chapter sixty
060. the lady of the lake

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    RONYN WAS WOKEN up not by his servant that morning but instead by the warning bells. He groaned and turned over in his bed, hiding his face in the many pillows that piled up against his headboard. The morning sun streamed through the gap in his closed curtains, leaving bars of sunlight that unsettled the dust in the air. Whatever random thief was being chased by the guards at this early hour, Ronyn hoped got caught for disrupting his morning off. And if they were placed in the stocks later today, he was surely going to pay them a visit. He had a late night with Guinevere at her home after she had finished her duties with Morgana▬simply chatting about everything and nothing at all, enjoying each other's company into the early hours of the morning until they had no choice but to part. Ronyn shifted in bed, his hand sliding out to feel the empty spot beside him with a wistful but heavy heart. He flattened the creases of his bed sheets and, for a moment, imagined what it would be like to wake up with the beautiful Guinevere at his side. 

    Things between them were ... good. Wonderful even. Ronyn had never thought he would feel so at peace and yet so adventurous at every turn, looking over his shoulder as he snuck out to be with her in the cover of the night. It was something beautiful▬to feel seen, to be cherished, listened to, and understood by someone who both challenged him and supported him. To find balance in life, and imbalance at the same time. To know where to look whenever he felt lost. To love, and be loved in return. It gave him hope better than any sunrise▬and hope is what he needed to push through, to love in the dark and hope that one day, he could love Guinevere Smith in the daylight, too. 

    His head lifted away from his pillows when the warning bells did not cease, and he set his gaze on his scabbard and sword on his dining table a few paces away. It seemed all that Ronyn could wish for, he was not allowed▬his beloved, to become a Knight, to rid his nightmares of his father ... Ronyn was cursed with duty and a legacy forced upon his shoulders that he had no choice but to continue. But if there was one thing he would fight for, it was Guinevere.

    One day.

    When he got another pounding hit to the ears from the warning bell, Ronyn groaned and threw his hand up, waving to the imaginary personification of them in his room. "All right! All right! I am getting up, I am up!"

    Ronyn sat up and rubbed his eyes, pushing his hair that needed a trim off his face. He slipped out of the warm covers and stretched, feeling the morning chill bite at his bare skin. 

    He reached for the basin on the nearby table and splashed his face. He cleansed himself quickly before throwing on one of his undertunics and tugging up his breeches with a yawn. He was tying the laces of his trousers when there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" called Ronyn, pouring himself a goblet of water. 

    His manservant entered▬surprisingly, he had no food for Ronyn to break his fast with him. "Morning, Peter," Lord Vecentia yawned once again, trying hard not to fall asleep standing. He wished for there to be some beverage he could scull that would wake him instantly. "Charming day, I hope?"

    Peter winced. "Afraid not, My Lord. There are warning bells."

    "Yes, Peter," said Ronyn with a growing sarcastic tone. "I can hear them."

    "Yes," he chuckled, anxious. "Er▬well, there has been a disturbance in the Lower Town overnight. The King sent a servant just now; he wishes you to meet him outside the saddlery."

    Lord Vecentia was halfway through pouring himself more water and stopped. He set the jug down and frowned at his manservant. A grave feeling settled over him, and he had a horrible thought that perhaps this was not some simple thief. "All right, thank you, Peter."

    He prepared himself for the day, throwing over a dark blue tunic and rushing to belt it at his waist. He sheathed his blade in his scabbard and tied it to his belt, rushing out of his chambers▬and only just managing to remember to lace up his boots, thanks to Peter.

    Somehow, Ronyn managed to get himself presentable enough by the time he reached the street in the Lower Town saddlery. He tugged on his gloves last minute and tried to flatten his hair before the King noticed him. Guards had sanctioned off a portion of the street, keeping curious onlookers from seeing whatever had set off the warning bells so early in the morning. The Prince and the Court Physician, Gaius had joined Uther Pendragon in the brisk morning, the group of them all frowning down at something that lay at their feet. 

    Ronyn stepped past the line and over the muddy terrain, using the small wooden planks without a second glance▬it had almost become second nature to him these days. "Excuse me," he passed through the remainder of the guards and finally stepped in line beside Arthur. When he saw what they were all looking at, he hitched his breath and stumbled back in his surprise. "Oh, heavens."

    Arthur glanced at him, arms crossed over his light blue tunic that was rolled up at the sleeves. "Nice of you to finally join us, Ronyn," he muttered. 

    "I came as quick as I could," he apologised, briefly bowing his head at the King before taking another look at the horrible scene in front of him. His heart clenched.

    The sight was a gruesome one. 

    A couple lay there, mauled and bloody. They couldn't be any older than sixteen▬fresh-eyed, green and still experiencing the world, and their love with each other. It looked as though they had been killed by some vicious beast with long, sharp claws and teeth▬enough to leave them in such a horrific, shredded state.

    Ronyn swallowed back his bile and rolled back his shoulders, glancing at the Court Physician. "Gaius?" he prompted an explanation.

    With Arthur's help, Gaius crouched down to examine the bodies. With his charcoal pencil, he brushed aside the young man's ripped tunic to see the great claw marks on his chest. "I believe they have been killed by some kind of wild animal," he declared after a while. 

    King Uther Pendragon set his jaw, looking furious at the thought of some beast attacking innocents in his kingdom. He set a determined gaze onto his son. "Have your men been able to track the creature?"

    Arthur sighed and rested his hands on his bent knees. "That is the strange thing," he muttered, frowning at the bodies. "The ground is soft▬Obviously a bear or a wolf would leave some mark. But there are no tracks."

    Ronyn made a face at this and pointed out one of the first things he noticed when he arrived at the scene. "Then what would you call these?" 

    Arthur, Gaius and Uther set their eyes on the track marks leading away from the bodies. The Prince shrugged. "They are human footprints," he told Lord Vecentia, glancing up at him.

    "Yes, I can see that," he tried not to get exasperated. "But they are leading away from the bodies. Did someone else escape the attack?"

    The Prince grew troubled and stood back up. "No one has come forward."

    The King crossed his arms, scowling down at the footprints. "Could the person who made these be responsible?"

    "I do not believe so," said Gaius. "These wounds could only have been inflicted by a beast of considerable size."

    The King set his jaw and nodded, coming to his decision. "And if this was done by neither man nor beast, then there is only one other explanation." He turned to his son. "It must be the work of a magical creature."

    "Of course," muttered Ronyn sarcastically after the King had left. He helped Gaius to stand before resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. "The only explanation."

    He took a deep breath and let his eyes glance over the growing curious crowd of Lower Town dwellers. He spotted a familiar, inquisitive brown stare behind a few shoulders, and pursed his lips. He fixed his tunic and muttered to Arthur, "I have to go▬I will catch up with you later."

    He casually walked away, heading in the same direction he arrived▬as if making his way back home. At the last second, however, with a swift glance over his shoulder, Lord Vecentia ducked into the narrow road between the old forge and Guinevere's home. A few seconds later, she was there to meet him, looking as though she had been making her way to the castle for her morning errands with Morgana. She carried a basket filled with material for her side hustle as a seamstress, likely to show her mistress some of the colours in order to make her a new dress. 

    "What is it?" asked Guinevere immediately, accepting the gentle kiss Ronyn bent down to give her on her cheek. "What happened?"

    "Honest? Part of me is still wondering," he admitted with a hefty sigh and the two started to wander together towards his manor, keeping themselves hidden under the shadows of the great stone walls which separated the Lower and Upper Towns. "A young couple were killed last night."

    Guinevere's soft sigh of shock and grief was almost not heard in the sound of the Knights training on the fields just on the other side of the wall. "How horrible..."

    "The attacker seems to be a wild beast, but the only tracks leading away from the bodies are that of a human's," muttered Ronyn, his hand still resting on the hilt of his blade in his scabbard. "And so the King believes it to be a magical creature of some kind."

    Gwen's eyes widened. "In the city?" she whispered, terrified at the thought. However she quickly recognised the troubled hesitation weighing on Ronyn's brow. "You do not seem so sure, what is it?"

    "No, no," Lord Vecentia quickly controlled his expression. "It makes sense, yes. There is no mortal creature that can shift forms between beast and human. It is just..."

    "What?" she asked gently.

    Ronyn met her gaze. He wished he could tell her. He wished he could express all that has been troubling him since he returned from his quest with Arthur and Merlin. That the tear between the beliefs he's always held and been taught, and the realisation behind Uther's true hatred for magic kept him awake at night more than anything else. But he couldn't tell her. Not only did Uther promise to have his head if he uttered a word about the true circumstances of Arthur's birth to anyone, Ronyn was also unsure on how Guinevere would take it. It was not a conversation to have lightly within the Kingdom of Camelot▬let alone with a woman who, no matter her kindness and understanding and love for him, had no reason to think of magic kindly. She who had lost her father because of magic, and had been accused of it. 

    Ronyn wasn't even sure whether he was so quick to change his opinion on magic▬it has not been kind to him, either. It was a magical plague which almost took his sister from him, it was indeed magic that tricked and coerced Tom Smith, Guinevere's father, and led to his death, and it has been magic that has cursed and terrorised the people of Camelot for as long as he could remember. Their actions, of course, were not excused by Uther's hatred, but ... but he understood, and that terrified him. What scared him even more is the understanding that weighed heavy on his shoulders that not all those who Uther executed were guilty▬many of them could have been innocent. Surely not every heart with magic is as cruel as the King projects to disguise his guilt and his mistakes? It had been magic that had healed Guinevere's father that one time when he, too, had been affected by the horrific plague▬even though they never came to know the sorcerer who had saved his life. The druids, also, for one, were peaceful by nature▬never once on the regular do they raise their swords against those in Camelot who persecute them and hunt them down. 

    Ronyn was torn▬he did not know what to believe anymore. But he couldn't tell Guinevere that, as much as it also tore him apart to keep such a secret from her. "It is just a horrible thing to wake up to," he decided to say in the end. 

    The beautiful handmaiden sighed softly and reached out to take his hand. They stopped walking and stood there in the shadows that had become their haven. "I see," she murmured, squeezing his palm. "All you can do now is help find this beast before it hurts anyone else."

    He couldn't help but smile at her considerate but logical and rational response. It was what he needed the most▬for Guinevere to always be blunt and sensible with him. It helped him see through the clouds of his past, his woes, and his many childish dreams. Ronyn brought her hand up to his lips. "I will explain the situation to Morgana," he decided, gently brushing his thumb along the callouses on her fingers and palm from years of hard work scrubbing the castle floors. "Suggest she allow you to sleep in the antechamber tonight▬It would soothe my worried soul to know you are safe in the castle during the night until we find this beast. I believe Odette has a place to stay in the servants' quarters but▬"

    "I will mention it to her," Guinevere reassured him, and he smiled. There seemed to be a proud glint in her eyes at the care he had for their mutual friend. How thoughtful he was▬always protecting those around him. It made her purse her lips and say, "Ronyn?"

    "Hmm?" he glanced down at her gently. 

    Guinevere stood up on her toes and placed a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips in the shadows. "Promise me you will stay safe, too?"

    He smiled as she pulled away, reaching out to cup her cheek. His heart flutters with a warmth he has missed all his life up until now. He let go of her palm, placed his fingers on his chest and tapped them against his heart. "Always am," Lord Vecentia promised her. 

    He couldn't help himself. He kissed her again, lingering with the feeling in hopes it would keep him going until he saw her next. "Take care, Guinevere," murmured Ronyn and she smiled, watching him continue the trek towards his manor. However, her smile turned into a worried sigh, feeling it deep within her chest that Ronyn was choosing not to tell her something▬that something was keeping him on edge other than the magical beast loose in the Lower Town. 

    But she would have to save her worries until the light of the moon would guide her back to him, and they could be together in the cover of the night▬the only time where they were able to find solace with one another. 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    ARTHUR'S MIND was otherwise preoccupied with the brutal killings last night. He couldn't help but worry over what magical beast was terrorising Camelot and his people now▬and worried over how he and the Knights were prepared to find it and kill it. In his experience, a magical beast was never an easy fight. More often than not they have had skin like steel that was impenetrable, or poisonous claws, or were somehow back from the dead▬these fights always ended with men killed, and Arthur had to carry that weight on his conscience every day. 

    Thankfully, however, one thing he did not have to worry about today was Merlin's choice of food from the kitchens for him. Arthur was not met with another ridiculous serving of rotten apples and stale bread, but instead, a plate full of meat, salad and even mead to enjoy the afternoon with. He savoured his chicken, humming at the delicious taste of the herbs the castle cook had cooked the meat with over the fire. 

    Merlin watched him stiffly, eyeing him out of the corner of his vision as he stood there a few paces away. Arthur had no clue as to why▬or what was making his manservant so jittery. These days, the Prince preferred not to know what was going on in Merlin's mind▬usually, it was something ridiculous he was better off ignorant to. He assumed he had places to be and things to do▬or rather, not do while he spent time with Odette or Guinevere and cause some form of trouble Arthur would later hear about. 

    Arthur took a mighty bite from his chicken leg when Merlin suddenly spoke up. "Would you like some more mead with that, Sire?"

    The Prince nodded, humming an appreciative thankyou with his mouth full. Merlin grabbed the pitcher and poured the remainder of the drink into Arthur's goblet. When he wouldn't see, too focused on his meal, Merlin set a mischievous stare onto his knife▬his eyes gleamed gold under his dark hair and the knife swept off the side of the table.

    Arthur frowned at it. He bent over the side to pick it up and Merlin hitched his breath. He muttered a charm under his breath and from Arthur's plate, his second chicken leg flung up into the air and landed inside the pitcher just as the Prince sat back up. 

    He set his knife back into place and went to grab more chicken. He faltered and stared at the empty spot on his plate. It took him a moment longer than Merlin thought to realise. "I had two drumsticks."

    His manservant tilted his head at him. "Did you? I do not think so."

    Arthur scowled at him. "Merlin, I had two drumsticks."

    "Perhaps it fell on the floor?" suggested the young warlock. 

    The Prince was dubious, but he checked anyway. As he did, Merlin whispered the same charm and from Arthur's plate, his sausages flew right into the jug in the manservant's hands. 

    When he sat upright, Arthur was once again stumped. He stared at his plate for a long time, bewildered. "I▬I had sausages!" he exclaimed, rather alarmed. 

    Merlin shrugged. "You sure?" he sighed and shook his head, pretending to be just as stumped as Arthur. "They must have fallen under the table." He crouched down to check.

    "Merlin!"

    "What?" let out the young warlock, hunching up in surrender. "You can search me, I have not taken them!"

    Arthur leaned forward on the table, setting an accusing eye on his young manservant. "Well, then where have they gone, hmm?"

    Merlin rested his arms on the table and leaned in, too. "Hmm," he hummed, considering the conspiracy all the while masterfully hiding the food in the pitcher at his feet. "Strange."

    The Prince narrowed his eyes. "Very."

    He glanced at him. "You sure you have not eaten them?"

    "I have not had the chance!"

    Merlin simply sighed and tilted his head at Arthur, disbelieving. 

    Frustrated and confused, the Prince dismissed him with a furious wave of his hand before spending the next ten minutes searching for his missing food under the table. Merlin left his chambers hiding his laughter, hugging the pitcher protectively against his chest with the food he was prepared to take to the sweet Freya hiding in the underground hallways of Lord Vecentia's manor.

    He was rushing▬he was late, again, and he hated it. He had promised Freya he wouldn't be; that he would return with food and more candles, but once again things had gotten in his way. He didn't want her to think he had abandoned her▬he would never do such a thing. 

    However, things did not go as smoothly as Merlin hoped. Not even halfway to Ronyn's manor in the Upper Town, the young warlock ran straight into Halig the bounty hunter▬literally.

    He let out a startled, "Oof▬" when his face collided with the man's broad chest. He towered over him, and Merlin squirmed a little at the mean look set on his brow. "Er▬sorry, sir," he quickly tried to walk around him. "I did not mean to▬"

    Merlin's breath hitched and he stopped when he saw the guards waiting for him. He had no time to react before they grabbed his arms and dragged him back towards the castle with Halig in the lead. "What are you▬?" he struggled, but there was no point. Merlin desperately tried to plead with the bounty hunter, his heart pounding. "Whatever you think I have done, I did not do it! You do not understand▬"

    But they did not listen to him. Whenever did they? The voice of a servant was worth nothing to anyone's ears. 

    They dragged him all the way back to the castle and down towards the crypts. Merlin grunted when he was shoved into a dunegon cell. The guards snagged his leather hide jacket and forced him to spin and face Halig who entered after him. Merlin took deep breaths, refusing to be scared in the face of this man. He watched in dismay as he snatched the pitcher out of his hands and overturned it. Arthur's food toppled to the dirty stone floor at his feet. 

    Merlin quickly tried to explain himself, "It▬it is just the Prince's leftovers▬" his breath hitched when the guards held him even tighter, trapping him under the bounty hunter's chilling scowl.

    "Does he know you steal his food?" grumbled Halig in a harsh, rough voice. 

    Merlin stammered. "W▬Well, not exactly▬"

    "Where were you taking it?"

    "Home," he lied quickly, breathless. "For my dinner."

    Halig didn't believe him. "Really?" he stepped closer and Merlin grew tense. He smelt as though he hadn't bathed in months. "The Druid girl I am looking for▬have you seen her?"

    Merlin shook his head. "No," he forced his voice through the lump in his throat. 

    "Do you know how much she is worth to me?"

    The young manservant shook his head again, trying hard not to gag at the horrid stench of Halig. The bounty hunter leered in very close. "More than your life," he sneered. "So, I am asking you again. Have you seen the Druid girl?"

    Merlin swallowed back his fear, but he couldn't disguise it any longer. He took a sharp breath through his nose. "No," he said again. 

    He yelped when Halig suddenly forced him down into the chair in the centre of the dungeon cell. The guards held him there as Halig grabbed the chains. Merlin's heart pounded with terror and he struggled, realising what the bounty hunter was preparing to do. "Hold him▬" he ordered as he wrapped the chains around his wrist and hand. "You see▬" he faced Merlin, "▬I think you are lying to me."

    "I'm not!"

    "I don't believe you!" Halig raised his hand covered in the chains and Merlin hunched up, clenching his eyes shut as he prepared himself for the heavy blow.

    But it never came.

    "Halig!" another voice snapped, his loud voice echoing into the chamber. The bounty hunter gritted his teeth in frustration but lowered his arm at the Prince's voice. Arthur entered the cell and clenched his jaw when he saw Merlin in such a horrific predicament. "What do you think you are doing?"

    Halig turned to the Prince and Merlin subtly shook his head at Arthur, pleading his innocence to him. "We caught the boy behaving suspiciously, Sire."

    Arthur crossed his arms and arched a dubious brow. "Merlin?" he scoffed a chuckle. 

    "He could be harbouring the girl, and he is going to tell us where▬" Halig raised his fist once more and Merlin cowered. But Arthur reached out and angrily grabbed the bounty hunter's arm with a strength that rivalled Halig's own. 

    "Leave him alone," the Prince ordered, pulling Halig away harshly. Then he gripped Merlin by his jacket and hauled him out of the chair. He stepped in front of him and glowered at the bounty hunter with clenched hands. "Merlin is my servant," said Arthur lowly. "He has my absolute trust. If you have a problem with him, you come to me. Do you understand?"

    The bounty hunter seemed to squirm under the Prince's furious scowl. "Sire▬" he nervously bowed his head. "Yes, My Lord, of course." He glanced at Merlin who shuffled further behind Arthur's broad shoulders. "Good afternoon, Merlin. Do not forget your dinner."

    Arthur frowned at that. He glanced down at the food sprawled out on the stone floor as the guards left. He recognised it immediately. Slowly, he turned to his servant who chuckled out an anxious grin. "Ah."

   The Prince sighed and crossed his arms. "Are those my sausages?" he chided. 

    Merlin nodded, scratching at his jaw nervously. "Hmhm."

    "You took them?"

    The lie slipped from his lips before he even properly thought about it. "To keep you in shape!"

    "Are you saying I am fat?" Arthur frowned down at him as he picked up the loose meat. 

    "No!" exclaimed Merlin, horrified as he stood back up. Then, he glanced at the belt wrapped around Arthur's tunic. "Well▬not yet."

    Offended, Arthur set his hands on his hips. "I am not fat!" 

    "You see? It is working!" Merlin flashed the Prince a bright grin before scurrying out of the dungeon and down the corridor, leaving Arthur baffled where he stood. 

    It was getting closer to the evening when Merlin finally made it through the twists and turns of the Vecentia Manor, sneaking in through locked doors with magical charms whispered under his breath and a torch flame in his hand. He felt terrible▬and his heart was pounding with anxiety at the thought of Freya feeling alone, and scared, and believing she had been abandoned. Merlin couldn't believe how quickly this strange, mysterious girl had managed to grasp at his heart▬but she had. It confused him, and yet it filled him with such warmth and giddy feelings he had never truly experienced before. Just the thought of her smiling made him smile, and he wanted to see her smile every day if he could from morning to night. He wanted her to be happy, and Merlin was a little frightened at how ready and determined he was to make that happen, no matter what.

    The candles had burnt to nothing when he finally arrived at the small chamber she was hiding in. Merlin faltered, feeling his heart break to see her curled up in his jacket and pressed up, shivering against the wall. He pursed his lips and stepped into the chamber, announcing that he had arrived with a desperate plea for forgiveness. 

    "I am so sorry I took so long," he told her, quickly setting down the torch to light up the room in a dim orange glow and move to replace the burnt candles with new ones. "You must be hungry, here▬" Merlin rushed over to her and placed down the chicken and sausages he had stolen from Arthur, wrapped in cloth he had taken from Gaius's chambers. 

    He froze when he heard her sniffles. Freya tried to hide it, but he could see the way she quickly wiped tears from her cheeks as she glanced over at him. Her cheeks were blotched red. Merlin's chest caved in. "What is it?" he asked her softly.

    She brushed her dark hair out of her face with trembling fingers and pulled the food towards her. "Nothing."

    "But you are upset," he hated to think that he was the cause of her pain as she opened up the cloth and started to pick at the food, keeping his jacket wrapped tight around her. 

    "No," she reassured him, but he could tell she was lying.

    Merlin pursed his lips. "Did you think I was not coming?" he murmured to her gently and watched Freya pause before taking a bite from the chicken. "But I promised you I would."

    She hesitated. Sniffling back some more tears, Freya nudged them away from her cheeks with her knuckles. "I scare most people away," she mumbled and Merlin didn't realise his heart could break any more than it already has.  

    He shuffled to sit in front of her, gently nudging her leg with the tip of his boot. "Well," he attempted to coax a smile out of her, and his heart leapt when he managed it▬seeing the little upward tug of her lips under her dark, beautiful hair. Merlin beamed▬he had to quickly hide his giddy smile. "I am not most people."

    She shyly met his gaze. Freya chuckled softly and the sound was just as melodic as her voice. 

    Merlin pursed his lips and fiddled with his fingers, not wanting to dampen the mood, but he must ask her, "How long had you been in that cage?"

    Freya shrugged as she continued to eat. "A few days."

    "And the bounty hunter?"

    "Halig," she spat his name bitterly. 

    "How did he find you?"

    Freya hesitated again. Merlin mentally cursed himself for being too forward. She took a shaky breath. "You cannot always trust people."

    "I know," said Merlin, gentle and understanding. He wrapped his arms around his legs, watching her eat. "That is why I left home."

    He wasn't sure how he could so easily tell her this▬but she wasn't just anybody. Freya understood him. She was like him. And she was sweet, and a great listener▬and out of everyone he knew, this young girl with nothing to her name knew exactly what it was like to be alone and without protection in this cruel world. Merlin could easily tell her everything, if he could. She calmed him, she made him smile, and she made his heart flutter with every word she spoke. 

    "Where is home?" she asked him after a moment, genuinely curious.

    "Ealdor," he answered. At her confusion, he chuckled and explained. "It▬it is just a small village on the border of the Kingdom of Ascetir. Just a few fields, a couple of cows. Nothing special."

    However, the smile on Freya's face when he described his home made Merlin feel warm, because she looked as though she thought it to be very special▬the most special place she was yet to know. Merlin grew shy himself and chuckled, looking down at his shoes.

    Freya mirrored his position, hugging her legs close to her chest and setting her chin on her knees. She peered at him with a bright look in her eyes▬a happy mischief about her Merlin was yet to see, and he was mesmerised by it. "My home was next to a lake surrounded by the tallest mountains," she told him, wistful with nostalgia. "In the winter, the storms whipped up the water into waves and you thought they were going to crash down and take away all the houses. But in the summer..." she smiled, and Merlin couldn't help but feel his breath taken away by how beautiful she looked just now, describing a place so special to her heart▬just as magical and as wonderful as her. "In the summer, wild flowers and ... and light. It was like Heaven."

    "Sounds perfect," he said.

   She nodded. "It was."

    "Was?"

    Her smile slowly fell. She picked at her food again. "My family died."

    Something sank in Merlin's chest. "Have ... have you been on your own ever since?" Freya nodded glumly. A strong sense of determination replaced the sinking feeling in his chest and he made a decision then and there▬he did not even need to think about it, he just knew. "Well, you are not on your own anymore," he told her and she met his gaze, startled. "I am going to look after you, I promise."

    Freya shook her head. She wrapped up the remainder of her food and tried to push it back to him. "You cannot look after me," she told him. "No one can▬"

    Merlin stopped her, covering the food and her hands in his own. She froze, staring at their hands. Merlin felt how delicate they were under his▬and the touch seemed to burn within him like a wildfire. He swallowed harshly, but did not pull away. "No, Freya," he whispered, her name leaving his lips with such tender care he did not realise he had in him. "I do not think you understand. I ..." he hesitated. He took a courageous breath and admitted to her: "I have never known anyone like you." 

    Her eyes went wide and a gentle breath of surprise left her lips. She did not look away from him, and Merlin felt his heart twist▬no one had ever looked at him like that before. 

    He hated to ruin the moment, but he must. "I ... I wish I could stay."

    He went to move his hands away, but Freya held on tight. "You▬you are going?" she asked, and she sounded so disappointed that Merlin wanted to give up everything and stay here with her forever.

    "We need to be careful," he said and she pursed her lips. At that, Merlin squeezed her hands and offered Freya a little smile. "But I will come back in the morning. You know I will be back, yes?"

    He waited until he saw her little nod, and Merlin found enough courage to take her hands and bring them to his lips gently. Freya hitched her breath, startled. He saw her blush and he smiled. "I will see you tomorrow."

    Merlin stood up, and their touch lingered. Freya clung on until she could not, and as she watched him leave, she called him back. "Merlin?" he turned around. She shrugged and bit her lip to hide her bright smile. "I have never known anyone like you, either."

    Floors and floors above the tunnels underneath the Vecentia Manor, Miss Adelynn Vecentia was lying awake in her chambers. She stared up at the canopy of her four poster bed, having not yet changed for bed nor requested a bath to end her day with. She simply chucked an apple between her hands, having stayed in this position for almost an hour now.

    Her days were always the same. Again and again▬like she was thread on a spinning wheel, going round and round and round, with no start and no end, taking the same journey over and over again. She woke, she broke her fast, Claudia dressed her and she went down to spend some time with her mother and do some needlework. They visited the markets, but there was nothing of real interest, and so she came back here. She drew, she painted. She wasn't even asked to come down to Gaius's chambers to break apart her day. It was simply ... boring and without any adventure▬as was the prison of her tower and her life. 

    The only person that truly kept her company this dull night, was the ghost in her mirror. 

    Though, this time, Adelynn didn't wait for Taryn to say anything. She, instead, spoke to her. "Can I ask you something? And can you promise me you will answer?"

    Her mirror shifted in the candlelight when the haunting woman's face moved to watch her lie back on her bed. "I suppose that answer relies on what question you wish to ask."

    "Why have you chosen to show yourself to me now?" Adelynn glanced over to her mirror. "Why not before?"

    Taryn tilted her head. "I have always been here," she told her and Adelynn frowned. "Ever since you were a babe. You simply just did not pay close enough attention. But I have always been there, protecting you, soothing you,  singing to you."

    Adelynn felt a twist in her chest that was both comforting but also chilling to remember the voices she used to hear in her ears whenever she was scared, or alone, or wanting something to block out the cries of her mother whenever her father would strike her. "That was you?" she whispered, breathless in shock. "This whole time? Why?"

    "We all have our destinies," explained the ghost wisely. "Ours, dear girl, have been connected and intertwined long before you were even born."

    "And what are our destinies?" she turned to her side, watching the ghost intently.

     She expected a vague answer. "You will know when you learn to listen."

    "I am listening," stressed Adelynn, exasperated. "I listen to every vague riddle you tell, every whisper in the halls, even the sound of the insects scuttling on my window sill. They have told me nothing."

    "They are telling you everything," said Tayrn, and she rolled her eyes. "You just choose not to heed their warnings. Look at your drawings, girl. What has constantly been the subject of your imagination these past few months?"

    Adelynn frowned at her scattered parchment on the table. She felt uneasy at the number of spiders she had drawn just today alone▬and she barely even realised she had done it. Ever since Morgause showed her face in Camelot, they had started to appear in her dreams. She has found spiders in the corridors, crawling up her window and spinning their webs in almost every corner of her room. 

    "The spider is spinning her web," Taryn warned her, and an ominous air settled in Adelynn's chambers. "Soon, she will strike, Adelynn Vecentia. You must be ready for it."

    "Do you mean Morgause?" Adelynn sat up, grave and tense. "But she is no longer in Camelot▬what harm could she do? She failed in her tricks last time."

    "You are being naive," at the ghost's chiding voice, the young Vecentia gritted her teeth. "Or you simply do not wish to admit the truth of what nature is telling you. It has warned you of the spider for months now, and soon, she will puncture her venom into the hearts of all those you hold dear. I pray thee, dear girl, listen ... before it is too late."

    "You cannot just say that and then not tell me who this person is," seethed Adelynn, annoyed and frustrated with the ghost in her mirror. "I do not know what game you are playing, Taryn, but I am sick of your vague riddles. Just tell me."

    "I already have!" snapped the ghost, and the room grew colder at the raise of her voice. Adelynn went silent, wary. "I am trying to guide you, Adelynn," she continued in a kinder tone. "I am trying to show you how to harness the powers the Old Religion has given you that not even Emrys can teach." Taryn sighed. "Destiny is a frustrating thing, indeed. It warns you, but it does not tell you. You must take the pathway it has planned for you on your own accord. Knowing Destiny is often far worse than being blissfully ignorant of it. Trust me, my dear girl, it is better off I do not give you all the answers. Even if I did, I believe you would not listen. You are stubborn in your determination to forge destiny for yourself. Some part of me wishes that, somehow, you will succeed in it."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    THERE WAS another attack overnight. Another unfortunate soul in the Lower Town had met the same fate by this strange, magical beast that seemed to be untraceable the moment daylight returned over the turrets and slopes in the distance. Merlin heard mutterings about it as he snuck back towards the Vecentia Manor, taking the pathway Adelynn had showed to him▬secret to the eyes of everyone else as he descended low into the tunnels to find the beautiful treasure hidden away. Though, he didn't even get as far as the courtyard, sneaking out the kitchens with the best loaf of bread he could find when out of nowhere, he found someone waiting for him.

    Odette crossed her arms and frowned, watching Merlin let out a startled, "Ah!" and couldn't help but think the accusing frown on her face was way too similar to Arthur's for him to feel comfortable. 

    "Where are you going?" she asked him, propping her hip out as she titled her head, continuing to watch Merlin quickly rush to hide the bread underneath his jacket. Odette noticed. "What have you got there?"

    "Nothing," said Merlin quickly, which he realised was very stupid of him to say. 

    Hurt flickered across Odette's eyes▬because she could tell he was lying to her. Merlin hated lying to her. But he couldn't tell her▬he just couldn't. His dearest friend swallowed her hurt and stood straighter, trying to act tough but even after all Odette has been through, and how much she seemed to pride herself in hiding her feelings, she wore her heart exposed for all to see. "Merlin, I can tell you are hiding something. I know you are sneaking off somewhere all the time▬and I know it has something to do with the Druid girl."

    Merlin's head spun around, frantic and aware of the many people who could hear what Odette was saying right now. He stepped closer to her and whispered harshly. "Keep your voice down, will you?!"

    "So, I am right!" she replied in the same tone, narrowing her gaze. 

    "No, you are not," he continued to lie and she set her jaw. "I have nothing to do with her."

    "Oh, for the love of▬save it, Merlin!" Odette snapped and he huffed a frustrated breath through his nose. "I know you▬I am your best friend, or have you forgotten? I can tell when you are lying to me."

    He went quiet, realising that there was no point in lying right through his teeth any longer. Odette saw the shift in his expression and softened her anger. That hurt returned to her eyes. Her voice was softer and more quiet▬small and vulnerable in the back of her throat, "Why did you not tell me?"

   Merlin's shoulders slumped. "I▬" his throat closed up, hating how upset Odette was. Did she not realise that this was not something personal against her? That he did this to protect her, and protect Freya▬that whenever he kept something from her, it was not because he wanted to, but because he had to? "I just could not."

   "Why?" she asked again miserably. A horrible thought occurred to her and she shrunk up a little. "Is it because you thought I would tell someone?"

    "No!" said Merlin quickly, horrified that she would think that. "No, Odette, I▬" but he did not know how to explain it to her. He did not know what to say▬how to soften the blow that had already struck her harder than he had ever intended. 

    "You used to tell me everything," she mumbled. 

    The young warlock hesitated. Because the truth was, he hadn't. But she had simply thought he had. There was so much Merlin hadn't told Odette about▬the Great Dragon, Mordred, Morgana's powers, so much about his destiny because he couldn't. He just couldn't burden her with it▬burdern her with something he knew she wouldn't truly understand. She tried, but she just couldn't. She wasn't like him. She didn't have to hide in fear of being executed because powers she was born with. She would never understand what it felt like to be considered a monster, to be ashamed of the gifts she had been given. 

    But he couldn't help but feel angry himself. Here she was, upset with him for keeping secrets when he knew she had kept secrets from him, too▬that she hadn't told him anything about her and Arthur. But he understood why▬she was protecting herself. Couldn't she understand that Merlin was simply doing the same? That he was doing more than protecting himself, but protecting her, too?

    "Have I done something wrong?" continued Odette. "Have I offended you?"

    "No▬God, no, Odette▬"

    "▬Then what is the problem?" she slumped in sheer exhaustion of this lingering tension between them for months from all the lies Merlin has told, and all the secrets they have kept. "What is going on?"

    Merlin pursed his lips▬hurt, too. "It is▬it is nothing to do with you, Odette," he tried to reassure her, but it felt dry because at the same time, it seemed to have everything to do with her. "There is just some things I ... I cannot tell you. You just have to trust me. Look, I▬" he gestured behind him, eager to get back to Freya. "I have to go. I just▬I am sorry, okay, but I▬" Merlin hesitated, but turned on his heel and rushed away before anyone else might anything suspicious.

    Odette watched him go, swallowing a lump in her throat and blinking back tears. She hugged her arms around her stomach. In the end, she sighed and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. The young handmaiden took a deep breath and stepped inside the servants' entrance into the castle, making her way towards the Lady Morgana's chambers. 

    She didn't see him for the remainder of the day▬not until later that night when she was spending her evening in Gaius's chambers. Odette had been invited for dinner▬as she usually was twice or three times a week. She was grateful for Gaius's soup, no matter how dry it might taste▬it was better than taking burnt left overs from the kitchen. It was rather quiet since Gaius was busy frowning over multiple manuscripts in the dim candlelight glow of his chambers. Odette peered over every now and them, trying to steal glimpses of what mystical creatures he was looking at in hopes of figuring out whatever beast was terrorising the Lower Town in the cover of moonlight.

    Merlin arrived then▬looking as though his mind was lost in the clouds. Odette pursed her lips and looked down at her food, turning the soup around with her spoon and not even greeting him with a hello. She was still upset▬how could she not be? It felt as though every conversation she has had with him recently has been one shrouded with lies and secrets. It made her feel isolated from him and with all of the troubles she has had recently▬with Morgana, with Arthur ... Odette always thought she would have Merlin, but now, it seemed that she did not even have him at times, and she was left feeling rather lonely. 

    Gaius glanced up as Merlin finally showed himself. He titled his head when Odette didn't even acknowledge him▬and sighed with slight disappointment and annoyance when his nephew took his serving of dinner and did not sit down. He ate it standing, pacing around the physician's chambers with a skip in his step and humming as he did. 

    Odette gritted her teeth, not sure why he would be happy when she was mad at him. 

    Even Gaius was growing annoyed at the constant, off-tune humming floating around them like some buzzing insect. He sat back in his chair, his gaze tearing away from the manuscripts he was frowning over to set the same frown onto his Ward. "Would you stop that?"

    Merlin glanced over at them, as if only recognising their disgruntled stares. Even then, he was clueless about it. "What?"

    Odette rolled her eyes and returned to her soup. Merlin tilted his head at her, too, confused.

    "Sit down and eat your soup," muttered Gaius pointedly at the young warlock. 

    He pursed his lips and awkwardly sat down beside Odette. She shuffled slightly away from him. He frowned at her. "What?" he asked her. 

    "Nothing," she muttered. "You just sat awfully close."

    He narrowed his eyes at her, sensing something wasn't right. But he asked no more of it. He simply turned back to his soup and continued to scoff it down▬all the while still humming that terrible tune. Odette took a deep breath to calm herself down. She wasn't often angry, but whenever she was▬well, her, Ronyn and Arthur had the broken bones after falling down those stairs when they were little to prove it. 

    Gaius set down his looking glass, his scowl returning to his nephew. "Merlin."

    He realised and flushed. "Sorry," Merlin held up his hand in surrender and ceased his annoying humming. He glanced at Odette. "How was the rest of your day?" 

    "Fine," she answered curtly. 

    Merlin hesitated. "Well ... what did you get up to?"

    "What I always do," she angrily plopped her spoon into her soup and Gaius jumped when some of her dinner flicked onto his manuscript pages. Odette didn't notice, nor hear his exasperated sigh. The handmaiden turned to her friend, annoyed. "Tend to Morgana▬you know, since I have a job to do. I do not have the time to simply run off and see people as I please," she smiled with an overly sarcastic breath of happiness.

    Merlin realised what she meant and he narrowed his eyes. "Wait, hang on▬" he went to defend himself but Gaius but both of them off.

    "What is wrong with you two?" he demanded and both servants spun to face him, startled.

    "Nothing," they said at the same time▬however, they each had a very different tone. Odette eyed Merlin out of the corner of her gaze, not impressed by his cheeriness. 

    Eager to have the last word, Odette pursed her lips and casually went to eat her soup again. "I am just simply saying Merlin has had an exciting day while I, sadly, did not."

    Merlin was also someone who was eager to always have the last word. He forgot about his soup and crossed his arms, annoyed with her now, too. "Really?" he countered, admittedly petty. "Well, you could always split up your day by visiting your favourite dollophead."

    Odette spun to him, alarmed. "Excuse me?"

    He shrugged, "I am just simply saying▬Ow!" 

    Gaius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose when Odette kicked Merlin's shin under the table. "Children," he chided, not in the mood to handle their spats and disagreements over the table during dinner▬especially not with a long night of research ahead of him. "If you are finished with your soup, perhaps you can entertain yourself with some chores."

    "Chores?" frowned Merlin. 

    The physician picked up his magnifying-looking glass again. "Yes▬Unless you have something better to do."

    The young warlock stammered. Odette fixed an all-knowing look upon him that made him squirm a little. "S▬Sorry," he said in the end and Gaius blinked, startled. "I am going out."

    He stood up again without even finishing his soup and his Uncle stammered, this time. He glanced at Odette, expecting her to know but she kept silent, pursing her lips and looking back down at her dinner. "W▬Well, what time will you be back?"

    "Er▬" Merlin stopped by the door and shrugged. "I would not wait up for me," he opened it. "I might be late!" and like that, he was gone yet again.

    Gaius was bewildered. Slowly, his gaze returned to Odette who sipped at her soup, nonchalant. Realising he was looking at her, she glanced up. "What?" she asked. Then, she shrugged. "I do not know where he is going. He is a clotpole."

    At the way she took the chance to throw in a petty insult, the physician gave up and turned back to his manuscripts, feeling as though he had just aged a few extra years.

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    WHEN MERLIN made it to the hidden alcove beneath the Vecentia Manor, Freya was surprised to see him. Her eyes widened and she stood up from where she had been huddling near the candles he had gotten her this morning. "Merlin?" she whispered, her heart pounding. "What are you doing here?"

    He flashed a grin at her, dipping down to kiss her cheek and hand her the food he had taken from Gaius's chambers. "I wished to see you▬I could not help it."

    Freya blushed at his quick show of affection but shook her head. She brushed her hair out of her eyes. She was wearing his jacket tonight, and Merlin's heart fluttered at the sight. "It is dangerous," she chided him.

    He shrugged. "I do not care."

    "No, Merlin," she stressed and pulled him to sit down with her. Merlin squeezed her hand, frowning at the frantic look on her face. "You have to be careful."

    At those words, he rolled his eyes and slumped. "Urgh!" he sighed dramatically. "I am fed up with being careful! I am fed up with all of this," he told the sweet, beautiful Freya. And he was. He was fed up with it. He was fed up with the secrets, the lies, always looking over his shoulder▬even the destiny that had weighed on his shoulders. But whenever he was around Freya, his destiny seemed to lift. He was lighter, he was happy▬he could forget about his troubles, about Arthur, about everything the Great Dragon told him in vague, frustrating riddles. Merlin could just be himself. He wanted that more than anything. He wanted Freya more than anything. 

    "So," he took both of her hands in his and smiled at her▬and Freya couldn't help the way her frown softened at the delighted look in his eyes, "I have made a decision: We are going to get you out of here, out of Camelot."

    Her breath hitched. "How?" 

    "I will get you some clothes," said Merlin, moving her hands with his as he gestured. "Clothes we can disguise you in, food, water, blankets, horses and we can sneak out in the cover of darkness▬" his explanation fell short when he noticed the way her face fell. "What? What is wrong?"

    Freya looked down at their hands. She played with his fingers. "Nothing ..." she sighed and glanced up at him shyly. "It is just ... I am going to miss you."

    Merlin sighed, a gentle smile on his lips. He shuffled closer to her. "Freya," he whispered when she adverted her gaze. "Look at me," he tilted his head, squeezing her hands to coax her to look at him again. "You will not miss me. Because I am going to come with you."

    Freya's eyes widened. She let out a breathless, "What?"

    "I told you I am going to look after you."

    She shook her head and Merlin's smile dropped. "You cannot!" she whispered. "Do not say that."

    The disappointment he felt stung deep. "It ..." he swallowed back the sudden lump in his throat. "Is it not what you want?"

    Freya sighed and hung her head. "Merlin ..." she brought his hands to her lips, soothing his pain from her words. "You ... you have a good life here," she said. "Friends, family. My life is ... I have to keep moving, always looking over my shoulder, people chasing me. You deserve better than that."

    "I do not want anything better," Merlin shook his head, determined. "Freya, there is nothing better. You. I want you. I want to spend my days with you, where we can be free of Destiny crushing us, of expectations and▬and the threat of our lives hanging over our heads constantly." Her breath hitched at his words and he shuffled closer. "We can go somewhere no one knows us," he promised. "Somewhere far away. We can be happy..."

    He hesitated, chewing on the inside of his cheek shyly at the way she had grown silent. Freya did not look away from him▬she almost looked as though she might cry. "You ... you are yet to give me your answer?"

    And then, Freya smiled. In the candle light, she glowed as bright as a summer day▬beautiful, wonderful, and so very special. "I want that more than anything."

    Merlin slumped with relief, every anxiety about her answer washing away from him. He chuckled and couldn't stop the bright grin on his face. He blushed, trying to hide it▬to hide how much she made his heart leap with wings, how giddy with nerves she turned his stomach into, how happy she made him. But he soon realised, he did not wish to hide that. Never did he wish to hide from her. Merlin did not need to. 

    "Where will we go?" then asked Freya.

    His grin softened. "Somewhere with mountains."

    She tilted her head, her eyes glistening with something tender. "A few fields."

    "Wild flowers."

    "A couple of cows."

    "And a lake," finished Merlin.

    Freya smiled gently, a warmth brightening her pale features▬filling her with life. "And a lake."

    Merlin beamed. He leaned in and he kissed her. Freya hitched her breath, but she didn't pull away. The feeling was a different kind of magic than Merlin has ever felt before▬it was something that consumed him and left him whinded when he pulled away. "I will return, I promise."

    The young warlock left the beautiful Freya there with her food, and couldn't rid himself of the beam on his face as he climbed up the stairs of the Vecentia Manor. Instead of returning to the castle, he snuck through the hallways of Ronyn's home until he stood outside the door of Adelynn Vecentia. 

    He knocked on the wood, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one was nearby. He knocked until she answered, and she opened the door to frown at him, annoyed at being bothered at this hour.

    Realising it was him, her expression changed and she quickly stepped aside to let him enter. Adelynn closed the door behind him. "Merlin, you cannot keep showing up like this."

    "Do you have a dress I can borrow?" he asked▬immediately focusing on the situation at hand.

    Adelynn blinked. "Excuse me?"

    Hearing her surprise, he glanced at her over his shoulder as he wandered straight for her wardrobe. "Oh," he chuckled, "it is not for me. It is for Freya▬you are about her size. I figured you would lend her one of your dresses▬I need to disguise her if we are to sneak out of Camelot."

    Ronyn's younger sister stammered, still trying to comprehend all of what Merlin was saying. Adelynn rushed over to her table, moving to hide her charcoal drawings of spiders from the warlock's eye▬not that he paid any attention. He opened her wardrobe without even asking. "Merlin," she scolded him, shocked. 

    He pulled out one of her purple gowns▬one she particularly liked to wear and spun to face her, holding it out against him. "What?"

    Adelynn crossed her arms, her shawl wrapped tight around her night gown. "Have you no manners? You come here in the middle of the night, bombard me with your request and help yourself to my clothes?"

    He realised how rude he was being and blushed, sheepish. He glanced back at her wardrobe and then to her. "Right," he muttered. "Er▬sorry, My Lady."

    Merlin looked down at her dress he still held up against him and quickly folded it over his arms, awkward. "Er▬sorry," he said again.

    Adelynn approached him, curious. "Why do you need a dress?"

    Taking a moment to breathe and calm his racing mind, Merlin hung the dress over one of Adelynn's chairs. "I need to disguise Freya▬the guards would not suspect a noblewoman as a missing Druid girl. We can sneak out of Camelot."

    She nodded, until a word made her freeze. "We?" she echoed, not sure why Adelynn felt something in her chest squeeze painfully. "Why▬you are not leaving with her, are you?"

    "Well, I have to help her," chuckled the young warlock.

    "But you will return."

    It was not a question. It was an expectation▬almost an order, even; a willfull statement to try and control whatever Merlin's answer may be. He was momentarily stunned, remembering the same way Arthur had spoken to him when he prepared to leave for Ealdor. The Prince had not wished for him to leave, and it would seem that Adelynn did not wish for that, either.

    Merlin didn't know what to say. He hadn't prepared to explain himself▬to be the voice of hurt and disappointment. He would have never left without saying goodbye▬no, never▬but maybe he had been a little naive to what it would mean to leave his friends behind. There was some part of him that still thought he wouldn't be missed. 

    "I▬well..." he stammered and shrugged, a little unsure and apprehensive under Adelynn's gaze. "I cannot just leave her to fend for herself ... I promised I would protect her."

    That pain in her chest returned. Adelynn swallowed harshly. "You▬you are going with her?" she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. She tried to hide it. She was not weak; she had faced horrors all her life and would not cry over this. "Why? You have only known her a few days?"

    "You do not understand, Freya is ..." Merlin sighed and smiled, sad but wistful. "She is wonderful. I have never met anyone like her before."

    Adelynn didn't understand. Why would he just leave like that? How could a girl who he had known for less than a week matter to him more than his family, his friends▬his Destiny? "But ..." she shuffled on her feet, the lump in her throat starting to hurt. "But what about Arthur? What about Gaius, Odette ... what about ..." she hesitated. "What about me?"

    Merlin hesitated, too. Suddenly, it was as if his confidence and urgency to leave had disappeared. His head tilted, his whole body slumping with a sad realisation at the tears in Adelynn's eyes▬the betrayal, even. He stepped towards her. "Adelynn..."

    She shook her head and stepped away from him, wiping away her tears before he would see. But he saw▬of course, he did. 

    "You are leaving me alone here," the way she said it▬so broken, so hurt, Merlin didn't know what to do. But he felt it. He felt it like a sword sent right through his heart. Just like their magic seemed to be connected from that moment he felt her powers in Edwin's chambers, their pain seemed to be tied to one another on the same string.

    For so long, Adelynn had been alone. She had been alone and she had been scared▬even before she realised she had magic, she felt isolated in her tower away from a world she wanted to explore. And when she discovered her powers, she realised just how much of an outsider she truly was. She thought she was destined to be a monster just like her father. Until she found out Merlin had magic, too, until he told her that her powers weren't a curse but instead they could be a gift. He told her that she made him not feel so alone anymore, either. And now ... now he was just going to leave her?

    "Adelynn..." Merlin's voice seemed to shatter. "I ... Please, I▬" he hitched his breath and wanted to do something▬anything▬to make her realise that he didn't want to hurt her. But how selfless could Merlin keep being? When would he ever get the chance to do something for himself? "You don't understand, I ... I do not want this Destiny. I want more than anything to▬to be free of these chains that have kept me trapped even before I knew what my destiny was. With Freya, I ... I feel free. I can be free. I can be who I am and never have to worry ever again about Arthur, about Camelot, about this crushing weight on my shoulders ..." Somehow, saying all of this to her, made it feel wrong▬made it feel strange. 

    Adelynn sat down on the edge of her bed. She couldn't stand any longer. She understood Merlin's desires and wishes▬she understood them better than anyone. She wanted freedom, to be seen, and not to have to live in fear. Perhaps some part of her was envious instead of hurt. Envious that it couldn't be her who got the chance to run away. 

    But hearing the boy who praised destiny and did all he could▬sacrifice so much▬simply for the promise of a better world that Arthur would one day bring. A boy who had made her believe freedom waited for her on the other end through all the struggle ... to suddenly give all of that up▬to give all of them up, to give her up ... To leave her to struggle alone in her tower with no hope left on the other side of the sunset. It hurt. It hurt. 

    "Freya means more to you than your destiny?" she whispered, locking Merlin's gaze. "You would give all of that up ... for her?"

    Merlin swallowed. For a long time, he was silent▬but he did not look away from Adelynn Vecentia. For some reason, standing here under her judgment, Merlin wasn't so sure. He took a deep breath and grabbed Adelynn's dress off the back of her chair. "I should go. Thank you for the dress Adelynn ..." he passed her but stopped at her door. He turned around, and his heart ached to see her not looking at him▬as if she had already decided to give up on him, too. He pursed his lips. "Thank you for ... for everything."

   He waited for her to meet his gaze one last time.

   She didn't.

   And so, with a heavy heart, Merlin Wyllt left. 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    MERLIN WAS packing throughout the night and well into the morning. He gathered food from the kitchens, filled two waterskins from the well and rolled up his blankets into his travel bag. He was eager to return to Freya▬to give her the dress. In it, she would look more like a princess than she already did. And from then on, they could start a life together. They could run away and just ... be free, forever. And yet ... Merlin couldn't shake himself of the guilt that was starting to eat away at him. He hated it▬why shouldn't he be happy? Why couldn't he be free of his nightmares, and the weight of the sky on his shoulders? Why couldn't he be selfish for once in his life? The Great Dragon could find some other wizard to torment about destiny. This ... For once, Merlin was going to make a choice for himself. 

    He shoved an extra blanket amongst the few spare clothes he had into his bag before buckling it closed. He pulled the straps to tighten it and went to leave, but faltered when he caught sight of something on the table beside his bed. Merlin pursed his lips and walked over to the small leather bracelet Odette had made for him for his seventeenth name day. He picked it up, feeling that guilt twist at him once again. 

    He had also promised to protect Odette, too. 

    Merlin didn't know why he felt oncoming tears. He forced them back and pulled the leather band back onto his wrist. He dreaded saying goodbye to Odette most of all▬he had been avoiding it because he did not know what to say, how to handle it ... he knew it would destroy her. And the thought of leaving her▬that guilt ate him up the most, because some part of him felt as though he was abandoning her, and abandoning Adelynn at the same time. 

    (He would write. He would trust them with his location. They could visit. Surely, he would see them again. He would see Odette, he promised himself...).

    As morning crept through the physician's chambers, and the castle was woken by the warning bells yet again, Merlin felt something dreadful settle in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he could ask Odette and Adelynn to come with them▬perhaps they could finally find freedom, too?

    What about Gaius?

    He knew they never would leave Camelot. This was their home. 

    Merlin felt torn. Why should he feel torn? He deserved this, yes? He deserved happiness. Freya made him happy. 

    He sat there, lamenting his choices for so long he didn't even realise what time Gaius had returned until he heard the door swing open. Merlin stood up, feeling quite shocked to the bones as he finally returned to reality around him, and left his troubling thoughts. "G▬Gaius!" he exclaimed and quickly tried to hide his travel bag, but it was no use. "I▬uh▬I was just..."

    His uncle did not comment on the bag. He simply sighed and walked over to him. "Merlin, sit down. I wish to speak with you."

    At the tone of his voice, Merlin's chest twisted with worry. He grew anxious▬as if he knew exactly what Gaius wished to speak about, but he sat down anyway. "Is▬is everything all right? You look worried."

    Gaius sat down beside him with a heavy conscience. "The beast struck again last night. There are two more deaths in the Lower Town."

    "Do you know what it is yet?"

    "Once more there were no tracks around the bodies," muttered Gaius. "But human footprints were leading away from them."

    "Right..."

    "It does not seem to add up. The footprints would indicate a human was responsible, but the wounds inflicted are definitely the work of some kind of beast."

    Merlin frowned at this. "Strange..."

    "Yes," agreed Gaius. He pursed his lips, watching his nephew carefully. He seemed hesitant to speak his next words. He took a breath before continuing, "Until I remembered what Halig said about the Druid girl▬that she is cursed."

    That dreadful feeling returned. Merlin stared at Gaius▬at first horrified at what he was suggesting. "What▬what has that got to do with the monster?"

    The physician watched the young warlock's expression intently. "The ancient chronicles speak of a heinous curse. It ... it dooms its victims to turn at the stroke of midnight into a vicious, bloodthirsty beast," Merlin's breathing slowly started to grow laboured as he understood what Gaius was saying. He shook his head, but the physician pressed on. "The writers of old called this creature a Bastet: a monster of nightmare that inhabits the twilight world between the living and the dead. Merlin▬" he leaned in as his nephew looked away, refusing to believe what he was hearing, "▬I want the truth. Did you release the Druid girl from the cage?"

    "Of course not!" 

    Gaius's lips pressed into a thin line at Merlin's sharp response. "There was a time when you thought twice before lying to me."

    Merlin hitched back tears and shook his head still. He didn't meet his uncle's gaze. "I▬" his voice broke and his heart pounded. "I did what was right."

    "Merlin," whispered Gaius gently, reaching out and grasping his shoulder, "you know the creature and the girl are one and the same▬"

    Merlin stood up. He recoiled from Gaius's touch like he had been burned. "You▬you are wrong!" he spun back to him. "Freya is▬she is just a girl!"

    "Merlin," his uncle said again, watching the young warlock grip at his hair in distress. "I beg of you to think about what I am saying. You know it is the truth. Where is she now."

    "No!"

    Gaius stood as well. "She has killed already and she will kill again. She cannot stop herself."

    "No, Gaius!" Merlin's voice broke down into a desperate, sobbing whimper. He didn't want to believe this▬even though deep down, he knew it was true the moment Gaius said it. The killings started when Freya was released▬only then. And he knew the physician was at liberty to tell the King▬and that thought of Freya being hunted made Merlin turn almost hysterical. "Please, Gaius. P▬please..."

    His breath hitched with terror when his uncle set his jaw and turned to march towards the door. Merlin stumbled forward, his heart pounding painfully in his chest. "W▬where are you going?!"

    "To Uther."

    "N▬no. No, Gaius!" Merlin almost fell to his knees. "I▬I am begging you! Please, just give me some time to get her out of the city, please!"

    Gaius glanced back at him, pained. "I ... I am sorry, Merlin," he sounded true. "But I cannot let more innocent people die."

    He left, and Merlin sobbed. He shook his head and clenched his hands. Making a decision fast, he snatched his bag and sprinted out of the physician's chambers as fast as he could. 

    He ran and ran▬he raced back to where Freya was hiding underneath the Vecentia Manor. He raced against time. But when he finally reached her ... he found that she was gone. 

    When Merlin returned, he didn't go back to his chambers. Instead, he found himself outside the servants' quarters, knocking on the door of his dearest friend. When Odette opened the door, at first, at the tense look on her face, he thought she would close the door in his face.

    But Odette would never turn her back on anyone, no matter her anger. She was the best of them all. 

    As soon as the door closed, Merlin dropped the travel bag on her bed and broke down. Odette's eyes widened and she immediately ran over. She wrapped her arms around her best friend and pulled him into a tight hug, forgetting about all of her bitterness and her anger▬and instead held Merlin as he cried and told her everything about Freya, from start to finish. Because even though they were not the same, even though Odette held no magic and did not have the weight of execution hanging over with every breath she took, she was the one person Merlin knew he could always trust▬no matter what. And he hated ever keeping secrets from her. 

    When he calmed down, the two friends lay together on Odette's bed. She wrapped her arms around Merlin from behind, biting back her own tears at his sadness as she rested her cheek on his back. They lay there in silence for a long time.

    At last, Merlin took a breath and mumbled, his voice hoarse. "I had never cared about anyone like that before."

    Odette squeezed him in her hold, lifting her chin to rest on his shoulder. "I am sorry, Merlin," she whispered. 

     "For once," he choked back more tears. "I ... I did not feel as though I was a monster ... I did not have to be afraid of who I am."

    "You are not a monster," Odette told him sternly. 

    "And neither is Freya," Merlin gripped her hand tightly, holding on for life. "Whatever she is, and whatever she has done. She does not deserve to die."

    "I know," the young handmaiden murmured, soothing her dearest friend. 

    The young warlock took a shaky breath, feeling a headache coming from all of his tears. Moonlight started to gleam through the small window of the servants' quarters, sending bars of silver across the stone floor. "I just ... I hope she is safe. Somewhere far away."

    Both servants gasped and sat up when the warning bells pounded so loudly in the small chamber that they seemed to ricochet in their heads. It jolted Merlin to stand, feeling his heart drop with dread. "Freya," he whispered, and before Odette could stop him, he was gone. 

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    WHEN THE SUNRISE came, it brought with it a sullen grey sky over the city of Camelot. The castle did not seem to hold the usual warmth in its stone walls and floor, there seemed to not be as many smiles in the corridors, nor happiness in people's hearts. For an innocent girl was dead. While many souls did not know her as something other than a beast▬a cursed Druid girl with no choice but to kill when midnight struck, Merlin Wyllt knew her. Her name was Freya, and at last, Freya had been given peace. He had taken her▬carried her all the way from the castle to the Lake of Avalon where magic could live in peace and freedom. And there, as Freya died amongst the views of beautiful white mountains, wildflowers and a lake, Merlin held her. He held her, and she was wrapped in the dress he had taken from Adelynn when he lay her in an old wooden boat on the shore with all of the wildflowers he could find. He had stayed there for a long time, watching as she floated across the water, and when the fire burned her, he knew she would be drifting across Avalon forevermore until she became apart of the lake herself. 

    Odette had held him when he cried once more, alone in the physician's chambers. He didn't even need to tell her what happened▬she simply knew. And when Gaius returned, he found the handmaiden cradling the young warlock in her arms, and soon, he, too, held Merlin close to comfort him in silence.

    Arthur knew something was upsetting his manservant, but he did not know what. He was without his usual jokes and his usual sarcasm. He did not bite back at his comments nor did he try to insult him at every turn. Merlin barely spoke to him all day, so glum in the face it was almost as if he were somewhere else, and all that remained was a ghostly shell of his mischievous, cheeky and bright-minded soul. 

    While there were a few that rejoyced the death of the beast that had terrorised Camelot for a few days, Arthur couldn't help but feel a little sad. Behind that beast, had been a girl▬he had seen her change, and he remembered the terrified look on her face. He will always remember it. 

    The Prince found his servant at the end of the day alone in his chambers, quiet and solemn in the afternoon daylight streaming through the windows. He was polishing a long line of Arthur's shoes that on the average day, Merlin wouldn't even touch. He seemed to be trying to distract himself from whatever was ailing him, and it tugged at Arthur's heart, because he was so used to his servant's energetic smiles, that he wasn't sure what to do when he had not seen one all day. 

     "Merlin," he spoke up and his servant glanced over. Arthur frowned briefly when he noticed red rim his eyes. Something tense spread through his chest, making it hard for him to breathe▬he stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure how to comfort Merlin at all. "I▬I have been looking for you."

    Merlin blinked out of his daze. "Y▬Yes, of course. Er▬right, you need to polish your armour and to▬er▬" he cleared his throat and went back to polishing his shoes, "▬was your clothes and clean your room."

    Arthur watched him, troubled. He took a deep breath and walked over to him. Instead of replying to the snarky tone of his voice, the Prince sat down. 

    He shuffled close, resting his arms on his bent knees as he sat beside his manservant▬and here, in this moment, they were friends and equals. 

    Arthur frowned at Merlin, noticing the way he wouldn't look at him. He scraped the brush over the end of his shoes harshly, his jaw clenched and his shoulders tense. 

    The Prince tried to think of what to say. He was never good at comforting people. But in seeing Merlin so glum and distant, Arthur found himself shyly reaching over and nudging his leg with his foot. When it came to Merlin, somehow, Arthur always searched for a part of him that always wanted a younger brother, and seemed to treat his manservant in the way he would if he had been granted such a wish. "Something has been upsetting you, yes?"

    Merlin paused in his ruthless scrubbing of Arthur's shoes. He still did not look at him. "Maybe," he said in the end. 

    Arthur puckered his lips awkwardly, a little sheepish as he fought back his pride and murmured, "It ... was it when I threw water over you?"

    Merlin peered at him from the corner of his eye. He pursed his lips and focused his stare back down at the boot in his hand. "It was not very nice," he mumbled.

    The Prince sighed and nodded. "Yes," he admitted. "It was a bit unfair..." he peered at him sideways, too. "Like ... when you called me fat?"

    His servant paused his polishing once more. He tilted his head at him. "Why was that unfair?"

    Arthur scoffed. "Because I am not fat..." he trailed off when he saw Merlin's eyes gleam. A little, mischievous smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and the Prince's worry settled▬just for a moment▬to see the old Merlin back. 

    The Prince gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes. Merlin chuckled and went back to scrubbing. Arthur watched him, and then, with a little mischievous grin of his own and when Merlin least expected it, he reached out and wrapped his arm around his shoulders. Arthur tugged Merlin in, yelping in alarm, into a tight but gentle headlock. 

    "Argh▬!" cried Merlin, struggling to get free as Arthur knuckled his hair, ruffling it. "No, no!"

    Arthur grinned, laughing. "Still think I need to get in shape?"

    "No! No!" Merlin tried to fight him off, but Arthur was much stronger than him. He squirmed and the Prince simply ruffled his hair even more▬and the two boys wrestled like children in the afternoon sun of the Prince's chambers. "No, no, no▬!"

    Arthur let his manservant go and Merlin hunched up, immediately moving to fix his hair. The Prince watched him with a gentle smile, happy to see the incredulous, amused grin on his face. Arthur nodded, satisfied. "That's better."

    Somehow, even without knowing Merlin's pain, Arthur still seemed to make him feel better. The young manservant smiled. "Thanks."

▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃

    a/n: i hate myself for rushing the ending, but i also didn't want to keep writing the entire episode scene from scene without my oc's in it i'm sorry. but i still hope i managed to portray the development merlin does go through from losing freya. i also like had told myself i'd keep this episode in two chapters, and even as i exceeded the 10 000 words, my stubborn self was like nope. nope we are finishing this episode in this chapter. 

    lol i'm sorry

    also i wanted to keep the scene at the end with merlin and arthur because <3

    if you managed to read this in one sitting well done i applaud you now go and have a break pls this was a LOT. 

    i broke writing this and writing merlin's pain and how torn he is between his destiny and freya. in the episode, we don't really see that - he chooses her over his destiny immediately which i love, but for the sake of this book, and how i've written his character and his relationships with odette and adelynn, i needed him to be torn and feel a little guilt. because he wouldn't just leave them like that, especially odette, without feeling like he was going against his very morals, no matter how much he cares for freya.

    (minimal editing)