The townspeople stared at Merlin and the knights as they walked by. Merlin couldn't very well blame the townspeople, as Merlin and the knights had left on horses with the prince regent and had returned on foot with a child, but Merlin wasn't very excited that the news of Arthur's disappearance would spread through the entire town.

They drew up to the castle gates. The guards frowned.

"Where's the prince?" one of them demanded.

Arthur sat up and opened his mouth. Merlin squeezed him and shook his head.

"He's still on patrol," Leon said. "Saw something he wanted to check out. He ordered us to return with the kid."

"Who is the kid?" the guard asked.

"My brother," Merlin said. "Tom."

"Welcome to Camelot, Tom," the other guard said.

"But—" Arthur started.

"Say thank you, Tom," Merlin said.

Arthur's chin jutted out. "Thank you," he ground out.

"He was kidnapped by sorcerers that stole our horses," Merlin said.

"Now if you'll excuse us." Leon pushed past the guards. The knights and Merlin followed.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Arthur spoke up. "Why did you say all that?"

Merlin's heart thumped. "Gaius will explain it."

"Okay." Arthur settled down again.

They were halfway through the halls to Gaius's chambers when about the worst—okay, Agravaine was the worst, make that second worst—person they could encounter hurried down the halls toward them. Gwen.

She pressed her hands to her skirt and hurried forward. "You're back." She scanned them and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Where's Arthur?"

"Uh, Gwen." Elyan stepped forward and took her arm. "We need to talk."

Gwen crumpled. "No, please. Please tell me he's not…"

"He's not." Elyan tilted his head. "It's complicated. Please, Gwen, can we speak in private?"

Gwen nodded. She let Elyan lead her off.

"That's gonna be one h- of a conversation," Gwaine said.

"Why?" Arthur asked. "I'm right here. Can't he just tell her that?"

Merlin swallowed. Leon, Lancelot, Percival, and Gwaine just stared at Arthur.

"It's complicated," Lancelot said.

Arthur pouted. "I can figure it out! I'm the prince! I deserve to know!"

Leon nodded. "I agree. And that's why Gaius is going to explain what's going on."

"Exactly!" Merlin said. "Which is why we should go to him. Right now." Before they ran into Agravaine.

Leon flung the door open with a bang. "Gaius, we need your help."

Gaius looked up from where he was grinding herbs in a mortar and pestle. "Which one of you is hurt this time?"

Merlin stepped out from where he was hiding behind Percival. "None of us." He set Arthur down on the floor.

"Gaius!" Arthur dashed to Gaius and wrapped his arms around him.

Gaius raised his eyebrow and glanced from Arthur to Merlin and the knights. "This is Arthur!"

"There was, uh, a sorcerer that attacked him. And…" Merlin trailed off.

"And now the prince is…" Gwaine glanced at Arthur. "Uh…" He held his hand up to his shoulder and then lowered it to about Arthur's height.

"I'm fine, I just lost my memory. I forgot how I got out there. But I'm fine. You don't need to tell my father or anything." Arthur gazed up at Gaius with big eyes. "Do you?"

"Of course not." Gaius patted Arthur's shoulder. "You know I won't. I'll need to examine you, but first, I need to talk to the others. Why don't you go grab one of my books and sit in the back room until I call for you?"

Arthur smiled, the first genuine smile Merlin had seen from him since he'd transformed. "Okay!"

"But—" Merlin started.

"It'll be fine, Merlin," Gaius said. "Won't it?" He raised his eyebrow.

Merlin sighed. His room was a mess, but he had hidden his magical items when he left for patrol. "Yes."

Arthur didn't pay attention to their exchange. He darted up the steps to the balcony and grabbed a book, then ran into Merlin's room. "How come it's so messy?" floated out.

"The last patient was a bit of a slob," Gaius called. "Close the door, Arthur."

"I'd say more than a bit," Arthur said. The door closed.

Gaius turned his stern eye on them. "Explain. Now."

Gaius rubbed his forehead. He had sat down on a bench as Merlin set into an incredibly truncated version of events, minus the problematic Arthur behavior. "You didn't tell him he was de-aged?" Gaius asked.

"We were hoping you would," Leon said.

Gaius sighed. "Of course. Well, I suppose that's the best idea."

"There's another thing," Merlin said. He wasn't sure how to go about this. "Arthur, he…"

"Uther abused him." Gwaine had a serious, dark look on him he rarely wore. "Didn't he?"

"I wouldn't exactly say—" Gaius started.

"He got upset when we wouldn't hit him," Lancelot broke in. "He thought we couldn't be his father's knights because we wouldn't punish him."

"I had to tell him we're his mother's men so he wouldn't keep running from us," Merlin said. "Gaius, he's afraid of Uther and what he'll do to him. He had a panic attack when he saw Camelot. What happened to him when he was younger?"

Gaius sighed again. He rubbed his forehead, slumping down. "What I am about to tell you, you cannot ever repeat to anyone. And Gwaine, if you use any of this as fodder to tease Arthur, I'll poison you myself."

Gwaine raised his eyebrows. "I understand."

Merlin swallowed. He'd never seen Gaius this protective before, not even of him. To threaten Gwaine's wellbeing as a physician with an oath to do no harm… "This is bad, isn't it?"

"When Arthur was younger, Uther was…different. You have to understand, he had just lost his wife. It… took him a while to come to where he is now, where Arthur is a welcome reminder of Ygraine rather than a painful one. He also had very strict standards as to how Arthur should behave. Anytime Arthur broke those rules, Uther physically punished him, and he instructed the knights and nobles to do the same. Uther made Arthur a page at five, which was far too early, and it meant that the physical abuse escalated to the point where it happened almost every day. At the point where he is now, six, the only people Arthur can be around safely are me and Geoffrey."

Merlin's burned, his hands curling into fists. All the times he'd saved Uther's life solely for Arthur's sake, and he had done this to him? He should have just let him die. "And you just stood by and let it happen?"

"Merlin," Gaius scolded. "Surely you know me better than that. I arranged for Arthur to have hours of lessons with just me or Geoffrey. I helped heal him and offered him a place to run to. I fought for him with Uther. I did all I could without getting banished from Camelot, which would have left Arthur with no allies."

"What about Geoffrey?" Lancelot asked.

"He would support Arthur if I did, but if I had gone, he would have been too scared to stand up to Uther on his own," Gaius said.

"Is that why Arthur's so sickly?" Percival asked.

Gaius shook his head. "He was just born that way. It was touch and go for a while, and he only got his strong frame and physique with puberty."

Merlin could barely imagine Arthur growing up small and sickly. Maybe that was why he loved physical activity so much now, because for such a long time, he wasn't able to do it. The thought was still odd, though, and he shoved it away. "What changed? Why did Uther…?" The one thing Merlin had always admired about Uther was how much he cared for his son, how he was willing to die for him if need be. When had he become a father instead of an abuser?

"Arthur was nine," Gaius said. "He had become friends with one of the servant's boys and let that slip to Uther. Uther was furious that Arthur was friends with someone he considered below his station and he had Arthur flogged. Arthur ran away and was missing for a couple of weeks, and when he was finally found, he had pneumonia. He almost died. That was when Uther realized he could have killed his son and finally began to truly care for him. He's never struck Arthur or let anyone else strike him since."

Merlin's heart pounded. He was torn between the urge to kill Uther and the urge to wrap Arthur in blankets and never let anyone near him again. Was that incident why Arthur seemed almost allergic to calling him his friend, why it was so hard for him to break free of his father's teachings?

"Uther is a sick b—d," Gwaine said.

"Well, he's broken and harmless now, so it doesn't truly matter anymore." Gaius pushed himself up with a groan.

"Can I come out now? I have questions," Arthur said.

"It's safe, Arthur. You can come on out. I have something to tell you," Gaius called.

Arthur ran out, book still in hand, and climbed onto the bench next to Gaius. "What is it?"

"Arthur, I—" Gaius stopped. "Arthur, what do you know of magic?"

"It can do lots of stuff and Father says it's evil," Arthur said promptly. "Why?"

"Merlin told you that you were attacked by a sorcerer, didn't he?" Gaius said.

Arthur nodded. "But I'm fine, I promise. I don't feel any different."

"Well, see…your highness, you are different," Gaius said.

"How?" Arthur asked.

Gaius opened his mouth, then paused. "I don't exactly know how to say this, Arthur but…" He glanced at Merlin and the knights.

"Yesterday morning, you were twenty-four," Merlin said. "You were attacked by a sorcerer and suddenly you were six again. I didn't know how to tell you without scaring you off, so I waited until we were back."

Arthur's mouth dropped open. "I don't believe you," he said.

"Arthur, it's true," Gaius said. "I've treated you for your entire life. I've treated you for sword wounds and poisons. I saw you grow up before my eyes and now I see you and you're small again. I can assure you, you used to be much bigger."

Arthur frowned. "But…but that doesn't make sense."

"Arthur…" Merlin knelt in front of his tiny friend. "When I met you, you were twenty, and a bit of a prat. You could wield a mace and a sword, and I saved your life and became your manservant. You traveled far into Camelot to get an antidote for a poison I consumed even though your father told you not to. You fought a dragon and won. You've defended Camelot from invasions and fought for what's right. You grew into an amazing man right before my eyes, and now you're small and it's odd," Merlin said.

Arthur crossed his arms and glared at Merlin. "You lied, didn't you? You're not from my mother at all."

"No, I'm sorry," Merlin said. "What I showed you, you gave me, because I lost my father like how you lost your mother. You thought you were going to die, so you gave that to me to remember you by."

Arthur was silent for a few seconds. "Are we best friends?"

"I'd like to think so, yes," Merlin said.

"'Cause that's the only reason I'd give that to you," Arthur said. He turned his stern gaze to the knights. The look sent chills down Merlin's spine. At six, Arthur had already perfected his look of kingly judgement. "And you. You lied to me! You promised me you weren't from my father!"

"We're not," Lancelot said. He knelt in front of Arthur, next to Merlin. "When I met you, I was wandering through the countryside hoping I could become a knight of Camelot. It was only when I got to Camelot that I realized only noblemen could be knights."

Arthur tilted his head. "You're not a nobleman?"

"I'm a commoner," Lancelot said. "Because of that, your father barred me from the knights, but you recognized my skill. I helped you fight a griffin, and about a year ago, when Camelot and your father were captured by enemies, I met you again, and you knighted me. I helped you fight to take back Camelot, and I've served you ever since."

"I only met you when Camelot was captured," Percival said. "I didn't know you very long before you knighted me, then I helped you take back Camelot and free your father. You have a noble heart, and I'm proud to be your knight."

Gwaine smirked. "We met a long time ago, princess, and I saved your life."

"I'm a prince, not a princess!" Arthur said hotly.

Gwaine sobered. "In all honesty, Arthur, I never had a cause to fight for until I met you and Merlin. I was lost and aimless. All I did was wander about and get into fights in taverns. I hated nobility, and then I met you. You put the noble in nobility. Your father banished me from Camelot, but you knighted me. You saw the worth in me when hardly anyone else ever had. Your father may technically be the king, but he's not my king. You are."

"I never knew you could be so flowery, Gwaine." Elyan pushed himself away from the doorframe of the room.

Merlin spun, jumping about a foot. He stood up. Elyan was back, without Gwen, notably. That was probably for the best. Arthur would probably be more embarrassed if she saw him as a six-year-old than he was about the donkey thing, and Merlin had waited too long for them to get together for them to screw it up with stupidity now.

Elyan strode forward. Arthur tracked him as he grew closer.

"How did I meet you?" Arthur asked.

"You saved my life," Elyan said. "King Cenred captured me to set a trap for you, because you're close to my sister, and even though you knew it was a trap, you came to save me anyway. I took up my father's trade as a blacksmith until Camelot fell, when you knighted me."

Leon stepped forward. "I'm afraid I was knighted by your father, but I trained for knighthood alongside you. I've fought many battles by your side. You rode out against a dragon for Camelot even though you knew you'd probably die, and that was when I knew you'd be a greater king than your father ever could be. Uther didn't even bother to fight the dragon himself, but you were willing to give your life to try and kill the dragon when you knew it would be almost impossible. I would die for you, sire, and I'm proud to call myself your knight."

Arthur stared at them all, his mouth open, his legs swinging from the bench. "You really think I'm better than my father?"

Exclamations broke out, all of the speaking over each other.

"Oh, definitely," Merlin said.

"Undoubtedly," Lancelot said.

"No contest," Elyan said.

"Hands down you're the only noble I actually like," Gwaine said.

"Head and shoulders," Percival said.

"He can't compare to you," Leon said.

Arthur turned to Gaius. "Gaius, did you hear?"

Gaius smiled. "Yes, I did." He patted Arthur's book. "They're right, you know."

Arthur sobered. "My father'll be furious when he hears that."

"Arthur…" Gaius said. "Your father is ill. Very ill. When he was captured, his mind gave out. He's been sick ever since, too sick to rule or notice anything around him. He's probably never going to recover."

Arthur's face wavered between elation and devastation. "So I'm safe? For good?"

Merlin nodded. "You're safe."

"If my father's too sick to rule, then who's in charge of Camelot now?" Arthur asked.

The room fell silent, the awkward moment stretching. Finally, Merlin couldn't stand it anymore. "You are," he said. "You're the prince regent."

A knock sounded on the door. "Gaius?" Gwen said. The door creaked open and she stuck her head in. "May I come in?"

"Who's that?" Arthur asked.

Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. Merlin hid his face in his hands. He couldn't face this. This would be the embarrassment of all embarrassments.

"She's your girlfriend," Gwaine said.

Merlin peeked through his fingers.

Arthur had frozen. He stared wide-eyed at Gwen for several heartbeats. He screamed and bolted into Merlin's room, slamming the door behind him.

"That went well," Gwaine commented.

A/N: I don't think Uther was actually abusive in canon, but I think he very easily could have been.