Chapter Two

A/N: Part two of The Returned! Enjoy!

In the silence of the throne room, it would have been entirely possible to hear a pin drop as Merlin stares with wide, confused eyes at the young woman before him. His heart thumps painfully fast in his chest and his throat feels tight, his eyes stinging with tears as feelings from all those years ago well up again, flooding him as the carefully built dam to contain them shatters like glass at the sight of her.

"F-Freya...?" He breathes, his voice nothing more than a whisper...because gods, she looks exactly as she did that day. Expression sad and apologetic and even a little afraid, skin sickly pale, and her thin frame draped in Morgana's "borrowed" gown. His hand shakes a bit as he lifts it to cover his mouth, not trusting his lower lip not to quiver at the way his heart clenches in ribs.

"Oh, Merlin..." She replies softly, her brow furrowing when she recognizes the sorrow on his face. At first, it appears she means to close the distance between them, her feet shuffling forward for a moment...but then she falters and hesitates. Her gaze flickers to the ragged knight standing beside him and then she timidly glances at Arthur, both men are watching her closely and she feels like shrinking into the floor, back to whatever darkness she came from...

"Gwaine, Arthur..."

Everyone's eyes switch back to Merlin now, who appears to have finally gotten a reign on his emotions. Despite eyes that still seem a bit full, his face is void of emotion, his carefully placed mask rebuilt where he likes it to be.

"Would you...give us a moment? Alone? I don't think either of us need an audience right now." He says without taking his eyes off Freya for a single instant.

"Merlin..." Arthur begins quietly, a warning in his voice. Not that Merlin needs it, he can clearly feel the suspicion and more than a little fear ebbing through their connection.

"It's alright, Arthur." The sorcerer assures him. Not because he trusts her, not because he believes she is who she appears to be. He's more than convinced this must be some kind of cruel trick. How else would she be back? After all this time? But he assures his friend simply because if this person truly is someone in disguise, out to harm him, it won't take so much as a shout to bring Arthur back. The king will sense if he's in danger. Of that, Merlin has no doubt. Gods know he has enough experience being the one fretting to know what it's like... "Go."

Arthur hesitates another moment before nodding his head and following Gwaine to the door, both of them disappearing into the corridor and leaving Merlin and Freya alone.

But Merlin can't bring himself to face her just yet. His throat is still tight and he has to take a few breaths before opening his mouth to speak, to ask her the hundreds of questions assaulting his mind. But before he even gets the chance-

"Before you ask," Freya interrupts, her familiar, sweet voice making his heart ache with how confused and scared she sounds. "I...I don't know if I am who I think I am. I know that the girl I appear to be-Freya-died a long time ago. I'm not sure how I know that, but I do, so I don't understand how I'm here. Nor do I expect you to believe me but..." She trails off for a moment, long enough for Merlin to slowly turn and face her, and nearly lose his composure again at the sight of the wetness in her eyes. "You're...all I remember, Merlin." She admits with a quaking smile. "I can't remember a thing before or after the time I spent with you. In those parts of my memory, there's just...darkness. The last thing I can recall...you were upset...and you were holding me. We were by a lake and-"

"Freya-" Merlin stops her, not wanting to relive that particular memory. "It's not that I don't want to believe you, because I do." He insists, moving a little closer to her, but still not closing the space between them entirely. "I wish I could believe that you're her...but you have to understand...I watched you die in my arms. If you're alive, and this is really you, it means you've been brought back through magic. For a purpose." The sorcerer slowly shakes his head and lowers his gaze to the floor. "Should you turn out to be a Shade, sent here for some reason...I can't risk the lives of the people I care about." He pauses for a moment, gauging the sadness taking hold of her expression and winces at how lost she suddenly looks.

"I..." She begins quietly, ducking her head toward the floor. "I understand. I think...I can't know for certain but I feel I would do the same." When he looks up again, her smile is thin and forced, her eyes shining with sorrow. "But...answer me one question? Before I...go?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Merlin nods. "Anything." He says, unable to ignore the nervous way she wrings her hands.

"What...did I mean to you?" She asks without looking up.

"What?"

"It's just...I can't remember specifics." She admits, as if ashamed. "Only vague images and the likes. Was I...was I someone important to you?"

It takes every ounce of self control Merlin has to keep his composure, but somehow, he manages. "Yes." He breathes. "You were my first love, Freya...and my last." He smirks slightly when her initial wide-eyed look softens into a sad smile and she lifts a hand to gently swipe at her watering eyes.

"Is there no way you can prove I'm not a Shade?" She asks softly and Merlin hesitates. There is a way, of course, the same spell he used to reveal Lancelot's true nature after he returned from the dead... But would that really prove anything? She could be something other than a Shade. With all his studying over the last year, he still knows very little of necromancy. And there's still the whole prophecy with the new priestess to deal with... How is he to be certain she isn't a witch in disguise? And yet..he gets the uncanny feeling it's still worth a shot.

"There is." He confirms. "If you'd be willing to try it." And Freya nods vigorously, her hands wringing tightly over her miraculously beating heart.

"Yes, I'll try anything." She says and Merlin nods his head.

"Then follow me. I can't rightly do it in the middle of the throne room."

"Well? What do you think?" Arthur whispers close to Merlin's ear. The king and the warlock are leading the small group of guards down the hall toward Merlin's chambers, Freya following far behind, surrounded by the armed officers. And Gwaine, who eyes her suspiciously.

"I don't know yet." Merlin replies softly, his eyes hard as they stare into the distance. "She could be a Shade."

"A Shade?" The king asks, tilting his head.

"That's a person who's been raised from the dead for a purpose. Usually not a good one, either." Merlin explains, pausing before he adds, "And it takes powerful magic to conjure a Shade." Even out of the corner of his eye, he can see Arthur stiffen in understanding.

"You think this could be the work of this new priestess?"

"I don't want to assume anything just yet...but let's not put that off the table."

"Right."

And Merlin isn't sure if it's just his imagination but...he's pretty sure Arthur's shoulder is suddenly a bit closer than it was a moment ago...

The guards don't allow Freya into Merlin's room while he and Arthur work on the spell. Well, while Merlin works and Arthur paces.

"So this has worked before? You're certain?" Arthur demands, stopping his incessant pacing for a few seconds.

"Yes, it worked on-" But the warlock pauses, swallowing the name of their mutual friend. "It worked before." He frowns at the way Arthur scowls and opens his mouth, surely about to ask what he was going to say before he stopped, but before he gets the chance, the door creaks open to reveal Gwaine peeking his head in.

"Are you almost through, Mate?" He asks Merlin. "The girl seems pretty anxious and she doesn't look well."

Despite himself, Merlin straightens from his hunched position over the partially complete rune on the floor. "What do you mean she doesn't look well?" He asks, not realizing how tense his voice sounds, nor the way Arthur raises his eyebrows at the clear concern on his face.

"She just looks very pale is all. And she keeps fidgeting. Is she sick?"

"No, not exactly." Merlin says softly, almost sadly, as he returns to the spell. "And yes, I'm almost finished." The sorcerer pretends not to notice the way Gwaine continues to linger in the doorway, now both he and Arthur staring at Merlin as if trying to decide what he's thinking. The king and knight exchange brief glances before Gwaine turns and leaves the room again, shutting the door behind him.

"Are you...alright, Merlin?" Arthur asks, a bit suspiciously. The emotions passing to him through their connection are vague and hard to grasp, like Merlin is purposefully hiding them from him. ...is he?

"I'm fine, Arthur." The warlock replies a little too quickly. "Or I will be as soon as this is over." He sits back then to admire his handiwork, placing the brush tipped in white paint aside. Glancing over at his open spellbook one last time to be sure everything is correct, Merlin rises to his feet above the spiraling rune. He extends a hand, eyes flashing gold as he utters the words. "Onluc þa soþan treow!"

Arthur shivers as the white circle suddenly begins to sizzle with heat, the paint bubbling and turning a fiery orange for a handful seconds before fading away, leaving the rune looking no different than before. He turns to glance at Merlin, wondering if anything else was supposed to happen, but instead finds himself grimacing at the tint of...fear on his friend's face.

Whether Merlin was purposefully hiding his feels before or not, his emotions are coming through now. Crystal clear. And not just feelings either...

"You remembered..." Freya breathed, her voice weak as she smiled out at glimmering Lake of Avalon, so much like the one near her village. Her face was pale, her hair sticking to her forehead with sweat...and yet she was still so beautiful.

"Of course." Merlin replied, forcing a smile despite the tears that burned his eyes. He opened his mouth to say more but closed it again, not trusting his voice. Instead, his eyes soaked in the image of her-his love-laying in his arms. ...dying... "I'm so sorry for what that sorcerer did to you." He whispered to her.

"Merlin, you have nothing to be sorry for." She insisted tiredly, her dark eyes barely managing to stay open.

"There must be something I can do...! Some way to save you...!" He urged, desperation painting his voice as his expression turned almost angry. Why her? Why did it have to be Freya? But then he felt her head drooping to the ground and met her half-lidded eyes again, his expression melting with sorrow.

"You've already saved me." She croaked weakly, the edges of her mouth turned up in an exhausted smile. "You made me feel loved."

Arthur swallows the lump in his throat as Merlin seems to shake himself out of his reverie and moves toward the door, ready to let everyone in. But Arthur can't let that memory go unaddressed. "Merlin," He says quickly, stopping the sorcerer before he opens the door. "I erm," The king hesitates with his words, awkwardly shuffling a bit closer to his friend. "I know I haven't said anything about it yet but...I am sorry for what happened to her...and you." He has to swallow again, shifting his eyes away from Merlin's curious face. "You loved her and I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like if...if Gwen would-"

"Arthur." Merlin interrupts, stopping the king's struggle for words. "It's alright." He assures him. "It was a long time ago." The chill in his tone has Arthur's brow furrowing in confusion as Merlin turns away to open the door. Those memories felt anything but detached...anything but cold and like they took place "too long ago" to mean anything. No, Merlin still loves her, that much Arthur is sure of. So why...why is he acting so distant?

The guards usher Freya into the room, Gwaine closing the door behind them and standing in front of it so she can't escape. Not that it appears she wants to. As of now, Freya is standing on the edge of the rune, silently staring at it.

"It's safe." Merlin tells her. "It won't hurt you, even if you are a Shade."

And the Druid girl meets his gaze, causing him to immediately look away again. She frowns but nods her head. She lifts a foot as if to step into the rune but pauses and puts it down again. "Merlin," She begins. "What if...what if I am a Shade? What will happen then?"

The guards look at each other accusingly, as if their suspicions have just been confirmed but Gwaine grumbles something inaudible to them and them return their attention to the unfolding scene.

Merlin, admittedly, doesn't answer at first. He looks torn. "I don't know." He says. "I don't know much of the nature of Shades, other than they are the souls of the dead raised by powerful magic to preform some sort of deed for the sorcerer who created them."

"A deed?" Freya asks him. "Would I know the deed if I had one?"

But he only shrugs. "I don't know, I'm sorry. I've only ever encountered one Shade and I didn't exactly get a chance to talk to him."

"I see." Freya nervously wrings her hands in front of her before releasing a shaky breath. "Well, I suppose we'll see..." Every person in the room stiffens a bit as she slowly, carefully steps into the circle, her own body bracing for something to happen. Maybe for her form to change or for fire to shoot up to the ceiling or...or something...

...but nothing happens.

She stands there with her ragged, purple gown draping off her thin frame for a long moment. But nothing happens. She doesn't show the undead, skeletal face of a Shade. She only stands there, waiting.

But nothing happens.

...nothing happens.

Merlin tries to take a steady breath but it shakes his lungs. He can feel Arthur watching him again and he really wishes there was some way to hide his emotions from this connection of theirs because he really doesn't feel like being insulted for being a 'girl' right now. But Arthur doesn't say anything. It's Gwaine who breaks the silence.

"So...was something supposed to happen or...?" And all eyes turn to Merlin, who silently curses the wetness rising in his eyes.

"Um, y-yes." He replies, his voice shivering a bit. "If she were a Shade...erm, the rune would have glowed like fire...she um, her face would have looked skeletal..."

"But none of that happened." Arthur remarks, mostly to himself.

"So I'm not a Shade?" Freya asks, taking a step out of the circle, one hand hovering over her pounding, nervous heart. She wants so desperately for Merlin to trust her. He's all she's got left. Does this change anything...?

"No, you're not." Merlin tells her and she visibly relaxes.

"So...what am I, then?"

The sorcerer purses his lips for a second before shaking his head. "I don't know." He admits. "I'll have to do some more research."

"And...until then?"

Merlin hesitates again. The safest thing would be to put her in the dungeons but...Freya? In the dungeons? He doesn't want that... But what other alternative is there? She could stay here, in one of the castle guest rooms. But if she is unwittingly working for this new priestess, that would be too dangerous. She could stay in the inn but-

"You'll stay here, in the servant's quarters." Arthur says, the usual command back in his voice. "Guards will be positioned in the area, as well as throughout the castle to ensure nothing goes awry..." Merlin sighs in relief at Arthur's quick thinking and decides to thank him for interfering whenever they get a moment alone.

"Oh, thank you, My Lord!" Freya practically gushes, dropping into a low curtsy and bowing her head. With that, the guards move forward to collect her, probably to escort her to the servant's quarters. But as she's being led away, Freya stops. "And...King Arthur? ...should something happen...and I prove myself to be a danger...please don't feel any guilt or hesitation to...to handle it." She says softly, causing the king's eyes to widen a bit, especially when her face suddenly goes deathly serious. "Please don't let me harm him."

"...understood." Arthur chokes out as the guards finally lead her away, the door to Merlin's chambers falling shut with a heavy bang behind them.