With nothing much to do, Merlin wanted to rest, but Gaius sent him scurrying all around the town delivering medicines, pounding herbs in a mortar until his arms were sore, and memorizing the spell to turn Arthur back until he couldn't think straight. Finally, Merlin collapsed on a bench and sat his head down on the table. "You're worse than Arthur."

Gaius chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Hard work is good for the soul. Now, why don't you take Arthur his dinner?"

Merlin groaned. Gaius set two full plates in front of him. Merlin sighed and grabbed the plates. Gaius opened the door for him and he walked in.

Arthur was curled on Merlin's bed, Sir Bear in his arms. Tear tracks stained his cheeks as he stared off into space.

Merlin's heart wrenched. He set the plates on a bedside table and sat down next to Arthur. He put a hand on his arm. "Arthur."

"I wish you had told me," Arthur said. "Older me. If not in front of my father, then later. That was a shoddy thing for a friend to do."

"I know," Merlin said. "That's always been one of my biggest regrets." He had had the opportunity to open Arthur's eyes to magic and he had blown it. Not to mention he had lied to him about his mother.

"But you're right," Arthur said. "If I kill my father, I'm just as bad as he is. And I am regent now, so it's not like he'd even know what he's being punished for."

"You know, that's actually something I learned from you," Merlin said. "You have a good heart, Arthur."

Arthur brightened a bit. "Really?"

"Really." Merlin rubbed his arm, then picked up a plate. "Hungry?"

Arthur nodded and sat up.

Merlin handed him the plate, then picked up his own plate. "There's actually a bit more that we just found out about you being born from magic. That's why you heard us talking about it."

Arthur poked at his food. "Is it more bad news?"

Merlin shrugged. "It depends on how you look at it. Because you were born from magic, you have the ability…" He pulled himself together. It was so strange to connect those words with Arthur. "You have the ability to perform magic. I don't think you can do it on your own, but with something to channel it, such as that staff, you can do magic. It's why you're able to blast holes in the wall."

"I'm not blasting holes in the wall!" Arthur cried.

Merlin struggled to restrain his smile.

"I'm not!" Arthur protested. He drooped and poked at his food some more. "Is that why my father hates me so much? 'Cause I have magic?"

"Your father doesn't hate you," Merlin said. "It may seem like that now, but I've seen him when he's almost lost you. You're the light of his life. He would give his life for you. And coming from me, praise for Uther is a big deal."

Arthur shrugged. "If he loves me, why is he so mean?"

"I think from what you remember of him, he just hasn't realized he loves you yet, so he's not treating you right. It'll come," Merlin said.

"Maybe." Arthur dug into his food, then spoke with his mouth full. "I want to do stuff with magic!"

Merlin froze, terrible visions of a young Arthur creating havoc and getting himself arrested. "Why don't we wait until tomorrow?"

"I don't want to," Arthur said.

"If you wait to do magic until tomorrow, I'll…" Merlin cast about for some way to bribe or threaten Arthur. "Tell you about the Great Dragon."

Arthur's mouth dropped open. "A dragon?"

Merlin nodded. "Dragon today, magic tomorrow?"

"Okay!" Arthur dug into his dinner. "Tell me about dragons."

Gaius peeked in on his boys. Merlin and Arthur sat on the bed facing each other, empty plates forgotten. Merlin spread his arms, a dragon made of sparks following them and swooping down on knights made of sparks. He animatedly told the tale of Arthur and Merlin fighting Kilgarrah. Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, young Arthur exclaimed at all the right parts.

Gaius chuckled. While not exactly how he'd pictured it, he'd dreamed of this sight for ages. His boys talking freely about magic and simply enjoying each other's company. No destinies or responsibilities weighing them down. Just two friends relaxing and enjoying each other for who they were.

He supposed he could do the dishes tonight. Let the boys have their fun.

MERLIN

"Arthur? Merlin?" Elyan called. "Are you awake?"

Merlin groaned and forced himself awake.

"Just go ahead and wake them up," Gaius said. "They've been sleeping too long."

A fuzzy bear face stared into Merlin's face. Merlin jumped up.

Arthur was sprawled on the bed, Sir Bear on the pillow next to him.

Merlin stared at him. Should he wake him up? That was his job, after all.

No, not when Arthur was six. Besides, who knew who was outside the room?

Merlin wrenched his door open and stumbled down the stairs. "Morning," he mumbled.

"Enjoying your days off?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin snorted. Days off? Tiny Arthur was even more high maintenance than regular Arthur.

Lancelot, Elyan, Percival, and Gwaine stood in the room. "I suppose you want to see Arthur?" Merlin asked.

"Well, you too, but we would like to see Arthur," Elyan said.

"He didn't exactly have a childhood, so we'd like to make that up a bit," Lancelot said.

Merlin smiled. Now this he could get behind. But what were they going to do about Agravaine? "Where's Leon?"

"Delaying Agravaine from taking charge," Lancelot said.

Merlin relaxed. Leon was good with the court but firm when he needed to be. He could handle Agravaine. "All right then." He turned and hollered. "Arthur!"

After a minute or so, Arthur stumbled out of Merlin's room hugging Sir Bear and rubbing his eyes, his hair sticking up everywhere.

"Good morning, Arthur," Percival said.

"Morning." Arthur stumbled over to an empty table and climbed onto the bench. "What are you here for?"

"We're here to have fun." Gwaine ruffled Arthur's hair.

"But I'm hungry!" Arthur exclaimed.

"Come on, I'll help you get dressed, and then we can stop by the kitchens for breakfast," Merlin said.

"But the cook's scary!" Arthur said.

The knights all laughed.

"That she is, Arthur," Gwaine said. "But I have a lot of experience dealing with the big bad scary cook. I can face her for you."

Arthur frowned but nodded. "Okay." He hopped off the bench and ran up to Merlin, then tugged on his shirt.

Merlin bent over and whispered, "What is it, Arthur?"

"Can we practice magic after we play with the knights?" Arthur whispered in his ear.

"Of course," Merlin said. "Now come on, I'll help you get dressed."

"Now here's someone who appreciates my cooking!" the cook said proudly.

Arthur wriggled in his seat and smiled. Merlin had expected a knockdown drag out fight with the cook to get food for his "brother Tom," but the cook had taken one look at Arthur and started dishing up breakfast for him on account of his "uncanny resemblance to Prince Arthur." His big blue eyes, pouting lip, and refusal to let go of Sir Bear couldn't have hurt either. Some people had all the luck.

"Can I get a little something?" Gwaine reached out for an uncooked dumpling.

The cook smacked his hand with a wooden spoon. "Keep your grubby hands off my dumplings."

"Can I have a dumpling?" Arthur asked.

"Of course, love, they'll be ready in a minute," the cook said. "Get some water boiling, we need to cook these dumplings!" she barked.

Arthur smiled.

Merlin scowled. How come Arthur, in any form, was the cook's one soft spot?

Arthur had been wary of the knights' games at first, but slowly Merlin, Lancelot, and Elyan softened him up, and now, they were all playing a variant form of tag where they all chased Arthur around.

Arthur's laughter pealed through the training field, more carefree than Merlin had ever heard him before. He ducked under Lancelot's swiping arm and dove through Gwaine's legs.

Straight into Merlin's arms. Merlin wrapped his arms around Arthur, who shrieked.

"Surrender, Arthur!" Merlin demanded.

"No!" Arthur shouted.

Merlin tickled Arthur. Arthur shrieked with laughter and wriggled so much Merlin could barely keep ahold of him.

Merlin's feet slipped from under him. He kept his arms firm around Arthur and tickled him some more. "Give up?"

"Never!" Arthur cried, his words punctuated by giggles. "I'm the...prince regent of Camelot, and... I'll...never surrender!"

"What do you mean, he's the prince regent of Camelot?" Agravaine said. "Surely that can't be...Arthur Pendragon?"

Merlin froze. No. No, no, no, no, no...

Agravaine stood on be edge of the training field, a scowling Leon running to catch up with him.

Arthur scrambled up and crossed his arms. "Yeah, that's me. I've been enchanted to be younger. Who are you?"

"You can't be serious." Agravaine turned to Leon. "How long were you planning on keeping this from me? Don't you think I deserve to know that the regent is unfit to rule?"

Merlin stood up. "It's only three weeks. Gaius examined him and he should be back to normal by the end of the month."

"That's hardly a comfort, is it?" Agravaine asked. "Camelot needs a ruler now, not in three weeks. What if Morgana attacks? I must bring this to the council."

"But…" Merlin started.

"It's shameful that all of you kept this a secret from everyone," Agravaine said. "Bordering on treason, in fact. You should be careful I don't bring that up to the council as well."

"You didn't answer my question!" Arthur said.

Agravaine spun around and stalked back towards the castle. Arthur started after him, but Merlin caught him. "Don't. Let Leon handle this."

Leon ran after Agravaine. "Lord Agravaine!"

"What now?" Elyan said.

"I want to play some more tag," Arthur said.

A/N: So I don't want anyone to think I'm condoning the abuse. Merlin is trying hard not to condone what Uther does and also not alienate Arthur from his father because eventually Uther will get to the point in the show where he'll give his life for his son in a heartbeat (and then after he dies, his ghost becomes bitter and willing to kill his son to get his kingdom back the way he wanted it, but anyway).