It's a little depressing in the beginning, but I was inspired by the original "Sword in the Stone" movie and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." No Excalibur, unless I plan otherwise...

How did even happen? Uther was the one who was affected most by this. He had long suspected that magic was being performed in the castle, but this was too unexpected.

"Y-You have b-been caught... performing ma-magic in the castle," He announced, through trembling lips, to the room full of people. Merlin was also very surprised. He hadn't been in the area when the magic was performed. He had been shining Arthur's spare armor in his room.

"How do you p-plea?" Uther asked his son. Arthur didn't even know how he did it. He had been reading quest ideas in his room. He was getting frustrated at the window, which was open and allowing wind to blow his papers all over the room. He didn't want to get up to shut it, fearing that he would lose his place on a scroll with very small writing on it, and Merlin wasn't anywhere nearby... As a gust of wind blew the paper he was reading across the room, he got angry. He felt light headed for a second and said something he didn't understand. The window didn't just shut itself, it slammed. That wasn't the spell that had him caught though.

He immediately recognized it as magic, and left the room as quickly as he could without seeming suspicious, and headed for the armory. He was training when the spell happened. One of his knights had him pinned, swords locked. He felt light headed again and said something else that he didn't understand. The knight literally flew off of him, and he was seized immediately. Now he was here, in his father's throne room, being charged for using magic...

"Did you hear me?" Uther asked, his voice trembling, "How do you plea!"

"I-I was found using magic..." Arthur admitted, avoiding eye-contact with his father, "I still don't understand how I even did it... but I did. You may punish me to the fullest extent of the law."

Uther was silent for a long time.

"This trial is placed on hold," The king said in a loud whisper, "Everybody out."

When people just looked around, wondering why the trial was postponed, Uther snapped.

"I said EVERYBODY OUT!" He shouted. The room cleared within seconds. Morgana was still seated, a look of shock on her face. "You leave too Morgana," Uther said, trying to contain his rage for her sake.

Now it was only him and Arthur.

"How?" The king asked, his voice a quiet whisper.

Arthur remained silent, his head down.

"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Uther shouted, "YOU WILL LOOK AT ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!"

Arthur snapped his head up at this. Uther was even more shocked. Arthur was bleeding from his eyes. It wasn't much, but it was noticeable.

"What has happened to you, Arthur?" Uther asked. His tone was now sympathetic, "I may have been able to help you if you told me. I could have had Gaius find someone to help you control it. He still knows of people who may help."

"I didn't even know I had magic until today..." Arthur said slowly, lowering his head again, "I lost my temper and it just happened."

Uther was lost. If he didn't do anything, others will think he'd gone soft. If he did do something, then he'd be without an heir. What to do?

"I do not want the death of my son on my hands, Arthur," Uther said, making the prince look up at him again, "But I cannot do nothing."

That only meant one thing for Arthur.

"Father, please!" He exclaimed.

"I have no choice, Arthur," Uther said in a tone full of authority, "Tomorrow, I will call the trial to order, and you will be sentenced."

Uther called some guards and ordered them to take him to his chambers. Merlin had been eavesdropping on the conversation, and followed the guards up to Arthur's room. He approached the door, taking mind of the two guards posted there.

"Am I allowed to enter?" He asked the guard.

"The king didn't say that he couldn't have visitors," The guard said, "Go on in."

That was strange, normally guards would turn him away in the rudest fashion imaginable. He went into the room. He saw Arthur, sitting on his bed.

"Sire?" Merlin asked.

"Don't call me that anymore, Merlin..." Arthur mumbled, he was still in shock, "I'm going to be banished..."

Merlin fell back a step. It was better than death, but for someone with claims to the throne, it was worse. Far worse.

"Did you really use magic?" Merlin asked, hoping that the opportunity to confess about his magic wasn't too far off.

"I guess I did," Arthur answered, "I felt light headed, and I said things that made no sense. It could have been magic, or someone making it look like magic."

"Only one way to find out," Merlin said. He went over to the desk and grabbed one of the prince's many hand mirrors. He handed it to him.

"What's this for?"

"I've seen people use magic," The manservant explained, "Their eyes flash gold before they cast a spell."

Arthur looked at his reflection. He noticed how his eyes were rimmed with blood. His eyes flashed gold, and the blood receded back into his eyelids. The light headed feeling returned.

"D'you say something?" Merlin asked.

"I... I think so, and I do have magic..." Arthur buried his face in his hands. How did this happen? Why did it happen? Merlin was about to find out.

He told Arthur to try to get some sleep, and left. He ran through the gates and headed for the clearing, calling the Dragon as he went.

When he arrived, Kilgharrah was landing.

"Why have you called me young warlock?" He asked.

"Arthur has been caught practicing magic, he is to be banished tomorrow! What should I do?"

The Dragon sighed, "I feared that this would happen, even now, his Destiny is shifting."

"What do you mean you 'feared that this would happen?'" Merlin asked.

"Arthur was born from magic," Kilgharrah said, "It would only make sense that he would be able to use it."

"Well, what do I do to set things straight?"

"At this point, it would be impossible to do that," The Dragon sighed again, "You must stay with Arthur though, that would be the smartest thing to do."

"No 'heed my warning' or anything like that? Just, stay with him?"

"Yes, young dragon-lord," Kilgharrah said, "I am not always so demanding."

"Thank you," Merlin said honestly, "I may call you to a different place in time."

"Until we meet again." With that, the dragon flew off into the deep night.

Merlin took the long way back to the castle. When he arrived at Gaius's, the old physician was sleeping on a stool, he must have fallen asleep waiting for him. Merlin shook him gently to wake him up.

"Wha... Merlin?" Gaius half said, still waking, "Where on earth have you been?"

"I spoke to the Dragon, about Arthur," Merlin explained everything that they had talked about, and how he was going to leave with Arthur.

Gaius was shocked. Merlin was leaving? Why would he listen to that overgrown lizard?

"Merlin..." Gaius mumbled, "If the Dragon told you to leap off a cliff, would you do it?"

"If it involved keeping things straight, then yes, I would."

"Is there a way for you to not leave? Maybe disguise Arthur as a servant?"

"That's not a bad idea," Merlin said, thinking for a moment, "But he would have to get over the way he normally treats his servants."

"You mean the way he treats you?" Gaius asked, half a smile on his face.

"Yeah."

Merlin went to Arthur's room in the morning. He wished him luck as if he were going to fight in a tourney.

Everyone was in attendance to this trial. Uther had to move it to the town square due to the sheer amount of spectators.

"Arthur Pendragon," Uther said, "As stated yesterday, you have been accused and convicted of using magic. I have pondered the possible punishments, and have chosen to banish you from Camelot. You will be stripped of your title as a Knight of the Realm, your rights to the throne, and your title as my son."

Arthur wasn't expecting that last part. Morgana seemed to smile when he mentioned the throne, but was shocked when Uther disowned his own son. It was like a smack to the face for Arthur. This was the true cruelty of the world.

He was seized by guards and brought to the gates. They threw him to the ground and shut the gates behind him. He stood up, brushed himself off, and slowly walked along the road, looking back every few steps.

Around noon, by the woods, he found a white horse tied to a tree. Not just any horse, one of his horses. It's saddle, which looked plain, was fully stocked, as if he were going on a long term quest. He found a roll of parchment tied to one of the saddlebags.

He opened it and read:

Arthur,

I'm sorry about what I said at the trial. You are still my son, and this is my last gift to you. In the pack is a set of armor, a sword, and a shield. None bear the mark of Camelot, were you to enter enemy territory. The supplies are self explanatory.

I spoke to Gaius, and he suggested heading to nearby villages to find someone to train you on your use of magic. If things were different, I would have done nothing to you. But my enemies may see me as weak and invade. A good king puts his people above everything else. Try to remember that.

If you ever return, disguise yourself. Remember, you are supposed to be banished. I hope to see you when you learn to control your magic.

Your Father,

Uther Pendragon

Arthur was surprised that his father gave him these things. It wasn't against the law, but- Someone was coming. He drew the sword out of habit. Even though he wasn't out of Camelot's lands yet, there was still a possibility that bandits were near.

He turned to see a brown horse. It looked like it was purchased at the town stables. But it wasn't the beast that caught his attention, it was the rider...

I was actually gonna do this and chapter two in one chapter, so the ending leads directly to the next chappy. Once again, I'm sorry for the depressing intro.