A/N: AU where Freya comes earlier in the second season, marries Merlin after he breaks the curse, and then dies a little less than a year later.
"Merlin."
"Yes, sire?" If Gwaine noticed anything odd in Merlin's voice, he'd dismissed it as annoyance or nervousness typical for the situation.
"Why is there a girl hiding in your wardrobe?"
Gwaine choked. That sounded like a question Arthur would have been asking him back when they were searching his rooms for signs of sorcery.
Obviously, there hadn't been. Lock picks, yes. A few other marginally legal implements, maybe. Sorcery? Nah. Even Gwaine wasn't that stupid.
"Why do you think, Arthur?" Gwaine called up, chuckling.
"She has your eyes, Merlin," Arthur said in a deadly calm voice. "Why is there a three year old girl with your eyes hiding in your wardrobe?"
Gwaine choked again.
It was only then he realized Merlin wasn't nervous.
He was terrified.
Merlin was already running into his room, something he must have been dying to do ever since Arthur, with the air of someone who was wasting their time and who knew it, came in to check for sorcery in order to reassure the populace after a recent burst of attacks. Gwaine followed close behind him.
Merlin had a kid? Why didn't he know Merlin had a kid? For that matter, why didn't he know Merlin had a girl? Granted, maybe he'd met her while Gwaine was still off traveling, but it seemed like the kind of thing you'd mention.
Arthur had backed away from the wardrobe he'd flung open. His arms were crossed and his eyebrows were raised.
Merlin had edged himself between Arthur and the wardrobe. Two big blue eyes wide with fear peeped around him to study the scene. A faint whimpering was the only sound in the world.
And that was odd in and of itself. Shouldn't Merlin be picking her up to comfort her instead of standing in front of her like -
Like Arthur was a threat.
Gwaine's eyes narrowed.
"Merlin?" Arthur repeated. For the first time, Gwaine heard the desperation in Arthur's voice.
Arthur was afraid.
Arthur hadn't known.
But - But those two told each other everything.
Except that wasn't true, was it? Arthur told Merlin everything. Merlin . . . Merlin told Gaius everything.
Presumably. Probably.
Maybe.
Speaking of Gaius, Gwaine stuck his head out the door and caught the old man's attention. "Get Lancelot," he whispered tensely.
Because there was another secret Merlin kept that Gwaine knew of, and he only knew of it because he'd seen him at it the first time they'd met. He hadn't mentioned it, knowing it would probably give the poor man a heart attack to know someone else knew. But Lancelot knew, Gwaine was sure, and even if he didn't, he'd stand by Merlin.
Merlin had magic.
And what were the odds that Merlin's two biggest secrets were entirely unrelated?
"Arthur . . . Look, she's plainly not evidence of sorcery. She's probably just one of the servant's kids."
Not actually a lie, Gwaine noted admiringly.
