Arthur glanced once more towards the door. He finally admit to himself that he was worried; Merlin was never this late for breakfast. In fact, he was usually the first, even helping the servants in setting everything up for them and their father. Arthur glanced to his father, and he could see his father looking worriedly as well at the closed doors. Arthur noticed that his father hadn't touched his food and was holding his fork was loosely in his hand.

"Should, erm. Should I look what's keeping him?" Arthur asked his father, but his father immediately shook his head and stood up, giving a pat on his oldest son's back.

"No need, I will check myself. You should go to your training."

Arthur gave a nod, but his father was already out the door.

Uther walked swiftly to his son's room and after he had knocked on the door but didn't heard anything, he entered the room. The curtains were drawn, so he frowned. Surely if his son's manservant had noticed something wrong with Merlin, he would've come to him to tell.

Uther inched closer to the bed and saw his son lying on top of the covers, dressed and all. "Merlin?" Uther said, but got no answer. Uther came even closer and sat down on the bed, his hand placed on top of his son's and he gasped. His hand was icy cold. Uther moved his hand to his son's brow and he hissed at the heat radiating from it. He felt around on his son's back and felt the clothes drenched. Most likely sweat, Uther mused.

It didn't take him long to put two and two together. Arthur had told him about the clearing and that they had to go through the waterfall and that Merlin had been using magic to make them dry. His foolish son had probably only used most of the spell towards Arthur and had neglected himself, making him feverish now. With a shake of his head Uther stood up and opened the door and gave the order to get Gaius and Merlin's manservant to the first passing servant he saw.

Gaius arrived shortly after, with Will-his ward and Merlin's manservant-trailing behind him. Uther in the meantime had shed his son of his clothes and put him under the covers. It was worrisome to him that Merlin did not stir once during it all, he had only grunted a few times.

"What happened, Sire?" Gaius asked. Uther explained how he found him and from behind him Will stood there wide-eyed. That was not how he left Merlin behind that morning. Everything had been fine.

"S-Sire, I swear, Mer-I mean Prince Merlin was fine when he dismissed me this morning to do my chores." Will croaked out.

The King managed a small smile. "I know you have nothing to do with this, William. My son is one to not let anyone know if he's feeling unwell. Please, can you assist Gaius today with anything he needs?"

Will nodded heavily. "Of course, Sire."

Uther returned his eyes back to Gaius and told him he thinks his son is feverish and explained how it could've happened. Then he frowned. "Gaius, why isn't he reacting? He hasn't opened his eyes, has not responded to anything yet. He's never been sick like this, I'm getting worried!"

"Sire, if I may examine him first?" Uther gave a nod and Gaius moved around him towards the bed. "When I am finished I can conclude if he has a fever or not and what the best remedy should be. But what you told me, it could be indeed a very nasty cold that has resulted in a fever. I will send for you when I am finished."

"Of course, Gaius. Thank you." Uther took one last look at his son before moving out of the room. He needed to confirm things with Arthur. See if nothing else happened yesterday.

~oOoOo~

Uther sat at his desk, rubbing his hands across his forehead. Arthur hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary yesterday, so he couldn't help him with that. Arthur spoke his guilt to him for not telling Merlin about his clothes still feeling a bit damp; he had thought they would dry when they were on their horses again.

As he continued rubbing, his fingers caught onto his scar and a memory immediately flooded into his mind.

"Why do you have a line on your forehead, daddy? Mommy doesn't have one and Arthur and me don't have one." The eight year old sat on Uther's lap, clearly distracting him from matters of state, but Uther couldn't care less about those right that second. Not when those sky blue eyes were looking at him with wonder.

"I fought bad people, Merlin. People who wanted to take our home away, like how Arthur sometimes takes away your toy dragon and doesn't give it back." The little boy gasped. "But I won and I kept our home safe. One of those persons wasn't happy with that though and was angry with me and hit me with a sword."

The little boy gasped again, "You're not supposed to hit each other! Mother tells us so."

Uther chuckled and stroked his son's hair. "No, no we shouldn't. Listen to your mother, Merlin, she's a wise woman."

"I always do, daddy. I get treats!" The raven haired boy gave his father a toothy smile.

"That you are," Uther said with a few pats on his son's head. "But now you know how I get that line. It's a line that never goes away and that's called a scar."

A knock on the door brought him back to the present and he bid the person entrance. Gaius came through the door with, what Uther can only describe as, a reassuring smile. "You were right, Sire. It was a high fever, caused by the cold he caught presumably by wet clothes. Once I determined that, I made young William lit the fire and heat some stones. The stones I placed under the covers and soon the fever broke. Your son is awake now."

"Thank the heavens." Uther breathed out. His shoulders immediately losing all their tension.

"You can see him now if you'd like." Gaius continued. "He'll probably feel badly for a few days Please make sure he drinks plenty and he has to stay in bed for at least the better part of this week. I have instructed him this, but you and I both know how the young Prince is." Gaius chuckled, having dealt more than one with the Prince's insisting personality.

~oOoOo~

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you hear me!" Uther had his son wrapped tightly in his arms. "And don't ever do something like that again. Please, Merlin, don't put yourself on the second place all the time, but take care of yourself. Now you only have a cold, but who knows what will happen the next time?"

"I'm sorry, father." Merlin mumbled against his father's chest. His voice raspy.

Uther inhaled deeply one last time before letting go of his son and tucking him in again. He could never stay mad for long at Merlin, especially not when Merlin looked at him with that guilty face. "Take some rest, son. I will see you tomorrow." Uther bent down and pecked a kiss on Merlin's hair. "Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight, father."