A/N: This story was my project for last years NaNoWriMo, so I have a fair bit of it prewritten; it just needs to be edited and broken down into chapters. My goal is to update once a week, at least until I get through everything that is pre-written.

Credit for the name goes to Lya200

Chapter 1: The Fall

As of last week, Arthur Pendragon was a full eight years old. He was most definitely not a little kid anymore. Last year when he had turned seven, his father had said he was too old for a nursemaid, and Arthur had been assigned a tutor instead. And eight was a whole year older than seven.

And that was why when Kay, who was only nine, and therefore really barely any older than Arthur at all, dared to call him a baby, it left Arthur seething.

He could have just reminded Kay that he was the prince, and Kay had no right to talk to him that way, but that didn't seem good enough to defend his honor (truthfully, Arthur wasn't exactly sure what it meant to "defend your honor" but he'd heard his father and some of the knights say it.)

No, Arthur would prove to Kay that he wasn't a baby. More than that, he'd prove that Kay was the real baby.

Arthur squared his shoulders and faced Kay, his face red. Kay was taller than him so Arthur drew himself up as much as he could, "I am not a baby."

Kay snickered disbelievingly, which made Arthur' blood boil even more, but he just clenched his fists and gave no other response. He'd show him. His eyes swept the courtyard until they landed on a tree near one of the walls. It was the biggest tree in the whole courtyard.

"I dare you to climb that tree," he said, turning back to Kay.

"Huh?" Kay looked confused, "Which tree?"

"That one," Arthur pointed across the courtyard, "Whoever gets up the highest wins."

"Wins what?" Kay asked skeptically, "Is there a prize?"

Arthur paused briefly thinking of the prizes given out at knights' tournaments, then he shook his head, "It's not about a prize, it's about... it's about honor." That sounded goo., "The loser has to admit that the winner is the best and the bravest and the strongest."

A look of determination crossed Kay's face and he nodded swiftly, "All right, you're on. Obviously I'm going to win though," he grinned suddenly, "And when I do you have to admit that you are a baby"

Arthur scoffed, "I'll show you," he took off across the courtyard, with Kay at his heels.

They reached the tree and skidded to a halt. As Arthur gazed up (and up and up) at its tall, thick trunk, glittering in the sunlight with droplets of water from an early morning rain shower, he felt a quiver of nerves deep in his belly. but he couldn't back out now, Kay would call him a baby forever.

He reached for a low-hanging branch and hauled himself up.

Kay started to do the same, then stopped, "It's slippery from the water. Maybe this isn't such a good idea..."

Arthur looked down at him disdainfully, completely forgetting his own nerves from a moment before, "Who's the baby now, Kay?" he sneered, and was satisfied to see the other boy's face redden.

Without another word of protest, Kay grabbed the branch and roughly pulled himself up. Arthur grinned and set his sights upward again.

He had gone up several more branches when he heard Kay yell. He looked down in time to see the older boy sliding clumsily down the trunk, obviously having lost his grip. Once he hit the ground, Kay looked up at Arthur above him and quickly started climbing again. Arthur turned back to his task.

Kay was right about the bark being slippery. Arthur nearly lost his grip a couple of times, but he managed to hang on.

The second time he nearly lost his grip, he made the mistake of glancing down, and felt a funny jolt in his belly. He was pretty high up now…maybe he should stop. But Kay was still climbing up and would catch up with him soon. The thought of the smirk the other boy would surely give him if he won, and of having to call himself a baby in front of Kay, was enough to make Arthur keep going.

Higher and higher he climbed, feeling a rush of excitement. He was going to win, he knew it. Kay would never call him a baby again after this.

And then it happened. As Arthur reached for the next branch, his foot slipped on the slick bark. He teetered for a moment, trying to grab for the branch and steady himself, and then the next thing he knew, he was plummeting toward the ground. A scream tore from his throat. He couldn't help it.

The ground was rushing up to meet him quickly; he had time to squeeze his eyes shut a heartbeat before he hit, slamming into the ground on his side, one arm pinned beneath him. There was a nasty cracking sound, and then came the pain, blinding pain worse than he could ever remember feeling before. Artur probably screamed again, but he wasn't sure.

He could barely think through the pain, but he could hear footsteps running toward him from every direction, and Kay shouting something over his head.

Arthur moaned. He managed to roll onto his back, which relieved some of the pressure on his arm, but it still hurt so badly he thought he might pass out.

There was a thump next to him and then he could see Kay standing over him, his face white and his eyes wide.

Other people had begun to gather too, a crowd forming around Arthur, mostly grown-ups.

They were all talking at once, to him, to Kay, to each other. Even if Arthur had been able to think clearly, it would have been hard to sort through all the voices.

"Prince Arthur!"

"Is he okay?"

"Are you all right?"

"What happened?"

"Someone better get Gaius."

"Someone ought to tell the king."

"Are you okay?"

Arthur stared up at all the people, dazed, unable to answer the questions. Then came another voice, one he recognized even through the pain, "Arthur!"

His father. Arthur tried to quiet his pained whimpers and moans, to blink back the tears that had formed in his eyes. He didn't want Father to see him showing any weakness. Father was always strong, and he expected Arthur to be strong too.

"Get out of my way! Move, all of you!" Arthur could hear anger and impatience in his father's voice, but also something else, something he'd never heard before, at least not from his father. The crowd parted quickly as the people made way for their king.

His father crouched down beside him and Arthur was shocked to see that Uther's face was as white as Kay's had been. He looked scared... but that couldn't be right, could it? Father didn't get scared.

"Arthur, are you all right?" Father's voice came out rushed, almost panicked as he crouched down next to Arthur. He really was scared, Arthur realized with something close to wonder. "Where does it hurt?" His eyes scanned over Arthur's body.

Even with the pain, it was easier to focus on his father's questions than it had been with the confusing muddle of voices before. Everyone else seemed to have gone silent now.

"My arm... my arm really hurts," Arthur couldn't keep a quaver out of his voice, but if Father was scared, maybe he wouldn't be disappointed in Arthur for showing weakness this time.

"Just your arm?" his father asked, his eyes still roving over Arthur, "Nothing else?"

"Just my arm... I think," it hurt so badly Arthur couldn't feel anything else.

Some of the panic in his father's eyes seemed to dim, "All right," he murmured, and again there was something in his tone Arthur hadn't often heard before. Not fear this time, but something gentle and reassuring, "You're going to be okay. I'm going to get you to Gaius."

Father slid his hands under Arthur's torso, careful to avoid touching his injured arm. Arthur felt himself being lifted, and then gently cradled against his father's chest. It felt... nice, even though his arm still felt like it was on fire.

"Father?" he murmured, as Uther began to carry him away - he could feel the motion as his father walked.

"Yes, arthur?" Father looked down at him, his gaze worried, "Does something else hurt?"

Arthur shook his head, just a little, afraid to move too much, "No... I just wanted to tell you. I climbed higher than Kay, Father. I was brave."

Something flickered across Uther's face. Arthur couldn't read the emotion in his eyes now. He pressed his lips together for a moment, as if he had been about to say something but thought better of it.

"Of course you were brave, Arthur," he said, after a moment of silence.

Arthur felt his heart swell with pride at the words, at his father's acknowledgment. It was almost worth the pain in his arm, just to hear that. He rested his head against his father's chest. He could hear the doors to the castle swing open, and the sound of Uther's footsteps against the stone changed, becoming more echoey in the enclosed space.

They came to a staircase, and each step up jolted Arthur's arm a little. A small whimper escaped him. His father stopped, "Arthur?"

"It hurts," Arthur murmured.

After a moment, Father started walking again, "We are almost to Gaius' quarters now. He can give you something for the pain. Just be brave a little longer," his voice had gone gentle again, and it almost seemed to make the pain recede- just a little. Once they were on flat ground again, that helped too.

Arthur heard another door swing open- someone else must have opened it because Father's arms had never moved from around Arthur. Arthur heard Gaius' voice and felt his father take a few more steps. Then he was being laid down on a bed, and it was both a relief and a disappointment. He'd felt safe in his father's arms, with Uther murmuring reassurances to him. But he also knew the bed meant that soon Gaius could start making him better.

He knew better than to try to roll onto his side, so he stared up at the ceiling while he listened to father explaining to Gaius what had happened. Gaius' face appeared above him, and the physician pressed a small vial to Arthur's lips. Arthur drank it without question, grimacing at the bitter taste.

At first nothing seemed to happen, but then he could feel the pain in his arm receding. His eyelids grew heavy, and soon he had drifted off to sleep.

When Arthur woke up, his arm was still sore, but the burning pain had died down into a dull ache. However, now that his arm didn't feel like it was on fire, he was aware of the pain in the rest of his body. He ached... well, everywhere. He sat up slowly, wincing. Gaius was across the room, mixing something with a mortar and pestle.

Arthur didn't realize his father was still in the room too, until he spoke, "Arthur, you're awake." Arthur turned his head and saw Uther sitting in a chair by his bed. Had he been there the whole time Arthur slept? What about his kingly duties?

"How are you feeling?" Uther asked.

"Sore," Arthur replied, then, wanting to be brave, he added, "but it's not so bad."

His gaze drifted to his arm, the one that had hurt so badly before. Gaius had wrapped it tightly in bandages and bound it to Arthur's chest to keep it still.

"What were you thinking climbing up so high?" The sternness in his father's voice caught Arthur off guard.

He frowned, "I wanted to be brave." His father had agreed that he'd been brave before, so why did he seem angry now?

"You can be brave without being foolish," Arthur winced at his father's tone, "The bark was wet. It was too dangerous."

Arthur could feel his own frown deepen. He didn't like his father saying he was foolish. "But Kay called me a baby, and I had to prove that I wasn't."

"You had no need to prove anything," Uther's volume had risen slightly, "You're very lucky it was only your arm that you injured."

His voice dropped suddenly, and something else flashed across his face, "You could have been killed." The sternness returned, "Do you understand that?"

Arthur dropped his gaze, "I... I'm sorry, Father. I won't do it again." He had wanted his father to be proud of him, not disappointed in him.

"Good," Uther said firmly.

Gaius had finished grinding up whatever was in his pestle, and he walked over to them now, "Sire, if you will allow me to interrupt, I'd like to explain to Arthur about his injuries."

Uther nodded once, standing up, "I need to get to the council meeting anyway." He looked down at Arthur, "I expect you to listen to what Gaius tells you."

Arthur nodded, "Yes, Father." He watched as his father left the room before turning his attention to Gaius.

"Your arm is broken," Gaius told him, "Fortunately it was a clean break, so it should heal well, as long as you keep it still. Besides that you don't have any serious injuries-"

Arthur frowned, "Then how come I hurt all over?" he asked, cutting off whatever Gaius had been about to say next.

Gaius raised an eyebrow, "As I was saying, you have no other serious injuries, but you did get quite bruised up from the fall. You will be sore for the next few days, but as your father said, on the whole you were extraordinarily lucky. It could have been a great deal worse."

Arthur frowned at the mention of his father, "Gaius, how come Father was angry with me? Before, he agreed I was brave for climbing higher than Kay. But just now he said I was being foolish."

Gaius gave him an understanding smile, "The only reason your father was angry was because he was worried, Arthur. It scared him to see you hurt, and it scared him even more to think about how much worse it could have been."

Arthur thought about that for a moment, "Oh." It made him feel a bit better. Not that he wanted his father to be scared, but worried was better than angry and disappointed. "I didn't know Father could get scared," he said more quietly, "I've never seen it happen before."

"Everyone is afraid sometimes, Arthur," Gaius replied gently, "Even your father."

After a moment of silence, while Arthur digested his words, Gaius turned back to the subject of Arthur's injuries, "The bruising will go away on its own. It should be gone within a fortnight. Your arm will take longer to heal, you won't be able to use it for at least a month."

Athur felt his mouth drop open in dismay. A month? A month felt like forever. How could he go a month without using his arm? "But-" he protested.

"But nothing," Gaius interjected firmly, "If you do not give it time to heal properly it could be damaged permanently."

Arthur shut his mouth. A month might feel like forever but if his arm was really messed up forever, he might never be a knight. He couldn't risk that.

He nodded meekly, "Okay. But how will I know when I can use it again?"

"I will be checking it regularly," Gaius replied, "And I'll let you know when we can remove the bandages and the sling. Though even then, you will have to take it easy with that arm for a while longer."

Even longer than a month? Arthur wanted to protest again, but he thought better of it.

"I don't have to stay in here for the whole month, do I?" he asked, looking around the physician's quarters.

Gaius smiled, "No, in fact you can go back to your room as soon as we're finished talking. Just make sure that you check in with me every few days, and come to me right away if the pain suddenly worsens or you have any other symptoms, not just in your arm, but anywhere. Especially if you feel dizzy or faint, it doesn't seem as if you hit your head, but we can never be too careful."

He crossed to his table and picked up a little bottle, which he brought over to Arthur, "This is pain medicine, not as strong as what I gave you earlier, and it won't put you to sleep, but it will help with the soreness and stiffness from the bruising, as well as with the pain in your arm. You can take it as you need it, but no more than three or four times a day, and no more than a mouthful at a time. I'd like you to take your first dose now and then you may go."

He gave Arthur a stern look, "But I want you to go straight back to your room and lay down. Rest will help you heal. You need to take things very easy for the next few days."

Arthur nodded. "I understand, Gaius," he said, remembering his father's admonishment to listen to Gaius, as well as Gaius' warning about his arm never healing right if he didn't refrain from using it. He used his good arm to take the bottle from Gaius, and struggled to get the cap off one-handed for a moment before Gaius stepped in to help him. He took a sip from the bottle, and this medicine didn't taste any better than the medicine Gaius had given him earlier. He resolved to only use it when the pain got really bad.

He stood up, and the motion sent a sharp pain through his arm. Well... maybe he would use the pain medicine again after all, despite the taste.

Gaius opened the door for him, and Arthur began to walk down the hall toward his bedroom. The pain medicine hadn't had time to kick in yet and his whole body still ached. He thought that he must be black and blue all over under his clothes. Even without Gaius' stern instruction, all Arthur wanted to do at this moment was lay down.

He paused by a window, and looked out at the courtyard. The day had passed by while he slept, and dusk was falling outside, but he could still see the big tree that he had climbed, looking dark and shadowy now in the fading light. His stomach dipped at the memory of falling through the air. He supposed his father hadn't been wrong. Climbing it when he knew the bark was slippery had been a pretty dumb thing to do. Especially when he'd already seen Kay fall once, and had slipped twice himself.

Still... part of him couldn't help but feel proud that he'd climbed up so high, higher than Kay had. Sure, he'd gotten hurt, but at least Kay couldn't call him a baby anymore.

He smiled a little as he turned away from the window and started walking again. That was worth something.

When he got to his room, he found a plate of food waiting for him on the table. A servant must have been in to bring his dinner. He hadn't realized he was hungry, but his stomach growled when he saw and smelled the food.

He sat down to eat - Gaius had told him to lie down right away, but surely he could eat first, right? The food was still warm, so it couldn't have been sitting for very long. Maybe Gaius had told someone to bring it after Arthur had left his quarters. It was a little tricky eating with just one hand - but at least it had been Arthur's left arm he broke, and not his right, which was the one he used more. Still, cutting up the food proved impossible, so he had to spear whole sausages on the knife and take bites off of them.

By the time he was done eating, the pain medicine had taken effect, and he no longer felt so stiff and sore.

However, even though he'd slept for hours in Gaius' quarters, he still felt tired. He didn't know if that was an effect of the medicine- Gaius had said it wouldn't make him sleep but maybe it would still make him feel sleepy?- or if it was because of his injuries. Either way, he guessed it didn't matter too much. He climbed into bed, pulling his blanket over him and rolling carefully onto his uninjured side, and he was asleep before a servant even came back to get his empty plate.