This was written for the 'Young Pendragon' drabble challenge on the Heart of Camelot website:

Choose any character on the show and write about the very first time they ever met/encountered Arthur Pendragon.

A/N Beta'd by lyricalsinger. Thanks to ExcaliburMaiden, Narlth and Moonfox and AmandaMoo from HOC chat room for brainstorming ideas with me. Too bad I only could have 400 words!


The Young Pendragon

Nine-year old Arthur could not understand it. Everyone always loved him. Especially girls! So why did this bakery-shop maiden have her arms folded across her chest and a scowl on her face?

He had only said that he thought she should give the custard tart to him and not to that pathetic country boy she was playing with! After all, she should feel honoured that her Prince even wanted something from her mother's shop. Not that he'd gone there to buy anything; he'd just been trying to escape from the knight who'd been assigned to watch him while his father met the village elders.

"He's visiting us with his mother, and I like him best. One day I might marry him!" she had insisted, putting her arm around the blushing dark-haired boy's shoulder and giving him a squeeze.

Arthur frowned, "Well, you're just a commoner anyway. I'm meant to marry somebody far more important than you," he countered.

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked the older boy, surprised at this strange statement. "If the girl likes the boy and the boy likes the girl, and they want to take care of each other, then why does it matter if one is important?`"

"My father says it does," said Arthur. Then he added, a bit doubtfully, "But… I'm not really sure why."

"Oh, well. Fathers can be wrong you know. Just last week my friend Will's father got all cross at Will and me for putting the rabbit traps in the East field instead of the South one, but we got more rabbits than anyone else, so sometimes sons can know best."

The blond boy looked mildly impressed at Merlin's prowess, and bit his lip for a moment as though thinking about what he had said, "I…suppose they can," he concluded.

Just then Hunith came through the door, eyes widening when she saw her son talking to a boy wearing a Pendragon cloak pin.

"I need you to help me put some things away," she practically choked, grabbing Merlin's hand and pulling him towards safety.

The blond nodded at her son, "Good-bye," he said, "And thanks for the advice, I wish I could have someone like you to talk to all the time."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will find someone someday," Merlin said confidently just before disappearing into the other room.


A/N My headcanon says they could have met like this, but just not remembered each other. Why not? :D