Characters: Main Cast

Pairing: MerlinxArthur, MerlinxGwaine (No slash) MerlinxFreya

Summary: Modern AU, Merlin gets thrown into prison and everyone wants to know why. He seems small and defenseless, but looks can be deceiving.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, that would be the BBC
Rating: PG 13 for course language.

Prologue
He was new. He wasn't meant to make friends. He wasn't meant to have fun. This wasn't a schoolyard, this was a prison sentence. That's what Merlin Ambrosius was told as he was escorted to his cell. He grunted in acknowledgement, but gave no other sign that he had heard what the warden had said. Slowly and almost peacefully, he glanced around the cement box that was his new home for what would probably be, the rest of his life. There was a man sitting on the lower bunk of the bunk beds in the room. It was the only piece of furniture. Merlin assumed this was his new cell mate.
"This is Gwaine. He'll be sharing this room with you. Gwaine, this is Merlin."
"Fine."
"I don't want to hear about any fighting, and even if I do, I really don't give enough fucks to change the rooming situation. You're all here because you deserve to be. You're just going to have to put up with each other."
With that, she turned on her heel and she slammed the bars shut.
"Is she always that pleasant?" Merlin asked sarcastically. Gwaine glanced over at the new arrival, sizing him up. He was skinny but toned, tall but not lanky, and he seemed far too relaxed. Obviously he had done time before.
"That's Morgana. Morgana Le Fey. She basically runs this shit hole; knows it too." Merlin glanced back at the doors. "Don't even think about it." Gwaine interrupted his thoughts, "She doesn't go for the cell mates, trust me, I've tried."
Merlin laughed quietly to the floor, and then lifted his eyes to meet Gwaine's. "This place doesn't seem so bad. It's better than the last one was anyway."
"Where were you before?"
"Cenred."
Gwaine took in a sharp hissing breath as Merlin climbed onto the top bunk and lay down. So he had done time before; in a maximum security no less. Standing up, Gwaine looked at his new cell mate with an intensified interest.
"Jesus fucking Christ man, what did you do?"
Merlin grinned lazily and turned his head toward the man.
"Oh, wouldn't you just love to know?"