Ten

A/N: Thanks so much for the encouragement guys! It helps so much! For any of you who were asking questions about NaNo you can go to ! I'd say it's too late to join (today's the deadline for 13,333 words) but if you want to marathon write, or have a story you just need a reason to continue - like this is for me - I would encourage you all to do it, next year if not this one! After a few of the reviews last week I was sorry to see that some of you weren't too keen on Freya's character, and it's one of those situation where I wish I could reach through the screen and just yell "stay with me! I promise I have a plan!" and tell you where this is goi,,g but you'll have to keep reading to find out! All I can say is that I hope you give me the chance to show you just where this ends up - remember, things are not always what they seem! Remember to review! ~RK

"What?" Arthur's train of thought had crashed, and was burning around him. All the questions he wanted to ask were irrelevant now. "How?"

Freya shook her head sadly, pursing her lips together before answering him, "I can't. You have to ask him. If you really want to know about Emrys, you have to talk to Merlin. I only told you this because you need to understand his reasons for doing what he did."

"What did he do Freya? You haven't told me anything! How did he know Emrys? Who is he? You didn't even tell me who he killed to get in here." his voice was low and unnecessarily harsh and as he saw her flinch, he found that he didn't particularly care.

"I told you what you need to know. Just.. tread softly around him? You really are just like Will. He was a bit of a hothead too. Insisted on resolving everyone's conflicts for them. Did what he could for anyone whenever he could do it. You're like the protective version of him. The side that Merlin knew the best. Truly would've killed for each other, those two... It might've happened once actually, but Merlin doesn't give me the details on those stories." she sighed sadly before pushing the folded piece of red linen across the table. "Would you do me a favour and give him that?"

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Please. Can you please just pass it along?"

Arthur paused, uncertain. His hand started to reach for it and then paused, a questioning look on his face. "He doesn't even know I'm talking to you."

"You didn't tell him?"

"No. I thought it would just upset him, make him more angry than he currently is."

"That's not something anyone needs."

"Too right." They looked at each other for a few more moments before Arthur made up his mind. "Look. Why don't you give it to the front? Tell them who it's for and then I can go and pick it up later. I can tell him I checked for everyone cause I was down here anyway. It might work as a peace offering."

"I suppose that could work."

"I still have questions, Freya."

"Then ask them. I can guarantee this is the only time I'll let you, but I can't guarantee how well I'll answer." her voice was soft but firm, her mouth set straight in a determined line.

"Who knows Merlin personally on the outside?" It was Arthur's first question, and the one he thought was the most important. If he could find some sort of link that he could use to find out more about Merlin and his past, as well as his connection with Emrys, he would. Freya gave him an icy stare before replying, obviously not impressed with the game he had decided to play.

"The Dragons know him better than anyone, but he wasn't disliked in other crowds. The Druids were convinced that they would be able to win him over for a while. There were others. Morgause tried to lure him to the Triads, Lamia to the Scottish mafia. It depends on what you call personally."

Shit shit shit "Fine, who was upset to find out he was going to prison?"

"Everyone."

"Freya, please, you're not answering me."

"You're not asking the right questions."

"Well what questions do I need to ask?"

"Figure it out. You have thirty seconds."

He stared at her in wondering panic. The first time he had met her, he wouldn't've thought she could be so rough. He supposed it made sense though, after all, she was involved with Merlin and his kind of people. "How did you meet Merlin?"

She smiled a little, and inclined her head. "Going for the personal information, Arthur? It's not really that interesting. I showed up in his town when we were about fifteen. He was nice to me and we became friends. I got into some trouble with some awful people, and Merlin was really the only person who stood by me. Him and Will. The three of us became inseparable and a couple of years later he asked me out."

"And that's not interesting?"

"Not to you."

"I'm sorry if I've offended you."

"No, not at all."

"I just need... there are things that I need to know. Not only for myself, but for everyone else too. Merlin having conversations with himself in a jail cell right before being moved to the psych ward it's just – I need to make sure that everyone in here is safe. They're my family."

"I understand, but I can't say anything else here. I wish I could, really, I do, but there are things that even you're not ready to deal with. Information won't even help you really," she pushed the scarf towards him again "but if you want to help him, and keep everyone else safe make sure he gets this. He might even tell you why. It's all I can do for you right now until I'm told otherwise." Her eyes widened for a moment in panic, as if she had just shared a secret she was not meant to.

"Told by who?"

Looking to her hands, Freya lowered her voice "We live in different worlds Arthur. The son of Uther Pendragon and raised with a silver spoon who got into a drunken fight with a man who was going through the process of trying to sue you."

"How do you-" he was cut off as Freya kept talking as if he hadn't said anything

"You were never in a gang, never knew the streets, your friends are all sparkling clean too. The only criminals you know, you know because you're in here. Me and Merlin are different. I don't remember ever not having to deal with guns and drugs and fighting, and when we say we'd kill for each other it's not just an expression. It's a promise we've both had to keep." She said all of this with a flat tone and straight face. Arthur doubted he had ever seen anyone look so serious. "So if I tell you to stop asking questions, if I say that all the information you get from me is on a need to know basis, I hope you can accept that and not go digging. I know that you can get Leon on the computers, I know what he does. Just understand that digging will only bring pain to you and your family. In here as well as out there." She stood suddenly, turned on her heel, and left.

Arthur felt almost cheated. He had asked her here to ask some questions about Merlin, and now he only had a longer list and barely any answers. Gingerly, he picked up the cloth on the table, so much for giving it in to the front, and began walking back into the prison itself where he was greeted by the watchful eyes of the guards, and the hopeful stares of Gwaine and Lance. He shook his head at them and mouthed "later". Gwaine's face fell, but Lance seemed to understand, and turned to leave for the mess hall, dragging the petulant Gwaine with him. Arthur was tempted to laugh, a smile even half-reached his lips, but the need to find Merlin and have a serious conversation stopped him. He had no idea what to expect. Merlin could outright lie to him, or refuse to answer any questions. Arthur just hoped that he could find him, and that the scarf would soften the situation somewhat.