Chapter 6

Warning/s: None really.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

A/N: Hello, guys. Thanks for your prompts – keep them coming!

Prompt from masterthiefstone – "Freya has to look after Merlin after he was captured and tortured"

Freya paced her room restlessly, twisting her hands together as she rolled her shoulders back and forth. Guinevere glanced up from her paperwork and sighed at her. "Sit," she said commandingly, indicating the empty, oaken chair beside her.

Freya huffed and threw herself into the chair with such force that it rocked backwards, and she had to grab the table to pull herself back. The legs hit the ground with a resounding echo and Gwen winced as Freya started drumming on the table.

"Freya, he's coming back," she said gently to the agitated woman. Freya looked at her and nodded.

"You're right," she said, taking her hands from the table and laying them on her lap. Gwen sighed in relief and resumed her working.

"They'll be back soon enough, mark my words," the older woman murmured, signed her name with a flourish at the bottom of a page.

"I hope so," Freya responded, drawing her legs up to her chest, smoothing her long, lilac dress down over her knees.

Night was falling and they still hadn't returned.

Freya was sitting in Gwen's chambers, both of them by the fire, wine in one hand and nibbling at various meats and fruits with the other. Freya had been anxious and tense all day, but with the aid of Gwen's jokes (and wine) had relaxed considerably.

Gwen spluttered with laughter and sprayed wine over the floor from her mouth. Freya laughed hysterically as Gwen attempted to cover her mouth and recover her dignity, neither with any real success.

When their laughter had died down, Freya took another sip from her glass and swallowed happily, the luxurious, thick liquid slipping easily down her throat. "What are you and Arthur going to do when they get home?" Freya asked, her eyes glinting mischievously as she nudged Gwen with her bare feet.

"Much the same as you and Merlin probably," Gwen giggled. "Stay in bed all night and then all the next day!"

Freya burst into hysterics again, even though she wasn't exactly sure why that comment was so hilarious. "You two can't, you have duties to fulfil!"

"Ah, yes. The struggles of being queen," Gwen sighed, in mock dramatics, and then giggled again, taking another sip of wine.

Freya opened her mouth to retort but a messenger burst into the room, looking rather confused as he saw the Queen and her First Lady rolling around on the floor in fits of laughter, several bottles that used to contain wine scattered around the room.

"Sorry for bursting in, my ladies, but I have an urgent message," the messenger blurted out. "The King and his companions have returned from their quest."

Freya and Gwen sprang to their feet, setting the wine aside. "Shall I tell them you are coming to meet them?" the messenger asked politely.

"Yes!" Gwen yelled, pulling her shoes back on, and hurrying to collect her shawl.

"Arthur!" Gwen shouted joyously as she and Freya pelted down the steps leading into Camelot's courtyard. The King looked up and his face broke into a large smile as he saw his wife.

Freya searched the group anxiously. "Where's Merlin?" she asked, wondering whether he had retreated to the stables to attend to his horse himself, instead of the groom.

The knights looked at her, and then at each other, and a couple of them opened their mouths to speak, but no words came out. They glanced over to Arthur, who detached himself from Gwen and walked over to Freya.

"He was grievously injured, Freya. I'm sorry," Arthur said, with tears sparkling in his eyes. "He's gone straight to Gaius – we tried out best to heal him and he might get better, but—"

Freya shook her head. "No. Not Merlin," she protested. She felt suddenly light headed and sat down on the ground. "Not Merlin," she repeated, looking at Arthur pleadingly.

A tear spilled onto Arthur's cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking from the lump constricting his throat.

Freya stayed sitting for a few more minutes, the sounds around her seemed muffled, as if she was trapped underwater. She felt Arthur place his hand on her shoulder but didn't really notice it, it wasn't terribly important just then.

A thought came into her mind, clear and simple: Get to Merlin.

Freya bolted up suddenly and turned on her heel; fleeing up the steps, she took the passages to Gaius's chambers without thinking properly, letting her feet guide her down the familiar paths.

She burst into his chambers and ran over to the crouched figure, bending down at the bed and stroking the face of her husband. "Gaius, how is he?" she asked urgently, looking up at the kindly old man.

Gaius, who had seemed slightly flustered at the sudden entrance of Freya, regarded her with an arched eyebrow, and gave the weighted reply, "He should pull through, if he responds well to my treatment. It will take time."

"I want to stay with him," Freya said resolutely, perching on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb Merlin. She gazed down on her husband as Arthur knocked on the door and rushed in, albeit slower than Freya had.

He could be sleeping if Freya didn't know better. His face wasn't too badly scratched; there was a fairly short gash that cut through his eyebrow and one that had taken a nice chunk out of his chin. Freya suspected that the real damage lay underneath his clothes.

She looked up as Arthur approached and demanded, "What happened?"

Arthur retrieved a chair from one of Gaius's workstations and dragged it over to the bed. It made a piercing, screeching wail as it caught on the stone floor and all three in the room winced. Arthur set the chair down opposite Freya and sat down, ready to begin.

"We were travelling through a thick forest, about six miles east of here. All was going well, and we were talking amongst each other, and laughing and joking. Gwaine was telling some obscene story about a woman – I'll spare you the details. We were all groaning and telling Gwaine to shut up, when Gwaine turned around to say something to Merlin.

"He wasn't on his horse. His horse was still trotting along with the rest of us, but without Merlin on her back. We stopped and tracked back, calling out for Merlin, when we found him lying on the road." Arthur swallowed, the next part painful to speak of. "He was collapsed on his back, with an arrow in his shoulder, knocking out but still breathing.

"We picked him up and Percival settled him in front of him on his horse. We rode back to Camelot as soon as we could, and Percival carried him straight to Gaius." Arthur twisted in his seat to glance at the respected physician. "The rest of the tale we'll have to hear from Gaius, if he's willing."

Gaius limped over to where the two were sitting and joined Arthur in dragging a chair out. He cleared his throat and began.

"Well, Percival carried Merlin in here, and laid him down on the bed. I removed the arrow from his shoulder and applied a tincture of rosemary, thyme and saffron to the wound after I stopped the bleeding. I then bandaged it and checked for any other injuries. He has several cuts and bruises lower down his body but nothing too serious. The only thing of any great concern right now is whether there is bleeding inside the body."

Freya wrapped her hand around Merlin's protectively, then addressed her next question to Arthur, "So you don't know who did it?"

"I'm afraid not," Arthur replied, his eyes scanning Merlin's face, registering the minor injuries there.

"Are you going to find out?" Freya asked, squeezing her free hand tightly.

"I'm not sure we can, Freya," Arthur spoke gently to soothe the frazzled woman in front of him.

"You have to!" Freya insisted. "We have to bring him to justice!" She looked down upon her husband and then back at Arthur with pleading eyes. "Please, Arthur."

Arthur ran a hand over his face. "I want whoever did this to be punished as badly as you do, believe me, Freya, and if there was anything I could do, you can be assured that I would be doing it. For the time being at least, there is nothing we can do except hope Merlin will recover."

"There has to be something," Freya said desperately. She couldn't just sit here while Merlin was possibly dying, she had to do something to bring his attacker to justice.

Arthur moved onto the bed next to Freya, enveloping her in a hug. "I know you want to do something to feel like you're helping Merlin," he murmured, "but what will help him right now is your love…and I'm sure that Gaius would appreciate your help." Arthur looked to Gaius and the physician nodded solemnly, adding, "Any help, especially from your skilled hands, would be of great help, Freya."

Freya nodded. "Thank you, Gaius." She cleared her throat. "When shall I start?"

Three weeks later

"Why hasn't he woken up yet, Gaius?" Freya asked from where she was grinding herbs, looking at the aged physician.

"I don't know, Freya," Gaius replied evenly, hobbling over to the bed where Merlin still lay. He peered at his shoulder. "At least his wound has cleared up with no infection, and sealed together nicely." He glanced over at Freya's worried expression. "Sometimes people are asleep for a long time because their bodies are taking the time to heal. It is most likely a good sign, m'dear. Don't forget that his magic needs to heal again."

Freya exhaled slowly and began mashed herbs again. "I suppose," she said. "I just miss him, that's all. He was away for a long time and now he's back, and he still hasn't woken up, and I feel lonely without his presence."

Gaius looked at her sympathetically, setting down his tools and making his way to her across the cluttered room. He paused halfway across with an exclamation of "Merlin!" and Freya hurried to his side.

Merlin's eyes were open, blinking, and he was staring at Gaius and Freya with confusion written all over his features. He opened his mouth but no sound except a rough croak escaped. Freya hurried to fetch some water – obviously Merlin's vocal cords would be rusty after three weeks of no use.

Merlin swallowed it gratefully and tried to sit up, wincing when he put weight onto his left arm. "Ouch," he whispered, the sound grating against his throat. "What happened?"

"You got shot," Gaius informed him. Freya let out a shaky laugh and collapsed onto the bench, barely able to believe her eyes.

"Oh." Merlin thought for a moment. "How long have I been unconscious for?"

"Three weeks," Gaius informed him, moving to help him sit up against the board of the bed. "Freya's been going out of her mind," he told him quietly, so Freya didn't overhear him.

"Freya!" Merlin called, looking past Gaius. Gaius smiled and hobbled from the room, sensing the couple's want for privacy.

Freya stood up on shaky legs and somehow made her way to Merlin without collapsing on the way. "I thought you were going to die," she said brokenly, staring at her husband.

"I wouldn't die," Merlin said softly, tugging his wife closer to him on the bed, "I wouldn't leave you, so don't worry about that."

"You don't have any control over that," Freya pointed out, holding back tears.

"I do, because I love you too much to ever leave," Merlin replied, wrapping his arms around his wife. Freya mimicked his actions and kissed him on the cheek, scarcely believing that her husband was really here, alive and awake and breathing.

The door suddenly burst open and the knights piled into the room. "Oh…sorry," Arthur said sheepishly, as they noticed Freya curled up into his side.

"It's fine," Merlin reassured.

The knights beamed at him and crowded round him, offering their encouragement.

It was only later that night, when they were curled up in bed together, that Freya let her tears fall.

And Merlin supported her.

A/N: Reviews please?