Chapter Text
As King, Uther could walk into any room with the doors opened based on the gait of his stride and everyone would defer to him instantly. As King, those that he passes stop and bow their heads to show their subservience to him. As King, he is entitled to every room of the castle in which he lives in; has his tea in; commences business matters in: but his children’s quarters? He bore no jurisdiction past those ornately finished hard oak pieces of wood, and quite frankly, he was terrified to.
He had spent months trying and working hard to improve himself so that he could even deserve to be in his children’s lives - let alone have a relationship with either of them. After so many years of pushing them out in a pathetic attempt to preserve them from his grief, it had taken a horrifically miscommunicated and blow-up of a scandal for the truth to be realised: he was hurting them more than he, himself, had been hurting for a long time.
So now, several months of therapy, screaming and crying matches, hard to have conversation, walking on ice around each other, and emotionally stunned attempts at apologies down the line: Uther stood before his son’s doors, willing up the courage to go inside and see whether or not Arthur was willing to bear his presence.
Arthur had always been the kinder of the twins, he had inherited his mother’s gentle heart whereas Morgana took after him with her straightforwardness. He and Morgana had been able to see more eye-to-eye faster than he and Arthur: though his daughter was still very - rightfully - ‘pissed off’ with him. Arthur, however, was being very slow on letting Uther back into his life. It was understandable. His therapist had said it. He had realised it very quickly, soon after the sessions began. He had hurt them both beyond reason, he had been absent from their lives’ for so long and even when they were together he had not been present in the moment. And yet, the both of them eventually admitted to him, with what he viewed as heartbreaking apprehension, that they were willing to see if he could actually make an effort to improve.
He was. He really was.
The door jeered open, knocking Uther out of his thoughts, and Arthur leant against the door.
“Are you going to stand there all night, Father, or are you going to come inside?” His son asked quietly.
“I-” Uther tried to find his words. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to see me this evening.”
Arthur sighed, Uther did not miss the small smile that appeared and quickly disappeared on his son’s face. He stepped back and opened the door wider for Uther to come through. “Father, the doors are unlocked for a reason.”
Uther smiled, his heart swelling at the realisation at his son’s implication, and nodded as he entered into his son’s personal living quarters - saving that knowledge for later.
The main room was a simple drawing room, though it screamed with his son’s personality. Though it was trimmed with the castle’s decor, it was filled with mismatched furniture and clearly loved items and personal touches of design. Uther sat down into one of the more firmer couches whilst Arthur dropped into the couch opposite him. Clearly having taken place there before Uther’s arrival based on the overly large cup of some hot beverage that Uther ascertained was not tea.
“Was there something you wanted to speak about,” Arthur murmured. “Or are you here just for the company?”
“Both, really.” Uther admitted.
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
“I have been thinking about doing something one-on-one with you and your sister.” He rambled over his words. The King found his hands fidgeting as his eyes flew about the room, trying to avoid his son’s steady gaze. “I was on the telephone with Morgana earlier and she decided that she wishes to go hunting soon… I thought it was rather ridiculous for myself to telephone you seeing as we live under the same roof. So - here I am.”
Arthur looked a mixture between hesitancy and being on the verge of throwing up.
Uther rushed to continue, “I would like to stress that, as you know, your sister’s schedule only allowed a brief window this evening for us to talk and I knew that you’ve become quite the night owl as of late-”
Arthur cut him off by waving him off. “I know. Father, I know.” His son rubbed his face harshly, in a tired manner, his sleeplessness was not improving evidently. “I know that you aren’t picking favourites, if that’s what you’re worried about me thinking.”
Uther let out a large breath of relief. “I know that I often comply with Morgana’s work schedule, I just hope that you don’t take it as me not viewing the work that you do as just as important.”
Morgana and her soulmate, Leon, lived in a separate royal residence outside of the capital deep in the countryside, yet the couple frequently visited or stayed over in the family’s recent efforts of reconciliation. They were grown adults, far past their university days, Uther had long lost the right to have a say in their personal lives. So, when Arthur asked to return to his lodging in the castle: Uther was overjoyed and hopeful that he was making progress with his son.
“I know, Father. She doesn’t live here anymore, so it’s easier for the both of us to see each other compared to you and her.” Arthur was already looking at him when Uther came to meet his eyes once more. His son had always been fearless and bold when it came to facing him - both as a father and as a king - but at the cost of shutting Uther out. Uther’s fault, of course.
“You want yourself and I to do something together, just the two of us?” Arthur confirmed.
“Yes.”
“Does it have to be hunting related?”
“Not at all, it can be anything you wish, though if you would like to go hunting as well at a separate time that is perfectly fine.” Uther said.
Arthur was quiet, as he often was in Uther’s presence, but the tone of his silence had shifted in recent times. It was no longer heavily enforced under lock and key, basked in the rigidness of protocol but instead it was now a comfortable type of quiet. Uther had realised that sometimes Arthur just liked being quiet. This was not one of those moments, as it was evident that his son was deep in thought based on the furrow of his brows.
“Can I…” Arthur trailed off. “Can I think about it and get back to you?”
Uther felt hope, hope that Arthur was willing to let him in a bit more.
“Of course, take all the time that you need.” Uther tried to hold in his excitement but Arthur caught his expression and they shared a smile. A proper smile. “And it- it can be anything, son, anything at all.”
Taking his cup from the coffee table, Arthur seemed pretty happy with himself and with Uther. They continued talking about nothing into the evening for hours until Arthur laughed at Uther slouched into the settee and was talking with his eyes barely open.
“Father, you should go to bed, it’s getting late and George will get all hare-brained if you’re not ready for the morning.” Arthur said gently.
Uther made this grumbling sound in protest when he knew that Arthur was absolutely correct and made an attempt to get up from his seat. Getting up to help his father, Arthur hauled Uther to his feet with an amused smile and then walked him to the doors. Standing out in the hallway, Uther looked at his son.
“Sleep well, son.”
“You too, Father.”
Uther walked back to his rooms, feeling like he had finally done the right and proper thing for his children for the first time in a while.
A few days later, Arthur came into his office. His son shared a look with George who bowed his head and politely excused himself.
“Father, are you free for a moment?” Arthur asked as he walked across the room to Uther’s desk, looking overly reserved and cautious. He used to look so free when he was younger, so much more carefree and easy to smile but then he became an adult and everything changed. He had thrown himself into his work and duty: preparing himself to become the next King of Camelot.
“Uhm… Yes!” Uther said after he quickly checked his computer. “My next meeting isn’t for another half hour.”
Arthur didn’t sit down in any chair, he leant heavy against his arms on the desk, standing over his father.
“Great.” Though his tone didn’t sound happy. “It’s about us doing something one-on-one.”
“Ah, you’ve decided?” Emptying his hands and pushing everything aside so that he would be centring all of his focus on his son, Uther threaded his hands together and patiently looked up at Arthur.
He looked over Uther’s shoulder, out of the window behind him and eventually he said, “I’ve had an idea, but I don’t know if it’s doable for you.”
“Whatever it is, my son, I will endeavour to make it possible.” Uther replied, reaching over the desk to cover his son’s hand with his own.
Arthur stared down at Uther’s hand over his. Uther could feel Arthur trembling, was he nervous? Afraid? Excited?
“Okay…” Arthur nodded, trying to gather his courage. “I want to take you to a concert.”
Uther blinked, ever so slightly taken aback by Arthur’s suggestion. But then again, Arthur wasn’t just his son, but also Ygraine’s too. Her love of music, her passion for it had taken the twins from the moment they were born, but after her passing Morgana had pulled back from it - she stopped playing piano alongside Arthur - whilst Arthur just became quiet with his passion for music. Always wearing headphones or quietly playing it from his rooms.
Though in recent years, Uther had found Morgana standing in front of Ygraine’s piano, her fingers twitching for the keys. And the staff could be heard humming the melodies of the songs that leaked from Arthur’s quarters. They had started to heal but not because of Uther or anything he had bothered to do back then.
Now, Arthur was standing here, in front of him, wanting to share music with him once more. “Why, that would be brilliant!”
“Wait.” Arthur stopped him, taking his hand away. “Wait, please.” He stepped back and turned his back to Uther. “I want to take you to a concert and do it my way. Not the way that crown’s protocols dictate.”
Uther stood up, left his desk and watched the side profile of his son. “Your way?”
Arthur swallowed, his posture tightening, refusing to look at Uther.
“It’s important to me, Father, I want to show you this part of my life.” He said with a blank tone.
Part of his life? Uther asked himself. He knew that Morgana and Arthur had shut him out for so many years. Morgana had disappeared into the military to get away from him and Arthur shortly followed after by burying himself in charity work abroad. He knew that, he knew their work. Yet it was only once the therapy sessions, individually done and together that they started to share their personal lives with him again. He didn’t know their passions or interests anymore, hence the idea of doing something one-on-one with the both of them. Morgana chose hunting likely due to the fact that she still wasn’t entirely trusting that he was capable of changing, with Morgana this was a test.
But Arthur?
Arthur’s test had started the moment he moved back in with Uther, and clearly he had done something right for him to suggest this.
“I see.” Uther acknowledged quietly. “Well, what arrangements do I need to make?”
“None. I’ll handle it all.” Arthur said tightly, then looked at Uther with a twist of his neck. “Just, trust me, please?”
“I do.” Uther replied without hesitation. “I do, my son.”
The tenseness dropped from Arthur like a marionette doll being cut free from its strings.
“Great. I’ll sort it all out with George, so just be on standby until then?” He awkwardly asked, the distance between them both too much and too far.
“I will.”
Arthur nodded, and began to leave.
“And Arthur?” Uther called out, making his son pause. “I’m looking forward to whatever it is we’re doing.”
Letting out a happy sort of sigh, Arthur smiled to himself under his father’s eyes. “Me too, Father. See you at dinner.”
“See you then.”
Uther watched as the door close behind Arthur and then turned his gaze to the portrait hanging above the mantle. Ygraine’s timeless smile looked over at him, he no longer felt ashamed under her eyes.
“I’m sorry it has taken me so long, my love.” He said to her.
As always, she didn’t answer.