A/N: I have re-uploaded this story but I haven't changed anything, just added in paragraphing because it was really bad originally.
No one really paid attention to what Gwaine saw. They always assumed he was drunk and didn't really notice, or that he wouldn't remember in the morning. This occasion was no different. Apart from one thing. This time they were wrong.
Sir Gwaine was going about his usual Friday evening activities in the tavern and at 10:30 as usual Merlin walked across the courtyard to the castle gates. Unless you looked closely you would think everything was as it usually was. But if you DID happen to look closer you'd have noticed that there was something different about Sir Gwaine on this particular evening. He was sober.
And it was while spending the evening sober that his thoughts took a path they never had before. Where was it that Merlin went every Friday at 10:30 without fail? So he put his mind to the task and came up with a totally foolproof plan to find out. He decided to follow him.
He ran out of the tavern to see Merlin walking into the forest. His immediate reaction was to yell at him to stop, he knew the forests could be hiding anything from bandits to evil sorcerers and, if he was honest, he really didn't think Merlin would stand a chance against even one bandit by himself. But as he followed Merlin deeper through the trees he thought further.
All those missions they'd been on and all those times Merlin had followed them despite being told to stay back, he had come out completely unharmed. And he always seemed so confident that he was going with them even though he didn't seem to have any weapons at all. Gwaine had started to figure that Merlin was either extremely lucky, or he had some secret battle skills he wasn't telling them. He'd have to ask him that some time he thought as his mind went back to his current surroundings.
They were still going deeper into the woods and Merlin still didn't seem to be giving any kind of sign that they were nearing their destination. Then, just when Gwaine had been considering stopping and asking Merlin what the hell he was doing, he saw what looked like an end to the trees. He knew that if he left the cover of the trees he'd be noticed almost instantly, but when he saw where they were staying hidden was the last thing on his mind. In front of him was the most beautiful sight anyone has ever seen. It didn't even feel like it belonged in this world. There were mountains, trees, and right in the middle, a beautiful shimmering lake.
Merlin seemed to be perfectly at home here and Gwaine absently wondered how no one had ever found this place before. It was the kind of place that no one could keep quiet about seeing, and yet, somehow Gwaine felt like he shouldn't be there- like he wasn't allowed to be there. But Merlin seemed perfectly comfortable as he took off his shoe and socks and walked calmly into the lake. Gwaine was really starting to think there was something wrong with him now as he just stood there in the middle of the lake, as if he was waiting for something. He could see Merlin's lips moving but he couldn't make out what his friend was saying so he moved closer.
Just as he had moved close enough to hear him, Merlin stopped talking and for a moment Gwaine thought he had been caught but then the water in front of Merlin started to ripple and his friend smiled serenely.
Looking at him now, Merlin seemed so different to the bumbling, clumsy servant of the King that everyone at the castle knew. He seemed more comfortable in his own skin. At that moment, a woman rose out of the water. She was quite beautiful, the kind of girl Gwaine would normally notice straight away in a crowded room, but she gave off such an aura of gentle power, like she could flick her wrist and create a tornado to destroy you but that she would never do that unless you gave her a serious, serious reason.
What was now worrying Gwaine was the fact that she probably could summon a tornado to destroy you, as she had just emerged from the water completely dry; and Merlin was standing a few feet away from her. Normally he would have shouted at him to get out now, as this whole situation was screaming sorcery, but he couldn't bring himself to. The look on Merlin's face was possibly the happiest he'd ever seen him before.
"Hello Freya." His friend's voice was soft and caring as the woman moved closer to him, smiling.
"Hello Merlin."
They were so close now they were practically touching and though he tried to convince himself out of this bizarre idea, Gwaine could see the relationship between Merlin and this Freya; Merlin had a girlfriend who lived in a lake. Now Gwaine was sure he shouldn't be there but his curiosity got the better of him as he listened further.
Freya's face became clouded with vague worry.
"Is everything alright in Camelot?"
Instead of reassuring her like Gwaine had expected, Merlin laughed at her concern and replied,
"You ask me that every day. Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be with me to protect it?"
It was Freya's turn to laugh, but she seemed to be agreeing with him rather than joking like the knights would, about how useless he was and how bad he was at fighting. But he didn't have too much time to consider this as they continued their familiar conversation.
"Your destiny's still going along fine then?"
"Yep, oblivious as ever."
They both laughed at this as though they were sharing an inside joke, but once she'd stopped laughing Freya's face went serious.
"Merlin, I think the time for Arthur to know will be soon. It's only so long before Morgana finds another way to attack Camelot and Arthur's King now. He needs you at his side fighting with him and you can't do that well enough as you are now. You can't protect him properly if you're trying to protect your secret as well."
This confirmed Gwaine's earlier suspicions that Merlin had some kind of hidden talent and Merlin's voice sounded heavy and ancient as he replied
"But he's not ready to know. He'll almost certainly see me as a traitor and he'll defiantly be angry at me for hiding it for so long. I'll be lucky to keep my life."
"No, Merlin, even I know Arthur better than that, he would never execute you for something you can't control."
"You don't know him like I do Freya. He hates magic. I only hardened that view when I tried to heal his father. Magic is evil. What if he's right Freya? What good have I ever really done? What-"
"Merlin!"
Freya looked horrified at what he was saying and Gwaine's mind was spinning. Magic? Merlin couldn't have magic. Gwaine had never really believed magic was evil and he knew there was something special about Merlin but he felt slightly betrayed. Why had Merlin never told him? He was his best friend, he would defend him with his life. How could he ever believe that Gwaine could not be trusted enough?
All these thoughts whirled round his head in a millisecond and, fuming, he took a step forward, preparing to confront Merlin on this, but looking at his friend's face he couldn't bring himself to. He'd already taken a step forward, and in his confusion he turned round and smacked right into a tree. Gwaine figured maybe Freya had super senses or something because she looked up straight at him, and just when Gwaine thought he was just about to be blasted into a thousand pieces, she simply held up a finger to her lips telling him to be quiet as she bent down to where Merlin was now dejectedly sitting on a rock, his back to him. So he was quiet; he didn't fancy feeling that tornado right now.
"Merlin." She repeated with a soothing tone in her voice, "Don't you ever say that again. You're not evil. Magic is a gift. You taught me that yourself, remember? Back in the tunnels under the castles? You tried to make me a strawberry, remember?" they both laughed at the memory of this, Gwaine couldn't understand why but it didn't matter and she continued.
"You rescued me, a complete stranger, at the risk of execution right under the King's nose. You are not evil Merlin. You are anything but."
And at that he smiled and nodded as she talked him out of his despair and she knelt down and gave him a short but tender kiss.
"It's getting late love, you should leave now."
"But leaving's the worst part," he moaned
"What do you mean, you'll be coming back next Friday!" she laughed at his disappointed face as he stepped out of the water she gave him one final kiss.
"Merlin, you've kept your secret since birth I know and it's hard to break that habit when your life depends on it but, you know you can trust your friends. They'd sooner die than give you away."
He looked quite confused at this sudden speech and Freya cast a quick glance at Gwaine and he now understood why Merlin hadn't told him.
"Goodbye Merlin." She laughed and then added "I miss you already."
He laughed and waved as he walked back. Back to where Gwaine was hiding. He started to run as fast as he could back to the castle before Merlin caught up, and he nearly got halfway there before he tripped over a tree root and fell on his face. Oh God. He thought, I'm doomed, as Merlin walked over with a look of confusion and amusement on his face.
"Gwaine, what on Earth are you doing?"
His mind was working over time trying to think of a believable excuse and then it clicked.
"Merlin? Merlin buddy! Whatare you doing in the tavern?" he slurred his voice in the hope he sounded drunk. He tried to stand up and fell over again before wondering if he as doing it right. For someone who was drunk so often he had no idea how to act drunk, but it seemed to be working as Merlin laughed and helped him up.
"Oh just thought I'd pop in to say hello. Come on let's get you back home before Arthur finds out."
He smiled to himself at Gwaine's antics. He knew Gwaine wouldn't remember in the morning so he wouldn't have to face questions of why he was in the forest that Gwaine forgot to ask, being so drunk. Meanwhile Gwaine smiled to himself at their obliviousness. Once again, they'd just assumed he wouldn't remember in the morning. And, for once they were wrong, but some things were better kept secret.