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Chapter Text

Gaius knocked on Merlin's bedroom door. "Merlin! If you don't get up, you'll be late again."

There was no answer, not even the young man's usual groan. Gaius knocked again, and this time there came a soft squeak. He pushed open the door and for a moment he thought the room was empty.

"Merlin?"

The blanket bunched on the bed twitched, and a small face emerged. The boy looked about four, and he was shaking slightly.

"How do you know my name?" the boy's voice was quiet and fearful.

Gaius froze, staring at the child. He had black hair, and wide blue-grey eyes. His ears were slightly too large for his head, and his nose was a familiar shape. "Merlin?!"

The child frowned. "Yes. Who are you?"

Gaius blinked, then said, "I'm Gaius. I'm a friend of your mother's."

"Where is Mama?" Merlin asked, head tilting slightly to one side.

The physician thought furiously for a moment, then replied, "She's gone to buy some seeds for planting. She asked me to look after you for a while until she gets back."

The child frowned, then smiled. "She normally asks Will's mama, but she doesn't like me much. She says I'm strange. Can I stay with you next time as well? You seem kind."

Gaius nodded, hoping that this enchantment wouldn't last long. "I'll ask your mother when she comes back."

Merlin stood up on his bed. Amazingly, his clothes had shrunk with him, leaving him a small blue shirt, brown trousers and a red neckerchief. He was barefoot, but his clothes seemed to suggest that the enchantment had taken hold last night when he had been getting undressed for bed.

"Gaius, I'm hungry. Can we have breakfast now?"

He sighed. This was going to be hard work. "Yes, Merlin. I'll make you some porridge."

The answering smile lit up his ward's face. "Thank you!"

They were sat at the table, Merlin with a couple of cushions on his chair to make him tall enough, when there came a knock at the door.

"Come in."

It was Elyan. "Gaius, is Merlin here? Arthur's looking for him. Apparently he didn't wake him this morning."

Gaius groaned. He'd forgotten about Arthur. But before he could answer, there came a squeak of fear from Merlin, and the boy shot from his chair and up the steps to his room.

"Just a moment Elyan, I tell you what's going on." Gaius followed his ward up and found him buried under his blanket, shaking with fear. "Merlin, what's wrong?"

"Knights are scary," came the soft reply. "They come and take away our food and money. Last summer, they hit Will's mama because she didn't have enough coins." His face emerged from the blanket. "Why do they do that? Why do they take our food away? We need it."

Gaius reached down and lifted Merlin up. "These knights won't hurt you, I promise. They're my friends. They won't take your food away. Come on. You didn't finish your porridge."

Merlin nodded, rubbing his eyes, and let Gaius carry him back down to the table.

The physician looked at Elyan, who was watching the child with curious eyes. "Elyan, if Arthur wants to see Merlin, he'll have to wait a little while. Give me about a half hour. Then I'll bring Merlin up to Arthur's chambers. The rest of Merlin's friends might want to be there too, if you can manage it."

Elyan nodded. "I'll see what I can do." Then he left, closing the door behind him.

~~~

After Merlin had eaten all his porridge, and Gaius had persuaded him to wash his hands and face, he took the child's hand and walked with him to Arthur's chambers.

He knocked, and heard Arthur's voice call, "Enter."

Inside the chambers, all of Merlin's close friends had gathered, Gwen and Arthur, and the members of the round table who had been there when Arthur had found the ancient stone Round Table before they reclaimed Camelot from Morgana. They all stared when Gaius came in with a small child holding his hand.

Merlin flinched at the sight of so many knights, and hugged one of Gaius's legs, burying his face in his robe. The physician bent down, reminding Merlin that he was safe and the knights wouldn't hurt him. After a few moments, he calmed down, and peered at them all from around his guardian's leg.

"Hello," he said in a small voice.

"Hello little one," said Gwen softly.

Arthur looked at Gaius. "I assume there's a reason you've dressed this child like Merlin."

Gwaine laughed. "He looked just like him. Has Merlin had a son and never told us?"

The child tilted his head curiously. "Gaius, are they friends of mama's too? How do they know my name?"

Arthur froze, staring at the child that so resembled his manservant. The knights was watching him too, and Merlin shuffled uncomfortably.

"When I went to wake Merlin this morning Sire, I found this child in his place. He had no memory of me or of how he got there. He asked several times of his mother, and I had to tell him that Hunith had left me to take care of him when she was away."

Arthur looked from the child to Gaius. "Are you telling me that this child is Merlin?"

Gaius nodded. "It seems so."

Gwen crouched down to Merlin's level. "How old are you Merlin?"

"Four summers," he said shyly. "Are you a lady? I've never met a lady before."

Gwen smiled and shook her head. "I'm not a lady, Merlin."

He smiled. "Good. Mama said that lords and ladies aren't supposed to talk to us. We just have to bow and not be silly or play loudly when they come."

"Do lords and ladies come to your village often?" asked Elyan.

Merlin shook his head. "Just once last summer. Mama said they were checking to see that we were all following the rules."

Gwaine knelt on the floor in front of his friend. "Merlin, my name's Gwaine. Do you remember me?"

Merlin tilted his head to one side, considering the man carefully. He let go of Gaius's robe and took a step closer. Then he said, "I don't think so. But I always hide when the knights come, they're scary. But Gaius says you're friends and won't take my food away." He paused, then said earnestly, "You won't take my food away, will you? You seem nice. Not scary like the other knights."

Gwaine smiled. "I won't take your food, Merlin. I promise."

The boy grinned, then ran forward and threw his arms around Gwaine's neck in a tight hug.

Elyan chuckled, and Merlin looked at him. "Hello again. You were in Gaius's room earlier."

"That's right," the knight nodded. "I'm Elyan."

Merlin smiled at him, then went back to Gaius.

Arthur was watching his manservant with confusion. He seemed so open, so innocent.

But Lancelot seemed confused for a different reason. "Why would knights be taking food from Ealdor?"

"Taxes," said Leon. "Cenred's not known for his kindness. If the villages don't have enough coin, they'll take payment in other ways. That would explain why he was scared at first."

"Gaius, do you have any idea what happened?" asked Arthur. "Why has Merlin gone back to being four again?"

The physician sighed. "I'm not sure Sire. It's obviously an enchantment of some kind, but I haven't had a chance to look into it yet. I've had my hands full." He looked around at the knights. "If I could ask someone to take care of Merlin for a while so I could do some research, it would be greatly appreciated."

Lancelot immediately stepped forward. "I don't have any patrols or guard shifts today. I can look after him."

Gwen looked at him with a smile. "I can help."

"All right." Arthur looked at Merlin, then sighed. "I will have to ask George to take Merlin's place for today." He groaned, then bent down and met Merlin's eyes. "I'm Arthur, Merlin. If you get scared and can't find Gaius or someone else you know, just ask someone to bring you to me."

The child nodded, then grinned at him. "Arthur," he said simply.

"That's right." Arthur stood up, then reached for a stack of papers on his desk. "I have to get to the council meeting. Gaius, let me know if you find anything to help Merlin."

~~~

The knights murmured responses as he left, then they began to sort out their days. Gwaine and Elyan left for a patrol, while Gwen began to think of what she could do to entertain a child for the day.

Percival moved towards Merlin, who looked up at him with wide eyes. "You're really tall. Are you a giant?"

The knight chuckled softly. "No, little one. My name is Percival."

"Oh." Merlin let go of Gaius's robes again and simply stood staring at the knight.

Percival decided to do his best not to intimidate the child, so he sat down on the floor. Merlin immediately smiled and clambered into his lap. "Are you sure you're not a giant? I've never met anyone as tall as you before."

"I'm sure, little one."

Merlin took one of Percival's hand and turned it over, examining it closely. "Are you a farmer as well as a knight? Cuz, Mama has rough bits on her hands like this, and she says it's from looking after the plants."

"No, I'm not a farmer. I've got rough hands from holding my sword."

Merlin looked up at him, still smiling. "Will's da was a knight too. Will's mama still has his sword. We're not allowed to touch it, cuz it's too sharp."

"That's right. You shouldn't touch swords. You're a bit too young to playing with sharp things."

"Me and Will use sticks instead. We take it in turns to be the hero and the bandit. The bandit has to hide then jump out at the hero, and the hero has to try and catch them. It's fun, but we're not allowed to play in the barn anymore. Will accidentally let out his mama's chickens last time, and his mama was very cross with him."

Percival laughed. "Well, I'm not surprised. It's hard to catch chickens when they run away."

Merlin giggled. "I know. I was very funny watching her chase them around."

Leon was staring at Percival in amazement. "I think that might be the most I've ever heard you say in one go," he said quietly.

Percival looked up at him with a smile. "I like children," he replied simply.

Merlin hopped down from Percival's lap and went over to Leon. "Hello. I like your hair. It's all curly."

Leon smiled and crouched down to look at Merlin. "Thank you Merlin. I'm Leon."

"Leon. Like the lion." Merlin made a grrr sound and curled his hands like claws. "Will had a wooden lion. Only one of the legs got broken last winter when he was pretending to hunt the mice in the hayloft."

Leon laughed. "Yes, that's right. Like the lion."

Lancelot joined Leon, crouching beside Merlin. "I'm Lancelot. Gaius has asked me and Gwen to look after you today, so he can work. Is that alright?"

The child considered him so a moment, then grinned. "Okay. Can we go outside? I want to climb trees."

Lancelot smiled. "Maybe later. First, we're going to find you some toys, alright?"

Merlin nodded, then ran back to Gaius. "Bye Uncle Gaius. See you later." He hugged him tightly round the knees, then went back and took Lancelot's hand.

Gaius was blinking in surprise. Then he said softly, "Bye Merlin. I'll come and get you for dinner later."

Merlin grinned at this, then waved earnestly until Gaius had gone.

Leon held out his hand and helped Percival to his feet. "We should get going. We have training soon."

Percival nodded, and they left, calling their goodbyes to Merlin.

That left Lancelot and Gwen.

~~~

"We could take him back to my room," said Lancelot softly. "There's less chance of him wondering off that way."

Gwen agreed, then bent down and picked Merlin up. He laughed and put his arms around her neck. "You smell nice," he giggled, burying his face in her hair.

"Thank you Merlin." She didn't quite know how to react to this affectionate side of Merlin.

Lancelot led the way to his room, and Merlin immediately jumped up onto the bed, hiding under the blankets and giggling.

"He's different," noted Gwen. "So open. So trusting."

"He's a child," replied Lancelot. "He hasn't had so many bad experiences yet." The knight was wondering how long Merlin was going to be like this. The warlock had told his friend that his magic had been unpredictable when he was young, often responding to his emotions and wants without control. He just hoped Merlin didn't get scared or cross.

Gwen sat on the bed, and Merlin quickly climbed into her lap. "Gwen, will you tell me a story?"

She smiled at him, and stroked his dark hair. "Of course. What sort of story would you like me to tell you?"

The next few hours passed quickly, with stories and games, until Merlin began to fidget.

"Are you hungry?" asked Lancelot. "Shall we go and find some lunch?"

Merlin beamed and threw himself into Lancelot's arms. "Yes please! I'm really hungry. Is Gwen coming too?"

She laughed, "Of course Merlin, I'm coming."

They wondered down to the knight's dining hall, where they found Leon and Percival eating bread, meat and cheese. They smiled when they saw Merlin, and he grinned at them in return. "Leon! Percival!" He wriggled free of Lancelot's arms and ran over to them, drawing several curious looks from the other knights, but they didn't comment. Merlin pulled himself up onto the bench beside Percival and began telling him all about his morning. Gwen filled a plate of food each for herself and Lancelot, then grabbed a few extra bits for Merlin.

He eat quite happily, smiling around his mouthfuls of bread and cheese. He seemed to enjoy the meat, but didn't eat much of it. "Mama says we have to save the meat, cuz it costs more, and I'm not big enough to hunt yet."

"What about your father?" asked Leon. "Doesn't he hunt for you?"

Merlin shrugged. "I don't have a Da. Will's da died fighting for the king, and his mama was very sad about it. Mama doesn't talk about my da, so I think he might be dead too."

Gwen sighed. She didn't remember Merlin ever talking about his father before. So she asked, "What was his name, Merlin?"

The boy shrugged again. "Don't know."

Lancelot tried to divert the conversation knowing that Merlin would probably be embarrassed when he was back to normal. "Anything interesting happen at training?"

Leon shook his head. "The new recruits are still struggling. I need to find a better way of teaching them to use a crossbow, because they can't aim properly to save their lives."

Percival grinned and whispered something in Merlin's ear. The boy giggled and took another bite of his sandwich. Gwen smiled at them, then said, "Have you tried the longbows instead? I seem to remember Elyan finding that easier at first."

The conversation continued, and Lancelot sighed in relief. Merlin would be upset if the reason his father left came to light. It would also open up a lot of questions that didn't need to be asked.

~~~

The afternoon passed quickly, and it wasn't until evening that Lancelot had any cause for worry. Gwen had gone to get Merlin a drink, and Lancelot was in a tickle war with the boy.

As Merlin laughed and tried to run away, he knocked over an empty goblet on the table. Instantly his eyes glowed gold and the goblet froze midway between the table and the floor. Lancelot flinched, then quickly caught the goblet and put it back on the table.

Merlin squeaked in fear and dived under Lancelot's blankets to hide. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I won't do it again, I promise."

Lancelot sighed then sat on the bed. He tugged the blankets off his friend then pulled him into his lap. "Merlin, I'm not angry. But you must promise not to do it again. People don't like magic. They think it's scary."

Merlin nodded, tears falling down his cheeks. "Mama says that if our king finds out, he'll take me away and make me do everything he tells me too, even if I don't want to. And if the red knights find out, they'll take me away and hurt me."

"The red knights?" asked Lancelot.

Merlin nodded. "They wear red cloaks with gold dragons on them. They're even scarier than the knights that take our food, cuz they would hurt me even if I never hurt anybody."

Lancelot winced, glad his cloak was out of sight. "How do you know they'd hurt you, Merlin?"

The little boy wrapped his arms around his middle and cried harder. "They came and took the old lady who lived on the other side of the village, cuz she'd used magic to heal Old Man Simmons backache. Mama wouldn't let me look but I could hear her screaming even when I hid under my blanket and put my fingers in my ears. Mama says that if they catch me they'll hurt me too. I don't mean to be naughty, I just can't help it. It slips out without me asking it too." He began to sob, and Lancelot hugged him, murmuring soft comforting words in his ear, until the boy had fallen asleep.

When Gwen returned, Lancelot moved Merlin off his lap and onto the bed, then pulled Gwen out of the room.

"We can't let him see the Pendragon crest, or any of the knights cloaks."

"Why not?"

"He told me an old lady in his village was caught doing magic. He seems to be worried that if he does anything bad, he'll be attacked. He said he was more scared of Camelot knights, then of Cenred's men."

Gwen looked upset. "It was a close call in the dining hall earlier then. If any of the knights had been wearing their cloaks, we'd have scared him to death. Oh, poor Merlin."

Lancelot laid a hand on her shoulder. "Can you sit with him while I find Gaius? He'll need to know about this."

She agreed, and slipped into the room. Lancelot left for Gaius's chambers.

He found the physician surrounded by books. "Ah, Lancelot. How's Merlin? I was just coming to get him."

"He's in my room sleeping Gaius. He tired himself out with a panic attack."

"What happened?"

Lancelot sighed. "He stopped a falling goblet with magic. Luckily Gwen wasn't there, but he instantly panicked. He told me that an old woman in Ealdor had been arrested by knights from Camelot for using magic. I think they burned her, but he didn't see. He's terrified of being hurt by the 'red knights' as he calls us."

Gaius looked scared suddenly. "I completely forgot he won't have much control. I should have known this would happen."

"I've asked Gwen to try to hide him from any of the Pendragon symbols, and the knights cloaks, but it won't last long. Sooner or later, he is going to see something that will upset him, and then I don't know what will happen."

Gaius sighed. "I know. I've found very little on this sort of enchantment that can help us. There are aging spells, and disguising spells, but they have to be performed on one's self. I doubt Merlin did this himself, at least not deliberately. And I couldn't find anything in his room that could have been the source of a hex or charm. The only thing I can think of is that whoever did this got hold of some of Merlin's hair, and used that as the base of the spell. So it has to be someone within Camelot."

Lancelot groaned. "Arthur's not going to be pleased with that. But I ought to tell him. He'll want some sort information tonight." He stood up, then said, "I'll leave out the bit about self-inflicted spells, but I'll tell him the rest. Thank you Gaius. I'll see you tomorrow."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Lancelot went to Gaius chambers to collect Merlin. He knocked and entered to see Merlin running around, giggling madly as Gaius tried to persuade the excited child to stand still long enough to put on a shirt.

Lancelot bent down and caught the giggling boy round the waist, lifting him easily into the air. Merlin laughed harder and tried to wriggle free. "Oh no you don't, Merlin. You need to put your shirt on before we go anywhere today."

Merlin pouted, but let Gaius pull the shirt over his head. Then he looked up at Lancelot. "Where's Gwen? She said we could play again today."

Lancelot sighed. "I don't know Merlin. I'm sure she'll be here soon."

The knight looked at Gaius, who had sat down, looking tired. "Gaius, I can't look after Merlin today. I have a patrol. But Gwen will stay with him, and I think one of the other knights will join her."

Gaius looked alarmed. "He was doing accidental magic in his sleep, Lancelot. He has no control at all. If anyone else looks after him, he'll be discovered."

Lancelot shook his head. "I tried to swap my patrols over, but no luck. I don't have a choice today. Gwen wouldn't hurt him if she found out, and Percival didn't grow up in Camelot, so his reaction won't be so bad."

Merlin had caught the name and instantly wriggled free of Lancelot's arm. "Percy! I want Percy! He said he'd play with me."

"Percy?" Gaius grinned. "I wonder how he's going to react to that one."

Lancelot sighed, "Alright Merlin, we'll go and see if Percival can look after you today."

"Yay!" Merlin immediately ran to the door and tugged it open. His laughter could be heard echoing down the corridor.

Lancelot winced, hurrying after him. "See you later Gaius."

The physician propped his elbows on the table and let his head fall into his hands. That boy was going to send him to an early grave.

Lancelot rushed along the corridor. "Merlin! Come back. You can't play with Percival if you don't know where you're going."

The giggling continued, and Lancelot realised Merlin was likely playing hide and seek. "Merlin, Gwen can't play with you if she can't find you."

He sighed, looking down at the floor. When he looked up again, Merlin was standing in front of him, holding out a hand. "Come on Lance, we need to find Percy." Lancelot took the offered hand, and was immediately dragged down the corridor, towards the knights' chambers.

"Merlin, where are you taking me?"

"To find Percy!" came the excited reply.

Lancelot was surprised to find that Merlin apparently knew the way, because they stopped outside Percival's door. Merlin looked up at Lancelot, who huffed in confusion, but knocked anyway. Percival opened the door, wearing a tunic and trousers rather than his chainmail.

"Please tell me you haven't got patrol or training today."

Percival shook his head, then smiled down at Merlin. "You playing with me today, little one?"

"Yay, Percy!" Merlin rushed forward and hugged Percival's legs.

Percival blinked. "Percy?"

Lancelot shrugged. "I'm just Lance apparently. He seems to shorten longer names. He's been asking for you all morning, and he seemed to know where he was going to get here."

The taller knight frowned. "He remembers?"

"Not sure. If I see Gwen, I'll let her know you've got Merlin. Just to warn you, he has a lot of energy this morning, and Gaius said his room was a mess. So be careful." Lancelot paused, then said softly, "If anything strange happens, get Gaius first before Arthur, alright? We don't know if this enchantment has any side affects yet."

Percival nodded, then reached down and picked up Merlin, who instantly giggled and kissed the tall knight's cheek. Percival blushed.

Lancelot grinned at him. "I told you, he's very affectionate. Good luck."

~~~

Percival played with little Merlin all morning, then took him down to the knight's dining room for lunch again. Today Gwaine and Elyan were there, and the mischief had lots of the other knights laughing. News of Merlin's enchantment had spread quickly, and they all knew not to question the knights looking after the small boy.

But just as they had finished eating, and Percival had picked Merlin up to go and find Gwen, Leon came in, red cloak damp on his shoulders.

Merlin's reaction was immediate, and loud. He screamed and threw himself from Percival's arms, running for the door. Percival cursed and dived after him, but the child was too quick and too small to catch. Percival looked wildly around, but Merlin had vanished, with no sign of where he had gone.

Leon looked at Gwaine and Elyan in amazement. "What was that about?"

"Merlin's terrified of Camelot uniforms," Gwaine growled.

"Why?"

Elyan sighed. "A woman was burned for witchcraft in his village when he was younger. Merlin seems to think if he does anything wrong, he'll be attacked by Camelot knights." He got up. "We need to help Percival find him."

Leon moved towards the door too, but Gwaine said, "Not you Leon. He'll be scared of you now. If you help look for him, he's not going to trust the rest of us either."

Leon looked crest-fallen, but nodded.

The others headed out the door, joining Percival in the corridor. Gwaine looked up and down the corridor. "If Merlin was scared, where would he go?"

"Someone needs to check Gaius's chambers," the tall knight said. "Merlin seems to have remembered his way around the castle, he knew the way to my chambers this morning."

Elyan nodded. "If you do that, I'll check Arthur's chambers. He told Merlin to find him if he got lost."

"Lancelot's out on patrol, but I'll check his rooms anyway," said Gwaine. "Then I'll try and find Gwen."

They nodded to each other, then split up.

~~~

Gaius looked up from his books when Percival came in.

"Is Merlin here?"

Gaius shook his head. "I haven't seen him since Lancelot left this morning."

Percival cursed under his breath. "He got scared when he saw Leon in a red cloak and ran away. I couldn't catch him."

Gaius was on his feet quickly. "If he's scared, we could be in trouble. There's no knowing where he might hide. I'll help you look."

~~~

Gwaine opened Lancelot's door. "Merlin? Are you in here?"

There was no reply, but he checked under the blankets and under the bed just in case. No sign of him. Gwaine sighed and left, heading for the King's chambers in search of Gwen.

He found her just outside, carrying a plate of food. "Gwen, have you seen Merlin?"

She shook her head. "Not today. Why? Is he playing hide and seek again?"

"He saw Leon in his Camelot cloak. Instantly screamed and ran away. We couldn't catch him in time. Do you know where he might be hiding? I've tried Lancelot's room already."

Gwen's expression was twisted with worry. "I don't know. My first thought would be Gaius, but after that I don't know."

"Percival's checking with Gaius now."

Gwen nodded. "I'll just take this to the king, then I'll help you look."

"Thank you Gwen."

~~~

Elyan made his way to Arthur's chambers, hoping the prince was down on the training field. He knocked on the door, and heard a voice call back. He winced, but went in.

Arthur was sat on the floor beside his bed, apparently looking under it. He glanced up when Elyan entered.

"I hope you've come to explain why Merlin is currently hiding under my bed crying."

Elyan sighed in relief. "Well at least we know where he is now."

Arthur frowned. "You mean he ran away from you."

"He did. He got scared when Leon came into the dining hall in his Camelot cloak."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why would that scare Merlin?"

"Red knights are scary," came a quiet voice from under the bed.

"Why are they scary Merlin?"

"If I do anything bad, they'll take me away and hurt me. I promised Mama I wouldn't do anything bad, but she's still worried. And Mama is the bravest person ever, so if she's scared, then I'm really scared."

Arthur looked utterly confused. Elyan said quietly, "He saw a woman being burned for sorcery. He thinks if he does something wrong, the knights will do the same to him."

The prince suddenly looked sad. "Is that really what children think of us? Are they all that scared?" he muttered.

Elyan shuffled on his feet for a moment, then said, "I should go and tell the others to call off the search." He ducked out of the room.

~~~

Arthur carefully lay on his stomach, looking at the small boy curled up under his bed. "Merlin, come out please. You'll get very dirty, and then Gaius will have to give you a bath. And you won't want that." He was relying on his own childhood hatred of baths, so Merlin's response confused him.

"What's a bath?"

"Um, it's a big bowl you fill with water, then you sit in it to get clean."

Merlin lifted his head, looking confused. "Why would you do that? What's wrong with just using the stream? Mama always washes me in the stream."

Arthur blinked, realised he needed to change tactics, then said, "If you come out, I promise the red knights won't hurt you while I'm here."

Merlin slowly uncurled his body, and crawled towards Arthur. The prince pulled himself up, then lifted Merlin into his arms. The boy's face was still red from crying, but otherwise he didn't seem scared any more. "You promise?"

Arthur nodded. "I promise."

Merlin put his arms around Arthur's neck and hugged him. "Thank you Arthur."

The prince patted Merlin's back awkwardly, not sure how to react to this sudden display of affection from his manservant. Merlin had joked about hugs before, but now seemed very affectionate.

There came a knock on the door, and Gaius came in. He looked relieved to see Merlin. "Oh good, you have him Sire. We were getting worried."

Merlin pulled his face away from Arthur's neck and looked at Gaius. "Uncle Gaius, why would Mama send me here if there are red knights? She said I should stay away from them."

Gaius sighed. "She needed someone to look after you Merlin. She thought I was the only one who could help."

Merlin nodded slowly, then said, "Arthur says that if I get dirty you'll have to give me a bath. Why would you use a bath and not the stream?"

Gaius looked confused. Arthur sighed and said, "I used to run away when I was supposed to have a bath. I thought if I warned him not to get dirty he would come out from under the bed. But I just confused him instead. He doesn't remember what a bath is."

Gaius nodded. "I'm not surprised. Merlin's right, in Ealdor they would have just washed in the stream."

"Uncle Gaius, where's Gwen? She said she would play with me today." Merlin wriggled and Arthur put him down.

"I'm not sure Merlin. She might still be looking for you after you hid."

Merlin tilted his head on one side, "Why? Arthur said I was supposed to find him if I was lost, so I did. Doesn't Gwen know that rule?"

Arthur looked up from Merlin's confused expression. "Gaius, how did he find me? He didn't ask the guards, he just rushed in and dived under the bed."

"I'm not sure, Sire. Apparently he remembered the way to Percival's chambers this morning. Some of his memory seems to still be there, he's just not aware of it. I expect if you asked him where something was, he couldn't tell you. But tell him to go there, and he will. Memory is a strange thing."

Arthur nodded, not entirely understanding, but willing to go along with it. He looked at Merlin again. "Shall we go and find Gwen, then Merlin? I'm sure she'll want to play with you."

Merlin grinned at him, and Arthur realised it was still the same grin that Merlin always gave him.

The small boy grabbed his hand and began tugging him towards the door. "Yay! Let's find Gwen."

Arthur looked at Gaius, who said softly, "Test him. See if he can find Gwen without any prompting."

The prince nodded, and allowed himself to be pulled from his chambers.

~~~

Merlin did indeed seem to know his way around the castle. He pulled Arthur towards Uther's chambers, where they found Gwen, Percival and Gwaine talking in low voices in the corridor. They looked up when they heard the footsteps, and Gwen rushed forward to give Merlin a hug.

"Oh Merlin! We were worried. We didn't know where you were."

Merlin hugged her back, then looked up at Arthur. "I was right, she forgot the rule."

Gwaine raised an eyebrow. "What rule?"

Merlin grinned at the knight. "If I got lost I had to go and find Arthur. I was scared, so I ran away and got lost. Then I went to find Arthur."

"He was hiding under my bed," said Arthur quietly.

Gwen stood up. "Well at least he remembered where to find you. Otherwise we might have been searching for hours."

Arthur looked down at Merlin again. "Merlin, can you help me find Leon? I want to talk to him."

Merlin flinched and hid behind Percival's legs. "Leon's scary. He's one of the red knights."

Arthur crouched down to met Merlin's eyes. "Remember I promised you that none of the knights would hurt you while I'm here. Leon won't hurt you. He's my friend and I trust him. Can you help me find him?"

Merlin still looked scared, but he nodded. "But Percy comes too."

Arthur blinked in surprise, but agreed. He stood up and held out his hand, and Merlin took it. Then the boy grabbed Percival's hand and began leading them down the corridor, followed by Gwen and Gwaine.

The long-haired knight grinned at Percival. "Percy?"

Percival nodded. "Lancelot got a nickname too. He's just Lance now."

Gwaine chuckled. "I like it. And this is new? Merlin didn't call you Percy when he was older?"

Percival shook his head. "Just from this morning."

Gwen smiled at the small boy who was still leading the way, obviously leading towards the knights' quarters. "How does he remember where he's going?"

Arthur glanced at her over his shoulder. "Gaius explained it, but I didn't really understand. Something about not being able to describe how to get there, but able to lead the way if you ask him to show you. Different types of memory or something like that."

Gwen nodded. "Alright. That makes sense. Sort of."

Merlin stopped outside a door, and Arthur smiled when he recognised Leon's door. "Thank you Merlin."

The boy smiled at him, then tugged on Percival's arm until the knight picked him up.

Arthur knocked on the door, and Leon opened it. He had taken off the cloak, and seemed surprised to see Merlin looking at him.

"Sire? Is everything alright?"

"Yes Leon. I just want to prove to Merlin that you're not going to hurt him." He looked at the boy in Percival's arms. "Remember Merlin? Leon is my friend and I trust him."

Merlin tilted his head to one side as he considered Leon. Then he held out his arms for a hug. "Don't be sad, lion. I didn't mean to be so scared. I won't run away again. Sorry if I made you sad."

Leon smiled at the child and took him from Percival's arms. "Thank you Merlin. I didn't mean to scare you either. I won't wear my red cloak while you're here, does that help?"

Merlin nodded and reached up to tug lightly on Leon's hair. "How does it stay so curly? Mama tries to make her hair curly for Midsummer, but it goes straight again afterwards."

Leon grinned at Merlin. "It just grows that way Merlin."

Merlin pouted. "I wanted to tell Mama how to make her hair stay curly."

"Sorry Merlin, I don't know how it works, it just is."

Arthur grinned at the sight of his first knight having his hair pulled by a child. "I have to get back to my paperwork. But I'll see you later."

"Arthur wait," Merlin wriggled free of Leon's arms and hugged Arthur around the legs. "Mama always gives me a hug before she says goodbye. Since you don't have a mama anymore, I'll give you one instead."

Arthur looked at the boy in amazement. "How did you know that Merlin?"

The boy looked up at him. "Because your da is so sad. Will's mama was really sad when his da died, and Mama gave her lots of hugs to make her feel better. Maybe you should give your da hugs too."

Arthur blinked, then bent down and hugged Merlin. "Thank you Merlin. I'll see you later." Then he turned and walked away.

After a few moments of silence, Gwaine said softly, "Merlin really is more intelligent than we give him credit for."

~~~

Leon spent that afternoon winning back Merlin's trust, while Gwaine grinned and played along with the pranks that Merlin seemed to want to pull.

Percival and Gwen had left, but Merlin seemed to trust Gwaine enough to stay with Leon without one of them.

"It's odd," said Leon quietly, as he carried a sleeping Merlin back towards Gaius's chambers. "He seemed to automatically trust us. Until I gave him a reason to be afraid, he wasn't scared of us at all."

Gwaine shrugged. "Maybe it's more of that weird memory stuff Gaius was talking about. He doesn't remember being friends with us, but some how he still knows it."

"I wonder when he got over his fear of Camelot knights," said Leon. "I mean, if he was that scared when he was this age."

"Maybe he learned that he wouldn't be punished when he grew older. His fear of doing something wrong would have changed as he grew up, until he learned that only certain crimes would get him killed."

"That's possible."

They knocked on Gaius's door, and heard an answering voice. Gwaine pushed open the door, and Leon carried Merlin inside.

"He fell asleep, Gaius. He's eaten dinner, but he refused to come back until he was too sleepy to protest any more."

Gaius nodded. "Can you take him up to his room?"

Gwaine sat down at the table, while Leon carried Merlin to bed. "Any progress Gaius? Any way to reverse this enchantment?"

"I'm not sure." Gaius sighed. "There are so many different options. It's almost as bad as that time that Arthur was under a love spell. Only Merlin's not about to battle a king for his daughter's hand."

Leon came back down the stairs. "Are you talking about Vivian? I often thought that was odd. Arthur was so insistent on his love for Vivian, but after the duel he seemed to lose interest."

Gaius nodded absentmindedly. "Merlin and Gwen got him the antidote between bouts of the duel. But that time we were lucky and found the cause of the spell so could use the right antidote. If we hadn't had that, it would have been much harder."

"Why's that?" asked Gwaine, as Leon sat down.

"Because there are so many different types of love spells. Giving Arthur the wrong antidote could have had a variety of affects, from doing nothing at all, to making all his hair fall out, to serious injury. It's the same here. If we get the antidote wrong, I have no idea the affect it could on Merlin." He looked up at the two knights. "Has anything odd happened to Merlin in the few days before this happened? Did you encounter any sorcerers, or find any odd items?"

Leon shook his head, "Not that I know of."

Gwaine frowned then said, "I remember Merlin saying he was going to go and visit a girl. I asked him who, but he refused to say. I thought he was just being shy."

"Did he say where he was meeting her?"

"The Lake of Avalon, I think."

Gaius sighed. "Then that won't help us."

"Why not?" asked Gwaine. "Shouldn't we search round the lake?"

Gaius shook his head. "Merlin loved a girl a few years ago now. She was cursed by a sorcerer and ended up dead. He burned her body on the Lake of Avalon. He visits there every now and again. That isn't unusual behaviour."

Gwaine looked shocked. "He never mentioned it before."

"He doesn't like to talk about it. He still misses her."

Leon was nodding slowly. "Maybe we should still search around the lake though. If someone knew that Merlin visited there, they could have set up a trap."

Gwaine nodded too. "I ask Arthur for permission to go and search the area in the morning."

"Alright. Let me know what you find." Gaius closed the book he had been looking at. "And if you see Lancelot, I want to talk to him."

"I'll send him over. He should be back by now." Leon stood up, and so did Gwaine. "Goodnight Gaius."

"Goodnight."

Chapter Text

It was Elyan who collected Merlin the next morning. The knights had worked out who had free days over the next week, in case the search around the lake didn't find anything.

"Good morning Gaius,"

Gaius looked up and Elyan had to hold back a laugh. There was porridge on Gaius's nose, and Merlin was giggling madly.

"Elyan!" the boy called. "Come eat with us."

Elyan smiled and sat at the table. "Thank you Merlin, but I already had my breakfast."

Merlin grinned at him, then took another mouthful.

Gaius sighed. "I can't keep up with him. He just has so much energy. Who's looking after him today?"

"I've got him this morning and Percival this afternoon."

Gaius glanced at Merlin's bedroom door, then said, "If anything strange happens, come to me straight away. Merlin's room looks like there was a gale in there last night, and I know it was tidy when Leon put him to bed. Merlin was still asleep when I went in this morning, and he seemed surprised as I was at the mess."

"I think there's a fairy following me," said Merlin.

"Why do you think that Merlin?" asked Elyan.

"Cuz Will's mama always blames fairies when stuff gets messy and she doesn't know why. Mama says she's being silly and it's just Will making the mess, but Will says it's not him. He might be lying, but I can't always tell." Merlin shoved more porridge in his mouth.

Gaius laughed. "I doubt there's a fairy following you Merlin. They like trees and lakes, not stone buildings."

"Alright then," the boy shrugged.

Elyan smiled at Merlin as he finished his breakfast, then helped Gaius clean up, before taking Merlin's hand. "I'll take him to my room, Gaius, then to Percival's after lunch."

Gaius nodded. "I have to do my rounds today, but I'll continue researching this afternoon. Let me know if anything happens. It might help tell us what this enchantment is."

Merlin pulled Elyan down the corridor, and easily led the way to Elyan's room. They played for a while, then there was a knock at the door, and Gwaine came in. Merlin ran over, abandoning the wooden horse he had been playing with, and hugged the knight's leg.

"Gwaine! Have you come to play with us?"

"Sorry, Merlin, I haven't. I have to talk to Elyan for a bit."

Merlin pouted, but quietly went back to playing with his wooden horse.

"Find anything?" asked Elyan.

Gwaine shook his head. "Only one set of footprints near the lake. Probably Merlin's. No sign of anyone else being there, unless they hid in a tree. I don't see what else we can do. Unless you have any more ideas."

He shook his head. "Gaius can't work out which spell was used, and if we try the wrong antidote, we could end up doing more harm then good."

Gwaine sighed. "We can't let this go on much longer. We can't keep juggling patrols with the other knights, and Arthur's slowly going crazy having George serve him instead of Merlin. He called Sir Tor an idiot earlier, and he normally only says that to Merlin."

"It's not nice to call people names," came a small voice from behind them. They turned and saw Merlin watching them. "Names make you feel bad, and that's not nice."

Gwaine frowned. "Do people call you names Merlin?"

The boy nodded. "The older children say I'm strange. They don't like me cuz I don't have a da. One of them calls me bastard all the time. Mama won't tell me what it means, but I know it's not nice."

Elyan hissed. "Why does he call you that Merlin?"

"He says my da ran away. He says he didn't marry my mama, so I'm a bastard." Merlin shrugged. "I don't mind them calling me names, I just don't want to upset mama."

Gwaine looked at Elyan. "Has he ever mentioned this to you before?"

He shook his head. "But Gwen's been to Ealdor. You could ask her."

Gwaine nodded. Then he bent down and hugged Merlin. "I have to go, but I'll see you later."

"Bye Gwaine."

~~~

Lunch passed without incident, and Elyan passed Merlin on to Percival with a quick whispered conversation about Merlin's comments that morning.

Percival nodded in understanding, then Elyan left for training.

Merlin climbed on the bed, then jumped at Percival, almost knocking him over. The tall knight laughed, then responded by tickling the small boy. Merlin giggled, and tried to wriggle away, but Percival just tickled harder.

After a few minutes of loud laughter, Merlin picked up the wooden horse Elyan had given him, and said, "Tell me a story Percy. Tell me one of your adventures as a knight."

Percival sat down beside Merlin, and tried to think of something he could say that wouldn't scare the child. Eventually he told the story of how Lancelot had killed the griffin.

After the story Merlin grinned and said, "I know that story. It happened in my dreams last night. Only Lance wasn't supposed to ride with Arthur because he wasn't a proper knight yet."

Percival frowned. "You dreamed it?"

Merlin nodded.

"What else have you dreamed about?"

"There was a monster in the water, and it made everyone sick. Then Arthur and a lady went after it, and Arthur killed it with his torch cuz it didn't like fire. Then everyone got better again." Merlin tilted his head to one side. "The lady didn't look scary, she was helping Arthur, but I was still scared of her. Who is she, Percy? Why was I scared of her if she was helping?"

Percival thought for a moment. That sounded like the time that Gwen was accused of causing a plague, and Merlin, Arthur and Morgana had killed the creature causing it, so Gwen was released. Gwen had told them the story a few weeks ago. "Her name is Morgana. She used to be your friend, but then she got really angry at Arthur's father and now she wants to hurt us for protecting him."

Merlin shivered. "That's not very nice."

Percival stood up. "Let's go and see Gaius, maybe he can tell us more about your dreams."

"Alright." Merlin picked up the wooden horse, then took Percival's hand and followed him down to Gaius's chambers.

They got several grins from the servants they passed, who seemed to love little Merlin just as much as the knights did. When they arrived at Gaius's chambers, he wasn't there, so they sat at the table for a while.

Then Merlin got bored and went into his room. He picked up the wooden dragon and brought it back to the table. He made Percival take the horse and pretend that Arthur was riding on it, and he pretended to be the dragon attacking them.

"When did this happen, Merlin?"

"It was in my dreams again. The dragon was mean, trying to hurt people, so Arthur had to go out and stop it. Only Arthur and Leon got knocked off their horses, and the dragon was going to win. So I shouted at him, and he flew away."

Percival frowned, knowing that Arthur had killed the dragon, but Gaius came in before he could say anything.

"Ah, Percival. What can I do for you?"

"Hello Uncle Gaius," Merlin said loudly, then went back to playing with the dragon and the horse.

"Merlin keeps talking about his dreams," said Percival as Gaius sat down. "He's told me about Lancelot defeating the griffin and Arthur killing the afanc. Now he's playing out the time when Arthur killed the dragon."

Gaius looked curious. "I think he's dreaming his memories."

"But he said the dragon flew away."

"He's still dreaming, Percival. His memory may have mixed with a dream, making him a little confused." Gaius pulled one of his books towards him, and flipped through the pages. "This is mentioned in a few of the spells that could have been used on Merlin, so it narrows it down a bit. Thank you Percival. Now I can concentrate on these spells and ignore the others. But I haven't finished my rounds yet, so I need to go out again this afternoon."

Percival smiled, then picked up Merlin. "I'll see you later."

Gaius nodded, and smiled at Merlin, who waved back with the hand holding the dragon.

~~~

Gwaine and Elyan were on the training field with Arthur. After a few bouts, they were resting while they watched the other knights take their turn.

Gwaine glanced at Elyan, then said, "Arthur, when you were in Ealdor, did you notice any tension between Merlin and the other villagers?"

Arthur shrugged. "Not really. I was too busy trying to teach them to fight the first time, then I was injured. Why do you ask?"

"Merlin was saying he used to get insulted by the other children is all."

"I used to tease Leon all the time. What's wrong with that?"

Elyan sighed. "Apparently they didn't like that Merlin's father wasn't around. Do you know Merlin's surname?"

Arthur shook his head slowly. "I knew Merlin had never met his father, but I assumed he died before Merlin was born. And I've never asked for Merlin's surname. What's this about?"

"They called him a bastard, Arthur," said Gwaine bluntly. "We wanted to know if it was true without asking him and causing any issues."

Arthur started. "I don't know. As I said, I've never asked." He shrugged. "What difference does it make?"

Elyan rubbed a hand over his sword hilt nervously. "Technically, if he is a bastard, he's not allowed to inherit his mother's home. If he gets injured and can't work anymore after his mother dies, he'll have nowhere to go."

Arthur frowned. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because we're worried about this enchantment," said Gwaine. "if it doesn't wear off, or Gaius can't cure it, Merlin's going to have to grow up the usual way. And it's likely that he will outlive his mother, and Gaius. So if something happens, he's got no-one to rely on."

"He's got us." Arthur's reply was soft.

"But again, if he has to grow up, then he'll outlive us too. Besides, we're knights. We're more likely to die younger," said Elyan.

Arthur was shaking his head. "You're worrying about this too soon. He's only been a child for three days. Gaius still hasn't been through all the possibilities yet. If it becomes obvious that there's no cure, then I'll think about sorting something for him. For now, we concentrate on a way of changing him back."

They nodded.

~~~

Percival had returned to his room with Merlin, wondering about what Gaius had said about dreams and memories mixing. Then his train of thought was derailed by Merlin tripping and falling hard on his knees.

After a few minutes of cuddles and soothing words, the tears stopped, and the child was back to playing with his wooden toys. Percival watched his friend closely, thinking hard. How much did Merlin remember? Did he trust them because they were friends, or because Gaius had told him he could? It hadn't taken long for Merlin to get over his fear of Leon, despite how scared he'd been. But again was that because Arthur had promised to protect him, or because Merlin knew deep down that Leon wouldn't hurt him?

Merlin laughed as he played, and Percival smiled. His friend seemed more free than he was as an adult, more trusting somehow, as if he had learned to be secretive as he grew up. What had happen to make him that way? Or was this simply how all children acted, trusting automatically? Percival wasn't sure.

Then he was distracted again by a small cry of horror. Merlin had dropped the wooden horse, and one of it's legs had broken off. Tears ran down Merlin's cheeks as he picked up the two broken pieces.

"Oh Merlin," said Percival softly. "It's alright, I'll find someway to fix it."

Then he blinked as Merlin's expression changed to determination and he placed the leg back where it should be, lining up the cracks carefully. Then his eyes flared gold and the break healed over, leaving no sign that the leg had ever been broken.

Percival sat frozen for a few seconds, then said quietly, "Merlin? What was that?"

The child suddenly looked up, eyes full of fear. "I didn't mean to! I just wanted to fix it. I'm sorry. Don't tell Mama, she made me promise never to show anyone. They might hurt me." Tears filled Merlin's eyes again. "You won't hurt me, will you Percy?"

Percival flinched, then replied, "I won't hurt you Merlin. But we need to see Gaius. Now." He reached down and pulled Merlin into his arms, careful to pick up the wooden toys as well.

He was halfway to Gaius's chamber before remembering that Gaius wasn't going to be there, he was on his rounds. Panicking a little, he wondered what to do. Then he remembered Lancelot's warning about strange things happening and turned back towards the knight's chamber.

~~~

He found Lancelot talking to Gwaine in the corridor and quickly pulled him into his room. The two knights looked at his shaking hands in amazement.

"Percival, what happened?"

The tall knight carefully put Merlin on the bed, then moved over to the other side of the room. "Merlin just did magic."

Lancelot froze. "Are you sure?"

Percival nodded. "He broke the leg off his wooden horse. He was crying, then he put them back together and it fixed itself. His eyes was glowing gold."

"What did he say?"

"He got scared. He knew he'd done something wrong, said his mother told him not to show anybody. For a moment he was scared of me, thought I might hurt him."

Gwaine ran a hand through his hair. "Could this be part of the enchantment?"

Percival shook his head. "If it was, he would be shocked, not worried I would tell his mother."

Lancelot had his hand over his eyes. "I was worried this might happen. Gaius warned me, he said Merlin wouldn't have good control."

"Wait, you knew about this?" Gwaine suddenly looked angry. "Why would he tell you and not us?"

"He didn't tell me, I found out. You try killing a griffin whose skin is so thick it can break a sword without the help of magic. I was sure it was going to kill me, but Merlin enchanted my lance. He didn't mean for me to know, but I overheard him. I promised not to tell anyone." Lancelot sighed.

"So what now?" said Percival.

"Well, I'm not turning him in," said Gwaine. "He's a child right now, and even when he's older, there isn't an evil bone in his body, no matter what Uther says."

Lancelot nodded. "He used it to help defeat the immortal army as well. That's why I made sure we were teamed up, so he could use it more easily."

"What else has he done?" asked Percival.

"He helps with bandits. Dropping trees branches and making them trip. Little things that won't be noticed."

Gwaine grinned. "I knew Arthur was too lucky for his own good. Merlin's been protecting him."

"Why?" Percival frowned. "Arthur's the crown prince of Camelot. Why protect the man who's going to have you executed?"

"It's his destiny," said Lancelot softly. "He believes that Arthur will be a better king that Uther, and that one day he can help Arthur see magic as a force for good."

"Merlin's manipulating him."

"No!" said Lancelot harshly. "He's showing him the truth. A lot of the sorcerers killed in the Purge did little more than spells to heal injuries, or make the crops grow better. Arthur has such a negative view of magic because he only sees it used to attack him, or his father. Which isn't surprising, considering the number of people Uther's had killed."

Percival was shaking his head. "Arthur won't see it like that."

"It doesn't matter what the princess thinks," said Gwaine. "We know Merlin would never hurt Arthur, or any of us. He protects Arthur and Camelot. So in return, we protect him."

Lancelot nodded. "I'd hoped you'd see it like that. And just so you know, Merlin wanted to tell you, but he's been told to hide it all of his life, for his own safety. The reason he gave me was that he didn't want others to be guilty of harbouring a sorcerer if he was ever caught."

Gwaine snorted. "If Arthur tried to have Merlin executed, he'd have to go through me."

"I know that, but Merlin's too self-sacrificing. He wouldn't fight back in case he hurt someone. He'd never hurt Arthur."

The three of them looked at the child playing quietly on the bed. Then Percival said softly, "Then we'll have to fight for him."

Gwaine's answering grin was brilliant.

Chapter Text

The fourth day of Merlin's transformation, Gaius kept him in his room for the morning. Merlin pouted for a few minutes, then played with the wooden toys he'd grown fond of over the last few days.

The books were doing little to help explain how to reverse the spell on Merlin, but he thought he'd found the reason for the destruction in Merlin's room each morning. If Merlin's magic was currently closely linked to his emotions, the dreams that he'd been having would certainly be enough to trigger the random movement of his belongings.

Gaius sighed. This was going to be hard. Gwaine and Percival had already discovered Merlin's secret, and the longer this enchantment remained, that number was rapidly going to increase.

Merlin came down the stairs from his room. "Uncle Gaius, can we find some lunch now please? I'm hungry."

"Yes, alright Merlin. Just let me put these books away."

A few minutes later, he put a sandwich in front of his young ward, and sat down at the table. There came a knock at the door, and he turned to answer it.

As he moved, his elbow caught his empty goblet, and it tipped, falling towards the floor. There came a gasp from Merlin, and Gaius looked down to see that the goblet had stopped in mid-air.

Before he could catch it, the door opened, and another gasp came from Gwen at the sight of the goblet. Merlin squeaked in fear, and the goblet fell, clanging loudly on the floor. Merlin threw himself from his chair, and ran up the steps to hide under his blankets.

Gaius got up quickly, and moved around Gwen to close the door behind her.

"Gaius, was that-? Did Merlin just-?" She couldn't quite get the words out.

He nodded. "He hasn't got much control at the moment. It's very instinctive." He followed Merlin up the steps, and carefully drew him into his lap. "It's alright Merlin. Gwen won't hurt you. You're safe here."

"But she'll call the red knights. I didn't mean to, I didn't! I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to! It just happened."

Gwen's fear softened, then vanished at the sight of the tears pouring down Merlin's cheeks. "Oh, Merlin. It's alright. I won't tell, I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you for this."

He peered at her between his fingers. "You promise? You're not going to tell?"

She shook her head. "I won't tell."

He nodded shyly, then rubbed his eyes, tears drying. Gwen bent down, and he slipped from Gaius's lap and into her arms for a hug.

When Merlin had been sat back at the table and was busy with his sandwich, Gwen said quietly, "Gaius, why did he come to Camelot if he has magic? It's not safe here."

"He needed to learn some control, and Hunith had no-one else but me she could trust. She knew I used to practice magic before the Purge, so she hoped I could help. I've done what I can, but Merlin's power far outstrips what I had." He sighed. "I fear if we don't reverse this enchantment soon, all of Camelot will know of his gifts. Lancelot, Gwaine and Percival know now, and it won't be long before the others who are helping to care for him find out as well. I can't protect Merlin if everyone knows of his power. If Morgana finds out, then Merlin will be a target. He ignores threats to his own safety often enough as it is, if he thinks he can protect Arthur."

Gwen looked confused. "Why is Merlin protecting Arthur? Especially when Arthur is just as against magic as Uther is. I know they're friends now, but before..."

"It is Arthur's destiny to be the greatest king Camelot has ever known, and it is Merlin's destiny to protect him."

"I have to look after Arthur," came Merlin's voice. They looked at him, as realised he had finished his food and was watching them seriously.

"He's my friend, and he looks after me. I don't want bad things to happen to him, or for Morgana to hurt him. She's being silly. He didn't do anything wrong, his da did, so why is she blaming him?" Merlin pouted, "It isn't fair. Arthur doesn't know that magic can be good because people keep using it to hurt him. I'm scared of the red knights because they might hurt me. Arthur is scared of magic because it might hurt him. I'm not scared of Leon anymore because he won't hurt me. If Morgana just told him she had magic in the first place, Arthur might not be scared of it any more."

Gaius was looking at Merlin with his mouth open. "Have you been having memory dreams again?"

Merlin nodded. "She was scared of Uther, but she wouldn't tell Arthur. Arthur protected her before, treated her like a sister, so why didn't she trust him? She trusted me, and I'm nobody to her."

"You knew Morgana had magic?" asked Gwen.

"She was scared. She wanted to talk to Uncle Gaius, but he wasn't here. I tried to find her friends, but she didn't tell anyone she was going and they thought the druids took her when she didn't want to go." Merlin nodded to himself. "Mama says I have to tell her where I'm going so she doesn't worry. If she told Arthur she was leaving, then he wouldn't have worried about her and chased away her friends."

Gaius blinked. Then he looked at Gwen. "That's the first time he's sounded more like an adult since this happened."

"Do you think the spell is wearing off?"

"We can only hope."

~~~

The afternoon was spent with the three knights who knew about Merlin's magic alternating between helping Gwen and Gaius research possible reversals of the enchantment, and playing with Merlin, who despite his young body seemed to have gained the mind of a nine year old over several hours. This difference was causing him problems as he understood more and want to do more, but his body was holding him back. The odd incident over lunch was the start of a change in Merlin, who now had a much better understanding of the need to hide his magic and a slightly better measure of control, but at the same time had Gaius worried.

"If his mind is advancing, but his body isn't, we might have issues by tomorrow morning."

"Such as?" asked Lancelot, watching Merlin carefully grind up herbs in an effort to be useful.

Gaius sighed. "He's starting to understand that something is wrong with him, and hopefully he'll soon be able to tell us what happened, but at the same time if his mind continues to advance without his body catching up, he could himself an injury. Most of Merlin's limits with magic come from what his body can deal with, not how much power he has. As he mentally grows up, he's going to want to start using more advanced spells and magic, but his younger body won't be able to cope with the magic levels. He could do himself an injury, or if it goes too far, he could kill himself."

Gwen flinched. "So, we look for a way to age his body and let his mind progress on it's own."

Gaius shook his head. "That won't solve the problem. There are aging spells, but that would be layering one spell on top of another, not reversing the original one. We don't know what affect that might have on him."

"I've done those spells before," said Merlin quietly. "I remember doing it to save Gwen from the dungeons."

Lancelot frowned. "I don't remember you telling me about that, Merlin."

"Uncle Gaius helped," Merlin shrugged.

"Was that the time they thought I'd used magic to make Arthur fall in love with me?" asked Gwen.

Merlin nodded. "Morgana hid a magic bag under Arthur's pillow. When Uther thought Arthur was acting strange, the guards searched his room, and found the magic bag. Gwen got arrested. I knew it was only pretend magic, and I didn't want Gwen to get hurt. So I turned into an old man and let Arthur find me in his room. I pretended I had put the first bag there too, so they let Gwen go and arrested me instead. Gaius helped me escape, so I could go back to my proper age."

Gwaine whistled. "That was risky, mate."

Percival rolled his eyes. "Arthur told me Merlin walked into the middle of a council meeting and announced he was a sorcerer in front of the King to stop Gwen getting arrested once."

"What?! That was a seriously stupid thing to do." Gwaine ran a hand through his hair. "I know you love Arthur now Gwen, but was there something between you and Merlin once?"

Gwen shook her head. "I thought there might have been, but it died quickly. We only kissed once, and that was because I thought he was dead until he sat up in bed."

Merlin wrinkled his nose. "A pretty lady told me the blue king put poison in Arthur's cup. When I told the king, he told me to drink it to prove it. I was very sick, but I had dreams about Arthur in a cave so I sent a light so he could see. He brought back a flower so Gaius could make me better. When I woke up Gwen kissed me." He shivered. "Girls are weird."

Gwaine laughed. "Yes, Merlin, they definitely are. Ow!" He flinched as Gwen threatened to hit him on the arm again. "Alright, but he's mentally nine at the moment. Girls aren't interesting at that age."

"True," said Lancelot, "But you could still have some tact, Gwaine."

Percival spoke softly, "So if we can't use an aging spell, is there any other options at the moment?"

Gaius shook his head. "I can't risk anything else. Using the wrong antidote could have terrible results. We need to absolutely pinpoint which spell was used. Until then, there's nothing we can do."

~~~

The next morning, Gaius was trying to persuade Merlin to spend the day with Gwen so he could continue researching, when Arthur knocked on the door.

"Sire, good morning."

"Arthur!" Merlin slid down from the bench he was sat on, and ran forward, ready to throw his arms around the Prince's legs, when he suddenly stopped, looking up at Arthur through his long eyelashes. There was a question in his blue eyes, as though he was suddenly unsure how to act around the prince.

"Hello Merlin. How are you?" he asked awkwardly, wanting to comfort the child with the silently requested hug, but at the same time, this was Merlin.

"I'm alright. I wanted to play with Percy today, but Uncle Gaius says I should play with Gwen instead."

Arthur smiled. "I'm sure Percival can play later. You should listen to Gaius."

Merlin pouted, but nodded and hopped back up onto the bench, returning to the wooden dragon and horse he had been playing with.

Arthur sat down opposite Gaius, looking at the books and papers scattered around the room. "Any progress Gaius?"

Gaius sighed. "Some. We've narrowed down the list of possible spells, but there's still no antidote. And most of the possible causes require some sort of magic to reverse them." Gaius shook his head. "I'm worried for Merlin. His mind is beginning to age, he acts around nine now, but his body hasn't changed. I don't know what that could do to him; if it's going to cause him harm, or if it's the first sign of the enchantment wearing off."

Arthur looked at Merlin. "He acted younger than nine towards me just now."

"I know," Gaius nodded. "Merlin is devoutly loyal to you Arthur, and all that loyalty has changed into a child's love. He was saying just last night how he wanted to protect you for the rest of his life because you've protected him."

"He said that?" Arthur was surprised. He knew Merlin was loyal to him, knew he had taken hits for Arthur in the past, but not to that extent. He'd always assumed that one day Merlin would marry and have children, and so lose some of that loyalty.

Gaius nodded. "He sees you as the hero of the stories the knights have been telling him, and some of his memories are only fuelling that image."

"How much does he remember?"

"So far he seems focussed on specific events, like Lancelot killing the griffin, or Gwen being arrested for supposedly putting you under a love spell. But it's enough. He cares deeply for all the knights, for Gwen and myself, and especially for you."

Arthur frowned. "He spent a lot of his time as an adult insulting me."

"He did Sire, but that's a sign of his affection. In his own way, he's showing he trusts you. That you won't punish him for insubordination like any other lord would. He sees it as a way of you proving that you don't care as strongly for class differences and rank as your father does. Knighting Lancelot and the others has helped this a lot."

The prince considered his manservant, watching Merlin as he played, thinking about his normal behaviour. True, Merlin only called him Sire or Highness when other members of the court were listening, or in private when he was being particularly serious or angry about something. It made Arthur take notice when Merlin used his titles, because it was so unusual.

He looked back at Gaius. "He has saved my life many times now. I've saved his too, but he is definitely more than just a servant to me. Merlin is my friend, and I trust him. I'm not a hero as he's painting me now, but I try to be."

"And that's all I ever asked."

Arthur looked round to see Merlin watching him carefully, wooden toys forgotten as he considered his prince. "Merlin?"

"Arthur, do you truly mean that? That I'm more than just a servant. I'm your friend?" The child's expression was far too serious for a four year old, or even a nine year old.

So Arthur answered honestly. "Yes, Merlin I meant it. You are my friend, even if rank doesn't let me admit it normally. And I do try my best to be a good prince, and I'll try to be a good king when it comes to it."

Merlin nodded. "You'll be the greatest king Camelot has even seen."

Gaius was looking at his ward in amazement. "Merlin, what happened? Is your mind returned to normal?"

"I don't know what happened. Just when Arthur said he trusted me, something changed in my head. I felt normal again." He looked down at himself. "Though obviously it was only my mind that's returned. My body is still stuck as a four year old." He sighed. "This is highly frustrating."

Arthur grinned. "Well at least we can leave you alone now. And you can help Gaius with his research. I'll tell the others."

He stood up, but Merlin called to him before he reached the door. "Arthur, this is still difficult. I might have my proper mind back, but I still have the instincts of a four year old. I might still act more childish."

"Now more than your usual self then Merlin." Arthur left, laughing as he did at the scowl on Merlin's face.

~~~

Once Arthur had left, Gaius turned to Merlin. "What happened? Was it a spell gone wrong?"

Merlin shook his head. "I had a strange dream. I was back in the crystal cave, only this time I was seeing my own past instead of the future. Then my father spoke to me. He said that Arthur might be more forgiving to a child, as he had shown the druid boy mercy, so an old friend of his was giving Arthur a chance to prove that mercy again. Then I was shrinking, and I woke in my bed as a four year old."

Gaius frowned. "I wonder who this old friend was. If he can cast on you, of all people, and without touching you or leaving a poltice bag behind, then he must be powerful."

"Does this help with your research at all?" Merlin tried to pull a book towards him, but his arms weren't long enough. His eyes flashed gold, and the book slid towards him, landing in his hands easily.

"Merlin! Be careful!"

Merlin looked up at him, fear on his face. "Gaius, I didn't mean to. I haven't done magic like that since I was a child. It was pure instinct. I wanted the book, so it came to me. It used to happen to my toys and blankets when I was young in Ealdor."

Gaius wanted to groan. "You need to be very, very careful. Apparently, you still have a child's control, despite your adult mind."

"Great. So I've got to control my thoughts as well as my actions now." Merlin banged his head on the table, then winced. "I don't know why I did that, I knew it was going to hurt."

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Well now, you've got the book, you can at least look through it. I have to do my rounds, but I ask on the knights to come and help you. I know your body is still going to cause you difficulties."

"Yes, good idea. Though if could be Gwaine, Percival or Lancelot, that'd be great." Merlin scowled. "I still can't believe I let them see me."

Gaius chuckled. "Yes, that was an interesting conversation."

"Well, I'm going to have another as soon as Gwaine gets here. He's going to want to know why I never told him."

Gaius smiled, and hugged his ward. "I send someone over here soon, Merlin. Try not to get into too much trouble."

"Me?" asked Merlin, with his usual cheeky smile.

Gaius rolled his eyes, then picked up his bag and left.

Merlin was alone only a quarter of an hour before the door opened, and Gwaine and Percival came in.

"Merlin, Arthur says you've got your adult mind back. Is that true?" Gwaine was acting oddly serious.

Merlin nodded. "It happened mid-conversation actually. I was listening to Arthur and Gaius talking, then suddenly everything they were saying made much more sense. I could understand what was wrong with me, and I spoke up."

The two knights sat down opposite him, taking in the piles of books still covering the room. "No memory of what happened then?" asked Gwaine.

"Only a strange dream. A man told me that since Arthur had helped a druid boy escape, even though he had magic, he might be more sympathetic to a child. I was the second test, or something. It's not much help, but it mean's whoever did this is powerful, if they can do it without touching me."

Percival nodded, and pulled a book towards him, looking at the illustration of a man shrinking into a child.

Gwaine watched his friend for a moment, then said, "Merlin, why didn't you tell me? Did you not trust me?"

"It wasn't about that, Gwaine," Merlin sighed. "I've never told anyone. Everyone who knows found out by accident. Mother found out when I was only a few hours old, and I summoned a toy from across the room. My friend Will found out when I accidently knocked over a tree. I saved Gaius's life my first day in Camelot, and Lancelot overheard me chanting when he fought the griffin. Hiding it is just a fact of life for me. It was drilled into me ever since I can remember. I'm surprised my control slipped enough to use it in front of Percival to be honest, and Gwen just came in at the wrong moment."

Gwaine shook his head. "I wouldn't have told anyone. I won't tell anyone."

"I know that Gwaine. But I also have to protect you."

Percival frowned. "Protect us from what?"

"From whoever might have caught me. Gaius is at risk as it is, since I live with him. If I was ever caught, I didn't want any of you to have to break your vows, or lie for about whether you knew. I couldn't make any of you choose between your lives and me."

"Merlin, that is ridiculously noble of you. Lancelot was right, you're the one Arthur should knight." Gwaine grinned at his friend.

"Have you seen me with a sword? I might be better than I was when I first came to Camelot, but I can still barely defend myself. I rely on my magic too much, considering the amount of times we get attacked."

Percival met his eyes and said firmly, "Then we'll teach you. You go without armour into battle with us all the time. You save our lives, and protect us without us knowing. So let us help you too."

Merlin looked at his quiet friend, and nodded, smiling. "Thank you Percival. I'd be honoured."

~~~

But the relative peace that had come with Merlin getting his adult mind back lasted only until the next afternoon. The knights were summoned to the council chambers, and Merlin followed, wondering what was going on.

Gaius was already there, talking quietly to Gwen, while Arthur paced in front of the throne, watched by Leon, Elyan and Lancelot.

"What's going on?" Gwaine asked Lancelot.

"Sir Tor just arrived. His patrol caught a sorcerer, just outside the citadel."

Gwaine cursed, and glanced at Merlin. The warlock had paled slightly, but otherwise seemed unaffected. 'Of course,' thought Gwaine. 'He must be used to this by now.'

When the man was brought into the throne room, Merlin flinched and took a step backwards. He had obviously been struck hard across the face, and blood was drying on his temple.

"Prince Arthur, this man was found just outside our gates. He was using magic." Sir Tor still had his sword in his hand, and was clearly wary of the man, despite the ropes binding his hands.

"What was he doing? What was the result of this magic?" Arthur looked the man up and down, assessing him.

"He had his hands on the wall, drawing strange symbols in black ink. He was chanting some sort of spell."

Arthur spoke directly to the accused sorcerer this time. "What was the purpose of your spell?"

"It is a spell of protection and strength. Your walls are weak, Prince Arthur; I sort to strengthen them."

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Why would such a thing? Surely you knew that if you were caught, you would be executed."

The man nodded. "There is someone I wish to protect living within the city. I hoped to increase their chances of survival, should Morgana attack."

"You fear Morgana?"

"She calls herself a priestess," the man spat. "But she is not. She has only hatred in her heart. A true priestess must have control of her emotions, must have compassion and mercy as well anger. She punishes those of us who oppose her. In control of the throne, she would be more of a tyrant then Uther ever was. She claims she will return magic to the land, but she will punish who don't use it to serve her, and will kill all who oppose her. I spit on her offer of freedom. It is merely a different set of chains."

Arthur was looking confused, and he glanced at Leon, who shrugged a little. He turned back to the prisoner. "If you don't serve Morgana, who do you serve?"

The man drew himself up tall. "I serve Emrys and the Once and Future King, Prince Arthur. The prophecies do not lie. We will have peace when the land of Albion is united."

Arthur looked at Gaius this time. The old man stepped forward. "There are druid prophecies, Sire, that speak of the Once and Future King. They say he and Emrys will unite the land of Albion and bring peace and prosperity to all." He hesitated, then said, "They also say that they will return magic to the land."

"And you serve this Emrys?" Arthur asked the man.

"I do. He is the most powerful sorcerer ever to walk this earth. He is our saviour, and the Guardian of the Once and Future King. Emrys will not sit upon the throne, but he will advise and protect the Once and Future King. He is also known as Morgana's doom."

That made Leon frown and Arthur stare at the man in amazement.

Gaius glanced at Merlin, but the boy-warlock was looking confused. He had clearly never heard that part of the prophecies before.

"Is it Emrys that you seek to protect?" asked Arthur.

"Always, Sire, but that was not the purpose of my spell this time. I have a cousin who has fled from Lot's kingdom to escape a forced marriage that her family protested, but the king insisted on. I sought to keep her safe, should he come after her, or should Camelot come under siege."

Arthur nodded slowly, then turned to Gaius. He kept his voice low. "Gaius, do these prophecies name this Once and Future King?"

Gaius shook his head. "There is no name, only he will be known by his guardian, Emrys. If Emrys protects him, that is proof enough for the druids."

"Normally I'd say he could be a powerful ally if he's known as Morgana's doom, but this Emrys clearly is also a threat to Camelot. There is no way that the most powerful sorcerer ever doesn't have a grudge against my father for the purge."

There came an odd sound from beside them, and Arthur looked down to see Merlin looking up at him. There were tears in his eyes. He blinked rapidly at his prince for a moment, then turned and ran from the room. Arthur looked at Gaius, who looked utterly confused.

"I have no idea what that was about, Sire. I'll talk to him after this meeting is over."

Arthur nodded. "I hate these situations, Gaius. This man was only trying to protect his family, but he used magic to do it. It's same as when we capture healers. I can't see the harm in what they're doing, but father has always taught me that magic corrupts. One good spell can quickly turn into harmful ones. And I only have his word that the spell he was using was one of protection."

"I could examine it, Sire. The runes needed for protection and harm are very different in these sorts of spells."

Arthur nodded, then moved to stand in front of the man. "Guards, take him to the cells. Once we have determined whether this spell was truly one of protection, we will pass sentence."

"The prince is just," said the man, bowing his head as he was led away.

Chapter Text

The man accused of sorcery was sentenced to banishment from the kingdom the following day. Gaius had found the runes were part of a spell of protection, and the man was obvious in his hatred of Morgana. So Arthur decided against execution and instead banished him from Camelot's lands, with the warning that to return was on pain of death. The man had bowed deeply and thanked Arthur for his mercy, claiming him to be a worthy king and are far better man than his father.

Gaius however, had other problems. Merlin's tears and sudden rush from the council room were apparently signs of his enchantment changing again. While the day before, his mind had returned to that of an adult, it had now returned to that of a four year old child again.

"I just don't understand it," he said to Gwen, who was helping watch the child. "Yesterday his mind had recovered, but now we're back to the beginning again."

"Do you think whoever cast it realised it was wearing off?"

Gaius shook his head. "It was sudden, abrupt, not a slow return like I would expect if the enchantment had been renewed."

Lancelot had seen Merlin run from the council rooms and so he asked, "What did Arthur say that upset him? You said that yesterday his mind returned when Arthur said he trusted him. If Arthur said something against that, would it have the reverse effect?"

"Arthur said that we couldn't trust Emrys not to have a grudge against Camelot." Gaius's eyes widened as he spoke. "That would have the reverse effect. If Merlin is right, and the purpose of this spell is to get Arthur to trust him and his magic, then Arthur's trust would be the key to the spell."

"Does that mean that Merlin is this Emrys person?" asked Gwen.

Gaius nodded. "It's his druid name. They never call him Merlin, they always call him Emrys. It's a mark of respect for his power."

"Wait, so if Merlin is Emrys, then we've got the most powerful sorcerer in the world stuck as a four year old."

Lancelot winced. "No wonder his control is slipping."

"We need to tell Arthur Merlin's back to acting like a child again. He was planning on increasing the number of patrols. If a sorcerer is preparing for Morgana to attack, then we definitely should be too."

"I want to help," Merlin had been listening. "I want to help stop Morgana. She's mean to Arthur."

Gaius sighed. "I'm sorry Merlin, but you can't."

"Why not?" he pouted.

"Because it's too dangerous. Morgana is very powerful, and we don't want you getting hurt."

"But I'm supposed to protect Arthur. He's my friend."

Lancelot crouched down beside his friend. "I know you want to protect Arthur. But you can't right now. You're too small to hold a sword, and you can't use magic. That would scare Arthur, and he might get angry with you. So please, if Morgana attacks, let us look after you. You've saved all of us before, now it's our turn."

Merlin looked at Lancelot carefully. Then he nodded. "Alright. I don't want to scare Arthur, he's my friend. If Morgana comes, I'll hide."

"Thank you." The knight stood up again.

Gaius looked at Lancelot in amazement. "You just had a reasoned argument with a very stubborn four year old. How did you do that?"

Lancelot shrugged. "I know Merlin. Even as a child, Arthur is too important to him to ignore what he would want. Besides, it's not that uncommon for this age."

"So what do we do now?" asked Gwen.

"I've got to talk to Arthur. Explain that Merlin's back to being four in his mind." Lancelot nodded to Gaius and Gwen, waved goodbye to Merlin, then left.

"What do we do about Merlin? If he is meant to protect Arthur, and Morgana's planning something, then we need him back to normal as soon as possible."

Gaius shook his head. "I don't know. This spell seems to be linked to Arthur's trust in Merlin. At the moment, the only solution I can think of would be Arthur finding out about Merlin's magic and then accepting him for it."

"That's too dangerous. If Arthur reacts badly, then Merlin will be in trouble. Arthur might not be like his father, I know he would kill a child, but he could still banish him. Then Merlin would be stuck as a child, and Arthur would be without protection."

Gaius nodded sadly. "And yet, at the moment, I have no other solutions."

~~~

"So he thinks like a child again?" asked Leon.

Lancelot nodded. "We're not sure what happened. Maybe whoever cast the spell realised it was wearing off."

"But why?" Arthur was sat at the table in his chambers. "We've spent so much time trying to reverse this that we haven't thought about the reason. Why Merlin? He's not a knight. He's just a servant."

Lancelot shook his head. "To anyone who knows Merlin, they know he's more than that. They know you trust him, and they know the knights will protect him. He helped me when I first came to Camelot; he helped heal Gwaine. He's helped Elyan and Percival too. The king gave him this job because he saved your life. Anyone who's met Merlin knows he's not just a servant to us. He's our friend as well."

"It could be a distraction," said Leon. "To keep us from thinking about being attacked. If we were focused on healing Merlin, we might not be defending ourselves properly."

Arthur twirled a quill between his fingers, thinking. "Could it have been meant for someone else, and they got Merlin by accident? He spends enough time in my chambers doing his work, he might have touched something that was meant to pass this enchantment on to me."

Leon frowned. "That would be a better plan of attack. Turning the crown prince into a child while the king is ill, would be a good way to lower the defenses, and cause panic."

"Have you been given anything recently? A gift from a visiting lord, or a new tunic from the tailors perhaps?" Lancelot was looking around the room, searching for anything he didn't recognise.

Arthur laughed. "I receive gifts and new things almost every day, Lance. Checking them all would take hours."

Leon had raised an eyebrow at Arthur's use of Lancelot's new nickname, but didn't say anything about it. Instead he said, "Every gift if checked before it's placed in the prince's chambers. After the incident with the poisoned goblet, the king ordered it. And everyone employed to provide for the prince is carefully investigated. We've had too many possible assassins disguised as servants in the past."

"Actually, Merlin was the first time my father let anyone close to me without a check." Arthur frowned at this thought.

Leon shook his head. "Merlin was investigated the next morning. The next patrol that passed by Cenred's border checked his story with his mother."

"I never knew that," said Arthur, surprised.

Leon shrugged. "Merlin put a few noses out of joint being hired like that. A security check showed he could be trusted, and stopped the pranks."

"Pranks?" Lancelot looked back at Leon.

"Several of the servants who were hoping for the position tried to make life difficult for Merlin the first week or so. Until Gwen caught wind of it and put her foot down."

"Gwen stopped them?"

Leon nodded. "She's nervous and shy sometimes, but she's got a temper if you set her off. She told me off several times when we were children, and I don't want her to do it again."

Arthur grinned. "That sounds like Gwen alright. But still, we haven't found a solution to Merlin's enchantment."

"He reacted to you before, Sire," said Lancelot. "He regained his mind after talking to you, and he returned to a child after overhearing you talking to Gaius."

"So I somehow triggered both cases? Why me?"

Lancelot shrugged. "Merlin trusts you. You've promised to protect him. Maybe his mind is fighting the enchantment to try to respond to that."

Arthur nodded slowly. "That makes sense. But it doesn't explain why Merlin would go back to being a child after hearing me."

"What were you saying when Merlin got upset?" asked Leon.

"I said I wasn't sure we could trust this Emrys character. That anyone with that much power would definitely have a grudge against my father."

"Maybe Emrys was the one who cast the enchantment," said Leon slowly. "By saying you didn't trust him, you triggered a back up in the spell."

"But why? How would we have ever linked the two if that sorcerer hadn't been caught?" Arthur frowned. "And why make Merlin a child? If he's against Morgana, why make it easier for her by distracting us?"

"You helped that druid boy escape," said Lancelot softly. "Maybe he thinks you won't hurt a child."

Arthur frowned. "How did you know about that?"

"Merlin told me. When he thinks like a child, he sees his memories as dreams. He keeps telling us about things he's done or seen, thinking they're dreams. He's not always right, they seem to be confused, but he remembers."

Arthur cursed. "As long as he's not told everyone about that, I suppose it's good that he remembers."

Lancelot nodded. "He only told me and Gwen about the druid boy. But he told Percival the Great Dragon flew away because he shouted at it. And he thought that Morgana left to go to the druids of her own free will, when she was kidnapped. So we all know to be careful before we believe everything he says."

"That's probably a good idea." Arthur dropped his quill and ran a hand through his hair. "If this Emrys knows I helped the druid boy escape, he must be in contact with the druids. Do you think Gaius could arrange a meeting with them, to try to find out who Emrys is?"

Leon frowned. "I doubt they'll come, Sire. The druids know that if they're caught, they could be executed."

"We have to try. If this Emrys has enchanted Merlin, I want it broken as soon as possible. I won't have us vulnerable, not with Morgana still out there."

~~~

Those who knew about Merlin's magic were doing their best to keep it from the few of their circle who didn't, as well as everyone else. But it wasn't to last.

It was Gwaine who was watching Merlin when the next magical accident occured, and a vase of dying flowers were suddenly revived. Merlin had pouted that they weren't as pretty as they used to be and they had suddenly bloomed again.

Merlin immediately burst into tears and ran down the corridor, hiding under Gwaine's bed. Elyan spotted the crying child and followed the other knight without being noticed.

"Merlin, come out. I promise I'm not going to hurt you. Gaius already told me about it, so it's alright."

"No," Merlin sniffed. "I'm not allowed. I promised, but I keep doing it anyway. Maybe I should go home. Mama can look after me."

Gwaine sighed. "Merlin, we can look after you too. And you know your mother can't look after you at the moment. Please come out."

"You promise you won't call the red knights?" Merlin asked quietly.

"I promise."

Merlin crawled back out from under the bed, and cuddled into Gwaine's arms. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to. It just slips out."

Gwaine smiled sadly down at the child in his lap. "It's alright Merlin. Gaius told me you don't have control of your magic right now. It's alright. I'll look after you."

"Magic?" Elyan breathed, and Gwaine's head snapped up.

The shorter knight was backing towards the door, but Merlin's eyes flared gold and the door slammed shut. Elyan gasped and his hand hovered over his dagger. Merlin flinched and burrowed deeper into Gwaine's arms.

Gwaine glared at his fellow knight. "Elyan, this is Merlin. He's not going to hurt anyone, and he's obviously upset and scared. Can you just listen before you start yelling?"

Elyan nodded slowly. "How long have you known?"

"Only a couple of days. As I said, he doesn't have very good control as a child. All the power he had as an adult is stuck in his child's body, with a child's mind to control it. He's slipped a few times now."

"Who else knows?"

"Lancelot, Percival, Gwen and Gaius."

Elyan shook his head. "How does he have magic? You have to study, to learn. It doesn't just happen."

"Apparently that's not true. Merlin's not saying any spells, he's just doing things on instinct and emotion. And he's only four."

Merlin slowly lifted his head from against Gwaine's chest. "Mama said I've always been able to do it. I used to call my toys from across the room when I couldn't walk to get them." He peered at Elyan through his eyelashes. "You won't tell the red knights, will you? I don't mean to, I can't help it."

Elyan rubbed his eyes in confusion. "I don't know what to think. I mean this is Merlin. He's not got an evil bone in his body. But all the same, I've been brought up to believe that it's evil, that magic corrupts."

"He's had it from birth, Elyan. If he was going to be corrupted, it would have happened by now. And Merlin's had loads of time to attack Arthur and the king, and instead he's stupidly loyal. He drank poison for Arthur, for god's sakes."

Elyan nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll believe you." He looked at Merlin. "I won't tell the knights Merlin. I won't hurt you."

"Promise?" asked the child nervously.

The knight smiled. "I promise."

~~~

Gaius sighed. He was sat in his chambers, Merlin curled up asleep on the floor in a bundle of blankets, and everyone who knew about the magic sat around the table.

"So now that leaves only Arthur and Leon of our usual group." Lancelot glanced at his sleeping friend. "I doubt either of them will react well."

Elyan nodded. "I'm not exactly comfortable about it. It'll take me a while to get used to it, but I'm not going to hurt Merlin. Arthur's first reaction will likely be to reach for his sword."

"Leon will be the same," added Gwaine.

Gwen looked sad. "I feel terrible for Merlin. Having to hide who he is all this time, fearing for his life over something he can't control. And only Gaius and Lancelot to talk to about it."

"How many times has he saved Arthur using magic?" asked Percival quietly.

"I've lost count," admitted Gaius. "It is Merlin's destiny to protect Arthur, and he will give everything, even his life, to do so. He did just that once, offered his life in exchange for Arthur's. But the sorceress died instead."

"Just how powerful is he?" asked Elyan.

"You heard the druid prophecies I spoke about yesterday? Well, they're true. Merlin is Emrys. The greatest sorcerer ever to walk the earth."

"So he could beat Morgana?" said Gwaine eagerly.

"He could," replied Gaius. "But it's not as simple as that. There are certain spells that Morgana uses that Merlin would never even think about, and he doesn't want her dead if he can help it. He pities her."

"Why?" asked Gwen.

"He sees himself in her. Had he not had someone to talk to, he would have been just as terrified as she was. Morgana turned to the only person who offered help, and Morgause twisted her fear and turned it into hatred. Merlin feels guilty for not helping her when her magic first appeared."

"But he couldn't. Morgana was the King's ward. If she had ignored his help, or turned him in, he'd be dead. He was protecting himself." Gwen was looking at Merlin, that sad expression still fixed on her kind face.

Gwaine snorted. "This is Merlin we're talking about. Of course he put all the guilt on himself. He blames himself for almost every mistake he makes, and is guilty over any injury to any one of us, let alone to Arthur."

"So what do we do now?" Elyan looked at the sleeping child. "It's just so hard to believe that Merlin could be such a powerful sorcerer."

"He confessed once," replied Gwen softly. "When I was accused of healing Father from that plague, he burst into the middle of a council meeting and confessed it was him. Arthur laughed it off and Uther believed him. But I think it was true."

Gaius nodded. "It was. He couldn't bare the idea that someone else would die for his mistakes. When his confession didn't work, he got Arthur to help destroy the creature that was causing the plague instead."

~~~

Merlin was drifting in white fog. He knew he was dreaming, because his body was that of an adult again, rather than the child he'd been for the last five days. There seemed to be nothing around him, except the fog.

Then small specks of golden light joined the fog, like tiny sparks from a fire. He reached out, trying to touch one, but it swirled away from him. Merlin frowned in confusion, but was otherwise unconcerned. He knew, somehow, that he was safe, that he wuld come to no harm.

The golden sparks began to increase in number, then slowly gathered together. They formed into three woman, and Merlin would have knelt, had there been any ground. His magic swirled within him, telling him without words that these women were to be respected.

The first woman was young, perhaps sixteen, and wore her long blonde hair in a simple braid. Her dress was pale blue, and looked similar to those Merlin knew Gwen wore. A simple circlet of flowers rested on her head.

The second woman was older, looking closer to Merlin's mother's age. She had brown hair, carefully pinned up, and wore a dress like those Morgana would have worn when she still lived in Camelot, in a royal purple. Her circlet was of gold, but still simple, so that it wasn't obviously a crown

The third woman's hair was almost entirely silver, save a few black streaks, and her beautiful face was lined with age. Her dress was the simplest of the three, and she wore a circlet of some black stone, though it shimmered slightly in the light.

Merlin bowed as best he could while floating.

The Triple Goddess smiled at Merlin. "There is no need to bow to us, Merlin Emrys," said the mother, her voice soft. "You are one of our most precious children, and we love you as we love all."

He lifted his head, and saw the mother had raised her arms in greeting. He made to move closer, and realised that the fog had solidifed beneath his feet. Merlin stepped forward, into the Goddess' embrace, and felt the love of a mother swirl around him.

When he stepped back, the maiden smiled gently at him. "We have brought you here for a reason. Even now, Morgana is moving against Camelot. Morgause is close to death, and intends to use herself as a blood sacrifice to tear the veil between the worlds at Samhain. If this happens, the spirits of the dead will be released and cause many more to perish."

"This cannot be allowed to happen," continued the crone. "Once a blood sacrifice is made, another will be required to close it. Arthur Pendragon must be protected."

"He would use himself as the sacrifice, "said Merlin. "Could I not take his place?"

The Crone shook her head. "It is not yet your time to leave this world, Merlin Emrys. One of the knights would be lost, and this would interfer with the creation of a united Albion. The sacrifice must be prevented. The veil must remain closed."

"You must overcome this enchantment," said the maiden, eyes wide and earnest. "You must have Arthur's complete trust. There must be no secrets between you."

"How?" asked Merlin. "When I wake up, I will think like a child again."

The mother smiled. "You are close to waking now, Merlin Emrys. When you do, your magic will guide you to Arthur. An assassin is in the corridors, moving closer to the prince's chambers. Your magic will pull you to protect him."

"How can I protect him as a child? I have no control."

The crone replied, "Your power was given to you for a reason. To protect those you love. Arthur Pendragon is the one you love most in this world, above all others. You will be able to save him."

Then Triple Goddess spoke as one. "Merlin Emrys, your King is in danger. Wake now, and defend him."

Chapter Text

Gaius was moving towards the stairs to wake Merlin, when the door was thrown open and the child threw himself down the stairs as fast as he could.

"Merlin, what's wrong?"

"Arthur!" Merlin rushed past his guardian and into the corridor, ignoring Gaius calling after him.

Merlin was running as fast as his legs could carry him, ducking between people as he went. He didn't know how he knew, but everything inside him was screaming that Arthur was in trouble. His magic was buzzing under his skin, and he could feel it building up at his fingertips, prepared to fly free at the first thought that it was needed. He could hear someone calling after him, but he didn't stop to call back, or let them catch up.

Merlin skidded around the corner into the corridor where Arthur's chambers were, and yelled as he saw the guards collapsed on the floor. He rushed forward and threw the door open.

Leon was trying to get up from where he'd been thrown to the ground, and Arthur had his sword out and pointed at a man dressed in black robes. The assassin had a long dagger in one hand, and a glowing red stone in the other.

"Arthur!" Merlin screamed out as the stone glowed brighter.

Distracted, the assassin stepped back, trying to see who was at the door, and still keep his eye on the prince. Arthur lunged forward, but the dagger caught and knocked back his sword. The stone glowed brighter still, and Arthur cursed as the hilt of the sword glowed with heat, searing his hand. He was forced to drop it, and the assassin smirked.

Merlin couldn't bear it. He had no words to direct his power, but he didn't care. He raised a hand, reached for his magic and pushed. The stone dropped from the assassin's grip, and Merlin watched it smash on the wooden floor. Its glow died at once, and he almost gagged in disgust at the feel of the dark magic that powered it, as it swirled though the air for a few seconds.

Arthur pulled a dagger from his belt and grappled with the assassin; Leon getting up behind him, sword drawn. The assassin spat out a word that Merlin almost recognised, and the knight and the prince were knocked backwards.

Merlin rushed forward, placing his body between the assassin and his friends.

"Leave them alone!" he shouted. "Arthur is my friend, and you won't hurt him."

"Merlin, get out of the way," said Arthur desperately.

"No! I'll protect you, or die trying!" He knew he was small, knew that the man in front of him was stronger and faster, knew that he shouldn't use magic in front of Arthur. But he also knew that if he lost Arthur now, he would never ever forgive himself.

The assassin smirked. "Don't be a fool, boy. Do as your prince says, and move aside."

"Never! I won't let you hurt him." Merlin raised a hand threatenly. "Leave now, and don't ever come back."

"Why should I?" sneered the man. "I have him right where I want him."

Arthur was trying to stand, but the assassin's magic held him down. "Merlin, don't be an idiot. You can't protect me this time."

"I can and I will. You are my King and my friend, and I won't let anyone hurt you as long as I live!" His magic was straining now, desperate to be free, to be used.

The assassin raised his dagger and took a step forwards. "Then you will die first, boy. And after you're dead, I will step over your body, and Arthur Pendragon will fall."

Merlin saw the dagger move, saw the gleam in the assassin's eye, heard Arthur and Leon yelling behind him, and his magic reacted.

It burst from him in a arc of golden light, knocking the assassin backwards and filling the room with light. When it faded, he was breathing hard. He slowly lowered his hand when the assassin didn't get up, and turned to look at Arthur.

The prince was getting up, staring at Merlin as if seeing him for the first time. Leon seemed confused, as though he wasn't sure that what he'd seen had really happened.

~~~

There came a sharp intact of breath from the doorway, and Merlin looked around. The guards were standing there, staring at the unconscious assassin, and then back at the prince.

"Sire, are you alright?"

Arthur nodded. "Get him into the dungeons. We need to find out who sent him when he wakes up. Then get Gaius to check you both. Make sure you don't have concussions."

The guards nodded, dragged the assassin out and shut the door behind them.

Merlin turned back to his friend, his smile still wide. Then he saw Arthur's face and his grin fell away. "I did something wrong, didn't I?" He looked down at his feet. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

Arthur blinked rapidly, then knelt in front of the small boy and hugged him. "Thank you Merlin. You saved my life."

Merlin looked up at him and beamed. "I thought you would be angry with me, but you promised I was safe, and I trust you."

"Do you trust Leon too?" asked Arthur seriously.

Merlin nodded. "Even if he's a red knight, he said he wouldn't hurt me, and you said he wouldn't hurt me."

Leon seemed conflicted. "Sire, that was magic."

Arthur stood up and faced his first knight. "It was also the desire of a small child to protect someone he cared about. You heard him. He's only a boy, but he faced down a trained assassin for me. His magic didn't hurt you or me, it didn't even kill the assassin. Merlin defended us and nothing more."

Leon nodded slowly. "How did he do that? He didn't say anything."

"Where would have learnt any spells?" countered Arthur. "He doesn't remember being an adult; even if he learnt more later, right now, he's just using instinct."

"I don't know any spells yet," piped up Merlin. "I might when I'm big again, but Mama said I'm too small. She said to hide it, because the red knights don't like it and they might hurt me."

Arthur looked at Leon. "We're going to have to hide this. I know Merlin wouldn't hurt anyone unless he really needed to, but if my father heard about this he'd accuse him of plotting against us."

Leon nodded. "Merlin's too loyal to you to attack Camelot in any way. I'll keep this secret Sire."

Arthur crouched in front of Merlin. "Merlin, you must promise to keep hiding your magic alright."

Merlin nodded seriously. "Mama made me promise already, but I promise again to you." Then he frowned. "But if someone tries to hurt you again, I want to help."

Putting a hand on Merlin's shoulder, Arthur smiled. "Thank you Merlin."

~~~

There came a knock on the door, and Arthur stood up. "Enter."

"Sire, have you seen - Merlin!" Gaius moved forward and hugged his ward. "There you are. You ran out so quickly this morning, I had no idea where you went."

Merlin hung his head. "I'm sorry Gaius."

Arthur stepped forward. "It's alright Gaius. Merlin had a nightmare about me getting hurt, and wanted to make sure I was alright."

Merlin looked up at Arthur with a frown, but the prince met his eyes and Merlin knew not to say anything different.

There was another knock and Lancelot came in. "Sire, the assassin has been put in the dungeons. The guards were wondering when you planned on interrogating him."

"Tell them to send a message when he wakes up. Then Leon and I will talk to him."

"An assassin sire?" asked Gaius.

Arthur nodded. "Merlin came in just after we managed to overpower him." He bent down and used a handkerchief to pick up the broken shards of crystal. "He was using this to do magic. Luckily for us, he dropped it and it shattered."

Gaius carefully took the pieces. "I'll examine them Sire, and see if I can work out where they came from."

Arthur nodded. "Thank you Gaius." He glanced at Leon, then at Merlin. "Who was looking after Merlin today?"

"I was going to ask you the same," said Lancelot. "Gwaine, Percival, Elyan and I have patrols today, and Gwen is tending the King."

"We can watch him," said Arthur.

"Sire?"

Arthur gestured to his desk, covered in papers. "Leon and I can keep an eye on him. I only have paperwork to deal with today."

Gaius and Lancelot exchanged looks. Then Gaius said, "If you are sure Sire. He can be very energetic."

"I'm sure between us we can manage."

"I'll fetch his toys, so hopefully he'll let you work," said Lancelot.

Merlin rushed forward and hugged the knight around the knees. "Love you Lance. See you later."

Lancelot looked shocked, but knelt down and hugged the child. "Um, I love you too Merlin." He was blushing slightly as he stood up, but still nodded respectfully to Arthur and Leon as he and Gaius left the room.

Arthur made sure the door was firmly closed, then sank into a chair. Merlin giggled and climbed into his lap.

"This is going to take some getting used to," said Leon as he took the seat opposite. "Who'd have ever thought Merlin had magic?"

Arthur nodded, absentmindly stroking Merlin's dark hair. "But it sort of makes sense. We've had a lot of good luck ever since he's been here. Beast that need magic to be killed, but we managed it anyway. Branches landing on bandits."

"And he comes into battle with us, without armour or a sword and somehow comes back with no injuries," replied Leon.

Arthur looked at his child manservant. "Merlin, could you show us some magic?"

Merlin blinked. "Are you sure? Mama said not to show anyone."

"It's just us here. Please Merlin."

Merlin nodded and cupped his small hands together. His eyes shone gold for a moment, then he opened his hands. A bright blue butterfly fluttered out, flew gracefully across the table and landed on the edge of the fruit bowl.

Arthur stared at it for a few minutes, then dropped his head into his hands. "How could my father have been so wrong? Magic isn't always dangerous. I ask Merlin to do magic and the first thing he thinks of is a butterfly. How is that a threat?"

Leon was watching the beautiful insect. "The druids saved my life Sire. I've been thinking the law a bit too harsh for a while now."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

The knight shrugged. "Your opinion is well known Arthur. I doubted you'd want to listen to my reasons."

Merlin wriggled on Arthur's lap, so Leon stood up, took a blank piece of paper from the desk and pencil, and handed them to Merlin. The little boy's face lit up and he began to draw with a very serious expression on his face.

~~~

Lancelot dropped off Merlin's wooden toys a few minutes later, and received another hug and an 'I love you' before he left, blushing.

Arthur watched Merlin chat and draw with Leon for a while, then said, "Merlin, why does Lance get more hugs than us?"

Merlin looked at him shyly. "He's my special friend. Gaius is my uncle, so he gets hugs like Mama does. Elyan, Leon, Percy and Gwaine are sort of brothers, like Gwen is a sort of sister. You're my bestest friend, but you're the prince, so I didn't think you'd want hugs from me. But Lance is my special friend. I want to hug him all the time. And when I'm big again I want to give him kisses like you do with Gwen."

Arthur choked on the water he'd just swallowed, and Leon was staring at Merlin in amazement.

"Does Lance know this?" asked the knight.

Merlin blushed and shook his head. "I don't want to tell him. He likes me like I like Gwaine, not how Arthur like Gwen. He might not want to give me hugs anymore if I tell him."

Arthur looked at Leon. "Did you have any idea this was going on?"

Leon shook his head. "I knew Merlin was closer to Lancelot than the other knights, Arthur, but I thought that was simply because he knew him longer. I had no idea Merlin saw him that way."

"Neither did I," sighed Arthur. "It appears I know Merlin a lot less than I thought."

"I doubt Merlin has told anyone else about this either, Arthur. If he'd told Gwen, she'd have tried to get them together by now, and if he'd told Gwaine, most of Camelot would know. Gwaine talks a lot when he's in the tavern."

"The tavern," said Arthur slowly. "Gaius tells me that Merlin spends a lot of time there. But he has magic, wouldn't he be worried about losing control?"

Leon shrugged. "I would if it was me. Maybe you should ask Gwaine if he sees Merlin there."

"I do that." Arthur nodded.

Merlin slid down from his seat at the table and moved over to the desk. He held up his piece of paper. "For you Arthur!" he said proudly.

Arthur thanked him, received a huge grin in reply, and looked at the picture.

It showed a group of people all standing together. Most of them were easily distiguishable. Almost all of them carried swords. One had curly hair, and Arthur guessed it was Leon, while another was obviously Percival because he was lot taller than the others, save Leon. Both Gwaine and Gwen had long hair and carried a sword like the others, but Gwen had been given a skirt and a crown. Elyan was slightly shorter and had very short hair. Lancelot and Arthur looked very similar, except Arthur had a crown. The last figure carried a shield instead of a sword, and must have been Merlin. Across the top of the picture, in big shaky letters, were their names, though badly spelled.

Arthur smiled at the drawing and carefully put it away in a drawer so he didn't lose it. Then he said, "Merlin, who taught you to write?"

Merlin grinned at him. "Mama. She said it was important, in case I didn't want to be a farmer when I was bigger. I don't know many words yet, but Mama taught me some."

~~~

The rest of the day passed quietly. Leon and Arthur took turns to play with Merlin and work of the piles of papers. They ate lunch in Arthur's chambers, and Merlin fell asleep on Arthur's bed not long afterwards.

Arthur watched him for a minute, then said quietly, "How long do you think this will last? How long until he's his proper age again?"

"I'm not sure," replied Leon. "We think this has something to do with Emrys. But personally, I'm glad we found out about Merlin's magic while he's this age."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Would you have reacted the same if he'd been an adult? Or would you have thought he'd betrayed you like Morgana did?"

Arthur sighed. "You're right. I don't know what I'd have done. But I'd likely have been very angry."

"Are you angry now?"

He shook his head. "I ought to be, because he lied to me for years, but I can see why he kept it a secret. He was scared for his life. And if he's had magic since he was a small child, then he obviously didn't have much choice in the matter. I just want to know why he came to Camelot in the first place." He sighed again. "He told me he didn't fit in in Ealdor anymore, so I know why he left. But why come to Camelot?"

"Gaius is his uncle, perhaps he didn't have anywhere else to go," said Leon thoughtfully.

"I didn't know that," Arthur was surprised. "He never mentioned that before."

"I think there was a large age gap between Gaius and Merlin's mother. They haven't seen each other in years."

Arthur nodded. "That would make sense. Merlin told me he never knew his father, and Gwaine said that he mentioned that the other children called him a bastard. So Gaius likely was his only other option."

There was quiet for several long minutes. Then Leon said, "Do you think anyone else knows?"

"About his magic? I don't know. He's had to keep it a secret to stay alive. He might have trusted Gaius, he's family, but I doubt he'd put that on anyone else."

Leon nodded. "He wouldn't want to risk anyone else getting accused of harbouring a sorcerer if he was found out."

Arthur snorted. "No, he's far too noble for his own good."

"So we keep it secret?"

"For now. When we work out how to lift this enchantment, we'll talk to him and work out what to do." Arthur ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "If Merlin is a good sorcerer, he can't be the only one. The druids are peaceful, so there have to be others."

"I doubt we've ever seen them," agreed Leon. "We only ever see attacks. But those who would use it for good are hiding and scared."

Arthur gave a decisive nod. "Then after we've talked to Merlin as an adult, I'll decide if the ban should be lifted when I'm King."

Chapter Text

Merlin had been a child for two weeks now, and apart from the few hours he'd spent with his adult mind, there had been no change. The second week of the enchantment had been stressful for everyone except Merlin, who was simply happy to be with his friends. Leon and Arthur were doing their best to spend more time with Merlin, to stop the others from discovering his magic, while the rest of the knights, Gwen and Gaius fought to do exactly the same.

There had been a lot of confused arguments about who was watching him and why, including Arthur quietly confessing to Gwen that he missed the adult Merlin and this was as close as he was going to get, though he didn't dare tell anyone else for fear of the teasing it would get him.

But now, Gaius had managed to narrow the spell down to one of three, but all of them required magic to break. There was also the added bonus that two of the three would cause strange side affects if the counter was used and it wasn't the right one.

The usual group of knights, Arthur, Gwen and Gaius were sat at the round table, with Merlin on Gwen's lap, drawing again.

"At least we know it's one of these spells," said Gwaine.

"All three of these enchantments would take a great deal of power to perform without leaving behind a poltice bag," continued Gaius.

"Is there any other way to narrow it down?" asked Arthur.

Gaius pointed to the right pages of the books he had in front of him. "If it was this one, then someone would have had to use Merlin's hair. That reduces the number of people who could be responsible, because they'd either have to get some from Merlin himself, or have access to his room. The second would have required Merlin to drink a potion first, so again that reduces our list of suspects."

"And the third?" asked Leon.

"The third would have required some sort of focus to cast it. A crystal with a good deal of power."

"Is it related to the crystal that assassin had?" Lancelot glanced between Gaius and Merlin.

Gaius shook his head. "The assassin had little power himself. That stone was a booster, to increase the power of his spells, nothing more. No, the crystal for this sort of enchantment would have to be very powerful. Similar in strength to the Crystal of Neahtid."

"Merlin said he had a dream about a cave full of crystals," said Gwaine. "It was one of his strange memory-dreams."

Gaius sighed. "If it is the Crystal Cave, then the sorcerer will be very powerful indeed. Possibly as strong as Morgana."

"Could it be Emrys? We still haven't found out who this Emrys is, and Merlin did react to us talking about him."

"I doubt it Sire. Emrys was always said to be a protector. I doubt he'd do anything to hurt an innocent."

Arthur sighed. "Then we're back at the beginning."

"Sire, perhaps we should investigate this cave," suggested Leon. "If we find nothing there, then it is more likely to be one of the other two spells."

"Good idea. Gaius, where is this cave?"

"In the Valley of the Fallen Kings," replied Gaius.

Gwaine muttered "Of course it is," but Gaius raised an eyebrow and he fell silent again.

"But I must advise caution," continued Gaius. "It can only be found by those with good intentions. It is said to be protected by the spirit of Taliesin, the seer. He must guide you to the cave, so you must approach in peace and without weapons, or he won't let you enter."

Elyan groaned. "So we have to go the Valley of the Fallen Kings, a place known for magic and bandits, and drop all our weapons and hope that this spirit lets us in? This is going to go well."

Gaius nodded. "I'm sorry Sire. The last I heard of someone gaining entry was about a year ago, but before that it had been several decades since the entrance was found. Even before the Purge, it was an honour and a rare privilige to be allowed to enter."

Arthur looked at his child-sized manservant, currently deeply involved in drawing a unicorn in a forest. "We'll ride in a hour. I trust you and Gwen can look after Merlin, Gaius."

"Of course Sire."

~~~

The knights rode out of Camelot with Arthur in front as usual. But it felt odd to be one down in their numbers. Gwaine appeared to be trying to make up for the usual banter between Merlin and Arthur by talking even more than usual. Arthur endured with gritted teeth, trying to convince himself that hitting his knights wasn't princely behaviour, though realising the voice in his head sounds suspiciously like Merlin didn't help keep control of his temper.

Eventually, Elyan snapped and told Gwaine to shut up, that the rest of them were as worried about Merlin as he was, and irritating the prince to the point of violence wasn't a good way to cope. Gwaine glanced at Arthur's face and sensibly took the advice.

They reached the entrance and they dismounted and tied their horses to a tree partially hidden by large amounts of brambles and high bushes. Lancelot shuddered slightly as he passed through the opening behind Percival.

"Nothing good ever happens in the Valley of the Fallen Kings," he muttered to himself, echoing Merlin's words to him several months ago.

Arthur heard him and smiled ryely. "Merlin got to you too then?"

Lancelot nodded. "I've got so used to him being here, my mind is supplying what he would say in his absence."

"I'm the same," admitted the prince quietly. "He's been by my side for nearly five years now."

They moved carefully through the Valley until Arthur called a halt.

"Let's stop here. It's as good a place as any to rest."

The knights settled on logs or rocks, drinking from the waterskins on their belts.

"So Princess, how are we planning on finding this cave from here?" said Gwaine.

"Gaius said you have to need it. There must be an important reason for finding it," replied Arthur.

"And he was right, Arthur Pendragon."

The voice startled them all, causing hands to jump to sword hilts as they pushed quickly to their feet. The stranger was old, with short white hair and beard, and wore brown robes.

"You have come to seek help for your friend." It was not a question.

"Are you Taliesin, the seer?" asked Arthur carefully.

"I am. We have met once before, Arthur Pendragon, though it is not surprising you don't remember it. You had an arrow in your back and were unconscious. Your companion was rather upset as I recall."

Arthur looked startled. "Merlin told me it didn't pierce the armour."

Taliesin smiled. "I believe he was under the impression you would not take kindly to the idea that you had been healed with magic. He thought to spare you the trouble of searching for me."

Arthur frowned, hand falling away from his sword. "You have my thanks for your help, Taliesin. Can you help us now?"

"If you seek answers in the Crystal Caves, you will not find them. Only one of powerful magic can use the crystals to view the past or future. Emrys is one such being. Morgana is another, as is the druid boy Mordred."

"Was the cave used to cast the enchantment on Merlin?"

Taliesin smiled again. "It was, Arthur Pendragon. There are many who believe in the world that the Once and Future King and Emrys will build, and wish to see Albion united in peace. The enchantment was to help advance that destiny. Wisdom from the mouths of babes is often better received, is it not?"

Arthur heard the knowing tone of the seer's voice and his mind jumped quickly to the events of last week; of Merlin with a hand raised, of a wave of golden light, of blue-grey eyes shining gold, of a bright blue butterfly.

He nodded. "You are right. It is." He paused, then said, "If that wisdom has been received, can the enchantment be reversed?"

"It can, Arthur Pendragon. You are the key to that. You are as skilled with words as you are with a sword, in the right moment. Use the right ones, and your friend shall be free."

Arthur blinked. Was there emphasis on the word free? "How do I know which words are the right ones?"

"You will know, Arthur Pendragon." Taliesin took a step forward. "When your friend no longer has reason to fear you, when you have voiced that which has been known but unspoken, he will be free. When he knows that you trust both sides of him, that which is familar and that which is not, the enchantment will be reversed."

Arthur was thinking rapidly. Then it clicked. "Must the words be public or can they be private? And do I have to say them outright or can they be implied?"

Taliesin's smiled broadened, as he saw that Arthur understood. "A public declaration is not necessary, but I would wager would be appreciated. You have danced around words long enough, Arthur Pendragon. Say as you feel, even if it not your usual way."

Arthur bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help and wisdom Taliesin. Is there anything we can do for you in return?"

"The dead want for little," came the reply. "But if Emrys wishes to visit me again, please express my consent."

As he spoke, a white fog built up around them, slowly obscuring the seer from view. When it faded, Taliesin was gone.

~~~

"What was that?" said Gwaine into the silence.

Arthur smiled. "That was the answer to reversing Merlin's enchantment."

Elyan raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I didn't understand any of his riddles."

"Luckily, I did, considering they were meant for me," replied Arthur.

"You going to explain them, Princess?"

"Once we're back in Camelot, yes Gwaine."

Leon nodded. "Then we should get going, Sire."

Lancelot led the way out, running Taliesin's words over in his mind. Arthur had to use words, not a sword to break the enchantment. Was this linked to Merlin's response to Arthur's conversation with Gaius about Emrys?

It seemed to take much less time to leave than it had done to enter the Valley of the Fallen Kings, and they were almost surprised to see that their horses were still where they had left them, considering the number of bandits in the area.

The ride back to Camelot was quiet, as they concentrated on moving quickly. The knights were trying to understand the riddles Taliesin had given Arthur, but most of them only came to a sort of half conclusion.

Clattering into the courtyard, they met Gwen and Merlin waiting on the steps.

"You're back!" Merlin rushed forward the moment they were off the horses and threw himself at Arthur. "I thought you might be gone for ages, but Gwen said you would be here for dinner."

Arthur hugged Merlin back, then carefully set him down. He gave him a tiny push towards Lancelot, but the child didn't need it.

"Lance! Did you have to fight anybody? Did you find the magic cave?"

Lancelot looked slightly confused at Merlin's enthusiastic hug, but answered him. "We found the cave, Merlin, but there was no fighting."

"Good," said Merlin. "Cuz' I wasn't there to help this time, and Arthur needs me to protect him."

Arthur laughed and ruffled Merlin's hair. "That's right. You're my shield, aren't you Merlin?"

Merlin nodded quickly, beaming. Percival frowned and Leon leaned over to him. "Merlin drew him a picture of all of us. We all had swords, including Gwen, but Merlin drew himself with a shield. He said it was because he wanted to protect Arthur."

Percival nodded in understanding, and handed the reins of his horse to a stable boy.

Arthur looked at Gwen and said, "Could you fetch Gaius? We found how to end the enchantment, and I want him there."

"Of course. In the round table room?"

Arthur nodded, and kissed her temple. "Thank you Guinevere."

Gwen smiled up at him, then moved away up the steps.

The knights followed her, Lancelot still carrying Merlin who was telling him excitedly about his afternoon playing in the gardens with Gwen.

When they reached the room and sat down, Merlin placed himself at Arthur's right side, seemingly automatically and pulled Lancelot into the seat next to him. Gwen and Gaius arrived a few minutes later, and Gwen sat at Arthur's left.

Leon realised it was very reminisant of when they had all sat around a different round table, in a half ruined castle about a year ago, and they had pledged their loyalty to their prince. Arthur had changed history that day, and Leon had the feeling it was about to happen again.

~~~

Arthur stood and looked around the table at his friends. "Taliesin gave me the answer to reversing the enchantment on Merlin. He said I had to use words, not swords to break it and so that is what I am going to do."

He looked at his best friend, staring up at him earnestly with those wide blue eyes and smiled. "He said I had to make sure that Merlin didn't fear me, for any reason, and that I had to prove myself to him."

"May I ask how, Sire?" said Gaius.

Arthur nodded. "I had to admit something that both of us knew to be true, but that not been spoken before. And I had to say that in spite of any revelations I might have had in the last days."

The knights glanced nervously at each other, and both Gwen and Gaius looked tense.

Leon said carefully, "Are sure this is the best place for this Sire? He did say it could be private."

"He did. And I know last week I asked for your silence, Leon. But if I am to do to as Taliesin said, I wish to prove it to my closest friends."

Arthur moved away from his chair and stood right beside Merlin's. The child understood that this was serious, and slipped down from his chair and into the empty space the other side of the table from the door. Arthur smiled and stood in front of him. Then he carefully moved to one knee and met Merlin's eyes.

"Merlin. You have been my friend for five years now. And I know there have been many secrets between us, from both sides." He heard chairs shifting slightly behind him, but ignored them and continued. "But I know the most important one now, and I want you to know that I accept it. I know you have magic," there came several loud gasps, "but I also know you have used it to fight at my side, to protect me and to protect Camelot. You really are my shield, my defender. So I want to say thank you Merlin. For everything you've done. And most importantly, I trust you my friend. No matter what you still have to tell me."

Merlin smiled and rested a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "Thank you, Arthur," came the simple but heartfelt reply.

Golden light filled Merlin's eyes. Then Arthur stood up and backed away a few steps as the rest of Merlin's body began to glow too. It grew brighter and brighter, filling the room, until they were all shielding their eyes.

Then it faded.

Arthur looked up to see his friend grinning back at him, his usual age and body restored. He gave a soft noise of delight and lunged forward to pull him into a hug. Merlin laughed and hugged him back.

Then Arthur pulled back until he was just resting a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I think we've got a lot to talk about."

"Yes, I think we do."

~~~

The two friends looked back at the table where the others still sat and simultaneously burst out laughing. The shocked and amazed expressions on every face was just too funny not to.

Then Lancelot stood, closely followed by Gwaine and Gaius, and moved forward to pull Merlin into hugs. The others joined them in clapping Merlin on the back, and Gwen gave him a tight hug and a kiss to the cheek.

There was confusion for several minutes until Arthur gave up and pulled Merlin back to his seat at the table. The knights followed quickly.

"Sire, may I ask when you found out about Merlin's magic?" asked Gaius.

Arthur glanced around the table. "Last week. He defended me from the assassin. Was I the last to know?"

Another look around confirmed it. Merlin looked at his friend. "It wasn't on purpose, Arthur. I would have liked to tell you first, but I didn't have a lot of control as a child. I think everyone knew by the end of the first week of the enchantment."

Gwaine groaned. "So we've all spent the last week dancing around each other, trying to keep the secret safe, when everybody already knew."

Lancelot smiled. "Well, I'm glad. Merlin doesn't have to hide from us anymore."

"How did the rest of you find out?" asked Arthur. "Leon was with me when Merlin stopped the assassin, but the rest of you?"

"Merlin mended his wooden horse when it broke," said Percival. "I panicked a little and went to Lancelot and Gwaine."

Gwaine chuckled. "I was surprised. Lancelot, not so much."

Arthur looked at the knight, who shrugged. "Merlin helped me kill the griffin. If he hadn't enchanted the lance, I doubt I would have survived, let alone killed it. He didn't mean for me to find out, but I heard the chanting and the blue fire was a little hard to miss."

"So that's why you left," said Leon.

Lancelot nodded. "I couldn't take credit for something I hadn't done. I'd have given Merlin the credit, but..."

"You weren't that stupid," said Gwaine.

"I saw him," said Gwen softly. "He stopped a goblet falling off the table just by looking at it."

"And you Elyan?" asked Arthur.

"I overheard Gwaine talking to Merlin. Trying to convince him that he wasn't going to hand him over for something he couldn't control." He grimaced a little. "I'm ashamed to say my first instinct was to reach for a weapon, until I was reminded this was Merlin."

"I would have been the same, if he hadn't been four years old at the time," said Leon. "Besides the fact that he'd just declared undying loyalty for Arthur as he knocked out an assassin."

Merlin shrugged. "I do that a lot."

Gwaine laughed. "The assassins, the magic, or the declarations of loyalty?"

"All three," he replied. "It's amazing the number of people who think they can convince me to join them, when I've just stopped them from killing Arthur, or attacking Camelot."

Arthur snorted. Then he looked at Gaius. "I assume you've known the longest."

Gaius nodded. "The first time he came into my chambers, before we'd even spoken a word to each other, he saved my life."

"How?" asked Gwen.

"I fell from the balcony when the railing gave way. Merlin stopped the fall."

"I was terrified," admitted Merlin. "The first thing he did was ask where I'd learnt magic. I didn't know any spells and had just moved on instinct. It wasn't until I told him I was his nephew, that I realised he wasn't going to hand me over. My reaction was a little more extreme than it might have been, but the first thing I saw when I came to Camelot was an execution for sorcery."

There came several louds winces at that comment.

"So what now?" asked Elyan.

Merlin looked at Arthur. "I think I have more than a few stories to tell. And secrets. There will probably be a lot of shouting at various points, and Arthur will throw at least one goblet at my head. Then I have to tell you how I knew there was an assassin and what we need to do next. So we might be here for a while."

Arthur grinned at his friend. "In which case, I'll call for some food and wine. Then you can start."