Uther Pendragon

"It is not his job to be liked."

Uther was never meant to be king. He was but a child when forced into exile with his brother by the untimely death of their father. The brothers bided their time until the kingdom could be retaken. Aurelius was always intended to inherit the throne, being the elder of the two. A sorceress named Nimueh aided them in their venture, helping the brothers to win the land back, mile by mile.

But fate was not always on their side. Aurelius fell in the final battle for Camelot, before he could claim his crown, leaving Uther as the only heir of the old king Constantine. Uther was reluctant at first, he never expected to be king, had never held ambitions to take his brother's place. Nimueh helped to sway him. Your son will be the once and future king of all Albion, Uther Pendragon. For that sake alone, you must take the crown.

Uther was king for some months before met his future queen. Lord DeBois came to pay respects to the new king, bringing his sons and daughter with him. To say that Uther was instantly smitten with the Lady Ygraine was an understatement. They were lucky that way, to find love and a match befitting their stations. They were married the following year, and it seemed like a golden age was settling on Camelot.

Years later, however, there was still no heir to the throne. And no sign of one either, the way Ygraine's figure remained stubbornly flat. Perhaps Ygraine would have been content to remain childless, but Uther was not. Nimueh's prophecy rang in his ears and he knew the need of a strong heir for his throne. That was part of what drove him to Vivienne, the desire for a child. And there was a distance growing between Uther and his queen, and Gorlois' wife was so sad, so lonely while her husband was off traveling the kingdom and dispensing the king's justice.

Uther was bitterly disappointed when she bore a daughter nine months later. They had agreed long ago that the child would be passed as Gorlois' regardless of the gender, revealed only if the need was great. But Uther didn't need a daughter. He needed a son. Nimueh had seen a son. A daughter would be ruled by her husband and Uther was selfish, he wanted a Pendragon to follow him as king.

Desperate, Uther turned to Nimueh, and to magic. She warned him there would be a price for playing around in such matters but the warning went unheeded and she worked her magic. There were tears from both husband and wife when Ygraine announced she was pregnant. Pregnancy suited the queen. The rift that had grown between them over the years closed almost overnight. The kingdom seemed to let out a sigh of relief. There was a tournament in honor of the coming prince or princess.

Ygraine went into labor a few weeks after Samhain. It was a long and bloody affair and even years later, Uther could hear the screams in his head. By the end of the night, as dawn broke, the queen was dead and he had a son. He barely acknowledged the child, too wrapped up in his grief to even think about it. His wife was dead, his angel was gone and the world seemed darker for it.

Uther retreated into their chambers for three days. By the end of it, he emerged, asked to see his son, named him Arthur and announced that from that moment forward, magic had no place in his kingdom, and anyone found practicing it would be put to death. No trial. No mercy.