Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter fifty-eight: Freya Emrys, Queen of the druids.
The wedding ceremony had just been completed and now Merlin and Freya were being led through the trees to where the feast and celebrations were being held. They only had an hour or two at most before they had to return to the tower, but what was a wedding without a celebration? Suddenly the trees thinned out to show a clearing lined with tables.
The tables were covered in flowers, food and drinks. On the far side of the clearing meat was being roasted above a fire and the smell was mouth-watering. Chains of flowers and leaves hung from the trees around the clearing, make it looks like the clearing was roofed by a spiders' web of flowers and leaves. Not far from where Merlin and Freya now stood a group of musicians were preparing to play.
"Wow," Freya gasps. "It's beautiful."
"Just like you." Merlin smiles.
Freya blushes, causing Merlin to smile even more.
"Congratulations," Gwen smiles, as she hugs Merlin. "I'm glad you are finally happy."
Merlin frowns. "What do you mean, Gwen? I was happy before."
"Not this happy, Merlin. You could see it in your eyes, in Camelot, your eyes held a certain sadness and now that's gone." Gwen relies.
Suddenly Taliesin appears beside her. "It's time."
Gwen nodes and gives Merlin another hug. "I have to go, unlike Gaius, Arthur doesn't know I'm gone... A couple of maids are covering for me. I hope see each other again soon."
Before Merlin can say anything Gwen is gone. She had appeared seconds before the ceremony started and had now gone only seconds after it had finished, she hadn't even had time to greet and talk to Freya properly!
"My son," Hunith smiles, pulling Merlin into a hug and kissing his forehead. "I love you my son, you have no idea how happy I am that you have found the happiness you deserve."
Merlin smiles and hugs his mother back. "I love you too, mother."
Hunith turned to Freya, who smiled a small smile upon seeing Merlin and his mother sharing a moment of love. "Freya, my dear, I wish you all the happiness in time... But there are a couple of things you should know, about Merlin..."
"Mother!" Merlin complains.
Suddenly Gaius appears in Merlin's line of sight and Merlin grins from ear to ear.
"Gaius!"
"My boy," Gaius smiles pulling Merlin into a tight embrace. "You never fail to make me proud."
Merlin smiled, as he embraced Gaius back. "I'm glad you made it."
"As am I," Hairs answers. "But I fear Arthur, Gwaine and the knights will never forgive you, for not inviting them to the wedding... Even if their prides' will never let them admit it."
"I wanted them to come, I really did... But much of the magical community are still afraid of Arthur and this was a druid wedding in the heart of a magical kingdom. Some wounds take time to heal, I fear it may be a long time until Arthur is welcome in a kingdom such as this."
Gaius nodes his understanding. "One thing I know for sure, is that your father would be proud... You make us all proud."
"Are you sure your old age isn't affecting you, Gaius? I'm sure you've already said you were proud of me!" Merlin laughs.
Gaius cuffs Merlin over the head lightly, but can't help but smile as Merlin laughs even louder.
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Freya stood outside the throne room, she was dressed in her new royal druid robes and her hair was pulled back from her face. She shifted from foot to foot as she waited for the doors before her to be pulled open and the long walk to where her husband, Merlin Emrys, would crown her, his queen. Freya smiled to herself, yes they had married in Avalon, but the druid wedding was truly the moment Freya realised this wasn't just some dream.
She couldn't be happier, all she had dreamed of from the moment she had met Merlin, was the future they would have together. Merlin had been the first person since her family had died who had shown her kindness simply because they wanted to. The druids had been kind, but it was more for her mother's sake than her own. But Merlin had simply seen a girl in a cage and felt the need to help her from the kindness of his own heart.
Freya blushed slightly. She had been a complete mess when Merlin found her, yet he still believed her to be beautiful. For some reason when he had walked past that cave she had felt drawn to him. She simply thought it was her own way lf pleading for help, but sometimes destined could be funny things. Even when Merlin knew about her curse, he didn't turn his back on her, he tried to help her... He had still loved her.
Looking down at her wrist, she smiled. Around her wrist was a cord of royal blue, gold and silver. It was one of the hand fasting cord from her wedding this morning, the other cord was tired around Merlin's wrist. A simple spell made sure the colour would never fade and the cord would never snap. Smiling Freya twisted the cord around her wrist, she knew already it was going to become a habit, but a comforting one.
Freya looked up sharply as she heard the doors before her creek. Taking a deep breath she straightened her back and smoothed down the front of her dress. She placed her hands, one on top of the other, over her stomach, trying to calm the sudden butterflies she was feeling. She was about to be crowned queen of the druids! Shaking her head slightly, Freya took a calming breath, this really wasn't the time to start panicking.
The cloak of midnight blue she wore, suddenly felt heavy on her shoulders, and the druid crest seemed weight like real silver. What if the druids didn't like her as their Queen? What if she failed them? What is she failed Merlin? He needed someone strong, who could support him... What if she couldn't do that? She was the daughter of a fisherman and a druid women, she wasn't royalty.
Freya takes a deep breath. Merlin was the bastard son of a village healer and a dragon lord... He was by no means royal either, yet the druids loved him as their king and it wasn't only because his was Emrys. Freya shut her eyes for a second, she loved Merlin with all her heart and that alone would give her the strength to support him... Love made you stronger and she knew she could never fail Merlin, she wouldn't be able to live with her self if she did.
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Freya knelt on the steps before the two throne, which now stood side by side in the throne room of the tower. In between her and the thrones, Merlin stood, dressed in his royal robes and trying really hard not to smile at how beautiful Freya had looked walking towards him. As much as the druids and the court were not strict on how he should act, he knew to smile would take the seriousness out of what was about to happen.
Freya kept her head bowed for a second, before looking straight ahead. She too was trying hard not to smile, the pride and love she had seen in Merlin's eyes, as she had walked towards him, was enough to make her want to smile and never stop smiling. But this was important, she was about to swear an oath before the court and she couldn't afford to get this wrong.
"Do you, Freya Emrys, last high priestess of the old religion and the triple god, swear an oath to the gods to serve and protect your people, from this day forth."
"I swear."
"Do you, Freya Emrys, lady of the lake, swear an oath to the gods to show wisdom and kindness in all the acts you do, from this day forth."
"I swear."
"Do you, Freya Emrys, the immortal, swear an oath to the gods to rile this land with justice and mercy and honour in your judgement, from this day forth."
"I swear."
"Then by the power of the gods, I crown three, Freya Emrys, Queen of the druids."
Merlin placed a simple crown of silver upon her head and held out his hands, which Freya gladly took.
"Arise, Freya Emrys, Queen of the druids."
Freya let Merlin pull her two her feet, she walked up the couple of steps and stood beside Merlin. The two of them quickly shared a kiss before turning to face the court. Hunith, Alice and Gaius all stood in the crowd watching with pride and happiness and Merlin couldn't help smile at them, as he gripped Freya's hand. Freya smiled, as she glanced at Merlin. They were finally together and nothing would break them apart, death would no longer separate them and never would.
"Long live the Queen!"
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Hey, hoped you liked that chapter, next chapter should be up soon. Happy Samhain everyone! Until next time,
Blessed be,
TreeOfLife1997.