Prologue

I do not own Merlin. (I wish.)

This story is set after Series 2, but before Series 3.

Morgana is not evil and has not been kidnapped. Igraine is alive and Uther is not evil, but he does not fully accept Merlin as his stepson. Magic is not forbidden as Igraine alive.

I apologise for any mistakes. I have corrected them, but any more, just read on.


"MERLIN!"

A voice yelled.

"MERLIN!" The man was running around the castle looking for his brother.

"Sire?"

The man turned round.

"Gwaine?"

One of his knights ran towards him.

"Arthur he's with Gaius."

Arthur shook his head "No" he answered out of breath "I've just been there."

"Try again, Arthur. He told me Gaius was teaching him how to master the invisibility spell. So when you walked in, maybe that's why you didn't see him."

Arthur angrily sighed "Trust him to do that on a day like this. Thanks."

"Wait, what you do you mean a day like this?"

Arthur sprinted off before he could answer.

Gwaine scoffed "Royals. Who would want to be one of them?" he asked himself.


"Try again Merlin."

"I've already tried it enough. I can't do it Gaius."

"You did it when Arthur walked in."

Merlin sat on the bench "Yeah, well, that was just luck and anyway it was just my body. If I wasn't standing behind this bench, then he would of seen that my feet were still visible."

Gaius sighed "Try one more time and this time, concentrate, then maybe all of you will vanish."

Merlin stood up "Alright. One last time, and if I shrink, I am giving magic up. Altogether."

The warlock said the spell again. As his eyes glowed gold, he held his breath.

Gaius gasped.

"Well?" The warlock asked anxiously.

At first the physician was speechless, then he spoke "You did it."

"What? Merlin asked.

"You did it" he said again.

He let out a sigh in relief "Finally."

"Merlin?"

An idea came to him "Gaius, say nothing."

Before he could answer, Arthur hurried in "If my idiot of a brother is he, but I can't see him, make yourself known. I am not in the mood for games. Nor have I got the time."

Merlin muttered another spell and came back, looking disappointed "Spoilsport."

"Merlin, Its Freya."

Suddenly Merlin burst out in questions "Is she okay? Where is she? Is she in labour?"

"Don't know, Hunith told me to get you. She's in a hut half a mile away from here and is she in labour? Yes."

Merlin rushed out the room with Arthur hot on his heels.

"Merlin!"

The two boys turned when Gaius spoke "Bring your wife and baby here after she's given birth."

"Will do" Merlin yelled back.

The brothers ran to the stables "Why is she in a hut, out of Camelot even." Merlin asked Arthur "I told her to stay in our chambers. Gaius said she needed rest."

"You can ask her when we arrive. For now lets just focus on getting there"

Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's shoulders "Calm down, Merl. You're going to be a father."

"Yeah and you an uncle" he smiled.

Suddenly, Arthur stopped "What is it?" Merlin asked.

"Just realised. I'm going to have a niece or nephew."

"Urgh!" Merlin grunted and grabbed Arthur's wrist "Come on" he said as he pulled his brother along.


They rode out of the stables in double time. After ten minutes of riding, Arthur pointed to a small hut, hidden amongst the trees. They got off and tied their horses up.

As they got closer, Merlin could hear his wife screaming. He didn't realise he was crying, till he felt tears running down his cheeks.

Merlin paused at the door. What if he went in and Freya died? What if the baby died? He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, Merlin. Freya needs you."

He felt his knees weaken and he couldn't move "C...could you go in first and I...I will follow."

"Ok."

Arthur opened the door and walked through. After a few seconds, Merlin took a deep breath and followed his brother.

There was a door to his right, where from inside he could hear crying, not a baby, but a woman. Assuming the worse, stood by the door, until it opened revealing a very tired looking Hunith.

"I'm sorry my son. I'm so sorry."

"Where is my baby?"

"Your daughter is alive and healthy. Arthur is looking after her."

Merlin was confused "Then, why...?"

Then Hunith released the bomb "I'm sorry to say Freya didn't survive the birth."

Merlin pushed past his mother and broke down when he saw his wife lying on a bed with a bloody sheet round her waist. He knelt down beside her and took her hand. She was cold and a deathly pale white. He raised a hand and stroked a cheek with his finger. At his touch, Freya opened her eyes half away. They were tired and unfocused.

"Freya!"

With a weak smile she replied "Merlin, my love. I'm sorry, but i wasn't strong."

Merlin's grip on her hand tightened "No! No, don't say that. Your going to live, Freya. I will not let you die."

"Look after our daughter"

Merlin was crying uncontrollable "No" he whispered.

He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the knuckles.

"I know you and Arthur will help her grown into the princess I know she will be. And promise me, that when she falls in love, you will not be picky about who she chooses."

Merlin let out a breathy chuckle "I'll try, but I can't promise."

Freya laughed, but stopped when a sharp pain shot across her stomach. Their heads snapped up when they heard crying. Arthur walked in carrying their daughter in his arms, wrapped in a red blanket. Freya's eyes started to close.

"What was that name, Freya?" Merlin asked, trying to keep his wife alive a little while longer "You know the one we decided suit a girl or a boy? "

"That would be quiet fitting for her" "she whispered "Farewell my love. I will see you again."

"No! Freya, don't leave us."

"Ow!" Arthur yelled "She bit my finger."

Freya let out a dry chuckle "That's...my...girl" Freya spoke no more as her eyes closed.

"No" Merlin rubbed her hand. "No, Freya come back"

He placed his head on the bed and broke down crying. His hands went to his hair, pulling it hard at the roots.

"Hunith" Arthur whispered, handing over the baby to her. The prince bent down beside Merlin and pried his hands away from his head. Knowing, what Arthur was trying to do, Merlin welcomed it by wrapping his arms round his brothers neck and cried harder on his shoulder. Arthur rubbed his back in soothing circles to comfort him.

Hunith left the room and into the hall, where the baby girl fell asleep in her arms.

"We will bring her home, where she can have a royal burial. How does that sound, Merlin?"

Arthur felt his brother shake his head. He pulled away and looked in to the warlock's now red rimmed blue eyes.

"Do you not want that?"

"No" Merlin swallowed hard "We met by the Lake of Avalon. There I proposed. That will be her resting place.


Wrapped in a fresh dry sheet, Merlin carried his wife to the lake, followed by Arthur.

Hunith took Merlin' horse and rode back to Camelot the baby to be checked over by Gaius.

Merlin told Arthur to pick some flowers of different colours and leaves as he muttered a spell and made a boat appear. He gently placed her inside as Arthur surrounded her with the flowers and foliage.

Merlin cupped his hands together.

"Blostma." A rose appeared in his hands.

"I gave her this when we both met" he explained as he placed it in Freya's hands which were lying on her stomach.

They both stood up.

"What now ?" Arthur asked.

Without answering, Merlin stretched out his hand and said a spell.

"Astyre" The boat floated away along the water.

After a few seconds, Merlin said another spell that made him cry again.

"Wecce on saebat baelfyra maest."

Not seeing what happened, Merlin walked away, not looking back, leaving a saddened, but shocked Arthur standing there staring at fire in the boat, burning Freya's body.


"Where is she?" Merlin asked as he hurried into Gaius' chambers with Arthur.

"Where is my daughter?"

Gaius nodded to his old room.

He was about to move, when Hunith appeared holding the baby.

She noticed her son and smiled, before handing her over to her father.

"She is all healthy and Gaius says she has inherited two very special gifts from her parents: Seer power like her mother, being a Druid and all and magic from her father."

Merlin broke into a smile, not taking her eyes of his daughter.

"She's beautiful" Arthur commented, as Merlin reached out his pinkie and she grasped hold with her hand.

"Yeah. Just like her mother."

"So what was the name, you and Freya agreed would be right for a girl or a boy."

Merlin kissed her forehead "Raven. Raven Freya Emyrs."


End of the prologue

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Chapter One will be up soon :)