A/N: this is a partial song fic so if you want the song is Stoic's and Valka's from httyd sung by Peter Hollens and His wife
Arthur and the Knights were training, when they noticed something strange. Merlin was leaving Camelot. With a ROSE. Why was merlin, who probably couldn't woo a chicken, leaving with flowers, like he was seeing a girl? They instantly followed him and along the way they bumped into qwen.
"Where are you lot going?"
"We're following merlin."
"Why, what's he done?"
"Nothing, it just looks like he is seeing a girl."
"Hold on, I'm coming with you lot!" She ran to her house, and came back out.
They followed him all the way to the tree line. As he entered, he barely made even a sound, as though he were gliding above the ground, instead of stumbling on it.
They followed him for more than an hour, and the only time theh stopped was when Gwaine stumbled on a log, and nearly fell down. This caused them all to end up in a heated argument, except for qwen who eventually said,
"If you lot will stop being a bunch of 5 year old girls for one minute, you will notice that we have lost him."
It was true.
Then they heard a tune, carried on the wind, and it sounded like merlin was whistling. That was a shock as Arthur didn't think that he could do much more than hum off key.
They followed the tune, and found themselves at a beautiful lake, with merlin at the water's edge. And then he began to sing.
"Yfel cwide flêotan by reason of flêotan ætrihte ferhðgrim wæterscipe,
Wið ne twihynde êgnes unlæd drinc drink.
ðêana lustlîce onrîdan sê wæterscipe unlæd brêostsefa,
Heonu êow fordêman fetian me, hâtwende dægcandel,
gên rêonig wlaco,
Oðstillan me ûtan mîn herpað,
heonu êow wilnian frumspræc
êower brêostsefa"
A second voice answered his, as a lovely woman rose from the water.
"Heonu frîge mefeorh"
She started walking slowly but purposefully towards merlin and switching to English.
"My dearest one my darling dear,
Your mighty words astound me.
But I've no need of mighty deeds,
When I feel your arms around me."
Merlin sung back, also stepping onto the lake. He had a really great singing voice. Really, really great.
"But I would bring you rings of gold,
I'd even sing you poetry.
And I would keep you from all harm,
If you would stay beside me."
"I have not use for rings of gold.
I care not for your poetry.
I only want your hand to hold."
She reached out and grabbed his left hand.
"I only want you near me."
He said, using his other arm to hold her close. They sung out in perfect harmony then, dancing on the lake. It was quite a complex dance, consisting of lots of twirls.
"To love,
To kiss,
To sweetly hold.
For the dancing and the dreaming.
Through all life's sorrows and delights,
I'll keep your love beside me!"
They broke apart, both using magic to speed across the lake, and conjured a wall of water each and sped back towards each other.
"I'll swim and sail on savage seas!
With nea'r a fear of drowning,
And gladly ride the waves of life,
If you will marry me."
They stood there, on the water, with their foreheads pressed together, still in each others embrace.
"If you,
Will marry,
Me."
Merlin bent down and kissed her. He reached out a hand, and the rose, which he had left on the shore, and they flew into his hands.
Arthur had come to three conclusions.
One, Merlin had a lover/girlfriend/wife??
Two, she was some kind of magic user, and was possibly bound to the lake.
Three, he was a warlock.
What was to do with THIS.
Fourth conclusion, he can sing. Really well too.
That was almost as shocking as the fact that he had a girl.
He was distracted from this train of thought by her laughter. She held a hand to her chest as he bowed down, offering the rose to her.
"For my lovely lady."
Freya smiled. "I suppose I am one aren't i?"
"Lady of the lake of Avalon, Guardian and protector. Sounds like it to me." He winked, and they started walking back toward the shore. Merlin reached out his hand and a patch of strawberries started growing. Freya laughed. "Knew I'd get the hang of it eventually." Merlin joked, then sighed.
"What is it?"
"It's just- I've realised, I can finally see you again, be with you, but I'm still always going to be lonely. Aren't i? No one but Arthur could ever really know and accept me, and I can't tell him."
"Merlin"
"I can't tell him Freya. Now while Uther is still alive. Sure he is practically catatonic, but he still lives."
"Scared he'll have you executed?"
"No."
That simple answer through Arthur in a loop. Why shouldn't he be scared? He has killed thousands of his kin.
"I don't want to make him choose between his father, who taught him since birth to kill my kith and kin, and that anyone who even touches magic is pure evil, and me, the most powerful warlock to ever walk the earth, and who has been saving his royal backside since the first time I met him. I can't put him in that position. It would be unfair to him."
She smiled so sadly at that.
"My dear sweet merlin. Always so selfless. Always taking on others burdens, and never letting anyone else see yours."
He gave a short bark of a laugh, then winced and held his side.
"Are you hurt?"
"Just a bruised rib. Trained with the Knights. Happens all the time. Nothing to worry about."
"You really need to learn healing magic. Take your shirt off."
He raised an eye brow and smiled.
"Let me heal you."
"Oh yes that's what you wanted."
"Now."
He laughed and dutifully shrugged off his jacket, took off the ever present neckercheif, and pulled his shirt over his head.
He heard Gwen gasp slightly beside him and heard the other Knights do the same. Merlin was covered in scars. Some old, some new, some terrible looking, and one impossible. He had the scar of a serket stinger in his lower back. He should be dead by all means. On his front there was a large, melted and marred patch of skin. How many times had his servant and friend put himself in harms way for him, and never said anything. Freya reached a hand forward and a warm mist, extended and covered his side, Merlin visibly relaxing.
"You always told me you had scars, I never knew you had this many."
"It's not all bad. I have valid information from a realible source about something concerning scars."
"Reliable source,"
"Gwen."
"Valid information?"
He stretched out on the ground in front of her, and put his hands behind his head.
"That women find scars ridiculously attractive."
He popped a strawberry in mouth and raised his eyebrows at her. She started laughing quietly.
"And who's scars did she see to know this?"
He smirked conspiratorualy.
"Arthur's."
All heads whipped to gwen, you was as red a a tomato, then looked to Arthur, who was even redder, if possible.
"I do hope they get together someday."
"It his destiny to marry her. I'm sure of it!"
She just smiled and shook her head. "Like how you are never gonna stop seeing me? The cursed druid girl who died at the hands of your best friend?"
"Arthur didn't know. He was protecting Camelot. And if I stopped seeing you, that would mean that I stopped loving you. And that will never happen." He sat up and put a hand on her cheek, which she held there. "No matter what happens, no matter what magic occurs, no universe, or reality, will ever stop me from loving you."
"Strong words for someone who is not your wife."
"Mmmm not yet."
"OH! We have plans do we?!" She teased and he laughed and kissed her again.
"I'm gonna figure something out some how."
"And what will merlin, the warlock born of magic, that is practically magic itself, protector of Arthur Pendragon the once and future king, defeator of both of the most recent high priestesses, defeator of Cornelius Sigan, and many other foes, do about the fact that he and his love are separated for all eterniy?"
He looked solemn. "You say all that as though I'm proud of it. As though I chose this life." He sunk back to the ground. "I never wanted to have to hide my true identity from everyone I love Freya. My purpose is to work in the shadows. To grow Arthur into the man he is, and the man he is to be."
"But it's not just Arthur you have shaped. Everyone you touch is changed for the better. Everyone loves you. You showed me that I don't have to always be afraid. You showed me that there are people you can look past the monster I used to be, and see me inside. You showed me love again."
"Morgana didn't change."
"No. But you tried, and no one can say you didn't care. You did what you thought was best."
She glanced at the other side of the lake, where the sun had just touched the tips of the mountain.
"I have to go."
"I don't want you to. I never do."
She just smiled at him.
"Sooo, you said you can never tell him, but what if, they followed you, and heard everything."
"They're behind those bushes aren't they."
"Yup."
Merlin sighed, as she stepped into the lake, and vanished.
"You lot might as well come out now."
They came out sheepishly, Gwen and Arthur still tomato red.
"What part do you want explained first?"
"Where did you learn to sing?!"