Hello my dears. I would like to thank Adele (Guest), , Guest, Guest, emrysmorgan, gaylelbf, Guardian of the Inheritance, mersan123 and OechsnerC for the wonderful reviews. I would also like to thank those of you who have followed and favoured since my last update.
So here is the next chapter, I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, nor any of the lines I have taken from the show.
The night was fully upon them by the time the group had settled into the castle, all the chores that needed doing had been shared out and the food cooked by Merlin and Gwen consumed. Now all that was left was entertaining themselves until morning.
Arthur and Morgana sat next to the raging fire, talking in quite voices, sharing the secrets they had been keeping from each other, and discovering more about their sibling. For while they had known each other most of their lives, there had always been a distance between them. That was a distance they were now determined to close.
Leon, Elyan and Gwaine sat together further back from the royals discussing weapons and fighting techniques, which invariably caused Gwaine to tell outrageously embellished stories that neither of the other men truly believed. Though they were happy to listen and laugh at them, not to mention that the outlaw seemed to have found a skin of mead from somewhere. No one asked where, but they were happy to share it with him.
As for Gaius and Gwen, they sat together heads bent as they went through both his and Merlin's medical supplies, to see what it was they would need to find on the morrow, to help the men that they knew would be fighting for the kingdom soon enough. Gwen had not wanted to intrude on the conversation her friend was having with the man she loved, and if she could help Gaius, then that was a good way to spend her time.
Merlin was the only one sat alone and away from the others. He was half hidden in the shadows of the room, though he could see all in it clearly. It was intrinsic for him to make sure he had a clear line of sight to both Arthur and Morgana, wanting to make sure that they didn't need him for anything. But he wasn't looking at them. No instead he was frowning down at the vile of water the fisher king had given him, trying to work out how to find out the secrets it held. He'd already tried all the spells he knew to gain its secrets, but it still stayed stubbornly the same. How could this help him? How could this vile of water give him the key to defeating Morgause's immortal army? He was so intent on finding the answer to those questions he didn't even register when Gwaine came towards him, sliding down to sit beside him. In fact he didn't realise he was there until the older man slapped his hand down hard on his shoulder, making him jump and the vile to fall from his hand.
"Merlin, mate. You need a drink-" Gwaine started to say, offering the mead skin to his friend, only to have the younger man glare at him and push him away as he quickly moved onto his knees and followed the tickle of water to where it was pooling.
"Merlin, what-" Gwaine started to say once more, only to stop talking at Merlin's gasp and the name that slipped from his lips.
Merlin for his part had followed the water, hoping he would be able to save it, or find some way of gaining the answers he needed, but as he watched it trickle away he noticed the flicker of light upon it. Almost as if he was reflecting the moon. And then it settled he couldn't help but be amazed at the vision he saw once it had stilled. "Freya?" He whispered in disbelief.
"I've missed you." Freya replied smiling up at the man who'd saved her life in more ways than she could have ever imagined when they first met.
"No, you're-" Merlin responded still so very confused. How was he talking to Freya? She was dead, she'd died in his arms. There was no way she could be talking to him now.
"Merlin, we don't have long." Freya interrupted needing him to get past the past, and think instead of the here and now. She needed him to listen to what she had to say, the information she had to give him.
"Is it really you?" Merlin asked still needing to be completely sure. Needing to know she really was there talking to him.
Freya nodded before speaking once more. "I swore that one I day would repay you. Now is the moment."
"I don't understand." Merlin replied frowning. How could she repay him?
"There is but one weapon that can slay something that is already dead." Freya explained guiding him to the answer that he sort. The answer that he already knew deep inside.
"A blade forged in the dragon's breath." Merlin responded instantly. He knew that, but he did not see how that could help them now.
"That weapon lies at the bottom of the lake of Avalon. Where you hid it." Freya agreed. Yes that blade was with her, where she could watch over it and keep it safe until Merlin needed it once more. The time had come for it to return to his hand.
"But Morgause's army are not dead. They are very much alive." Merlin replied confused again how that blade could help them.
"Anyone that toys with the cup pays a terrible price. The moment they entered their pack with Morgause they became the living dead. You must come to the lake." Freya explaining, giving him the last piece of the puzzle he'd been trying to figure out.
"And you will give me the sword." Merlin continued for her. The idea that he would see Freya again, caused far too many conflicting emotions inside him. Because while he knew he loved Morgana, he had loved Freya too, once.
"In your hands it has the power to save Albion." Freya agreed smiling up at him. She could see what he was thinking in his eyes. She knew he loved Morgana, and she knew he was the only one who could change the future that had been seen. Only he had that power. She did not feel bitter about any of that. She had had the joy of being loved by him, if only for a brief moment in time. It was more than she had ever hoped for, and she was glad he had found another to love after she had gone. Glad he'd moved forwards.
"Thank you." Merlin replied sincerely. The idea of having a blade that would kill the soldiers of Morgause's army, it was the glimmer of hope they all needed to win back Camelot.
"No, need to thank me, Merlin. It has giving me the chance to see you again." Freya responded smiling up at him, not being able to stop the remembered love from entering her eyes as she did so.
But before Merlin could respond a voice sounded from behind him causing him to turn and stare up at the lady standing over him. "Merlin."
Morgana had been talking to Arthur when she heard the musical voice of another woman. A voice that spoke with such love as it said Merlin's name. She turned so quickly towards where the man was crouched with his back to her it almost caused her pain. And as she listened to the conversation between him and the unknown woman she felt a heaviness fall into her heart. It did not take a genius to work out who Freya was. Work out she was the woman he had loved before her. She was not surprised to discover his first love was magical, but what did surprise her was the fierceness of feeling that flooded her as she listened to them talk.
Because he did not belong to 'Freya' anymore. He was hers. The jealously shocked her to her core, but even that shock could not stop her standing and approaching. Could not stop her wanting the conversation to end once Merlin had gained all the useful information he needed from it. As such as soon as it seemed to be verging onto more personal mattered she snapped out his name. "Merlin." And she could not say she wasn't gratified that he immediately turned to her, away from his first love.
"Morgana." Merlin replied before turning back to the pool of water only to find it empty. It seemed Freya's time had run out. Therefore he smoothly stood as he turned and faced the woman who held his heart now. "How much did you hear?" He asked, wondering if he was the only one who'd heard Freya's words.
"All of it." Morgana replied staring him straight in the eyes waiting for… something. She wasn't sure what, but… there was so much going through her mind right then she had no idea how to sort it out, or even try to explain it to herself, let alone anyone else.
Merlin on the other hand saw the turmoil in her eyes. He could see the jealously and he couldn't help but allow some hope into his heart at the sight. Couldn't help but allow a spark of possibility back into his mind that maybe he hadn't destroyed everything with her. Therefore he spoke carefully as he tried to explain what had just happened. "Freya is dead-" He started to say but Morgana cut him off.
"I am aware." She snapped at him, really not wanting to discuss his first love thank you very much. In fact after hearing the conversation between the dead girl and him she never wanted to hear the name Freya spoken from his lips again.
At that Merlin nodded. Okay, he didn't need to explain. But what could he say? He had no idea so he decided to speak what was in his heart. He only hoped it worked. "I love you. Only you." He said with complete sincerity.
Morgana felt a rush of breath in as she softly gasped at those words. She had not heard his say them since the argument in the woods where she had discovered he had magic. She had hoped he would say them again, had hoped when he had come to her rooms he would declare the truth of his feelings, but he never had. It had always been about Arthur since then. To hear him say them now, they threw her as nothing else could. Threw her belief that she couldn't trust and so nothing could happen between them from her mind, replacing it with nothing more than a wish to hear him say it again. A wish that through those words, through the love he had for her, they could recover what they'd had before, or better yet, find something… more. Together, with no secrets separating them. At that idea she took a step towards the man she knew still held her heart, a cautious step towards the possibility of offering it to him once more.
But before she could say or do anything else the bubble she and Merlin seemed to be inhabiting was broken by another voice speaking.
Gwaine had watched Merlin chase the water with confusion in his eyes, a confusion that had only gotten worse when he head Merlin have a one sided conversation with it. He had no clue what that was about, but that quickly left his mind as he watched the looks Merlin and Morgana gave each other and heard the words that were spoken, and he knew if he didn't intervene then they were going to go do something they really couldn't when everyone was watching them.
Therefore he interrupted them, pulling them away from each other. "Merlin, mate. I have no idea what you two are talking about, but I do think talking to a puddle is a sign you could be going crazy. You feeling okay?" He asked loudly, pulling both sets of eyes onto him.
It was only when Gwaine spoke that Merlin looked around and realised that everyone was standing watching him and Morgana. He dreaded to think how much they had heard, and it seemed from Gwaine's words only those with magic would have heard Freya. Okay. Deal with that later. Right now he needed to get to the lake and get the sword, everything else could wait. Therefore he turned to Arthur and spoke. "I need to get to the lake of Avalon." He said, hoping Arthur didn't demand answers right then. He really didn't want to have that conversation with everyone listening in. It was bad enough they'd heard him and Morgana.
"The same lake of Avalon that is the other side of the kingdom, Merlin? Just how do you propose to do that?" Arthur asked crossing his arms. He'd had no real idea what was going on, only that Merlin needed some kind of sword, and Freya would give it to him. The same Freya he'd killed, and Merlin had laid to rest in a lake. He took an educated guess that the sword was also in the lake, which explained why Merlin needed to get there and in truth that was enough for him for now. He also half remembered a story where Merlin forged a weapon and threw it in a lake, and connecting the dots he was more glad than anything that he'd made Merlin tell him all his secrets, otherwise he knew he would be as clueless as everyone else. At least he had an idea of what was going on, and as for the actual conversation with Freya thing, well what did he know about magic? Maybe it was common for dead druids to talk to you through water. It made as much sense as anything magic related did in his mind.
"Well, I have an idea. Not that he's going to like it." Merlin replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. He knew Kilgarah was going to be fuming, but it was the only way Merlin could see to get there and back in the time they had and safely.
"Well, we'd best be on our way then, hadn't we?" Arthur responded, having no idea who Merlin was referring to, but knowing he trusted his friend. He would go with him to the lake and get this sword. They needed it and Merlin was done going off on magical quests alone. There was no way Arthur wasn't going to go with him. After all, who was going to keep the idiot safe if he didn't?
"Right." Merlin nodded. He had known Arthur wouldn't let him go alone, but hearing him declare it so easily, it made something inside him warm. It showed what easy acceptance Arthur had in him, in his magic. He knew he hadn't heard the conversation with Freya, knew he only had half an idea of what was going on, and yet he didn't question Merlin, just decided they would go together.
"Sire, are you sure…?" Leon asked joining the conversation for the first time. He had no idea what was going on, but from what he could see if seemed that Merlin… that Merlin had… that Merlin had magic. He had no idea what to do with that thought, all he knew was that it was his job to protect his king. To protect Arthur, and the idea of letting go off alone with a magic user did not seem the best way to do that, even if he knew Merlin and Arthur had gone off together alone many times before… he hadn't known, well more suspected then… in truth he wasn't sure what to think. I mean this was Merlin, and yet, he had to protect his king.
"We will be fine. You stay here and protect my sister." Arthur replied with an easy smile. He had forgotten that not everyone with them knew of Merlin's magic, though looking around it seemed Leon was alone in his lack of knowledge.
"Of course, sire." Leon responded, though that also raised a question in his mind about magic. His role was to protect the magic welding sister of his king? Not even touching on the fact she was his actual sister. It was too much, his world had been turned upside down and he had no idea what was right and what was wrong any more. Merlin and Morgana had been integral to his belief in Camelot for so long, that the idea that they had magic… it really was too much.
While Arthur and Leon had been talking Gaius and Merlin had been having a conversation of their own, though theirs was less with words and more with looks. Finally Gaius nodded before turning to the knight. "Sir Leon, why do we not all sit round the fire, while I tell a story? I believe it is one you all need to hear." He said with a soft, gentle smile. The one he used for skittish patients.
"I think that's an excellent idea, Gaius. Come on Merlin." Arthur agreed cheerfully. He felt Gaius would be able to give a much better version of all Merlin had done than the man himself had. He was far too self-deprecating to really show all he'd done for Camelot, and he put far too much emphasis on the things he'd done wrong. Not to mention Arthur really didn't want to have to have that conversation with anyone himself. Yes leave Gaius to explain it all while he and Merlin went on the quest. Much the best idea in his mind.
"Right, yes. Let's go." Merlin agreed readily. The less he had to explain the better in his mind.
With that the two of them slunk away relieved to not have to do the talking. Leaving the rest to gather round the fire and Gaius, though Morgana did scowl at the both of them for leaving her there, she did not need nor want to hear a story extorting Merlin's virtues thank you very much. But luckily Gwen distracted her by pulling her to her side before she could say anything more.
And that was how the truth of what Merlin had done for Camelot became known by those there. They each had their own stories to add to the ones that Gaius shared, Gwaine not being able to stop himself from commenting on his own, a lot.
It was from this atmosphere of understanding that prevailed upon them all that Arthur and Merlin slipped away, starting the next story in their protection of the kingdom they both loved.