Disclaimer: I don't own BBC's Merlin. Anything recognisable comes from there.
This is a kidfic...seems to be a theme with me...
Anyway, in this fic time events in canon need to ignored with a prejudice. Seriously. The time scale for this story has been turned on its head. This part begins at the beginning of the first episode in the first series.
Warning: Small amount of violence and mentions of execution. Also mentions of past underage sex - all consensual and barely referenced.
This is the first part of a series, I won't be re-writing every individual episode but some will get mentioned or altered.
###
Merlin gasped as his head was pushed back, shoved into the folds of his mother's dress and held firmly so he could not see. He pushed away from the rough cloth that filled his mouth but the hand on his head made sure that he couldn't move away any further.
His mother was firm in the press of her hand but Merlin could feel the slight tremble in her fingers belaying her not-quite-calm state. She moved, still pressing Merlin against her, and so he stumbled after feeling the crush of the crowd around him.
When they were out of the square his mother finally released him, letting him free.
He looked up at her, at the woman he called mother, the woman who he bore no resemblance to, and frowned as she brushed his fringe from his face.
"Why did you turn me away?" He asked, confused. She smiled sadly.
"Because I didn't want you to see such a thing, not just yet." She answered quietly, cupping his face in her small roughened palm. He leaned into the caress because although he was a bit old for such things now (eight was quite old in his opinion), he wasn't quite at the age to dismiss his need for his mother.
"Why was that man up there? Why did the guards have him? And what did the King mean?" Merlin asked, curiosity welling up inside.
His mother looked at him steadily before kneeling on the cobblestones, which surely wasn't comfortable, and looked him in the eye.
"That man did...something against the law of Camelot and the King was using him as an example to stop others from doing the same thing. The guards were there to stop him running away and to protect the King and his people." She explained, not slowly but not so quickly that Merlin couldn't take in what she said.
"What law?" He asked, pressing further as he sensed something was being kept from him. She breathed in sharply and looked around to make sure no one was listening to them. Fortunately it seemed that a young boy and his mother was nothing interesting enough to watch.
She leaned in close, so her face was against his own and her warm breath fanned over his ear in a way that was almost ticklish. Merlin fought with the impulse to squirm away giggling. This was serious. Not a time for tickling, laughter and fun.
"He used magic, Merlin." He gasped. "Now remember what we agreed about keeping it a secret?" Merlin nodded, eyes wide, a small flicker of what could be called fear working down his spine. "That stands doubly in Camelot." Merlin nodded, his mouth was too dry to speak anyway.
His mother leaned away and got to her feet with a wince. Merlin swallowed. He tugged carefully at his mother's dress when another thought occurred to him.
"What did he do wrong?"
His mother pressed him against a brick wall and once again whispered so quietly that he had to strain to hear it.
"He used magic and that's enough to get him executed."
"But what did he do wrong?" Merlin pressed, an anxious frown crinkling his forehead.
"In some people's eyes what he did was wrong."
"But-"
"Merlin, shush now. This isn't to be discussed in a public place."
"But-"
"Merlin." It was a warning.
"Yes mother."
He forgot to frown when they walked through yet more streets, new places with different smells, sounds, sights, even a different feel than he had ever experienced before. The bustling area full of stone was so novel that thoughts of the earlier execution they had stumbled upon were soon wiped from his mind.
His mother led him, occasionally asking for direction from a guard here and there but Merlin was too lost in his surroundings to take real note of where they were headed.
It was only as his mother knocked politely on a door, then firmer when there was no response and then she even pushed it aside, stepping in carefully when there was still no answer that Merlin tuned back into reality.
The next few seconds were a blur to Merlin but he knew he'd broken the one proper rule his mother set him. He'd done magic in front of someone else. He didn't exactly regret it, the man had been falling from the top of some steps and he would have been hurt if Merlin hadn't done something but he didn't like to disappoint her.
It didn't help that the man seemed both bewildered and almost angry at them once he got to his feet and off the pallet bed Merlin had moved to catch his fall.
Merlin didn't hide behind his mother but he did admit that one of his hands gripped onto her skirts tightly. He didn't like it when people shouted.
So he distracted himself from the adults conversation – now a lot quieter since the man had read a letter and gotten his shock out the way – by looking round. There were plenty of little bottles filled with funny coloured liquids, plenty of books (more than Merlin had ever seen before, even compared to the market stalls that sold them) and lots of things that Merlin didn't even know the name of or what they were for.
He drifted away from his mother and examined the lowest bookshelf. Glancing at the titles and slowly sounding out the words in his mind. Some of the titles he didn't understand, he didn't know what they meant (and that was a bit silly having a book called something that you didn't know about so couldn't guess what was inside) and another few were written with funny shapes instead of letters. Maybe they were pictures?
He pulled one out at random; one of the funny titled ones and flipped it open. Inside it was written in words, words Merlin could read and there were pictures every now and then.
He straightened up in his seat on the ground when he realised that the book was about creatures he'd never seen before, ones with funny shapes like the one with the body of a lion and the wings and face of an eagle. The writing wasn't that interesting but the information was enthralling enough for Merlin to brave through the text. Plus the pictures helped.
"-lin...Merlin...Merlin." His mother softly called, gently shaking his shoulder. Merlin blinked, looking up from where he was reading about unicorns.
"It's time for bed now, Merlin and you haven't yet greeted Gaius. Although I can see you're already well acquainted with one of his books." A wry smile twisted her lips and Merlin grinned, closing the book carefully and slotting it back into its place on the shelf.
"Merlin, this is my uncle Gaius, he's the court physician. Gaius this is Merlin." His mother said, leading them to the man who had shouted earlier and who was watching them curiously.
The fire flickered merrily in the hearth casting shadows across the man's warm-careful smile and it was only then that Merlin realised that it was dark outside. He covered a yawn with his hands.
"Hello." He greeted sleepily, one hand gripping his mother's skirts again but this time out of weariness rather than fear. They had travelled from Ealdor and it had taken ages.
"Hello, little man, I think you're quite ready for bed now. Hunith, you two can take the room just through there, it isn't much but it's more private."
"Thank you, Gaius. I know this was unexpected."
"Unexpected maybe, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. Goodnight."
Merlin mumbled what he thought might have been something along the lines of a goodnight but it came out more as a garbled sigh as he yawned again into his mother's dress.
#
"Gaius, you can't be serious...what you're saying has the capacity to cause unrest in the-where is your proof? You cannot expect me to take the word of a peasant woman."
Gaius cleared his throat; he had not been anticipating telling the king. At best he would be believed and the boy accepted. At worst, well, he hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"This, sire." Gaius handed over the stained letter and clean broach pin. A broach pin Gaius hadn't seen since Arthur was fifteen.
Uther read the letter, his face falling into a deeper crease the further he got. By the time he examined the pretty bejewelled pin the frown had spread even to his hairline. Gaius found it mildly impressive that Uther could pull off such a look of disapproval...but mainly he felt worry surge and boil in his veins.
"If this is a trick..."
"It is true as far as I know, Sire, and I can't deny the facts fit."
Uther was silent for a long, few, terrible minutes. Gaius made sure not to even make a minute shift even though his aged bones protested. He was sure the worry wasn't doing him any favours.
"Have you seen the boy?" Uther eventually asked.
"Yes, Sire." Gaius said, scanning his king carefully for any sign of his emotions. The flicker of curiosity was a saving grace Gaius was more than thankful for.
"Does he resemble Arthur?"
"Not all that much. Arthur was stronger as a child, broader, and the boy has black hair. However, for all the differences there is something of Arthur in his chin, lips and brow. Their eyes are the same shape if different shades of blue and they wear determination similarly." Gaius answered slowly. "Hunith told me he's a good lad, a little mischievous at times but clever and kind."
"Hunith?"
"My niece. The woman who has looked after the boy since he was a babe after his mother passed away in childbirth." Gaius explained.
Uther's mouth twisted.
"Why did she not bring the boy here earlier? Why wait eight years?"
"She did not know the identity of the boy's father, she took the mother in when she found her heavily pregnant near her village and tended to her until she birthed the boy. When she died Hunith took over as the lad's mother. From what Hunith has said I gather she made a promise to take the lad to me along with the letter and broach when the boy was near adulthood." Gaius answered slowly. He didn't want to get anyone in trouble but he would not lie. Not yet.
"Why did she come now? If she kept her promise for eight years, why come forward now?" Uther asked suspiciously.
"There was an incident," Gaius paused and Uther waved at him to get to the point. "Some select people were searching for the boy, they knew of his connection to Camelot. Hunith only just managed to hide the boy in time. She felt the incident was a little too close a shave and so thought the lad might be safer with his father." Gaius felt a small measure of guilt shift in his stomach.
He hadn't been entirely truthful, but the truth (as far as Hunith knew it, Merlin was a little tight lipped on the subject) would get the young lad killed. It wasn't even a lie, he had just...not told the whole story.
Uther remained in thought for another long time, enough for Gaius to wonder if perhaps he should have just torn up the letter and told Hunith to just live here with him with the lad as her son and no father in sight or distance.
No one would guess...the young boy wasn't a splitting image of Arthur.
"Will you be informing Prince Arthur, Sire?" Gaius finally asked when he felt the silence had gone on too long.
"Yes. It's his mistake. Send for him to come to my chambers immediately."
"Of course, Sire." Gaius bowed and made his way out of the room. Uther's voice stopped him as he got to the door.
"What is my bastard grandson's name?" Gaius halted, hand on the door knob and turned his head.
"Merlin."
#
Merlin wandered around, scampering out of people's way when they approached looking harried and busy and when they glared at him he moved out the way but glared back.
According to his mother some people didn't like children.
Merlin found that silly, wasn't everyone a child once? But he didn't care to get shoved or shouted at so he kept his distance.
That didn't stop him bumping into one or two people as they either moved too fast or he was too lost in the new sights but he was only yelled at once.
He avoided going to the square he had been to the day before but soon got lost. He knew he was near to the castle, and if he just asked a guard where the court physicians rooms where he would find his way back but the thrill of being somewhere new, of exploring without his mother's hand holding his own was too powerful to resist.
A patch of green caught his eye and Merlin was scampering off once more, following the lure of the unknown.
#
He rolled his eyes as his servant once again moved the target the wrong way. Didn't he have a head on those shoulders? Enough to know not to put targets in the sun?
He grimaced into the sun feeling the low throb at his temples of a headache that had been threatening all day. Well, ever since the council meeting and the chewing out he had suffered from his father.
Apparently even the onset of the celebrations was not enough to lighten Uther's mood and Arthur had been chastised like a child for making his desire not to attend the feast known.
Sir Kay egged him on as his servant persisted on being exasperating.
"This'll teach him." Arthur muttered out the side of his mouth to Kay.
Arthur carefully lined up the shot, he didn't want to actually hit the servant after all – stupidity wasn't enough reason to physically hurt someone – and let the small throwing knife fly across the short distance and into the target with a satisfying 'thunk'.
It was an easy target, impossible for someone with his training to miss really, but he still felt a bubble of pride well up. A small bubble, but it was his success.
"Hey! Hang on!" His servant protested, coming to a halt and holding the target up as though to shield himself from further attack.
"Don't stop!" Arthur called, fingers running over the next knife to check its balance.
"Here?"
'Thunk'
"I told you to keep moving." Arthur ordered, fingering another knife. The target was moving so slowly it still wasn't yet a challenge.
'Thunk'
"Come on! Run!"
His servant finally got the idea and cowering behind the wooden target he moved a bit faster, heading down the field.
"Do you want some moving target practice?" Arthur asked his Knights with a grin.
'Thunk'
The servant, Arthur never bothered asking for their names – they never stayed long – promptly dropped the target. It rolled to a gentle stop at some kid's feet.
The kid examined the wooden board for a second, looking at it carefully, his pale face set in concentration.
Great. Another simpleton.
"I think you've had enough fun, my friend." The boy said firmly, glancing from the target to his servant and then to Arthur. There was something unusual about the boys stare, unnerving. Arthur brushed aside that thought and moved closer, mentally scoffing at the child's use of words.
"Do I know you?" Arthur asked with a raised eyebrow. If some child thought he could tell him what to do, well he had another thing coming.
"Er..." The boy looked puzzled before his face cleared in dawning realisation. "I'm Merlin." The boy greeted holding out his hand. Arthur almost smirked; this was a little too easy. But then again, the kid was young.
"So I don't know you."
"...no."
"Yet you called me 'friend'."
"My mistake." The boy muttered, glancing at the ground sullenly.
"Yes, I think so."
"Yeah, I'd never have a friend who was such an ass." The boy met his astounded gaze before turning on his heel and leaving.
"Or I one who could be so stupid." The retort was out of Arthur's mouth before he knew it. Something inside him sank slightly, this was a child. He was trading verbal barbs with a child. The boy stopped walking and stiffened, his small shoulders setting.
The boy's face was paler now and his eyes flickered over Arthur and the Knights who had come up behind him without his notice.
But he didn't back down.
His little chin squared, blue eyes darkening like storm clouds gathering.
Arthur turned round to glare at the Knights. They shouldn't have crept up behind him, it made it seem like he was going to set them on a kid. A stupid notion but what else was the child going to think?
"Just go home to your mummy." One of the Knights jeered. Arthur glared again; the kid had been leaving until he opened his mouth.
"Just because your mother is the only one who could love that face-" The boy never got to finish as Sir Kay, of course it was Kay – the man was good for a laugh but always picking fights – stepped forward and cuffed the lad across the face with a stinging blow.
The boy's head snapped to the side, lip splitting and cheek flushing red from the hit. Arthur had no doubt that by tomorrow there would be a darkening bruise covering near half the boys face. Arthur reached forwards and grabbed a hold of Kay's fist, preventing him from doing anything further should the boy decide to unleash any more smart comments.
"Enough." He said quietly but firmly. He couldn't have word going round that the Knights went round beating up children.
Sir Kay backed down but it was with the same sullen glower the young boy had sported.
"You alright, kid?" A Knight who had been standing towards the edge asked. Arthur hadn't noticed his approach. Sir Leon was one of his best Knights and one of the quietest. Good for hunting or other stealthy tasks.
The boy spat out a small mouthful of blood. He'd bitten his tongue then.
"No teeth knocked loose." He muttered, in the same tone someone would use when saying they were fine. Some part of Arthur admired the kid's grit.
"Right, back to training! Three laps in full armour then I want to see how rusty your sword skills are." Arthur ordered, raising his voice and ignoring the groans before heading to the tables to collect his helmet and telling his servant to get his shield.
The next time he looked to the bottom of the training field there was no sign of the boy. He hadn't expected there to be and he was more preoccupied with why his father had summoned him.
Surely he couldn't still be annoyed at Arthur's reluctance to go to the feast!
#
"Arthur, do you recognise this?" Uther asked pointing to the broach on the table.
Gaius watched as Arthur's face set, his shoulders straightened and the slow blink the only signs of his surprise.
"...Yes." Arthur admitted slowly, evidently wondering where all this was leading.
"Where do you remember it from?" Uther pushed.
"I gave it to someone as a gift once." Arthur said, eyes locked on the uninteresting wall behind Uther's shoulder.
"Yes." Uther's lip curled. "Lady Ambrosius, wasn't it?"
Arthur blinked, eyes shooting to his father in shock. After a long silence he seemed to realise some response was merited.
"Yes, Sire."
"You had...relations with this woman?"
A light dusting of pink tinged the Prince's ears.
"...Yes. Why is this re-"
Gaius almost felt sorry for the man who was little more than a boy really.
"Read this. I believe it relates to you." Uther shoved the letter to his son. Gaius was almost sure that for a second amusement lit up the dark depths of the Kings eyes.
Gaius interlocked his fingers on the table.
"I care not for your dalliances – so long as they don't interfere with state, your duties or offend an ally – but siring bastards was something I ordered you not to do." Uther said sternly. Gaius could see he wasn't actually angry, a little cross but not truly angry, that boded well for the boy and Hunith. And Arthur.
"Is this-do I have-I have a child?"Arthur managed to force out his throat. Uther rolled his eyes.
"However, at least we know you can sire children, should he prove to be yours-"
"He? He's a he?" Arthur interrupted sounding a little dazed. In fact the young man looked like he'd been struck over the head with a hammer.
"-should he prove to be yours then there's the messy business of inheritance, he can't throw the kingdom into upheaval. Naturally he can't be in line for the throne which means you'll have to satisfy him and other nobles with something else when he gets older. There is no need to breed dissent in the household; he'll be treated royally if he is your son."
Gaius blinked, that was more than he had expected. The points Uther made were valid and saying the lad would be a part of the royal household was something Gaius had not counted on.
He had thought, at most, that Merlin would be put into his care and vaguely acknowledged as related to the Pendragons.
Gaius was hesitant whether this was a good thing or not. The boy needed a stable footing now in life if he was to survive court later. Especially as the bastard of a Prince and one day King.
Plus with his gift of magic it would be far safer for the lad to live with him.
"Where-How old-is he here? In Camelot? Did Robin bring him?" Arthur asked obviously not taking in a word Uther was saying. Gaius felt his lips twitch traitorously. The Prince still looked poleaxed.
"Lady Ambrosius died, years ago. But yes, her son is here in Camelot." Gaius put in before the King and Prince could begin to bicker.
"Can I see him? Does he look like me? Or Robin?" Impatience was evident in every word Arthur uttered and it was clearly costing the young man to stay standing and not rush out to personally seek out the child he did not know he had until then.
"We don't yet know if he is truly your son. A letter is not proof enough. Nor a trinket."
Uther's words didn't seem to dampen the curiosity that filled Arthur's face.
"Who has he been living with, if Robin died?" Arthur asked, a slight frown puckering his face.
Gaius cleared his throat. "With my niece, Hunith."
"When will they arrive, Gaius, I don't have all day." Uther asked impatiently as he read through one of the council reports left over from this morning.
"He decided to do some exploring and Hunith had to go find him. They'll be along shortly, Sire."
"Hmpf. A handful, is he?" Uther asked, not too irritably.
"Apparently." Gaius murmured. He could hardly talk about the boy's character after only having spoken to him once. And Hunith's words could be biased; she loved the boy with all her heart.
A knock came from the door.
Gaius sighed quietly. The King had ordered them not to be disturbed, so it was most likely that the very two they were waiting on had arrived.
#
Merlin grimaced, resisting the urge to rub his sore cheek. It would swell, he knew and hurt. Plus it would soon be obvious what had happened when the bruise began to show, he wouldn't be able to keep it hidden from his mother.
It wasn't the hardest he'd ever been hit but he did wish the man in odd armour hadn't been wearing a ring on his finger. Although he was glad he hadn't been wearing that glove-like-thing with metal on. That would have really hurt.
He wandered through the streets, still close to the castle, not sure of his direction just knowing he didn't want to return to Gaius' quarters just yet. The things in the rooms were interesting but he'd never liked being cooped up.
Mother would be unhappy though, she'd told him not to stray far and to be back before noon.
He decided since he was already late it didn't matter if he was even later.
Merlin grinned when he saw the statues up above and ran over, tracing the stone engravings with first his eyes and then his fingers. It was a dog! He growled at it playfully almost hearing the answering growl back.
He petted it gently on the head and scampered off. Perhaps now it was a good time to return, mother wouldn't be too cross he hoped.
That decided he turned round and in his haste managed to trip over his own feet and slam down onto the ground.
Shoots of pain ran up his arms from where he'd stuck out his hands to break his fall and his knees throbbed.
"Ow."
"Ouch, that looked like it hurt. Are you alright?" A voice asked kindly. Merlin looked up to see a pretty lady in a lavender dress, a basket of laundry she put on the ground as she crouched in front of him.
"I'm fine Miss." Merlin answered then remembered his manners. "Thank you."
She helped him to his feet and brushed off his trousers like his mother did.
"I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid." The pretty woman introduced with an even prettier smile.
"I'm Merlin, although most people just call me Idiot." Merlin grinned, shaking her hand. Suddenly he found himself missing Will, he always called Merlin an idiot or a rascal, but he wouldn't come with them to Camelot, he stayed in Ealdor.
"Nice to meet you Merlin-who-is-not-an-idiot." Gwen smiled. "So, should you be walking around here by yourself or are you supposed to be with your mother? Or father? Or guardian?"
Merlin widened his eyes and put on his best innocent expression. It can't have been very innocent because Gwen snorted in amusement and just looked at him.
"I'm supposed to be with mother." He eventually admitted, he didn't want to lie to Gwen; she'd been nice to him.
"And where is your mother?" Gwen asked.
"In Gaius' rooms." Merlin answered.
"Ah, well it so happens that I know Gaius so I can take you back there now." Gwen said, reaching down and taking his hand.
"You know Gaius too? Mother says he's her uncle." It didn't occur to Merlin's childish logic that seeing a man once didn't necessarily mean you knew them. "But Miss Gwen, what about your basket?" Merlin asked when she led him down the first step.
A bell rang out signalling it was one hour after noon. Gwen jumped and glanced back to the basket then to the castle worriedly.
"Ah, I'm late. Right, Merlin will you be a good boy and come with me for a few minutes and then I'll take you to your mother?" Gwen asked, glancing at the basket again. It didn't occur to Merlin not to agree.
Gwen had to let go of his hand to carry the basket so Merlin just scampered close to her skirts, following her through the twists and turns of the castle. Merlin's eyes were round with wonder.
The castle was huge! And there were so many people bustling about! And was that a tapestry? He'd never seen one so big or ornate!
He ran his hands along the wall as they passed, Gwen continually looking over her shoulder to make sure he kept up, the stone was cool to touch and slightly roughened. Merlin preferred petting the stone dog.
They eventually got so far into the castle that they left all the other people behind hurrying about apart from more guards.
Gwen knocked on a set of doors, carefully balancing the basket, opening the door and walking in when another woman's voice said to.
"Ah, Gwen, you should come over here and see what Lord Guthrie has sent me, it's hilarious- oh, hello and you are?" The woman dressed in green asked when she spotted Merlin standing beside Gwen's skirts.
"Merlin, Miss." Merlin answered, feeling the soothing roughness of Gwen's skirt brush his hand.
He didn't miss the questioning glance the woman with long dark hair sent Gwen.
"I found this one having a close encounter with the ground; I said I'd take him to his mother. If that's alright, my Lady."
"Its fine, Gwen. Is that how you hurt your face?" She directed this question to Merlin. Merlin shook his head in the negative.
"A Knight took a disliking to him." Gwen murmured with distaste. Merlin was sure he wasn't supposed to have heard that.
"Those brutes. Well, it was nice to meet you Merlin but I'm sure your mother is worried about you." The lady turned, giving her attention to a flickering candle, a frown crossing her face.