Freya X Desmond

Desmond knew she was disappointed, he always knew when it came to Freya, but he didn’t say anything. The regret was like a rock in the pit of his stomach - regret for bringing up the test, regret for giving her hope that he would allow her foolish request, and regret for ruining their day trip. He wished there was something he could say to fix it but there wasn’t, so he stayed silent.

Desmond packed up the rest of their things quietly and started down the rocks, pausing every now and then to lend a hand to Freya. He noticed the way she nibbled on the food and was appreciative that even though she didn’t want to eat, she knew not to argue with him. Once they made it down the rocks, he took her hand in his and started down the trail. Desmond was silent the rest of the walk, too wrapped up in his thoughts about what had just happened and what was about to happen. The closer they got to the compound, the more nervous he got for Freya’s test and Freya’s request faded into the background. It was something entirely new and he wasn’t sure how she was going to respond. It made him twitchy that he couldn’t predict her reaction with a strong degree of certainty. He wasn’t even too sure what was going to happen and that made it even worse.

They made it to the gates and Desmond pulled Freya inside, only pausing to pull the door shut behind them and to set their picnic supplies on the ground. He didn’t let go of her hand as he pulled her to their house, through the front door, and down the short hallway that had both of their rooms. It was only then that he stopped, finally dropping her hand and turning to face her.

“Before we go in there... you need to listen to everything that I tell you. No one else. Only me.” He paused, wanting to say more but finding that the words wouldn’t come out.

Before he could change his mind and back out, he pushed open the door to Freya’s room.

Allegra approached the Paragon's front gate, an unconscious Lyra slung over her shoulders. The woman, delicate and beautiful, did not look like she should be able to carry the weight of another human. But out here, free from the constraints of court, Allegra could be truly herself. She was stronger than anyone could ever imagine due to years of training secretly with soldiers, and it had all paid off when she'd crossed paths with the Paragon. She pushed open the gate, practically running into Desmond and Freya.

Desmond had fully expected that Allegra would have been already set up inside of Freya’s room, so he didn’t bother to hide his irritation that she was just now walking in with an unconscious girl on her shoulder. He stepped aside and held the door to Freya’s room open for them, allowing her and Freya to enter before he did and closing the door behind them.

Desmond knew of Allegra but had only seen her a handful of times in the years that he had been a member of Paragon. All he knew was that she was someone important and she operated outside of the compound, so he was surprised that she was here for this. He didn’t bother to introduce her to Freya because if Allegra wanted Freya to know her name, then she could tell her. And he was sure Allegra knew who Freya was.

“She can go on the floor. Make sure she’s secured.” He instructed, pointing to the empty floor on the opposite side of Freya’s room. Her room was bare except for the essentials, which was one bed and one dresser. There was no closet or bathroom and only one window.

He turned to Freya, “You cannot talk to her until I tell you to. Understand?”

Allegra dropped Lyra where she had been told and straightened up, taking in the sight of Desmond and Freya. She knew Desmond had Freya trained well- no doubt he would make quick work of her new recruit. Of course, Allegra had heard of Freya's power. It was an incredible gift, one that needed to be contained. "She speaks to animals, and can control them to do her bidding." She explained to Desmond as she bound Lyra's hands in front of her, as well as her ankles. She straightened up and left the room, her blue eyes fixing on Freya.

Desmond watched Allegra warily, disliking the apparent lack of a plan. It was becoming obvious that Allegra was not on the same page as Desmond and that only added another layer to this already very stressful situation. He sensed that she was getting ready to leave and he didn’t really to deal with this new girl by himself. Freya was his project and he didn’t want another one.

“Why don’t you get started with her, explain everything. I need to be available for Freya.” It was obvious what he really meant - he needed to be on standby in case watching what would happen to this new girl would trigger Freya. He wouldn’t be able to manage both of them at once and Freya was his priority. She always had been and always would be.

He took the opportunity to look at Freya, trying assess where she was at. She was paler than normal and he could tell that she was upset, but she was holding it together and that was all he could ask of her. The new girl broke his train of thought when she awoke and called for help but he ignored her and kept his eyes on Freya.

Unfortunately for the new girl, this was more about testing Freya’s commitment to Paragon than quarantining and controlling someone who required it. It was probable that was indeed very powerful but he doubted she had been making enough trouble for Paragon to go and grab her for that sole reason alone. Instead, Freya would watch this girl, live with her, sleep beside her and they would see if she was truly committed to their cause, or at least to Desmond. He didn’t know what would happen if she failed, but he feared it would result in her execution.

Allegra narrowed her eyes at Desmond, but turned to look at Lyra frankly as she stirred. "You have been deemed too dangerous to be left roaming on your own. This is your home now. You are not to try to escape, or to harm anyone. It's for your own good," Allegra softened her tone. Lyra would come around, just like little Freya. "If you break these rules or displease myself or your new friends here, there will be consequences that you will not like."

The whole time Allegra talked, Desmond’s gaze did not shift from Freya. He heard the new girl whine about something but he honestly didn’t care enough to listen. He knew Freya wanted answers and he was pleased she was restrained enough not to ask for them. She probably knew he wouldn’t give them anyway.

When Allegra was done, Desmond took one of Freya’s hands in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze. “She is going to be your new roommate for awhile. I need you to make sure she gets settled. Remember, don’t trust her and don’t untie her.” He paused, letting her fully absorb his instructions before he continued, “You need to trust me and be a good girl. I’m going to go and get some things organized out there and I need you to make sure everything is okay in here.” He paused one more time, his grip tightening on her hand, “Don’t disappoint me Freya.” His words were hard and there was an unspoken warning laced into them.

With that, he dropped her hand and turned to Allegra, beckoning for her to follow as he swiftly exited the room without looking back. Once they were both out, he pulled the door shut behind him and locked it - something he hadn’t done in a very long time. No matter how much he trusted Freya, he didn’t trust the new girl. He just prayed that Freya wouldn’t disappoint him.