and too famished to have any energy left to answer questions. On that note, Uther had carried him to the bedroll in the tent and ordered for some food and water to be brought.

All the knights complied without asking questions. Over the past weeks they've had learnt Uther's true intentions of why they were searching for Merlin and didn't oppose it in any way, despite the large class difference between their King and Merlin. In fact, they were aware of what kind of effect Merlin had on the King months before Merlin disappeared. They later on learnt why Merlin went away in the first place; it was because Merlin possessed Magic… yes, news travelled fast in Camelot.

But everyone knew Merlin's nature. There wasn't a bad bone in his entire body and the people's view on magic slowly started to change.

Uther learnt from the bandits what happened to Merlin and had killed them on the spot when he heard what they had done to him.

When Merlin had woken up some hours later he was terrified to see the King and so many knights standing around him and was frightened that they had come to take him back to Camelot to execute him, but that changed when Uther ordered everyone out. He was still distrusting towards Uther's motive of being here and curled himself up in the tightest ball he could manage and flinched every time Uther moved. Uther had started to apologize and telling Merlin that he still loved him, in spite of the magic he possessed.

That brought him to his next and probably most important question about why Merlin didn't use his magic to free himself out of the bandits' hands after been captured for more than a month. Merlin's answer was simple; he had sworn to never use his magic again after he had to flee Camelot. The only purpose for his magic ever was to protect Camelot, Arthur and Uther.

Uther's heart broke and couldn't believe that Merlin had vowed such thing. His eyes were opened even more and he knew now that magic wasn't evil, because no one would keep himself in this situation if they had the power to get out of the hands of bandits who beat him and sometimes used him to for their own pleasure.

Merlin was still exhausted from the whole ordeal and had soon fallen asleep without knowing what went on in Uther's mind.

Uther had gathered his men, took Merlin in front of him on his horse and set out towards Camelot where he let Gaius treat any wounds, which were mostly only superficial with the exception of one or two. Gaius observed that Merlin was malnourished and exhausted and would probably need some days to get more alert.

When Merlin woke after being asleep for nearly five days, he didn't know what hit him. He was in a plush bed with soft linen and the softest pillows known to mankind and when he recognised the room as one of Camelot's guest chambers he sat up as quickly as possible, trying to make his leave. As he was clambering out of the bed, the door opened and the King came in.

Merlin had gasped loudly at the sight of Uther and when Uther came towards him he screamed and trashed when he King held him in an embrace. Uther tried his best to shush the man in his arm, while Merlin's mind kept repeating to him that he was going to die.

Only when Uther suddenly blurted out that the ban on magic had been lifted, Merlin stopped thrashing, although it was mostly due to shock and he passed out just from that revelation.

It had taken Gaius and Arthur days to comfort Merlin and telling him that the ban on magic had indeed been lifted, although the penalty of death still stood for the sorcerers who used their powers for evil.

Uther hadn't been in Merlin's room for the days that Arthur and Gaius needed to comfort Merlin, he didn't want to panic the raven-haired any more than he had already done.

It had taken Merlin some weeks to be comfortable in Uther's presence again, which was mostly thanks to Arthur's help. Merlin's feelings for the King had never really gone away and although he was still not completely comfortable in Uther's presence, he one night felt bold enough to ask the King for a stroll through the Royal Gardens, Uther had been delighted and immediately accepted.

Merlin had kept his distance at first and Uther hadn't pressured Merlin into saying anything.

At the end of their walk, Merlin had pressed his lips against Uther's before he ran into the castle again. Uther had been shocked, but a smile started to tug on his lips. He knew that he and Merlin were on the road to recovery.

It had taken nearly seven months before Merlin and Uther were at the same page as they were before everything went downhill and the whole Kingdom did a sigh of relieve, so to speak.

Two months later, Uther had asked Merlin to be his Consort and Merlin had accepted with a whole-hearted yes.

The rest was history really. The Kingdom prospected under the King and new Consort and the Golden Age seemed to be within reach.

But all that suddenly seemed to fall apart when Merlin got sicker and sicker with every day that passed.

Uther was pulled out of his thoughts when there was a swift knock on the door, after which Arthur and Gaius entered with Gaius holding a big tome that looked like it had been around for hundreds of years.

"Well?" Uther pressed, standing up from his chair.

"Sire, we have found the cause of Merlin's sickness."