The Labyrinth of Gedref

"Hey there..." I wasn't even surprised when I found myself just outside of Ealdor, the familiar pile of wood nearby.
"Cassandra!" Arthur approached me so fast, I almost stumbled back when he, very abruptly, stood in front of me.
It was difficult putting my usual mocking smile on and, judged by his expression getting clouded with worry, he could see that.
"I would ask if you are okay, but it seems very obvious that you are not", he stated, laying his hands on my shoulders.
"That you are not all up in my face actually helps a lot. I had no way to be sure of your reaction when we would be here again."
Arthur looked around, a slight smile on his face. "My mind I presume. The location would fit. The past few days I wanted nothing more than to talk with you. Being normal around Merlin was extremely hard."
I shifted my weight a bit uncertain and bit my lip. "I am sorry I had to put you through that. I had a few problems entering my mind. Every time I tried I saw Will's face and heard his voice, thanking me for organizing his death." My voice almost broke and I took a few deep breaths to pull myself together. I looked at Arthur again, blinking the upcoming tears away. He seemed torn between pity and something I interpreted as anger.
With a very neutral voice he asked: "You knew, didn't you? That he would die?"
I nodded. "And I knew that something kept him from leaving for good. I just had no idea it would be me." Despite my efforts, a tear escaped my eye and I wiped it away.
"I would like to say it wasn't your fault, but I can't." Arthur stated and frowned.
I pulled my shoulders up, almost defensive. "Do you think different of me now?"
He was silent for a while, but then a quiet "Yes...", escaped his mouth. Looking surprised, he quickly added: "But I also think that you didn't had much of a choice. You are being used, the same way you have to use me and Will. I blame that Editor, not you."

His reassurance soothed my troubled inside, at least a little. I smiled up to him and formed "Thank you" with my lips. He returned my smile and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, sweeping a few strands of hair aside. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips on my skin, shivering.
"You need to tell me if you spoke about me", I told him, trying my best to get back to business. He wrinkled his brows and I quickly explained: "I can't just erase everything, it would be weird if you couldn't recall conversations with Merlin or Morgana you might had about me. I have to take that into consideration. And you words have to fit the image I leave of myself."
Arthur tilted his head. "You can't see if I talked about you?"
I shook my head: "Nothing about myself, remember? Does that mean you did talk about me?"
He took his hands off my shoulders and scratched his neck, almost looking a bit embarrassed. "I asked Merlin on our way home what he thought of you after the girls went to sleep. He said he liked you but that there was something about you that pulled him towards you. It troubled him." He considered his words and added: "That wondered me a little. And I didn't like hearing it."
His last sentence got quieter towards the end and I suppressed a grin and nodded instead. "Yeah, there was an instant connection forming between Merlin and I that I can't quite make out why either. I most certainly wasn't expecting it to happen, it completely threw me off when I first met him."
The prince stared down at me but I just shrugged. I had no idea what to make with that bond slightly pulsing in the back of my mind.
"Well, he wanted to know why I asked and I fear my answer that I thought I met you before wasn't good enough, he teased me about liking you. And assured me that, besides his troubles, he had a good feeling about you and I would have his blessing to go at it once I meet you again." He rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his blush.
This time I didn't hide my grin and I winked at him, saying: "Noted. I will adapt your image of me to that effect."
"Yeah, please do", muttered Arthur in a voice that led me to believe I was not suppose to hear that.

I smiled up to him. "I will be back tomorrow night. Everything will be back to normal."
"Except this time, I have no reason to doubt any of your words.", Arthur said a bit melancholy.
I tried to lighten the mood. "Not quite back to normal then. But we will figure that out." I smiled at him and he returned my smile, hesitantly, but warm.
"See you tomorrow then?", he asked and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
I nodded and briefly considered if I should hug him. I was ripped out of that when I already felt his arms, pulling me towards his chest. I embraced him, almost buried my face in his neckline, inhaling his scent. The thought that it was weird that I could smell things in a place that didn't exist, briefly crossed my mind, but I tossed it aside quickly. He let go after what felt like an eternity and it was still too early.
"Sleep well", I whispered and placed a light kiss on his cheek. I was uncertain if we ever had a proper goodbye before, either way it felt like the first time and my smile remained, even after I ended the meeting.

"Well, here we are. Back to normal." With my arms open, I presented his chambers, a place that grew to be just as familiar as my own home. Arthur was sitting on a chair, his head rested on his crossed hands. I sat down on the table just before him, looking down on his face. He seemed worried, of course, but I could still make out that tiny smile that appeared when he glanced at me.
"You can probably tell that I am not here without a reason."
Arthur frowned. "I figured that it has to do with food and water running out in all the kingdom."
"Yes, unfortunately. Lucky for me, my underground stream and secret garden seem to be unaffected. For whatever reason."
He looked a bit relieved. "The power protecting you must be greater than the sorcery that wishes to do you harm."
I shrugged. "Suppose so. Sometimes having an almighty... ally", I almost spat that word out, "Can be helpful. Although I have to admit I hoped it wouldn't happen at all, that my influence was already great enough for you to... just not kill an innocent being. Especially not an obviously magical one."
"Wait what? What do you mean?" He straightened in his chair and let his hands rest on the armrest of his chair, close to my knees.
I stared at him in disbelief: "Are you serious? Even in realms without magic, people know that it is an extremely bad idea to kill a unicorn."
He shook his head with a slight grin. "Realms without magic? Sometimes I have absolutely no clue what you are talking about, but I don't ask because it wouldn't do any good."
"You are right, it wouldn't. But haven't you heard? Which mad thought could bring you to slay something as pure as a unicorn?" I never understood that. Even with all my extra knowledge, unicorns always were the symbol of innocence, light and magic.
He shrugged. "We were hunting. What is your problem? Merlin didn't stop pestering me about that too."
I sighed. "You have to connect the dots. Why did you kill that unicorn?"
Arthur crossed his arms. "I am a hunter. Kill animals is what I do. For a number of reasons."
I sighed again, deeper this time. "Obviously. But I still have hope that, someday, my visions won't become true and I can proudly tell you which dangerous incident you have managed to avoid."

Arthur was shortly silent, his brows furrowed. "Wait. Are you telling me that the crops dying and the wells being full of sand really is related to me killing that unicorn?" His face turned white considering that he may have caused the lack of food and the suffering of his people.
A sad smile spread across my face and I shrugged. "I wish I could tell you something else. And not even Merlin's magic is strong enough to do anything against that. Believe me, he tried."
"What about that man? Anhora or something? He said something accordingly, but I didn't believe him."
"He told the truth. He is the keeper of unicorns. He is not the one who cursed Camelot. But he will be the one who tests you."
His frown deepened and he leaned forward. "What kind of tests?"
"Tests to prove your compassion and judgement. I can't tell you how exactly they will look like, but I still have hope you will pass all of them."
"You hope I pass all of them? You hope?" He got up, running a hand trough his hair and started pacing. "If you only hope I will pass them all, it means you have seen that I fail at least one. And that sorcerer said if I fail one of them, Camelot will be doomed forever!"
I bit my lip. Arthur got better in reading me every day. Or night, if you want to be fastidious. He turned towards me again, enraged, but not with me. With himself, and watching that, was even worse.
"There will be a first time my visions do not come true. Why not this time?"
He mumbled something under his breath I couldn't make out.
So I tried again: "Listen, there is nothing you can do. The only comfort I can provide is telling you that the casualties of this event are not the main focus of my visions. Which can mean that there are not that many."
"Even one man, dying because of me is one to much!", he shouted and I got off the table and stepped in his path, effectively stopping his pacing.
"You are going to be a king. There will always be something that costs the life of innocents, whether you caused it or not. You have to remember: You can save everyone!" My eyes started watering again with the last sentences and Arthur uttered a deep sigh, reminding himself I could relate. I hold him at the shoulders when I spoke and looked deep in his blue lakes. "You can't safe everyone. It will kill you if you try.", I repeated and he finally relaxed his tense body and sighed.

"This will be the hardest part of being king", he muttered, I was unsure to me or to himself.
"It is definitely not pleasant, believe me", I answered anyway and he layed his forehead against mine, causing me to close my eyes.
"Thank you. For being here", he finally said and my eyes flew open wide. I could barely stop my mouth of doing the same. His look was intense, and I gave him a very bright smile.
"There has been a time I thought I would never hear that."
"There was a time I was sure I would never say that", Arthur replied, and we smiled at each other.
I pulled away to mockingly drop into a curtsey. "It is my honour, my prince."
He finally laughed and I ended the connection feeling good about myself.

"What... what happened?" Arthur sat up. He was laying in his bed, with a major headache. I quietly approached him and handed him a cup of water.
"You drank from the goblet", I said, smiling at him.
"Yes, I... I drank the poison!" Arthur was out of his bed and I tried my very best to not be distracted. He was barefoot and had no shirt on. His reasons to present himself like that didn't reveal themselves to me and apparently neither to him, judging by his blushing and how fast he pulled over a jacket. I bit my lip. That sight was not really better but I managed somehow to stay on topic.
"It wasn't poison. Just a sleeping draught. Anhora explains Merlin right now that you passed your test by showing you would give your life for Merlin. You have proven to be pure of heart." I grinned as he let out a relieved laugh, falling back on his bed.
"Thank god. Does that mean the curse will be lifted?"
I nodded and his grin got brighter. "Good. Very good."

We sat in silence for a while until I started talking again.
"There isn't anything I can show you this time. But I want to apologize."
"For what?"
I began pacing. "I am sorry I couldn't be there until it was all over", I started, shifting my weight. "I wanted to be there for you, especially when I saw that you still failed one test."
Arthur's expression darkened. "It was necessary. I will never put my pride before my people again."
"You didn't know you were doing that.", I reminded him softly.
"Than I put my pride before the life of another man. That isn't better!", he hissed, getting up again. I stopped him by touching his shoulder.
"But you learned your lesson. And I wasn't finished."
He hesitated and raised an eyebrow.
"I wanted to be there but I was stopped by something I didn't saw coming. Anhora visited me."
"He did what?" Arthur came a step closer. "What did he want with you? I thought you were protected from that curse?"
"I was. But that was not why he came. He said you would have to face your tests alone. Completely alone. He thought if I would be able to visit you my influence would somehow count as cheating. That you wouldn't act on your own. And while his power isn't strong enough to overcome the Editor's protection, it certainly is strong enough to overcome my power and block my connection to you."
"So, he...locked you out?" Arthur placed a hand on my cheek and lifted my head, searching for any sign of... what exactly? "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am. I got a bit panicked though. I was constantly testing if I could go back to you, entering and leaving Summer's mind regularly to make sure my powers still worked."
I shrugged, trying to downplay my worry. Summer fled the cave on the second day and I took that as a sign and tried not to worry so much. But as soon as I felt the bond to Arthur pulsating again, I got back to him. Here.

"Everything went back to normal as soon as you passed the final test. So here I am." I lifted my arms slightly and dropped them again, in a kind of 'Tada'-gesture.
"Yes. Yes you are..." Arthur's thumb had been brushing my cheek and now it wandered from my cheek towards my lips.
I hold my breath and stared up to him. When did he get so close?
"You know... I thought about you. Today."
I tilted my head, embracing his touch in the process. He thought about me? While he was awake?
"While I was drinking from the goblet... I thought about all people near to me. Merlin, my father, Gwen, Morgana..."
The small part of my brain which could still think properly cheered that he, subconsciously, named Merlin before his father, and booed that Gwen wasn't last place.
"And then your face was there. And I remember wondering why I was thinking about you and the remorse I felt for not getting to meet you ever again. Right now, of course I know why, but I could imagine my awake-self will have some troubles with that."
He chuckled and I had to laugh myself. It was a delighted, through and through pleased sound, full of relieve and joy. The sound faded and I found myself caught by Arthur's gaze, that flickered between my eyes and my mouth. I couldn't resist glancing towards his lips and his hand, that wandered to my neck in the meantime, send shivers down my spine. Arthur took another steps forward, in an attempt to close every space between us and I closed my eyes in expectation, feeling his bare chest beneath my hands, slightly opening my mouth to... open my eyes wide and a strange squeak escaping my mouth when Arthur tripped over our feet and fell forwards, dragging me along.
In romantic stories the hero would fall right on the girl's mouth, I thought with irony while the dream dissolved.

Uuuups... sorry for that interruption. ;)
But hey, after Cassie and Arthur did what they wanted and developed this thing completely on their own, I am glad to say I finally know where I want to take that relationship. I am back in charge, yeah!

Another good news, by the time I upload this, I should be done with the last remaining chapters for this season. Bad news the same as last time: I have no idea when I will be able to start the second season. I downloaded the complete second season of Merlin so every time I get my hands on a laptop or even just a proper keyboard I will be writing, I promise!