A/N: This is early for me, right? Usually it takes me ages to post a new chapter, but I've been motivated :)
I'd like to mention the crossover I'm working on again, the one I mentioned in the A/N in the last chapter. We've finished the first chapter, but I'd like to know if any of you are at all excite about it? It'll take place after the Lady of the Lake story arc. Let me know!
Chapter 16: The Lady of the Lake part 1
By the time I went home, it was late, a little before midnight. I'd put Ellie to bed and had spent hours talking to Helen and Thomas. They were some of the only people I could talk to about magic, even though neither of them practiced it.
It was quiet outside, and I breathed in the cool air gratefully, pulling my cloak closer around myself. As I passed the Rising Sun inn, I glanced up at the loud laughter coming from the inside, but was met with a different view. In front of the inn, a wagon was parked. It carried a cage. Curiously, I walked closer, feeling drawn to it. I wanted to get a better look at the huddled shape inside.
Before I could get close enough, the shape moved, lunging at the bars. I started backwards, but was drawn back in when I saw what the shape was. It was a little girl, maybe eight or nine years old, dressed in a tattered red dress. I felt my mouth drop open, who would lock a child in a cage? Something inside me called out to the girl, something I couldn't quite define.
"Better not get too close, love," a voice behind me said. Turning around, I saw that it was Jack, the inn's owner. He was emptying a bucket of water in the alley beside the building.
'Why not?" I asked. "She's just a little girl."
Jack scoffed. "She's a druid, that 'un. A bounty hunter came in with 'er today, Uther'll pay a hefty price for 'er, does fer all the magic folk," he explained matter-of-factly.
I frowned. "But she's just a child, even if she is a druid, he wouldn't execute her, would he?" I asked, horrified.
Jack barked out a harsh laugh. "Yer too nice fer this place, Merlynn," was all he said, and went back inside the tavern.
With wide, shocked eyes, I turned back to the girl, who'd gone back to hiding in the corner. I stepped closer and wrapped my hands around the bars. "Don't worry, I'll come back for you, I won't let them keep you prisoner here," I whispered.
Two huge grey eyes stared at me from the dark cage, and I knew she'd heard me. I waited a second longer, before making my way back to the castle. If I was going to free this girl, I'd have to make sure no one knew I was the one who'd helped her.
/*/
It was easier than I'd thought. I waited until Gaius went to bed, snuck out and opened the cage with magic. The girl was a little frightened at first, but I promised not to hurt her, so she took my hand and hid behind the wagon with me.
Someone who I assumed was the bounty hunter came outside, his eyes immediately finding the empty cage. He didn't shout out, like I expected him to. Instead, he slowly circled the wagon, coming closer and closer to where we were crouched. I frantically looked around for something that would distract him.
Eventually, my eyes landed on the bucket Jack had emptied earlier. A flash of golden eyes and it toppled over. The bounty hunter swung around, his beady eyes scanning the dark alley, stalking slowly closer. I waited until he was underneath the 'Rising Sun inn' sign before I made the chains holding it up snap. The heavy wooden sign slammed into his head, and he crumpled to the ground. Grabbing the girl's hand, I ran.
I had hoped that the bounty hunter had been knocked unconscious, but he was only dazed. Far too soon, he was back on his feet. I dashed into an alley, intent on making my way to the castle. I hadn't really planned on where to hide the girl, but I'd hidden Mordred in the castle, and that had worked. Sort of.
Unfortunately, my half-made plan was thwarted by a patrol of soldiers coming my way. With nowhere else to turn, I dragged the girl into a small door set into the side of the castle wall. Shutting it quickly behind me, I grabbed the torch that hung from the wall. Leading the girl deeper into the dark tunnels, I really hoped no one would think to look here.
Finally, we reached a small alcove that would have to do for now. I gently pushed her in and looked around the corner to make sure they didn't follow us. "He won't find you here," I said, finally turning around and shrugging off my jacket.
When I made to put it around her shoulders, the girl flinched, and I couldn't help but wonder what a terrible life she must've had so far to warrant such extreme caution. "I'm sorry," I apologized softly. "I didn't mean to frighten you." I got down onto my knees to be closer to her height. "I just thought you might be cold." I held out the jacket with a smile, hoping she would see this for what it was; a gesture of kindness, not one of hostility.
She was shivering, but still looked at me with fear and distrust in her eyes. "Why did you do that?" she asked.
I frowned, not sure what she meant. "What?"
"Help me," she clarified, still shying away from me, even though I'd dropped my hand.
I paused for a moment, wanting to give her as honest an answer as I could. I thought back to when I'd seen her in the cage, and how I'd felt drawn to her, in a way I still couldn't explain to myself, let alone someone else. "I saw you and…" I thought about how to put this. "It could have been me in that cage," I admitted honestly.
Those huge grey eyes were fixed on mine, and I wanted nothing more than to draw her in and hold her so no more evil could ever touch her. "You'll be safe down here," I said instead. "I'll be back in the morning with some food and candles. Will you be alright until then?" I asked, looking up at her.
The girl shifted her eyes to the ground in between us, but nodded. I realized I didn't know her name. "I'm Merlynn, by the way."
She hesitated, but only for a moment. "I'm Freya," she whispered.
"Freya," I repeated quietly. It was a beautiful name, one that I might have one day chosen if I had a daughter. I offered the jacket to her again, knowing she wanted and needed it.
Gingerly, she took it from me and slung it over her shoulders. It hung loose around her thin frame, but it would keep her warm. "You should try to get some sleep, you look exhausted," I suggested, still whispering.
I made to get up, but a small voice halted my movement. "Thank you," Freya said.
I smiled, genuinely touched. Here was a little girl, who had every reason to cry or rant or scream, but she was thanking me for a jacket. "You're welcome."
I got up and went to leave, but I noticed that Freya's eyes were darting all over the place, and she still seemed scared. I couldn't leave her like this. "Freya?" Big grey eyes focused on me again. "Are you afraid of the dark?" I asked gently, sitting down the sand that had accumulated in the old tunnels over the years. The little girl nodded, her eyes getting a little misty, but she bravely held any tears in. I gestured for her to sit down next to me. "I'll sit with you until you fall asleep. Nothing will happen to you as long as I'm here, I promise."
Freya barely hesitated this time, and sat down next to me. Still not entirely sure of herself, she shifted closer until her shoulder touched mine. She looked so tense, like she was ready to jump up if I made a wrong move. It would have been funny if it wasn't also sad.
Slowly, I raised my arm and put it around her shoulders. She tensed at first, but quickly relaxed into my hold, and finally leaned her head on my shoulder.
I hadn't really planned on what to do with her other than get her out of that cage, but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to keep her with me. I'd felt something similar with Ellie, but even though I loved her like a daughter, it was nowhere near as strong as what I felt towards this little druid girl. It was like my magic itself was reaching out for her, but that was impossible… Wasn't it?
/*/
"Gaius?" I asked the next morning. I'd gotten up earlier than usual and was eating breakfast with my uncle, just picking at my food. He looked up at my voice.
"Is there such a thing as soulmates?" I asked curiously. I'd been unable to sleep the night before, pondering that question. I'd thought about the connection I felt towards Freya, and had been unable to come to any other conclusion, but was it even possible?
Gaius looked at me appraisingly. "In a way, yes. Among those with magic, there are others with a similar magical signature that you can feel drawn to. Another form of soulmates is what you and Arthur have: your destinies are entwined. I believe that if you hadn't met him in the market that day, you would have felt compelled to seek him out in one way or another. Why do you ask?" He had that look, like he could see my deepest, darkest secrets and I should just tell him everything now and spare myself the embarrassment. I hated that look.
I picked up my plate and started packing my food up. "No reason, just wondering about my destiny," I said, hoping he wouldn't detect the lie in my voice.
Gaius opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Gaius, the King requests your presence," a guard called.
I smiled at my uncle, grabbed the food I'd packed and darted out the door, narrowly avoiding hitting the guard. "I'll see you tonight, uncle!" I called over my shoulder as I made my way towards the kitchen to get Morgana's breakfast.
/*/
If Morgana noticed that her plate wasn't quite as full as it usually was, she didn't mention it. After I'd helped her dress and braided her hair, she sat down at the table and started eating while I stood nearby with a jug of water.
"Please, Merlynn, sit down, I can't eat if all you're going to do is stare at me," she said, not unfriendly.
I suppressed a smile. "Arthur almost never lets me sit down," I commented as I took the empty chair across from my friend.
"Well, as you often so eloquently say, Arthur's a prat," Morgana replied, taking another bite. "Oh, did you hear? A bounty hunter came into Camelot last night, he'd captured a druid girl."
"Oh?" I asked, as innocently as possible. I was infinitely grateful that the Lady chose to keep her eyes on her food instead of on me.
"Yes, but she managed to escape. Good for her, I say. I heard she was still a little child, barely eight winters old." She looked up at me then, and I tried to school my features. As much as I trusted Morgana, I didn't want her to know about Freya. "I commend whoever, if anyone, helped her escape. Holding a child prisoner in a cage like an animal… That's barbaric," she hissed, glaring at the window.
"Well, I hope she stays hidden, I wouldn't want her found either," I replied. Though I tried my best, I was fairly sure my voice hitched. Morgana looked at me sharply, but didn't comment.
"You can have a few hours to yourself, Merlynn, I'm to entertain the ladies of the court today."
"Thank you, milday," I said automatically, though I was surprised.
Morgana smiled. "Just make sure my room is tidied up before I return." She got up, leaving half of her plate untouched and made her way out the door without another word. I stared after her, but finally got up after a few minutes. I didn't care what the Dragon said, how could anyone believe that Morgana was evil? Aside from Gwen and my mother she was the most kind-hearted person I knew.
A/N: So what did you guys think about Freya? I know a lot of you were wondering how I was going to solve this one, but I was never tempted to genderbend Freya.
Also, the votes are in for the Morgana situation, and here are the results:
good: 12
evil: 2
Leon/Morgana: 5
Gwaine/Morgana: 2
Percival/Morgana: 1
no pairing: 2
I'm still taking votes on the pairing, so send those in if you want to change the votes. Morgana is definitely going to be good, though. I'm sorry for the people who wanted me to keep that canon, but I said that I was going to go with the majority. Besides, when do I ever let my characters take it easy, even though she won't be evil, she will still have to face some obstacles, as will Merlynn.
Sorry for the long A/N, and Review!