Me: Okay, so officially this is the last chapter of the Necklace of Iridin
Merlin/Arthur: WHAT!
Me: Yeah, it ended.
Merlin: But... that would mean...
Me: Yeah... I can't hangout with you anymore! :'(
Arthur: Who will you be hanging out with than huh?
Lupe: Me of course!
Me: Actually none of you... I'll be hanging out with Zuko over here...
Zuko: *walking up* Hi... I know that this is very awkward.
Merlin: *magic* *zuko dead* NOW WHO YOU GONNA HANG OUT WITH HUH?
Me: :O! NO! :( You know you're gonna have an army of fan girls come after you...
Merlin: My fan girls can take his fan girls.
Arthur: Well my fan girls can take your fan girls down Merlin, and stupid Scarface over there!
Lupe: Well the Outsiders fangirls can kick all your fan girls arses!
Me: -_- Are we seriously having this convo? Is this how you want to be remembered?
Merlin: Yep!
Slash has been killed by the normal fan-girls who aren't too busy fighting in the fan-girl war above, so Slash is not in the Fanfiction.
Chapter 7
Arthur looked up at the buttresses of Olaf's castle and shivered. They looked evil in the moon light. Merlin obviously was thinking the same thing because his eyes were wide and he was gnawing fearfully on his lower lip. Of course Merlin had reason to be afraid, Arthur thought. It's his neck on the line if the plan fails… literally.
Arthur nodded to the knight that came to meet them, Merlin bowed low. "Your highness, please follow me." The knight said and they followed. Arthur started, almost instinctively, counting his steps. This tended to happen when Arthur was scoping out a foreign place. He noticed windows, weak pillars, and rotten beams, anything that would provide useful insight in case of a siege. He shook his head losing his count at one hundred twenty two forgetting all about the rotten support beams on the roof and the big windows near the ceiling. This was Merlin's job, not Arthur's according to the plan.
The knight fist rapped on the wooden doors of the throne room respectively, when a voice inside, which Arthur knew only too well as King Olaf, yelled "Enter." The knight bowed to Arthur and opened the door. Arthur prepared himself for what he had to do. He lifted his head, stuck out his jaw and took a deep breath.
"Greeting, Prince Arthur!" Olaf called from his throne, Vivian on his right hand side grinning broadly and Freyr standing straight in his chain mail on the left side of Olaf who didn't share his cousin, and uncle's happiness.
"Hello," Vivian gave him a breathy smile and sighed. "Arthur, I knew you would come my love." Arthur swallowed nervously. He had hoped the love spell that had been cast on him and the Lady Vivian had worn off by now. Olaf gave his daughter an exasperated look, and Freyr rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
"Um… hi." Arthur said awkwardly, and then he turned his attention to Olaf. A small silver necklace was displayed proudly on his chest. He recognized it easily.
Arthur's heart leapt into his throat. They had found the Necklace of Iridin, Frella was as good as dead. Not if I have anything to say about it. Arthur thought defiantly. "I've come to see this girl executed. I assume you are done with your…questioning." Arthur nodded towards Olaf's necklace. He smiled.
"Yes, let me tell you for a twelve year old girl she's very resilient. It was only an accident I found this." He patted the necklace very proudly. Arthur resisted the urge to gag. "It was in her quiver, she's very clever. If I could get her to work for me…" He trailed off relishing the opportunity of having Frella as an ally. Arthur bit the inside of his cheek.
"She sounds strong." Arthur said and Freyr smiled.
"You should see her now. She spent all last night bawling her eyes out." He laughed. Merlin's lips curled in disgust and nearly threw up. How anyone could take pleasure in hurting a child was beyond him. Arthur felt the same way but had to act cool and unconcerned. To him, the haughty aloof prince, this was an enemy of his family and she needed to be executed.
"I should. I want to see the girl." Arthur grinned tight lipped.
Olaf frowned at his nephew. "Idiot," He muttered at him, then to Arthur. "I don't think that will be possible, Prince Arthur." Arthur frowned in his turn. If the plan was to work, Merlin needed to know the way down to the dungeon.
Casting around for an idea to change Olaf's mind his eyes fell on Vivian. She hadn't taken her eyes off of him since his arrival. When Arthur did look at Vivian, her heart started rocketed, her breathing quickened and a smile lit her face. Arthur thought if he could convince Vivian to let him down into the dungeon (which wouldn't be that hard) then she could in turn convince Olaf. Arthur found Vivian's eyes and he saw her start to hyperventilate. "I want to see the girl though, your highness." He said in the most alluring voice he could manage… and failed horribly.
Merlin, behind Arthur cocked his head his eye brows furrowing in shock. Vivian's eyes started to glow with a hopeful light and suddenly he saw Arthur's plan's and tried not to laugh. Arthur was trying to seduce the Lady Vivian.
Let's hope it works better than when he tried to win her affections with chicken. Merlin thought and he fought off another round of laughter.
"Oh Father, would it be so bad if Arthur just saw the druid girl, just for a little bit." Vivian begged but as soon as she opened her mouth Olaf's resolve crashed.
"Fine," Olaf relented. "You can see the druid, Arthur." And when Arthur smiled Olaf added. "Not very long, Freyr, take them down." Freyr nodded and without another word stalked out.
"I think I should go with them." Vivian said hurriedly, but Olaf caught her arm as she tried to leave.
"I don't think so." He said glaring at the back of Arthur's head as he followed Freyr out of the throne room.
Arthur swallowed nervously. What would Frella do when she saw them, would she give something away? Would she accuse him of being a traitor and tell them all that it was Arthur who hidden her? Or would she just simply hate him, like Arthur would in her situation?
"Through here." Freyr instructed holding open a door set into the stone. Inside of the room looked like a normal guard house with a simple table and a few low chairs. The only difference was the notches and pegs in the wall for swords, knives and any other sort of weapon. None of the notches were in use except for holding a bow and its quiver. Arthur looked at it solemnly. The sight of the bow sent pangs of sadness through his body; it showed that Frella truly was here.
Freyr didn't even glance at the bow and continued walking through the room to the other side, this time not saying a word as he held the door open. Arthur braced himself and walked through the door into a small hallway with two cells facing each other. One was empty but the other had two knights standing protectively at the door. Arthur walked up to the guarded one and Freyr stood beside him.
"This is the druid girl." He muttered as they looked upon the small huddled figure with her back to them. At his words she turned her head around to look at her new guests. When she saw Arthur she straightened up and turned to face him.
Her face was bruised with numerous half healed cuts, her lip was split and the gag that was tied in her mouth was stained red with blood. Her hair fell dirty and lank around her face, silhouetting her thin cheeks and her eyes were red from crying. Chains clinked around her wrists and they were, in turn, bound to the wall, her ankles were the same.
"Why is she gagged?" Arthur asked in a daze. Frella's eyes were cold and as hard as ice despite their sorry look. She glared into his face with open hatred, and disgust, but no hint of recognition.
"Her magic comes from words; the gag prevents her from speaking." Freyr said it like it should be obvious and that Arthur was stupid for not seeing it before.
"Can I talk to her?" Arthur asked cautiously, trying to ignore the furious gaze of Frella.
Freyr shrugged and snapped to one of the guards, "Let her speak." The guard unlocked the door and cautiously slipped off the gag and it fell around her neck. The guard briskly walked out and shut the door again.
"So, your Arthur, am I right?" She asked her voice mocking and cruel. Arthur could only nod, he was shocked and Freyr smiled at him.
"She is a bit unnerving." Freyr said, and Frella grimaced.
"I'm sowy." She said it as if she was talking to a small child. "Did the big mean dwuid giwl fwighten you?" She grinned evilly and Arthur felt a bubble of anger at her words.
"Shut up!" Freyr yelled at her and she grinned wider.
"Why? I'm going to be dead by morning, you can do nothing more to me." She said. Freyr looked angry again and before he could say anything Arthur cut in.
"Where were you hiding in Camelot?" He asked trying to make his voice stern and Frella turned to him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Oh, the Prince speaks?" She said sarcastically. "Why do you care, I was caught."
Arthur thought for a second, why did he ask the question? It would be easier to just avoid it all together! Stupid! He thought to himself.
"I want to know who hid you!" Arthur said glaring into her face. Frella narrowed her eyes to slits.
"No one 'hid' me. I hid myself!" She hissed. Arthur felt this was a good enough place to stop asking stupid questions.
"Why did you come to Camelot?" He asked trying to put a steely edge to his voice. He saw Frella's eyes momentarily flicker with shock, before turning back into her icy dark orbs. Maybe Arthur laid it on a little too thick.
"I had nowhere else to go; I was being chased as you know!" She said the words without thinking and Arthur's throat clenched. She wouldn't know if he knew that she was chased. Freyr glanced at them suspiciously now. She had made a mistake!
"How did you know Olaf told him you were chased?" Freyr asked, forgetting his uncle's title in his surprise.
"I'm not stupid! How do you think I evaded you all day! I listened in on the throne room when ever there was a meeting. I knew exactly where you were going to search." She spat out the words quickly, but effortlessly. She didn't fumble or do anything which would immediately tell them that she was lying.
Freyr's face grew into a mask of rage. "YOU WERE THERE ALL THE TIME?"
"Of course you idiot!" She said venomously. Freyr snarled at the insult and grabbed the spear from one of the guards. He thrust the butt of the spear between the bars hitting Frella. The wooden end of the spear was thrust at her repeatedly until…
"Enough!" Arthur growled and Freyr stared at him blankly. "I need her conscious if I want to question her!" Freyr rolled his eyes and handed the spear back to the guard.
Frella's mouth was bleeding, but she stood defiantly the chains rattles echoing painfully loud in the silence. She hadn't even cried out during the beating.
"How noble of you Arthur Pendragon…" She mocked her teeth red, giving her an evil look. "to save the poor little girl that your father, without a second thought would have killed. He must be so proud of his cowardly son."
Arthur flinched. This was crossing a line. "Be quiet!" He commanded and she just laughed cruelly, her lank hair giving her the appearance of an insane criminal for a second.
"I wonder, how does it feel to be the son of a murderer and a liar?" She asked casually and Arthur growled.
"Shut UP!" He roared, but now the mocking smile vanished to be replaced by a look of pure loathing. Arthur contemplated if he should even try breaking her out of her anymore.
"Why should I?" She screamed at him, the first time showing how scary she can be. Her eyes were burning with an intense hatred and she jumped against her chains which rattled dangerously. "Why should I follow the orders of the heir to the Camelot throne? The son of the man who condemned me to death along with the rest of my kind! He is a coward a traitor and a liar!" Her voice came to great crescendo, every last word punctuated by her arms being thrown up against her chains, blood dripped onto the ground.
"You will learn your place!" Freyr shouted and slammed the butt of the spear against her face. Arthur hadn't realized that he had moved, he was so locked in his own world of anger and self doubt.
Frella was knocked to the floor her feet trying to keep upright her hands trying to move from behind her back to brace her fall. Freyr grimly retracted the spear, watching the girl try to bit back any show of pain.
She got up and stared at Arthur. Frella spat blood out and it landed on Arthur's boot. "You have my blood on your hands Arthur Pendragon. Just like your father you murder innocents." She said, with deadly calm.
"Replace her gag." Freyr instructed. Arthur blinked in shock, but recovered himself just in time.
Merlin watched the entire episode in shock. He had no idea that the girl could feel such hatred for them, or anyone. His eyebrows drew together and his mouth fell open at her plain disgust at the man who had saved his life.
Arthur was lead out of the prison and Merlin followed in a stupor. Frella had scared him. He couldn't believe that the sweet, sad girl had changed into that cold, unforgiving person he saw in the dungeons. Had Olaf hurt her that much?
Arthur was now chatting to Olaf and he almost missed his next words. "Merlin, go you go retrieve my bag from the stables." That was his cue to break Frella out. Arthur was looking at Merlin now with a look that said Get a move on. Merlin felt a strong surge of pride for Arthur. That girl had torn him apart and he was still willing to help her. The prince had matured from the boy who had once asked him if he could walk on his knees. Merlin was proud.
"Of course, Sire." He said bowing and quickly moving out the door.
It took almost no effort to retrace his steps out through the door and down into the dungeon. The hard part was keeping quiet. He tripped through the weapons room and banged the table. He hoped no one heard the loud thud that ensued from the chair colliding with his shin.
"What was that?" He heard a guard tell another. He would be that lucky.
"I don't know, Go check it out." He commanded. He heard the clink of metal and Merlin froze. He looked around and willed the door to shut, the knight outside gasped in surprise and started pulling on the handle. With another flash of gold the door sprang open and hit the guard in the head.
"What the-" The other knight asked in wonder, but Merlin held out his hand.
"Swelthnu" echoed in the hall along with the crash of metal on stone. The guard fell to the ground his helmet rolling off his head. Frella looked at the door trying to work her gag free to fight this new threat. She had nearly managed it when Merlin came into view marred by the bars.
He murmered, "ætýnan" and the door sprang open. Her eyes burned with happy tears. Merlin had come to save her. He had used the same spell on her chains as he had to door before yanking down the gag.
She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "I'm so sorry I left. Thank you Merlin, I thought I was going to die down there." She gasped into his shirt. He patted her awkwardly and she quickly let go.
"Did Arthur send you?" She asked a little guilty. He nodded and looked around them. "Was he mad?" She asked again her voice catching.
"You shouldn't have said that." He muttered still distracted. Frella hung her head.
"I know," She breathed. Merlin frowned at her, she did seem truly remorseful. "It's the first thing I could think of… I couldn't let Freyr think that Arthur was hiding me…"
"Let's get out of here." He said breaking the silence. Frella grinned and followed Merlin back to the weapons room, slipping her quiver onto her back and stringing her bow.
"That feels better." She said smoothly pulling the bow back. Merlin beckoned her closer and they ran through the halls. A sudden flash back to them running through the castle, her clutching a bleeding arm ran through her mind. Not much has changed. She thought dryly.
Merlin heard the clink of guards behind them and pulled Frella against the wall. She ignored him and stepped into sight, her hand effortlessly selecting and arrow and knocking it. She let it fly at the guard and his friend shouted in surprise. He looked at the little child holding the bow just before an arrow of his own hit him in the shoulder.
"Did you kill them?" Merlin asked as they passed the bodies. Frella gritted her teeth.
"I should have," She muttered, "but then when they wake up they would know I escaped somehow you won't be implicated." Merlin was mildly impressed she had thought of this in five seconds.
"That's… smart." Merlin admitted and she smiled.
"Thanks." She let Merlin lead again and they wandered down hall way after hallway before getting back to the stables. Merlin made it to the end where his and Arthur's horse were.
He helped her on to his and she gripped the reigns. The stirrups now shortened by Merlin's hand. She sat uncomfortable for a second before getting a good hold. "Thank you Merlin for all you've done." She said and he smiled.
"Don't mention it." He shrugged. She looked down at his eyes seriously.
"Tell Arthur I'm… sorry for what I said. Tell him, I am in his debt yours too." She said and smiled a bit. "I will repay you some day Merlin, I promise." She said and then rode off. Merlin tried not to focus on the words which were the last words of Freya too. Her pledge to kill Freya's murderer flashed in his mind.
He hoped she never came back to repay that debt.
Bells rang out in the hall. Arthur was reminded of the warning bell in Camelot. "My Lord! The prisoner has escaped." A knight rushed in. He was bloody and helping along a man with an arrow in his shoulder, who was barley conscience.
"Alert the rest of the guard!" Olaf shouted outraged. "Find her!" Arthur sprang to his feet hoping no one saw the small smile that brushed across his face.
"How did she escape?" Freyr asked. He glanced at Arthur and noticed his smile. He growled at him.
"Magic Sire." The knight replied. Arthur bit his tongue to stop from grinning. All the past anger had quickly faded.
The royal party had made it to the grounds to see fresh hoof prints on the ground. They had run over to the stables to find Merlin lying on the ground next to an open stall.
"IDIOT BOY!" Olaf yelled and grabbed Merlin's jacket. He quickly 'woke' up and his eyes were wide.
"It's not his fault Olaf!" Arthur said and the king let go of Merlin. "She obviously knocked him out!" He said and Merlin bowed his head.
"I'm sorry Sire. I did all that I could, she came up on me so fast." He lied. Obviously Merlin's acting hadn't improved.
"THEY LIE!" Freyr shouted pointing and accusing finger at Arthur and Merlin. "ARTHUR HID THE DRUID GIRL IN CAMELOT! HE LET HER ESCAPE!" Arthur let him shout without trying to contradict him; he just let his expression darken. Olaf interrupted when he was preparing for a breath.
"Shut up BOY!" The King yelled at his nephew. "You have no idea what you are saying!"
"Your highness." Arthur started coldly. "If we are not welcome here, let us leave." Glaring at Freyr he nodded to Merlin who bowed and went to ready the prince's horse. Olaf and Freyr looked at him in surprise.
"You're leaving?" Olaf asked in confusion. "You just came."
"Happy Hunting Gentlemen." Arthur said ignoring Olaf's words. Arthur turned his horse and started cantering down the path Merlin jogging behind him. When they had gotten out of hearing distance Arthur checked his horse to allow Merlin to catch up.
"You did well." Was all Arthur said.
"Thanks, she told me to tell you that she felt sorry for what she said." Was all Merlin said. They traveled in a comfortable silence for a minute before Merlin broke in. "Why do I have to walk?" he complained.
"Because you let her take your horse." Arthur reasoned. "And I for one am not walking."
Merlin rolled his eyes and muttered "Prat." under his breath. Arthur swung around to glare at Merlin.
"What was that?" He questioned and Merlin shook his head.
"Nothing, nothing." Merlin shook his head, and Arthur frowned.
"Really." Arthur said and then checked his horse into a trot leaving Merlin in the dust.
"See if you can find some berries on the way. I have a craving for blackberry sauce tonight." Arthur said and Merlin groaned.
Then a small smile lit across his face. "I'll try to not bring home a bleeding girl this time shall I?" He called.
"That would be nice." Arthur answered back and Merlin's smile grew.
Well my loyal readers that is the end of the Necklace of Irinid. If like my beta you are going "WTF? IT CANT END THERE?" I already got a sort of idea for a sort of sequel (I'm so indecisive :) but I want to see how the third season is going to play out! (ONLY 10 FREAKING DAYS LEFT!)
On a completely random note my school just started 4 days in and I already want to punch someone... GAH so if you have any good Fanfics I need a pick-me-up!
I wanted to thank all of my reviewers! I reached my goal for reviews which was 15! Which made me so happy! :D I want to thank all of my 813 readers 1 favoriter and 7 alerters! I love all of you so much I want to squeal! Oh wait I just did! :) I've learned so much from this and I just want to hug you all (And if Bradley James by some miracle is reading this I want to marry you! XD) Like you might have guessed before above I'm writing a Avatar the Last Airbender fic next soooo if you wanna read that see you there! ;) It's gonna be a song fic of sorts! (There's that word again! :P) I know you probably aren't reading this so I'm just going to say that I think that unicorns are gay, and that I have a pet platypus named Perry, he goes missing a lot when I'm having adventures! XD!
Okay so here's a teary good bye from me and my schizophrenia A/N's :) A round of applause for my excellent Beta, best friend and soon to be a star wars nerd Lupelovell345! I'll miss you all so much!
~Bridget Friste
