500 Days of Freya (Merlin)

Wardrobe

Chapter 33

Warning/s: None that I can think of, a bit of 'suggestive' stuff towards the end.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

A/N: I changed the prompt just slightly because...well, I like Gwaine way too much.

Prompt: anthi35 – "i would like something funny like arthur and/or the knights to stumble on merlin and freya in merlin's room without knowing they were in a relationship or not knowing about freya at all"

"Gwaine," Merlin hissed, lingering behind the group. The knight turned around, confused, but obligingly swaggered over to the warlock when Merlin gestured for him to, glancing around the forest nervously.

They were out on yet another hunting trip, and Arthur was so focused on the deer he was stalking that he hadn't noticed the two loitering behind. Gwaine yawned as he swung the crossbow over his shoulder, taking careful note of the anxiety on Merlin's features. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing," Merlin replied, just as quietly. "There's nothing wrong, just something I need to tell you. That you can't tell anyone else." Merlin glanced forwards to make sure that nobody was listening in.

"Go on," Gwaine said quickly, intrigued.

"It's not really a something," Merlin explained slowly. "More of a someone." He gave Gwaine a sidelong glance packed with meaning.

Gwaine opened his mouth to whoop but Merlin shushed him. "Who is she?" he whispered instead, practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Freya," Merlin muttered. "We met a few years ago but she had to go away for a while. We were only just reunited." He decided that it would be better not to disclose the specifics of the situation just yet.

Gwaine clapped Merlin on the back, his way of congratulations. "I won't tell anyone," he swore loyally. Then he added as an afterthought, "I want to meet her."

Merlin, expecting a myriad of questions from the knight, was pleasantly surprised at the simple statement, and blurted, "Of course. Whenever. She's staying with me." He caught sight of Gwaine's raised eyebrow. "Don't even think about saying it," he threatened jokingly.

Gwaine's bark of laughter was enough to attract the group's attention to them, and Arthur yelled in annoyance, "What the hell are you two doing back there?"

"Where is my useless manservant?" Arthur fumed, leading his most trusted knights with him to the physician's quarters. "Honestly, Gaius is gone for a few days, and Merlin forgets to wake up!"

The knights exchanged grins and smothered laughs at the king's apparent anger, which they all knew was just a shield for the fact that he was concerned for the young man.

When they eventually burst into the empty room, Gwaine's sharp ears picked up what sounded like a muffled conversation behind Merlin's doors. A quick glance at the others revealed that none of them had heard it, and Arthur was striding towards the door purposefully.

"Arthur, don't!" Gwaine called in panic, knowing that Merlin wished to keep Freya a secret from everyone else, at least until they were properly betrothed.

Arthur, as usual, ignored him, and the other knights looked at him curiously. Gwaine bit his lip as Arthur grabbed the door handle and flung the door open, a loud and indignant "Merlin!" about to fall from his lips, when he stopped abruptly.

A dark-haired girl sat cross-legged on Merlin's bed. She was wearing a deep purple dress that came down just past her knees, and her hair fell over her shoulders in loose waves as she bent her head forward to read a dusty manuscript balanced in front of her. She looked up in surprise when the door banged open, and flushed when she saw Arthur standing there.

"Sire," she said in surprise, and dipped her head in respect. She looked past him to the other knights.

"Sorry," Gwaine said. "I tried to stop him."

Merlin appeared in the doorway, wandering over from somewhere to the right. "Arthur, I told you I was going to be busy when I brought you breakfast," he said exasperatedly. He nudged Freya to make her shift and picked up a crumpled nightshirt that she had been sitting on.

"I was eating," Arthur defended. "Not listening to you." Merlin stared at him incredulously and shook his head, moving out of sight again and doing something that sounded like reassembling his entire wardrobe.

Freya began to bite her nails anxiously. Merlin had told her that Arthur's default tone and volume was annoyed yelling, but he sounded very irritated. Freya swallowed – she was still scared of anyone, especially broad and well-built men, sounding angry when she was near to them.

Merlin shot her a reassuring glance and motioned for her to take in some deep breathes as he muttered a few spells under his breath quickly to finish rebuilding his wardrobe, hoping that the knights wouldn't hear anything. She calmed slightly.

Luckily, Gwaine stepped in for them both. "Leave her alone, princess," he said cheerily. "Freya doesn't like it when people yell at her." He didn't know all about Freya's past, but Merlin had taken him aside and warned him about this particular fact.

Arthur glanced at the girl, seeing immediately that the blush had faded from her cheeks and left her pale and drawn, and she was chewing on her lip and her nails, alternately. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, knowing that the fake anger had obviously distressed her.

Freya nodded her understanding, reaching out for Merlin nervously. He took her hand, hoisted her up gently and led her to greet the knights.

In turn, Leon first, the knights bowed to her and kissed her hand, whilst Merlin explained to the rather baffled groups. "Me and Freya met about five years ago, but she had to go away for a while and only returned recently. I was going to tell you all when things were properly sorted out."

Arthur glanced at Merlin. "Whatever," he muttered. "She's far too good for you anyway."

Merlin grinned as Freya returned to him, tucking her slender frame into his side. "I know," he replied happily.

"I'll knock in the future," Arthur said after a stagnant pause.

Merlin cleared his throat. Freya nodded and remarked, "It's a good thing you didn't come in ten minutes earlier."

Everyone – excluding Freya – went bright pink and Leon said hastily, "We apologise for disturbing you. I'm sure the king will agree that it is time we returned to training."

Arthur's eyes widened in gratitude and he hastened to agree. The room was knight-free in seconds.

Merlin cocked an eyebrow at Freya, whose innocent expression betrayed how mischievous she actually was. "We were taking apart the wardrobe ten minutes ago," Merlin pointed out.

"I know." Freya's grin widened. "I wanted them to go, and the quickest way to do that was to embarrass them."

"Why did you want them to go?" Merlin pulled Freya flush against him, sensing the answer.

Her eyes were big and puppy-like when she hooked her leg around his waist and murmured, "So we can do something."

Arthur, having forgotten to ask Merlin the whereabouts of his helmet, returned a few minutes later. He was just about to knock when he heard the noises emitting from Merlin's room. He scuttled from the room immediately in a very unkingly fashion.

A/N: i am such trash