Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Would it be strange to say that I kind of want someone to write a longer, more serious version of this?

"Gaius," Merlin said suddenly, coming out of deep thought.

"Yes?" the physician asked, looking up from his work briefly.

"Did anyone ever consider the idea that Uther might be enchanted?" Merlin asked.

Gaius raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What?"

Merlin clicked his tongue. "You know, to hate magic," he said.

Gaius snorted at the folly of his ward. "Now who would be stupid enough to do a thing like that?" he asked incredulously.

"No! No! I think it'd be a brilliant plan," Merlin insisted. Gaius stared as Merlin went on to quickly explain, "Get the king to kill off all other magic users while you go into hiding. When you're one of the only magic users left you'd be free to take over Camelot and rule. No one would be able to defeat you."

Gaius stared at his ward who was standing there, grinning proudly, like he'd discovered the secret to life itself.

"Don't be an idiot, Merlin," Gaius scolded. Shaking his head at the mere ridiculousness of it all, the physician went back to stirring the small cauldron, wondering if Merlin had gotten into the ale again.

~0~

Miles away, a hermit sorcerer gazed into the bowl of water, laughing his head off maniacally, stalactites looming overhead. Thousands down, only a few hundred more to go. Soon he would be the most powerful being in all of Albion!