A/N: I really have no idea where this came from. It popped into my head and I wrote it. Hope you enjoy!

"Are we going to best friends forever?"

Uther looked at his seven year old friend, Balinor. He himself was eight, and both had been friends for many years now.

"Always," he answered.

"Even when you're king?"

"Especially when I'm king." He took his younger friend's hand. "And you'll be my Court Sorcerer!"

Balinor giggled. "And Dragon Lord!"

"And Dragon Lord," Uther confirmed. "When we grow up, our children will be best friends too. They'll be as close as us!"

"Children? I don't want children."

"Why not?"

Balinor looked a bit sheepish. "I'm afraid that I'll raise 'em wrong."

Uther rolled his eyes at his friend's concern. "Don't worry. If you're doing something wrong, I'll step in to help."

"Thanks, Uther."

The king blinked away that memory. It had been long forgotten, such as his friendship with Balinor. Why had it come up?

"Merlin, you're telling me that you're never going to get married? Never having children?" He paused as he heard his son's voice from around the corner.

"Nope. Never." That was his manservant's voice. He was talking to Arthur as an equal, which surprised the king.

"Why not, though? You're not completely ugly; you could get a girl if you wanted."

"Thanks….I think. Getting married wouldn't be a problem, but children would be. I'm afraid I'll mess them up."

Uther's eyes widened at those words.

Arthur huffed. "You really think I'd let you? Nope, no way. I wouldn't let you poison children's minds, even if they were yours. I would step in and help."

"Thanks, prat."

"Idiot."

Uther shook his head and continued his way to the council room. It was just a coincidence. It had to be.

"Where are we going?" a sixteen year old Balinor asked as they walked down a hall. Uther rolled his eyes.

"Nowhere in particular. I was just taking and walk and you decided to join me."

Balinor scowled at the ground. "Prat."

Uther rounded on him. "You can't just call the prince of Camelot a 'prat!'"

"I just did." Balinor didn't try to keep the sass out of his voice. "And I do all the time."

The prince tried another tactic. "Idiot."

"Dollop-head."

"That's not a word."

"Yes it is."

"Define 'dollop-head.'"

Balinor smirked and raised his eyebrows. "In two words?"

Uther nodded.

"Prince Uther!" cried Balinor as he dodged a small rock Uther picked up and threw at him.

Uther blinked away yet another memory. That one he actually remembered, but only vaguely. It was as if the past was coming back to haunt him.

He gazed around the council chambers for a moment, bluntly ignoring Lord Trevor's grain report. Everything seemed normal, until his eyes found his son.

Arthur's eyes where wide and his nostrils were flaring, then his face changed. Suddenly, he was hiding a laugh behind his hand as his eyes never left one corner of the room.

His manservant, Merlin was there, and he, too, was stifling giggles. He widened his eyes and turned his face upward. Arthur scrunched his eyes and nose up from across the room.

Oh. A face making competition.

Suddenly, Uther wasn't staring at his son anymore. He was staring at a younger version of himself.

Uther stuck his tongue out slightly and narrowed his eyes. Balinor, having snuck in and hid in a corner where the servants were supposed to be, retaliated with raised eyebrows and pouting face.

He shot a glance at the manservant. And almost choked.

Balinor. The manservant was Balinor. And Arthur was Uther.

"C'mon, Merlin, we haven't all day!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Uther watched as the two boys walked across the training field, the manservant lagging behind a little. Arthur stopped and waited for in, impatient look on his face.

Yet, it wasn't Arthur he saw. And the manservant wasn't what he saw either.

"Balinor, hurry up!"

"I'm coming."

Uther turned and waited, eyebrows raised. The younger boy finally caught up with him.

"What took you so long?"

Back in the present, Arthur had asked the same question.

"Alright there, Merlin? You took long enough."

"Sorry."

"It's alright, idiot." Arthur and the boy started walking away, the prince slinging an arm around his manservant's shoulders.

"You really like Lady Ygraine, don't you?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You've been staring at her for over five minutes."

"Oh."

That memory was sudden, washing over him like a bucket of water. It was nothing really, but did it seem to affect him?

"You looooooove Guinevere!" Merlin teased.

"What makes you say that?" Arthur asked with a red face.

"You keep staring at her when she's not looking!"

"Shut up, Merlin!"

"You're in looooooooooove!"

"Merlin!"

"Balinor!"

"You looooooooove the Lady Ygraine, Uther!"

"Shut up, idiot!" said Uther. Balinor smirked as they continued walking.

Balinor was definitely coming back to haunt him. That manservant, it was that blasted manservant! He was too much like Balinor, he even looked like him.

"You know, Uther, you're a prat."

"So I've been told."

"Prat!" called Merlin.

"Idiot!"

"Dollop-head!"

"Define 'dollop-head.'"

"In two words? Prince Uther!"

"Clotpole!" Arthur jeered back with as much as his laughing fit would allow. He and Merlin had been going back and forth with a quite amusing banter.

"Hey!" Merlin pouted. "That's my word!"

"You're such a clotpole, Uther."

"Uther, stop being such a prat. You can't just treat people like dirt."

Uther turned and glared. "I am prince. I can treat people how I like."

Balinor fixed him a look. "Really? I've noticed something. You only treat people who have magic badly. Got something against it?"

A fire suddenly burned in the prince's eyes. "Magic…we've been attacked by it before. How can we know if it can be trusted?"

Balinor's eyes widened as he sucked in a breath. "What?"

Uther suddenly realized what he had said. "Of course, I trust you! Just others-"

The younger boy turned away. "Thank you, sire, but if you do not trust my kind, you do not trust me."

"Balinor! Wait!"

"Merlin! Wait!"

Uther watched from his window as the manservant blatantly ignored his master, storming across the courtyard with an angry expression. No one else was around.

"Merlin-" the prince had finally caught up with his servant. "Merlin, I didn't mean it!"

The boy wouldn't look up at him. "Sure."

"No, Balinor, I'm sorry!"

Merlin's head snapped up. "What?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

Balinor smiled. "Am I actually getting an apology out of the prince of Camelot?"

Arthur narrowed his yes. "Well, yes. Just don't tell anyone."

With that, Uther slung an arm around his friend, not noticing Balinor still seemed a little hurt.

"Uther, why?" Balinor pleaded. "Uther, we used to be friends!"

Both were fully grown by now, and Uther's son had just been born a few months ago. And his wife had died.

"Friends?" spat the new king. "I could never be friends with a sorcerer!"

Balinor glared. "You fool yourself, Uther Pendragon. Magic was not the cause of Ygraine's death! Balance had to be kept!"

The king roared. "You dare speak of her!"

"Yes, I dare! You are just hurt and looking for someone to blame! Uther, you've killed children! Children, Uther!"

Uther's face did not soften. "I should kill you for your words."

Balinor spread his arms out. "What's stopping you?"

"You have magic!"

Merlin's eyes slowly turned back to blue as the prince drew his sword. A sorcerer had broken into the castle and intruded on the king and prince dinning together. Merlin had been the only servant there.

The sorcerer in question was now dead on the floor.

Arthur glanced at his father briefly before pointing his blade at Merlin's neck.

"I'm sorry," the servant whispered. "I only used it for you and the safety of Camelot."

"I should kill you." Arthur said that without any emotion, but his eyes said it all. He didn't want to; desperately didn't want to. "You did magic; I should kill you."

"Then what are you waiting for?" The boy spread out his arms and closed his eyes.

"I should kill you for your words."

"Then what's stopping you?"

Arthur shot another glance at his father. He too, closed his eyes.

"What are you waiting for, Uther? Just kill me!"

The prince pulled his sword back, intending to strike.

"Are we going to be best friends forever?"

The sword was moving towards Merlin now.

"Always."

"Arthur, stop." The prince and servant both opened their eyes. The sword fell to the ground in a clatter. "This boy just saved both of our lives; it's hardly fair to kill him in the cold blood."

The prince seemed relieved and glanced at his friend, however, doubtful. "But Father, we watched him do magic."

The king raised his eyebrows. "I saw nothing of the sort. Now, if you'll be so kind on your way out, send some guards up to deal with this." He nodded towards the sorcerer's body. "Your manservant can go with you."

Both of the boys' eyes widened, but did as they were told. Arthur watched Merlin go out first before waiting.

"Father, thank you. I'd never admit it, but that idiot's my friend."

Uther nodded.

The prince walked out, and the king heard a very distinct voice yell, "You idiot! Why did you lie to me? Why didn't you tell me? Why did you come to Camelot, of all places? You could've gotten killed! Killed, Merlin! You and I are having a talk!"

Uther sadly smiled to himself. If only he made the right choice when he was young.

"What's stopping you?"

Uther raised his sword, but still not striking.

"What are you waiting for, Uther? Just kill me!" Balinor screwed his eyes shut.

Uther dropped his sword. "Run."

The younger man opened his eyes. "What?"

"Run." Uther turned. "Get out of here."

Balinor looked him up and down. "Why?"

"Run, you idiot! Get out of here!" Uther turned back around. Balinor was still standing there.

"Uther-"

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

When the king turned again, he found he was alone.

"Are we going to be best friends forever?"Balinor had asked.

"Always," answered Uther.