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Chapter Four

Arthur didn't go back to his chambers; instead he spent the next hour or so wandering the castle. Everything just seemed so wrong. Lost in his thoughts, he barely took notice of where he was going.

As he was walking he stubbed his toe on a small casket and swore violently. It was then he realised he was in the lower town. He sighed as he looked around. He remembered when he was young the lower town used to be full of people, smiling and laughing, people who were poor but not necessarily miserable. Now the lower town was filled with poverty. He had no idea how it had come to be like this but if he had to guess he would have said it was his father's fault. He guessed that as the years went on the King, the lonely King had begun to neglect the people of low class, the people who didn't have all that much to lose but to lose what they had would almost mean death.

The young Prince sighed and glanced around. He would never know how the small, dark, side alley caught his eye, or how he made his decision to go down it. Maybe it was simply curiosity but, somehow, deep down, he knew it was more that that.

Arthur stood at the entrance and peered down the alley, squinting through the darkness. At first he thought it was his imagination but after a minute he thought maybe not. Was someone there?

"Hello?"

Instantly the slight rustling stopped and he heard a sharp intake of breath.

"I know you're there so you might as well come out now."

Nothing moved. Nothing made a sound.

He sighed and took a few steps forward, into the alley. It was too dark to see anything properly and he knew he should go back and get a torch. But if he left, whoever it was would have a chance to escape. It was probably just some peasant boy who stole some bread, he told himself. If that were the case Arthur would let him off with a stern warning, not that it would do any good. People were constantly stealing food in the lower town. But truth to be told, Arthur...sensed it was something- someone more and he was curious.

Blindly, he reached out a hand in the hope he would catch whoever it was.

He was surprised when his calloused hand came into contact with smooth skin and he gripped it tightly.

Gotcha, he thought.

There was a slight scream and a lot of struggling but eventually Arthur walked out into the sun, practically draggin...her?

"You're a girl?" he asked incredulously. Honestly, he was not really expecting a peasant boy but he was certainly not expecting a girl to be lurking around in the shadowy alleys of the lower town. Anything could happen to her...maybe it already had.

"Are you alright?"

"Please," she begged, sobbing, "please. Just let me go. I haven't done anything, please let go of me..."

Arthur studied the girl's tearstained face, then her torn clothes. Realisation dawned in his eyes.

"You're that Druid girl, aren't you?"

"No." She said a little too quickly and a little too loudly. "What Druid girl? I'm not a Druid so please just let me go!"

If she wasn't panicked before, she was now and her struggling increased.

"Hang on," Arthur said; his voice was calm and smooth. Clearly the girl was terrified. "Calm down. I'm not going to harm you."

She appeared to calm a little bit, most of her struggling had stopped though she was still trying to pry Arthur's hand off her arm.

"What's your name?"

No answer.

"You can trust me," he said.

There was a moment of silence as she decided whether or not to trust him and when she calmed down, though she was still frightened, Arthur let her go.

"Who are you?" Her voice was shaking with fear and adrenaline.

"My name is Arthur," he paused. "Now I told you my name, what's yours?"

She looked at him with suspicious eyes but chose to answer him, "I'm Freya."

He smiled. "What were you doing down there?"

In his gut he knew that this was the Druid girl that escaped from Halig but at the moment if it bothered Halig, it made Arthur happy. Plus, deeper than his gut something was telling him not to harm this girl.

"I-I was..." Freya hesitated. "I was looking for someone." It was half true, she thought.

The expression on Arthur's face told her that he did not believe her.

"I was!" she protested. "Someone was supposed to meet me and when he didn't show up I went looking for him."

"You went looking...in an alley?"

"Not exactly. I was looking but then I saw someone that I don't like and I was hiding from them."

"And who was this person that you don't like?"

Freya thought quickly. She couldn't very well say 'I was hiding from the guards because if they find me they will kill me' could she?

But after a second Arthur seemed to catch on. "Oh," he said. There was a moment of silence, then, "Well, I had better be getting on. You could come with me if you wanted to, if you can't go home..." He was playing along with her that she was not the Druid, though he knew she was and was hinting it to her quite clearly.

He saw the flash of indecision cross Freya's face and felt a small flame of triumph, maybe she would tell him the truth now.

"I...I...don't have...to..." she mumbled quietly.

"Sorry," Arthur leaned forward a bit. "Could you say that again? I didn't hear it."

She repeated the statement, though not much louder, Arthur still had to strain to hear what she was saying. "I don't have anywhere to go..."

"Why not?"

"I...just don't."

"Well, I suppose you had better some with me then," he stated, quite proudly. "Have you had lunch?"

Freya shook her head.

"We'll go get some food then."

With that he took her hand and strode down the street, towards the castle.

The castle kitchens were heavy with the smell of delicious and exotic foods that made Freya's mouth water to no end. She was standing next to Arthur as he was talking to an elderly woman, Frith. Apparently she was the head cook and Arthur was currently attempting to obtain some food from her.

"C'mon Frith," he said playfully, flashing a charming smile. "Please?" he drew out the 'e' sound in the word and made himself sound like a whining five year old.

Frith shook her head and turned to Freya. "You know, ever since he was the littlest of tykes he's been comin' in here nickin' food. Just can never seem to fill ya up!" she poked Arthur in the ribs. "One day you'll start gettin' porky, love."

Arthur protested, "Hey! That's not fair, I'm a growing boy."

"Not anymore ya not. Almost ready to be King ya are. How's Camelot gonna have a decent King if ya can barely walk 'cause ya so porky?"

Freya's insides froze. What? King? No. No, no, no, no, no, no. If she just said King then that means Arthur was...

Oh no, what have I got myself into? I knew I shouldn't have trusted him! I knew it and I went ahead anyway. If he finds out that I really am the Druid girl...

Arthur brought her out of her worried thoughts.

"That's why I train with my knights, dear old Frith, to keep in shape...though someone did say almost the same thing to me earlier today...and yesterday..." he shook his head. "But that person was a completely useless idiot. Anyway, please Firth? I haven't eaten lunch yet!"

"Well that's ya own fault, love. You're servant shoulda brought it to ya. I saw him come down here and get it."

"He did but...he's been stealing my food, right from under my very nose! Saying that I'm too fat!"

"See, I was right."

"No! Tha- b- he- argh!" Arthur spluttered.

Frith chuckled heartily. "I'm only playing with you, love. Of course you can take some lunch for yourself and...sorry love, I didn't catch ya name?"

"Freya."

"Well Freya, do a favour and keep an eye on how much he eats will ya?" Frith handed a plate piled high with sausages, drumsticks, tomatoes, potatoes and ham.

Freya smiled shyly, "Thank you."

"Not a problem love." She turned to Arthur. "But that's all ya gettin' 'til dinner or ya father'll have my head! Now get outta here," she smiled at them.

Arthur laughed as they left the castle kitchens and Freya even had a small smile.

The Prince led the way up to his chambers and, being the courtly gentleman he was, carried the plate of food.

When they reached his chambers Arthur sat the food down on the table and, after grabbing the plate he'd left there earlier, split the food, giving Freya the larger half.

Freya ripped into the food, barely noticing the expression of amazement on Arthur's face. As soon as she slowed down he started talking.

"How long as it been since you ate?"

"Hmm?"

"It's just, you seem kind of...hungry?"

"Oh, well I ate last night but before that...I hadn't eaten much."

"I wouldn't think that Halig is much of a host," he mused.

"What? Halig? Who's...I don't know what you're talking about." She panicked and her words came out at such a high speed Arthur could only just understand her.

"Whoa...slow down." Arthur held up his hands to stop the flow of words. "I know that you are the Druid girl and I understand why you wouldn't tell me. If I were you, I wouldn't have trusted a random stranger with even my name, let alone anything else. And don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

"B-but you're the Prince?"

"Yes. And?"

"Well, aren't you going to hand me over to the King?"

"No." He said simply.

"But...why?"

He sighed. "You're a young girl who probably was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught by Halig. You may be a Druid but...if you were going to attack me you would have done so already. I doubt you would wait... So as long as you don't try and magic me to death somehow then you're safe."

Freya looked taken aback. She was so used to people being afraid and suspicious of her it was all she came to expect of people. Until Merlin, that was what almost everyone was like. And now she was in Camelot, a kingdom that was supposed to despise magic, she had found two people who were willing to help her out, knowing that she was magic.

Freya thanked him quietly, "Thank you, and you don't have to worry about me using magic. I have not used it in a very long time and I don't ever intend to again."

Arthur's curiosity got the better of him. "Why?"

Freya hesitated and lowered her eyes.

"What I want to know is how you escaped?" Arthur lightened the mood slightly.

Freya hesitated. She had trusted Arthur so far but was she really willing to trust him enough to say who helped her?

"I had help..." she began. She would trust him, she decided; just not tell him exactly who helped her. "He came to me, when I was in the cage and broke me out. He hid me and...that's why I was in that alley. When he didn't come today I thought something might be wrong and I went to look for him but I saw some guards so I hid in the alley."

"But..." Arthur frowned. "How did they get you out? Surely the cage was well locked and where did you go?"

"I don't know. I was asleep when he broke me out," she lied. "I just remember waking up and he was there, telling me to come with him."

Arthur nodded, but was still suspicious. Though he couldn't blame her.

He cleared his throat, "You should be happy to know that Halig has been arrested."

"Oh?" Freya raised her eyebrows, she would have thought a man like Halig would be a good ally to have in the fight against magic.

"Yes. He beat a man almost to death, and he still could die. As soon as I have the proof I'm executing Halig."

Freya felt the rage radiating off Arthur and couldn't hold back the temptation to ask. "Why did he beat him?"

"I don't know. All I know is that it should not have happened...the man he beat is my servant, well...he's a useless servant but a good friend. And as far as I know Halig had no right."

"I'm sorry," Freya said quietly. "I really am. I know what it's like to lose someone close."

Arthur looked at her. "He's not gone yet."

There was an awkward silence then Freya said, "You're servant...he sounds quite troublesome," she smiled.

"Oh, you have that right." A small smile of fondness graced Arthur's lips.

"I would quite like to meet him when he gets better."

"Well I'm going to check on him now. He will probably be unconscious, as he was when I left, but if he is awake he probably won't be his usual self...but you're welcome to come. Unless you want to stay here..."

"No!" Freya stood and took Arthur completely by surprise. "Sorry," she muttered. "I'll come...I just don't want to be left alone."

Arthur smiled. "Well come on then, we mustn't keep that dear servant of mine waiting any longer."

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