Title: Some Immortal Guy... Emrys?
Description: Arthur and Merlin are out hunting (again). While Arthur is out looking for a stream, the witch who cursed Freya appears and Arthur gets back at that same time. Just in time to overhear her conversation with Merlin.
Word Count: 1,519
Part 1/1
Arthur decided he didn't want to deal with his kingly duties and announced he was going on a hunting trip. That was yesterday. Now, Merlin is being dragged along while they kill innocent little bunnies. He's had a bad feeling since before the king announced that they were even going on this trip. This kept him on edge, flinching at something so little as the rustling of the leaves in the wind. Of course, when he said as much, Arthur just told him to stop being a girl and ignored his "bad feelings". Well, here we are. Day two of the hunting trip. When all went wrong. And a secret or two just might have been revealed...
"Can't we just stop here for lunch," Merlin groaned.
Arthur sighed, reluctantly agreeing after his own stomach began to growl.
Merlin quickly got to work tying up the horses and grabbed the sandwiches from his pack.
Of course he was the one who had to carry everything. Couldn't that prat do anything?
They ate lunch in relative silence, a joke and some teasing here or there. Arthur had gone to find a stream or something while Merlin cleaned up at camp. Arthur was about to reenter Merlin's line of sight when an old woman entered the clearing.
She looked around until she spotted Merlin, not noticing Arthur hidden behind the trees.
"Who are you?" Merlin asked the woman once he spotted her.
"Don't play dumb boy, where is she! I know she's here!"
Merlin looked confused.
"I'm sorry?" he asked.
"That wretched girl. The one that killed my son! Where is she!"
"I honestly don't know who or what your talking about-"
"She's here! I know it! My spell led me right to her!"
"Led you to who?" Merlin asked, not even flinching at the mention of sorcery, like Arthur thought he would.
"That girl Freya."
Merlin felt as if the whole world had come to a screeching stop. He nearly dropped everything he was holding.
This was her. The witch that cursed Freya. His Freya.
"She's dead," he said finally, "She has been for a long time."
"Serves her right. That wretched girl did love killing."
"She did not," Merlin said angrily, trying not to loose his cool.
"And who are you to say such things? I was there when she killed my only son! Not you."
In her eyes, her son could do no wrong.
"And I was there after! That curse," he spits out, his voice laced with venom, "you put on her tortured her every night. She couldn't control what she was doing and who she was killing. And, once she was on her deathbed, she told me she didn't hate her killer because he freed her from that curse. Sometimes even I have trouble forgiving him, even though he was just protecting his home."
A pause filled the clearing. Arthur almost made himself known, expecting answers, when the witch spoke again.
"At least tell me who the killer was, so that I may thank them in person," the witch requested.
Merlin didn't even have to think about his reply, "No."
"No? You would deny me the identity of my son's murderer's killer? I have a right!"
"You have no such right!" he yelled, startling the witch.
"Oh? Sensitive topic for you huh?"
"Go away." he hissed, not wanting to deal with her any longer.
"I suppose you knew them then? The killer. Were you close?"
"Just get out of here," Merlin spoke with such pain in his voice, "Before I do something you'll regret."
"Oh? And what is it that you'll do to me?" she taunts.
"You do know of the druid prophecy, about the tragic love story of the immortal and the dead?"
"Emrys and The Lady of the Lake? Sure. Who doesn't?"
"Freya, is that lady, so unless you want to face an angry and hurt Emrys, I'd leave and never come near Camelot again."
"Oh? And I'm supposed to believe that you know Emrys?"
"You'd better believe it. He's living in Camelot right now."
"In Camelot? What in gods name would he be doing there!?"
"Protecting the Once and Future King. What else?"
"Arthur Pendragon? Surely you jest!"
"I do not."
She pauses for a moment, thinking about her options. On one hand, she didn't really believe him, but on the other, she isn't willing to risk angering Emrys.
"What's his name then? For proof, of course."
Merlin stalks over to her, whispering so lowly Arthur strained to hear him, "My mother named me Merlin, but you can call me Emrys."
A minute ago, she wouldn't have believed it, but something in his voice told her that he was, in fact, telling the truth.
"Now, if you don't get out of here right now, I'll see to it that you won't live to see another sunset."
Her eyes widened as she took a step back, truly not wanting to anger Emrys.
"Of course, my lord! My most sincere apologizes and deepest gratitude for your mercy."
She gave a quick bow before running in the other direction. Once she was out of sight, Merlin let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Taking a minute to compose himself, he quickly got back to work. Just then, Arthur reappeared in the clearing.
"Merlin? Who was that?"
Arthur, who had heard the whole conversation, had dozens of questions running through his head a mile a minute.
"Hmm? Oh, just a woman passing through. She was looking for... an old acquaintance of hers. I told her I hadn't seen anyone."
Arthur was shocked by the smooth lie Merlin very obviously just told. He would have missed it, if not for the fact that he had been here the whole time.
"Merlin, I know that isn't true. She was looking for a Freya?"
Merlin's head snapped up to look at Arthur.
"How would you know that? Did she come to talk to you too?" Merlin asked quickly, startling Arthur, (not that he'd ever admit that).
"No I... I've been here. The whole time. I- Merlin who's Emrys?"
"Just how long have you been standing there? You know, eavesdropping isn't very kingly." Merlin said trying to change the subject.
"I was no- Hey! Stop trying to change the subject. I've been here since that lady first appeared."
"So, what did you hear?" Merlin asked, his voice suddenly very quiet as it took on a more serious tone.
"I don't know, I can't make sense of it all. Something about this Freya girl and someone named Emrys. And then she called you "my lord.""
"What? When did she say that?"
"Right after you claimed to be this immortal Emrys guy."
"Oh yeah... Right, I was, uhh, bluffing."
"Stop lying to me Merlin, you're really bad at it."
"Do you really think me immortal? Listen, I'm flattered but-"
"Don't try and change the subject again, it won't work on me."
"It has before." Merlin mumbled to himself. It was so quiet Arthur almost didn't hear him, but he did.
"Merlin."
"Alright, alright. Freya was a girl who was cursed by that witch. She was later killed for her curse that made her kill people. She became the Lady of the Lake when she died. She's also kinda my girlfriend?"
Arthur sat in shock.
"You have a girlfriend."
"Yeah, I just said that."
"And she's... dead?"
"Yes. No? Kinda, it's hard to explain."
"This still doesn't explain why your claiming to be some immortal guy who probably has magic which, as you know, is kind of illegal."
"Well, like I said, I was just bluff-" Arthur cut him off.
"Merlin. Seriously. I'm not as stupid as you might think."
"Neither am I. If I say anything else it'd be the same as admitting I have magic to the king of Camelot."
Arthur raised his eyebrows in a very Gaius like manner, "And do you?"
"Do I what?"
"Have magic, Merlin."
"Do I?"
"I don't know, you tell me!"
"...Should I?"
Proud Kilgarrah moment
"Merlin!"
"Fine! Yes, I have magic, happy now?" Merlin yelled.
"Thank you, finally. I thought you'd never tell me."
If Merlin weren't so surprised, he'd have teased Arthur for saying thank you.
"You knew?"
"Of course I knew! You really aren't that subtle you know."
"How long have you known?"
"I'm not sure. It was a lot of little things adding up and once I figured it out, it just... felt right. Like I've always known it, and now it's weird to think of you ever not having magic."
"That's pretty accurate, since I was born with it."
"Born with it?" Arthur asked, "I didn't even know that was possible."
"Well, now you do. Can I finish cooking dinner now? I'm getting hungry."
"Yeah, sure."
Merlin just barely turned to finish dinner before Arthur speaks again.
"So what's this whole bit about you being immortal?"
"Arthur!"
"Alright, fine," he said, "I'll wait to ask you about it after dinner."
Merlin rolled his eyes, trying to figure out how the hell he was going to explain this.
The End
