A/N: What can I say? I love Frederick, I love him so much and after last night I just really wanted there to be a good reason for him till working with his Grandfather.
Disclaimer: I do not own Witches of East End.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Frederick?" It was the first thing Frederick was aware of as soon as he came to. He looked around, using the back of his arm to wipe away the moist patch on the side of his face, a remnant of his foaming mouth.
"Frederick open up, who were you talking to?" that made him sit up. He knew instantly that the voice was Freya's. He would know her voice anywhere, even after just having a seizure.
The pause for him to get up and make sure there was no more evidence on his face was enough to anger his impatient twin sister.
"I'm coming in," and before he had the chance to stop her, Frederick heard a few words muttered before his sister's dark head was peeking around the door, her hands covering her eyes. "Are you dressed?" she questioned.
"Yes," Frederick said, feeling miserable. What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to explain why he was speaking out loud, he almost felt sure that Freya would knew the instant he lied to her. Out of everyone in his family, Freya always knew. She never called him out on it, always giving him the benefit of the doubt, never telling people when he had done wrong or was covering something up, she always had his back. He always had her trust.
As soon as her hand was removed from her eyes, Frederick knew he should have lied. Freya had a stern look on her face and her eyes were drilling into him, as if trying to reach his core, to figure out all his secrets. The worst part of all was the fact that he wished he could tell her all his secrets. There had been a time when there wasn't a single thing one twin knew that the other did not. It was as though they were one being somehow occupying two bodies.
As soon as she seemed to have decided that staring at his face wasn't going to make him confess all his sins, she looked down, noticing the King's Brand.
"What's that?" she asked, pointing right at it.
Frederick sighed, he couldn't do this anymore, he had to come clean. "It' a brand. Grandfather put it there when I took a loath of loyalty." Even as he spoke the words Frederick found his hands clasping, ringing them in some effort to occupy themselves.
"I heard you say his name. I heard you say you'd find another way. Another way for what?" It seemed like the more and more information Freya was able to gather, the more she was reverting back to where they were that morning. To her not trusting him, to hating him.
"Freya, please. Just let me explain, I promise. I'll tell you everything." This was it, he was going to have to tell them everything. He had told his grandfather that he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to do it. He knew it was going to be hard, but he also knew he had to try. Frederick snatched up his shirt and pulled it over his head, walking towards the door.
"Because mom and Aunt Wendy will confirm it." He said bitterly, wrapping his hand around his twin's to pull her along behind him. They went down the stairs into the living room where his whole family was gathered, save for his elder sister.
"Mother? Aunt Wendy? I have a confession." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than his aunt was looking at him with that smug look on her face. The one where she knew she had been right all along and she was about to jump up and tell the whole room off for not believing her. Frederick, however, did not give her the chance. Instead he found himself clasping Freya's hand tighter, afraid what she would do when she heard the next words.
"Aunt Wendy was right. I am still working for Grandfather," here he heard Freya gasp and give a tug at her hand, but he refused to let go. His mother looked shocked and hurt, and opened her mouth to speak but he pushed on. "But please believe me, it wasn't what I wanted. I was given a choice. Either Grandfather comes through the portal and kills all of you, or I come and do his dirty work and I could save her. I made her a promise, Mother, he would never touch her again. I won't break that promise,"
"Who are you talking about?" Freya asked, venom lacing her words as she felt Frederick pull her hand a little, causing her to come closer to him, holding her hand between both of his. Frederick took a deep breath and let it out before turning to finally face her.
"You. I meant it when I said you never got in any trouble you couldn't get out of, but it wasn't because you were a good girl. It's because I always took the blame. As your twin brother it is my duty to protect you. Always. If we got caught it was my fault, I took the blame. But one time I couldn't and grandfather punished you, and you were so scared. That night we sat on your floor and you cried on my shoulder and I promised you I would never let him touch you again. And I won't Freya. I did this for you,"
"Frederick, why would grandfather let her live?" Frederick was pained to move his eyes from his sister's. Afraid of what she would do when he wasn't looking but he forced his eyes to his mother all the same.
"He hates this place. He didn't want come here, he wanted me to deliver all of you." When he spoke, the last part he looked down, unable to continue to stare into the faces of his aunt and mother with all the looks of disappointment, distrust and hurt all showing on their faces.
"What do we do now?" He could hear his Aunt Wendy asking, and Frederick closed his eyes. He wished he could cover his ears, he didn't want to know what they were going to do with him. He didn't want to know what was done to traitors in this place.
"For now, we lock him in his room. Even if he was here to deliver us to father, he saved both our lives, and he did it for Freya," He could hear his mother speak and Frederick lifted his eyes a moment to see his Aunt Wendy agree.
"Freya, take him up to his room. Bar the windows, do whatever you have to in order to make sure he can't leave." Aunt Wendy informed the woman. Frederick could feel Freya nod and start to pull him along. He didn't resist or fight her, he just followed head bowed. He wasn't sure if this mercy was better or worse than the death sentence he had already assumed he would be given.
"You were trying to save me?" Freya finally asked as they stood at the base of the staircase, Frederick didn't even notice they had stopped.
Frederick nodded, finally releasing her hands, only to frame her face between his. "I'll always do whatever necessary to protect you. You're my other half. Back in Asgard I even used to tuck you in every night. Even when we were older, I checked the room for monsters and then tuck you in with a kiss on the forehead," here Frederick kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders, crushing her to him.
"I hope one day you'll forgive me." He whispered, kissing her hair, and then letting her go and moving up the staircase, his sister at his heels. No matter what happened to him, he knew when it came right down it he wouldn't do anything different. He had wanted to save his twin, and he had done what he could. Grandfather would most likely just kill them all now, but at least now, they could be a family. They would die together.