AN: Basically, I've been in out of comission for two weeks and have nothing but my iPhone, Fanfiction and Merlin DVD's to keep me company. (My mum bought me the entire series when I was checked in)

So I had this idea for a story but it came under the idea that Merlin and Arthur met when they were younger and were friends... And then I started writing how they would meet... and various stories of them together... and then I got a few more ideas... And well, honestly, apart from taking meds and getting blood tests done, I got nothing to do. Some parts will be drabbly, some parts will be definite story lines. Think of this as a prequel to what I'm going to write, later (should time allow).

I'm not going to write episodes outright like they happened in the show. I mean, I've read those stories but lord, I usually skip over the dialogue in those fics... I might add illusions to the show, just because. It should be said this is Alternate Universe but like I said... Illusions. It'll span over ten years but, hope it doesn't feel like it.

Pairings: Right now? None. Later? Arthur/Merlin Bromance. Mergana (crush-like-stuff) Arwen (friends to romance etc)

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin... If I did, Morgana would stop smirking. I love her, but God.

Prince's First Patrol

I'm not nervous, thought fifteen-year-old Arthur Pendragon seriously. Prince's do not get nervous. Knights, do not get nervous. Or scared. Or... Oh, who am I kidding? Just keep your head down Arthur and never tell Morgana.

Arthur may have only been fifteen but his birthday was fast approaching (six months away), and upon the day he would gain his own group of knights to lead in and out of Camelot as he wished. He was still (technically) a squire but he was given a chance by Uther to lead a two-night patrol to the borders and back.

When he had first found out about it, Arthur had been overjoyed and actually cheered as he told Leon, the nineteen-year-old Knight who taught Arthur almost everything he knew. He had led a few morning patrols and a hunt, but those were boring now. Arthur had wanted something more exciting, and an overnight patrol was just that. His manservant Harry dressed him, and Arthur had run through the castle to get to the stables. When he got closer, he slowed himself to a brisk walk and tried to act commanding and serious. Now he was staring at his patrol, ready on their horses, and he wondered what the hell he'd been excited over. A part of Arthur even wanted to go to his father and plead with him to let him head a hunt again.

Arthur had heard some of the Knights talk about him. None of the had faith in a child. Most Knights were given their title at eighteen or older, but Arthur was an exception. Arthur was the Prince, and in any case, he had already beaten every single one of the knights in swordplay a dozen times over. He had nothing else to learn but how to lead a patrol overnight.

That was the key, though. Learn. Arthur had no idea what he was doing.

Leon gave Arthur a pointed look, and Arthur realised all the Knights were awaiting instructions. "Ah, yes..." He mounted his own horse then paused, half waiting for something. Usually, Sir Frenwyn lead the patrol, and he just took off, and the others followed. But now it was Arthur who needed to command. He couldn't just wait around much longer. Using the same methodology, Arthur squeezed his ankles into his horse, and he flew off.

The galloping of hooves behind him settled his nerves. They were paying attention at the very least. A little bit of his confidence was restored by that. He knew the where the trail was. He'd been on patrols since he was a boy with his father and occasionally, sneaking out under Leon's cloak. He and the twelve other Knights under his watch rode from dawn till dusk, reaching the edge of Camelot's borders, where they set up camp. For the most part, conversation with Arthur lacked as they told tales and stories about their wives and women, neither of which Arthur had.

So he sat and stared at the flames and chose to take first watch when everyone had fallen asleep. It was just as Leon had shut his eyes that Arthur heard it. The crack of twigs and laughter. He turned his head and saw a flurry of something. It was too dark and whatever it was had been just as dark as the forest to see what it actually was. Arthur withdrew his sword and toed Leon. The older Knight looked around wildly, then settled his arched brow on Arthur with caution.

"I heard something," Arthur explained.

Leon stiffened. "What?"

"Laughter."

Leon looked around and saw nothing. "Maybe it was one of the men."

"Why would one of the men be laughing?" Arthur hissed.

Leon opened his mouth to reply but then seemed to think better of it, closing it again. He smiled, a little crookedly but not unkind. "They could be playing a practical joke. It is tradition to do so, you know."

"All the men are here. Anyway, it wasn't a man's laugh. It was a woman's." Arthur felt sure in that fact. That a woman had laughed and not a man. "You wait here. I'm going to go look."

Scurrying to his feet Leon said, "Not without me. The King'll kill me if I left you alone."

Arthur glared for a moment but then realised he was right. "Who will look after camp?"

Leon looked around and saw Sir Pellinor, a close friend who had been Knighted alongside him, and Sir Frenwyn's nephew. "Pellinore," he whispered, waking the Knight and his good friend. "Take guard. Arthur and I are going to check something out."

With a large yawn, Pellinore agreed, and Arthur and Leon headed out under cover of night to follow the laughter Arthur had heard. They reached a valley not far from the Knights camp, and they rounded the corner. Behind a large set of bushes, was another a large camp. There was a fire lit, and though it was close to midnight, a mass of people were dancing as if it were a festival. "Druids," Leon breathed.

Arthur turned his head in surprise. In all his life he had never seen so many druids in one spot. He had seen many be executed, sorcerers and treasonous killed under his father's rule, only he had never seen a camp let alone heard of one in Camelot lands. There were at least thirty druids of all ages, dancing and laughing and practising magic, all on the edges of King Uther's domain.

Leon grabbed Arthur's arm and tugged him back, and Arthur was bound to follow. They stumbled back to camp together where, much to Arthur's dismay, all the Knights were awake. Pellinore shot them an apologetic look. "Sir Arnold awoke, and you two weren't here so well..." He waved his arm around as though to say, 'then this happened.'

"Where did you two go?" Sir Arnold was one of the older Knights of Camelot, having been newly Knighted during Uther's rule. He was a firm believer of the purge. "You were supposed to watch the camp, Arthur."

"Then I heard something," Arthur said. "So I went with Sir Leon to investigate..."

"Without telling anyone?"

"Pellinore knew," Arthur snapped, not liking the way his authority was being undermined. Just because Arnold was Uther's most trusted and loyal Knight, did not make him Arthur's. The older man annoyed Arthur to no end, and for some reason, Arnold had always detested Arthur's very existence. "He took watch while the rest of you slept. If we weren't to return, he would have put out an alert. That is protocol."

"You are a child, and Leon was only Knighted because of his father's passing! I barely believe you are the makings of a strong duo to be going off in the middle if the night, searching for God knows what!" Arnold shouted.

Arthur fumed internally, and Leon turned beet red. It was true, to an extent. On the day of his final trial to be a Knight, Leon's father had died. Leon persisted with his trial, eager to please his father, but failed anyway. The Knight in charge of the trail deemed Leon passed, despite the poor quality of his footwork as he fought with valour and the courage of a Knight, even in hardship.

Arnold was quite eager in informing everyone that he thought it was a load of cow cud and that valour meant nothing if you could not fight. Though Leon was, in fact, a great fighter, he just got hit a lot along the way. "Did you consider for a moment that, had you not returned, it would be our heads rolling off the stage?" Arnold hissed.

Arthur hadn't thought of that either. King Uther was no exactly one to show forgiveness. He glimpsed the worried faces of each of his Knights and knew there would never be an induction prank pulled on him. They were all too concerned about what would happen to them in consequence. Because Arthur was a Prince. Not a Knight. He never truly would be.

Annoyed and angry with Arnold for pointing out all of their faults, Arthur clenched his fist to his side and decided the only way he would be taken seriously was to one-up the Knight. "Well then, you wouldn't be interested in knowing what we found then," Arthur snapped, pointing his chin up in defiance. "Guess it isn't too important. Maybe we should let my father decide. I can tell him you refused to follow my orders, resumed control of the patrol, and ignored me and at best, he'll have you working in the stables."

Arnold narrowed his eyes. "You're bluffing." Arthur snorted. "I may be. But if I'm not, you won't find out about it until you're knee deep in horse muck."

Arthur could see the cogs in Arnold's mind attempting to figure out whether or not Arthur was lying or not, but the smug smile on Leon's face made him cave. "What did you find?" he asked.

Pushing down his giddy excitement for besting the old Knight, Arthur tried to sound nonchalant as he said, "A Druid camp. There are about thirty of them. Just in a valley a little away from here."

Arnold withdrew his sword and drew up. "Then we must attack them."

Arthur's eyes went wide, and he shook his head. "Wait. No. We must not attack them. They are simply camped there and in the midst of some festivities. We must tell them to leave our lands and report back to my father."

Arnold laughed along with a few other knights. "Your father has a strict law on such things. Should we find a Druid or a camp on Camelot lands, we must take no prisoners." He slid his sword back into its sheath mocking Arthur. "Now, if you wish to go against that order because you are frightened, little prince I will obey your every command, Sire."

Arthur snapped, "I am not frightened. I simply do not understand... They appear peaceful and..."

"You speak of treason against your father's laws, child prince," Arnold sneered. "Beware of such things."

Arthur felt his stomach turn. This was his first patrol. He was meant to uphold Camelot's law and if his father had said no prisoners... But there had been children and women in the camp! Surely they did not mean them as well. But from the hardened and reluctant faces of some of the Knights, they clearly did.

"I... I..."

"Unless you wish us to go back to Camelot where we can let your father decide."

Arthur regretted every moment of defying Arnold, even though it had felt good at the moment, hearing his own words being thrown back in his face stung, and the malicious grin hurt even more. "I... Well... Of course, we will attack them," he said, reluctantly.

"And take no prisoners?" Arnold suggested.

Arthur's face fell, but he twitched his head in a small nod. "Yes. We attack at dawn, and we take no prisoners."

Ages:

Arthur: 15