A/N: Hello all! Once again I've diverted from my primary story. I apologize but this has been sitting in my laptop for quite some time now. I wrote up this first chapter about three or four months ago but didn't post it up because I wasn't done. It was supposed to be a one-shot but now I've changed it to a multi-chapter story. There'll probably be about 4 to 5 chapters max to this story and yes...I'm planning to undertake the daunting task of juggling two stories at the same time. Let's see how this works out! I hope you enjoy it!

Pairings: None

Spoilers: None! First story I've written here that have no spoilers!

Disclaimer: I do not own "Merlin".

Merlin was annoyed! Stupid Arthur! The prat had insulted him for the last time! Merlin was currently looking through his spell book for a decent spell that he could use to get his revenge on Arthur. He was leaning towards turning the Prince into a toad when a much more interesting spell caught his eye.

It would turn back the person's clock so they would go back to being a child. The age was set to about 5 years of age. A devilish smile lit up Merlin's features as he sat imagining a five year old Arthur waving a sword larger than his body.

Merlin looked for a counter spell. He couldn't leave the Prince as a child; he also needed to wait for a good opportunity. Uther would go on a witch hunting rampage if he found the Prince that way. Merlin decided to do what he had planned to do when the King was away.

Uther had decided to go on a small trip to a neighbouring Kingdom as a gesture of good faith. He was going to be leaving tomorrow and Arthur was to be left in charge for a while. That would be as good an opportunity as any.

Besides Merlin wasn't really planning on keeping Arthur that way for long, just maybe half a day or so. That way Arthur won't be missed and he can have his fun until he turns the Prince back into an adult again. The other fun part was that the victim of the spell wouldn't remember anything after the spell was reversed.

The second good thing was that the spell was supposed to be used on a potion that he needed to make. The counter spell was also for the potion. Well he'd leave the counter-spell for now; he could always make it later on. He carefully checked to see if Gaius was around and sighed in relief to see that he wasn't.

The potion was fairly easy to make so he started off with making it. Once done he quickly muttered the words for the spell and watched as the potion bubbled in the goblet. For lack of any other containers around he had used a goblet as the container for the spell. He couldn't alert Gaius because that would just ruin all his fun.

He took the goblet to his room. He would later present the very same goblet to Arthur. The amount the victim drank didn't matter as the book said. So if Arthur only drank a sip and didn't like the taste it would still be alright because the spell would work. He returned the spell book to its rightful place and left the goblet on the desk beside his bed. Merlin, however, didn't realize that his usual water goblet was also sitting right beside it.

The next morning saw Merlin still in bed with the sun rising, late for work. Gaius had told Merlin last night that he needed to go into town to visit a few of his patients. Gaius had warned Merlin to wake up on time but the warlock had slept on unaware. He had been up late last night rereading the spell to make sure there were no side-effects.

He may have been annoyed with Arthur but he didn't want to really hurt him. Merlin awoke groggily with the sun shining on his face. He sat bolt upright in bed as he realized that he was late. He hoped that Arthur had awoken on time. The prince had to see his father off early in the morning.

Merlin rushed about his room washing up and pulling on his clothes all thoughts about his revenge thrown out of his head in the rush. It was as he was getting ready that the door to his room burst open, an angry Prince standing there. Merlin froze and then promptly went into a litany of excuses for why he was late, apologizing profusely all at the same time as asking Arthur if he had woken up on time to see Uther off.

Arthur raised a hand up to silence Merlin, who shut his mouth instantly. Arthur then calmly stated, "Yes, Merlin I did see my father off. Now, are you ready yet?"

Merlin paled considerably. Arthur yelling he could handle but this calm Arthur meant trouble. He reached over to his desk and picked up the goblet lying there to take sip of water. As he swallowed a huge gulp of the water he realized it tasted bitter.

Then he shot a look at Arthur in alarm watching the Prince's face contort to one of confusion. Merlin had accidently drank the potion he'd made for Arthur and the counter potion hadn't been made. Also Gaius wasn't going to be back until late tonight. To top it all off Merlin wouldn't be able to tell Gaius what he'd done because he would be a child with no memories of his adulthood.

As that thought came to him he immediately said, "Arthur find Gaius! You must tell him I made a..."

He didn't get a chance to complete his statement.

Arthur watched Merlin's terrified gaze in confusion. He didn't understand what was going on. All he had seen was Merlin drinking water from a goblet then screwing up his face as though the water was bitter and now this.

He heard Merlin say, "Arthur find Gaius! You must tell him I made a..." Then suddenly there was a boom and Arthur covered his face in surprise. When he felt the dust settle he looked back to where Merlin was supposed to be in shock.

There instead of finding a man he saw a young child lying on the floor unconscious. Arthur's jaw dropped comically. Normally he would never show such blatant surprise on his face but he couldn't help it. The child was wearing the same clothes as his servant only they were smaller.

Arthur realized the potion must have done something. He had never heard of such a potion one that turned a person into a child. Oddly enough Merlin's clothes had shrunk to fit him...how was that possible?

Arthur cautiously walked forward and poked the child. He was rewarded with a small groan as the boy opened his eyes to reveal light blue eyes. The same eyes as Merlin's, which erased all doubt from Arthur's mind.

Merlin had accidently drank a potion that turned him into a child and Gaius was away. Before Arthur could contemplate further the child sat up and looked around as if he had no idea of where he was.

"Merlin?"

The child looked at Arthur and smiled a wide toothy grin and said, "Yes!"

Arthur blinked, dread filling him, as he asked, "Do you know who I am?"

Merlin looked confused as he shook his head then smiled again and said, "No! Where's mama?"

Arthur smacked a hand at his forehead, "Oh great you don't remember a thing do you?"

Merlin gave a happy laugh of child-like joy and said, "You're funny! Let's be friends!"

Arthur couldn't help the small chuckle that erupted from his mouth despite the situation, "Alright, friends it is. My name is Arthur."

Merlin with his hands high in the air said, "My name is Merlin. I am 5 years old. I live in Ealdor. My mama's name is Hunith" Then he giggled again.

Arthur a little surprised at the recitation smiled then said, "Well Merlin I have some work to do, would you like to come with me?"

Merlin shot up to his feet and nodded enthusiastically. Arthur slowly got up and was a little surprised as Merlin reached for his hand to hold on to. Though he knew this would create a fuss he didn't have the time to look for Gaius. They'd just have to wait for the physician. Until then he had no choice but to keep Merlin with him.

Arthur mostly had paperwork to do for the day so he had an excuse to stay in his chambers all day. He would order some servant along the way to get him his lunch and dinner. Then he looked down at Merlin who was staring all over Gaius chambers with child-like wonder. Arthur gripped the boy's hand a little tighter just in case he ran off to clutter Gaius's work space. He would need to order more food than normal so he could share some with Merlin.

They walked on and then Arthur realized the picture they would make walking along the castle hallways. He stopped at the physician's doorway and knelt down to level his eyes with Merlin's wide blue ones. It was disconcerting to say the least but Arthur didn't have a choice so he said, "Alright Merlin, I want you to stay here for just a bit. I need to see someone real quick. I'll be back very soon. Do not touch anything and be very quiet alright?"

Merlin smiled and nodded putting a finger to his lips and saying, "Hush!"

Arthur tried very hard to hold on to his stern demeanour but it cracked and he couldn't help but smile at how adorable Merlin was as a kid. He got up and left Gaius's chambers to grab a servant and order the food that he would need for the day to be delivered to his rooms directly. Then he rushed back to the physician's chambers hoping the kid Merlin was more obedient than the adult one.

As soon as he entered Gaius's chambers he was greeted to the sight of Merlin standing up on a chair playing with the potions cluttering Gaius's desk. Arthur quickly shut the door and ran towards the child then grabbed the glass tubes from his hands to lay them gently back on the desk. He turned disapproving eyes to the child. The same eyes that his nursing maid had once used to turn on him if he did something wrong, at least he hoped it looked the same.

However, it seemed Merlin knew the same trick Arthur knew as a child...the puppy dog look. As soon as the child got the hint from Arthur's look that he would be yelled at he turned on the charm. Arthur fought tooth and nail to resist the look but, blast it all, it didn't work! The prince sighed picked up the child and shook his head.

"You really are a mischievous kid aren't you Merlin?"

Merlin gave a small innocent smile as Arthur placed the child on his hip. He felt small hands go around his neck as Merlin rested his head against Arthur's shoulders. Then Merlin asked, "Where's mama?"

Arthur paused in his walk towards the physician's doors and wondered what to say to the child. Of course a five year old child would obviously look for his mother. He softly stated, "Well, your mother has gone out for a bit she'll be back later."

Merlin looked at him then said in a very child-like sage way, "Silly Arthur! Mother never leaves Merlin alone with any strangers!"

Arthur blinked, "What do you mean she doesn't leave you alone? What about when she has work to do?"

Merlin smiled and said, "Then I go with her!"

Arthur blinked again. He was quite sure this wasn't normal behaviour. He didn't know much about peasant lives but he was sure the children would be left with another neighbour or some older citizens of the village if the parents were busy.

Arthur cautiously asked, "Merlin, what about your father?"

Merlin just looked at Arthur not a speck of sadness in his eyes, "Merlin doesn't have a father...Do you have a father Arthur?"

Arthur smiled softly and said, "Yes, I have a father but I don't have a mother."

While he was saying this his thoughts were racing, 'Why would Hunith not leave her son in someone else's care while she worked the fields or any other chores she had to do? With no father all the responsibilities probably fell to her so why was Merlin never out of her sight?'

Merlin said giggling, "Then Arthur should be Merlin's brother so we'll have a father and a mother!"

Arthur's thoughts halted abruptly as he looked down into Merlin's innocent face. The child was obviously too young and was used to not having a father in his life. That was probably why he would innocently suggest such a thing.

"Merlin we can't be brothers..."

Merlin's face scrunched up in confusion, blast it all the sight was too cute, as he said, "Why?"

Arthur shook his head, "It doesn't work that way..."

Merlin once again asked, "Why? I like Arthur and Arthur likes me so we can be brothers!"

Arthur blinked, "No, Merlin it's not that simple"

Merlin then pouted—Dear God would the cuteness end—and said, "Does Arthur not like Merlin..."

The child's bottom lip jutted out and quivered and Arthur rushed to placate him before the crying started, "Alright, alright we can be brothers!"

Merlin's smile took over his face and Arthur felt a fuzzy and warm feeling take over his heart that he tried to unsuccessfully squash. Then Merlin gave him a hug and the feeling erupted and Arthur rolled his eyes. Even as a child the manservant was too much trouble, but even as he thought that a small smile lit up the Prince's features.

"Merlin, we're going to play a game. I need to get to my chambers, but we have to do it quietly. We cannot let anyone see us ok?"

Merlin pushed away from Arthur's shoulder and nodded excitedly with his hands still wound around the Prince's neck. With that out of the way Arthur made his way to his chambers. Hiding and ducking into rooms and corridors whenever he saw someone coming. Merlin would giggle quietly in the middle and then dramatically put his finger on his mouth and whisper, "Hush!"

Arthur, though he would never admit it out loud, had never had this much fun in his entire life yet. It felt like a game, sneaking around trying to get to his chambers and with the kid Merlin's reactions it was even funnier.

They finally reached Arthur's chambers and Merlin gave a loud laugh and said, "That was fun! Let's do it again!"

A/N: There you have it! The first chapter! So how did you like it? I enjoyed writing this immensely so I would appreciate some feedback to tell me if you enjoyed reading it just as much! Also "Bonds of Destiny" readers I am working on the next chapter it's in the rough draft phase right now. I should be able to post it up within the next two or three days. Have some patience! Till next time!