Disclaimer: I own nothing

Me: *waves and smiles* Here you go my dears! And brand new story to devour! My Beta is back to the states and is ready to go and I have this allllllll planed out!

*clasp hands and rubs them together eagerly* Oh, the universe has been WAITING for this!

Me: *glares at subjects* But just bear in mind, if something seems off, it's off FOR A REASON! I don't want anyone to tell me that Gwaine or Merlin is out of character! There is a method to my madness. My faithful knights can attest to that.

Me: *grins once again and brings forth new subject* My people, I just want to acknowledge JaydeRayne for the incredible display of love she did by commenting on each and EVERY single one of my chapters in my 'Merlin' Fiction! *gives you giant hug*

*turns to her side* And Yuki082, concerning your request, if there are none of my subjects who wish to challenge you for the title of court sorceress then you are by all means welcome to my court!

Me: *to everyone* Well enough with this! Enjoy!

Bleary eyes fluttered open as the morning rays struck alabaster skin. Tired azure eyes gazed up into the ceiling as he let himself sigh. Standing upward from his bed, his back creaking in protest, he lets his gaze roam the entirety of his room. Random vials filled with all sorts of mixtures could be seen scattered throughout his room. Random items of clothing lay discarded in corners and, oddly enough, on top of the dresser. When he walked towards his small window, he could see that it was barely the break of dawn; no one was truly awake at this hour, so you could watch the waking of Camelot's streets. But he couldn't fully revel in the peacefulness the quiet streets provided. Almost in automatic, he began to dress for the day ahead, and he busied himself preparing some of the tinctures that Gaius was beginning to run out of. He felt numb; while his body worked silently and mechanically, his thoughts were focused on the weight of this specific date.

Soon, under the buzzing of his thoughts, he heard his guardian finally awakened, and he took this as his cue. Setting the finished potions on his table, he started to pick up his red neckerchief, but his eyes alighted on a scrap of black fabric off to the side instead. A small, bittersweet smile appeared on his face before he decided to take the fabric and tie it around his wrist, his tan jacket more than capable of concealing it. Deeming himself ready, he walked towards his door and took a deep, cleansing breath before turning the handle and stepping into the room. Merlin noticed Gaius's head snap towards him as he eyed his charge with a look between surprise and confusion.

"You're awfully early today, Merlin." A smile that simply didn't reach his ward's eyes was the only answer he received as Merlin sat down on a nearby chair.

"Are you alright?" Gaius noticed how the usual cheerful energy that Merlin seemed to always emit was almost nonexistent; his eyes carried dark bags beneath them, as if he hadn't slept, and the usual glint of mischief was nowhere to be seen, having been replaced by a look of pure desolation. Immediately, Gaius managed to figure out what was wrong with the younger man before him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Merlin's head turned toward his guardian as he noticed the look of recognition in his eyes.

"It's today, isn't it…?" Merlin simply closed his eyes and turned to stare at the table, not truly seeing anything while his hands began to fidget. Sighing, Gaius sat down and placed an aged hand on top of his to stop them from moving

"I could talk to Arthur; maybe tell him you'll be working for me today." Gaius saw him smile slightly as he turned towards him shaking his head in response.

"No," Merlin said gently. "I'll prefer to be busy today, and Arthur is sure to have a hefty list of chores for me already planned out." His gaze soon broke away from Gaius's concerned eyes and gazed at the blue sky outside. "Once I finish, I'll go to the lake. Probably won't return until late."

Gaius simply nodded in understanding as he stood up from his seat. "Then you best eat a large breakfast," he stated as he began to think of something to give his charge. Gaius knew that Merlin would no doubt be coming home long after he fell asleep, and Merlin would no doubt only eat some small fruit for lunch. After the reclaiming of Camelot, and with Arthur having to take more of his father's duties, Arthur has been giving Merlin even more chores than usual. But Merlin understood. He was glad to help his friend as he took more and more the reign of his destiny; after all, Merlin had spilled precious blood to keep Arthur alive in order for him to do so. But Gaius knew better than anyone that his young charge had faced many evils and had lost some of the most important people in his life. But he had to keep his façade of bumbling fool around everyone in Camelot, especially around Arthur to avoid suspicion, meaning that he had never had a chance to properly and openly mourn for those dear to him. And the fact that today was the anniversary of one of their deaths seemed to weigh heavily on Merlin's old soul. Seeing nothing else to do but showing he would be here for him, Gaius patted his shoulder in a fatherly gesture.

"I'm sorry, Merlin."

"This is ridiculous!" Lancelot could help but sigh in exasperation as he continued to listen to Gwaine's rant. They were standing by one of the many windows inside the castle, staring out into the courtyard; the townspeople were busy finishing their daily work as the sun was beginning to set. The knights weren't focused on them, but rather on the lone, lanky figure that was finishing cleaning the stables. He and Gwaine had noticed that the young warlock had been acting unlike himself, which worried them a great deal.

"Gwaine, calm yourself," Lancelot tried to get him to lower his volume, but it appears that Gwaine didn't care who heard them. He turned his glare toward the other knight in slight anger at his seemingly uncaring tone. Not realizing that a certain regent prince was just about to turn around the corner.

"Why won't he talk to us?" He demanded as Arthur stopped behind them, his eyes narrowed. "We're his friends, aren't we?"

At this, Arthur heard Lancelot sigh deeply before addressing the other man. "We can't force Merlin to tell us what's wrong with him." Gwaine felt his hands clutch his tunic suddenly at the helplessness he felt. He wanted to help Merlin as a good friend, but if he was honest, he truly didn't know what to do in these kinds of situations (Merlin was, after all, honestly his first friend). And although he wanted to follow Lancelot's advice, he felt like he had to do something.

A few paces from them, Arthur couldn't help the pang of worry at the mention of Merlin's name in this particular conversation. Straightening his shoulders, he immediately stepped over to them, determined to figure out what was going on. "What are you two going on about?"

Lancelot and Gwaine immediately turned to look at their prince. Ever the loyal and respectful knight, Lancelot immediately bowed briefly. "Sire." Arthur merely swatted the air at the formal use of his title by one of his knights, but was startled by Gwaine's outburst.

"Princess!" Gwaine greeted cheerfully, feeling a jolt of smugness at the look of irritation on Arthur's face as he heard the nickname, but he immediately remember the focus of their discussion and turned to glare at Lancelot with a victorious finger. "You'll see. He'll be on my side!" Lancelot simply turned to Arthur as he watched the prince cross his arms.

"Explain."

"Well, Sire, we were just worried about Merlin's demeanor this morning, and I was telling Gwaine not to try and force Merlin into telling him what's wrong." He heard Lancelot explain as Gwaine immediately interrupted him.

"Come on! He isn't his usual self!" He exclaimed as he pointed a finger in Arthur's direction. "You of all people should realize that. You're practically joined at the hip!"

"He has been unusually polite and submissive today…" Arthur uttered briefly as he began to remember the day's events. Instead of waking him up with the usual nonsensical, cheerful prattle he was accustomed to, Merlin let the sun wake him up. His usual breakfast, which always consisted of simple fruit and herbal tea, was filled with meats and breads, not to mentioned distilled cider. When he began to list the amount of chores that needed to be done, he only got a small nod in reply. Not to mention the fact that he had been calling Arthur 'Sire' all morning- this for some reason irked him to no end. But he knew something was wrong, not just because of those facts but by the cold pools of blue that had gazed at him the entire morning. Arthur hoped to never see that expression on Merlin's face again, but he broke from his recollection at Gwaine's shouting.

"See!" He exclaimed victoriously at Lancelot. "Something's not right!"

"But Lancelot is right," Arthur stated, gaining the two knights' attention. "If you try to force the answer out of him, he'll only become more secretive and close himself off from everyone." He remembered a few years back when he had poured water over him and how Merlin had behaved after that. He recalled that his servant had the same look about him as that time, and he immediately began to think if he had unconsciously treated him poorly as of late.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

Whatever Arthur was going to say next however, was stopped as Lancelot raised his voice as he gestured at the approaching man. "Merlin!" The other two immediately turned to stare at the man in question. Merlin had a few spots of dirt marring his attire as he smiled toward them. But the three could see that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Hello, Lancelot. Gwaine." At this, Merlin turned towards Arthur and gave him a brief bow, leaving the three stunned in shock. "I finished all the chores, Sire. What would you like me to do next?" The others noticed the small wince that Arthur gave at hearing Merlin talk so politely and submissively. Like all the other servants. It was then that Arthur's mind was made up.

"You're done for the day, Merlin." Merlin's eyes widened slightly hearing this. "You can take the rest of the day off."

Only a few seconds passed before the incredulity morphed into that of sheer relief as Merlin once again bowed to Arthur, and wasn't that just wrong? "Thank you, Sire."

Again, Arthur winced at the word as the trio watched the young man walking towards the physician's quarters. A few minutes of silence passed between the group, their worry increasing with each minute until Lancelot couldn't help himself anymore.

"Sire?"

Without turning around, Arthur began to dictate his orders. "I want you to follow him," he ordered, to which Gwaine grinned in victory and Lancelot simply closed his eyes unhappily, but still nodded in response. "He's not going to stay in his room. See where he's going and report to me what you find tonight." The two answered in choruses of 'Yes, Sire's as they passed the prince and began to follow their raven haired friend. Soon after, Arthur realized that Gwaine had answered the order with a Sire, and that fact alone sent shivers down Arthur's spine. Turning around, Arthur couldn't help but think,

"There better be something really wrong…"

Meanwhile, in the forest…

"How is it that he can't be this sneaky and quiet when we're out hunting?" Gwaine hissed quietly as his eyes followed the retreating form of his friend. When Merlin arrived to his room, he and Lancelot simply had to wait a few minutes until the younger man headed outside the castle. Immediately following, the two discovered that Merlin was going somewhere inside the forest, a few hours away from Camelot. The sun had already set, giving way to the full moon in the cloudy sky. Now they thought they weren't going to have any trouble following their young friend, but as they began to learn, Merlin could be very sneaky when he wanted to. Gwaine simply grinned as another thought came to his head. "I bet he does it just to annoy our fearless leader!"

Lancelot heard his friend giggle slightly at the thought, but his mind was too preoccupied to truly laugh with him. Something had been nagging at his head ever since they entered the forest, but he couldn't understand what it was. "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this…" He muttered as he felt Gwaine stop and glare at him.

"Of course we should!" he exclaimed as he continued their path. "We have a duty as his friends to help. Don't you want to find out what is wrong with him?"

Lancelot immediately bristled at this and straightened slightly. "Of course."

"Besides, on the off chance that he is on one of his secret missions, don't you want to know where our secret warlock goes off in the middle of the night?" Gwaine asked nonchalantly as he turned to give him a mischievous grin. "Not to mention the fact that if he gets mad at us for following him we can tell him that we were under the princess's orders!"

Sighing once more, Lancelot had to remind himself that Gwaine knew of Merlin's secret. Having been cornered by a swarm of Cockatrices on one hunting trip, Merlin had killed the one who was about to kill Gwaine, not knowing that he was completely awake. The other simply grinned widely before passing out. It had been a long few days before Merlin had finally gotten him caught up in all of his adventures and on his reason for being in Camelot, and Lancelot swore that Gwaine's eyes seemed to shine in awe at the loyalty their friend seemed to have for the prince.

"While I admit I am somewhat curious about it, that gives us no right to abuse his confidence in us." Seeing the startled but confused look of his friend's face, Lancelot continued explaining, "Merlin has protected us and this kingdom from magic for so long without asking for either recognition or praise." He said stopping him in their tracks. "It's up to us to at least show him the respect he deserves. All we can do is remind him that we are here for him."

"And that's precisely what we are doing, mate! Now come on, he's getting away!" Dragging Lancelot forward, the two continued to make way towards their friend. Their little stop made them lose him for a while but fortunately for them, Merlin seemed to be getting sloppier in his trail. Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by a familiar pair of blue eyes and blond hair.

A few minutes later, they found Merlin in front of a beautiful lake, the mountains in the distance and the gentle fog surrounding it gave it a sense of ethereal magic. Their friend was standing on the shores, his shoulders slightly hunched as he stood like a statue, not moving as he gazed upon the calm waters of the lake. Stepping closer, Gwaine unfortunately stepped on a branch, its snap loud enough to alert the young warlock to their presence. Shaking his head slightly, Arthur made a mental note to arrange for more hunting trips if his knights couldn't even sneak past his manservant.

Turning around, Merlin saw the two knights walking closer to him while Arthur opted to stay hidden within looking distance. "Gwaine? Lancelot?" Merlin asked in mild surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question," Gwaine retorted easily, but the warlock took this with a different response.

"Did something happen back in Camelot? Is Arthur okay?" Merlin began asking frantically, hoping that nothing had happened to anyone while he took this time for himself.

The two knights, surprised at his reaction quickly explained. "Merlin calm down!" Lancelot exclaimed. "Everyone is fine!"

Hearing this, Merlin immediately calmed and faced them instead with a look of curiosity. "Oh. Then did you need me for anything?"

"Actually, we were worried about you." Lancelot answered kindly, leaving Merlin blinking in confusion as he twisted his head slightly.

"Me? Why?"

"You've been acting like a wraith all day!" Exclaimed Gwaine as he grasped Merlin's shoulders.

Slightly stunned, Merlin could only stare as Lancelot removed Gwaine gently while giving him an apologetic smile. "What he means to say, is that we've noticed you haven't been yourself today, and we were worried about you."

Immediately, Merlin understood what was happening and couldn't help but turn around and walk towards the shore once more. Arthur silently cursed the two of them for making Merlin feel such distress as his worry for the younger man increased tenfold.

Merlin had hoped that nobody could see his distress, today of all days. He didn't want to be a bother to anyone and simply wished to lick his wounds in peace, but it appeared that he wouldn't be able to do even that. Admittedly, he was grateful to not be all alone, and he felt a slight bout of warmth knowing how much they cared about him.

Silence reigned between the group as Gwaine approached his friend slightly but not near enough to break his personal space. "Why are you here, mate?" Merlin heard Gwaine ask gently and it was then he decided to trust them with this particular facet of his life. Crossing his arms in a failed attempt to bring some warmth to his bones, Merlin kept staring out into the lake as he began talking.

"A few years ago, I laid someone very dear to me to rest in this very lake." Paying no attention to the slight gasps behind him, he continued. "This is the first time Camelot has been safe enough for me to have the time to properly mourn her." At this, the group fell into a heavy silence, the two knights not knowing how to proceed. Off into the heavy bushes, Arthur wished that he was able to hear what the three of them were talking about. His knight's pallor had become almost ghostly at something that Merlin had said, and it took all of his restrain not to burst in on them and demand to know what was wrong with him.

Meanwhile Gwaine and Lancelot had thought that they'd always known how much risks Merlin took just by staying in Camelot, but they never realized how deep his difficulty was. He had lost people, people who were dear to him, and by the sound of how he was talking about this girl, she was something who Merlin worshiped with all his heart. Merlin told them that he was happy just making a difference in Camelot and being able of protecting everyone without any reward or acknowledgement, but they didn't realize that that meant he had to put off things that were important, that were a luxury to so many, just so he can be certain that everyone is safe. Now, years after he buried this girl was he finally allowing himself to properly mourn. Allowing himself to rest his soul and alleviate some of the heavy burden that his young shoulders must carry under the weight of his destiny.

"And we just barged in without a thought…" Merlin heard Lancelot mutter with shame laced in his voice, and he turned his head lightly to let them see a brief smile on his lips.

"No," he said gently. "I'm glad that more people know of her. She deserves to be remembered…" With this, his mind returned to the memories of those few days with her. Soon, he felt a hand grasping one of his shoulders in respect.

"We are sorry to have intruded on your time of mourning, my friend," he heard Gwaine say, his voice having a tone of seriousness that was almost alien to the boisterous knight. Soon after, his remaining shoulder was ensconced by another hand.

"We're sorry for your loss, Merlin. We'll leave you to your thoughts…" Feeling a small bout of warmth at their words, he felt their hands squeeze his shoulders gently before they began to walk away, leaving him once again to his thoughts.

Off to the side, Arthur could only stare at the back of his friend as his knights embraced him solemnly before walking away. What could be so wrong with Merlin that their attitude would change so drastically? Now he knew he had done the right thing in following his knights in search for the younger man. He felt the need to figure out what exactly was bothering Merlin, and from what he just saw, he didn't expect the two knights to just tell him outright what really happened. His blue eyes focused on the back of the tan jacket in front of him, could almost see the slight tremors that seemed to course through his slender frame, but Arthur hoped it was just because of the cold bout of air that seemed to fall upon the forest at that moment instead of him crying.

"… are we going to tell the princess?" Arthur's eyes widened exponentially as he heard the all too familiar nickname that Gwaine had given him. They couldn't see him spying on Merlin. The two held a loyalty to the clumsy idiot that left everyone baffled, and Arthur had no doubt that they would not see kindly to him spying on what appeared to be a private moment.

"We'll tell him the truth. Merlin just needs some time to-" Turning around, Arthur tried to hide somewhere close, but at that precise moment, and he would forever deny that something like this ever happened, his foot got caught up in one of the tree's roots and he essentially fell on his face.

"Gahg!" Hearing the startled scream, the two knights stopped immediately and approached the opening with caution.

"Who's there?" Lancelot demanded as they continued to approach. "Show yourself!" At this, Lancelot and Gwaine came to find the Prince of Camelot sprawled on the floor wincing in slight pain while rubbing his head.

"Arthur?"

"Uhm… What are you doing here, Sire?" asked Lancelot as he helped the young prince up to his feet. At the question, both knights were surprise to notice a slight hint of red creeping up into the royal's face.

"I... well… uhmm…." Noticing the smirk that was beginning to grow on Gwaine's face, Arthur immediately straightened his back and crossed his arms hoping to gain what little dignity he could. "I just wanted to make sure you two were actually doing what I told you to do instead of Gwaine going to the pub and dragging you with him!"

But no matter how much bite and venom he put into his words, Gwaine looked like the cat that just ate the canary and got away with it. He stepped in closer as he leaned slightly forward towards the prince. "Or maybe a certain Princess was worried about a certain someone and decided to find out for himself."

Arthur couldn't refute what he was saying, so instead he turned his glare towards Lancelot, hoping to veer the conversation away from him. "Did you find out what was wrong or not?"

Immediately, the two knights' moods changed back to the solemn stares he managed to catch while they were talking to Merlin. The two of them shared a questioning look before Lancelot stepped up to answer his question. "Merlin just needs time for himself today, Sire."

"But did he tell you what was wrong then?"

Again, the two seemed to have a silent conversation as they faced the prince; this time Gwaine was the one to answer. "It's a personal matter that you shouldn't force out of him."

"Look who's talking!" Arthur exclaimed incredulous at the fact that Gwaine was backing down from his previous view on the matter. Arthur's eyes narrowed as he stared down the two in front of him. They seemed saddened by something, and he was willing to bet that it had something to do with his manservant.

"Sire, please," Lancelot pleaded, hoping to make the royal see their reasoning without telling him what was going on. "Merlin will be back to his old self if you just leave him alone for today."

Arthur wanted to believe his knights, but something was still gnawing at his insides, forcing him to go to Merlin and make him talk to him so that he could try and console him from whatever problem he was facing. But watching the looks on his knights' faces, he knew that they possibly had more information of what was going on than him, so with a slight huff, he turned his body around.

"Fine." They heard him utter through clenched teeth. "Let's go." Taking a breath they didn't know they had been holding, Gwaine patted Lancelot's shoulder and gave him a small grin before following the prince back to Camelot with Lancelot close behind.

Meanwhile, back at the clearing, Merlin's slender figure could still be seen at the lake's shore. The wind had started to pick up, and the cold breeze penetrated him and sunk into his bones. Minutes passed before a single tear fell to the ground, merging with the gentle waves of the water. Soon, one became two as the young warlock's shoulders began to shake. Merlin felt his body fall to the ground as he kneeled down in pain. The memories of Freya were almost too painful to bear. Guilt threatened to grab a hold of his airway as he choked on the thought that it was his fault she was dead. He wanted to abandon everyone in Camelot, take her with him and never look back. But his destiny was too great to allow him to do such a thing like that. So it found a way to make him stay, without any hope of his heart to recover. His destiny had taken his love away from him.

And even if he was wrong, if destiny didn't strip her away from him, then it was worse. It meant that he had failed to protect her. He had failed to see the curse that plagued her and he failed to heal her. He, who had once ripped the very essence of life from Nimueh and gave it to his guardian, couldn't even heal a simple stab wound. Seeing her again when they took Camelot back from Morgana had been both a blessing and a curse. Knowing her to be so close but still out of his reach was almost too much for his weary soul to bear.

His hands unconsciously began to clench the sand under his palms, the very thought of his uselessness bringing forth the anger and the desperation he kept bottled up for all these years. Almost by instinct, he threw his head back as a powerful roar tore from his very soul. His roars were laced with his sorrow, his helplessness, his love for Freya and so much more. The sky began to fill with dark clouds as loud thunder could be seen lighting the darkened woods, their sound almost matching that of the dragon lord's roar. Those creatures of magic that were able to hear this lowered their heads in mourning for that of their kin. Deep into the forest, the Great Dragon lowered his head to show his respects as he understood the pain his brother was feeling through their bond. Near the outskirts of Camelot, the two knights stopped as their prince looked up into the darkened sky.

"Huh…" Arthur said offhandedly. "It looks like a big storm its coming." Shrugging, he continued to walk towards the city, realizing that a tear was falling from his eye and went to wipe it off. 'Strange,' he thought to himself, 'Why do I suddenly feel like crying?' Shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he was unaware of the look the other two shared. The two knights looked back towards where Merlin was as they quickly connected the strange change in weather to their mourning friend. Bowing their heads in respect, they quickly continued to walk to their homes as rain began to fall.

Back at the lake, Merlin had finished roaring into the sky; his throat ached from the abuse, but Merlin paid it no mind, too lost in his grief. The rain began to drench his slender frame as he let his own tears mix with the raindrops. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he kept his eyes upon the waters of the lake, not really caring how late it was. Off into the bushes, a cloaked figure emerged, clinging to the dark green fabric of her cloak in an effort to stop the rain from drenching her. As she walked forward, she stared at the heart wrenching scene of the younger man kneeling at the shore of the lake, her hand clenching her walking staff with every step she took towards him. Merlin felt her approach but his eyes still remained upon the water.

"Such sorrow…" He heard an elderly voice whisper as the woman finally approached him. "For whom do you weep, child?"

His eyes closed at her question as a new bout of tears threatened to fall anew. A few minutes passed as the lady seemed to be waiting patiently for his answer, and for some reason, Merlin felt the need to confide in this stranger. "I weep for my heart…" Merlin whimpered as he heard thunder clap in the distance. "Here, I laid to rest my true love. It has been years since then, and the pain still remains…" With this, Merlin's hand clenched the drenched fabric of his tunic in an effort to control his grief.

Suddenly, he felt a set of hands clasping his back, trying to comfort him.

"But surely this girl would want you to move on?" He heard her ask, and he couldn't help the mirthless laugh that escaped while he shook his head.

"I do not think my heart could belong to another." With this, the two fell silent once more.

"I see…" He heard her say after a few minutes. "For you, who weeps for his beloved and the very heavens answer to your pain…" Hearing this, Merlin finally turned his head and stare at the lady before him. He was right in his assumption of her age; she was an elderly woman with dark, curly chestnut hair, her eyes a mixture of milky white and dark blue and skin marked with wrinkles. Her hands were callused and trembled slightly, showing him that she used her hands quite often.

"You're a druid." He stated, knowing that she must be from the camps nearby. She merely nodded in response as her face was graced with a small smile.

"Indeed, child." As she said this, she took hold of his hands as she brought them to her own. "And if you allow it of me, could I help you erase your pain?" With her question, Merlin's eyes widened slightly at the prospect.

"How?" He asked somewhat desperately. "I do not think I can erase such pain without forgetting her. I don't want to forget her!"

But as she began to explain, a bout of coughing soon took hold of her weak frame. Merlin's hands immediately went to work and helped her to the ground while rubbing her back gently. Once it seemed that the worst was over, he stopped and faced her, his eyes brimming with concern.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, I am fine." Seeing his concern, she merely gave him a small smile and a pat on his knee. "Such are the gifts of life once you get older..." Merlin smiled slightly at her joke as he helped her under a nearby tree. The two sat in silent companionship as the rain began to dissipate. Minutes passed before the woman found the right words to speak.

"I've lived a full life, child, and I know my time is close. But to be able to bring someone's loved one in my death; it would bring me such joy."

Suddenly understanding what she wanted to do, Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he shook his head. "No," he argued as he found himself standing up and pacing. "I can't possibly ask this of you."

"I have no family. No close friend to whom I am comfortable bestowing this gift." He heard her retort as she moved to stand as well. "My eyes may be old, but I've seen the love you have for this girl as clear as the water from this lake." She stated as she gestured to said lake. Merlin simply stared out into the water as his mind began to work. He could never allow someone to make such a sacrifice for him. For someone to give their life for him, he had already three people on his conscience, he was sure he wouldn't be able to bare another. Right?

"Please, grant me my last wish." She was asking him to do it. Almost pleading with him. She was willing to sacrifice her life to grant him what he wanted most in his life. To be able to hold his Freya, to hold her and never letting her go.

Ever so slowly, he turned around to face her, his eyes hollow but hopeful. "How would you even do it anyway?"

"With this…" As she said this, her hands reached around her neck to take off a ruby pendant. The jewel was held in a web of golden designs at the sides which Merlin recognized as markings of the Old Religion. But his gaze was captivated by it. The small jewel seemed to hum with powerful magic that Merlin couldn't take his eyes away from. "A relic that once belonged to the last priestess in my tribe who had the power of life and death." Merlin's head snapped upwards to stare at the woman with a look of longing, which she seemed to take as a good sign. She walked forward to him and placed the necklace on his neck while Merlin simply watched her with fresh tears in his eyes. A wrinkled hand was pressed on top of the jewel, sending a bout of shivers down the young warlock's spine.

"I can channel my life into it and you can give it to your love… " With this, she bowed briefly, letting the younger man decide. His pale azure eyes simply gazed the stone in awe. If such a stone could bring Freya back to him, why wouldn't he take this chance? He would never get this chance again, and the last few months had shown him the true weight of his destiny. He knew that the others lived happy and joyful lives without such burdens upon their shoulders. Arthur, his prince and future king, would face many trials to unite all the realms under one ruling. But Merlin knew that he would get there with the support of his friends. He had his knights to lend him strength, Guinevere to shield his heart, and he would forever rely on Merlin's knowledge remind him of what's right. But Merlin was no fool. He had seen how his friends were climbing in status, and he was afraid that they would forget about him. Even now, he felt even more isolated and alone within the walls of Camelot than ever before. He felt forgotten and alone…

He didn't want to be alone.

"…Is this truly your wish?"

Her face broke into a gentle smile as she nodded in reply. "Yes child." Merlin felt the tears fall from his eyes as his heart swelled with happiness at what was happening. Shaking his head to stop the tears, he approached the woman and took both her hands within his. "I don't know how to thank you…"

He saw her eyes softened as she cradled a hand on his cheek. "When I see you two reunited, that will be enough." As she said this, she gestured him to help her once more to the ground, which he quickly obeyed.

A sudden thought popped into his mind. "What's your name?" he asked innocently as he clasped her hands once more. "I would like to know the person who I will owe everything to…" He saw her smile once more before she answered.

"Generys."

He closed his eyes as he committed that name to memory. He thanked the Gods for sending this gentle and giving soul on his path, and he swore to forever protect Freya for the sacrifice this woman was about to make. After what seemed like hours, Merlin finally opened his eyes with a smile- his first true smile of the day.

"I'm Merlin."

She returned the smile and nodded in greeting before opening her hands in preparation. "Shall we begin then, Merlin?"

He closed his eyes for a second before taking a deep, cleansing breath. When he opened his eyes, he nodded somberly and prepared himself for what was about to happen. "…Yes."

With a nod, she then began to speak the ancient words as a flow of magic suddenly entered him. His eyes widened as his insides seemed to burn with need. Blue irises became pools of molten gold as he became overwhelmed with a deep desire and love for Freya.

Freya…

Her silky brown her that always reminded him on a strong oak…

Freya…

Her warm, brown eyes. So open. So kind. So willing to trust him to protect her…

Freya…

Her voice. Melodious and sweet…

Freya…

Her luscious lips. So tender and lovesome…

Freya…

As memories began to fly, he didn't notice the golden swirls of energy that surrounded him and Generys both in a cocoon of lights and warmth. As her chanting became more and more intense, he took no notice of the lake or the glowing figure that was rising from its depths. Abruptly, both they and the forest seemed to fall into a deep silence while Merlin's eyes remained closed while he tried to get his bearing.

"…Merlin?" His eyes snapped open immediately as he turned his head towards where the voice emanated from. His ears echoed with the thundering of his heart; he didn't dare believe what was happening. But there she was. Like all those years ago, she was wearing the same purple dress that he had stolen and given her in the tunnels. Her movements were shaky, as if she was trying to get control of her legs, but to him she couldn't look more beautiful of graceful.

"F-Freya…" He stammered in awe and disbelief before standing up and, in one fluid movement, rushing to her side, his hands aching to touch her but afraid that she would disappear.

"What happened? How am I here?" There it was again. Her voice. He could feel the warmth of her breath. See the shine in her eyes. He had seen her spirit before so he knew this was her. Her hair. Her skin. Her voice. Her eyes. He saw how her chest rose and fell as she took another blessed breath into her body and he couldn't help but embrace her into his arms.

"It really is you!" He was holding her. He was truly holding her within his arms. His heart was bursting with elation and love. Love for her. His soul mate. He finally had his love back with him. He felt her slender hands snake around him as she returned his embrace.

"Yes, my love." Another jolt of love coursed through his body as he broke the embrace just enough to gaze into her eyes. She was smiling that shy smile that drove him absolutely crazy. Suddenly remembering they weren't alone, the turned his gaze backwards.

"Generys, it worked!" He shouted, his smile bigger than ever before, grasping Freya's hand and pulling her towards the body sitting on the floor. "Come, let me introduce you!"

As the pair got closer the smiling woman, Merlin began the introductions. "Freya, this woman gave her life to bring you back to me…" At this, Merlin saw her gentle eyes dull slightly at the news and a bout of anger rose within him. How dare she upset his Freya just a few minutes after she was brought to life? She said she wanted to see happiness and love in her face not that she would bring her sadness. But before he could say anything, he saw Freya bow slightly at the woman before taking both her hand within hers.

"Then I am forever in your debt, my lady." Hearing this, his anger completely evaporated. He knew Freya's heart was too big. She must feel indebted to the woman as he did. "For reuniting me and my love once again…" Once again, his heart flutters when she turns to gaze upon his with a look of love.

"It was my pleasure," Generys replied kindly, watching the gaze of love and affection upon the young warlock's face. She knew her job was complete.

"But what do we do now, Merlin?" questioned Freya as she turned to stare at Merlin with a hint of worry on her eyes.

Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered. No, of course not. He would never risk her within Camelot, but he didn't want to be separated from her any more than he was these last few years.

Before he could come up with something, he heard Generys approach them. "I could see to it that she is taken care of in my camp. It's not too far from here, and she can come meet you at whatever time you two wish."

His eyes softened once more as he once more realized that he owed this woman everything. "Just until I can think of a better solution," he stated, giving Freya a look of certainty and slight shame for not being able to offer her something better.

However, she cupped his face into her hands as he closed his eyes slightly, letting himself relish the feeling. "Of course, my love." He heard her say as she embraced him once more. He didn't mind that she didn't kiss him. He was ever so grateful just to have her with him, in his arms, alive and well.

A few minutes passed before she unfortunately broke their embrace. "Now you best return to your prince." He saw her smile lovingly at him, and he simply couldn't deny her.

"Right." Nodding in response, he grasped her hands within his as he brought them up to kiss them gently. "I'll meet you here tomorrow after twilight." Her smile seemed to grow at this and another bout of love shot through his body.

"I can't wait."

"I can't believe you're really here…" He whispered as a small portion of his pain made itself known to her but he quickly pushed it down. After all, there was no sense in suffering anymore when his angel was finally back with him. Turning around, he bowed down at the foot of the druid and took her hand in his. "Once again, words cannot express my gratitude for what you've done for me, Generys."

"I should thank you for allowing me to fulfill my last wish," she said as she patted his hands kindly. Taking this as his leave, he stood up and stared at her one last time.

"Until we meet again in Avalon…"

"Which I hope will not be for a long time," she retorted, making him laugh slightly. "Just remember to never take off the amulet. The spell will break if you do so, and I'm not certain that her soul would remain in this world."

Hearing this, Merlin immediately sobered and grasped the amulet protectively. "I shall never take it off." With one last look at them, Merlin turned around and began to trek back to Camelot. His spirits were at an all-time high now that his love was once again reunited with him. So much the he didn't think Arthur ordering him to muck the stables would bring him down. With a grin, he sauntered off into the night, leaving the two women behind.

Generys placed a hand upon Freya's shoulder as she gestured to her stoically. "You know what to do…"

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