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Contrary to popular opinion, Uther had had friends when growing up. Gaius was one. Then there was Nimueh – the less said about her the better. And Balinor. Balinor, Lord of the Dragonlords was his greatest, closest friend. They were the two highest ranking boys in Camelot so of course they were put together all the time.
And yes, during the Purge, Uther had tried to kill Balinor but look at it from his point of view. Balinor was the Lord of the Dragonlords. He was the one who told the sorcerers who could control huge, fire breathing lizards what to do. It wasn’t personal. And if he had really wanted Balinor dead then Balinor would be dead. Honestly, it was a half-arsed job that Uther made of killing Balinor. It was actually embarrassing that Gaius hadn’t realised that Uther knew – and let him – that he’d helped Balinor escape straight to Gaius’s younger half-sister. Balinor had been fascinated with Hunith the last time she had visited Gaius and, had everything not gone wrong, Uther was looking forward to having her as a sister. So yes, he absolutely knew that Balinor had gone to Ealdor to Hunith and had only left when chased there by some errant knights of Camelot.
So, when, eighteen years later, a twig of a young man with black hair, blue eyes, and no brain-to-mouth filter who Gaius introduced as his nephew. Well, Uther was not an idiot. The boy was the spit of a young Balinor. But he decided to play along with Gaius and pretend that he had no idea who the boy was and see what chaos Balinor’s son could cause – if he had inherited anything from his father then chaos would surely follow. And Uther was not wrong. From the first day Balinor’s son was causing mayhem and humbling Uther’s son Arthur who, despite some attempts by Uther, had grown a head so large Uther was consistently surprised he was able to fit into the throne room.
After saving Arthur’s life – through sorcery Uther suspected for it seemed that Balinor’s son was not just the spit of Balinor in appearance – Uther did something that set the cat among the pigeons across both court and the servants and that was to make Balinor’s son Arthur’s manservant. Then he sat back and watched the chaos, after all he might be king but he was allowed to have a sense of humour. Although he would have preferred for Arthur to not risk his life so many times for his manservant – even if said manservant was technically a lord – and for Arthur to listen to Balinor’s son more than he did because Balinor’s son was surprisingly observant – or perhaps it was more of a magically observant as Balinor’s son was perhaps the most useless person Uther had ever met.
But Uther’s plan worked. After only a few months of Balinor’s son being Arthur’s manservant – albeit the most useless manservant Uther had ever heard of – was noticeably less arrogant and thought more about the people. It might be thought that Uther did not care of his people with how ruthless he was but he was a man set in his ways. He had gained power in Camelot through ruthless warfare during a period of anarchy, supported by Balinor and his Dragonlords, and held onto that power with an iron feast during instability of both the realm and his family – a king without an heir led to the sort of situation that Uther had taken advantage of. And when his bargain with Nimueh did not go to plan and he lost Ygraine then he had let his grief overtake him and destroy many of his relationships – he was not blind to Gaius’ treason or how Geoffrey became remarkably cooler towards him – as well as many of his people. But magic was dangerous. He had come too far to go back on his stance and he was an older man now, Arthur would be able to forge his own path and be seen in a more positive light against Uther’s ruthlessness. Plus, if he regretted his actions then the weight of his sins would pull him under and Arthur was not ready to become king just yet.
Uther realised how well Arthur and Balinor’s son got on when Arthur brought Hunith to plead for her village. He recognised her immediately, although her homespun clothing was so different from the well-made, if unadorned, clothes she had worn when last in Camelot. Uther was regretful that he was not able to offer aid as Ealdor was in Essetir and not Camelot and he could not risk angering neighbouring kingdoms over a single village, but it allowed him the opportunity to speak with Hunith privately. He waited for Arthur to be holed up in his chambers alongside Balinor’s son, Morgana, and Morgana’s maidservant, then sent a guard to fetch Hunith from Gaius’ chamber.
“Sire.” She curtseyed and remained down until Uther bid her rise and dismissed the guard and servants – luckily the servants knew better than to gossip about Uther being alone with a woman in his chambers, particularly since Uther’s manservant had been with him since before Ygraine’s death and probably recognised both Hunith and Balinor’s son.
“Lady Hunith.”
She startled at Uther’s address but held in her fear quite well.
“You have nothing to fear from me Hunith, nor does your son as long as he does not use his father’s gifts overtly.”
“You know whose he is.”
Uther raised an eyebrow in distain.
“I am not unobservant nor am I likely to forget the face of my brother in all but name. Plus he has Balinor’s ridiculous ability to cause trouble simply by breathing.”
Hunith’s sigh spoke volumes and the two shared a moment as if they were not the magic hating king and the wife and mother of sorcerers. It was as if twenty years had disappeared and they were back before everything, waiting for Balinor and Ygraine to return from Nimueh’s chambers after blowing something up.
“Don’t I know it. I sent him to Camelot to keep him away from trouble and danger-“
Uther broke her off incredulously.
“You sent your sorcerer son, son of the Dragonlord, to Camelot where, by my own laws, he is sentenced to death for his bloodline, let alone his using magic.”
“He doesn’t know.”
Uther paused, taken aback.
“Merlin doesn’t know who his father is. I kept it from him. He knows that Gaius is his uncle and that I had spent time in Camelot when I was younger but he knows nothing more than that. Why would I tell him about his father when he will never meet Balinor nor Balinor know about him? Him knowing puts him in more danger than his existence does in the first place – he floated everything in my hut when he took his first breath – and gives him no advantage. By your own decree, being a Dragonlord – or the son of one – is a death sentence and he cannot claim his father’s lordship without revealing Balinor as his sire. What is there for him?”
Uther sat back in thought. He suspected that Balinor’s son was ignorant of his own history but Hunith’s words confirmed it.
“You have my word Hunith, that yours and Balinor’s son has nothing to fear from me as long as he keeps his head down and he is not accused of anything-“
Hunith cut him off now.
“Merlin is Balinor’s son. He is physically unable to keep his head down and not get accused of sorcery and treason.”
“But based on Arthur’s reactions, they’ll come up with some ridiculous scheme to rescue him-“
“Sounds like you and Balinor.”
Uther ignored Hunith’s aside and carried on talking as if nothing had happened.
“He is the last bit of my brother I have left. I will see no harm come to him unless my laws hold me otherwise.”
“Balinor is alive, did you know that?”
“What? How would you know that? Unless you and Balinor have had contact over the years.”
“Oh, we have not. Balinor didn’t even know that I was pregnant when he was forced to run. But Merlin is no Dragonlord and you know as well as I do that a son only becomes a Dragonlord when their father dies.”
“I am sorry that I cannot send knights to help your village.”
“I understand why. You cannot risk war over a foreign village housing your son’s manservant’s mother, not without revealing who I and Merlin are.”
“Arthur and my ward Morgana-“
“Your daughter Morgana. Don’t think I don’t remember Elaine. Or that Ygraine didn’t know about it. What did happen to Morgause?”
“Ygraine knew? And I don’t know, she vanished during the Purge.”
“Of course Ygraine knew. She was a highly intelligent woman. And I saw the two of you a few times. Knowing your luck she’ll return angry.”
“Morgana doesn’t know. Neither does Arthur.”
“So I’m not the only one who is hiding something from their child.”
“My children are plotting with your son to aid Ealdor.”
“I am aware. Merlin hasn’t learnt any more subtlety here in Camelot that in Ealdor. And Arthur doesn’t help it seems. You have learnt moderation since I last saw you so there’s hope for Arthur yet.”
Uther knew he should have been offended but Hunith was being brutely honest and he could not deny the similarities between him and Balinor’s little schemes and their sons’ plans. He decided to quit while Hunith was winning and end their little tete-a-tete.
Unsurprisingly, the next morning Hunith had left Camelot and both of Uther’s children were missing as well. When they returned, it was after defeating the bandits but only with the help of a sorcerer whom Arthur said had been Balinor’s son’s best friend who had died. Uther thought he detected the first chink in Arthur’s hatred – flamed by Uther he did have to admit – of magic. And Uther rather suspected that Arthur was a blind fool if he thought that this random friend of Balinor’s son was the sorcerer instead of it being Balinor’s son.
Uther was able to turn a blind eye to Arthur and Balinor’s son’s exploits – Balinor’s son becoming more overt with his magic much to Uther’s exasperation as his lack of self-preservation so much like Balinor’s – until it all came crashing down over the escape of the Great Dragon (whom Uther was not convinced had not been freed by Balinor’s son especially coming so soon after the chaos wrought by Morgause (who Hunith had been right about returning angry) and kidnapping of Morgana) and his razing of Camelot itself. The only way to kill a dragon, as Uther well knew, was by a Dragonlord, hence why Uther hadn’t killed the Great Dragon himself.
“We can track this Balinor down.” Arthur insisted to the council.
“No. Balinor will never help Camelot.” Uther returned. “You will not seek him out.”
As with any time Uther told him not to do something, Arthur was bound to do it. And as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him, Uther was sure that he would be told by a knight that Arthur, Balinor’s son, and probably Sir Leon who was more loyal to Arthur than to Uther, had left Camelot for parts unknown – following Gaius’ directions for Uther had sometimes suspected that Gaius knew full well where Balinor had been all these years.
“Surely Balinor will help contain the Dragon?” An older councillor spoke up.
Uther shook his head.
“Whatever relationship we once had with Balinor has been destroyed over these twenty years. He will not help Camelot. Not after my actions with the Dragon in the first place.”
“Not even to save his son?” Another asked.
Uther looked around at the unsurprised faces on most of his councillors – particularly the older ones. Some of the younger councillors, those who were too young to remember much from before the Purge, were confused. One of the older councillors would fill them in behind Uther's back he was sure.
“Sire, Merlin is Balinor to life and his and the Prince’s exploits are strikingly similar to yours and Balinor’s when you were younger.” Geoffrey spoke up.
“Not even to save his son for Balinor does not know about him.”
“And does Merlin?”
Uther stared at Gaius, daring him to dissemble. Gaius, as Uther knew he would not, obliged Uther.
“Merlin does not know.”
“Tell him.” Uther ordered, “If Balinor knows that his son is in danger then that is our best hope of surviving the Dragon’s wrath.”
The next few days were horrendous for Uther. His, and Camelot’s, only hope was that Balinor – his brother, the man he had betrayed so badly – would help their sons. But he did not hold out much hope for that. Balinor could hold a grudge and, since he’d had almost twenty years alone with this one, Uther knew there was no hope. The Dragon would continue his rage until Camelot was gone.
And so, when came a night when the Dragon did not appear, Uther along with the rest of the citadel and town wondered what had happened. A second peaceful night occurred and hope sprang within Uther. Had Balinor decided to put aside his hatred towards Uther and save Camelot? Had Balinor finally slain the Great Dragon as he had refused to do all those years before?
Arthur returned to cheers of the people and the court, particularly when he told the story. But Uther did not believe it. Arthur said he had killed the dragon but that could not be the case as Arthur was no Dragonlord. Uther summoned both Arthur and Balinor’s son to his chambers to get to the bottom of what had happened.
“I told you Father, I slayed the dragon.”
“And where is the body?”
Arthur paused.
“I passed out after killing it and Merlin took me from the scene. Since we had gotten turned around when coming back from Balinor’s cave I am unsure of where I slayed the dragon.”
“So you have not seen the body yourself?”
“Well, no.” Arthur said slowly, “But Merlin said that I killed it.”
“And you believe everything your manservant says do you?” Uther held his hand up to stop Arthur from replying, “But you could not have killed the dragon for they can only be killed by a Dragonlord. Why do you think I had the Dragon chained up beneath the castle for twenty years instead of killing it myself?”
“But Merlin said I killed it.”
“Then your manservant is lying.”
Arthur turned to Balinor’s son with disbelief in his face. Uther, who had not looked away from Balinor’s son this whole time, waited for him to break.
“Merlin would not lie about this. Not when the dragon was terrorising Camelot.”
“He would for the same reason Balinor refused to kill the Dragon when I first chained it. Because it is the Last Dragon and he was the Last Dragonlord.”
Balinor’s son went pale. So Gaius had told him about Balinor being his father. And Arthur had no idea.
“What do you mean Father? Balinor was the Last Dragonlord and he had no children. When he died, the Dragonlords died with him.”
“Balinor was not the last Dragonlord, although he thought that for all these years.”
“He had a son?” Arthur exclaimed.
Uther continued to stare at Balinor’s son who, to his credit, was pure white but had not spoken up.
“Balinor, when he lived here, was a sought after match.”
“Balinor lived in Camelot?”
“Yes, did he not say?”
“He didn’t say much. Just that he would not help you because of what you had done.”
“Just like Balinor. Mysterious and infuriating to the end.”
“You knew him?” Balinor’s son said very quietly, almost too quietly for Uther to hear.
“Of course. We were brothers in all but name.”
Arthur and Balinor’s son stared at him in utter betrayal and bewilderment, as if they could not fathom the idea that Uther, the magic hating king of Camelot, being brothers with a Dragonlord.
“Without Balinor’s and his dragonlords’ help I would never have claimed the throne. As two high ranking lords we were always together as children and we caused as many problems as the two of you do.” Uther ignored the spluttering from the two younger men who attempted to pretend they were not trouble magnets, “Ygraine adored him and the two of them would often be, well, that is not important. Two years before you were born Arthur, Gaius’ younger half-sister came to live with him after her mother’s death.”
“Hunith?” Arthur asked in confusion.
“Yes, Hunith. Balinor was entranced with her from the moment he saw her. She was not so interested at first. Balinor did have a,” Uther paused to find the correct term, “reputation with women and Hunith was not a noblewoman so she believed that the most she could be was Balinor’s mistress. But Balinor was smitten and persistent. He wore her down after over a year – with some help from Ygraine – and proposed when Ygraine was near to giving birth to you. But then,” Again Uther paused, not wanting to get into the details of why he had started the Purge and turned against magic so violently. He sighed. “The Purge destroyed any affection between Balinor and I. I tricked his dragonlords into betraying him and the dragons while he was away on the Isle of the Blessed warning the High Priestesses of my actions. When he returned, he returned to find him and the Great Dragon as the last of their kinds. I betrayed him. Tricked him into chaining the Dragon but he refused to kill it. I threw him into the dungeons with the promise that he would be spared and returned to his place at my side if he killed the dragon and vowed to not use his magic again. He refused. I left Camelot to deal with the High Priestesses and, when I returned, Balinor was gone. Gaius claimed that he did not know where Balinor had gone but I knew. He had gone to Hunith in Ealdor. I, for the love I still held for Balinor, refused to go after him. But some knights heard rumour of him and chased after him, causing him to flee Ealdor. I only found out that he was likely not dead when Hunith came to Camelot and told me that her and Balinor’s son was no Dragonlord.”
Arthur turned to Balinor’s son.
“I didn’t know that you had a brother.”
Uther attempted to not face palm, it being beneath his dignity, but Arthur’s stupidity beat that. He pinched his nose in complete irritation and shared a commiserating look with Balinor's son.
“Merlin doesn’t have a brother.”
Balinor’s son looked shocked at that. At Uther’s enquiring stare he flushed and muttered something about the fact that he didn’t know Uther knew his name.
“But. But.” Arthur was obviously broken.
“It was obvious from the day he walked into Camelot. Merlin is the splitting image of Balinor, in everything. Including his propensity for chaos.”
Merlin looked offended at that but, faced with Uther’s glare he couldn’t argue.
“And it was equally obvious that Merlin did not know who his father was.”
“You didn’t know?” That seemed to be crux of Arthur’s problem, the idea of Merlin betraying him.
“No. Gaius told me the night before we left.” Merlin was quiet when he admitted that.
Arthur’s face fell.
“I told you, after his death, that no man was worth your tears.”
“You didn’t know.” Merlin protested.
“That doesn’t excuse it.”
“Well, you are a clotpole so I shouldn’t be surprised.”
Uther knew exactly why the older councillors had, in the last few days, remarked that Arthur and Merlin reminded them of Uther and Balinor.
“Wait, I didn’t slay the dragon!”
“His brain finally catches up.” Merlin muttered.
“What actually happened Merlin?”
“Erm.” Merlin scratched his ear as he thought, “Well, I sort of told Kilgharrah not to attack Camelot and that he wasn’t allowed to enter Camelot territory without my permission.”
“Just like that?”
“Well, there was a bit of shouting and Kilgharrah isn’t happy with me but,” Merlin took a massive breath in, “I am a Dragonlord so he sort of has to listen to my orders.”
It took a few minutes for Arthur’s brain to restart, which Uther and Merlin spent not looking at each other in silence.
“If you lied about that then what else did you lie about? Have I actually killed anything you said I have?”
Uther decided there and then it was safer to still have plausible deniability about all the laws that Merlin had broken while saving Arthur and Camelot and ushered them out, with warnings that he wasn’t going to treat Merlin any differently just because he was a Dragonlord and the son of Uther’s brother.
(Uther did admit that that message hadn’t gotten around to the councillors who treated Merlin with something like deference and even, occasionally, referred to Merlin as Uther’s nephew, which meant that, naturally, it spread throughout Camelot. But if Uther refused to acknowledge it then he could still pretend Merlin was not using magic pretty openly in Camelot.)
(And if Hunith sent letters to Arthur signed as 'Aunt Hunith' then that was between her, Merlin, and Arthur.)