"Arthur's birthday isn't far away now," Merlin spoke idly, "The party is next week."

Uther didn't reply, it was one of those days. Merlin knew he should of come over more often but he'd been so busy lately.

"He says we are going to celebrate my birthday as well, since I missed it." Merlin continued, "I'll make sure they send you some food from the feast."

"Has Arthur been to see you?" The prince tried, "He told me yesterday he would, he was going to visit last night but Gaius told him it was best he go to bed early after his fall in the river."

Uther shook his head. That was something.

"I am tired." he sighed slowly rising, "Go attend to your duties Merlin."

Merlin nodded in acknowledgement, it was rare for Uther to speak at all on a bad day, so an order was welcome. He made his way toward Arthur's room, he hadn't seen him all morning which was odd. He had expected Arthur would join him at breakfast but he didn't which was odd. He assumed Arthur was with father and didn't think much of it.

As usual he waltzed into Arthur's room without knocking, surprised to find the curtains still closed. Where was Turner? Oh that's right, William told him Arthur had given Turner a few days off in order to lead the preparations for the party.

"Come on Arthur, up and at 'em!" Merlin grinned as he went over to open the curtains, "It'll be lunch time soon!"

Arthur replied with a pained groan, which made Merlin abandon the curtains and rush over to the bed. Arthur was curled up and sweating under the thick blankets, Merlin felt his forehead not surprised to find it burning.

"You clotpole, I told you you'd get sick." He sighed.

"'m not sick." Arthur groaned revealing he was in fact awake, "You're the one who get's sick."

"Evidently, both of us do." Merlin grinned, "I'm going to find a servant and get you some soup and water."

Arthur gave another groan and curled up again making himself look a lot like a child.

Merlin soon found a servant and ordered them to go down to the kitchen and grab a bowl of soup, some bread and a pitcher of water. He then got another to bring him some extra candle which he lit with his magic once the doors were closed. Gaius quickly gave Arthur the look over, announcing it was a bad case of the flu which would last a week at least. Arthur was suffering from a bad fever, terrible headache and a sore throat and most likely wouldn't even be out of bed for a few days. But he was not in life threatening danger, which calmed Merlin considerably.

As he was the regents brother duty called for Merlin to take over in his brothers absence. Merlin immediately call the round table knights together and they all split the job between them so Merlin could stay with Arthur and watch over him. Leon and the knights did most of the leg work leaving the piles of paper work to Merlin, usually he would of groaned but paper work could be done easily while sitting at Arthur's desk.

"Arthur you are going to eat this soup if I have to force feed you." Merlin growled, "Stop being a child."

"I'm not hungry." Arthur croaked, "Let me sleep."

Rolling his eyes Merlin propped Arthur up and shoved the spoon into his face, reluctantly Arthur took the bowl and sipped at the soup. He got through half of it before he became nauseous but Merlin could live with that.

...

Merlin was woken by a rough couch from Arthur's bed, he shot upwards making an annoyed grunt as he realised a sheet of paper was stuck to his face. After peeling it off he went over to check Arthur who was reading a report that had fallen from the desk. The cloth that had been on his forehead had slipped off and into the bucket of cool water by the bed.

"Come on Arthur, you rest." Merlin yawned taking the paper from Arthur.

"You don't have to be my nursemaid you know." Arthur sighed.

"You always look after me," Merlin pointed out as he fished the rag out of the water and squeezed the excess water out of it.

"Brothers look after each other." Merlin continued, laying the cloth over Arthur's feverish forehead, "Besides this is going to get worse before it gets better, better to have a familiar face. Don't want you punching a servant in a fevered haze."

Arthur snorted like it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard but then screwed up his face, he'd made his headache worse.

...

"Arthur stop thrashing about!" Merlin yelled in frustration.

"I can't help it, it's hot." Arthur huffed, "I'm restless and exhausted at the same time."

"I know I know, but Gaius says the fever should break some time soon." Merlin assured him, "You will be on the mend by tomorrow."

Arthur groaned.

The warlock flopped down on the floor by the bucket in a huff, he had to keep Arthur distracted some how until his body let him fall asleep again. That's when he got an idea, quickly checking that the door was locked he jumped onto the foot of his brother's bed, grinning.

"Here, watch this." He offered, eyes glowing.

Slowly a stream of water raised itself into the air and formed a round ball in the air between the two brothers. Concentrating Merlin shifted the water into the shape of a fish and had it 'swim' around the air.

"See? It's a reverse fish." He grinned, Arthur laughed rolling his eyes.

Next he changed it into a dog, then a horse and finally a dragon. Completing the illusion by having the dragon breath a thin water mist over the future king.

"Hey!" Arthur laughed whipping the moisture from his face, "That's unfair I can't splash you back!"

"Too bad." Merlin grinned, changing the water into a hawk and flying it around the room through some more water formed hoops.

"Most powerful sorcerer of all time," Arthur mused, "Are you're making animals out of water."

"You wound me Arthur!" Merlin replied in mock offence, "Look I can do ice too!"

The water formed a ball above Arthur's head and with the flick of a finger turned instantly to powdery white snow, which fell on the man's face.

"Ugh!" Arthur coughed, "Well, that's one way tot cool a fever."

Fluff ^^