Two Lovers and Seven Watchers
A/N: Just a little sad fluff I wrote when I was bored.
Merlin stole out of the castle, and the group behind him followed in his wake. They kept out of his sight, staying far in the shadows even as Merlin looked around suspiciously.
"Should we be doing this?" Gwen whispered, nibbling at her lip anxiously.
"He won't mind," Arthur scoffed. "Besides, Merlin follows me everywhere—'bout time I return the favor," he added under his breath.
Arthur and Gwaine had gone to the tavern together some time ago, and Gwaine had bet Arthur couldn't find out where Merlin went every month. There were nights where Merlin simply wasn't around. Eventually over the month Gwen, Sir Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Gaius got dragged into it. No one told Merlin who, oblivious as always, went on working. Each person had their own opinions on where Merlin went. Arthur thought he went to the tavern, but Gwaine denied this. Gwaine thought he went somewhere to do 'manly things' like fight for fun (no one agreed with him). Gwen thought he was meeting a girl (which Arthur laughed out loud at, then felt bad when he saw Gwen's unimpressed face). Gaius kept his opinions to himself, Leon thought Merlin went to gather herbs, Percival didn't tell them what he thought, and Elyan agreed with Gwen. In the end, the group agreed to follow Merlin the next night he left.
As the sun sank, the seven gathered in Arthur's chambers and watched out the window, waiting for Merlin to leave. And leave he did, silent in the night, deftly slipping past the guards and into the lower town. The people in the room had all but flown out of the chambers in their haste to follow him.
Merlin led them out of the Lower Town, into the woods beyond. They followed at a distance, relying more on the Knight's tracking skills more than visual contact. Merlin wound deeper and deeper into the woods, until the mountains loomed up close. They peered over a small crest of a hill to see Merlin standing by a lake.
They followed the tree line until they were not three yards from Merlin, hidden in bushes. Merlin was standing, staring over the lake with a bittersweet smile on his face.
Arthur liked to think that he knew Merlin pretty well—he had been with the man for nearly ten years, after all. But he had never seen that expression on Merlin's face, and wondered what it meant.
In fact, Arthur frowned, he had no idea why Merlin would come out here in the middle of the night. He didn't know why that expression was on his face. He just . . . he had never seen this side of Merlin before.
It didn't feel right that he did not know Merlin as well as he'd thought.
Then the lake—which had been smooth and still, almost unnaturally so—started to ripple. In the center of the lake a dark blot appeared. Merlin leaned forward slightly in anticipation. The dark blot moved closer and closer to the shore, and Arthur gripped his sword, his knights following his lead. The dark blot became hair, and it cascaded around a sweet face with bright, caring eyes. The face rose further, and soon a woman in a beautiful dress (which Arthur could have sworn he had seen Morgana wear at some point) stood in front of Merlin, who had tears in his eyes. The woman lifted her hand and brushed Merlin's hair away from his eyes, and he leaned into the touch, a goofy smile on his face.
"What does he think he's doing?" Arthur muttered to Gwen. "It's clearly a sorceress!"
"Hush, Arthur, and watch." Gwen hissed back, peering through the leaves of the bush.
"Merlin," The woman said, and her voice was low and soft and, well, beautiful. Merlin smiled.
"Freya," He breathed. He clasped her hands in his own, and the two smiled at each other. Arthur began to feel very uncomfortable.
"Oh!" Merlin's eyes flew open, and he dug into his jacket for something. Arthur craned his neck to see what Merlin had. He produced a small box with a flourish. The woman—Freya—smiled and Merlin carefully, almost reverently, opened to box. Freya laughed a high, clear laugh and rolled over the lake, and reached in. From its depths she withdrew a red berry Arthur recognized as a strawberry.
"You always remember my favorite, Merlin." Freya said, popping a strawberry in her mouth and closing her eyes.
"How could I forget?" Merlin teased. "It's all you ever talk about."
"Merlin!" The woman swatted his arm, and the two smiled at each other.
"I miss you," Merlin said, his eyes instantly becoming sad. "I wish you hadn't . . ." He trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.
"That I hadn't died?" Freya said gently. Arthur heard Gwen gasp, and he himself stared at Freya again. She didn't look dead, and how the hell was she talking to Merlin if she was dead?
Merlin simply nodded to Freya. Freya sighed, and dropped a hand to hold his.
"It was my time." She said. "And I wouldn't have missed knowing you for the world."
"I know," Merlin said. "I wouldn't have missed it, either. I just wish . . ." He sighed, and kicked at the ground. "I wish Arthur hadn't been there and killed you," He said bitterly, and Arthur felt like someone had hit him with a mace in his stomach. He had killed this woman Merlin was so . . . fond . . . of? He looked at her, but didn't recognize her at all. Gwen had tears trickling down her face, and she looked at him, and he looked back, and they had no idea how to respond to Merlin's declaration.
Freya cupped his cheek. "He had no choice." She whispered.
"I know," Merlin's gaze softened. "I was going to run away with you." He said after a pause, and Arthur did a double take.
"I'm glad you didn't," Freya said. "I've seen how much you need each other."
Merlin simply shrugged. "I'm just so tired, Freya," he whispered. "I doubt I'll ever be free."
"You will," Freya stressed. "One day, we will all be free. Have hope, Merlin. Your time will come."
There was a beat of silence as Merlin and Freya began eating some of the strawberries.
Suddenly Freya chuckled. "We were going to live by a lake."
"Ringed with mountains," Merlin added, and Arthur eyed their surroundings.
"Yes," Freya said. "With all the strawberries we could eat."
"And wildflowers in the summer." Merlin said.
Arthur thought this all sounded ridiculously romantic, (of course, Merlin would be a hopeless romantic) but then reminded himself of the lengths he had gone for Gwen. The things they had come up with at the time hadn't sounded ridiculous, but rather wonderful.
Freya looked up, and could see the moon starting to fade. "You must go, Merlin."
"I'll come back next month," Merlin said. "I promise."
"I know you will," Freya said, eyes soft. "I look forward to seeing you again."
"Will I see you?" Merlin asked.
"No," Freya murmured. "You know I do not have the strength to appear all the time."
Merlin bowed his head, as if the weight was too much for him to bare. "I know," he said. "I'll still come."
"Thank you," Freya said.
"Goodbye, Freya." Merlin whispered as he started up the embankment towards the trees. "I love you."
"I love you too, Merlin." Freya said, and disappeared into the lake.
The two lovers left seven completely surprised and saddened friends in the bushes, wondering why Merlin had never told them of this.